[Zalexis]

Hello all. Cutter has returned to his home of Darujhistan because he believes the city is in danger. So far in Toll the Hounds that danger has not been explained, or if it has I've been too caught up in other details to notice. What was revealed to Cutter in an earlier book that made him so anxious to get back to Darujhistan?
Thanks.

[Roldom]

he just had a feeling...a sense of forboding....

[HiddenOne]

He forgot to turn off the stove.

[Ceda Cicero]

He just went back to mope along familiar streets after being devastated by Apsalar. I pictured his return to Darujhistan and subsequent existential meanderings to look something like this

This post has been edited by Ciceronian: 09 December 2010 - 03:42 PM

[blanketman2.0]

i believe he feel the return of the tyrant of Darujhistan and want`s to stop him/her/it

[Ulrik]

Well...convergence of Rake, Hood, Dessembrae, Hounds of Light, Envy, Spite and Kallor is IMHO pretty dangerous Other thing is that Cutter missed it...but yeah, it fitted in his "your family and city doesnt need you anymore, you are damned assassin, so get out, find and bang non-Apsalar" revealing.

[MTS]

Zalexis, on 09 December 2010 - 01:02 PM, said:

Hello all. Cutter has returned to his home of Darujhistan because he believes the city is in danger. So far in Toll the Hounds that danger has not been explained, or if it has I've been too caught up in other details to notice. What was revealed to Cutter in an earlier book that made him so anxious to get back to Darujhistan?
Thanks.

From BH:

Quote

‘The Soldier was tall, and Cutter now saw something hanging from a knife-studded belt. An enamel mask, cracked, smudged, with a single streak of red paint along one cheek. The Daru’s eyes widened.
‘Beru fend,’ he whispered. ‘A Seguleh!’
At that the Soldier turned, then walked closer. ‘Daru, you are far from home! Tell me, do the Tyrant’s children still rule Darujhistan?’
Cutter shook his head.
‘You look crazed, mortal, what ails you?’
‘I – I’d heard, I mean – Seguleh usually say nothing – to anyone. Yet you...’
‘The fever zeal still grips my mortal kin, does it? Idiots! The Tyrant’s army still holds sway in the city, then?’
‘Who? What? Darujhistan is ruled by a council. We have no army—’
‘Brilliant insanity! No Seguleh in the city?’
‘No! Just... stories. Legends, I mean.’
'So where are my masked stick-pivoting compatriots hiding?’
‘An island, it’s said, far to the south, off the coast, beyond Morn—’
‘Morn! Now the sense of it comes to me. They are being held in readiness. Darujhistan’s council – mages one and all, yes? Undying, secretive, paranoid mages! Crouching low, lest the Tyrant returns, as one day he must! Returns, looking for his army! Hah, a council!’
‘That’s not the council, sir,’ Cutter said. ‘If you are speaking of mages, that would be the T’orrud Cabal—’
‘T’orrud! Yes, clever. Outrageous! Barukanal, Derudanith, Travalegrah, Mammoltenan? These names strike your soul, yes? I see it.’
‘Mammot was my uncle—’
‘Uncle! Hah! Absurd!’ He spun round. ‘I have seen enough! Hood! I am leaving! She’s made her position clear as ice, hasn’t she? Hood, you damned fool, you didn’t need me for this! Now I must seek out his trail all over again, damn your hoary bones!’ He swung back onto the undead horse.
Heboric called out from where he stood by the trough, ‘Soldier! May I ask – who do you hunt?’
The sharpened teeth lifted and lowered in a silent laugh. ‘Hunt? Oh yes, we all hunt, but I was closest! Piss on Hood’s bony feet! Pluck out the hairs of his nose and kick his teeth in! Drive a spear up his puckered behind and set him on a windy mountain top! Oh, I’ll find him a wife some day, lay coin on it! But first, I hunt!’
He collected the reins, pulled the horse round. The portal opened. ‘Skinner! Hear me, you damned Avowed! Cheater of death! I am coming for you! Now!’ Horse and rider plunged into the rent, vanished, and a moment later the gate disappeared as well.
The sudden silence rang like a dirge in Cutter’s head. He took a ragged breath, then shook himself.
‘Beru fend,’ he whispered again. ‘He was my uncle...’
‘I will feed the horses, lad,’ Heboric said. ‘Go out to the women. They’ve likely been hearing shouting and don’t know what’s going on. Go on, Cutter.’
Nodding, the Daru began walking. Barukanal. Mammoltenan... What had the Soldier revealed?
What ghastly secret hid in the apparition’s words? What do Baruk and the others have to do with the Tyrant? And the Seguleh? The Tyrant is returning? ‘Gods, I’ve got to get home.’
Outside the gates, Felisin and Scillara were seated on the track. Both puffing rustleaf, and although Felisin looked sickly, there was a determined, defiant look in her eyes.
‘Relax,’ Scillara said. ‘She’s not inhaling.’
‘I’m not?’ Felisin asked her. ‘How do you do that?’
‘Don’t you have any questions?’ Cutter demanded.
They looked at him. ‘About what?’ Scillara asked.
‘Didn’t you hear?’
‘Hear what?’
They didn’t hear. They weren’t meant to. But we were. Why? Had the Soldier been mistaken in his
assumptions? Sent by Hood, not to see the dead priests and priestesses of D’rek... but to speak with us.
The Tyrant shall return. This, to a son of Darujhistan. ‘Gods,’ he whispered again, ‘I’ve got to get home.’

