Verin Q&A with Maria Simmons

By Linda



Back in September 2010, three Theorylanders (Tamyrlin, Terez and Marie Curie) and I devised a series of questions on Verin which we emailed to Maria Simons. She has now kindly answered them and they are posted below and also at Theoryland.


The Verin List

How old was Verin when she died? If you cannot give us an exact number, is it correct to say that Verin’s age at death was somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 years? If not, will you provide an estimate of her age at death?

Maria: Verin was born in 849NE, making her 151ish at death.

Merana said that every sister knew when each sister of the Tower arrived and how long she trained (LoC, The Crown of Roses) because the Tower keeps records on this. She thought Verin had been Aes Sedai about 40 years longer than she and Merana appears to have been Aes Sedai 70 years (their training time was the same and the novice acceptance age range is only 3 years). Is Merana mistaken in when Verin became Aes Sedai? Or in Verin’s age when she came to the Tower?

Maria: Here's the change we asked for (it hasn't been made in the mmp I'm holding; I don't know if it was elsewhere):

At present reads: Alanna had been six years a novice, Merana only five, but more importantly, Merana had been Aes Sedai ten years the day the midwife laid Alanna at her mother’s breast.

Should read: Alanna had been six years a novice, Merana only five, but more importantly, Merana had been Aes Sedai above thirty years the day the midwife laid Alanna at her mother’s breast.

Verin herself hints that she lied about her age when she joined up. How old was Verin when she joined the Tower?

Maria: 15. Where does she hint that she lied?

Did Verin come to the Tower at a far greater age than is usual? If so, why?

Maria: No.

Even though she lived in Far Madding, did Verin channel prior to going to the Tower to become Aes Sedai? If so, had she begun to Slow before going to the Tower?

Maria: No.


The questions on Verin's age were designed to throw some light on Merana's comments in Lord of Chaos about the relative ages of Alanna, Verin and herself. Since Verin has a touch of grey in her hair (and she is above average in strength in saidar) it was obvious that she was older than Merana indicated, perhaps a lot older. I thought that perhaps Verin lied about her age when she went to the Tower, because there is her statement that if she hadn't been curious she wouldn't have gone to the Tower but remained in Far Madding and married Eadwin. It turns out that what Merana said was an error, which will be changed in the latest round of corrections, plus Verin greyed a little prematurely, instead of at around 200. I will be updating the Character Ages article with the new info later this weekend and posting it Monday. Not that there is much to change for Verin, only Alanna; Verin's age is within the age range I postulate and I also raise the possibility that she greyed prematurely. But all this is now confirmed.


Was there suspicion regarding Verin’s allegiance to the Shadow, as she joined the Black Ajah at such an advanced age? If so, can you name one member of the Black Ajah that was suspicious of her allegiance to the Shadow?

Maria: RAFO.

How common is it for Aes Sedai over the age of 150 to be recruited by the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Verin’s recruitment into the Black Ajah something she actively encouraged?

Maria: No.

If she did not encourage her recruitment, did Verin accidentally encourage her recruitment? (For instance, did Verin see or hear something, such as the BA signal, that required her to either join or be killed?)

Maria: RAFO.

Will you explain the circumstances that contributed to Verin’s recruitment into the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

Which Aes Sedai recruited Verin to the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

As far as Verin’s recruitment and this statement, “I found myself in a position where I could either take the oaths to the Dark One, or I could reveal that I had actually never wanted—or intended—to do so, whereupon I would have been executed,” how long after Verin was in contact with the Black Ajah for the first time, did this moment she describes occur?

Maria: RAFO.

Does swearing oaths constitute becoming a member of the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

How many Black Ajah are present when a sister swears her new oaths?

Maria: RAFO.

Where is the swearing of oaths to become Black Ajah performed?

Maria: RAFO.

What were the reasons Verin gave the Black Ajah as to why she wanted to join them?

Maria: RAFO.

Prior to her recruitment could Verin have been considered a darkfriend?

Maria: No.

Prior to her recruitment was she someone that sympathized with the Shadow?

Maria: No.

Does the Black Ajah recruit for darkfriends among rejected Novices and Accepted?

Maria: RAFO.

After becoming Black Ajah, was Verin ever caught by a non Black Ajah Aes Sedai unmistakably breaking her original Oaths sworn when becoming Aes Sedai?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin ever take the life of another Aes Sedai? If so, is that Aes Sedai mentioned in the books?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin ever take the life of a Black Ajah, excluding her own life? If so, is that member of the Black Ajah mentioned in the books?

Maria: RAFO.

Other than the man Verin mentions killing in the prologue of TPoD, did Verin ever take the life of someone that was not an Aes Sedai nor a darkfriend? If so, can you give us a summary of one such event?

Maria: RAFO.

Verin makes many statements throughout the books that are suspect now that we know she was not bound by the Oaths. In regards to the Ter’angreal dream ring, Verin tells Egwene, "I tried it myself, once, some years ago. Anaiya's Healing did not work as well as it should have. Remember that."
During the time Verin gave Egwene the ring she mentioned going to Anaiya to be healed. She didn’t go to a yellow for healing – does Verin hold something over Anaiya? Were they pillow-friends? Or was this simply a case of asking a friend to do a minor healing because she knew she would keep it quiet?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Anaiya Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

How long before giving Egwene the Ter’angreal ring did Verin have it in her possession?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin visit Tel’aran’rhiod more than once? If so, generally speaking, how many times did Verin visit Tel’aran’rhiod prior to her discussion of it with Egwene?

Maria: RAFO.

Compared to Egwene and the Wise Ones, how experienced in Tel’aran’rhiod was Verin?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin ever meet with one or more Black Ajah in Tel’aran’rhiod?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin ever meet with one or more Forsaken in Tel’aran’rhiod?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin have other ways/means, other than through the Ter’angreal dream ring, to get into Tel’aran’rhiod? If so, how did Verin enter Tel’aran’rhiod?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Verin ever in Tel’aran’rhiod after giving Egwene the ring?

Maria: RAFO.

Verin tells Egwene she wasn’t supposed to give Egwene the Ter’angreal ring. Was Verin speaking about Tower law in regards to an Accepted possessing Ter’angreal?
If not, was Verin speaking about the Black Ajah not wanting Verin to give Egwene the ring? If not, what did Verin mean?

Maria: RAFO.

Did the Black Ajah know of the existence of the Ter’angreal ring that Verin gave to Egwene?

Maria: RAFO.

Did the Black Ajah know Verin gave Egwene the ring? If so, when did they find that out?

Maria: RAFO.

Did any of the Forsaken know that Verin gave Egwene the Ter’angreal ring? If so, how long after giving Egwene the ring, did one or more of the Forsaken know Verin gave it to her?

Maria: RAFO.

It is clear that Lanfear is aware of the search for the Black Ajah, as she shows up in the guise of Else and points the girls towards a previously unknown cache of items supposedly belonging to the Black sisters that went missing. Were those items placed there by Lanfear? If not, who placed those Black Ajah possessions there for the girls to discover?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Lanfear become aware of the girl’s search for the Black Ajah through information provided to her by the Black Ajah (excluding Verin)?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin report every request made of her by the Amyrlin concerning the girls’ search to the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

We see Alviarin have meetings with Mesaana. Was Verin ever visited by one of the Forsaken?

Maria: RAFO.

Which of the Forsaken has Verin met, including any she met but was unaware the individual was a Forsaken?

Maria: RAFO.

Has Verin ever been to Shayol Ghul?

Maria: RAFO.

Are the Black Ajah aware of other “black” channelers among other populations of the world?

Maria: RAFO.

Are there other organizations of dreadlords similar to the Black Ajah in other populations of the world? If so, will you name one of those organizations and where they are located?

Maria: RAFO.
Speaking about activities outside of the White Tower, Verin was quite the traveler.
She plays an integral role throughout the series, particularly in the Great Hunt where she displays some of her deceptive personality.
Was Verin sent to Shienar by the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Verin sent to Shienar by one of the Forsaken?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Verin’s visit to Shienar something she was doing on behalf of the Amyrlin?

Maria: RAFO.

Verin’s behavior throughout some of the earliest books often caused suspicion for many reasons. Specifically, we see Verin speaking privately to two darkfriends.
These meetings now seem more consequential.

Maria: RAFO.

Was Ingtar aware Verin was of the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Barthanes aware Verin was of the Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Verin responsible in any way for Barthanes death?

Maria: RAFO.

How about Ingtar and his change of heart, did Verin have a hand in his conversion back to the Light?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Ingtar tell Verin about the wolves?

Maria: RAFO.

A couple of other curious events involving Verin occur in The Great Hunt, such as her discussion of Portal Stones with Rand.
Was Verin lying to Rand when she said his use of a Portal Stone was more recent than hers as she had never traveled by one?

Maria: RAFO.

If Verin wasn’t lying to Rand, was Verin ever transported by another channeler previous to this moment with Rand? If she was, who transported Verin?

Maria: RAFO.

If Verin was lying to Rand, from where to where has Verin traveled by Portal Stone? If you cannot give us each trip, what is one trip she made and when did she make it?

Maria: RAFO.

How did Verin come to her knowledge of the symbol for the Toman Head Portal Stone?

Maria: RAFO.

Specific to the different forms of traveling by Portal Stones, has Verin ever been to a Mirror World?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin know more about the Chaos theory and the numbers of chaos and Perpendicular worlds than she explained to Egwene? If so, what is something Verin learned about these other dimensions and worlds that you can share with us, which has not been previously divulged either in books or by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson?

Maria: RAFO.

During the trip by Portal Stone to Toman Head, everyone experiences living multiple variations of their lives, an experience similar to some the testing
Ter’angreal. Verin makes the comment after the trip through her alternate lives,
“Though I never thought I…”? Please finish that statement for us…pretty please?

Maria: No.

Verin ends up in the Two Rivers. Who sent Verin to the Two Rivers?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin’s trip to the Two Rivers have anything to do with Verin’s plans to betray the Dark One?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin ask Alanna to accompany her to the Two Rivers? If not, why did Alanna accompany her?

Maria: RAFO.

Has Alanna been keeping an eye on Verin? After all, twice she went to the kitchens after Verin did, plus she went to the Two Rivers with her, and both went to Fal Dara.

Maria: RAFO.

If it was Verin’s choice to bring Alanna, was Alanna’s emotional state a factor in that choice?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin ever use compulsion on Alanna?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin ever suspect Alanna of being Black Ajah?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Alanna’s bonding of Rand something she was encouraged to do by Verin?

Maria: RAFO.

