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itsalwayswellattheworldsend · 6 days ago

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Book 3 Chapter 4 - They Ride the Wood Under the Mountains

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Synopsis:

They ride on, and Ursula tells the tale of her capture.

Summary:

'If thou take her as a thrall, thou wert best take me also; else shall I follow thee as a free man and slay thee when I may. Many are the days of the year, and on some one of them will betide the occasion for the knife.'

When Ralph awoke the next morning, the sun was completely up and it was as bright in the forest as the trees would allow. He got up at once and looked around for his companion, but didn’t see her, and for a moment he thought that he had only dreamed about her; but he saw that the fire had been revived from its embers, and close by were the armor and strange helmet and the sword that the maiden had. Soon he saw her coming through the trees barefoot, with the green-sleeved silk overcoat hanging down past her knees and her hair floating loose around her. She stepped lightly up to Ralph with a cheerful, smiling face and a warm color in her cheeks, but her eyes were damp as though she could hardly keep back tears of joy at their meeting.

He thought she was even more beautiful than before, and moved to put his arms around her, but she held him away, blushing again. Then she said in her sweet, clear voice: “Hail, fellow-traveler! Now our day’s work begins. I went down yonder and found a bright pool of water, where I washed off. If you’ll go and do the same, I’ll prepare breakfast in the meantime and we’ll be on the road soon.”

He did as she told him, thinking about her as he did, and returning fresh and happy. Then he tended their horses and gave them fodder he found beside the pool, and then turned to Ursula and found her with the meal ready, so they ate happily.

When they were done, Ralph went and saddled their horses, then returned to find Ursula tying up her long hair. She smiled at him and said: “Now that we’re getting on the road again, I must be an armed knight once more. In truth, I let my hair down and wore my surcoat loose as a sign of my secret. Truthfully, it pains me that now that we have met after this long time, I have to dress so ignobly. But need has driven me to it, and my opportunity to steal this fair armor from a young man at Utterbol, the nephew of the lord. Like his uncle, he was halfway my suitor and halfway my tyrant.[1] I will tell you all of this later, and the way I dodged between whippings and kisses these past days. But for now, let’s arm ourselves and mount up. But first, here are some tools that you can use to keep us from starving to death. As for me, I’m no archer, and I’m only good at looking like a swordsman.”

She gave him a short composite bow and a quiver of arrows, which he took happily. Then they helped each other into their armor, and as she handled his she said: “This is well-made and sturdy armor you have, my friend; my mail shirt is like a toy compared to it, with its gold and silver rings and gems at the collar. These plates are wide and well-made, and mine are almost like jewelry on my arms and legs.”

He looked at her lovingly and loved the sight of her delicate hands against the grey chain mail, and he said: “That is a good thing, dear friend. SInce I am to be your shield, it benefits me to be well-protected.”

She looked at him and her lips trembled, and she put out her hand as though to touch his cheek, but pulled back and said: “Come, let us mout up, my fellow warrior.”

So they got to horse and went on through the thick pine woods, where the ground was covered in pine needles and everything was still and windless.[2] As they rode, Ursula said: “I’m looking for signs of the path to the Sage of Swevenham. Did you see a stream yesterday?”

“Yes,” said Ralph, “I rode beside it for a while, but left it when it seemed to go too far north.”

“You were right,” she said, “aside from the fact that your changing course has brought us together, following the stream would have taken you to Utterbol eventually. But here is another one that runs straight down from the hills—not the Great mountains, but the high ground where the Sage lives. I don’t know if the ride is long or short, but the stream will lead us there.”

They rode onwards through the wood, and there was little change in it for hours. When they stopped to rest, Ursula let out a deep sigh, like one who has been relieved of a burden.

Ralph said: “Why do you sigh, fellow traveller?”

“Oh,” she said, “it is for relief, and a thought that I had: just a little while ago I was a thrall, living amongst fears that sickened my heart, and then after that I was a lonely wanderer. But now… So, I was thinking that if I ever make it back to my own land and my home, the scent of pine trees will always make me happy.”

Ralph looked at her eagerly, but said nothing for a while. At last he spoke: “Tell me, friend, if we are attacked by bandits, what will we do?”

“That is not likely to happen,” she said, “as men fear these woods, so there are few people to rob in them. But if we happen to find some, the mark of Utterbol on my armor will keep them away.” Then she was silent for a while before continuing. “In truth, we may be pursued by riders from Utterbol; for though they fear the wood, they fear their Lord more. However, we have gotten well ahead of them, and it is unlikely that they could catch us before we reach the Sage, who will likely be of help.”

