The Faithful and the Fallen discussion

For me, this is the chapter that shapes much of what follows.

Evnis is by his wife's bedside. She is very ill and it appears that Evnis has used every possible recourse at his disposal to improve his beloveds health. Some were not at his disposal though.

Queen Rhin had told him that the book of earth power hidden beneath Dun Carreg would hold secrets that would prolong Fain's life long enough to get her to the Cauldron, hidden far to the north in Uthas' homeland.

He had set his men the task of digging out the basements of his tower. Nothing had been found and now King Brenin was leaving for the Kings council on the morrow.

His chief huntsman, Helfach explains that he has found something. Behind brick work his men had revealed a thic oak, iron-branded door. It was locked so Evnis had his men cut it down with axes. It opened into a tunnel. They find themselves at a tomb. Once opened, a corpse of a giant was revealed, it was holding a casket. Within the casket was a leather-bound book. Beneath the book was a stone, dull, black, yet leaking light. Mounted in silver, wrapped within a chain. Evnis touches it and recoils.

Evis orders his men to leave when Helfach's hound growled at the boulders at the foot of the tomb. One of the boulders splits.

"This is no boulder, it's an egg"

A great milky-white snake emerges, as wide as a barrel. Its first act was to eat Helfach's hound.

"A white wyrm," Evnis whispered.

An ancient creature, bred by the giants and used as weapons during the War of Treaures. A fierce battle ensues eventually the men's numbers win over. Evnis commands his men to take its head.

This is where I see the significance of this chapter.

Evnis demands to see the king, despite the early hour. He upends the bag he was carrying and shows his king the wyrm's head. He fabricates the tale, saying Helfach killed the beast in the Baglun.

He then asks favour of his king. To take Fain to Badun where a healer Evnis has known since childhood resides. Obviously we really know he wants to go to the cauldron... The King apologises and explains that in his absence he requires Evnis to stay and aid Alona in her rule.

Brenin tells Evnis to send for the healer and he would send an escort to speed him on his way.

While he has not told the truth his motivation is to help his wife. He leaves the king with a tear in his eyes...

Good bit of mystery in this. The white wyrm was cool - I love snakes, have one in fact. I struggle when snake facts are wrong though (they don't dislocate their jaws, their bottom jaws are separated at the front by an elasticated tendon of sorts and stretch rather than dislocate). Anyway, I digress and it certainly didn't distract even my snake ocd self from the action and intrigue.
The book sounds cool, but the throbbing stone intrigues me more.
As for Evnis himself... I find myself torn. I feel for his wife and his love for her is obviously real, but despite that I want him to fail. I worry what he's going to achieve which will no doubt hurt the rest of his town folk, all of whom I'm coming to know and like.
Needless to say, snake jaws aside (and anyway, it's a wyrm, perhaps their jaws do dislocate - you should hear me when the snake in Harry Potter winks, I go mad lol), I'm loving it!

I bred reptiles for 10 years, I had 57 snakes at one point (mainly kingsnakes and boas but had a few randoms thrown in there). It's fantasy remember, if you can believe in giants, dwarves, dragons and magic you should be able to cope with similarities lol.

If I was writing I think I would sacrifice absolute fact for something easier for a broader audience to easier understand.

I understand what you mean about Evnis. You empathise with him but something stinks rotten about him.

I just read that back and it looks like I'm having a moan! Apologies, I'm really not.

I was trying to make the point of, we're prepared to believe in the unbelievable in this genre until it comes to things we can relate to in some detail and then we become picky. I'm guilty of it.

It's more of an observation.

You're right of course, but that's the nature with subjects we know, sometimes. Where do we draw the line as an individual? We can't rule out what jumps out at us at the end of the day. As I said, it doesn't spoil the story for me, but it jumps out. I can't un-know what I know I'm afraid. There's a fine line between believable, gritty fantasy and fairytales, for me. I choose to read the former. But as I said, it is in a fantasy world and it is a white wyrm, not a certain 'normal' snake, so I can totally accept and enjoy that! And don't get me wrong, the scene itself was cinematic, tense and enjoyable to say the least!

Really can't stand that guy... Don't think I'm supposed to!
But was really intrigued by the egg(s)!

Yes despite my semi - moan above, I'm loving the white wyrms.