Could Elain use her Sight in a fight if she needed to defend herself?
Posted for @elainarcheronweek Day 4: In Full Bloom
Disclaimer: before I start, I feel the need to clarify that no, I do not think Elain Archeron will become a warrior like Nesta or Feyre, I highly doubt that is her arc. That being said, I DO think that Elain will learn to defend herself (or she may have done so already). Whomever her final romantic partner, whatever her role - as a spy and/or an emissary - think it would be stupid of anyone to let such a hot commodity (she's a Cauldron Made Seer, ffs) out of Velaris without the means to defend herself.
This is all just a bit of fun. Please be kind.
Spoilers: Crescent City series, only mild.
This theory builds on prior posts from @wingedblooms (here and here), @lovelydreamlight (here) and @psychologynerd (here) - you're all brilliant!
I won't rehash the evidence given in the posts above, because they're well worth reading in their entirety, but essentially wingedblooms, lovelydreamlight, psychologynerd and I (amongst a few others) suspect that Elain, along with Nuala and Cerridwen, may have participated in the Valkyrie training with Nesta, Emerie and Gwyn while disguised as Ananke, Roslin and Deirdre. This would fit with the thought many of my friends share that Elain has been working in the background for some time now. As a bonus, she would be "self defence ready," allowing the plot of her future book to move forward faster than it would or could if she was stuck training in self defence, rather than - we all hope - harnessing her magic.
As I mentioned above, I do not think Elain will become a warrior, but I do think she will carry a smaller, concealed weapon with which to defend herself. It would not be unusual for an emissary or spy (emissaries are likely reporting back to their leaders, anyway) to carry such a thing. A dagger would suit her purposes well.
Following on from this, we know Elain has already used a dagger - Truth-Teller - to assassinate the King of Hybern.
Nesta did not move from where she shielded Cassian’s body. The king raised his hand, power whirling like a dark galaxy in his palm. I knew they’d both die the moment that power hit them. Anything, I begged the Cauldron. Anything— The king’s hand began to drop. And then halted. A choking noise came out of him. For a moment, I thought the Cauldron had answered my pleas. But as a black blade broke through the king’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had. Elain stepped out of a shadow behind him, and rammed Truth-Teller to the hilt through the back of the king’s neck as she snarled in his ear, “Don’t you touch my sister.” - ACOWAR, chapter 74
There is growing consensus amongst the fandom that, in addition to her Sight, Elain may share similar powers with the mystics of Midgard - namely, the ability to See in present time. In addition to her tracking the Suriel for Feyre, it's possible she did the same thing of her own volition to find Nesta and the King of Hybern after being sent back to the Night Court's war camp mid battle.
Elain again glanced at the map. At me. Then closed her eyes. Her eyes shifted beneath her lids, the skin so delicate and colorless that the blue veins beneath were like small streams. “It moves …,” she whispered. “It moves through the world like … like the breath of the western wind.” “Where is it headed?” Her finger lifted, hovering over the map, the courts. Slowly, she set it down. “There,” she breathed. “It is going there. Now.” - ACOWAR, chapter 57
This passage between Mor and Feyre also - potentially - hints at Elain using Truth-Teller once more (I suspect that may have something to do with her magic more than anything, though a dagger would fit with Elain's likely role going forward more than a larger blade). Yes, Elain returned Truth-Teller to Azriel (pressing it into his hand as he had done to her), but I strongly think that the unanswered questions from the battle in ACOWAR will lead to Elain using the Made blade once more.
“You honestly think he’d ever give up Truth-Teller?” “He gave it to Elain,” Mor said, admiring a moonstone necklace in the counter’s glass case. “She gave it back,” I amended, failing to block out the image of the black blade piercing through the King of Hybern’s throat. But Elain had given it back—had pressed it into Azriel’s hands after the battle, just as he had pressed it into hers before. And then walked away without looking back. Mor hummed to herself. - ACOFAS, chapter 4
When Mor hums, we pay attention. 👀
Could Elain combine these two hypothetical skills and eventually be able to predict her opponents' moves before they act? It would give her a considerable advantage in a fight for her life, especially as - if she is to commit to her likely role as a "vulnerable damsel" - she would not be able to wear much in the way of armour.
