Quiss and the other innocents of Mordant

[Cord Hurn]

In the "Strongest Female Character" thread, I voted for Quiss and made a promise that I'd dedicate a thread to her one day in this post. Well, when I thought about it recently, I decided that Quiss as a character was just too peripheral to the plot to merit a thread all by herself, so I've instead made it "Quiss and the other innocents of Mordant".

What I like about the traveling that Terisa and Geraden do through Mordant's countryside in A Man Rides Through is that we see the people who can suffer from the devastating effects of rampant destructive Imagery, and this raises the emotional stakes of what Terisa, Geraden, et al, are trying to do in saving Mordant. So, I'd like to provide quotes along with a bit of commentary to show how valuable and admirable many of the people of Mordant are, and how descriptions of them show how important it is that they be saved from the villainous plotting of Eremis, Gilbur, and Vagel.

Quiss is one of the best-detailed characters in the story, so I'll start with her.

[Cord Hurn]

She [Terisa] shrugged: the blanket was enough. Grateful for its warmth, she asked, "What did you figure out about Nyle?" She dreaded everything she would have to say about Nyle.

Without meeting her gaze, he [Geraden] squatted to his packs and began pulling out foodskins, a jug, some fruit. His tone was harsh as he replied, "Falling in love with Elega and letting her talk him into betraying Mordant for Prince Kragen. That was bad enough, but it sort of makes sense. Quiss--that's Tholden''s wife--she says Nyle has been unhappy enough to do something like that for years. Not everybody agrees with her"--he grimaced--"but I do. The Domne does.["]

Quiss is one of those sensitive, insightful people representing wholesome values that I presume Mordant is packed with, underscoring how important it is that Mordant be preserved from the murderous and destructive effects of unchecked Imagery. I'll get back to more of these quotes in a short while.

[Cord Hurn]

With a crisp accuracy entirely unlike the eager, accident-prone manner she remembered, he repacked his supplies, then watered the horses and saddled them. "Take the bay," he said, indicating one of the mounts. "Quiss had her trained to carry pregnant women. Quiss has been pregnant a lot. I think Tholden wants to have seven sons, too." His tone seemed gentler when he talked about such things, but that impression may have been created by what he was saying rather than by the way he said it.

_____________________________________

"Anyway, you'll meet Tholden's wife Quiss. And their children. She'll make you comfortable in Houseldon, or die trying.["]

_____________________________________

There was a woman on the porch. A line of rope ran from the one end of the porch to the other, and over it hung a large rug, rag-woven from scraps of wool. The woman held a short flail in one hand, and the air around her was dim with dust: apparently, she had been beating the rug. Terisa was immediately struck by her corn silk hair and sky blue eyes, by the flush of exertion on her cheeks and the strength in her hands. She had the bosom of an Earth Mother and the shoulders of a stonemason, and she propped her fists on her hips to greet Geraden as if she weren't entirely ready to let him enter the house.

A child only a little bigger than a toddler peered from behind her skirts, then ducked into hiding.

"You took long enough," she said in a voice that directly contradicted the severity of her manner. "Da's been fretting."

"Quiss," he replied like a man who had forgotten how to laugh and didn't want to get angry, "this is Terisa. The lady Terisa of Morgan. She's an arch-Imager." He seemed to fear that Quiss wouldn't take his companion seriously enough. "After Vagel, she's the most powerful Imager in the country.

Quiss raised her blue eyes to Terisa's face. She didn't smile, but her gaze felt as friendly as sunshine. all at once, Terisa forgot to be self-conscious.

"She's also cold and tired, and probably hungry," Quiss pronounced, "and she isn't used to horses. What are you waiting for? Bring her in."

Terisa smiled helplessly.

Geraden reached up for her hand. His eyes gave away nothing: he was too iron to be dented by Quiss' manner. Terisa included him with her smile, then lost it because she suddenly began to ache for the Geraden who would have chuckled happily at Tholden's wife. When he didn't respons, either to her smile or to her sadness, she took a deep breath for courage and let him help her off the bay.

Her legs began to shake as soon as her feet hit the ground--a consequence of her unfamiliarity with horseback riding--but after she took a step or two the trembling eased. Geraden might have wanted to withdraw his hand, but she didn't give him the chance; she clung to him as she went up the steps onto the porch.

