Contents
Thirty-Six: The Wit and the Sword
Overview
Verity refuses Fitz’s request to help shape the dragon, keeping Fitz at a distance as the work intensifies. Raiders assault Burrich and Molly, but Molly bluffs them with her bees to rescue Nettle and escape, forcing Fitz to sever contact.
Sent alone through the pillar to rouse Elderling dragons, Fitz cannot wake them and discovers Regal’s soldiers guarding the stones. A failed diversion turns deadly; Verity intervenes, slays a guard, miraculously restores his blade, and spares Tag to carry news of the true king’s return as enemy forces close in.
Summary
Fitz begs to help Verity shape the memory-dragon, drawn by the Skill aura, but Verity firmly refuses and assigns him menial tasks, keeping him safe from the dragon’s growing peril. That night Fitz Wit-links to Burrich and witnesses Regal’s agents assault the cottage. Molly, after Burrich is wounded and Nettle seized, returns with a humming hive and bluffs them with her “Wit-bees,” forcing the kidnappers to release Nettle. She and Burrich flee into the night. Verity and Kettle admonish Fitz to sever contact for everyone’s safety.
At dawn, Kettricken gathers wood with Fitz and Nighteyes in a quiet respite that underscores Kettricken’s sidelined pain. Back at the quarry, Verity’s touch briefly colors the dragon and he warns Fitz not to touch it. Fitz notices someone has tried freeing the Girl-on-a-Dragon’s trapped foot. Verity then orders Fitz to the Elderling vale to rouse the stone dragons using Wit and Skill.
Fitz steps through the pillar alone, explores the overgrown grove, and tries repeatedly to awaken Realder’s dragon and others with affection, command, threats, and imagined sustenance, but nothing stirs. As dusk falls, he discovers Regal’s soldiers guarding the pillar: a vanguard here, more at another pillar, and the main force pushing toward the quarry to cut off Verity’s escape.
Fitz attempts a firelight diversion. Pursuit ensues; one soldier impales himself on a stone boar’s tusk, but another still guards the pillar. Feeling a Skill brush, Fitz rushes back as Verity steps through, silver-sheened and terrifying. Verity swiftly kills the sentry and, by drawing the dulled blade through his silver hand, restores his sword’s edge. The last guard, Tag of Buck, yields and pledges loyalty; Verity spares him and sends him to Buck to proclaim the king’s imminent return with his queen and heir, despite more troops approaching.
Who Appears
- FitzChivalry FarseerProtagonist; barred from aiding the dragon, sent to wake Elderling dragons, fails, discovers Regal’s troops, survives pursuit, witnesses Verity’s intervention.
- King VerityObsessively carves the dragon; refuses Fitz’s help; orders Fitz to the dragons; kills a guard, restores his sword via silvered Skill, spares Tag to spread news.
- MollyAttacked with Burrich; bluffs captors with a beehive, forces Nettle’s release, kills a pursuer, and escapes into the night.
- BurrichDefends the cottage, is stabbed, pleads for Nettle’s life, escapes with Molly and the child.
- KettrickenKeeps fires, gathers wood and fishes with Fitz; feels sidelined yet steadfastly supports Verity.
- Kettle (Kestrel)Skilled elder aiding Verity’s carving; admonishes Fitz to keep distance from Molly and Nettle.
- NighteyesWolven partner; guards Kettricken, worries for Fitz, shares quiet hunting and banter.
- The FoolObserves the lull before the storm, hears of Molly’s escape, and earlier crafted Starling’s harp.
- StarlingKeeps watch, tends camp, shows off the Fool’s new harp, gathers wood with the others.
- TagBuck soldier with Regal’s vanguard; yields to Verity, affirms loyalty, sent to proclaim the true king’s return.
- Red-bearded raiderLead attacker at Molly’s; menaces with a longsword; cowed by Molly’s bee threat.
- Stout manSeizes Nettle, forces Burrich’s surrender, capitulates under bee threat and returns the child.
- Woman assailantStabs Burrich in the back, later killed by Molly during the escape.
- RegalOffstage antagonist; sends more troops and coterie to seal pillars and threaten Verity.
- Will and BurlOffstage Skilled antagonists; resupplied, likely directing troops to control the pillars.
- NettleInfant daughter of Fitz; seized then recovered during the attack; catalyst for Molly’s daring bluff.