The Runes of the Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant — Book One
Chapter 15: Part One — 9. Scion of Stone
by Donaldson, Stephen R.The chapter “Scion of Stone” follows Linden Avery and her companions—Liand, Stave, and the mad old man Anele—as they flee through a treacherous mountain cleft, pursued by a pack of savage kresh (giant wolves). Linden, weakened and disoriented, grapples with her inability to harness the wild magic of Thomas Covenant’s ring, which she wears but cannot control. Stave, a Haruchai Master, urges her not to use the ring, warning of older, darker evils lurking in the mountains. Despite her desperation, Linden hesitates, torn between her need to protect her son and her fear of unleashing greater dangers.
As the group scrambles up the rocky slope, Stave carries Linden, demonstrating his superhuman agility and strength. Liand struggles to keep pace, slowed by his mustang, Somo, while Anele races ahead, seemingly attuned to the stone beneath them. Linden reflects on Covenant’s past heroics and her own inadequacies, feeling the weight of the ring’s power yet unable to wield it. The tension mounts as the kresh remain unseen but ominously close, driving the group to seek higher ground for defense.
Liand questions Stave’s solitary presence, challenging the Haruchai’s motives and their role as guardians of the Land. Stave deflects the inquiry, emphasizing the Haruchai’s honor but hinting at unforeseen circumstances that left them unprepared for Linden’s arrival. The exchange underscores the mistrust between the characters, as Linden remains silent, caught in her own turmoil. The chapter weaves themes of desperation, power, and legacy, with the landscape itself echoing the fractured history of the Land.
The group’s ascent becomes a metaphor for their internal struggles—Linden’s guilt and doubt, Stave’s conflicted loyalty, and Liand’s growing defiance. The chapter ends with the threat of the kresh unresolved, leaving the characters—and readers—in suspense. The interplay of action and introspection highlights the broader stakes of their journey, as Linden’s choices could awaken ancient evils or determine their survival. The narrative balances urgency with deeper reflections on power, trust, and the burdens of the past.
FAQs
1. What internal conflict does Linden Avery face regarding Covenant’s ring, and how does this reflect her broader struggles in the chapter?
Answer:
Linden grapples with self-doubt and uncertainty about wielding Covenant’s white gold ring, despite holding it as her last resort against the kresh. She recalls Covenant’s mastery of wild magic but feels incapable of replicating his power, stating, “I can’t outrun them… Maybe I can [protect us]. If I can’t—We weren’t going to survive anyway.” This mirrors her broader struggle with agency and trust in her own abilities, compounded by Stave’s warning that using the ring might awaken “old evils.” Her hesitation underscores her unresolved role as the Chosen and her fear of unintended consequences.2. Analyze Stave’s dilemma when choosing between aiding Linden and recapturing Anele. What does this reveal about Haruchai values?
Answer:
Stave momentarily hesitates because helping Linden requires abandoning his duty to retrieve Anele, a task tied to his people’s rigid convictions. The text notes he “could not simultaneously aid her and recapture Anele,” highlighting the Haruchai’s unwavering commitment to their defined roles as guardians. Yet his eventual choice to carry Linden—despite her defiance—reveals a deeper priority: preserving life over strict adherence to orders. This tension illustrates the Haruchai’s complex honor system, where service to the Land’s immediate needs can override narrower obligations.3. How does the setting of the mountain cleft contribute to the chapter’s tension and thematic depth?
Answer:
The oppressive twilight of the cleft, where “ragged cliffs rise too high to admit direct sunshine,” creates a claustrophobic backdrop for the chase. The dim light and treacherous terrain amplify the urgency of the kresh threat while symbolizing Linden’s disorientation and fading hope. Additionally, the “broken pieces of song” beneath Anele’s feet evoke the Land’s fractured history, tying the physical ascent to themes of memory and loss. The setting thus mirrors both the characters’ immediate peril and the larger decay of the world they strive to protect.4. Why does Liand challenge Stave’s solitary presence, and how does this interaction develop the story’s central conflicts?
Answer:
Liand questions why Stave is alone despite the Haruchai’s role as guardians, accusing him of concealing truths. This confrontation exposes lingering distrust between cultures and hints at larger mysteries about the Haruchai’s current state. Stave’s deflection—urging Liand to “inquire of the Chosen” about Haruchai honor—shifts focus to Linden’s authority while avoiding direct answers. The exchange deepens the narrative’s tension by suggesting institutional failures or hidden crises among the Land’s protectors, foreshadowing future revelations about their diminished numbers or divided loyalties.5. Evaluate the significance of Anele’s madness in the context of the chapter’s exploration of memory and trauma.
Answer:
Anele’s insanity, described as stemming from stone’s “fragments of lamentation,” embodies the Land’s collective trauma. His frenetic escape up the cleft—intertwined with Linden’s observation that “such music might have fractured anyone’s mind”—parallels her own struggle with fragmented memories of Covenant and past battles. His madness serves as a literal and metaphorical reminder of unresolved historical wounds, suggesting that the characters’ present crisis is rooted in unhealed past violence. This reinforces the chapter’s theme that confronting current threats requires reckoning with legacy and loss.
Quotes
1. “Her son needed her, and she had come to this.”
This poignant statement captures Linden Avery’s central motivation and emotional state - her desperate journey to save her son has led her to this perilous moment facing kresh in the mountains. It reflects the chapter’s theme of sacrifice and maternal determination.
2. “Old evils inhabit these mountains. You will rouse them, or draw them down upon us. Better the threat of fangs and claws than some darker peril.”
Stave’s warning introduces the chapter’s tension between immediate physical danger and the risk of awakening greater supernatural threats. This establishes the dilemma Linden faces regarding whether to use Covenant’s ring.
3. “In his arms, she mounted the slope as if she were moving backward through time. With every step, Stave’s feet touched memories which only Anele could perceive.”
This beautifully metaphorical passage connects the physical ascent with the chapter’s exploration of memory and history, particularly Anele’s fractured perception of the Land’s past. It highlights the layered nature of reality in the story.
4. “Covenant’s ring bounced on its chain outside her shirt. It seemed to reproach her with its mystery and power.”
This vivid image encapsulates Linden’s central conflict - her possession of power she doesn’t fully understand or believe she can wield. The ring becomes a character in its own right, judging her perceived inadequacies.
5. “Together humankind and Ravers had decimated a vast and marvelous intelligence. With the Sunbane Lord Foul had completed their cruel work.”
This passage provides crucial backstory about the Land’s history of destruction, framing the current events within the larger context of ecological and spiritual devastation. It underscores the high stakes of the characters’ journey.