Favourite Revelations/scenes and Battles

[Arhior]

they are all cool but i sure liked the part of Aviendha in ToM looking to the future, Elaynes battle in ToM(liked the thing with the fox medaillon), the cleansing of Rans mind GS, the conclussion how to leave the tower of G.

And sure Dumas Well

[avernite]

Moiraine's story about Manetheren and Nynaeve's about Malkier are easily the most moving for me. The various Aes Sedai/accpeted tests also rank quite highly, especially Nynaeve's AS test. 'I'm going to Shayol Ghul, period'

[Hopefire]

My favorite two moments of the series are somewhat complimentary.

 

 

 

For me, pages 518-520 in The Gathering Storm say a lot.

 

"Should I suffer for them all, Nynaeve?" he asked quietly, rising, face still half in the darkness. "Lay this death at my feet, if you wish. It will just be one of many. How many stones can you pile on a man's body before the weight stops mattering? How far can you burn a lump of flesh until further heat is irrelevant? If I let myself feel guilt for this boy, then I would need to feel guilt for the others. And it would crush me."

 

She regarded him in the half light. A king, certainly. A soldier, though he had only occasionally seen war. She forced down her anger. Hadn't this all been about proving to him that he could trust her?

 

"Oh, Rand," she said, turning away. "This thing you have become, the heart without any emotion but anger. It will destroy you."

 

"Yes," he said softly.

 

She looked back at him, shocked.

 

"I continue to wonder," he said, glancing down at Min, "why you all assume that I am too dense to see what you find so obvious. Yes, Nynaeve. Yes, this hardness will destroy me. I know."

 

"Then why?" she asked. "Why won't you let us help you?"

 

He looked up - not at her, but staring off at nothing. A servant knocked quietly, wearing the white and forest green of Milisair's house. She entered and deposited the new pot of tea, picked up the old one, then withdrew.

 

"When I was much younger," he said, voice soft, "Tam told me of a story he'd heard while traveling the world. He spoke of Dragonmount. I didn't know at the time that he'd actually seen it, nor that he had found me there. I was just a shepherd boy, and Dragonmount, Tar Valon and Caemlyn were almost mythical places to me.

 

"He told me of it, though, a mountain so high it make even Twinhorn's Peak back home seem a dwarf. Tam's stories claimed no man had ever climbed to Dragonmount's peak. Not because it was impossible - but because reaching the top would take every last ounce of strength a man had. So tall was the mountain that besting it would be a struggle that drained a man completely."

 

He fell silent.

 

"So?" Nynaeve finally asked.

 

He looked at her. "Don't you see? The stories claimed no man had climbed the mountain because in doing so, he would be without strength to return. A mountaineer could best it, reach the top, see what no man had ever seen. But then he would die. The strongest and wisest explorers knew this. So they never climbed it. They always wanted to, but they waited, reserving the trip for another day. For they knew it would be their last."

 

"But that's just a story," Nynaeve said. "A legend."

 

"That's what I am," Rand said. "A story. A legend. To be told to children years from now, spoken of in whispers." He shook his head. "Sometimes you can't turn back. You have to keep pressing on. And sometimes, you know this climb is your last.

 

"You all claim that I have grown too hard, that I will inevitably shatter and break if I continue on. But you assume that there needs to be something left of me to continue on. That I need to climb back down the mountain once I've reached the top.

 

"That's the key, Nynaeve. I see it now. I will not live through this, and so I don't need to worry about what might happen to me after the Last Battle. I don't need to hold back, don't need to salvage anything of this beaten up soul of mine. I know that I must die. Those who wish for me to be softer, willing to bend, are those who cannot accept what will happen to me." He looked down at Min again. Many times before, Nynaeve had seen affection in his eyes when he regarded her, but this time they were blank. Set in that same, emotionless face.

 

"We can find a way, Rand," Nynaeve said. "Surely there is a way to win but also let you live."

 

"No," he growled softly. "Do not tempt me down that path again. It only leads to pain, Nynaeve. I . . . I used to think about leaving something behind to help the world survive once I died, but that was a struggle to keep living. I can't indulge myself. I'll climb this bloody mountain and face the sun. You all will deal with what comes next. That is how it must be."

