Ahira's Hangar

I was just exchanging private messages with someone, and they asked me about Linden. I told him that Donaldson must have researched the living hell out of personality traits of survivors of horrific emotional abuse as children - because the way Linden thinks and acts is very real for a character with that background - and I do not know if many readers are aware of that.

It might not always make sense to people who are not familiar with adults who as children who were severly abused, and it might not always be pretty - but Linden is one of the most realistic charcters I have ever encountered.

Perhaps people find it easier to be sympathetic to Thomas Covenant, as his maiming is easily visible right there on his hand - but Linden is every bit as scarred and injured and maimed - you just cannot see it, as she carried her marks all on the inside.

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Linden asked Hyn to take her to Jeremiah. The Ranyhyn mare trembled, but did not move. Martiir communed with the noble being, and then told Linden that Hyn would willingly carry her anywhere, but that she does not know where the boy is. It is very likely that Jeremiah is in this time, as exemplified by Roger Covenant, but he is hidden, even from the Ranyhyn.

And Martiir shares great wisdom with Linden:


...It is ever thus. Attempts must be made, even when there can be no hope. The alternative is despair. And betimes some wonder is wrought to redeem us. Expecting death, I have sacrificed only my sight.

Therein lay Kevin Landwaster's error - aye, and great Kelenbhrabanal's also. When all hope was gone, they heeded the cousels of despair. Had they continued to strive, defying their doom, some unforeseen wonder may have occurred. And if it did not, still their glory would have surpassed their failure.

Linden and her party travel once more towards Andelain. They expect attack by the skurj.

For two days of travel, things go smoothly. On the third day, the Cords go out as the far scouts, and the Humbled stay closer back to Linden, Stave, Martiir, Anele, and Liand. The company is due to reach the forest, Salva Gidenbourne, which girdles Andelaine, that day.

The party pulls up when they first seee the forest. And then, to the east, they see smoke, flames, and perverted Earthpower. Yes, it is the skurj! They have been attacking the forest. The haruchai believe that they are few in number, and quite far away.

As they approach the forest, it becomes clear that it is really more of a near impassable jungle. When Sunder and Hollian began the forest, they were not entirely sure of what a forest was - they had only seen the trees of Seareach. So this forest in "unruly". And it is too much to ask the Ranyhyn to try to get through it.

So the party decides to part with the great horses, and walk on foot, following a stream into the forest. The forest is so wild and thick that Linden asks that the Humbled please talk with Stave mentally, as a survival tactic - and they agree.

The travel was like trying to go through a maze - and the further the party went, the more upset Anele got. He started saying things that sound like prophecy, about how Morinmoss redeemed the covenant, and about how the last days of the Land can be counted... (I have the feeling that someplace along the line, in this book or the next, all of this will maek sense, and that this will be an important moment in retrospect. )

Anele says that they must seek deep rock, the oldest stone.

For a momemt he seems to become Sunder, and tells Linden that Covenant did not know of her intent.

And then he became like Hollian and tells Linden that the yare not alone and others are also lost. Others? What others?

Soon after, the scouts brought back word of he skurj. One (at least) was coming, under the ground, flowing under the roots of the trees, at high speed. It seemed to sense them - and then Linden realized that Liand was using his orcrest.

Does this not sound like the Sarangrave, where the lurker can sense Earthpower in the Ranyhyn, the Coursers, and the Bloodguard Vow?

Linden decides to challenge the skurj, and draw it away from Liand. It erupts from the ground like a horror of fire. Magma hot, very strong, and eating and rotting the very Earth. Like a sandworm from Dune might look, if they had been made of fire... And they have been perverted by Nasty Kasty into beings of rage.

Linden uses the Seven Words and the Staff of Law - but she then realizes what Kevin's Dirt was created to do. It restricts full use of Earthpower.

Linden stands alone against the skurj - when a Giant suddenly appears. And then he tries to kill Linden.

A Giant? And trying to kill rather than help humans?

I love the Giants but this is surely not normal behavior.


[/spoiler]

I was really tired when I typed this up last night, and do want to add a couple of things:

[spoiler]




Giants???


Giants????



Giants????????



MURDEROUS GIANTS????????????????????????????????


[/spoiler]