Welcome back friends! It’s time for Chapters 7 and 8 of Lord of Chaos, in which we have a gratuitous nightmare scene, a lot of detective work, and Nynaeve complaining about everything. Also, Elayne is really starting to come into her own as a character, I think, despite the fact that the narration is spending a lot of time on her yearning to bond Rand.
Chapter Seven opens with Elayne getting ready for bed. She considers the small, run-down room she and Nynaeve share, with its few amenities.
No complaining, she told herself firmly. Aes Sedai lived a little better, novices and servants a little worse, and Gareth Bryne’s soldiers slept on the ground most often. What can’t be changed must be endured. Lini used to say that all the time. Well, Salidar held small enough comfort, and no luxury. And no coolness, either.
Elayne reminds Nynaeve that they don’t want to keep the Aes Sedai waiting for them, and each of them takes up a small stone ring. They are copies Elayne has made of the original ter’angreal, though they don’t work quite as well. She ponders all the questions she has about how the rings work, and why they must look a certain way, then they both drink some herbs to help them sleep. As they drift off, they worry about Egwene and wish they could be allowed to go with the Aes Sedai to meet the Wise Ones.
Elayne finds herself in the Dream Salidar, beside Nynaeve, Siuan, and Leane. Siuan looks more solid than the others because she is using the original ring. Siuan grumbles about having to wait, then Sheriam and the rest of the council come walking up the street, probably having dreamt themselves into their own beds first. Elayne is pleased that all the women look the same level of misty—she can’t tell which are using the original disc ter’angreal and which are using the copies she made.
The Aes Sedai are discussing whether or not other sisters will scorn their “choice,” and whether they need concern themselves with the opinions of other rulers. They cut off conversation abruptly as they reach Elayne and the others. Some of the Aes Sedai fuss over Siuan and Leane’s continued rivalry, and Elayne deduces Myrelle is in a bad mood in anticipation of the meeting with the Wise Ones.
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Gera, one of the cooks, appears suddenly in their midst, dreaming herself as an Aes Sedai. Nynaeve reassures the Aes Sedai that the woman won’t remember having seen them, or at least will only remember it as a dream, but she’s visibly annoyed at having to explain something she has already told the Aes Sedai. This gets worse when she starts lecturing the Aes Sedai on all the other things they need to remember; Elayne agrees that the women do unfortunately need to be reminded, but she has to step in and deflect from Nynaeve’s attitude. She manages to get everyone back on track, and they all travel to Elaida’s study together. Leane immediately excuses herself to go attend to her eyes-and-ears network in Tar Valon.
Sheriam sends Nynaeve after her, forestalling Nynaeve’s attempt to explain that there is no way for her to know where Leane has gone. Suddenly Elaida appears behind her desk, declaring that her Foretelling has come true, and that the Tower will be united under her. She demands that they all kneel, then disappears again. Elayne tells the Aes Sedai that Elaida was just dreaming, but everyone is nervous about the possibility of Elaida having actually had a Foretelling.
Carlinya and Anaiya go out to look through Alviarin’s things, while the other Aes Sedai go to the little box that contains Elaida’s papers and begin going through them. They learn that Elaida has sent emissaries to some of the nation’s rulers, that Elaida still has an arrest warrant out on Moiraine, and that the Accepted Shemerin (once a full Yellow sister) has run away. Elayne and Nynaeve have already told Sheriam that Elaida reduced Shemerin to Accepted, but no one believed them, since such a thing goes against Tower Law.
With nothing to do but wait until the Aes Sedai might want to ask her a question, Elayne creates a stool for herself. Once there had been a semi-circle of stools in this room, but the number reduced over time until there were none. Elayne suspects Siuan knows the significance of this, but she hasn’t shared it.
There were reports of strange occurrences in Illian and Cairhien—there might have been others, but those were the ones they saw—villages taken by madness, nightmares walking in daylight, two-headed calves that talked, Shadowspawn appearing out of thin air.
