The Big (Currently) Unoticed Thing In Books 4-6 (Mistborn Spoilers)

[Ashaman Kovan]

The Shaido wouldn't kill tinkers -

 

You think you know that how?

They still adhere to Toh in their own way - like I said, they don't take smiths gaishain - the whole Malden episode. Ergo, they wouldn't kill tinkers.

 

 

Except they just found out they used to be Tinkers in their own fashion, so that might make them angry enough to kill them when they saw them right after crossing the Spine. They stick to some customs, and toh.. but they have faltered in other spots.

 

Yeah, a bunch of Shaido with a Couladin type temperament...I wouldn't put it past them at all.

[Sharaman]

The Shaido wouldn't kill tinkers -

 

You think you know that how?

They still adhere to Toh in their own way - like I said, they don't take smiths gaishain - the whole Malden episode. Ergo, they wouldn't kill tinkers.

 

Except they just found out they used to be Tinkers in their own fashion, so that might make them angry enough to kill them when they saw them right after crossing the Spine. They stick to some customs, and toh.. but they have faltered in other spots.

 

They don't believe that they were of the same stock as tinkers, else they'd follow RaT or give up the spear due to the bleakness. The other Aiel remark contemptously on every instance of Shaido breaking Toh and they never mention Shaido killing tinkers. So, I'd suspect that Shaido don't kill tinkers.

 

[dholm]

We know that Ishi was next to Hawkwing when he died and he also created falls prophecy among Seanchan thus sealing "second doom". But what about the AS that created leashes and later was leashed? Was she BA? How did she get to travel with Hawkwing's armies overseas? And how did other AS travel with the same armies? Hawkwing hated AS!

There were Aes Sedai in Seanchan after the Breaking as well. The Aes Sedai that Hawkwing's armies meet were likely trained by them. They were not from the White Tower or Tar Valon.

 

Who is Cadsuane's "teacher" in the mountains that taut her humility and from whom she earned her angreals and sa'angreals?

A wilder. That's all we know.

 

Cadsuane has no sa'angreal other than Callandor, which she is holding safe for Rand.

 

And most importantly, how long can the AS live without taking oath (it would be ironic if forever)?

The oldest channeler we've heard of is around 600 years old. They cannot live forever, however.

 

Are these mysterious AS are the same and one person? The same one that argued against the Strike on Shail Goul? (dont remember her name)

Latra Posae Decume. It is not her; she died during the Breaking.

[Sharaman]

@Ashaman Kovan, Yes I'm referring to Wetland smiths - it's clearly mentioned that they were puzzled but grateful not to be taken prisoner.

[Guest Emu on the Loose]

Something about Brandon's comments give me pause. He said that the thing we've missed is small but turns out to be large, and he used the Mistborn object as an example. But he also said that he's surprised we haven't been discussing this mystery thing already. There's a little bit of dissonance here: If the mystery thing were so insignificant, why would he be surprised that we're not talking about it? Perhaps it's not such an insignificant detail after all. Perhaps he meant something else when he called it "small." Maybe he meant that the mention of it was small, and that, rather than having this detail hammered into us by a definite statement, it was something implicit...like a question we're meant to ask for ourselves.

 

He was also vague about where "the first hints" of it began, giving us a three-book spread. Was he being intentionally vague, or was the beginning of the thing itself actually spread across all three books, or did Brandon just not remember which book? If it's the latter, what could be so important yet so un-memorable that the Steward of Jordan himself wouldn't remember which book it was in? That's such a damning question that I think it makes a case for one of the other two possibilities.

 

I'll spare you any more of my pseudo-detective schtick. It was just that his comments were really thought-provoking, and I like that. He really has us wrapped around his little finger.

 

I've only been lurking here for about three years, so maybe things were different in the past and there was a lot of discussion that I missed out on. But, since I've been here, there's one subject of discussion that strikes me as huge but has never gotten much attention. Two people mentioned it upthread: jemron and The Fisher King. Specifically:

 

What happened to Moraine and Lanfear when they went through that door? What were their interactions with the Finns--and with each other?

 

Those are really exciting questions, and we have no answer to them yet. I know there's a theory out there that Moraine and Lanfear switched power levels. I know there's another theory that says Lanfear had already been to Finnland. But these ideas are just speculation. Canonically, we don't really know anything. It's been a total question mark for seven books now. We don't even know that Cyndane is Lanfear and that Moraine is coming back in Towers of Midnight: Both of these possibilities seem almost certain, yet RJ and now BS won't give us a straight answer on it.

