TLD-Part 1: Chapter 10 But While I can

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TLD-Part 1: Chapter 10 But While I can

Post by Damelon »

The narrative returns to Linden who with Mahrtiir, the Ranyhyn Hyn and the palomino, Narunal, and their journey through the ceasure Linden created in order to go back to meet Caer-Caveral. The intent is to learn from the forestal forbidding. They had created the Colossus of the Fall in order to keep out the Ravers. She hopes to use the knowledge gained against their enemies, perhaps against the Worm itself.

Linden comes to the realization in the ceasure that:
If courage and clear sight exceeded her, they did not surpass her companionsFrom the first, she had been supported by people whose hearts were bigger than hers; by loyalities more unselfish that hers. Every essential step along the path, Stave had assured Infelice, has been taken by the natural inhabitants of the Earth. Linden’s friends had urged trust until even she had heard them.
And that Mahrtiir “had finally identified the import of his life.”

Then they left the caesure.
Sunshine. A show hillside clad in brittle grey-green grass as thick as bracken. A summer sky as lenitive as hurtloam.
Aside from making me look up lenitive - I’ll take the “soothing” definition rather than “mildly laxative”, it appears that something is wrong:
For a moment, she could not breathe; she could not think. While her nerves floundered, she clung to the kind earth and wrestled with her impulse to vomit. She had arrived somewhere. Some when. Hyn had brought her here. She smelled summer in the air, felt an insistence on life in the stiff grass in spite of a prolonged paucity of rain. Straining to inhale, she caught a whiff of distant desiccation, as if she arrived close to a desert. The sky held too much dust. She had expected Andelain and lushness. She was unprepared for this baked hillside, this heat this-
Mahrtiir and the Ranyhyn made her come to her senses in time to dissipate the ceasure. For they had come to the edge of a forest defended by a Forestal. No Forestal would be forgiving of the destruction of trees. But this forest wasn’t Andelain, where Caer-Caveral dwelled. It was familiar to both Linden and Mahrtiir though. Mahrtiir deduces where they are. Garroting Deep. Where Caerroil Wildwood dwelt.

Caerroil Wildwood had given Linden a question, long ago:
How may life endure in the Land, if the Forestals fail and perish, as they must, and naught remains to ward its most vulnerable treasures? We were formed to stand as guardians in the Creator’s stead. Must it transpire that beauty and truth shall pass utterly when we are gone?
The time must be before the Clave and the Sunbane, Linden reasons.

Also, Hyn and Narunal had saved Linden from disaster:
She had intended to address her appeal to Caer-Caveral; but she saw now that Hyn and Narunal understood her needs, and the Land’s, better that she did. What had she expected of Andelain’s Forestal? Had she truly imagined that meeting her before her proper time would not affect his later decisions?

In this time, here and now, she was in no danger of burdening Caer-Caveral with knowledge he hadn’t earned. The Ranyhyn had spared her a potentially catastrophic miscalculation.
They approached the forest, debating how to summon the Forestal, but there was no need, the caesure had sparked his interest, and his ire. He came:
His steps were instances of a dirge, ancient and unreconciled; irreconcilable. Lucent melody rather than light cloaked him in lordship. A penumbra of sorrow etched with gall and despair surrounded him as he advanced; and he seemed to waft rather than walk; as if her were carried along with his own puissance..
Caerroil Wildwood is aware of his doom, Mahrtiir tells Linden. He must be given hope.

It doesn’t begin well though. Linden told him of the staff the question and her need of help.
...As you foretold, I feasted on the flesh of a Raver. But the years have become an age of the Earth, and the time of my power has passed. My strength withers in my veins. I cannot restore it.

“Do you ask my aid? I have none to give. My every effort is required to slow the ruin of all that I have held dear.”
Linden tells of the new forest, Salva Gildenbourne, after the Sunbane, and the new evils that she is determined to stop.

Linden tells Caerroil Wildwood she needs to know how to forbid.

