Gawain Project: The Darkest Hour, 58-60

"As the struggle between them swayed this way and that, Gorlois was among the first to be killed. His men were scattered and the besieged camp was captured. The treasure which had been deposited there was shared out in the most inequitable way, for each man seized in his greedy fist whatever good luck or his own brute strength threw in his way. Not until the outrages which followed this daring act had finally subsided did messengers come to Ygerna to announce the death of the Duke and the end of the siege."
- Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain (ca. 1136)



If you thought last week's episode wasn't cheerful, consider yourself warned: Ygraine's misery isn't over yet. I feel bad about all the things that are being heaped upon her... But on the other hand, I am pleased by how things (read: the legend and the direction I want to take it in) make sense and fit together. I may not be inventing the bones of the story, but I do make up the characters' psychology as I go along. When I started out, I was not yet sure how I was going to explain some of the plot elements in the light of my own take on the medieval material, but so far all the pieces are falling into place quite nicely.

Do let me know, though, if you feel there are things that need more explanation.

This update includes page 60, wheee! Someone at work has asked me several times now how long I think TDH is going to be in the end. That is still hard to say. I am not really thinking in terms of page count but telling the story at the pace that I think I need. If I have to take a stab at it, I'd say the story may end around page 75. But it's a guess, really. We'll see.

What went before
King Uther has left the siege of Castle Terrabil to sneak into Tintagil with the help of Merlin. While Uther has his wicked way with Ygraine, Gorlois, having noticed the King's absence, attempts a desperate break-out. Severely hindered by the curtain of mist Merlin has conjured, he runs right into his enemies' hands...

The Darkest Hour 1-3
The Darkest Hour 4-6
The Darkest Hour 7-9
The Darkest Hour 10-12
The Darkest Hour 13-15
The Darkest Hour 16-18
The Darkest Hour 19-21
The Darkest Hour 22-24
The Darkest Hour 25-27
The Darkest Hour 28-31
The Darkest Hour 32-35
The Darkest Hour 36-40
The Darkest Hour 41-44
The Darkest Hour 45-47
The Darkest Hour 48-50
The Darkest Hour 51-53
The Darkest Hour 54-57

( In which Ygraine's heart gets broken )