Rand & Egwene (Full Spoilers)

[JSSheridan]

What happened to Rand's channeling sickness when he touches the OP? From the end of tGS, I thought he would never be able to touch it himself again. At Maradon, the Asha'man saw the weaves, so we know it was the OP. And we know he hasn't been holding it for the month plus since he came down from the mountain; he was shielded at one point and under the Guardians at another.

 

Nothing more has been said about his eyes either, and Nynaeve didn't notice them when she examined him. My guess is both these afflictions have been moved to Moridin. It may just be protection from the pattern as well though. Another consequence of the merging my have to do with Fain. I wonder if he will start sensing and seeking Moridin as well as Rand.

[OsaroLJ]

Regarding the sickness, its gone. Min believe so too although she was a bit paranoid that he might be hiding it.

 

And i know its gone because the last time we see him actually try to grab hold of saidin, the sickneas hit him so bad that he was knocked down.

 

We do not see that in TOM.

[Lightseeker]

What happened to Rand's channeling sickness when he touches the OP? From the end of tGS, I thought he would never be able to touch it himself again. At Maradon, the Asha'man saw the weaves, so we know it was the OP. And we know he hasn't been holding it for the month plus since he came down from the mountain; he was shielded at one point and under the Guardians at another.

 

Nothing more has been said about his eyes either, and Nynaeve didn't notice them when she examined him. My guess is both these afflictions have been moved to Moridin. It may just be protection from the pattern as well though. Another consequence of the merging my have to do with Fain. I wonder if he will start sensing and seeking Moridin as well as Rand.

 

Wasn't his eyes healed at the epic scene at the end of The Gathering Storm?

 

Lemme quote:

The Choedan Kal exploded.

The Power winked out.

The tempest ended.

And Rand opened his eyes for the first time in a very long while.

[Cyf]

That was metaphor. The wavy vision thing he had from Semirhage was a red herring. 'The blind man wept at what he had wrought' or such, from the prophecies. He was blind to the fact of what he was becoming, to what he wasn't seeing and so on. :)

 

-D

[Lightseeker]

That was metaphor. The wavy vision thing he had from Semirhage was a red herring. 'The blind man wept at what he had wrought' or such, from the prophecies. He was blind to the fact of what he was becoming, to what he wasn't seeing and so on. :)

 

-D

 

Couldn't it be both?

[TheAngryDruid]

Good thread for the most part. As usual, a bit too much pro-Randness, so I'll try to counerbalance. First, some defending of Eggy, the some Rand-bashing.

 

Remember, up unti 1-3 days before Rand's meeting with Egwene, he was insane and dark. He'd almost killed Tam (Nynaeve knew of it), he's wantonly killing innocents (Granedal's Palace). Trusting anything to such a man would have been totally insane. It's amazing more of his followers didn't turn on him. Only sheer terror inspired by his increasingly tyrannical rule prevented it.

 

Egwene hasn't been around him, which is both good and bad. If she'd seen how insane he was, she'd be less likely to trust him, even now. Still, even with her brief exposure, she recognized he'd changed a lot. She realized she still had to treat him as Rand, not the Dragon. She got a little weirded out when he went all LTT on her, but wouldn't you under the circumstances. She let him go w/out a fight.

 

She's doing what Rand wanted. She's already done a lot of good in the Tower. Ending the secret meeting of the Hall, ensuring they must always have 21 Sitters present, the way she's trying to unify the WT, WO, WF, and Kin has been brilliant, as was her proposal to get the WT out of the teaching business and into the exchange program. This is brilliant, and also goes to rebut one of the criticisms here about how you can't believe a younger girl can outmanuever and have all this wisdom more than women three (or ten or more) times her age. The answer is pretty simple: it isn't so much a matter of intelligence, bu perspective, and from that perspective, wisdom.

 

All the current sisters come to the WT at an early age (under 20), get indoctrinated in WT orthodoxy, and then spend most of their lives IN the Tower. Sisters like Cadsuane or Moiraine are a rarity. Some Greens get out, Reds if a channeler is about. But they are insulated. Yes, they'll gain some knowledge about worldy affairs, but they are cloistered. Insular. Apart. It makes it diffcult to see from someone else's perspective when you are so removed from it so often. Egwene, even at her young age, has experienced more of different cultures (Tinkers, Aiel, Seanchan) than almost any sister (who know next to nothing about any of them). Add in her meetings with Nynaeve and Elayne (Windfinders) and her extensive travels (small town in TR, Caemlyn, Shienar, The Blight, Tar Valon, Falme, Back to the Tower, Tear, the Waste, Rhuidean, Cairhien) and she's pretty well traveled, and she's been trained by a Former Amyrlin (which almost never happens) and the Wise Ones. She has perspective to match, and possibly exceed, most sisters already. Easy. Not the amount of knowledge, but better perspective.

