Egwene's Opinion of Mat

[SuperFade]

'Moridin' is the old tongue word for 'Death'. So the idea of it being refered to as 'The Grave' makes sense. It's simply refering to the fact that death isn't a barrier for the heroes.

[Suttree]

Egwene probably passes off favorable opinions of Matt the same way she does Rand, Taveren. I don't think Moiraine will do anything to change Egwene's mind. She will try but Egwene doesn't need her anymore. Before she needed Moraine's knowledge, now she knows she knows everything.

 

Did you see this quote provided earlier?

 

ACOS, Ch. 12

 

Mat had a reputation as a soldier? Crows swimming did not come close. She had believed he commanded only because of Rand, and that had been hard enough to swallow. Believing because you think you know is dangerous, she reminded herself, eying Bryne.

[Xcorpyo001]

'Moridin' is the old tongue word for 'Death'. So the idea of it being refered to as 'The Grave' makes sense. It's simply refering to the fact that death isn't a barrier for the heroes.

 

 

Those words in the old tongue have more meanings.

Moridin=death, grave, etc

Moridin considered himself Lord of the Grave in the first books(he was crazy enough to consider himself the DO, or close to it).

If the theory that the Bore will be sealed, the world will forget about it and make it again is correct, then maybe the Horn was created in another age in which the Bore was opened.

Since they couldn't chose who will use it, they made a clause that forces the heroes to follow the DR when they'll have to fight the Lord of the Grave(or his lackey, Moridin) again, and try to keep it hidden to limit the risk of misuse when the DR is in limbo.

The only time they used the Horn, was against Moridin&co(Ba'alzamon at the time), and the heroes had to follow the DR, not the man who used the Horn, so that is it's main function.

 

On the Egwene's opinion on Mat, I think nothing less than saving the WT or giving her Fortuona on a leash will make her readjust her view of him.

[Mr Ares]

i think she will get it when he saves her precious tower. i think mat plans to 1. go gather the band 2 go get the horn at the tower, no he doesnt know exactly where it is but his luck will get him to it, knowing his luck the gateway will open in the exact room its in lol 3 meet up with rand. hes gonna go to caemlyn see whats going on, rush to the tower for the horn so he can use the heroes to save andor and low and behold he runs into his wife about to take the tower (and his little sister bode). he will either convince tuon to travel back to andor with him and fight the trollocs or maybe blow the horn to fight against her and save the tower. or just taveren the hell out of her (thats what he likes to call it in his head). i know this doesnt gel with egwenes dream of seanchan helping her but it could work out that way somehow....the one who has hated aes sedai the most and has tried his hardest to stay clear of them will end up saving them. im thinking he doesnt even make it to the field and the reunion.

The heroes won't fight for Matt unlsee Rand is there with the banner. They come to the call of the horn but they follow the Dragon.

 

We don't know if that's always the case or if that was just what that specific situation needed.

It reads pretty clearly as the Heroes Follow the Dragon and the Banner.

The Great Hunt: Ch 47

"the Pattern weaves itself around our necks like halters," Arthur Hawkwing said. "You are here. The Banner is here. The weave of the moment is set. We have come to the Horn, but we must follow the banner. And the Dragon."

At least to me. To each their own.

 

No, the bolded line and the fact that the Horn was around from before the Age of Legends -- and therefore before the "Champion of the Light" became known as the Dragon -- implies that it was a function of that particular moment.

 

I think they are wrong about the Horn.

I think it was made precisely for the Last Battle.

Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin I think the right translation for this part is: "Not even Moridin can withstand my power/call"

You know, the champion of the Dark, bla bla bla.

It sounds better than “The Grave is no bar to my call. Let he who sounds me think not of glory, but of salvation

Or maybe it doesn't sounds better, but it makes more sense.

No, it makes less sense. What does the Horn do? It summons dead Heroes of legend. So the grave really is no bar to its call. Putting something on the Horn telling you what it does? Not unreasonable. Putting a message on there saying "Moridin won't stop me working. I mean, I know you weren't thinking that he would, but he totally won't." is completely pointless.

