#jaem (wot)

[iviarellereads]

The Great Hunt, Chapter 22 - Watchers

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(Dagger icon) In which it becomes easy to point at a narrative parallel.

PERSPECTIVE: Nothing is happening as Moiraine expects it to.(1) She's in a room full of scrolls and papers and books, in a small house in a small town in Arafel, owned by two retired Aes Sedai. Adeleas and Vandene have been in voluntary retreat for so long that few at the Tower even remember they're still alive.

Out of nowhere, she asks Lan if he remembers how they met. She only just catches his eyebrow twitch, just once, with surprise. Almost twenty years ago she told him she would never speak of it again, and expected the same of him.

“I remember,” was all he said. “And still no apology, I suppose? You threw me into a pond.” She did not smile, though she could feel amusement at it, now. “Every stitch I had was soaked, and in what you Bordermen call new spring.(2) I nearly froze.” “I recall I built a fire, too, and hung blankets so you could warm yourself in privacy.” He poked at the burning logs and returned the firetool to its hook. Even summer nights were cool in the Borderlands. “I also recall that while I slept that night, you dumped half the pond on me. It would have saved a great deal of shivering on both our parts if you had simply told me you were Aes Sedai rather than demonstrating it. Rather than trying to separate me from my sword. Not a good way to introduce yourself to a Borderman, even for a young woman.”

They reminisce about how Moiraine tormented Lan on their first adventure, until Lan asks why the nostalgia. Moiraine says that she made arrangements so that, if she dies, his bond as Warder will pass to another Aes Sedai, and he will feel compelled to seek her out immediately. She doesn't want him to be surprised by it.

Lan gets angry. Moiraine has never used his bond to compel him to anything. Moiraine says that if she hadn't done this, he would be free after her death, and she can't let him go take up his useless quest for revenge in the Blight when he could fight the same war more effectively elsewhere. She can't be sure that she'll die soon, obviously, but with her plans coming to fruition like this... who can say what will happen now, at any time? Lan asks who the other Aes Sedai is, and Mo names Myrelle, a Green. She already has three Warders, so she should be well able to keep Lan in line. But Mo has made Myrelle promise that if someone who suits him better comes along,(3) that Myrelle will pass his bond on to her. Lan is outraged. No Aes Sedai has passed a bond to another in four hundred years, and she intends to do it to Lan, twice?! Mo says it is done, and she will not undo it.(4)

When Lan asks if Mo knows who might get his bond in the end of this game of musical Aes Sedai, Mo dances around the answer and simply says whoever it is, she’ll have need of a man with his knowledge and strength and willingness to throw her in a pond when she’s wrong. Lan shows uncharacteristic shock, but before he can ask who, Mo asks if the bond chafes, now.(5)

“The Light blind me, if I am to be passed from hand to hand, do you at least have some idea in whose hand I will end?” “What I do is for your own good, and perhaps it may be for another’s, as well. It may be that Myrelle will find a slip of a girl just raised to sisterhood—was that not what you said?—who needs a Warder hardened in battle and wise in the ways of the world, a slip of a girl who may need someone who will throw her into a pond. You have much to offer, Lan, and to see it wasted in an unmarked grave, or left to the ravens, when it could go to a woman who needs it would be worse than the sin of which the Whitecloaks prate. Yes, I think she will have need of you.” Lan’s eyes widened slightly; for him it was the same as another man gasping in shocked surmise. She had seldom seen him so off balance. He opened his mouth twice before he spoke. “And who do you have in mind for this—” She cut him off. “Are you sure the bond does not chafe, Lan Gaidin? Do you realize for the first time, only now, the strength of that bond, the depth of it? You could end with some budding White, all logic and no heart, or with a young Brown who sees you as nothing more than a pair of hands to carry her books and sketches. I can hand you where I will, like a parcel—or a lapdog—and you can do no more than go. Are you sure it does not chafe?”