 

There's obviously something going on here. The question is how important it will be to the main plotline, and the outcome of the Last Battle. Given the importance of the other POV visits to Finnland, and the way that RJ and now BS have talked like Aes Sedai whenever Moraine or the Finns come up, I can't help but think that either we are all the victims of a very elaborate red herring, or this--this Finn thing--is the key to the end of the story.

 

I noticed a few days ago that Brandon and Maria had recently discussed Cyndane's power level "all day." I wonder what the significance is of Brandon and Maria discussing Cyndane's power level at all, let alone in depth. Robert Jordan's fights have always been predetermined. The character who has to win, will win, regardless of any discrepancies in power. That's why so many of the Forsaken bit it against far weaker opponents. So, why would it really matter what Cyndane's power level is? If it were just going to be a detail mentioned in passing, it wouldn't warrant an in-depth "all day" discussion. To me, this suggests some greater significance. But I admit it might just be wishful thinking on my part: Lanfear was the best Forsaken and her story has been left hanging for all these years. I want my waiting to be worthwhile, so of course I'll imagine big things for her in the last two books.

 

Still...it's not like I've got anything better to do for the next year. Does anyone know of other ways in which a character's power level might be useful to know, besides rating potential fights? Does anyone see Moraine's motives and Lanfear's motives potentially overlapping in some fashion? Can there be any redemption for Lanfear now that Cyndane is on the record in her sole POV as being a bitter husk? Was was RJ trying to say with her?

 

Anyhow, the question of Moraine, Lanfear, and the Finns seems to satisfy Brandon's requirements that the mystery thing begin in books four through six (they went through in book five), that it be continuing in the current books (that plotline is still underway, so check), that it be a large thing which seems small (although admittedly it doesn't seem all that small), that it be a puzzle (we sure as heck don't know what happened), and that it have been recognized as an important question even at the time (done). Of course, I've seen people talk themselves into fitting just about any cockamamie idea into Brandon's deceptively broad criteria. You can probably just line me up with the rest of them...one more rabid conspiracy theorist. Somewhere out there Robert Jordan must be pleased as a peach that so many people care so much about the stories he wrote.

 

Edit: There's also the question of how many times I can misspell "Moiraine" in a single post. I always chuckle at all the ways people misspell the names of the Forsaken. Now the chuckle's on me! The only thing geology has done for me is make me a bad speller.

[Ashaman Kovan]

The other Aiel remark contemptously on every instance of Shaido breaking Toh and they never mention Shaido killing tinkers.

 

Because they don't know about it. Because the Shaido were scattered all around Randland by Sammael. There's no way the other Aiel could know of every instance in which the Shaido violate Ji'e'toh. Not by a long shot.

 

@Ashaman Kovan, Yes I'm referring to Wetland smiths - it's clearly mentioned that they were puzzled but grateful not to be taken prisoner.

 

Do you have a quote of this clear mention?

[ed2funy]

It happened in Malden!

[cuiv]

I was reading another post and something came to me. In book 4 we see how the dark one was released. Interestenly enough, it looks as if he was free all togather. But we know that he still needed forsaken to influence the world. So maybe the big thing is that the DO is not free even after the seals are broken. It was always interesting to me as to what followed the bore making and the war of the power. It's not like in a second some AS became forsaken, but instead they switched sides.

 

We do know something about the period. Following the drilling of the Bore, the world remained at peace for about another fifty years. During that time, crimes and violence became increasingly common. (For example, the sword, which had fallen completely out of use, was reinvented in a sort of gladiator combat that became immensely popular.) It's not clear how exactly the War of Power began, but presumably it happened when some of the earliest Chosen switched sides. The war itself raged for a long time, possibly as long as a century: The Shadow initially made great strides, but the Light quickly stabilized the situation and then very slowly lost ground for a logn period of time, culminating in the fall of Paaren Disen, the "capital" of the Age of Legends, near the very end of the war. Then the Strike at Shayol Ghul took place, and the Dark One and all of the surviving Chosen were sealed away, and saidin was tainted, and the Breaking, which lasted around 200-300 years, began.

[rubbernilly]

Couple of thoughts on discussions going around this thread...