 

She opened her mouth to object again, but he gave her a sharp glance. "That is how it must be, Nynaeve."

 

She closed her mouth.

 

"You did well tonight," Rand said. "You have saved us all a lot of trouble."

 

"I did it because I want you to trust me," Nynaeve said, then immediately cursed herself. Why had she said that. Was she really so tired that she blabbed the first thing that came to her mind?

 

Rand just nodded. "I do trust you, Nynaeve. As much as I trust anyone; more than I trust most. You think you know what is best for me, even against my wishes, but that is something I can accept. The difference between you and Cadsuane is that you actually care about me. She only cares about my place in her plans. She wants me to be part of the Last Battle. You want me to live. For that, you have my thanks. Dream on my behalf, Nynaeve. Dream for things I no longer can."

 

And the response comes on page 57 of Towers of Midnight.

 

Staring down those neat, perfect rows of useless apple trees, Almen felt the crushing weight of it. Of trying to remain positive. Of seeing all his sister had worked for fail and rot. These apples . . . they were supposed to have saved the village, and his sons.

 

His stomach rumbled. It did that a lot lately.

 

This is it then, isn't it? he thought, eyes toward the too-yellow grass below. The fight just ended.

 

Almen slumped down, feeling a weight on his shoulders. Adrinne he thought. There had been a time when he'd been quick to laugh, quick to talk. Now he felt worn, like a post that had been sanded and sanded and sanded until only a sliver was left. Maybe it was time to let go.

 

He felt something on his neck. Warmth.

 

He hesitated, then turned weary eyes toward the sky. Sunlight bathed his face. He gaped, it seemed so long since he'd seen pure sunlight. It should down through a large break in the clouds, comforting, like the warmth of an oven baking a loaf of Adrinne's thick sourdough bread.

 

Almen stood, raising a hand to shade his eyes. He took a deep, long breath and smelled . . . apple blossoms? He spun with a start.

 

The apple trees were flowering.

 

I tend to associate both scenes with John Williams music. The scene in TGS, I match up mentally with the Emperor's theme from Return of Jedi. The scene in TOM, I match up with Jurassic Park main theme.

[aaron11]

All the epic battles are great, but the scene that moves me the most is when Lan asks Nyneave to take him to the border lands. Then she goes to all the Malkier in all the borderlands and tells them her husband is riding.

[Goramier]

I have answered this before but will again...

 

My favorite scene has and always will be one with Rand and Mat because at the time I was totally lost in the story, sitting in bed reading late one night. It was my first read of the series (and of that book) and was living the story as I read it.

 

I think it is in book 4 but maybe 5. It is the scene where Rand asks permissin to go to Rhudean (sp?), or is getting the go-ahead. He is kneeling I think (it has been awhile now since I have read it) and Mat comes up from behind, drops to one knee and says he is going too. It is a simple scene that probably doesn't stand out to most people. For me, for whatever reason when I read it I was totally there in that scene and actually laughed out loud at Mat coming up and dropping to his knee like that. I could just see him doing it and it was real. I have read the series several times since then and each time I could perfectly imagine that one perticular scene as if I was there.

 

I am about 3/4ths done with book three right now. I no longer have book 4 as it broke apart the 3rd time I read through it. When I get to that scene I always enjoy it and laugh.

 

The second thing that always gives me a chuckle in a childish, immature way is where Rand scores with Ave the first time in Seandar. The next chapter is called, "The Short Spear" ahhaha, I always thought that was kinda funny.

[Goramier]

All the epic battles are great, but the scene that moves me the most is when Lan asks Nyneave to take him to the border lands. Then she goes to all the Malkier in all the borderlands and tells them her husband is riding.

 

Uhhhh yeah, I forgot about that one, that scene is epic too. Also where Perrin forges the power-made weapon, both epic scenes.

[sandoz12]

Most of the best scenes have already been mentioned so I will mention the couple of great ones that I haven't seen mentioned yet (unless I missed it). The battle of Cairhien was one of the great battles of the series especially the scenes from Matt's point of view as he tries to escape but gets continually dragged back. Also the entire battle of Maradon was compelling as well.

[Mats Spare Hat]

The TGH scene, where Loial holds off/chokes out the trolloc that's going after Rand is a keeper for sure.