Lan asks if this has been a test of his loyalty to Mo, and she says no, none of this was a test, but at Fal Dara, she did begin to wonder if he was wholly with her. He looks wary, but before he can react much, she asks why he taught Rand as he did, on the way to the Amyrlin's meeting? He just says it seemed right, and he'd have to be a lord someday, better to make sure his first impressions on certain important people are in the right direction. Like a wolfhound meeting a wolf, it must act like a wolfhound, not a puppy, or it will get itself killed. Is that what he sees Aes Sedai as? Wolves? No, he clarifies, but the ta'veren pull at everything around them. It felt like the right thing to do. He hasn't asked to be released from his bond, nor will he, and he will take great pleasure in keeping her alive and making sure her backup plans are for nothing.

She asks him to leave her to think alone. She thinks of Nynaeve, cracking Lan's walls and seeding them with vines to tear them down, but he still thinks they're strong as anything. Mo feels an uncharacteristic stab of jealousy.(6) They've been through so much together, and Lan had always said he was wedded to death, pushing himself beyond normal human limits because he valued her life above his own. Now a new bride has captured his heart, and he doesn't even see it yet.

But, as she gets to her feet to keep poring over her scrolls and books, she reminds herself there are more important matters. So many hints, and no answers. Soon Vandene brings her a cup of tea and asks what she's seeking. Mo says honestly that she doesn't really know. Vandene notes the wide array of subjects Mo has books on, then says she’ll leave her to her reading in privacy.

Mo stops her, and tries to find questions that won't give away too much of her own knowledge. Is there a connection between the Dragon and the Horn? No, except that the Horn must be found before the Last Battle, which the Dragon will fight. Does anything link the Dragon to Toman Head? Yes and no. There's a verse in the original prophecies that reads ‘Five ride forth, and four return. Above the watchers shall he proclaim himself, bannered cross the sky in fire. . . .’ though there's some debate about the word that so often gets translated to simply "watchers", it's still unclear.(7)

Vandene has heard about a supposed Dragon named Mazrim Taim, who can channel. Mo says offhandedly that she doesn't think they'll have to worry about him, then asks about Shadar Logoth. Vandene thinks she's still talking about Dragons, but Mo clarifies: is there any reason a Fade would take something that came from Shadar Logoth? No. What does Vandene know of the Forsaken? She comments on how Mo leaps from subject to subject, but she knows little more than any novice. Does Mo know something about the Dragon? Has he already been Reborn?

Mo asks if she would be here instead of in the White Tower if she knew anything, which Vandene accepts. She goes on about some of the dilemma about how Aes Sedai can't gentle the true Dragon lest he fail in the Last Battle, but says the signs of Tarmon Gai'don are clear. Mo says simply that he will come, and do what must be done.

Vandene gets up to excuse herself, but says that Mo should "do something" about Lan, he's got something pent up inside. Maybe he's finally come to see her as a woman? Mo says Lan sees her for exactly what she is, and hopefully still a friend. Vandene comments that Blue Ajah are “Always so ready to save the world that you lose yourselves.” After Vandene leaves, Mo goes down to the garden in the moonlight to think. Something Vandene said tugs at her memory, like it's relevant.(8)

Lan and Jaem, Vandene's Warder, take down the Draghkar. Lan says if Mo hadn't made him so angry, he wouldn't have gone around the corner from the gardens to practice the forms with Jaem, and they wouldn't... Mo says the Pattern accounts for everything.(9)

Adeleas demands to know how the thing could have snuck up on them, and Mo says it was warded. Adeleas cuts herself off as she realizes only another Aes Sedai could do that. Mo names the Black Ajah. But then, WHY did it come here?

Instead of answering,(10) Mo says she and Lan must leave immediately. She'll leave letters for them to forward to the White Tower, if they can?

Adeleas nodded absently, her attention still on the thing on the ground. “And will you find your answers where you are going?” Vandene asked. “I may already have found one I did not know I sought. I only hope I am not too late. I will need pen and parchment.” She drew Vandene toward the house, leaving Adeleas to deal with the Draghkar.

