Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Reread Redux? Not by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!
Today’s Redux post will cover Chapters 14 and 15 of The Great Hunt, originally reread in this post.
All original posts are listed in The Wheel of Time Reread Index here, and all Redux posts will also be archived there as well. (The Wheel of Time Master Index, as always, is here, which has links to news, reviews, interviews, and all manner of information about the Wheel of Time in general on Tor.com.)
The Wheel of Time Reread is also available as an e-book series! Yay!
All Reread Redux posts will contain spoilers for the entire Wheel of Time series, so if you haven’t read, read at your own risk.
And now, the post!
Chapter 14: Wolf Brother
Redux Commentary
“These wolves,” Ingtar said, “they will track the Darkfriends and Trollocs for us?” Perrin nodded. “Good. I will have the Horn, whatever it takes.” The Shienaran glanced around at Uno and the others still searching for tracks. “Better not to tell anyone else, though. Wolves are considered good luck in the Borderlands. Trollocs fear them. But still, better to keep this between us for the time. Some of them might not understand.”
There is absolutely no way I haven’t talked already at some point about WOT’s treatment of its wolves, and how it is part of an ongoing dichotomy in the fantasy genre of how wolves are portrayed, but it’s worth mentioning again. Mostly because I continue to be fascinated with how polarizing wolves are on whether people think they are good or bad—and this argument extends beyond fictional portrayals to real life as well.
One (possibly imaginary) pattern I have noticed when it comes to fictional wolves, though, is that it tends to be in literature or stories aimed at children that wolves have gotten the worst rap. In Narnia the wolves aligned with the White Witch, for example, and wolves have been a sort of catch-all threat/danger in pretty much every Disney film they appear in. (The Jungle Book is an exception, but Akela’s involvement in the Disney version is minimal compared to Kipling’s original.) And many Disney films, of course, are based on fairy tales, which also regularly featured characters like the Big Bad Wolf, which, well, there you go.
It seems to be only when you get to books/stories aimed at older audiences that wolves receive kinder or at least more nuanced treatment. I still remember the first time I read the Belgariad as a kid, and how surprised I was that wolves were considered good creatures in them. And then I read Jack London’s books (which, okay, are technically not fantasy, but whatever, I totally read them that way), and, much later, the Iskryne series and WOT itself, all of which portray wolves as not inherently evil at all, and much more forces for good than they are anything else. (George R. R. Martin’s direwolves are of course much more ambiguous on the good/bad scale, at least so far, but nothing in that series is unambiguously good or evil, so that’s hardly a shocker.)
What do y’all think? If you have examples that either support or discredit my “wolves in kids’ stories are the bad ones” theory I’d love to hear about them.
“Moiraine Sedai sent me, Lord Ingtar,” Verin announced with a satisfied smile. “She thought you might need me.”
Lord, when I remember the amount of 1s and 0s used up in arguing over this quote back in the day… Heh. And I’m just going to go ahead and quote myself from the original commentary, since it is also hilarious:
…as of Crossroads of Twilight I had personally concluded that Verin was not Black Ajah, but had long ago untaken the First Oath on the Oath Rod so that she could lie with impunity to those who might be Black Ajah. In other words, she’s sneaky but not evil.
Man I was so close to being right! So close, and yet so far away. It seems so blindingly obvious in retrospect what the right answer is, and yet I, at least, never quite hit upon it. But I feel better knowing that, while I’m sure someone out there correctly deduced that Verin was a Black Ajah double agent before her death scene in TGS, it was definitely not even remotely a popular theory, otherwise I would have heard of it while maintaining the WOTFAQ. And I never did. So there. Thbbt.
“I can have two men escort you back to where they disappeared, Verin Sedai. They will have no trouble taking you right to it.”
“No. If you say they vanished without a trace…” For a long moment she studied Ingtar, her face unreadable. “I will ride with you. Perhaps we will find them again, or they will find us. Talk to me as we ride, Lord Ingtar. Tell me everything you can about the young man. Everything he did, everything he said.”
Obviously Verin’s main interest here is (understandably) in Rand’s whereabouts, but in light of what we now know about her, I can’t help but also wonder whether she knew (or could tell, somehow) that Ingtar was also a Darkfriend.
