Hello and welcome back after our little one week hiatus from Reading the Wheel of Time. I hope everyone had a wonderful week, and I have brought you a belated holiday gift of finally getting to the chapters I’ve been promising for two weeks now, “Into the Heart” (21) and “Out of the Stone” (22).
Chapter 21 opens with Moiraine and Egwene arriving in the Heart of the Stone, which Rand has summoned them to, along with all the High Lords and Ladies as well as the rest of the Tairen nobility. The crowds move aside to let the Aes Sedai pass, but Moiraine is more concerned with the fact that Lan is not there with her. It isn’t like him to not be at her side, although their bond lets her know he’s not too far away. Moiraine is aware that Lan has done his best to resist “the strings Nynaeve [is] tying to him” but that he has become about as bound to Nynaeve as he is to Moiraine, albeit in a different way. Moiraine isn’t jealous, exactly, but she is reluctant to give up her longtime companion, protector, and sword arm. She silently reminds herself that she has “done what must be done,” and that Nynaeve will have Lan if Moiraine dies, and not before.
Neither Moiraine nor Egwene have any idea what Rand is planning; Moiraine is relieved that Egwene hasn’t heard the rumors about the Whitecloaks being in Emond’s Field, but is worried that Rand might be planning to go there. She tries to suggest that Egwene get Rand to confide in her, but Egwene is visibly suspicious of Moiraine’s motives behind the suggestion.
But Egwene assures Moiraine that Rand will not confide in anyone, and that he hides even his pains, hoping to deal with them before anyone notices. Moiraine feels some sympathy for Egwene’s irritation, suspecting that Egwene is hurt by Rand and Elayne cuddling in corners when they think no one can see them. But Elayne is out of Moiraine’s hair now, as are Nynaeve and Thom Merrilin, and Moiraine is satisfied with that. She is much more inclined to believe Joiya’s story about the plan to free Mazrim Taim than Amico’s tale of an unspecified threat in Tanchico, and is confident the girls will be able to deal with whatever they find there, with Thom’s help.
She only wishes Egwene had gone with them, and inquires again if Egwene is sure she wants to follow through with her plan to go to Rhuidean. Egwene does, and while Moiraine would rather have her back in the Tower continuing her training, she’s at least somewhat satisfied that going to Rhuidean will get Egwene out of the way as well. Also, Moiraine had been astounded by the letter from the Wise Ones, and supposes that there might be some benefit to Egwene learning from them, in the long run.
Buy the Book
The Unspoken Name
Moiraine is determined to make herself Rand’s only support. Now that she’s gotten rid of Thom—who had too much influence with Rand, and appeared to be settling Rand down to rule Tear—all Moiraine has to contend with is Rand running off to Emond’s Field to help his village. That and the possibility of Mat running off again.
Mat is in the crowd, now, but both Moiraine and Egwene note that Perrin is nowhere to be seen. And of course it’s unclear if Lan is there, either.
Frowning, Moiraine scanned the crowd, not that she could make out much beyond the front row. Lan could have been back among the columns. She would not strain, though, or jump up on her toes like an anxious child. Lan was due a talking-to he would not soon forget when she laid hands on him. With Nynaeve tugging at him one way and ta’veren—Rand, at least—seemingly pulling another, she sometimes wondered how well their bond still held. At least his time with Rand was useful; it gave her another string to the young man.
Egwene is certain that Perrin’s strong sense of duty means he must be around, even though Moiraine tells her that Faile has been trying to get him to leave. Moiraine thinks of how blind she was not to realize the connection between the three boys—three ta’veren, coming from the same village, and the same age as well. But it has made everything more complicated, trying to manage all three of them, and the Prophecies never mentioned the Dragon having any companions.
They have a bit of a disagreement about Faile and whether or not she’s good for Perrin, and Moiraine is about to tell Egwene off for assuming that just because they love each other, they should be together, when Rand arrives, carrying Callandor in his arm like a scepter and followed by about a hundred Aiel, all wearing their veils. He announces that the High Lord Sunamon has guaranteed a treaty with Mayene, which will result in ships to take Tairen grain to find new markets. He tells them that Sunamon has guaranteed this treaty with his life, and agreed to be hanged if he fails. He also announces that the army will march, drawing great excitement and cheering from the crowd until he qualifies that it is not Illian they are going to, but Cairhien. Moiraine is impressed with how Rand outlines the campaign and the roles of the various High Lords—clearly Thom had given him good advice—but the rest seems strange and impossible to her, and indeed to the High Lords as well.
High Lord Meilan, to whom Rand has given command, says as much, pointing out the complications of intervening in a civil war, the numerous factions vying for the throne, the bandits and the starving peasants. Rand counters that he has plans for who will sit on the Sun Throne of Cairhien, and that they do not go to conquer but to restore peace and feed the hungry. Beside Moiraine, Egwene murmurs that she knew Rand would not start a war, and Moirane replies that there will be no less bloodshed in this than in going to Illian.
“Attacking Illian and Sammael would have gained him time even if it grew into a stalemate. Time to learn his power, and perhaps to bring down one of his strongest enemies, to cow the rest. What did he gain by this? Peace for the land of her birth, starving Cairhienin fed; she would have applauded another time. It was laudably humane—and utterly senseless, now. Useless bloodshed, rather than confronting an enemy who would destroy him given the slightest opening. Why? Lanfear. What had Lanfear said to him? What had she done? The possibilities chilled Moiraine’s heart. Rand would take closer watching than ever now. She would not allow him to turn to the Shadow.
