Linden feels alone among her friends, and thinks about the black flame of the Staff and about Covenant's departure.
Then her thoughts turn to JeremiahHe had told Linden, You have other things to do, but she could not imagine what they might be.
Possibly not a matter of enough or not, though may be. It was already apparent that Earthpower healing may be resisted - like Anele did, and with reason.now she knew how he had concealed himself. She had stood in the graveyard of his mind. In some sense, she understood how he had resisted the croyel’s torments, and the Despiser’s.
But she did not understand why Anele’s gift of Earthpower had failed to rouse her son. That mystery surpassed her. The vigor of his new theurgies was clear to every dimension of her health-sense. It should have sufficed—yet it was not enough.
Still, hard to say for now how similar this case is. It is likely that it is, but also it may be that Jeremiah is too stuck in his hiding, that something or someone influences him, or that there is something else in that.
Then, they decide to move, relying on the Ranyhyn. Linden rises he question about possible changes to plans due to Covenant's departure. Mahrtiir suggests a new attempt to awake Jeremiah. But Linden feels it is wrong to try to do it by possession
The Ranyhyn warned me. They showed me how bad things can get if I insist on violating people who have the right to make their own decisions
This one may be particularly important, or just good on it ownThey had to heal themselves. My only real job was to help them feel safe so that maybe they would believe that they could risk healing themselves
Of course it does - it's one of the things that make most sense in the whole story!What does make sense to me is trusting the Ranyhyn
Mahrtiir says
Then I see no cause to alter our intent. Earlier we resolved to entrust our course to the will of the Ranyhyn
Again, Linden feels eager not to make any decisions herselfHis counsel was a gift. Linden did not want to make more decisions
Everyone agrees, and the Giants are delighted to join such "folly"
Which is only good and well, trying to outdo LF in thinking out everything was already proved to have similar results of the unpleasant kindManethrall, your words are folly. By some measure, they are madness
Stave calls the Ranyhyn, and they arrive. And with one for Jeremiah
Interesting, his name reminds of Kelenbhrabanalhere is Khelen, young among the stallions of the herd
Even a Ranyhyn didn't wake him, that may say more than everything beforehe appeared to be waiting for some reaction from Jeremiah: some flinch of fright or hint of relaxation. But Jeremiah gave no sign of consciousness
The Ranyhyn agree to choose the way
Again Kelenbhrabanal, there must be something to this almost for sureThe Manethrall barked like one of the ur-viles. Then he bent low over Narunal’s neck, stroking the stallion as he whispered words in a language that sounded like nickering. Linden thought that she caught Kelenbhrabanal’s name, but the rest escaped her.
They move the way Covenant chose. It may be that they are following him, but may be not, especially since there's no other normal way there. Linden feels wary, and Mahrtiir reminds her of trust
The Timewarden has spoken of trust. And you have given your assent. If you now wish to recant, do so. Ask of Hyn what you will. Command her according to the dictates of your heart. I will await the outcome with interest
Was that not why Kevin Landwaster had committed the Ritual of Desecration? He had blamed himself for the Land’s plight—and had not trusted any other power to accomplish what he could not
This is particularly interesting, especially with the circumstancesthe Ranyhyn could have quickened their pace safely. But they did not
Caesures begin to appear. Linden becomes worried for Covenant, and, as Stave describes the geography ahead, she remembers Joan from the first caesure and understands
They remember what the Ardent said about a need for deathCovenant is going to Foul’s Creche
Linden is worried about Covenant and wants to join him, but the others persuade her that he had his reasons
She agrees, though saddenedit is the word of the Unbeliever that you have a separate task to perform. If you strive to preserve him, you may thwart some greater purpose which we do not yet comprehend
She tries self-mutilation, but the presence of Hyn stops her halfwayTrust was a bitter joke — and she had forgotten how to laugh
An unusual storm comes, not made, but not natural. It looks like from Bhrathairealm, and is a sign the Worm is approachingshe tried to cut from memory the inadvertent pattern of the grass stains on her jeans into the human skin of her shin and calf
The Ranyhyn appear to be apprehensive of something, supposedly the lurker
When they stop to rest, they wake up to see that the Ranyhyn are not around and some creatures are approaching. Stavу has a description for them, and it doesn't match the skest
The cold reminds Linden of the unnatural winter Elena brought
Doesn't feel like that. She may have been enraged at times, but can't remember a moment wen she was contemptuous of consequenceAfter High Lord Elena’s disastrous use of the Power of Command, when her spirit had been forced to serve Lord Foul, she had used Berek’s Staff of Law to inflict an unnatural winter upon the Land. Standing at the Colossus, she had scourged the Despiser’s foes with snow and ice.
In Andelain, Linden had unleashed something worse. This day’s deranged weather was only the leading edge of a far more savage storm.
Berek’s spectre had said of Lord Foul, He may be freed only by one who is compelled by rage, and contemptuous of consequence.
Had she done that? Truly? Had she already accomplished the Despiser’s release?
The creatures name themselves the Feroce and ask for the Staff Of Law. When they are refused, Linden falls into a hallucination
She thinks she's in the "real world" again, in the situation with Roger kidnapping Jeremiah and others, but memories keep coming up, though she ignores them. Then, she sees the grass - or blood - pattern
She throws her medical bag away and comes to her senses. Turns out it was the Staff she threw awayThe pattern—if it existed—was a map
She comes to her senses in the middle of a fight with the lurker. She sees that the lurker has the Ironhand and the Staff in his tentacles.
They attack and manage to wound the lurker, while Linden reaches out to the StaffShe was too weak to shout. Her lungs held too much water. Stonemage, Latebirth, and the other were too embattled to hear her. Trusting herself meant trusting her friends. It meant trusting Frostheart Grueburn.
“Tell them,” she gasped. Her throat felt raw, scorched by flame, scraped by smoke. “Save Coldspray. I’ll help Stave.”
She burns the lurker with the flame. It withdraws and she sees everyone is unharmedShe had fashioned it with wild magic from her own love and bereavement as much as from Vain and Findail
Now, to the pointsLinden felt relief rise in her like a tide.
Relaxing at last in Grueburn’s arms, she hardly noticed that the pain of her cut shin and calf was gone
Jeremiah is stuck well, and really well. The reasons for this and if it is for better or worse are unknown for now, but no humane means of even trying to restore him in sight, and Linden understands she can't violate him, perhaps he has to heal himself
Kelenbhrabanal is remembered, likely for some reasons, but almost no hints here for now
The Ranyhyn chose a particularly strange path, and go the way Covenant went for now, and a strange pace. Since they're the Ranyhyn, we have to assume there are some good reasons we don't know yet
Linden feels uneasy and it's painful and bitter for her to bring herself to trust her companions, while she's worried for Covenant. She mutilates herself, repeating the grass pattern - and, while in a hallucination, she decides it's a map
The lurker is served by someone new, not the skest. It is also interested in the Staff - is that the old hunger for Earthpower, or something different?
Linden is able to call on her Staff while it's held by the lurker and feels it's made of her emotions as much as of Vain and Findail
Did anyone else get the feeling that the Ranyhyn chosen to bear Jeremiah was especially chosen because of the honor of that position? 
The brown and grey sky first appears here. Somehow, Linden knows it is the doings of the Worm.
