Who did slayer kill?

[Clouded]

I've been rereading the series, and I some questions about the following scene in Winter's Heart.

 

Isam paced the room, studying by the ever-present light of Tel’aran’rhiod. The bed linens shifted from rumpled to neatly made between one glance and the next. The coverlet changed from flowered to plain dark red to quilted. The ephemeral always changed here, and he barely noticed anymore. He could not use Tel’aran’rhiod the way the Chosen could, but here was where he felt most free. Here, he could be who he wanted to be. He chuckled at the thought.

 

Stopping beside the bed, he carefully unsheathed the two poisoned daggers and stepped out of the Unseen World into the waking. As he did, he became Luc. It seemed appropriate.

 

The room was dark in the waking world, but the single window let in sufficient moonlight for Luc to make out the mounded shapes of two people lying asleep beneath their blankets. Without hesitation he drove a blade into each. They woke with small cries, but he pulled the blades free and drove them in again and again. With the poison, it was unlikely either would have had the strength to shout loudly enough to be heard outside the room, but he wanted to make this kill his own in a way that poison could not grant. Soon they stopped twitching when he thrust a blade between ribs.

 

Wiping the daggers clean on the coverlet, he resheathed them with as much care as he had drawn them. He had been given many gifts, but immunity to poison, or any other weapon, was not among them. Then he took a short candle from his pocket and blew away enough ash from the banked coals in the fireplace to light the wick. He always liked to see the people he killed, after if he could not during. He had especially enjoyed those two Aes Sedai in the Stone of Tear. The incredulity on their faces when he appeared out of thin air, the horror when they realized he had not come to save them, were treasured memories. That had been Isam, not him, but the memories were none the less prized for that. Neither of them got to kill an Aes Sedai very often.

 

For a moment he studied the faces of the man and woman on the bed, then pinched out the candle’s flame and returned the candle to his pocket before stepping back into Tel’aran’rhiod.

 

His patron of the moment was waiting for him. A man, he was sure of that much, but Luc could not look at him. It was not as it was with those slimy Gray Men, whom you just did not notice. He had killed one of them, once, in the White Tower itself. They felt cold and empty to the touch. It had been like killing a corpse. No, this man had done something with the Power so Luc’s eyes slid away from him like water sliding down glass. Even seen at the corner of the eye, he was a blur.

 

“The pair sleeping in this room will sleep forever,” Luc said, “but the man was bald, the woman gray.”

 

“A pity,” the man said, and the voice seemed to melt in Luc’s ears. He would not be able to recognize it if he heard it without the disguise. The man had to be one of the Chosen. Few save the Chosen knew how to reach him, and none of the men among those few could channel, or would have dared trying to command him. His services were always begged, except by the Great Lord himself, and more recently by the Chosen, but none of the Chosen Luc had met had ever taken such precautions as this.

 

“Do you want me to try again?” Luc asked.

 

“Perhaps. When I tell you. Not before. Remember, not a word of this to anyone.”

 

“As you command,” Luc replied, bowing, but the man was already making a gateway, a hole that opened into a snowy forest glade. He was gone before Luc straightened.

 

It really was a pity. He had rather looked forward to killing his nephew and the wench. But if there was time to pass, hunting was always a pleasure. He became Isam. Isam liked killing wolves even more than Luc did.

 

Anyone know who he kills? It appears that he was ordered to kill Rand, and missed his target. Anyone know who orders him to do the kill?

[Terez]

He killed some unlucky people. And there are various theories on who ordered him to do it. (I think Taim is likely.)

[2RiversFan]

This is a question I had as well. I only read the series for the first time this summer. I had this same question - then forgot about it as I kept on reading the series.

 

@Terez: I certainly haven't put in the time on this series as you have, but I still can't believe that Taim is high enough in the shadow to command Luc/Slayer to do anything. We know Luc was a vassal to Moridin from the time Moridin loans Luc ("a servant of mine") to Graendel. So unless you're saying that Taim is Moridin, I can't buy it. Can I believe that Taim is Moridin, yes. It fits the pieces that I recall such as:

- He didn't take the opportunity during the one on one meetings with Rand to kill Rand, since the D.O. didn't want the DR dead after a certain point

- His training of Ashaman has no morals/ethics attached (subjective)

- His obvious reference to letting chaos rule

- 'Dark blinding' Rand hasn't met with Taim since his change

 

The more I think about it, this does seem to be the direction RJ plotted, at least it fits and seems plausible from what we know. So if this is what you meant, then I can see it. (I talked myself into a 180, heh?)

[Terez]

This is a question I had as well. I only read the series for the first time this summer. I had this same question - then forgot about it as I kept on reading the series.

 

@Terez: I certainly haven't put in the time on this series as you have, but I still can't believe that Taim is high enough in the shadow to command Luc/Slayer to do anything.

Why not? He's been very successful with the Black Tower, and we know he ordered the renegade Asha'man to kill Rand. We have hints he's been given access to the True Power, so why not Slayer too? But no, I don't think he's Moridin.

 

In any case, right after I posted I realized I think Aran'gar is likely too. This is not something I've put a lot of thought into because I just don't care about it as much. Everyone on the dark side wants Rand dead, so it's a boring subject for me.

[Wantanswers]

Everyone on the dark side wants Rand dead, so it's a boring subject for me.