Moiraine hopes that Rand has finished being clever, but Rand has one more surprise for them all. He is not going with them to Cairhien. Announcing that the Stone will once more hold Callandor until his return, he lifts the blade, sweat running down his face.
Suddenly the transparent sword blazed in his hands. Whirling it hilt uppermost, he drove it down. Into the stone floor. Bluish lightning arced wildly toward the dome above. The stone rumbled loudly, and the Stone shook, dancing, heaving screaming people from their feet.
Moiraine pushed Egwene off of her while tremors still reverberated through the chamber, and scrambled erect. What had he done? And why? Going away? It was the worst of all her nightmares.
The Aiel get up again at once, but everyone else lies stunned and confused, except Rand. Moiraine watches him force himself to let go of the sword’s hilt, leaving it there with the blade driven halfway into the floorstones. He tells them to look at it while he’s gone, and that if anyone wants to take his place, then they only need to pull it out. “But remember,” he admonishes, almost playfully, “the price of failure.”
With that he strides from the chamber, the Aiel following him. Egwene and Moiraine hurry after them and fall in beside Rand, the Aiel ranks parting to allow them by. Rand demands to know why Egwene didn’t leave with Nynaeve and Elayne, and Egwene explains that she is going into the Waste with Aviendha, to Rhuidean to study with the Wise Ones, and Moiraine notices that Rand misses a step. She asks about his decisions, and then about Callandor, and Rand admits that it’s a relief not to have to carry it for a while. He also quotes a bit of the Prophecies at her.
Moiraine reminds him that anyone can pick up the sword now, not just him. Lanfear could take it, or Sammael or Rahvin or any of the male Forsaken could take and wield it. But Rand only responds that he almost hopes they will try.
“There is a surprise awaiting anyone who tries to channel Callandor out of the Stone, Moiraine. Do not think of taking it to the Tower for safekeeping; I could not make the trap pick and choose. The Power is all it needs to spring and reset, ready to trap again. I am not giving Callandor up forever. Just until I…” He took a deep breath. “Callandor will stay there until I come back for it. By being there, reminding them of who I am and what I am, it makes sure I can come back without an army. A haven of sorts, with the likes of Alteima and Sunamon to welcome me home. If Alteima survives the justice her husband and Estanda will mete out, and Sunamon survives mine. Light, what a wretched tangle.”
Both Moiraine and Egwene are shocked when Rand admits that he is going to Rhuidean. Moiraine asks if this decision comes from the questions he asked in the ter’angreal, and reminds him that misunderstanding the answers could prove fatal, to more than just him.
“You must trust me, Moiraine. As I have so often had to trust you.” His face might as well have belonged to an Aiel for all she could read in it.
“I will trust you for now. Just do not wait to seek my guidance until it is too late.” I will not let you go to the Shadow. I have worked too long to allow that. Whatever it takes.
Rand leads the procession out of the Stone, but he’s enjoying the fact that, despite the fact that he is at the head of the column, he is less remarkable to the Tairen they pass than the long rows of Aiel, or even Moiraine and Lan. No one knows that he is the Dragon Reborn, and he decides to enjoy the feeling for a little while.
He and Egwene have a conversation about the loot the Aiel have taken from the Stone and the custom (or perhaps it’s a law) of taking one-fifth of a conquered enemy’s possessions, except food. The Aiel haven’t actually taken a fifth of what lay in the Stone. The tone of the conversations reminds Rand of old times, and she asks about his new horse, who Rand has named Jeade’en after the horse of Jain Farstrider, whose steed could always find the way home.
Moiraine, annoyed at Rand for letting Perrin run off to the Two Rivers, not to mention irked by the fact that Rand hasn’t told them the full extent of his plans, demands to know the next part of his secret, reminding Rand of how much of the world’s fate rests on him. Rand assures her that he knows his duty, and, when pressed, admits that they are on their way to find a Portal Stone.
Mat is horrified, remembering their last experiences when Rand took them through a Portal Stone, and declaring he’d rather ride back to one of the dilapidated farmhouses they’ve passed and get a job feeding the pigs. Rand tells Mat that he can leave if he wants, drawing disapproving looks from both Moiraine and Lan, but Rand is reluctant to force his friends the way he feels forced himself by duty and fate. Mat comments that he does have to come, but cuts it off with a cryptic comment.
Rand explains to Moiraine where he got his knowledge from: books in the Stone’s library and stories from the few people who have had encounters with the Aiel. Moiraine is skeptical of all this rumor and cobbled-together information, but Rand brushes her off with a flippant remark, content to make her follow him for a while, after all the times he has had to follow her on blind trust. Egwene also asks if he means to risk their lives on such a dangerous chance, but Rand holds firm, even though he feels guilty about frightening his friends.
When they reach the rough area the map indicated, Lan delicately suggests that he employ the Aiel to search for the stone. Without explaining what it is, Rand describes the Stone, and a worried-looking Rhuarc chooses some of the Aiel to assign the task to, including the Maidens.
Rand picked out Egwene’s friend, Aviendha, a tall, pretty woman with a haughty unsmiling stare. Maidens had guarded his door, but he did not think he had seen her before the Aiel gathered to leave the Stone. She looked back at him, proud as a green-eyed hawk, then tossed her head and turned her attention to the clan chief.
Well, I wanted to be ordinary again, he thought, a touch ruefully. The Aiel certainly gave him that. They offered even the clan chief only a respectful hearing, without any of the elaborate deference a lord would exact, and obedience that seemed between equals. He could hardly expect more for himself.
