Merrilor: A Big, Fat Red Herring

[Terez]

So, most people expect the Dragon's Peace Pipe to be smoked at Merrilor. It's a convenient location, all the rulers gathered except for Demandred, and Egwene and Rand are supposedly going to work out their differences. Who knows how most people expect that the Seanchan will play into it. I guess they think Tuon will be 'humbled' early in the book and Rand will get his way, or something. Or that we'll spend most of the book at Merrilor waiting for her to show up. I have no idea; that's what this thread is for.

 

I think it's a big red herring (and I started the thread because it seems that Luckers at least agrees - beware when we agree on something because it doesn't happen too often). Because of Aviendha's visions of the future, we assume that this gathering is the perfect place for this Peace thingy to go down, but the reality of the situation seems to suggest that it's highly unlikely.

 

For one thing, everyone showed up a day early, and that night while they were sleeping, Rand had his dream about Cyndane. Brandon left it hanging, so for all we know, he could walk into that trap and die, or become Dark Rand (merge with Moridin), or who knows what.

 

For another thing, Caemlyn was being attacked around the same time - presumably not too long after dark. Maybe around midnight, and the sun goes down a little later in Caemlyn than at Merrilor.

 

Also, Tuon is planning on attacking the White Tower. Could it be that she learned of the meeting at Merrilor and decided to attack there instead? In either case, she doesn't have a dreamspike, so if she attacks the Tower on the Night Before Merrilor, word might reach them around the same time as word reaches them about Caemlyn. this could be prologue action.

 

Perrin was planning on investigating the dreamspike in Tel'aran'rhiod, and he might have been doing so concurrent with Rand's own dream. This is not likely to be a boring scene, and Slayer is not likely to be alone in guarding it this time. I expect this in the prologue - certainly before or concurrent with the earliest Merrilor POVs.

 

Furthermore, Rand no doubt realizes that a Forsaken is in control at the Black Tower, since he probably knows enough to recognize the effects of a dreamspike. He doesn't, however, know anything about the turning channelers to the Shadow yet. He might soon learn. We know that the Black Tower action is early in the book, partly because Brandon mentioned it recently on Twitter, and partly because we know it was originally supposed to be at the end of TOM. Also, TOM was originally supposed to end with all the major plotlines reunited at Merrilor, according to the outline given by Brandon at WorldCon 2009. He mentioned later that he didn't quite make it to the reunion, which means Mat and Moiraine and Thom. Everyone else important is there - the first such reunion since Tear (minus Min).

 

Grady plans to go get Mat at noon, and we know from Olver winning Snakes and Foxes that the timelines match up. They escaped from Ghenjei just as Caemlyn was being attacked, which was the Night Before Merrilor. But many argue that Mat will not want to go to Merrilor without getting his half of the Band (Elayne has the other half with her), and while Grady might not be able to gate to Caemlyn because of the dreamspike (which can be adjusted to cover more ground, maybe even Caemlyn), either way they will discover in the process that something is not right in Caemlyn.

 

These are all just facts with very little speculation (we know the least about Tuon, so I tried to offer up some ideas there), setting the stage for something very different from a Peace meeting like we expect. At the latest, by noon they will know something is wrong. Perhaps even well before then.

 

It's worth noting that all of this was originally intended to be the ending of TOM - the climax. I doubt it was going to be a very happy ending - most likely a cliffhanger from hell, which was avoided by moving the most explosive action to the beginning of AMOL.

[hazelkrs1]

I've felt this to be true for quite some time, that the Field of Merrilor meeting would be almost for nothing because so many loose ends need to be tied up before Rand can go break the seals. The Seanchan plot line will have to be resolved after some impactful event because we know that Tuon resisted Rand's ta'verenness before so we could assume she'd be able to do the same again. I would say an attack on the White Tower would be what they're gearing up for, but that almost seems too predictable in a way. Not only that, but they now have traveling, more channelers, the White Tower's defenses are very meak right now, and the Seanchan always react extremely well (even if you don't count their initial assault on the Tower as a defeat, it still wasn't as successful as they would have liked), so if they do attack Tar Valon, I don't see anyways that the Tower would still be standing afterwards.