The Aes Sedai dismiss these rumors as hysteria brought on by the knowledge that the Dragon Reborn has been discovered, but Elayne isn’t so sure. There is also a missive dictating that Elayne should be found and brought to the White Tower at all costs, referring to the ruling house of Andor as “the key.” Finally, they learn of Elaida’s intent to brand those Aes Sedai who refuse to return the Tower as traitors, which would confirm for the world that the Tower has indeed split; Elaida must either be panicked or angry beyond reason to consider such a thing. Elayne is struck by the thought that the forces in Salidar and in the Tower are equal in number. Finally, they discover that Elaida has sent emissaries to Rand to offer him the Tower’s support, which shocks everyone. Elayne is shocked herself when the Aes Sedai consider that Rand might be interested in the offer, and can’t stop herself from telling them off, insisting that Rand would never be so foolish as to trust Elaida.
She’s interrupted by the sounds of screaming, and everyone rushes out into the anteroom, which is empty, and then out into the hallway beyond, where they find part of the hallway transformed into a cavern full of Trollocs, even larger than life, with cook pots and weapons. Elayne realizes at once that this is someone’s nightmare that has taken hold in Tel’aran’rhiod, but none of the Aes Sedai seem to remember the explanation on such things. Carlinya is already caught in the dream, and as Anaiya and Morvrin touch the boundary where hall becomes cavern they are pulled in. The other Aes Sedai link, but channeling produces the same effect, pulling them all into the midst of the nightmare.
Elayne instructs Siuan not to accept the nightmare as real, and to instead imagine the corridor as it should be. But they quickly realize that the two of them aren’t enough, and that they need the others to help dispel the nightmare. Elayne tells Siuan that they need the others. Siuan thinks for a moment that she means Nynaeve and Leane, then realizes that isn’t what Elayne was suggesting at all.
“I don’t think they can hear us from here, or see us. Those Trollocs haven’t even glanced our way. That means we have to try from inside.” Elayne nodded again. “Girl,” Siuan said in a toneless voice, “you have a lion’s courage, and maybe a fisherbird’s sense.” With a heavy sigh, she added, “But I don’t see any other way myself.”
Elayne is terrified, but the two step forward anyway, and are drawn into the nightmare. Elayne finds herself bound, and a huge Trolloc begins cutting her clothes away with a knife. Siuan calls out to the others to imagine the corridor, and Elayne joins in, desperately begging each of the Aes Sedai by name to hold the image in their minds, telling them they can defeat the nightmare. The Trolloc puts a knife to Elayne’s throat and is just about to slice it open when suddenly they are back in the hallway, the nightmare nowhere to be seen except in the evidence of their injuries. Elayne only has a small nick on her throat and Siuan is bruised but otherwise okay, while some of the others are much worse off, especially Sheriam and Anaiya.
Morvrin takes control, suggesting they all leave Tel’aran’rhiod so that they can receive healing in the real world. Siuan asks to stay for a while and is granted permission, but Elayne has no such luck.
Still, Elayne knows that she will have a little time before anyone comes to check on her, since the Aes Sedai need more attention. She travels to the throne room in Caemlyn, where she finds a big throne made of Dragons in the place where her mother’s throne should be, while the Lion Throne has been set behind it on a pedestal. She wonders aloud what Rand is doing, and is worried that, despite his success with the Tairen and the Cairhienin, he might be “bungling things” with Elayne’s people. Wishing she could be with him, she resolves once again that she will bond him as her Warder.
When she is gone, Demandred steps out from behind the columns, wishing he knew what was going on in Elayne’s head. She at least seems to disapprove of Rand’s actions and to intend to do something about it.
A determined young woman, he suspected. In any case, another thread in the tangle yanked, however feeble the pull turned out to be.
“Let the Lord of Chaos rule,” he told the thrones—though he still wished he knew why it had to be so—and opened a gateway to leave Tel’aran’rhiod.
Nynaeve wakes in a bad mood, having spent all night searching in vain for Leane, only to later learn what happened to the Aes Sedai caught in the nightmare. She is also irked because she has the feeling of bad weather coming and yet there isn’t a cloud in the sky—her ability to listen to the Wind seems to have gone askew ever since she left the Two Rivers.
She asks Elayne about the experience with the Trolloc nightmare, and reflects to herself how irritating it is that Elayne never takes credit for her bravery. She mentions to Elayne that she thought she saw Rand in the Dream; Elayne complains that she worries about Rand all the time and that he probably doesn’t spend any of his time worrying about her. Nynaeve agrees, and muses privately that Lan probably doesn’t think of her half as often as she thinks of him.
