rthstewart | H&M, Chapter 20, Covered In Thorns

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H&M, Chapter 20, Covered In Thorns

So I just posted Chapter 20, Covered in Thorns of Harold and Morgan. The chapter jumps around a bit in time, all told probably spanning about 2-3 months. Some of this chapter is really, really, really old.

It's been an odd week about which the less said the better. This upcoming week, we have Hurricane/Cyclone/Nor'easter Sandy bearing down on us, so that's definitely not good and my thoughts to those of you in the path, too. Stay safe!

edit: Now that it is not near 2 AM, there are a couple of other things I wanted to add.

Hoberry's comments about what death does to memory and communication are, not surprisingly, based upon personal experience. Lucy mentions this during the Dieppe memorial Chapter 2 of TQSiT, how people say odd things when they are grieving. The strangest conversations of my life and some of the worst arguments have been when there was a casket in the room.

Second, if you like, you can invent all sort of things about Edmund and the handsome, witty, very adroit Archen widower, Lord Abnur. I have my own head canon there, but neither has deigned to confirm it, being the clever and discreet men that they are.

Third, Seth Stanleh's letter, while cheating in reveal of Plot, also has a whole lot to say about character. In earlier drafts, I had him being very sympathetic and including a letter for Rufus, who had been his guard. That came out and he expresses his condolences in a short, curt sentence and then moves on to what is more interesting and important to him. He concludes, clever boy that he is, with a quid pro quo. I gave you all THIS and now won't you let me continue working on the mine? Oh Seth. You still have a ways to go.

I realized that an earlier version of Edmund's letter to Morgan mentioned her Gryphon flight but it somehow disappeared in the editing and different versions I've had of that letter -- which date back at least 2 years. So, I'll be editing the story to add that line back in.

The short conversation with Peter that Edmund has does reflect my own particular head canon of the relationship which is not especially emotionally intimate. That's not a popular interpretation at all.

Oh, I also posted a story about the Gryphon General from the last HM chapter on

nffr_party called Camouflage.

Time to clean out the gutters.

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Reviewing right now, but had to comment here for the stormaggedon tag. Also stay safe and I hope Sandy isn't too much of a bother to you! I'll be camping out in my dorm and judiciously skipping classes as possible to wait her out.

Sandy is a mess. It's going to be ugly. Stay safe! And thank you for commenting!!

Well, I got my article in decent enough shape that I need some sleep before trying to sort out why the last two paragraphs don't work. So I declared that close enough to done that I can read fic :-) And not just any fic, really, really good fic!

I'm glad you split this off from Chapter 19. The examination of the aftermath is key here and would not do as well caught up in the immediate crisis of Chapter 19. I love all of the little insights into the Pack's behavior. And the emergence of Rafiqa as a particularly proactive personality.

This chapter really begins to tie many things together that have appeared in bits and pieces for so long. We get more insight into the aftermath of Mr. Noll's betrayal. And in a tease for the next part, Seth Stanleh of all people spots even more connections. Jalur's fantastic present feels different (not worse) in context. And I loved Peter and Edmund's conversation about Edmund's lack of dealing.

I know this is not my best review, but after the emotional punch of the previous chapter, this one leaves me mostly contemplative, and that's a good thing. Contemplating what Edmund thinks of as the failed test. How he and Morgan lose their tenuous communication, although it takes more and more each time to mess them up. The poems they (you) selected that speak so eloquently. And wondering just how badly Morgan is dealing with things back in Narrowhaven.

For once, our knowledge of the future lets us know that there is are better times ahead for Harold and Morgan, however briefly.

Finally, Jalur once again delivered the best line, summing up a quandary I've encountered many times: "Should I say something? But that would mean saying something. What do I say?"

Thanks so much. And I'm glad you got most of the writing done! I did add some things to the post of earlier, including a comment on the brief scene between Edmund and Peter. That sort of relationship depicted is really, really unusual in the fandom. I just don't see Edmund as an emotionally confiding person, which is why he is rude to Peter and why he is so appreciative of Abnur's more subtle approach. (Abnur is the name for my head canon Archen widower and Galman diplomat who I've mentioned before). Edmund seeking him out makes sense for a lot of reasons, some good, some not so emotionally healthy.