“Yes,” said Ralph, “but if they do catch us, do we let them take us alive?”

She looked at him seriously and placed a hand on the beads around her neck. “For this, we must live as long as we can, no matter what happens. Even at the worst, some way of escape may be opened to us. But oh, how much easier it would be to die than be taken back to Utterbol!”

They rode a while in silence, but at last Ralph spoke up, slowly and with a dull, serious voice: “Maybe it would be good if you told me something about those dark days at Utterbol?”

“Maybe,” she said, “but I won’t tell you about them. Truthfully, there are some things which a man cannot easily tell another man, even if he is as good a friend as you are to me. Now remember,” (and she smiled a bit) “that this armor is a disguise and that I am a woman, and there are things which a woman cannot tell a man, even when he has held her in his arms for a long time.” And with that, she blushed deeply.

He said in a kind voice: “I’m sorry I asked you about it, and I won’t do it again.”

She smiled at him in a friendly way, and they spoke about other things as they rode on.

After a while, Ralph said: “If it wouldn’t make you uncomfortable, could you tell me about how you fell into the hands of the men of Utterbol? I’d like to know the story.”

She laughed openly and said: “Are you going to be stuck on the time of my captivity forever, my friend? And don’t you know some of the story already? However, I can tell you about it without sorrow, though it is a dark story.”

He said, somewhat ashamed: “I just want to hear about you and your life, since we’re fellow-travelers.”

“Well,” she said, “this happened outside Utterbol, so I will tell it to you.”

“After I had been taken to the slave market at Cheaping Knowe and not been sold, the wild man led me toward the mountains by Goldburg[3]; and as we drew near them one day, he said to me that he was glad from the bottom of his heart that no one had bought me at the market. When I asked him why, he began crying as he rode beside me, and said: ‘I wish to God that I had never taken you.’ I asked what was wrong, though I thought I knew. He said: ‘What’s wrong is that you are not of the clan to which I must marry, and I love you dearly and want to marry you. And now I’m worried that you would never love me.’ I told him that that was true, but that if he would be friendly with me, I would be his friend. ‘That does little to help,’ he said; ‘I want you to want to be with me.’ I said that that would not happen, and that I could only love one man. ‘Is he alive?’ he asked.

“‘I hope to God that he is,’ I said, ‘but if he is dead, then my desire for men is dead, too.’

“So we talked, and he was quite sad, but after that he was as good to me as a brother. He offered to lead me back and put me safely on the road to Whitwall, but as you know, I needed to keep going forward, not back.

“So we entered the mountains of Goldburg; but one morning, when he got up, he was more depressed than usual, and restless as well, and could not decide whether to go or stay or do anything else. I asked what was wrong and he said: ‘My end draws near; I have seen my fetch, and am fey.[4] My grave awaits me in these mountains.’

“‘You’ve had a nightmare,’ I said, ‘there is no meaning in such things.’ And I spoke lightly and tried to comfort him, but his mood did not lift.

“‘This is bad for you, too,’ he said, ‘you will be worse off without me in these lands.’

“I thought so, too, and felt sorry for him, for though he was strange and rough, he was not a bad man. Despite efforts, I found myself drawn down into a mood like his, and so we both went on drearily. Around sunset, as we came around a corner of the cliffs, we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of a group of about a dozen armed men who were setting up camp under a big rock. Four of them were still on horses, so that when Bull Nosy (that was the wildman’s name) tried to flee with me, it was useless. The horsemen captured us and brought us before an evil-looking man, who—to put it briefly—was the Lord of Utterbol. He paid Bull Nosy no mind, but looked at me closely and handled me like a man does with a horse at market. I came close to attacking him (I had a knife in my bodice), but the reminder of my beads stayed my hand. He told Bull to sell me to him, which Bull refused, standing defiantly before the Lord, scowling at him. But the Lord laughed in his face and said:

“‘So be it. I will take her without a price, and thank you for saving me my gold.’

“Then Bull said: ‘If you take her as a thrall, you should take me as well, or else I will follow you as a free man and kill you when I can. There are many days in the year, and on one of them I will find the opportunity for the knife.’

