What was alanna doing in the two rivers

[spoke]

I have been re-reading the series and am currently in book4, and for however many times that I have re-read the series, I can't seem to figure out what was Alanna doing in the two rivers.  Verin warned Perrin against her, and Loial was trying to watch her.  He mentions that twice she disappeared, and one of the times Ihvon didn't know where she went (probably masking the bond).  This makes me wonder where did she go and what was she doing?

 

[StefanR]

If she's BA,she coulda been getting the trollocs ready for an attack. Or meeting up with slayer?

[Juggler]

I think she was just looking for rand to bond him she seems to have made up here mind well before the actual bonding. she could still be Black, there are some comments about how the shadow have an eye on al thor.

[yoniy0]

The question of whether she's black or not was thoroughly discussed in other threads. As far as I can tell, she isn't, but not everybody agrees.

But I think she was only in the TR to learn about the superboys. Verin warned Perrin because she thought Alanna might try to Bond him without asking (perish the thought). Loial only watched her because Perrin asked him to.

[Val Mickey]

She was on a manhunt. ;)

[alannalynn]

Yes, searching for a man to... bond. ;) Yum. :)

[Impressive Bosom]

I think she was just looking for rand to bond him she seems to have made up here mind well before the actual bonding. she could still be Black, there are some comments about how the shadow have an eye on al thor.

 

I don't think so. I haven't read the passage in a while but I seem to remember it as being a total spur of the moment thing. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

As an aside though, is anyone else somewhat disappointed in what a minor role Alanna has come to play in the series? Early on she looked like she was destined to be a character of some import, and her bonding of Rand seemed to carry with it some major portents... but shortly thereafter she was relegated to a weepy side-character almost completely forgotten, and her bond with Rand has become a meaningless footnote in the narrative.

 

I have to wonder if there weren't larger things in store for her that were eventually dumped, or if, somehow, she will have a much greater role in the last couple of books. With the expansion of the Randland cast of characters, it seems unlikely now that she would go from being lost in the shuffle to front and center. A bit of a waste of a character that a decent amount of development was put into in my opinion.

 

If I have any criticism of RJ's grand and glorious epic, its that it got a touch too grand at times, with a number of characters added almost without purpose, who bumped other characters in turn, reducing or completely mitigating their importance along the way. Obviously we won't know until we've read the entire series through, but Alivia is another example of this. What role does she play that one or a combination of the many, many other women in the WoT sage couldn't have played? Is it really necessary to introduce somone like that so late in the game, build them up and then basically ignore them with almost no development until their 'needed'? Couldn't Alanna have filled Alivia's role? Or perhaps Nynaeve?

 

I think the only real imperfection in the story (and never has the word 'imperfection' been better applied) is the seemingly random bits of character development or random bit characters introduced that seemed to dilute the development and the importance of the other more major players.

 

Just my two cents. Sorry for the ramble/threadjack.

[The Fisher King]

As an aside though, is anyone else somewhat disappointed in what a minor role Alanna has come to play in the series?

 

... Yes. Very much so.

 

 

Fish

[Ozzie_aiel]

I dunno, her bonding Rand may just be the reason hes still alive, with the extra endurance, agility etc that gets passed on.

 

She'll go down in history as the Aes Sedai that bonded the Dragon Reborn, what more does a Green need?

[Fains nose]

Was Verin telling Perrin to keep an eye on Alana just to make Perrin trust her? Or was Verin suspicious of Alanna? Did Verin know at that time that Alanna wasnt a DF,or did she make that judgement after spending time with her? Me thinks Alanna might be a non-DF wildcard like Taim, possibly doing contract work for the Shadow. 

[Luckers]

Was Verin telling Perrin to keep an eye on Alana just to make Perrin trust her? Or was Verin suspicious of Alanna? Did Verin know at that time that Alanna wasnt a DF,or did she make that judgement after spending time with her? Me thinks Alanna might be a non-DF wildcard like Taim, possibly doing contract work for the Shadow.  

 

Verin was warning Perrin because she feared that Alanna would try to forcibly bond him. Indeed, the only reason that Alanna did not do so was because Faile threatened to kill her if she did. Verin says the only reason Faile succeeded was because Alanna took the threat seriously, thinking Faile didn't understand the detriments of Alanna dying whilst bonded to Perrin.

[rhadamanthus]

Very much agree with Impressive Bosom (best username ever).

 

I really have only three complaints with the WoT epic:

 

1) The bizarre paradox of incredibly strong and powerful female characters with absurdly chivalrous men.

2) The inability of the main characters to communicate the simplest things.

