Chapter 39

Summary

• The chapter is from the point of view of a character named Evar, who has read about cities but never seen one until now.
• Evar enters the city, marvelling at its lights, architecture, and people. He is especially fascinated to see flames, which he had previously only seen from afar in campfires on the mountain.
• He wonders if the city is in his past or could possibly be in the future of another character, Livira. Evar ponders whether the city has risen from destruction or lies in ruins.
• Evar is taken aback by the variety of clothes people in the city wear. To him, they appear like a colorful variety of birds in a jungle, signalling their importance or desirability through their garments.
• Although he tries to avoid collisions with people (to keep from experiencing their thoughts), Evar is overwhelmed by the unique scents and diversity of the city.
• Evar feels a sense of equality among strangers. He becomes immersed in the narratives of people's lives, feeling connected to the city like an interlinked organism, growing roots in the ground.
• When he reaches the city wall, Evar sees soldiers preparing for an attack. The wall and the steps somehow hold his weight, which is strange to him given that he has been able to walk through walls in the past.
• While on the wall, Evar listens to the soldiers' idle banter, but notices a unique lilt to their speech. He has never heard an accent before and finds it fascinating.
• Following the heralding of dawn, fires begin on the northern slope of the city. Soldiers perceive these as signs of an attack, and gather in groups to mount a defense. Evar, however, suspects that this is merely a diversion.
• As the enemy advances, Evar realizes that they are not human but Sabbers, a hostile breed that instigated massive slaughters in the past. He watches them charge, intent on reaching and scaling the city walls.
• Overwhelmed, Evar apologizes and slowly walks away from the impending battle.