“At that, the Lord grew very pale and said nothing, but looked at one of his men who stood by Bull with a big sword in his fist. He lifted his hand twice, and let it fall twice, and at that, the man stepped back one pace and swung his sword, striking Bull and killing him.

“Then the color came back into the Lord’s face and he said: ‘Now, men, let us eat and be merry, for at least we have found something in the mountains.’ So they ate and drank and gave me food as well, but I had no desire to eat, for my soul was sick and my heart was heavy under the weight of uttermost evil. And all-together I was sad for Bull Nosy, for he was not a bad man and had become my friend.

“So they stayed there that night, leaving Bull lying like a dog unburied in the wilderness, and in the morning they took the road to Utterbol and went quickly, having no baggage and stopping only to eat and rest for the night. The Lord had me brought to him on the first evening of our journey and he saw me privately and spoke to me, telling me to do shameful things that I would not, at which point he threatened me terribly. Being alone with him, I told him to be careful or I would kill him or myself. At that, he turned pale like he had before Bull Nosy, but he did not have anyone kill me, just sent me back to my keepers. So I came to Utterbol unharmed.”

“And at Utterbol,” said Ralph, “What happened there?”

Ursula smiled at him and held up a finger, answering: “Utterbol is a very big house in a fair land, and there are many floors and rooms. I was brought to a good chamber among the gardens, and women servants were given to me who took me to the bath and dressed me in fine clothing and gave me food and drink and everything I needed. That is all I will say for now.”

Notes:

[1] Originally, she calls him his “eme,” which is a Scottish word for uncle. Also she says he was half her “lover,” but that has deeper connotations nowadays.

[2] It originally says “pine-tree needles” which I find funny.

[3] The mountains here are described as being “above” Goldburg, a reference to their adjacency and height, but a bit confusing because it seems to imply that they would be towards the north (not west). Therefore, I tweaked it.

[4] A “fetch” is an apparition which one sees as a duplicate of themself, the appearance of which foretells the person’s imminent death. It is the Irish counterpart of the German doppelgänger, and both fill similar roles. “Fey” in this sense, means “doomed.”

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#the well at the world's end #william morris #the well book 3 - chapter 4

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itsalwayswellattheworldsend · 24 days ago

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Book 3 Chapter 3 - Ralph Meeteth With Another Adventure in the Wood Under the Mountain

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Synopsis:

Ralph finds someone else on the road to the Well.

Summary:

"Put thy trust in this, that here and with me thou art even now nigher to the Well at the World's End than any other creature on the earth.”

The woods soon grew to be thick with pine trees but clear of undergrowth, and when the sun began to set it grew dark very quickly. Despite this, he kept riding in the fading light, and there were few wild animals around, and the wind was very still. Now and then he thought he heard the sound of a horse going behind him or off on one side in the woods, and he wondered if he were being pursued, so he hurried as best he could, until it was completely dark and he was forced to stop.

So Ralph got off his horse and leaned back against a tree, the horse’s reins over his arm. He listened carefully, and was quite sure that he could hear hoofbeats somewhere nearby. He laughed inwardly, thinking to himself “If my hunter were to pass just three feet in front of me, he wouldn’t even notice unless he heard me or my horse.”[1] So he laid his cloak over the horse’s head, in case he winnied if he heard the other horse. So he stood there waiting, and the noise grew louder until he could clearly hear the hoofbeats coming closer, then very near him, then they stopped.

Then a man's voice said: “Is someone here in the woods?”

Ralph said nothing, waiting until he knew more about the situation.

After a little while, the voice said: “If there is someone here, I assure him that I mean no harm. I would help him, since I have food with me.” The voice was clear, and as sweet as the singing of an April blackbird. “No one’s answering, but I know you’re there. I’m tired of the wilderness, and desire companionship.”

Ralph listened, and remembered stories of travelers who were lured into traps by fae[2] and evil things, but he thought: “At least this isn’t some servant of the Lord of Utterbol,[3] and with St Nicholas to aid me, I have little to fear from forest spirits.[4] Altogether, It would be cowardly of me if I did not respond to a single man because I was afraid of the unknown.”

So he spoke in a loud and cheerful voice: “Yes, there is someone here, and I desire your companionship as well, if we can find each other. But how do we do that in the blackness of the forest at night?”

The other person laughed, and the laugh was happy and sweet. “Do you not have a flint and steel?”

“No,” said Ralph.[5]

“I have one,” said the voice, “and I’d like to be able to see you, for your voice sounds pleasant to me. Wait a moment while I feel around for a stick or two.