Rand voices aloud his curiosity as to how so many disparate Aiel clans have been able to keep peace with each other, and Rhuarc explains that the Wise Ones made them all “swear water oath to treat any Aiel as of the same society on this side of the mountains.” But it is not easy, and even Rhuarc struggles with his own clan’s animosity towards the Shaido. He says that it is helpful, now, that they are heading towards Rhuidean, as it is forbidden to spill the blood of anyone who is traveling to or from Rhuidean.
Just then Aviendha finds the Portal Stone, and Rand and the others ride over to meet her. Much of the writing and many of the symbols have been worn away by time and the elements, but Rand begins searching for one in particular, and, as he is searching, he asks Aviendha why she does not like him.
“Like you?” she said. “You may be He Who Comes With the Dawn, a man of destiny. Who can like or dislike such? Besides, you walk free, a wetlander despite your face, yet going to Rhuidean for honor, while I…”
Rand prompts her to go on, but instead she tells him that it is his treatment of Elayne that has her miffed. Since Elayne is near-sister to Egwene, who is Aviendha’s friend, she cares about this. But Egwene still likes him, so Aviendha vows to try to do the same.
Rand finds the symbol he was looking for, the one for the Portal Stone on Toman Head, which helps him orient himself on the Stone. Now all he needs is luck, the ta’veren pull, to help him find the symbol for the Portal Stone in Rhuidean.
A hand reached over his shoulder, and Rhuarc said in a reluctant voice, “These two are used for Rhuidean in old writings. Long ago, even the name was not written.” He traced two triangles, each surrounding what appeared to be forked lightnings, one pointing left, one right.
“Do you know what this is?” Rand asked. The Aielman looked away. “Burn me, Rhuarc, I have to know. I know you don’t want to talk of it, but you have to tell me. Tell me, Rhuarc. Have you ever seen its like before?”
The other man took a deep breath before answering. “I have seen its like.” Each word came as if dragged. “When a man goes to Rhuidean, Wise Ones and clansmen wait on the slopes of Chaendaer near a stone like this.” Aviendha stood up and walked away stiffly; Rhuarc glanced after her, frowning. “I know no more of it, Rand al’Thor. May I never know shade if I do.”
This leaves Rand with a 50-50 shot at choosing the right symbols. The rest of the party gathers round. Egwene nervously asks Moiraine to stop Rand, but the Aes Sedai asks what Egwene expects her to do and remarks cryptically that they might be about to see how useful dreaming really is.
“Do we have to do it this way?” Mat said. “What do you have against riding?” Rand only looked at him, and he shrugged uncomfortably. “Oh, burn me. If you’re trying to decide…” Taking both horses’ reins in one hand, he dug a coin from his pocket, a gold Tar Valon mark, and sighed. “It would be the same coin, wouldn’t it.” He rolled the coin across the backs of his fingers. “I’m… lucky sometimes, Rand. Let my luck choose. Head, the one that points to your right; flame, the other. What do you say?”
Rand agrees, and Mat tosses the coin, but before they look at the results, Rand reaches out and touches one of the symbols, without looking, and declares that it is the one Mat chose. Mat doesn’t understand how Rand could know that, no one does, but Rand supposes it doesn’t matter. He pulls a small green stone, carved in the shape of a man, out of his pocket. It’s an angreal, one for men, that he found in the the Great Holding. He instructs everyone to gather as close as they can, because they are going to Rhuidean, right now.
Egwene questions Rand’s abilities, and Moiraine expresses surprise at his knowledge of Portal Stones. Rand answers that Verin told him about them, but leaves the truth about Lanfear’s teachings out of it. He raises the angreal, wraps himself in the Void, reaching out for the True Source. He fixes on the symbol and reaches through the angreal pulling more and more power, determined to carry them all, even the horses, safely through.
And then he world seems to wink out of existence.
Rhuidean!
I am always happy to have a Moiraine chapter. I feel like I spend as much time trying to figure out what she’s thinking as the Emond’s Fielders do, and have only marginally more success at it, so it’s great to get another glimpse into her head. Even with everything that has happened, it’s somehow easy to forget how cold and calculating Moiraine can be. Just a few chapters ago I was feeling like Mat was being terribly paranoid about her, but here we have confirmation of her spying and the extensive eyes-and-ears network within the Stone that Mat has been working hard to avoid, as well as the ones that Moiraine sent to spy on Rand and the Aiel. They must have been fairly intense about their information gathering for the Aiel to “disappear” the one man and hang the woman by her ankles over the ramparts like that. I mean, the Aiel can often be pretty dramatic about things, but Rhuarc always keeps a cool head.
The reminder that Moiraine missed the importance of all three boys being ta’veren and being connected is an important one. It’s also reminder that, for all that she has so much more knowledge than Rand, she still has very little to go on. I feel like Moiraine, accustomed to being an authority and to carrying this great secret of the identity of the Dragon Reborn, tends to forget that fact. It’s something I’ve mentioned before, but this chapter in particular shows her still regarding Rand as rushing about headlong without a thought, even though he’s clearly done a lot of planning. I get that he isn’t making the decisions Moiraine wants, and even if he opened up to her she still might not think his decision was a good one, but that’s different than not thinking things through at all, or acting impulsively and emotionally.
This line of thinking brings my mind back to the conflict between Nynaeve and Moiraine, which Nynaeve has hung onto so bitterly. Nynaeve has made Moiraine the symbol of all the things that frighten her, the One Power, her own lack of control of saidar, and the fact that she can no longer control and protect those who were once her charges. Now, ironically, it is Moiraine’s turn to struggle with feeling like she doesn’t have the control that she’s accustomed to—and Moiraine’s charges are not just one village, but the entire world. Even more so than the Amyrlin, who is carrying the other half of Moiraine’s burden but whose primary focus still has to be the White Tower and its affairs, Moiraine is always terribly conscious that the fate of creation basically rests upon her shoulders alone.
