Blood of Dragons (spoilers RotE incl City of Dragons)

[Farseer]

Sorry to be working backward but trying to catch up on Hobb gossip after so long away from home...

Regarding the dragons on the cover, in her October 24th blog, Jackie noted their identities as being *DH, CoD/BoD spoiler*

Spoiler

Spit, Fente, Sintara and Heeby. Obviously the former two at least gain flight ability through either CoD or into BoD. We know that Heeby was flying in DH, as was Sintara as she took off in its closing pages.

As for the spear/polearm...I will have to look back over the recent, previous discussions in more depth (and apologise if I have already said this somewhere else!) but I must admit that I can't help but think of *Farseer, LST, Tawny Man and Homecoming spoilers*

Spoiler

something Fitz noted somewhere along the way. I think it was while he was in the Kelsingra Map Tower when he was there in the latter stages of AQ, where he noted the stained-glass window of the woman and dragon (the one which has captured my imagination for years!!) . I think the dragon wore a jewelled collar but, other than that, there was nothing to suggest any kind of subjugation to the woman. In the woman's hand, or behind her, was something but Fitz couldn't quite determine if it was a weapon or a wand of office. This is what I think of when I look at the spear/polearm. Though it must surely be Rapscal who wields it on the cover, given the figure is atop Heeby, and not a 'female', it is possible that the object is either similar or the very same...after all, the window is within the map tower of Kelsingra and it is in Kelsingra where the events will take place in CoD and BoD, and discoveries made. Possibly Rapscal or someone finds the actual object that is depicted in the window and thus uses it.

I often believed that the stained-glass window in the Kelsingra Map Tower to be a portrayal of both past and future, though more future, a little like Wintrow's window that he made of the tree that beheld both a dragon and a serpent. While both were part of the realm's past, Wintrow also proved to be a contributor and a connection to their future (just as he, by virtue of his blood, was a connection to their past). I did have thoughts that the woman depicted in the Kelsingra Map Tower window could have been Nettle, given her 'Queenly' attitude, relationship with Tintaglia, and her connection to both Fitz as the Catalyst and also as the daughter of Fitz who is the foundation of the House Farseer. I also thought it could have been a depiction of the female Judge of old (similar to the female depicted with the dragon in statue form in the ruins of ancient Frengong in Homecoming), but that there was a blood connection between she and Fitz/Nettle anyway.

So, so much to look forward to discovering...