 

That increased perspective is what this program will generate. For all three groups. Thus reducing their general pig-headedness and increasing mutual respect and gaining wisdom. Also, by the time one woman gets to the top of the ladder in one organization, she's likely to have been Apprenticed in at least one (if not two) of the others. She has vertical as well has horizontal perspective, and some humility at a result.

 

Yes, Egwene was frustrating at times, especially with Perrin in T'A'R and Gawyn (serve my wishes or I can't love you, does she ever consider what HE wants?). Still, he seems happy, because all he really wants is her (poor bastard). But like an earlier poster said, almost every group is arrogant and pigheaded in some way. AS, Asha'man, Windfinders, Wise Ones. The Aiel think wetlanders have no honor. Virtually every national group we've seen are very pigheaded towards any other group. Nobles hate peasants. And vice-versa. Cavalry hates foot. And vice-versa. Even Mat exemplifies this (he won't let Moiraine heal his eye, hate nobles). So for posters to pick on Egwene for showing these traits, but no one else, seems a bit hypocritical.

 

As far as Rand goes. He's frustrating too. He can't expect everyone to just bow down and trust him, especially when he's been tyrannical and crazy for two years. He needs to explain himself. He hasn't tried to explain anything to anyone. He can't, because he doesn't know why. Look at how he treated the borderlanders. "I'm going to break the seals. If you don't agree to follow me and swear to me, I'll leave you stranded here so you can't fight in the last battle." Manupulative. Arrogant. Dictatorial. Just believing he knows best, desptie the fact he flubbed it last time, and still doesn't know what to do this. He doesn't explain it to them. I'm sure if Egwene, Elayne, or Cadsuane did the same thing, there would be howls of protest from the WoT fandom about how arrogant and know it all they women were. When Rand does it, a lot of crickets.

 

Look, I'm not saying Egwene can't be annoying, but so can all the others, including Rand. End of rant.

 

As far as the Gathering goes. At first, I was really upset with Rand (and Egwene) for twiddling their thumbs about the BT. Rand didn't send Naeff to the BT until 3 days (or 2) before the meeting. What has he been doing? Still, all those armies gathered in one spot should prove really convenient. Help will be on the way for Caemlyn, though I don't understand why it isn't there already (maybe it is). And will be for TV as well.

[saterade]

Rand had a sort of concussion. Happens all the time in the army when people are too near explosions. Ringing in the ears that doesn't go away for days; Extremely bright flash that injures your retinas, thus making it hard to see for days. Jeez, most of you should have played some sort of video game where a flashbomb goes off near you and the screen goes all watery and white for a few seconds. Same principle. Of course, the metaphor thing applies as well.

[Tom Sawyer]

As a side note, when Egwene was reading Verin's list of the BA in the last book, wasn't there one sister she came across there who was sworn to Rand? It seems to me that this might be the sort of information she'd want to share with him.

[Sid]

As a side note, when Egwene was reading Verin's list of the BA in the last book, wasn't there one sister she came across there who was sworn to Rand? It seems to me that this might be the sort of information she'd want to share with him.

Two, actually. She didn't know Elza was dead (that I know of). Nalaene is the other one, but I don't remember her doing much of anything. I think she was still in Cairhien.

[Sharaman]

As a side note, when Egwene was reading Verin's list of the BA in the last book, wasn't there one sister she came across there who was sworn to Rand? It seems to me that this might be the sort of information she'd want to share with him.

I'd not be surprised if that was also in the letter he got from Verin.

[1eejit]

My hope is that neither the Pattern nor the DO will get their way this time. I want Paidin Fain to be the wild card that breaks the cycle once and for all and offers the world a chance to do something new.

 

Agreed. As I've said before, I think this is in the offing, and is the only possible way to break the cycle. Fain IS a wildcard, outside the weaving of the Pattern - as stated by RJ.

[dwn]

Rand's choice of meeting place--the Field of Merrilor--has been bugging me. Why did he choose it? Well, I just found something interesting about it.

