Roger goes out to find Germain, Jemmy, and others in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 68
With everything that happened while Claire was ill, it’s clear that Fergus needs a fresh start away from the Ridge. That all starts in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 68.
Not everyone is happy about Fergus and Marsali leaving. It’s the children who are the most upset, and they decide to look for a way to remain at the Ridge. Why can’t they live in a cave?
I love that it’s a cave. Fergus’s son decides that he wants to live the way Jamie once did. And young Germain is even willing to make sure his baby brother is fed and protected. There are some hilarious ideas on how to keep the baby safe.
It’s Roger who ends up encouraging the boys to leave the cave. He’s the one who manages to get the boys back on the road.
This chapter wasn’t used in the series, and I’m not surprised by that. I’ll get to my thoughts on the missing section in the adaptation section.
There is also a tiny bit of foreshadowing in the chapter. This is important for the coming problems in the Revolutionary War.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 68.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with Jamie and Claire. Jamie shares a dream that he had. He shares that Claire was in her own time surrounded by electrical light. It’s clear that this wasn’t just a dream. Jamie has the ability to go through time but only in his dreams. He can’t permanently go to the future.
After that, we learn that Major MacDonald had managed to secure a printer shop for Fergus in New Bern. This will allow Fergus to make a living and support his family, giving him a sense of purpose again.
When everyone is leaving, Marsali shares that she left Henri-Christian with Aidan for a minute and now they’ve gone missing. Roger and Young Ian head out looking for the boys when they also realize that Germain and Jemmy are missing. Roger has an idea as to where they’ve gone.
The children are in a cave. They want to live there, and they will hunt rabbits to survive. Roger questions Henri-Christian, who is likely to fall down the steep side of the cave and die. Germain says they can tie Henri-Christian up when they go out for food and water. These boys clearly have everything planned out.
In the end, Roger makes it clear that Germain and Henri-Christian need to leave with their parents. It’s not fun, but it’s the way of the world.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The foreshadowing in the chapter is in the conversations about the print shop and Fergus working there. Jamie notes that Fergus needs to stay out of trouble. He can’t be too treasonous that he’ll hang, but he needs to be somewhat treasonous to prevent tarring and feathering. It’s a difficult line to follow.
We know that Fergus does face trouble. This isn’t all his fault. It’s the time period. There are so many issues with the Revolutionary War, and that leads to Fergus and Marsali having to move a few times until they eventually settle in Wilmington. This chapter makes it clear that trouble is still coming.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter wasn’t used all that much when it came to the TV series, and that’s not surprising. It is a shame that we couldn’t see Roger and Young Ian with the boys, but there just wasn’t the time for something like this.
The focus had to be on how Fergus gets his print shop. This storyline changed from the book. It wasn’t Major MacDonald who helped Jamie find a print shop. Fergus mentioned it to Jocasta and she was the one that helped. Fergus and Marsali still move to New Bern.
I know there were some disappointed fans when it came to this change. To be honest, it’s so inconsequential that it doesn’t really bother me.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 68? Let us know in the comments below.
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