[Winespring Patron]

 

...On the Egwene's opinion on Mat, I think nothing less than saving the WT or giving her Fortuona on a leash will make her readjust her view of him.

 

I am concerned that when Mat does show up at the WT and asks for the Horn, that Egwene will say "Hey, not so fast Mat, we must have a meeting to decide when and where the Horn is used and that it is done properly..." She might even insist on sending Aes Sedai with Mat to "supervise" him while he possesses the horn.

 

I guess her reaction to Mat's appearance depends on a number of things: how FOM falls out, Caemlyn, and her state of mind after she realizes she was "played" by Rand. I can see Egwene taking offense after Teslyn delivers Mat's message about "not being turned away"; will this make her uncooperative when he actually shows up?

 

More importantly, will Egwene try to keep Mat in the Tower, having failed to do so with Rand? If she tries, I hope Teslyn and Siuan speak up in his favor.

[Kahsm]

 

...On the Egwene's opinion on Mat, I think nothing less than saving the WT or giving her Fortuona on a leash will make her readjust her view of him.

 

I am concerned that when Mat does show up at the WT and asks for the Horn, that Egwene will say "Hey, not so fast Mat, we must have a meeting to decide when and where the Horn is used and that it is done properly..." She might even insist on sending Aes Sedai with Mat to "supervise" him while he possesses the horn.

 

I guess her reaction to Mat's appearance depends on a number of things: how FOM falls out, Caemlyn, and her state of mind after she realizes she was "played" by Rand. I can see Egwene taking offense after Teslyn delivers Mat's message about "not being turned away"; will this make her uncooperative when he actually shows up?

 

More importantly, will Egwene try to keep Mat in the Tower, having failed to do so with Rand? If she tries, I hope Teslyn and Siuan speak up in his favor.

 

Siuan?! The woman who used anyone for anything she could? She basically kept Min prisoner and had barely-accepted hunting down Black Ajah for her in distant lands outside the white tower. Her whole motivation after being stilled, what kept her alive, was to see Elaida was removed and the right woman was on the Amyrlin seat. That woman was, apparently, Egwene. I don't think Mat will get much sympathy there.

 

As for her reaction I think you're exactly right, that's what will happen. And I'd be "concerned" if the WT just gave mat the horn and was like "alright, there you go, off to do whatever you want again." It's the Horn of Valor of the Light's sake, it's not Mat's hat they were holding on to for him.

[Xcorpyo001]

 

...On the Egwene's opinion on Mat, I think nothing less than saving the WT or giving her Fortuona on a leash will make her readjust her view of him.

 

I am concerned that when Mat does show up at the WT and asks for the Horn, that Egwene will say "Hey, not so fast Mat, we must have a meeting to decide when and where the Horn is used and that it is done properly..." She might even insist on sending Aes Sedai with Mat to "supervise" him while he possesses the horn.

 

I guess her reaction to Mat's appearance depends on a number of things: how FOM falls out, Caemlyn, and her state of mind after she realizes she was "played" by Rand. I can see Egwene taking offense after Teslyn delivers Mat's message about "not being turned away"; will this make her uncooperative when he actually shows up?

 

More importantly, will Egwene try to keep Mat in the Tower, having failed to do so with Rand? If she tries, I hope Teslyn and Siuan speak up in his favor.

 

Siuan?! The woman who used anyone for anything she could? She basically kept Min prisoner and had barely-accepted hunting down Black Ajah for her in distant lands outside the white tower. Her whole motivation after being stilled, what kept her alive, was to see Elaida was removed and the right woman was on the Amyrlin seat. That woman was, apparently, Egwene. I don't think Mat will get much sympathy there.

 

As for her reaction I think you're exactly right, that's what will happen. And I'd be "concerned" if the WT just gave mat the horn and was like "alright, there you go, off to do whatever you want again." It's the Horn of Valor of the Light's sake, it's not Mat's hat they were holding on to for him.

