Who has the Horn?

[Dragon21]

I was wondering who everybody thought has the Horn of Valere right now. Is it still locked away in the white tower? Or could someone like Verin have taken it before she left. Seems like only Verin and Siuan knew where it was when Verin returned to the tower in TDR. If Verin doesn't have it....could it be that Egwene will be the one to find it again when she takes over the tower from Elaida? Maybe she will bring it to Mat at the last battle. (assuming Mat is still the only one who can blow it, since he has died a couple times now).

 

Anyway, what do you guys think?

 

 

[trakand_01]

I reckon it's still in the white tower. Like you say Verin knew it was there, she knew Mat had blown it, but she DOESNT know he's technically died once already so as far as she's concerned he's still the Hornblower. I think that if she'd taken it, she would have made more effort to find him, ready for TG, than she has done.

 

I also think we'd have heard about it from either Siuan or Min's POVs had Siuan taken it with her.

[Saidar]

It's still in the White Tower like trakand_01 said. But I think only Verin and Siuan knows where in the tower it is. I think even Egwene forgot it's in the Tower.

[cloglord]

I doubt that Egwene has forgotten, but I'm pretty sure she's got other things on her mind, since she definitely can't put her hands on Mat at the moment.

 

You are correct that only Suian and Verin know where it was hidden, and Fain at least thought that it was still hidden within the tower as of TFoH, although why he seemed so certain it was there is a mystery to me.

 

It seems to me, given Verin's repeated warnings about the imminent arrival of TG, that Verin left Rand to go and secure the Horn, and attempt to reunite it with Mat.  The problem arrises then, how would she possibly find him?  I mean he HAS been actively trying to avoid being found for the last 3 books, and appears poised to venture off into the hinterlands of the Carlain Grass.

 

I believe that the answer lies in the most mentioned, but least thought about event in the books to date.  The Hunt for the Horn.  We know that the horn is in the Tower, but we also know that the man who called the Hunt for the Horn is also in the tower.  If Verin were to take both the Horn and Stepaneos back to Illian, he could call an end to the Hunt, and announce to the world, (and more importantly, to Mat,) that the Horn has been removed from the tower and is being kept safe in one of the two greatest stongholds for Rand.  Since we know that Mat will be just up river from Illian whilst rescuing Moraine at the ToG, it seems to fit.

 

Of course I know that this is not a widely held or popular belief.... 

[aevogt]

In TEoTW, Moraine tells Nynaeve that once someone has been Healed, the healer develops an affinity to that person.  It's because Nynaeve had once "Healed" Egwene that she was able to ride straight to the inn in Baerlon where the kids were staying.

 

Following that logic,

 

Since Verin had routinely healed Mat on the journey back to Tar Valon and had been part of the greater circle the broke the bond to the SL Dagger, wouldn't she be able to find him. 

 

Rumors of the Band fighting battles and her eyes and ears (we know from LoC that she has them, or at least has access to some of the Brown's network) would get her close and then then she should be able to walk right up to him.

 

 

[Dragon21]

Wow, there's a thought. I had forgotten all about that. Wonder how strong of a connection it is. Like would you have to be in fairly close proximity to the person you once healed to be able to locate them? (like Nynaeve was in bearlon) Surely it's not like the warder bond where you always know where the other is.

That's interesting though, Verin could track down Mat in some way I bet then.

 

Great point, aevogt.

 

[RobertAlexWillis]

Like would you have to be in fairly close proximity to the person you once healed to be able to locate them? (like Nynaeve was in bearlon) Surely it's not like the warder bond where you always know where the other is.

 

That's correct ... you can find them if you're already relatively close, but its not like she could sense him half a continent away ... or even 10 miles away.

 

That said, I have full confidence in the combination of Mat's ta'veren tugging and Verin's freaky ability to pop up exactly where she's needed.

[cloglord]

Rumors of the Band fighting battles and her eyes and ears (we know from LoC that she has them, or at least has access to some of the Brown's network) would get her close and then then she should be able to walk right up to him.

 

Except that those rumors would not have been of the Band, as the visible and recognizable portion of the Band is in Southern Andor.  Not even the Seanchan knew who they were fighting in Altara, and even if they did we have already witnessed the devastating effects that the Seanchan have on the Aes Sedai E&E network, (or anyone else's for that matter.)  Further, we know that it is not that easy.  If Verin left to go straight to Mat she has been gone from the timeline for over two weeks.  One interesting thing to note however, is that according to Steven Cooper's timeline, Verin vanished the day before the point that the tower plotline ends in KoD's.  And the entire rest of the book, excepting the bit were Rand makes Darlin King of Tear, and the bit were Rand gets a bit of Rand blown off, is about Mat and Perrin.  Even the excepted bits with Rand are wrapped up 3 days after Egwene's last appearance, and the rest of KoD's takes place over almost 2 weeks.  Verin will not find Mat quickly, because she has already failed to do so, either she's doing something else, or she's having trouble finding him.

 

That said, I have full confidence in the combination of Mat's ta'veren tugging and Verin's freaky ability to pop up exactly where she's needed.

 

Yes, but it is Verin's confidence that is important, not yours....

 

[RobertAlexWillis]

-shrug- I have confidence in Verin's confidence.

[DemandredFO]

Egwene would likely try to use the Horn and its connection to Mat against Rand.  However, she can't find it.  You know, I just had a thought, do you guys think there's any possibility the Seanchan could find it during their takeover?

[BKVMC]

if they got it  they  would give it to mat with less  strings attached than  the  tower would try to put on him :)  But seriously  i  think verin is off to  fetch it for him.

[Tyrell]

If the Seanchan found it, Mat'd just need to shave his head and say "Horn. Now." and get the horn and a nice "Yes, highness" in return.

[Dragon21]

Thanks again everybody for the great feedback and ideas. Always fun discussing stuff.