 

Tinkers and Blacksmiths

I know things didn't work out this way, but I really thought that the resolution to the Faile-prisoner story line would be that Perrin just got tired of plotting and fighting and killing. With all the references to the Aiel never taking blacksmiths gai'shain, and all the talk of Perrin eventually giving up the axe for the hammer, I thought for sure he would get tired of the axe... get tired of the killing... strap his hammer on his belt, and just walk down into the Shaido camp. Most people would leave him alone, seeing him as obviously a blacksmith, but not Sevanna. Sevanna would recognize him somehow, and know that he is a powerful man to take as gai'shain, as well as another tie to Rand, so she'd try to take him as gai'shain. That sort of grievous breach of ji'e'toh would cause the simmering pot of the Shaido camp to boil over. Sides would be chosen, the Brotherless would revolt, and there would be major aiel-on-aiel bloodshed. Meanwhile, Perrin's forces, suddenly aware that Perrin had walked into the camp on his own, would marshall to his defense, and bring everyone out.

 

*sigh*

 

That's how I would have written it, anyway. LOL.

 

Moiraine and the 2nd Twisted Door

Everyone is talking about whether Moiraine went through the door or was pulled, and wondering if that leaves open the possibility that she could have visited the wish-Finn prior to her encounter with Lanfear. I say that she did not go through prior to that encounter, and that it was Lanfear who was able to go through a second time only because she was being pulled by Moiraine. Not to lay out the Lanfear-artificially-enhanced theory again, so I'll just state my belief: Lanfear obtained her strength in the power (which is the absolute pinnacle of what any woman can be) by visiting the wish-Finn in the AoL; now that she has died and the Dark One has given her a new body, she has been returned to her original strength in the power... powerful, but not what she used to be. She was able to go through the door because Moiraine had a hold of her and Moiraine had not been through the gate herself. It may even be that Lanfear was killed by the process of going through twice. Perhaps we'll find out more when Moiraine finally makes it back on screen.

 

Incidentally, in the spirit of the above bit about how I thought Faile and Perrin's story should play out... I always thought that the re-appearance of Moiraine would be the catalyst that got Rand laughing. He would realize that the first woman on his list was not truly dead, and go on to some sort of realization that he cannot take responsibility for others... blah blah blah... and... laughter. We'll see if this bit of laughter of Rand's in tGS is him returning from the brink of darkness.

[Ged]

Part of the point I suppose is that its something none of us have really focused on or considered significant.

 

The only thing in this book that I found interesting was Rand's ta'veren effects. More than the greater effects on people, its also the effects on stuff like food. If the food is rotting near Rand like we'd assumed the DO was causing - and Rand's ta'veren powers really aren't limited to his immediate vicinity(even Mat's aren't), then perhaps a lot of the negative effects have always been random side-effects of Rand's un-mastered ta'veren powers.

 

Perhaps Rand really needs to realize that he's practically a God. If he understood his ta'veren powers like he does the One Power, who knows what he could do. The potential and growing link with Mat and Perin is also interesting - more in... what else could these powers achieve?

[Al Jenn Mael]

I've searched the forums and can't find why everyone thinks that Callandor is the second strongest Sa'angreal for males.

 

TSR: "Not with that, certainly," she added, grimacing at Callandor. "There are only two more powerful that a man can use. One at least, I know, still exists. No, Lews Therin. I will not trust you yet with that."

 

This says nothing about female Sa'angreal especially in relation to Callandor. We know of the Choeden Kal and that they are both gone now.

 

 

 

Also I know Portal Stones were mentioned prior to book four but access to alternate realities... I can't believe that is done and over with.

[Sharaman]

The other Aiel remark contemptously on every instance of Shaido breaking Toh and they never mention Shaido killing tinkers.

 

Because they don't know about it. Because the Shaido were scattered all around Randland by Sammael. There's no way the other Aiel could know of every instance in which the Shaido violate Ji'e'toh. Not by a long shot.

 

@Ashaman Kovan, Yes I'm referring to Wetland smiths - it's clearly mentioned that they were puzzled but grateful not to be taken prisoner.

 

Do you have a quote of this clear mention?

 

This theory is obviously very important to you. So let's shoot it down :)

Mat sees the dead tinkers in LoC (Book VI) when he's travelling with the Band

The Shaido are scattered only in CoS (Book VII) by which time Mat is in Ebou Dar

So, unlikely.

The quote is from CoT or KoD - the Malden sections.