Was Alanna’s bonding of Rand something the Black Ajah, Forsaken or Dark One told her to do?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin have any idea the Shadow was going to attack the Two Rivers?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin know who Luc was?

Maria: RAFO.

Did Verin know of Slayer’s unique nature?

Maria: RAFO.

Have Verin and Slayer ever met, even unknowingly?

Maria: RAFO.

Finally, regarding the infamous scene where Verin and Cadsuane come to a mutual understanding regarding Rand, was Verin considering killing Cadsuane with the “medicine” she had in her possession? If not, was Verin hoping to weave compulsion on her while Cadsuane was doped?

Maria: RAFO.

The Gathering Storm Read-Through #5: Chapter 3 - The Ways of Honour

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

Aviendha is a major character who has had very few POVs. The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight finally change that. The first paragraphs of The Ways of Honour reveal Aviendha’s wariness about eyes watching her:

How could you not care about eyes watching you, eyes that might belong to a man or Maiden holding a spear?

The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour

and link back to her POV in The Path of Daggers when she sensed eyes watching her in Ebou Dar:

Skin prickled between Aviendha's shoulder blades as she strode ahead of her companions through palace hallways tiled in dozens of pleasing bright hues. A sense of being watched that she had last felt while still wed to the spear. Imagination, she told herself. Imagination and knowing there are enemies about I cannot face! Not so long ago that crawling sensation had meant someone might be intending to kill her…

And abruptly, the prickling returned.
Aviendha's eyes rose to the windows overlooking the stable-yard. Anyone might be hidden behind the white screens of intricate wrought iron and piercework carving. Tylin had ordered the servants to stay away from those windows, but who would stop Teslyn, or Joline, or. ... Something made her look higher, to the domes and towers. Narrow walks ringed some of those slim spires, and on one, very high, was a black shape haloed by a sharp nimbus from the sun behind. A man. Her breath caught. Nothing in his stance, hands on the stone railing, spoke of danger, yet she knew he was the one who put that crawling between her shoulder blades.
One of the Shadowsouled would not stand there simply watching, but that creature, that gholam. . . . Ice formed in her belly. He could be just a palace servant. He could be, but she did not believe it. No shame in knowing fear.

The Path of Daggers, To Keep the Bargain

It’s a nice turn of the Wheel; a link with recent events while highlighting the fact that the Aiel are always at war, unlike most (all?) other peoples, a way of life diametrically opposite to their previous role as Da’shain. Every day Aiel violate their former covenant. And now they know it. Yet most Aiel still don’t dealt with this except by repression. Ironically Aviendha will be the one who sees where devotion to war will lead the Aiel…

Aviendha currently has an identity crisis, not just over her “in-between” status, but because at the moment she is lower than Rand and she wants their status to be much more equal. She shows considerable insight about Rand:

"He is a man of many burdens," Aviendha said more carefully. "I fear that he makes many of those burdens heavier than they need be. I once thought that there was only one way to be strong, but I have learned from my first-sister that I was wrong. Rand al'Thor ... I do not think he has learned this yet. I worry that he mistakes hardness for strength."

The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour

which assures us that she is worthy to be his wife and also a Wise One. And she is right to worry about Rand’s mental state as the rest of The Gathering Storm amply proves.

Aviendha wants to love Rand because she chooses to, not because of fate (see Fate, Free Will and Divining the Pattern). She realises it is not certain they will marry, just that she will have his children. Nor is she sure if she will become first sisters with Min, but is determined that only says she and Min “will reach an accommodation”. Two wives are uncommon among Aiel, and three are unheard of judging by Amys’ amusement (when she is a sister-wife herself).

Aviendha is not the only one uncertain about her role and her relationship to Rand. So are the Aiel:

The clans are uncertain what Rand al'Thor wishes of them."
"He was very clear," Bair noted. "He will be pleased that you and Dobraine Taborwin secured Bandar Eban, as he asked."
Rhuarc nodded. "But still, his intentions are not clear. He asked for us to restore order. Are we then to be like wetlander city guardsmen? That is no place for the Aiel. We are not to conquer, so we do not get the fifth. And yet it feels very much like conquest, what we do. The Car'a'carns orders can be clear yet confusing at the same time. He has a gift in that area, I think."

The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour

Aiel society is a very ordered one, with honour and obligation strictly adhered to. They – and perhaps the Mainland Seanchan – are the only society which has held together thus far. True, the Brotherless and Shaido split from them; and other Aiel stay gai’shain or join the Tinkers, but the Aiel are hardly broken as yet (and their breaking must be bad if Aiel Prophecy remarks on it), or destroyed with the leaf as the Karaethon Cycle says. Therefore they are going to break further. It’s likely this very group of Rhuarc, Aviendha, Amys, Melaine and Bair, who muse on what Rand wishes of them, will be involved in it.

Rhuarc thinks Aiel should not be keepers of peace or order for other nations, yet this would be a worthy role for them on a continent-wide scale after the Last Battle, rather than breaking the peace pact and trying to conquer the Seanchan as Aviendha saw they would do in her trip through the glass columns (see Aviendha's visions). Aviendha will be the one to work out what will be required of the Aiel in the future after seeing the consequences of the Aiel staying warriors in Towers of Midnight. This Foreshadowing is extremely important.

Aviendha is much beset by the Wise One’s seemingly incomprehensible punishments. I must admit I got impatient with Aviendha by the end of the chapter. Amys’ question to Aviendha “How many Wise Ones went with Rhuarc?” was a hint, as was Bair’s question about whether Aviendha is a Wise One. Because she said no, Aviendha was punished. Cause and effect, which Aviendha can’t see. In her mind she has put them far above her and so she really is not ready to join them. Aviendha secretly feels a failure for accepting wetlander attitudes and habits (this also colours her belief in what the Aiel’s future role should be until she is rudely disabused in the glass columns in Rhuidean.) She would otherwise have spoken up sooner, I think.

The Wise Ones are not just testing Aviendha when they ask her opinions. They aim to show her that she is their equal if she realises it and what her role would be if she joined them.

Amys reassures Aviendha that she was not been weakened by living with wetlanders, and in fact benefited from it. Being with Elayne has widened Aviendha’s attitudes and taught her the responsibilities of a ruler.

Aviendha nearly understands what the Wise Ones are doing:

It was almost as if the punishment was the thing the Wise Ones wanted her to learn, but that could not be.

The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour

The Wise Ones set Aviendha a da’tsang type of task. Apart from pushing Aviendha to desperation from shame, this also serves a purpose in showing Aviendha what it would be like to be condemned to that status forever, something the Wise Ones point out to her later.

The contrast between the Wise One’s training and leadership style with that of the Aes Sedai in the previous chapter is marked; as is their discipline and integrity:

Honor didn't come from being punished, but accepting a punishment and bearing it restored honor. That was the soul of toh—the willing lowering of oneself in order to recover that which had been lost.

The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour

Aes Sedai need to learn this. Hopefully Egwene will teach them. Some Aes Sedai take punishments in an arrogant fashion:

Sometimes sisters set themselves penances, in order to maintain the proper balance between pride and humility—that balance was much prized, supposedly, and the only reason given usually—but certainly none sought to have one imposed. Penance set by another could be quite harsh, and the Amyrlin was supposed to be harder in this than the Ajahs. Either way, though, many sisters made a haughty display of submission to the greater will of the Aes Sedai, an arrogant showing of their lack of arrogance. The pride of humility, Siuan called it.

A Crown of Swords, An Oath

but Melaine spoke of Aiel who do the same:

“Some gai’shain now make an arrogance of humbleness,” Melaine said disapprovingly. “They think they earn honor by it, taking obedience and meekness to the point of mockery. This is a new thing and foolish. It has no part in ji’e’toh.”

The Shadow Rising, Beyond the Stone

The chapter begins the theme of the blurring between the living and the dead in this book; the literal rise of the underworld as the Lord of the Grave strongly touches the world, a theme which I shall discuss at the end of my chapter-by-chapter read-through of The Gathering Storm. The Domani refugees the Aiel scout are almost living dead in Aviendha’s eyes:

Were they so eager to wake from the dream? Aviendha did not fear death, but there was a very big difference between embracing death and wishing for it.

The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour

Rhuarc corroborates this:

"The dead walk," the Taardad clan chief said, "and men fall at random to Sightblinder's evil, their blood corrupted like the water of a bad well. Those might be poor folk fleeing the ravages of war. Or they might be something else. We keep our distance."

The Gathering Storm, The Ways of Honour

Had the folk been part of the Dark One’s warping of the Pattern, his imposition of Wrongness, the Aiel could not have “kept their distance” from them.

The Gathering Storm Read-Through #4: Chapter 2 - The Nature of Pain

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

The Nature of Pain marks huge changes in Egwene’s understanding as well as her tactics. Before, she was still influenced by the beliefs and attitudes of her mentor Siuan. Now she begins to rise above the divisions in the Tower, and decides not to break it further; and will ultimately unify it against the real enemy: the Shadow. Serving at Elaida’s dinner underlined that Egwene will be the Servant of All in truth – as Aes Sedai should be. Egwene has moved away from Siuan's Machiavellian politics and desire for revenge. Seeing the Tower from the underside, among the servants and novices, has made her realise the bad side to the divisions, rivalries, secrets and the arrogant games the privileged play. They make an easy breeding ground for the Shadow, as she will soon discover.

At the beginning of the chapter Egwene thinks Aiel laugh during torture because they are hard enough to accept pain to the point of not feeling it much, at the end she realises they laugh because they don’t let physical pain affect their spirit:

“My thoughts are well,” Egwene said. “I don’t laugh because I’ve been broken, Silviana. I laugh because it is absurd to beat me.” The woman’s expression darkened. “Can’t you see it?” Egwene asked. “Don’t you feel the pain, the agony of watching the Tower crumble around you? Could any beating compare to that?” Silviana did not respond.
I understand, Egwene thought. I didn’t realize what the Aiel did. I assumed that I just had to be harder, and that was what would teach me to laugh at pain. But it’s not hardness at all. It’s not strength that makes me laugh. It’s understanding.

The Gathering Storm, The Nature of Pain

(This is why Aiel usually use shame as punishment, especially severe punishment. Egwene's shame in bowing to Elaida can be compared to that of the warrior Sulin's when she was temporarily a servant to work off her toh to gai'shain.)

Egwene is slightly mistaken here in confusing strength and hardness. Understanding is what gives Egwene strength. Strong, rather than hard, is what the Wise Ones want Rand to be, but he refused to listen and so very nearly broke at the end of The Gathering Storm.

