How It All Goes Down
Hunted
- The people of Low Torning throw Ged a party for defeating the dragons, but he's got work elsewhere. Well, OK, he has time for a party first. But then Ged sails away.
- Ged tries to get to Roke, but it's protected by a magical wind that keeps bad things away, which is a nice kick in the pants for Ged.
- Ged gets dropped off on the island of Serd and starts getting a little paranoid – the shadow monster might have taken over any of these people around him. (OK, we'd be paranoid too, then.) So he decides to take the dragon's advice and keep on running.
- Side note: luckily, wizards don't often have to pay for a ticket – "A wizard's staff is passport and payment on most ships" (6.24).
- Ged takes a ship to Havnor, but stops over on Orrimy. (And now would be a good time to take a look at the map of Earthsea on Le Guin's website or at the front of your book).
- On Orrimy, a strange man in grey tells Ged that he should go to the Court of the Terrenon on the island of Osskil because there's an anti-shadow sword there. Ged remembers that Archmage Nemmerle's pet raven said "Terrenon" too (see 3.25) – and if a bird and a strange man say the same thing, you should listen.
- Ged isn't sure about this guy – he seems like a sorcerer, but doesn't have a staff – but it's not like he has better things to do.
- So Ged gets on a ship to Osskil. Since the captain is a magician, Ged goes as a regular rower. Unfortunately, it's not a happy ship, like the Shadow that took him to Gont was. In fact, there's one particularly un-fun and unfriendly guy here named Skiorh.
- When they arrive at Osskil, Ged's not thrilled to learn that Skiorh is going by the Court of the Terrenon and will gladly walk with Ged that way.
- After a long walk, it turns out that Skiorh is actually possessed by the shadow monster, which is a great relief – now we don't have to guess where the shadow monster is anymore. And now we know why he's just so un-fun.
- Unfortunately, the shadow monster calls Ged by his true name, which means that Ged can't do magic. Instead, Ged runs away.
- Ged runs and runs. He runs up a hill (vaguely reminding us of Ged's experience in Chapter 5, when he tries to save Pechvarry's son) towards a house with an open door.
- Right before he passes out, Ged makes it through a door and into the light. (Which, if you're counting, makes four times that Ged has fallen into a coma.)