The Gathering Storm - Summary

The Gathering Storm is the most intense book of The Wheel of Time so far, profiling the meteoric rise of Egwene and the chronicle of Rand’s disastrous shunning of emotion and love. As one rises, the other falls. Both live through memorable scenes of triumph even as they follow opposing trajectories.

Rand is subjected to the most personal and traumatic of tortures. He overcomes them by turning his back on the Light and his friends, coming to see everyone as a thing to be used to advance his quest, failing to see them as people at all. In this distant emotional state, he has the power to do anything, but lacks the imperative to do anything at all. He follows the prophecies as though it were a script, playing his part with no care for how he interacts with the other players.

Egwene’s subtle resistance to Elaida’s physical and personal humiliation of her wins allies of ever-increasing rank. Novices, Aes Sedai, and Sitters all come to respect her, culminating in Verin entrusting her with her life’s work. The support she has built allows her to take on power during a Seanchan raid in which she singlehandedly hands the raiders a defeat. Egwene has demonstrated she embodies the best traits of all Ajahs, and reunites the factions of the White Tower under her rule.  

These two heroes stand at counterpoint to each other, Egwene demonstrating how to gain followers, and Rand demonstrating how to lose them. Egwene unites feuding factions while Rand can’t reach simple temporary agreement with the Seanchan nipping at him. Many dueling forces stand between Rand and victory: the Seanchan against the mainland nations, the male channelers against female channelers, Lews Therin against his own soul, Moridin’s nihilistic philosophy against the hopes espoused by Cadsuane and Nynaeve. All of these opposing forces must be reconciled, demanding sacrifice in the form of discomfort, concession, and acceptance.

Since the book is co-authored by Brandon Sanderson, the question of who wrote individual scenes in The Gathering Storm is inevitable. In the early part of the book, the difference in writing style from Robert Jordan’s earlier work is jarring, yet before long, the story takes hold of the reader, and the fate of Rand, Egwene, Verin, and other favourite characters overrides any apparent dissonance. By the time Rand finds himself in Semirhage’s clutches, the pace of the story carries the reader forward.

If Brandon has committed any sin in his handling of the story, it is one he could never overcome: he is not Robert Jordan.

Robert Jordan was facing his own mortality as he wrote this book, and must have found himself uncomfortably in the shoes of several of his characters. In the legend of Manetheren, in Seanchan imperial culture, in the Malkieri vows, in the historical truth shown in the glass columns of Rhuidean, there have been trans-generational commitments; tasks so vast, so important, that each generation must pick up the duty from their forefathers, and carry the burden onward. Best summarized in this passage from The Shadow Rising:

“I mean to save something here, and that something is you.”

“As you say,” he said reluctantly. “We will care for what you have given into our charge until you want them again.”

“Of course. The things we gave you.” She smiled at him and loosened her grip, smoothing his hair once more before folding her hands.

Like Verin in this book, Robert Jordan entrusted his work to loved ones who understood and could finish what he set out to accomplish. The words of the story and the order they appear in are merely things, unimportant compared to the messages they contain, the resolution of the characters’ quests, or the battle against the Shadow which permeates the story. Fighting the Shadow is more than one man can do alone. Rand tried that in this very story, and failed. Working together, the keepers of Robert Jordan’s legacy forged ahead with the story as he wished, knowing the criticisms that would be leveled, cognizant of the difficulties in living up to the level of his work, understanding that hesitation might cost the opportunity to ever complete it.

“So many decisions you must make, for one so young.” She yawned, then grimaced as a pain stabbed her.

Egwene rose, walking to Verin’s side. “Thank you, Verin. Thank you for choosing me to carry this burden.”

My thanks also.

Writing Lessons:

You are a writer. Never quit, never give up.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 43-45

In this section, Rand’s reunion with Hurin is menacing, while Egwene’s reunification of the Tower proceeds much better.

Rand’s attempts to sever all emotional ties hardly finds an obstacle when he meets with Hurin, a follower from long ago. Back then Rand offered Hurin leadership, courage, and hope. Today he threatens Hurin, questions his very identity, and dismisses all of his petty concerns. What could have been a gesture of friendship is interpreted as an attempt to influence Rand, with disastrous consequences. Nynaeve is hardly able to sway Rand’s mood when he begins weaving lightning to send crashing into the Borderlanders’ camp.

When he does relent, it is partly out of a sense that he owes Nynaeve a debt for caring when he can no longer afford to. Similarly to Far Madding, when he reached out for Cadsuane’s help before getting in trouble, Rand reaches out to his conscience, Nynaeve, and gives her a scrap of information, telling her where Perrin is. The other part of his motivation is that he hopes to save time by having Nynaeve reel Perrin back to his side.

Nynaeve brings Perrin’s location to Cadsuane, but it isn’t Perrin she is after, but someone whose relationship with Rand goes back even further than Hurin or Perrin.

It is pointed out that Min’s Viewings are clues as to what the Pattern intends for later, but if the Dark One wins, those plans will be for naught, since the Pattern itself would have been destroyed.  

Egwene goes through some introspection, which is always a danger for authors. Too much self-awareness, or too little, and readers can be knocked out of the story. Egwene’s lasts for almost three pages, and is extremely self-aware, teetering on slipping into the author’s voice instead of her own.

Egwene is bitter over her failure to persuade Siuan not to come to her rescue. She blames her secrecy for allowing Siuan to reach conclusions she would not have, had she known more details of Egwene’s plan. Egwene resolves to share her thoughts more freely in the future, while knowing that there will be some secrets her position demands be kept close. To illustrate her new mindset, the chapter concludes with her revelation to the Sitters of the Black Ajah amongst them. This purging of their ranks could not happen if Egwene didn’t have some reason and means to openly share the contents of Verin’s research with her highest-ranking and most-trusted followers.

Further illustrating the previous lack of communication between Egwene and her closest followers, Egwene must explain to Gawyn that his discomfort was the price she demanded of him. The idea that loved ones must be free and empowered to take their own risks in life has surfaced repeatedly throughout The Wheel of Time, and the truest example of this is the relationship between Warder and Aes Sedai.

Siuan and Bryne’s storyline comes to an end. Siuan has fulfilled her Viewing, as has Bryne, and they are at last united in love and the Warder bond. With Egwene installed on the Amyrlin Seat neither Siuan nor Bryne has anything further to accomplish in relation to the story. It would be nice if they could retire after the Last Battle, but it’s just as plausible that they will get singled out as casualties in the fighting.