 

The land beyond this gateway [was] more rugged than southern Andor. Fewer trees, more prairie grass. Some ruins lay in the distance. The open are before them was filled with tents, banners, and camps. It looked as if Egwene's coalition was gathered.

 

-- ToM, Gateways, 777

 

So, there's a bunch of old ruins near where Rand wanted to meet with Egwene. Since he suggests he recognizes Far Madding as the remnant of an AoL city (Aren Deshar), perhaps the 'Field of Merrilor' also has some special meaning to him.

 

-- dwn

[Bob T Dwarf]

I wonder if the Mierin scene is a trap or if she really wants to repent. Perhaps she can give Rand the last clue to sealing the bore since she was the one who opened it in the first place.

 

Trap.

 

"No." Such a quiet voice, but so terrible. Graendal found she could not speak. Something had taken her voice. "No," Shaidar Haran continued. "This opportunity has been given to another. But Graendal, you shall not be forgotten."

[Barid Bel Medar]

I wonder if the Mierin scene is a trap or if she really wants to repent. Perhaps she can give Rand the last clue to sealing the bore since she was the one who opened it in the first place.

 

Trap.

 

"No." Such a quiet voice, but so terrible. Graendal found she could not speak. Something had taken her voice. "No," Shaidar Haran continued. "This opportunity has been given to another. But Graendal, you shall not be forgotten."

 

yep, exactly right. No way Lanfear is going to turn light.

 

As to Rand's decision to meet where he did, I dont really know. With Travelling, it doesnt seem to matter really where they meet. But it is kind of between the borderlands and the southern kingdoms, so might be a stratigical move. If they met at Maradon or along the blightborder, they would be constantly attacked by shadowspawn and might be wiped out prematurely. If they met in Tear or Illian, they leave the Andor and Cairhien vunerable. But yeah, no idea?

[Bob T Dwarf]

In a perfect world ( which WOT is NOT ) Rand would have time to sit down and hash everything out with Egwene and all the other rulers/power blocs.

 

As the story exists, he simply does not have time, which he clearly remarks on. There are umpteen fires blazing and he's only one fireman. Things still aren't resolved with the Seanchan. Shadowspawn are already overrunning the Borderlands. Arad Domon was in worse chaos than last book. The Black Tower still has not been dealt with. He hasn't spoken to Perrin or Mat in a year or more. etc., etc, ad infinitum.

 

For all his Gifts, Rand is just one man. He can't be everywhere, he can't give any problem all the attention, massaging, and care other people would like.

 

It's not an optimal situation in any regard, but the people of the Westlands have a pretty simple choice to make. Do they want to win Tarmon Gaidon or not?

 

We've all ( rightly ) been highly critical of Perrin for not having grown a pair. Now it's time to hold the rest of the characters to that same standard. They exist in a world where deities provably exist, where prophecy provably comes to pass. They have their prophesied messiah. Scary as it may be, they can either follow him and maybe die or not follow him and surely die. Smell the coffee or continue to try to live in denial.

 

Whether you enlist or just get drafted, once you're in the army, you follow orders whether they make sense or not.

 

Rand's job is to be the overall commander, to craft strategy leading to getting himself into the Pit of Doom. Everybody else's job is to craft the tactics that support that strategy.

 

Nobody's job is to hassle over who is in overall command. The Wheel has already decided that.

[AnthonyJamesEnglish]

In a perfect world ( which WOT is NOT ) Rand would have time to sit down and hash everything out with Egwene and all the other rulers/power blocs.

 

As the story exists, he simply does not have time, which he clearly remarks on. There are umpteen fires blazing and he's only one fireman. Things still aren't resolved with the Seanchan. Shadowspawn are already overrunning the Borderlands. Arad Domon was in worse chaos than last book. The Black Tower still has not been dealt with. He hasn't spoken to Perrin or Mat in a year or more. etc., etc, ad infinitum.

 

For all his Gifts, Rand is just one man. He can't be everywhere, he can't give any problem all the attention, massaging, and care other people would like.

 

It's not an optimal situation in any regard, but the people of the Westlands have a pretty simple choice to make. Do they want to win Tarmon Gaidon or not?

 

We've all ( rightly ) been highly critical of Perrin for not having grown a pair. Now it's time to hold the rest of the characters to that same standard. They exist in a world where deities provably exist, where prophecy provably comes to pass. They have their prophesied messiah. Scary as it may be, they can either follow him and maybe die or not follow him and surely die. Smell the coffee or continue to try to live in denial.

