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Control work III-I
Mary H. Herbert. Dark Horse
II. 20 sentences: 1. “I think, I’m finished,” Gabria said. “But I do wish I had some rope.” 2. She stiffly climbed to her feet. Immediately, she wished she had not. 3. The girl flinched at the name he used and wondered if she would ever grow used to the pain that clung to it. 4. “He would kill me if he ever found my secret.” 5. He looked as if his mind were still grappling with the meaning of the Geldring’s news. 6. “If only he would forget his suspicions!” 7. Gabria stiffened as if he had struck her. 8. Perhaps, if she convinced the council that Medb was responsible for the heinous crime, they would discipline him. 9. The mysterious girl’s influence was still quite strong if she were the only reason for Piers not telling Savaric of Gabria’s disguise. 10. “If I had been pretty, I would be lying in a cold grave now instead of keeping warm with light work,” she said mildly. 11. He wished he had not done that, for the moon stole the colours from her face and transformed her into a pale ghost. 12. He wanted to touch her cheek to see if it was soft. 13. He decided that she would probably never make any man a good wife – if she lived long enough for any man to offer. 14. Even if the council refused her challenge to Medb, the Wylfling lord would mark her for death. 15. If she fought him, the end would be the same, for Gabria had no chance to kill Medb in a fair duel. 16. If the girl chose to revenge the murder of her clan, then so be it. 17. She also didn’t know if Cor was serious about taking her to the Wylfling emissary, but she would take no chances 18. Medb is going to move fast, so if you’re going to pull the rug out from under him, you had better start soon. 19. If I lose, I doubt I will live long enough to regret my debt. 20. If you try to force Medb to reveal his sorcery, he will kill you.
III. The plot of the book and the main problems This fairy tale took place in a fantastic world inhabited by courageous people and noble magical creatures – Hunnuli – horses, who could understand human speech. The main character of this book is Gabria, a girl of seventeen, the daughter of Dathlar, the chieftain of Corin clan. One day lord Medb, chieftain of another clan, attacked the Corin clan and killed all clan’s people. In that massacre, all of Gabria’s family were killed. And Gabria vowed vengeance. Gabria made of her similarity to her brother Gabran – they were twins – and disguised herself as Gabran. She decided to go into another clan to beg for help in her revenge. If she wasn’t so resolute, she wouldn’t dare to change her clothes for brother’s clothes. To pretend to be a boy was a very serious crime against the clan’s law. Her way to the valley where the Khulinin clan lived was very hard and long. On her way to the valley, Gabria saved the Hunnuli, Nara by name, from awful death in a quagmire. Nobody could tame Hunnuli – they always chose their master independently. And Nara chose Gabria as a master. When Gabria reached the Khulinin clan, she assumed her brother’s name. Lord Savaric, the chieftain of the clan, believed her story and allowed her to join the werod as a warrior. The Hunnuli played a great role in Gabria’s acknowledge because the master of any Hunnuli was a very respected man. Moreover, the Hunnuli never served a woman. But Savaric’s son, Athlon by name, had some suspicions about Gabria. He thought that she was a spy of a hostile clan. Piers, the physician of the clan, became Gabria’s friend. Soon he discovered that Gabria was a woman, but he kept her secret. He knew about her noble goal and comprehended that Gabria could take her revenge for her family and prevent lord Medb’s conquest of other clans only if she would pretend to be a man. Only man could use a weapon, a woman couldn’t have any weapon according to the clan’s traditions and laws. Gabria had some fighting skills because her brothers had taught her. If she had had no such skills, she couldn’t prove that she was a boy.