The Ajah heads in the White Tower are revealed to have been behind the Young Sitters in both Halls. The Young Sitters didn’t obey as well as expected, and some of the more experienced Sitters turn out to have been serving the Black Ajah, explaining their odd voting record. It’s an anticlimactic resolution to a plotline that had been thrust to the forefront at least twice. The Ajah heads settle on Egwene as their preference for the next Amyrlin, putting the need of the Tower and the world ahead of their own at last, since their earlier efforts conveniently aligned their own interests with the perceived needs of the Tower and the world.  

Egwene’s exposition of Sheriam is handled with quick, curt dialogue. The rapid exchange lures the reader in, allowing them to plow through the text before having time to think, which is exactly the effect that the exchange has on Sheriam. There is hardly even any descriptive text, just curt questions and answers:

“Egwene?” Sheriam asked uncomfortably “I was just –“

Egwene stepped forward. “Are you Black Ajah, Sheriam?”

“What? Of course not!”

“Do you consort with the Forsaken?”

“No!” Sheriam said, glancing to the sides.

“Do you serve the Dark One?”

“No!”

“Have you been released from your oaths?”

“No!”

“Do you have red hair?”

“Of course not, I never –“ She froze.

In this scene, Sheriam is a stand-in for all the Black Ajah, her familiar, kindly, and oft seen face representing the closeness which many of the Aes Sedai will have had with their evil sisters. Were they able to tell all as they marched to the headsman, as Verin was able to? Once they believed their death was imminent, were they able to reveal the Dark One’s secrets? Did they even try to?  Sheriam at least revealed she had been stealing dream ter’angreal, another strong indication that the Dark One doesn’t want the heroes poking around in this realm, although it could still simply be Forsaken jealousy. Did Mesaana arrange for many other ter’angreal to be stolen from the Tower?  Why were she and other Forsaken so worried about getting caught stealing ter’angreal when Egwene was able to waltz in to the storerooms twice? It seems likely there was simply nothing worth stealing, or worth having the Aes Sedai notice was missing, which implies cowardice on the Forsaken’s part, a strong motivator. The sa’angreal Egwene used must nonetheless have been tempting.

Egwene’s purge of the Black Ajah amongst the rebels is not representative of Rand’s handling of the darkness within him. She does however acknowledge the existence of the Black Ajah privately, which is an important step for Rand to take. Only then is she able to excise it, yet Aes Sedai will still behave as Aes Sedai do, even if they do not serve the Shadow. The capacity for evil always remains, and if Egwene has only lightly touched on this truth, Rand will have to deal with it more directly before he can win the Last Battle.

Egwene accepts the Tower’s surrender, and their appeal to her to take the Amyrlin Seat. It’s nowhere near as gripping or powerful as the scene where the Black Ajah amongst the rebels are purged, and feels like a necessary epilogue to Egwene’s plotline, and there’s yet more Egwene to come.

Writing Lessons:

Control the pace of dialogue to keep the reader focused on something, or to keep them from focusing on something.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 37-39

In this section, Rand mercilessly destroys his enemies and Egwene gets some help.

Without a shred of regret or doubt, Rand sacrifices a Domani nobleman to test whether Graendal is really hiding in a fortress called Natrin’s Barrow. His plan to kill Graendal amounts to fooling her into thinking she is sitting down to play a game with him, then to kill her before she realizes there is no game.

Callandor failed Rand before, but we get a glimpse of why Callandor is the object called out in the Prophecies, not the Choedan Kal. Rand calls Callandor a box, designed to trap him, but readers retain the intuition that a circle of two women and one man using Callandor can overcome its flaws. Callandor forces men and women to work together, to be in a circle where they can share sensations, and feed off each other’s will. The Warder bond sometimes causes a feedback loop where Aes Sedai and Warder’s emotions feed off each other. The a’dam allows sensation of the damane’s physical feelings. Rand’s bond with Elayne caused uncomfortable feedback and amplification of sensations. In a circle, using Callandor, it seems plausible that a feedback loop can be created that magnifies willpower, allowing Rand to feed off of the combined resistance of the women linked with him. Given the possible weakness in the True Power exposed in the previous chapters, the ability to use collaborative willpower would be of great value in the Last Battle.  

Balefire’s unique properties are once again showcased in a clever and callous strategy to verify whether Graendal is dead. Of course, dedicated balefire enthusiasts such as myself found several ways in which Graendal could have survived the blast. Min contrasts the results of the faded Compulsion with the bruises on her own neck which have not faded yet. The difference is that Rand acted as an intermediary, so his actions were not undone by balefiring Semirhage, he still believed he had a collar around his neck and was being forced to strangle Min. Given Demandred’s meeting with the Dark One and the repeated use of balefire, it is inevitable that balefire will play an important role in A Memory of Light. I expect Demandred’s forces to channel it almost exclusively in an attempt to unmake the world itself, an attack which would require the True Power, or the properties of Tel’aran’rhiod to repair.

Nynaeve is despondent over her inability to sway Rand by even a hair, so she reluctantly turns to Cadsuane, who tests her, questioning her ability to obey. Nynaeve resists, as she always does, not unlike Rand himself, while Min assigns herself the duty of keeping Rand alive and sane, with his soul in one piece.

Egwene uses need in Tel’aran’rhiod and comes across Tinker wagons. Mat once discovered Tinker Wagons burned with the message ‘tell the Dragon Reborn’ scratched with one man’s dying efforts. What do they mean together? The most common answer relates to their lost song, but given Rand’s recent moods, what he needs to be told is to adopt the Way of the Leaf. Acceptance of events and refusal to use force are two elements of this philosophy that are used frequently in other places in the story. If Rand’s soul is to be salvaged, the Way of the Leaf may offer a means to do it.

Stepping out of Tel’aran’rhiod, the transition from healthy Egwene to injured Egwene drives home the treatment she casually described to Siuan, hoping not to alarm her to the point where she would ignore Egwene’s order to pursue no rescue. With Siuan she uses words like ‘solitude, beating, spice, survive, narrow, touch, can’t stand, bend, stoop, pain, beatings, old, itches, cracks.’ Upon awakening, the author uses stronger words such as ‘blackness, exploded, pain, pounded raw, strap, cramped, forced, curled, small, smelled, unwashed, stench, groan, shield, stiff, cracked, scraping, parched, never, stooped’.

Dramatic events surrounding Elaida’s potential downfall and Silviana’s potential execution allow Egwene a few moments alone back in her cell, just in time for a visit from Verin.