 

Here's where I become split on the issue; part of me thinks that the White Tower will most likely fall anyways, and that after the Black Tower plot line culminates, the stage would be set perfect for another tower to be built which houses male and female channelers (the guardians would balance the servants). In this scenario I would say that it could be a good time to build tension early by having the "Shining Walls" fall. However, part of me thinks there is one event that has been foreshadowed that hasn't happened yet that could be huge: Rand becoming Tamyrlin. It's probably a crazy idea, and might have been shot down years ago, but there's a couple of hints to this throughout the series, and Rand becoming Tamyrlin would be a pretty big reveal that I would like to see (Aes Sedai washing his feet with their hair, my kind of party!). This most likely couldn't happen or wouldn't be as significant though, if the White Tower falls to Seanchan attack.

 

I suspect that part of Rand's plan with gathering everyone at the field of Merrilor might have been to draw out other Forsaken, or possibly even Taim. I don't think Rand is trying to put off the Black Tower issue anymore, so something he's doing must have something to do with his plans for regaining control of the Ashaman. Personally I would actually like to see the forces of Light lose at the Black Tower, just because it would make for an even bigger confrontation later between Rand and Taim, and Taim's personal army of Dreadlords. To be honest though, Rand already has enough big showdowns anyways what with Moridin, Fain, Shadar Haran, the Seanchan, his toh, not to mention the Dark One, so I'd understand completely if Logain just dominated Taim and got his glory to wrap that loose end up.

 

The MAIN reason that I always felt the FoM gathering was kinda pointless though was that I always pictured Tarmon Gai'don happening seemingly everywhere at once, with major cities burning left and right and chaos spreading throughout the world like wildfire. One giant battle scene with umpteen million Trollocs on one side and the forces of Rand on the other would be too easy, and frankly kind of boring at this point.

[Luckers]

To move my comment from the other thread...

 

 

Agreed. My guess? Someone makes a strike at the world leaders, and in particular the Borderland Rulers (and Bashere) get wiped out. I reckon the peaceful meeting in TofM might be a red-herring designed to make us relax our expectations about the Borderland Rulers, only to then undercut it.

[JKN-SW]

Isn't the Black tower handled before FoM, storywise? I remember reading someplace that that plotline is still behin the ohters, and if so, the situation in BT is already settled, even though we have not read about it?

[Luckers]

The Black Tower is behind everything else, timeline-wise, but we don't know if the resolution has occured yet.

[Terez]

Yeah, we don't know if anyone tried to gate to the Black Tower before the obstruction was discovered just before Merrilor. There's no telling how long the dreamspike has been activated, but my guess is that it can't be more than a week (10 days). I could be wrong, though - Moridin did say it was being put to good use when he gave Graendal the other one.

[FarShainMael]

I can't believe that Rand brought his ta'veren influence to bear on Egwene, getting her to gather the rulers together, for it simply to mislead the readers, or worse, to leave large parts of Randland undefended so the forces of the Shadow could simply walk in.

 

Rand needs FoM... but I do agree that there are many things that have to happen first; so probably we won't see FoM until we're well into the AMoL narrative.

[Terez]

Problem is, they're already there. Events are happening now. There's no time for a peace party - as for the reason they were all brought together, perhaps they all need to be witness to the crazy stuff that happens with Rand. Perhaps it will be nothing more than a convenient staging ground. Rand needs the truce, but with Caemlyn on fire, he doesn't have the luxury.

[yoniy0]

I actually think that Rand's peace is more important than Caemlyn. The only reason it's not more important than the WT is that the AS are needed for TG. Caemlyn's an important city, but losing it wouldn't really affect Andor's ability to wage war in the immediate future, which is when TG is to be fought.

 

Only problem with that is that Caemlyn's still standing in Aviendha's vision. But a lot of that vision's messed up, so who knows.

[Terez]

I actually think that Rand's peace is more important than Caemlyn.

Sure it is, in the long run, but that doesn't mean Rand is going to let it burn while he hammers it out - and no one else is going to want to do that either. That's not even taking into account all the other elements.

[Aquarius]

Only problem with that is that Caemlyn's still standing in Aviendha's vision. But a lot of that vision's messed up, so who knows.

The first vision occurs several years after TG, and the one where we see about Caemlyn is 4 generations down the line. ... Time for the City to be rebuilt I guess.

[Terez]

Problem is, Elayne at the very least will feel obligated to return to defend and protect her subjects. It's her job, quite aside from being her home. Someone might convince her to stay because of her pregnancy, but no doubt she will insist on going anyway, not that Merrilor is guaranteed to remain a peaceful place itself. And what do you think Rand will do then? Especially considering that he hasn't quite got the Seanchan in the bag yet. They are a necessary element for the Peace. It's not going to be as simple as Mat=Win, not that fast anyway.

