Chapter 16
The troupe stops to clear
a fallen tree on the road. Kote's mother sends him to gather some sage, an
excuse to give him some private time. When he returns, he finds the camp has
been attacked and everyone killed. He sees a fire has turned blue, before
discovering a group of armed men around his parents' fire. They spot him, and
one named Cinder draws his sword. He mentions that Kote's parents have been
singing "the wrong sort of songs." He approaches Kote but is stopped
by their leader, a man cloaked in shadows, Haliax. Haliax senses someone/thing
approaching, and the strange men leave.
WHOA! Did I say not much
action in the first 100 pages? Then a bombshell in chapter 16. Kote's parents
dead, apparently to a gang of Chandrian - called by the snippet of his father's
song perhaps? The main antagonist is described as "cold and sharp"
and yet his name is Cinder. We definitely get a taste of a strict
hierarchy, Haliax using violent magic when Cinder shows some attitude. And what
are they afraid of that causes them to flee?
Chapter 17
Back in the present, Kote leaves the inn for
some private time; once alone he grieves for his parents again. Chronicler and
Bast make friends, more earnestly now.
Helps us indetify and
sympathize with Kote, and shows how deeply he loved his parents, that it still
pains him after all the years.
Chapter 18
Kote has a vivid dream
that reminds him of all the wood lore he has learned from Abenthy and his
father. He wakes up, sets a non-deadly snare, catches a rabbit but is too
disturbed to kill it. Once he gets hungry, he decides to set a more lethal
snare.
Interesting chapter about
Kote dealing with the death of his parents. It makes a good transition to his
new life alone. Shows some McGuver skills with the traps. Funny how he at first is reluctant to kill a rabbit, but in the end huger is a powerful motivator.
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