Rats in Caemlyn

[Luckers]

Requested by Stevros

 

I can't believe I'm going to suggest this (given how hard I argued against Luckers on Rand being in Caemyln) but I was thinking of a thread discussing the lack of rats in the seven striped lass. Does this mean Melli can channel (and for some reason her wards work)/Rand is in Caemlyn ergo keeping sky clear and rats away/ Melli has one heck of a lot of cats...

[Stevros]

She smiled at him. Her tavern, The Seven-Striped Lass, was one of the best in western Caemlyn. Ale with a robust flavor, games of dice when you wanted them, and not a rat to be seen. They probably did not want to risk running afoul of Melli. Light, but the woman could shame the whiskers off a man's cheeks without much trying.

 

Possibilities as to why no rats:

 

1)Seven striped lass used to be the Queen’s Blessing and Moraine’s wards still work. If so surely Mat would recognise as he’s been there twice (and only one of those he was memory holed) and I would think he would think about this fact.

 

2) There have been plenty of Aes Sedai in the city recently; perhaps one of them left up some wards and the DO didn’t think them important enough to force rats into them so it survives where tower wards fail, yet Moraine only left her wards in place due to Gill’s help would a normal Aes Sedai do this?

 

3) Melli can channel, this may explain her interest in Verin once she learns she is Aes Sedai, big question if this is the case is she a BA or just some wilder?

 

4) Rand is in Caemlyn post chapter 1. This means that something is weird in the timeline. This does also explain the clear sky, but does raise more possibilities as to what is inside Mat’s tent.

 

5) Seven Striped lass has lots of cats and keep the rats down, despite their increase under the DO influence

[vasu619]

I thought Elayne or one of the 1001 channelers with her might have worked out how to use that bearded-man ter'angreal (I think it was a bearded-man, not sure) which worked to keep vermin away. Nothing was mentioned regarding its power though, so we don't know whether its effect can spread across an entire city or maybe even a country if extremely large amounts of power is used.

[Luckers]

We do have to remember that Melli Craeb is a reference to Melissa Craib, head honcho of TarValon.net. (Also likely the cause for the name, the Seven Striped Lass--Melissa is the Amyrlin). Perhaps Brandon was merely being nice--I mean she has done bundles for the Wheel community. There is a reason she and the others were in the dedication.

[Lisa Campbell]

That's an interesting Theory Stevros.

 

I think the timeline issue could be avoided when "The Dragon walks the land". He might walk to Caemlyn, find some Tinkers on the way and teach them the song cause he remembers it now from the glass columns in Ruidean. Then they all trot off happily healing the land on the way.

 

No idea what will happen then. Probably arrange the manufacture of the Dragons and Mat would share the cranks with Rand so they would be able to use the strategies Mat has perfected. Maybe Mat will let slip about Tuon and then there would be more chance of negotiations between Rand and Tuon being successful while Mat goes off to ToG. Rand may also be able to tell Mat a few things about the Finns.

[Sharaman]

Maybe Melli sheltered the "unnamed young Red" who Rahvin had Compelled and who ran away in fear when Rand attacked Caemlyn? In return, the UYR did some wards.

The name of the inn along with the absence of rats does suggest something unusual.

[mossman87]

We do have to remember that Melli Craeb is a reference to Melissa Craib, head honcho of TarValon.net. (Also likely the cause for the name, the Seven Striped Lass--Melissa is the Amyrlin). Perhaps Brandon was merely being nice--I mean she has done bundles for the Wheel community. There is a reason she and the others were in the dedication.

 

This is what I took from it as well. I think it was just a nice mention from Brandon.

[Sentinel78]

I thought Elayne or one of the 1001 channelers with her might have worked out how to use that bearded-man ter'angreal (I think it was a bearded-man, not sure) which worked to keep vermin away. Nothing was mentioned regarding its power though, so we don't know whether its effect can spread across an entire city or maybe even a country if extremely large amounts of power is used.

 

I totally forgot about the bearded man ter'angreal, that's a really good idea. However, Mat seems to distinguish Melli's rat-free tavern from other taverns, so unless Elayne gave the ter'angreal to Melli specifically it is unlikely, as Elayne would probably use the ter'angreal in the palace.

 

Rand, Mat and Perrin are not only ta'veren, they're connected to each other somehow. Mat/Perrin might have their own 'Light-bubble' effect as Rand does, in a more localized manner than Rand. In other words, maybe Mat's own presence is what purged Melli's tavern of rats and brought Light to Caemlyn, with Rand's revelation on Dragonmount being the catalyst for this indirect effect.

[Rcurran]

Maybe it's the only bar in Caemlyn where the chapette that runs it cleans up.

[Elend]

I'm of the camp that, for whatever reason, the other ta'veren have their own light-bubbles. Just weaker ones.

