[Weekly Topic] Raen & Ila

[BFG]

Only a short one this week.

Another demonstration of how well minor characters were written in the wheel of time (imo).  They pop up a handful of times and demonstrate more clearly than most the chaos of the last battle.

These are the first Tuatha'an we meet, and we meet them very early on.  A long time before we meet many of the main characters, and they keep popping back up.  

The Eye of the World sets them up as a peaceful people, brave enough to accept strangers into their camp and offer them help and kindness.  We're introduced to Raen & Ila who seem nice enough people.  But it's in the Shadow Rising that they gain real depth.  We're given a great parallel between the present day and the distant past.
 

  Ila's eyes fell on her grandson, on what he held, and she screamed as if that blade had gone into her flesh. "No, Aram! Nooooo!" She almost fell in her haste to get down the stairs and flung herself on Aram, trying to pull his hands from the sword. "No, Aram," she panted breathlessly. "You must not. Put it down. The Way of the Leaf. You must not! The Way of the Leaf! Please, Aram! Please!"

   "They killed them." She was staring at something in the distance, her voice as simple as a child's. "The bad men hurt us. They... Then Lewin came and killed them."
   "You must not say things like that, child," Saralin said soothingly. "You —" She stopped, peering into her daughter's eyes, then turned to stare uncertainly at Lewin. "Is it... ? Is it true?"
   "We had to," Alijha said in a pained voice. "They tried to kill us. They did kill Charlin."
   Adan stepped back. "You... killed? Killed men? What of the Covenant? We harm no one. No one! There is no reason good enough to justify killing another human being. None!"
 

 

We see that although there are individuals, then and now, willing to fight to protect their families, that those families would choose to turn their back on them.  We see that this has remained unchanged over the centuries despite war and persecution, yet in the last book:
 

"Light," she whispered, something twisting inside.  "I shouldn't have turned my back on him."

 

 

Ila shook her head.  She had always felt as if she knew the answers to life.  Today, most of those had slipped from her.  Saving a persons life though... that she could cling to.

This group that have remained unchanged for half an age, are on the verge of changing everything within the few months the last few books occur over.  For me it's these little moments - these scenes take maybe a page and a half in the last book - that demonstrate clearly how much change the last battle brings, how much chaos is wrought. 
 

So are there similar scenes that you found demonstrate the change wrought by the Last Battle?  What do you think of the change in Raen or Ila, is it just an immediate response to the situation they're in, or will it grow into something more?

 

"I will find the song, or another will find the song, but the song will be sung this year or in a year to come. As it once was, so shall it be again, world without end."

 

[Carnacarn]

I think this ties right in with the Dragon's Peace and the Aiel being the guardians of it. If the Tinkers are changing minds, especially a Seeker who has quite enthralled with the Way, they might want to rejoin their long seperated kin. The Aiel who have the bleakness will probably still have the bleakness even after the events of the last battle.

[Durinax]

with Raens considering of his life policy, there may be a chance for integration between the Aiel and Tinkers, maybe even the rebuilding of the Jenn