 

Whether you enlist or just get drafted, once you're in the army, you follow orders whether they make sense or not.

 

Rand's job is to be the overall commander, to craft strategy leading to getting himself into the Pit of Doom. Everybody else's job is to craft the tactics that support that strategy.

 

Nobody's job is to hassle over who is in overall command. The Wheel has already decided that.

 

Here, Here. Well said.

 

The difference between the ultimatum given by Rand to the Borderlanders and the way Egwene is doing things is that Rand NEEDS that obedience, he's placing he's trust, the fate of the world in other peoples hands. if the people rand works with fail then HE will fail. if the borderlanders are asked to do something and they ignore it because they haven't sworn to rand whose fault is it. RANDS.

 

Egwene on the Other hand isn't the one to face the dark one, she isn't the one supposed to save the world and break it. she doesn't have the responsibility of the entire future on her shoulders. yet she is interfering not helping the person destined to do so. I'm not saying she shouldn't voice objections any Captain under the general has a right to question, but to disobey is ten times worse.

[golcarcol]

Perhaps that is exactly what Rand wants. By making Egwene aware of his plan to break the seals, he knows that she will try to oppose him and gather as much nations behind her as she can. Rand knows that things are going to be chaotic after the Last Battle, and he thinks that he will die there. Therefore he needs to find a way to make sure the nations stay together as one instead of splitting up and fighting each other.

 

By making Egwene rally all the nations, the WT will become a beacon for all the nations to follow, before and after the Last Battle.

[FarShainMael]

I've always liked the idea that Roedral in Murandy is Demandred. Considering Murandy's lack of response to Egwene's request... kinda lends more support to it, I think.

 

Tenobia makes me suspicious. I guess she isn't a Darkfriend unless she can somehow suppress anti-Darkfriend abilities of Rand, though.

 

So, yeah. Murandy. Which I'm almost certain is ruled by the Shadow.

 

But it looks like a good deal of nobility have come. And Rand will certainly drive the Shadow from them, most certainly some DFs there. And BA remnants may be found.

 

Yeah, I do hope that Murandy is shadow-held. I am not sure about Roedean actually being Demandred. Brandon has said that Demandred is the biggest player as far as the Shadow is concerned, and that his locations will pay off big time. I cant see how ruling Murandy, which is pretty small and not really important, would have that effect. I think that Demandred has a hand in it, but I woudl say that he has his hand in other places aswell.

 

Yeah, Tenobia is wild. Note that the ruler in Maradon, the one that was a DF, was Tenobia's favorite. Could mean something? But I agree, I find it hard that she can dodge Rand's superpowers. She is hardly good at keeping her emotions in the first place.

 

Yep to the last point. I think that, as Rand said, the time has come for the final battle to begin. No more spies and traitors, just Light v Shadow in an epic showdown.

 

Er..

 

You all know what I'm like for crazy theories..

 

So here's a beaut..

 

....what if Tenobia (courtesy of MoM etc) was Demandred?

[Hadilmir]

My two cents-

 

Egwene is 100% correct in not trusting Rand. Think about it, if a dam above your house had a leak, would you agree to let them blow up the dam so they could fix the leak? To make things worse, Rand, a lone male channeller, just walked into the White Tower. This is almost proof of his insanity, that isn't something a sane man would do. Still, we see that she sees him as Rand just enough for her to trust that he can be persuaded instead of forced to change his mind. She didn't call for armies to fight the Dragon, just for the armies of people influential to him to show him the world opposed his decision.

 

Now, obviously Rand is intelligent enough to see that telling Egwene his plan to break the Seals won't sit well. I'd place money him counting on Egwene to personally draw the world to the Fields of Merrilor so that he may convince them there. That was one of his failures last time, he didn't convince Latra and the AoL Aes Sedai to trust him, and like he said in VoG, he's going to do things right this time.

[smileyman]

My two cents-

 

Egwene is 100% correct in not trusting Rand. Think about it, if a dam above your house had a leak, would you agree to let them blow up the dam so they could fix the leak? To make things worse, Rand, a lone male channeller, just walked into the White Tower. This is almost proof of his insanity, that isn't something a sane man would do. Still, we see that she sees him as Rand just enough for her to trust that he can be persuaded instead of forced to change his mind. She didn't call for armies to fight the Dragon, just for the armies of people influential to him to show him the world opposed his decision.

