Blood of Dragons discussion thread - SPOILERS, obvs

[Valarya]

Also, don't feel the necessity to put things in here in spoiler tags. The thread-title basically screams "enter at your own risk." Besides, tags never deterred me b/c I click them all.

[Farseer]

Farseer, could you merge this thread with this one?

I've been thinking about that too, thanks joost. And also doing the same to the couple of City of Dragons threads we have going on as well. The posts won't flow as they will be ordered chronologically from posts made in both threads once merged. I won't mind but others might...or might not? I, for one, think it better to have one, a-little-bit-disjointed-thread than two that you have to constantly swing between...

Should be home in the next 24 to 48 hours so will get to having a look at doing that when I get there.

can't believe I fell into an exhausted sleep about a sentence into my read last night but hopefully I'll be able to delve back in sometime today.

[standingby]

I find it interesting how the dragons kept mentioning that their contact with humans changed them.

Tintaglia's in for a surprise when some of her eggs hatch, methinks.

[Farseer]

I am looking forward to the hatching and return to Others' Island. So many things to learn from that location! Will also be great to go back and compare the hatchlings to our old conversation with Lord Punctual.

Well met and welcome, standingby!

[astagg]

About 40% in, just read Malta's plea to Mercor. What struck me was that Mercor could sense the silver touch on Malta. Should Tintaglia have sensed it on Fitz when she visted for Dutiful's wedding, presuming they came into some sort of contact?


Edit:
Been thinking about this a bit more while at work. Tintaglia should also be aware of the silver on Malta but we have not 'seen' them talk about it together.

Also I can't remember the exact words but when Amber/Fool meets Tintaglia she refers to them as 'ones who used to help us'. I used to think this was in reference to being a prophet but perhaps this was Tintaglia sensing the silver.

[Farseer]

I'll return when I can for a discussion on this but just had to quickly jump in and say that it's great to have you back, astagg.

[mmmmmmm]

astagg, don't we only know of the Fool meeting Tintaglia through Fitz? (Or is there a scene in LST that I have forgotten?) The Fool may have told her how he got it (or not given his propensity for keeping secrets!) and explained what had happened to Malta then but we wouldn't know because we only know what he chose to share with Fitz (and Swift IIRC). The only time Fitz is in the same physical place as Tintaglia while he still has silver on him Tintaglia is busy fighting and might not have had time to notice it?

I think Sintara is my favourite character of this series- just as arrogant as one would expect a dragon to be.

[Farseer]

On phone so quick reply....Amber met with Tintaglia prior to Fool and Fitz meeting up again in FE. It was Tintaglia who gifted Amber with the Elderling robe and tent which Lord Golden/Beloved used while on Aslevjal. Will try and reference it for you when I can...

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Think Lord Golden mentioned it while speaking with Swift and Fitz...when they were interrupted by Civil in FF...

[mmmmmmm]

Mercor, talking to Malta: "You bear the mark of Silver, on the back of your neck. I can smell it on you still, even though you have worn it for years. Someone touched you, with skill and purpose, and sent you on your way to fulfil a great task."

I am now wondering if the Fool's fingerprints on Fitz were more intentional than I thought. And if their removal marked the end of his task.

ETA: Why can't I do quotes? *is stupid*

[Farseer]

It was one of those 'sit up and take notice' moments in BoD, that's for sure!

While it added weight to the moment when Amber touched Malta on Paragon's deck (and confirmed a couple of things I have to get back to in the Malta thread), I'm not sure what to make of Fitz and Fool.

I'm still thinking on it (so may swing the other way after more thought!) but, to me, Fitz already had the blood of dragons, the Wit and the ability to wield the Skill - an ability yet to be fully developed in the Keepers-as-Elderlings. Of course, Reyn and Malta had begun to show signs of being able to use it for contact when Reyn touched minds with Malta back in LST, Wintrow had used it with his window etc and Selden had shown signs of being attuned to Fitz and Dutiful's use of it in TM but this seemed prompted more by Tintaglia's ability that Selden's (while at Buckkeep he said something like, "She says you're lying") at that point in time.

As well as his established abilities, Fitz was also already the Catalyst and Changer. Any Skill touch from Fool would likely then not have been needed to call Fitz into an action he'd otherwise not have taken. Malta, on the other hand, though always redisposed/destined for Elderling status, was touched by Fool and then went on to fulfil a purpose (as oer the BoD quote?).

From memory, Fool hesitated slightly prior to placing his fingertips on Fitz when his marks were made in the Memory Stone quarry. At the time, it was Fitz who sought the contact as it was only through his and Fool's joining that Fitz was able to prompt the resurfacing of Kettle/Kestral's Skill ability back in AQ. Without that joining, Verity would never have been able to complete the carving of his simulacra dragon, Dutiful could never have been conceived, Forging and the works of Kebal Rawbread and the Pale Woman would have continued (and thus the stain that ran down the world's shirt would not be stopped) etc etc.

It will be interesting to find out post-RWC if Fitz had been nudged via the Skill at any point during the events of the latter RWC books such as Selden's captivity or the war with Chalced. From what it appears though, the contact with Fitz did nothing more than create an even greater link between he and Fool (one that was already established from their journey up the Skill Road/back at the plaza etc) and enable Kettle's forgiveness and Verity's dragon to rise to push back the advances of Kebal Rawbread and the Pale Woman during the Red Ship War. EDIT: In this, it is a clear example of The White Prophet and Catalyst working together to take time out of its course.END EDIT

One thing is certain. Actually this is one of the things that I will be adding to the Malta thread (!), *but* where Fool's silver touch on Malta prompted her to change physically (it was from that point on her neck that Elderling scaling began on Malta), it did not for Fitz. For all of the years that he had carried those marks on his skin, never did they develop into scaling. Curious is it not? Nor did either Verity or Kettle scale at any point despite being lathed in silver from the Skill River itself. Why?

I believe it may very well have something to do with a 'higher calling' or his being of the House of Farseer. It harks back to that stained-glass window in the Map Tower of Kelsingra's Citadel of Records. I have always interpreted the woman depicted there as having never 'changed' as the Elderlings we know of have changed...which is why I believe there is a distinction and difference in what we have come to know as an 'Elderling'...both currently in the realm and historically. Much more to add but have to think how to express it as I know that I'll have to later answer for my words.

Fool also has a higher calling than what we have come to expect. He is, for me, 'of the gods', as I have noted elsewhere.

Am looking forward to hearing more of everyone's theories for his touching of Malta and more...