“What will you forbid that I have not already failed to prevent?” is the response from the Forestal.

Linden then responds that she will try to answer his question from long ago.

Caerroil Wildwood responds to hold her answer till they travel to Gallows Howe. There she will speak and there she shall live be slain.

Clarity came to Linden regarding the Forestals as she was climbing the bleak hill of Gallows Howe:
Between the underlying loss and the accumulated gall lay a yearning of another kind altogether: a vast, sorrowing, stymied desire, not for revenge, but for restitution. The forests, and the emblem of Gallows Howe, would not have grown so darkif they had not first failed to reclaim what they had lost. If the Forestals had not failed at restitution, they would not have succumbed to ire and viciousness.
But she did not have time to absorb everything, the Forestal wanted answers.

Linden told Caerroil Wildwood that he already knew the answer to the question otherwise he wouldn’t have given the Staff of Law the runes he had. She further wanted to know how to forbid. She finished her plea with a bold statement:
Do you need a future for trees, Great One? This is your only chance. Without your help, I’m as lost as you are.”
In spite of the last jibe, the Forestal said he would spare her. She tried to answer his question, however:
You do not grasp that the forbidding you seek is not lore. It is neither knowledge or skill, it is essence. It si both my nature and my task. I cannot impart it.”
Linden was crushed, but Mahrtiir took his cue. “By transformation.” He asked that Caerroil Wildwood transform him into a Forestal as he had with Caer-Caveral.

The Forestal takes up Linden’s Staff to aid in the transformation, as the meaning of the runes becomes clear:
”Yet I am grievously diminished. My strength falters. Therefore I will make use of your blackness to sustain me, as I have written that I must.”
The runes were to help in the creation of the new Forestal, Mahrtiir.

The chapter ends with the transformation:
The end of his (Mahrtiir’s) human life had come upon him. When he emerged from the Forestal’s theurgy, the man who had been steadfast in teh face of every peril would be gone. Like the Elohim of the Colossus, he would not be able to revoke his transubstantiation. Nevertheless his gladness aspired among the harmonies of Garroting Deep, and his eagerness for strife contributed a peal of joy.

Watching him, Linden wanted to cry, but she had no tears for a friend who had found his hearts desire.
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Post by Savor Dam »

This chapter is one of the peak moments of the Chrons.

Nice summary, High Lord!
Love prevails.
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Post by lurch »

Yes, the author divided the book into two parts. This chapter is ten of twelve of the first part. Culminations, peaks, and as we saw in the last chapter, even " Ends" are developing quickly as we near the end of part one.

In the last chapter,,the Elohim are finally brought to something they are not equal to,,their imperfection,,their humanity,,Love. No human is Perfect. The era of the Enlightenment,,by its philosophy, Its Art, Its expressions,,Western Man saw Himself as nearing Perfection..achieving such Grand and Illustrious achievements, the enlightened Man saw himself in quite the narcissistic Light. Perhaps it was overwhelming for them,,the world was now found to be round thereby opening up new understandings of the scale and scope of the heavens as well as discovering all new continents ready for exploration,," Ain't We Just Great " became the prevailing frame of mind. And to think..electricity hadn't been harnessed yet..no cell phones..no Internet.. The Romantic era,,which most agree, we are still in.. has a prevailing frame of mind,,and its not one of Perfection. It Is,,one of being In Tune With Nature..Seems to me that this Chapter, But While I Can,,has the concept of being in tune with Nature at its center.

Wildwood's melody at end brings the idea of ..natural human..to the surface:

" It is my heart I give to you,
My blood and sap and bone and root,
To serve the woods with what we are
While what we are endures to serve.

