An Unexpected Hiatus   Habits are an interesting thing. Part of the overall success of ingraining habits is (almost wholly) dependent on discipline. In the routine, it's (somewhat) easy to maintain those habits. Like this one for the #100Days, I would essentially just block off an hour of time each night and get to writing. Sometimes it took 15 minutes, other times it seemed to drag on. Either way, the writing happened. Interestingly, there were no instances of "writer's block". There were defin...

The Stone Stands    Once more, the Stone of Tear is attacked.  This time, Trollocs, Myrddraal and Darkfriends sent by one of the Forsaken invade the Stone, searching for Rand, Perrin and Mat.  For the Tairen Defenders, the stories, it seems, have come to life - a nightmare of desperate battle.  A central theme to this chapter is action.  To build the Tairen Defenders' backbone, Rand leaps into the fray.  His action proves that the nightmares can be fought and, more importantly, that they can be ...

MBWA*    Egwene, along with Nynaeve and Elayne, try to unravel the trail the captured Black Ajah sisters offer up.  Mat keeps finding reasons not to leave while Perrin tries to find a way to get Faile to safety.  Rand works to develop his plan, while simultaneously trying to impose his will on the wayward High Lords.    And Rand?  He met with High Lords in his chambers and issued orders.  He startled them by appearing at secret gatherings of three or four that Thom had ferreted out, just to reit...

Always    Rand continues his infuriating dealings with the High Lords; working to impose his rule as the Dragon Reborn.  In the tumultuous time, he faces a common enemy: the "we've always done it this way" mentality.    Always - for the twenty years since the Aiel War.  They were so bound up in what they had always done that they could not see what was so simple. Or would no see it.  When the cabbages sprouted like weeds around Emond's Field, it was a near certainty that bad rain or whiteworm ha...

Throwing A Fit    Rand continues his efforts at attempting to lead the High Lords of Tear.  They feign respect for the Lord Dragon, but try to plot their way out of Rand's demands.    "They may be troubling him.  He is in a foul mood this morning."  Gaul grinned, just a quick flash of white teeth, in understanding of a temper when wounded.  "He has chased off a group of these High Lords already, and threw one of them out himself.  What was his name?"    "Torean," another, even taller man replied...

Lead, Follow, Or Get Out Of The Way    "War will come whether Rand begins it or not," [Elayne] said reluctantly.  Egwene stepped back a pace, staring at her in disbelief no sharper than that on Nynaeve's face; the incredulity faded from both women as she continued.  "The Forsaken will not stand idly and wait.  Sammael cannot be the only one to have seized a nation's reins, just the lone one we know.  They will come after Rand eventually, in their own persons perhaps, but certainly with whatever ...

Stubborn Stupid    Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne continue to masquerade as full Aes Sedai; interrogating the two captured Black Ajah Sisters.  Moiraine seems to have delegated this task to the three women, for purposes she keeps to herself.  Despite the importance of their task - drawing forth intelligence to piece together the Black Ajah's plan - Egwene and Nynaeve still continue their squabble.    Elayne usually smoothed things over when it came to this, as it did more often than it should.  By t...

Character Development: Thom    Following the episode with the killer cards, Mat seeks out Thom to discuss plans for leaving.  Their discussion reveals a tremendous amount of loyalty that Thom shows for the Emond's Fielders.      Why had he not left Tear himself long since?  Much the wisest thing to.  Hundreds of villages lay lout there, waiting for a gleeman to entertain and amaze them.  And each with an inn or two full of wine to drown memories.  But if he did, Rand would have no one except Moi...

Confidence    Perrin reaches Rand's rooms in time to get the Aiel guarding the door to find Moiraine for Healing.  She arrives just in time to keep Rand from bleeding to death from the wound in his side taken at Falme.  Rand's rooms are crowded with bystanders: Perrin, Lan, and Rhuarc, with other Aiel just at the doors.      Rhuarc surveyed the room with sharp blue eyes, as if he suspected enemies hiding behind a drape or an overturned chair.  The clan chief of the Taardad Aiel had no visible we...

Leadership Development: Mat    With Tear only a month under the Dragon Reborn's rule, the three Emond's Fielders have settled into a somewhat quieter routine.  Until the fabric of reality parts and the the three face variations of themselves and their habits that make a concerted effort to kill them.  Perrin gets attacked by his own axe, the deck of cards comes alive in Mat's hands with knives flashing for him, and Rand faces mirror images of himself with swords bared to kill. Just prior to that...

