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Zunaira Ghazal asked this question about The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1):
I don't understand Tane's ending scene. She's by the Mulberry tree, sleeps, then wakes up to a paper butterfly and a wet side. What does that mean?
Jennifer Since Tané is a descendant of Neporo, a First Blood, I think by returning to her ancestral home, she has the ability to reawaken the island of Komorid…moreSince Tané is a descendant of Neporo, a First Blood, I think by returning to her ancestral home, she has the ability to reawaken the island of Komoridu. She went to seek answers about her origins and Neporo but when she found the statue of Neporo in the cave, instead of asking all the questions she had in her mind, she said, Thank you. Tané had always wanted to serve as a Dragon Rider and fight to protect Seiki from The Nameless One and she did and her thanking Neporo was Tané acknowledging she couldn’t have done it without her. She’s essentially giving thanks to her ancestor which is a common Asian custom.

Tané probably visited the Mulberry tree like she did the cave to see if she could find answers. Perhaps she fell asleep on her own accord, tired from exploring. Or perhaps the butterfly had something to do with her falling asleep. A few paragraphs above, it states that the god Kwiriki had chosen butterflies as celestial messengers. I don’t think she cut herself but maybe it was more like the spirit of the island calling to her and the wound reopened. Blood has sometimes symbolized life and rebirth. Since Tané is a descendant of Neporo, Tane’s blood is reawakening the island and maybe even the Mulberry tree. (less)
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The Priory of the Orange Tree
by Samantha Shannon (Goodreads Author)
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