Flight of the Heron read-along: Part II chapters 3-4

[regshoe]

I do think things are getting good in this week's chapters... :D

Next week we'll read the first two chapters of Part III.

Comments

[luzula]

regshoe sums it up well! I do like to see Ewen spoiling for a fight like this--he knows he will very likely be captured, but before that, he means to make as good a showing as he can. No wonder Keith dwells so admiringly on it afterwards--we do see another side of him!

And yet, as soon as Keith shows genuine feeling and remorse, Ewen drops all his bravado and teasing comments, and begins (just after Keith has cut his hand, too!) to show genuine feeling in response. It's a bit like Keith in the hut at Kinlochiel, taunting Ewen, but then when he sees that Ewen is going to sleep in his wet plaid, being all 'Oh no, borrow my cloak!'.

Good foreshadowing of eventual doom in this chapter, with Keith's comment before he goes off down the passage. And re: the future, Alison continues to take the prophecy much more seriously than Ewen does, forming theories about what the 'bitter grief' might be...

however, we then get that amazing introspective passage in which Keith thinks at length about how much he fancies Ewen and how annoying it is

Ha ha, yes, it really is amazing. 'Arrgh, I have to stop thinking about Ewen and how extraordinarily handsome he is, and how he got the better of me!'

And the hurt-comfort, too, is just lovely.

Re: everybody and their sister admiring Ewen, I can't help quoting the most jaw-dropping passage of this kind from Gleam in the North, the sequel. Ewen is visiting his maternal uncle in Appin:

A tall, upright old man, though moving stiffly, Invernacree opened the door of his own study for his nephew. 'Sit there, Ewen, under your mother’s picture. It is good to see you there; and I like to remember,' he added, looking him up and down, 'that Stewart blood went to the making of that braw body of yours. I sometimes think that you are the finest piece of manhood ever I set eyes on.'

'My dear uncle,' murmured the subject of this encomium, considerably embarrassed.

'You must forgive an old man who has lost a son not unlike you.'

Um.

[regshoe]

Yes, I like Ewen's acceptance of the likelihood that he'll be captured, as long as it's while defending his Prince—a contrast with Keith's feelings there, I suppose.

'Arrgh, I have to stop thinking about Ewen and how extraordinarily handsome he is, and how he got the better of me!'

:D It's like we don't even need to write slash fic.

That bit from GitN is, er, a good one. I do like Broster's unashamed admiration of her own character—yeah, write exactly what you want XD

[hyarrowen]

So Ian was tall and red-haired and blue-eyed? Hm, interesting.

As for the introspection - yes, Keith, you are an idiot. Go and find something else to do! And actually I like General Preston a lot. Now there's an example to follow.

[hyarrowen]

No, Alan, blast it. Ian was dark-haired iirc. Poor Ian.

[luzula]

Poor Ian? He was the one who survived and was eventually happily married. : ) Poor Alan, more like...

And possibly Ewen's uncle just meant that Alan was strong and tall, not necessarily red-haired and blue-eyed.

[hyarrowen]

Well, that's true! I was just thinking that if he got compared to a Ewen-type Adonis all his life, that's a pretty crappy childhood and adolescence.

[regshoe]

Oh, yes, I liked General Preston wheeling round the castle to 'supervise and encourage' the defenders—certainly an admirable commander!—and his kindness to Keith.

[cahn]

I loved these chapters! Swashbuckling and lots of great Keith-and-Ewen :D

And yet, as soon as Keith shows genuine feeling and remorse, Ewen drops all his bravado and teasing comments, and begins (just after Keith has cut his hand, too!) to show genuine feeling in response.

Yessss this was wonderful!

Ha ha, yes, it really is amazing. 'Arrgh, I have to stop thinking about Ewen and how extraordinarily handsome he is, and how he got the better of me!'

Man, I was dying, that was so hilariously over-the-top slashy!

[regshoe]

Hehe, the swashbuckling adventure is indeed excellent!

Man, I was dying, that was so hilariously over-the-top slashy!

I knowww :D