Not that it really matters, I suppose, but it’s a thought that occurred to me, so.
Chapter 15: Kinslayer
Redux Commentary
Huh. Apparently I… did not have a lot to say about this chapter, originally. I still don’t know what’s up with the jet contrails in the sky, though.
In its own way, the rest of the land lay as dead as the burns, though grass covered the ground and leaves covered the trees. Everything had that faded look, like clothes too often washed and too long left in the sun. There were no birds or animals, not that Rand saw or heard. No hawk wheeling in the sky, no bark of a hunting fox, no bird singing. Nothing rustled in the grass or lit on a tree branch. No bees, or butterflies. Several times they crossed streams, the water shallow, though often it had dug itself a deep gulley with steep banks the horses had to scramble down and climb on the other side. The water ran clear except for the mud the horses’ hooves stirred, but never a minnow or tadpole wriggled out of the roiling, not even a waterspider dancing across the surface, or a hovering lacewing.
It’s not immediately obvious, maybe, but if you try actually visualizing the landscape Jordan is describing, you soon realize that it is in fact intensely creepy. It would be unnerving in the same way everything is unnerving right before a thunderstorm, when the lowering pressure alerts the local fauna to batten down the hatches and hunker down to ride out what’s coming. It’s designed to be unnerving, because total silence from nature is a sign that something is deeply wrong, and even humans far detached from it recognize that signal, subliminally if in no other way.
Loial ran his big hands along the trunk, singing, caressing with his voice as well as his fingers. The trunk now seemed smoother, somehow, as if his stroking were shaping it. Rand blinked. He was sure the piece Loial worked on had had branches at its top just like the others, but now it stopped in a rounded end right above the Ogier’s head. Rand opened his mouth, but the song quieted him. It seemed so familiar, that song, as if he should know it.
Did anyone ever bother to tell the Tinkers before the end of the series that “the Song” was known by the Ogier all along? If so, I can’t remember it.
“There’s nothing here to hurt us,” he said firmly. “And we’ll keep a good watch and make sure nothing does.”
He wanted to laugh at himself, sounding so certain. He was not certain about anything. But watching the others—Loial with his tufted ears drooping, and Hurin trying not to look at anything—he knew one of them had to seem to be sure, at least, or fear and uncertainty would break them all apart. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. He squeezed that thought out. Nothing to do with the Wheel. Nothing to with ta’veren, or Aes Sedai, or the Dragon. It’s just the way it is, that’s all.
One thing I really did (do) like about the Lordening of the Superboys in WOT is that part of it is Moiraine’s doing, and part of it is ta’veren influence, and part of it is wacky misunderstandings, but Jordan definitely aims for the larger, deeper part of it to be simply that Rand and Perrin (and, eventually, Mat) all instinctively behave the way nobility is supposed to, in the idealized, romanticized sense of Arthurian legend.
They end up nobles because they are inherently noble, not in the sense of being supercilious or feeling entitled (pun intended), but in their character: they automatically move to protect and provide for their own, not in a grab for power but simply because it is the right thing to do, and thereby earn the loyalty of their followers which is part and parcel of that (idealized) social contract. Whether they want it or not, as it turns out.
In other news, so I’m assuming Ishy is visiting Rand in a dreamshard again? Or I guess there’s no reason why he can’t physically be there, but it seems like a lot more work even with Traveling.
I think I was initially sort of puzzled why Ba’alzamon just basically yells at Rand here again instead of trying to kill him, if he really could get to him so easily, but then of course it transpires that Ishy wants to turn Rand to the Dark Side much more than he wants to kill him. Or at least, the Dark One wants that, so Ishy is following suit—however much it may stick in his craw, ha.
I do wonder whether beginning the stigma-tizing (heh) of Rand with the heron brand here was deliberate on Ishy’s part, or if it was an accidental result of his showing Rand that yeah, I can totally kill you whenever I want, TREMBLE, WORM, etc.
[Ba’alzamon:] “Oh, I know the name you use now, Lews Therin. I know every name you have used through Age after Age, long before you were even the Kinslayer.”
Except for how you didn’t know his name through most of the entire first book, but okay, sure, you’re totes omnipotent and godlike and stuff. Burns and all. Really.
