Chapter 73: Agatha and the Lost Goats
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Agatha and Niamh try to round up the scattered goats in the hills behind Watford, but the animals are agitated and resist herding. Following a hunch, Agatha leads them into the Wavering Wood, a place she associates with past tension and a moment with Baz. Inside the Wood, they meet a desperate dryad who accuses mages of neglect and eventually guides them to a clearing marked by a grave (Ebeneza Petty’s). There, a pregnant doe lies in prolonged labour. Agatha attempts to deliver the kid, following Niamh’s instructions, but the newborn is stillborn. The chapter closes with Agatha’s grief and the dryad’s silent judgment.
Key Events
- Agatha and Niamh fail to herd the goats; Agatha decides to search the Wavering Wood instead.
- Inside the Wood, Agatha recalls her past feelings for both Baz and Simon, and her discomfort with being the center of attention as Simon’s expected partner.
- A dryac with fading form and torn clothing appears, calling Agatha “Sister golden hair” and speaking cryptically about the goats and Agatha’s “friends.”
- The dryad leads them deeper into the Wood after Agatha pleads for help, eventually arriving at a grave marker for Ebeneza Petty.
- The doe is found in distress, wings fluttering, and in advanced labor.
- Niamh coaches Agatha through a manual delivery; Agatha pulls out the kid, but it does not survive despite Niamh’s spell.
- The chapter ends with the kid dead, the mother crying, and the dryad watching silently.
Character Development
- Agatha Wellbelove: This chapter deepens Agatha’s self-awareness and strength. She acknowledges her past role as the passive “dead badger” between Simon and Baz, and she resents being judged for her beauty. Yet she shows determination and compassion, pleading with the dryad and physically assisting the doe. Her grief over the stillborn kid reveals a tender, vulnerable side.
- Niamh: Initially prickly and dismissive of Agatha’s instincts, Niamh proves herself competent and supportive during the crisis. She provides medical guidance and magical aid, showing a professional calm. Her earlier remarks about Agatha’s appearance suggest lingering jealousy or frustration.
- The Dryad: Once a vibrant figure, the dryad is now ragged and bitter. She embodies the neglected magic of the Wood and blames mages for failing to protect the natural world. Her cryptic dialogue and final silence reinforce themes of loss and abandonment.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Evidenced Here
- Loss and grief: The stillbirth of the kid symbolizes failed efforts and the hollowness of good intentions. Agatha’s inability to save it echoes earlier losses in the series.
- Nurture vs. neglect: The dryad’s accusations—that mages are “takers” who protect nothing—contrast with Agatha’s instinct to help the doe. The chapter questions who deserves care and whether intervention always succeeds.
- Identity and self-worth: Agatha’s internal conflict about being the “future Mrs. Simon Snow” and her recollection of feeling like a mere obstacle between two boys shows her struggle to define herself apart from others’ expectations.
- Nature and magic: The Wavering Wood is depicted as a place of wild, dark magic. The dryad’s decay and the doe’s struggle suggest that magic itself is warped or suffering.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 73 is a turning point for Agatha’s narrative arc. She steps into a role of active compassion rather than passive observation, yet the outcome is tragic—the kid dies despite her efforts. This failure deepens the emotional weight of the story and foreshadows larger losses to come. Agatha’s reflections also close a chapter on her romantic history with Simon and Baz, allowing her to move forward as her own person. The encounter with the dryad reinforces the theme of abandonment that runs through the latter part of the book, tying the fate of magical creatures to the failures of the mage establishment.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Agatha choose to enter the Wavering Wood, and what does her hesitation reveal about her character?
Agatha follows a “feeling” that the doe is in the Wood, overriding Niamh’s skepticism. Her hesitation at the threshold shows she still carries unresolved emotions from the time she saw Baz drinking a deer there. That memory links the Wood to forbidden excitement and her confused feelings for both Baz and Simon. By entering anyway, Agatha demonstrates courage and a willingness to confront her past.
2. How does the dryad’s dialogue cast judgment on mages, and how does Agatha respond?
The dryad accuses mages of being “treacherous, traitorous, takers” who have never protected anything good. She calls the goats “lost” because they have “no keeper.” Agatha does not defend magicians; she admits, “We’re terrible. Even the best of us are the worst.” This honest acknowledgment earns the dryad’s reluctant cooperation. Agatha’s self-critical humility is key to gaining trust.
3. What is the significance of the grave marker (Ebeneza Petty) being the location of the doe’s struggle?
Ebeneza Petty’s epitaph—“She lived for Watford and died defending it”—contrasts sharply with the dying kid and the fragile doe. The grave represents a past sacrifice that may have been in vain, as the current Watford seems unable to protect its creatures. Placing the birth scene on a grave underscores the cycle of life and death and suggests that the legacy of Watford is bound up in both heroism and neglect.