The New Novices

[Kaznen]

Narshima said they could not bond the Dragon Reborn or anybody with a dragon on his collar but any Soldier or Dedicated would have to say yes.

 

When he said that Rand was one of the AM who is already bonded, Flinn and Narshima were bonded, and Sandomere became bonded to Beledine(?).

 

The only other AM were Taim's boys, whom Rand doesn't trust, Logain and the other AM who bonded AS (Rand raised those men himself).

[Charlz Guybon]

You mentioned Bode, good because she has faced trollocs.  And when she face the trollocs she was screaming in a panic while she hacked at its face while it dangled her by her braid.  If she was being tested for the shawl she would have failed because she panicked.  If the AS controling the novices and accepted in the field dies the non-sisters become a lethal liability because they weren't hardened through training to face battle.  So now you have these scared women tossing the power everywhere in a panic.

 

 

I wouldn't call that panicking, what else is she supposed to do once it's grabbed her besides hack at it? Screaming is superfluous, as long as she does what needs to be done, who cares?

[Elwinn Taron]

Taim set no boundaries on how many or of what rank could be bonded.  He merely said to ask who would accept it. 

 

As stated, Rand's conditions included not himself or anyone wearing the dragon pin.  However, any Soldier or Dedicated who is asked, MUST accept the bond....up to a total of 47.

 

Narishma did not tell anyone that the Dragon Reborn is already bonded.  I would be quite surprised if he even knows that.

 

 

[Kaznen]

Narshima did say it used to be 5 AM bonded instead of 4 but Fedwin Morr was killed.  When you look at the AM who are bonded you can't get four living AM without Rand.

 

But I don't think Rand wants anybody else to know.

[Elwinn Taron]

Fedwin was never bonded.  You are thinking of Eben Hopwell.  Fedwin was dead before Rand left Cairhein and Cadsuane blackmailed the Ashaman to accept the bond.  (Cadsuane's word, not mine.)  The "4" instead of 3 confused me, too.  However, the next we see of Rand's group after Narishma went to the Rebel Aes Sedai, Beldeine has bonded Sandomere, so perhaps Jahar was counting that.

[Kaznen]

Thanks for the correction I keep getting Morr and Hopwil confused.  But Narshima did count Sandomere.  What he told the AS in KoD was...

 

pp498 KoD hardcover US First Edition, Call to a Sitting

"Fifty-one sisters have been bonded by Asha'man already, and four of us are bonded to Aes Sedai.  Forty-seven makes the difference.  There were five of us, but one died defending his Aes Sedai.  Remember his name.  Eben Hopwil.  Remeber him!"

 

51-47=4 And those four are Rand al'Thor, Dalmer Flinn, (whatever his first name is) Manfor, and Jahar Narshima.  We know it is Rand and not Eben because Narshima made a point to tell the AS that the fifth one was already dead when he brought this offer to the Hall.

 

For some reason I kept thinking Sandomere was Manfor.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Jahar has a decent chance of knowing that Rand is bonded to Alanna.  He is the one who found her when she collapsed, presumably because of the 3 girls bonding, and he was with the group that Alanna directed to Far Madding.  I don't think it was ever said right out, but he's had more than enough clues by now to know that she bonded Rand.

[Kaznen]

Jahar has a decent chance of knowing that Rand is bonded to Alanna.  He is the one who found her when she collapsed, presumably because of the 3 girls bonding, and he was with the group that Alanna directed to Far Madding.  I don't think it was ever said right out, but he's had more than enough clues by now to know that she bonded Rand.

 

Plus he's smart.  And at the cleanseing he was close by whenever Caudy asked Min how Rand was doing.