 

 

You are right, they will claim they must be the ones in charge of things, the Horn and Mat included.

And that is the problem.

There is no prophecy about AS leading and winning the Last Battle.

There are prophecies about Rand, Mat, even Perrin(not all in the WT possession...which is a black ball for them), bun none about Egwene and the WT leading the fight and saving the day.

Actually, the only part about the WT is all of them kneeling to him and washing his feet(20 AS do not make a tower).

I have serious doubts that in aMoL Egwene will be running after Rand with a washbasin, a towel and a bucket of water.

Nobody in the WT even knows how the Bore looks like, but when the only living guy that was there and actually sealed the damn thing in the first place(poorly, but he did it anyway) comes with a plan(probably a ruse, but a plan none the less) they shoot it down without even trying to find out the reasoning behind it.

Since the Pattern itself chose these guys, maybe they should try to help them(or at listen to what they have to say), not control or use them for their own incomplete/nonexistent plans. Alas, no such luck.

 

 

PS: forgot to mention that Siuan already kept Mat prisoner once.

And if she does change her mind, Egwene will probably blame it on his ta'veren nature, as she did with Nynaeve and her new found respect for Zen Rand.

[DemandredFO]

I don't Egwene will be in a good position when she goes back. I think it likely that Mat will have the Seanchan, at least some AS respect him, plus he will probably have just saved the tower from Shadowspawn.

[Majsju]

i think she will get it when he saves her precious tower. i think mat plans to 1. go gather the band 2 go get the horn at the tower, no he doesnt know exactly where it is but his luck will get him to it, knowing his luck the gateway will open in the exact room its in lol 3 meet up with rand. hes gonna go to caemlyn see whats going on, rush to the tower for the horn so he can use the heroes to save andor and low and behold he runs into his wife about to take the tower (and his little sister bode). he will either convince tuon to travel back to andor with him and fight the trollocs or maybe blow the horn to fight against her and save the tower. or just taveren the hell out of her (thats what he likes to call it in his head). i know this doesnt gel with egwenes dream of seanchan helping her but it could work out that way somehow....the one who has hated aes sedai the most and has tried his hardest to stay clear of them will end up saving them. im thinking he doesnt even make it to the field and the reunion.

The heroes won't fight for Matt unlsee Rand is there with the banner. They come to the call of the horn but they follow the Dragon.

 

We don't know if that's always the case or if that was just what that specific situation needed.

It reads pretty clearly as the Heroes Follow the Dragon and the Banner.

The Great Hunt: Ch 47

"the Pattern weaves itself around our necks like halters," Arthur Hawkwing said. "You are here. The Banner is here. The weave of the moment is set. We have come to the Horn, but we must follow the banner. And the Dragon."

At least to me. To each their own.

 

No, the bolded line and the fact that the Horn was around from before the Age of Legends -- and therefore before the "Champion of the Light" became known as the Dragon -- implies that it was a function of that particular moment.

 

 

I think they are wrong about the Horn.

I think it was made precisely for the Last Battle.

Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin I think the right translation for this part is: "Not even Moridin can withstand my power/call"

You know, the champion of the Dark, bla bla bla.

It sounds better than “The Grave is no bar to my call. Let he who sounds me think not of glory, but of salvation

Or maybe it doesn't sounds better, but it makes more sense.

 

Except that the inscription is quite irrelevant, as it was added long after the creation of the horn itself. The inscription was added during the AOL (thus it is in the old tongue), but the Horn is from a completely different age.

[Quazie89]

I just wish people would give Mat a litte bit more credit, but I think that is one of the reasons why I like Mat, because everybody seems to underestimate me, and I can understanad what he is going through.

[Winespring Patron]

PS: forgot to mention that Siuan already kept Mat prisoner once.

And if she does change her mind, Egwene will probably blame it on his ta'veren nature, as she did with Nynaeve and her new found respect for Zen Rand.