[FarShainMael]

I'm not even convinced about Caemlyn burning. All Talmanes sees is 'a glow over the city.. One larger than had been there on other nights'; which - having been shocked by Verin's letter - he interprets as the city burning. But where are the huge flames? Where are the billowing clouds of red-lit smoke? Think London (and other cities) during the Blitz of WWII (not, of course, that Tal has ever experienced anything of the kind). There's no sign of that!

 

In fact, the more I think about this, the less surprised I would be to see this 'trolloc attack on Caemlyn' as itself being a red herring for Mat's benefit - to keep him away from the WT, for example.

[Terez]

To move my comment from the other thread...

 

 

Agreed. My guess? Someone makes a strike at the world leaders, and in particular the Borderland Rulers (and Bashere) get wiped out. I reckon the peaceful meeting in TofM might be a red-herring designed to make us relax our expectations about the Borderland Rulers, only to then undercut it.

Just to stimulate discussion a little bit more - I'm guessing this is your theory on Bashere's 'something dark'? I agree he's going to die, and I've always felt his 'something dark' was tied up with that because of his inconvenient place in the Saldaean line of succession which seems to get in the way of Min's viewing of Perrin's crown (not to mention the possible foreshadowing of that).

 

I tend to think that the Borderland rulers really did manage to stay relatively free of Forsaken influence. Unless it was all a scheme concocted by Ishamael some years back. I wouldn't be surprised to see an attack on Merrilor, but IMO it's most likely to be Tuon. If that happens, you'd think the peace was only a step away, but the boat Foretelling seems to suggest that the land is still divided by the Return after the 'great battle' (IMO, the Battle of Caemlyn, which many of you know is the parallel to the ultimate battle of Arthurian legend (Camlann) where King Arthur is mortally wounded by Mordred). Some think this refers to the Last Battle, but I tend to get really suspicious when RJ uses Aes Sedai language, and the fact that Nicola said 'great' rather than 'last' is no doubt significant. Also, it doesn't mesh with the idea of the Dragon's Peace, in that if such a thing happens, there should be no more fighting, and Rand shouldn't be important - but the future teeters on the edge of a blade, and he who is dead yet lives seems to be very important, as do his three women.

 

So, my thought is that Rand will die before the Peace is accomplished, some time during the Battle of Caemlyn. And then we get this:

 

Frowning, he squatted with his elbows on his knees. Lan got down with him, but he hardly noticed. A dicey problem. And fascinating. "Best if you try to shove him away. Hit him from the south, mainly." He pointed to the River Gaelin; it joined the Alguenya some miles north of the city. "There are bridges up here. Leave the Shaido a clear path to them. Always leave a way out, unless you really want to find out how hard a man can fight when he's nothing to lose."

I think this is a big, fat foreshadowing here. ^^

 

Back to Bashere's 'something dark'. I think it will have something to do with the Legion of the Dragon. They were Taim's idea, at a time when Taim was most likely taking orders from Demandred. It might have been Taim's impromptu idea (and one of the many reasons why he started answering to Nae'blis directly around TPOD). It might have been part of Demandred's plan. The seal to buy Rand's trust, great ideas to help him recruit male channelers - as far as Demandred knew, men doomed to go insane without the protection of the Dark One - and ideas to build an army.

 

Bashere has been training the Legion of the Dragon since it was formed, but he has been mostly away from them for some time now, and the glossary of TOM states that they are at present 'training for the Last Battle'. The Legion incorporated the Illianers who had been most loyal to Lord Brend during the Illian-Altara campaign against the Seanchan in TPOD. No doubt the officers have been infiltrated with Darkfriends.

 

Between that and the 10,000 mercenaries hanging around Caemlyn, we have a serious problem. But I suspect they've been waiting for just the right moment to kill Bashere, and no doubt it will be when he goes to fetch them for the defense of Caemlyn.

 

That being said, other great captains are also probably targets of the Forsaken (mostly Demandred and Moridin, since the three ladies have been humbled). Ituralde, Bryne, and Agelmar are likely all in danger. All four living great captains are at Merrilor, if I'm not mistaken. (Unless you want to count Mat.)

[Lacanos]

My problem with what you've done here is you've given us a list of plotlines that need to be resolved and said "therefore FoM can't happen the way we think".

 

 

For another thing, Caemlyn was being attacked around the same time - presumably not too long after dark. Maybe around midnight, and the sun goes down a little earlier in Caemlyn than at Merrilor.