Still without smiling, Quiss unexpectedly took hold of Terisa's shoulders and gave her a quick hug, a kiss. "Welcome, Terisa of Morgan," she said. "I don't know anything about Imagery--but I know Geraden. You are very welcome here."

Terisa had no reply. An awkward moment passed while she groped for a way to explain how glad she was to be here. Then the child hiding behind Quiss' skirts broke the silence.

"Ma, the lady don't smell good."

Quiss started to turn. "'Doesn't,' Ruesha. Not 'don't.' And that's no way to talk to a lady."

Geraden was faster, however. "Imp!" he barked. "Come here. I'm going to paddle your behind until you can't walk for a week."

Squealing with an obvious lack of fright, the child sprinted into the house. Geraden followed, thundering his boots on the floorboards as he pretended to run.

This time Quiss did smile, half in apology, half in pleasure. "Ruesha says what she thinks," she said, "like too many of her uncles." Then she wrinkled her nose humorously. "But it's true, you know. You don't smell good. They must have treated you pretty badly after Geraden got away."

Terisa was smiling herself; a small trill of music ran around her heart. There was hope for Geraden yet. Perhaps just for a second, he had been surprised out of his defeat. She sounded incongruously happy as she replied, "They put me in the dungeon."

Quiss' eyes resumed their sky blue sobriety. "A dungeon they haven't cleaned for decades, apparently." The bare idea affronted her. "Come. I'll introduce you to the Domne. Then we can go get you a bath. And some clean clothes. That will give his father a chance to try to make sense out of Geraden."

With one strong arm wrapped companionably around Terisa's shoulders, Quiss steered her into the house.

I feel it is worth noting that the people who have been suffering the most from the evil effects of mirrors are the decent solid folk just like Quiss and her daughter Ruesha; people who have no desire to harm anybody. Thinking about the values the people of Houseldon represent steadies Geraden; thinking about the threats they may have to face almost immobilizes him, at least emotionally.

[Cord Hurn]

Geraden had to struggle for a couple of minutes, but eventually he reached the conclusion she hadn't been able to articulate. "King Joyse," he said slowly, "persuaded you he was right to abandon us.You think he went after Torrent--after Queen Madin. When somebody he loves is in danger, he forgets all about Mordant--all about his plans for saving his kingdom. Not because he doesn't care about Mordant, but because he can't help caring about her."

Terisa's spirit lifted. "He isn't an idealist, not really. If anyone here is an idealist, it's Havelock. King Joyse didn't creat Mordant or the Congery out of an abstract set of beliefs. He did it because people he knew and cared about were being hurt in the wars--hurt by Imagery. He wanted to save the world, a world made up of individual farmers and merchants and children who couldn't defend themselves.["]

This says it best!

[Cord Hurn]

And around the inner walls of the castle, around Orison's benighted inward face, the guards who would travel on foot were gathering in squads and platoons; ordinary individuals uprooted from their lives in order to endure a forced march for three days so that they could be hurled against an army which outnumbered them nearly four-to-one. And for what? Well, Terisa knew the answer to that. So that men like Master Eremis and High King Festten wouldn't have their way with the innocent of Mordant. To say such things, however, she had to believe what the Congery and the guard, what she and Geraden were doing might work.

Failure meant annihilation. For all these people.

Why are the story's heroes going through all the hardships they endure? So that men like Master Eremis and High King Festten wouldn't have their way with the innocent of Mordant. That's why I think it's so great that Stephen R. Donaldson went to the extra trouble of detailing characters like Quiss (and the Domne, and Tholden, and the Fayle, all of whom I will discuss in this thread in the future). SRD makes the struggles of Terisa & Geraden and their allies more engaging for me, when I can clearly see who and what they are fighting for.

[Cord Hurn]

Quiss took her past a door that stood slightly ajar. As they crossed the opening, a plaintive voice cried out, "Quiss! In the name of decency!" The tone of the appeal was both lugubrious and funny. "I'm dying."

"And about time, too," muttered Quiss without stopping--or letting Terisa pause.

"Who was that?" Terisa asked in surprise.