" I guard and grow the world's deep love.
Its loveliness must justify
The sterner truths of rock and sea,
For they persist but do not grow
And so their life is only Law;
It is not melody or joy.
Their substance, substanceless, is woe
Unless it is redeemed by green,
By growth and verdure that relieve
The world from stone's commanding cold.
....(here comes the focus, the Natural state,,that yes, can be applied to a man or woman)

" if rock does not erode it does
Not feed the trees that give it worth.
If sea does not give way to rain
It does not vindicate its surge.
Such passage is Creation's pulse:
Its transformation brings forth love
From Law's unending rest and flood,
For only life which passes on
Can glorify remaining life.

" For loving's sake I guard the green:
Its steward I became and am-
And you as well, for by my song
It is my soul I give to you
To serve the woods until we die. "

The only thing permanent and even " perfect"..is "Change". The servant, guardian of the Instinctual Ranyhyn,,well, heres how the author puts it.." Watching him, Linden wanted to cry; but she had no tears for a friend who had found his heart's desire.

The intuition of the Ranyhyn, brings them to what this chapter is about and it isn't logic and reason. Its an " other reality" of natural . Essence is invoked by The Great One,,something that can't be taught and learned,,but only given, absorbed, and never being the same again..transformation....." It is both my nature and my task. I cannot impart it". ..and like Cuban cigars,,its legal to " gift " them tho, and Mahirtir makes the case he is the most natural choice for the present.
Its in seeing the " Love" of the natural man state of mind, where everything is connected..the rock to the tree, the sea to the rain to the tree and green..on and on..and yes,,to comings and goings to the Ages of Man and ages of a man..in seeing the connections , like interwoven melodies,,one becomes more in tune with ones natural self, answering the question, " who am I?"

Another " end" in this chapter but we are given a " beginning" for it. Thats natural.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
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Post by Cord Hurn »

Watching him, Linden wanted to cry, but she had no tears for a friend who had found his hearts desire.
Best chapter ending in the entire first half of TLD!
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Up Ending!

Post by lurch »

Yes CH, the transformation of Mahrtiir is as wondrous as a caterpillar to a butterfly. The authors wordwork is a magik of its own.

Thats one of the things of this chapter..all the " other realities" the author takes us to and through to eventually gets us to this..transformed Forestal,,,this natural Man..from the malachite cliffs through a hell of rent instants and particles of bitter burrowing hornets reality frozen to infinite and back for a second, for ever,,finally to.." recognizing that there were other ways to think.."..The chapter starts off with.".As if they were entirely alone" Two pages later,,," Then she was no longer alone. She had always and never been alone."..from that mental realization to..and Hyn carried her out of chaos into sunshine under a summer sky...but its an immediate panic, followed by the surmise by Mahrtiir..Garroting Deep!..Of course Linden realizes after putting the details together, connecting the dots..all the way back to the first book of the LC..further back, before the Sunbane..When and where is established and a chance of a Hope guides them forward .

I think..there is even a joke in the middle of all this..Linden decides to sit and wait for Wildwood to come hither. Mahrtiir tries a little " psychology" on her..And Linden sits with a comment of " all right". Then this paragraph " What choice did she have? She did not want to think about Jeremiah; about people and loves that she left behind and might never see again. In one respect, her presence in a time where she did not belong was no difference than any other crisis. In fact, it was no different than ordinary life. The only way out was forward. While Time endured, there was no going back. "...The two had just time traveled hundreds of millennia back in Time ..now all of a sudden .." there was no going back".....Very soon its..who am I kidding?
That scene struck me as ..much Laurel and Hardy..Mahrtiir being Stan Laurel and Linden being the stubborn Oliver Hardy..Crap! now theres a question that should have been asked at the Efest..Is SRD a fan of L&H?..Anyway, other realities,,states of mind , place, time remain fluid thru-out the chapter. The " take a look " request by Jeremiah to Infelice is repeated by Linden to her inner self,," Please, she breathed in silence, Just look. Don't decide anything until you look. I like the " walk" thru Garrotting Deep to Gallows Howe..great other reality. " This place-- Mane and Tail! Tales name it, but no Raman has beheld it. It is the Forestal's heart. It can not be answered."
Wildwoods repitition of " whats it to me?" is all about the reality of being..alone..That he left himself a " sticky note" reminding himself of the Love of The Connectivity that binds one to everything..itself a connection arching thousands of years ( an age or two) is first tempered by the .." took too long to learn anger." The author connects the dots forming Wildwood's state of mind, his " heart"..Linden remains blunt and misses the subtlety of the Forestal's " song"..But Mahrtiir sees the opening...he is not Elohim but worthy of the Grand Purpose.." share with me ".. followed by.."an arboreal melody more numinous than speech."..woooweee! thats some good stuff there..
Definetly an Up ending..with the " restitution" angle emphasized..not a grab and take,, not a rape..not just another end...but back to the mobius strip..and end with a beginning..natural..another way to think.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
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Post by Damelon »

