What was Thomas Covenant's biggest lucky break?

Post by **aTOMiC** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 7:21 pm

Covenant when he arrived in the Land was essentially as helpless as a newborn babe. He recieved a great deal of charity from everyone including Lord Foul. If he had been left to his own devices, TC might have been killed pretty early on in the story. Is there one act that was the most pivotal to TC"s success over Foul? There were plenty of instances. I happen to think one of the first ones were the most important. But the one that stands out the most in my mind was Foamfollower's help getting TC into Foul's Creche.

Post by **hierachy** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 8:22 pm

Yes but by that point you can't really call it a lucky break, as Foamfollower was already involved. I think one of his lucky breaks was that Lena noticed him arrive on KW, if she hadn't helped him, d'you even think he would have been able to get down, and even if he did, choose the wrong direction and there's no civilisation for a long way and I don't believehe would have lasted long by himself.

Post by **aTOMiC** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 8:26 pm

Hierachy wrote:Yes but by that point you can't really call it a lucky break, as Foamfollower was already involved. I think one of his lucky breaks was that Lena noticed him arrive on KW, if she hadn't helped him, d'you even think he would have been able to get down, and even if he did, choose the wrong direction and there's no civilisation for a long way and I don't believehe would have lasted long by himself.

Terrific point.

I just think it was lucky for Covenant that Foamfollower was there at all. He could have been killed earlier. He might not have run into TC in the first place if TC had arrived earlier or later. He might have died with all the other Giants. Lots of things.

Post by **birdandbear** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 8:46 pm

Yes, I think meeting Foamfollower in the first place probably kept him from going mad at the time...

And Lena....

"The first time I was here, I met a girl. Lena. She was just a kid, - but she was my friend. She kept me alive on Kevin's Watch, when I was so afraid it could have killed me."

Poor girl was definitely a lucky break for TC. He might have just gone crazy and died of vertigo if it hadn't been for her.

Post by **danlo** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 8:58 pm

Might have died, gone insane or killed himself on our world if hadn't run in2 the beggar/Creator...sorry CT I know I'm not really answering ur q. but just

2 begin with. Actually they may never have survived making it 2 the Creche w/o my buds and heroes the jheherrin**wants jheherrin POWER! t-shirt and bumpersticker 4 Xmas

**

Post by **Furls Fire** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 9:03 pm

Oh yes, it was definitely Lena. She was the one that first explained the Land to Covenant, there on Kevin's Watch.

"I am Lena," she replied formally, "daughter of Atiaran. My father is Trell, Gravelingas of the rhadhamaerl. Our home is in Mithil Stonedown. Have you been to our Stonedown?"

"No." He was tempted to ask her what a Stonedown was, but he had a more important question in mind. "Where -- " The word caught in his throat as if it were a dangerous concession to darkness. "Where are we?"

"We are upon Kevin's Watch." Springing lightly to her feet, she stretched her arms to the earth and the sky. "Behold."

Gritting his resolve, Covenant turned and knelt against the parapet. With his chest braced on the rim, he forced himself to look.

"This is the Land," Lena said joyfully, as if the outspread earth had a power to thrill her. "It reaches far beyond seeing to the north, west, and east, though the old songs say that High Lord Kevin stood here and saw the whole of the Land and all its people. So this place is named Kevin's Watch. Is it possible that you do not know this?"

Despite the coolness of the breeze, Covenant was sweating. Vertigo knuckled his temples, and only the hard edge of the stone against his heart kept it under control. "I don't know anything," he groaned into the open fall.

Lena glanced at him anxiously, then after a moment turned back to the Land. Pointing with one slim arm to the northwest, she said, "There is the Mithil River. Our Stonedown stands beside it, but hidden behind this mountain. It flows from the Southron Range behind us to join the Black River. That is the northern bound of the South Plains, where the soil is not generous and few people live. There are only five Stonedowns in the South Plains. But in this north -- going line of hills live some Woodhelvennin.

