The Dragon's Dragons!

[Grimmauld]

Just reading back through ToM and I've been thinking to myself; how narrow minded is it of both Elayne and Mat to consider keeping the use of the dragons to themselves? I understand that they do not wish to give other nations or armies and advantage in battle against them but there are two major reckonings to be kept in mind:

 

a) The dragons may be necessary to win the Last Battle, or at least allow enough Lighties to survive in order to consider it more than a moral victory. If the Last Battle is lost, or so many Lighties are killed that it makes little difference if they win, then there will be no purpose to having trained a now non-existent army in use of the dragons.

b) Secondly, if the Dragon's Peace is able to unfold as Rand envisages, what need would a nation have for the dragons? Would they act as the atom bomb did after WWII and help fuel an arm raise between the super powers of Seanchan and the countries currently under the Dragon's umbrella?

 

It would seem to me short sightedness on behlaf of Elayne especially, Mat has a more pressing need to keep these weapons to himself as he has no ability to form alliances with other countries as Elayne can.

 

Maybe I am being a bit idealistic in thinking though that the two should look towards a greater good, hand the concept over to Rand with Aludra's blessing, and make them the Dragon's dragons

[David Selig]

Lighties LOL.

 

Anyway, I see your point, I had similar thoughts while I read ToM, but there's a few additional things to consider.

 

I seem to recall that Aludra was supervising personally the building of every cannon and made them bellfounders repeat it many times to make them exactly the way she wanted them. Andor's bellfounders at first and then Cairhien's might be the maximum she can effectively supervise.

 

Neither Mat nor Elayne has any idea about Dragon's peace, we don't even now for sure if Rand will propose it and it wasnt just in Avi's visions.

[Agitel]

Your (b) point is moot as nobody but Rand and Avi even know about the Dragon's Peace. Elayne's behavior is completely realistic for her head-of-state status as Queen of Andor.

[nool]

Your (b) point is moot as nobody but Rand and Avi even know about the Dragon's Peace. Elayne's behavior is completely realistic for her head-of-state status as Queen of Andor.

 

Totally agree with this. And Elayne's main reason for wanting the dragons (apart for the LB) is as defence against the Seanchans. Spreading the knowledge and the technology, it will inevitably end up with them as well, taking away Andor's advantage.

[Leyrann]

Well, I think we can be sure that both Mat and Elayne will have their armies (and by this also the Dragons) fight in the Last Battle.

[Eht Slat Meit]

I have a feeling that on some level, Mat is quite aware of the change he has brought to the world, and keeping it to a single trusted nation is his way of staving off an inevitable future.

 

We've seen Birgitte, who has a fading array of memories through ages past recognize that a fundamental shift in how battles are fought has happened, and that is based on her knowledge of battles. Like Birgitte, Mat has a brain full of the memories of all kinds of these warriors in his head, and I'm sure that he recognizes the same thing even if he hasn't overtly acknowledged it.

 

I mean look at it, he's taken what used to be the sole domain of a limited number of evildoers and male channelers... the ability to kill a dozen and more people at a time... and put it in the hands of ordinary men and women.

[AshaShan]

I did think it rather selfish of Elayne to want the dragons for Andor alone. Illian, Tear and the Borderlands will surely fight in the Last Battle, and having access to such weapons, mass-produced, would greatly improve their chances of victory and limit the casualties in those nations' armies. I suppose it's her duty to look to Andor's welfare and advantage ahead of the welfare of anyone else, but still... selfish.

[Suttree]

I did think it rather selfish of Elayne to want the dragons for Andor alone. Illian, Tear and the Borderlands will surely fight in the Last Battle, and having access to such weapons, mass-produced, would greatly improve their chances of victory and limit the casualties in those nations' armies. I suppose it's her duty to look to Andor's welfare and advantage ahead of the welfare of anyone else, but still... selfish.

 

Elayne was doing her duty as Queen of Andor. As others have noted at this point the whole operation needs Aludra's heavy supervision. It's not like they can be mass produced for world wide construction at the moment. They are a limited resource and you can bet every one that has been built will be used at TG.