Let's begin with this. It's entirely plausible that this attack will not involve Elayne or Rand, or indeed any of the parties at FoM but rather will be a big issue for the band. There's speculation that this will be where Olver dies (which I think has a lot of merit). Indeed, it may be entirely possible that Moiraine will go to the FoM but Mat will go to Caemlyn (possibly with reinforcements).

My point is, this doesn't mean FoM can't happen the way we hope.

 

Also, Tuon is planning on attacking the White Tower. Could it be that she learned of the meeting at Merrilor and decided to attack there instead? In either case, she doesn't have a dreamspike, so if she attacks the Tower on the Night Before Merrilor, word might reach them around the same time as word reaches them about Caemlyn. this could be prologue action.

 

I think this is unlikely to have happened pre-FoM - Egwene for one is already at Merrilor. Possibly after the majority of rulers have met and begun talking with Rand. After all, the meeting could well begin, be interrupted, then resume later. Again, this doesn't constitute any evidence against "Peace Aid '12".

 

 

Perrin was planning on investigating the dreamspike in Tel'aran'rhiod, and he might have been doing so concurrent with Rand's own dream. This is not likely to be a boring scene, and Slayer is not likely to be alone in guarding it this time. I expect this in the prologue - certainly before or concurrent with the earliest Merrilor POVs.

 

Furthermore, Rand no doubt realizes that a Forsaken is in control at the Black Tower, since he probably knows enough to recognize the effects of a dreamspike. He doesn't, however, know anything about the turning channelers to the Shadow yet. He might soon learn. We know that the Black Tower action is early in the book, partly because Brandon mentioned it recently on Twitter, and partly because we know it was originally supposed to be at the end of TOM. Also, TOM was originally supposed to end with all the major plotlines reunited at Merrilor, according to the outline given by Brandon at WorldCon 2009. He mentioned later that he didn't quite make it to the reunion, which means Mat and Moiraine and Thom. Everyone else important is there - the first such reunion since Tear (minus Min).

 

The Black Tower issue then. As aforementioned, this is trailing the rest of the storyline somewhat. That said, if Perrin was to play a major role in it I think there'd have been some indication when mentioning his camp at the end of ToM. There's no reason that Perrin would need to be a big player here though. Rand could, for example, enter TAR in the flesh.

 

 

The point I'm really trying to make is: We don't know enough about how these individual events will play out to say "yes, FoM will/will not happen in a certain way". It's possible these events would only delay it for one. And there has to be some kind of forum for the peace to have been made at that Aviendha envisions.

[Terez]

My problem with what you've done here is you've given us a list of plotlines that need to be resolved and said "therefore FoM can't happen the way we think".

No, I've listed a bunch of urgent problems that are incredibly likely to distract the people at Merrilor. I noticed you skipped most of them.

 

For another thing, Caemlyn was being attacked around the same time - presumably not too long after dark. Maybe around midnight, and the sun goes down a little earlier in Caemlyn than at Merrilor.

Let's begin with this. It's entirely plausible that this attack will not involve Elayne or Rand

Plausible? Not at all. Elayne is queen there; she's not going to ignore it, and Rand's not going to let her attend to it alone.

 

Also, Tuon is planning on attacking the White Tower. Could it be that she learned of the meeting at Merrilor and decided to attack there instead? In either case, she doesn't have a dreamspike, so if she attacks the Tower on the Night Before Merrilor, word might reach them around the same time as word reaches them about Caemlyn. this could be prologue action.

 

I think this is unlikely to have happened pre-FoM - Egwene for one is already at Merrilor. Possibly after the majority of rulers have met and begun talking with Rand. After all, the meeting could well begin, be interrupted, then resume later. Again, this doesn't constitute any evidence against "Peace Aid '12".

It doesn't matter if they attack before or after - either way, they're not likely to be a part of the peace party. Rand needs them.

 

 

Perrin was planning on investigating the dreamspike in Tel'aran'rhiod, and he might have been doing so concurrent with Rand's own dream. This is not likely to be a boring scene, and Slayer is not likely to be alone in guarding it this time. I expect this in the prologue - certainly before or concurrent with the earliest Merrilor POVs.

 

Furthermore, Rand no doubt realizes that a Forsaken is in control at the Black Tower, since he probably knows enough to recognize the effects of a dreamspike. He doesn't, however, know anything about the turning channelers to the Shadow yet. He might soon learn. We know that the Black Tower action is early in the book, partly because Brandon mentioned it recently on Twitter, and partly because we know it was originally supposed to be at the end of TOM. Also, TOM was originally supposed to end with all the major plotlines reunited at Merrilor, according to the outline given by Brandon at WorldCon 2009. He mentioned later that he didn't quite make it to the reunion, which means Mat and Moiraine and Thom. Everyone else important is there - the first such reunion since Tear (minus Min).