=====

(1) So, here's a fun phenomenon: especially when we're switching POVs so much, take a step back every now and again and ask yourself, why are these two storylines back to back? In this case, it's said right in the text, but other times it'll be less obvious. Consider: flipping between Rand and Egwene and Perrin's POVs as they all have to learn how to embrace their abilities and be part of a bigger community and a bigger apparatus than their individual lives so far. RJ did a LOT of really intentional compare-and-contrasts back to back like that. I like to think having Moiraine say the same thing Rand just did at the end of the other chapter is his way of drawing attention to that, as we start really going all-in on "hey the story isn't just about this one guy". (2) Such a cheeky reference to what would a few years later become the title of the only prequel novel that ever ended up written. (3) And just whomst might come along and turn Lan's head, be worthy of his bond, his oath, his loyalty, his heart? (4) So, the whole concept of passing the bond to another Aes Sedai without the Warder's permission or knowledge is pretty fucked up, and I 100% cannot blame Lan for being angry. We don't know anything about Myrelle yet but… there's absolutely reason for Lan to be angry there, all things considered. Plus side, Moiraine has at the very least made Myrelle promise to give Lan's bond to Nynaeve if or when she's raised to Aes Sedai rank, jealous as she is of the young woman. (5) Continuing on from point 4, something I haven't really touched on much yet is how the magic system, with the taint on the male half, has effectively led to a situation where Original Sin lies with men. Even though they're physically somewhat larger and stronger on average than women are in the world, they're mistrusted, because of that association with the Breaking and the taint. So, despite that we still have some gender dynamics in play that we're familiar with, we also have a dimension that alters it. All the way back to the Women's Circle in Emond's Field, the men have their Council but the women nudge them one way or the other on major decisions, or have the deciding vote in the form of the Wisdom. The consent issue with regard to Warder bonds comes up again, obviously, or it wouldn't be seeded here. We can deal with it a little more in depth as it comes. But, the whole "what if this is a deliberate commentary on our real-world gender dynamics" thing is kind of an important lens to view the series through. I think this one was intentional. If Moiraine were a man in a magic-using version of our patriarchal world, how much would he probably think about passing on his life partner's bond to another man? RJ seems to have intentionally reversed a lot of tropes in an effort to make us think, really think, about gender dynamics. (6) Wouldn't Nynaeve crow to hear of it? (7) As if we needed more indication that we're going to Toman Head this book. (8) That's a lot of rambling in the section with Vandene, I wonder what it is specifically that pings Moiraine's memory. (9) So, Mo is important enough to need saving for later, is she? (10) She knows very well that it was here for her and Lan.

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Great Hunt! Chapter 22: Watchers

Spoiler alert: This post is not about the death metal band Draghkar or any other metal bands who are the kinds of nerds as to be fans of Wheel of Time, like Blind Guardian. It's about the books. Pretty sure that's all the spoiler alerts I need. Why would I even need to mention at this point that this post will have spoilers for the whole series?

This chapter has the dagger icon because Shadar Logoth is one of the subjects of Moiraine's research - and because it's the central revelation she has.

["]Nothing is happening as I expect,” Moiraine muttered, not expecting an answer from Lan.

Yep, delightful parallels between Rand and Moiraine.

No danger of pursuit here. No one would expect her to come here. Clear my head, and begin again, she thought. That is all there is to do.

And another parallel. Moiraine's just got twenty years of her epic quest to fuel her paranoia though, not all the craziness.

With the one equally aged Warder who remained to them, they lived quietly, still intending to write the history of the world since the Breaking, and as much as they could include of before. One day.

Yeah, the theme of this series means this particular mission is doomed to fail with another Age about to end. I wonder what all of the pre-Breaking history there is available to these ladies. Just the War of the Shadow, or anything more? Would any of it even be all that interesting, or just some random list of leaders pre-LTT, none of whom had anything to report in the glory days of the AoL?

This was a subject neither of them ever mentioned; nearly twenty years ago she had told him—with all the stiff pride of one still young enough to be called young, she recalled—that she would never speak of it again and expected the same silence of him.

