#nyaneve wot

[alverelover]

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World! Chapter 43: Decisions and Apparitions

This picture shows the fate of all those who attempt to view WoT spoilers before they're ready! You don't want to end up with a forehead like that, do you (I know you Tumblr sickos would totally go for the eyes and mouth - I would too!)? If you don't want spoilers, this post covers everything for the whole Wheel of Time series and you'd prefer to be elsewhere.

For everyone else, this chapter has the Dragon's Fang icon. We're moving into Rand actually being ready to have these dream battles, so their nature and purpose is being hinted at here.

“During the Time of Madness, while the world was still being broken, the earth was in upheaval, and humankind was being scattered like dust on the wind. We Ogier were scattered, too, driven from the stedding,into the Exile and the Long Wandering, when the Longing was graven on our hearts.”

Presumably the Ogier will finally be cured of the Longing when they use the Book of Translation and go home again, as the circumstances that lead to it will no longer be present. But we don't know that for certain, and it is interesting to consider other possibilities - perhaps the Seanchan Ogier, who never developed the condition, might cure it before all the Ogier go home.

“Some in Tar Valon,” Moiraine said quietly, “claim that Ogier sanctuary prolonged the Breaking and made it worse. Others say that if all of those men had been allowed to go mad at once, there would have been nothing left of the world. I am of the Blue Ajah, Loial; unlike the Red Ajah, we hold to the second view. Sanctuary helped to save what could be saved. Continue, please.”

We're all predisposed to take Moiraine's side in this debate because we like her and hate the Reds, but since I invite you all to consider for a moment that we don't know. The Reds might be absolutely correct here that the prolonging of the Breaking led to further damage; the fact that it seems to have lasted for three hundred years means most non-channelers would have lost what institutional knowledge was left over. The creation of the Ways was still necessary from the Pattern's perspective, so the Ogier's kindness wasn't wasted, but it may not have immediately saved the world.

“How did they make them?” Egwene asked. Her puzzled look took in Moiraine and Loial both.

Points to Egwene. She isn't the political natural like Rand is, but she's very clever in working out the One Power.

“One thing we can do. We can try. What seems like chance is often the Pattern. Three threads have come together here, each giving a warning: the Eye. It cannot be chance; it is the Pattern. You three did not choose; you were chosen by the Pattern. And you are here, where the danger is known. You can step aside, and perhaps doom the world. Running, hiding, will not save you from the weaving of the Pattern. Or you can try. You can go to the Eye of the World, three ta’veren, three centerpoints of the Web, placed where the danger lies. Let the Pattern be woven around you there, and you may save the world from the Shadow. The choice is yours. I cannot make you go.”

While technically speaking of course Winternight was the Call to Adventure of the Hero's Journey archetype, Moiraine here is giving them a second Call that's an actual choice. With the aftermath of a personal attack, they had no reason not to try and reach Tar Valon, but now the trio is given an actual choice to step up and be heroes. Egwene and Nyaneve, who technically did make have free choice, are still given a chance to reaffirm that choice now that the stakes are absolutely clear. Thus all five are now worthy of the destiny being thrust upon them.

Rand wished he could be as matter-of-fact as the Wisdom. He could not stop pacing up and down, as if he had energy to burn or burst from it.

It's a common fandom meme that the boys are always wishing they could be as good with girls as the other boys, and it's circulating on Tumblr these days that the girls are always wishing that they could be as brave as the other girls. Here we see Rand breaking the script altogether.

He waited for her to tell him she had as much right to go where she wanted as he did, that he had no right to tell her what to do. To his surprise, she smiled and touched his cheek.

Egwene is much more forgiving about this attempt to make her turn back because Rand has grown up. He's no longer just bitching that she's there and resenting her for it but is only saying this out of genuine concern for her well-being. He also says "you could" instead of "you should", which shows that he's not being controlling.

Her eyes seemed to catch fire. “If you can’t be serious for more than a minute, Rand al’Thor, I do not want to talk to you.”

Sadly, I feel like Egwene's regressed at this point. It's really frustrating that we don't get into her head to see where this jealousy is coming from and how she might try to explain it in light of her own (totally fine except in the context of this current behavior!) flirtations. I'm glad that once the next book comes around they're both very over their fledgling romance because an Egwene that kept this up would not be anywhere near as cool an Egwene as the one we get.

The golden-sheathed tip of the dagger from Shadar Logoth peeked from under the edge of Mat’s neatly folded coat. Lan glanced at it from time to time, too. Rand wondered if it was really as safe to have around as Moiraine claimed.

