Mat's Inevitable Meeting With Cadsuane

[Winespring Patron]

I hope there is space in aMoL for this scene to happen, will Mat actually be able to charm Cadsuane like he did the Aiel Wise Ones? How will she react upon learning first hand that he is even more ill mannered then Rand used to be? Will she be so offended by his brashness that she attempts to teach him a "lesson"?

 

Here is a hypothetical scene of Rand introducing Mat to Cadsuane, with various major characters present:

 

 

Rand: "Mat, this is Cadsuane Melaidhrin my Adviser"

 

Mat: "Adviser! That sounds bloody like some Aes Sedai telling you how to do everything, does she also teach you to dress, speak, and act like some bloody noble with wool betweens his ears who spouts hot air all the time? You'll never see Mat Cauthon jumping for some woman just because she has a fancy title!" Mat winces as he remembers his dealings with Tuon, Elayne, Tylin, Egwene, Nynaeve, Siuan, Moirane, and Verin.

 

Egwene: Does face palm and wishes she was back in WT.

 

Elayne: Starts to snicker but quickly retains Queenly serenity

 

Nynaeve: Starts to tug her braid but then realizes that she finds the situation very amusing, and decides to forgive Mat for all of his village antics, retroactively; controls facial expression with a slightest quiver of lips.

 

Moiraine: Basking in her legendary status, stares Cadsuane in the face and displays her most insolent Cairhienin grin; Mat notices and gives her an approving nod.

 

Cadsuane: "Well, another village lout who actually outdoes the Shepherd for rudeness, and here I thought that was impossible! It will be a pleasant surprise to finally meet the "humble" Blacksmith that caused so much chaos taking your "Prophet" in hand. Looking at Mat, "Boy, I have heard all about your exploits, instead of gambling coppers secretly in the barn you are now wagering kingdoms... Gambler, you are a pretend Hawkwing who has had a run of luck; what happened to your eye? Did one of the wenches you dandle finally become wise to your ways?"

 

Rand: Inwardly sighs, and regrets wishing for old times...

 

Mat: Smiling broadly while grinding teeth, "Call me Mat, Please" and then proceeds to make a proper bow that even a retired, on the lam, Andoran

Court Bard would be proud of. "I am what I am, Aes Sedai; it just so happens that Rand needs a Military Adviser, so I guess we're going to be working together, official-like."

 

Cadsuane: Looking like Fred Sanford about to have the big one; exclaims, "You, a Great Captain? I'll believe a body servant for a queen before I acknowledge your delusions..."

 

Elayne: startled, raises chin

 

Cadsuane: Eyeing Rand, "Boy, is this spiting me for the "lesson" on manners? If it is, it is not amusing, this scoundrel is destined for a lesson that will make it into the stories!"

 

Rand: "Well, ummm, Mat knows things, ever since errrr, doesn't matter; Lord Bashere has collaborated with him and can attest to his skills. Oh, and by the way, people have been instructing Mat since his childhood and he seems remarkably resistant to learning your type of lessons."

 

Nynaeve: sighs audibly, and then sheepishly realizes it.

 

Cadsuane: "We'll see about that, if you can be taught, so can anyone!"

 

Mat: Discreetly making sure his Foxhead medallion is in contact with his skin, Mat proceeds to say in fluent Old Tongue: "Cadsuane Sedai, your attention honors this common soldier and I look forward to receiving your lessons in the spirit intended."

 

Egwene: Whispers to a surprised Elayne, asking for a translation

 

Nynaeve: Shakes herself and closes gaping mouth

 

Rand: Wonders what Mat has said, then guesses his lifelong friend has managed to once again alienate a powerful figure. Rand begins contemplating an impromptu visit to the Borderlands to inspect the newly re-established defenses but is disappointed when he realizes the room is too small and crowded to make a hasty Gateway.

 

Suddenly, everybody in the room except Mat makes apologies and begs leave of Cadsuane before exiting the room. Rand takes one last look upon leaving, noting Mat's defiant glare being countered by Cadsuane's determined look and is glad that he will not be a part of this "negotiation".

