Post 4
Duncan had been away from Glenfinnan for two years after he'd been
cast out for being demonic due to having revived for the first time.
Duncan was still completely clueless about his Immortal status and the
Game, but he had heard about Glenfinnan being attacked by Vikings and
that his father was dying. His mother insists that Duncan claim his
father's sword and proclaims him DMOTCM no matter what anyone else has
to say about it. So Duncan takes the sword to avenge his father, who
had died soon after Duncan's arrival. He intended to kill Kanwulf.
Duncan tells Joe "I knew he was inhuman. I just didn't know he was
Immortal."
Duncan felt Kanwulf's buzz, but didn't know what it was. Kanwulf sees
Duncan's sword and says that he'd killed the bearer of that sword.
Duncan claims to be his son. Kanwulf seems amused by this. He says
Duncan doesn't know what he is, or what Kanwulf is. Duncan manages to
disarm him and run him through. "Send me to Valhalla," says Kanwulf.
Duncan left him for dead and buried his axe because he figured that if
there is a Valhalla he wanted Kanwulf to be weaponless there. Duncan
then returns his father's sword because he'd been banished and still
believed that he didn't have a right to it, even if his mother thought
otherwise.
In the present, Rachel tells Duncan that the priest wants to meet him
at the church. Then she apologizes for her suspicions of Duncan.
"You were protecting your own," Duncan tells her. "And I made a fool
of myself doing it,' she answers. "Not in my eyes," Duncan responds
generously.
When Duncan approaches the church to meet with the priest, he feels a
buzz and realizes that it must be Kanwulf. He asks Kanwulf how a
Viking can become a Catholic priest. Kanwulf explains how he assumed
the priest's identity and tells Duncan that he's looking for his axe.
He'd hoped the parish burial records would give him a clue. Duncan
couldn't imagine why an axe could be so valuable. Kanwulf points out
that Duncan also had rituals--doing things that weren't strictly
rational because they mean something to him, like returning the
bracelet to the grave where he buried it. Duncan is extremely
disapproving of Kanwulf's ritual of the blood eagle. Kanwulf calls it
an offering to his Gods, and says that the offerings will continue
until he gets his axe back. "I'll kill you first," says Duncan.
Kanwulf reminds Duncan that it's holy ground. Duncan leaves in a
state of homicidal fury.
Back at the inn, Duncan updates Joe, and says he plans to fight
Kanwulf. Joe asks why Duncan can't just return the axe and walk
away. "He killed my father!" Duncan tells him leaving no doubt about
how im****tant this particular Immortal duel is to him.
Duncan re-claims his father's sword. Rachel discovers him taking it
from the wall. She recites the myth about Duncan coming back from the
dead to kill Kanwulf. She says that maybe some legends are true.
Duncan offers her no explanation.
Duncan meets Kanwulf and throws him the axe saying "It's one thing to
have an axe, and another to keep it." He creates a ring of fire
around them with the torch he carries and they fight. Duncan's sword
breaks Kanwulf's axe and Duncan takes his head.
Duncan speaks to Ian MacLeod at his grave saying that it's finally
finished. Then he returns the sword and says to Rachel that it's
over. Rachel says she knew he'd be back. She also says that the
sword belongs in Duncan's hand. Duncan insists that it belongs in
Glenfinnan. "This is its home." Rachel says that it's also Duncan's
home and kisses him. But Duncan leaves.
Joe wonders why Duncan doesn't stay Duncan says his presence raises
too many questions, so he's disappearing. Joe agrees that this is
what legends are supposed to do.
Questions For Further Study
1)Duncan tells Joe that his trip to Glenfinnan doesn't concern Joe.
What does Duncan consider the proper concerns of Watchers? Did he
believe that any Watcher activity is legitimate at that point?
2)What does Duncan believe about why his father upholds the arranged
marriage between Debra and Robert? Why does he accept his father's
decision?
3)What does Duncan believe about the Campbell clan and why it's
im****tant to unite the MacLeods and the Campbells through marriage?
4) Duncan intervenes over Robert striking Debra, but refuses to fight
him. Doesn't it occur to Duncan that if Robert hits and shoves Debra
now, before they're married, that it could get worse over time? Isn't
he worried that Robert could hurt Debra seriously or even kill her if
he marries her? Shouldn't he want to defend Debra as he later wanted
to defend Midori in "The Samurai"?
5) In "Obsession" when Jill reaches out to Duncan, and then falls to
her death, was Duncan reminded of what happened to Debra? Was this
why Duncan was so difficult for Anne to console after Jill died?
6)Duncan says that he wanted Kanwulf to be weaponless in Valhalla in
the fb. How much did Duncan know about what the Vikings believed
about Valhalla at the time? Did Duncan also know about Ragnarok? If
Duncan thought there would be a Ragnorak, would he fight by Odin's
side, or let the world be destroyed?
7)What did Duncan know about the significance of a ring of fire in
Norse myth when he established one for fighting Kanwulf? Why did
Duncan consider it appropriate?
8)Does Duncan think that his father's spirit would approve of him now
since he's avenged his death?
9)Duncan leaves his father's sword in Glenfinnan saying it belongs
there, but does Duncan still feel he has no right to that sword?
I'm leaving for HLWW8 in Vancouver tomorrow, but I'm giving HLCS
students something to chew on while I'm gone. Happy Homeland while I
go to HL:TS's original home.
The next time I'm able to post, I'll be doing a lecture on Rachel. I
know how fond Jette is of this particular character. <sarcasm alert>
Shomeret
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