The Forsaken as a threat have been essentially the big
bad meant for the end of each of the installments of The Wheel of Time
to this point and while that will continue to be the case for the foreseeable installments,
at least until the endgame of the series is entered, but here it feels
special. This is the first time that one
of the Forsaken has found their way into political power, being the high lord
in Tear; this Forsaken being Be’lal, a clear play on the devil Belial from
Christian mythology. That isn’t the important
part, at least for now, as he is currently an off-page threat, though in the
final essay we will be discussing his motivation and actions in the minor appearance,
but what is important here is that Be’lal is not the only Forsaken roaming
around and appearing. We already
discussed last time that Morgase is under the influence of a Forsaken, but there
is also the explicit involvement of Sammael in Illian, building the ranks of
the Forsaken as a formidable if off-page threat. Tear being the setting for the climax means
this sequence takes its time to bring all three plot strands into one place. The Stone of Tear has been mentioned before
in regards to the Dragon Reborn declaring himself, something that it is clear
Rand intends to do at this point, meaning that it must fall between now and the
end of the book so we are dealing with the buildup to that eventuality but in
Tear, Jordan takes the time to reflect on where everyone has come from since The
Eye of the World.
Perrin has a sequence where he takes up blacksmithing
due to having some time while Moiraine is gathering information on the Stone of
Tear and where Rand would be at this time.
“Perrin shook his head. “I do not
know how long I will be in Tear. I’d
like to work a little longer, if you do not mind. It has been a long time, and I miss it. Maybe I could do some of the work your
apprentices would have done.” The smith
snorted loudly. “You’re a deal better
than any of those louts, moping around and staring, muttering about their
nightmares. As if everyone doesn’t have
nightmares, sometimes. Yes, you can do
work here, as long as you want. Light, I’ve
orders for a dozen drawknives and three cooper’s adzes, and a carpenter down the
street needs a mortise hammer, and. . . . Too much to list it. Start with the drawknives, and we will see
how far we get before night.”” – The Dragon Reborn, p. 595. There is something beautifully simple to see
what Perrin actually wants. There’s the
internal conflict of Perrin having to continue to fight in a war when really
all he wants to do is create is something that continues here. It is a hammer he takes away from this
blacksmith for his own, not a sword that he makes, a tool for creation, not
destruction. This is also the first time
where Perrin and Faile begin to show any real affection to one another, it’s
subtle but it’s there. After Moiraine’s
declarations of Forsaken being in Tear and the need to fight and upon arrival
in Tear there are moments where they actually end up hitting it off. The struggle between creation and destruction
is something that Perrin will struggle with, especially going forward with his plotline
in The Shadow Rising, but he is also clearly missing home, as is the
rest of the Emond’s Field Five.
Wishing to be back home and in their familiar territory is something that Tear brings out in Nynaeve as well. Egwene, Nynaeve, and Elayne find shelter in Tear with a wise woman, Mother Guenna, whom they ask for help with an upset stomach. Nynaeve begins trading cures with this woman which is described from Egwene’s perspective as such: “They settled down as if testing each other, tossing questions and answers back and forth faster and faster. Sometimes the questioning lagged a moment when one spoke of a plant the other knew only by another name, but they picked up speed again, arguing the merits of tinctures against teas, salves against poultices, and when one was better than another. Slowly, all the quick questions began shifting toward the herbs and roots one knew that the other did not, digging for knowledge. Egwene began to grow irritable listening.” – The Dragon Reborn, p. 561. This isn’t so much a wistful longing from Nynaeve, at least on the outside, sadly we do not get anything from her perspective, but the sequence ends once Egwene butts in asking what one would do for two women who are arguing, which only causes another tangent. It’s this nice moment of two people bonding over a shared interest, but as they are here on a mission Jordan takes the time to show how manipulative Nynaeve has become. They employ the services of a thief catcher, Juilin Sandar, telling Guenna they need someone to find Darkfriends in reference to the thirteen Black Ajah. What becomes even more humorous is the fact that Mat and Thom arrive in Tear, passing Mother Guenna’s home without even knowing it. Sadly there isn’t the similar reflection for Mat as there is for Perrin and Nynaeve, focusing more on how Thom slowly acquires a cough and bad dreams continue to be a theme, implied to be from Rand who will finally enter the picture next time as The Dragon Reborn ends.
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