In my mind's eye, in spite of the summer imagery, I picture the scene at the edge of the Deep in more autumnal hues, the bright light and browns of late September rather than the deep green of the forest in earlier appearances in the chronicles. Caerroil Wildwood here is more a lion in winter than in his earlier appearances.
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Post by Cord Hurn »

Thank you for this summary, Damelon! This chapter does indeed catch Wildwood in his time of gloaming and fading. But I've been curious about him in this time period ever since reading TWL's "Soothtell" chapter and feeling the sense of mysterious loss from finding out Caerroil Wildwood just elected to die from not being needed. I like how this chapter clarifies what really happened, and enjoy being in the period between the 1st and 2nd Chronicles.
Damelon wrote:I picture the scene at the edge of the Deep in more autumnal hues, the bright light and browns of late September
I do, too.
lurch wrote:]That he left himself a " sticky note" reminding himself of the Love of The Connectivity that binds one to everything
Interesting !
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Post by wayfriend »

I heartily clap your back, Damelon, and shout, Well Done.

Having done four chapters in three days, I can say without reservation that this is a smaller chapter. Still, I think in it lies one of the most important parts of the Last Chronicles -- Wildwood's Answer.
In [i]The Last Dark[/i] was wrote:By their devotion, they had assured her that she did not need to judge herself as if she were defined by her sins. [...] And she had done some things right.
Through the unique qualities of caesures, Linden gets to view herself from the outside. A unique perspective. And she is restored by what she sees. She has earned the devotion of friends. And she is not only mistakes.

This continues the theme of living with the consequences of failures, of "failure is not what you are". And it continues the theme of the power and possibilities of having friends.
Damelon wrote:Also, Hyn and Narunal had saved Linden from disaster
Indeed. And so Jeremiah's idea to see Caer-Caveral instead was set aside. And Linden's first instinct to see Caerroil Wildwood became the Ranyhyn's choice.
Damelon wrote:In my mind's eye, in spite of the summer imagery, I picture the scene at the edge of the Deep in more autumnal hues, the bright light and browns of late September rather than the deep green of the forest in earlier appearances in the chronicles.
Ah. But I have hiked the forested hills and nestled pastures of the Berkshires in late August, with the grass browning and the trees wilting and the creeks all but trickles. Donaldson's descriptions brought that forth vividly in my mind.
In [i]The Last Dark[/i] was wrote:Thus my query becomes, how will you forestall his ire? Our tales assure us that the Forestals were mighty beyond comprehension.
Forestal. Forestall. Heh.
In [i]The Last Dark[/i] was wrote:I hear now that he cannot decline to heed you. Some hope he must have.
Mahrtiir knows that Wildwood has come hoping for his answer. The Answer.
In [i]The Last Dark[/i] was wrote:“That isn’t why I came. I’ve tried to imagine an answer for you ever since you spared my life, but I couldn’t think of one. I wasn’t even trying to reach you. But now that I am here, I see things differently."
Yes, Linden was winging it, as I said. But now she sees what she must do. Winging it paid off. Trusting herself paid off.