“You find odd followers,” Ba’alzamon mused. “You always did. These two. The girl who tries to watch over you. A poor guardian and weak, Kinslayer. If she had a lifetime to grow, she would never grow strong enough for you to hide behind.”
Also wrong, as it turns out. *sniffle*
And that’s all for now, peoples! Have a week, and try not to die of heatstroke if your weather is anything remotely like mine, and I’ll see you next Tuesday!
Farley Mowatt FTW! The mouse eating scene in Never Cry Wolf is one of my favorites scenes from one of my most favorite family friendly movies ever. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Yes, the contrails. Still have no idea. I do have this image of them consisting of Lanfear sailing through the sky on a broom trailing smoke and writing Surrender Rand!”
The Tinkers know about Ogier singing, even Tree-singing. But those are not the Song, as that is a legend created by some break-away Aiel who remembered some smattering of a story about how people used to come watch the Daishain Aiel sing (i.e. seed singing). So, Ogier Tree-Singing is NOT the Song. The closest we ever see to that would Rand singing to grow plants in AMOL…
I thought Brandon Sanderson said the Song didn’t exist (although I can’t remember if that was directly from Jordan’s notes or not).
I love odd followers. I think that is a trope I find particularly satisfying…a ragtag band of simply/easily overlooked people doing awesome things. Kind of LotR-ish, actually.
@1 – haha, I can’t unsee that now.
Isn’t what the Ogier do seed singing? just in a different application. When Mat hears Rand he has the same reaction.
I’m going to guess that wolves being evil and scary in children’s books is probably in the vein of “teaching”. Wolves are not dogs. They are not friendly and could eat you. So if you’re out wandering in the wilderness, avoid them.
Later, when kids are old enough to be able to figure out the differences between “could eat me, stay away” and “can be dangerous, use caution”, then the depictions can change.
Also, small kids are more likely to be prey to animals like wolves, as they’re easier to target (smaller) and less able to defend themselves, so they need to be warned not to go running up to the fuzzy thing yelling “KITTY!” ;)
Sanderson answered that question on the TorChat, and it’s right here on this website:
“Rand doesn’t know the Song and the Tinkers wouldn’t accept anything he taught them anyhow.
Robert Jordan specifically noted that the Tinkers would not find their Song by the end of the series and that the Ogier song of growing is not the Tinkers’ Song. The Song is “a much more deep and philosophical concept, perhaps unattainable.”
regarding the wolf thing…
to me, it’s a question of where the stories about wolves come from.
if you are rural (either a farmer, or someone living in a sparsely populated area), wolves are dangerous. they threaten your livestock or you or your family. so, if you write a story that includes wolves, they’re generally bad.
if you are urban or suburban, and wolves aren’ttrying to kill you or your family or your livestock, then they seem like the very image of freedom. wild, instead of tamed. all that.
Ah, the Purple Ajah theories. It brings back some memories of interesting conversations I tried to follow back on the usernet days.
I assume “the girl who tries to watch over” Rand is Egwene? At least, that is my belief. It was in TGH that Egwene first starts to Dream (capital “D” intentional). Ishy’s comment about Egwene brings up an interesting thought. One of the less frequently commented recurring themes in WoT (at least among the posters on Leigh’s original re-read and the re-re-read) is Team Shadow consistently underestimating Team Light. With the exception of the Forsaken’s attitude toward Rand in the last few books, was there a single Forsaken who did not underestimate Mat, Perrin or the Supergirls? Even the Black Ajah underestimated the Supergirls (especially before Egwene became the Salidar Amyrlin — but also after. I think they underestimated the Egwene, the Wise Ones and the other Aes Sedai during the World of Dreamsa battle in the Tower). On the male side, Taim and his flunkies also underestimated Androl and his followers. Further, the underestimating was not limited to Team Shadow underestimating Team Light. There was plenty of generational underestimating (established Aes Sedai vs. the younger generation (specifically the Super Girls but not exclusively — Nisao and Myrelle underestimated Nicola and as a result she blackmailed them)) and nationality/culture underestimating (wetlanders underestimating Aiel).
I have seen many comments regarding lack of communication among groups of characters (male & females; Aes Sedai and non Aes Sedai, etc.). However, I do not recall reading many comments regarding one group underestimating another.
