what are they up to?

[Charlz Guybon]

Probably not on her own, she's a good Wise Ones apprentice.  I actually just had this thought, Pitair(sp?) could die and Kiruna become queen and she is oathsworn to Rand and Rand would tell her to obey Perrin.  I said that's just a thought, no proof or anything, seems possible though.

 

He has tons of descendants. Kiruna wouldn't inherit unless they all get killed. If I recall his favorite granddaughter is married to Ethenille's son. As an interesting historical aside, this  implies he's old enough to have fought at the Stair of Jehaan, where Shienar, Arafel and Kandor threw back the Trollocs after the fall of Malkier; the largest battle with Shadowspawn since Hawkwing beat them at Talidar.

[Paviel]

They weren't actually aware of that prophecy--it was spoken by the Finns directly to Rand.

 

Actually, the Prophecies said it as well.

 

"The Prophecies said that he would bind together the people of every land. 'The north shall he tie to the east, and the west shall be bound to the south,' it said--and no one could be allowed to stand aside..." (A Crown of Swords, paperback, chapter 34, page 684)

[Charlz Guybon]

They weren't actually aware of that prophecy--it was spoken by the Finns directly to Rand.

 

Actually, the Prophecies said it as well.

 

"The Prophecies said that he would bind together the people of every land. 'The north shall he tie to the east, and the west shall be bound to the south,' it said--and no one could be allowed to stand aside..." (A Crown of Swords, paperback, chapter 34, page 684)

Who's making the commentary?

[Luckers]

They weren't actually aware of that prophecy--it was spoken by the Finns directly to Rand.

 

Actually, the Prophecies said it as well.

 

"The Prophecies said that he would bind together the people of every land. 'The north shall he tie to the east, and the west shall be bound to the south,' it said--and no one could be allowed to stand aside..." (A Crown of Swords, paperback, chapter 34, page 684)

 

I'd always assumed that Rand was referring to the answers given to him by the Finn's in that sentence, though you are correct and it does capitalize the P in the Prophecies, and refer to them as a set text, so it does indeed seem to refer to the Karetheon Cycle.

[Paviel]

It wasn't until Knife of Dreams that we learn the Aelfinn's full answer, so I find it hard to believe that anybody could have ALWAYS thought that that passage from A Crown of Swords referred to it... After all, there are three books between A Crown of Swords and Knife of Dreams.

 

Speaking of which, it seems odd that Rand made no comment on the similarity between the Prophecy and the Aelfinn's answer (which he first heard back in The Shadow Rising). Maybe Robert Jordan had his reasons for not revealing the Aelfinn's answer in ACOS... but if I didn't know better, I'd say that he had forgotten about the Prophecy when he wrote KoD.

 

Maybe it can be chalked up to Rand's insanity.

 

Actually, I find the subtle differences between the two rather interesting as well.

 

The Prophecy: "The north shall he (i.e. the Dragon Reborn) tie to the east, and the west shall be bound to the south."

 

The Aelfinn's Answer: "The north and the east must be made as one. The west and the south must be made as one. The two must be made as one. To live, you must die."

[Luckers]

Actually I never even noticed the comment until the emphasis placed on it by the finns answers in KoD, and in the three re-reads since then i did always assume it a reference to the Finns answers.