What Mission Did Verin Give Alanna

[Luckers]

I originally posted this in the thread on Alanna's bond to Rand, but it's not really about that topic so I moved it here.

 

Here is a thought. What if Verin sent Alanna after Slayer? After all, Slayer was the one thing Verin had left undone, the one element of the Shadow she was kept from opposing. Alanna, meanwhile, is the one Aes Sedai that would recognise Luc, and Slayer probably lives somewhere in the Blight (I'm presuming that Verin hunted down this information--she is quite methodical and note the conversation between them about Luc's made-up last name sounding like it was from the Borderlands).

 

In addition it'd explain why Brandon and RJ didn't simply have Perrin kill him--if anyone has a greater claim to ending Slayer, it's the woman who first discovered his existence in tGH. The woman forced to put up with his presence in tSR.

[Val Mickey]

Cool idea, though I don't know how Alanna plans to trap someone who travels all the time. I wonder how she escaped from the room - if the others didn't sense her, that means either an Asha'man channeled, or someone opened an inverted Gateway. I don't know if the blacks can invert Gateways, so it could be one of the Forsaken. Lanfear, perhaps? (Lews Therin is MINE, girl!). It could be Slayer himself, now that I think about it.

 

I find Galad's letter more interesting. She must've left it in Caemlyn - in the Palace, I assume - the one place where she knew Galad would come. To save whom - Elayne? or Egwene? Is it even about saving? A Min viewing of Egwene showed Galad in it - this could be it. Or could it be what Min meant that 'you could pull your hair out in frustration' (or some such) about Galad? That would be something to see. Egwene pulling out her hair, I mean.

[Luckers]

Cool idea, though I don't know how Alanna plans to trap someone who travels all the time. I wonder how she escaped from the room - if the others didn't sense her, that means either an Asha'man channeled, or someone opened an inverted Gateway. I don't know if the blacks can invert Gateways, so it could be one of the Forsaken. Lanfear, perhaps? (Lews Therin is MINE, girl!). It could be Slayer himself, now that I think about it.

 

I'm a bit confused... as far as I recall nothing says they didn't sense channeling--but with so many Aes Sedai present they might not have remarked upon it. Also she could have left the Stone before weaving the gateway.

 

Inversion--the process of hiding a weave after it is woven--would not have hidden the feel of channeling. For that matter neither would have reversion, which is the process of hiding the weave as you weave it. Graendal and Verin show this at the Cleansing, as does Cyndane.

 

Knowledge of inversion has spread--given Cadsuane can invert, I've no doubt Verin could.

[Val Mickey]

What I meant was - Alanna's neighbour sensed some channeling, but not enough for a Gateway. Ergo she didn't open the Gateway (assuming that she left via one) - which leaves a saidin gateway, or someone far away opening an Inverted Gateway into Alanna's room.

 

I also thought Alanna's was a closed-room mystery, so I never thought of her walking out before 'escaping'.

 

Did Verin invert at the Cleansing? I don't think so, but I'll take you at your word.

[Finnssss22]

What I meant was - Alanna's neighbour sensed some channeling, but not enough for a Gateway. Ergo she didn't open the Gateway (assuming that she left via one) - which leaves a saidin gateway, or someone far away opening an Inverted Gateway into Alanna's room.

 

I also thought Alanna's was a closed-room mystery, so I never thought of her walking out before 'escaping'.

 

Did Verin invert at the Cleansing? I don't think so, but I'll take you at your word.

 

 

This is not the first time Alanna has been able to slip away without being seen, she did the same with Loial watching her at the old sick house in the Two Rivers in tSR.

I suspect she knows the invisibility weave/crude mirror of mists weave, possibly being one of her "tricks" like Moiriane's eavesdropping or Liandrin's crude compulsion.

 

For Verin it's not that she inverted her weaves at the cleansing, her and her circle faced Graendal though and Graendal was inverting her weaves as she wove them so Verin couldn't even see what she was doing/making.

You just know something like that would stick in Verin's craw knowing it could be done and she would of practiced it till she could do it as well after.

[Luckers]

What I meant was - Alanna's neighbour sensed some channeling, but not enough for a Gateway. Ergo she didn't open the Gateway (assuming that she left via one) - which leaves a saidin gateway, or someone far away opening an Inverted Gateway into Alanna's room.

 

I also thought Alanna's was a closed-room mystery, so I never thought of her walking out before 'escaping'.

 

Did Verin invert at the Cleansing? I don't think so, but I'll take you at your word.

 

 

This is not the first time Alanna has been able to slip away without being seen, she did the same with Loial watching her at the old sick house in the Two Rivers in tSR.

I suspect she knows the invisibility weave/crude mirror of mists weave, possibly being one of her "tricks" like Moiriane's eavesdropping or Liandrin's crude compulsion.