Then she was surprised even further to see Quiss' entire face turn red.

"Stead. One of the sons Da seems to value so highly. He hasn't had a woman since a tinker broke his collarbone, and he wants me to bed him. As soon as he learns you're here, he'll get the same idea about you.

"Take my advice," Quiss continued primly. "Have nothing to do with him. He's the only one of the Domne's sons who has no sense at all. Personally, I won't even let the serving girls go in his room. A groom and one of the shearers are taking care of him."

Terisa made no effort to keep from laughing. "What does he think he can do--with a broken collarbone?"

Quiss stopped in the hall and gave Terisa the full force of her bright blue eyes. Softly, she said, "You must not have much experience with men. It isn't what he thinks he can do. It's what he thinks you can do."

Her expression, however. suggested that she wasn't listening to herself--that her own thoughts had gone in a different direction. She had become grave, almost somber; perplexity knotted her brows. "Before yesterday," she murmured, "none of us knew you existed. Then Geraden arrived out of nowhere, breathing fire about a possible attack and at the same time acting like all the heart and hope had been beaten out of him. He said he left a woman behind who was probably being tortured because she was his friend. Now that I see you, it seems astonishing how little he actually told us about you.

"He never mentioned that you could have any man you wanted."

Quiss adheres to a code of fidelity that Stead with all his presumable charms cannot break. And she is often thinking of the problems of others, of Geraden's suffering, even when she obviously has so much responsibility herself. She is one of the strongest characters in Mordant, though she isn't royalty and has no talent for Imagery.

[shadowbinding shoe]

The (sub)forum lives! Nice thread, Cord Hurn.

There's not a lot about her in the books. But maybe we can still deduce a bit more about her character. Typecasting her as one of the 'ordinary' people that make Mordant (Domne) something worth protecting is true enough. But the Domne already embodies that facet amply. What makes Quiss Quiss?

First, the name. It's a soft name. There's definitely 'Kiss' in it. Maybe 'Queen' as well? Or 'Quintessential'? Just as Tholden encompass 'Fold them' (in his arms) and 'Hold them' (ie Eremis translations, back)

Also, Quiss is not just another woman of Domne. She married the heir of the Domne. She was enough woman to fulfill Tholden's ambitions of a large family, a caring mother for their children and a partner in the fulfillment of his dreams. And she wanted to do those things herself or else she wouldn't marry Tholden. She's sure of herself. She's strong. I'd venture she wanted to take care of the Care of Domne and partake in the creation of its future herself to some extent. Or were taken in by Tholden's dreams. Tholden is a bit comical and ineffective. She's the stronger one in their marriage.

We also know she's a good mother. Not only that, she's also a good caregiver to Tholden's father in his old age. And Geraden in his youth, after his mother died. She has a big heart.

There was a woman on the porch. A line of rope ran from the one end of the porch to the other, and over it hung a large rug, rag-woven from scraps of wool. The woman held a short flail in one hand, and the air around her was dim with dust: apparently, she had been beating the rug. Terisa was immediately struck by her corn silk hair and sky blue eyes, by the flush of exertion on her cheeks and the strength in her hands. She had the bosom of an Earth Mother and the shoulders of a stonemason, and she propped her fists on her hips to greet Geraden as if she weren't entirely ready to let him enter the house.

Strong, well-muscled and beautiful. This is not a flower on the wall like Joyce daughters. This is not an oversexed slut like Saddith. She combines both womanly beauty and a worker's strength.

-----

Now after reading your last quote, I have a theory.

Quiss doesn't value her lecherous brother in law, Stead, very highly. It sounds like it's a point of contention between her and her husband's family.

The official story is that a tinker broke his collarbone. A random enough story beyond illustrating his character. What if the truth is that Quiss broke his collarbone after he tried to aggressively seduce her one too many times?

And here:

Her expression, however. suggested that she wasn't listening to herself--that her own thoughts had gone in a different direction. She had become grave, almost somber; perplexity knotted her brows. "Before yesterday," she murmured, "none of us knew you existed. Then Geraden arrived out of nowhere, breathing fire about a possible attack and at the same time acting like all the heart and hope had been beaten out of him. He said he left a woman behind who was probably being tortured because she was his friend. Now that I see you, it seems astonishing how little he actually told us about you.

