These are some great chapters, and I'm glad I get to cover them. I don't know how anyone else is feeling about the series at this point, but I really enjoy the way Jordan is so carefully weaving each character's fate deeper and deeper into the very history of the land they travel across; almost without exception, every event that happens in these chapters has much a much deeper repurcussion later in the series (some of them, over and over again). While a lot of annoying recurring themes get introduced here, I did love Perrin's struggles with the "Way of the Leaf"; this struggle between a loving and pacifist acceptance of fate and the desire to affect one's own destiny is something that resonates VERY strongly for me. Chapter recaps, and some more of my thoughts, below the fold.
Chapter 25:
As Egwene and Perrin travel with Elyas and the wolves, Perrin begins to accept his "wolf brother" nature, and in return the wolves appear to be protecting his dreams. The eventually come across a band of gypsy-like folk, called variously the Tuatha'an, "The Traveling People" or "Tinkers," who are led by the Mahdi Raen. They roam the world, seeking some un-named song, and practice the pacifistic code of honor known as "The Way of the Leaf," which seems to put Elyas' hackles up. The Tinkers, Raen explains, do not attempt to convert, they simply share; however, this has sometimes led village young people abandon their families and their way of life to join the Tinkers, which has led to a common perception that the Tinkers steal children. Raen also relates a story that tells us that Tinkers, almost alone among all other peoples, are allowed to cross the dreaded deseret known as the Aiel Waste; a land populated by the seemingly bloodthirsty and war-hungry Aiel. During one such crossing, a group of Tinkers recieved the dying message of one of these Aiel - one of the feared female warriros known as the Far Dareis Mai (or Maidens of the Spear).
"Leafblighter means to blind the Eye of the World, Lost One. He means to slay the Great Serpent. Warn the People, Lost One. Sightburner comes. Tell them to stand ready for He Who Comes With the Dawn." she proclaimed before dying. Leafblighter and Sightburner being Aiel names for Shai'tan, this message has obviously drawn much consternation, but it seems no one can figure it out - not even the increasingly mysterious Elyas, whose past - it is hinted here - is even more cryptic than just the tale of how he became a "Wolf Brother".
Chapter 26:
While Mat continues to try and develop his skills as a gleeman, Rand is frustrated since the whole thing is just part of their cover story; the boys marvel at the beautiful Whitebridge (which actually DOES sound quite awe-inspiring). After they dock, Gelb hatefully leaves the ship, and Bayle Domon tries to convince Thom to stay on-board, knowing that the presence of the gleeman probably prevented a mutiny during this trip. In Whitebridge, the threesome learn that the False Dragon Logain has been captured by Aes Sedai, and they are taking him to Tar Valon. They also learn that Logain can Channel, and that a new Hunt for the Horn has been a called.
As they try to discover whether any of their friends have been through Whitebridge yet, they find they are no longer welcome there, as two individuals have recently been through asking about the same group: a crazy man, and a Fade. Gelb makes some commotion, naming them Darkfriends, and they decide it would be best to get on to Caemlyn. However, before they can leave town, they bump into the Fade, who Thom distracts telling the boys to flee to the Queen's Blessing inn at Caemlyn. Alone, the boys begin the long path to Caemlyn.
Chapter 27:
Still with the Tinkers, Perrin is frustrated at the pace they are setting, wanting to find his friends. Egwene, however, has bought in entirely, including learning a very sensual dance which seems to make Perrin very uncomfortable, which introduces one of the more annoying and ridiculous pseudo-memes of the Wheel of Time: each of the lads continually suggesting, via their internal dialog, that one of more of the other two "knows all about girls." I thought it was dumb when I was a teenager, and time has not been especially kind to this particular sentiment.
However, the situation is soon resolved, as the wolves bring word that there is danger afoot, causing Elyas and the Emond's Fielders to take their leave of the Tinkers. Perrin discovers that he can lock the wolves out of his thoughts, but is unsure whether he really wants to do so, as their protection in his dreams has become quite valuable to him.
Chapter 28:
Nynaeve, Moiraine and Lan show up in Whitebridge. Nynaeve is still being a total pain in the butt - another theme that I have NEVER had much patience for. She's a pouty brat and I just think Moiraine and Lan should take turns tanning her backside with a switch. When they find that both the two boys (which two remains unknown to them) and a Fade have been in town in the past two days, Moiraine decides to leave them to her fate, relying on simple faith that the Dark One cannot win this easily, and therefore he must not have the two boys.
Chapter 29:
A hunt of ravens attacks the wolves escorting Elyas, Perrin, and Egwene, taking out one of the eyes of the wolf known as Hopper; Perrin ponders whether he could euthanize Egwene rather than let he be pecked to death by ravens. Seeking safety, the group enters an Ogier stedding, a place Trollocs, Halfmen and even Aes Sedai will not enter. Elyas and Egwene debate the historical figure Artur Hawkwing, who seems to be a sort of echo of King Arthur of Camelot, although more rough than the version we normally think of. Unfortunately, at Hawkwing's death, all those who bore his blood fled across the
AtlanticAryth Ocean, and a 123 year long war started as the lesser men left behind picked over the pieces of his kingdom.
Chapter 30:
Elyas and Perrin discuss the morality of violence, Elyas suggesting that Perrrin's hatred of violence as an answer will allow him to be more wise in the application thereof. However, they are forced to split up as they are set upon by Whitecloaks. After a Whitecloak kills Hopper, Perrin - in a berserker rage - kills two Whitecloaks before being knocked unconscious. Waking to find himself and Egwene captured by the Whitecloaks, Perrin discovers they are accused of being Darkfriends, and that he will be hung for killing the Whitecloaks.
I really liked the "Wolf Brother" stuff, and cannot ever read chapters involving this plot point without thinking of one of my all-time favorite anime, "Wolf's Rain". Set in a world where wolves are semi-sacred - and key to a prophecy about the salvation of Mankind - they are, at the outset of the tale, believed to have been hunted to extinction nearly two hundred years ago. However, the viewer quickly discovers they still exist, having managed to survive by learning to cloak themselves human form. Although mostly the story of four such wolves - Kiba, Tsume, Hige and Toboe - there's some great mono-myth stuff hidden inside of it, and the artwork and surreal story-telling combine to make one of my favorite experiences with "anime as artistic expression".
As I said, I have some frustrations with some of the memes Jordan is beginning to introduce, but they are so tightly bound into the definition of each character, and the story itself is enjoyable enough, that I'm willing to look past them with nothing more than the occasional roll of the eyes.
Perrin really starts to blossom in these chapters, and it was a great decision to introduce the figure of Elyas - with all his shady past and moral ambiguities - to give us something to compare and contrast Perrin against; however, it's pretty obvious that Jordan really punted on the opportunity to develop Egwene and Nynaeve more in these chapters. As I mentioned before the jump, Perrin's struggle here is one I frequently come up against myself, especially when I consider the events in the Book of Mormon, regarding the people of Ammon as related in Alma (especially around Chapter 53).
As for the rest, what about Thom, Mat and Rand - what do you think? What's going on with Mat? Did Thom survive his encounter with the Fade? How will the boys fare on their journey to Caemlyn? Is there anyone out there NOT super-annoyned by Nynaeve (and, to some extent, Moiraine for the ham-handed way she manipulates Nynave? or Nynaeve for being SOOO easy to manipulate?)
