Flight of the Heron read-along: Part III chapter 5

[regshoe]

:D

That Night in the Hut.

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

Comments

[regshoe]

Well, I think this chapter is pretty much Quintessential D. K. Broster: hurt/comfort, noble enemies who become friends, more hurt/comfort, a horrible dilemma of honour and a bit more lovingly detailed hurt/comfort just for good measure. I hope everyone's enjoying it. :D

Beinn Laoigh/Ben Loy is the second of the novel's main fictional locations, after Ardroy; there is a real mountain with the same name (although Anglicised as Ben Lui rather than Loy), but it's over on the other side of the country, in Argyll & Bute. I haven't done detailed geographical notes for this chapter, but I think you can work out roughly where we are from the references to the Corryarrick/Corrieyairack and Wade's roads.

Right, I'm going to do a bit of wallowing in all the lovely details of this hurt/comfort! Keith starting off by speaking 'gently' to Ewen; Ewen's astonishment on recognising Keith (and initial refusal to believe it's really him), and his continuing light-headed bewilderment over him really being there; Keith noticing the colour of Ewen's eyes; the exhausted Ewen 'gathering together what forces he had' to thank Keith; '“Permit you!” repeated Ewen, gazing at him with a renewal of his former wonder'. Later Ewen, having recovered a little after eating the food Keith has brought him, is 'almost on the point of breaking down' as he tries again to thank Keith and comprehend his kindness, and Keith hurriedly stops him again.

Keith already identifies 'the finger of Fate' guiding his actions, which is interesting. But then he hears about the prophecy properly, and it's also interesting—given Ewen's earlier scepticism, and the fact that Keith even more than Ewen has been set up as so rational and dismissive of barbaric Highland old-fashionedness—that he seems to accept the idea of five fated meetings quite readily and happily. (Also, 'It was not the first time in the last twelve hours that he had remembered the house in the Grassmarket' —ow).

Laughing together over Ewen's beard!

'"we speak as friends"' <333

Ewen's loyalty to Lochiel is once again very prominent—even amidst his own pain and emotion, he's horrified at the thought of Lochiel being captured and desperate for Keith to reassure him that he hasn't been, and he smiles at the thought that he knows Lochiel is safe. Aww, Ewen...

And then, of course, we have Keith's dilemma and Ewen unfortunately falling asleep at just the wrong time to make it worse. I love that Keith doesn't spare himself in deciding whether to tell Ewen what he said about Lochiel—stop making excuses, he tells himself, you're being cowardly—but then when it's a matter of simply waking Ewen up and disturbing him, he can't bring himself to do it. We get a whole page of Keith watching Ewen sleep, while trying to work out this horrible conundrum of honour.

And then at the end of the chapter Keith is still in denial about his own feelings! Beautiful. D. K. Broster, I love you.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, it's interesting how easily Keith accepts the idea that their meetings are fate! Perhaps the fact that there have already been three meetings by the time he hears of the prophecy makes that easier for him to accept, despite his general adherence to rationalism - plus of course things like that simply feel more believable when you hear them in the night in a smoky shieling lit by only a dim flickering light...

Plus of course if he accepts "fate" as the reason, perhaps it's a bit easier to remain in denial of his own feelings! Why worry about exactly what feelings are pushing him to act in a certain way when the real culprit is Fate?

[regshoe]

All good points—I especially like the idea that Keith accepts the 'fate' explanation as another way to deny the importance of his own feelings! Heh, I do like the idea of Fate and Keith's feelings working together to direct the rest of the plot...

[killclaudio]

I love how Broster never misses an opportunity for Keith to notice how blue Ewen's eyes are! Or how tall he is, or what a fine figure he cuts in his kilt! I've forgotten what poor Keith even looks like, but thanks to his endless pining I have a really clear mental picture of Ewen. ;)

And the way Keith notices the scars on Ewen's hand was beautifully done. He took the Grassmarket stuff hard, and I love that their past meetings keep adding an extra layer to their interactions. Ow, indeed.

That was epic hurt-comfort to rival any fanfic I've ever read. Bravo. *applauds*

[regshoe]

I love how Broster never misses an opportunity for Keith to notice how blue Ewen's eyes are! Or how tall he is, or what a fine figure he cuts in his kilt!

As always, it's terribly important. I do like the way that admiration is combined here with the contrast between Ewen's appearance now and at their last meeting, with all the emotional significance of that change—injured and ragged, but his eyes as blue as ever...

[luzula]

Aww, poor Keith! Just to remind you: Captain Windham’s own dark, rather harsh features were not unpleasing, save when he frowned, which he was somewhat given to doing, nor were they devoid of a certain distinction, and he had really fine hazel eyes.

But you're right, we don't get Ewen noticing Keith's looks in the same way.