"He never mentioned that you could have any man you wanted."

Is she worried Terisa was in danger of rape before she escaped? Quiss is not an innocent like that ultra-shy wife of Geraden's shy brother. She has the courage to confront the ugliness in the world head-on and headbutt it in the face.

[Avatar]

I like it.

--A

[IrrationalSanity]

"Rosie the Riveter" springs to mind...

[Cord Hurn]

Also, Quiss is not just another woman of Domne. She married the heir of the Domne. She was enough woman to fulfill Tholden's ambitions of a large family, a caring mother for their children and a partner in the fulfillment of his dreams. And she wanted to do those things herself or else she wouldn't marry Tholden. She's sure of herself. She's strong. I'd venture she wanted to take care of the Care of Domne and partake in the creation of its future herself to some extent. Or were taken in by Tholden's dreams. Tholden is a bit comical and ineffective. She's the stronger one in their marriage.

These are all good points, shadowbindingshoe! Quiss may not be royalty, but she is definitely nobility because she is married to Tholden . And Quiss seems to want to take care of everybody to the best of her ability, as evidenced by the following passage:

Terisa bit back an impulse to ask, Is that really what you think? She wanted to believe that she was pretty; and Quiss' opinion seemed to have tremendous value. But Tholden's wife obviously wanted to get reassurance, not give it. She wanted to believe that Geraden wouldn't be hurt anymore. Deliberately, Terisa put her questions aside.

"They put me in the dungeon," she said, "because I wouldn't tell them where he was. He rescued me when my old life was going nowhere. He's risked himself for me any number of times. He even tried to fight the High King's Monomach for me once." Quiss was impressed; but Terisa didn't stop. "He's the only reason I'm alive--the only reason I'm here. Even if I didn't like him so much, I wouldn't be interested in anybody else."

Certainly not Stead, who sounded suspiciously like Master Eremis.

That was what Quiss wanted to hear. She didn't smile--apparently, she rarely smiled when she was happy--but warmth shone from her. "Then I'll stop worrying about him and leave him to you. If anybody can get him out of the pig wallow he's in, you can."

Briskly, she moved Terisa again in the direction of a bath.

[Cord Hurn]

"He never mentioned that you could have any man you wanted."

Is she worried Terisa was in danger of rape before she escaped? Quiss is not an innocent like that ultra-shy wife of Geraden's shy brother. She has the courage to confront the ugliness in the world head-on and headbutt it in the face.

I think in this passage Quiss is worried that Terisa may break Geraden's heart by attracting and being attracted by another man.

[Cord Hurn]

She's strong. I'd venture she wanted to take care of the Care of Domne and partake in the creation of its future herself to some extent. Or were taken in by Tholden's dreams. Tholden is a bit comical and ineffective. She's the stronger one in their marriage.

I fully agree!

[Cord Hurn]

There's not a lot about her in the books. But maybe we can still deduce a bit more about her character. Typecasting her as one of the 'ordinary' people that make Mordant (Domne) something worth protecting is true enough. But the Domne already embodies that facet amply.

Well said, and I plan to bring the Domne into this thread's discussion fairly soon!

[Cord Hurn]

"Rosie the Riveter" springs to mind...

Well, that's not quite how I've pictured Quiss, IrrationalSanity, but if it works for you, that's all that matters! Maybe if we made her hair blonde and had her wearing a woolen work smock, I could see this image as Quiss--perhaps.

[Cord Hurn]

First, the name. It's a soft name. There's definitely 'Kiss' in it. Maybe 'Queen' as well? Or 'Quintessential'? Just as Tholden encompass 'Fold them' (in his arms) and 'Hold them' (ie Eremis translations, back)

It may be that Quiss' name is also intended to be reminiscent of the word, bliss, in that she has a faithful and steady relationship with Tholden and commands a household where until now all the children were safe, guided, and well-cared-for, where they know they are loved. The following passage might well be characterized as "Quiss ruling in her usual domain", or maybe it should just be called "Quintessential Quiss".

