Inner Fighting between Ta'veern and friends

[Mr Ares]

And a strip of Andor which serves as a link between the areas Caemlyn actually controls and the mines in the Mountains of Mist, which they would likely want to hang onto. Elayne has good reason to resist Perrin trying to annex a good chunk of her country.

 

She doesn't have the resources to exploit those mines.  That is why that entire section is only part of Andor on maps right now.

 

She can get much more by exploiting Cairhien, as a ruler friendly to the Aiel, and leaving the mines of the Mountains of Mist in the hands of a friendly buffer ruler, than by trying to hold onto it all herself.

Andor does still have limited control over the mines. They let the TR go so as to keep that control. Morgase thinks that "A choice between holding the mines' gold and iron and other metals and keeping the Two Rivers' wool and tabac had not been difficult", and the BWB tells us that "many of Andor's other outlying communities have been almost completely ignored lest Andor lose the mines so essential to her economic health". They have the mines, but not the surrounding areas. And Elayne has good reason to keep hold of gold, silver and iron mines.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Andor does still have limited control over the mines.

 

The key word being limited.

 

And Elayne has good reason to keep hold of gold, silver and iron mines.

 

In the pre-TG world, yes.  However, when she needs the resources that are currently being expended to maintain that control in order to consolidate her hold on the much more valuable entire nation of Cairhien, the price is no longer worth the payoff.

[Charlz Guybon]

I doubt we'll see how this conflict gets resolved in the books. It might be a case of Eylane just giving the TR to Perrin cos Rand asked nicely, or she might go all stubborn abt get lectured by Lini and her Mum (who have sworn to Perrin), and then give over.

 

Either way, I think we'll just see the future of Randland in an extended epilogue to the series...That's usually how these books end right?

There's no way Morgase will advice that. Rebellion in  the Two Rivers is what freaked her out he enough to escape from Rhavin's compulsion.

[RobertAlexWillis]

There's no way Morgase will advice that. Rebellion in  the Two Rivers is what freaked her out he enough to escape from Rhavin's compulsion.

 

Well, a few things have happened since then, Charlz.

 

But this will be Elayne's decision, not Morgase's, and Morgase will be the first to maintain that.

[deathgate]

I think Malkier will be back in play and may take in ruined former countries in the borderlands.

[RobertAlexWillis]

With all due respect, Malkier is dead.  D-E-D dead.

 

This country is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its Creator. This is a late country. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn't nailed it to this thread, it would be pushing up the daisies. Its social processes are now of interest only to historians! Its off the twig! Its kicked the bucket, its shuffled off its Seven Towers, run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! This is an ex-country!

 

[water_seeker]

With all due respect, Malkier is dead.  D-E-D dead.

 

This country is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to meet its Creator. This is a late country. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn't nailed it to this thread, it would be pushing up the daisies. Its social processes are now of interest only to historians! Its off the twig! Its kicked the bucket, its shuffled off its Seven Towers, run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible! This is an ex-country!

 

What is it you're trying to say RAW?  :P

[Eleint]

Depends really.  Likely it is, but Jordan's flipflopped a bit on Min's viewings.  She saw in Lan's aura a baby and the crown of Malkier, and Jordan said that all her viewings are the future.

 

As such, it's possible (especially with Nyn's gathering of all the Malkieri) that Malkier rises again post-TG.  Or it could be simply a mis-step by Jordan.

[Mr Ares]

Andor does still have limited control over the mines.

The key word being limited.

 

And Elayne has good reason to keep hold of gold, silver and iron mines.

In the pre-TG world, yes.  However, when she needs the resources that are currently being expended to maintain that control in order to consolidate her hold on the much more valuable entire nation of Cairhien, the price is no longer worth the payoff.

It's not an either-or situation, or at least it doesn't have to be. It's also not a guarantee that she will get Cairhien. It would make sense for her to try and increase her control of Andor's outlying regions. Which should be easier than Perrin trying to unify the TR, NW Andor, Saldaea, Ghealdan and a large stretch of uninhabited territory into a single country.

[RobertAlexWillis]

It's not an either-or situation, or at least it doesn't have to be.

 

I think it is and will be.  But we're both speculating, so you're entitled to your wrong opinion.  ;)

[Mr Ares]

It's not an either-or situation, or at least it doesn't have to be.

I think it is and will be.  But we're both speculating, so you're entitled to your wrong opinion.   ;)

And you to yours.

[Muad Cheade]

It is an either/or situation. Realistically, Elayne will have to wait until after Tarmon Gai'don to lay claim to Cairhien. There's no way she can do that and try to retain control over NW Andor.

 

And as for the "uninhabitable land" between Saldea and Andor, it's simply because people are superstitious of the wooded area in that region. With the Dark One defeated (hopefully), there's going to be a population increase and that's a perfect place for settlers.

[Mr Ares]

It is an either/or situation. Realistically, Elayne will have to wait until after Tarmon Gai'don to lay claim to Cairhien. There's no way she can do that and try to retain control over NW Andor.

Why not? Maybe she will be able to secure Cairhien without diverting the resources to make controlling the mines and re-establishing control of Andor's outlying regions a viable plan in the long term - which would mean she would want to hang onto them to make it a reality one day. And why is it realistic to say that she will have to wait until after TG? She might make her move before that.

 

And as for the "uninhabitable land" between Saldea and Andor, it's simply because people are superstitious of the wooded area in that region.

And the population decline that has left vast tracts of land uninhabited. I see it as rather more realistic to try and secure areas of your country which are already part of your country than taking the same portions of a country, and using it as a link between two different countries, thousands of miles apart.