Is Zaida A Darkfriend?

[Luckers]

I've raised this before, but I was reading Linda's latest blog about potential new Darkfriends, and it reminded me of it.

 

Thing is, there isn't much evidence for this, but I like it from a writers perspective. Consider, we are introduced to Zaida and Harine at the same time, in direct opposites. Harine gets banged around again and again by Rand, Cadsuane and later the Sea Folk themselves, Zaida on the other hand wins her own again and again. One falls, the other rises.

 

What better a situation to set two people up as rivals. We know that Harine will become the Mistress of Ships--and she more than any of the other Atha'an Miere has had lessons that the sastisfying of their own personal greed may not be the be all and end all of the world during Tarmon Gai'don.

 

So that's my... guess, is probably the right word at this stage. Zarine is a darkfriend, Harine will realise and caste her out, gaining the title Mistress of Ships, and perhaps actually leading the Sea Folk to do something of merit.

 

 

[Fains nose]

Darkfriends have been so underwhelming in this series, not one darkfriend has really done anything signifigant to hurt Rand, Perin, Mat etc.(not including forsaken)

[Duskfire]

Darkfriends have been so underwhelming in this series, not one darkfriend has really done anything signifigant to hurt Rand, Perin, Mat etc.(not including forsaken)

 

Thats because the majority of darkfriends tend to be just spies and so forth. If you look at the majority of darkfriends who aren't Black Ajah, then for the most part they are just normal people who turned to the Dark One for various reasons.

[yoniy0]

Luckers, I like that.

 

not one darkfriend has really done anything signifigant to hurt Rand, Perin, Mat etc.(not including forsaken)

Ingtar's actions almost resulted in Rand/Siuan and Mat's deaths. Ryne killed Bukama. And Fain has caused devastating damage to Rand in particular and the Two Rivers in general (before Aridhol, I mean).

[Luckers]

So... Zaida. Yeah?

[Dream]

Do we have any reason to believe she is a Darkfriend?  Usually with the others there have been subtle hints.  Some oddities associated with them.  I can't recall anything (at all) about her.  If the story requires Harine to succeed her, maybe she just dies from a heart attack.

 

[Luckers]

The juxtaposition of her and Harine. That Harine at first seems the more atypically arrogant Sea Folk woman whilst Zaida at first seems more reasonable, and then the situations reverse themselves as the books progress.

 

Harine's unpleasentness is more straight up, and I trust it more. Zaida plays nice at times, which makes the moments she doesn't far more suspect.

[Dream]

I was reading up on the two and a thought came to me.  Could Harine be the Darkfriend?  Min didn't say when or how long she would be Wavemistress.  How does she go from being at the bottom of the pecking order to the top without "help".  Also, she attaches herself immediately to Rand.  Why would a Seafolk willingly give up the sea to stay close to Rand, unless she was ordered to.

 

Bah, I hate speculating.  I see no real evidence for either of them.  I also doubt there's enough time/space remaining to properly develop a plotline where we care if either is a DF (though I'll point out Harine would be easier as she is physically closer).  I'll just say no.

 

[Duskfire]

I guess Zaida could be? Theres nothing really saying she is other the her and Harine are opposites :P We do need to see more Sea Folk darkfriends though, and surely one of the higher ups would be one.

[Crael123]

im sorry but i just hope that all the Sea Folk just die. all of them. i hate them

[Charlz Fel]

My copy of Path of Daggers has mysteriously vanished, but was Zaida not the one leading the circle that wielded the Bowl of the Winds?  If you recall, the Shadow was dead set against that succeeding--I think it was even mentioned in a Forsaken meeting.  If Zaida had been a Darkfriend, she could have "mistakenly" bungled the weaving, or even set it up to make things worse.  It would have been quite believable; that weaving was unbelievably complex.

[Dreamwalker]

I think that Zaida could be a Darkfriend, but another option would be for her to be the Sea Folk's equivalent of Elaida. Then the question would be whether she's got her own version Alviarin or Mesaana manipulating her from behind the scenes - possibly without her knowledge.

 

My copy of Path of Daggers has mysteriously vanished, but was Zaida not the one leading the circle that wielded the Bowl of the Winds?  If you recall, the Shadow was dead set against that succeeding--I think it was even mentioned in a Forsaken meeting.  If Zaida had been a Darkfriend, she could have "mistakenly" bungled the weaving, or even set it up to make things worse.  It would have been quite believable; that weaving was unbelievably complex.

 

Caire leads the circle because she has studied the legends about the Bowl of Winds.

[Charlz Fel]

 

Caire leads the circle because she has studied the legends about the Bowl of Winds.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

Actually, as I think about it, I have no idea why I thought that; whoever led the Circle was clearly a Windfinder, which would disqualify her from being Mistress of the Ships or anything similar.  In fact, now, I'm even remembering that Zaida was waiting in Caemlyn.