- - - - - - - - -

We had discussed at length what was the meaning of Wildwood's Question. It's answer also deserves some discussion. This is how I see it.
In [i]The Last Dark[/i] was wrote:"How may life endure in the Land, if the Forestals fail and perish, as they must, and naught remains to ward its most vulnerable treasures? We were formed to stand as guardians in the Creator’s stead. Must it transpire that beauty and truth shall pass utterly when we are gone?"
And Linden, thousands of years and a few days later, came back to say:
In [i]The Last Dark[/i] was wrote:“Great One, I need your help. If I’m right, that’s your answer. You can help me.”
Wildwood never says, Oh, Okay. The text in no way indicates that the forestal was answered ... except that he gave them the help they wanted. But in a way that only Donaldson can achieve, he lays the answer right there, before your eyes, and dares you to see it. That's your answer. You can help me.

Must it transpire that beauty and truth shall pass utterly when we are gone?

No.

Have faith in others who will arise to ward it. And then give them what they need.
Trust that someone who comes will treasure and defend what you treasure and defend.
Pay the legacy of guardianship forward.
So that truth and beauty need not pass utterly when you are gone.

... And so, ur-Mahrtiir.
In [i]The Last Dark[/i] was wrote:For only life which passes on
Can glorify remaining life.
In [i]Lord Foul's Bane[/i] was wrote:Be still, peace:
hold heart.
Death is passing on-
the making way of life and time for life.
Caerroil Wildwood must pass on, but this is not the end of his service.
This will only make way for others to carry on his service.
We were formed to stand as guardians in the Creator’s stead.
And in turn others will be formed to stand in yours.

And so Wildwood "had believed his labor ended at last, and had passed away."
Cord Hurn wrote:But I've been curious about him in this time period ever since reading TWL's "Soothtell" chapter and feeling the sense of mysterious loss from finding out Caerroil Wildwood just elected to die from not being needed. I like how this chapter clarifies what really happened, and enjoy being in the period between the 1st and 2nd Chronicles.

I suspect that this is what really happened, with a -smidge- of very slight alteration. But Donaldson doesn't like to let what he wrote 25 years ago thwart him from writing what's right. And I forgive him. This -is- right.
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Post by lurch »

w...seems to me the author has Wildwood play for a bit more than .."no" as answer to his question. It takes Linden the arc from Runes to TLD to see it. There is a subtlety here.

The question..is linear in form..the beauty of now,,making it into the future..Must it Transpire..linear time, sequential forward...But the " answer" is not linear..Heck, how it is delivered,,,going back in time,,is a clue..The " answer" is round, spherical,,You need to help us, answer your question..Mobius Strip.....Yes, the author dwells on the " restitution" lesson,,pointing to the natural replacement at an End,,with a Beginning..but thats not necessarily the continuation of the Same..a Beginning can be something totally different from that which Ends...nature....

I suppose,,the forests could be seen as metaphor for " beliefs".Over the span of TCoTC we see the beauty and then the destruction and then new different growths and beauty...and even more fantastically.. eventually see the Lifeswallower in a whole different way..and of course,,the interior of Mt Thunder eventually in a whole different way..So,,the answer can be.. not just the continuation,,passing the baton so to speak,,but a new beginning in how we see and think..


So..basically this chapter lays the foundation, or Is the Connection between the End and The Epilogue of this book . The author has it at near the end of Part one tho....totally a non linear, non sequential placement..So,,I like that the author has the " answer" connected to Linden's change in perspective.."another way to think".