[FarShainMael]

'retired, on the lam, Andoran court bard'.. love it! now who could that possibly be, I wonder....

 

Of course, Rand is more likely to go AS on Cadsuane again.. I wonder how much Old Tongue he remembers now?..

[smthappy]

I think he remembers everything and have every ability LTT had.

[mackoY-kun]

Nah! he'll just juggle her like he did mistress Anan. She can't be much more than that.

 

Legendary AS = stilled AS who survives

[Luckers]

Oh... Mat meeting Cadsuane. I'm gonna be honest, I don't like the idea--its essentially the two characters Brandon gets consistantly wrong.

 

Cadsuane will be boorish and Mat will be wordy.

[csarmi]

... except Cadsuane would respect Mat. She's a very good judge of character.

 

Not to mention thah she does have a ter'angreal like that too so she won't be suprised and would know how to counter it.

[Elgee]

... except Cadsuane would respect Mat. She's a very good judge of character.

w how to counter it.

 

As Luckers said, before BS got them all wrong. My greatest disappointment of his books, I must say.

[ZeshanHamdani]

i chuckled throughout that whole reading. thank you so much for it.

But, Cadsuane would not react so reactionary.

Rand would understand the old tongue cause he is LTT.

but still awesome

[OptimusPrime]

Mat should threaten to bend her over his knee!

 

Itd be interesting if he had memories of someone she knew. Like he remembered dancing with her in her youth, or maybe had memories of someone she was bonded to?

[mackoY-kun]

Mat should threaten to bend her over his knee!

 

Itd be interesting if he had memories of someone she knew. Like he remembered dancing with her in her youth, or maybe had memories of someone she was bonded to?

 

Mat isn't outright rude or hostile, like what Cads want to fix on Rand. Not unless he has reason to, like when you save peoples bacon and they step all over you (ie Nynaeve, Elayne, Egwene, Joline, Edisina and that 3rd AS. So she won't go about trying to "fix him up". Like I said there won't be an eruption or epic proportions, but just some casual "elbowing".

 

Impossible. Mat's A/Eelfin memories date from the Trolloc Wars to the War of a Hundred Year, none before or after. That means from 2000 to 1000 years ago.

[Winespring Patron]

i chuckled throughout that whole reading. thank you so much for it.

But, Cadsuane would not react so reactionary.

Rand would understand the old tongue cause he is LTT.

but still awesome

 

I've always liked the scene in tSR of Mat meeting the 4 Aiel Dreamwalkers at Chaendaer, women capable of intimidating a fearless man like Rhuarc. The Wise Ones initially resented Mat because Rand forced them to let Mat, an Outlander, enter Rhuidean. Yet, before long, Mat had Seana and Bair laughing at one of his quips and even coaxed a smile out of the prickly unmarried Melaine.

 

I think Tam's "bully" comment really got to Cadsuane in tGS, she backed off as much as she ever had in that scene. Perhaps she won't be so confrontational but I won't guess how far her tolerance will extend. She doesn't know what to make of Rand Sedai but still feels duty bound to make sure he reaches Tarmon Gai'don. I also get the feeling that she won't feel obligated to interact with the other two Ta'veren as carefully as she treats Rand.

 

I forgot that Rand's and LTT's minds merged in tGS and ToM because of the limited Rand POV's. It would be neat to have a scene in aMoL where Rand desires privacy between him, Mat, and Cadsuane and shifts into rapid fire Old Tongue dialogue.

[Leyrann]

Mat should threaten to bend her over his knee!

 

Itd be interesting if he had memories of someone she knew. Like he remembered dancing with her in her youth, or maybe had memories of someone she was bonded to?

 

Mat isn't outright rude or hostile, like what Cads want to fix on Rand. Not unless he has reason to, like when you save peoples bacon and they step all over you (ie Nynaeve, Elayne, Egwene, Joline, Edisina and that 3rd AS. So she won't go about trying to "fix him up". Like I said there won't be an eruption or epic proportions, but just some casual "elbowing".