Elayne has to hurry off to teach her first novice class, which leaves Nynaeve to go find Moghedien. Unfortunately, Moghedien has been put to work doing laundry and can’t be spared, so Nynaeve is left at loose ends. She gets some breakfast and walks through the streets, crowded with soldiers and children and novices hurrying on errands. she fumes about the night before, and about Moghedien, and about Lan. She sees Myrelle coming down the street, and, not wanting to attract the notice of any Aes Sedai who might want to give her a task, Nynaeve slips into a nearby building, only to find that it is already occupied. A blue sister, Lelaine, is standing with Logain, who is telling three Altaran nobles about how he was recruited by the Red Ajah, including Elaida, to act as a False Dragon. He claims that they helped him avoid other Aes Sedai for a full year, and sent information to aid him in battle.
“Javindhra sent me word when more Aes Sedai came,” Logain said, “the ones hunting me, and where they would be, so I could come on them before they knew.” Lelaine’s serene, ageless features hardened for a moment, and Burin’s hand drifted toward his sword hilt. Sisters had died before Logain was captured. Logain did not seem to notice their reactions. “The Red Ajah never played me false until they betrayed me in the end.”
Nynaeve knows that this isn’t the first such audience to be held, and she can understand the shock on the nobles’ faces. They ask after the rest of Logain’s followers, and the danger they pose, but Lelaine assures them that Logain has no more desire for glory, only to make restitution, and that his followers would hardly come to rescue him after seeing him dragged off to Tar Valon in chains to be gentled.
Just then Lelaine catches sight of Nynaeve, who quickly apologizes and runs off. Outside she finds Siuan and Gareth Bryne in a heated argument. She joins Siuan after Bryne leaves, and begins to hound Siuan about having another chance to study her. Siuan finally agrees to meet with Nynaeve in the afternoon. Leane shows up and tells Siuan that she couldn’t convince the Aes Sedai to let Siuan meet with the Wise Ones that night. The two stalk off in opposite directions, and Nynaeve finds herself approached by Lelaine, who remarks that, even though they are not what they once were, Leane and Siuan could find at least a little decorum. Lelaine asks why Nynaeve came into the room while she was showing Logain, and Nynaeve apologizes for the accident.
But Lelaine is more interested in asking what Nynaeve thinks Rand will do, and asking if she knows where Egwene is. She also mentions Perrin and Mat, and the fact that they are both ta’veren.
“Then there is you, with your extraordinary discoveries despite your limitations. Wherever Egwene is, does she also venture where none of us have gone? All of you have occasioned a good deal of discussion among the sisters, as you may imagine.”
She tells Nynaeve that they indulge her too much, letting her study Leane and Siuan, and that it would be better to put her in Theodrin’s charge so that she can work on overcoming her block. She tells Nynaeve that it’s best not to give the women false hope and allow them to be happy with who they are, but Nynaeve catches contempt in her voice; Aes Sedai see all others as beneath them, even those who were once of their number. It probably doesn’t help that some of the Aes Sedai also blame Siuan for their current predicament.
She continues moving through the streets, waiting for Moghedien to be released from the laundry. At some point she begins toying with the idea of leaving Salidar. When she stops to watch Elayne’s novice class, she is joined by Theodrin, a woman who has been raised to something above Accepted but who has not yet been made full Aes Sedai, since she can’t go through the Trials. She is friendly, despite Nynaeve’s curtness, and the two discuss their respective “tricks” that they learned as wilders first able to channel, and how Theodrin eventually broke through hers.
She points out that Nynaeve has been avoiding her, and says that she can accept trying and failing, but that she can’t accept not trying at all. She tells Nynaeve that they will work together every day, starting tomorrow.
Nynaeve returns to her room and sulks until Moghedien shows up, ranting about her hands being ruined doing laundry. Nynaeve puts her to work trying to teach Nynaeve how to detect a man’s channeling. It’s a very difficult weave, and even harder to learn when Moghedien can’t channel without Nynaeve guiding her through the bracelet. Soon they both have headaches, but Nynaeve persists, angry enough to channel on her own as her thoughts flit from subject to subject.
Elayne briefly terrifies both of them by bursting into the room without knocking or announcing herself, bringing news that an emissary from Elaida has arrived. Nynaeve dismisses Moghedien, and the two wonder what the message might be and whether or not Sheriam and the others would consider reconciling with Elaida.
Nynaeve rubbed her arms irritably. She had no answers, only hopes, and her weather sense told her that that hailstorm that was not there was beating the roofs of Salidar like drums. The feeling went on for days.
