I have a whole "hidden ajah" theory about why Verin was so hot to help Rand.  That would explain why she convinced herself that Moraine sent her.

I thought the idea of a "Purple Ajah" was dead and buried...

www.steelypips.org/wotfaq/2_nondark/2.2_rest-chars/2.2.7_verin.html

It's not the Purple Ajah theory.  Notice how I said ajah instead of Ajah.

I have a whole "hidden ajah" theory about why Verin was so hot to help Rand.  That would explain why she convinced herself that Moraine sent her.

pretty much.

He's like Richard Rahl was after he was stripped of his magic.

He's like Spider-man.  The only way to hurt him is to go after the people he cares for.  But instead of a decrepite old aunt and hot girlfriend, Lan has a wife who can bend the powers of science and nature to her will.

OT:  I think Lan fights in the more traditional method.  But he is perfect in the forms, thinks 10 moves ahead and is unstoppable until the fight is over.

The way Science of swordfighting is described is like every attack has its proper defense.  Two sword fighters then do their dance as it has already been planned while waiting for the opponent to do a move less then perfect, the wrong move, or lose concentration.

Valda, it seems, doesn't follow those rules.  Galad made an attack and Valda didn't defend against with the proper defense, he amd another move.  Basically changed the rules.

It would be like you were playing chess and your opponent decided all his pawns could move like knights, but your pawns can't.

It was when Galad broke the rules himself, and making a major gambit, that he won.

Gawyn has been training as a soldier since he was about twelve.  Before the fight with Valda, Galad thought more about his training with Gareth Bryne and Henri Halsin, would would have been teaching Gawyn also, then he did about his training with Hammer.

The two brothers have been training with the Warders for less then year until the schism.

And, interesting note, the same guy who did the bulk of Galad and Gawyns' sword training, Henri Halsin, is in charge of teaching the AM how to swordfight.

Valda was the better fighter.  Galad was getting his but kicked, and he knew it.  Not only was Valda faster then Galad but he was thinking three ahead.  HE knew when he through an attack how Galad would parry, what Galad would do as a ripost, and how he would parry the riposte (which was often not the textbook answer).

If he wasn't the sadiistic fighter that like to bleed out his opponents that he was he would have cut down Galad after the opening moves.

It was only when Galad tricked him by playing tired and then hiself thinking a few moves ahead that he was able to win.

On a related note.  Before the fight started Galad was thinking to be a blademaster you have to be aproved by blademasters or defeat a blade master in single combat.  Everyone excepts Galad is now a blademaster, but when RJ was asked if that means Rand is a blademaster (because he killed High Lord Toruk) after the KoD preview was released he said, "There is more to it then that."

So what gives there?

Valda didn't think Galad was much of a threat.  And he was right.  Galad was getting his butt handed to him until he started to pretend he was getting winded.

He then went into a pattern that was easily defeated, and to sell it he had to get hurt badly.  Then after Valda expected the pattern to continue he switched it up and killed him.

Aside from the killing blow, Valda only recieved one sigificant injury while Galad could barely stand.

I think Gwayn got Hammer because hammer didn't think he was a threat either.

Another possibility:

-Dispose the Taint at the Dark One's prison (though preferably after evacuating non-channeling people [and non-Warders] from the area).

 

By neutralizing it at SL they weakened the DO. Doing so at the DO's "prison," the center of his power were people only channel with his permission, they would just be giving back his power.

I'm more curious if Rand, Mat, and Perrin would go through the ritual.

I'm surprised that no one has mention that Mat himself, Matrim Cauthorn, has met Artur Hawkwing. There was that episode in tGH when he sounded the horn. And who was leading the heroes? Hawkwing. He even order Mat to sound them into battle.

And what happened at Falme was one of the things Mat didn't forget when he was healed from the dagger. That was one of the first things he remembered.

luck

of

enter

penis

gong

Everyman

yuck

ween

acting

Demented

(he he he)

Return

I think if Rand wants to see what Tigraine he just needs to loolk in a mirror. Several people have commented on him being an almost spitting image of her.

And there was a reconician(?) moment with Luc. in tSR Perrin was thinking about who looked like (he was thinking about Slayer [isam] and that puzzle) he thought that Slayer looked like Lan and Luc "if he looked like anyone it would be Rand."