Moridin didn't want Rand dead, he only wants Perrin and Mat dead. I don't know if Moridin changed his mind after Rand's epiphany.

[Terez]

Everyone on the dark side wants Rand dead, so it's a boring subject for me.

Moridin didn't want Rand dead

He does want Rand dead; he just wants to use him first. But yeah, Moridin definitely wasn't the one who ordered Slayer. If he was going to order Slayer, he'd have no reason to hide...and also, his orders to the renegades for that mission were 'kill him if you must, but above all bring me his stuff'.

[Wantanswers]

Everyone on the dark side wants Rand dead, so it's a boring subject for me.

Moridin didn't want Rand dead

He does want Rand dead; he just wants to use him first. But yeah, Moridin definitely wasn't the one who ordered Slayer. If he was going to order Slayer, he'd have no reason to hide...and also, his orders to the renegades for that mission were 'kill him if you must, but above all bring me his stuff'.

Again a discussion about semantic and interpretation. Moridin wants to die eternally and the only one, who can give that, by destroying the pattern, is the Dragon. The Dragon will fail in his eyes, if Perrin and Mat are still alive. Moridin doesn't want Rand's dead. He wants him to live, so he can destroy the pattern.

 

On topic again, I think it was Demandred who ordered Slayer to kill Rand.

[Terez]

Moridin doesn't want Rand's dead.

Yes, he does. I could provide several quotes to that effect, but I'm lazy.

[Wantanswers]

Moridin doesn't want Rand's dead.

Yes, he does. I could provide several quotes to that effect, but I'm lazy.

Moridin and the Dark One need the Dragon to destroy the Pattern. If the Dragon is killed before he destroys the pattern it will end in a draw. Killing Rand is the second option for Moridin, because he then has a chance that the Dragon will destroy the Pattern in another turning of the Wheel.

I realize that his second option could have changed in his first and only option after VoG. I don't even know if Rand and Moridin are still linked.

[Clouded]

Moridin and the Dark One need the Dragon to destroy the Pattern. If the Dragon is killed before he destroys the pattern it will end in a draw. Killing Rand is the second option for Moridin, because he then has a chance that the Dragon will destroy the Pattern in another turning of the Wheel.

I realize that his second option could have changed in his first and only option after VoG. I don't even know if Rand and Moridin are still linked.

 

This argument seems flawed. If Moridin's purpose is ending the pattern, and the dragon is his only opportunity to do so, why would he be willing to throw his only chance away for the belongings Rand carries?

 

And later still, Moridin had said, “Kill him if you must, but above all, bring everything in his possession to me. That will redeem your previous transgressions.” The man said he was one of the Chosen, and no one was mad enough to make that claim unless it was true, yet he seemed to think al’Thor’s belongings more important than his death, the killing incidental and not really necessary.

[mackoY-kun]

HAHAHA I read most of those post, then I remembered to look at the Thread Tittle, and realized that most of the posts don't answer the question.

 

Anyway, they were just unlucky people who slept in the room that min and rand was staying in before the left in a huff and hurry.

 

Now about who ordered slayer, it had to be be one of the chosen/forsaken because slayer himself quoted that only a few people new he existed and only the chosen new how to find him and presumably "order him". By this time only demandred had a special desire to kill rand. All the otehr either wanted him dead or wanted him not dead(Moridin).

Then it comes down to two theories, Moridin is trying to confuse the other chosen or demandred is the one who masqueraded as Samael and ordered the hit on rand at spine of the world manor. The same one is probably responsible for both hit.

[Terez]

HAHAHA I read most of those post, then I remembered to look at the Thread Tittle, and realized that most of the posts don't answer the question.

That's because I answered it in the first response. Most people don't feel the need to repeat things.

[Arkane101]

couldn't think topic be answered in the ask a simple question thread..? seems an irritating waste of room to me..

[FarShainMael]

Anyone know who he kills? It appears that he was ordered to kill Rand, and missed his target. Anyone know who orders him to do the kill?

 

In ToM5, Moridin summons Graendal to his fortress apparently ready to punish her, but she talks him out of it. He orders her to stay away from Rand. He warns her that she is 'close to losing favour', but loans her a Dreamspike, and says:

 

"I will lend you another tool, the man with two souls. But he is mine, just as that spike is mine. Just as you are mine. Do you understand?"

 

He's very emphatic about that. But it's unlikely that he would have ordered Slayer to kill Rand; yet he's also unwilling to lend out the 'man with two souls' to just anyone.

 

Also, why is Graendal 'his'?

[Southpaw89]

Terez is correct. Moridin wants Rand dead but he wants to use him first. If he can get him to turn to the dark, he could use Rand to cause much more destruction which is what the shadow wants. Moridin HAS said though that if things got out of control, that Rand would need to be killed.

[Mandro]

He killed two unlucky people, yes. I was always under the impression that the people he was targeting was Lan and Nynaeve, particularly Lan. I think in the reference I think his internal monologue he said he doesn't often get to kill an AS, but when he pulls back the sheet, he looks at the man.

 

I think that's how it happened.

[Terez]

He killed two unlucky people, yes. I was always under the impression that the people he was targeting was Lan and Nynaeve, particularly Lan.

You probably thought that because he said he wanted to kill his nephew (and the wench). But Rand is Luc's nephew. Lan is Isam's cousin.