 

I think Siuan had a change of heart about Mat when she talked to him in Salidar (New Amyrlin Celebration Scene). In that very brief conversation she acknowledged her initial impression of him was wrong and that he was indeed brave, responsible and dependable. Her actual words were that he "makes a habit of jumping into fires" to save the folk when their house was burning down (paraphrase); that's Siuan's clipped, brusque way of saying that he is worthy of being Ta'veren and his place in the Pattern.

 

Anyway, I'm hoping there will be a scene in aMoL where Mat comes to the White Tower and Egwene attempts to lecture and convince him to stay in the WT for his "own protection". All of a sudden, there is a throat clearing, and Egwene looks behind her and sees Elayne, Birgitte, Nynaeve, Teslyn, Joline, Edesina, Setalle Ann, and Siuan. She initially thinks the group supports her but Elayne then asks the Amyrlin to let him have the Horn; to use how and when he pleases. Elayne proceeds to explain she once doubted and mistrusted Mat until time and again he managed to stave off disaster. Elayne states that Mat must be allowed the freedom for his luck to function to the Light's best advantage and that she would have no part in detaining him or denying him the primary tool he needs for success. Nynaeve nods, looks Egwene straight in the eye and tells her that she agrees with Elayne and that they must do what she once thought was unthinkable, entrust Mat Cauthon with great responsibility in the belief that he will do the right thing.

 

Anyway, in response to another OP (not Aiel Blademaster) who stated that Egwene knows best how to utilize the Horn of Valere, I heartily disagree. First of all remember how Mat came to be in possession of the Horn: in a face-off with the Seanchan High Lord Turak at Falme. Mat, Rand, Perrin, Ingtar, and Hurin had to fight off Turak and his elite guard detachment to regain the Horn, in other words there was a blood price paid by the "Falme Five". IMO Egwene may have current "custodial" possession of the Horn but that doesn't grant her the right to determine its tactical disposition. The WT is merely a convenient "secure" place to store it until it is needed for TG. I will be severely disappointed if Egwene plays "politics" with the Horn, basically holding it hostage until Rand agrees to go along with her plan...

 

I firmly think Mat understands his responsibility as "Hornsounder" better then everybody else in WOT and that he will coordinate closely with Rand (and his Great Captains) for exactly the right time and place to deploy the Horn.

[ironisles]

Well I'm not an expert.. but isn't Egwene at Merrilor? I don't think she is in a position to stop Mat from doing anything.

[Clayden69]

Does Egwene know about Mats medallion? i'm sure she does (well not too sure otherwise i wouldnt be asking) but if she doesn't then it will b funny to see her trying to restrain him

 

"Your bloody One Power doesn't work on me, Mother. Now get out my bloody way so I can get my Horn."

[MasterAblar]

Does Egwene know about Mats medallion? i'm sure she does (well not too sure otherwise i wouldnt be asking) but if she doesn't then it will b funny to see her trying to restrain him

 

"Your bloody One Power doesn't work on me, Mother. Now get out my bloody way so I can get my Horn."

 

I'm not sure she knows that it's the medallion that protects him from the one power, but she is aware that the power can't touch him for some reason. When Mat meets up with her in Salidar in LoC, and forces her out of her chair, she tries to stop him with the power and is stunned when it fails.

[Luckers]

i think she will get it when he saves her precious tower. i think mat plans to 1. go gather the band 2 go get the horn at the tower, no he doesnt know exactly where it is but his luck will get him to it, knowing his luck the gateway will open in the exact room its in lol 3 meet up with rand. hes gonna go to caemlyn see whats going on, rush to the tower for the horn so he can use the heroes to save andor and low and behold he runs into his wife about to take the tower (and his little sister bode). he will either convince tuon to travel back to andor with him and fight the trollocs or maybe blow the horn to fight against her and save the tower. or just taveren the hell out of her (thats what he likes to call it in his head). i know this doesnt gel with egwenes dream of seanchan helping her but it could work out that way somehow....the one who has hated aes sedai the most and has tried his hardest to stay clear of them will end up saving them. im thinking he doesnt even make it to the field and the reunion.

