A Singing Magic

[bunn]

Words : 7974
Taking off point: Rosemary Sutcliff's The Lantern Bearers
Written for sutcliff_swap 2012

Flavia, brought up in the last lingering light of Roman Britain, was carried off from her burning home by a 'laughing giant' of a Saxon, in a raid during which her father and friends were brutally killed. Three years later, her brother found her again - married,

Comments

[ningloreth]

I think you solved your problems admirably. I liked the way you wove your explorations of the Roman & Christian attitudes to rape, and of Flavia's own fears, into the story. But giving Flavia such mental strength, and making Garmund an honourable man made the situation more complicated and the relationship more subtle (as I'm sure it must often have been in real life), and made sense of Flavia's later actions -- though I loved the unexpected little aside about Garmund's being pleasing to the eye!

The ending came as a shock, when we saw the contrast between Flavia's status and Aquila's, and we realised that Flavia had won her position by her own efforts, and that her flexibility was strength.

And I loved, of course, the role played by the hound (your trademark)!

[bunn]

Sutcliff put the hound in - I just wondered how he got there!

Glad you thought it worked. SO many puzzles to solve!