I changed mine at wotmania, so that makes it OK, you understand. Glad to see you made it; I emailed you about the closing, but the emails bounced, so I was concerned. Hope you're well, and sorry I've been so silent; things have been happening at 90 miles a minute.

Not sure why that one caught my eye either, but it did. Something subconscious, or collective unconscious, maybe. It does certainly seem to foreshadow SOMEONE taking Tar Valon, just as the whole bit about "the Stone has been here since the Breaking and NEVER fallen" meant someone should start a pool on the date (it WAS prophesied, after all. )

Good point, and one I missed because I'd already reached the point where I was thinking, I get it, I get it; "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth" tell the story already! Still think that section was too long, but maybe I missed other things, too. Still, we knew SOME of the Tower in Exile had Bonded Asha'man if only because of CoT; they were just scheduled to Bond MORE because of Logain. It's ominous to me that they're being held apart; that's not a good long term arrangement for any Bonded pair, but especially not those who can channel (although if they can Travel physical distance is rather pointless in as semi-permanent camp. ) The day will come they'll NEED to be in close proximity; sooner or later an Asha'man will remember women allow him to Link, or a woman will remember men allow them to Link more than twelve others. If nothing else, they'll encounter male and female channelers working together far more effectively than either gender can alone, and, if not similarly prepared, be hopelessly outmatched.

I don't see how full integration with a man as mad as LTT could do anything but make Rand mad, too. Perhaps they might "split the difference" (expecting Rand to be sane with all LTTs memories is as realistic as expecting LTT to be mad with all of Rands, and if they share all the same memories we may get a MPD that offers both at various times. ) The biggest (but still shaky, IMHO) argument for Rand being transmigrated to Moridins body is that it's probably the only way to get him away from LTT. The only other thin hope is that Semirhage is either lying (which LTT strongly doubts based on history) or flat out wrong about the chances of treatment.

That did seem odd, but perhaps it's a temporary improvement, or some other harm will befall him that blinds him. I suppose this is the problem when your favorite author reads Dune, too....

An interesting and very plausible line of reasoning. It's been heavily foreshadowed Faile will take charge of Saldaea at some point, and that would certainly clear the way. It seems more likely to me though that Tenobia would try her Sun King impression with the wrong Blood and end up with her head on a pike, which still clears the way for Faile without wiping out the other Borderland nobility. I'm not too worried about what thirteen Aes Sedai mean to Rand as long as he's traveling with Caddy, Nynaeve and Alivia though. Assuming they don't just start groveling when they see Cadsuane, we know it would be all they could do to keep Rand shielded, much less deal with three VERY powerful women with angreal who will NOT be pleased to have him in that state. Whatever you think of Caddy we both know she'd tolerate a shielded Dragon Reborn for about a nanosecond.

I dunno. The Seanchan are a kicked over anthill right now; if they DID meet with Rand, who would their envoy be representing? Only one member of the Imperial Family (may it etc. etc. ) still lives, and most people think she's dead, too. Ultimately, I think it's going to be Mat to the rescue again, as the one and only person to whom Rand, Egwene and Tuon might listen.

*nods*

Being without it might, too; I still don't like him being without his hand when 1) seemingly ALL Myrddraal are Blademasters, but Shadar Haran is Super-Myrddraal and 2) even if that weren't so, Shadar Haran can apparently shield anyone at will. He can't be beaten with the Power, and I was always OK with that because Rand is so lethal with a sword. No longer; if he IS intended to be the DOs avatar for dueling Rand, better hope Mat is once again there to save the day, or maybe Lan. I certainly don't expect Perrin to bash him with his hammer.

