Outlander Book Club: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood Chapter 78 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with William, who is struggling with his injuries from the fight in the previous chapter we saw him in. He also has to stop because his horse throws a shoe. This leads to William getting surrounded and attacked, hit over the head with a rock and thrown into a ravine.

Young Ian sees William in the ravine. He wants to help, but he is being chased by an Abenaki warrior. Ian has to climb a tree to get away, and all he can do is watch as William’s belongings are taken and Ian’s horse is stolen.

Ian needs to figure out what to do. The best thing is to get back to Jamie or one of the other generals in the Continental Army and hope that someone will be able to help William. It’s better to have William as a captured soldier than anything else.

We certainly see Ian’s heart in this. He could just look out for himself and get away, but he can’t leave his cousin for dead. It doesn’t matter if they don’t really like each other. Plus, Ian knows Jamie would never forgive him if he allowed something to happen to William.