Why didn't Rand balefire Semirhage earlier?

[MasterAblar]

This is the definition of a fast reply, and I've only read half the posts here (will read more later) and only have access to one of the books, but let me pose a better question to you:

 

Now that Rand has reintegrated and is a legendary 400+ year old Aes Sedai, shouldn't he know how to heal his hand by token of AoL knowledge? I remember reading somewhere that everything short of death could be healed in the AoL. In fact, I'm positive Nynaeve is fixed upon this fact. So are we to take lost limbs as being short of death? Or is it an equivalent? A limb can "die" while still attached to a body can it not?

 

Now admittedly, I remember a PoV where Rand stated healing was not his one of his strengths or something, and fair enough; he can't be awesome at everything. However, I'm positive that Rand/Lews is far beyond anyone with regards to skill with flows. Even Egwene, she of "nothing more to be taught" fame. Even if he can't do it, I'm sure he should know how to do it. So why does he not instruct one of the Asha'man, who has a talent for healing, in how it would be done and get his hand back? To give an example, much like how Asmodean taught him to weave...gates was it? Asmodean is different yes, in that he was blocked at the time and couldn't because he couldn't muster the power, but I believe it would be a similar thing. Flinn has a talent for healing, yes? I'm pretty sure he could figure it out with Rand's instruction (I know Flinn is not in his present company). Better yet, why doesn't he link with Nynaeve, so that she would be able to feel or see Saidin and show her how it's done? The only answer for Rand not getting his hand back is simply that he doesn't care about it, which I'm inclined to believe.

 

Another interesting question:

 

Rand said in the AoL, that Aes Sedai thought healing madness was impossible, yes? But Nynaeve did not heal madness, she healed taint-induced madness. The taint wasn't around when Lews Therin was alive, and he killed himself shortly after the backlash which established the taint. So perhaps in the AoL, healing madness was truly impossible and Nynaeve is doomed to fail in her "heal everything but death" quest, as a sort of weird, extremely detailed foreshadowing? The only other reference to healing madness I could think of is reintegration, but (and I'm ver unsure of this so correct me please) wasn't it Semirhage that claimed hearing past-life voices was part of the taint effect and that healing it was nigh impossible? Given that the taint didn't exist until after she was bound, how does she know of any of this, besides probably experimenting on male channelers in the current age after her release?

 

Showing Nynaeve how to heal with saidin would not necessarily help even if he could show her the weaves. Things are done differently with saidar. And Asmodean's case was lack of strength not lack of skill, so I don't think it can be compared with inability to do a certain weave. Last I saw Flinn is with Rand. And Rand probably wouldn't mind having his hand back now so I can only imagine that it just can't be done.

[Entreri]

his ridiculous code of not harming any woman, which could be a sign of madness

 

neither Perrin nor Mat let that get in the way

[capuga]

his ridiculous code of not harming any woman, which could be a sign of madness

 

neither Perrin nor Mat let that get in the way

 

Although Mat did say he wouldn't kill anymore women after ordering the runaway suldam shot and killed.

[MasterAblar]

his ridiculous code of not harming any woman, which could be a sign of madness

 

neither Perrin nor Mat let that get in the way

 

Although Mat did say he wouldn't kill anymore women after ordering the runaway suldam shot and killed.

 

Yeah and Perrin probably isn't too hot about it either. It seems to be a cultural thing. Rand has just, for various reasons, taken it to a rather ridiculous extreme. That he doesn't want to harm women I can understand. That he won't defend himself against a crazy, evil, jealous, power-hungry, and extremely dangerous woman who is also bent on his destruction (AKA: Lanfear), is completely ludicrous. But then it isn't really logical reasoning, which he sort of knows himself actually.

[Sharaman]

LTT had very little skill at Healing - it's unlikely that even if a method of magically healing a missing hand existed, he could explain it to either Flynn or (even less likely) Nynaeve. The very fact that he never brings it up BTW suggests that he doesn't think it's possible.