The theme of fear, and the stubbornness and avoidance that it can breed in people, is really strong in these chapters.
Nynaeve continues to be an absolutely fascinating character, both incredibly frustrating to watch as well as extremely relatable. She has made some steps in understanding herself better in the last several books, and for all her rants in this section I think she’s actually become a much more patient, and even a more reasonable, person. But she is still unable to face her fear of trying to break through her block, and I really, really understand why. While talking to Theodrin, she reflects that it’s disheartening to try and try and try and still fail, and that is certainly true. But failure can have different meanings in different contexts, and I think in this situation the problem is too personal, and that failure in this will feel too much like a reflection on herself as a person.
Failing to break her block is different from failing to learn a new weave quickly. (We see how she’s not afraid to work at that as she tries to master Moghedien’s weave to detect male channeling.) There is a lot of internalized shame around channeling for Nynaeve—not that long ago she wasn’t even able to accept that she had the ability, and she had a lot of hatred and distrust for the One Power and for the Aes Sedai. Her block was developed to protect her from the danger of being an untrained channeler; it’s overcome by the same emotion she uses to overcome her fear and sadness. It’s useful up to a point, but ultimately the anger is a crutch, and facing the block means facing those feelings that she finds shameful or frightening. The very thing that has given her strength in the short term has robbed her of her strength in the long term.
But the longer you avoid something you are afraid of, the more power it has over you, and so it makes sense that Nynaeve can’t overcome her block very easily. I can’t blame her for telling Theodrin that she wishes her block was as simple as Theodrin’s had been, and neither does Theodrin, I think. And I wonder if Nynaeve will have to fully commit to the idea that she does want to be an Aes Sedai before she can get past the block.
But Nynaeve is not the only one struggling with this—she herself notices a parallel when Theodrin accuses Nynaeve of avoiding her and threatens to send her to Tiana, just as Nynaeve accused and threatened Siuan. And as Lelaine points out, it makes sense for Nynaeve’s study to terrify Siuan. The one time we saw Nynaeve studying Leane and Siuan, Siuan worked very hard to repeat over and over that there was no cure for stilling, that it was all a waste of time. After realizing she was able to feel Moghedien through the bracelet, she all but tore it off her wrist. It’s not hard to imagine how Siuan must feel: She barely survived losing her ability to channel, and has had to cling to her purpose in guiding the Aes Sedai by her fingernails to prevent herself from losing the will to live. How terrifying it would be to get her hopes up, even a little bit, and then have those hopes dashed. It would almost be like losing her connection to the True Source all over again. So she shies away from the chance, even when some evidence is offered that it might be possible. The fear of that second loss is too great, and I can’t blame her.
And then there’s Elaida, who is a mass of fear and anger all the time. She clearly is losing what little hold she had on her position as Amyrlin, and Sheriam and co observe that she must be either panicked or furious. I rather suspect it’s both. I think Elaida is the kind of power-hungry person who doesn’t have a lot of self-esteem to back it up—yes, she thinks she’s better than everyone else and deserves more, but it’s a flimsy and weak confidence that crumbles at the first challenge. Hence her bitter rivalry with Moiraine and Siuan; hence,the way she completely loses her mind when things don’t go her way, or when she doesn’t get the deference she wants from her underlings. And of course, the harder she tries for that, the less respect she’ll get. I suspect the only thing that is undermining Elaida’s authority faster than Elaida herself is the fact that Alviarin is Black Ajah. (I loved Jordan slipping in that detail that Siuan has found evidence of Alviarin countermanding Elaida’s orders.)
Nothing really sums Elaida up better than those red roses on her desk though.
The vase held roses, the number and color changing at every look, but always arranged with a harsh rigidity. Roses, at this time of year, in this weather! The One Power had been wasted to make them grow. Elaida had done the same when she was advisor to Elayne’s mother.
She used the One Power on a frivolous status symbol that means nothing and does no good for anyone, which makes her look foolish in front of other people. What’s more, I remember what she told Elayne about using the One Power to grow the flowers in the Royal Garden at Caemlyn. When Elayne complained that Elaida could use saidar to grow food or otherwise help those who were suffering, Elaida pointed out that they could never help everyone, and that it would be unfair to help some and not others. Using that as justification to help no one but the wealthy is pretty evil, if you ask me.