The heroes won't fight for Matt unlsee Rand is there with the banner. They come to the call of the horn but they follow the Dragon.

 

We don't know if that's always the case or if that was just what that specific situation needed.

It reads pretty clearly as the Heroes Follow the Dragon and the Banner.

The Great Hunt: Ch 47

"the Pattern weaves itself around our necks like halters," Arthur Hawkwing said. "You are here. The Banner is here. The weave of the moment is set. We have come to the Horn, but we must follow the banner. And the Dragon."

At least to me. To each their own.

 

No, the bolded line and the fact that the Horn was around from before the Age of Legends -- and therefore before the "Champion of the Light" became known as the Dragon -- implies that it was a function of that particular moment.

 

Here's Jordan's words on it...

 

Q: Hawkwing says they follow the banner and the Dragon. Moiraine says the Heroes will follow whoever winds the Horn. Was Moiraine wrong?

RJ: Moiraine doesn't know everything. She was speaking the truth as she knows it. However, she is correct in that whoever sounds the Horn "controls the Heroes."

Q: "Then what happens if the Dragon and the banner are on opposite sides of the conflict from whoever sounds the Horn?"

RJ: "Then we get a [rift] in the Pattern." (I'm not certain if this is the exact word he used. It may have been "schism" or "breach," but it was definitely a word expressing the concept of a forced opening/rupture.)

 

So my guess is that it's a mix of the two. The weave of the moment required the Heroes follow the Dragon in that particular instant, and the Dragon by nature of his role has certain connections to the Heroes, which means that the Dragon is present there will be a pull, and if anyone were foolish enough to use the Horn against the Dragon it would go very badly for everyone--but for all that, yes, the Horn likely can be sounded without the Dragon, and merely subject to the commands of the sounder of the Horn.

 

I'm wondering if this may not be a side-effect. The Horn is a constructed thing, artificial. The Heroes exist to be spun out and play the Hero, and the Horn taps into this. So the Horn's maker made it so they had to about the Sounder, which makes sense, not realising there were other influences upon the heroes (specifically the Dragon).

[Kahsm]

 

...On the Egwene's opinion on Mat, I think nothing less than saving the WT or giving her Fortuona on a leash will make her readjust her view of him.

 

I am concerned that when Mat does show up at the WT and asks for the Horn, that Egwene will say "Hey, not so fast Mat, we must have a meeting to decide when and where the Horn is used and that it is done properly..." She might even insist on sending Aes Sedai with Mat to "supervise" him while he possesses the horn.

 

I guess her reaction to Mat's appearance depends on a number of things: how FOM falls out, Caemlyn, and her state of mind after she realizes she was "played" by Rand. I can see Egwene taking offense after Teslyn delivers Mat's message about "not being turned away"; will this make her uncooperative when he actually shows up?

 

More importantly, will Egwene try to keep Mat in the Tower, having failed to do so with Rand? If she tries, I hope Teslyn and Siuan speak up in his favor.

 

Siuan?! The woman who used anyone for anything she could? She basically kept Min prisoner and had barely-accepted hunting down Black Ajah for her in distant lands outside the white tower. Her whole motivation after being stilled, what kept her alive, was to see Elaida was removed and the right woman was on the Amyrlin seat. That woman was, apparently, Egwene. I don't think Mat will get much sympathy there.

 

As for her reaction I think you're exactly right, that's what will happen. And I'd be "concerned" if the WT just gave mat the horn and was like "alright, there you go, off to do whatever you want again." It's the Horn of Valor of the Light's sake, it's not Mat's hat they were holding on to for him.

 

 

You are right, they will claim they must be the ones in charge of things, the Horn and Mat included.

And that is the problem.

There is no prophecy about AS leading and winning the Last Battle.

There are prophecies about Rand, Mat, even Perrin(not all in the WT possession...which is a black ball for them), bun none about Egwene and the WT leading the fight and saving the day.