This post has been edited by MTS: 09 December 2010 - 04:20 PM

[Ceda Cicero]

You are a bad MFer with your quote fu MTS. Have rep.

[MTS]

I aim to please.

[rhulad]

Cutter's motivation was and always will be getting into Sorry/Apsalars pants.

[Zalexis]

Thanks, MTS. That pretty much explains it. I'm not surprised that I have no recollection of this exchange. Random encounters like this are common in Erikson's books, but it's so hard to keep them in mind when their significance is not revealed until thousands of pages later.

[Aptorian]

SInce you say you haven't finished the book yet I'll spoiler this:

Spoiler

There was many weird storylines that went no where in TTH, Crokus was one of the worst. I found it utterly laughable that Crokus crossed half a world to return home and then, before the big bad rears his head he just up and left again. Really? Really? Why even include him in the book then, except for the oppertunity to re-unite the GotM cast one last time?

[Abyss]

Jenisapt Rul, on 09 December 2010 - 09:06 PM, said:

SInce you say you haven't finished the book yet I'll spoiler this:

Spoiler

There was many weird storylines that went no where in TTH, Crokus was one of the worst. I found it utterly laughable that Crokus crossed half a world to return home and then, before the big bad rears his head he just up and left again. Really? Really? Why even include him in the book then, except for the oppertunity to re-unite the GotM cast one last time?

Because

Spoiler

Cutter was acting as Cotillion's agent and was meant to be in D'n to assist in the convergence.

And he thought he needed to get home but once there he realized you can't go home again. Unless you're the Littlest Hobo but that's a different epic.

[MTS]

Jenisapt Rul, on 09 December 2010 - 09:06 PM, said:

SInce you say you haven't finished the book yet I'll spoiler this:

Spoiler

There was many weird storylines that went no where in TTH, Crokus was one of the worst. I found it utterly laughable that Crokus crossed half a world to return home and then, before the big bad rears his head he just up and left again. Really? Really? Why even include him in the book then, except for the oppurtunity to re-unite the GotM cast one last time?

Spoiler

Maybe it's been a while since you read it Apt, but Crokus's reasons for leaving were numerous and well justified, and pretty much alluded to the entire book. Like Abyss said, Crokus' reason for going there was the Second's warning about the Tyrant and Baruk and stuff, but he was manipulated by Hood and ST/Cot into being in Darujhistan for the convergence as another agent of Shadow. Anyway, since I love quoting so much, here's three reasons for his leaving:

Quote

And that was that. He’d known, yes, Cutter had known. The mine...Eldra...the history. He knows about me. He wanted to punish me. He killed Murillio to hurt me. He killed a fine...a fine and noble man. This—this must stop.
‘Sit down, Cutter.’
I mean to stop this. Now. It’s what she wants, anyway.
‘Coll is coming,’ Kruppe said. ‘And Rallick Nom—Crokus, leave this to Rallick—’
But he was already moving, eyes on the door. Irilta stood watching and some-thing in her face caught his attention. There was dark hunger in her eyes—as if she knew where he was going, as if she knew—‘Cutter,’ she said in a rasp, ‘get the bastard. Get him.’
And then he was outside. The day’s brilliance was like a slap, rocking his hand He gasped, but breathing still wasn’t easy, Pressures assailed him, and rage lose in his mind, a nightmare leviathan with gaping mouth, and its howl filled his skull.
Deafening Cutter to the world.