Quiss was stirring what looked like enough stew to feed half of Houseldon. Her cheeks were red from heat and exertion; sweat make her hair stick to the sides of her face in streaks. Behind her, servants clattered around the room, setting platters, utensils, and pitchers on the table, bringing pots and tureens and trays from a back kitchen Terisa hadn't seen--and talking to each other loudly through the din. The Domne and Tholden sat together at the end of the table, discussing something intently, raising their voices to make themselves heard. In one corner of the room, a boy perhaps fifteen years old and a girl somewhat younger were arguing hotly; but the only part of their discussion Terisa could make out was the part that went: Did so. Did not. Did so! Did not! Another boy, this one no older than eight or nine, sat near Tholden trying to sharpen a wooden sword with a piece of file for a whetstone. A third, still-young boy used a stick the size of a club to experiment with the resonant qualities of a tin washbasin.

For a second, the clamor seemed so intimidating--so at odds with the peace inside her--that Terisa almost turned away. Nothing in her life with her parents, or in her life alone, had prepared her for a home where people acted like this.

But then Quiss raised her head, saw Terisa, and smiled.

Quiss' pleasure changed the meaning of the din altogether. Or changed the way Terisa saw it. All this noise and activity wasn't angry, distressed, or alarmed, didn't represent pain: it was just loud. As soon as Quiss smiled, Terisa knew that Tholden's wife was in her element, flourishing precisely because her family and her household were so busy, so noisy; so full of themselves and each other. And then Terisa understood that the tumult was just another form of peace--hot and hectic, of course; not particularly restful to a novice like herself; but completely without fear.

Smiling back at Quiss, she came forward to meet the noise.

"I understand you spent the afternoon with Minick." Quiss was nearly shouting, but Terisa could hardly hear her. "The whole afternoon? Letting him show you around?"

Terisa nodded.

"Good for you. I knew I like you as soon as I saw you. He's your friend for life. Most people aren't willing to listen to him that long."

"They ought to give it a try." Terisa tried to speak loudly enough to be audible. "He's nice."

It was Quiss' turn to nod. "Fortunately, his nieces and nephews dote on him." She indicated the children at the other end of the room. "I mean, fortunately for them.

"If his wife weren't so shy, he'd be here tonight. I know it saddens him sometimes that he can't spend more time with us. But I think the poor woman panics every time she sets foot outside her house." Quiss started to laugh, but Terisa couldn't hear what her laughter sounded like through the noise. "They must have had a rousing courtship."

Terisa grinned again, then raised her hands to rub the muscles in her cheeks.

[IrrationalSanity]

"Rosie the Riveter" springs to mind...

Well, that's not quite how I've pictured Quiss, IrrationalSanity, but if it works for you, that's all that matters! Maybe if we made her hair blonde and had her wearing a woolen work smock, I could see this image as Quiss--perhaps.

Yeah, that classic image is a bit tougher than I had in mind, but the "idea" of Rosie - the strong woman who stays behind to do what must be done while the men fight the war - really shines through.

[Cord Hurn]

Yeah, that classic image is a bit tougher than I had in mind, but the "idea" of Rosie - the strong woman who stays behind to do what must be done while the men fight the war - really shines through.

That is well said, IS, and I take your point! Quiss takes care of what must be done. I don't doubt that she'll do a fine job as the Lady of Domne when that time comes.

[Cord Hurn]

Okay, now I am ready to bring a quote concerning the Domne into this thread.

At the head of the table sat a man with one leg propped on a stool.

"Did you see Geraden, Da?" Quiss asked.

"He went through here," a warm voice rumbled. "He was too busy trying to beat the spit out of your youngest to talk to his mere father. But he's back in one piece--and he's got a woman with him. I gather something good has happened."

"I think so," said Quiss briskly. "Da, this is Terisa--the lady Terisa of Morgan. As soon as you tell her how welcome she is, I'm going to take her and get her a bath and clothes and food. In the meantime--" She paused significantly before saying, "Now that she's here, maybe he'll unbend enough to tell you what's going on.

"My lady Terisa of Morgan, this is the Domne."

