Time and Change

Where it surfaces

• IV: Alveric Comes Back to Earth After Many Years

  Ten years pass on Earth during a single day in Elfland, illustrating the theme of time's relativity and the changes it brings.

• V: The Wisdom of the Parliament of Erl

  Time moves differently for Alveric and Lirazel; the chapter explores how earthly time alters beauty and relationships, while Elfland remains timeless.

• VI: The Rune of the Elf King

  The disruption of Elfland's timeless calm by Alveric's intrusion and the Elf King's actions, illustrating the tension between eternal stillness and the passage of time.

• X: The Ebbing of Elfland

  The chapter explores the baffling passage of time—years have passed on Earth while Alveric was in Elfland, and the landscape itself is transformed by the ebb.

• XV: The Retreat of the Elf King

  The passage of ten years on Earth while Elfland remains in timeless calm.

• XVI: Orion Hunts the Stag

  Ten years pass, Orion grows from boy to hunter, and the people of Erl shift their allegiance from the missing Alveric to his son.

• XVII: The Unicorn Comes in the Starlight

  The snow as a record of the night's events and the fading tracks of birds mirror the ephemeral nature of history and the village's fear of being forgotten.

• The Grey Tent in the Evening

  The passage of over eleven years, the departure of companions, and the shifting borders of Elfland highlight the effects of time.

• On the Verge of Earth

  Orion contemplates leaving the temporal world of Earth for the timeless realm of Elfland.

• XXII: Orion Appoints a Whip

  Lurulu observes Earth's rapid change and decay, contrasting it with Elfland's timeless calm, highlighting the theme of time's differing paces.

• XXIII: Lurulu Watches the Restlessness of Earth

  Lurulu observes the perpetual movement of shadows, pigeons, and other creatures, contrasting Earth's constant change with Elfland's stillness, and begins to sense the power of time.

• XXIV: Lurulu Speaks of Earth and the Ways of Men

  Lurulu describes time's rapid movement on Earth, contrasting with Elfland's timelessness, and the grizzled troll warns of aging and death.

• XXV: Lirazel Remembers the Fields We Know

  The Elf King's mortal queen died because Time found her when she visited Earth, highlighting the conflict between timeless Elfland and the mortal world.

• The Return of Lurulu

  The trolls knowingly risk the wasting of time by crossing the border, and Orion's patient waiting marks the passage of seasons.

• A Chapter on Unicorn-Hunting

  The trolls begin to feel the weight of time on Earth, and the parliament rejoices in the change that magic has brought to Erl.

• XXX: The Coming of Too Much Magic

  The village of Erl is transformed by the arrival of magic, and the older generation's desire for stability conflicts with the inevitable change brought by the new magical order.

• XXXIV: The Last Great Rune

  Elfland reverses time, bringing summer to November and restoring lost youth to Alveric.