Alanna & Rand & The Bond in AMOL

[Rosée]

The unauthorized bonding is too significant just to be a red herring, and has been around for too long just to forget about.

I agree!

 

i am surprised no one has brought this up yet.

 

Verin, in the beginning, and recapped in ToM, warns Perrin and Matt not to trust Alanna, and that she frequently disappeared without reason to places no one knew.

 

Now we know Verin was Black, but we also know her sacrifice and why she did go to the Dark One. Could she not have warned the boys about trusting her, because Alanna was Black as well? Or has there been proof of Alanna's side in the series between then and now? I can't recall any really.

 

If Alanna is Black, it would explain her fleeing to the north, to Borderland nations that we see in previous chapters begin being over run by shadow-spawn. It may also explain why one of the Aes Sedai said lately they had heard Alanna crying in her rooms before escaping the Stone of Tear.

 

If you recall, that is when Rand returns with the ability to see Darkfriends for what they are. It makes her exit seem all the more timley and planned. Perhaps she will be used against Rand, as killing her would hurt him through the bond?

This is a good theory; although if Alanna was indeed Black, wouldn't she be on Verin's list??? Well, it's true that we didn't see every name on that list, but I think it's one Egwene would have noticed. Oh wait, did Egwene know about Rand and Alanna's bond??? I can't remember. I wouldn't be surprised, as I'm always amazed by how people in this series keep secrets from one another just for the sake of it. But I digress.

[Sharaman]

Egwene would notice Alanna's name regardless of knowing about the bond. She recalls all the BA who she has dealings with and she had extensive dealings with Alanna who taught her, pumped her for info and did weird things like demanding a penance when the AS testing ter'angreal had a resonance issue.

[ElAguila]

I may have missed something but with the way Alanna was interested in Perrin and Mat, I got the feeling that she wanted to bond all 3. I thought she seemed like a glory seeker. The one who bonded the Dragon and if she could have the one who bonded 3 Ta'varan and led them to victory over the dark one.

[Hopefire]

I'm leaning towards the idea that Alanna was Black Ajah, but that Verin deliberately left her out of the list she passed to Egwene. After all, if the White Tower were to capture and then sever/execute Alanna, Rand would potentially be greatly harmed. My thought is that Verin's letter to Alanna basically warned her to get out of Tear and join up with the Dreadlords to the north; I think that among other things, Verin's letter to Rand warned of Alanna's nature. However, having said this about Alanna, I also think that though she's Black Ajah, she's also had a change of heart from her time holding Rand's bond. Verin's letter to her basically explained Verin's own circumstance I think, and basically told Alanna that it's never too late to change sides.

[algspkr]

I would be willing to bet Alanna's wanderings in the Two Rivers were so that she could weap in private.

[Lynander]

I'm leaning towards the idea that Alanna was Black Ajah, but that Verin deliberately left her out of the list she passed to Egwene. After all, if the White Tower were to capture and then sever/execute Alanna, Rand would potentially be greatly harmed. My thought is that Verin's letter to Alanna basically warned her to get out of Tear and join up with the Dreadlords to the north; I think that among other things, Verin's letter to Rand warned of Alanna's nature. However, having said this about Alanna, I also think that though she's Black Ajah, she's also had a change of heart from her time holding Rand's bond. Verin's letter to her basically explained Verin's own circumstance I think, and basically told Alanna that it's never too late to change sides.

 

Thanks for this. I was thinking along these lines and you said it much better than I would have.

[Stitch]

Im interested in whether or not those glowing lines in Rand's brain have anything to do with the bond - if so then perhaps the issue might get addressed before worst comes to worst.... however nothing was mentioned for the other bonded ashaman so maybe those lines are something that rand has done to himself... or maybe it is because of the rather unusual bonding process he went through...

 

In any case it was mentioned earlier that Alanna would have been willing to give the bond to someone else... the question is, will she?