Rhythm of War (9781429952040)
81. Trapped
by Sanderson, BrandonThe chapter opens with Eshonai reflecting on her return to warform after a long period in workform, acknowledging its familiar yet aggressive nature. She reunites with her friends Thude and Rlain, who share mixed feelings about the form—Thude embraces its vitality, while Rlain finds the rhythms unsettling. The trio explores the Shattered Plains, leaping across chasms with effortless strength, their warforms granting them heightened physical capabilities. Eshonai marvels at the landscape, drawing parallels to the vast oceans she’s only heard of in songs, though the thought evokes both awe and anxiety.
As they traverse the Plains, Eshonai recalls her journey to Kholinar, where she encountered human markets filled with steel weapons and exotic goods—a stark contrast to the listeners’ reverence for such items. The memory shifts to the Alethi’s sudden hostility, forcing her people to flee. The chapter juxtaposes her earlier wonder with the grim reality of the Alethi’s impending invasion, their armies now camped near listener territories. Eshonai clings to hope, arguing that warforms and the Shattered Plains’ terrain could give them an advantage in battle.
Thude voices his doubts, questioning Eshonai’s role in King Gavilar’s assassination. She defends her decision, explaining that Gavilar’s plan to revive the listeners’ ancient gods left no alternative. Her conviction underscores the listeners’ desperation to avoid a return to subjugation, even if it means provoking war with the Alethi. The tension between their camaraderie and the looming conflict lingers, as the chapter highlights the listeners’ precarious position—caught between their love for freedom and the threat of annihilation.
The chapter closes with a sense of foreboding, as Eshonai and her friends gaze at the Alethi camps’ smoke-filled horizon. Their playful exploration of the Plains contrasts sharply with the grim reality of their situation, emphasizing the listeners’ trapped state—both physically and ideologically. The chapter masterfully blends action, introspection, and impending doom, setting the stage for the struggles to come.
FAQs
1. How does Eshonai feel about her warform, and what internal conflict does it create for her?
Answer:
Eshonai has mixed feelings about her warform. While she enjoys its physical capabilities—such as enhanced strength, endurance, and the exhilarating ability to leap chasms—she also feels uneasy about the aggression it provokes in her. She worries she might seek unnecessary fights, preferring the more controlled temperament of her workform. This internal conflict is evident when she describes warform as both a “familiar clearing” and a potential “prison.” The form’s instinctual confidence thrills her, but she remains cautious of its darker impulses, highlighting the tension between power and self-control.2. What cultural and technological disparities between the listeners and the Alethi does Eshonai observe?
Answer:
Eshonai is struck by the vast differences between listener and Alethi societies. She notes how the listeners revere steel weapons as rare heirlooms, passed down for generations, while the Alethi casually sell them in markets. Similarly, she marvels at the affordability of paper books in Alethkar, a luxury her people would consider extravagant. These observations underscore the listeners’ scarcity and isolation compared to the Alethi’s material abundance. The disparities foreshadow the looming conflict, as the Alethi’s resources and numbers (including Shardbearers) pose a dire threat to the listeners’ survival.3. Why did Eshonai advocate for Gavilar’s assassination, and how does Thude question this decision?
Answer:
Eshonai supported Gavilar’s assassination because she believed he intended to resurrect the listeners’ “ancient gods”—a catastrophic prospect for her people. Having heard Gavilar express this plan, she viewed his death as necessary to prevent a return to oppressive forces from their past. Thude, however, challenges her choice, asking if it was truly unavoidable. His questioning reflects lingering doubts about whether violence was the only solution, hinting at broader themes of morality and the costs of preemptive action. Eshonai stands by her decision but acknowledges the weight of responsibility.4. How does the Shattered Plains setting mirror Eshonai’s emotional state and the listeners’ predicament?
Answer:
The Shattered Plains—a fractured landscape of chasms and plateaus—symbolizes both freedom and peril for Eshonai. She delights in the terrain’s challenges, leaping gaps with warform’s agility, yet the distant smoke of Alethi camps reminds her of the listeners’ fragility. The Plains’ disjointed nature mirrors her conflicted emotions: awe at the world’s wonders (like oceans) versus anxiety about survival. Physically, the land offers tactical advantages for war, but it also isolates the listeners, emphasizing their trapped position between past horrors (the gods) and present threats (the Alethi).5. Analyze the significance of the listeners’ rhythms (like Confidence or Anxiety) in shaping their identity and communication.
Answer:
The rhythms—musical tones attuned to emotions—are central to listener culture, serving as both language and emotional expression. Eshonai and her companions shift rhythms (e.g., Confidence during leaps, Anxiety when contemplating oceans) to reflect their inner states, creating a shared sensory experience. Rlain’s observation that the rhythms sound louder in warform suggests a physiological link between form and perception. The rhythms also reveal tensions: Thude’s Pleading challenges Eshonai’s Reprimand, showing how disagreements are harmonized (or discordant) through sound. This system underscores the listeners’ deep connection to their biology and collective identity.
Quotes
1. “Returning to warform after so long in workform felt like revisiting a familiar clearing hidden in the trees, rarely encountered but always waiting for her. She did like this form. She would not see it as a prison.”
This quote captures Eshonai’s complex relationship with her warform—both its exhilarating power and the psychological burden it carries. It introduces the chapter’s theme of forms as both liberation and constraint for the Listeners.
2. “This must be what islands and oceans are like… Water… with nothing to see but more water. She attuned Anxiety. And Awe. Complementary emotions, in her experience.”
This passage beautifully illustrates Eshonai’s wonder at the wider world beyond the Shattered Plains, while also foreshadowing the coming conflict with humans. The juxtaposition of anxiety and awe reflects her people’s precarious position.
3. “The listeners protected, polished, and revered each weapon they’d found on the Plains—keeping them for generations, passed down from parent to child. The humans had entire stalls of them.”
This stark contrast between Listener and human cultures highlights the technological and numerical disparity between the two peoples, emphasizing why the coming war seems so hopeless for Eshonai’s people.
4. “He was going to bring them back, Thude… Our ancient gods. I heard him say it. He thought I’d be happy to hear of it.”
This crucial revelation explains the Listeners’ motivation for assassinating Gavilar—their desperate fear of the return of their gods. It provides key backstory for the entire conflict while showing Eshonai’s sense of responsibility.