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 3: Hill of the Golden Dawn
NOTE: The following chapter summary comes from wot.fandom.com
Point of view: Perrin Aybara
Rand‘s party goes through the Gateway to a place some miles to the northeast of the city of Cairhien. Perrin laments internally about the Red Wolfhead and Red Eagle banners he doesn’t want but that the Two Rivers men keep carrying. He thinks about Elayne, who, as the new Queen of Andor, won’t like the latter banner but will perhaps be lenient. On the other side of the Gateway, all regroup as for a battle. Perrin remembers a conversation before the opening of the Gateway. Rand asked Flinn and Grady whether he could expect his enemies to have been idle while he was a prisoner. Flinn answers that only a fool would think so. Rand then asks Dashiva who replies that he doesn’t know about having enemies since he grew up on a farm. Rand tells him that he will have enemies, now that he is close to Rand.
Finally through, Rand declares that he can only trust Perrin, Min, and Loial. All the time Perrin is concerned about Rand’s scent which is mixed and jumping enough for two men. Perrin wants Rand as Dragon Reborn to hold on and stay sane and is ashamed that he doesn’t always see his friend under the layer of Dragon Reborn anymore.
Feraighin, a Wise One with the Aiel in Cairhien, approaches the Wise Ones of Rand’s party. They talk, then wait for Rand, Perrin, Min, and Aram to join them. Feraighin bears news from Cairhien: Rand’s disappearance has affected the Aiel and pushed the bleakness to new heights (1000 per day), rumors have spread that Rand is wearing an Aes Sedai leash, and Colavaere has crowned herself queen. Kiruna tries to bully in but is ignored. Rand asks about Berelain and is told she is well. Perrin is in great anxiety about Faile and wonders why Rand doesn’t ask about her. Feraighin also tells that bubbles of evil have risen in the city and people have died. Further she tells Rand that Caraline Damodred, Toram Riatin, and the nobles with them have met with Darlin Sisnera and his party out of Haddon Mirk. They sit some distance from the city and feast. The Wise Ones also have noticed about ten Aes Sedai in the city, staying in the manor house of Arilyn Dhulaine. Perrin asks about Faile and is told she is well. Kiruna delivers a pretty little speech trying to tell Rand that he has to be guided by her and Bera―but is ignored again. Rand just tells the Wise Ones to take all Aes Sedai into custody now so the world can see that Rand is not on an Aes Sedai leash.
Gaul rants about Chiad‘s behavior, leading him on when she does not want to marry him. Perrin realizes Chiad and Bain are here and not in the city with Faile and his temper flares because of his anxiety. Loial tries vainly to calm him.
REACTION:
Perrin thinks that Elayne will let the flying of the Manetheren banner pass. Lol. He does not know her. She’s already planning how to hang him for treason.
Jordan is subtle about this, but if you’re reading closely, Dashiva is intended to come across as untrustworthy. He’s like an Ashaman version of Verin. Distracted but also not. He is described with the word “indolence” and that tells me he’s a bad guy in waiting.
This chapter presents us with the first major problem for Rand in this book. His absence has convinced a sizable number of Aiel that he has abandoned them. It has convinced others that he was taken prisoner. Both rumors have had the result of increasing “the bleakness” in the Aiel ranks – sending some to the Shaido. More importantly, this is a serious threat to splinter Rand’s hold on the Aiel.
Merely returning will not fix the problem, though, because the fact that he is returning with Aes Sedai (prisoners or not) will convince still more than he is not on an Aes Sedai leash. The same problem is true among Rand’s “Wetlander” allies.
Colavaere has crowned herself queen and Perrin is worried about Faile. The new queen hated Rand so it makes sense that she’d hate anyone connected to him.
Imagine how insanely brave / ambitious Colavaere must be to be part of this plan. She definitely believes herself to be allied to the strongest continent – the White Tower – but she has to know that eventually the fact she crossed Rand will come to light. Imagine being a Cairhienen ruler and crossing the Chief of Chiefs of the Aiel after what the Aiel have done to that country over the last quarter century.
Welp… I think Cersei is right about this one. But this was like she put the noose around her own neck. We’ll see how it plays out, but I can’t see how Rand avoids adding another name to his list.
The Aes Sedai trying to bully Rand into letting them advise him… sigh.
“You must let yourself be guided by us. One wrong move, one wrong word, and you may deliver unto Cairhien the same disaster that you gave Tarabon and Arad Domon. Worse, you can do incalculable damage to matters about which you know almost nothing.”
The audacity. THE AUDACITY! How are they going to blame him for Tarabon and Arad Doman knowing he has never ruled there? Imagine saying that to the ruler of Tear, Cairhien, Ander, and the Aiel, and after your own organization’s colossal recent flub ups. She should go to the Black Tower just for some lessons in humility.
The best bit of that was Alanna’s pleased reaction to Rand’s response. She’s *proud* of her Warder. On that point, though, Rand’s plan makes sense. Make a big show of the Aes Sedai captives. Make a public display of the Ashaman. That’s probably the best he can do to address the “Rand is a secret puppet” rumors.
The Bain – Chiad – Gaul love triangle / poly (?) situation is one of the best long term relatively unimportant plot threads in the series and it remains pretty funny. Gaul is currently outraged that he is not viewed by Chiad as being worthy of marriage. He doesn’t want to be a physical fling and he’s mad at her for leading him on.
Of course, this freaks Perrin out because he suddenly realized that with those two in his own camp, Faile is much less well-protected in the city than he had thought. My STRONG suspicion is that Faile sent them with Perrin, covertly, to watch his back covertly (at least as much as they can.) She’s an excellent wife.
I also have no doubt that she’s completely fine in the royal palace. The Wise One reported that she was well. We’ll soon find out!
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