EotW ch 17, 18
Chapter 17 Watchers and Hunters
I’m aware I’m not very eloquent or introspective right now. These early chapters are so much world building, there isn’t much for me to do but have a running commentary of events. I promise, I have more discussion-worthy posts for later chapters/books! Meanwhile, I shall continue my flailing with a smattering of insight…
Gaidal Cain!! I didn’t realize he was named so early! Was Blaes in the story really Birgitte, in another incarnation? Her entry in the Companion is brief (Blaes’, I mean). I always felt bad for Gaidal Cain. It sucks he was called to fight at Falme but was just a helpless child during the Last Battle! Unable to fight as a either flesh and blood reincarnation OR a soul called to battle by the Horn. That sucks. He probably would have been a great help to the cause.
Hahahahaha Mat gets stuck guarding the weapons at the inn just like one girl always gets stuck watching the purses at a bar!
IS THAT MOTHERFUCKING SAMMAEL WATCHING RAND DANCE?? WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?? How have I missed this detail before? I feel silly now. But FUCK! I mean, it makes sense, that’s how the asshole Mydraal know where to look for them. STILL. Fucking Forsaken.
I love that Nynaeve took the opportunity to dance. The Women’s Circle would never allow it and as far as she knew, she was headed back home. The fact that she let herself dance this one time melts my heart. There’s still a young woman inside of her. But she has to pretend that isn’t so, in order to be accepted as the Wisdom. What a little rebel!
GODDAMIT Bornhald! Fucker. I hate the Children almost as much as Padin Fain.
Oh, Mat. “I wonder what Dav did with that badger?”
Chapter 18 The Caemlyn Road
Fuck. It’s never good when the chapter icon is a Trolloc skull
First mention of the Seven Towers. Oh, Lan! My heart!
Rand starts the cry of “Manetheren!!!” When they hit the first Trollocs. Perrin follows. Mat? Mat goes off in the old tongue for the first time! “Honor of the Red Eagle! Honor of the Rose Sun!”
Holy shit Mat was almost hung by a Trolloc noose! Dude! Protip: AVOID ROPES OF ANY KIND, OK??
I’m starting a counter: Times Mat has been/almost been hung. That makes 1.
I can’t stop laughing at Nynaeve trying to convince Moiraine that her herbs were doing the healing, not the Power. Rand doesn’t understand their non-verbal battle, but I do! I love the constant murmer of storyline in layers underneath Rand’s point of view. Despite the narrator point of view not having full knowledge, RJ still gives us enough to sense and decipher what’s happening on the other side of camp, so to speak. From the beginning, he was weaving many stories together. This was never going to be a linear series. RJ does layering like nobody else I’ve ever read.