So first of all, their first meeting is awesome and I can't wait to get back to New Spring to take a look at it...

But also, note another weakness of the Oath Rod. Moiraine really didn't intend to bring it up again at the time, so she could say that, but her mind has naturally changed since. She never lied, but what she said has turned out not to be true.

“I was young,” she repeated. “And does your bond chafe after all these years? You are not a man to wear a leash easily, even so light a one as mine.” It was a stinging comment; she meant it to be so.

I don't like this part. Moiraine's upbringing really made her casually cruel sometimes.

“Before we left Tar Valon I made arrangements, should anything happen to me, for your bond to pass to another.”

And I hate this detail too. People shouldn't have their relationships reassigned by someone else's whims. It's a good example of the casual sexism of Tar Valon and how things are forever changing but staying the same - plenty of real life women have been remarried without their consent on the loss of their first husband.

I will not allow you to die in a useless attempt to avenge me. And I will not allow you to return to your equally useless private war in the Blight. The war we fight is the same war, if you could only see it so, and I will see that you fight it to some purpose.

I get where she's coming from and why it must be done but also damn it's cruel to treat people like this.

“I had never thought,” he said slowly, “that I might not be the first of us to die. Somehow, even at the worst, it always seemed. . . .”

Sadly, bro is probably right, since both he and Moiraine survive to the end.

“What I do is for your own good, and perhaps it may be for another’s, as well. It may be that Myrelle will find a slip of a girl just raised to sisterhood—was that not what you said?—who needs a Warder hardened in battle and wise in the ways of the world, a slip of a girl who may need someone who will throw her into a pond. You have much to offer, Lan, and to see it wasted in an unmarked grave, or left to the ravens, when it could go to a woman who needs it would be worse than the sin of which the Whitecloaks prate. Yes, I think she will have need of you.”

Okay but Moiraine said all this happened before they last left Tar Valon and unless I'm crazy mistaken, they haven't been to TV since before book 1 started (if the timeline is right it's only 10 days since she left the party so it's not like she somehow outraced a boat and then got here), which was before Nynaeve was even in the picture. So at this point I have to wonder: did Moiraine's unseen encounters with Min inspire all of these decisions? She very specifically avoids answering Lan's question about foreseeing her death in a straightforward way.

“Why did you do as you did with Rand?” He blinked; it was obviously not what he expected. She knew what he had thought was coming, and she would not let up now that he was off balance.

It says a great deal about Moiraine's unhealthy Cairhienien worldviews that the real threat in her eyes is not Lan's affection for Nynaeve but for his helping the boy they've spent the last two decades trying to find and help. All because he's not helping according to the script. That's what makes all of this justified in her eyes.

“Ta’veren,” Moiraine sighed. “Perhaps it was that. Rather than guiding a chip floating down a stream, I am trying to guide a log through rapids. Every time I push at it, it pushes at me, and the log grows larger the farther we go. Yet I must see it through to the end.”

Honestly, I think it's a lot more about who Rand and Lan are as people than it is about a magic power manipulating Lan. A nudge from the Wheel, maybe, but... Not destiny outright cheating.

Much more likely Rand's ta'veren keeps Moiraine from ever realizing she can't play him until it's too late to matter.

“All men dream. But I know dreams for dreams. This”—he touched his sword hilt—“is reality.”

I wonder what the Aiel would say if they knew their much-respected Lan was saying something like this. Was Jordan setting up the Aiel worldview already with this contrast, or is it just a funny coincidence?

“So many subjects. The Trolloc Wars. The Watchers Over the Waves. The legend of the Return. Two treatises on the Horn of Valere. Three on dark prophecy, and—Light, here’s Santhra’s book on the Forsaken. Nasty, that. As nasty as this on Shadar Logoth. And the Prophecies of the Dragon, in three translations and the original. Moiraine, whatever are you after? The Prophecies, I can understand—we hear some news here, remote as we are. We hear some of what’s happening in Illian. There’s even a rumor in the village that someone has already found the Horn.”

