# Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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

In August 1594, on the Isle of Gunn, Alison prepares for a journey to Kirkwall, where her husband William will unveil his masonry work at the cathedral. The summer has brought a rare sense of peace, but the household is strained: their milking cow was killed months earlier, and Earl Patrick has been raising the skat (a land tax) while seizing udal lands—property held by verbal tradition rather than written deeds. Alison’s neighbor Agnes arrives with a gift: a shaggy kyloe heifer to replace the lost cow. Alison protests, but Agnes insists, noting that she missed Edward’s birthday and that a milk cow is a practical present.

On the boat to Kirkwall, Beatrice and Edward question Alison about the Triskele and The Book of Witching. Beatrice asks why Alison left the Triskele, and Edward recites a dramatic tale about the book’s origin—bound in bark from the first tree, with pages black as night, crafted by spirits of darkness. Alison deflects, reminding them that William must not learn of their initiation. She privately reflects that the Triskele’s magic is not as powerful as she once believed, and that the group has done nothing to stop the earl’s tyranny.

In Kirkwall, the family reunites with William. He shows them the cathedral, explaining that Vikings built the spire to house the bones of St. Magnus, and that touching the pillar brings hope. Beatrice touches it and smiles. William introduces his employer, Mr. McNee, who presents him with a silver ax from the earl as a token of thanks for his work on the new quire. William is uneasy about accepting a gift from Earl Patrick, knowing the earl is unaware of his existence.

Later, William and Alison steal a private moment in his lodgings. Afterward, Alison asks about rebellion talk in Kirkwall; William says the udallers are growing restless but that some still hope the Triskele will magically restore their lands. Alison, hiding her children’s initiation, resolves to tell her mother that the initiation does not hold.

While William takes leave of his colleagues, Alison lights three candles in the north transept for the children she lost—William, Eliza, and Viola. She is approached by David Moncrief, a Triskele member she knew in childhood, who tells her that John Stewart, Master of Orkney and cousin to King James, wishes to speak with her. In the cathedral gardens, Alison meets John Stewart and Thomas Paplay, a man she healed from smallpox months earlier. John requests a charm—one that will take a life. Alison, sensing coercion and fearing the target might be someone above the earl, lies, claiming she cannot make such a charm because she has witnessed death. She bows and leaves, trembling.

Key Events

Agnes gifts the family a milking cow, easing their hardship.
On the boat, Beatrice and Edward question Alison about the Triskele and The Book of Witching.
The family reunites with William in Kirkwall; he receives a silver ax from the earl via Mr. McNee.
Alison privately lights candles for her three deceased children.
David Moncrief summons Alison to meet John Stewart.
John Stewart requests a charm to kill someone; Alison refuses by lying about her ability.

Character Development

Alison emerges as a protective, pragmatic figure. She is torn between her past in the Triskele and her present loyalty to William, who despises the group. Her refusal to John Stewart shows both moral integrity and quick thinking—she fabricates a limitation to avoid being forced into murder. Her grief for her lost children is quietly present, and her resolve to shield her own children from the Triskele’s influence grows stronger.

William is shown as a skilled craftsman and a loving father, but also as a man with strong opinions about the Triskele. His discomfort with the earl’s gift hints at his political awareness and his involvement in udaller resistance.

Edward is maturing, displaying knowledge of Triskele lore and a sullen awareness of secrets. His earlier melancholy lifts in Kirkwall, but his questions reveal that he has overheard more than Alison would like.

Beatrice remains curious and innocent, asking direct questions about magic and hope. Her touch of the pillar suggests a childlike faith that contrasts with Alison’s more cynical view of the Triskele.

John Stewart is introduced as a powerful, intimidating figure. His request for a death charm reveals his willingness to use coercion and his suspicion that Alison’s skills are greater than she admits.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Coercion and Power Imbalance: John Stewart’s request is framed as a favor, but Alison feels her hand is forced. The earl’s ability to imprison, evict, or starve citizens hangs over the scene.
Magic’s Limitations: Alison reflects that Triskele magic is not as powerful as she once believed, and that the group has failed to act against tyranny. Her lie about being unable to make the charm underscores that even magic has boundaries—or at least that practitioners can claim them.
Loss and Grief: Alison’s private candle-lighting for her three dead children is a quiet, intimate moment that contrasts with the public celebration of William’s work.
Hope and Faith: The cathedral’s pillar of St. Magnus is presented as a source of hope; Beatrice’s touch and smile suggest that faith can offer comfort even in troubled times.
Gift-Giving and Reciprocity: Agnes’s gift of the cow is unconditional, while the earl’s gift of the ax is politically charged. Alison’s discomfort with both gifts highlights the different kinds of obligation they carry.
Secrecy and Parental Protection: Alison hides her children’s Triskele initiation from William, and later lies to John Stewart to protect herself and her family.
Raven Omen: A raven perches on an oak as Alison is led to John Stewart, and she feels a shudder—an omen of warning.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the novel’s central conflict between the Triskele’s fading magic and the political realities of Orkney under Earl Patrick. Alison’s refusal to create a death charm sets up a dangerous antagonism with John Stewart, who will likely seek retribution. It also clarifies the stakes: Alison is caught between her husband’s disdain for the Triskele, her mother’s insistence on initiation, and the earl’s coercive power. The chapter establishes Alison as a morally grounded protagonist who uses deception as a survival tool, and it foreshadows the consequences of her lie.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Alison lie to John Stewart about being unable to make the charm?

Alison lies because she fears the charm is intended for someone of higher status than the earl, and because she does not want to be complicit in murder. She also realizes that if she admits she can make it, John Stewart might force her—or seek out her mother or other Triskele members. By claiming she has witnessed death, she creates a plausible excuse that prevents him from pressuring her further.

2. How does the chapter contrast the cathedral’s religious symbolism with the Triskele’s magic?

The cathedral is presented as a place of hope and community, where St. Magnus’s bones offer comfort to believers. In contrast, the Triskele is described by Alison as a group of “cunning folk” whose magic has failed to protect Orcadians from the earl. The chapter suggests that institutional faith may offer more tangible hope than the fading, secretive magic of the Triskele.

3. What does Alison’s decision to keep her children’s initiation secret reveal about her priorities?

Alison prioritizes her family’s safety and her husband’s peace of mind over her mother’s wishes. She is willing to defy Triskele traditions and even lie to her mother to protect her children from the stigma and danger associated with the group. This decision shows that her loyalty lies with her immediate family, not with the tribe she left behind.