 

For Verin it's not that she inverted her weaves at the cleansing, her and her circle faced Graendal though and Graendal was inverting her weaves as she wove them so Verin couldn't even see what she was doing/making.

You just know something like that would stick in Verin's craw knowing it could be done and she would of practiced it till she could do it as well after.

 

Actually, Graendal was reversing her webs. There is a distinction--inversion is the act of hiding the web once woven, reversing is the process of hiding the weave whilst weaving it. So far none of the Light-sided channelers no of reversion, though Rand would now he has all of Lews therin's memories.

 

Either way it makes no difference here--reversion still allows for the sense of active channeling, and would not have masked anything in Alanna's room.

[yoniy0]

Recall what Leane did before turning that chain at Southarbor to cuendillar? If you come prepared, no one needs to feel that you're channeling.

[Luckers]

Recall what Leane did before turning that chain at Southarbor to cuendillar? If you come prepared, no one needs to feel that you're channeling.

 

Leane wove the webs beyond the distance they could feel them, inverted those webs, moved closer, and used them.

[yoniy0]

Leane wove the webs beyond the distance they could feel them, inverted those webs, moved closer, and used them.

In other words, she came prepared

[Luckers]

I'm not getting what you're suggesting. You think Alanna came prepared for Verin's letter? Or that she got the letter elsewhere, prepared elsewhere, came to the room to drop off the envelope, and travelled from there?

 

I suppose thats not that implausible--she might need to pick up clothes and such. I still don't see why she felt the need to hide the sense of a gateway. By the time it was sensed she would have been gone anyway--a thing no more suspicious than her being gone to begin with.

 

But all of this is irrelevant--what do people think of my theory? Plausible? No? Why and why not?

[yoniy0]

Oh no, I don't think that, though I guess it is possible. It seems more likely to me that someone opened a Gateway to her rooms, delivered the letter, and Alanna decided to cross to the other side before it was closed. And to explain why nobody felt it, I suggested the weaves might've been inverted before the actual weaving.

 

Regarding the reason for her departure, I just don't know. It's a bit hard to hunt Luc, as he tends to enter TAR every now and then and go about his bosses business all around Randland. You can't count on finding him in any given place. Unless you know what he's going to be doing and when, which I suppose Verin would be in a position to know. So... maybe.

[zidfrekle]

Ahh...poor Luckers. I do think your theory is plausible. There must be a reason that slayer wasn't killed in ToM.

I had never considered the idea that Verin sent Alanna after him, but the idea is growing on me. My previous theory is that Verin sent Alanna to the Black Tower or to the Seanchan in Ebu Dar to hunt down more of the missing Black sisters. If one or more of the Aes Sedai bonded by Ashaman were Black Ajah, they could be contributing to the mess going on there. Some of those captured by the Seanchan must also be Black, who knows how that will fit into the DO's plan.

The idea that Alanna will help take out Slayer does make another logical choice once I considered that with her bond to Rand, he would be able to know exactly where she is...even if she's on the inside of the dream spike and he is outside or vice versa. This may be an essential element to taking out Slayer, that way if he can't travel outside whoever is inside can get him, and if he walks outside of it's range, the person with the bond on the outside takes him out, following the feel of the bond around the edges. It could be the key to pinning him down.

[Sharaman]

She's gone North - Slayer is a possible. I think however, that Verin left specific info about the Arafel invasion and Alanna pushed off to do something about it. Incidentally, given she's heading for the Borderlands, surely she would a) want her horse b) her other warder - the one who can't channel. So she may have used MoM, pretending to be a servant, walked down to the stables and taken off. No mention of her warder IIRC and that I found mildly suspicious. AS would surely look for the warder's whereabouts?

[yoniy0]

If one or more of the Aes Sedai bonded by Ashaman were Black Ajah

None are. Alviarin made a point of not sending any, after Mesaana wouldn't confirm that the mission is plausible.

[Luckers]

She's gone North - Slayer is a possible. I think however, that Verin left specific info about the Arafel invasion and Alanna pushed off to do something about it. Incidentally, given she's heading for the Borderlands, surely she would a) want her horse b) her other warder - the one who can't channel. So she may have used MoM, pretending to be a servant, walked down to the stables and taken off. No mention of her warder IIRC and that I found mildly suspicious. AS would surely look for the warder's whereabouts?

 

 

Arafel could make sense, with Lan answering the Shienaran invasion and Iterulde answering Saldaea and we know Kandor specifically fell, it leaves Arafel uncertain.

[Sharaman]

Do we know Kandor fell as in Chachin/ Aiedasher? The Watchtowers were wiped out and the trollocs invaded in overwhelming force, but Barriga was killed while going to the Blight to trade with Malenarin (sp?).

