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 7: Departure
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Egwene al’Vere
Egwene is getting set to ride west with the Aiel led by Rand. Last night she was successful at finding Amys‘ dreams. She explores other dreams and found Hadnan Kadere‘s to be dark and lewd. Isendre has been made datsang for her repeated attempts to get past the Maidens to seduce Rand and so is dressed in a black robe, a particularly harsh penance in the desert. Rand is talking to the Clan Chiefs, suggesting they contract Ogier to rebuild Rhuidean. Natael is riding a mule nearby while Mat is talking about how Rand ordered Moiraine around. Egwene rides up to Aviendha who appears upset with Rand but won’t say why.
Point of view: Moiraine Damodred
Moiraine reflects on the memories she retains after passing through the three ringed ter’angreal in the Rhuidean plaza. Lan comments on her behavior with Rand that morning.
REACTION
Egwene basically spied on everyone’s dreams (except Rand, since he blocked her out) and Mat (since she knew what she’d find there.) Her thoughts about Mat’s dreams are pretty hypocritical if Lanfear is to be believed… and the hypocrisy seems in character. Nobody from the Two Rivers fails to lack self-awareness.
To be honest, the fact that Egwene doesn’t reflect even once on her own dreams kind of leads me to believe Lanfear was lying to Rand about them. HOWEVER… Lanfear is plenty capable of compelling that lie to become true.
I don’t really hold this invasion of privacy too much against Egwene. Could anyone stop themselves from spying like that if they were given that ability?
It’s kind of funny that Egwene – even after seeing Aviendha’s dreams – doesn’t understand what’s going on there. The biggest flaw of our sweet Innkeeper’s daughter is that she too often sees what she wants to see, and fails to see what she doesn’t want to see, particularly where Rand is concerned.
It completely fits that Moiraine thinks to herself in her next POV that she doesn’t think much of humility. That’s why it took her SO LONG to try humility as a tactic with Rand. Moraine’s POV states that Siuan thought Moiraine growing up in the Sun Palace put arrogance so deeply into her bones that she couldn’t see it… and I think Siuan has it right. It’s funny that you get the impression – though she denies it – that trying to share Rand’s bed was as palatable as being humble with him. The Rhuidean ter’angreal showed her that this was a disastrous plan. Honestly, I cannot even imagine this at all. Jordan has written Moiraine so far to be almost asexual. My guess is that Lanfear usually killed Moiraine for trying that tactic when Moiraine saw the alternate versions of her life in the ring ter’angrals. Maybe she killed Rand, too. My guess re: Lanfear and Egwene is that Lanfear doesn’t want to kill Rand’s childhood friend because she doesn’t want to hurt Rand, not because she cares specifically about Egwene. That’s one of the most fun beneath the surface plots in the series right now. None of the women who have interest in Rand have *any* idea how dangerous that interest actually is. Even Rand is blind to it, to some extent.
The banter with Lan and Moiraine lets us know that there’s something going on beneath the surface with her. Something big is coming. We shall see!
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