 

Also, light-bubble is an awesome term. We should try to get it into the canon

[Red Hand Man]

I'm on board with the notion that it is a nod to Melissa. I haven't really checked out her work and don't know anything about her. Does she have strong feelings (one way or the other) about Verin?

 

I thought the dedication was awesome.

[Kaznen]

Maybe all the rats are being eaten by people, meat is meat.

[Stevros]

I like the bubble of light idea, but if that were the case surely it would be the case for all the inn's he visits?

 

After over 10 years reading the series I have learnt not to trust in coincidences so I just can't shake the feeling that of all places a random inn (after which a chapter is named) has no rats. I get that the Melli is a nod to Melissa and I'm not saying its her thats doing it, but something seems out of place and RJ was the master of turning a throwaway comment into a major turning point.

[Random Man]

Melli could be a wilder and the ability to keep vermin away might be one of her innate skills. She might not even know it herself, but she did want to meet an Aes Sedai so she might suspect something about herself. This could of course just be a dropped hint in an unresolved mystery that is also a nod to Ms. Craib. The character named after her is an innkeeper who is also able to channel.

[Morsker]

It must be a reference to Melissa Craib, but we can still wonder how deeply it's worked into the setting. If Melli was an Accepted that was put out of the power, "Seven Striped" describes the Accepted dress, and she might be good enough with wards to keep the rats out.

[Elend]

I like the bubble of light idea, but if that were the case surely it would be the case for all the inn's he visits?

 

After over 10 years reading the series I have learnt not to trust in coincidences so I just can't shake the feeling that of all places a random inn (after which a chapter is named) has no rats. I get that the Melli is a nod to Melissa and I'm not saying its her thats doing it, but something seems out of place and RJ was the master of turning a throwaway comment into a major turning point.

 

It could be he's only now at a point where he's manifesting Light-bubbles.

 

But, yeah. the Melissa Craib compliment is more likely. I just want Mat to have a Light-bubble.

 

Or maybe what he's manifesting is a Luck-bubble and it give everyone around him good luck. So the Innkeeper has the good luck to not have rats.

 

ETA: Another, far less likely possibility, is that Rand's unborn kids have begun putting forth massive Light-bubbles. And we all know Elayne is in Caemlyn.

[TheAngryDruid]

Cool discussion, I had never been over to TarValon.net, but the whole Melissa thing got me over there, and I'd have never put two and two together w/out the discussion here.

 

Just to add one small possibility to the lack of rats. Isn't one of the Blue Ajah's secret weaves the vermin weave that Moiraine uses to attract vermin (to Lan in NS), but can also be used to repel them?

 

Maybe a Blue is staying at the inn and Mat hasn't noticed? Or she is in the vicinity? Lyrelle and Faolain are in town with the rebel BT embassy, along with possibly others. Faolain hasn't taken the oaths, and wouldn't have the face.

 

I know it is a longshot, but it's an idea.

[Stevros]

ETA: Another, far less likely possibility, is that Rand's unborn kids have begun putting forth massive Light-bubbles. And we all know Elayne is in Caemlyn.

 

Now that would be interesting; could also explain why Elayne's not seeing Mat if she has realised that her baby's are having strange effects on the surrondings.

[Dolphineus]

Possibilities as to why no rats:

 

1)Seven striped lass used to be the Queen’s Blessing and Moraine’s wards still work. If so surely Mat would recognise as he’s been there twice (and only one of those he was memory holed) and I would think he would think about this fact.

 

Nope. Thom and Matt discuss Gill's absence and the Queen's Blessing being closed.

 

"I wish that The Queen's Blessing were still open. Gill always had tidbits to share"

[Graveyardhag]

Moiraines ward was actually for the entire street

 

"With your permission, Master Gill," Moiraine said, as if she took it for granted. "It is a simple matter to keep rats away from this street. With luck, the rats will not even realize they are being kept away."

 

So, assuming the ward is still working, and assuming the Seven Striped Lass is actually close to the Queens Blessing, it could indeed be Moiraines ward.

It is the sort of thing RJ liked to do.

[Naffy]

My money is on Milli being an Accepted who did not have the strength to reach full sisterhood.

[Sharaman]

She is a little too eager to meet AS, go to the Tower to see if she can become AS, etc., for somebody who's actually been to the Tower and tossed out.

[wvlr2]

Maybe she is a Wilder that got missed. Hard to believe in the Big City, but I guess it is not impossable. A nice clean place like that would surely draw AS like flies to stink, but since she says that she has never seen one......

[ghoullio]

I don't know which book it is, I think it has been aluded to several times. Each wilder or woman who develops channeling on her own or through the teachings of the Tower develops her own tricks. Some find a way to spy or eavesdrop, some find a way to manipulate people. It's entirely possible that she just naturally had an aversion to rats or other vermin and inadvertently posses some skill at pushing rats away from her.

[DemandredFO]

Don't forget AS see what they want to see and with the palace right there; they probably wouldn't take notice of an innkeeper.