Rand, Mat and Perrin...Friends Ever Again?

[The Dragon Reborn]

Ok one thing that I've been wondering, can the three of them ever go back to being close friends like they used to be? It kinda bothers me that they don't really see each other as friends anymore, not really.

The road block as I see it is Rand being able to channel and being the Dragon Reborn. Perrin, to some extent can see past it. But I don't thing Mat can, he really hasn't been the same with Rand at all since discovering that Rand can channel. Even after Tarmon Gai'don. I don't think he'll be able to get past it (he really hates the One Power). If Mat ever discovers Perrin's link to the wolves I can see him starting to treat Perrin similarly to Rand.

Also it's possible that Rand and the other Asha'man will turn into snobs like the Aes Sedai and not associate with their old, non-channelling friends....Of course I'm assuming that they all survive Tarmon Gai'don, so far we know Mat will for definate.

[Despair]

Of course they will be friends again.  Remember, over 12 books and 17,000 pages, they are still under 22 y/o going in to the last book.  They have at least 50 years later to get over it.  Rand loves them both like brothers, but is scared they will hate him cause he can channel.  Perrin loves them both like brothers, but he fears Rand is going crazy with power and magic and Mat will hate his beautiful golden eyes.  Mat just wants to be left alone to drink, gamble, and go trolling (like most of us).  Well, since the power is clean, Perrin has become the uber in Andor West and Mat is becoming the head of Seanchan, of course they will be friends.  My worry is when they get into there 40s and start fighting over real issues......

[TurboZ]

Mat and Perrin seem to both realize that even under all the channeling and being the one to fulfill all of the world's prophecies, that he is still Rand Al'Thor. I think it was back in TSR though that they realized that he needed some space for awhile to be the DR and save humanity.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Mat and Perrin seem to both realize that even under all the channeling and being the one to fulfill all of the world's prophecies, that he is still Rand Al'Thor. I think it was back in TSR though that they realized that he needed some space for awhile to be the DR and save humanity.

I'll agree that Perrin sees that, but really I don't think Mat does. He still can't trust anybody who can channel, even Rand. He is constantly looking at Rand's actions, expecting him to turn into a raving loon. Whenever we read about Mat thinking about Rand he trys to see his friend, but nornally finishes with 'but a man who can channel...' He's not even fully comfortable round Egwene and Nynaeve....

[Guest cwestervelt]

The gap between them has grown way to large for them to ever truly be friends again.  The best they could manage would be that of casual acquaintances.  The paths there lives have taken are just too different for the shared experiences that originally bound them togehter to overcome.

 

I've noticed several people commenting about Mat never being able to trust someone who channels.  The same is true of Perrin.  He isn't as  outspoken about it, the mistrust is there none the less.

[The Dragon Reborn]

I'm not insane, I've been unhappily noticing this distancing between for some time...I kinda sucks that they've been driven away from each other like that...

[Despair]

Yes they are distant. Yes Rand tossed Perrin on his ass and made him leave.  And yes, Mat was sent sorta where he was supposed to go.  Does this ruin friendship?  Rand is in a place none of us would want to be.  Perrin and Mat know this.  They all know that they have a role to play in the last book.  Even Mat starts to admit this.

 

I dont know about you, but I had 3 best friends growing up from the cradle to College.  Now, one is a Cop, one is lawyer, one works in NY for a hedge fund, and then their is me who just gets by.  My buddy in NY out-earns us all put together by at least 5x.  Are we jealous, hell yeah. Do we sit and ponder how to kill him (mainly the wife), Yes.  In the end, we always charter a boat out of Nags Head. We are still almost like family

 

That is the way I see the trio.  Mat and Perrin were there for Rand's first tug on the johnson.  They will be there as best friends at the end.

[Charlz Guybon]

Mat and Perrin were there for Rand's first tug on the johnson. 

 

I hope this is just some weird British idiom, because that sounds really bad.  :o

[Guest cwestervelt]

Yes they are distant. Yes Rand tossed Perrin on his ass and made him leave.  And yes, Mat was sent sorta where he was supposed to go.  Does this ruin friendship?  Rand is in a place none of us would want to be.  Perrin and Mat know this.  They all know that they have a role to play in the last book.  Even Mat starts to admit this.

 

I dont know about you, but I had 3 best friends growing up from the cradle to College.  Now, one is a Cop, one is lawyer, one works in NY for a hedge fund, and then their is me who just gets by.  My buddy in NY out-earns us all put together by at least 5x.  Are we jealous, hell yeah. Do we sit and ponder how to kill him (mainly the wife), Yes.  In the end, we always charter a boat out of Nags Head. We are still almost like family

 

That is the way I see the trio.  Mat and Perrin were there for Rand's first tug on the johnson.  They will be there as best friends at the end.