Thanks for reading my musings.
AndrewHB
aka the musespren
I personally don;t think the song the Ogeirs sing is the same the Tinkers are looking for. As I recall in a later book there is a flashback to communities singing in the age of Legends and the Ogier’s sing the bass of the harmony.
Rhuidean would be a resource if the Aiel would walk through it one of them might hear the song the Tinkers are searching for.
re: Wolves. In traditional Norse/Germanic folklore, the wolf is a representation of things Other and Wild. The Ravening forces out to destroy civilization. As such, in stories based on or derived from this tradition, like Tolkien, wolves are servants/emissaries of evil/destruction.
I believe others pointed out that the Tinker’s search for the Song was a bit more complicated than that, even if it was based on faulty memories of seed/tree singing. Besides, Tinkers often visited and traded at Ogier steadings and would have encountered Tree Singing before.
I also wonder if Verin knew Ingtar was a Darkfriend. I wonder if she was present at the Darkfriend social the prologue; we’ve always assumed that Landrin was one of the Aes Sedai said to be present, as she and her coven are the face of the Black Ajah for the next couple of books. But I wonder if Verin was there as well. Do we have an answer on who was there?
And yes, I think it is clear (or as clear as RJ makes these things) that it is Egwene ‘watching over’ Rand in the world of dreams (though it does not seem to be a conscious, intentional thing on her part). I wonder what, exactly, that means. Does that mean that Egwene, as a powerful Dreamer, has the power to shield other people’s dreams? Protect them from being pulled into the Dream World? More so than the average Aes Sedai that can weave a shield of spirit for herself and her warder to protect their dreams? I know we got a lot of details about the Dream World over the course of the books, but I’m not sure if this was ever explained, particularly after Brandon took over and it got all Inception like.
I believe this is the chapter which raised, for me, the Most Bewildering WoT Question of All Time: WHYYYYY do wolves call Myrddraal the “Neverborn”????
Why? Humans – at least those who know anything on the matter – are well aware that Myrddraal are born, to Trollocs. Even if wolves don’t know it, why would they think otherwise? The only suggestion I’ve gotten is that wolves think they “never should have been born,” which could be said of most Shadowspawn, but it doesn’t seem like wolves to indulge in wishful thinking.
*folds arms and taps feet*
This is also where wolves speak of the “inedible flesh and bitter blood” which must be endured when biting Trollocs to death. Apparently there’s a spectrum of opinion on Trolloc edibility, with wolves at one end. Carrion birds readily eat them, and they eat each other. Fain notes that Worms prefer human to Trolloc, and shares this opinion, considering Trolloc edible but with “little to recommend it.”
#brownajahmusings
Those “contrails” are of course chemtrails, laid by the Seanchan to entice Randlanders to spray vinegar toward the sky.
Verin counts for me as Purple Ajah, because she isn’t really Black Ajah. Although I wonder if anyone else ever was in her situation and tried to go along with it (the alternative being death).
Chapter 15 reminded me of Stephen King’s The Langoliers to a degree.
The girl watching over Rand could also be Nynaeve or even Moraine, but I agree that Ishy was likely thinking of Egwene.
“Obviously Verin’s main interest here is (understandably) in Rand’s whereabouts, but in light of what we now know about her, I can’t help but also wonder whether she knew (or could tell, somehow) that Ingtar was also a Darkfriend. “
If she was at the Darkfriend social, she could recognize him from his voice, as there was a Shienaran lord at that meeting who shouted “shall we kill them, then ?” I always supposed it was Ingtar. Then for one paying attention (as is Verin), it is possible to know whe he is/was.
Regarding the contrails, maybe someone found a stasis box with AoL machinery and has been air-scaping danger ever since ? (well not likely, but I like the idea). I couldn’t find any possibilities for the formation of such trails
I always wondered who the girls was. I thought Egwene, Moiraine, even Lanfear and all but wasn’t sure. What disturbed me anyway was that Ishy spoke of two women, when in fact Rand was with Hurin and Loial. I wondered if Ishy really was here or just projecting some kind of illusion; If it was a dream, then why speak of people who are far away ? He always spoke of Rogosh, The Aes Sedai, Black Ajah and all the bad stuff he thought about the wheel, I don’t get the change in tone in his speech here…
Loial says somewhere that the Ogier did teach the Tinkers the Treesongs, but it was just a song to them.