 

It's more than a leak, it's a raging torrent. The dam is basically gone already--trying to patch it up won't work. It's like taking a house that's been half destroyed. You can't just patch it up, you have to clear away the rubble and start again. Also Rand has to face the Dark One at Shayol Ghul. He can't exactly face him in battle if he's unable to access him because he's still locked away.

 

Now, obviously Rand is intelligent enough to see that telling Egwene his plan to break the Seals won't sit well. I'd place money him counting on Egwene to personally draw the world to the Fields of Merrilor so that he may convince them there. That was one of his failures last time, he didn't convince Latra and the AoL Aes Sedai to trust him, and like he said in VoG, he's going to do things right this time.

 

I'm pretty sure we have a POV from Rand where that's exactly what he's thinking. He wants the rulers there and figures he'll let Egwene do the heavy lifting to get them there.

[Frostmuse]

Just to refresh our memories: For the first... 6? or so books of the series, the Seals and their status was a very big deal, ever since the first one was found at the end of tEotW. Where are they? Are they holding? How many are broken? How long until they all are broken? It was a very big deal. To us, it's been a great many years since they were at the center of the story, but to the characters, not so. The early books point out that the Seals breaking is considered a very bad thing by everyone... except the DO's followers.

 

Rand saying he's going to break the Seals, when taking that last sentence into account? Yeah... Egwene's reaction is totally understandable.

[Hadilmir]

It's more than a leak, it's a raging torrent. The dam is basically gone already--trying to patch it up won't work. It's like taking a house that's been half destroyed. You can't just patch it up, you have to clear away the rubble and start again. Also Rand has to face the Dark One at Shayol Ghul. He can't exactly face him in battle if he's unable to access him because he's still locked away.

Alright, say the dam has been reduced to 10% efficiency. How do you know that 10% is not what is keeping your house above water? You don't destroy a dam before making sure it won't destroy the surrounding area in turn, that's common sense. Rebuilding is different, there is no problem with destroying a broken house, it's destruction will do no harm, the Seals are much more like a dam, breaking them is certain to do harm and then it may be too late to fix the problem.

 

 

I'm pretty sure we have a POV from Rand where that's exactly what he's thinking. He wants the rulers there and figures he'll let Egwene do the heavy lifting to get them there.

Which is why I'd place money on it...

[smileyman]

It's more than a leak, it's a raging torrent. The dam is basically gone already--trying to patch it up won't work. It's like taking a house that's been half destroyed. You can't just patch it up, you have to clear away the rubble and start again. Also Rand has to face the Dark One at Shayol Ghul. He can't exactly face him in battle if he's unable to access him because he's still locked away.

Alright, say the dam has been reduced to 10% efficiency. How do you know that 10% is not what is keeping your house above water? You don't destroy a dam before making sure it won't destroy the surrounding area in turn, that's common sense. Rebuilding is different, there is no problem with destroying a broken house, it's destruction will do no harm, the Seals are much more like a dam, breaking them is certain to do harm and then it may be too late to fix the problem.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I view the seals as a structurally flawed design from the very beginning. If you have a structurally flawed building, you can't simply patch it up and hope it's fixed. That's just putting off the inevitable collapse and handing the problem to someone else. You have to clear away and totally remove the bad and then start over.

[1eejit]

It's more than a leak, it's a raging torrent. The dam is basically gone already--trying to patch it up won't work. It's like taking a house that's been half destroyed. You can't just patch it up, you have to clear away the rubble and start again. Also Rand has to face the Dark One at Shayol Ghul. He can't exactly face him in battle if he's unable to access him because he's still locked away.

Alright, say the dam has been reduced to 10% efficiency. How do you know that 10% is not what is keeping your house above water? You don't destroy a dam before making sure it won't destroy the surrounding area in turn, that's common sense. Rebuilding is different, there is no problem with destroying a broken house, it's destruction will do no harm, the Seals are much more like a dam, breaking them is certain to do harm and then it may be too late to fix the problem.

 

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I view the seals as a structurally flawed design from the very beginning. If you have a structurally flawed building, you can't simply patch it up and hope it's fixed. That's just putting off the inevitable collapse and handing the problem to someone else. You have to clear away and totally remove the bad and then start over.

Confirmed by RJ. The Randlanders don't usually appear to see it that way but they should. The seals were clearly not completely or permanently effective.

