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 16: Tellings of the Wheel
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Rand al’Thor
Rand is finally learning how to ignore heat and cold while listening to Halwin Norry drone on about the financial status of Andor. Rand dismisses Halwin so that he can meet with the Andoran nobles Dyelin, Luan, Abelle, and Ellorien to try to get their support for Elayne to take the Lion Throne. After some discussion Rand does not get any commitment from the nobles but they do look at him a bit strangely. After the meeting Rand asks Dyelin about the strange looks. She says it is because he looks like Tigraine, the Daughter-heir that disappeared from the palace twenty-five years ago. Rand pieces together that Tigraine must have gone to the Aiel Waste and become Shaiel, his mother. It was suspected that the Aes Sedai Gitara Moroso was involved in the disappearance of Tigraine and of her brother Luc a year earlier. Tigraine had been married to Taringail, a political marriage intended to end the wars between Andor and Cairhien. Her disappearance drove King Laman mad with suspicion, so he cut down Avendoraldera and made himself a throne out of it, prompting the Aiel War, which led to Rand’s birth, to Shaiel, on the slopes of Dragonmount.
Bashere brings in an emissary from “Lord Brend”, actually Sammael in Illian. After introductions, the emissary’s voice changes and the true message from Sammael is given, a request for a truce between them until the Last Battle. Rand rejects the offer of a truce and promises to call Sammael to account for all to deaths and misery he has caused. His rejection of the truce offer causes the emissary to die a bloody death. Rand announces his intention to go to Cairhien. Aviendha arrives and demands to go along, too.
REACTION:
Rand finds out that his mother is Tigraine, the former Daughter-Heir of Andor. Not only that, he finds out that her disappearance led to Cairhien scheming, which led to Laman’s Pride/Sin, which led to the Aiel War, which led to Rand’s birth.
The same Aes Sedai who told Moiraine and Siuan that the Dragon was reborn is the same one who sent Tigraine to the Waste and Lord Luc to the Blight. Gitara Sedai was also the Aes Sedai advisor to the Andoran Queen. So Lord Luc is definitely Rand’s uncle Did we know that already? It feels like we did, but I’m not sure.
All of this is not *that* important to the bigger plot, but it’s such an interesting row of falling dominoes and inter-woven people that it really adds depth and weight to the sense of Fate in Jordan’s story. Jordan is a genius for writing fascinating info-dump and fictional in-story history.
The scene with Sammael’s emissary was dark. Sammael basically turned that Illianer into a voicemail recording, or maybe one end of a walkie talkie. What do I think of his offer of truce? I kind of think he means it (at least until the right opportunity pops up to betray the truce.) Rand tells the messenger about events nobody alive could know from the Age of Legends and then the guy dies. He only started to die after Rand finished with his answer, though, which makes me wonder if Sammael could somehow hear Rand’s answer. Otherwise, how was Sammael supposed to know Rand’s response?
So… Rand is Galad’s half-brother. That’s fun. They should hang out. I don’t think he’s related to Elayne, though he probably better start asking some casual questions to some of his new Andoran underlings.