When Eg tells Anaiya about her Dreams, she thinks of meeting Ishy in the Dream (although she doesn’t yet know who he is). That must be what Ishy is talking about.
How did Verin find the group? Is taking part in Healing Mat enough to follow them? Or did Lanfear tell her where to go?
Is this foreshadowing for how Rand uses Moridin in the Last Battle?
Leigh’s point about the inherent nobility of the Superboys is a good one. Although they may grumble about it at times, they do earn their noble stripes because it is in their nature to do noble things. I think this point applies to Egwene, too, and that some of it comes from the values they absorbed growing up in the Two Rivers. Raised by the Old Blood…
I agree that the one watching over Rand is Egwene. Didn’t she indicate that she saw him in her dreams somewhat frequently? She’s watching over him without really knowing what she’s doing.
Can’t help much on the wolves issue. My first recollection of really noticing wolves in Sci-Fi was the Belgariad, so I always thought wolves were cool. I think FSS (@7) is right – if you grow up in an environment where wolves really are a threat, then wolves likely = bad.
Leigh’s ‘prior’ theory on Verin is still really good. There ought to be points for theories that even if incorrect, are still really good.
@6 – Palonian Fire – I think you have answered the question about the Song exactly right, but to take it a little farther, isn’t the point (via RJ and Sanderson), that there is no one Song? Thus, neither the Ogier nor Rand can help the Tinkers find the Song, since there is nothing concrete to find.
@10 – AndrewHB – Great point about Team Shadow underestimating Team Light. I assume that is part of the point – pride going before the fall, etc. I also wonder if some of that overconfidence is just bluster (trying to impress their Team Shadow comrades), and how much of it is fear (they really, really hope Team Light is not too powerful, or they’ve gone over to the dark side for nothing). But whatever the reason, this tendency to underestimate does cause them problems. The reverse seems also to be true at times in the WOT – Team Light sometimes overestimates Team Shadow.
We even see something about the wolves inside the Wheel of Time. In the Two Rivers, wolves are feared because they are dangerous and eat people’s livestock. But in the Borderlands, wolves are respected because they fight the Shadow like the humans. I think it’s definitely a perspective thing on their portrayal.
@1 – Don’t be silly, it was obviously a Myrdraal with a jet pack.
Seriously, though, for the contrails, I always imagined it to be some animal making them as it zoomed around the sky. No idea what, though. I do remember thinking something along the lines of “I’m glad they didn’t meet whatever is making those trails” on the first reading of this.
One exception to “wolves in media aimed at kids are portrayed as bad”: Balto. Because while at first there is prejudice and suspicion directed toward wolves by the townspeople and the other sled dogs (and even to some degree by Balto toward himself, victim as he is of internal categorization and shame), the journey to bring the antitoxin proves him to be trustworthy and heroic, and he is accepted and admired by all by the end. Of course it is important to note that not only does the film first set up the idea of wolves being bad before subverting and disproving it (suggesting such a view is prevalent even if it does need updating), but the movie was made during a time when conservationists and scientists had shed more light on the nature of wolves and their natures, so people were already seeing wolves in a different light than they did when things like Narnia or the older Disney films were made. (Also Balto was made by Don Bluth, not Disney, and he was always willing to go against the grain and buck trends for children’s media.)
Ah, Verin. The quote that launched a thousand theories. (And I still have to laugh at the explanation posited on the WOTFAQ, that she was satisfied both by the pizza Moiraine sent her to get and the way she was able to use technically true words to tell a lie. Hah!) The notable thing about this moment, I think, is that despite the fact we’d been told almost from day one that Aes Sedai cannot lie, most people refused to believe she was Black when we later learn in Falme that Moiraine did not send her, even though that makes her obviously lying in this moment. I’m not sure why this was…if she was ditzy, fun, and likable for anyone to believe she was evil, if she just seemed too realistic to be a Card Carrying Villain, or if it was the way she figured out Rand was the Dragon Reborn but did not expose Moiraine or Siuan, and did nothing but try to help Rand throughout TGH. But I like to think it was because Jordan did a good job of making it clear from the start that whatever funny business she was up to, Verin was good and could be trusted. Since it turned out that was exactly the case, despite her having unsworn the Oaths and joined the Black (under duress). I still admire Jordan for how he twisted and led us around, keeping us in the dark as to her nature and motives, yet in the end kept her true to what we thought she was.