 

 

 

 

 

[Al Jenn Mael]

Rand cut Asmodean off from the shadow in TSR. I know he did something similar in tEotW, but it didn't seam to have the same consequences. I think the eye of the world may have been envolved with Rands thread of light and Bas thread of darkness.

 

Could severing the forsaken from the dark one have a more profound meaning. Cutting the DO off from the world? Stilling him ;p

[NetSlider]

I was reading another post and something came to me. In book 4 we see how the dark one was released. Interestenly enough, it looks as if he was free all togather. But we know that he still needed forsaken to influence the world. So maybe the big thing is that the DO is not free even after the seals are broken. It was always interesting to me as to what followed the bore making and the war of the power. It's not like in a second some AS became forsaken, but instead they switched sides.

 

We do know something about the period. Following the drilling of the Bore, the world remained at peace for about another fifty years. During that time, crimes and violence became increasingly common. (For example, the sword, which had fallen completely out of use, was reinvented in a sort of gladiator combat that became immensely popular.) It's not clear how exactly the War of Power began, but presumably it happened when some of the earliest Chosen switched sides. The war itself raged for a long time, possibly as long as a century: The Shadow initially made great strides, but the Light quickly stabilized the situation and then very slowly lost ground for a logn period of time, culminating in the fall of Paaren Disen, the "capital" of the Age of Legends, near the very end of the war. Then the Strike at Shayol Ghul took place, and the Dark One and all of the surviving Chosen were sealed away, and saidin was tainted, and the Breaking, which lasted around 200-300 years, began.

 

This still leaves the question of the DO being completely free for a long time. I mean everyone is afraid of seals breaking and all that but in the past there were no seals and it still took DO a long time to get powerful enough to threaten the whole world. Here is some food for thought, what is three seals is not enough to keep DO imprisoned. Look at the world right now, violence and death is very common (even more than only 4 years ago). What is DO is as free now as he can ever be and as he once was after bor was made?

[Mr Ares]

You're being incredibly narrowminded to pass it off as sheer coincidence, but whatever makes you happy.

That cuts both ways. You're being narrow minded to say it cannot be coincidence. We are given no reason to think it is Graendal. Aside from also wearing a blue dress, and Graendal changes her dresses. And the descriptions of the dresses don't match. This is not at all in plain sight, it's just hidden. There's no sunstance to this theory.

It might cut both ways if you didn't consistently ignore half of what I'm saying, yes.

No, it does cut both ways, and you don't have any evidence. Compare your certainty of this to the number of people who were certain of Taimandred (and still are - they keep cropping up). The evidence for Taimandred was much stronger - neither Taim nor Demandred smiled, their physical descrptions were similar, LTT kept ranting about Demandred in Rand's head when Taim was around, Taim was clearly someone we were meant to be suspicious of, but the evidence for Taimandred, while a hell of a lot stronger than the evidence for this, didn't lead anywhere. According to RJ it wasn't even meant as a red herring. He wasn't slyly hinting at Taimandred, that was just something people saw there. Of course, this woman in a blue dress is a character in an RJ book, so it must be hugely significant... And let us not forget Olver/Cain, another theory that newcomers need to have shot down. Well, time does go differently in T'a'r and the real world, and Birgitte likes ugly men, Olver fits the bill, of course, he must be Gaidal! How could it be otherwise? This is an RJ book, after all... But time doesn't go backwards, Olver cannot be Cain. Your points? I haven't ignored them, they're not important. I've said that. You have nothing. A random background character, doing nothing suspicious, with no further mentions, not said to look like Graendal, wearing a different dress, of the same colour, who must clearly, obviously, be Graendal because she is wearing a few rings? That is far weaker than Taimandred, and that wasn't even a red herring. RJ likes descriptions. Did you somehow miss that part of his style? They don't always mean anything major, there is no hidden significance in Perrin wearing trousers, Mat wearing a blues shirt, or a background character described as wearing a Tanchican hat (it must be Juilin! Couldn't be anyone else! How did he get to a completely different country? Juilin can Travel!). You've built a house of cards, on sand. No firm foundation. You have nothing, rings or no rings, dress or no dress, adjacent chapters or no. It isn't in the least bit suggestive, it's ludicrous. Show me one solid bit of evidence pointing towards it, one indication that there is something suspicious about this woman, that Graendal is up to something involving Mat, anything at all.