The Most Dangerous Phrase In Any Language    A series first: no prologue! Just jumping right into the action.  Min arrives at the White Tower, seeking an audience with the Amyrlin Seat.  As she is led through the halls, her ability to see the future shows a bleak picture of battle inside the halls of the White Tower.  In her discussion with the Amyrlin, Min reveals that the plans Moiraine and the Amyrlin laid have not snared Rand enough.  He's unpredictable and bringing change.    "I'll take the...

    Three down, eleven to go.  The next is a turning point, where we see Rand begin to fully accept the mantle of Dragon Reborn and start to embark on the path to unite mankind against the Dark One.  He's more or less done running away from his responsibility, and is now trying to define himself to the role.  The rest of the Emond's Fielders mimic this overall arc, accepting their responsibility and choosing how they will execute their duties. ...

Indomitable Spirit    In the final two chapters, the Emond's Fielders showcase their ability to fight through to success.  Perrin frees illusion after illusion of Faile, before finally breaking the hedgehog ter-angreal trap in a room thousands of falcons (reminds me of the flying key scene in Harry Potter - but with falcons).  He wakes up cut and bleeding back in the room of the inn.  Egwene tirelessly works through the World of Dreams to shut her captors off from the Source.  Mat and Juilin arr...

A Convergence    Now the pace of the book picks up - hurtling all the Emond's Fielders towards the Stone of Tear.  Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne are already imprisoned there.  Mat, with a guilt-ridden Juilin Sandar, circles the Stone, searching from every possible vantage for a way in prior to detonating all his fireworks and making his own door.  Rand freeclimbs the entire dizzying height in his quest for Callandor.  Perrin searches the Stone's shadow in the World of Dreams for Faile.  The common ...

He Is The Brute Squad    Moiraine, Perrin, Lan, Faile and Loial plot their next move against the Forsaken, Be'lal, leading Tear.  Liandrin and her cohorts strike first, leaving a tiny ter-angreal trap with the innkeeper.  Intending to snare Moiraine into the World of Dreams, Faile was first to trigger it.  Moiraine and Lan depart to surprise Be'lal, leaving Perrin and Loial with the unconscious Faile.     [Perrin] was surprised when Loial growled.    "No! Perrin, it is not right!  Faile was so f...

As Simple As That        Startled, [Ailhuin] touched her cheek, not seeming to know whether to look at the coins or at [Mat].  "Get them out, you say.  Just like that.  Out of the Stone."  Abruptly she stabbed him in the ribs with a finger as hard as a tree stub.  "You remind me of my husband, Mat Cauthon.  He was a headstrong fool who would sail into the teeth of a gale and laugh, too.  I could almost think you'll manage it."Ailhuin and Mat, The Dragon Reborn, p. 527    Emotions are infectious....

'Til Shade Is Gone    Juilin Sandar, the thieftaker hired by Nynaneve, Elayne and Egwene, is successful in finding Liandrin and the others.  Unfortunately, Liandrin got to him first, and sprung a trap on the three women.  Egwene, never once forgetting her torment at the hands of the Seanchan, fought until she was unconscious.  Elayne, gave a fair account of herself as well, despite the pampered upbringing of a Daughter-Heir.  Nynaeve fought until she crumpled; not quite unconscious, but close.  ...

Leader Development: Loial    While Mat makes short work of Gaebril's agent, Comar, Moiraine, Perrin, Faile, Lan and Loial arrive in Tear.  The Forsaken are hiding in plain sight amongst the rulers, first Illian, now in Tear.      "Be quiet," Moiraine told [Faile] sharply.  "One of the Forsaken in in Tear.  The High Lord Samon is Be'lal."  Perrin shivered.    Loial squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.  "I could have remained in the stedding.  I would probably have been very happy, married, whoever...

Leader Development: Nynaeve al'Meara    Despite spending the ship ride from Jurene seasick, the three women arrive in Tear.  The odd fued between Nynaeve and Egwene is ongoing, mostly out of pride and ego at this point.  As they begin their search for Liandrin and the rest in earnest, Nynaeve recognizes the danger of being predictable and staying at an inn.    "'Not an inn," Nynaeve said as firmly as she guided the stallion; she never seemed to let the animal get out of her control.  After a mom...