I do wonder myself if she knew about Ingtar. If she was at the social, she may have guessed the Shienaran was him, or she may have known or figured out some other way. (She noted that her book listed Darkfriends too, not just Black Ajah.) In which case I bet not only was she keeping an eye on him here to make sure he wouldn’t harm Rand, but she may have known or guessed his feelings about the Horn and thus sent him as one of the five to Falme, knowing he wouldn’t come back…
I also have to note in amusement that apparently Lan isn’t the only famous person in Randland, since Ingtar is now added to the roster of people who knew/knew of Elyas. But I guess aside from being a Warder, his wolfbrother-hood would probably draw attention and notoriety, especially if people heard of Ryma and the other Aes Sedai attempting to pursue him/get him gentled. I was going to say it would seem odd a Shienaran would know a Saldaean (band of Borderlands brothers notwithstanding), except I remembered we don’t actually know Elyas was from Saldaea, just that he lived there for a time. So perhaps he was from Kandor or even Arafel.
The mirror world always did disturb me actually, in a subtly creepy way, but I could never quite say why other than the emptiness. Although the fact the land wanted a weapon to be made was a pretty big red flag.
Leigh…people keep saying that the Song was found (either because the Ogier knew it or Rand remembered it after he integrated) but the Tinkers’ Song is not the growing song. That’s where the idea of the Song originated, but it eventually grew beyond that, until they were actually looking for something symbolic, a representation of the Age of Legends and all that was lost from it which never actually existed. So telling them of what the Ogier and Rand knew wouldn’t really have helped much. Though I suppose hearing and seeing a song make things grow would have impressed and elated them regardless; but I don’t think either the Ogier or Rand could teach it to them even if it were close enough to what they sought.
Beautiful summation on why the heroes ended up Lordened. Yes it’s plot contrivance, yes it’s destiny, but they absolutely do deserve it. And the irony which proves the point is, if people like Hurin were to tell Rand and Perrin (and they did on several occasions) that they were good, wise, noble leaders who were worthy of their loyalty and service because of how good and honorably they treated them, they’d have said (and did) that “well that’s just common sense.” To which Hurin et al. would say “the fact you think so is what proves you’re a good leader, because most of the nobles we know don’t think it’s common sense at all.” Just as the ones who don’t want to be leaders should be, those who think it should be obvious that a good leader treats his people well have proven they deserve to be a leader.
I assume Ishy was meeting Rand in a dreamshard, which would also explain why he said what he did aside from villainous bluster: no, he didn’t know who Rand was until he told him, but once he knew he was Lews Therin/ta’veren, he was in fact able to find him anywhere by means of his Ta’veren Tracking Technique. I.e., using that to find Rand would then make it possible to pull him into a dreamshard, even from a mirror world since presumably TAR can be used to access those too if you know what you’re doing; even if Ishy wasn’t using the Portal Stone himself, he surely knew how to use them and thus could identify and access a mirror world from outside in that manner.
Is he really only trying to turn Rand because the Dark One wants it? I was under the impression the Dark One promised Ishy oblivion if he won, and the only way the Dark One could win was if Rand was turned. Or at least that that’d make his victory easier and more assured.
The heron brand: I could see either possibility. The nature of the Wheel and Pattern is such that they could have directed Ishy’s thread to make him heat the sword, not realizing it would brand him, or being the philosopher he is who had fought Lews Therin many times (and I imagine read the Karaethon Cycle too) he may have known Rand had to have the herons to fulfill the prophecies and so started him on the path to hasten his fall to the Dark Side.
I find it delicious how wrong Ishy turned out to be about Egwene, particularly if as we surmise he was the one who trained Taim before Demandred came along—she not only defeated him, but undid the balefire-unraveling that the Dark One had ordered. Go go, Ooh Ooh Girl.
