Maybe my tastes in fantasy are just more old school. A penchant for classic sword and sorcery stuff that can seem a little cheesy or dated when looked back on from today. As far as I can figure, that's one of the major reasons I've enjoyed all of Ren's chapters. There's never much sorcery (yet), but there are plenty of swords. And Kay really has a way with scenes involving characters being discovered in their hiding places.
Completely in line with his character, the voice of the narrator never gets frantic during this scene, though. Even the pieces of fight choreography are delivered in clean, measured prose. There's nothing in the writing itself to suggest a loud Hollywood-style action sequence as Ren escapes from the barn he'd planned to spend the night in, and instead we're shown someone who very efficiently assesses the situation and reacts accordingly.
Ultimately, the sense that this leaves is that Ren is a chosen person in so far as he believes that he is. This belief fuels his drive. This drive pushes him toward his goals, however lofty. Maybe, as with the matter of storytellers' practices, this chapter is a window onto the reality of Ren Daiyan, since at one point Ren notes that: "The world liked its stories" (294).
Could the storyteller be indulging that desire for stories? Is this story being told as it happens, or is it being reported after the fact by a storyteller who's spinning out a yarn about a young soldier who always strived towards the single goal of restoring his nation's old power?
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