Y'know I can't think of another unnamed character with gemmed rings on every finger

How many unnamed charactes can you think of? There could be hundreds, doesn't mean we should start accusing them of being Chosen based off of some vague similarity and a coincidence of timing. "A guy in an inn with a scar? Sammael! He has white at his temples, he's Rahvin! A Tairen? Be'lal!" And so on and so forth. Absurd.

[clu7ch]

I think you all are still looking for something huge. what we're looking for is something inconsequential yet terribly consequential.

[Sentinel78]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before -- I didn't see it on this thread anyway.  In Book IV, Bornhald covered up the murder of Perrin's entire family by Fain/Ordeith.  Basically, Bornhald framed the Trollocs for the Aybara murders. 

 

We know Bornhald is with Galad, and we know Perrin is going to be meeting with Galad next book.  If Perrin figures out what happened and that Bornhald was involved in that cover-up, he's going to go completely ballistic.  Maybe Perrin will rediscover the song after bashing Bornhald's brains in (and Byar's too for good measure) [joking]

[Sentinel78]

Chpt. 31 from Shadow Rising:

 

Bornhald drew ragged breath. He was not sure how Ordeith had discovered what he wanted here; one day the man had simply revealed his knowledge. "I covered over what you did at the Aybara farm-"

 

"Scourge them." There was a hint of madness in that grand voice, and sweat on Ordeith's brow. "Flay them, and the three will come."

 

Bomhald raised his voice. "Covered it over because I had to. " There had been no choice. If the truth came out, he would have more than sullen stares to contend with. The last thing he needed was -open rebellion on top of Trollocs. "But I will not condone the murder of Children. Do you hear me? What is it you do that you need to hide from the Children?"

 

[heronsmark]

Completely random idea along the lines of a small obeject/thing becoming a huge plot point. I admit it's very thin but...

 

What about the TWO Dragons rand receives after his trip to Rhuidean?? I know the prophecy says twice and twice he shall be marked and gives some vague description. I always found it curious that the clan chiefs were only marked Once, and rand has two dragons. I know it's prophecy but has there been any real explanation about the 2nd Dragon and the price Rand has to pay?

 

Again, it's really thin, I just thought I'd throw something out there and see if it sticks  :-\

[Ged]

Perrin rediscovering the song after bashing Bornhald's brains in would be utterly awesome :P

[elmis]

Couple of thoughts on discussions going around this thread...

 

Tinkers and Blacksmiths

I know things didn't work out this way, but I really thought that the resolution to the Faile-prisoner story line would be that Perrin just got tired of plotting and fighting and killing. With all the references to the Aiel never taking blacksmiths gai'shain, and all the talk of Perrin eventually giving up the axe for the hammer, I thought for sure he would get tired of the axe... get tired of the killing... strap his hammer on his belt, and just walk down into the Shaido camp. Most people would leave him alone, seeing him as obviously a blacksmith, but not Sevanna. Sevanna would recognize him somehow, and know that he is a powerful man to take as gai'shain, as well as another tie to Rand, so she'd try to take him as gai'shain. That sort of grievous breach of ji'e'toh would cause the simmering pot of the Shaido camp to boil over. Sides would be chosen, the Brotherless would revolt, and there would be major aiel-on-aiel bloodshed. Meanwhile, Perrin's forces, suddenly aware that Perrin had walked into the camp on his own, would marshall to his defense, and bring everyone out.

 

*sigh*

 

That's how I would have written it, anyway. LOL.

 

Moiraine and the 2nd Twisted Door

Everyone is talking about whether Moiraine went through the door or was pulled, and wondering if that leaves open the possibility that she could have visited the wish-Finn prior to her encounter with Lanfear. I say that she did not go through prior to that encounter, and that it was Lanfear who was able to go through a second time only because she was being pulled by Moiraine. Not to lay out the Lanfear-artificially-enhanced theory again, so I'll just state my belief: Lanfear obtained her strength in the power (which is the absolute pinnacle of what any woman can be) by visiting the wish-Finn in the AoL; now that she has died and the Dark One has given her a new body, she has been returned to her original strength in the power... powerful, but not what she used to be. She was able to go through the door because Moiraine had a hold of her and Moiraine had not been through the gate herself. It may even be that Lanfear was killed by the process of going through twice. Perhaps we'll find out more when Moiraine finally makes it back on screen.

