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In Knife of Dreams we finally read Moiraine's letter to Thom over Mat's shoulder, as it were, and most interesting it was. It drew Mat's, and our, attention to the importance of the Foxes and Snakes game (an article on which was published on the blog a couple of weeks ago) to the outcome of Moiraine's rescue. Moiraine's rescue itself may form the subject of discussion in Mat's subthread or even, if we are as lucky as Mat, actually begin during The Gathering Storm, so it seems timely to publish this article written by Linda in 2005 on that very subject.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
New Article Released: Moiraine's Rescue
In Knife of Dreams we finally read Moiraine's letter to Thom over Mat's shoulder, as it were, and most interesting it was. It drew Mat's, and our, attention to the importance of the Foxes and Snakes game (an article on which was published on the blog a couple of weeks ago) to the outcome of Moiraine's rescue. Moiraine's rescue itself may form the subject of discussion in Mat's subthread or even, if we are as lucky as Mat, actually begin during The Gathering Storm, so it seems timely to publish this article written by Linda in 2005 on that very subject.
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9 comments:
That's a nice article and I agree with most of it. I always liked you linking Mat's blood to iron and how it ties together the binding and a blood-oath. Very good thinking, that.
I do think you missed one option about 'Moiraine still being able to channel' though. You state Lan's bond being snapped when Moiraine fell through the doorway as a fact.
But I think that's not the case persé.
Lan was unconcious -or close to it- during most of the events at the docks and he came to his senses -somewhat- after Moiraine went through the ter'angreal. In Moiraine's POV we see her forcefully removing Lan 'out of her mind' and that he 'must live or die without her', before she hurled herself at Lanfear.
(I think those words are how RJ wrote it, I'm doing this from heart but I've debated the option before)
I doubt Lan was in such a shape to feel and see if the bond was gone only moments before Lanfear and Moiraine went through the ter'angreal or at that exact same time.
We know for a fact an Aes Sedai can willingly release a Warder from the bond.
We know for a fact Moiraine has been planning how and where Lan would become another Aes Sedai's Warder.
Add one and one, and it stands to reason we've seen an Aes Sedai release her Warder at the end of TFoH by 'forcing Lan out of her mind', if we take RJ's writing literally right there.
If you can agree that the above is also a possibility, there's a decent chance Moiraine can still channel.
I realise the above brings other questions that are easier answered if Moiraine is stilled, but it's not a given like your post suggests.
Personally, I'm still torn whether I'd like Moiraine to return stilled or as a channeler. Both have lovely possibilities...
Just my two Strands of Spirit!
Mik
OK I see I didn't explain it clearly enough in the article. I actually think that the bond was snapped when the connection between the world was broken. I spent quite a bit of the essay explaining that. It doe not require her being stilled at all. I'll have to add something to get this across better.
For the record Mik, I also believe Moiraine took the opportunity of Lan being knocked out to break the bond between them on purpose so he thought she died, rather than trusting the man who's been loyal to her for 20 years with the knowledge she had to go to the Aelfinn. She never told him about Isam either, which was a kick below the belt to someone who's served her loyally for 20 years and has put his private war aside for her. She didn't trust him to remain at her side if she told him. And that's without counting the fact she didn't even have the decency to tell him she intended his bond to pass to Nynaeve in the end, that Myrelle was just a caretaker until Nynaeve became AS.
She's just nice like this when something "must be done". Moiraine followed the Shadar Logoth ethics: everything is OK if it's for the good of the light. She wouldn't be an 'Aes Sedai hero' for very long if the sisters learned it's her who taught Rand not to trust any sister.
Such a nice woman.
Eh?
You wrote;
"A Warder’s bond breaks through death or if the Aes Sedai is stilled or burned out. Moiraine could have been stilled inside the ter'angreal--by the Eelfinn, or due to going in channelling, or by Lanfear."
I merely said you didn't suggest another option; deliberate release of Lan by Moiraine.
The connection between the real world & the Eelfinn 'world' still exists. How else would Mat and Thom be able to go there? One connection we know of -and that you yourself describe- is the Tower of Ghenjei.