Egwene’s and Rand’s story lines run in parallel and yet contrast beautifully in this book. Being hard isn't the answer, one must understand what is important and make it one's duty to right wrongs, keep the people together, and fight back. Rand will finally realise this in his existential crisis at the end of the book. Egwene will soon discover the Shadow in Tower - that the Tower’s disintegration is not all Elaida's doing and that the Shadow is much more dangerous and insidious than Elaida.

Egwene cries a little, but remains strong and sane. Rand has no tears, but is mad and brittle. Egwene is the willow as Cadsuane described it to Rand, brushed by the tempest of events, but able to spring back and remain firmly in the ground; Rand is the rigid oak which will crack. Yet Rand has potentially a much stronger position than Egwene with more supporters (in both senses of the word). He suffers more though – post-traumatic stress as well as insidious poisoning of the spirit. It is the latter that Egwene has thankfully been free of. With Moridin so closely linked to Rand, surrounding Rand within and without, how could Rand not become almost another Betrayer of Hope? The only good thing is that there is a price for Moridin too: he is becoming as wounded as Rand the Fisher King.

Influenced by the Shadow, Rand is often as tyrannical as Elaida and with the same motives. Egwene was all set to point out Rand’s despotism when they met in Towers of Midnight, but he had already moved on from that.

In this chapter Egwene compares very well with Cadsuane too – in strength of character and resolve and in respect for others whether they are weaker or stronger than herself - especially for those weaker than herself. Cadsuane is considerate of those who are making an effort and doing their best, and merciless on those who are not. The fact that the Wise Ones respected Cadsuane almost from the first is telling. Elaida has no respect for anyone's rights, no decency. In her dealings with other Tower initiates, Elaida is arrogant and cruel and with poor judgment, whereas Egwene gave reassurance and showed understanding, resolve and strategy.

Egwene isn't perfect. She speaks of Rand needing guidance – the sort the Tower likes to give - and assumes that the Seanchan would overrun Andor before they reached the Tower. These are errors of judgment, although the one about the Seanchan is far more understandable than the one about Rand. In the previous chapter, Rand, following classic attitudes to Aes Sedai, assumed Egwene would gentle him.

Egwene is beginning from a position of weakness and working to one of strength, as only the really great Amyrlins have done (see Aes Sedai History: New Era article). And this is her second time doing this. She did well among the rebels, but now she is even lower, but looks to achieve even greater things and earn even greater respect.

Romanda had begun to give her begrudging regard, while Lelaine just wanted her position! The other rebel Sitters felt manipulated. All of them could convince themselves that somebody else actually guided Egwene. In the Tower, no one can do that. She is proving her worth to them. At Elaida’s dinner she seized the opportunity to make the first steps in speaking with Meidani and ultimately the Tower Sitters.

It was apt that Egwene convinced Elaida that Silviana has been doing her job well, even though it wasn't Egwene's intention to do so. Silviana is reading up on the Lives of Amyrlins to perhaps look for precedents or parallels to Elaida and Egwene. Egwene realises Elaida isn't important, it's the Tower that is important. So now she's leaving behind Elaida to tackle Mesaana's schemes head-on. It is at this point that she becomes truly worthy of her (potential) position.

Elaida’s unfitness for her high position is emphasised by her rooms being tasteless as well as ostentatious, due to them containing every extravagant example of every style, with more to come. It mirrors Elaida's personality at the moment - her desire for extreme power and to impose extreme punishments. As early as A Crown of Swords Elaida showed she believed her position was an absolute monarchy and, as can happen, it has developed into tyranny.

Elaida’s meal was served elaborately with the formality of a multicourse meal as the phrase “they began their soup” shows. This is the first such meal we have seen onscreen. Egwene the servant ate more than Elaida (whose meal was destroyed) and with more genuine enjoyment and then considerately cleaned up after herself to spare the kitchen staff.

Egwene ate what Elaida ate. Elaida's food was infested with vermin, Egwene's is not mentioned as being so. The Tower is offering to sustain them equally, but the trappings are different, and moreover Egwene obtained more benefit and appreciation from her meal than Elaida did.

It's the potential fate of every false Amyrlin to become a servant, as Red Amyrlin Bonwhin’s fate reminds us. The fact that Egwene accepts her tasks and does them without being forced is going to show that, like corporal punishment the Aes Sedai dread and overuse, it's not that big a deal for one of great spirit and resolve. Like Bonwhin, Elaida nearly destroyed the Tower, and like Deane Aryman, Egwene, who has “Salidar connections”, will rebuild it.

In Knife of Dreams Egwene, the servant of the Servants, endured three of the four traditional forms of Aes Sedai punishment: Labour, Deprivation and Mortification of the Flesh. In this chapter comes Mortification of the Spirit. The greater pain of Mortification of the Spirit leads Egwene to realise the absurdity of corporal punishment and also that overuse of Mortification of the Spirit is wrong. She showed much disgust at Elaida's (mis)treatment of Meidani and Shemerin.

Elaida threatens to send Egwene to a windowless cell if she makes any further infractions and this is what happens at the next meal Egwene serves. Back when we had a preview of this chapter before the full book was published, I predicted that when the Seanchan struck Egwene would be in the cells, or on trial, or even about to be executed and Elaida would be reigning supreme. The closeness of Elaida's rooms to the Tower roof where the Seanchan land from the air would ensure that Elaida will be one of the first to be captured...

Egwene is appalled at Elaida's dismissive attitude and also thinks it just if Elaida ended up collared, but when she heard it had actually happened she pitied her. The Seanchan aim to bring justice to the Aes Sedai for their manipulations against Artur Hawkwing.

The Tower’s disunity will cost them dearly - and the world, too. The Shadow has deliberately wasted the Aes Sedai in this fashion. Like the Brown Sitters say, whenever the Tower was divided in history, disaster struck the world; this time more than any other. And I bet some of those old disasters were covered up to a degree!

Throughout its history the Tower has consistently hidden all its mistakes and failures, real and perceived, never accounting for them. Consequently they have never learned from them and are doomed to repeat them, which is how the division has succeeded. In contrast the Aiel admit their errors, pay for them fully, and then move on, growing stronger and wiser for the experience.

A major theme of the Aes Sedai sub-plot is knowledge; knowledge and its misuse and suppression. No wonder the Aes Sedai have declined when they think they know everything already, keep so much secret and deny their mistakes. They don't even truly know themselves, let alone anything else.

The rebels have had a renaissance in learning due to sharing new weaves and being more inclusive in their recruiting. If all these weaves are in the open, even those the Shadow may misuse, there is the opportunity to work out a way to counter them. We saw this in Towers of Midnight, when Sitters explored the Oath Rod’s weaknesses.

The existence of the Thirteenth Depository is still suppressed even in the Ajah which is its caretaker, let alone from the rest of the Tower. (I thought this would be exposed and dealt with in The Gathering Storm but it was not.) Other secret knowledge is the Reds’ culpability in the vileness after the Aiel War (see here), the knowledge of what the Oath Rod does, Siuan’s and Leane’s lies about the Reds setting up false Dragons…

The Wise Ones made it plain to Egwene that the Aes Sedai nowadays are a paltry lot with little ethics and loyalty for all their oaths. Egwene is now seeing this proved before her very eyes. The Oaths are only good if you follow the spirit of them and not just the letter; and if you are doing so, then you don't need them. You are already trustworthy and will be trusted. The Aes Sedai bind themselves like criminals; which most of them aren't, but they sure are crooked.

It is Egwene’s task to reunify the Aes Sedai and restore them to a group worthy of the Wise One’s respect. And we are back to how the Aes Sedai were in the Age of Legends, when the Aiel were proud to serve them.

On the down side, in the Age of Legends Latra Posae led the female Aes Sedai into denying Lews Therin their support and Egwene is perilously close to reprising this role as of Towers of Midnight due to her lack of understanding and contact with Rand. The division in the Age of Legends was along gender lines, whereas in the late Third Age it is more by Ajah. (Although gender division remains.) While Elaida has caused and increased division, the Blues also played their part. There are two sides to every separation after all. Siuan in her own way has done a great deal to split the Ajahs. Not just the Red versus the Blue, she also disregarded the Blues’ long-time allies, the Green, over the advent of the Dragon Reborn. She hasn’t admitted her culpability though, so it is just that post-unification she is no longer influencing Aes Sedai leadership.

The Red Ajah came close to pulling down Elaida after Egwene pointed out to some Red sisters the damage Elaida was doing to the Reds’ reputation.

The Shadow’s presence in this chapter is denoted by Alviarin, who hurries to her appointed beating, and the portentous alteration and translocation of the mural of Caraighan Maconar. Alviarin was late for her punishment because she was either looking for Talene, or passing out orders to do so and collecting replies. Alviarin has to go around all her message drop off points to find out what is going on. More and more this absence of Talene would seem an emergency to her.

Her lateness and hurrying emphasises her subjection – a full Aes Sedai, head of the Black Ajah, yet more fearful than Egwene. But with Shaidar Haran and Mesaana breathing down her neck or the headsman's block on the horizon I think Alviarin has reason to give her Black Ajah tasks priority and risk more pain and humiliation in Silviana’s study.

Caraighan’s portrait was formerly in the library and did not have blood on Caraighan’s face or bodies of the slain around her. The Pattern has been twisted by the Dark One and mural reflects that – or was caused by it. Two Reds were taking a 'Green' novice/Amyrlin to a Red Amyrlin along red and green tiles when a picture of a legendary Green Amyrlin warns them off.

The painting’s corruption could refer to both Elaida and Egwene. Both want to “guide” the Dragon Reborn and monarchs and bring the Tower back to its old glory and strength, just by different methods. Caraighan performed such actions. The warning is that this would be disastrous whether done by Egwene or Elaida.

The painting also has similarities to real world medieval and renaissance apocalyptic paintings such as by Durer or Bosch, and warns of Aes Sedai plans or inactions bringing disaster to the world.

I noticed a few anomalies in the writing in this chapter: Egwene referring to loyalists to mean those Aes Sedai who supported Elaida, the usage of despot, and of bust rather than bosom when describing Meidani’s chest. They number fewer than in Tears From Steel, though. There are no time markers in The Nature of Pain, however, such as whether the Reds have left for the Black Tower yet, and if so, how long ago.

Post #23 of Wheel of Time Costume

By Linda

The costume styles of Shara and the Shadow were added to Part 2 of the Wheel of Time Costume article today. There isn't much information on Shara, but I had a bit of fun with the Shadow.

For the full Costume article from the beginning click here.