And poor Jalur. He, like everyone, does try, but as happens in the aftermath of something like this, it's never the right thing, the right way, at the right time. Back in the Lone Islands, no, Morgan is not dealing with it well at all. She's determined to chuck it all, marry Alan, and is driving everyone brutally and terribly hard. It will take Peridan to explain to the others what happened and why. And oh my, Constance is pissed.

thank you

I can't believe I forgot to comment on Abnur! I did totally pick up on that and absolutely loved the entire scene! (name filed away for future reference and possible use...)

And oh dear, not a fun time on the Lone Islands indeed. Although I do look forward to another appearance by Peridan-who-is-not-actually-Tebbitt.

I think they way you show Peter and Emund's relationship is far more realistic than what I see in my occasional ventures into the Narnia fandom outside of this comfortable corner. Some people, of course, write a very close Edmund and Peter more believably than others, so sometimes I'm quite willing to buy it. But their different temperaments, vastly different experiences coming into Narnia, and the unavoidable distance created by Peter's role as High King, means that there's a lot to overcome there. For them to be as close as they are is, itself, an achievement.

You have constructed the relationships among the four very nicely- they pair off by age (Peter and Susan; Emund and Lucy) and temperament (Peter and Lucy; Susan and Edmund), and the other combinations take more effort. Susan and Lucy, I think, get along better than Peter and Edmund because there was less coming between them originally, and, well, *Lucy*. She gets along with The Hulk.

I've been developing all this head canon about Abnur and toyed with writing something -- there's a smut prompt on the NFFR_party board or maybe just because I'm really liking the character that's developing in my head. But then I got kicked around some and all the fun sort of went out of it. Now I want to send him to the Lone Islands and I need another OC like I need dog hair and another 3 inches of rain fall and winds gusting to 60MPH. But for what's suggested in this chapter, I just love the idea of Edmund being all surly and a little drunk and making a suggestion for starting something up and Abnur just shuts it down because he knows this is all for wrong, angry reasons and he is not going to play that game and he's not going to let a young hurting man do that either.

It does take a really, really wise and insightful person to listen and empathize but who doesn't say nasty things about the wronging party.

Thanks for your observations about the relationships among the sibs. I did write a lot of Edmund and Peter in TQSiT. I'd not thought to divide up as you do, but it does make a lot of sense. Thanks again, so much. I hope your article wrapped up well!

This was lovely and perfect. And I will admit that I am almost crying.
It was a great start to my Sunday.

doctor dolly

Thank you!

Well, there's intimate and intimate, but it's true your Edmund is... self-contained.

This chapter, as I tweeted, sent me off to bed with red eyes. Not as bad as the last, but I kept tearing up every which way.

The plot in the background is interesting; the Calormens working against Narnia for so long that this is the cause of Merle's death and Jina's, and the Mole plot we saw in Palace Guard. I was also deeply interested in Hoberry's story, and would love to see more from him.

Thank you for reading. I really appreciate it. The snakes are a very, very old part of the story and in TSG Part 1, Edmund does suggest to Pliny they might be a form of warfare. The Noll story has been around since the NFFR color challenge when I wanted to write it but it was too complicated. I'd even written a first chapter of it, long since gone. I'd never written Hoberry as pov character until last chapter. Just what I need. MORE OC pov.

Just left a review and came back to read this post after I finished the chapter. You know what, I rather like the Seth you ended up with in this chapter. I don't really see him as being particularly emotional when it comes to dealings with the Narnians and a more sympathetic letter would seem maybe a little out of character. I read this letter and it definitely matches more of what we've seen of him in previous chapters.

I agree about Seth. If he'd suddenly seemed like a wonderfully caring person it would have been jarring. And puzzling, as he had not seemed to have come that far when we saw him last.

Thanks so much and GOOD LUCK!!! I still haven't decided which way Seth ends up. Rather like poor Lowrey's fate.