Of course, ultimately that role will be taken up by the next generation. I wonder what will change for Moiraine when Egwene and Elayne and Nyenave eventually show that they can keep up as full Aes Sedai, and when Rand comes fully into his own, and Mat proves that he won’t actually run away, not when the chips are down. Moiraine will always be integral to the fight against the Shadow—unless she dies? which still might happen—but perhaps eventually she will start to feel more like a part of a team, rather than someone who stands alone in the (ahem) shadows, fighting a secret war all on her own.
Well, alone with Lan. But even then, there was always a distance there. Moiraine counts on Lan explicitly, but there is much she doesn’t tell him. And now we find out even the bond between them is straining.
I had deduced, of course, that Moiraine’s plan to pass Lan’s bond on to Myrelle upon her death was to have him eventually end up as Nynaeve’s Warder. Moiraine told Lan that it was because she didn’t want the world to lose him, as he is such an important tool in the fight against the Shadow, and of course that is true; she can’t lie, after all. But although Lan missed it, Nynaeve was clearly a part of it too, and we now have confirmation of that within the text. Right now Moiraine is only willing to pass the bond on if she dies, but that could change in time. Nynaeve probably hasn’t learned enough to be able to create or maintain the Warder bond yet, anyway, and that skill might be a long ways away yet.
Still, I was surprised to learn that it is possible to put such a strain on the bond that it actually weakens, even to the point where Moiraine is somewhat concerned about its viability. Lan’s connection to Nynaeve isn’t based in saidar—at least I don’t think it is—merely in regular human emotion, and yet that is enough to challenge an Aes Sedai/Warder connection, which is pretty fascinating. I wonder if it’s kind of the reverse of that thing Liandrin did to Amalisa way back in The Great Hunt, where to establish the connection that allowed her to manipulate Amalisa, she first had to break her down with terror. Maybe certain emotions can affect how people experience One Power-driven connections.
Speaking of connections, I also hadn’t considered that Lan might be drawn to help Rand specifically because he’s ta’veren. It’s easy to see why Lan might relate to Rand, given his own unresolved sense of duty towards his lost kingdom, and the restraints that the Aes Sedai have placed upon him, even if he did accept them willingly. As we know, Lan’s begun to chafe under those restrictions, both from Moiraine’s threat to pass on his bond and from the fact that Lan never meant to fall in love with someone.
I just wish we could get a chapter of one of those dinners he and Nynaeve had back when everyone was hanging around in the Stone pre-Trolloc attack, and she was trying to figure out how to cook him meals. (A side note: Shouldn’t someone so good at medicine and potions be able to follow a recipe?)
Getting back to Moiraine, I can’t help noticing how worried she is that Rand will fall to the Shadow. Not just that he won’t make decisions, or that he’ll make the wrong ones, but specifically that he’ll join the Dark. Without more Moiraine pov chapters it’s hard to say for sure, but it seems to be the arrival of Lanfear that has triggered this specific worry, which makes sense, given that Lanfear just spent a whole chapter trying to tempt Rand to join her. Sure, Rand rejected her, but we know that something she said helped him finish formulating his current plan. Rand doesn’t think she meant to give him helpful information in that regard, but Lanfear is certainly sneaky enough to have snuck something in there to manipulate him to her own ends.
I’m not sure what it is that Lanfear said, though. Maybe the thing about Callandor inspired Rand to make the trap for potential rivals? Or maybe it was something about his need to learn channeling that led him to consider what Rhuidean might be able to offer? Without knowing what questions Rand asked inside the redstone ter’angreal, it’s hard to say for sure.
And now everyone is heading to Rhuidean. I was actually surprised that the narrative would keep Rand and Mat together with Egwene, Moiraine, and Aviendha this way, but on reflection, I shouldn’t have been. There are obviously a lot of secrets waiting in the Waste, and particularly Rhuidean, and the Wise Ones seem to have knowledge that other Aes Sedai don’t. Perhaps Rand can find guidance in the prophecies of He Who Comes With The Dawn. Perhaps he can also learn more about his past and his mother, where he comes from.
What Mat has to learn in Rhuidean, I’m not sure. It may be that it’s part of his own journey, as seems to be implied by the answers he got in the ter’angreal, but it may be tied with Rand’s fate, too. Once we find out what Rhuidean actually is, perhaps more will become clear. This question of the Jenn Aiel, who they were and what they have to do with Rhuidean, may also be answered soon, and I have a feeling that this will have to do with the Breaking, and perhaps also the fate of the Dragon.
I noticed a lot of little asides with Aviendha in Chapter 22, and Rand seems very drawn to her even though he doesn’t know anything about her other than that she is Egwene’s friend. He wants her to like him, too, and although you could put this down simply to Rand’s affable nature, I wonder if there isn’t a pull there, too. It just seems too pointed, somehow, the way Rand is so aware of her and where she is. Perhaps, also, there is some sense of Aviendha’s secret. Channelers of different genders can’t recognize the power in each other, because of the differences of saidin and saidar—he’s not feeling a kinship the way Elayne and Egwene felt it for her—but there are other ways of noticing, I think.
Next week we make it to Rhuidean, and some of these questions will be answered. Rand and Mat will set off on an adventure, and Moiraine will have to spend even more time chafing under other people’s control. Lucky her. Stand by for Chapters 23-25 next week!
I wish all of you a wonderful start to the new year, and may all your hopes for 2020 come true.
Sylas K Barrett is very tired, and has had entirely too much eggnog lately. It was really good, though.
