[Becks]

Heh, Nelsor, I do have a copy. My mam almost threw it out but I was lucky!! :D And here it is...just for you!! I'll put it in spoilers for any of you peoples who haven't read the Riddle, hah, I'm so kind. I wish. :D

Page 342 in uk paperback. The Riddle
second paragraph for actual dream, third for her actually thinking he's dead.

"Maerad's mother, Milana of Pellinor, stood before her in a tower of glass. Her face was marked with inconsolable grief. In her arms she clasped Hem, not as Maerad had last seen him, but as a baby. Both of them turned to face Maerad, who was outside of the tower. There was no door. Maerad was overcome by a longing to join them, to be held in her mother's arms. She beat her hands against the glass until they were bloody, but she could not break it; she beat it and beat it until she could see the bones of her hands, like broken white twigs in a mess of blood and flesh."

"After that dream, Maerad awoke. The world around her seemed to be real. Hem is dead, She thought; the dream told me. He is dead,murdered, like everyone else I have loved."

Exact quotes I believe...I had to type it slow cause my parents are asleep, and my keyboard is a bit noisy..

Ahh, now I remember... :D
Maybe it was because Dharin had just died and she was paranoid, because she thought everyone was dead...well, knew...apart from Cadvan and Hem.

[Gemini]

Page 342 in uk paperback. The Riddle
second paragraph for actual dream, third for her actually thinking he's dead.

"Maerad's mother, Milana of Pellinor, stood before her in a tower of glass. Her face was marked with inconsolable grief. In her arms she clasped Hem, not as Maerad had last seen him, but as a baby. Both of them turned to face Maerad, who was outside of the tower. There was no door. Maerad was overcome by a longing to join them, to be held in her mother's arms. She beat her hands against the glass until they were bloody, but she could not break it; she beat it and beat it until she could see the bones of her hands, like broken white twigs in a mess of blood and flesh."

"After that dream, Maerad awoke. The world around her seemed to be real. Hem is dead, She thought; the dream told me. He is dead,murdered, like everyone else I have loved."

Exact quotes I believe...I had to type it slow cause my parents are asleep, and my keyboard is a bit noisy..

Ahh, now I remember...
Maybe it was because Dharin had just died and she was paranoid, because she thought everyone was dead...well, knew...apart from Cadvan and Hem.


Maybe her thinking he was dead had something to do with events that where happening to Hem down south.

I'm not sure about the timeline but when Maerad was captured could line up with Hem entering the cur camp. While he was there he had to shield his powers from the Hulls. I think it's mentioned at some point that Maerad or Hem can feel the other faintly? And this had to do with their bard powers. So maybe Hem blocking his caused that link to be cut off leading Maerad to think he was dead.

AM i making any sense here? :D

[**franki&&]

that makes sense. but could also be around the time he was in the glandugir hills because i was very ill at that point and mearad could have been feeling that.

[Nelsor]

Good explanations guys!

It could be because she is being paranoid but I believe Gemini is on the right lines here. I believe Hem entering the cur camp and Maerad being captured buy the Jussacks were at a similar point in time. It might even be after that when Hem eneters the city of Dagra and the powerful vigilence stops 'connections' if you see what I'm getting at. To get the true answers we will probably have to ask Alison but still - they're probably right. Anyway, thanx for your help - I did jump a bit when I read that section so I thought it was worth discussing. If anyone talks to Alison soon would you ask her about it - that would be great.

Nelsor

[Hurlz]

I personally think that Gemini is just about spot on...it has to do with the cur camp.
I think when Hem enters Dagra Maerad is in the Arkan-da, so if the 'Hem dying' dream happens when she's with the Jussacks...well it doesn't exactly fit.

[christy]

I think Saliman will try to sacrifice his life to Hem when it is life and death situation, The crow will be a very powerfull bird in someway , This is my predication

[piglover4551]

Here's my predicition: They all live!!! Well, except for shrama and those guys, but they "good guys" live....ok..ok..hopeful thinking i guess!:D :D
But it's a much better thought thatn all that other stuff!:D Even though someone's most likely going to die we dont want to...but..anyways.....i'm going off to go live in denial!:D :p :D

[writer7]

I was just wondering how everyone reacted to Cadvan, Imi, and Darsor "dying" in the Riddle. I cried, which almost never happens when I read books unless dogs die. Then I went to bed, had a sad dream, and woke up depressed! the ending was SOOO happy though. i'm not sure I've ever been that happy after reading a book.

So, how did you guys react?:)

[Liana]

I didn't think that he really died because i read the bit in the appendices of the gift that said Maerad and Cadvan were supposed to have written the story. But that didn't stop me from flicking to the end of the book just to make sure :o i have a really bad habit of doing that.

[writer7]

haha I know...i was so sad when it happened that I HAD to look in the back of the book to see if he REALLY died. I saw his name, but I wasn't sure if it was just saying his name from Maerad's memory or not. It kind of ruined it for me though...I was so mad at myself after I looked! i was still REALLY happy at the end, though, because I knew for sure.