3) Characters that appear for a book or two, become interesting/important, and then fade away.

[Impressive Bosom]

Very much agree with Impressive Bosom (best username ever).

 

Why thank you kind sir. It was intended as a tongue-in-cheek homage to RJ, but I've offered to change my sig pic to support the claim a couple of times in the past, but others thought it probably wouldn't be for the best.

 

Bandwidth and all that.

 

;)

[The Watcher and Wanderer]

I think she was just looking for rand to bond him she seems to have made up here mind well before the actual bonding. she could still be Black, there are some comments about how the shadow have an eye on al thor.

 

I don't think so. I haven't read the passage in a while but I seem to remember it as being a total spur of the moment thing. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

As an aside though, is anyone else somewhat disappointed in what a minor role Alanna has come to play in the series? Early on she looked like she was destined to be a character of some import, and her bonding of Rand seemed to carry with it some major portents... but shortly thereafter she was relegated to a weepy side-character almost completely forgotten, and her bond with Rand has become a meaningless footnote in the narrative.

 

I have to wonder if there weren't larger things in store for her that were eventually dumped, or if, somehow, she will have a much greater role in the last couple of books. With the expansion of the Randland cast of characters, it seems unlikely now that she would go from being lost in the shuffle to front and center. A bit of a waste of a character that a decent amount of development was put into in my opinion.

 

If I have any criticism of RJ's grand and glorious epic, its that it got a touch too grand at times, with a number of characters added almost without purpose, who bumped other characters in turn, reducing or completely mitigating their importance along the way. Obviously we won't know until we've read the entire series through, but Alivia is another example of this. What role does she play that one or a combination of the many, many other women in the WoT sage couldn't have played? Is it really necessary to introduce somone like that so late in the game, build them up and then basically ignore them with almost no development until their 'needed'? Couldn't Alanna have filled Alivia's role? Or perhaps Nynaeve?

 

I think the only real imperfection in the story (and never has the word 'imperfection' been better applied) is the seemingly random bits of character development or random bit characters introduced that seemed to dilute the development and the importance of the other more major players.

 

Just my two cents. Sorry for the ramble/threadjack.

 

I know what you're talking about.  Interestingly two characters that I've come to feel this way about in some of the latter books are Rand and Perrin.  I mean to be two of the Ta'veren they have had some serious absences in some books (lol).  As to Alanna, however, I believe that there are big things in store for her and that her actions and their consequences will have a major impact before its all said and done.  RJ once stated that before he even began putting the story to paper that he knew that certain major events would occur.  He wasn't quite sure when they would occur and just kind of let them happen naturally as the narrative progressed and evolved.  I think there is some merit to this style of writing, but one drawback seems to be that some characters' major plot points occur in clumps and then leave the character with some major absences.  I think the best example of this is Perrin.  Up until now Perrin's major  arches have included Egwene and his encounter with G. Barnhald and the whitecloaks, his return to the Two Rivers, Dummi's Wells and the infamous Rescue of Faile.  I believe it is this side effect of RJ's writing style that has lead to the problems that so many people have with Perrin hear of late; the former three plot points occured in relative close proximity to one another thus leaving Perrin with little to do between Dummi's Wells and TG and thereby necessitating the Rescue of Faile to be stretched out over three books.  I think that Alanna is suffering from a more sever case of the same side effect, I believe she does have one or more major plot points coming, however the narrative just evolved such that her major arches are very spread out.  So will we be able to forgive this one flaw in RJs writing style when its all said and done?  I think we will.  I mean look at Verin, her appearances throughout the story were somewhat sporatic and I honestly wanted to see more of her at times.  However, when we finally got the big reveal of who she was and what she had been up to I think we were all quite satisfied.  I think we will feel much the same about Alanna once her story arch is brought to completion.

[TheBeerPatriot]

Very much agree with Impressive Bosom (best username ever).

 

Why thank you kind sir. It was intended as a tongue-in-cheek homage to RJ, but I've offered to change my sig pic to support the claim a couple of times in the past, but others thought it probably wouldn't be for the best.

 

Bandwidth and all that.

 

;)

Lol.  I'm sure Dragonmount would be up to the task.  Love the username as well ;)

 

Back on topic, well said on Alanna and some other characters that seem to have been pushed to the side.  I would put Nicola in this category-she seemed to be gaining prominence in LoC, but has definitely been pushed to the side somewhat by TGS.  Let's see what happens with her going forward though...

 

I'm re-reading TSR right now, and Alanna's moves in the Two Rivers strike me as suspicious, especially the one time where her warder Ihvon didn't know where she was.  I'm on the fence whether she's BA or not.