"East of the hills are the Plains of Ra." Her voice sparkled as she went on: "That is the home of the wild free horses, the Ranyhyn, and their tenders the Ramen. For fifty leagues across the Plains they gallop, and serve none that they do not themselves choose.

"Ah, Thomas Covenant," she sighed, "it is my dream to see those horses. Most. of my people are too content -- they do not travel, and have not seen so much as a Woodhelven. But I wish to walk the Plains of Ra, and see the horses galloping."

After a long pause, she resumed: "These mountains are the Southron Range. Behind them are the Wastes, and the Gray Desert. No life or passage is there; all the Land is north and west and east from us. And we stand on Kevin's Watch, where the highest of the Old Lords stood at the last battle, before the coming of the Desolation. Our people remember that, and avoid the Watch as a place of ill omen. But Atiaran my mother brought me here to teach me of the Land. And in two years I will be old enough to attend the Loresraat and learn for myself, as my mother did. Do you know," she said proudly, "my mother has studied with the Lorewardens?" She looked at Covenant as if she expected him to be impressed. But then her eyes fell, and she murmured, "But you are a Lord, and know all these things. You listen to my talk so that you may laugh at my ignorance."

Yep, definitely Lena

Post by **danlo** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 9:10 pm

Ok-Lena wins! (out!)

Post by **Furls Fire** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 9:13 pm

LOL!!

You just reminded me of that one Seinfeld episode, "Master of your own domain", when Kramer comes into Jerry's apartment, after failing miserably with his part of the "bet", slaps the money on the table and goes. "I'm OUT!"

Post by **DukkhaWaynhim** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 9:23 pm

I think the biggest lucky break Covenant got was when Atiaran forbade Triock from killing him.

You could argue that it wasn't luck, but Atiaran went totally against herself and made a monumental, Land-saving decision. Any Watchers out there with children? Could you have done the same? Could you let your child's rapist go unpunished no matter what kind of messiah he was supposed to be?

DukkhaWaynhim

Post by **birdandbear** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 10:16 pm

Nope. That's where my personal line is drawn in the dirt. I believe that everyone is savable, and humans are basically good, and no man has the right to kill another, and revenge is blah de blah, and this philanthropic ideal and that moral code and all the rest of it.

I really do. But that's where it stops. Ideals are only ideals after all.
You hurt my kid, you're a dead man.

On a completely different note:

Do you know," she said proudly, "my mother has studied with the Lorewardens?"

I wonder if Atiaran knew how proud her daughter was of her?

Post by **danlo** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 10:26 pm

The heck w/the jheherrin, MOM's RULE!!!!

Post by **Furls Fire** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:04 pm

birdie wrote:You hurt my kid, you're a dead man.

You bet your sweet bippy!!!

Post by **birdandbear** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:24 pm

LOL

Yep. Forgiveness and reason are admirable human traits, but the mother bear knows nothing of them.

Post by **Furls Fire** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:27 pm

you say true, I say thankya.

Post by **Loredoctor** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:48 pm

Considering then that Lord Foul was manipluating TC throughout the novels to get him to fulfill his plans, was it Lord Foul who arranged for Lena to be there. I'm not saying he asked her, but he may have did some subtle things.

Post by **Thomas Covenant** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 12:14 am

I wasn't lucky... I was destined to succeed, and now I'm dead

Post by **danlo** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 12:35 am

(sorry in non-stop giggle mode 2nite!)

Post by **Furls Fire** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 3:38 am

Thomas Covenant wrote:I wasn't lucky... I was destined to succeed, and now I'm dead

Don't worry, the Laws of Life and Death were both broken...SRD will bring you back

Post by **aTOMiC** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 4:53 am

What great responses! I knew you guys wouldn't let me down. Of course TC was gifted by many people. We can recite the list. A list that would include the unfettered of Andelain, the un named warrior who died for TC at the battle of Soaring Woodhelven. Its really a very long list.

Post by **Kinslaughterer** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 10:31 pm

Covenant's lucky break was continuing to wear his wedding ring despite being divorced for years.