Verin’s affiliation with the Black Ajah was a much bigger secret than Sheriam’s because she helped the heroes so overtly, but of course there were still those who latched on to the idea that she was Black Ajah early. Verin’s appearance brings an avalanche of revelations. Fortunately she doesn’t just walk in and hand her secrets to Egwene. There is a cost, which is her life. Self-sacrifice isn’t something the Dark One seems able to conceive of or worry about, so Verin’s self-sacrifice is a clue to the Dark One’s blind spot, one which Rand should easily take advantage of as he embodies the role of saviour.

As the series nears its end, it’s foreseeable that readers get reminders of all the major plot elements which will explain the later victory, so these tidbits about the Dark One, balefire, Callandor, the True Power and Tel’aran’rhiod are significant. In almost every case, those tidbits have been placed in gripping scenes so that readers absorb them, but don’t dwell on them, allowing a more powerful revelation later.

With most of the Black Ajah plots already foiled, it is timely to reveal their identities now. No longer are readers filled with paranoia about who may be on their side, from now on they will know exactly who is a villain and who is not. A new tension arises from Egwene’s need to keep this secret until she can make the most use of it, even when it will mean interacting with Black Ajah.  She gives orders to take Alviarin immediately if at all possible.

The book has been picking up its pace for a while now, overcoming most concerns or interest in the difference between Jordan and Sanderson. The reason is that events in each locale are directly affecting each other, creating a storyline that links the parts into a whole which the reader has interest in following. Mat’s agreement with Verin led to her arrival in the Tower. Rand’s failure with the Seanchan leads to Tuon launching a raid on Tar Valon. Tuon’s raid prevents Egwene from acting on Verin’s information immediately. Disparate storylines are being interwoven with cause and effect rather than simply thematic links.

Writing Lessons:

Readers feel story progression when the solution to one problem creates a new problem.

The Gathering Storm - Chapters 34-36

In this section, Tuon resists and rejects Rand.

The first time I read The Gathering Storm, I found several of Mat’s humourous sections over the top and out of character. This time, they provided the heartiest laughs. Rand’s chapters are too grim to allow humour, so a brief Mat interlude allows a quick respite from the grimness, before launching back into it. All Rand all the time would be a grind to read, but Mat’s sections give the book a tempo such that it feels like two beats down, one beat up, two beats down, one beat up, until Rand hits rock bottom. Here’s a quick look at what makes the humour in each of these sentences effective.

Next he knew, the daisies on the sides of the road would be ganging up to try and eat him. Exaggeration to the point of ridiculousness.

Mat’s overly detailed aliases for the raid on the town of Trustair have several more examples of exaggeration, this time by adding detail upon detail, any one of which would be acceptable, but when combined sound preposterous.

Mat’s seat: Bloody thing must have been designed by insane, cross-eyed Trollocs and built from the bones of the damned. A combination of exaggeration and uncommon details.

You’re Aes Sedai. I figured you… you know, saidared it. Inappropriate use of a word is funny, this one manages to take Aes Sedai down a notch as well through its lack of respect, and ridicule of prominent figures is usually accepted as funny. 

Is Verin lying to Mat? She goes to some length to present a fantastic story of coincidence and fate, yet as it is begun, the following line puts it all in question:  That smile on the corner of her lips? That was the smile of a jackleg who didn’t care that you were on to her con. Now that you understood, you could both enjoy the game, and perhaps together you could dupe someone else. She then establishes the context for her incredible tale: Mat is ta’veren. Mat shrugs it off but their argument ought to make everyone else more convinced it’s true. If it isn’t a true tale, then it must have been to convince Mat that the thing that Verin has for him, a letter with instructions, is so important that he can’t afford to ignore it as he typically might. It would also require that Verin’s ability to find Mat be explained when none of the Forsaken or Darkfriends have been able to. If it isn’t a true tale, then why not have Mat admit to himself that he’s just playing along?  Or is all that captured in his concluding remark as he accepts her letter and her terms: “Why was Verin being so cryptic?”

Thanks to the Mat interlude, readers are a little less pessimistic about Rand’s mood when he meets the Seanchan. That doesn’t last long though, as he is soon trying to use the True Power to bend Tuon’s will and give him the treaty he wants. The fact that Tuon can resist shows her strength of character, but it also shows a weakness to the True Power. If the True Power could force someone to change her mind, they have to be accepting of that change, much as Shemerin was with her demotion. Tuon truly does not want to give in, and despite Rand using the True Power on her, she is able to resist. The True Power cannot make you do anything, control over that comes from within. This fits thematically with many of the other truths of this world, such as Rand’s many encounters with Moridin, the sudden twisting of his ta’veren powers to the nasty side, the way Tel’aran’rhiod works with force of will, and maybe even with the worst of the Dark One’s powers: the ability to turn people to the Shadow using Myrddraal and channelers. It is possible that resisting turning can cause the effort to fail, at which point a captive is killed.  It could be that it is fear of death that gets captives to surrender, and allow the conversion to the Dark. Tuon’s resistance is a mixed blessing, for readers want peace so Rand can focus on the Dark One, yet it is apparent that Rand’s victory in this matter by using the True Power would have a bad outcome. With all those weighty matters grabbing the reader’s attention, it is easy to overlook the seemingly insignificant detail that Rand was simply unable to bend her will using the True Power, which will be a key to victory in A Memory of Light.

The cultural chasms between the Seanchan and the rest of the world are vast, and Tuon says that these lands had forgotten their oaths. Oaths to do what? Await the Return? Obey? It feels like we are missing some element of what the purpose of the Return was, only glimpses of which are revealed by Tuon’s mention of the Essanik Cycle. This set of prophecies is widely believed to be a corrupted version twisted in meaning by Ishamael, but it is also possible that it is nothing of the sort, and that it simply tells how the Seanchan will command the Dragon to fight the Last Battle, and that the oaths are akin to those of the Borderlands or Manetheren, to pledge to fight the Shadow.

Writing Lessons:

Create funny sentences using exaggeration or a series of uncommon details.

Knife of Dreams - Chapters 20-21

In this section Lan resumes his quest, and Rand checks in on old allies.

Lan’s quest in the Blight has been paused since the end of The Eye of the World. In truth he set aside his suicidal need to avenge his homeland when he agreed to be bonded by Moiraine in order to fight the Shadow in a more constructive fashion. Twenty years of chasing down obscure leads in two-street villages and cities must have seemed so opposite to how he intended to live. But a Malkieri’s word is his bond, and he held to his task for two decades, finally rescuing a handful of Emond’s Fielders from the Shadow, leading them to the Blight, where he finally got another taste of the destiny that awaited him, a man vs. Blight showdown to the death.  Lan’s quest mirrored Rand’s own in The Eye of the World, and the tales of Malkier and Manetheren formed Rand into the man he needed to be to defeat Ba’alzamon. As I have postulated before, while Lan’s mentorship enhanced Rand’s manhood and battle prowess, he also led Rand astray, forming an idea in Rand’s mind that he alone could face the Dark One, and that he must do it alone, with as little help as possible. Rand still isn’t completely over that attitude, and neither is Lan.

