William comes across Young Ian and Rollo in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 37
William tries to survive in the wilderness, but it isn’t all that easy. In fact, he seems to be close to death in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 37.
The chapter is titled “Purgatory,” and there’s a reason for that. Throughout the chapter, William is in his own purgatory. He’s dehydrated and suffering from a fever, and it’s clear that if he doesn’t find help soon, he could end up being in a lot of trouble.
At first, he’s found but not by someone who wants to help. By the end of the chapter, he runs into someone who will get him to safety. In fact, it’s someone he has met in the past. We get to see Young Ian come across William.
There is certainly some foreshadowing in this chapter. There’s a bit with a snake, and I’ll get to that in the foreshadowing section.
I do want to see this chapter adapted on the series. I think it will be too, and I’ll get to my thoughts on that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 37.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with William trying to survive. He’s still lost in the swamp, and he’s suffering to tell the difference between truth and reality. This is his purgatory, and I love that he thinks about it as purgatory when this is a Catholic thing. He’s been raised Protestant, so you would think that he wouldn’t consider it all that much. Jamie did have a role in this in the past.
The past is about to come back, too. While out in the wilderness, a snake attacks. William manages to get rid of it, but then some Indians turn up. They’re the ones who want to kidnap and sell William, and fortunately, the snake coming back puts a small stop to that. William is able to get away, but then he runs into a wolf and an Indian.
That’s okay! Young Ian and Rollo are the two he runs into, and we see this great reunion as Ian realizes who he has come across. It’s all just in time, too. The Indians catch up to William as he runs off. Ian is able to get the Indians away, and now we get a real reunion.
William doesn’t immediately recognize Young Ian, but Ian definitely recognizes him. There’s this reminder of Drums of Autumn when William fell into the privy and of the man at Fraser’s Ridge, but it’s going to be some time before William gets to meet Jamie.
Ian has turned up just in time. He’s able to treat William’s wounds, removing the splinter from the previous chapter to help the body heal. There is also some great conversation between the two of them as they talk about William screaming and his stubbornness. There is also a comment about William’s beard, which is red. It turns out that while most of his hair is chestnut, his beard and private areas are red. We all know what that means. I can’t remember if Ian knows the truth at this point, but I think he is figuring it out if he doesn’t.
William immediately trusts Ian during this chapter. He knows Ian has a connection to Mac, the groom from his past, and he’s already met Ian before. I love that we see that there is a chance he doesn’t have to be lonely if he doesn’t want to be.
There’s also a chance for William to ask Ian questions about the Mohawk and Sir Henry Washington. We get more details of William’s tasks and the lies he’s been told so far. There’s more of this to come.
In the end, they come across an Indian called Glutton. This is a friend, and William is told to choose his spirit animal. I’m not sure why he’s told to choose it when this hasn’t been the case in the past. He ends up choosing a bear, though.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
This chapter is full of foreshadowing. Now that Ian has come across William, it’s only a matter of time before the whole truth comes out. And there are signs that William will learn about Jamie very soon.
The snake stands out. While it initially tries to attack William, it also acts as a bit of a protector. The Indians being distracted by the snake gives William a chance to run, where he runs into Ian. Then there are comments of a red beard and his spirit animal being a bear. All these are direct connections to Jamie, and it’s only a matter of time before William learns the truth.
In fact, this chapter also foreshadows lies and secrets coming out. William learns that he’s been lied to about Henry Washington’s side in the war, but why would someone tell him that Washington is a Loyalist? He also doesn’t really know whether to trust Ian at one point as Ian seems to be lying about things. He doesn’t like lies, and it foreshadows his actions when he does get the truth about who his father really is.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I do think we’ll see this chapter in Outlander Season 7. It’s all necessary to come across the Hunters and to further William’s story as he learns about who Jamie is to him. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time and there is some drama in the mix, so I think it will make a good part of the story.
I can’t see how the writers would bring William and the Hunters together, leading to Rachel and Ian. Any other way than this doesn’t make a lot of sense and would be an unnecessary adaptation.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 37? Let us know in the comments below.
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