Ralph laughed as he heard the newcomer moving around, then he heard the click of steel on flint and saw the shower of sparks, illuminating the green forest. Then a little flame sprang up and he could clearly see the tree trunks, and some twenty yards away from him was a horse and a man stooping down over the fire.

The man jumped up and cried out: “It is an armed knight! Come here, fellow traveler. It has been five days since I have spoken to a child of Adam; come here and let’s talk, and I will reward you with food and firelight.”

“That will be good payment,” said Ralph, laughing, and he stepped forward, leading his horse. Now the wood was lit up by the fire as it grew, and Ralph could see that the newcomer was dressed in that unusually-made armor that people wore in that land, with a bright steel helmet on the head and a long green surcoat over the armor. He was slender, and not tall.

Ralph went up to him quickly, and happily put a hand on his shoulder and kissed him, saying: “A kiss of peace for you in the wilderness!” And he found him to be beardless and with pleasant breath.

But the newcomer took his hand and led him to where the firelight was brightest and looked at him in silence for a moment, and Ralph looked at him, too. The strange helmet did little to hide the newcomer’s face, and as Ralph looked a sudden joy came into his heart.

“Oh,” but I have kissed your face before!” he cried out. “Oh, my friend, my friend!”

And the newcomer said: “Yes, I am a woman, and I was your friend for a little while at Bourton Abbas, and at the crossroad of the Wood Perilous.”

Then Ralph through his arms around her and kissed her again, but she pulled back and said: “Help me, my friend, we should gather sticks to feed our fire, lest it die and we are left in the dark once more, thinking that our meeting was just a dream.”

Then she busied herself with gathering wood and stoking the fire, but as she did she looked up at him and said: “Let’s make the wood shine all around, for this is a night of celebration.”

So they gathered a pile of wood and built up the fire, and then Ralph took off his helmet and chainmail, and the maiden did the same, and he could see the beauty of her uncovered head. Then they sat down by the fire and the maiden took out food and drink from her saddlebags, and she shared these with Ralph, who accepted it and took her hand as well.

“Shall we be friends together as we were at Bourton Abbas and the crossroads of the Wood Perilous?” asked Ralph.[6]

“Oh, I wish we could,” she said, “but we can’t. Not many days have passed since then, but they have changed the world.”[7]

He looked at her with a distant sadness and said: “But we were close then.”

“Yes,” she said, “but other things have happened, and things between us have changed.”

“What changed?”

Even by the firelight he saw that she blushed as she answered: “I was a free woman then, and now I am a runaway thrall.”

Ralph laughed and said: “Then we are even closer now, for I am also a runaway thrall.”[8]

She smiled and looked down, then said: “Will you tell me what happened?”

“Yes,” he said, “but I want to ask you a question or two first.”

She nodded and looked at him seriously, like a child waiting to say her part.

Ralph went on: “When we parted at the crossroad of the Wood Perilous, you said that you were seeking the Well at the World’s End, for life or death. But you didn’t have that necklace then, which I see on you now, and which is just like mine. Will you tell me where you got it?”

“Yes, it was given to me by a lady, whom I think was noble and whom I know was beautiful. She saved me from a terrible situation and unspeakable danger, which I will tell you about later. It was she who told me about the way to the Well at the World’s End, and many things about those who seek it, which I will also share with you.”

“As for how you became a thrall, you don’t need to tell me. I heard about it from those that were taking you to Utterbol. But tell me, here we’ve met each other in the middle of nowhere, as if sailing out in the open sea, and we are both looking for the same thing. Did you think that we would meet, or that I was looking for you?”

Now the fire was burning somewhat low, but he saw that she looked on him steadily, but her sweet voice wavered a little when she answered: “Kind friend, I had hope that you might be looking for me and might find me: that most beautiful woman who gave me the beads spoke to me about you, and she said that you also would be seeking the Well at the World’s End. I had already thought your eyes looked lucky as well as lovely. But tell me, my friend, what has happened to that lady that she isn’t with you? The way she spoke about you, I thought that nothing but death would part you two.”

“It is death that has parted us,” said Ralph.

Then she hung her head and sat silently for a while, and he did not speak until she had gotten up to throw more wood on the fire, and she stood in front of it with her back to him. Then he said to her in a cheerful voice: “We’ll probably be together for a long while; tell me your name; it’s Dorothy, isn’t it?”[9]

She turned to him with a smiling face and said, “No, lord, no. Did I not tell you my name before? Those who held me at my christening told the priest to name me Ursula, after the Friend of Maidens.[10] And what is your name?”