Since leaving the Eye of the World, Lan has given cursory advice to the boys, but has had no character to speak of. Moiraine passed his bond as though he were a tool, not a man. Moiraine’s death compelled him to seek out Myrelle, who was able to save him from death by despair. Sent to Ebou Dar to help Nynaeve, he represented no more than her just reward for finally breaking her block by surrendering. He has been part of the décor, acting out his role, but had little say in anything, including the choice of where he goes. Lan recognizes that he is of little use when a hundred thousand Trollocs tear across the fields. He can’t advise Rand, he can’t fight Rand’s enemies. Rand has outgrown his need for Lan.

So, Lan grumbles that someone should be doing something in the Borderlands to prepare for the Last Battle. Nynaeve says that is his duty, while hers lies with protecting Rand from Alivia. She unselfishly grants him his long-standing wish to march into the Blight, to fight the Shadow. But, she selfishly dumps him as far from his ultimate destination as she can, to give him a chance to gather allies. Free from all past restrictions, Lan is his own man for the first time since New Spring, twenty years earlier. His quest parallels Rand’s, and there is a good chance that events surrounding Lan in A Memory of Light will be written to show what doesn’t work, to raise tension, to give examples foreshadowing Rand’s potential fate.

Verin’s letter sets a precedent for Lan’s departure. The rationale that she can serve Rand better elsewhere could easily have come from Lan, and saves a lengthier explanation on his part. The idea that followers can pick up and leave has been established, so it is natural that any other followers who can serve better elsewhere will also go, and readers will immediately understand why without having to explain it all over again. Placing these two departures in the same chapter highlights the utility of this technique.

Rand has seriously started talking about the Last Battle, making last-ditch attempts to reach terms with the Seanchan so he can focus on his ultimate task. The hundred-thousand strong hordes of Trollocs he fought at Algarin’s manor heralds the Last Battle. Aside from a handful of Saldaean soldiers, Rand’s meager forces took no losses in a battle greater than any seen in centuries. They were dispatched as though a mere nuisance. The scale of conflict has been magnified, yet it was treated as a minor skirmish, like the regular Shadowspawn attacks that used to peck at Rand in the Aiel Waste. Treating an epic event in a decidedly un-epic fashion leaves plenty of room to ramp up the emotion for the real Last Battle.

Rand saw obstreperous drunks being thrown out of inns and taverns in the early morning, in Tear. Obstreperous means noisy, boisterous and unruly. The word itself feels unruly, reflecting its meaning. Authors must feel happy to use a word so poetically.

Rand’s ta’veren aura ends the rebellion in Tear within an hour of his arrival. The various rebellions in the kingdoms he rules have served the purpose of showing that people always try to wriggle out of complete obedience, even though Rand attempts to have it from his followers. Guards who protect an empty room because Rand wasn’t precise that it was Callandor they were guarding, not the room itself, demonstrate the flaws in Rand’s ideal servants. Weiramon once again shows that if Rand tries to do everything himself, he won’t get anything done for want of continually having to place everyone back where he wants them.  Those examples are done now, the focus is moving to Arad Doman, a chaotic place where no law exists, where Rand will try to stamp out lawlessness with an enormous influx of manpower. The battle with Lews Therin over Rand’s mind and body, the willful attitudes Rand is displaying, the chaos in Arad Doman, and the imminent Last Battle all mirror and represent each other to some extent. As in the early books, Robert Jordan is back to having the locale serve the character’s story.

Writing Lessons:

Treat events with the emotional intensity you want the story to have at that point, not because they happen to be pivotal or grandiose.

Winter's Heart - Chapters 29-32

In this section, Mat escapes with a wife in tow, and Rand promises to accept an advisor.

Mat and his allies lack insight that other characters already have, notably that sul’dam are women who can learn how to channel. Watching him experiment with the a’dam is necessary to maintain belief in his ingenuity and allows a chance to prove earlier information or add detail to it with concrete examples. Once he’s done experimenting however, the author throws a lifeline, providing sul’dam, a High Blood, and everything else Mat needs. Giving these things to Mat too early would have reduced the credibility of the situation.

A potential rift between the uneasy allies will appear if Mat’s side learns about Egeanin turning the male a’dam over to Suroth.

Mat makes some changes to his plan, but this is revealed only at the last second. First, the author builds up concern about the things that can go wrong. Mat analyzes it, and concludes his plan has as few flaws as can be expected. Because of this analysis and Mat’s dread, the reader is primed to think something will go wrong. Mat reminds everyone of their tasks, and of the cost of making a mistake or exposing them. He makes plans for what to do if something goes awry. It all seems to be going well. The first sign of trouble comes when Mat worries about Teslyn cracking. Night falls, and riders approach. Egeanin has adapted the plan to keep the warders and others close by her rather than lose them in the rain. Mat initially expresses anger, but lets it drop because, surprise, surprise, he has made changes to the plan as well! After all that worry, Mat himself turns out to be the source of the threat he was worried about! With a tense set-up like that, this down-to-the-last-word surprise revelation adds humour and excitement: After all, lying on that bed in Tylin’s apartments, he had decided to risk a change or two himself.

Mat reluctantly kidnaps Tuon after learning that she is the Daughter of the Nine Moons he is foretold to marry. She is physically opposite to everything he likes in a woman, and so culturally different from him they could be called opposites, yet he must marry her. This is similar to Rand’s situation, in which he has an ideal path in mind, but destiny requires him to embrace something strange and alien to him.

Far Madding symbolizes a life without the True Source, without the Light. Lews Therin rails against the city, calling it madness to live in such a place. In this place both physically and spiritually, Rand casually intends to murder his opponents. His feelings are non-existent; he might as well be a stone for all Min can feel through the bond. He is losing touch with his humanity, the very thing Cadsuane seeks to prevent.

Cadsuane represents the Light. She has strict rules that must be adhered to, like Commandments, or she will not offer help. She is never wrong, she is demanding, but those who travel with her are happy, enlightened and empowered.

Rand has the idea that he has to be harder than his opponents. He knows his opponents will exploit weakness, so he has cut ties with friends and family, excising feeling sand emotion from his life. Rand is despondent as he walks the cold, rainy streets of Far Madding. Then he bumps into Verin, fresh from the previous evening’s heart-to-heart with Cadsuane.

