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Skiorh
The Lady of the Court of the Terrenon, Serret, was once a young girl who grew up in the village of Re Albi on the Isle of Gont. When Ged is young, he meets a village girl, the daughter of the Lord of Re Albi, and the girl encourages him to try his hand at increasingly dark magic. Ged, longing to impress her, tries to find the spells she wants him to cast in his mentor Ogion’s book of runes, but Ogion warns Ged that one must always be cautious of the powers a person serves. Later on in the novel, when Ged arrives at the Court of the Terrenon in Osskil, he meets the Lady Serret—she is surprised when he does not recognize her as the girl from Re Albi. Nonetheless, Serret extends great hospitality and friendship toward Ged, but ultimately it becomes clear that now Serret serves the power of the mysterious stone of Terrenon and wants for Ged to master the stone and rule the world with her. Whatever forces pull Serret, time and time again throughout her life, toward dark magic and perversion of the universe’s careful equilibrium are unknown—yet her struggle against the dark mirrors Ged’s own struggle to understand the complicated, delicate forces that hold the universe in balance.
Village Girl / Serret Quotes in A Wizard of Earthsea
The A Wizard of Earthsea quotes below are all either spoken by Village Girl / Serret or refer to Village Girl / Serret. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 7 Quotes
“It will speak of things that were, and are, and will be. It told of your coming, long before you came to this land. Will you ask a question of it now?"
“No."
"It will answer you."
"There is no question I would ask it."
"It might tell you," Serret said in her soft voice, "how you will defeat your enemy."
Ged stood mute.
"Do you fear the stone?" she asked as if unbelieving; and he answered, "Yes."
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“But I know this: the Old Powers of earth are not for men to use. They were never given into our hands, and in our hands they work only ruin. Ill means, ill end. I was not drawn here, but driven here, and the force that drove me works to my undoing. I cannot help you."
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Village Girl / Serret Character Timeline in A Wizard of Earthsea
The timeline below shows where the character Village Girl / Serret appears in A Wizard of Earthsea. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...the Runebook all winter. One day, while foraging in the woods, Ged comes across a village girl whom he knows to be the daughter of the Lord of Re Albi. The girl,...
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The girl asks Ged if he can summon the spirits of the dead. Ged, longing to impress...
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...would be to imperil not just his power, but his life. Ogion reminds Ged that the girl he has been meeting in the woods is the daughter of an enchantress—the girl herself...
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Chapter 7
...who is the keeper of the precious stone called Terrenon. The woman introduces herself as Serret. She promises Ged that he is safe in their castle—the mighty stone walls will protect...
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...yet again. He keeps mostly to himself, but occasionally takes walks through the halls with Serret. Soon a friendship grows between them and they talk more and more each day.
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One afternoon, Ged asks Serret about the precious stone of Terrenon. Serret offers to show it to him. She leads...
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Serret tells Ged that the stone was made at the beginning of time itself—its infinite power...
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Ged does not sleep well that night. The next morning, he apologizes to Serret for offending her. Serret explains that there is nothing to be afraid of—she believes that...
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...says the only way he can defeat the shadow is to learn its true name. Serret says the stone can reveal that name. Though Serret quietly encourages Ged to give in...
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As Benderesk enters the hall, he reprimands Serret for being unable to bend Ged to their will—and the will of the stone. He...
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Outside, Ged leads Serret through the charmed gate, which is invisible to her, and out onto the moors. Ged...
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Serret urges Ged to change himself quickly—the Servants of the Stone are creeping forward from the...
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