“I am Ralph of Upmeads,” he said, and then sat quietly, thinking about his dream and how it had been wrong about her name, when it had told him so much other stuff that he had thought was true.[11]

She came and sat down next to him again and said: "I have answered your questions, but you have not yet told me about your captivity.”

Her voice sounded exceedingly sweet to him, and he looked at her face and spoke as kindly as he knew how, saying: “It will be a short tale tonight at least: I came from Whitwall with a Group of Merchants, looking for you and the Well at the World’s End. Everything went well until I came to Goldburg, and there I was betrayed by a villain who had promised to lead me safely to Utterness and also tell me about the way to the Well. But he sold me to the Lord of Utterbol, who was taking me to his house;[12] but I was not bothered by that at first, since I was hoping to find you there. But later—if I can bring myself to tell the tale—his lady wife cast her love upon men, and I was entangled in the nets of her guile:[13] but I was told and believed that it would be bad for both of us if I met with you at Utterbol, so I took a chance to flee—which I’ll tell you about some other time.”

She turned pale as she listened to him, and said: “It is God’s mercy that you did not reach Utterbol or find me there, or else we would both have been destroyed by the lusts of those two; or if you had come there and found me gone, that would have been the end for you. My heart is sick to think about it, even as I sit by your side.”

“What you said makes me afraid and ashamed to ask you something. But first tell me, is the Lord of Utterbol as evil as men’s fears make him seem? No man could be so feared and not be evil.”

She was silent for a while, and then said: “He is so evil that it could might be that he was brought up out of hell.”

Then Ralph looked sad and troubled, and he said: “Dear friend, this is a hard thing for me to say. How were you treated at utterbol? Did they deal with you shamefully?”

“No,” she said, “Fear not! No shame came upon me, except that I was a thrall and not allowed to leave. In truth,” she said, smiling, “I got away before any real torture could happen.[14] It is truly an evil house and a small piece of hell. But now we are away from it and free in these woods, so let us forget it. Indeed, just the memory of it grieves me. Now, let’s tend to the fire once more, for you face is growing dim to me, and I don’t like that. Afterwards, before we lie down to sleep, we will talk a little about the road we shall follow tomorrow.”

So they threw more wood and pinecones[15] on the fire, and Ralph was happy to see her face clearly again amidst the darkness of the wood. When they sat down together again, she said: “We are seeking the Well at the World’s End, but which of us knows more about the way to it? Who is to lead, and who is to follow?”

Ralph said: “If you don’t know more than I do, then you don’t know much at all. The truth is, for many days now, I’ve been looking for you in hopes that you might lead me.”

She laughed sweetly and said: “Yes, knight, and it was for that reason that you sought me? Not to rescue me?”

He said soberly: “But by doing so, I would have rescued you.”

“Yes, and now since I have been rescued, I will pretend that it was by your hand. And I suppose you are looking for a reward, so I will grant you my guidance to the Well at the World’s End. Is that enough?”

“No,” said Ralph.

They were both quiet for a moment, then she said: “Maybe once we have drunk that Water and are coming back, it will be your turn to lead. In truth I feel like I’d hardly know which way to go now; among my dreaming of the Well and of… other matters, my home seems to have faded like a dream.”[16]

He looked at her, not seeming to hear all her words. “Yes, you shall lead me. I have been led by one person after another ever since I left Upmeads.”[17]

Now she looked at him somewhat sadly, and said: “You weren’t listening to me just now, so I’ll say it again: the time will come when you will lead me.”

The thought of his journey from the Water of the Oak-tree sprang into his mind, and he fought to push it away.[18] He sighed and said: “Do you truly know much about the way?”

She nodded.

“Do you know about the Rock of the Fighting Man?”

“Yes,” she said.

“And about the Sage that lives in these woods?”

“Most surely,” she said, “and tomorrow evening or the morning after that, we will find him, for I have been taught the way to his dwelling. I know that he is now called the sage of Swevenham.[19] But I must tell you that there is some danger in looking for him; his dwelling is known to the riders of Utterbol, who may follow us there. But I also think that he can help us with that.”

Ralph said: “Where did you learn all of this, my friend?” and his face grew troubled again.