[JohnnyBeGood]

In a perfect world ( which WOT is NOT ) Rand would have time to sit down and hash everything out with Egwene and all the other rulers/power blocs.

 

As the story exists, he simply does not have time, which he clearly remarks on. There are umpteen fires blazing and he's only one fireman. Things still aren't resolved with the Seanchan. Shadowspawn are already overrunning the Borderlands. Arad Domon was in worse chaos than last book. The Black Tower still has not been dealt with. He hasn't spoken to Perrin or Mat in a year or more. etc., etc, ad infinitum.

 

For all his Gifts, Rand is just one man. He can't be everywhere, he can't give any problem all the attention, massaging, and care other people would like.

 

It's not an optimal situation in any regard, but the people of the Westlands have a pretty simple choice to make. Do they want to win Tarmon Gaidon or not?

 

We've all ( rightly ) been highly critical of Perrin for not having grown a pair. Now it's time to hold the rest of the characters to that same standard. They exist in a world where deities provably exist, where prophecy provably comes to pass. They have their prophesied messiah. Scary as it may be, they can either follow him and maybe die or not follow him and surely die. Smell the coffee or continue to try to live in denial.

 

Whether you enlist or just get drafted, once you're in the army, you follow orders whether they make sense or not.

 

Rand's job is to be the overall commander, to craft strategy leading to getting himself into the Pit of Doom. Everybody else's job is to craft the tactics that support that strategy.

 

Nobody's job is to hassle over who is in overall command. The Wheel has already decided that.

 

I don´t agree. Rands job is not to be the overall commander. He is the Kingfisher. The central Piece in a game between Darkness and Light. That does not make him the overall commander and if like you suggest everyone would have just followed his orders in the Age of Legends, Sadir would have been tainted as well. Also as important as a piece that he is, him not being followed or even killed does not mean Game Over. No one can win the Game without the Kingfisher, not even the Darkone. That is why Morridin and the Darkone have been playing all the mind games with Rand. They need him as much to win as the Light. If he dies, then no one can win and both sides have to wait a full turning of the Wheel to Play again.

 

Rand thinks he needs to break the seals as soon as possible, because he sees the Darkones touch upon the World and thinks it will get worse the longer they wait with the Forces of the Light becoming weaker. I do not believe this is true, in fact in the past month the Forces of the Light have become stronger in many Places. And i believe that this is due to the real battle being a Psycho battle over the hearts and minds of the People, especially those who are Ta'veren. It is practically the Jedi Lightside/Darkside Battle on a grander scale. Mins viewings in Ebo Dar and what Rand does there are the Key to winning. This is how to fight and how to win. Give the People hope and a purpose, spread the Light.

I think Rand is still being led on by the Darkone with false expectations of what he has to do in the Last Battle. I think there is gonna be a lot twisting of the Prophecies in creative ways, so it will totally different than what Rand excepts.

He believes that he is a source of Light but sadly that he is the only source of Light and that the Shadow will slowly corrupt things if he is not there. This is not so he might be the brightest sources of Light now after he has regained Hope, but others can be Lights too. Non Ta'veren will only be small Lights but there are so many of them that together they can dispell the Shadow.

Malkier and other no longer existing Countries, fell to the Blight when they were overrun and the People lost hope and were pushed out. The People of Randland have had a very hard time since the Declaration of the Dragon Reborn, this has led to many losing Hope and the touch of the Darkone spreading.

 

---------

 

Some believe that Rand will force Egwene and the gathered Monarchs/Leaders to bend to his will and go to Shayol Ghul with him. I would like to point out that Avienda is yet to get Pregnant. Unless Rand somehow survives, can fit in a quick one or can pull some other Miracle(like impregnating Avienda with the one power or as a Ghost from Tel'aran'rhiod), going to Shayol Ghul will have to wait a bit. Add to that the viewing in which Min saw Matt using his dragons on the Seanchan while the Darkone was laughing. I can´t see the Darkone laughing at that if he is sealed away. And the Seanchan have to be somehow incorporated.

 

---------

 

I find Egwens reaction to Rand perfectly reasonable. From her point of view it is less the Fact of Destroying the Seals and letting the Darkone free that worries her and more the Time Rand has chosen. From her perspective the Whitetower is not ready yet. For example She has hundreds of Novice and Accepted who need to be trained (and raised), so they can fight.