Aviendha and the pull between them – good intuition. Stay tuned.
We’re getting so close to my favorite sequence in the books. The Ancestetron 5000. Can’t wait to read Sylas’s reaction!
@2:
It’s very similar to other great scenes. The Portal Stone in TGH. Nyanaeve and Egwene’s testing. I think the reason this scene resonates so much more with the fandom is that we actually get answers to world building questions that have been teased.
Chapters 25 and 26 should be read together..
We are coming to some of my favorite scenes in the series :)
Ah, and tension with the Shaido is already being mentioned…
I suspect that channelers and potential channelers of opposite sex are drawn to each other. Egwene and Rands feeling for each other was probably of that nature. Naturally they mistook that for romantic love.
@6 – Interesting theory that I’ve never thought of. I don’t know that there’s enough textual evidence to support it aside from the Rand/Avi, Rand/Egwene, and Rand/Elayne attractions though. On the flip side he’s attracted to Min and she can’t channel. Though I suppose you could argue she has other magical abilities to base an attraction on. I always chalked it up to good ‘ol Ta’veren hand wavey plot requirements myself.
If your theory panned out though I’d be curious to know how many Warders could be taught to channel. If there was a latent attraction between channelers of the opposite sex you could expect a larger proportion of Warders to be learners than the general male population. Wouldn’t that just burn the Red Ajah’s ass to find out that the largest trove of male channelers was walking around right under their noses for millennia?
@7 – I’d say that the difference between saidar and saidin is explored quite a bit, beyond the Rand and his three ladies, there’s also Logain and the two sisters he bonds; Daigian and the Asha’man she had bonded; Pevara and Andhol – there’s lots of textual evidence that there is some form of connection between opposite gendered channelers. There are tons of instances of sisters bonding Asha’man and vice versa, and there’s lots of talk about how that bond is slightly different than a normal warder bond, likely because the Asha’man can channel.
That’s a very interesting suggestion, KAne. And distinctly possible, even probable.
The argument for a sense of kinship between opposite sex channelers as well as same sex channelers is somewhat supported by the surprisingly good relations that spring up between Asha’man ad Aes Sedai who have been bonded to each other more or less against their will.
@8 – I won’t disagree with you on the fact that there are some interesting connections that occur with the AS/AM bonds but you have to keep in mind that the AM bond is fundamentally different in how it functions vs the AS/Warder bond. Don’t have my books in front of me but I believe there is a section from Logain or Androl’s POV that confirms this. It’s just another example of how a weave created by a man or a woman may be the “same” but there are still differences in how they work.
Regardless, the theory that #6 posited doesn’t have anything to do with what you refer to. They were musing on the fact that channelers of the opposite sex felt some mild, unsubstantiated attraction due to the fact that they were channelers. The initial AS/AM bonds all came about because the AS were planning to attack the BT and were ambushed by the AM who used their bond as a weapon to neutralize a threat. Not because they were feeling some odd attraction to the AS that they couldn’t put their finger on.
The bonds between AM and AS however questionable their origin turn out to be very important as together they discover how the two sides of the power compliment each other and that together they can do amazing things. The excitement of those discoveries probably have a lot to do with reconciling the reluctant or forced partner to the bond. Certainly that seems to be the case with Androl and Pevara, who also discover an unexpected compatibility.
This makes me so nostalgic. This was easily the best book of the series when it was still brimming with excitement and mystery and potential.
The normal AS warder bond also works differently on a channeler. Alanna can’t compel Rand through the bond because the OP seems to protect him from that.
@13 – You sure that wasn’t Rand’s plot armor preventing her compelling him and not his OP access? lol. I kid. I think that what you just brought up illustrates what I was getting at earlier in that male and female channelers do what they do in different ways and that there are subtle differences in how weaves work between the genders. Two other examples that come to mind are the conversation about how to manage a fire weave between Egwene and Rand in TSR where he casually drops that he just pulls in the heat and she’s aghast since if a woman did it they would be burned. You can also contract that with Rand’s discussion with Elayne(?) later in the series about Traveling in which you find the mean bore a hole from one place to another and the women create a similarity between the two locations. In both cases same results but different methodology. I always viewed the differences in the male initiated bond vs female initiated as an extension of that.
@11 – Those were some of my favorite scenes from the late series. I got the sense that despite how the bond happened initially that was the first real opportunity RJ (and Sanderson I suppose) got the chance to really put on display what the two halves of the Source working together should look like. Pevara and Androl are the first two bonded AS/AM that we get a good look at their internal thoughts for an extended period and once they overcome the initial mistrust you see a genuine joy and harmony in their purpose together. You get hints of that in some of the other AS/AM relationships but never enough internal POVs to really get a sense for it. That to me always seemed the heart of the series in that Jordan was trying to prove that while we (both genders) may have differences if we can set those aside, humanity is always better for it.
I realize that in 2019 the concept of binary gender equations and that Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus stuff seems old-fashioned, possibly close-minded, and probably in some contexts offensive but I like to think that Jordan would have been open minded enough to extend his point to encompass other types of people across the spectrum into his thesis. I certainly choose to interpret it that way.
@14, it’s Egwene who discussed the process of making gates with Rand. Fascinatingly each is deeply disturbed by the other’s way of doing it. To Eggy, drilling a hole sounds like tearing the Pattern. And to Rand creating a similarity seems equally frightening, like trying to warp the Pattern. According to Moghedien the men’s method would end in disaster for a woman, and presumably vice versa.
Our little Moiraine is a MAJOR control freak. Not entirely her fault, she was socialized that way but it is poisoning her relationship with Rand. He wants to trust her, a little direct honesty on her part; ‘Rand, I am on your side. My only goal is to help and support you. Please let me.’ would work wonders but she can’t allow him any agency at all.
