Where did Moiraine go in Fal Dara?

[Mashiara Sedai]

I'm re-reading the series and realized I didn't know where Moiraine disappeared to at the beginning of The Great Hunt.  It's right after the first Darkfriend meeting--and we see several Aes Sedai and a Shainarin--so I think we're supposed to half-think Moiraine might be one of them.  But, obviously she's not.

 

Is she visiting other retired Aes Sedai, like when she later visits Aldaleas (sp?) and Vendane (sp?).

[TheSociopath]

I thought that was when she visits Aldaleas and Vendane

[Mashiara Sedai]

That happens in chapter 22, and they live in Arafel.  Even if she visited them twice, Moiraine is only gone a few days, so she couldn’t have gotten there and back in time.

[TheSociopath]

makes sense. I never thought that hard about it. 

 

However, the only abscence I can think of in tGH is after she skips out on Egwene and Nynaeve, and then we don't see her until the very end. Does she actually leave in the very beginnig?

[Mashiara Sedai]

Chapter 1, page 8 in the American paperback:

Quote

"[Lan said,] "You want her to treat you like what you are?"

 

"No! I don't mean that.  Burn me, I don't want that, and I'm scared of the other.  Now she's gone off somewhere, vanished..."

 

"I told you she need to be alone sometimes.  It isn't for you, or anyone else, to question her actions."

 

"...without telling anybody where she was going, or when she'd be back, or even if she would be back. She has to be able to tell me something to help me, Lan. Something. She has to. If she ever comes back."

 

"She's back, sheepherder.  Last night.  But I think she has told you all she can. Be satisfied.  You've learned what you can from her."
 

 

The prologue is the man who calls himself Bors at the darkfriend social.  So I think this is placed her to make us question.  But I wonder where she really did go.  And that she wouldn't take Lan with her is suspicious.

[Mashiara Sedai]

I looked through the Theoryland interview database and didn't find any answers there, either.

[Songstress]

If it had been a long enough time for her to do it, I would have guessed this time period was where she gave Myrelle her instructions to pass Lan's bond to Nynaeve - I'm not sure she had time to get to Tar Valon, or make arrangements to meet Myrelle somewhere, though.

 

We see later Moiraine tell Lan that before they left the Tower she'd made arrangements for his bond to pass to Myrelle when she dies, which would have been before Moiraine knew Nynaeve existed or had any inkling that Lan would be falling in love during this adventure.  Later, when caught with Lan among her warders, Myrelle tells Egwene that Moiraine had instructed her to pass the bond to Nynaeve specifically.  

 

She had to have communicated with Myrelle at some point between the end of Eye of the World and when she went through the red stone doorway with Lanfear.  Since she was thinking about it to tell him about passing the bond shortly thereafter, that would be my best guess, if the timing worked out.

 

EDITED TO ADD: This would have been a good reason not to take Lan with her IMO.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Songstress

[Mashiara Sedai]

Myrelle is one of the sisters who comes to Fal Dara with the Amyrlin.  They could have chatted then.  Though I doubt it because the Greens and the Blues are fighting (Greens have been backing the Reds in the Hall).  Or maybe Moraine was sneaky enough to meet Myrelle in secret, then.  

 

But there definitely wasn't enough time for Moraine to go to Tar Valon.  The Amyrlin's party traveled nearly a month, and that was with the ship and calling on the winds to speed them up.

 

I may have to email Maria Simons and see what she knows!  It's gonna bug me!

[Songstress]

7 minutes ago, Mashiara Sedai said:

Myrelle is one of the sisters who comes to Fal Dara with the Amyrlin.  They could have chatted then.  Though I doubt it because the Greens and the Blues are fighting (Greens have been backing the Reds in the Hall).  Or maybe Moraine was sneaky enough to meet Myrelle in secret, then.  

 

Are you sure?  The only Green on that trip that was mentioned is Alanna - the text indicated that there were two from each Ajah there, but doesn't name the other Green.  From what I could find, the first time Myrelle is mentioned in the series is when Moiraine tells Lan that she's made arrangements to pass his bond to Myrelle if she dies.

 

Regardless, I figure there's no way she had time to go to Tar Valon and back, but it's always made me wonder when she gave her the specific instruction about passing the bond to Nynaeve.

 

Asking Maria sounds like a great idea

[Mashiara Sedai]

1 minute ago, Songstress said:

The only Green on that trip that was mentioned is Alanna

 

Yes!  You're right!  I got them confused.  Alanna was with them.  But I guess we don't know who the other Green sister is.

 

Maybe Myrelle was in the area and Moraine went out to meet her somewhere in Shainar?

[Songstress]

Could be!  Or maybe she had a contact she could use to pass a message to her secretly.  *shrug*

 

I do think it's a great question to ask.  I wonder if it's something that was in Robert Jordan's notes where she would know!

[Ryrin]

It is a really good question. I know I wondered at the time.