Through the gloom, Terisa saw that the Domne was a tall man, as lean and curved as an axe handle. He had Geraden's face, and Aratagel's, and Nyle's, but more so in someway, as if they were attractive yet inaccurate copies of him. The Hair on his head was thick, but he had no beard. The silver streaks at his temples were the only obvious signs of his age. Perhaps because the light was weak, he didn't appear to be more than half as old as King Joyse.

The leg propped on the stool was plump with bandages. He had a pair of canes nearby, but he made no attempt to rise when Quiss introduced him. Instead, he said, "My lady," in a voice as warm as a hug, "you're welcome in Houseldon--and in my house. If we could do it, we would put on a feast for you, a celebration. But I'm afraid we're a little too busy. Geraden seems to think we might be attacked. That doesn't happen every day, and we may have to brace ourselves.

"But don't worry about that right now. I've wanted him to bring a woman home with him for a long time. That's the benefit of sons. When they marry--or only fall in love--or merely feel like flirting a bit--they bring their women home with them. Quiss is a good example. If she were my daughter, and Tholden was someone else's son, she would have left to go with him, and we would have been lost without her."

At that, Quiss snorted affectionately. "Sons, is it? Is that why you treat Ruesha like she's worth the weight of her three brothers in fine brandy?"

The Domne didn't deign to acknowledge this jibe. Noticing the direction of Terisa's gaze, he explained, "A hunting accident. I'm afraid I finally have to admit that I'm not a young man. Occasionally, packs of wild pigs wander into Domne from the care of Termigan. I'd be willing to let them wander, but unfortunately they can trample an entire cornfield overnight, so we're forced to hunt them. This time, one of my sons had the bad sense to suggest that I was getting too old to hunt wild pig. The truth must be told, Quiss, it was Tholden. Naturally, I insisted on leading the hunt myself.

"When the boar charged, my thrice-cursed horse panicked and threw me. Then at last I had to admit that indeed I have put on a few years since my youth. I simply wasn't spry enough to prevent the pig from sticking his tusk in my leg.

"It heals slowly, alas," he sighed. "Another sign of age."

Almost at once, Terisa found that she liked the Domne. The relaxed way he put her at ease, made her feel more welcome than any elaborate speech or feast; made her feel at home. "My lord," she said impulsively because she didn't have any other words for her gratitude, "I'm very glad to be here."

"'My lord?'" the Domne returned humorously. "I hope not. The last time a woman insisted on calling me 'my lord', I had to marry her to make her stop."

Smiling, Terisa asked, "What should I call you?"

"'Da,'" he answered without hesitation. "It's probably presumptuous of me, but I like it. My sons refuse, of course. Another benefit of sons--they keep me humble. In the name of my dignity. If I have any--which I doubt, sitting here half crippled because I wasn't able to get out of the way of a pig. But the rest of my family won't call me anything else."

"Da," she murmured experimentally. It had a nice sound. She had never called her own father anything except Father.

"Thank you," said the Domne as if she had done him a favor.

"Come, Terisa." Quiss put an arm on Terisa's shoulders again. "If I let you stay, he'll keep you talking until lunchtime. That's a 'benefit of sons' he doesn't mention. When they were small, he always had someone to listen to him. They taught him bad habits. Any daughter with sense in her head would have known better."

The Domne nodded gravely. "We can talk later, Terisa, when you've had a chance to rest and refresh yourself.

"If you find Geraden," he added to Quiss, "Tell him I want to see him. I refuse to be ignored all morning merely because Ruesha wants to play."

"Yes, Da," Quiss replied in a tone of gently mocking subservience. With her arm, she took Terisa out of the room.

The Domne's loving and unpretentious manner, as well as Quiss' affectionate responses to his words, make it clear that this Care has people of value, and Geraden's worrying for their safety becomes even more comprehensible.

[Cord Hurn]

I suppose I'll bring Tholden into the thread, now.

When Quiss came to take her back to the Domne, she went both hesitantly and eagerly, unsure of herself, and yet sure that what she wished to do was worth doing.

"Da likes an early lunch," Quiss explained, "and he doesn't like to admit that he's too impatient to wait while you eat, so he asks you to eat with him. Also Tholden is here, and I'm sure he wants to question you. If you don't mind."

In the front room, the light had been improved by the raising of the window covers and the altered angle of the sun. Two men sat at the table, and as Terisa entered the room she had no difficulty seeing that one of them was the Domne--or that his companion was huge.