@15: That’s ultimately what she ends up doing in the next book, in a move none of the other Aes Sedai would be pragmatic enough to even consider.
@13 it’s not just One Power that allows Rand to avoid Alanna’s pull but the point of him being substantially stronger than her. In TGS, even the male a’dam barely work on Rand. It’s been pointed out that 2 women can only control really strong male channeler for a short period of time before he reverses on them and would be able to if not control then strongly influence them, that’s why the instructions for male a’dam include changing women in controlling bracelets often.
@16, she has to be facing death before she can let herself admit that Rand has to do this himself and all she can really do is try and give him her knowledge and experience as a base to make the choices only he can make. She has to be desperate before she can let go of her need for control. It’s damn sad. Especially considering all the time she wastes at odds with Rand. Though even he admits he bears some fault there too.
It’s not until literally the very end that Rand finally grasps it’s not all about him. That it’s never been his job to save the world all by his lonesome but to lead all those willing and able to fight for it. To let them be heroes while he does the one job he was (re)born to do.
@@.-@ Agreed, Chapters 25 and 26 REALLY need to be read together.
So much confusion with the warder bond and the Lan/Nyn relationship by Sylas. The warder bond is incidental in how most Aes Sedai maintain control of their warders. Yes, the bond can be used to compel but it’d be a disaster waiting to happen if they relied on constantly compelling their warders in order to get them to do their job. Mostly it’s just an interpersonal relationship like any other, and if Lan decided to run off and be with Nyn Moiraine would have to track him down and compel him to come back and then keep on compelling him to keep him with her. There’s no metaphysical power of love in this story.
“A tall woman, though Moiraine admitted she did tend to judge such things by her own height.” I hear ya, Moiraine. I’m 5’0″ so in my view, most post-pubescent people range from “tall” to “extremely tall.”
“[Egwene] was already far less malleable than she should have been for years yet. She needed to be shaped before she was hardened.” *snort* Good luck with that. As Siuan might say, that ship has sailed.
“[Thom] seemed to have a strange reluctance to move against women.” He can join the club, though he’ll have left it by the time he’s casually picking off Black Ajah intruders while composing a ballad.
I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any reluctance on Thom’s part to go after women. Look at Altiema.
Note how Moiraine works to isolate Rand from any source of advice or support other than herself. Several books later we see Cadsuane pursue the same agenda. Both women mean well by Rand but they both feel they need to control him. Moraine at least realizes she’s been wrong.
I found only two errors this time:
“Egwene murmurs […], and replies […]” – Moiraine is the one who replies.
“friend’s” → “friends”
From Stone to stone run the dancers of the spear. ;-)
If channelers hook up with each other more often than random pairing can explain, then I think that’s because they’re more evenly matched that way. Remember what Lan told Nynaeve:
Consciously or subconsciously they believe that a marriage will be strained if the difference in power is too great. Marrying another channeler of similar strength alleviates that problem.
In each of the Aes Sedai/Asha’man pairings they both know from the beginning that the other can channel. Other than Rand’s various girlfriends I can’t think of any cases where there is attraction between channelers before they know that they’re both channelers. There is no evidence that Lan, Gawyn, Thom, Mat, Gareth or Rhuarc would be able to learn to channel.
@Aerona (21):
Oh, Egwene will be shaped yet, though not by Moiraine but more by the Wise Ones.
@18 To be fair, the nearness of death is the sort of thing that would make anyone reconsider their choices. Sometimes, we all need a little kick in the ass in order to make a positive change or shake us out of our apathy.
And you bring up a really interesting point: how much time do the characters waste by refusing to accept what’s right in front of them or by giving into their fears? How better off would the world be if Rand had simply accepted he was the Dragon Reborn and could channel in the second book, rather than throwing endless temper tantrums about how he won’t be used? I felt something similar with the travelling menagerie section in The Fires of Heaven: how much time did Elayne waste on, let’s face it, a major overreaction to seeing Galad? Or how about Perrin’s fear over becoming subsumed by his wolf aspect?
In each instance, it really feels like their fear of something actually does more damage than the supposed threat itself. Rand’s refusal to be an Aes Sedai puppet, for example, leaves him willfully blind to Moraine’s more positive aspects, as well as his own limitations and puts him in further danger. I’m actually reminded of Merrill from Dragon Age II: while her use of blood magic is radical to the point of being taboo, she employs it in a fairly ethical manner and is far too nice to succumb to the same megalomania most blood mages do. Most of the negative consequences come from the people around her making really stupid choices out of fear in response. It all goes back to the theme of trust that’s at the core of the Wheel of Time: the good guys only really start making headway when they set aside pride and put their faith in others, despite their differences.
@23 – Fixed, thanks!
“Rand leads the procession out of the Stone, but he’s enjoying the fact that, despite the fact that he is at the head of the column, he is less remarkable to the Tairen they pass than the long rows of Aiel, or even Moiraine and Lan. No one knows that he is the Dragon Reborn, and he decides to enjoy the feeling for a little while.”
Interesting that Sylas seems to take Rand’s thoughts about ‘surely no-one’ at face value; I always thought Rand was deluding himself here. It’s an interesting contrast against the earlier thoughts of Elayne about how Rand, now, has presence enough to dominate a room even in rags or naked, and that even the High Lords yield to it: Rand doesn’t have — and in fact throughout the whole series never gets — a grasp on how others think of him.
It makes sense that channelers marry each other because of the different lifespans.
Wow… Moiraine comes off looking pretty bad in these chapters.
