What Did the Maidens Find?

[Gor]

Most definitely the sword-statue sticking into the ground

[Dolphineus]

From what Cadsuane says in TGS, we know that Perrin is travelling west when she and Nynaeve go to fetch Tam (she says "I assumed he would be travelling east", which indicates that it is the fact that he is not doing so that is the reason she has so far failed to find him). So, two weeks from this chapter, he is travelling west, towards Jehannah and away from Lugard, Caemlyn etc.

 

Not quite. All we know is he is not traveling east. There is still north or south. Why would you assume west?

[Musenge_09]

From what Cadsuane says in TGS, we know that Perrin is travelling west when she and Nynaeve go to fetch Tam (she says "I assumed he would be travelling east", which indicates that it is the fact that he is not doing so that is the reason she has so far failed to find him). So, two weeks from this chapter, he is travelling west, towards Jehannah and away from Lugard, Caemlyn etc.

 

Not quite. All we know is he is not traveling east. There is still north or south. Why would you assume west?

 

Because in Rand's vision he is near the statue, which is in turn "near the Jehannah road". As the Jehannah road runs pretty much east-west, if he's not travelling east along it he must be travelling west.

[Musenge_09]

Master Gil continued towards Lugard. The Maidens were sent to scout in the other direction. Doesn't fit.

 

The chapter only states that the Maidens were sent to scout in the opposite direction to the large hill / good camping spot that Gaul reports to Perrin. There is no indication whether that spot lies west along the road towards Jehannah or east towards Lugard. If it's west, then the Maidens would have been sent east, the same direction as Basel Gill and co went.

[Kaznen]

he sent them down the other way to make sure no one was coming up on him.

[Rcurran]

Do you not think it should be something difficult to describe? An image is worth a thousand words, seeing is believing, you just had to be there, words don't do it justice sort of a thing?

 

Initially I thought along these lines - Perrin needs to see it - must be difficult to describe - why couldn't they bring it to him - difficult to move.. So maybe a big chunk of the blight has grown somewhere...? And then I read this thread and thought that it's robably just wolves. or a man-bear-pig.

[username13]

I think it'll be something blocking his way east, caused by a bubble of evil, such as the road no longer being there, the river Galad found (this time with no way to wade through it), or a blue pelican trained in the arts of brazilian ju-jitsu.

 

Any signs of combat would have been found by the farrier whos been waiting there five days. He's been sitting there alone for five days, likely a touch paranoid despite his show of bravery. He doesn't know all of Masemas rabble is cleared out of Ghealdan, there's shaido, bubbles of evil, dragonsworn, seanchan, crazed hungry villagers, not to mention the pelican. He'll be jumping at every sound, smell, and random thought. He also wasn't likely to have 5 days worth of provisions so he would be hunting and foraging, only really keeping close to the road as he waitied for Perrin. That would still be enough time to notice a battle, bodies, or the murder of Basel and his mates.

[Jong]

I got nothing. But I am guessing if it were just a bunch of dead bodies trolloc or white cloak, they would have just said so. I am thinking something similar to Mat's encounter in TGS, perhaps a new shandar logoth forming in a deserted city, or a village where all the adults have left and its just kids or everyone is a wolf brother or something like that.

[Fainsbane]

The bands of Aiel that are scouting around Perrin's group might not be Shaido in the strictest sense. I've been wondering if Faile isn't going to attach the Brotherless to Perrin in some way after their little ceremony.

[username13]

“Scouts returning,” he said, perhaps more abruptly than he intended. “Aiel up ahead.” Faile glanced as he pointed, but, of course, she couldn’t see anything yet. She knew of his eyes, though. She was one of the few that did. The call went up as others noticed the three figures in cadin’sor approaching alongside the road, the ones Perrin had sent to scout. Two Maidens hurried for the Wise Ones, and one loped up to Perrin.

 

“There is something beside the road, Perrin Aybara,” the woman said. She smelled concerned. That was a dangerous sign. “It is something that you will wish to see.”

 

Oh, beside the road... well, that gets rid of my 'road is blocked' theory... Maybe she smells concerned because beside the road she could see some Aiel on horseback....

[Terez]

My idea was the hand of the amahn'rukane, though I figured the 'concern' bit had to be something else. I do like the idea that it had something to do with the Aiel distaste for swords, but I'm not sure that fits either.

[Lynander]

The remains of Valan's circus

Elyas' body.

[TheAngryDruid]

From what Cadsuane says in TGS, we know that Perrin is travelling west when she and Nynaeve go to fetch Tam (she says "I assumed he would be travelling east", which indicates that it is the fact that he is not doing so that is the reason she has so far failed to find him). So, two weeks from this chapter, he is travelling west, towards Jehannah and away from Lugard, Caemlyn etc.