Actually, the only part about the WT is all of them kneeling to him and washing his feet(20 AS do not make a tower).

I have serious doubts that in aMoL Egwene will be running after Rand with a washbasin, a towel and a bucket of water.

Nobody in the WT even knows how the Bore looks like, but when the only living guy that was there and actually sealed the damn thing in the first place(poorly, but he did it anyway) comes with a plan(probably a ruse, but a plan none the less) they shoot it down without even trying to find out the reasoning behind it.

Since the Pattern itself chose these guys, maybe they should try to help them(or at listen to what they have to say), not control or use them for their own incomplete/nonexistent plans. Alas, no such luck.

 

PS: forgot to mention that Siuan already kept Mat prisoner once.

And if she does change her mind, Egwene will probably blame it on his ta'veren nature, as she did with Nynaeve and her new found respect for Zen Rand.

 

Where in the prophecy does it say that Mat will do everything correctly and everyone should stay out of his way? I don't believe I said that the WT should claim to be in charge. I just suggested they shouldn't hand it over and wash their hands of the situation. There is a middle ground. They could just want to keep an eye on it and him. For example, there'd be no borderlander armies at the moment if Nynaeve hadn't been keeping an eye on Rand. But that's not in the prophecies either.

[Xcorpyo001]

 

...On the Egwene's opinion on Mat, I think nothing less than saving the WT or giving her Fortuona on a leash will make her readjust her view of him.

 

I am concerned that when Mat does show up at the WT and asks for the Horn, that Egwene will say "Hey, not so fast Mat, we must have a meeting to decide when and where the Horn is used and that it is done properly..." She might even insist on sending Aes Sedai with Mat to "supervise" him while he possesses the horn.

 

I guess her reaction to Mat's appearance depends on a number of things: how FOM falls out, Caemlyn, and her state of mind after she realizes she was "played" by Rand. I can see Egwene taking offense after Teslyn delivers Mat's message about "not being turned away"; will this make her uncooperative when he actually shows up?

 

More importantly, will Egwene try to keep Mat in the Tower, having failed to do so with Rand? If she tries, I hope Teslyn and Siuan speak up in his favor.

 

Siuan?! The woman who used anyone for anything she could? She basically kept Min prisoner and had barely-accepted hunting down Black Ajah for her in distant lands outside the white tower. Her whole motivation after being stilled, what kept her alive, was to see Elaida was removed and the right woman was on the Amyrlin seat. That woman was, apparently, Egwene. I don't think Mat will get much sympathy there.

 

As for her reaction I think you're exactly right, that's what will happen. And I'd be "concerned" if the WT just gave mat the horn and was like "alright, there you go, off to do whatever you want again." It's the Horn of Valor of the Light's sake, it's not Mat's hat they were holding on to for him.

 

 

You are right, they will claim they must be the ones in charge of things, the Horn and Mat included.

And that is the problem.

There is no prophecy about AS leading and winning the Last Battle.

There are prophecies about Rand, Mat, even Perrin(not all in the WT possession...which is a black ball for them), bun none about Egwene and the WT leading the fight and saving the day.

Actually, the only part about the WT is all of them kneeling to him and washing his feet(20 AS do not make a tower).

I have serious doubts that in aMoL Egwene will be running after Rand with a washbasin, a towel and a bucket of water.

Nobody in the WT even knows how the Bore looks like, but when the only living guy that was there and actually sealed the damn thing in the first place(poorly, but he did it anyway) comes with a plan(probably a ruse, but a plan none the less) they shoot it down without even trying to find out the reasoning behind it.

Since the Pattern itself chose these guys, maybe they should try to help them(or at listen to what they have to say), not control or use them for their own incomplete/nonexistent plans. Alas, no such luck.

 

PS: forgot to mention that Siuan already kept Mat prisoner once.

And if she does change her mind, Egwene will probably blame it on his ta'veren nature, as she did with Nynaeve and her new found respect for Zen Rand.