The Gathering Storm Read-Through #3: Chapter 1 - Tears From Steel

By Linda


WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

In The Gathering Storm the wind starts at the White Tower, a centre of power for three thousand years. That position has been seriously undermined. It’s now isolated in its own little state and has been broken and corrupted - by different people as the text hints: Elaida and Siuan broke it and Mesaana and the Black Ajah corrupted it.

More signs of corruption and civil disorder in Tar Valon are the bold street toughs. The Tower no longer manages its city well. Elaida is too busy and Aes Sedai eyes are turned elsewhere: on each other.

A few of the city's buildings are described and their forms presage some important issues of the book. The dome hinting at the form of a rising sun refers to Rand. He finally visits Tar Valon “soon”. The building is dwarfed by the Tower as are all the other buildings in the city and this reflects the Aes Sedai perspective on Rand and the world. Or how the Aes Sedai would like to see themselves in relation to Rand. But Dragonmount dwarfs the Tower…

Since flowing water usually refers to saidar, the fountain of two waves crashing together:

There a fountain sprang from the top of a building itself, cresting what appeared to be two waves crashing together.

The Gathering Storm, Tears From Steel

could refer to the Tower/rebel conflict or at least the upcoming Elaida/Egwene confrontation and also foreshadows the Seanchan attack on TV, which will include large numbers of damane. Elaida's rooms are near the top of the Tower, and at least part of the Seanchan attack will land on the roof, just as the fountain is on top of a building.

The two buildings of women reaching hands to each other:

a pair of steep three-story buildings stood opposite one another, each crafted into the form of a maiden. The marble creations — half-statue, half-dwelling — reached with stone hands toward one another as if in greeting, hair billowing behind, immobile, yet carved with such delicacy that every strand seemed to undulate in the wind's passing.

The Gathering Storm, Tears From Steel

reminded me of Egwene's dream of a Seanchan woman who will reach a hand to pull Egwene to safety. The two groups need to reconcile their attitudes to their respective female channellers. Another conflict in need of reconciliation is that of the rebel and Tower Aes Sedai. They will finally rejoin at the end of this book.

Even at the beginning of the White Tower’s foundation when the buildings were constructed there were dissenting groups of Aes Sedai forcibly made to join, and there have been mutinies at irregular intervals…and schisms too. The Tower unity has been a façade at times.

Much is made of the contribution men are making to the city in this chapter. The men are portrayed positively, more so than the Aes Sedai, who let the city decline. The Tower Guard are clean, unstained and white.

Then there's the irony of Reds working with men, and it's to weaken the city defenses further to remove the half-cuendillar harbour chain. This also reminded me of the six Reds gone to bond Asha'man Warders and the barrier of the Black Tower’s walls and the dreamspike which in Towers of Midnight will force the Reds and Logain’s faction to work together to break them.

Reds are destroying the Tower’s defences – chipping away at stones - just as Elaida destroyed Tower unity. In fact it is the outcome of Elaida’s divisiveness. The Tower’s stone defences are warded, and the Reds’ unravelling of these wards so men can remove the walls is symbolic of the Reds no longer needing to protect the world against male channellers but, as Pevara’s group shows in Towers of Midnight, working with men against a greater danger. Tsutama’s decree that Reds can bond male channellers as Warders is also chipping away at Reds’ prejudices.

Later in the book men will fight to protect the Aes Sedai and to rescue Egwene. Egwene planned that men should do any fighting to settle the schism too. If the Aes Sedai fight each other they can never be reunited.

While the Tower’s perimeter is being broken with the aid of men, the rebel camp’s perimeter now excludes men:

There was a tight perimeter between the inner camp and the outer one, a perimeter that had most recently been intended to exclude men, particularly those who could wield saidin.

However looking on men as ‘the danger’ was shown to be a fallacy in Knife of Dreams, since the danger came from a woman channelling saidin, and from one of their own Sitters.

In the rebel camp novices are being washerwomen. It’s symbolic of the Aes Sedai ‘washing its dirty linen in public’ and not hiding the shame of its disunity and the Black Ajah from the world.

Novices are beating rugs among the rebels, while their Amyrlin is a novice and is being beaten in the Tower. In the next chapter Egwene will say that she feels like a beaten rug after a session with Silviana.

The wind at the start of each book shows us ‘which way the wind is blowing’. It is the breath of the world: the world’s prana or chi, a reflection of the world’s vital spirit or energy flow.

The wind sweeps west from the White Tower past the rebels and is blocked and re-directed south to Rand by something from the Blight. It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good... as the saying goes. Its journey shows that Rand’s and Egwene's story lines are linked (and will be the central part of the book).

Much of this path is the reverse of that which Verin took Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve, Mat and Hurin along in The Dragon Reborn and is another linking of Egwene and Rand.

The wind also symbolically moves from the beginning of the Third Age, where men are excluded, through to the chaos of now and indicates the extent of the Shadow’s influence on events. “Arid Domain” is what Arad Doman refers to and look at the state of it now. And as the interference from the Blight suggests, the chaos gets worse in The Gathering Storm. Graendal vowed in Lord of Chaos,that “she would sow chaos till the harvest made Demandred’s lungs explode.”

Rand is in Arad Doman to restore order and to protect it from the Seanchan. Graendal’s philosophy of ‘everyone in their place for the greater good of society and to serve her’ is a mockery of the social structure of the Seanchan, who are being prevented from taking control of Arad Doman. They too have a society based on a proper place for everyone and serving the Empire and Empress; but where they would bring order, Graendal brings chaos. Ituralde used Graendal’s orders to rally Domani and Taraboners into striking at the Seanchan and madden them enough to trap them.

Rand thinks the tents of Bashere's army look like stones on a board; he sees the army as something to be manipulated, as a war game. Distancing oneself from people is a sign of mental illness.

Rand is linked to Moridin, who fancies himself as a gamemaster and has previously used the board game metaphor for the way he directs and controls events – and cheats by playing both sides. The aim of stones being to surround numbers of your enemy’s pieces rather than take them piece by piece…

As he has in the past, Lews Therin bleeds across the link to Rand. There is leakage between Moridin and Rand too, shown in how they reflect each others’ stance and attitude. Rand’s likening of the Saldaean camp to a stones board and his thoughts:

Besides, he didn’t need to understand women in order to use them.

The Gathering Storm Tears From Steel

may be an influence from Moridin.

Graendal is all for everyone being in their “proper” place as defined by her so they can serve her as Rand is, but she believes it is essential to understand the people you want to manipulate. Ironically she had this thought in response to Sammael’s puzzlement over why Rand got upset when women died fighting for him...(Lord of Chaos, To Understand a Message).

Rand’s comment also expresses his self-loathing over feeling forced to use women, as though he knows how much his integrity of character has gone downhill, but can’t /won’t do anything about it. Yet.

Semirhage’s capture reminds Rand sharply of his own capture by the Tower embassy. This is why he won’t allow her to be tortured as he was. He doesn’t want to corrupt women either by allowing their torture, or allowing them to torture others. He doesn’t want to be like those Aes Sedai. And in fact the key to breaking Semirhage isn’t torture but another kind of cruelty – humiliation.

Semirhage's diagnosis of Rand’s madness:

"He’s insane... Clearly, he is hearing Lews Therin's voice. It makes no difference that his voice is real, however. In fact, that makes his situation worse. Even Graendal usually failed to achieve reintegration with someone who heard a real voice. I understand the descent into terminal madness can be . . . abrupt." Her lips curved in a smile that never touched her dark eyes.

Knife of Dreams, A Plain Wooden Box

whether real or false is not surprisingly undermining Rand. Supposedly she rarely lies, but she'll say anything to inflict pain. Is this paradoxical? Or is somebody wrong?

Graendal claimed no belief in ‘past lives’ anyway, judging by what she said in The Fires of Heaven, Prologue:

“It may well be that, as many believe, all are born and reborn as the Wheel turns….”

I’m not keen on relying on corrupt doctors. Nor on ones that disbelieve the source of the problem.

Rand’s state is steel, but Lews Therin is tears:

Yes, that was definitely sobbing, not laughter. Sometimes it was hard to tell with Lews Therin.

The Gathering Storm, Tears From Steel

Since Rand just suppresses all his feelings, or distances himself from them it’s no wonder he finds it hard to distinguish them. Incidentally the way he does distance himself from feeling is akin to living wrapped in the Oneness as Lanfear recommended as a way to become great. Great…

Rand says he has become steel – the man of steel, Superman. But Superman had a vulnerability. After Semirhage tortures him Rand tries to be cuendillar man, so hard he is now a statue, catatonic and unbending, not just unyielding. Finally he becomes a genuine super man at the end of the book by being neither steel nor cuendillar.

How apt that Rand sees through watery eyes at this stage. With corruption (and tears) all through the chapter, I doubt he is stainless steel. Lews Therin cries on Rand’s behalf.

Rand assumes he and Lews Therin will merge although as he discovers at the end of The Gathering Storm they were never two. Min's viewing of two men merging could just as easily have been Moridin and Rand. Too bad she gave no description of the other man she saw.

Rand's concentration on need is like using need in Tel'aran'rhiod: bending one's situation to suit one's will.

Need. No longer was it about what Rand wanted or what he wished. Everything he did focused only on need, and what he needed most was the lives of those who followed him.

The Gathering Storm, Tears From Steel

He does this increasingly through The Gathering Storm so that only the strongest is able, or dares, to withstand his will. Tuon and Nynaeve being two.

When Rand thinks that “Only Tarmon Gai'don matters” he sounds like Masema. Yet Rand has made a conscious decision not to use torture - not to be prepared to do anything to win. Cadsuane, who wanted Rand less dark and unfeeling, less like Shadar Logoth, thinks he should permit torture. Go figure.

Nynaeve says Semirhage is dangerous beyond reason. Rand found out how right she was. Semirhage did not scruple to do more to Rand than even the worst he could think of.

Cadsuane is dressed in green and yellow, representing life and healing, Nynaeve is in grey and yellow - mediation and healing - and Alivia in red - war (not Red Ajah since she's never been indoctrinated). War is about all Alivia knows.

How amusing that the Red Ajah now allows Asha’man Warders, whereas Rand has a ‘Red’ Warder in Alivia. I think this symmetry is intended, after all, Alivia feels she owes her freedom to Rand. Red clothes would have to be the most defiant gesture a slave can make after nearly 400 years dressed only in grey. A genuine Red, Teslyn, vowed to do anything for Mat in return for being freed from the Seanchan.None of the women with Rand could bring themselves to say anything about what was obviously an episode of insanity.

