3 Stupid Questions from ToM

[MikeKweller]

Question the First:

Near the beginning of the book, Min and Co are talking about Alanna, and how she seems to have completely disappeared. She vanished in the night, apparently, and when Rand shows back up, he comments that she went somewhere north. Possibly the Borderlands.

 

Pg 189, Towers of Midnight [An Empty Ink Bottle]:

~~

"Alanna is gone," Sarene continued, unruffled. "Vanished right from her chambers. The Defenders, they didn't see her go, and there was no sign of a Gateway."

"Oh. Well, let's go then." Nynaeve bustled out of the chamber.

 

"And I'm telling you that I felt nothing," Corele said. She smiled, tapping the side of her nose. "I don't know how she got out. Unless you think she somehow invented flying- which I daresay wouldn't be outside reason, considering some of what has occurred lately."

 

[And later, pg 190]

 

Cadsuane had thought Alanna well in hand, despite recent stubbornness. She'd obviously slipped out intentionally. The clothing from the trynk was gone and the writing desk was mostly bare. Only an empty ink bottle remained."

~~

 

Then in chapter 13 [For What Has Been Wrought], pg 193:

~~

Finally, [Min] exhaled, reluctantly pulling back. "Rand, Alanna is gone. She vanished earlier today."

"Yes, I felt her go. Northward somewhere. The Borderlands perhaps."

~~

 

That's the entirety of the conversation regarding Alanna's disappearance, at least as far as I remember. I'm only up to chapter 38 on my re-read, so if she gets mentioned again, I've forgotten it.

 

Do we know what this is about: where she went, and why she vanished?

 

Question the Second:

Chapter 38 [Wounds] Pg 600:

~~

The servant- one Moridin had loaned her- was on one knee before her. His eyes were tempestuous, and only half-lowered. This one was under control, but barely. He knew he was unique.

He also seemed to know the failure would fall upon her shoulders.

~~

 

Then later:

~~

She still had one tool left to her, one she had positioned so carefully. One she prepared for a moment such as this.

~~

 

So, question the second, part the first: "The Servant" is Slayer, yes? He and a Dreamspike went to her on loan from Moridin so she could redeem herself by killing Perrin. Subsequently, Perrin has not yet been killed, and Slayer, while receiving some serious wounds from Perrin, also escaped with his life, but the Dreamspike was destroyed. As a result of this action, Mesaana got her mind blown by Egwene, and Graendal is now desperate and ready to spring the trap on Perrin to get him killed once and for all.

And question the second, part the second: This is my third re-listen of the audiobook of ToM, and I don't seem to recall what this tool is. If it's explained later, I'd rather not have it spoiled for me, but if it isn't, some enlightenment on the subject would be appreciated.

 

Question the Third:

All through the series, the Five Great Captains are talked about. Rodel Ituralde, Gareth Bryne, Davram Bashere, Jaged Agelmar... and who is the fifth? Or do I have one or two in there that I shouldn't?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-Tycho

Co-host, the It's On Craigslist! Podcast

Http://ItsOnCraigslist.blogspot.com

[Kadere]

Question 1: No, we have no idea what's going on with Alanna. Just have to RAFO

 

Question 2a: The tool kneeling before her is Slayer

 

Question 2b: The tool she has yet to use is Byar.

 

Question 3: The fifth one was Pedron Niall.

[buckeyebull64]

We don't know any thing more than what you already have on Alanna. Maybe Black, maybe something else.

 

I kinda figured her last ditch was Jared Bryr (sp?) trying to kill Perrin.

 

As for the last, that would be Peddron Nail or however you spell it.

[michael.clinton83]

Regarding your first question: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall them finding an envelope sealed with red wax in her room. It seemed to indicate that Verin left her some instruction to flee or do something important, and she listened. The details of the letter are not (yet) known to us.

[UGAShadow]

Yeah, I've always thought Verin sent her a letter that sent her on some mission.

[Dreggs Morlock]

Personally, I think she IS black, and the note was indeed from Verin telling her she was to hook up with Demandred, who had a huge army of trollocs poised to attack Caemlyn.

 

But that is only my opinion.

[Arkane101]

The tool yet to be used was the portal stone and the massive Trolloc attack she was then going to use against the whitecloaks, I don't believe Byar had anything to do with Graendal.

[Sharaman]

1. Alanna did apparently receive a letter from Verin and she is from Arafel. It's possible that she went to Arafel on the basis of something Verin wrote - it's more or less coincident with the big attack on the borderlands. But we don't have any more hard information and can at this stage only speculate about Alanna's movements and reasons.

2. The unique tool Moridin lent Graendal is Slayer and the last resort was Jaret Byar - a later Graendal PoV when she has she has her chat with Shaidar makes that clear. She thinks of that fool of a Whitecloak - eg, Byar.