But before Wildwood died from the Kids never calling him at the Rest Home..he got Linden and ur-Mahrtiir back to their time..making possible a whole new beginning..The Worm of World's End was not destroyed,,,just delayed and thwarted from having desert before supper.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
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Post by Dondarion »

How may life endure in the Land, if the Forestals fail and perish, as they must, and naught remains to ward its most vulnerable treasures? We were formed to stand as guardians in the Creator’s stead. Must it transpire that beauty and truth shall pass utterly when we are gone?
It's interesting to see how all the awful things implied in this quote that will eventually come to pass; the fading of the Forestals, the eventual defiling power of the Sunbane, the destruction brought on by Caesures,, the Worm's rising, etc. All of these things also have a means of redemption right there within them. The Forestals will pass and their knowledge fade, but CW will impart his "essence" (I like the word, Lurch) onto urM as part of that fading, thus allowing him to fulfill his own destiny and bring the lore of the Forestals forward in time to help preserve and forbid. Tbe Caesures destroy, yes, but they also allow Linden the ability to see things outside herself, for the Ranyhyn to understand how to guide her back to CW at such a crucial time and gain the means to help her friends. If memory serves me, even the Sunbane brought about Hile Troy's special grace to the parents of Anele, and we know how instrumental Anele was in all this. These terrible things have within them the fruits of redemption and rebirth. A new beginning, as has been noted. And so beauty and truth never pass utterly. Evil comes and goes, but within its workings lies the seeds of a goodness borne to overcome that evil, if we but trust in each other, and make the effort. And that doesn't mean there won't be more evil, or that any one person or thing will turn it all around. UrM can't stop The Worm forever. Jerry can't keep building constructs to hide everyone inside. Each does his/her own part for as much and as long as he is called upon to do so. It's the effort that shapes us, not the result. As has been said elsewhere (by TC, I believe), "leave the rest to the Creator".
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Post by wayfriend »

lurch wrote:w...seems to me the author has Wildwood play for a bit more than .."no" as answer to his question
You were wanting a 'yes'? Or a 'maybe' even? :)
Dondarion wrote: All of these things also have a means of redemption right there within them. The Forestals will pass and their knowledge fade, but CW will impart his "essence" (I like the word, Lurch) onto urM as part of that fading, thus allowing him to fulfill his own destiny and bring the lore of the Forestals forward in time to help preserve and forbid. Tbe Caesures destroy, yes, but they also allow Linden the ability to see things outside herself, for the Ranyhyn to understand how to guide her back to CW at such a crucial time and gain the means to help her friends. If memory serves me, even the Sunbane brought about Hile Troy's special grace to the parents of Anele, and we know how instrumental Anele was in all this. These terrible things have within them the fruits of redemption and rebirth. A new beginning, as has been noted.

Well put.
Dondarion wrote:Each does his/her own part for as much and as long as he is called upon to do so. As has been said elsewhere (by TC, I believe), "leave the rest to the Creator".
Yes, but this time the Creator has left town! Each's part, when added up, has to be enough.
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Post by lurch »

...yes, the Creator has left town..That adds to my point,,not only is the Land of the Creator reduced to rubble,,an " End"..but the beginning anew..is suggested to be something entirely new..Not a Continuation of the same..This chapter brings the mechanics near to the surface while 300 some pages from now, its on the surface and in our face..

So, an interesting point to look for,,somewhere ahead..or many little points to be noticing,,is when and how TC discontinues his Hope in the Creators Land,,and realizes He is the Hope,along with Linden and Jerry to be the..restitution, the new Creators of the New Land. There are several key moments when olde school hack and slash no longer cuts it ( sorry for the pun) and I can only suggest those moments may be when TC becomes aware or takes charge of responsibility of the Land from the absentee landlord.

Yes, all things have a duality to them..yet it seems to me that the author takes it further..The 3rd choice, the fourth choice, etc etc etc.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
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Post by Frostheart Grueburn »

