Welcome back to my re-read, recap, and reaction to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. This post will only have spoilers through the current chapter.
You can find my previous chapter recaps HERE.
Chapter 51: News Comes to Cairhien
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Rand al'Thor
Rand is taking a break from a meeting while Selande tries to seduce him. He scares her away with talk of channeling and going mad eventually. He is making plans on how to take care of Sammael in Illian and deal with all the other situations around him. He also has to deal with all the plots of the nobles that are supposedly his allies. Rand invites Lady Colavaere to dine with him alone so he can tell her to stop sending women after him.
Moiraine brings two letters from Tar Valon: Elaida and Alviarin each wrote to him. Elaida tells him an escort will arrive so he can be brought to Tar Valon for protection until the Last Battle. Alviarin writes a flattering letter without saying much except to keep the letter secret. Moiraine and Egwene read both letters.
Mat arrives and Rand puts him to work planning and leading the effort to attack Sammael and Illian. Mat has been getting more recruits than he can use and has named his force the Band of the Red Hand, after a famed group that defended Manetheren during the Trolloc Wars. Mat led his group against the Andorans that are trying to take Cairhien for Gaebril and won three victories. Mat gets irate at being prodded by Moiraine, then gives out the latest rumor, that Morgase, Elayne's mother is dead. Rand knew that Gaebril (who is really Rahvin) was keeping Morgase under control but resisted attacking in that direction because he thought that was what the Forsaken wanted him to do. Rand wants to go immediately, but Moiraine suggests waiting until tomorrow.
Rand has his talk with Mat, laying out his plans for the Band.
Point of view: Egwene al'Vere
Moiraine tells Egwene and Aviendha to be careful tomorrow, then leaves. Aviendha then has to leave to let the Wise Ones know of tomorrow's plans.
Point of view: Matrim Cauthon
Mat is upset at his inability to get away from Rand. He was trying when he ended up fighting the Andorans and he can't think of a way of leaving that won't end up with him getting caught or being in a battle again. He starts giving his goodbyes to Melindhra as part of his escape plan and she berates him for not seeking out his own destiny. Mat makes a slip and mentions Caemlyn, which causes Melindhra to attack and try to kill him. He is dazed and on his back while she grabs a knife to finish him off. He takes a knife from his sleeve and throws it, and wishes it back in his hand immediately. Before she dies he asks why, and she mentions other oaths she has that are more important. She makes one last attempt with the knife but it hits Mat's foxhead medallion and the blade breaks. She curses that he has the Great Lord's own luck. Mat realizes that she was a Darkfriend. As he tries to think of what to do, he feels the dice spinning in his head, again.
REACTION:
Rand is smoking a pipe when this chapter starts. When did he start smoking pipes? It makes sense. The Two Rivers is known for its tabac. I just don't remember him doing it before. Maybe at some point with Loial?
Is Rand scaring away the would-be seductresses okay? I think he's right that it's the quickest way to put them off. It's also probably true (though he doesn't express this) that being near him, in that manner, is almost certainly dangerous (bubbles of evil, the Forsaken, etc.) Still... I don't know. I guess Rand thinks through all of that, does it anyway, but doesn't feel great about it. Sometimes life doesn't give you a lot of options and even fewer good ones.
In about ten days, we learn order is being restored, food is arriving, etc. Jordan also reminds us of Perrin - via Berelain. She's on her way to Cairhien with an army and she sent a letter ahead of her asking about our favorite wolf brother. (So we know our newly married Perrin has marital troubles on the horizon. Min had a viewing about Perrin, a hawk (Berelain) and a falcon (Faile). Rand hints that he might put Berelain in charge in Cairhien just so he can get the Tierans out of the country.
This chapter mainly exists to shift our focus from Sammael, back to Rahvin. Remember that Rahvin was the POV Forsaken at the start of the book. We've spent time with him multiple times in Caemlyn (whereas Sammael is someone to whom we have not yet been properly introduced as Readers.) This shift makes sense.
It's interesting to note and remember that the news re: Morgase is not correct. We were with her earlier in this book when she sneaked away from Caemlyn. Had she not done that, Rand's plans would have continued to be focused on Sammael. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.
What do we make of the two letters from Elaida and Alviarin? Elaida obviously plans to bully him to Tar Valon. She will almost certainly handle her attempts to do this badly. "She doesn't even ask" re: an escort to Tar Valon. Alviarin is too flattering of him, but next to Elaida's letter, that's harder to pick up on because she looks like she's simply trying to soften Elaida's letter. Rand is also right that it's too flowery and that he cannot imagine Elaida having a Keeper who would write a letter like that. His guess of a rift in the Tower is accurate, I think, but also a dangerous (for him) conclusion to embrace.
"Elayne forgive me," and then a faint echo, "Ilyena forgive me."
In a world where reincarnation happens... are these the same person (or at least the same person's soul)? Earlier in this book, Rand reflects that Ilyena has exactly the same hair color as Elayne (in his astonishment that he can remember someone - Ilyena - that he has never met.) Either way, we know that Rand knew for sure that Rahvin held Morgase captive in Caemlyn. I'd guess he knew since Mat described his meeting with Gaebril back in The Dragon Reborn, since Rand remembers what the Forsaken look like. Asmodean could have told him, too, given a description.
I'm a broken record on this point, but look at Egwene's reaction to Rand's plan... she *insists* on going with him to fight one of the Forsaken. She is just as fierce about it as Aviendha. We know the latter loves Rand. So does Egwene. Personally I think Egwene loves him the most. She's loved him her entire life. She went through Accepted Testing which proved Rand was at the center of his self-identity, wherein she was married to him and having his children. In the timeline of the book, that was months ago, not years. In book 4, she subtly drove a wedge between Rand and Elayne while she was alone with Rand in the Waste.
Moiraine tells Rand more than once in this chapter, "you will do well." That's a goodbye if I've ever heard one. She then tells Egwene and Aviendha to be careful tomorrow and that Rand will need them in the days to come. Again... that's a goodbye if I've ever heard one.
Mat's scene with Melindhra was excellently written - including especially his immediate regret at throwing the knife that kills her. He tries to re-grab it after it leaves his hand. Jordan does a great job with Mat's babbling POV grief spiral, too. It's uniquely Mat. We knew from Kadere that there was a Darkfriend in the Aiel camp. I didn't see that coming, though. Given the buildup to the confrontation with Rahvin that we know is coming, this scene sets a really ominous mood.
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