Incidentally, if we assume that the invasions were roughly coincident, as the AS meeting seems to suggest, the timelines (specifically where Lan is, at what time,) could be determinable?

[knutz]

It's only north in relation to Tear right?

 

Could she be in Caemlyn to help stop the invasion?

[Sharaman]

It's only north in relation to Tear right?

 

Could she be in Caemlyn to help stop the invasion?

Rand said he thought Alanna had gone further North, maybe to Arafel.

[Barid Bel Medar]

I like the theory, it definitely is sensible. Slayer and Verin/Alanna are connected. That kind of connection being important is like RJ. Theoretically i like it, but practically, by which I mean Alanna actually doing the hunting and Slaying, is a bit of a problem.

 

As mentioned, Slayer moves around quite a bit, and TAR is his domain from what we have seen. Alanna has shown no interest or proficiancy in TAR. I suppose I just think that Slayer's place is to fight and die in TAR since its such a big part of his character. Although, perhaps Alanna has gotten information about Slayer's weaknesses and suchlike, so I suppose its definitely possible.

 

Some other theories possible.

 

Fain? Its the sort of thing Verin would know about. Something that all of the characters dont. Nobody knows where fain is, the Shadow cant even track him. I dont really take it seriously, but I just think that it fits in with Verin. She knows all kinds of crazy things.

 

The most common, the attack on Arafel. WE know that Verin knows about some of the Shadow's military movements (ie- the attack on Caemyln) and has already sent a letter to Mat about it. Evidence looks favourably on Verin knowing something about the particulars of the Borderland invasion and wrote a letter to combat that (just like she did with Mat.)

 

 

On that point, I just thought of something else. Could she have known about these Red-veils? Could that be what she sent Alanna north to do something about? I mean, why send her to the Borderlands (or roundabouts) just to fight an invasion. I mean, theres nothing special there, and one Aes Sedai isnt going to change anything. To me there has to be something unusual to combat, something that nobody knows about.

 

So Im thinking Red-veils is a possibility.

[Val Mickey]

I'm beginning to think that probably Alanna is meant to force Rand to do something.

 

I have this impression that if Slayer does have a lair at all, it would be in the Blight, or in the Mountains of Dhoom. I don't know why.

[yoniy0]

Or in TAR, most likely. There he's at his most powerful.

[Sharaman]

Ok, another way to look at this.

Verin knows Alanna very well - they spent months together. For sure, Verin knows if Alanna is BA or not.

She also knows about Alanna's impulsiveness, strength in power, skills at healing, ability in TAR if any, purity of libido, etc. Let's assume that Verin guesses she can manipulate Alanna into doing whatever - after all, she did assume she could do that with Mat (mistakenly).

Let's further assume that Verin's correct where Alanna is concerned and Alanna does precisely what Verin wants her to do on reading the letter.

 

Now, Verin knows the Dark Prophesy about Slayer. She has seen Lord Luc. She knows who Luc-Isam are. She may/ may not know much about their unique melding of souls beyond what she puzzles out from the prophesy and the battles in TSR. She also may/ may not know too much about Slayer's ability in TAR. It's unclear anyway what Verin knows about TAR. But she knows enough to want Luc-Isam bumped off - though it's unclear how high her priority would be for that. Verin may also have learnt enough in her mysterious way to track down Slayer's lair.

 

From the evidence of TSR, Alanna didn't twig to Luc and Alanna doesn't know the Dark Prophesy, IIRC.

Would Verin send Alanna to chase down Slayer? What justification could she give (assuming she hasn't left some sort of post-hypnotic Compulsion command) to Alanna that would induce the Green to chase down Slayer? And what if anything, does Alanna know about TAR because that is likely to feature if Slayer is involved?

 

A possible alternative to the Slayer and Arafel theories is that Verin is setting Alanna up as some sort of stalking horse. She's gambling that Rand will get involved if Alanna is in serious trouble and that will get something done. Again what could Verin want Rand to do? Maybe kill his uncle? Or something else that she considers more high priority? So she sends Alanna into some sort of dangerous situation ----? Any possible plotlines?

Another alternative -- V's sent Alanna off to fetch the HoV from someplace she secreted it.

[Southpaw89]

I think Perrin will be the one to finish off Slayer. A lot of buildup has been of Perrin learning how to use the wolf dream and he almost defeated him in ToM so I think he'll finally finish the job in AMoL

[Lynander]

Logain delivered the message and Alanna went with him to organize defenses in the Borderlands.

[Aquarius]

Question:

How would Verin know about Slayer ? She's been good at digging information on the BA, ok, but it seems Slayer is a Forsaken-only tool, and a precious one. Why would Messaana even hint at the existence of such a creature in front of Verin ? Or, is there some info about other BA (Alviarin ?) knowing about Slayer ?