She’s like a spider, who sees everyone else as a bug to be tangled in her web. And isolating Rand, someone who she knows has a huge burden on his shoulders, just to make him have to rely only on her advice is just terrible.
I guess I forgot about these early troubling aspects of her personality in favor of how amazing she becomes later on. But this part is tough to read.
Just a note about Nynaeve’s recipe following abilities – our idea of recipes as extremely specific lists of tasks and quantities is a fairly recent development, historically speaking. I recently read a book about cod that included a collection of historic recipes, and a lot of them had instructions like “cover with a good amount of milk and simmer not overlong”. It would be quite easy for someone without first hand experience to screw these recipes up. Randland is not exactly in our past, but the culture level does correspond with a time when almost all cooking would have been taught by one-on-one oral tradition. Having missed out on this training, Nynaeve would quite believably be out of her depth trying to make a romantic meal for Lan.
@@@@@ 24 – Yes, Rand might have been better off accepting his destiny right away. On the flip side, he’s been raised to see the Dragon Reborn as basically the worst possible person of the Age. Being told that you’ll destroy the world, not matter what you want… I get why he fights against that. Especially as a yokel fresh out of the sticks, who doesn’t have the perspective or education to really consider what that means (and how “destroy” can be interpreted a lot of different ways).
And as for the “not being used” thing… well, we’re seeing right here in this chapter how right he was, and how badly Moiraine screws this up for the entire Team Light. As Rand later states, he was worried that everything he was doing was at someone else’s behest/manipulation… but why shouldn’t he feel that way? For the entirety of his travels, he’s been reliant on Moiraine for information, for planning, for everything. She’s deliberately created those conditions. And now he has genuine political power in addition the One Power, and he’s learning to wield those independently of Moiraine’s tutelage. And yet she insists on denying him the agency to make those decisions; her attitude can basically be summed up as “you’re a little boy who needs to make sure Mommy approves all your plans.” And knowing Moiraine at this point in the story, do we really believe she’d listen honestly to Rand if he did confide in her?
I’d posit that Rand’s ongoing attitude towards the Aes Sedai in general is both justified, reasonable, and ultimately correct. Even Egwene makes the mistake of thinking she knows what is best for Rand, and therefore, the world. The fact that both she and all the other Aes Sedai are inevitably wrong, not to mention patronizing, is almost beside the point. A huge percentage of White Tower is fighting for the Shadow, there is a massive political breach coming up, and even within each of those two camps there are multiple feuding factions with differing beliefs and agendas. And all of them view Rand as a tool to achieve momentary and relatively meaningless political aims, sometimes to the point where that becomes more important than the eschatological concerns that they should all be focusing on. Contrast that to the Wise Ones and Aiel in general, who accept that Rand is who he is, that just maybe his instincts and decisions are correct and he needs advice, not lectures, and who are concerned with achieving their own agendas within the context of his decisions rather than forcing their priorities to dictate what he does. No… Rand is right to view the Aes Sedai as an essentially inimical faction. And mind you, Moiraine herself reinforces this! All Rand knows is that this woman was unwilling to let him have a shred of independence, even when it was clear he had thorough plans, and was unwilling to admit that perhaps the Dragon Reborn might have a better sense of what the Dragon Reborn should be doing than she did. And the moment she allowed that Rand was an independent actor, she poisons the well for any other Aes Sedai advisors, no matter how well meaning or reasonable.
Part of the problem is the general misandry of Randland cultures. Men are darling, sweet creatures and lovely to snuggle up to at night. But they’re far too emotional and irrational to be trusted with anything really important. A man needs a woman’s cool intelligence to guide him and counter his emotionalism.
@29 Also a wisdom’s work isn’t brewing magical potions like in Harry Potter. It’s administering healing herbs in varying degrees based on the symptoms. Brew some tea from red fennel for an upset stomach. That kind of thing. There’s no recipes involved in being a wisdom, just knowledge of medicines.
@32: Nynaeve’s exchange with Mother Guenna back in TDR suggests otherwise.
Moderators: As @@.-@ and @19 said, Chapters 25 and 26 really should be read together. Could you pass that on to Sylas? (Self-flagging to make sure the Mods see this.)
@@.-@, 19, 34 — We’ve sent your recommendations to Sylas. Thanks!
@33 Huh? No it doesn’t. It’s chapter 48 if you want to go back and check for yourself, but explicitly what they are doing is exactly what I said. They’re dueling in terms of knowledge of which herb or treatment to use for which illness. The answers are always make a tea of this or that thing, ingest this or that thing. There’s no recipes involved, no potions to brew.
sun_tzu @36:
“One part…to ten…” certainly means some parts of the discussion are recipe-like. It may not be as exact as the potion recipes in Harry Potter, but it’s still there.
@29: Ooh, did you read Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky? It was the first book I read when starting college, and it changed my life. :-D
@37 1 part to 10 is a ratio. It just means “dilute this ingredient in water”. This “recipe” is exactly the same as boiling tea. Take x teaspoons of tea per dl of water.
“What Mat has to learn in Rhuidean, I’m not sure.” That really cracked me up.
@39 simple recipes are still recipes. It still a set of instructions on making.
If we started telling each other how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, I’m sure we’ll get multiple answers. I’m sure most would be good, but there are things that can be said, that would tell you about their expertise. Like, “don’t forget to take the cheese out of the wrapper” versus, “to get the best cheese skirt, use a sharp cheddar and romano is a 4:1 ratio”.
To that end, I am example of someone that knows how to cook (some things, not all), but wouldn’t know how to make an herbal tea that didn’t come from a bag. So, it is reasonable that Nynaeve can be a person that knows how to make herbal medicine and can’t cook well. I assume she cooks, not a lot of Burger Kings in Randland.