Thank you for both these stories - very moving. I'm with Lady Songsmith, I'd like to see more of Master Hoberry. (I'd also like to borrow him while I do my Christmas shopping, though I suspect he's too busy).

Stay safe! Reports of all these storms converging on the US are very scary.

Hoberry would be an excellent personal shopper!

And yes the reports are scary and the update this evening is actually getting worse. We're in a worse case scenario from Washington to New York.

Poor Morgan! That pyre-lighting was almost more painful than helpful.

I was kind of wondering what was up with all the Noll references before Seth's letter, so I'm glad that got explained. Did you ever write that story or has it always been only referenced to?

Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate it. The Faun Noll and his ring of Mole spies is something that has been referred to across several stories. It first appeared in The Palace Guard, in year 7 and is the reason that Jalur becomes Edmund's guard. There are a series of peculiar and tragic events, of which one is the ambush and death of Edmund's first guard, Merle. Jalur takes Merle's place and the story ends with the creeping suspicion that something is very wrong at Cair Paravel. Noll appears once in that story.

We know from Edmund's references to the events that Noll is eventually apprehended and kills himself and that it is a very grim time at Cair Paravel. It's a grim story where I was going to explore torture, capital punishment and vigilantism. In recent chapters of H&M, for the first time, I presented that Hoberry and Noll had been companions for decades. So it's only been by reference -- I've never told the actual story.

Thank you again!

I haven't had a chance to read this chapter or the last yet (nor am I likely to soon, if we lose power for as long as they are predicting), but I did want to drop a quick note to let you know that I have not abandoned you or the story, and I will catch up on the reading as soon as I am able!

Stay safe these next few days - we've all our necessary preparations done for the storm and are now just biting our nails and waiting for it to hit. Who would have thought living in upstate NY meant worrying about hurricanes?

Uh, that was me. Didn't realize I was signed out.

Good luck! The latest alert from the National Weather Service for us shows that it is really, really bad.

This one is an interesting chapter. In some ways, I think it's a harder chapter to read than 19. Maybe it's because you can just see them being pushed and pulled this way and that with the needs of others, and making such a mess of the whole thing.

I can totally accept your Peter/Edmund head canon, too. It actually makes a lot of sense that they wouldn't be that emotionally connected - in LWW, they're told that there is no need to speak about what is past. So they've never really dealt with it, and have never got their relationship sorted.

She made it!!! I so worry when I don't hear from you!! When I didn't see anything over on the story, I worry!

I really think that grief is the culprit here more than anything. Morgan has never really had to deal with it before. She makes the critical mistake of acting precipitously too soon. In retrospect, I would have done this differently. The up and down cycles are driven by things already written. So, my thanks for bearing with it.

I got a review that mentions Peter and Edmund acting more like grown up men -- I dunno about that, but I don't write them as being extremely intimate. I think they both in this interpretation like being more independent.

Thank you so much

Ruth

I finally caught up on the last three chapters. I'd kept the window open but kept being distracted by other things and forgetting to come back. I think the chapters have a greater impact read all at once. You made me cry over Jina and over Morgan's grief. I feel sorry for Edmund, too. He and Morgan have no idea how to manage this sort of thing.

I really enjoyed these chapters. Thanks so much for writing!

Oh my, I don't think I was expecting this. You always manage to surprise me (in a good way.) I can see how Morgan, grieving so deeply and so exhausted by that epic flight, could just not face the prospect of loving Edmund and perhaps losing him too. Plus I suspect she feels guilty for leaving Jina, thinking irrationally that if she had been there, Jina would not have gone to investigate the snakes and would still be alive. And I think she is very angry with Aslan for not saving Jina. With all this going on in her head, it seems very realistic that she would run away.

Then Edmund's anger and sense of betrayal--I love that he goes to see Lord Abnur. Thanks Aslan that Abnur has the sense to both turn down Edmund's proposition and not criticise Morgan. Very great diplomat that man. Would love to see more of him some time.

