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I'm surprised there isn't already a topic for this. I only just finished the book (sorry, I know March is nearly over), and it kept bothering me that Delvin just went along and tried to help Jarla for the rest of the book. I understand why he needed to go along with her at first, to get out of the cellar and away from the people who arrested him and held him captive, but I don't get why he didn't just run away the next morning. Or the next one.

In the end he ended up being the only reason they could have saved Hengel, but I just wondered if any of you would actually be willing to help someone who just essentially "kidnapped" you (I know he was stuck already beforehand) if it turned out they were on a mission to save a country. I probably wouldn't, but then again I've never had a desire to go off saving the world.

This is such a great question!

I think in the real world, I'd definitely be trying to run away at the first opportunity. I'd be tagging along with Grimboldt, or sneaking out the back door of an inn. That being said, I am not the adventurous type.

I think Delvin just kind of goes with the flow. He has the opportunity to practice magic, and that is good enough for him. Also, I think the fact that Jarla is royalty, and one of the leaders of his country, plays a huge roll in his compliance with her mission. I doubt he would be as subservient to someone with equal social status.

I am wondering why Maegar continues to stay. She barely tries to escape. Even after all is said and done, she is still hanging around. I'd be interested to learn more about her motivations!

I think Delvin is simply a great chap and adventurous too. And there would've been no story for us to enjoy had he chickened out of the Jarla's mission . As for myself, it depends - if the country my kidnapper is rescuing is the one I like, I might as well join in the rescue effort with my kidnapper - always welcome a good adventure .

This is a terrific question. My answer depends on the people involved and the situation at hand. I would try to escape if my kidnapper were evil and intended to harm my country and any innocent people in it. But due to Jarla's status and the fact that she was trying to save the country, I would most likely become a member of her team and help in any way I could. So I would have followed in Delvin's steps.

I haven't been kidnapped before. But thinking about it in the context of what transpired between Delvin and Princess Jarla, I will say that I have to be convinced of my safety before I help my kidnapper. Well, it all depends on the prevailing circumstances.

Cheryl Erickson wrote: ↑31 Mar 2023, 08:42 This is a terrific question. My answer depends on the people involved and the situation at hand. I would try to escape if my kidnapper were evil and intended to harm my country and any innocent people in it. But due to Jarla's status and the fact that she was trying to save the country, I would most likely become a member of her team and help in any way I could. So I would have followed in Delvin's steps.

I agree with you. I want to believe that Princess Jarla's status was pivotal in getting Delvin to help her. But then, the understanding of the mission was critical.

Laura Ismajli wrote: ↑30 Mar 2023, 14:35 This is such a great question!

I think in the real world, I'd definitely be trying to run away at the first opportunity. I'd be tagging along with Grimboldt, or sneaking out the back door of an inn. That being said, I am not the adventurous type.

I think Delvin just kind of goes with the flow. He has the opportunity to practice magic, and that is good enough for him. Also, I think the fact that Jarla is royalty, and one of the leaders of his country, plays a huge roll in his compliance with her mission. I doubt he would be as subservient to someone with equal social status.

I am wondering why Maegar continues to stay. She barely tries to escape. Even after all is said and done, she is still hanging around. I'd be interested to learn more about her motivations!

Hmmm...

Running away may not be an option when you don't even know what the repercussions are if or when you're caught. It all comes down to the prevailing circumstances, though.

I don't think I could. It would make me far too uncomfortable and I like to think I'd run away the first chance I got! However, we obviously will never know for sure unless we are in the situation, which hopefully will never happen!

I didn't think there was much of a big deal to it. It was plainly about follow your gut. Delvin's gut most likely told him it would be for a good cause or it would bring out something positive to tag along.

It depends on the situation. In the case of Delvin, that is probably a wise decision since it involves saving the country, but if it were me, I would probably be thinking of a way to run for my life.

I love your question and was surprised, although I shouldn't have been, that Jarla dropped Delvin at the end of the story as if he wasn't the reason for her mission's success.

I feel like each person would respond differently based on their character. Delvin was a good person who didn't want to hurt others or see them hurt. For this reason he stayed until the black magician reappeared, enticing Delvin to stop the murderer of his friend and mentor Magician Borlock, from hurting anyone else.

Personally, I would help my kidnappers if they were on a mission with an underlying objective of good. I would feel guilty for not helping, even though I know I shouldn't. It's just an unfortunate quality of my character

I don't think that I could, but it is a complicated question. I think I would do what seems to offer me the best chances of survival, at the end, that is what we are all trying to do.

Cheryl Erickson wrote: ↑31 Mar 2023, 08:42 This is a terrific question. My answer depends on the people involved and the situation at hand. I would try to escape if my kidnapper were evil and intended to harm my country and any innocent people in it. But due to Jarla's status and the fact that she was trying to save the country, I would most likely become a member of her team and help in any way I could. So I would have followed in Delvin's steps.

I think you are right, Cheryl, about both the question and the answer. This didn’t occur to me when reading as it was just needed for the rest of the story. I think in real life there are people that would support because they would stand up and do things for their country, and there are always the people who don’t want to put their head above the parapet for any reason whatsoever and would never assist. I’m not sure I could even guess what I would do in that situation. I would hope to be the former, but fear I may be the latter.

I think my answer will be dependent on the mission of the kidnapper. On a surface level, my immediate response is no, I won't help the kidnapper. But if it is for a cause I support and personally interested in, I will help.

Kendal Low wrote: ↑03 Apr 2023, 01:50 I don't think I could. It would make me far too uncomfortable and I like to think I'd run away the first chance I got! However, we obviously will never know for sure unless we are in the situation, which hopefully will never happen!

The same goes for me! I don't think I'd ever stop getting suspicious of the kidnapper's intentions. I'd have a lot of trust issues.