But she said simply: “She taught it to me when we spoke in the woods by Hampton under Scaur.” She seemed to not notice the trouble on his face, and continued: “Believe me when I say that here with me, you are now even closer to the Well at the World’s End than anyone else on the earth. Yes, even if the Sage is dead or has gone elsewhere, I know the signs to find the Rock of the Fighting Man, and the way through the mountains, though I will not say that his help would not make things clearer. But now I see you drooping with the grief of past days, and I think your heart is weary from its journey. You should lie down and sleep, and forget your grief at least until tomorrow.”

“I wish it were tomorrow already,” he said, “so that I could see your face clearly; but yes, I am tired.��

So he went and got his saddle and laid his head on it and was soon asleep. But she put more wood on the fire and sat by his head, watching him with a drawn sword beside her, until the woodland dawn began to glimmer through the trees. Then she also laid down and slept.[20]

Notes:

[1] Ralph should name this horse; I miss Falcon.

[2] Once again, the term “Woodwife” which I translated as something before but can’t find precisely because it was before footnotes were numbered.

[3] The word here is “sending,” which was also used to describe the vision Ralph had of the Lady and Dorothea way back when.

[4] Originally “wood-wights,” meaning “wood people,” but it’s referring to spooky spirits/fae/supernatural beings that haunt forests.

[5] Ill-prepared, as usual.

[6] “Wanna make out?”

[7] It’s been 83 days by my count.

[8] If you’ll recall, she previously said that they couldn’t be together because she was a peasant and he was the son of a king. Her enslavement would have further lowered her status, but Ralph is quick to point out that they’re on the same level now, both being escaped slaves.

[9] Dorothea, actually.

[10a] And here it is! The big reveal! Dorothea isn’t named Dorothea! She’s Ursula! This is one of the single weirdest things in this whole story. Ralph had a whole supernatural dream where he found out her name and it was wrong? Why was it wrong? Was it really just a dream then? Who knows? I think the most likely answer is that Morris decided he liked “Ursula” better, and as I already discussed he seems to have been incapable of going back and changing things he’d already written.

[10b] Ursula is a Latin name meaning “Little Bear.” The “Friend of Maidens” mentioned is St Ursula, a legendary virgin martyr and protector of young women.

[11] You and me both, Ralph.

[12] “House” like “castle” or “fortress” (or fortified houses, which haven’t been mentioned before), but I couldn’t decide on a good replacement. I do like the idea that the Lord of Utterbol was just taking Ralph back to his house for pizza and GoldenEye though.

[13] Once again, Agatha not getting the credit she deserved.

[14] I believe this exchange is in reference to sexual assault, mostly based on Ralph’s wording. It mimics previous lines of implication from earlier in the story. It also makes sense that since it was the Lord of Utterbol who had claimed Ursula, she would be safe until he was able to return.

[15] The original word here is “pineapples,” which was an old term for “pinecone,” which is why we English-speakers call pineapples “pineapples” (because they look similar).

[16] My (possible) interpretation of this exchange is that Ralph refuses the “reward” of guidance because he wants their relationship to last beyond their journey, to which Ursula says that he might be the one to guide her back (to his homeland), leaving that as a possibility, as she now feels estranged from her own birthplace.

[17] To be fair, in Ralph’s position, I’d be reluctant to follow anyone’s guidance at this point.

[18] That would be when he and the Lady of Abundance fled from the Knight of the Tower, which resulted in the Lady’s death. His reluctance to follow another’s lead has brought him back to the one time when he was led by someone good, and it ended in tragedy.

[19] I don’t remember if this is the first time that the Sage that lives near the mountains has been specifically identified as the Sage/Wizard that lived near Swevenham (whom Richard spoke of). In any event, that is the situation.

[20] This vignette is very important to me. Ursula watching him sleep with a drawn sword is sort of a chilling sight, especially after their heartfelt reunion and talks about the road ahead. My interpretation is that Ursula has been hurt badly by her journey as well. I don’t think she was faking her affection towards him, but I do think that some part of her can’t let go of the fierceness that brought her this far and protected her so many times before. I don’t think she’s quite ready to be close to someone after her enslavement and abuse.

[Map] I listened ahead a bit and made some changes to the map… then forgot exactly what changes were made and why. I know we get some more geographical information soon, so things will probably be shifted around.

Map:

#the well at the world's end #william morris #the well - book 3 chapter 3

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