"Ah, Terisa," said the Domne in his warm comfortable voice, "I'm glad you could join us. I want someone to share my lunch. And Tholden thinks he can't wait to talk to you." Gesturing toward the huge man, he went on, "Terisa, this is Tholden, my eldest. Another of the benefits of sons is that one of them is bound to be the right man to inherit their father's place. Tholden is the right man for mine.

"That's fortunate, because he's also"--the Domne laughed softly--"the only one of my sons who wants the responsibility."

Tholden stood beside his father like a bear; his stiff hair nearly brushed the beams of the ceiling; his beard was so long and wild that it made his chest seem even thicker--and his chest was already thick enough to create the illusion that his shoulders were round and stooped. When he sketched a bow toward her, Terisa saw that his hands were ridged with calluses; they looked more like gardening implements than normal hands.

She also noticed that he had straw and a few twigs in his beard. Involuntarily, she smiled. Then, trying to recover her manners, she said, "I'm glad to meet you. Geraden talks about you a lot."

Tholden grinned--a smile which lifted his beard, but didn't soften his expression. "I'm sure he does." His voice was unexpectedly high and gentle; he sounded like a man who wasn't able to shout. "Quiss and I had the doubtful pleasure of raising him after our mother passed away. He probably remembers every beating he deserved in agonizing detail."

Quiss went to the stove and began pulling a meal together. Politely, Terisa replied, "No, nothing like that. He has a higher opinion of you than you think." Then she asked, "Where is he, by the way?"

"He was here," said the Domne. "We talked for a while--"

"Then I sent him to help Minick." Tholden let his smile drop. "Minick is trying to explain to an assortment of farmers, shepherds, merchants, and servants how we want them to defend the walls. He's the most meticulous man in Houseldon, and he's certainly thorough, but he can be a bit slow, and his explanations have a tendency to confuse people. Geraden will get more done in less time, even if he has lost his sense of humor."

Teisa glanced at the Domne, then looked up at Tholden again. "In other words, you want to talk to me alone."

The Domne began chuckling to himself.

From the stove, Quiss said, "I warned you subtlety would be wasted on her." Her tone made it clear that she wasn't laughing at Terisa.

"Silence, upstart woman." Without so much as glancing in his wife's direction, Tholden swung his arm and managed to slap her across the bottom. "Don't be pert. Women should be seen and not heard. As much as possible."

Rather than retorting, Quiss looked at Terisa and rolled her eyes in mock-despair.

Terisa herself wasn't amused, however. Holding herself still, she asked in a neutral tone, "What's the matter? Don't you trust him?"

Tholden opened his mouth as if he had been stung; the Domne waved him silent. "Terisa," the older man said quietly, and this time she could hear his years in his voice, "I would sell my soul at the word of any of my sons. Even Nyle, who seems to have forgotten who he is. But this Geraden who came storming into Houseldon only yesterday, warning of imminent destruction--who is he? He isn't the Geraden who left us for Orison with more hope in his heart than simple flesh and blood can hold. It isn't just that he has become hard. I know him better than that, Terisa. He has become closed. He talks about defending his home as if the mere idea was terrible.

"A change like that"--the Domne spread his hands--"it could mean anything."

"And you want me to explain it," said Terisa stiffly.

The lord and Tholden nodded together. Quiss watched mutely from the stove. "I would sell my soul for him now, if I must," murmured the Domne, " without another word from you--or from him. But I would prefer to understand what I'm trusting."

Donaldson fleshed out these relatively minor characters quite well, and in such memorable detail, and I think he must have had a reason for doing so. In some way, all of these characters reflect on Geraden and his values, and serve to make him even more admirable.

[Cord Hurn]

This passage not only makes me like Quiss, the Domne, and Tholden better because they seem more realistic and endearing to me, BUT IT ALSO encourages me to appreciate Terisa more for her growing insight and sensitivity. That is an important point for me, because I spent whole sections of the first book being frustrated with Terisa for her passivity and cluelessness, even though I knew it was because she was a victim of her upbringing. Having these innocent characters in the story described in convincing detail helps to shed light on Terisa's development as a character.