 

I admire your ability to maintain a friendship among people following such different paths in life.  One of my best friends is still someone I met in highschool in the late 80s.  We don't see each other much, but that is the way things worked out.  Unfortunately, it has been my experience that such friendships are rare with few being able to hold up under the strain of having little in common.  I suspect that friendship survived because my friend and I didn't have a common background to begin with so we never really shared a common bond.  Rand, Mat and Perrin were friends because of what they did have in common though and now they really have nothing in common.  I think that will make a real difference.  Just my oppinion.

[The Dragon Reborn]

Mat and Perrin were there for Rand's first tug on the johnson. 

 

I hope this is just some weird British idiom, because that sounds really bad.  :o

Fraid not I'm from Ireland and that means the same here as it does in America....

I still feel that there is too much distrust from Mat about people who can channel for him to ever feel really friendly toward Rand again. I mean he may still like him but he'll never see Rand in the same light again. He really hate the One Power.

[Charlz Guybon]

Mat and Perrin were there for Rand's first tug on the johnson. 

 

I hope this is just some weird British idiom, because that sounds really bad.  :o

Fraid not I'm from Ireland and that means the same here as it does in America....

I still feel that there is too much distrust from Mat about people who can channel for him to ever feel really friendly toward Rand again. I mean he may still like him but he'll never see Rand in the same light again. He really hate the One Power.

 

He's marrying a woman who can learn to channel, so I don't think that will be as big a problem as you think.

[Guest cwestervelt]

Mat and Perrin were there for Rand's first tug on the johnson. 

 

I hope this is just some weird British idiom, because that sounds really bad.  :o

Fraid not I'm from Ireland and that means the same here as it does in America....

I still feel that there is too much distrust from Mat about people who can channel for him to ever feel really friendly toward Rand again. I mean he may still like him but he'll never see Rand in the same light again. He really hate the One Power.

 

He's marrying a woman who can learn to channel, so I don't think that will be as big a problem as you think.

 

He is married a woman who could learn to channel, but never will.  Channelling is as much an anathema to Tuon as Mat.  The attitude towards channelling is about the only thing I can think of that they have in common.

[Avendoraldera]

I thought when you get a person who can learn to channel, they will eventually channel, whether they want to or not, like Bethamin. They can't help themselves. Isn't this true of Tuon? ???

[The Dragon Reborn]

I thought when you get a person who can learn to channel, they will eventually channel, whether they want to or not, like Bethamin. They can't help themselves. Isn't this true of Tuon? ???

Nope, people who have that natural spark for channeling will channel at some stage, whether they want to or not. People who are only able to learn will never do so unless taught. Normally without teaching they'll never even sence Saidin/Saidar. Unless you are a sul'damane (person with the ability to learn to channel.)They are constantly around women channelling and in some cases sul'damane have thought they could see their damane's weaves.

[Trib4l]

I would theorize that the sul'dam start to see the weaves because they are actually teaching the damane how to channel, eventually learning how themselves through giving the lessons.

[The Dragon Reborn]

I would theorize that the sul'dam start to see the weaves because they are actually teaching the damane how to channel, eventually learning how themselves through giving the lessons.

That would make more sense than what I said, never thought of it like that.

[ludde]

Actually, Rand and Perrin are small now against Mat. Neither Tuon or Mat, or any of the followings of Mat knew that the lord of Seanchan is dead. Witch means that Tuon is the on in charge. Witch again means that Mat is there together with Tuon as her husband. So, he would be like a king of Seanchan. So I think that’s enough to make Mat reason again.

[MsDanya]

Rand and Perrin actually planned throwin Perrin out of the palace.

[Safia al-Maaz]

Yes, Perrin and Rand planned it to make people think Rand no longer cared about Perrin, which was supposed to allow him to go anywhere without being associated with the Dragon Reborn.

 

I also just thought of something.

 

Faile doesn't help Perrin's friendship with Rand, as she constantly warns him that Rand is very different and wouldn't think twice about using Perrin to his own ends.  Perrin normally brushes this off, but it probably is slowly trickling its way into his mind.

 

As for Mat, aren't a few of his sister members of the White Tower?  They can channel, though he doesn't know it yet I don't think.  I can hardly see him throwing away his relationship with his family because of that.  That may help him learn to be comfortable around people who can channel.  And who knows what will happen in aMoL?  Maybe something will happen to Rand that will force Mat to see the old friend still inside under the iron shell he has created around himself.

