Outlander Book Club: A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 70 breakdown
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter initially starts with Brianna trying to start a fire. She thinks about matches but notes that they would have been dangerous on the road. Ian is able to start a fire without matches, and I love that we see that while Bree is capable in the past, she’s not grown up in the time period.
As he says a fire charm, the topic of Emily comes back up. Ian continues to hold back on the topic, so they end up talking about items from the future. Brianna thinks about chocolate. It’s not something Ian looks forward to because it’s so bitter, but Bree notes that sugar is added to it. She offers to make it for him when she can get her hands on the sugar and chocolate.
Finally, the topic of Emily comes up again. Ian is now ready to talk about her. Bree wants to know if Emily is dead, but she’s not. Ian shares that she ended up choosing someone else.
When Ian first joined the Mohawk, Emily was promised to another, Sun Elk. However, she chose Ian. It would be up to the women if the match was suitable, and they agreed to allow Emily and Ian to marry. Sun Elk wasn’t happy about that, but he ended up marrying Emily’s sister.
Things worked out great for Emily and Ian at first. They were very much in love, and Emily got pregnant quickly. However, that baby died young. Ian shares that he never got to hold his daughter or give her a name, but he did give her one in his own mind, Iseabaìl.
Things go from bad to worse for Emily and Ian. Emily miscarries more children. On top of that, Emily’s sister goes missing. She goes out with her child one night and doesn’t return. People go out looking for the sister, but she’s never found. That leaves Sun Elk considered a widower. When it’s expressed that Ian’s spirit is fighting against Emily’s too much, Emily has to make a choice. Having a child is too important.
Emily chooses to be with Sun Elk instead. Ian is told that he needs to leave the village.
Ian finally gets Brianna to where he was taking her. It turns out that it’s to the bones of a mammoth. Bree is surprised but impressed to see one, and Ian isn’t surprised that she knows what one is. He’s conflicted about whether she could tell him what it was, though.
There were stories that bones like this creature were gods and spirits. That’s what the Mohawk would believe, but Ian wasn’t too sure. Ian did wonder why Rollo hadn’t reacted to it, though, noting that he does see things in the woods. Bree agrees that dogs see things.
Knowing that it’s not a spirit, though, Ian wonders whether turning to the Mohawk angered his Christian God. He fears where his daughter’s soul is. Bree calls out to Frank to ask him to search for the baby’s soul and bring her to Heaven. It soothes Ian. Bree also knows that Ian didn’t do wrong by allowing his daughter to be buried in the Mohawk custom. She was half-Mohawk after all.