[David Selig]

However, I'm positive that Rand/Lews is far beyond anyone with regards to skill with flows

Really unlikely. Jordan noted many times that the while the men have an advantage in raw strength in the Power, women have the advantage when it comes to dexterity in using it. So chances are Lanfear or maybe Semirhage, who was an exceptional Healer, which is the most complicated type of weave by some margin, are better than Rand/Lews in terms of skill.

 

LTT had very little skill at Healing - it's unlikely that even if a method of magically healing a missing hand existed, he could explain it to either Flynn or (even less likely) Nynaeve. The very fact that he never brings it up BTW suggests that he doesn't think it's possible.

Exactly. Rand hasn't even tried to teach the Asha'man about Healing, because he knows very little about it and lacks the Talent. Flynn has already surpassed him by leaps and bounds.

[Kudaran Dragon Blooded]

Wetlanders are strange. Why should I care?

[b3arz3rg3r]

What people should ask is why they didn't still Semirhage. They had nothing to gain from keeping her able to channel. If she was stilled they would only have needed a simple guard on her or at the most a single Aes Sedai. In fact stilling her would have helped break her will more quickly.

[capuga]

Wetlanders are strange. Why should I care?

 

 

Aiel don't worry about little things like losing a hand.

[capuga]

What people should ask is why they didn't still Semirhage. They had nothing to gain from keeping her able to channel. If she was stilled they would only have needed a simple guard on her or at the most a single Aes Sedai. In fact stilling her would have helped break her will more quickly.

 

Good point. That would have been the best of both worlds - Eliminate the risk she poses but still leave her able to answer questions. Its not like they were going to trust her enough to actually demonstrate any weaves to them even if she had been willing.

[Thanatos]

All this talk of Rand's hand?? Really??

 

What good is Rand's hand? So he is the 2nd greatest blademaster in all of Randland with it. Without it, he isn't. With or without it, he is the strongest channeler in the world. It's just like when Bashere throws the knife at him in LoC. Who cares how great you are with a sword when you can eradicate the world without much effort?

[Suttree]

his ridiculous code of not harming any woman, which could be a sign of madness

 

neither Perrin nor Mat let that get in the way

 

Not a sign of madness, it's how they were raised in the TR. Perrin has a very hard time working up the courage to "fight" back against Faile when they argue and Mat vows off harming women after the Aiel DF and the sul'dam(this almost gets him killed in the street fight KoD).

[muddymess]

his ridiculous code of not harming any woman, which could be a sign of madness

 

neither Perrin nor Mat let that get in the way

 

Not a sign of madness, it's how they were raised in the TR. Perrin has a very hard time working up the courage to "fight" back against Faile when they argue and Mat vows off harming women after the Aiel DF and the sul'dam(this almost gets him killed in the street fight KoD).

When push comes to shove, Mat could make a tough decision to save his entourage. It hurt him a lot to order the sul'dam killed, but he knew that if she lived they'd have an extremely hard time getting out alive. Rand was faced with a similar dilemma, considering the people who died because of Semirhage. Letting her live was playing right into the DO hands, probably part of the plan all along, and it worked well too - they broke Rand.

[garapeto]

I like to think Rand didn't balefire her because he knows this was supposed to happen.

But maybe he just didn't have time.

He is the Fisher, bandage over his eyes, one arm at his side dripping blood.

Either way though, it was bound to happen.

[Sharaman]

I like to think Rand didn't balefire her because he knows this was supposed to happen.

But maybe he just didn't have time.

He is the Fisher, bandage over his eyes, one arm at his side dripping blood.

Either way though, it was bound to happen.

He didn't even think of balefire. That's amply clear from the scene description.

There was no conscious "let's not BF her because ---=" thought-process involved. Rand-LTT didn't even consider doing it.

As to the AS not stilling Semi, three possible reasons. 1)She hadn't been tried and AS rigidly believe in trying even False Dragons before stilling them - it's Tower law. 2) Caddy (who's probably the only one who could have ignored Tower Law and custom) was kinda hoping to glean some weaves. 3) Rand didn't want Semi tortured and might have jibbed.