Leader Development: Thom Merrilin    Thom's maintained a somewhat unobtrusive presence in the background since the leaving Mat and Rand in The Eye of the World.  He made an appearance in The Great Hunt, but went off on his own.  Now he's roped back in with Mat and starts to showcase his expertise when Mat explains to Thom and Basel that Lord Gaebril intends to have Elayne killed.    "Rumor."  Thom rubbed the side of his nose; he seemed to be studying the stones board and talking to himself.  "No...

The Bloody Garden Wall Again    Following his failure at the main entrance, Mat changes his attack and climbs the cliff-facade that Rand climbed during their first visit to Caemlyn in The Eye of the World.  As before, it yields a successful entry to the palace garden (without the embarassment of Rand's fall).  As he makes his way towards the palace, Mat overhears two men plotting to have Elayne killed on her way to Tear.  Mat encounters Tallanvor, who escorts him directly to Queen Morgase.      ...

What's In A Question?    Arriving in Caemlyn, Mat splits from Thom in his haste to rid himself of Elayne's letter.  This attempt fails spectacularly as Mat is forced away from the main gate to the palace at a gallop.    Fool, he thought, meaning the fat officer, then added another for himself.  All I had to do was say her bloody name in the beginning.  "Elayne, the Daughter-Heir of Andor, sends this letter to her mother, Queen Morgase."  Light, who could have thought they'd think that way about ...

Disobedience    At the end of Chapter 42, Moiraine leaves Lan (and the rest) very explicit instructions to stay behind while she scouts ahead.  Lan, Perrin, Faile, and Loial take time to scout out the immediate surroundings of their inn.  Discovering paw prints from a Darkhound etched clearly in the cobblestone streets, Lan elects to disobey Moiraine.    The Warder was silent for a time.  "The answer to that, blacksmith," he said grimly at last, "may be more than you or I, either one, want to kn...

Emotional Intelligence VIII: Perrin Aybara    Perrin, Moiraine, Lan, Loial and Faile arrive in Illian.  Perrin welcomes the din of the city to drown out his connection to the wolves.  As the small group drives further into the city, there is a palpable sense of wrongness permeating the Illian and its denizens.  Settling in to the inn, Easing the Badger, Moiraine grills the innkeeper for news - what she finds out clearly terrifies her.    If Moiraine had sounded afraid before, it had been nothing...

Character Development: Mat Cauthon    Mat and Thom arrive in Aringill, where Cairhienin civil war is pushing refugees in searching for food and shelter just as it's driving prices for those same amenities skywards.      The two girls sobbed into their mother's skirts while the boy fought his tears.  The woman's deep-set eyes rested on Mat for a moment, studying his face, before drifting on; they looked as if she wished she could weep too.  On impulse he dug a fistful of loose coins out of his po...

Violent Disagreement And Healthy Discourse    Nynaeve and Egwene are still having their odd little argument, even amidst the Aiel.  Elayne's efforts at a heat sink are mostly ineffective.  Nynaeve attempts to hide her frustration in moving ahead towards Jurene after leaving the Aielwomen, but ends up just creating a war of silence between all three of the women.    They caught up to Nynaeve, Egwene glowering as she thought, Nynaeve staring straight ahead toward Jurene and that ship, and Elayne f...

Culture Shock    Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve begin walking from the stuck river boat to Jurene.  They find themselves sidetracked by a group of Aiel, searching for someone to help heal one of their wounded comrades.  The exchange between the two groups of women reveals plenty of ignorance and misconception on both sides.     "I am Egwene al'Vere," she told them.  They seemed to expect more, so she added, "Daughter of Marin al'Vere, of Emond's Field, in the Two Rivers."  That seemed to satisfy the...

Acting The Part    Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve head towards Tear aboard the Blue Crane.  Whatever unity they had prior to their trip seems to be unraveling rapidly.  Egwene and Nynaeve are at each other's throats; in violent disagreement about each step of the way, with Elayne caught in the middle.  Nynaeve seems to be 'winning' the arguments more often than not; reverting back to her days as Wisdom.  She's not yet learned to match the title of Aes Sedai with the intrinsic capabilities she holds ...

100 Days Challenge Complete    This is by no means the end; merely a quick reflection on what the past 100 days have been.  This was a great challenge: 42,528 words written from 13 May to 20 August.  That's a small novel (or large novella).  Were there days when I absolutely did not want to write anything? Most definitely (weekends were usually the hardest).  Just as there were days where it was tremendously hard to find a link in the text to leadership.  And there were a couple days of pure pho...