The dragon on Rand's handless arm has no head. This refers to Rand's insanity which is now openly known to those around him and is handicapping him. Is Cadsuane mad trying to force a madman to be polite? Can this help him keep those he needs around him? Barely. There's no laughter or tears in Rand, yet there is in Lews Therin. Rand's probably madder than Lews Therin since Lews Therin is more aware of what has happened than Rand is.

Rand expresses a dark view of Egwene in this chapter and in Chapter 1 of Towers of Midnight she will reciprocate. Part of Rand’s bitterness is leakage from Lews Therin who is angry that the women wouldn’t help at Shayol Ghul:

They refused to help us, you know. Refused! Said my plan was too reckless. That left me with only the Hundred Companions, no women to form a circle. Traitors! This is their fault. But. . . but I'm the one who killed Hyena. Why?

The Gathering Storm, Tears From Steel

and this leads into the vital questions of how to seal the Bore and what the role Egwene and the female channellers will payin this, and how to get men and women working together in balance.

How pitiful Rand has become:

My eyes see as if in a fog, my hand is burned away, and the old wounds in my side rip open if I do anything more strenuous than breathe. I'm dry, like an overused well. I need to finish my work here and get to Shayol Ghul. Otherwise, there won't be anything left of me for the Dark One to kill.

The Gathering Storm, Tears From Steel

Rand’s insight into his condition is more accurate than he knows. He is blind (foggy vision), losing his humanity (symbolised by losing one hand) and tainted, constrained so he can barely move safely. He is unable to cry due to being “dry” but Lews Therin leaks tears. As he realises after his epiphany, he does need to get to Shayol Ghul before the Dark One is too strong.

We have been told that Rand’s sword was Artur Hawkwing’s: it was confirmed by Kathana Travaeler of Dragonmount that this is the sword Justice through direct email correspondence with Brandon and Maria. This fact has not yet been used in the books.

The elation Rand feels from Elayne through the bond would be when Elayne secured the support she needed for the throne at the end of Knife of Dreams. The mood didn’t last long.

Brandon’s characterisation in this chapter is quite good, but there are out-of-character expressions. When Rand called Asmodean a weasel of a man it seemed the wrong word for me. It grated. Min I thought pretty consistent with how RJ portrayed her. Cadsuane doesn’t stride, RJ usually described her walk as smooth, a glide. Also, there was the art reference which didn’t work. Otherwise she was well enough. Lews Therin and Rand were excellently done and Nynaeve was good.

I shall end this post with some foreshadowing for A Memory of Light that also links with viewings Min has recently had on swords:

Rand reaching for his sword— a useless gesture, now. The loss of his hand, though it wasn't his primary sword hand, would leave him vulnerable if he were to face a skilled opponent. Even with saidin to provide a far more potent weapon, his first instinct was for the sword. He'd have to change that. It might get him killed someday.

The Gathering Storm Tears From Steel

So it might.

Post #22 of Wheel of Time Costume

By Linda

The costume styles of the Seanchan were added to Part 2 of the Wheel of Time Costume article today. The Seanchan section is a large one due to its highly structured society and has many illustrations. The Seanchan styles have strong similarities with Chinese and Japanese costume, with lesser but still significant influence also from Byzantine, Ottoman and Ancient Egyptian dress.

For the full Costume article from the beginning click here.

The Gathering Storm Read-Through #2: Prologue POVs 4-6

By Linda



WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

This post covers the second half of The Gathering Storm Prologue, starting with Graendal’s POV.

Graendal’s parallels are really obvious in the first scene of this POV: man-hungry Circe in her lair, which is a palace in a forest above a lake like Nazi leader Hermann Goering’s Carinhall (see Graendal essay for more on her parallels). She has enslaved a member of the Merchant Council and is tempted or distracted by Moridin’s messenger; he makes her think about killing Moridin.

She doesn’t appear to be as intelligent as RJ’s earlier portrayals of her. Normally her shallowness is a facade to deceive others, here it is more pervasive. For example, she criticises Mesaana’s appearance and suggests Mesaana joined the Shadow for research opportunities. Yet Graendal made a different and rather better diagnosis of Mesaana’s motives in Lord of Chaos. Graendal also daydreams of putting Moridin under Compulsion to serve her as her pet. She is fooled by one of Moridin’s serving men:

There was silence in the too-black room for a time, and then a servant in a crisp red uniform entered, bearing two cups. He was an ugly thing, with a flat face and bushy eyebrows, worth no more than a passing glance.

- The Gathering Storm, Prologue

He was probably watching her while she disregarded him and so was definitely worth more than a passing glance. (This servant appears to be the reverse of the beautiful, white-clad zomaran, but perhaps has a similar role in unexpectedly ‘reading’ Moridin’s guests.)

Moridin is in the deep Northeastern Blight in a black stone building with no glass in windows. Just as Graendal has her Carinhall, so Moridin could own multiple towers/fortresses as the Nazis did. Shadowspawn in this part of the Blight supposedly only obey the Dark One, not even Moridin. It is hot and very austere. Graendal used to be into austerity, but she isn’t now. Or did she only like her own austerity and not anyone else’s? A thinly-veiled holier-than-thou?

Moridin has become more stern and authoritative – more like Rand. He stands staring at nothing like Rand does. Rand and Moridin are merging. Moridin, the would-be captor of the Fisher King, is himself becoming like the Fisher King.

Unlike Rand, Moridin is obsessed with killing Mat and Perrin. Graendal wants to kill Rand instead, as probably all the Forsaken except Moridin do. Each one thinks they are the only one who dares to consider killing Rand against orders. Moridin doesn’t want Rand dead yet until he is in the right place at the right time:

”He is to live unharmed until he can face me at that last day.”

- The Gathering Storm, Prologue

The other Forsaken disregard this. Does Moridin think that the Pattern will look after Rand until the Last Moment or when Rand breaks the Seals and that is the Shadow’s chance to kill him and win?

Graendal sees Moridin as:

lacking in imagination lately. Everything of black and red, and all focused on killing those fool boys from the village of Rand al'Thor.

The Gathering Storm, Prologue

Is Moridin unimaginative? Or setting them an example of focus? Or is he fooling them all?

Demandred and Mesaana asked for the meeting with Moridin, and arrived together for moral support and to show a united front to Moridin while they ask his aid in rescuing Semirhage. They didn’t think that anyone else would be there that would need fooling – least of all Graendal. Graendal should have known this or been quicker to figure it out.

Moiridin invited her along to put them off balance and to humiliate them; and to manipulate Graendal, too, to make her feel like she should, and could, outdo Demandred, Mesaana and the hapless Semirhage and do what Moridin wants.

A woman – a Darkfriend? A Black Sister? – reported to Mesaana and Demandred that Semirhage didn’t intend to harm Rand, and that injuring him was a reflex. Did this woman witness it personally, or was she told by other witnesses? Elza was not personally present during the attack. Maybe the informant was a sul’dam or damane. The fact that all the Seanchan were revolted by Semirhage’s declaration of her identity means nothing, such is her reputation on both sides.

Demandred says that Semirhage knows he would kill her for killing Rand, because the Dragon’s death is his prerogative. Big deal. Demandred is not convincing here. All the Forsaken are planning on killing Rand if they can and none worry about big shot Demandred paying them out for it.

There will be no rescue of Semirhage as punishment for her failure and because she injured Rand when this was forbidden. and Demandred and Mesaana are forbidden to rescue her.

Rand’s injury pains Moridin, which is why he doesn’t want Rand harmed physically. He’s going to go for psychological pain instead. If he thought he wouldn’t be affected by it, or that it would be less difficult to bear than physical pain, he was wrong. Or maybe he was willing to bear it. The way Moridin lives now – the bleakness and discomfort – would add to Rand’s misery, as would Moridin’s displeasure and frustration with Semirhage. Quite probably Moridin’s fortress serves the dual purpose of adding to Rand’s discomfort through the link, while also intimidating other Forsaken. Moridin’s trying to drive Rand over the edge, but will he feel it too? Moridin’s showing a raw temper like Rand and all his lighter mockery is gone. This becomes obvious when the two souls meet in Tel’aran’rhiod as their old, true selves.

Humiliated or not, Demandred and Mesaana tell something of their plans. Mesaana says she will have all Aes Sedai serving the Shadow and that the White Tower will soon fall to her. She claims she is gaining followers all the time – some knowingly, others not. Who are these followers? And who are they following? We didn’t see much evidence of it in The Gathering Storm or Towers of Midnight. Graendal regards Mesaana’s claims as unsubstantiated boasts.

Demandred prepares for war, and says he will be ready. So he’s not quite ready yet. Is he conning Moridin as much as Mesaana is? He’s ruling someone or something supposedly. Neither we nor Graendal have any idea what Demandred is doing. Graendal thinks he’s a fool to bear a grudge against Lew Therin; that it is a waste of energy and time. Is Demandred with the Borderlander armies? Or on the Seanchan continent?

Graendal has spies on the Borderlander camp but has seen no sign of other Forsaken there. She knows which Aes Sedai Mesaana is pretending to be and has agents watching her. Graendal doesn’t know that Aran’gar left the rebels at least two weeks earlier. She has only just discovered that Semirhage was masquerading as a high-ranking Seanchan.

Lanfear and Moghedien are rallying Darkfriends and trying to kill Mat and Perrin, according to Graendal. She’s probably right: it was probably Lanfear who set Masema up to kill Perrin – her typical modus operandi of dreams and madness was used; and Masema was nearly successful.

Graendal thinks that:

Moridin was gathering the Great Lord's forces for the Last Battle, and his war preparations left him very little time for the south.

The Gathering Storm, Prologue

Despite what Graendal thinks, Moridin probably is doing more than war preparations. Moridin, like Demandred, is very hard to read and keep tabs on, as Graendal discovers on her next visit to Moridin’s fortress in Towers of Midnight.

Graendal didn’t know what to make of Moridin’s looking at her while rebuking Mesaana:

"You will speak when I give you leave, Mesaana," he replied coldly. "You are not yet forgiven."
She cringed, then obviously grew angry at herself for it. Moridin ignored her, glancing over at Graendal, eyes narrow. What was that look for?

The Gathering Storm, Prologue

Again, this is something that Graendal should be able to work out. Moridin looks at Graendal with narrowed eyes because he is seeing if she is taking note of the situation or to make her take note. (And Graendal oversteps far more than Mesaana does.) His look is also designed to annoy Demandred and Mesaana by reminding them they are pleading in front of Graendal.

