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[iviarellereads]

The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 13 - A Small Room in Sienda

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Elephant icon) In which yes, this is being introduced for no reason and will never come back to bite them.

PERSPECTIVE: Elayne rides in the coach, ignoring Nyn's grumping at having to play El's maid. El says she wonders what they're rushing back to the Tower for, if the Amyrlin really gave the order to capture her. Nyn suggests they act as though the Black Ajah itself has control of the Tower.(1)

The coach stops suddenly, because they've run into a traveling menagerie. Their horses are unnerved by the "giant boar-horses", and El remembers the same creatures being used by the Seanchan. Valan Luca, the master of the menagerie, says they came from Shara. He asks to perform for the Lady, he's trying to make enough coin to get them to Ghealdan, despite the trouble there.(2)

They insist they cannot tarry, and Nyn doesn't want to give him anything, but El insists they give him something, for his trouble. Nyn gives the smallest coin they can part with, which El doesn't realize until they've pulled away. She says he ought to do decent work, then he wouldn't have to beg.

They reach Sienda, the next town, and one inn has the sign torn down and a hole in the door. The other is full of soldiers and Whitecloaks, so they have little other choice. The innkeeper is pleasant enough, and they get settled so Nyn can go meet Egg in TAR. El tells Nyn to tell Egg to tell Rand that she loves him and only him. Nyn rolls her eyes and falls asleep.

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(1) Not completely inaccurate. (2) Trouble in Ghealdan? Well, we'd heard about war there in book 1, but I can tell you, it's not a year and a half since book 1, which started in late March of the year 998, and now it's mid-August of 999. Yes, the books are proceeding at quite the clipping pace now, since the first two took up that whole first year. But, what trouble could still be going in Ghealdan? What we heard of was Logain's rampage, but he was captured and gentled. Who else might be in the area and causing trouble? (Do we know of any troublemakers we haven't seen on the page in a while?)

[iviarellereads]

The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 17 - Heading West

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Elephant icon) In which we're off to see the ringmaster.

PERSPECTIVE: Nyn and El escape the inn through a back entry in disguise, and walk a good five miles before Thom and Juilin catch them up. Thom mentions a bit of news he hadn't said before: Pedron Niall is trying to unite nations against Rand, claiming he's a false Dragon, regardless of the prophecies about Tear.

Luca thinks they've stolen the money they offer him, but El spins a reasonably convincing tale about a brother hunting her down to marry a man thrice her weight and age so her father can lay claim to the Sun Throne of Cairhien, while she dreams of a red-haired Andorman whom she shall marry, whatever her father says.(1)

Luca is reluctant to risk his show and his employees for them, and suggests they'll have to fit in as performers. Thom has his gleeman skills, and El can perform the highwalk (especially with a little channeling of air to keep her extra steady),(2) and coaxes Juilin into doing it as well. Luca thinks the pair will do well, her confident and him thinking he might fall and die at any second, and their last highwalker died mere hours ago. Nyn has no performance talent, but they can work with the three.

They meet many of the other performers, who greet them warmly. One of them is Aludra, supposedly an Illuminator, though not much time is spent on her.(3) Another is Cerandin, the woman who cares for the boar-horses, whom Nyn instantly recognizes as Seanchan. When Nyn corners her quietly after the crowd disperses to pack up, she asks what they're really called, and Cera says s'redit. Nyn and El name her Seanchan, and say they heard Seanchan accents in Falme, but they won't hurt her.

Cera confirms she wasn't a sul'dam or damane, and asks what they know. Nyn says they know little, but want to know more, and Cera would do well to answer their questions. El offers her protection, and Cera assumes El really is a High Lady, and starts treating her as the Seanchan do their Blood nobles. Nyn thinks they're going to have a fine time traveling all the way to Ghealdan.

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(1) Subtle. (2) Never mind that, who knows if someone else who can channel might watch a performance and find her out. (3) MY GIRL IS BACK! I guess the Wondergirls aren't the only ones who ran off to join the circus.