A Wizard of Earthsea: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

Ged spends three days in the village recovering and building a new boat that is not held together by spells but rather by sound materials. Ged obtains the boat from an old man, whose terrible cataracts he heals in exchange for the vessel. The old man thanks Ged for helping him once again to see all the light in the world. He suggests Ged name the boat Lookfar. Ged does many other good works for the villagers, healing the sick and tending to the flocks with enchantments. After several days, Ged heads southward—once again, he is in pursuit of the shadow.

Ged soon arrives on a small island and docks at the port—yet as soon as he disembarks, the village sorcerer comes hurrying toward him and explains that while the villagers mean him no disrespect, they are wary of him. Just a day ago, the sorcerer says, a man who looks just like Ged—but who cast no shadow—was seen arriving on the island without a boat. Ged thanks the sorcerer, turns back to his boat, and sets sail once again, puzzled but still determined. 

Ged arrives at a larger island with a full port. He stays at an inn, where he eats and talks with some traders and townspeople. Recognizing Ged as a wizard, one man boasts that this village, Ismay, shares with other surrounding towns the services of a wizard trained at the School on Roke. Ged knows that he is not needed here. He declares his intent to stay only a night or two, feeling a cold dread wash over him as he realizes his destiny is to follow the shadow wherever it is bound. The next morning, Ged wakes to snowfall. He watches children play in the street and again grows forlorn over his lonely fate.

That night, reluctant to leave, Ged wanders the streets. He hears a man and a young woman talking as they pass him, and he is shocked when he recognizes the man’s voice. Ged follows the pair until the man turns around and holds his staff aloft in defense. Ged, taken aback and frightened, addresses the man, telling his old friend Vetch that he’s hurt Vetch no longer recognizes him. Vetch, however, immediately drops his staff and cries out in joy. He embraces Ged and apologizes for startling at his presence. He says he has been waiting for Ged to come to the isle of Iffish for a long time. He tells Ged that several days ago, in a village in the hills, he saw an “imitation” of Ged—Vetch followed the “presentment,” calling Ged’s name, but got no answer.

Vetch introduces Ged to the young woman beside him: she is his sister, Yarrow, a girl of 14 who wears a miniature but live dragon as a bracelet. Together Vetch and Yarrow invite Ged to come to their home for some rest and nourishment. Ged admires Yarrow’s bravery in wearing a small dragon on her arm. Yarrow asks about Ged’s famous otak—but Ged replies the creature is no longer with him. At Vetch and Yarrow’s spacious home, Ged admires the prosperity his friend has earned.

Vetch asks what has brought Ged to Iffish, and Ged explains the entirety of his travels. Vetch says he wants to go with Ged to meet the shadow, but Ged insists he must go alone. Vetch reprimands Ged for being prideful: someone must accompany him. If Ged fails, the citizens of the Archipelago must be warned of the shadow’s power; if Ged bests the shadow, someone must witness the event in order to sing the great songs of the encounter. Vetch insists that because he was with Ged at the beginning of his journey with the shadow, it is fitting he should be with him at its end.

Ged admits that he is afraid to encounter the shadow again: the last time they met, Ged could not even seize it and realized he had no power over it. Vetch, however, optimistically insists that Ged will find a way to name it and conquer it. Vetch asks what it could mean that the shadow has taken Ged’s shape in the Reach while it never did in the Archipelago. Ged and Vetch discuss the different enchantments that govern the different lands of Earthsea. The men continue discussing what could be calibrating the shadow’s form and what Ged’s delicate power balance against the shadow will mean for their future encounters. All Ged knows for sure is that he must learn the shadow’s name.

The next day, Vetch goes out to attend to some errands before he leaves with Ged. Ged stays with Yarrow and Vetch’s younger brother, Murre, and delights in their company. Yarrow prepares food for Vetch and Ged’s journey, insisting they will need real food—not illusion—to keep them strong on their quest. Ged says he would not summon the illusion of food anyway, lest he disturb the equilibrium of the world. The two continue talking about the great powers of the world, and Ged declares that the greatest power is the power held in a thing’s true name. Ged enjoys talking with the sharp, smart Yarrow, and the two joke and tease each other as they banter.

The next day, Vetch takes his leave of Ismay, informing the village elders that he is off to help an old friend on a quest. The elders berate Vetch for leaving them. Vetch declares that though he is, as a wizard, a servant, he is not their servant. Vetch, Ged, and Yarrow head down to the port. Yarrow stands watching from the docks as Ged and Vetch, in the Lookfar, set out to sea.