Moridin tempts Graendal with a carrot, offering a small reward to her in advance, to get her to prevent Rand pacifying Arad Doman, and to bring him emotional pain. The latter order is added seemingly as an afterthought, but is probably more important to his strategy of getting Rand to despair. It very nearly worked. Rand nearly did the Dark One’s job of destroying everything including himself. Moridin is motivating Graendal rather than ordering her, so perhaps her task is a very risky one. I guess the example of Semirhage has sobered them all up.


Ituralde’s POV shows his skill as one of the Great Captains. In this scene he fools the Seanchan and the reader into thinking he has far more forces than he does and that the Seanchan will be attacked on two fronts. Like his later battle in the Borderlands, his victory is one few others could achieve but comes at a high cost. Knowing how good he is, his vain struggles to save Maradon in Towers of Midnight are all the more impressive. Ituralde is the king of lost causes and unwinnable battles.

Will Ituralde have his wish to have access to raken for aerial surveillance? He is one for whom the Seanchan now have great respect, so he may direct some of their forces in the Last Battle. Mat Cauthon can’t be everywhere.


In Masema’s POV we see that despite his words the Prophet’s heart isn’t too pure, but full of personal ambition. He isn’t thinking about how he can help Rand to victory, but about what Rand’s victory will do for him. Masema wants to be raised up to the level just below Rand as his Prophet:

Think not of the past, think of the future, when the Lord Dragon would rule all of the land! When men would be subject only to him, and to his Prophet beneath him. Those days would be glorious indeed, days when none would dare scorn the Prophet or deny his will.

The Gathering Storm Prologue

From what Lanfear told Rand, Asmodean dreamed of something similar:

He dreams of you triumphing over the Great Lord and putting him up beside you on high.

- The Fires of Heaven, Gateways

The two men are not that far apart. They both induced large groups to butcher innocents, ravage the countryside and provide an unwelcome distraction. Masema betrayed the Creator, and Asmodean the Dark One and probably both were meddled with by Lanfear. Masema lost his sanity, Asmodean most of his channelling ability. Both men professed allegiance to Rand, but were not that useful, and both were ambushed and killed by women.

Masema admits the failure of his Dragonsworn movement was his fault – but for the wrong reason. He regrets not killing Perrin long ago in The Great Hunt, before Masema even followed Rand. The night before the battle of Malden Masema saw a vision of Rand commanding him to kill Perrin. He sent Aram to do it. The “vision’ was probably created by one of the Forsaken; Lanfear is the most likely perpetrator. Sending people mad and manipulating their dreams was her modus operandi in the Age of Legends. Moreover Masema’s uncertain mental state can be traced back to early in The Dragon Reborn, when very few of the Forsaken knew where Rand was or who he was with. Lanfear was one who did.

Wandering in dark woods is symbolic of Masema’s state of mind. His memories of life as Masema are blurry, another sign of mental manipulations such as induced insanity or Compulsion.

Can someone be blamed for being sent mad or going mad?

Masema blames Darkfriends for the high casualty rate he suffered at Malden. He assumed the Dragon would protect the Dragonsworn (from afar, even) and lead them to victory. Likewise in the next book, Galad believed the Children would be strong and protected by their belief in the Light and the Creator, until casualties showed him otherwise. His sanity contrasts with Masema’s. One minute Masema is proud and fond of followers, the next contemptuous and thinking they are cowardly or Darkfriends. However, Asunawa also accused Whitecloaks of being Darkfriends when things did not go his way.

This scene of Faile killing Masema reinforces that Faile is important in her own right. The Prophet started out like John the Baptist, and unlike Salome, Faile “took his head” personally. Ambushing Masema in the woods while dressed in green, she is Wild Woman defending her Wild Man husband (see Faile and Berelain and Perrin essays for more on their parallels).

Just as Masema and Asmodean mirror each other, so the Dragonsworn and Darkfriends are both millenarian extremists.

Masema’s followers were renowned for their abnormal, often violent, behaviour in their efforts to recruit for the Dragon. Masema’s concentration on the Dragon’s rebirth and imminent salvation of the world and rejection of everything else as useless is typically millenarian. He preached that belief in the Dragon and obedience to his word is enough to ensure the defeat of the Shadow.

The Forsaken/Darkfriends are far more developed as a millenarian cult. This is hardly surprising, since they were established more than three thousand years ago and it is their master, the Dark One, who wants to end the world as it currently is. From the Shadow’s point of view, their victory will usher in an eternity of rule under the Dark One – a dark eternity of an evil paradise where they will be the elect. Many Darkfriends are in the same mould:

Unlike the Forsaken, Darkfriends have not known immortality, yet they have survived as a society for over three thousand years, serving and waiting for Tarmon Gai’don: the Last Battle…Some extremists are deeply dedicated to obtaining freedom for the Dark One and thus immortality and dominion for themselves.

- The World of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time

On the other hand, while the Whitecloaks are religious extremists, they showed little acceptance of the Dragon as the Creator’s surrogate and most showed little interest in the Last Battle at all, let alone feel it is imminent, until Galad took charge.

At death Masema’s soul falls into the void. It doesn’t sound like the Creator was impressed with him.

The Gathering Storm Read-Through #1: Prologue POVs 1-3

By Linda



WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT

The Gathering Storm begins with:

Ravens and crows. Rats. Mists and clouds. Insects and corruption. Strange events and odd occurrences.
The ordinary twisted and strange. Wonders!
The dead are beginning to walk, and some see them. Others do not, but more and more, we all fear the night.
These have been our days. They rain upon us beneath a dead sky, crushing us with their fury, until as one we beg: "Let it begin!"

—Journal of the Unknown Scholar, entry for The Feast of Freia, 1000 NE

Written contemporaneously with current events, the extract describes the chaos of the Last Days. So far we have not seen evidence of the night being worse than the day. But then we have seen little of what Lanfear (who particularly made people fear the night in the Age of Legends) and Moghedien have been doing.

The passage ties in with the prophecy:

The tides of men run out, and the hours dwindle. The wall is pierced, and the veil of parting raised. Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the earth. There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death."

- The Fires Of Heaven, Opening prophecy

The veil of parting being raised refers to the dead walking. To save the world Rand and his aides either cause destruction, or cannot prevent it; plus many, including Rand will die. The disorder in the Land engendered by the Shadow damages the Wheel. With the Wheel damaged it is hard to keep order in the Land and the Pattern – a vicious cycle.

The Wheel of Time world is based on “As above, so below” and therefore overturning proper world order and imposing Wrongness will destabilise the Pattern making the world. Prophecy (and omens too) “works” in this world because the whole, the Pattern, can be read in even the smallest part. But not if the Pattern is disturbed. Warp things enough and ultimately the Pattern and the Wheel can be broken. At the least, by engendering chaos people can be prevented from reading Tel’aran’rhiod, dreams and omens to learn what is soon to happen.

Freia refers to the Norse goddess of love, fertility, war, death, magic, prophecy, and wealth Freyja, a parallel of Tuon, who is also Empress, a justice/order/fortune goddess and queen of the Underworld (see Tuon essay).


The Borderlander POV begins with black and silver clouds and these have been seen before: in the local area around Thakan’dar, but now they are moving out over the Land. It’s an indication that the Dark One’s sphere of influence is spreading. Soon his touch will be as great as it was when the Bore was open.

These silver clouds are not the sort to have a silver lining. Their silver appearance was likened to steel:

And what to make of silver clouds? Bulging between the black ones, like places where polished steel shone through metal crusted with soot.

The Gathering Storm Prologue

The clouds are burnished or brandished like weapons and show the Land under threat. The Dark One has used weather/climate as a weapon before when he tried to hold the Land in summer.

The clouds let through silver light instead of the golden light of the Sun. A reference to moonlight; it reminds me of Lanfear’s moon associations. It also shows the anti-naturalness of the Dark One opposing the Creator/Nature.

Renald the farmer and some-time smith sacrificed his best scythe to make a weapon. It was hard to do:

At the tool wall, he reached for his third-best scythe, but stopped. Taking a deep breath, he took the best scythe off the wall instead. He walked back out to the forge and knocked the haft off the scythe.

The Gathering Storm Prologue

He is aware of why they need to convert tools to weapons and go to fight:

“How can we just go off?"
"Because," Renald said, "if we don't leave, then it won't matter if we planted or not."

The Gathering Storm Prologue

In Aiel society blacksmith’s don’t fight; they are too valuable because they provide weapons and tools for the clan. The unnaturalness and wrongness of the Dark One is ensuring that nothing will grow, and so the growers must also fight for the health of the Land. It’s time to make weapons instead of growing things. The people could all starve, but if they don’t fight they will all die anyway.

Humble people are the first to react and go north to confront the end fighting. They accept that it is the end – the Last Days. (Likewise there are signs in Towers of Midnight that other animals as well as the wolves look/move to the north.) Their dedication and courage contrasts with the reckless actions and ambitions of nobles. Narishma, who is a skilled fighter and yet of humble origins, expands on this later in the book:

"A Borderlander's place is guarding the Border," Narishma said. "I was a cobbler's son, and yet I was trained with the sword, spear, bow, axe and sling. Even before joining the Asha'man, I could best four out of five trained southern soldiers in a duel. We live to defend. And yet they left. Now, of all times. With thirteen Aes Sedai." He glanced at her with those dark eyes of his. "I want to trust them. I know them for good people. But good people can do the wrong thing. Particularly when men who can channel are involved."

- The Gathering Storm, Scents Unknown

The rulers’ and their armies’ absence from the Borderlands is convenient for the Shadow. Darkfriends among their advisors may have encouraged the rulers to take more forces than they should have. RJ said on his blog that this was a plot of Shadow:

The Forsaken are a group of power hungry people who don't like one another and vie with one another for power as much as they vie with the forces of the Light. Much like the internal politicking in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. But look at the situation in the world as it actually stands, from the White Tower divided to crop failures caused by a too-long winter and a too-long summer and people fleeing their farms because the Dragon Reborn has broken all bonds, meaning still less food, and that spoiling at a fearsome rate, from chaos in Arad Doman to a large part of the Borderland armies out of position, from the arrival of the Seanchan focusing too many eyes on them instead of the Shadow to the strongest single nation, Andor, riven by civil war in all but name and Tear split by open warfare, from.... Well, take your pick. There are lots more to chose from. Take a step back and look at what the forces of the Shadow have wrought. The world and the forces of the Light are in bad shape. At this point, boys and girls, the Shadow is winning.