I want to say it's nothing, but everything is something with WoT. Could be she's going to be Neo-Semi; she's spending a lot of time around the woman, and her lengthy damane background gives her many of the required credentials, and probably a lot of the inclination. Yet we know she will be invaluable to Rand; of course, we also know it will be by "helping him die. "

Are you sure it's not just to show how completely Caddy has broken him...? Sorry; I couldn't resist. *hugs all better*


It really couldn't go on as it was. By Aes Sedai custom and protocol nearly as strong as law Caddy should defer to Nynaeve, and only her (ironic) stubborn rebelliousness and Nynaves youth prevent it. Caddy knows her age as well as anyone though, and I honestly think she sees Nynaeve as a worthy successor IF she can learn to control her emotions. The two have a lot in common other than strength in the Power and accessories; stubborn, independent, possessed of strong moral convictions that contribute to the first two qualities, so that when they take a stand on principle they're immovable. Caddy's just (usually) a helluva lot more subtle--and more effectively commanding, but she's been doing it longer, and had the benefit of spending an apprenticeship under the hateful domineering old hill woman when she was Nynaeves age. You think Caddy's bad, imagine what kind of person it takes for a NON-CHANNELER to keep a strong Aes Sedai from simply taking *-angreal the Tower considers theirs by right....

Well, at the risk of getting distastefully political, in this case I think Rand is right, if perhaps for the wrong reasons. One Shadar Logoth is enough, thanks; when you become the enemy you might as well surrender, because dead or alive they've won. That doesn't mean you roll over, but you don't chuck your morality out the window just for the sake of a "victory" that would then be possible in name only.

A bit conflicted, are we...? Of course, Caddy's made the career Nynaeve wants to of flouting the rules she insists everyone else observe just because She Knows Best. However, those skilled and experienced at doing that (as Caddy is supposed to be) are so successful in large part because they know when it is and isn't justified, safe and/or necessary to break the rules. Caddy can't publicly undercut the Dragon Reborn at every opportunity and then expect him to lead the Army of the Light at Tarmon Gaidon, and she can't even do it all the time privately if she expects him to have a whit of the self confidence he'll need.

As long as it's pragmatic without becoming amoral. After all, despite all her travels since TEotW, Nynaeve is really just a girl in her early (mid? I've never checked) twenties who'd never been outside her tiny farm village a few years ago. She may have seen a few calves birthed and pigs slaughtered, but she's never been to one of Siuans dockside brothels, much less witnessed Tarmon Gaidon. Not that I want to see her brutally scarred, but I'm sure Semi would enjoy the hell out of shocking and horrifying her, and equally sure Nynaeve would only tolerate it so long before she shut the female dogs mouth.

He had her pegged by the end of TFoH, far earlier, really. Add to that he's become uncomfortably familiar with how many things you don't like high leadership over people like Aes Sedai, much less Sitters in rebellion against Elaida, requires. On one level, Egwene HAS to be very assertive in any meeting with the Dragon Reborn to which her cadre is witness, lest they suspect her of weakness or simply fear she's too compliant with the dreaded Dragon. Rand knows all that, and knows Egwenes irrational temper as well.

What choice do they have? Those closest to Rand made what peace they could with what they suspected long ago; all that's changed for Nynaeve is she's gotten confirmation of some of the specifics. They're hardly shocking at this point, and surely evoke waves of sympathy from the Wisdom who changed his smallclothes.


He needs to recover some hope, or there's no way he'll make it. After a certain point he'll end up with his own variation of Perrins "the world can burn if it saves Faile. " I mean, really, the way he's going now, what's he got to fight for at Tarmon Gaidon? Slow agonizing death? He can have better than that with a quick head level weave of Fire. The only other incentive is to protect those he Loves, but if he continues trying to isolate himself from them, insulate himself from any feeling for them that might make them weapons against him, well, even that is gone. He needs to have some hope, however slim, however complicated, however arduous, that there's a winnable end game for him, or I can't see how he'll keep playing. He's fighting for the worlds survival, but in his heart he's already given up, and that's bad for the world....

Now go read my theory (which tangentially touches a few of your points) and tell me how smart I am; your boy Cannoli was no fun at all.