Band of the Red Hand Disbanded

[Ratatatpat]

Was anyone else disappointed when Rand sent Mat to basically aBANDon the Band in order to get Elayne? I know we see the Band later, but I'd wager Mat's staying would have been much more interesting.

[David Selig]

Rand did no such thing, he sent Mat to Salidar together with the whole Band. The plan was for Mat to get Elayne and then both of them together with the Band to move towards Caemlyn, Rand never intended to get Mat separated from the Band.

[Goldstar]

Mat seperated when he went to Ebou Dar, iirc.

[Ratatatpat]

Rand did no such thing, he sent Mat to Salidar together with the whole Band. The plan was for Mat to get Elayne and then both of them together with the Band to move towards Caemlyn, Rand never intended to get Mat separated from the Band.

Okay, still...

[Winespring Patron]

Rand didn't take into account Egwene's schemes or have any knowledge of El & Nyn's Bowl of Winds Quest.

[Turin Turambar]

Rand put Mat in the situation that he had to go with Nyn and Elayne to Ebou Dar by getting him to swear he would see Elayne to Caemlyn. He had to go in order to protect her and make sure she was alive to get to Caemlyn. However, Rand did not know about the need to go to Ebou Dar.

[Haggis]

Rand didn't take into account Egwene's schemes or have any knowledge of El & Nyn's Bowl of Winds Quest.

 

Technically it was El and Nyn scheme. Egwene simply helped them pull it off.

 

And it worked out for the best. Because of the separation the Band is bigger, better armed, and wealthier then when Mat left them.

[Winespring Patron]

Technically it was El and Nyn scheme. Egwene simply helped them pull it off.

 

Egwene's scheme was to use the Band as a "straw" threat so that she could manipulate the Hall into deciding the AS needed to leave Salidar and head towards Tar Valon. She also wanted Rand to continue being kept off balance and that involved keeping him apart from Elayne in order to slow down his power consolidation. In Egwene's Salidar POV she seemed to be kind of skeptical about the Bowl of Winds or that El and Nyn could actually find it but she was just as happy to send Elayne traveling in the opposite direction from Caemlyn.