Verin tells him that Cadsuane did not send her; she is out riding with Nynaeve. Verin brings news that his war on the Seanchan has been for naught. They have refortified their positions and are marching into Illian as though he never drove them back. Verin dismisses battles as irrelevant in the long run, recognizing there are stronger forces that shape history. Realizing his efforts have been wasted, Rand asks whether Cadsuane might help him.

Verin says he can apologize, stop being a fool, and she should listen to him. Rand asks Verin to carry his apology and promise to Cadsuane. He is leaving Far Madding, having realized that the world won’t wait for him to do dawdle while important things await him, such as cleansing saidin.  Rand’s allies agree that Cadsuane can give him what he wants, and even have sacrificed to make their meeting possible.

Nynaeve takes pride in Cadsuane’s fallibility since she didn’t know everything about her ter’angreal. Rand starts to have doubts, uncomfortable knowing Cadsuane will be able to channel when they meet. Then a letter is delivered. Padan Fain’s letter presents a path away from Cadsuane. He represents war against the Shadow, with no moral questions bogging him down. He has pledged to destroy Rand, and the choice presented in the letter will destroy him if he takes it. Cadsuane still represents the Light, morality trumping all other considerations, uniquely powerful in a city where no one else can sense the True Source.

Hours of daylight remained before he had to meet Cadsuane. One last chance to act outside of her rules. A possibility of deferring the actions he must take in favour of the ones he wants to take.

Writing Lessons:

 A choice to be made is a powerful means of establishing identity, creating tension and excitement, and clarifying the theme.

Winter's Heart - Chapters 23-25

In this section, a minor character observes the action in Far Madding.

Continuing the recent trend of giving new characters the point of view, Shalon, a Sea Folk Windfinder has two chapters told from her perspective. The author chose not to give either of these chapters to Rand, Min, Verin, Cadsuane, Nynaeve, Lan, Alivia, Corele, Merise, Daigian, Damer, Eben, Jahar, Beldeine, Elza, Harine, Moad, Alanna, Tomas, Kumira, Ihvon, Erian, Sarene or Nesune. That is four of the original heroes from the Eye of the World, three major allies found since, and many other secondary characters that were passed over. What advantages are gained with Shalon, or disadvantages avoided by not using the others?

The intent of these chapters is to establish the status quo in Far Madding, including explaining how the Guardian works. When explanations need to be given, authors often use an unknowledgeable character’s presence as a reason to elaborate the explanation, sometimes giving an info-dump. Out of the list above, only the Sea Folk and Asha’man qualify. To best capture the Guardian’s effect, a channeler is preferred, eliminating Harine and her Swordmaster. Not wanting to portray another male channeler yet who could give insight into the madness, only Shalon is left from the group traveling with Cadsuane.  An upside is that it offers a way to explain more about Sea Folk culture, one of the major cultures we have learned little about from anyone with firsthand knowledge from living in it. This adds a little to that alien feeling from earlier chapters.  

Entering Far Madding is described as like losing the sun, which is better prose than the last time Rand entered a stedding. Yet it is not simply the ability to channel that is lost. The loss of the True Source represents the loss of the Light. Shalon has been feeling disoriented and confused from her blackmail, her shame, the risk to her marriage and rank, and to her identity, until her sister offers her unexpected comfort. With her sister’s potential acceptance, Shalon is almost ready to risk confessing. This is a clue as to what Rand should do, and what risks he faces. It is really not obvious at all that Shalon’s personal crisis is setting the stage and the expectations for what happens to Rand later.

Rand and Cadsuane continue playing at not needing each other when they both desperately need each other. After talking with Alanna, Rand realizes he is ready to trust some of the Aes Sedai with some tasks, particularly Cadsuane if he can convince her. For her part, Cadsuane recognizes that Rand’s determination to act alone, with no help, is a danger to himself and to the world. But she waits for him to make the offer, for she fears that being too eager will put his back up.

Verin continues to half-reveal her secrets. She was exiled from Far Madding, which implies bad behaviour. She comes close to poisoning Cadsuane. She is a two-faced and not very nice person. It is quite a balancing act revealing just enough background or motivation for her actions to keep the reader guessing as to her loyalties. It makes fertile ground for all manner of ridiculous theories.

Writing Lessons:

Examine the pros and cons of each potential point of view character before choosing one.

The Path of Daggers - Prologue to Chapter 1

In this section, sinister forces move in the background

The prologue shows scenes from the point of view of three characters. It is unclear what each of the situations means in the prologue, since no clear threat is presented in two of the three sections, and even the third is vague. The vagueness of the threat is the point being made; the heroes have no idea where the threat is coming from or what it consists of.

The first section, from the point of view of Ethenielle, Queen of Kandor, comes out of nowhere. A rumour of missing rulers from earlier is proven true, and they are joining forces to march south and do something with Rand. They commit to each other, a blood oath that none will break. We see the strength of their resolve and their dedication to this cause; they were willing to kill to avoid detection. What they intend to do when they meet Rand is untold, but they will not shirk in the slightest from doing it. The reader may have slight worries, after all these are Borderland rulers who have spent their entire lives fighting the Shadow. They can’t mean Rand any harm. Unfortunately they have acquired thirteen Aes Sedai in their travels, whose motives remain unknown.

The second section picks up on the vague threat posed by the Aes Sedai and shows Verin questioning Elaida’s Aes Sedai. Verin has gone to great lengths to convince her handlers Sorilea and Amys that she can bring value to Rand by learning what Elaida had planned with regards to Rand. She has been given slight trust and she works hard to keep it. We are shown that personal discomfort and distaste for the actions she must take are no deterrent to Verin. She gives Sorilea everything she asks for and is meekly compliant. She will do what must be done and seems to have accepted that she must serve Rand as she swore to. She expresses disgust that Katerine was allowed to escape, which was made possible by forces that infiltrated the camp. And just when it seems like she has proven her trustworthiness, Verin reveals a forbidden weave and Compels an Aes Sedai to do… something. Verin’s motives become suspect. Why is she compelling the Aes Sedai and for what purpose? Why is she so quick to consider killing other Aes Sedai? How should the reader interpret her desire to keep Rand alive until it is time for him to die?

The third section reveals Moridin gloating that in the struggle to control Rand, he is manipulating both sides so that Rand will ultimately do as Moridin wishes. A metaphor is presented suggesting that those closest to Rand, holding the Fisher, will drive him to where Moridin needs him. The implication is that Rand’s allies may mishandle him, but even if they don’t then Moridin’s agents will act to destabilize him. There is no mention of a link between him and Rand.

