Two Winds

The Broken Sword, VIII.

When Valgard sees the witch not as a beautiful woman but as the hag that she really is, he burns her hovel. Then:

"...there were only the leaping flames and the piping wind and the snow hissing as it blew into the fire." (p. 55)

The wind, with its appropriate sound effects, punctuates the main action scenes and plot turning points.

When Valgard announces that his fleet will raid Finnmark, one of his captains suggests instead:

"'...England, Scotland, Ireland, Orkney, or Valland south of the channel...'" (p. 56)

- but Valgard's axe settles the matter.

(Hugh Valland is a character in an sf novel by Poul Anderson.)

For a winter voyage to Finnmark, Valgard can:

"'...snuff a good wind coming.'" (p. 57)

But first he will plunder Orm's garth where he had grown up as Orm's son. The changeling's:

"'...league with the lands of darkness...'" (p. 55)

- seems to be complete.

Every chapter advances the action.