 

Incidentally, in the spirit of the above bit about how I thought Faile and Perrin's story should play out... I always thought that the re-appearance of Moiraine would be the catalyst that got Rand laughing. He would realize that the first woman on his list was not truly dead, and go on to some sort of realization that he cannot take responsibility for others... blah blah blah... and... laughter. We'll see if this bit of laughter of Rand's in tGS is him returning from the brink of darkness.

 

That was a really good post, rubbernilly. :)

 

Never thought about the doorway scene like that, makes a lot of sense. With regards to the Perrin story arc, it would have been a good way to make it come full circle. I definitely had the same idea as you had with Moiraine and Rand.

[NetSlider]

The more I think about this thing the more it appears to do with Rand. After all, a truly significant thing should have something to do with Rand. And once one assumes that it has to do with Rand the choices narrow down to one thing that makes sense – Calandor. We are introduced to Calandor in book 4 and I’m sure everything has been discussed to death regarding it. However, and it was mentioned before on this post, the question as to why it could only be touched by Dragon Reborn was not answered. Also, when Ishi strikes at Rand it seems as the forsaken is taking his soul. But then Calandor absorbs the strike. I’ve never seen or heard of angreal to do that (besides Foxhead). Also, was the Calandor made after LLT time or before he died? And if before did he use it at the sealing?

Another interesting issue is the “death is not a bar for my call.” Assuming that the Calandor was attuned to only DR it is clear that somehow, whoever made the shield, was able to bypass the law of DO being the keeper of the dead and tap into the ability to recognize the DR. By the way, is the DO the ONLY keeper of the dead? Does that mean that Horn was made by DO or his servant?

Anyhow, I can’t make my mind on it but more and more it seems, at least to me, that this is about Calandor (the sword also came up significantly in the last book).

 

[NetSlider]

Ok, the above is from book 3 (dhaa)!!! But still....

[Sentinel78]

so I'll just state my belief: Lanfear obtained her strength in the power (which is the absolute pinnacle of what any woman can be) by visiting the wish-Finn in the AoL; now that she has died and the Dark One has given her a new body, she has been returned to her original strength in the power... powerful, but not what she used to be.

 

BS explicitly stated that the Finns are not capable of 'permanently' modifying a channeler's strength.  They have access to a 'vast' store of angreal and ter'angreal, but BS ruled out their ability to modify channeler strength.  If Lanfear's high strength was artificial, it would seem too permanent to be within the Finn's capability, given that it survived a 3000 year Bore entrapment.

 

This is from BS's Q&A on the Finns:

 

Matt: ...would the Finns have the ability to accentuate someone’s beauty and/or quantity or access to the One Power through their own capabilities and talents?

 

Brandon: Yes, but it might involve third party Ter’angreal, Angreal, this sort of thing…

 

Matt: ...so, they don’t have power to affect the soul’s capability of increasing its total channeling?

 

Brandon: Certainly not permanently, as far I understand, that is outside the realm of their ability…

 

Matt: …from a beauty perspective can they affect the outer body of some individual?

 

Brandon: I would say that, yes they can, but they may have to be using some type of Ter’angreal or…

 

Matt: …some item of power?

 

Brandon: Some item of power, something like that…of which they have great stores…

 

[GrandpaG]

Why books 4 through 6?

 

What theme is glanced at but not trumpeted in only those three books?

 

Not in 1 through 3.

Not in New Spring.

Not in 7 through 12.

 

In books 4 through 6 we saw a LOT of Aiel stuff.

 

Then the Aiel kinda faded into the background.

 

Still there but not as significant.

 

"The remnant of a remnant" has been quite thoroughly discussed.

 

We saw Mat's darkfriend girlfriend.

 

We saw the note to Kadere from the Aiel darkfriend.

 

In every society so far, Aes Sedai included, there have been darkfriends.  I won't be shocked to find out that there are darkfriends wearing white cloaks.  RJ didn't spell out for us that every third member of every Aiel society and two leaders of each clan are darkfriends.  Nor did he say that there were NO darkfriends among the Aiel.  Or the Sea Folk.  Or the Tinkers.  He didn't tell us and it has not been overly discussed.

 

If it turns out that there are a significant number of darkfriends among the Aiel, the one group that Rand trusts more than any other, the impact could be HUGE!  That's still my gut instinct for this topic.

 

Or, maybe Min's discoveries in the philosophy books.  Or maybe the new discoveries at the Academies.  Horn of Valerie?  Heck.  I don't know.  ;)