Not exactly, but in fairness to Moiraine, she had absolutely no reason to think that Padan Fain existed. In unfairness to Rand, it's entirely his own fault.

Beside one stood a wolf, its clear detail emphasized by the crudeness of the man-shape, and another clutched a tiny dagger, a point of red on the hilt glittering in the light. The last held a sword. The hair stirring on the back of his neck, he moved close enough to see the heron in exquisite detail on that small blade.

Once the heron, to set his path...

“I deny you,” Rand said hoarsely. “I deny that you hold any power over me. I deny that you are.”

Sadly, Ba'alzamon doesn't respect the classics and refuses to follow in Bowie's footsteps.

“You always do. In the beginning. This contest between us has taken place countless times before. Each time your face is different, and your name, but each time it is you.”

It's important to remember as we encounter Ishamael's silly philosophy: he doesn't actually know this. He can infer from the cyclical nature of time that Lews and Rand or people like them are born again and again and that they face the Dark One but he can't actually be sure it's the Rand spirit every time. Jordan's even confirmed that there are times around when there's a woman in LTT and Rand's role instead, so Ishamael is definitively wrong. So can we be sure Ishamael is there every time, even when Rand is?

“Is that what they told you? Two thousand years ago I took my Trollocs across the world, and even among Aes Sedai I found those who knew despair, who knew the world could not stand before Shai’tan. For two thousand years the Black Ajah has dwelt among the others, unseen in the shadows. Perhaps even those who claim to help you.”

It's really unfortunate that the people who swear not to lie are so untrustworthy while the guy who pretends to be the Father of Lies is actually quite truthful. It doesn't leave Rand with much to work with from his supposed allies.

“I did, and he laughed. He kept talking about some eternal war, and saying we’d met like that a thousand times before, and. . . . Light, Rand, the Dark One knows me.” “He said the same thing to me. I don’t think he does,” he added slowly. “I don’t think he knows which of us. . . .” Which of us what?

Rand's denial about the Dragon Reborn is one thing, but it's a shame that they don't clue into the how strange it is that the Dark One can't easily tell them apart. Jordan absolutely places hints for even a first time reader to be suspicious about (though of course a first time reader can't be expected to get the right answer), but they fly right over the farm boys' heads.

The Aes Sedai stepped forward and grasped his upheld hand, her thumb across his palm covering the wound. Cold pierced him to the bone, so chill that his fingers cramped and he had to fight to keep them open. When she took her fingers away, the chill went, too.

Here again we see the double-edged sword of Moiraine's approach: she is unquestionably helpful and trying to keep the boys in as good a condition as the situation allows. But she doesn't tell Rand she's going to heal him nor to expect the chill of healing, so it doesn't seem good-spirited. The boys are so exhausted and paranoid at this point that their refusal to trust her is quite predictable.

But there's no more time for that. Next chapter, we'll be diving into the Backro- the Ways! But since tomorrow's my birthday (well, my tomorrow, your today), I'll be taking the time to myself and I won't be getting to this until the day after.

[kevin-sedai]

The show is getting a lot of good comments on reddit but also there's always going to be people crying about the adaptation and everyone has a right to feel however they want but some of the complaints are absolutely mind numbing , cutting stuff? They have at the most 64 eps to do something that needs 150 eps for a full adaption, Nyaneve's block? that was happening until book 7 what are you talking about, rand's slap fight?.... It's like people are being obtuse on purpose as if the books didn't have a lot of issues and the characters didn't take multiple books to get their spotlight and their growth. They read the entire books and want that same satisfaction from the show in season 2? How did you feel about WOT in book 2 like???

For sure, I don't blame people for being disappointed about some changes (rip flicker flicker scene lol). I'm all for talking about what they changed and how they can fit it in, or what they changed and how I'd rather they had left it as it was in the books. Changes are going to have to be made if they're only getting 8 episodes, planned for only 8 seasons. If they want to fit in the gist of all the themes of the story, they're going to have make changes, and they'll have to be creative about it. Some decisions might be good, some might not be all that great. But, that's life lol.

And yeah, it's only season 2. I didn't really get all into the series until the end of Fires of Heaven. Before I finished that book, I casually enjoyed it (and then became unhinged lol). People gotta be patient and see how it works out in the end lmao.

[pinkpunkpie]

the furious bisexual representation we need

[owlthex]

"At least he knew where he stood with Nynaeve."

Everyone knows where they stand with Nynaeve. I know where I stand with her. She thinks you're a blind fool and should just listen to reason.