Judging Books    As quickly as they arrive in Remen, Perrin's fight with the Whitecloaks causes them to leave.  Perrin, Lan, Moiraine and Loial board a ship bound for Illian; along with a new passenger, a dark haired Saldaean woman.    He blinked; there was no mistaking that emphasis.  "A Hunter?  You?  You cannot be a Hunter.  You're a girl."Perrin, The Dragon Reborn, p. 335    Perrin makes his own misstep here, discounting Zarine's abilities simply because of her gender.  This one puzzles me a...

The Man In The Mirror    Perrin, Loial, Moiraine and Lan continue to follow Rand's trail.  Nearly every village they pass through has had some excitement out of the ordinary - massive fires, a village full of weddings, bags of gold being found, a new well, a completely dried well - until they come to Remen, where an Aielman is locked in a cage, with children throwing rocks at him.    What was he supposed to do?  I could have stopped those children throwing rocks.  I should have.  It was no use t...

Putting The 'I' Back In 'Team'    Fresh from a fall off a bridge with a now dead Gray Man, Mat stumbles into another inn.  This time, he runs across Thom Merrilin and invites Thom to join in his escape from Tar Valon.  Thom agrees and the two literally jump onto the first ship heading in the direction of Andor.  Scrabbling onboard Mat and Thom negotiate the price of passage; which due to the state of world affairs has increased dramatically.    "As you may have noticed, Captain, I am a gleeman."...

Leader Development: Mat Cauthon    Mat, letter in hand, leaves the Tower under pretenses of a night of gambling, with the end goal to leave Tar Valon entirely.  He fills his pockets and multiple purses with gold; his luck on an incredible winning streak.  Leaving his final inn for the evening, he's (poorly) pursued by footpads.    Hefting the quarterstaff, he briefly considered turning to confront them.  But it was dark, and the footing on the cobblestones uncertain, and he had no idea how many ...

Overconfident    Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene, hard at work in the kitchens, are approached by the Amyrlin curious about an update on their progress.  Egwene and Elayne get carted off under some pretense the Amyrlin concocts to minimize eavesdroppers to get their mouths washed out with soap, leaving Nynaeve to give the update.  Else Grinwell, who pointed the three women onto the path of finding the belongings the Black Ajah left behind, is revealed to have been dismissed from the White Tower weeks...

A Smile And A Wink    Mat is approached by Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne to carry a letter from Elayne to her mother, Queen Morgase.  In a sort of comical interlude, we see several attempts by the three women to bring Mat around to their way of thinking.    "You're up to something, Nyanaeve.  You are all smiling like cats staring at a finch caught in a thornbush, and I think I am the finch."Mat, The Dragon Reborn, p. 264    "I told you we should ask him straight out.  He's stubborn as a mule when h...

The Power Of Intent: The Amyrlin Seat    Egwene, Elayne and Nyaneve get a tip from another novice about the hiding place of all the belongings for Liandrin and the rest of her Black Ajah runaways.  Upon further inspection, the search reveals some clues about their intended destination.  Once again, the clues are scattered too precisely to be completely random; giving only the illusion of randomness Elayne discussed in the previous chapter.  Egwene uses her ter'angreal to enter the World of Dream...

None Of Us Is As Smart As All Of Us    Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve are now fully engaged in their hunt for the Black Ajah.  Currently, their efforts are focused on a couple of documents given to them by Verin: a list of those who left with Liandrin and a list of what they stole.  Hardly a tremendous start, but better than nothing at all.    Nynaeve came to a halt staring down at Elayne.  "Put those away.  We have been over them twenty times, and there isn't a word that helps.  Verin gave us rubbi...

A Way Out    Switching back to Mat, we see him probing the White Tower guards in his attempt to leave Tar Valon.  True to her word, the Amyrlin did send Aes Sedai out to all the guards, drilling them in all the details of Mat's appearance so they can recognize him on sight.      He had simply meant to find out how well his description had been passed around.  If only the officers among the bridge guards had had it, he might have been able to slip by.  He had always been good at slipping into pla...

When Things Fall Apart    Egwene completes the Accepted's Trials, facing her fears.  Verin Sedai gives Egwene a ter-angreal to assist her in her efforts of becoming a Dreamer.  It seems that the ter-angreal Dreaming ring caused some interference with the Accepted's Trials ter-angreal, nearly melting it into the floor with Egwene lost inside.  Alanna Sedai noticed the interference initially, and ignored it, allowing the Trials to continue; where the initial interference resonated to near-catastro...