[Jon Paul]

"You may call me Rand Sedai.." has got to be one of the most epic moments in the series. Followed by his visit to the Tower. The confrontation its self was quite weak, I guess we must wait for that in AMOL, but the sheer commanding presence that echoes from the pages is amazing. Rand's chat with Nyn' in tGS as posted above is also one of my favourites. So much so that I actually agreed with Rand and believed he was right.. he was exactly how he needed to be. But again the presence one feels from the pages.. the dark confidence that resonates around him. Not even Ishamael can pull that off.

 

My favourite battle scenes.. hm. I quite like them all actually. Of course Dumai's Wells has to be up there. Perrin and Galad's fight against the Trollocs in TOM. Pretty much every scene with Galad or Lan.. I'm lost right now. There's just so much !

[aaron11]

Thank you for bringing up Galad, that reminds me of the scene where Mat kicks Galad and Gawyn's ass with a staff. One of the BEST scenes in the entire series!

[Sbond91]

Veins of Gold, and all the scenes leading up to it. Completely my favorite sequence of the series; a brilliant payoff from everything that came before re: Rand going mad.

 

Both sets of glass column scenes were brilliant. The first was startlingly well written and interesting. The second made me angry to the point I hard to put the book aside for some time. In a good way.

 

Way back in TGH where Rand sees all the alternative lives he could live... I win again Lews Therin was chilling and just a tad scary. It's the only time I think epic fantasy has every really managed to convey a sense of complete hopelessness to me.

[Durinax]

Perrins scene in the TR's was awesome

[Ingtar Shinowa]

Since I'm doing a re-read at the moment, I'll list some that I've come across so far.

 

Moiraine's Manetheren speech in EotW

 

Rand's audience before the Amyrlin after Lan's tutoring in TGH.

 

Ingtar (obviously) in Falme in TGH. " It is every man's right, Rand, to chose when to Sheath the Sword. Even one like me. " Chills.

[Beldin]

almost all of my favorite scenes have been mentioned.. but i've got 3 more for you:

 

1) Galad killing Valda.. that was so cool, I was cheering for him for the first time, really

2) the finding the horn of valere at the eye of the world.. kind of one of the coolest scenes in the first book

3) Mat freeing the Windfinder and telling here to wait 3 hours.. and they clasp hands in the dark.. super cool, whenever I re-read or listen to the audiobooks again, I always look forward to that scene!

[OptimusPrime]

Veins of Gold, and all the scenes leading up to it. Completely my favorite sequence of the series; a brilliant payoff from everything that came before re: Rand going mad.

 

Couldnt agree more.

 

One thing that stuck in my head was Fains ramblings. "Its never over, al'Thor! Its never over!" The guy thought he was invincible! Love it, I always think of that as one of the early signs that Fain is becoming more than just a human Darkfriend.

 

Favorite battle scene though, without putting the obvious ones like teh Cleansing and Dumais Wells I would say the fight against Rahvin. Rand was getting his ass kicked, but you watched Nynaeve get closer and closer so the "coincedence" element was underplayed. One of the firmest pictures in my head is that bit, where Nynaeves stood with Moghedien, looking at Rahvin face down at Rand, and she makes the hall errupt in fire around Rahvin to the point where his eyes start melting... and he still turned to strike at her, because he was holding saidin.

 

I love that scene because up until that point on my first read through, I thought Rands heightened awareness and immunity to pain while holding saidin was overdone, but seeing someone else use it like that made it alright. Rahvins downfall was not cheapened in any way shape or form, and because of that it is one of my favorite Forsaken death scenes.

[Mordaunt]

Mat spanking Joline was great - "the medallion was ice cold against his chest" hahaha.

[thump]

I'd go with Rand's attempted raising of the child from the dead in the Stone of Tear. Incredibly moving. A young man--not even yet aware of the full extent of his power--pushes up against the bounds of the Possible. "Death can not be healed." You can almost feel the anger and futility--"But I'm the Dragon Reborn! That has to count for something, right?" It reminds me of many different times I watched young people come up against the reality of life and begin to question their own immortality and their previously undoubted capacity to "change the world." Kudos to RJ for some fine thematic work there.