Without warning, Terisa found that she wanted to say, It isn't your fault. It isn't anything you did. He's just been so badly beaten-- He's failed you, he's failed Artagel and Nyle, he's failed Orison and King Joyse--and now, when it's too late to do any good, he finds out he really is an Imager. He could have made a difference. He went through all those years of humiliation, and now it's too late.

But the words refused to be spoken. They weren't hers to say: they were his. She could feel it in the room that she couldn't try to explain him without erecting a wall between him and his family--a wall with pity on one side and loneliness on the other. The more they knew about his pain, the more difficulty they would have confronting it, challenging it. She herself was almost paralyzed by knowing too much. If he didn't speak for himself, he would never be whole again.

So she said, "But I trust him."

Tholden was scowling. Quiss concentrated on her pots and pans as if she were leery of what she might say if she spoke. But the Domne smiled at Terisa with sunlight in his eyes.

Distinctly, Tholden asked, "Do you consider yourself a friend of his?"

Almost without interrupting her preparations, Quiss swung an elbow into her husband's ribs. Then, ignoring his muffled grunt, his sharp glare, she lifted two platters heaped with food and carried them to the table. "Sit down, Terisa," she said, "eat," placing one platter in front of the Domne, the other before the chair nearest Terisa. "If I've given you too much, don't worry about it. I'm used to cooking for this great ox and the farmers he consorts with."

A bland expression on her face, Quiss pulled out the chair and held it for Terisa.

On the platter, Terisa saw fried yams, panbread, greens, some kind of meat covered with gravy, and what looked like apple fritters If she ate all that, she wouldn't be able to move for two days.

"I'm sorry," said Tholden. With a hand like a shovel, he gestured toward the chair. "Please sit down. Eat."

When Terisa still didn't move, he added, "I don't mean to question your integrity. I'm just scared. I don't like the way Geraden has changed. I don't like the news from Orison. I don't like what he says it means. Houseldon has never been very good at defending itself."

"Good enough," put in the Domne gently.

"So far," countered Tholden. "But I don't want to watch people I've known and worked with all my life get killed because something horrendous has happened to Geraden."

The Domne pointed at the chair Quiss held. "Terisa, sit down. I haven't heard him apologize that much in twenty years. In another minute, you're going to hurt his feelings."

Terisa sat down and let Quiss adjust the chair.

Now it was her turn. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I'm scared, too. And I'm groping. Quiss says Geraden didn't tell you much about me. He didn't tell you I'm new at all this. I've never been in a place like this. I've never met people like you." I've never been important before. "And I'm not used to having enemies."

"I want to help. I'll do anything I can. I just don't want to talk about things that Geraden ought to tell you himself."

Tholden studied her hard for a moment. Then he grinned--a new smile that brightened his whole face. Abruptly, he swept a chair out of his way and sat down opposite her. "When you're done eating, push that plate over here. I could use a snack."

From the stove, Quiss gave Terisa a look of grave, sky blue gladness. Then, wiping her hands on her apron, she turned to the Domne. "Da, I've heard a rumor that some of the women are panicking. They don't know where to hide their daughters--or themselves. With your permission, I'll go try to talk some sense into them."

The Domne nodded. "Of course."

"Tell them to come here if we're attacked," said Tholden. "This house will be our last bastion, if everything else goes down. We'll put the women and children in the beer cellar, and the rest of us will protect them as long as we can."

With one hand, placed a brief touch of affection on her husband's shoulder. Nodding to Terisa, she left the room and the house.

Calmly, as if everything were normal, the Domne picked up his kniofe and fork, and began to eat.

But the Domne smiled at Terisa with sunlight in his eyes. This guy is a true leader, and makes sure nobody thinks he can be shaken.

I don't mean to question your integrity. I'm just scared. I don't like the way Geraden has changed. I don't like the news from Orison. I don't like what he says it means. Houseldon has never been very good at defending itself. Even when he's scared, Tholden doesn't fear to speak the truth, or seek the truth.

From the stove, Quiss gave Terisa a look of grave, sky blue gladness. Quiss puts her power into strengthening her family, and is thereby strengthened by their well-being. She is as admirable as admirable can be.

[Edited to correct an italics error.]