Kevin's Watch, the pinnacle of the Land, 4000 feet above the plains,so named because it was said that Kevin could see the doings of all the Land from that lofty perch.
Troy eagerly awaited the dawn,anxious to see what his Land born sight would show him. His sight was farsighted and he was desparate to see the status of Hiltmark Quann and his forces, who was heading for Doom's Retreat with the army of the Despiser at his heel.
It is essential to Troy's plans that Quann slow down the enemy enough for Troy to arrive to the Retreat first, where his army can best hope to win this war, as has been done in the past.
Troy seemed incredibly, from his arrival, eager to accept the Land's need,and the challenge of Warmark.
Covenant warned him that Foul would take pleasure in that.
A quote from chapter 11,War Council:
And so, with the dawn, Troy gazed out at the Land. And tasted the folly of his plans."Listen!" Covenant demanded. "I'm trying to warn you. If you could hear it. It's going to happen to you, too. One of these days, You're going to run out of people who'll march their hearts out to make your ideas work. And then you'll see that you put them through all that for nothing. Three hundred leagues marches - blocked valleys - your ideas. Paid for and wasted. All your fine tactics won't be worth a rusty damn."
"Ah, Troy," he sighed wearily. "All this responsibility is going to make another Kevin Landwaster out of you."
Foul's army is huge- so huge that after seeing 10,000 kresh being ridden by Ur-Viles Troy thinks thoughts likeWhat he saw staggered him where he stood. Horror filled his eyes like the rush of an avalanche. It was worse than anything he could have imagined.
He made out the Warward first. His army had just begun to march; it crept south along the mountain wedge. He saw it as hardly more than a smudge in the foothills, but he could gauge its speed. It was still two days from Doom's Retreat.
Hiltmark Quann's force was closer to him and farther from the Retreat.But the horsemen were moving faster. He estimated their numbers instinctively,instantly; he knew at once that they had been decimated. More than a third of the two hundred Bloodguard were gone, and of Quann's twelve Eoward less than six remained. They hurried raggedly, almost at a dead rout.
AndYet even that was not the most crushing sight.
Yikes!The Giant striding at its head was the least of its horrors.
The Despiser's army was so big it was unfathomable. Utterly unbeatable. Even if Troy's plans had worked perfectly, they were hopelessly outnumbered and couldn't have won at Doom's Retreat.
Lord Mhoram.Like jagged hunks of rock, these facts beat Warmark Troy to his knees. "Dear God!" he breathed in anguish. "What have I done?" The avalanche of revelations battered him down."Dear God. Dear God. What have I done?"
He did not understand how the Despiser's army could be so big. It surpassed his most terrible nightmares.
Wildly, he surged to his feet. He tore at his breast, trying to wrest enough air from his unbreathable failure for just one cry. But he could not get it; his lungs were clogged with ruin. A sudden loud helplessness roared in his ears, and he pitched forward.
He did not realize he had tried to jump until Terrel and Ruel caught his legs and hauled him back over the parapet.
I'll try not to quote everything he says. (Though my work here will be made much easier if I did.)
He is witnessing Troy's meltdown, and instead of feeling the hopelessness Troy does, shakes and slaps him to bring him around and calmly says:
He reaches Troy, who is able to begin to think clearly once again - and Troy conceives a plan to save his army. It means yet another march for a half dead army and a secret that Troy won't reveal just yet. Anything would be better than being the one responsible for the Land's army being slaughtered."Warmark! Hile Troy! Hear me! I understand - The Despiser's army is great. And the Warward will not reach Doom's Retreat in Time. I can help!"
And now some quick highlights that have import later:
Troy says to Mhoram, I'll need your help If This army is to be saved, I will need you to do something for me. Mhoram promises.
Mhoram sends a message to Lord Callindrill,bespeaking the need for more time.
Mhoram gives to Triock a lomillialor rod, the high wood, as a sign of good faith.
And so Mhoram and Troy ride to meet up with Quann, who has been valiantly (that word doesn't suffice) leading the Giant Raver's kresh on an expensive goose chase to buy time.
The Rayhnyn are bold, intelligent, perhaps the essence of the Land. Yet
Sometimes, for no reason apparent, they don't choose a Lord. And no-one questions the decision.