But the Salidar Aes Sedai have their own problems with fear and facing the truth. Elaida is one of their number, after all; they were all trained the same way and have a lot of the same hang-ups. The Aes Sedai view other people as less than themselves, and part of that superiority is based on knowing so much more about the world than non-channelers. Their pride can’t handle the fact that the Wise Ones (or Nynaeve and Elayne, for that matter) understand Tel’aran’rhiod so much better than they do, because their very sense of identity is built on the idea that such a thing is never true. As a result, they have actually made themselves weaker and less efficient.
It reminds me of the part in New Spring, when Moraine explained to Lan why the Aes Sedai failed to come to the aid of Malkier; they actually tried, but since they couldn’t make it in time, they decided it was better for their image to hide that fact. Choosing to abandon an ally for mysterious Aes Sedai reasons kept up the mystique of Aes Sedai strength and near omnipotence, which is everything to them and who they are. In the same way, the test to become an Aes Sedai is as much about maintaining a perfect outward composure as it is about being able to do all the prescribed weaves in the manner and time frame allotted.
And just like Nynaeve’s anger, the Aes Sedai mystique and haughtiness is helpful right up until it really isn’t. I think the division of the Tower and the upheaval in the world order that Rand is creating is really showing the truth of this problem. The old world in which the Aes Sedai built this identity is evaporating, and they aren’t flexible enough to adapt.
Their actions in Tel’aran’rhiod are a perfect example of this. They don’t want to listen to Elayne and Nynaeve, who are students and meant to be instructed, not to instruct. And they would rather decide for themselves what the rules of the Dream should be than accept the idea that it might operate very differently from the natural world they consider themselves to know better than anyone else. I thought it didn’t really make sense that their clothes keep changing with their moods—a disciplined mind is the one thing they should all already be prepared for—but I suppose you can put it down to the same problem. They do have the mental discipline to control their self-image in the Dream, but they haven’t yet accepted the rules that require it, just as they, for some reason, don’t seem to understand that they don’t have to dream themselves into their own beds before appearing elsewhere in Salidar.
And of course they can’t accept that the Wise Ones might know things that they don’t, or even just that other people have a right to their own relationship with the Dream World and with the One Power, different from what the Aes Sedai prescribe. And although I can imagine that being startled by the sudden appearance of a Trolloc encampment in their midst might make it pretty hard to keep your head, once again they are acting on what they know and what has worked in the past, rather than considering the newness of their situation.
I think that’s one of the things that makes Elayne such a great character. She is flexible and has a strong sense of self that exists in her core, rather than on the surface. Nynaeve is irked that Elayne doesn’t acknowledge or take credit for her own bravery, which is funny because Nynaeve, for all her bluster, doesn’t do so either—not about the actually impressive things that she does, anyway. But I think Nynaeve is aware of Elayne’s strong sense of self confidence, and that is the thing that she finds so infuriating. She wants Elayne to seem a little more insecure, to need more validation, the way Nynaeve herself does.
Elayne’s compassion is also a great strength of hers. Nynaeve has that as well, but it can often be conditional with her—if she is threatened or just annoyed by someone that tends to overwhelm her other instincts. But we see Elayne in this chapter with her rescued bird, and her continued, dogged protection of Nynaeve against the repercussions of her own actions and attitude. Elayne worries a little that it shows less strength of character that she accepts the conditions of being Accepted so much more readily than Nynaeve, but I really think it’s just practicality. Elayne doesn’t like taking orders, or being made to wait on the Aes Sedai, or to be treated like a pupil when she knows more than Sheriam and the rest. But she also knows how to be flexible, and how to be patient.
Siuan lately has been an interesting mix of the two. Where Elayne is mostly reasonable and Nynaeve is mostly unreasonable, Siuan is endlessly patient in pursuit of her goals with the Aes Sedai, but easily riled by Nynaeve or by Gareth Bryne. Not that I blame her for that one. Bryne is being a nightmare, and while it’s understandable and even fair that he wants to see Siuan stick to her oath, he should at least take into account the circumstances under which she swore it. Also, given his power over her it seems pretty circumspect to try to push a friendship—just give your orders and let it go, sir. The woman has enough on her plate without you wanting her to be happy because you said she did a good job washing your clothes.
And Siuan is very aware of how tenuous her position is, too. After all, Sheriam and the others could decide at any moment that they’d rather have an actual Aes Sedai doing her job, or they could discover something about her true plans. She and Leane have got to be just as on edge about being found out as Nynaeve is about the Aes Sedai learning the truth about Moghedien.
