If you haven't read the book, or the whole series,
why not join in and read along with the rest of us? This week the links to the
other posts can be found at the bottom of this post.
This week we read through to the end of Chapter 16.
1. Do you think that it is
possible that Nynaeve and Elayne will be more cautious in the future and avoid
the next very obvious trap that arises? Also, any ideas where the extra pigeons
were going after Mistress Macura’s recovery?
I am not sure if I am just judgmental, but I am
getting a little tired of their never-ending ability to walk directly into any
trap, even the ones that are so obvious that they could have a sign on them
saying “This is a trap!” Seriously, why would you trust some random woman just
because she has the correct sign for the Yellow Ajah nailed to her front door?
I would hope that this episode will FINALLY make them realize that trying to
hide from the Black Ajah and at least one of the Forsaken means that there are
bad people about! Good grief!
I found the extra pigeons rather intriguing. I can
understand why someone would want to keep a watchful eye on a woman supplying
information to the Tower because we know that there are divisions between the
Ajahs and that not all the Sisters get along. Of course, there are plenty of
other people who might want to be kept informed, with the Forsaken and
Whitecloaks at the top of the list. As for Mistress Macura’s extra pigeon, I
have to admit that I am a little disappointed that she is not just a simple
supporter of the Yellow Ajah. It seems like straightforwardly honest people are
few and far between in this world, so it would have been nice if she had just
been following her orders with no additional political intrigue.
2. We now know that the
Blue Ajah is massing in Salidar, and I wonder if other renegade Sisters will
head that way as well. Is anyone else feeling that their choice of meeting
place is nice and convenient for our wayward Amyrlin? Do you think that Nynaeve
and Elayne will hear the location and join up with our merry band?
It would have been Murphy’s Law if the Blues had
been banding together thousands of miles away from Siuan’s current location.
However, I can understand why they chose Salidar now that I have looked it up
on a map. It is relatively central, but not too close to Tar Valon, while its
proximity to Whitecloak central makes it an unlikely choice. Siuan mentions it
as the birthplace of a famous Blue, which seems to make it an obvious
selection, but we also know that many of the settlements in this borderland
have been abandoned, so maybe it has been empty and forgotten for a long time.
From Nynaeve’s comments it sounds as if she read
the name, although it would mean nothing to her even if she remembers it.
However, a quick conference between Egwene and Moiraine will solve that mystery
and I expect the girls to motor towards Salidar once they throw Galad off their
scent.
3. Were you surprised to
discover that Gareth Bryne had the hots for Siuan? Are we going to have a soppy
love story involving fishing metaphors?
I was rather surprised by this, as there was no
real suggestion in the earlier chapters that his interest was at all romantic.
I had assumed that his interest was because he had a vague feeling that he had
seen Siuan before or something similar. Also, and I hope this does not sound
too awful, but I find it a little difficult to imagine Siuan being all that
loveable. However, Bryne did have an affair with Morgase, so I guess that he
must like pushy women!
We know that he is smitten for some reason, but we
have not seen Siuan pining away for him in the same way. However, she does seem
very determined to keep her word to him, so perhaps there is something there as
well, and she did do a lot of staring . . . I cannot wait to hear the fishing
sayings that are suitable for flirting, dating and catching a husband!
4. Is anyone else hoping
that Birgitte will have a larger role in the story in the near future? Is
Egwene really a prude or do you think that Nynaeve’s dress in Tel’aran’rhiod
was amazingly slutty?
I find Birgitte a really interesting character and
I like reading her appearances, so I really hope that she becomes more
important and soon. It seems that she may be about to be woven back out into
the Pattern, but I worry that she will not have much time to grow up and become
a stunning archer before the Last Battle arrives. I am intrigued by her
decision to break the rules and help the girls: I wonder if this means that one
or both of them are Ta’veren?
We have talked about Egwene’s prudish attitudes in
past weeks, but I do get the impression that Nynaeve’s outfit is more than a
little revealing. I would also imagine that it is a shock for Egwene to see
Nynaeve dressed like that, because the Wisdom has always advocated sober, practical
clothing in the past. It is episodes like this that make me really like
Nynaeve: she is so unintentionally funny whilst being terribly realistic.
5. Were you surprised by
the sudden reversal in the power dynamic between Nynaeve and Egwene? During her
testing to become Accepted, Egwene saw herself as Amyrlin, does her increasing
self confidence make this future seem more likely?
At first I was a little shocked by this, but it
shows that the Wise Ones are teaching Egwene more than just Dreaming. It is
good to see her becoming much more confidant and forceful, as she has been a
little too submissive and passive-aggressive in the past, especially towards
Nynaeve. However, she is also very headstrong, so I worry that she may become
overconfident and rash, which could be a deadly combination. As for Nynaeve’s
sudden weakness, I found this rather more surprising but a welcome relief from
her constant self-righteousness.
While the new Egwene appears to be channeling her
inner Siuan Sanche, I fear that she is still too young to be taken seriously by
the other Aes Sedai. It seems that Moiraine is starting to treat her more as an
equal, but her age will always be a disadvantage when she deals with those
Sisters that are unfamiliar with her. I wonder if she will be used as a
compromise candidate because she has no associations with the major factions. I
would imagine that the dominant sitters would expect her to be easily
manipulated, although I predict that they would be in for a surprise there.
The one thing that strikes me as most strange in
all of this is their relative strengths with the Power. We have been told over
and over again that Nynaeve is much more powerful, even though she can only
channel when she is angry at the moment. We have also seen that Sea Sedai use
relative power as a way to establish their hierarchy, so Nynaeve bowing to
Egwene does against the norm.
6. Do you agree with
Elayne that Galad would actually hand them over to the Whitecloaks? I can see
Thom fitting in with the travelling Menagerie, but how much braid-pulling do
you expect from Nynaeve?
If what Elayne and Gawyn have said is true, then
Galad would have no qualms about doing what he considers to be ‘right’ and
handing the girls over to the Whitecloaks. He is obviously a person who sees
everything in terms of black and white and pays little attention to the
possibility that he is the only person to behave in that way. His stubborn
refusal to consider bending rules is very arrogant and could place the girls in
grave danger, but he will walk away with a clear conscience because he has
behaved ‘correctly’. It seems to me that he is deceptively beautiful on the
outside: a clear example of beauty being a poor indicator of character. I find
him very annoying and self-righteous.
I have to admit that I did not see that plot twist
coming. However, we have had people join up with ‘gypsies’, so why not have
others run away with a ‘circus’? I did think it strange that the menagerie got
so much description, but did not expect it to become a hiding place for the
girls so soon: I expected a more subtle reintroduction much later on. I am sure
that Thom and Juilin will fit in very well, but I am not sure how Elayne will
earn her keep: I am not sure that people will pay to see her raise her chin regally!
However, I can imagine Nynaeve drawing quite a crowd as she shoots fireballs
from her eyes! :D
Extra Thoughts
Am I the only one who loves the fact that Bella is
still alive and adding her own shaggy presence to the story? I also love how
Siuan expects this most placed of horses to eat her face off! :D