Jalur's reflections are always refreshing. It was wonderful to see that he is still vulnerable thinking that Edmund loved Merle more than he did Jalur. And his distaste of shopping! Poor Jalur--no otters to chase and eat either.

Oh before I forget, that tiny detail of the otters leaving dead frogs and crayfish for Morgan on the palace steps--that nearly made me cry. Morgan is so loved by the Narnians.

I thought it was interesting to contrast Peter and Edmund's non-conversation in this chapter, with the one they had in AW where Edmund tells Peter how hard it was to hear Morgan at the great wave just before Aslan's country. At this later date, Edmund seems more comfortable talking about his feelings, at least a bit. And Peter now has the sense not to push, but to be silently supportive, let Edmund be on his own to sort out his feelings, and keep Eustace from pestering him!

Then there's the implications of the Calormene plot! Sinister doings in Narnia. You have left us a real cliff-hanger.

Thanks once again for another great installment in one of my favourite stories.

ClaireI

Thank you. I've been developing massive head canon with regard to Abnur. In this case, Edmund, grieving as he is, knows that he really does need to be with someone who has actually been in a relationship (and in Abnur's case, a successful one that ended sadly with death). Whether Edmund is emotionally aware enough to come to that conclusion at more than an instinctive level, probably not.

And you are right in that after DT, Peter has gotten better about knowing how to approach Edmund, which is very, very gently, and to wait for his brother to offer, rather than to push, as Peter tends to. Even having heard his dead at the Wall, even there, Edmund speaks to Peter only of his grief and doesn't offer details. Even there he does not mention Morgan by name or his wife. He studiously avoids the subject and gets irritated when Peter keeps trying to raise it. Only with Lucy will he really confide, which is consistent.

And this is all completely accidental, I guess. I never plotted this out except in the sense that emotional, crying Edmund is a really rare thing and his relationship with Peter is not based upon co-dependency. They both have emotionally healthy relationships with other people and they are very close but --- you know ---my touchstone for their relationship is in TQSiT where Edmund is FINALLY able to tell Peter of Bardon's death in Susan's letter that Asim let him read. Edmund has been sitting on that dreadful knowledge for months as he learned it the week before in the pub and then was whisked away on the Dawn Treader. The two of them have been up all night, they are in their shirtsleeves, they are exhausted, and they sit facing one another on these sagging beds and Edmund can finally tell Peter the whole story and does so with HUGE relief. And earlier, with Edmund asking Peter if he wants the truth or the lie. The relationship is not emotional, or not overly so. It's trusting, gritty, tough, honest, practical, and intellectual. It is not based on feelings.

And speaking of feelings, I've commented before that what really drives this chapter and Morgan's reaction, even more than guilt and anger, is overwhelming grief. I use Hoberry there because he has a bit more emotional distance from the loss of Noll and so he is our window into what is going on with everyone's grief. After a month or so, we're able to get into Edmund's head and hear his anger and sense of betrayal. In this characterization, Morgan's loyalty is tremendously important and he definitely feels betrayed, duped, and made a fool of.

Thanks again!

Awww, I have to wait until spring to hear the rest?

I like this one too! I continue to have a lot of sympathy for and identification with Morgan-- she and I have *so* much in common, including a lot of the emotional stuff.

I'm also wondering if Seth can be redeemed, or if Edmund's own background and reformation is blinding him to Seth plotting some kind of complicated trick.

Thanks so much for coming back and commenting! Some people really don't like Morgan. Others really relate to her. And yes, it will be spring before I return to the story. I think readers got tired of it and her and I need to find my AW inspiration again, after Yuletide.

Thank you

Oh and Seth! There's a really strong sentiment among readers to see him redeemed. Edmund won't be around forever and it would be nice for Morgan to have a friend available to her who is a little closer to her situation. Also, given how important redemption and mercy are thematically, I'd better have a good reason if he doesn't turn out better. The letter is a start.

Edited 2012-11-08 00:03 (UTC)

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H&M, Chapter 20, Covered In Thorns

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Covered in Thorns

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