@1 RobM: *falls over laughing with tears running down his cheeks* That…is the funniest thing I’ve heard in a very long time! Thank you. Thank you so much.
@3 Lisamarie: That’s always been a favorite trope of mine as well. It even works in Eddings, since even as the characters tend to be royals or mythic archetypes, their realism and humor and normality makes them comes across as ragtag groups of regular people who just happen to have crowns and magic powers that let them do awesome things.
@7 FSS: This.
@8 AndrewHB: If villains and antagonists didn’t continually underestimate the heroes, there’d be no story. But luckily Jordan also created very good reasons why the villains and antagonists would underestimate them: the Forsaken are from the Age of Legends which were supposed to be so superior, the Aes Sedai think the Power is all and thus discount non-channelers (and the Breaking/taint caused women and especially Aes Sedai to underestimate men), the Black Ajah was both made up of Aes Sedai and Darkfriends so get the double whammy of dismissing non-channelers/Team Light, the Aes Sedai also have the pecking order by Power and age that makes them dismiss others lower in the hierarchy, and of course the wetlands/Aiel division (and the way certain peoples in the West feel about each other) is fueled by nationalism and cultural posturing.
In a way, it’s still a form of miscommunication, since people’s assumptions, mores, and social/political/institutional beliefs are causing them to reject communicating with others they look down upon at all, or misinterpreting the communication that does take place to reinforce their own beliefs and assumptions and justify further division, dissension, and dismissal.
@12 sps: I agree, she’s Purple to me too!
@13 Ways: Ooo, nice connection. *shivers*
@15 birgit: I seem to recall it being confirmed, either by Sanderson or Team Jordan, that Verin had met Lanfear. Whether that’s how she found Ingtar and the others, it was by the Healing of Mat, or some other means, is up for debate.
I think that quote is almost certainly subtle foreshadowing of what happens in the Pit of Doom.
No post today? Did I miss something?
And I’m posting at 10:05 PM EDT on Tuesday, July 28, not Wed. July 29 at 2:03 AM as Tor says in the preview. What the heck?
I’m late to comment again, but there’s no new post ;_;
I think we can deduce based on later accounts of using a portal stone, that it requires a good deal of the One Power to activate. I believe someone even mentions that not many in the AoL was powerful enough to use one. Assuming Lanfear was the one who whisked Rand and co. away, we can surmise that Verin sensed the usage of saidar the night before and is thinking back on an oddity she might have dismissed or set aside.
Re the boys turning into lords: Keep in mind this is in large part due to 1) the company they keep and 2) the clothes they wear. If an Aes Sedai is traveling with someone that person is likely rich/influential, or can channel. In most other instances, Aes Sedai travel alone and rigorously guard their privacy.
For the second point, when Moiraine shows up in the Two Rivers wearing silk and silver they immediately assume she is a Lady, and very little anyone says to them will dissuade them of the notion. Ordinary people simply don’t wear expensive clothes in Randland, with the exception of spruced up fashions for Bel Tine and other festivities. All of those many pages of clothing descriptions by Jordan weren’t for nothing. The fashions, colors, and materials incorporated into someone’s clothing speaks volumes about them. We see this at the Darkfriend social too, and it’s a large part of Moiraine’s tactic to turn Rand into a leader.
Still no new post and no update? I’m started to feel a bit worried.
@@@@@ 22 JonathanLevy
There actually is a part 10 post that came out last week. For some reason it didn’t get added to the index. Here is a link: http://www.tor.com/2015/07/28/the-wheel-of-time-reread-redux-the-great-hunt-part-10/
I don’t think using a Portal Stone requires much of the One Power. In book 13, Perrin’s army and the whitecloak army face Trollocs that came out of nowhere. An asha’man then says that he feels a faint use of the One Power, and it is implied that the Darkfriends are using portal stones to transport their trolloc armies, since there’s no waygate nearby and the darkspawn can’t pass through a gateway.
Thank you, wcarter!
re Wolves in kids’ stories: Did anyone mention Shrek?
The jet contrails in the mirror world are probably just people in other worlds using this one as a fast-travel shortcut, like it was explained how they used to be used. One of the more firmly existing portal worlds probably diverts their air traffic through this world to shorten travel times or something.