Today is the day that the Duke of Devon performs a sacrifice upon the bank of the River Dart. A lamb is sacrificed and an effigy of straw is thrown into the river, amidst great weeping and mourning.
Then a letter is sent to some Unwary paper, mourning the death of an imaginary local, and Dartmoor is free from the quixotic wrath of the river nymph for one more year.
Performing this task is not so hard on Rachel’s father, Ambrose Griffin, the Eleventh Duke, but it was an enormous burden for the Eighth Duke, Dinadan Griffin.
Uther Griffin the Seventh Duke was the one who set up the deal with River Dart. His first wife, Margaret, drowned in the river when his eldest son was nine. Uther, one of the greatest sorcerers of the Griffin line, tamed the river and forced her into this agreement where she was free to run as she wished only until the Vernal Equinox, at which time, he promised to perform a ritual and the sacrifice of a lamb, in return for which she was bound to not kill deliberately until New Year.
Only when he did this, Uther did not take into account that once he was gone, it would be his son—the very same one who nearly died at the age of nine trying to save his mother from the river—who would have to perform this sacrifice to Dart.
Dinadan Griffin, the Eighth Duke, was a brilliant and outgoing man, who both commanded any company around him and kept them entertained. But the yearly sacrifice to Dart was one of the hardest things he had to do.
At quite a young age, his son and heir, Emrys Griffin, took over performing this function. Emrys was bright and sharp and good at everything to which he set his hand. He was also the father of Rachel’s beloved grandfather, Blaise Griffin, the Tenth Duke, (Emrys being the Ninth.)
I was surprised how flexible and open-minded Rachel’s mother was to her critique in this chapter. I liked her explanation on ritual vs real magic!
Rachel's mother is super sweet. She doesn't get upset about anything...except the Master of the World and Vlan wanting to marry Sandra. lol
This was one of my favorite scenes in the whole series.