Rand's fear of channeling

[Tigersfs]

Hi all,

First time in this section so I'm not sure if this has been discussed before. Sorry if it has.

 

I'm re-reading the books and am currently reading book 2 'The Great Hunt'. Rand's afraid to channel because he thinks he is going to go mad or hurt someone. I'm up to the point where they have entered Stedding Tsofu. They all feel the change and Rand knows he can't channel here. My question is, and I don't know if they explain it in later books, if Rand dosen't want to channel why doesn't he just stay in the stedding?

[aevogt]

Men tried that during the breaking and eventually left because they longeed for the feel of the Power. 

 

Rand didn't stay becasuse he was trying to help save Mat and find the Horn.

[DuDZiK]

Part of the reason is because he saw the OP as so addictive. Even though he knew what it meant to channel he could not help but want to draw as much as he could, and that frightened him.

 

This in part is why he would not want to stay in a Stedding. Though it would mean he never channeled and not go mad, the loss of such an addictive feeling that is the embracing of the OP would be too much for him. Considering he never channeled all that much, he might have managed. But he would forever be self-imprisoned within a place that lacks any friends or family; he would be cut off and isolated from the world he grew up in. These two things coupled with aevogt's point that he wanted desperately to help save Mat, and you could see why at least at that point he didn't want to remain in a stedding.

 

After that, and after Falme, when he was more than half-serious in thinking he was the Dragon Reborn and more resigned to his situation, he no longer wanted to run away and hide or stop channeling all together.

 

Keep in mind: if being cut off from the power forever was all he wanted, why did he not just let an Aes Sedai gentle him? The effect would have been permanent (until Nynaeve and Flinn came along, though without Rand there would be no Flinn), and he would not have to isolate himself so as he would in a stedding and he could not give in to the temptation of channeling as he could be in a stedding.

[Shoulderthumper]

He is the Dragon Reborn and the strongest Ta'veren since Hawkwing at least. The wheel wouldn't let him.

 

Whether it was wanting to help Mat and the Horn, or not, something would have pulled him out.

 

Too simplistic, but I like it.

[Tigersfs]

Good points. Never thought of it that way. Thanks.