Moiraine is not at all subtle; she clearly was counting on the privacy she requested. Vandene has probably put together a good deal more than she's admitting. Also note that the books on the Forsaken and Shadar Logoth are EQUALLY nasty, more foreshadowing for that.

“No. Except for the fact that the Horn must be found before Tarmon Gai’don and that the Dragon Reborn is supposed to fight the Last Battle, there is no link between them at all.”

And indeed, once this book is over Rand will have nothing to do with the Horn again.

But I believe it means the Dragon Reborn will appear somewhere above Toman Head, in Arad Doman, or Saldaea.

Vandene is of course confusing "above" with "north", which apparently means that 3A maps - and possibly AoL maps as well - have oriented north consistently for some time. Here in the first age, maps used to have "east" atop them (hence "the Orient" describing the east), so it's not a given as Jordan and Vandene assume.

In full, you will have to stay here a month and listen to Adeleas lecture—she has the true knowledge of it—but even I can tell you there’s nothing of the Dragon in it.

I think the reason that Shadar Logoth didn't show up in the prophecies is that revealing its true purpose to the Shadow would ensure Ish destroyed it prematurely somehow, if by no other mechanism than throwing massive armies of Trollocs in until the two evils canceled out.

“If I did,” Moiraine replied levelly, “would I be here, instead of in the White Tower? The Amyrlin knows as much as I, that I swear. Have you received a summons from her?”

Here Moiraine doesn't rely entirely on evasion because Vandene could see right through that, but she does mislead with her leading questions well enough.

“If I thought it would do any good, I’d pull Adeleas’s nose out of her book and set off for the White Tower. But I find I am glad to be here where I am instead. Perhaps we will have time to finish our history.”

It's always so sad knowing what's going to happen to these people.

An answer, or a hint to an answer, for a question she had not asked—but she could not bring the question to mind, either.

Presumably that Mordeth is looking for a soul to steal in Shadar Logoth - or rather, that he already has stolen a soul. Otherwise why would this chapter have the dagger icon specifically?

A shadow loomed dimly only a few paces from her, a shadow that appeared to be a too-tall man wrapped in his cloak. But the face caught the moon, gaunt-cheeked, pale, with black eyes too big above a puckered, red-lipped mouth. The cloak opened, unfolding into great wings like a bat’s.

Really I'm surprised that Moiraine let her guard down, even for a moment. I guess she was counting on being able to sense it and it not being warded, but again: she's actually properly paranoid.

But even as she began, Lan cried out, “Embrace death!” Jaem echoed him firmly. “Embrace death!” And the two men stepped within reach of the Draghkar’s touch, drove home their blades to the hilt.

It's so sad that Moiraine thinks she needs to test Lan at all when he's still got this going. Dude knows his job and he really is just as married to it as she.

It's also sad that this is what Lan's got at the moment.

Moiraine said the words none of them wanted to hear. “The Black Ajah.”

It's practically uncharacteristic of Moiraine to be so open. She must assume Jaem's good behavior proves their innocence even though proper paranoia would suggest that the most likely Black Ajah candidates are right in front of her. They're not of course, but still.

Adeleas turned to study the Draghkar as if it were a puzzling passage in one of her books. “Whether Aes Sedai are involved or not, whatever could have brought it here?” Vandene regarded Moiraine silently.

If you can't say anything but uncomfortable and revealing truths, don't speak at all I guess.

That's it for this chapter! Next time: A trip to off-brand McDonald's!