Quote

Much farther down the road, Cutter rides on a horse stolen from Coil’s stable. His chest is filled with ashes, his heart a cold stone buried deep.
He drew a breath, sometime earlier that day, filled with love.
And then released it, black with grief.
Both seem to be gone now, vanished within him, perhaps never to return. And yet, hovering there before his mind’s eye, he sees a woman.
Ghostly, wrapped in black, dark eyes fixed upon his own.
Not this path, my love.
He shakes his head at her words. Shakes his head.
Not my path, my love.
But he rides on.
I will give you my breath, my love. To hold. Hold it for me, as I hold yours. Turn back.
Cutter shakes his head again. ‘You left me.’
No, I gave you a choice, and the choice remains. My love, I gave you a place to come to, when you are ready. Find me. Come find me.
‘This first.’
Take my breath. But not this one, not this one.
‘Too late, Apsalar. It was always too late.’
The soul knows no greater anguish than to take a breath that begins with love and ends with grief.
But there are other anguishes, many others. They unfold as they will, and to dwell within them is to understand nothing.
Except, perhaps, this. In love, grief is a promise. As sure as Hood’s nod. There will be many gardens, but this last one to visit is so very still. Not meant for lovers. Not meant for dreamers. Meant only for a single figure, there in the dark, standing alone.

Quote

Cutter rode for a time as dusk surrendered to darkness. The horse was the first to sense a loss of will, as the rider on its back ceased all efforts at guiding its pace. The beast dropped from a canter to a trot, then a walk, and then it came to rest and stood at the edge of the road, head lowering to snag a tuft of grass.
Cutter stared down at his hands, watched as the reins slithered free. And then he began to weep. For Murillio, for a boy he had never met. But most of all, he wept for himself.
Come to me, my love. Come to me now.

Quote

Cutter knew now that he had—since her—taken into his arms two women as if they were capable of punishing him, each in turn. Only one had succeeded, and he rode towards her now, to stand before her and tell her that he had murdered her husband. Not because she had asked hint to, because, in truth, she did not have that sort of hold over him, and never would. No, Gorlas Vidikas was dead for other reasons, the specifics of which were not relevant.
She was free, he would say. To do as she pleased. But whatever that would he, he would tell her, her future would not—could never—include him.
‘See, there he is, at her side. What gall! Kills her husband and now she hangs on his arm. Oh, made for each other, those two. And may Hood find them the deepest pit, and soon.’
He could face that down, if need be. But he would not subject her to such a fate. Not even for love could he do that.
He had returned to his city; only to lose it for ever.
This journey to Challice would be his last. By dawn he would be gone. Darujhistan would not miss him.

This book is so beautifully written...

This post has been edited by MTS: 11 December 2010 - 01:44 AM

[mayhem]

Abyss, on 09 December 2010 - 11:15 PM, said:

Jenisapt Rul, on 09 December 2010 - 09:06 PM, said:

SInce you say you haven't finished the book yet I'll spoiler this:

Spoiler

There was many weird storylines that went no where in TTH, Crokus was one of the worst. I found it utterly laughable that Crokus crossed half a world to return home and then, before the big bad rears his head he just up and left again. Really? Really? Why even include him in the book then, except for the oppertunity to re-unite the GotM cast one last time?

Because

Spoiler

Cutter was acting as Cotillion's agent and was meant to be in D'n to assist in the convergence.

And he thought he needed to get home but once there he realized you can't go home again. Unless you're the Littlest Hobo but that's a different epic.

Not only that, but he also

Spoiler

brought the Second's lance with him, which the Second homed in on after being freed by Hood in order to take part in driving off the Hounds of Light.
More convergence, and prior planning from Hood.

[Kanubis]

mayhem, on 29 December 2010 - 12:58 PM, said:

Abyss, on 09 December 2010 - 11:15 PM, said:

Jenisapt Rul, on 09 December 2010 - 09:06 PM, said:

SInce you say you haven't finished the book yet I'll spoiler this:

Spoiler

There was many weird storylines that went no where in TTH, Crokus was one of the worst. I found it utterly laughable that Crokus crossed half a world to return home and then, before the big bad rears his head he just up and left again. Really? Really? Why even include him in the book then, except for the oppertunity to re-unite the GotM cast one last time?

Because

Spoiler

Cutter was acting as Cotillion's agent and was meant to be in D'n to assist in the convergence.

And he thought he needed to get home but once there he realized you can't go home again. Unless you're the Littlest Hobo but that's a different epic.

Not only that, but he also

Spoiler

brought the Second's lance with him, which the Second homed in on after being freed by Hood in order to take part in driving off the Hounds of Light.
More convergence, and prior planning from Hood.

But most importantly

Spoiler

He finally got to shag the bird he used to fancy.

Spoiler

And if I really have to give a serious answer, he possibly felt a bit redundant after Karsa fucked up a bunch of hounds right in front of him, then looked all "Bring it on!" at the news of upcoming confrontations with gods and stuff.