Mother and Son

Maeve's fierce courage and death become the wound that gives Conan's oath its unyielding edge.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Mother's Sword

The Mother's Sword Barefoot in the snow, Maeve heaps the bodies of raiders and dogs before her broadsword. The Fury of the Mother Conan sees her as a panther defending her cub, a woman with no armor but courage. The Last Look She glances at her son's black mane, so like his father's, and grips her weapon with renewed resolve.

The Serpent Gaze

The Serpent Gaze Thulsa Doom dismounts and strolls past Maeve, ignoring her raised sword. The Hypnotic Passage His sensual arrogance freezes her, as a partridge freezes before a serpent. She cannot strike. The Master's Casual Power The moment reveals Doom's ability to command even the bravest will without a single spell.

The Severed Head

The Severed Head Doom sweeps the great sword upward without a cry, and Maeve's head rolls into the mire at Conan's feet. The Dreamy Face Her severed face shows not pain but a strange, fascinated dream. The horror engraves itself on Conan's memory. The First Rage Conan tries to charge Doom but is dragged down by the Vanir. The boy's love for his mother becomes an unquenchable fire.

The Single Tear

The Single Tear One tear rolls down Conan's cheek and freezes in the northern wind. The Threshold of the Heart He has reached the point where hopelessness touches rage, and the rage overshadows grief. The Vow to Never Weep He promises that no one will ever again wring a tear from him. The boy who loved his mother becomes a warrior who hoards only wrath.

The Vengeance Completed

The Vengeance Completed The snake-head of Thulsa Doom separates from his body on the temple steps. The Mother's Debt Paid Conan has no weeping words, only the knowledge that the hands that slew Maeve are ash. The Long Silence He later says his father was the light of day and Doom his night, but in that dark balance his mother's death remains the deeper scar.

at the village raid before its fall

when Doom walks past Maeve

when Conan's mother is executed

on the Wheel of Pain

when Conan beheads Thulsa Doom