Through The Fire And The Flames    The Amyrlin gave an exasperated sigh.  "You remind me of my uncle Huan.  NO one could ever pin him down.  He liked to gamble, too, and he'd much rather have fun than work.  He died pulling children out of a burning house.  He wouldn't stop going back as long as there was one left inside.  Are you like him, Mat?  Will you be there when the flames are high?The Amyrlin Seat, The Dragon Reborn, p. 183    I've always been a fan of this passage.  It's an apt descript...

Leader Development: Mat    The Amyrlin and several Aes Sedai link together and Heal Mat, breaking him from the link from the dagger of Shadar Logoth.  He awakes, still extremely weak, in visitor's chambers in the White Tower, holes in his memory filled with memories of other men in other times and places.  Along with a seeming fluidity of the Old Tongue.    You can turn the worst that comes to your advantage is you only think, his father always said, and certainly Abell Cauthon was the best hors...

Emotional Intelligence VII: When NOT To Go To War    As Elayne, Nynaeve and Egwene contemplate their task of hunting down the Black Ajah, Elaida Sedai, Queen Morgase's former advisor, interrupts them, eager for details on their exploits.      "The two of you," Elaida went on in a casual tone, "vanish, taking with you the Daughter-Heir of Andor - the girl who may become Queen of Andor one day, if I do not strip the hide off her hide and sell it to a glove maker - vanish without permission, withou...

Leader Development: Nynaeve    Following their dismissal from the Amyrlin's offices, Nynaeve and Egwene find themselves targets of a Gray Man.  Egwene barely misses a crossbow bolt to the head.  The two women give chase, and find the Gray Man dead with a knife in his chest.  The Mistress of Novices conveniently arrives shortly after to assist in cleaning up the dead Gray Man.      "Did you notice what Sheriam did not mention?"    "No. What?"    " She never wondered who stabbed him.  Now, come on...

A Bad Plan Well Executed...    Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne are brought before the Amyrlin Seat and given severe punishments for running away.  The Amyrlin dismisses Elayne, holds Egwene and Nynaeve back and enlists them to find the Black Ajah traitors.      "You are the only two in the Tower I can be absolutely sure are not Black Ajah."  The Amyrlin's mouth still twisted around those words.  "Liandrin and her twelve went, but did all of them go?  Or did they leave some of their number behind, lik...

What Does 'Good' Look Like?     It was a stark, windowless room, like all those in the novices' quarters, small and square and painted white, with pegs on one wall for hanging her belongings, the bed built beside a second, and a tiny shelf on a third, where in other days she had kept a few books borrowed from the Tower library.  A washstand and a three-legged stool completed the furnishings.  The floorboards were almost white from scrubbing.  She had done that task, on hands and knees, every day...

Leader Assessment: Siuan Sanche and The Long View    This chapter gives the first real glimpse of how the Aes Sedai, particularly the Amyrlin Seat, earned the reputation of puppet-masters for the world.  Siuan Sanche, sits at the center of an intricate web of information, plots and misdirection.      Ten years with the stole, she thought.  Nearly twenty since I decided to sail these dangerous waters.  And if I slip now, I'll wish I were back hauling nets.Siuan Sanche, The Dragon Reborn, p. 116  ...

First Reports Are Always Wrong    Verin, Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve, Hurin and a very sick Mat arrive in Tar Valon.  While not in complete chaos, the outlying villages are the sites of stand-offs between the Tar Valon guards and the Whitecloaks.  Inside the city proper, the daily hubbub is drowned out in some places by rumors and reports from other lands.    "Pardon, Aes Sedai, but you've obviously come from a distance.  Have you any news?  Fresh rumors come upriver with every trading vessel.  They...

Emotional Intelligence VI: Keep Calm And Aes Sedai    Shifting to Verin, Egwene, Nynaeve, Elayne, Mat, and Hurin, who are making their way to Tar Valon, they encounter a small group of Whitecloaks.  The Whitecloaks stop the small group; delaying them in their attempt to get Mat to Healing.     "The Children have authority where the Light is, witch, and where the Light is not, we bring it.  Answer my questions! Or must I take you to our camp and let the Questioners ask?"    Mat could not afford a...

