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 17: The Wheel of a Life
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Rand al’Thor
Rand opens a Gateway to a room in Cairhien and goes through following his escort of Aiel. Rand heads in to the palace to meet with Berelain and Rhuarc, the two he has left in charge while he has been gone. Berelain is in charge of the city with Rhuarc as her adviser. Rand wishes to see Egwene but isn’t sure if the Wise Ones will allow it while she is still recovering from being attacked by Lanfear. They come to a courtyard where a number of Cairhienin women are practicing sword fighting. They are also practicing a bastardized version of Ji’e’toh. This greatly offends the Aiel for multiple reasons but Rand doesn’t see it as an issue.
Rand dismisses most of his guard since there are too many for moving about the palace. They discuss the rebels in the foothills of the Spine of the World and the Shaido that appear to be settling in to stay. Rhuarc reports that there is fighting in Shara, something that hasn’t happened since the Trolloc Wars. It started after they learned of the coming of the Dragon Reborn. Rand has established a school to develop new things which has shown mixed results to far. A Sea Folk ship is docked at the city. Mangin arrives to tell Rand he violated the rules against killing Cairhienin and so should be hanged, which Rand is obliged to enforce.
REACTION:
“If there was one place anywhere that Rand knew he needed no Maidens, it was Cairhien – moreso even than Tear.”
That’s a statement that seems worth remembering. This is the kind o “I’m too sure of myself” thought a protagonist has that aways proves to be wrong.
Berelain asks about Mat and Perrin. As we might remember, she made a play for Perrin in the Stone of Tear. Egwene had a dream vision of Perrin with a Falcon on one shoulder, and a Hawk on the other. I am pretty sure Berelain is the Hawk. How do we get her on his shoulder though… that remains to be seen. I don’t think we’re going to see any “sharing” situations between her and Faile.
Why doesn’t Berelain like Egwene? Or vice versa? I’d guess that even if you subsequently decide to break up with the guy you were planning to marry since you were a small child, you don’t like any woman who tried to sleep with him before that decision was made (and probably not after, either.)
What is there to be made of the fact that the women of Cairhien are learning to fight using a sword? I mean, if your city has been ravaged by invaders multiple times, and the local men have not been able to defend you, maybe you learn to defend yourself? I guess it also makes sense that they’d adopt (hijack and then mangle) Aiel customs regarding honor and obligation. If the same people keep conquering you, and then the last time they not only conquer you, they save you, and the prophesied savior of the world seems to be their leader… well, you adapt.
New information: Cairhien rebels are gathering, led by the Damodred and Riatin houses, who have put aside their loathing of one another to deal with Rand. Moiraine was a Damodred, but so too was Barthanes, who turned out to be a Darkfriend. He was murdered brutally. Riatin is the house that was King, until Thom killed said King.
The Shaido are setting up permanent residence not far away. That seems like a larger concern.
The book keeps reminding us that Shara exists, so we should assume Shara will be part of the story eventually. Their lands are in turmoil for the first time since the Trolloc Wars. Graendal is using two of their former leaders as pets now, as we might remember. Of course, it’s being reported to Rand that they are fighting just from hearing about his existence. Anytime we can pile on that psychological weight on a guy who is going insane, we should do it, right?
The chapter ends on a sad note. Rand finds out that one of the Aiel he likes (Mangin) killed a tree killer, so he is forced to hang him. Mangin killed the guy over a cultural offense – the Cairhien man had a tattoo of a dragon on his forearm. This is an instance where I’m not sure I’ve understood the Aiel well. Rhuarc says the toh is to Rand personally, which implies that if all things were equal, this would be a justified killing. It’s only a problem because Rand gave the order not to kill the Tree Killers outside of battle. Maybe that’s right, but that doesn’t feel as though it fits outside of the Shaido, anyway. I guess where Cairhien is concerned, though, maybe it does. If we accept that this type of offense is cause for killing, then we should also probably re-evaluate exactly how angry the “Maidens of the Sword” stuff is making the other Aiel. It seems… VERY angry.
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