Which of these indicates the start of the rising action of the excerpt

usually, a falcon can kill an owl, and horses don't normally eat each other.

direct object would be the answer

"valley of salt tears" and "dark, deep and foggy" are two images used to establish a mood of uncertainty and regret. this imagery is made up of sensory appeals to brings up   theological concerns of sin and retribution.

they conjure up the human   uncertainty about the divine and its relationship to the world.