Outlander Book Club: Written in My Own Heart’s Blood Chapter 79 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter starts with Jamie leading his and now Craddock’s men across the fields to a bridge over one of the creeks. It’s difficult as there is a ravine for water to descend. Just as he thinks about the difficulties of this, there’s a shot that fires out. Jamie’s horse is startled and slips down the ravine. Jamie is only just able to get off the horse in time so he doesn’t go over the edge with the horse.

This is when we see that Jamie feels for animal casualties. He feels sick when he hears the horse hitting the ground.

Jamie and the men are sheltering just as Ian comes staggering across. Jamie shouts an order not to shoot seeing who it is. Just as Jamie learns about William, Ian is shot in the shoulder. It’s something that Claire can patch up, but Ian later notes that someone called out his name, causing him to move. Had he not moved, the arrow would have been through his chest. Well, Jamie wasn’t the one to call out Ian’s name, meaning someone from beyond the grave did. Ian’s dad is watching out for him.

General Lee appears. He is still ordering the retreat, but Jamie wants to get to William. Jamie isn’t going to retreat unless Lee orders him directly, but before that can happen, Jamie’s men—who went after the person who shot Ian—return with a dead Abenaki warrior over Claire’s horse. Ian gives Jamie the horse just as Washington gallops to the road on Jamie’s stallion!

Washington is not happy with the situation at all. It looks like he didn’t order the retreat, and he is angry at Lee for ordering it.

Jamie isn’t waiting around for orders. He details six men to go with Ian to rescue William. After that, Washington shouts for Jamie to follow him.