3. LoC has a warder talking about all five Great Captains - Niall (now late), Byrne, Jagad, Ituralde and Bashere when the As Sedai in Salidar are wondering what to do with Byrne

[dutchman1789]

How come none of the Aeil are considered great captains?

[rand4747]

How come none of the Aeil are considered great captains?

 

Not much was known about the Aiel.

[GYLD]

The Great Captains are titles exclusive to the Westlands and the population knew too little of the Aiel, much less any specific names, to consider any of them, even after the Aiel War. The list of Great Captains is in general pretty outdated now with Mat, Seanchan, and Aiel all active in the Westlands.

[jemron]

I think that Alanna's bonding of Rand was all Verin's shenanigans. I think, somehow, Verin still has some strange hold on Alanna, even though Verin is dead. Maybe Alanna is black, but I think, if nothing else, she's Verin's puppet and somehow Verin is still pulling the strings from beyond the grave with her letters. Probably in an attempt to finally "make right" what she did that was so horrible as BA.

 

On a side note, did anybody think that "Byar as a last resort" was really lame? I mean, really? A regular guy with no special abilities who Perrin already mistrusted was somehow her "ace in the hole" if all else fails? That was some very weak planning on Graendal's part, and it just doesn't seem to fit her character very well, since she always dots every "t" and crosses ever "i" :)

[capuga]

Personally, I think she IS black, and the note was indeed from Verin telling her she was to hook up with Demandred, who had a huge army of trollocs poised to attack Caemlyn.

 

But that is only my opinion.

 

Why would Verin instruct her to help further the Shadow's cause? Despite being "black" Verin was shown to be working for the Light and all her actions and the letters we've seen the contents of so far have been to help the Light. It would completely contradict everything we have seen from Verin to send Alanna to Demandred. She might have sent her somewhere to counter a plan of Demandred's that she knew about.

[DemandredFO]

Jemron, you may have thought Byar lame but I believe he would've killed Perrin if not for Bornhald. As to Verin helping the shadow she had to remain convincing as BA or she would've envied Jarna Malari probably.

[capuga]

Jemron, you may have thought Byar lame but I believe he would've killed Perrin if not for Bornhald. As to Verin helping the shadow she had to remain convincing as BA or she would've envied Jarna Malari probably.

 

She had to maintain her cover, but the whole point of the letters was to take care of things because she thought she was either going to die or get the oaths removed. The letters, from everything we've seen, were to counter Shadow plots that she was unable to previously speak of because of the Black Ajah oaths. Mat's was to guard Caemlyn from an attack she knew was coming. Rand's was to tell him about the White Tower kidnapping political leaders and the names of some darkfriends in his camp. Etc.

[Dreggs Morlock]

Verin's way of helping Caemlyn was pretty douche-y, in my opinion. She KNEW telling Matt that there were instructions in the letter he HAD to follow would get his back up; after all, she knew him VERY well. Why not a simple, "There is information in this letter you NEED if I do not return."

 

The curiosity alone would insure Matt opening that letter as soon as he could. If Verin could blow THAT all to hell, why not include orders to Alanna from the powers that be? Unlikely, to be sure, now that I think about it; but Verin's letters this far have proved to be unuseful.

[The Don]

I'd think a Warder would know, or at least suspect his Aes Sedai was Black, if it wasn't a pre-arranged bond by the Shadow in the first place. If Rand couldn't tell before, Super Rand would be able to tell now.

 

The tool is Slayer, who I think is only a step down from the Chosen, and he knows it, especially now that he has the Nae'blis at his back.

 

As for the other tool... I don't know about Byar. I really think he just hated Perrin that much. It'll take me a while to re-read that far as I started from the beginning and I'm on DR. If I remembered right I remember being suspicious of the secretary guy that wants Perrin to fight the Whitecloaks so bad. Wasn't he their secretary too?

 

The 5th Captain has already been named

[spoke]

Question 1: No, we have no idea what's going on with Alanna. Just have to RAFO

 

Question 2a: The tool kneeling before her is Slayer

 

Question 2b: The tool she has yet to use is Byar.

 

Question 3: The fifth one was Pedron Niall.

 

 

Where is your evidence that the tool is Byar? That seems completely ludicrous, he would have killed him anyway, he was rabid. The tool is probably Annoura or Masuri, but, if not, the tool seems to have been unused as of yet. A backup plan that hasn't come to fruition.

[Asha'Dude]

Wouldn't the fifth one be Mat? Currently, strictly speaking.

[Kadere]

Question 1: No, we have no idea what's going on with Alanna. Just have to RAFO

 

Question 2a: The tool kneeling before her is Slayer

 

Question 2b: The tool she has yet to use is Byar.