Paitar’s aim was to test Rand and if he didn’t measure up, kill him. Yet Rand said if he didn’t have the memories he gained from his epiphany, he would have balefired them with the True Power (which he appears to know how to weave).

Ethenielle said they had all left enough forces unless Trolloc Wars come again…Yet Moridin is planning worse than that. At the end of the Eye of the World Ishamael told Rand that massive armies would come:

Armies you have not dreamed of will yet come.

- The Eye of the World, Against the Shadow

He wasn’t lying.

Obviously the forces that remain won’t be enough and we see that in Towers of Midnight, with large areas of the Borderlander nations except the city of Maradon overrun. Lan’s force of 14 thousand in Tarwin’s Gap is pitiful against over a hundred thousand Trollocs. However, they have to make a stand, because, as Fel said:

“Belief and order give strength.”

- Lord of Chaos, Thorns

and thus lessen the Dark One’s influence. Let’s hope the Pattern comes through in time for them.

The smith Thulin has taken a leadership role and is encouraging others to aid the army in the north. Smiths are very important in pre-modern societies because they make the weapons and tools everyone needs for survival. And that what it’s all about now: survival. It’s interesting that Renald too knows smithing.

The smiths move first, but the wolves wait until Rand’s epiphany and the assurance that there will be a Last Battle. This POV looks to Perrin’s role in the next two books which is of leadership, creating a weapon and accepting that he will be taking others into danger (for a discussion of his roles and parallels, see Perrin essay). Among the animals, the wolves seem to be leading the way. Perrin as blacksmith and wolf king is thus the epitome of a leader in the Last Days.

Smiths are associated with the sky in many mythologies (eg Slavic) and with volcanoes (Ancient Greek). Volcanic eruptions can be associated with severe thunderstorms. Renald hammers as loud as the thunder, a piece of the storm. The smiths in the Prologue have responded to abnormal skies sooner than others. Perrin will stand on the volcano Dragonmount in Tel’ran’rhiod and witness Rand’s epiphany. The wolves with him will rejoice the Last Battle is on and spread the word. In A Memory of Light I predict that the twin volcanoes of Shayol Ghul and Dragonmount will erupt.

Renwar and Thulin have not been seen again in the books, so far.

Next we have two Seanchan POV’s and they complement each other.


Falendre’s POV links back to Knife of Dreams A Plain Wooden Box - which would have benefited from another POV besides Rand’s - and it also looks forward to Tuon’s meeting with Rand.

Cadsuane sent Nynaeve to urge Rand to leave soon. Merise refuses to be commanded by Rand. Nynaeve talks to him as though he had no rank. With three marath’damane not subordinate to Rand, it is no wonder Falendre fears a plot. She sees these marath’damane as manipulating him, even controlling him. Certainly anyone interrogating her will get that impression. Falendre is suspicious of Rand’s actions, even his gift of horses; they could be a scheme.

Falendre intends to deliver Rand’s message to Tuon that he still desires a meeting, that there must be peace between him and the Seanchan, that he will be in Arad Doman to quell the fighting as a sign of good faith, and that Anath was Semirhage – eventually. She thinks it will be difficult to get the opportunity to report to Tuon anyway.

The sul’dam fears losing the right to wear the a’dam, or even that she will be made da’covale. She intended to report to Suroth and she had plenty of time to do so before Tuon returned and stripped Suroth of rank. Like so many people Falendre is more worried about her own position than keeping a vow, following orders, or reporting what happened.

It is very telling that Falendre keeps looking Rand in the eye, when even long time Seanchan colleagues don’t once one of them is promoted to the Low Blood. She recognises Rand’s rank, is dismayed he was insulted by the marath’damane, yet she meets his eyes.

He’s just a male marath’damane - or worse.

Tuon is a lot like Elaida in her attitude to the Dragon Reborn and these false impressions that the Aes Sedai are controlling Rand will make her all the more eager to destroy the Tower. If the Aes Sedai control Rand, they simply must be destroyed as soon as possible. Then she will move on Rand. It is no use moving on Rand until his controllers are defeated. Tylee, who has the second Seanchan POV in the Prologue, also influences Tuon’s decisions.

When Tuon and Rand do meet she just wants him under tight control and instigates the raid on the White Tower.

I liked the imagery of Rand’s eyes being caverns of ice:

For a moment, his eyes were even colder. Not harder. That would have been impossible. But for that long moment, they seemed to hold caverns of ice.

- The Gathering Storm, Prologue

contrasting with the caverns of fire in Ishamael’s eyes and mouth in his previous body, but found “medical aid” to grate as a WOT anachronism.


Tylee's POV shows that she respects and is fond of Perrin. It is two weeks since Malden and she is one day’s march out of Ebou Dar. She knows she has been made one of the blood as Galgan commanded. She doesn’t know what is going on in the world but knows that Perrin does: the dead appearing, the Dark One’s warping of reality. Mishima’s assessment of Perrin as too focused, too driven, but otherwise a good commander is quite accurate.

Most unusually for a Seanchan Tylee wants to ally with the mainlanders rather than conquer them:

We can't afford to be fighting these people, she thought. It was a rebellious thought, one she wouldn't speak to Mishima. She didn't dare ponder it. The Empress, might she live forever, had ordered that this land be reclaimed...
None of them would listen to suggestions that they should be looking for allies among the people of this land, rather than enemies. Thinking about it was close to treason. Insubordination, at least. She sighed and turned to Mishima, prepared to give the order to begin scouting for a place to camp for the night.
She froze. Mishima had an arrow through his neck, a wicked, barbed thing.

- The Gathering Storm, Prologue

Mishima’s first name of Bakayar means ‘fool!’ in Japanese. He was a fool not to believe Trollocs a danger. Tylee may be a ‘fool’ to rebel against Seanchan policy – which she did in The Gathering Storm, Gambits, openly telling Tuon her opinions that they should ally with Rand’s forces against the Shadow and put the Return aside. The Seanchan are fools for prosecuting the wrong war.

Mishima’s death in the Trolloc attack spurs Tylee to question even more. She realises Trollocs are worse than Aes Sedai, Aiel, etc, and are as horrible as Perrin said. What a price to pay to find out though! The Seanchan are fiddling around with the Return, when the real enemy is the Shadow.

Where did the hundreds of Trollocs near Ebou Dar come from? They are far too late to be after Rand or to rescue Semirhage; he’s been moving around a lot in these two weeks. Tuon arrived back in Ebou Dar the same day Tylee was attacked. Perhaps the Trollocs were aimed at Tuon. Note that Tylee did not see a Myrddraal, only Trollocs.

Tylee’s POV looks forward to her report to Tuon in The Gathering Storm Gambits, where her boldly expressed opinion spurs Tuon to delay the attack on the White Tower until after meeting Rand. Tuon resolves to question Tylee thoroughly. Tylee’s views will inevitably colour her report to her superiors in small ways even if she manages to hold back most of her opinions. And their inevitable misinterpretation of events will only fuel her frustration.

Tylee’s sighting of the omen of two dead rats before the Shadowspawn attack:

Earlier today, she'd seen two dead rats lying on their backs, one with a tail in the mouth of the other. It was the worst omen she'd ever seen in her life, and it still chilled her to think of it.

- The Gathering Storm, Prologue

What Tylee saw is something similar to a rat king, which is when rats are joined by their tails fusing or knotting together. It was regarded as an evil omen in earlier times. Tylee thought the two rats the worst omen she’s ever seen, and indeed she suffered heavy casualties, including Mishima, and nearly died herself.

Rats are the Dark One’s spies, and a rat with the tail of another in its mouth might be a reference to the situation of the Seanchan and the mainland forces fighting each other being a plot of the Shadow. On a more personal level, it warns of the danger Tylee and Mishima will be in from the Shadow.

New Theory Posted

By Linda

I’ve decided to start a new section in Theory Corner on general predictions for the last book, A Memory of Light. (Although I guess almost every theory now looks to the final book for its resolution.)

First up are the ideas of a poster named sign - A Persective on AMOL. It contains spoilers for Towers of Midnight.

I’m busy right now with preparations for JordanCon (in Atlanta in April) and then WorldCon 2011 (August in Reno), but later this year I will post my own predictions.

For those who’d like to have their predictions posted on the blog in this way, or any other interesting and well-supported theory, please write them up in either dot point memo style or as a formal theory (as sign’s is) and send them to me in a message on The Thirteenth Depository Forums. Please also feel free to try out your ideas first on the Forums. The more discussion and editing, the better a theory is!

Analysis of Minor Characters #10: Leane

By Linda

Leane is

as tall as most men, willowy and graceful, still beautiful, with coppery skin and short, dark hair.

The Great Hunt, Summoned

She is one of the more interesting Aes Sedai because she chose the wrong Ajah. Brought up to use feminine seductive skills to succeed in life, she was self-conscious about her height and abandoned her efforts once she found out she could channel. It’s an excellent example of how many people feel about their characteristics which deviate from an “ideal norm” and what influence this can have on their lives.

Taken to the Tower between 15 and 18 years old to a society which is the antithesis of Domani cultural ways, she had the wrong “finishing off”. Leane fooled herself as well as others. She had suppressed any interest in or attraction for men so the Green Ajah did not see her as a potential candidate. The Blues would always encourage any strong channellers to join them. They have the reputation of being ambitious and ruthless.

Leane explains how it came to be:

"Domani women don't deserve the whole reputation they have-stiff-necked prigs going by hearsay built most of it-but we have earned some. My mother and my aunts taught me along with my sisters and cousins, of course."
Looking down at herself, she shook her head, then returned to her ministrations with a sigh. "But I fear I was as tall as I am today on my fourteenth naming day. All knees and elbows, like a colt that grew too fast. And not long after I could walk across a room without tripping twice, I learned-" She drew a deep breath. "-learned my life would take me another way than being a merchant.”

The Fires of Heaven Fanning the Sparks

It is revealing that soon after Leane is introduced she shows quite a bit of interest in Perrin and Rand, two tall young men:

Leane looked Rand over with a slight smile. Despite the smile, her voice had a snap to it. "What have you brought the Amyrlin Seat today, Lan Gaidin? A young lion? Better you don't let any Greens see this one, or one of them will bond him before he can take a breath. Greens like to bond them young."