And then there’s the whole Logain plot! I forgot that nobody except Leane, Siuan, and Min know that the story about the Red Ajah being behind his time as the Dragon Reborn was something Siuan made up, and was thinking that Nynaeve and Elayne knew as well. But they don’t, and of course none of the other Aes Sedai do. It makes the story so much more plausible, of course, the more people who believe it to be true, but I’m confused that Lelaine claimed that Logain’s story was “confirmed… by one who cannot lie.” Who can she mean? Have the Aes Sedai not figured out yet that Leane and Siuan have been freed from the Three Oaths? That seems… wild. And yet it would go a long way in explaining how nobody has thought to question their constant show of bitter animosity.
This section also raised a lot of questions for me about Tel’aran’rhiod. The amount of time the Forsaken spend there in the flesh seems to contradict the Wise One’s claim about how dangerous it is to go there in real life, and when Nynaeve and Moghedien faced Rahvin to help Rand, Moghedien was terrified when she realized that Rahvin was there in the flesh. Perhaps the greater danger is offset by the greater ability to wield the One Power, at least in strong channelers? Or perhaps it is as risky as the Wise Ones claim, but the Forsaken prefer it because they don’t want to risk entering while asleep, lest they leave themselves open to having someone penetrate into their minds. Nynaeve speculates that the shields Rand puts around his dreams would prevent him from entering Tel’aran’rhiod while asleep, and it would make sense to me if the case was the same with many of the Forsaken. They are a suspicious bunch, after all, and with good reason.
Either way, these questions reminded me that I have been accepting the Wise Ones’ rulings on the Dream World as 100% true and accurate, which might not be the case. The Aes Sedai really need to be less skeptical of them, but I imagine I could stand to be a little bit more. Also, Demandred’s observations that Elayne must be using a training ter’angreal reminded me that one doesn’t necessarily have to be a channeler to be a dreamwalker. I believe we’ve actually heard of other Wise Ones who were dreamwalkers but not channelers, but I forgot about that. I wonder if it was common to train non-channelers to enter the World of Dreams, back in the Age of Legends, since there are ter’angreal that can be used without the One Power.
Oh right, that’s another reason the Wise Ones (for all the Aiel rigidity) are still more adaptable than the Aes Sedai. They are a group made up of both channelers and non-channelers.
Finally, I’m intrigued by the problems with Nynaeve’s weather sense. They actually pulled from this in the TV show; when Nynaeve and Egwene are in Fal Dara, Nynaeve admits that she hasn’t been able to listen to the wind since she left home, though Egwene still can. Now I am wondering what this means, if there’s some significance or forewarning in the faltering of Nynaeve’s abilities. Is it a reflection of her inner turmoil in some way, her struggle to let go of being Wisdom of the Two Rivers and accept becoming Aes Sedai? Or is it the fact that the weather is unnatural that is causing the problem? Is Nynaeve connecting to the Pattern and what it should be dictating, while the Dark One’s influence overwrites hail and turns it into summer heat? It’s an interesting question.
Next week we have to read about Pedron Niall again (gross) and then we’ll catch up with Rand again, as we tackle Chapters 9 and 10. In the meantime, I leave you with my final thoughts.
- I really like Morvrin and Beonin and their intense practicality. The bit about Beonin wanting proof that the sun had come up every morning was particularly enjoyable. Lelaine, on the other hand, makes me nervous. I would not really be shocked if she turned out to be Black Ajah.
- We learn about all the rumors surrounding Morgase in this chapter, including that Perrin’s activities in the Two Rivers are being attributed to her.
- The “bubbles of evil” are hard at work. It really doesn’t increase my appreciation of the Salidar Aes Sedai when I know things they don’t. It’s hard to cut them any slack.
- I can see how what Rand did with the Lion Throne would look suspicious if you didn’t know what he had proclaimed about holding it for Elayne. He may be acting as, and considering himself, a steward of Andor in her absence, but that Dragon throne isn’t exactly going to send that kind of message. I doubt it was his idea, in any case.
Sylas K Barrett really enjoyed the first season of The Wheel of Time TV show, and has been thinking this week that the show writers used Leane and Siuan’s fake animosity to build the pretend enmity that Siuan and Moiraine practice in the show. It’s a nice touch.
