Re: At this stage, all roads lead to Rand. - Edit 1
Before modification by Deadsy at 23/05/2012 08:08:38 PM
If Mat plans a rendezvous with Tuon accompanied by Moiraine, matters with damane could quickly come to a head as well. He did not bull his way through the Tower of Ghenjei, losing an eye and Jain Farstrider along the way, just to see his wife slap a collar around Moiraines neck and teach her to speak in a timid third person.
I don't see it happening. The only way Mat is going to Ebou Dar is by Travelling. Grady will be showing up about twelve hours after we last saw them. Grady can easily make two gateways. Moiraine wants to go to Rand and I think that's what she'll do (as soon as she gets clothes).
Right now Mat has no intention of going to Ebou Dar, so something has to put it in his head. That something either has to be going to Merrilor and talking to Rand who has talked to Aviendha about what she saw of the future, or his finding out about the trollocs attacking Caemlyn.
Whether each does so quickly enough to suit Moiraine, however, is another matter, so you may be right about her absence from Ebou Dar. Still, ALL roads lead to Rand now, including Mats; he and Moiraine could as easily go to Ebou Dar together after a reunion with Rand as before one. The biggest problem with that is neither Moiraine nor Rand will want her out of his sight (or vice versa) once they are rejoined, but then, the Seanchan prophecies contend Rand has another rendezvous of his own scheduled with Tuon. Mat going to Ebou Dar is not so surprising; I doubt he wants to leave his blushing bride on her own long knowing the Last Battle is imminent (arguably already begun,) particularly given that intrigue and assassination is to Seanchan what baseball is to the US.
The bold is why I don't think she'd go along. What I think more likely is that Mat goes to Ebou Dar to get help with Caemlyn, or he goes to Rand and finds out Rand wants the Seanchan at Merrilor, so Mat goes to Ebou Dar for Rand and the Seanchan end up at Merrilor (I believe that's what happened in Aviendha's dream anyway. Not the how of it happening, just that Tuon was there).
If I had my wish, Moiraine and Mat would be bestest friends and do everything together for the entire book. Every once in awhile Nynaeve and Rand can be involved with them. And we would forget that Perrin exists.