The Great Hunt, The Dragon Reborn

[Perrin] was still standing there beside Mat's bed when the door opened and Leane came in. She stopped, put her fists on her hips, and looked him slowly up and down. She was nearly as tall as he was.
"Now you," she said, in tones quiet yet brisk, "are almost a pretty enough boy to make me wish I was a Green. Almost. But if you've disturbed my patient...well, I dealt with brothers almost as big as you before I went to the Tower, so you needn't think those shoulders will help you any."...
He tried to slide around her to the door, but suddenly her hands shot out and grabbed his face, tilting it down so she could peer into his eyes. Something seemed to pass through him, a warm ripple that started at the top of his head and went to his feet, then came back again. He pulled his head out of her hands.
"You're as healthy as a young wild animal," she said, pursing her lips. "But if you were born with those eyes, I am a Whitecloak."
"They're the only eyes I ever had," he growled. He felt a little abashed, speaking to an Aes Sedai in that tone, but he was as surprised as she when he took her gently by the arms and lifted her to one side, setting her down again out of his way. As they stared at each other, he wondered if his eyes were as wide with shock as hers. "Excuse me," he said again, and all but ran.

The Great Hunt, Blood Calls Blood

And it’s even more revealing that both of them made her think of the Green Ajah. Perrin, at least, seems to show some return attraction. Once Leane learned who Rand is, she was repelled if anything:

The Keeper shuddered openly at the mention of Rand’s name.

The Shadow Rising, Deceptions

And this was before she paid a high price for being involved in schemes surrounding him.

Leane worked admirably with Siuan for years. We see them in partnership in the Tower, then manipulating Logain and Min and then the rebel Aes Sedai , then finally being reined in by Egwene to become her supporters. Siuan’s only complaint was that Leane revered the office of Amyrlin Seat enough to embrace the ceremony surrounding it:

though Siuan had known her since they were novices together, sometimes Leane’s insistence on upholding the dignity of the Amyrlin Seat was enough to make Siuan want to scream.

The Dragon Reborn, The Amyrlin Seat

And with the ceremony of the Amyrlin Seat, also that of her own position. Perhaps this shows her low self-esteem.

She rarely showed disagreement with Siuan’s commands; one notable example being Egwene’s and Elayne’s raising to Accepted, when she let her body language express her objections.

Even Siuan’s command that the sisters who were to re-capture Taim should still him on the spot rather than bring him to the Tower for trial – which was a command to break Tower law - was accepted by Leane:

"And Leane . . . Mazrim Taim is to be gentled as soon as he is taken again.”
Leane’s eyes opened wide with shock. “The law.”
“I know the law as well as you, but I will not risk having him freed again ungentled. I’ll not risk another Guaire Amalasan, not on top of everything else.”
“Yes, Mother,” Leane said faintly.

The Shadow Rising, Deceptions

This probably says more about Siuan’s commanding nature – and the dangerous times – than as it does about Leane’s docility.

Siuan said a couple of times that if Leane knew that she and Moiraine were letting the Dragon Reborn run free she would turn them in for trial:

"Moiraine, if anyone, even Leane, discovers what we plan, we will both be stilled."

The Great Hunt, Summoned

Yet when Leane became collateral damage in Elaida’s unravelling of Siuan’s and Moiraine’s scheme, and was stilled for it, she did not whine or rage at Siuan. She sacrificed so much when she didn’t really know what was going on until reports arrived at the Tower that Rand held Callandor and was therefore the Dragon Reborn, and accepted her fate with grace. Sheriam, in contrast, had far less to complain about and was far more spiteful. It shows the goodness of Leane’s character. She is like Birgitte who also received unjust treatment in a positive manner, and doesn’t hold grudges.

"Revenge falls short, for me. I know your cause is necessary, and perhaps even, right, but the Light help me, that is not enough either; I can't make myself be as involved as you. Maybe I came too late to it. I will stay with you, but it isn't enough."

The Fires of Heaven, Fanning the Sparks

Siuan showed defiance at being stilled before she was rescued, and focussed on her mission to promote and influence the Dragon Reborn and revenge herself on Elaida, whereas Leane needed urging for all these things. However, few characters would be as tough as Siuan (The Shadow Rising, The Truth of a Viewing). Min observes:

In a small way, a peculiar way surely, Leane had begun making a life for herself apart from concerns of power and the Power and Rand. Not that she had abandoned them entirely, but Min did not think there was anything else for Siuan.

The Fires of Heaven, Sallie Daera

Unlike Siuan who only had humiliation of not being recognised by the rebels, Leane was badly beaten in the Tower when they did not recognise her there either. It emphasises that Leane changed so much.

Leane seized the opportunity to change:

Leane, on the other hand, in true Aes Sedai fashion embraced what had changed. A young woman again— Egwene had overheard a Yellow exclaiming in wonder that both were prime childbearing age, by everything she could find—she might never have been Keeper, never have had any other face. The very image of practicality and efficiency became the ideal of an indolent and alluring Domani woman.

A Crown of Swords, A Pair of Silverpike

and not just in her appearance and personal style; although these became very important to her too. She stopped taking things so seriously:

Leane's laughter was quiet and breathy. Situations that grated Siuan's teeth usually amused her. She was cosseted by most of the other sisters for how well she had adjusted.

A Crown of Swords, A Pair of Silverpike

thus becoming increasingly un-Blue-like. Myrelle picked up very quickly that Leane would fit the Green Ajah:

"Myrelle was kind enough to find me and let me know," Leane said into the momentary silence. "I think I am going to choose Green."

Lord of Chaos, To Heal Again

This also emphasised to all that Siuan and Leane were not Aes Sedai for a while and what they are now has nothing (or as little as possible) to do with who they were before.

Ironically, it was Siuan who suggested that Leane’s charm techniques could also be adapted to use on women (The Fires of Heaven, The Practice of Diffidence), which they were to great effect, and may account for some of Leane’s popularity among Aes Sedai. Siuan and Leane were playing bad cop and god cop respectively among the rebels, roles that fitted their characters and thus were believable. Egwene describes them as being able to lie like wool merchants; Leane was trained to be a merchant by her family. This training was very precise and detailed in the arts of flirting:

How could you be intimidated by a woman who had told you in dead seriousness that there were one hundred and seven different kisses, and ninety-three ways to touch a man's face with your hand? Leane actually seemed to believe these things.

The Fires of Heaven, Sallie Daera

Egwene’s assessment of Leane is that Leane’s flirtation is done:

Not promiscuously, of course; she possessed discrimination and discretion in ample supply.

A Crown of Swords, A Pair of Silverpike

and she might be right, or just assuming that Leane is following her own social mores. It is telling that Leane’s first attempt at flirtation brought her more excitement than anything else in the series.

Leane showed interest in one of Bryne’s men as a possible Warder (A Crown of Swords, A Pair of Silverpike) but judging by her lack of thoughts about a Warder while she is captive during The Gathering Storm, she doesn’t have one yet.

Leane did some clever and original things:

Very few sisters were aware that Leane had eyes-and-ears inside Tar Valon itself. She might have been the only sister who did. It was a human failing to watch keenly what was happening down the street while ignoring what lay right at your feet, and the Light knew Aes Sedai had as many human failings as anyone else.

Crossroads of Twilight, A Chat With Siuan

“Clever Leane,” Egwene murmured. For an instant, she squeezed her eyes shut. Leane had prepared everything in advance, before coming in sight of the harbor, all inverted and her ability masked. If she herself had been as clever, she likely would have escaped cleanly.

Knife of Dreams, Prologue

In some interesting symbolism, the iron bars of Leane’s cell melted; Leane was being freed not just from Elaida, but also from the prison she created for herself.

"I know flirting isn't something to fill up the emptiness, but it is enough to fill an idle moment. Maybe being who I was born to be will suffice. I just do not know. This isn't a new idea; I always wanted to be like my mother and my aunts, daydreamed of it sometimes after I was grown."
Leane's face became pensive, and the last things went into the box more gently. "I think perhaps I've always felt I was masquerading as someone else, building up a mask until it became second nature. There was serious work to be done, more serious than merchanting, and by the time I realized there was another way I could have gone even so, I had the mask on too firmly to take off. Well, that is done with, now, and the mask is coming off.”

The Fires of Heaven, Fanning the Sparks

So like Siuan, Leane, who thought she was weaker after bring stilled, found that she was strong after all, strong enough to fight the Black Ajah in Tel’aran’rhiod, and strong enough to turn an entire harbour chain into cuendillar (if she had had a little more time). Being who you were born to be usually does suffice. Self-development is an important part of Freemasonry and Jordan was a Freemason (see Freemasonry article).

Reference Library Updates after Towers of Midnight: Rand essay updated

By Linda

In an example of "the last will be first, and the first will be last", appropriate for someone who remembers being First Among the Servants (of All), my last essay to be updated for Towers of Midnight is on Rand. It has taken me quite a while; there was a lot to think about and write about, not least four new parallels.

My JordanCon 2011 costume

By Linda

This weekend I worked hard on my costume for JordanCon, which is why I'm only a third of the way through the Towers of Midnight updates to the Rand essay. The photo right is of the bodice, showing the gold embroidery around the neck and down the bodice. The dress is in silk in the Taraboner style and fully lined. My remaining tasks are to hem the skirt and the cuffs and to design and make a half-veil.

Then I'll turn to producing a few more goldwork samples to show at JordanCon and shopping for the metallic supplies. JordanCon is so soon: only 2 months away!

The Rand essay has 4 major new parallels and I hope to complete it on Wednesday or Thursday depending on my paid workload this week.

Reference Library Updates after Towers of Midnight: Aiel Prophecy article updated

By Linda

Today's updated article, on Aiel Prophecy, required a massive expansion. As well as new perspectives on the Prophecy of Rhuidean and the Wise Ones' dreams, it now includes a detailed discussion of Aviendha's visions in the glass columns. In my opinion they tie in closely to the Prophecy of Rhuidean. New material is in bold.

I have one essay remaining to be updated for Towers of Midnight: Rand's parallels. This will take me some time, since I have much new material to add.

Reference Library Updates after Towers of Midnight: Mat essay updated

By Linda

Today there is one large essay updated with information from Towers of Midnight: Mat, the second of the three ta'veren essays. There is plenty of new material (shown in bold) to expand on the parallels I found previously.

Reference Library Updates after Towers of Midnight:Horn of Valere article

By Linda

While working on updating the Mat essay, which should be posted on Monday, I realised there was some new information for the Horn of Valere article in Towers of Midnight. This has now been added in bold and includes Mat's intentions regarding the Horn and a new parallel for Birgitte which ties her closely to Mat. The article is a good reminder that the Horn will have a vital role in the last book.

Reference Library Updates after Towers of Midnight: Military Forces article

By Linda

The article on the The Military Forces of the Westlands was updated today with information from Towers of Midnight. Many changes in alliance and disposition of forces were made in Towers of Midnight. New material is in bold.