[choco-mark]

I know request are closed and I don’t wanna bug you but when reaction request open again can you write how would nct dream (0t7) react to you calling them when your in danger. And can I be 💞 anon? I really adore your writing and I look up to you so much!! I’m not ready to reveal myself just yet. Heehee 🥺💞

hey hey!! requests for small reactions and mlts are currently open, so you’re good sweets! and, yes ofc you can be!!

reaction: nct dream reacting to you calling them when you’re in danger

mark

you call him on your way to the dorms with a shaky voice telling him you think someone’s following you, and your thought is right, someone is

freaks out but tries to calm you down while putting on his shoes and bolting out the door before running back inside and putting on a mask to make sure no one recognizes him, even though you told him it was too dangerous for him to leave

his heart is literally beating out of his chest as he goes running out of the building to the street your on, which is currently dark and empty as he looks for you

you end up going into the convenience store at the end of the street to try and lose the person, but it doesn’t really work because they follow you inside

he eventually finds you wandering around with like a basket of like thirty ramen packets which was ‘in case you needed to smack them’ and he knows his y/n is back

‘i’ll buy a car and i’ll drive you everywhere so you won’t have to walk anymore’

‘baby...you don’t have a license”

renjun

you call him in the middle of a choreography lesson three times in a row even though he tries to ignore it and picks it up to scold you but hears you sobbing

you’re a chemistry major and there was a huge fire in the lab while you were working; in short, you were injured and in the hospital

it wasn’t even that bad of an injury to be honest, thankfully it was only a first degree burn, but it scared the shit out of you and yeah, you scared the shit of renjun too

literally leaves right then and there with only a word to jeno as the instructor is like ‘wot’ but you’re first priority!!!

gets to the hospital all worried and about to explode when he sees you like in tears and kind of just hugs you

tells you to give up chemistry and do something like...safer and you’re like ‘not the time, babe, kinda just got set on fire’ but he’s just worried for you

ends up taking you to practice with him in the end, but y’all are traumatized from the risk of your field of study

jeno

you call him in the middle of his fourth round of some game which causes him not to answer, but he picks up after a second time in case you got mad but your voice is just trembling

instantly leaves the dorm when you say someone’s pounding on your apartment door and it’s like 2am but he goes to you anyway

is trying to calm you down but he himself is worked up from how you sound like you’re about to burst into tears but everytime he talks he makes it a little better with his voice

the person that was pounding on the door stopped after a bit, but then you heard your front door open and you die a little inside

but it’s just jeno, who finds you locked inside of your bathroom, sitting in the tub with the curtains drawn and you’re sobbing when he holds you

you two never really find out who tf that was but jeno keeps trying to get you to move in with him ever since that happened

donghyuck

you call him in the middle of the day while you’re at uni, and you’re pretty traumatized since these two guys had been following you and your friend after lunch and you don’t know what to do

hyuck thinks you’re trying to pull something on him, but he can’t call it fake when he hears one of the guys vulgarly catcall you

goes on a searching spree (in broad daylight, by himself, with no manager) down to where you kept informing him of your whereabouts

he’s more scared than you and your friend combined because he’s basically running back and forth trying to look for his girlfriend and is about to start sobbing

eventually finds the two of you as you’re running into him, and the two guys behind y’all are like ‘whoops gotta go’

hyuck just holds you while you just heavily breathe while your friend looks like she’s about to cry, and a huge weight drops from his shoulders when your arms go around him

‘you scared the hell out of me”

jaemin

you were going with jaemin on the dreamies’ tour and you were in the bathroom when a group of girls come in while you’re washing your hands

not group of girls, more like group of sasaengs that start grabbing onto you like you’re some kind of on sale item and you’re freaking out

it’s actually one of the girls that finds jaemin’s contact in your phone and calls him, and he knows what’s going on from the moment he doesn’t hear your voice, also, sir is literally not that far away trying to enjoy tacky airport food

storms into there with a bunch of staff and his manager with the literal most—you couldn’t even say angry, he was beyond angry, and it was scary as fuck—and gets really worried for you

you didn’t get hurt (thank the kid because jaemin might’ve committed murder if you had), but he just sticks to you the entire rest of the traveling from country to country

‘jaems, you can’t come to the bathroom with me’

