Emaleth’s whisper
The novel opens with sensory imagery depicting the sense of hearing to readers. The narrator says, "In the begging was the father's voice. Emaleth! Whispering close to her mother's belly while her mother slept. And then singing to her the long songs of the past. Songs of the glen of Donnelaith and of the castle and of where they could sometime come together, and how they would be born knowing the entire father knew." The whispering and singing are critical elements in this opening statement because they aid readers in understanding the plot and, more importantly, show the links between Emaleth's father to Donnelaith. For instance, the father sings to Emaleth's mother songs of the past, signifying the importance of Donnelaith.
Colors
The mother's love and protection are brought out using sight imagery. Emaleth is a young child, but when she looks at her mother, she feels secure, and everything around her becomes bright. The narrator says, "Emaleth knew the sun rose. The color of everything brightened, and she saw mothers hand high above her, dark and thin and immense, covering the whole world." When the mother's hand covers the whole world, it signifies that Emaleth is safe and she is assured of a bright future.
The house
At the beginning of the chapter, the narrator describes the house where Michael lives, depicting sight imagery. The narrator says, "The house was dark now. The cars were gone, and only one light burned in Michael Curry's window, in the old room where Cousin Deirdre had died." Mona knows that Michael is alone, and she arranges to go and seduce him. However, before going to the house, she has to investigate to ensure that her cousin, Rowan, is not coming home any soon.
