Jamie and Roger come across a burned down house in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 25
We get a chance to see Jamie and Roger spending some time together in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 25. The chapter brings a heartbreaking moment, but it’s also important when it comes to Roger’s character development.
This chapter sees the two come across a burned-down cabin in the woods. They head out to see what’s going on, which is when they have to make a difficult decision for the sake of someone they’ve never met.
We also see them come across a group of men. It’s clear that the group of men were somehow involved in the burning of the cabin or at least know something. They are also part of a bigger storyline. This chapter foreshadows a lot for multiple storylines coming up.
We did get a chance to see some of this chapter partly adapted. It’s very similar to a previous chapter, and I did think the previous chapter was the one used for the TV series. It could be that both of the chapters were combined to create the Outlander Season 5 storyline.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 25.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Jamie and Roger heading off to see one of the local Native American tribes. They’re trying to form a bond, and part of that involves taking Gideon. The Cherokee would like to use Gideon for breeding their mares. It makes sense considering the stud that Gideon is, and it’s great to see that part of Jamie’s past come back into the story.
While on route, Jamie and Roger smell burning. They find a cabin that has been burned down and the parents are dead. They find a child who is still alive. Roger understandably wants to get the girl to Claire, but this isn’t an option. It’s clear from the way the fire has burned her skin that the girl isn’t going to survive getting to Claire. It’s going to take a day to get back.
Roger and Jamie can only do one thing. They need to help this child pass as peacefully and as mercifully as possible. Roger helps to do that, and we see him step up in the way of a pastor. We get this chance to see him take on this spiritual side to him.
Richard Brown and some men turn up. It looks like they had something to do with the burning, but they’re trying to pin the blame on Jamie and Roger. When Richard Brown leaves, Jamie points out that while it wasn’t them, they do know something about it.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
There is a fair bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. The first is Roger’s development. He’s becoming much more spiritual. While he wanted to get the child to Claire, he knew that there was only one thing that he could do. He made sure her soul passed on while she passed as peacefully as possible.
We know that he finds his place in the past as a minister. This is the start of that storyline really developing now.
Then there’s the foreshadowing of the Browns’ involvement with the burning houses. Jamie makes a note that Richard Brown knows more than he’s letting on. That’s because, as we find out in later chapters, the Browns have offered a safe haven for those who are involved. Of course, Richard will want to make sure Jamie doesn’t find that out.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter was partly used for the series. In Outlander Season 5, we did see Jamie, Roger, Claire, and Brianna come across a burning house. Jamie and Roger helped a young girl die as peacefully as possible when he couldn’t be healed. There is an earlier chapter that has something similar, and I do think that both of these chapters were combined to bring this TV series storyline.
The part of the storyline that we didn’t get was Richard Brown showing up. Some of this storyline has been shown and it looks like it could be over. However, I am starting to wonder if this is going to be used in some way to show the tension between Jamie and Richard. Jamie has dropped off Lionel’s body to the Browns, and it’s clear that Richard will remain a problem for the Frasers.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 25? Let us know in the comments below.
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