 

The Black Tower issue then. As aforementioned, this is trailing the rest of the storyline somewhat.

Which makes the situation even more desperate than we last saw.

 

That said, if Perrin was to play a major role in it I think there'd have been some indication when mentioning his camp at the end of ToM.

He probably investigated the dreamspike that night. He said he was going to in his last POV.

 

There's no reason that Perrin would need to be a big player here though. Rand could, for example, enter TAR in the flesh.

He could, but will he? And if he does, couldn't it be a trap? Again, things to distract from the Peace.

 

...there has to be some kind of forum for the peace to have been made at that Aviendha envisions.

We know that, but there's no reason it has to be Merrilor, and plenty of reason to think it won't be.

[randsc]

I can buy most of the initial post. The follow-ups, less so. Not the Legion of the Dragon part, since they seem to me to have been basically set up from the beginning to be Randland's first corps of musketeers.

 

But generally, it's a plausible scenario. Still less likely, in my view, than FoM being exactly the sort of scene most have expected. But plausible.

 

I do find it unlikely in the extreme that Tuon would attack at Merilor. Her whole purpose in attacking the White Tower is to weaken Rand prior to bringing him to heel. Something she needs to do because she knows she doesn't have the strength to force the issue yet.

[Charlz Guybon]

 

 

 

For another thing, Caemlyn was being attacked around the same time - presumably not too long after dark. Maybe around midnight, and the sun goes down a little earlier in Caemlyn than at Merrilor.

 

Isn't Merrilor in Shienar? Shienar is to the east of Andor, so the sun should go down there first.

[randsc]

 

 

 

For another thing, Caemlyn was being attacked around the same time - presumably not too long after dark. Maybe around midnight, and the sun goes down a little earlier in Caemlyn than at Merrilor.

 

Isn't Merrilor in Shienar? Shienar is to the east of Andor, so the sun should go down there first.

 

Details, details.

[David Selig]

I agree with this theory. Merrilor won't proceed like planned at all, and the armies wil be sent to Caemlyn and possibly other attacked cities ASAP. The Peace and the seals will be left to be decided for another time.

 

That's a shame, BTW, since we may miss all those reunions between characters we've waited so long for, or they will be really rushed.

[Wantanswers]

This theory is as good as your "Gawyn will kill Rand" theory, and you know how I thought, and still think of it.

 

 

 

That said, if Perrin was to play a major role in it I think there'd have been some indication when mentioning his camp at the end of ToM.

 

He probably investigated the dreamspike that night. He said he was going to in his last POV.

Just a wild guess, not an argument.

 

 

There's no reason that Perrin would need to be a big player here though. Rand could, for example, enter TAR in the flesh.

 

He could, but will he? And if he does, couldn't it be a trap? Again, things to distract from the Peace.

If it was a trap, Rand has survived it.

 

 

...there has to be some kind of forum for the peace to have been made at that Aviendha envisions.

 

 

We know that, but there's no reason it has to be Merrilor, and plenty of reason to think it won't be.

Here you might be right, but you didn't give any of those "plenty of reason". I, for one, think that the real meeting will take place in the White Tower.

Before I start my reasoning about that I have to correct something about Lews Therin. LTT never was (the) Tamyrlin. He was First among Servants and wore the Ring of Tamyrlin. More information about Tamyrlin you can find in WoT-Wiki. LTT held the Nine Rods of Dominion too. (Wonder if the Ring of Tamyrlin will be found again.)

 

We have to realise that we have only one book, but a lot of plot-lines, to go. A lot of prophecies, dreams and foretellings have to be fulfilled. I know some of the plot-lines won't be resolved, but still there must happen a lot in one book. It seems reasonable that a lot of things has to be combined, or will happen simultaneously.

 

Let's look, what might happen now so many armies has gathered on the Fields of Merrilor.

 

Borderlands

The borderlands armies aren't at tFoM. We know their kings swore an oath to Rand. What did he do with them. Send them home, or did he send them to Tarwin's Gap. After all he promised Nynaeve he would send help to Lan. Besides, the those Kings and Queens swore an oath to each other stronger than blood.

