They are expelled from the 'fall' we find that they are as SRD describes it, 'sick with distress'. Some more than others. The only ones that dont appear affected are the Ranyhyn and Stave and Anele.
As they start to survey their surroundings Linden opens her health sense and senses.. a wrongness from the earth itself... and she recognizes it.
So now she has Stave press his fingers into the grass and dirt to see if he feels it and Liand gets his first taste of what the Sunbane was like. Liand has never felt it and this is just an old taste of what it as like but he reacts much as one of the Lords of Revelstone would have if they had felt it.The suggestion of wrongness, of imposed and unnatural harm, seemed to arise from the earth under her.
And it was familiar
In 'Lord Fouls Bane' Covenent was traveling with Foamfollower and Mhoram to recover the Staff of law. ( a correlation?) When drool kept finding Covenant through his shoes and Mhoram finally has TC stand with him and held his hands so he could feel what TC felt when Drool touched him. Mhoram had much the same reaction.Then Liand gasped sharply and snatched back his hands. "Heaven and Earth!" he panted. "This is evil. A great wrong has been done here." Wrapping his arms around his stomach, he struggled to contain his nausea.
Stave of course 'remembers' the Sunbane and they decide that its been between 200 and 300 years since Linden had healed the Land.
Now comes one of those moments where SRD shows his mastery of description.
This description reminds me of a sculpture called 'End of the Trail'. It depicts a Native American Indian and his mount, tired and dispirited.Anele drew her gaze. He sat loosely on Hrama's back, head bowed and arms dangling, as if he had fallen asleep
But then there is the rest of the description which is a breathtaking scene
Prophecy? Hmmm. According to Anele, he is the lands only hope.In that posture, the angle of the light across his shoulders caught at the raindrops which remained on his cloak, transforming them into a net of pearls: a web woven of reflections and prophecy.
And then the last part of the scene...
I would love to have a painting of this. Anele on a Ranyhyns back much as the 'end of the Trail' sculpture... with a backdrop of these incredible mountains and his cloak transformed into a net of pearls by the raindrops and sun.And behind him mountains piled into the heavens, holding up their granite heads in defiance or refusal.
Linden and her companians need to move but some are still feeling the effects of their trip through the 'fall'. So she reluctantly asks the Ur-viles for help and they give them 'Vitrim'. After consuming just a small amount each they are ready to go and look for the staff.
Just as they get ready to go Mahtiir approaches Linden
Im not sure how he thinks they will be able to handle it better next time but the Ramen dont normally brag.'Ringthane" he rasped, "we are shamed by our weakness. It ill becomes us." Sharply he promised, "We will not again be overcome"
So they all take off hunting for the staff and Linden is keeping her eye on Anele. Since he is the only one who really knows where he left the staff I think she is hoping that he will lead them to it.
But all of a sudden the urviles start growing restive and hesitant. They keep stopping and starting and this is slowing them all down. Then the urviles stop and start....talking...arguing, barking.... and the whole party stops.She noticed a shift in his emanations. His earlier passivity was gone. Instead he radiated urgency, and he rode forward with a look of frenzy in his milky eyes. But he had not suddenly become sane: that was obvious. Rather his madness had resolved into focus
Anele notices that they have stopped and becomes distressed.
Why? Why would the Ranyhyn not go where Anele wanted him to go. There has to be a reason.Anele wailed, "No!" but Hrama ignored his protest, stamping to a standstill with the other Ranyhn.
Anele jumps off his Ranyhyn and takes off on foot..running towards a ravine.
She sends Mahtiir and the ramen after him while she tries to figure out whats going on with the Urviles. After a bit she realizes that she has no clue what they are arguing or talking about and they are for the most part ignoring her. So she decides to rush off after Anele as well.
She finally gets a chance to talk to Stave
In his heart.. now thats not something you hear a Haruchai say every day. This in some way is another example of the change that is coming over Stave. He is no longer the same 'Master' that went after Linden when she left Revelstone."you were planning to leave. You wanted to warn the Masters. God knows you had plenty to tell them. But then you changed your mind." After the horserite, "I cant help wondering why"
Stave held her troubled stare "Chosen," he replied, "I have elected to accompany you. I will defend you with my life. But I will not account for my choices. I await the proper time and place. "When it is meet to do so, I will speak of what is in my heart."
They continue after Anele and they find that he has run into a cave. and they also find that it was where Anele lived at one time.
This reminds me of Joan smacking herself over and over again. A broken woman. Just as Anele does the same.. a broken man.He was not in the chamber, but Linden knew where he had gone. There was only one other egress, a small opening like a portal in the wall near the hearth. And from it came small sounds which she had heard too often and knew too well: the bereft inarticulate whimpering of the old man's desolation. The opening gave access to another cave, an unassuming place, hardly more than a niche or closet in the heart of the mountain. There Anele sprawled on the floor. Too broken to even weep, he slowly raised and then dropped his head over and over again, beating his forhead bloody against the stone.
But then we find there is even more cause for despair....
Gone.... have they made this trip to the past for nothing? I cant imagine what she is thinking at this point. She has no idea who moved it or where to. Her only hope was that she would find it in Aneles home before it got moved.Linden felt no surprise at all to see that the Staff of Law was gone.