 

Where in the prophecy does it say that Mat will do everything correctly and everyone should stay out of his way? I don't believe I said that the WT should claim to be in charge. I just suggested they shouldn't hand it over and wash their hands of the situation. There is a middle ground. They could just want to keep an eye on it and him. For example, there'd be no borderlander armies at the moment if Nynaeve hadn't been keeping an eye on Rand. But that's not in the prophecies either.

 

 

Or maybe he will not be in that situation in the first place if the WT delegation didn't tortured the poor guy so hard he's still afraid to stay too much in a closed space.

The Pattern itself will chose his(Mat) course, as it did before. So they'll do things as they should, even if they want to do something else.

Of course, since they have such a good opinion about themselves, the AS probably think they know better than the Creator, and prophecies be damned.

[Turin Turambar]

If the AS are "keeping an eye" on Mat and the horn and he does or even wants to do something they disagree with what will they do? The history of AS would suggest they will attempt to stop him. Even if he is actually trying to do the correct thing.

[csarmi]

I think Siuan had a change of heart about Mat when she talked to him in Salidar (New Amyrlin Celebration Scene). In that very brief conversation she acknowledged her initial impression of him was wrong and that he was indeed brave, responsible and dependable. Her actual words were that he "makes a habit of jumping into fires" to save the folk when their house was burning down (paraphrase); that's Siuan's clipped, brusque way of saying that he is worthy of being Ta'veren and his place in the Pattern.-

 

That was her initial assessment of him too. Look up what she told him about having an uncle like him.

[Winespring Patron]

If the AS are "keeping an eye" on Mat and the horn and he does or even wants to do something they disagree with what will they do? The history of AS would suggest they will attempt to stop him. Even if he is actually trying to do the correct thing.

 

That's the key question, how will Egwene react when Mat shows up at the WT for the Horn? Egwene will undoubtedly try to ferret out his intentions and plan before even letting him see the Horn. What I was wondering, what will Egwene do if she disagrees with Mat's plan? Will she attempt to hold him in the Tower by force using Warders or the Tower Guard? She wanted Rand to stay and be "examined" but she relented when she realized that the White Tower would "lose face" if he managed to break through any shield the AS wove.

[Winespring Patron]

I think Siuan had a change of heart about Mat when she talked to him in Salidar (New Amyrlin Celebration Scene). In that very brief conversation she acknowledged her initial impression of him was wrong and that he was indeed brave, responsible and dependable. Her actual words were that he "makes a habit of jumping into fires" to save the folk when their house was burning down (paraphrase); that's Siuan's clipped, brusque way of saying that he is worthy of being Ta'veren and his place in the Pattern.-

 

That was her initial assessment of him too. Look up what she told him about having an uncle like him.

 

From tDR:

 

"I read you aright the first time I saw you" the Amyrlin said. "I knew right then that you'd bolt like a startled fisher-bird if you ever thought someone was trying to hold you" - this was Siuan referring to her very first impression upon meeting him at Fal Dara (tEotW), remember she personally met with Mat and Perrin "off stage" during her official visit to Lord Agelmar.

 

The story about her uncle was, IMO, meant to encourage Mat; convey her belief in his "Great Potential" and perhaps a subtle warning about not squandering the Ta'veren "gift". At this point Siuan had received a full report from Verin of Mat's actions in the search and recovery of the Horn. She was reassessing him already: he had survived a deadly "Taint" for weeks before Moiraine stabilized him, he obviously had some deep ancestral "connection" to Manetheren, and he handled himself well in the Cairhien "intrigue" and Battle of Falme. It became apparent to her that this was no mere farmer, despite his claims, just as Rand was no mere shepherd.

 

In LoC, I interpreted Siuan's brief comment to Mat at Salidar to mean that she was surprised by his "involvement" in the various conflicts and "complimenting" him in her own terse way. Remember, this is the very same woman who calls the man she loves a "lout" and other less than endearing names, praise from Siuan is often disguised in a negative way.