My Dissection caesure plonked me here. A great chapter, this: thrilling, melancholic, and in which SRD drenches the reader with some gorgeous language.
Damelon wrote:Aside from making me look up lenitive - I’ll take the “soothing” definition rather than “mildly laxative”.
:lol::lol::lol:
Caerroil Wildwood had given Linden a question, long ago:
How may life endure in the Land, if the Forestals fail and perish, as they must, and naught remains to ward its most vulnerable treasures? We were formed to stand as guardians in the Creator’s stead. Must it transpire that beauty and truth shall pass utterly when we are gone?
So obvious! Mount a time-traveling horse, find a blind man to accompany you, and plunge into the past in a migraine vortex to find a wannabe Ent. Why had not Linden comprehended this instantly??!!
wayfriend wrote:
Dondarion wrote: All of these things also have a means of redemption right there within them. The Forestals will pass and their knowledge fade, but CW will impart his "essence" (I like the word, Lurch) onto urM as part of that fading, thus allowing him to fulfill his own destiny and bring the lore of the Forestals forward in time to help preserve and forbid. Tbe Caesures destroy, yes, but they also allow Linden the ability to see things outside herself, for the Ranyhyn to understand how to guide her back to CW at such a crucial time and gain the means to help her friends. If memory serves me, even the Sunbane brought about Hile Troy's special grace to the parents of Anele, and we know how instrumental Anele was in all this. These terrible things have within them the fruits of redemption and rebirth. A new beginning, as has been noted.
Well put.
:thumbsup::thumbsup:

I will add a scrap of analysis where the author’s Wagner/Norse fanboyism manifests itself again. Óðinn, the king of the Æsir wields a magic spear carved from the branch of Yggdrasil, ie. the World Tree. The One Tree. Compare the item to the Staff of Law. He learned the mastery of runes after a self-sacrifice of hanging nine days and nine nights from said plant; in Ye Golden Oldendays people offered both animals and humans to him with the same slaying means. He is thus kenned as Valdr galga (Lord of Gallows), Hangadróttinn/Hangatýr (King/God of the Hanged), and so forth. Linden and Martyr occupy Gallows Howe, the heart of Wildwood. Runes of power adorn Gungnir. The Forestal carved runes upon Linden’s staff. Yay.
Lazy Luke
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Post by Lazy Luke »

Damelon wrote:In my mind's eye, in spite of the summer imagery, I picture the scene at the edge of the Deep in more autumnal hues, the bright light and browns of late September rather than the deep green of the forest in earlier appearances in the chronicles. Caerroil Wildwood here is more a lion in winter than in his earlier appearances.
I'm increasingly made aware of "the Tree" as the essential symbol of the human soul. If one believes in such a thing. From its roots, trunk and tendrils shaped and grown from birth stretch and reach forming a person's character and behaviour. The stuff of life. And it takes all sorts to make a forest.
But I can also believe that the root code of a person can be altered, like erasing a pencil mark from paper the graphite can be removed leaving the indent clear.

Imagining this to be Donaldson's intent for this chapter:
As if he had brought it forth from within him, a twig grew in his grasp until it became a sapling nearly as tall as himself: a child-tree crowned with new leaves, its roots clinging to a ball of rich loam, which he held with the ease of supernal strength.
this description, this peal of joy, still holds a tremor of foreboding - Like the Elohim of the Colossus - echoes and reverberations of Ravers lurk deep in the memory. As with Jeremiah's twiggy construct opening the arcane door into Skyweir -
An unalloyed argent too rare and refined to be wild magic ...
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Cord Hurn
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Post by Cord Hurn »

I manage to feel both joy and fear for Mahrtiir on his new accession, hoping his task of forbidding will not be too much for him. I am glad that he no longer has to feel helpless and useless. Having this wise Raman turn into a Forestal was a plot development that I never saw coming. 8O
Lazy Luke
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Post by Lazy Luke »

If Mahrtiir really has taken on the Forestal's powers then this means he has the power of the Forestal's music. Another clue to the song subtly mentioned in the title of Chapter 1 - Betimes Some Wonder.
I say another clue because back in 2014 Vizidor hinted at the Ranyhyn leaving tracks in the dirt but was unfortunately unable to follow up on the idea. Perhaps Mahrtiir having his new sight can help uncover what couldn't be scrutinized all those many years ago.

Here's a new link for anyone interested in the song - Bedtime For Toys ............... vrooom
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