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 53: Fading Words
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Rand al’Thor
Rand watches as Moiraine and Lanfear tumble through the Twisted redstone doorframe and disappear. Lanfear’s channeling stops and a white light blazes from the ter’angreal. Rand uses air to hold Lan so he won’t charge after Moiraine through the burning doorway. His Warder bond with Moiraine is broken, which happens on the death of the Aes Sedai. Egwene appears to have suffered greatly from Lanfear’s torture while Aviendha appears to be alright. Amys and Bair rush in to see what they can do. Egwene needs a long period of rest and is forbidden from meeting Nynaeve and Elayne or making any trips to Tel’aran’rhiod. The whole city seems to be watching the docks now as Rand decides what to do next. Moiraine had arranged for her bond to Lan to pass to another Aes Sedai[1], to take effect on her death. Lan must go to this new Aes Sedai, somewhere in the far west.
Rand wishes to mourn, but can’t find it in himself. He remembers the letter Moiraine gave him before they left the palace and reads it. Her trip to Rhuidean gave her some glimpses of possible futures. Many paths led to the events of this morning, but there were three possible outcomes:
- Lanfear and Moiraine dead, which is what happened
- Rand dead at Lanfear’s hand
- Rand captured by Lanfear and taken over by Lews Therin
She cautions him about sisters from the White Tower who might be Black Ajah or might have plans of their own that will interfere. She specifically mentions Alviarin and Verin as Aes Sedai to be warry of. Moiraine also reveals that she was aware that Natael is Asmodean and gives guarded approval.
Sulin arrives and finds him weeping. She begins to break her spears but Rand stops her from continuing, asking what she is doing. She asks in reply if he plans to force the Maidens to marry and tend hearths or act as pets to him. She is angry that no Maidens have been chosen for the battle with Rahvin, only male societies were picked. Rand finally agrees that Maidens can come along, as many as any other society. Outside all of the Maidens are waiting to see if Rand accepts them again as warriors. Mat joins him and they leave to docks to get ready to travel to Caemlyn.
REACTION:
This is a well-executed “between battles” chapter. The title is a reference to Moiraine’s letter, which disappears once Rand reads it. (What if he’d sat the letter down before he got to her warning about how the writing would disappear?)
“Stop it, for one minute at least, stop and mourn.”
[…]
“Mourn, burn you,” he growled. “She deserved that much. Don’t you have any feelings left?” But mostly he felt none.
Rand is becoming disconnected from himself and he knows it. This is a compelling, powerful, tragic, and completely understandable moment in the series and in his character arc more generally. It’s hard to know how much of the changes in Rand are related to his leadership circumstances and how much they are related to the madness. The voice in his head is obviously madness. His erratic emotions are madness. Is his complete unwillingness to see women die madness? I think so – partially. He did kill a woman back in book 3. I don’t know if Book 3 Rand could have killed a woman he knew and had talked to several times, though. The deadness he feels emotionally could be both the madness and his circumstances. Maybe one exacerbates the other.
The letter from Moiraine is fascinating. She died to avoid two alternative possibilities, one wherein Rand himself died, and the other wherein Rand lost himself to the madness and became Lanfear’s lover. The best option, for the world, was the one wherein she died. AND she did not tell Rand or Lan or anyone else because there was too big a risk that someone would die trying to save her, thus causing one of the other two outcomes.
She knew that the only way to win was to choose to die.
What do we make of her advice not to trust *any* Aes Sedai? I mean, from what we as the readers have seen, this is good advice. Nevertheless, it seems pretty contrary to her entire life’s work, no? Her life’s work was to find and to guide the Dragon Reborn. On the other hand, she thinks Siuan is dead, and the former Amyrlin was the only other Aes Sedai she herself trusted, so it makes some sense on that level. And as she wrote, her own realization that Rand must not be controlled was so hard in coming that she doubts any other Aes Sedai could learn it more easily.
Tuck away that she specifically mentions Verin and Alviarin as Aes Sedai not to trust. She does not mention Elaida (perhaps because she knows that Rand already does not trust her.)
Inasmuch as the story to this point had “Lanfear finds out about Rand and Aviendha” lurking quietly in the background, it also has “Asmodean at Rand’s side” in the background, too. Moiraine reminds Rand – and the readers – to be worried about that. That seems…ominous… considering Rand’s imminent plans.
I really loved the conversation between Rand and Sulin in the back half of this chapter. She catches him weeping alone over Moiraine and then lays into him for keeping Maidens out of the fighting. He explains himself in turn and they kind of understand each other. In a series bereft of good communication, this moment of straight-forward openness was cleansing – particularly in light of what had just happened. Rand had literally just commented to himself about how Moiraine was secretive until the very end.
Egwene won’t be going to Caemlyn, but Aviendha will. Eggy won’t be going to the World of Dreams meeting, either. I wonder if that will matter. (Yes, of course, it will.) Nynaeve vs. Moggy: Part 3 is imminent, too.
Three chapters to go and much ground left to cover! Onward!
2 thoughts on “The Fires of Heaven (Chapter 53): Fading Words”