Flight of the Heron read-along: Part V chapters 1-2

[regshoe]

Tha's bahn' to catch thy deeath o' cowd...

Welcome back, everyone, and happy new year! We embark on the final Part...

Next week we'll continue with chapters 3 and 4 of Part V.

Comments

[osprey_archer]

The sparing of Ardroy is one of those things that ought to feel too convenient or indulgent, and yet it's so beautifully written that it works. It's a brief reprieve for Ewen after a time of great darkness in his life - the collapse of his cause, the death of his foster brother Neil, his imprisonment (and all the agony of that time he believed Keith had betrayed him and he himself had betrayed Lochiel) - and although he has escaped to home for now, he knows that he will have to leave his beloved house and loch to be truly safe.

So what comes across is not "our protagonist's house is protected by the special forces that protect protagonists and their things," but the sense that for once the chances of war have turned in Ewen's favor rather than against him - after a long string where they've turned over and over against him.

Also, I love the description of Aunt Margaret and company tending the smoking fires so that it would look to all the countryside as if Ardroy is good and burnt. It seems so in character for her, and also very characteristic that she might touch off a spark of humanity in an English officer so he'd purposefully set the fire badly.

[sanguinity]

I agree about Aunt Margaret taking care to fake the burning of Ardroy! Really all through these chapters, we have so many people being clever and brave and good -- the girl, Fosdyke, Jan, Aunt Margaret, Marsali... I love everyone in this bar.

And Lassie is such a good girl to find Ewen! I know Ewen wouldn't have hurt the dog, but I could still very much feel Fosdyke's distress that Lassie might get stabbed by the rebel she flushed. Why that fear should be so agonizing to me given everything else, I don't know, but it was very important to me that in all this desperation and heartbreak, this one happy creature should be allowed to keep her happiness.

[killclaudio]

Me too, I wouldn't have been able to handle it if Lassie had been hurt. She's just being a good girl! And I like that part of the reason Fosdyke decides to help Ewen is because he refused to hurt her.

[sanguinity]

There's something so straightforward about the dog's point of view: "Here is a person in distress! Come help the person in distress!" Which is the way it should be, honestly, and isn't nearly often enough.

[killclaudio]

Exactly! Dogs are such great role models, honestly. ♥

[friendofthejabberwock]

I also really liked how Fosdyke helps Ewen partially because he doesn't harm Lassie -- he has excellent priorities. :D

[killclaudio]

Lassie is a good judge of character, and obviously Fosdyke knows it. ;D

[regshoe]

Really all through these chapters, we have so many people being clever and brave and good -- the girl, Fosdyke, Jan, Aunt Margaret, Marsali... I love everyone in this bar.

Aww, yes <3

Lassie is great. Amidst all the difficulties of these chapters, a dog simply being a good dog and showing kindness and liking towards Ewen, and being shown kindness in return, does stand out as a terribly important thing—I think because, as you say, it's so simple and straightforward a piece of goodness.

[regshoe]

That's very true—Ewen has already lost and suffered so much that, even after his escape, sparing him this one thing doesn't come across as overly special or protagonist-y.

Yes, Aunt Margaret and the household spending the day tending the fire of damp wood is a great bit of description—I'm sure she enjoyed it!