She cooks but not well. She notes in passing when traveling with the circus that Thom and Juilin tend to eat elsewhere when it’s her turn to cook. When it’s their turn Nynaeve complains it’s all meat and no veg. Elayne however is a really good cook. Possibly from hanging around the royal kitchens as a child.
@43 – that’s always bugged the hell out of me. Nynaeve should be at least a passable cook since she’s presumably been cooking for herself for a decade or so. But there’s no reason that Elayne should be able to cook at all – I am extremely skeptical that her education would have included any cooking at all. They have servants for that in the palace.
Thom & Juilin should be decent cooks as well, both having been bachelors for most of their adult lives. That complaint is just more of Jordan’s Mars/Venus thing that the entire series is filled with though.
@44 Not everyone that cooks regularly becomes a good cook. Even today when recipes and cooking tips are available at the click of a button. If someone is content making the same things over and over and doesn’t want to put the time and effort into trying to improve it, they don’t improve.
It strikes me as very true to her character that Nynaeve viewed learning to improve her cooking as a waste of her time. Alternatively, she could very easily see asking others for advice on her cooking as a sign of weakness when she’s trying so hard to be seen as capable and living up to the ideal of a Wisdom she has in her head.
No article today?
Hey everyone, there won’t be a new post today, but the series will continue next week with chapters 23 and 24!
30. andrewrm – Well said. Could not have put it better myself. Moiraine, though my favorite Aes Sedai in the series, is taking too much on herself, thinking of herself carrying to world’s burdens. This despite her frequent protestations in the earlier books about ‘The Wheel weaves as the Wheel weaves’ and such, she can’t realize that it is ultimately the Pattern that is deciding things, not her. She needs to work with Rand, rather than control him. While Rand is certainly not infallible, he needs his agency to be The Dragon Reborn.
At least she eventually realizes this and comes to terms with it, which is much more than I can say about virtually every other Aes Sedai in the series.
Also, I think Silas is mistaking what the Warder Bond is about, as Moiraine is talking more about duty, focus and emotional bonds with Lan that are weakening: he is no longer quite as unified in purpose and direction as her due to other priorities and focuses.
Today people can no longer cook because you can buy food that you just have to heat in the microwave. I doubt that is available in the Two Rivers. Ny probably isn’t a good cook because her mother died when she was young and as Wisdom she didn’t want to admit that she needs help with anything.
@42 & others re: cooking & recipes:
Michael Ruhlman uses a very similar example in his book as an intro to cooking and why it’s a lot more than simply following recipes. He asks the reader to imagine how they would write a recipe for making good buttered toast. There are surprisingly many relevant variables that go into it. Even in modern times, cooking well requires experience and some level of conceptual understanding.
Long way of saying it’s 100% reasonable for Nynaeve to be bad at cooking.
30. andrewrm
True, but don’t worry. In a few books Cadsuane will show up to fix Moiraine’s mess.
:D :D :D
So did this die off or what? Almost 2 weeks since the last update and I can’t figure out how to ask in any general way
@@@@@ 54
I believe there was a break last week because Sylas was encouraged to include an additional chapter – so instead of 3, there will be 4 in this recap. That, plus the super heavy content of these chapters, means it probably took longer for Sylas to do the recap. But I expect there will be a post tomorrow.
@55: Thanks!
Hi all– There will be no new post this week, but we’re definitely planning to pick up with Chapter #23 as soon as possible. Watch this space for updates, and thanks for your patience and understanding in the meantime!
As Wisdom of a relatively rural area like Emonds Field, Nynaeve was probably often paid with food/meals and the like and probably did not cook much herself if at all as she is basically the only doctor for a wide area and likely has to make housecalls a lot.
I hope everything is ok with Sylas.
-AndrewHB
Hope Sylas is not ill! But, if so, Get well soon!!
Hope Sylas is ok.
We miss you, Sylas! Be well-
:)
Hope all is well and that you’re just enjoying all the meaty chapters!
Miss this! Hopefully all is good :)
any update on when / if we can expect a new post in this series?
I just hope the moderator message a few comments back doesn’t mean we lost Sylas in the series follow up. I like to read his opinions and how close and accurate he can be with his guesses so many times.
D’Oh, missed the mod post a few above mine.
Hope all is well with Sylas!
Someone assure me that Sylas hasn’t given up, please.
Sylas’ spouse had brain surgery recently. (See the Doctor Who post). That’s a pretty solid excuse.
Ah, did not read the Doctor Who post. That is a perfect excuse.
Best wishes for Sylas’s spouse!
@69, Oh my God, yes! Much more important than a re-read! Though I can say from personal experience that WOT can get you through some pretty grisly waiting room waits.
@72
Or waits while getting your car worked on. Let’s say that the overall length of these books has paid off more than once while stuck in purgatory in the repair shop, wondering if they’re actually working on your vehicle or if they’re just doing their own thing because just looking at this or that shouldn’t be taking that long, should it?!?!?
Get well soon Spouse of Sylas!
@73, Not just the length, the story is sufficiently distracting to take your mind off the scan or test you’re waiting for.
Not that I feel Sylas has to do one thing or another, but I have really vivid memories of reading one of the climactic Shadow Rising sequences (Rand’s trip through the Wayback machine) while in the hospital visiting my sister who’d been bitten by a dog as we hung around the room/waited.
I hope everything comes out okay! Brain surgery of any sort is no joke. Best wishes for you & Emmet, Sylas.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Sylas’s family!!
We will be here when you’re ready to start back up!!