Outlander Book Club: A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 43 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Jamie and Young Ian hearing Tuscarora Indians. We’re reminded they left during the measles epidemic, so it’s rare for Jamie to come across the tribe now.

Why are they here? One of the men’s wives was taken by Bird’s people—Running Fox took her. This man wants her back, even though he knows he’ll die in the process. Jamie can’t let that happen, but he understands why the man wants his wife back. So, he needs to figure out another way of dealing with it.

Jamie half-jokingly suggests that Young Ian asks for her as his wife. Bird and his people respect Young Ian and would likely oblige. Young Ian doesn’t want to go through with that and suggests they either ransom the woman or they ask Bird to adopt the two Tuscarora men.

The men don’t want to be adopted. They saw Bird’s people kill their people. They can’t be adopted into the tribe. So, it means ransom the women. However, the two Indians say that they are now Jamie’s slaves. He can decide what to do with them. Jamie doesn’t want them as slaves, refusing to have more mouths to feed.

Jamie decides there is only one thing to do. He needs to ransom the woman. He just has to hope what he has from Major MacDonald is enough to do that.