The three sections moved from the vaguest threat to the most specific, but none of them do more than menace.

In Ebou Dar, Nynaeve still has the ability to sense imminent metaphorical storms. Her demeanor recently improved, she reaches out to help Teslyn and is soundly rejected.   Aviendha fears she is growing into a soft-hearted wetlander despite that her immediate solution to every problem is to kill someone. Aviendha exhibits the uncanny ability to know when an enemy is watching her. She catches the gholam in her sights, but she may also have detected Moridin despite his special skulker outfit. Aviendha reveals that rank amongst the Aiel stems from honour, the first outright statement on the subject. She has a plan for her future involving Rand and Elayne. Elayne asserted her position among the Aes Sedai recently, which has the consequence of cementing the Bargain she made with the Sea Folk even further. No one can countermand the Bargain she made.

Let’s examine a few short descriptors the author uses when other words might have done as well and see what was accomplished with their use:

snagged at her eye: You might often see something pull your eye, or catch it. ‘Snag’ is a more visceral word. It is used to describe how the riches of the Wetlands attract Aviendha with a violence that she is usually the one to dispense. It is used in the 3^rd paragraph of her first appearance, setting the dilemma she faces.  

eye-wrenching cloak of a Warder: ‘eye-wrenching’ is a compact way of describing the cloaks readers have become familiar with.

Elayne could have made a roofmistress seem a goatherd: It is impossible to maintain dignity when goats are involved. The word ‘goatherd’ imparts an activity that is easily visualized: chasing after stubborn animals.

most with annoyance ill-concealed behind cool serenity: ‘ill-concealed’ could have been replaced with the synonym ‘visible’. Instead this compound word allows two words with negative connotation to be assigned to the Aes Sedai, helping set the mood and the relationship.

willowy, doe-eyed Chilares:  ‘doe-eyed’ describes not just her eyes but implies she is docile. Any number of eye adjectives could make her intelligent as in ‘bright-eyed’, crafty as in ‘keen-eyed’, useless as in ‘cow-eyed’. The reason she is doe-eyed is to describe the Kin’s general behaviour, not because the author preferred to describe her eyes over her hair, or had previously decided in his notes that Chilares was to be described that way.

Writing Lessons:

Use that thesaurus to find synonyms that convey mood, character, setting or action, or just cobble together your own with compound words.

New Theory - The Bore is in Tel'aran'rhiod

A small part of the reason my posting is sporadic of late is that I’ve been working on a theory. I’ll send it to Theoryland shortly, but as loyal readers of this blog, you get the first look. I think this is a winner!

The Bore is in Tel’aran’rhiod

The importance of Tel’aran’rhiod to the story is such that I believe it is pivotal to the Last Battle. I have concluded that the Bore which Rand must seal is in Tel’aran’rhiod.

The Bore is not in the real world

Demandred stands in the Pit of Doom and thinks: Physically, this place was no closer to the Bore than any other in the world, but here there was a thinness in the Pattern that allowed it to be sensed. 

The Bore is equally distant from every place in the world.

Where else the Bore could be

Verin explains the structure of the Pattern to Egwene: Let these [parallel lines] represent worlds that might exist if different choices had been made, if major turning points in the Pattern had gone another way: The Worlds reached by the Portal Stones. Some in the Age of Legends apparently believe that there were still other worlds – even harder to reach than the worlds of the Portal Stones, if that can be believed – lying like this [cross-hatching the first set of lines]. In all of these worlds, whatever their other variations, a few things are constant. One is that the Dark One is imprisoned in all of them.

In all of them? How can that be? Are you saying there is a Father of Lies for each world?

No, child. There is one Creator, who exists everywhere at once for all of these worlds. In the same way, there is only one Dark One, who also exists in all of these worlds at once. If he is freed from the prison the Creator made in one world, he is freed on all. So long as he is kept prisoner in one, he remains imprisoned on all.

The point is that there is a third constant besides the Creator and the Dark One. There is a world that lies within all these others, inside all of them at the same time. Or perhaps surrounding them. Writers in the Age of Legends called it Tel’aran’rhiod.

There is a simple way to remove the supposed paradox from Verin’s explanation. Place the Bore in the world that surrounds all the others; in Tel’aran’rhiod. One Dark One, in one Bore, for one Tel’aran’rhiod, in one Pattern.

This placement also explains how the Dark One can win in various Mirror worlds yet still be imprisoned. He is taking them down, one by one, until there is only Rand’s world left. No paradox!

I drew a map! (hyperlink included in case of image posting problems)

Simplified Cosmological Map of the Pattern in the Wheel of Time

How the Bore was drilled in Tel’aran’rhiod

In the Age of Legends, two researchers, Mierin Eronaile and Beidomon, found a new source of Power that was not split like the One Power, but could be used by either sex. They drilled a hole in the Pattern to be able to touch this Power, and released the Dark One. Mierin later chose the name Lanfear. She claimed dominion over Tel’aran’rhiod because she was the pre-eminent Tel’aran’rhiod researcher of her time. The fact that it was Lanfear who drilled the Bore infers its connection to Tel’aran’rhiod.

In Tel’aran’rhiod, things can be done through sheer force of will. Things such as finding an elusive power source, and boring a hole to a place outside the Pattern. The Bore was drilled using the properties of Tel’aran’rhiod itself.

How to seal the Bore

Lews Therin was able to seal the Bore by precisely placing seven seals over it. Each seal had a real-world focal point made of cuendillar. The seals were not completely effective because they were only powered by the will of men; no women helped.

Cuendillar is unbreakable. But it could be broken in Tel’aran’rhiod, with enough will. Altering the nature of cuendillar is impossible without some reality-altering power. If the true seals are placed in Tel’aran’rhiod, over the Bore, and are subject to its rules, then any degradation in them caused by the Dark One’s force of will (or humanity’s lack of it) can affect the seals in the real world, causing unbreakable cuendillar to weaken and become brittle. The very name cuendillar, or heartstone, implies that its ability to resist damage comes from the heart, or from force of will.

Herid Fel gives Rand two pieces of advice to explain how to make effective seals. First, belief and order give strength. Have to clear rubble before you can build, meaning Lews Therin’s seals must be removed. Second, the Dark One’s prison must be whole again, not simply sealed. The One Power cannot do this alone, it must be done with force of will in Tel’aran’rhiod, and made permanent. It is known that this will take place at Shayol Ghul itself.