[Charlz Guybon]

 

As for Mat, aren't a few of his sister members of the White Tower?  They can channel, though he doesn't know it yet I don't think.  I can hardly see him throwing away his relationship with his family because of that.  That may help him learn to be comfortable around people who can channel.  And who knows what will happen in aMoL?  Maybe something will happen to Rand that will force Mat to see the old friend still inside under the iron shell he has created around himself.

 

His sister Bode has the potential to match Cadsuane's strength and she has the talent to make cuendillar. She is one of the two river girls that Verin and Alanna collected. Rand told Mat about her after he met her and the other girls in Caemlyn, so Mat knows.

[Despair]

I forgot about that.  Rand and Perrin invented the whole fight thing where Rand bashed Perrin around in public and tossed him to the curb.  (Faile's idea though, so gotta give her credit).  Perrin is the new Lord of the Two Rivers and Rand wants no connection whatsoever between himself and home.  He has already said 3 times, if he ignores the Two Rivers, there is better chance his oppenents will leave it alone.  Rand loves his home (including Perrin, Mat, Nynaeve, Egwene) so much, he has decided to cut off all emotion towards them for their own protection.  I think this is very admirable. 

 

As for the last book, we have Perrin with most of West Andor and surroundings ready to follow, Mat the quasi-king of the Seanchan, Egwene retaking the Tower, Elayne bringing the East, etc...  They are all still great friends, just playing out their parts.  After Rand dies/lives after the final battle, I bet they all get together for a barbecue and make fun of Nynaeve.

[Avendoraldera]

After Rand dies/lives after the final battle, I bet they all get together for a barbecue and make fun of Nynaeve.

 

LOL, that had me laughing so hard. But you forget that Lan is doing something in the Borderlands, so technically she's a ruler-ish. Would she still not be invited to the barbecue?(I won't shed any tears if she doesn't, though)

[Mashiara O Aan.a--ein]

As for the last book, we have Perrin with most of West Andor and surroundings ready to follow, Mat the quasi-king of the Seanchan, Egwene retaking the Tower, Elayne bringing the East, etc...  They are all still great friends, just playing out their parts.  After Rand dies/lives after the final battle, I bet they all get together for a barbecue and make fun of Nynaeve.

 

Hmm...they probably come back half-dead from TG injuries, and Ny saves their lives. How's that for barbecue conversation. Clearly, you haven't made an effort to get to know Nynaeve. And your idea of "great friends" is rather laughable. Egwene, with her stole, haughty and full of herself. Elayne, with her crown, (and throne dragged along just for good measure) and nose stuck in the air. Egwene and Rand wary of each other. Perrin and Mat wary of both. Tuon itching to leash the Dragon and Amyrlin. Oh yes, that sounds like great fun.

[Mat is Better]

As for the last book, we have Perrin with most of West Andor and surroundings ready to follow, Mat the quasi-king of the Seanchan, Egwene retaking the Tower, Elayne bringing the East, etc...  They are all still great friends, just playing out their parts.  After Rand dies/lives after the final battle, I bet they all get together for a barbecue and make fun of Nynaeve.

 

Hmm...they probably come back half-dead from TG injuries, and Ny saves their lives. How's that for barbecue conversation. Clearly, you haven't made an effort to get to know Nynaeve. And your idea of "great friends" is rather laughable. Egwene, with her stole, haughty and full of herself. Elayne, with her crown, (and throne dragged along just for good measure) and nose stuck in the air. Egwene and Rand wary of each other. Perrin and Mat wary of both. Tuon itching to leash the Dragon and Amyrlin. Oh yes, that sounds like great fun.

 

I think the reference to making fun of nynaeve was nastalgia for the good ole days of emond's field when they really did that.  I don't think it was meant as an insult.  Also I agree.  I think Rand Mat and Perrin will be friends forever and all the Emond's fielders will be the glue that holds all the relationships together.  I really do think they will end up being friends, its kind of hard to avoid, but maybe that's just me being romantic.

[Mashiara O Aan.a--ein]

Egwene has devoted herself entirely to the White Tower. She sees herself as the Amyrlin Seat and nothing else. She cannot even relate to the Emond's Field girl she used to be because she has become a cold and manipulative woman. (I'm not saying some of it wasn't necessary, but she has changed too much.) I think Egwene is too far gone to be anybody's friend anymore.

 

I do have hope for the others though.