The Redemption of Althalus/Headscratchers

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  • I was rereading The Redemption of Althalus, and I found something that just seems wrong. Early in the book, Eliar participates in a war against Andine's city-state of Osthos. He somehow manages to get into a full-on fight with the defenders and ends up killing Andine's father, the Aryo (ruler). Of course, he and his men are captured. Althalus and Emmy get him out of Osthos. Then they go to Awes and find Bheid, before going back to Osthos because they need to pick up Andine, since they need her to defeat the Big Bad. Once they get Andine far far away from Osthos, they wake her up and she starts trying to kill Eliar. After the first attempt, Andine stops trying to kill Eliar because she realises that whatever she tries, they won't let her. What bugs me is this: Throughout the dialogue in that scene, everyone's attitude is basically: 'Andine, get over yourself and stop trying to kill Eliar. We all have to do something really important, so just stop it and get along. Your dad dying was an accident, so stop being such a bitch.' Eliar killed her dad! And no, it wasn't an accident. Nobody comforts her on the fact that her dad died and she can't avenge his death. Nobody comforts her at all. That bugs me a lot.
    • The thing is, it WAS an accident. HOW would Eliar know that the guy charging ahead was the Aryo? He probably thought he was a commander or something. And besides, to his culture it WAS 'just business'. He's a MERCENARY. Its his JOB. It just so happened that the Aryo was Eliar's enemy at the time, they even say this (i think). Plus i think the whole world being plunged into eternal tyranny trumps one girls revenge somewhat.
    • I get that, though that's not what bugs me. What bugs me is that everyone acts like she's making trouble because she's just a spoilt brat with no reason to. The fact that her father died and she got kidnapped and forced to go along with the group never comes up and nobody even tries to see it her way and help her get through it.
    • Eliar's a soldier. He didn't murder her father. He killed him in single combat, in a war. She has no right to torture him to death for that, and getting that through her head was a lot more important than helping her with her grief.
      • You're missing my point. He killed her father. The reason doesn't matter. He killed her father. She has every right to want to take revenge for that, and having her rights taken away and being forced to co-operate with a group openly favouring her father's killer is something never acknowledged in the book. I'm almost inclined to call Andine's eventual personality change a case of Stockholm Syndrome, because God knows there's not much else I can call it. And Dweia, the goddess whose job is supposedly to love things, doesn't attempt to help a teenage girl grieving for her only family member? I'm supposed to agree with this?
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