King's Warrior Read-Along: Chapter 17
Good evening and welcome back to the King’s Warrior Read Along! I hope you all are enjoying yourselves as much as I am. It’s been a lot of fun to read this story again.
Well well, we have some exciting things that occur in this chapter, don’t we? Let’s get started.
More new characters. A very dear friend of mine was staying with us the summer I wrote this story, and I seem to recall at some point during the reading of my book her threatening to do something dire if I introduced ONE. MORE. CHARACTER. Oh dear. But, you see, the problem is, we’re dealing with not one, not two, but three different kingdoms in this story... there are bound to be a lot of people our main characters will happen across.
So we have these five courtiers. Their goal is a noble one, but they are perhaps a bit naive in the way they go about attaining their goal. I find them extremely tragic, to be perfectly honest. In the original version, I did not follow them to Roalthae, I simply had their empty boat return to Aom-igh and left things up to the Reader’s imagination. Now, I’m all for the Reader’s imagination... but in this instance I decided it would aid the plot and character development of my villains if I showed what actually happened. A mini story inside the larger one, if you will, and contained in a single chapter - another one of those parallel structure moments. I like doing that, it feels balanced and symmetrical.
Interesting factoid, I drew inspiration for that final scene from the Arthurian legend where Arthur meets Mordred on the field of battle for a cease fire, and one of the men sees a snake and draws his sword to kill it before it can bite him, which precipitates a full-on battle and Arthur ends up receiving his death wound. (I can’t remember the title, I read it in a class in college in one of those enormous Norton Anthology things - unfortunately, as an English major, I read a LOT of those Norton Anthologies in my 4 years).
Then there’s the river pass through the Mountains of Dusk. I have to tell you, I was getting a bit fed up with my characters criss-crossing their way across Aom-igh at this point. They kept traveling back and forth and I really needed them to get back to the palace and STAY PUT. As Nancy pointed out, the Dark Warriors were about to attack and our travelers needed to “get a move on!”
I have actually edited this scene since the 2012 publication. Some of you may have the version in which each character takes the rope, ties it around themselves, and then they all cross together. However, a reader pointed out that for this to work, Brant would need to be lugging around some 200 feet of rope, which would be bulky, heavy, and improbable. In the edited version, Brant goes across first, and then Oraeyn comes next while holding onto the rope that Brant has secured to his horse, while someone behind him holds the other end securely as well. Not a big change, just a little interesting logistical thing.
The argument and reconciliation between Brant and Dylanna. My, my, this is an interesting scene. Lots of emotions and some startling revelations.
Q&A
I have been without internet all day (2014 has been a really weird year for me, internet-wise) so I did not have time to see if there were any questions. If I missed you, fear not! I will get to it tomorrow!
Discussion Questions:
- What did you think of the 5 courtiers and their mission? How about the way it ended?
- Any thoughts, reactions, smart remarks about this thing with Brant and Dylanna?
Only 1 week until Christmas!!!!