Is Fitz Happy?

After Fitz dreams of Nighteyes and the Fool and receives a threat, he wakes Dutiful and tries to figure out a way to get back home to Buck. Dutiful, sharing consciousness with Peladine and the Cat, attacks Fitz until a Skill command makes him stop fighting. Together they look for clues where they are and Fitz determines he must use the Skill-pillar to go back. He plans on leaving Dutiful until they are confronted by an Other.  We're reading Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb, book 1 of the Tawny Man Trilogy in The Realm of the Elderlings. 

After passing through a Skill-pillar, Fitz and Dutiful find themselves stranded on a beach. Dutiful has his first experience losing himself to the temptation of the Skill River, and Fitz has to bury his grief to help keep them both alive. Fitz encounters a mysterious being, finds mysterious objects on the beach, and goes to sleep wondering about his friends.  We're reading Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb, book 1 of the Tawny Man Trilogy in The Realm of the Elderlings. 

Still being pursued by the Piebalds, but resting for now, Fitz is woken up by Nighteyes. Dutiful is almost fully with the Cat and Fitz, through the Skill, learns of Peladine. Waking up, Fitz, Nighteyes, and the Fool flee, trying to escape the pursuit. Unfortunately, they are cornered by the standing Skill Pillars and take their last stand. Saying their goodbyes, Nighteyes and the Fool convince Fitz to escape through the pillar.  We're crying while reading Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb, book 1 of the Tawny Man Trilogy in The Realm of the Elderlings. 

After narrowly escaping from the Piebalds, Fitz leads Lord Golden and Prince Dutiful to rest before moving on. Fitz and Dutiful are at odds, taking turns being aggressive to one another. But, playing good cop/bad cop with Dutiful, Lord Golden slowly gets the story of what happened to the Prince.  We're reading Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb, book 1 of the Tawny Man Trilogy in The Realm of the Elderlings. 

Fitz, the Fool, and Nighteyes wake up alone with Laurel and the Piebald prisoner having left. Fitz is concerned even more with the Prince's situation, so they set out to catch Dutiful instead of follow the deserters. A chase, a fight, and an escape later, Fitz and company run from the Piebalds with a sullen Farseer in tow.  We're reading Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb, book 1 of the Tawny Man Trilogy in The Realm of the Elderlings.  *Editor's note: If you hear background noise, we apologize! Some intense construction started almost exactly as we sat down to record. The background sounds abate around 20 min.