Shayol Ghul, the epicenter of the Dark One’s presence in the waking world, is a place where unreal weather exists and caverns can change shape; where reality is malleable in the Dark One’s hands. The unnatural Blight radiates outward from it. Just as if this place had the features of Tel’aran’rhiod and was an extension of it. The closer to Shayol Ghul, the more it is like Tel’aran’rhiod, and the more the immediate environment is under the Dark One’s command. Things can be done there that cannot be done anywhere else. Things could happen there that could happen nowhere else. Shayol Ghul has these properties and has a thinness in the Pattern because it is a place where a permanent similarity between the real world and its reflection in Tel’aran’rhiod was created, making a place where it is possible to simply step from one to the other. It is a place that has the malleability of Tel’aran’rhiod, and the permanence of the waking world. Tel’aran’rhiod spills over into the real world from this spot, altering reality outwardly as the Dark One desires, increasing the size of the Blight, for example, or giving Shayol Ghul and the Pit of Doom their unique properties.

From this spot where they overlap, this threshold between worlds where they are one and the same, the reality of the waking world can be shaped, and perhaps the Bore in Tel’aran’rhiod itself can be permanently sealed. Here, it is possible to will the Bore not to exist at all, as it was before, if done with sufficient willpower.

The nature of the Dark One’s powers

With the Bore in Tel’aran’rhiod, it makes sense to consider if the Dark One’s powers can be explained by comparing them with what can be done in Tel’aran’rhiod. The Dark One alters reality, which is also a property of Tel’aran’rhiod.

Rand saw the drilling of the Bore in the glass columns of Rhuidean, and the destruction of the Sharom floating above the blue and silver domes of the Collam Daan, a prestigious research facility.

The drilling of this Bore had several symptoms. First, the ground and air rippled. A similar effect happens in Knife of Dreams from a bubble of evil, and again from the balescream in The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight. These are events where reality is being altered. Second, the Sharom burst apart in gouts of black fire. It broke apart like an egg and began to drift down, falling, an obsidian inferno. Third, darkness spread across the sky, swallowing the sun in unnatural light, as if the light of those flames was blackness. Unnatural events can be created in Tel’aran’rhiod or by the Dark One. The only known way to alter the reality of an environment is when it is done in Tel’aran’rhiod.

Bubbles of evil stemming from the Dark One can alter the reality of random places in the world, just as nightmares do in Tel’aran’rhiod. The effects of a bubble of evil would not be odd in Tel’aran’rhiod. All examples of bubbles of evil can be explained by the Dark One doing what is considered to be impossible; using Tel’aran’rhiod to affect the waking world.

Using the True Power granted by the Dark One allows one to create weaves with the same effects as those of the One Power, but which are undetectable. All True Power effects could be attributed to being able to use Tel’aran’rhiod properties, for example, to tear a hole in the Pattern for Traveling or creating balefire.

The Dark One’s luck, if it truly exists, can be explained by altering reality. Mat’s luck would come second in a contest where the results are not dependent on random chance but on the force of will of the participant.

Upon her release from the vacuole, Moghedien believes Moridin’s base of operations is near by Shayol Ghul, since the only other possibility she sees is that it lays in Tel’aran’rhiod. The strange ‘castle’ in which Moridin convenes the Forsaken has certain properties that are like Tel’aran’rhiod: They could as soon make shocklances or sho-wings as view-walls outside of this place, so close to Shayol Ghul. It was far from anywhere, in any way that most humans would understand.

When the Forsaken flee to escape Rand or trap him, even those with no apparent facility in Tel’aran’rhiod choose to go there. It is a place of ultimate safety for these cowards. They always take minimal risks, so when faced with destruction, they seek shelter in a place close by their lord and master, where his power and ability to aid them is strongest: Tel’aran’rhiod.

Transmigration of dead souls, who wait in Tel’aran’rhiod until their rebirth, is that much simpler to explain if the layer of the Pattern closest to the Dark One is Tel’aran’rhiod.

Entering Tel’aran’rhiod in the flesh is evil, but it is never explained why. The risk stems from the danger of being unmade or altered, such as Moghedien does to turn Birgitte into a child. The evil stems from getting used to having reality bend to your will, from beginning to believe that your desire is sufficient reason for a thing to exist in the way you imagine it.

Conclusion

Tel’aran’rhiod did not feature prominently as the setting for the final confrontation of the first 5 books, or in the most recent books, and in various other significant places throughout the series, only to be ignored in the Last Battle. All of the characteristics of Tel’aran’rhiod have been patiently held back so as not to give away the means by which Rand will defeat the Dark One. The Last Battle will not simply involve using powers and abilities, but can only be won by Rand choosing an identity and embracing it with all his will, in a place where thought becomes reality. When he stands at Shayol Ghul on the precipice between worlds, his sheer force of will, bolstered by humanity’s collective will, can repair the Dark One’s prison such that you would never know it had ever been drilled.

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 11-14

In this section, the underlings strive to have more control.   

Taim seeks Rand’s permission to let him go recruiting. The familiar issue of trust comes up again, but time pressures Rand to accept Taim’s proposal. The risk of an encounter between Taim’s recruiters and an Aes Sedai leading to bad blood between them is not enough; the Aes Sedai may already be against Rand in any case.

Alanna doesn’t seek permission; she just does what she knows needs to be done, even if it goes against centuries of custom. Bonding Rand is logical if the goal is to bind the ta’veren to the Tower. While she gets that part right, she is left uncertain as to which Tower she is part of now that the Rebels have splintered away. Verin will provide the necessary guidance. It turns out she is a skilled manipulator, but hides it even from her supposed allies.

Moghedien takes a stab at pushing Nynaeve to leave the rebels before they decide to beg for Elaida’s mercy. She is surprisingly aggressive about it since Nynaeve is not wearing the a’dam to keep her cowed. The women have been speaking too freely, and Moghedien knows more about them from close observation than the Forsaken ever could have learned through spies. The fact that they had Moghedien well and truly obedient and under their thumb made them forget the threat she could become if ever freed. Still, there is no way for her to be freed that they can figure out.

Seconds after receiving advice, Nynaeve already gets it wrong: Write fast for Delana. Write slow for Janya. Yet another bad day is about to get worse! Birgitte stands up to Nynaeve. Nicola does exactly what she is told, leaving out as much as possible so as to ensure Nynaeve gets in trouble.

Nynaeve the Accepted is a fickle underling herself. Delana and Janya get Nynaeve to tell them how best to control Rand, and she complies. When Tarna asks her the same question shortly after, she tells her the exact opposite, hoping Elaida will bungle her approach to Rand.  Nynaeve eavesdrops on private conversations as well as continually failing to perform any of the exercises Theodrin assigns to help break her block. She cannot surrender control for even a moment, so it is no surprise every attempt fails.