Center stage in this chapter is Lord Verement. He would have joined his wife Shetra on the mission to Seareach, had he been chosen by the Rahynyn.
But Lord Shetra falls in the Sarangrave, and Verement recieves the sad news, here, at the edge of Doom's Retreat.
He demands to be allowed to do what must be done, defend a Word of Warning at the entrance of the Retreat, so the army can escape by running through the Retreat to, well... whatever comes next.
And so, Hile Troy's army is marching through the Retreat, Lord Verement and his Bloodguard Thomin On the outside Of the Word of Warning, waiting to defend it as long as possible.
Enter Fleshharrower.
When the Giant came forward, kicked his way through the wolves to confront the Lord and the Bloodguard, his size alone made the two men appear puny and insignificant.
Oh,man, how moksha must have been enjoying himself!Fleshharrower stopped. "Ah, a Lord,"peering down at Verement as if the Lord were too tiny to be seen easily.
Possessing a GIANT! I believe he even showed a bit of a sense of humor,peering down as though the lord was tiny! I can almost see him squinting!
But I don't think he was having it all his own way.
His face was twisted, and his leer gave him an expression of acute pain, as if his flesh could not disguise the hurt of the rabid presence within it.
Spoiler
Here we see evidence of the Giant within, putting up a fight for control of himself. We see this other times, as well.
The words of power have been discussed extensively here on the Watch. I always thought there were seven but could only find six. And I recall others posting similar things. But for what it's worth, Here's Lord Verement saying he's using them all. ?"You speak like a fool!" Verement barked. "No friend of the Land will ever surrender to you, or join you. Admit the truth, and go. Go I say!Melenkurion abatha!" Abruptly, he caught his staff in both hands and raised it over his head." Duroc minas mill khabaal With all the names of the Earthpower, I command you! There is no victory for the Despiser here!"
Fleshharrower flinches from the powerful words, but no real harm done. Then he asks Verement how he thinks he could possibly resist ?
"Because you have killed Shetra my Wife!" The Lord cried in rage. "Because I have been unworthy of her all my life! Because I do not fear you, Raver! I am free of all restraint! No fear or love limits my strength! I match you hate for hate, moskha Raver! Melenkurion abatha!
Beautiful words! Who would think such emotion could lose?
But sadly, Verement does lose. His blue Lord's fire is no match for the green Illearth stone.
And sadder,still,The Raver will not accept Verement's death as victory, he wanted more. With the power of the Illearth stone:
WHAT............. JUST............. HAPPENED??????Triumphantly, Fleshharrower cried, "Now Verement - Shetra Mate! Where is your defiance now?... ...Repeat these words- 'I worship Lord Foul the Despiser. He is the one word of truth.'"
Lord Verement's lips remained clamped shut. Within the paralyzing fire, his cheek muscles bulged as he set his jaws.
"Speak it!" Fleshharrower roared. With a jerk of the stone, he tightened the corona around Verement. A gasp of agony tore the Lord's lips apart. He began to speak.
"I - worship - "
He went no further. Behind him, Thomin jumped up to carry out his last duty. With one kick, the Bloodguard broke Lord Verement's back. Instantly, the Lord fell dead.
What happened?
Thorim was sworn to protect Verement.
Why not attack the Raver?
Verement was not chosen by the Rahynyn - Is this why?
Did Thorim take Verement's last hope away?
Or did he do the right thing?
My God, pages could be written on this alone!
But Thorim would not have to answer to the Lords or his own people for this one.
(Note to self: never piss off a Bloodguard)Thomin's face was taut with murder as he sprang at Fleshharrower's throat. He caught Fleshharrower, dug his fingers into the Giant's neck. For a moment, the Giant could not tear him away. He ground his fingers into that thick throat with such passion that fleshharrower could not break his hold.
But ultimately, Thomin had to lose; the Illearth stone destroys him, leaving Fleshharrower free to send his forces into the Retreat.
The first creature who tried to enter triggered the warning, causing a huge landslide,slowing the Raver's army enough for Troy and his Army to escape.
Thomin's death is, if possible, one of the most horrid things in that entire book. 