One route was destroyed, true.. but it's not like a Warder/ Aes Sedai bond can be viewed as a physical cable of a sorts. It's a connection between two or more minds, where distance or route - no matter how far or long- is not a factor.
How would it 'snap'..?
@Doma; woops.. you posted as I wrote my reply to Linda.
And I agree with your post 101%.
Ironically, the behaviour you describe so clear is one of my reasons for actually regretting that Moiraine might come out channeling.
I'm hoping against hope that if she does come out an Aes Sedai, RJ/ BS will have Moiraine and Land go full circle; Lan & Moiraine battling evil side by side in the Last Battle. Like they did on EF.
This time not because 'they fight the same war you and I, and because you are my literally bonded Gaidin' (like she used Lan all those years) but to honor their 'bond' (figuratively).
I'd love to see them go down as we first met them; battling Trollocs & Myrddraal back to back.
I'm probably way of target, but here's to hoping! *raises mug*
Cheerio,
Mik :)
:) I'm eager to get Moiraine back because I've missed her as a villain (oops, I meant "antagonist"). She's a really well written character and her antagonism with Rand and all of his allies added dynamism. After Siuan was put in her place by Egwene and Niall died all that was left as strong antagonist who isn't a villain is Elaida. And Cadsuane, but Cadsuane isn't really an antagonist.
And yeah, it is my hope that Moiraine has not much to do with Rand after her return. I too hope she decides her duty is to go to Lan, perhaps bringing a small army of AS with her, as soon as she learns what he's done. He's fought her war for 20 years dutifully, it's her turn to pay him back, IMHO and the Tower pay its debt to Malkier. And that too could turn the tide and be vital to Rand's victory, explaining Min's viewing. Without AS at his side, Lan could very well be squashed in no time. He wouldn't stand an hour against the sort of army Rand faced in Tear.
Guys: this is why I think Moiraine didn't release Lan:
Week 13 Question: Is the White Tower currently aware of any way to completely dissolve/undo the bond between an Aes Sedai and her Warder so that the link no longer exists and all the positive and negative effects of the bond are removed?
Robert Jordan Answers: Yes, they are. It is called releasing a Warder, and an Aes Sedai who is very old or injured so badly that she knows she is going to die will, if she has the strength, release him so he doesn't suffer from her death. This does require the two of them to be together, and a little more time that laying on the bond. If they are physically apart, or she doesn't have enough time or strength remaining, touch on him.
Has Moiraine worked out another way of doing it? It would be going against what RJ said fairly recently, ie long after the event.
I'lll put this quote in tonight when I get home.
and this also:
Indeed we do know for a fact an Aes Sedai can willingly release a Warder from the bond - and when she does so, he doesn't feel like death himself afterwards! Myrelle, Nynaeve and Lan himself all agree that Lan had the typical suffering a Warder gets when his Aes Sedai dies. He was not released from the bond. It was broken.
If the suffering Lan went through was a release from her bond then Moiraine failed so miserably she might as well have not done it at all. But it is not so: Myrelle thinks of Lan 'mourning the death of his mistress' and the like. Since she is feeling his feelings, she is presumably accurate. So that's why I think the bond broke.
Ah, but you're talking of dissolving the bond to free Lan Linda. The way old Aes Sedai sometime do.
That's not what I think Moiraine did. I think she released her end of the bond suddenly to fake her death, activated the passing to Myrelle etc.
We don't know that she can even do this, but we don't know how she could possibly pass the bond passively to Myrelle either, without Lan knowing or being present. And yet she did. It may be because of her arrangements with Myrelle that she could let go of the bond this way.
I just find her remark about Lan at the docks suspicious, and it was awfully convenient the bond between them broke, given that if it didn't, the whole thing fell apart and it's not Mat at all that would have come for her. It would have been the obsession of Lan and Rand. The Arches' visions are not very precise nor remembered in full - and they show flashes of outcomes from choices. I don't think Moiraine knew exactly the bond would break or what exactly would happen to her beyond the Arches. She may have seen flashes of Lan obsessed with finding her and dying for it if she didn't release the bond, though.
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