The Bond with Alanna

[soccerscott]

Just wondering people's thoughts on the Alanna bond. Will it save Rand? Will she somehow teach the 'girls' better use of the bond then release Rand? Also, what happens if Alanna dies? Would he go warder rage style?

[Alanna]

I don't really have any theories on what could happen, but I wanted to comment on him going crazy, Warder style, if she died. This didn't occur to me until my latest reread, and it kind of pissed me off. Because it wasn't only Alanna; other Aes Sedai talk about how Rand, Mat, and Perrin should be bonded, but, um, isn't this is a really bad idea? Since they probably would go all nuts if 'their' Aes Sedai dies? Like how come this didn't occur to any of those Aes Sedai?

 

I do think the bond, or Alanna, at least, will play some kind of role in the future. I just think there's something up with Alanna. I don't know that I would say she's Black, but I just think it was weird the way she just up and bonded him. I've always thought there might be more to it. Or maybe she's just crazy, because she does act a little crazy sometimes.

[Mardragon]

I do think the bond, or Alanna, at least, will play some kind of role in the future. I just think there's something up with Alanna. I don't know that I would say she's Black, but I just think it was weird the way she just up and bonded him. I've always thought there might be more to it. Or maybe she's just crazy, because she does act a little crazy sometimes.

 

I think her craziness is mainly grief at losing her other warder. She is very much ruled by her emotions and she can be impulsive, which I think is her main reason for bonding Rand. And to be fair, there was a logic for doing it, unethical though it was. She wasn't to know that the ability to channel would allow Rand to resist her compulsion.* I wonder if her death would have the same effect on a bonded channeler as it would on an ordinary (if such a word can be used for these guys) warder.

 

As for whether or not the bond with have a role to play... I think so. As to what that will be, I am really not sure. I doubt the other girls would take the time to try and learn from her though. A) They're much too proud and cheesed off by the fact she took their man (so to speak) against his will. B) She can't control him herself. In fact they have more control over him than she ever did, albeit that's emotional rather than the bond.

 

*Okay, it's not quite 'Compulsion' but it's effectively the same thing.

[Alanna]

Yeah I had considered that maybe the ability to channel can in some way protect the man from the effect of an Aes Sedai's death. It would still suck for Mat and Perrin though. Good thing no one ever bonded them.

[OptimusPrime]

I have a theory.

 

I think that Rands frame of mind in TGS is exactly what the Shadow needs, I think that in the epic Sha'rah game the Shadow had control of the Fisher King because his will was causing the Pattern to falter. Rand pulled himself back I think, with remembering why he fights in VoG, but the Shadow still have a few ways to get him back. His connections to everyone. Three remind him of the love he fights for, so they would be targets if they were known. Rands link to Moridin reminds him that he has already been marked, and the personality transferal could still occur; I think it might. I think that Moridin will either figure out how to make Rand act like him, or just that Moridin will simply up his game and cause Rand emotional pain like he told Graendal to. Rand goes dark again periodically or whatever, to the point where its really serious, I think that Moiraines return and her oh-so-important role will be that she will help Rand fight against Moridins personality coming through. I think Moiraine will get Alanna to pass her the Rand bond, and that after that Moiraine will be able to tell when Rand goes into Ishamael mode, and would then school her own thoughts to influence Rands personality against the personality transferal coming from Moridin.

 

Moiraine couldnt do that to any of Rands loves because he would sense something was different and possibly think one of them had died or betrayed him, Moiraine will have worked all this out before she confronts Alanna. And even though it may seem that Moiraine doing this could be as big a crime as Alannas bonding of Rand itself, it would actually be what saves Rand and lets him actually get far enough to kick Moridins ass.

[Mardragon]

That's an interesting though as to how Alanna's bond could be used.

 

I actually hope Rand doesn't go to the dark side (sorry for the Star Wars ref) again. Much as I like all the Wheel of Time books I found that shifting back and forth a bit tiresome. I hope after the breakthrough Rand made at the end of the last book, that he will stay that way. Not in that state of euphoria obviously, and I'm not suggesting that he doesn't have his down moments of despair. I just don't want things to get too repetitive I guess. (Even if Time is a wheel. Heh.)