***SPOILER****
Ok, yeah, I'm spoiling my own novel, but here's some explanations, and if you don't mind spoilers, you can give me feedback on whether you think these work or not
SPOILER ABOUT CAVAL: He's really supposed to be Peks' dog. But Gwyllion (not a permanent name, but what I'm considering re-naming the Dark Blade) and Mercurius know that Peks will reject his gift, and therefore Caval who he connects with the gift. So, to make sure Caval stays with him, they attached him to Birge. Birge is just beign used here, though he does get a genuine attachment to the dog.
Too bad Birge is killed before they're made knights. It's at this point Peks realizes he can continue down the path where he can't learn ANY useful skills, or he can accept that if he was using his gift, Birge would not have died. He then accepts the gift and Caval becomes his companion.
SPOILER ABOUT BIRGE: Birge's main role is to provide a foil. The novel is about growing up and what really being a man (or adult, I'm not as sure about my definitions of womanhood as I am about manhood, though I suspect they're similar). Birge never learns this. He can never accept that isbeth is a worthwhile human (this is why, though it's an interesting idea, Birge can't mature any at the swimming hole). He always has the wrong idea about what will make them adults, though those ideas change depending on his scenario. He dies a haughty, willful adolescent, though he's not a total git: after all, he takes care of Peks and he helps other people. He jsut doesn't see that as being important to being a functional adult.
SPOILER ABOUT JUDILEK: Not much of a spoiler really, as this comes out in chapter 5. Judilek is mad because he takes a cut of the tribute/tax. If the tribute is two boys... well... it's hard to take a cut out of that (at least one that has any financial value). So he's mad at Grwnd. He's nice to the boys in the village, because he wants the town to see how cruel their Laird is. (Laird is the title, Grwnd is a name). It's kind of his revenge. He really doesn't care more about Peks and Birge than any other two boys, except when showing consideration will earn him points or get back at someone else. He's not entirely heartless (we leave that to Sir Ansel, the golden boy we meet later), but he's a noble, and what does he care about two peasant boys? Esp. ones that get in his way. I need to find a way to communicate the niceness being a method of revenge, but the rest of that is pretty plain in the ensuing chapters.
I don't explain any of that as it happens, because, as I said. Peks really doesn't know crap about anything at this point. He has to have this little diplomatic maneuvering explained to him, because he has no basis for getting it.
Oh, and Isbeth didn't stay because Birge's nakedness (well, rudeness) panicked her and so she bolted. she's used to them maknig fun of her, so when Peks doesn't come right to her aid, well, she figures she's just going to be teased and/or tormented by Birge, and she leaves.
Isbeth's feelings about the events of this chapter will be revealed after Peks returns to the estate (after Birge dies). they're not terribly secret though: disappointment, frustration, a little anger, and some bitterness, all pointed at Peks, who has to overcome them since he's realized he's in love by that point.
Does that tie it all together better?