 

Not quite. All we know is he is not traveling east. There is still north or south. Why would you assume west?

 

If the books are correctly written/edited, you are right. But if we have DO/Great Lord mistakes, east/west could be a possibility.

 

Still, don't we know Galad is traveling towards Caemlyn (Lugard), as is Gill? It seems odd Perrn and Galad would both change direction, especially since the road is washed out in the other direction (east), making traveling for wagons (supplies) impossible. Makes me think it is a mistake.

 

Or Perrin finds something soon that makes him change direction to go a way that is impassible.

[maradon]

Is Gaul the only male Aiel with Perrin? If not, Aiel typically send different Bands to different assignments. If Perrin sent te Maidens to guard from the rear, someone else would scout in the other way.

Stone Dogs (like Gaul) guard the rear. That is why they don't retreat. Maidens act as scouts, because they are smaller and lighter then (Aiel)men they can travel further.

 

If it wasn't an eminent battle or a large pool of water there isn't a whole lot that would get an Aiel riled. It could be anything.

 

I wonder if it's a tinker caravan like Mat found in LoC.

 

As far as I remember Perrin only has a minimal amount of Aeil with him (20 tops?) and I think all but Gaul are maidens.

[TreeJoe]

Dead tinkers caravan with another message, or...

 

A signal that he and his band have entered a "loop" where they aren't really traveling anywhere just walking all day...

 

A bubble of evil of some sort...

 

A message from Slayer to Perrin, enraging him....

 

There are very few things that would concern a maiden. Big statues, dead people, trollocs, these do not do it in my book. It needs to be something sensitive to them...

[Naffy]

That would be cool if they found Perrin's axe lodged into the carcass of a dead wolf with a message in blood from Slayer.

[Rcurran]

 

There are very few things that would concern a maiden. Big statues, dead people, trollocs, these do not do it in my book. It needs to be something sensitive to them...

 

Yep I agree also I think it must be a see it to believe it sort of thing as otherwise they'd just tell him what it was, or it's too difficult to describe or whatever.

 

If it was some dead thing they'd be talking about it in their usual brash fashion.

 

What do you find beside a road that you would prefer to make someone look at rather than tell them about? A thousand dead wolves laid out to spell one of the prophesies written in wolf symbol picture words? Nahhh

[wvlr2]

I agree there are very few things that would concern a maiden. So it must be something unusual. Faile already mentioned that Perrin is attracting fighters of very unusual sorts. Gai'shain, Coopers & Masons so likely this will just continue the trend. Maybe they found a camp of sword bearing Tinkers - That would "concern" Aiel but would not make them nervious. - problem it has already been done with Adam.

 

Maybe a few thousand "Ninja" weavers?

 

I personally like the idea of a bunch of dead trollocs. It has really disappointed me that after that huge battle with deathgates, there was never any report of dead bodies showing up all over the place. How far off is this time line from the big fight? Surely a bunch of old dead trolloc's would be "interesting" out in the middle of nowhere for the Aiel.

[maradon]

Dead Tinkers could be it, although are all the tinkers in Seanchan lands yet?? It can't be anything to do with battle or armies as they do not fear dancing the spears or whatever they call it. A pack of dead wolves might do it, dead ogier perhaps.. although I imagine there are none travelling the land at this point, the only other thing I can think of is some nasty bubble of evil ... but that has been done time and again so would be a bit dissappointing.

[masty]

Anything related to tinkers is not a bad idea as it is one of the few touchy subjects with the aiel also I have read some theories which says Perrin would help tinkers find the lost song could be related to that storyline.

[gambril]

I think Gill headed towards Lugard because obviously that's where Valan Luca is. And he is also quite obviously the 'fourth' ta'veren in the series. It just hasn't been revealed yet.

 

 

 

I'm sorry I had to

[Gor]

Bela with a message from Verin in her teeth.

[haloun]

@wvlr2 Its spelled aram.

 

i think it has to be something that will give perrin major progression, when we see it we will all possibly think to ourselves WTF????!!!!! but the wolves, or something in reference to the wolf king, or something along those lines i think. maybe it is the statue with writing in the old tongue that references the wolfbrothers at its base.

[Charlz Guybon]

Something to do with wolves or tinkers I would think. Hard to see what else it could be. Shadowspawn wouldn't concern them unless there was an absurd number of them and I don't see them running into that just yet.

[Luckers]

Bela with a message from Verin in her teeth.

 

Or Verin with a message from Bela in her teeth. [it's a Neigh'blis joke har har]