 

Caemlyn

In the epilogue of ToM we learned that Caemlyn was attacked, but we don't it was done by shadowspan only, or if the Black Tower is involved as well. I will give some thought as if things happen separately. Who is going to be hero(ine) in Caemlyn:

1. Elaine

2. Birgitte

3. Moiraine

4. Mat

5. Olver

Perhaps you think it odd that I added Olver, but we have to consider some things:

Verin was forced by the Pattern to Mat. Did the Pattern also force Mat not to open it and to leave it behind, when he headed for the Tower of Ghenjei?

Did the Pattern force Olver to open that letter?

We also have to consider an answer on some book tour of RJ, when he was asked if Olver was Gaidal Cain. He stated he wasn't but he added that Olver still had a (important) role to play. (couldn't find the quote on Terez database, but I found it paraphrased on WoT-Wiki)

We also have to wonder if Mat already gave Olver the copy of the foxhead ter'angreal, for, if so, Olver might even kill Demandred.(hope some exaggeration is allowed.)

 

Black Tower

Who is going to be the hero(ine) here:

1. Pevara

2. Rand

3. Perrin

4. Andol

5. Pevara and Andol linked

 

White Tower

There is a grove in Tar Valon and we can assume there is a Waygate as well.

In the 3^th part of Egwene's test for Accepted we saw that the WT was invaded by Black Ajah and Shadowspan. I think there is a lot of foreshadowing in Egwene's and Nynaeve's test. (not going to discuss it here, because it would be off topic to far. If needed I will start another thread about it)

“She had dreamed of Seanchan, too, of women in dresses with lightning bolts woven on their breasts, collaring a long line of women who wore Great Serpent rings, forcing them to call lightning against the White Tower.”

There are only two possibilities this can happen:

1. The Seanchean leashed a lot of Black Ajah.

2. The WT is occupied by Black Ajah and Shadowspan.

 

When I consider other dreams of Egwene, I don't think the Seanchean are going to attack the WT, but are going to defend it.

“She was struggling up a narrow, rocky path along the face of a towering cliff. Clouds surrounded her, hiding the ground below and the crest above, yet she knew that both were very far away. [...] Abruptly, the ledge dropped away from under her with the crack of crumbling stone, and she caught frantically at the cliff, fingers scrabbling to find a hold. [...] Suddenly a woman appeared, clambering down the sheer side of the cliff out of the clouds, making her way as deftly as if she were walking down stairs. There was a sword strapped to her back. Her face wavered, never settling clearly, but the sword seemed as solid as the stone. The woman reached Egwene's level and held out one hand. "We can reach the top together," she said in a familiar drawling accent.”

To me it is clear this is Tuon. The sword on her back symbolises her army:

An army is a generals sword.

"clambering down the sheer side of the cliff out of the clouds" This suggest she is sitting on a *raken. If so, it can only be Tuon or Tylee. I bet it is Tuon.

 

This isn't a theory; I just collected some things to consider. Perhaps I can develop it to a theory after I have studied more and found more clues.

[Ala Rubra]

Plausible? Not at all. Elayne is queen there; she's not going to ignore it, and Rand's not going to let her attend to it alone.

 

Are you sure about that? What better way to make the threat of his ultimatum real than to refuse to help until they agree to the peace? Yeah, it would be a really nasty thing to do, but no one will believe that the Dragon Reborn is actually prepared to abandon the world unless he actually does. Of course, doing something like that has real potential to backfire on him as well, because it will certainly not make people like him more, no matter what the outcome, and if they actually manage to handle it on their own, they'll be much less likely to decide that they really need the Dragon Reborn enough to make a deal with him.

[yoniy0]

Recall that Caemlyn might be a Traveling-free-zone by the time the trollocs appear. If so, Elayne might not be notified of the attack, making this point moot.

However, this is the only way I imagine Rand might not come to the city's aid. Terez is right; he might let other rulers hang, but not Elayne. And Elayne will never forsake Caemlyn, which she considers to be the heart of Andor. Of course, that doesn't mean he has to go himself.

 

One last point: we know that a reunion of timelines is in the cards. Hence Mat will probably find his way to tFoM shortly, before anything fatal can happen to Rand (he might not be himself, a la Terez's DragoNae'blis, but I doubt it. Not much of a reunion that way).

 

 

On a different subject, @Wantanswers, could you try for a more civil tone please?

[Wantanswers]

@yoniy0

I suppose you are referring to the first line of my post. If Terez wrote something like that to me, I would at least smile, but more probably laugh. I may have an odd sense of humor.

[DemandredFO]

Do we know how many AS and guards are left in the tower?