‘i can convince people i’m a girl, now let’s go’

chenle

‘lele, i’m scared’

just hearing you say his nickname with the most frightened voice on the planet had him sit up straight in an instant at the dining table

in short, you’re being followed on your way to uni and you have absolutely no clue what to do, and you just shakily call your boyfriend though you don’t want him to come

you send him your location while you’re still walking as fast as you can towards a more public area, but the street is too far away and the person was getting closer

but chenle’s ahead of you, already in a car being driven to the street you were on while he continues talking to you, you swear that the way he sounded so concerned, he was gonna burst into tears

a car comes up next to you on the street and chenle literally yanks you in (the guy probably thought you were being kidnapped), and you watch as the guy looks confused

asks you if you’re okay four times in a row while you say you’re fine but it’s not enough so you give him a kiss to shut him up

‘my personal driver will drive you to school from now on, i don’t want you to walk anymore’

jisung

you call him around 9pm literally in half sobs as you’re just whispering into the phone and he’s so worried from the moment you say his name

you came home to an empty house without your parents, but almost an hour later you realized that there was someone else inside the house that wasn’t your parents

you already called the police, but you were drowning in fear as you slowly said words to jisung while sitting in your locked room, he freaks out when he hears the intruder call out ‘who’s there’

begs his manager to let him go to you, and is kind of on the verge of breaking down but they take him to your house anyway right when the police had already arrived

sees you outside with a blanket wrapped around your shoulders as your face is puffed from fear, and he just drowns you in his arms for the longest time

ends up staying over for the night because your parents were out of the country and doesn’t let go of you the entire time, like you can’t even shuffle a little bit away, he’ll pull you right back

he was just so worried for you, poor babe

[wotliveblog]

One of the most interesting things about Eye of the World is that it hints at the WOT taking place in the distant future. 

Thom Merrilin declaimed. “I have stories, and I will give them to you. I will make them come alive before your eyes.” A blue ball joined the others from somewhere, then a green one, and a yellow. “Tales of great wars and great heroes, for the men and boys. For the women and girls, the entire Aptarigine Cycle. Tales of Artur Paendrag Tanreall, Artur Hawkwing, Artur the High King, who once ruled all the lands from the Aiel Waste to the Aryth Ocean, and even beyond. Wondrous stories of strange people and strange lands, of the Green Man, of Warders and Trollocs, of Ogier and Aiel. The Thousand Tales of Anla, the Wise Counselor. ‘Jaem the Giant-Slayer.’ How Susa Tamed Jain Farstrider. ‘Mara and the Three Foolish Kings.’ ”

“Tell us about Lenn,” Egwene called. “How he flew to the moon in the belly of an eagle made of fire. Tell about his daughter Salya walking among the stars...”

“Old stories, those,” Thom Merrilin said, and abruptly he was juggling three colored balls with each hand. “Stories from the Age before the Age of Legends, some say. Perhaps even older. But I have all stories, mind you now, of Ages that were and will be. Ages when men ruled the heavens and the stars, and Ages when man roamed as brother to the animals. Ages of wonder, and Ages of horror. Ages ended by fire raining from the skies, and Ages doomed by snow and ice covering land and sea. I have all stories, and I will tell all stories. Tales of Mosk the Giant, with his Lance of fire that could reach around the world, and his wars with Elsbet, the Queen of All. Tales of Materese the Healer, Mother of the Wondrous Ind.”

Artur Hawking we find out lived about 1,000 years ago and conquered the land, after the breaking of the world.  Arthur Pendragon is a myth in our times - King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table.  I get the feeling that these two king’s stories became linked in myths, or maybe even they are the same king reincarnated or made to serve the same role through the weaving of the story. 

Other possible comparisons - Jaem the Giant-Slayer and Jack the Giant-slayer.  Lenn and John Glenn.  Did our civilization end in a nuclear war?  An ice age?  Mosk the Giant with a Lance of fire sounds like Russia.   Elsbet sounds like Queen Elizabeth, who wasn’t really the principle Russian opponent in the Cold War but maybe there’s a bit of revisionist history here. 

I’m not sure if this just exists to give it flavor, or if the circular nature of time (almost like a wheel...) gets explored further. 

This could also possibly be in our distant past.  The creator bound the dark one in Shaol Ghul from the beginning of time.  I don’t see any blight in our world, does that mean that we are the future?