 

Question 3: The fifth one was Pedron Niall.

 

 

Where is your evidence that the tool is Byar? That seems completely ludicrous, he would have killed him anyway, he was rabid. The tool is probably Annoura or Masuri, but, if not, the tool seems to have been unused as of yet. A backup plan that hasn't come to fruition.

 

"My spies have located his army," Graendal said. "I have already set some plans in motion regarding him. just in case. I retain the group of Shadowspawn given me to cause chaos, and I have a trap prepared."- ToM, Chapter 5

 

So her spies are NOT in Perrin's camp, and just located him. Perrin's army has just come across the Children of the Light, so the spy must be in their camp.

 

She still had one tool left to her, one she had positioned so very carefully. One she had prepared for a moment such as this. - ToM Chapter 38

 

So, has to be one near Perrin, in the real world, who's shown up not too long ago near Perrin.

 

That fool Isam, Graendal thought, stuffing the papers in her pack. And that idiot Whitecloak!- ToM Epilogue

 

Proving that her second tool was one of the Whitecloaks. Couple this thought with Byar's growing wrath against Perrin throughout the book until he actually attempts to kill Perrin himself, immediately following a Shadowspawn attack by none other than (wait for it) Graendal. An attempt that was so outrageously obvious, awkward, and fails SO spectacularly that anyone who ordered it would clearly think Byar a total idiot. The evidence is pretty clear.

 

Lordjuss: 2. Was Byar a darkfriend or was he compelled by Graendal? If so, when?"

 

Brandon Sanderson: RAFO. I may answer that someday, but I need to decide how I should answer it.

 

Notice Sanderson doesn't clear Byar of being the tool used by Graendal, only the nature of his allegiance.

 

All of this put together it's clear that Graendal's second tool is a whitecloak, and that it's in fact Byar. Seeing as how Annoura and Masuri are not Whitecloaks, didn't attempt to kill Perrin, didn't monstrously fail in that attempt, and are IN Perrin's camp so they would have been spying on him for MUCH longer, they are NOT Graendal's tools.

[Dreggs Morlock]

Question 1: No, we have no idea what's going on with Alanna. Just have to RAFO

 

Question 2a: The tool kneeling before her is Slayer

 

Question 2b: The tool she has yet to use is Byar.

 

Question 3: The fifth one was Pedron Niall.

 

 

Where is your evidence that the tool is Byar? That seems completely ludicrous, he would have killed him anyway, he was rabid. The tool is probably Annoura or Masuri, but, if not, the tool seems to have been unused as of yet. A backup plan that hasn't come to fruition.

 

"My spies have located his army," Graendal said. "I have already set some plans in motion regarding him. just in case. I retain the group of Shadowspawn given me to cause chaos, and I have a trap prepared."- ToM, Chapter 5

 

So her spies are NOT in Perrin's camp, and just located him. Perrin's army has just come across the Children of the Light, so the spy must be in their camp.

 

She still had one tool left to her, one she had positioned so very carefully. One she had prepared for a moment such as this. - ToM Chapter 38

 

So, has to be one near Perrin, in the real world, who's shown up not too long ago near Perrin.

 

That fool Isam, Graendal thought, stuffing the papers in her pack. And that idiot Whitecloak!- ToM Epilogue

 

Proving that her second tool was one of the Whitecloaks. Couple this thought with Byar's growing wrath against Perrin throughout the book until he actually attempts to kill Perrin himself, immediately following a Shadowspawn attack by none other than (wait for it) Graendal. An attempt that was so outrageously obvious, awkward, and fails SO spectacularly that anyone who ordered it would clearly think Byar a total idiot. The evidence is pretty clear.

 

Lordjuss: 2. Was Byar a darkfriend or was he compelled by Graendal? If so, when?"

 

Brandon Sanderson: RAFO. I may answer that someday, but I need to decide how I should answer it.

 

Notice Sanderson doesn't clear Byar of being the tool used by Graendal, only the nature of his allegiance.

 

All of this put together it's clear that Graendal's second tool is a whitecloak, and that it's in fact Byar. Seeing as how Annoura and Masuri are not Whitecloaks, didn't attempt to kill Perrin, didn't monstrously fail in that attempt, and are IN Perrin's camp so they would have been spying on him for MUCH longer, they are NOT Graendal's tools.

Very well done.

[Suttree]

She still had one tool left to her, one she had positioned so very carefully. One she had prepared for a moment such as this. - ToM Chapter 38

 

So, has to be one near Perrin, in the real world, who's shown up not too long ago near Perrin.

 

Pretty solid analysis for that group of quotes and I totally agree with you on Byar.

 

Do wonder what about the one above would indicate someone who has only showed up recently however?