Regarding Padan Fain in TSR

[Rifty]

So, I've been re-reading the Wheel of Time series in preparation for the final three books (only three more books guys! Promise!), and I came across something that intrigued me.

 

Now, I've read through this series three times already, so I've got a pretty clear grasp on things, and when one character says "Let's go do this," I know pretty much why, and what they're thinking and all.

 

However, at the end of The Shadow Rising, the very end of the "Goldeneyes" chapter, Fain finds that the Trolloc raid into the Two Rivers has utterly failed. The Two Riversians have won, and al'Thor never even showed up. Angered by this, Fain sets out for Tar Valon in order to steal back the Shadar Logoth dagger.

 

However, just before that, he turns to his group of "followers"- a couple trollocs, his pet myrddraal, and some none-too-clean-and-shiny Whitecloaks and says "But first, Caemlyn!"

 

The next time we see Fain, in FoH, he's deep in the White Tower, stealing back the Shadar Logoth dagger and killing a novice.

 

So, the question I have is this: Why did he say "To Caemlyn!" and what did he do there? I can't remember anything from the series about that, and the only thing that I may have come up with is this:

 

In LoC, Rand goes through an assassination attempt in which several Aiel die, all from archers on rooftops in Caemlyn. The archers turn out to be men in Whitecloak uniforms, all of which are none-too-clean-and-shiny.

 

However, that's more than halfway through LoC. So, have they just been hanging out in Caemlyn, waiting for al'Thor to show up so they can try to off him? I can't imagine so. Fain made the decision to go to Caemlyn at the end of TSR, when Rand was still in the Waste, and hadn't even heard of Gaebril/Rahvin, and didn't plan on going to Caemlyn anytime soon. So, the possibility of Fain's plan being to assassinate Rand, especially when he can sense where Rand is (The waste, FAAAAARRRR to the east of the Two Rivers) just doesn't add up in my book.

 

Does anyone else have any thoughts on that? I've been curious about this since I finished TSR, and couldn't remember why Fain wanted to go to Caemlyn.

 

Thanks!

 

-Rifty

[Muad Cheade]

I believe he planned on inciting war bewtween the Two Rivers and Andor. It'd make sense because Lord Perrin would be seen as a rebel. However, by the time he reached Caemlyn, Morgase had disappeared and Gaebril/Rahvin ruled.

 

I'm not sure he knew Gaebril was Rahvin but who knows? When he saw that Morgase was no longer in power he left for Tar Valon.

[Kaznen]

I think he went to spread the rumor that Two Rivers was rebelling against Andor.  He was likely the source of the rumor Tallanvor told Morgase.

 

He was hoping that would rouse Morgase in a call to arms to go crush the "rebellion" killing Perrin and all his "army" (everyman who could shoot a bow).

 

When the Queen's Guard arrived it is douptful (at that point in time) they would believe the people raised the banner of Mantheren to fight Trollocs.

 

In PoD Faile said people have tried to resurrect Mantheren before.