Gabria had some magical abilities, but those abilities were out of her control; she couldn’t use them wittingly. So, she needed training. Gabria didn’t believe in her magical abilities for a long time, she was afraid of them; she was afraid of magic at all. Athlone didn’t know her secret for a long time, but one day he discovered that Gabria was a woman. He was amazed, because if she was a woman, she couldn’t hold a sword, but she could. Gabria was afraid that he would disclose her secret and unwittingly attacked him with her magic force. But Athlone survived and kept her secret. If he hadn’t respected her strength of mind, he would disclose her and demand a heavy punishment for her. He decided to help her in her noble aspiration for revenging. Every year the clans gathered for the Council to discuss important questions about peace and war, about justice and clan’s borders. At the Council Gabria accused lord Medb of the Corin clan’s massacre. Lord Medb denied her accusation, but under pressure of the proofs, he was forced to admit his guilt. Lord Medb had abilities in magic, ancient, dangerous magic. He wanted to subdue all the clans and became the greatest ruler. He used magic and military force to conquer or destroy clans. Lord Medb swore that there was nothing to stop him. Gabria decided to learn ancient magic to ruin his awful plans. She found an old sorceress who lived in the very heart of the dangerous marsh. If she had no strength of mind, she had never gone to that dreadful place. But Gabria learned magic and defeated Lord Medb decisively. According to the clan’s law Gabria had to be punished for her neglect of the clan’s traditions and using forbidden magic. But the Council appreciated her merits and saved her life. Soon Gabria and Athlone married.
IV Character sketches of the heroes a) The hero: The main character of this book is Gabria, a girl of seventeen, the daughter of Dathlar, the chieftain of Corin clan. In this tale, we see Gabria as a young woman-warrior, who goes against her clan’s tradition and law for achievement of a noble goal – to exact revenge upon the chieftain, lord Medb who ordered her family slain. Gabria has enough courage to assume her brother’s identity and to go into another clan to beg for help in her revenge, though she may be unmasked and punished for her defiance of the clan’s tradition. In the clans, a woman was expected to keep her place in the tent. She was protected by the men in her family or her husband’s family. It was strongly prohibited for woman to use a weapon. No woman was allowed into the werod, the council, or any of the important ranks of the clan. As the daughter of Dathlar, the chieftain of the clan, Gabria had some different education. Her family had given her more freedom and responsibility than many clanswomen had, and that’s why Gabria was able to show Athlone that she could hold a sword. No woman should know the fighting skills Gabria used, so she had a chance to pretend to be a boy for as long as necessary. If she couldn’t use any weapon she would have had no chance to be accepted as a werod’s member. Gabria had some magical abilities but her abilities were out of her control. She needed training and she could find it only in the heart of the dangerous Goldrine Marshes where the oldest sorceress lived. Everything Gabria had learned in her life had taught her to reject magic in any form and she hadn’t acknowledged her magical abilities for a long time. But her abilities were necessary for Medb’s defeating. So Gabria went to the Woman of the Marsh. And notwithstanding her fear of magic, Gabria learned sorcery, all in the hope of thwarting Medb’s evil plans of conquest. If Gabria had no a bold spirit, no firmness of purpose, she would never defeat lord Medb and take revenge for her clan. She was a wonderful woman and her victory over Evil was fated.
b) The secondary hero: The secondary character of this book is Athlone, the son of lord Savaric, the chieftain of Khulinin clan. The author describes him as a tall man of heavy build. Athlone was a wer-tain of the clan; he had the werod under his command. And Gabria was under his direct command too. Moreover, he became her mentor. At first Athlone had a vague suspicion that Gabria was no Corin. He thought that anyone could tell an interesting story about the massacre and anyone could pretend to be a victim. But he was mistaken. Gabria was Corin, but she was no man, she was a woman. When Athlone discovered that fact, he was amazed, because no woman he knew could hold a sword and a bow, and no woman he knew had known the fighting skills Gabria used. If Athlone had no respect and sympathy for Gabria, he could disclose her forced fraud and Gabria would be punished for her neglect of the clan’s tradition and law. But he kept her secret. Moreover, he helped her to make a resolve about learning magic. At first, the relations between Athlone and Gabria were strained, but with time, they turned into love. Athlone was ready to give up his own life for the sake of Gabria’s victory. After all, Athlone saved Gabria’s life and delivered her from inevitable punishment for her fraud. If he weren’t courageous and rightful, he would allow the council of the clans to punish Gabria, because it corresponded to the clan’s law. But he was, and Gabria escaped a heavy punishment
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