Elayne’s classes go poorly, as no student will follow her directives. Too many independent or incompetent women. She then refuses to take Tarna’s offer to return to Tar Valon, too independent to do as she is told. Egwene is similarly unable to obey the restrictions put on her by the Wise Ones.

Once again, the power of Need is used to find something that will get the rebels to support Rand. Need is a strange power, which I think can best be likened to a guided Foretelling. A Dream, or a Viewing, or a Foretelling tells you something about the future that will, or must, or may come true. Need tells you something you need that must, or may lead to the desired outcome. Using Need to find the Bowl of the Winds is not much different from Min seeing that Bowl in a Viewing, or Egwene having a dream of them finding the Bowl in a dusty House, or Nicola spouting a quatrain about the Bowl in Ebou Dar. They all are able to use foreknowledge of the events the Pattern is weaving, and are in fact part of that weaving themselves.

Egwene introduces a new part of Tel’aran’rhiod, which in some discussions is called the Gap of Infinity. In this place, she can see the dreams of people in the real world, mirror worlds, and even stranger worlds, probably the cross-hatched hard to reach worlds from Verin’s explanation back in The Dragon Reborn. The Gap of Infinity is so named because it is ‘the infinity between Tel’aran’rhiod and the waking world, the narrow gap between dream and reality’. I am drawing a cosmological map of the Wheel of Time for a theory, and had to restart because of this area I had forgotten. It is coming soon.

A bubble of evil surfaces, and Anaiya is annoyed that it was only that and not a Forsaken. It gives the rebels a chance to try out the strategies they have been devising to combat the Forsaken. Bubbles of Evil are as random and dangerous as nightmares in Tel’aran’rhiod.

Writing Lessons:

Your minor characters, the underlings, are not obedient automatons. Give them life!

Lord of Chaos - Chapters 8-10

In this section, trickery abounds, and Rand is the victim!

Nynaeve’s weather sense is playing tricks on her. She thinks the weather should be one thing, but it just stays hot. Is she sensing the weather that the Pattern is calling for but can’t deliver due to the Dark One’s touch? There has been little detailed discussion of her weather sense in the series up until now, though in my post on The Eye of the World – chapters 35-39 I pondered whether this ability was related to Foretelling in some way. Note that what she is sensing is still not yet her ability to sense storms of a different type related to conflict.

Moghedien is giving up secrets grudgingly, and offering no more aid than she absolutely has to, correctly sensing that Nynaeve and Elayne are held hostage by the secret of her captivity as much as she is. She tricks Nynaeve into trying a weave that will give her blinding headaches, accepting the pain that the a’dam reflects back upon her as a worthwhile cost to see her captor brought down a peg. She even tells Nynaeve that the ability to not feel the heat or cold comes from years of using the Power, even as Rand learned it has nothing to do with the Power.

Sightings in Tel’aran’rhiod of Rand, or Lan begin. Slayer is back.

Myrelle is pushing hard for Nynaeve’s block to be broken. She wants Nynaeve to be ready to accept Lan’s bond, as per Moiraine’s instructions. Nynaeve has no idea that the wringer she will be put through will bring her closer to gaining Lan’s bond. A fine joke. It took a trick to break Theodrin’s block.

Logain has prepared his lies well, and Lelaine has gobbled it up as eagerly as the nobles she trots before him. If she were to suddenly have doubts as to whether Siuan was no longer held by the three Oaths, would she still be able to say that it was told to her by one who cannot lie? Would she need proof before she could utter the words, or would those doubts prevent her from ever saying them again?

The rebel Aes Sedai have not yet publicly committed to backing Rand or opposing Elaida, though Sheriam’s council is privately committed, having already made plans for… we won’t be told what just yet. The arrival of Elaida’s envoy is a catalyst, but everyone will have different ideas about what it will bring about.

Pedron Niall is a sly one, with a false spymaster working for him while the true spymaster is hidden under everyone’s nose. Are there any parallels with other hidden spies with Rand, or in Salidar? Or is this a false trail? Readers’ heads should be spinning with questions and suspicions by now.

Niall’s rumours will help maintain the rift in the Tower, just as the rumours of Logain’s Red Ajah benefactors spurred him to create them in the first place. Who is misleading who? What Niall thinks he is making up is so close to the truth, for all that it went through two cycles of the rumour mill.

Balwer himself has no apparent interest in the Children of the Light, he is simply employed by Niall because… he likes the job? He is eager to press Morgase, is that because he has an axe to grind, an old score to settle?

Following The Fires of Heaven, Rand is maintaining his decision to avoid the women he loves, and not to trust any others.

Rand finds Verin and Alanna in an inn with several Two Rivers girls on their way to become Aes Sedai. He lets his guard down, enjoys being Rand al’Thor for a few minutes, hears about his friends, and then stupidly lets Alanna bond him. This is about as big a surprise as can be, for Elayne was foreshadowed to be the one who bonds Rand, and Alanna is hardly even a second-tier character in the series so far. How was this surprise carried out?

First, both Rand’s and the readers’ guard is down. There are two pages of reminiscing, trading stories, and good times. There is no threat at all. Verin and Alanna helped Perrin after all, they are good guys. There is a strong element of humour as well, with Verin and Alanna acting as though they are in control while Rand wryly plans how to overturn their expectations. There is no doubt in the reader’s mind that Rand has the upper hand. His men can handle the warders, while he handles the Aes Sedai. When he says he wants to be alone with them, Sulin cracks a maiden joke that is surely about what men and women do when they are alone. Rand chortles as he wonders whether they notice his lack of sweat, matching theirs. Up until they discuss the rebels, Rand is presented as thoroughly in charge, unfazed, unmenaced.

Their lack of willingness to help reminds him of Moraine’s advice about trusting Aes Sedai. This is a last nagging thought before his guard is well and truly down. Alanna asks about Mat, Rand mirrors their response, refusing to tell, full of himself for having scored a point against the mighty Aes Sedai.

To pull off the surprise, it must be carried out rather quickly. Alanna immediately responds by implying they are not enemies, and makes a peace offering as she glides over to perhaps delve or heal him. Since she says straight out she will not harm him, he accepts her offer. She delves him, as expected.

Then, she bonds him. The choice of words implies the speed: flash of heat, for a heartbeat. The surprise is augmented by the next action, which is attempting to shield him. Creating suspense, Rand twice asks what they did to him before they tell him.

Writing Lessons:

Create surprise by reversing expectations in the mood you have built up.