Kinda nitpicky, kinda just ranting.

[Tabby]

Nita, as we know, is an insatiable reader. There are thematic elements in all the books that are reminiscent of classic stories (no matter how much better they've been done this time around!), and for the most part she reacts in the way you'd expect from someone who's read enough fairy tales to know that sometimes real life and real magic do, in fact, work like that. She understands about the whole "price" concept and the noble sacrifices that will be required of those who would serve the Powers.

SO WHY DOES IT NEVER OCCUR TO HER THAT THE PERSON PLAYING THE PART OF THE MARTYR MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE TO DIE?! The second she said she might play the Silent One in the first discussion of it, I flinched. Somebody who understands fantasy as well as she seems to should really know better.

-Tabby
the princess with claws, new here.

[EWizard11]

I guess she just never really grasped how real it was. She thought it was just a play. I don't think she ever really thought too hard about what she was doing before she took the Celebrant's Oath. Remember, later she regretted not remembering Peach's words: "Read the fine print before you sign." Her mind was probably on other things, like trying to explain away her lateness to her parents...

*Ella*

[Tabby]

I'd be willing to go along with the idea of her just thinking of it as a play, except for the fact that every single time somebody mentions that she's doing it somebody else says "are you really willing to?" or "how very brave of you" or something similar. You'd think that she'd catch on a little quicker that they weren't just talking about memorizing some really tough lines.

-Tabby
the princess with claws

[A Moonlighting X-Phile]

I kinda figured that, being an insatiable reader (like me! and most of the others here!) Nita subconsciously figured that, as the hero of the story, she couldn't really die. At least, that's what she thought once she realized it wasn't just a play...why she didn't realize it earlier, I don't know.

AML,
A Moonlighting X-Phile
<If all good things must come to an end - than numbers are not our friend!>
<WARNING: I cannot be help responsible for the above, as apparently my cats have learned how to type.>
<'Men will fight bravely and be heroes, but for a last ditch defense against any odds, get a mother.' You should recognize that one!>

[EWizard11]

More from me: she probably just never thought that death was a possibility. If you thought it was just a play, you wouldn't think you could die.

*Ella*

[kerry]

maybe she just read too many books where the hero stayed alive as a matter of course. most do run that way.

http://www.geocities.com/booknightmoon

i agree, ed is kind of scary at first

i'm the queen of insanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[magicalmike]

This is kinda of topic but my curiosity about it is driving me insane. That quark-leval dissocator that nita uses. I thought that the whole purpopse of wizards was to slow down entropy. Why would she be using a spell that kills things?

[Sean L.]

This is an easier question:

Because sometimes, when the Lone Power's controlling the members of a species directly, killing them might actually reverse entropy - i.e. stopping htem from doing further harm.

[Bookwyrm Poet]

*** SPOILER WARNING FOR WIZARD ABROAD***
just in case you havent read it yet

The Oath , Mike, has all your answers, especially that line that says I will fight to preserve what grows and lives well in its own way;

basically it means wizards must be able to fight with what they are given, just think of this, that quark level dissocater is slightly less painful then haven your self squeezed to death ,like the dire wolves in wizards abroad.

(\__/)
(+'.'+) This is Bunny. show his image
(")_(") to help him conquer the world.
in other words, feel free to copy and paste everywhere, ALL HAIL BUNNY!!

"I reject you reality and substitute my own"-Adam Savage

"Absurdity is the spice of life, the little things that always make the one being absurd laugh, and no one else"-me, seriously

"the one who lives in darkness has the least trouble finding the light" Monday's Dusk, from Mister Monday, book 1 of the Keys to the Kingdom series, by Garth Nix

"It's not the custard that kills you, its the kittens" another meism for understanding read Irregular webcomic, number 331

[_~*Castine*~_]

Exactly, if you kill something that kills other people, you will prevent it from doing anyone else, further harm. But I think Nita tries not to use the spell for that reasaon, that unless, you have to she would prefer not to kill.

[Lamarquise]

Just another comment on the Song question...

When Nita took the Oath, she had some small intellectual understanding of what it might require, but not the emotional maturity or experience to take the Oath to its logical conclusions.

She was only thirteen years old in DW. She'd had one pretty dangerous assignment before, but there was always a way out as long as she and Kit could find it. No beginning wizard really expects to be put up against a challege they can't win...if winning is defined by coming out alive. Nita just never gave it much thought until the evidence built up and she finally put the pieces together.

[campsoup1988]

From the start, Nita was woundering how involved the partispants were (she did not like the line about swimming in blood, cant recall exact words). She also mentioned she read something about the sacrafise, but did not understand it (and it seemed she did not realise it would be a real sacrafise)