 

Impossible. Mat's A/Eelfin memories date from the Trolloc Wars to the War of a Hundred Year, none before or after. That means from 2000 to 1000 years ago.

 

Mat has some memories from before the Trolloc Wars, so roughly 2500 to 1000 years ago. And I saw Rand's OT was already corrected some times...

[FarShainMael]

Mat should threaten to bend her over his knee!

 

Interesting comment, in view of Caddy's own thoughts on what it would take to break her, when she did exactly that to Semi..

 

Re Rand and the OT: He's had a few OT memories from LTT:

 

Rand opened his mouth to ask the meaning - he knew a scant few words of the OT, no more - when interpretation floated to the surface in his mind. Siswai'aman. Literally, the spears of the Dragon.

[francy]

Oh... Mat meeting Cadsuane. I'm gonna be honest, I don't like the idea--its essentially the two characters Brandon gets consistantly wrong.

 

Cadsuane will be boorish and Mat will be wordy.

 

How did he get Cadsuane wrong? I completely agree about Mat - while I do still love him, Brandon's Mat is definitely 'wrong'... But I didn't get that feeling with Cadsuane. Maybe because I dislike her so strongly...

 

So just wanted to know what makes you feel she is written wrong? I'm not being cheeky, I'm genuinely curious...

 

:-)

 

Thanks in advance.

[csarmi]

Brandon's Mat is alright. At least she didn't really change his character. He did debase Cadsuane, however.

[Mystica]

Oh... Mat meeting Cadsuane. I'm gonna be honest, I don't like the idea--its essentially the two characters Brandon gets consistantly wrong.

 

Cadsuane will be boorish and Mat will be wordy.

 

 

I agree with this fully. Since TGS, Cadsuane has been depicted in quite a different light from all the previous books. Perhaps Brandon is one of the many that never liked her much and perhaps that has influenced his writing of her character, but there is a distinct difference in the feeling of Caddy before and after Brandon. In the two last books the characteristics that have been used by anti-Cadsuane folk as a reason to hate her have been emphasized in her scenes. Petty, bullying, overpowered, slapped down, etc. All the things the anti-Cad crowd sees and wants to see. Not at all the same woman from before.

 

With Mat, the table is turned. Brandon likes Mat (and always has) and with him it seems the elements that made Mat liked are also emphasized more. The humor, the gambling, the luck, the quirks. Now, I've always been a number 1 Mat Fan and I find myself liking this but that doesn't take away the fact that the subtleties are gone. Even while the things I love are emphasized, I have to acknowledge that fact.

 

I'm not aiming at complaining against Brandon, but it's obvious in these two characters more than any other that there simply is no replacing RJ in terms of subtleties that make the characters in WOT. It's a shame and it diminishes both characters a lot in my opinion, but frankly I don't think ànyone could have done better. RJ was RJ, there is no replacing him. And these two show it more than anything else.

[Mats Spare Hat]

When I think of the way both of those characters came off in the past two books, it reminds me of what happens when I eat too many sweet potato fries...

 

...*prolific elongated farting

 

 

Having established thus:

 

Random Character: Ugh omg Cads is like, mean

Mat: Eh, she's always been that way

RC *not realizing: What do you mean? This is the first time you've met her

Mat: Uh...yeah, I mean I've heard stuff, word gets around *shifty eyes

 

Say, for instance if somewhere in Mat's acquired memories, he's encountered Cads previously, being that she's pretty old.

[Luckers]

Mat's last memories are around Hawkwing's time. Cadsuane is only 295, Mat will have no memories of her.

[SylvanFox]

I have a feeling Cadsuane would actually like Mat. He's roguish and a little rude, but he isn't cruel like Rand was getting when Cads was telling him to behave.

[Mandro]

Other than being TV, I don't think Cadsuane would care about Mat.

[ThwartAbyss54]

She might care a little because his TV with the other two same village friends etc Has she met (Perrin) yet?

[yoniy0]

What do you mean? That's the only reason Moiraine cared about any of the boys too. Well, that's not ture; Rand's channeling isn't directly linked to his ta'verenness.