Willing to Make Tough Choices    "If I can keep you whole, I will.  I promise you that, Perrin.  But I will not endanger the struggle against the Shadow.  You must know that too."    When he turned to look at her, she was regarding him unblinkingly.  And if your struggle means putting me in my grave tomorrow, will you do that, too?  He was icily sure that she would.    Moiraine and Perrin, The Dragon Reborn, p. 86    Part of Moraine's nature as a leader is a complete willingness to make the toug...

The Frog King        On the hunt for Rand, Perrin and the others rest in Jarra.  Perrin makes an important, likely life-changing discovery: he and Elyas are not the only two humans in the world who can talk to wolves.  Unfortunately, Simion's brother Noam seems to have been fully consumed by the wolf spirit; an outcome that Perrin's been unaware of as he comes to terms with his abilities.  Moreover, Perrin gets a sharp reminder of basic leadership:    [Simion] gave a start at Perrin's eyes, but ...

The Quiet, Forceful Presence    Leaving the wounded Shienarans behind and sending Min to Tar Valon, Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial set off after Rand.  With Lan spending long days scouting ahead, Perrin and Loial get significant time alone with Moiraine.  Or, more appropriately, re-learning how forceful of a leader she can be, after a winter in the mountains spent arguing.    [Perrin] tried refusing, resisting, but it was hard to resist when [Moiraine] made a reasonable suggestion, and a small ...

Action Beats Inaction    Capitalizing on the aftermath of the attack, Rand sets off on his own.  His absence remains unnoticed until well into the morning.  It's an excellent example of how action can cause chaos.  Rand didn't do anything complex, he just left, with a note describing his vague goal; but it throws the rest of the band into utter disarray.  Moiraine's normal unflappable calm is punctured, her frustration visible as she tries to figure out Rand's next moves.  Perrin, normally quiet...

Circles of Control, Influence, Concern and Everything Else    Min's Viewing of a Tuatha'an woman, Leya, indicates trouble ahead for Rand, Moiraine and the rest of the small band of Shienarans.  As usual, Min's visions are clear and the band fends off an attack from Trollocs and Myrddraal, suffering heavy casualties, including Leya.      "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, Perrin.  I told you long ago that we were in a way.  We cannot stop just because some of us may die.  Any of us may die bef...

"To Be A Ringbearer, Frodo, Is To Be Alone"    An ongoing question for Perrin in this chapter deals with the nature of his friendship with Rand.  Rand is having great difficulty adjusting to the fact that he is the Dragon Reborn, and Perrin recognizes that they are changing and perhaps straining their friendship.    Rand and he had grown up together as friends.  Are we still friends? Can we be? Now?Perrin, The Dragon Reborn, p. 17    "I had better go talk to him," he said.  "After they argue, he...

Comfortable with Discomfort    [Perrin] sometimes wondered at the way [the Shienarans] deferred to him and followed his lead.  It was as if they thought he had some special right, some knowledge hidden from them.Perrin, The Dragon Reborn, p. 2    Perrin has always reluctantly taken the lead.  I think a large part of it, from his perspective, is that he knows he's just a blacksmith's apprentice far from home.  He's not a Lord, a general, or even a great soldier.  Reluctantly, he charged in the va...

War of Words    Book three starts with Pedron Niall, the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light, interviewing survivors of his men at Falme.  Child Byar, late of Geofram Bornhald's legion is the first; giving a direct, soldier's take on the situation.  Niall's conversation with Jaichim Carridin is more interesting.    ... Carridin smiled.  "I promise you, I will be successful before summer."    Niall nodded.  The man was confident, now.  Sure the dangerous questions would already ha...

    Two books complete.  I've always held the next in the series, The Dragon Reborn, as a favorite.  It has a good balance to it.  Part of it is the familiarity with the characters, and their abilities.  Through the first two, Rand and Perrin are pushing hard to get away from integral aspects of themselves.  At the end of The Great Hunt, both have begun the process of accepting who they are and what they can do; allowing a maturation that's needed.  They're still, essentially, teenagers; carryin...

The Choice Between What Is Right And What Is Easy    Rand wakes after being severely wounded in his battle in the skies over Falme.  Moiraine, who disappeared earlier in the book, finally returns; much to Rand's frustration.  She offers the following choice to Rand:    "You must choose, Rand," Moiraine said.  "The world will be broken whether you break it or not.  Tarmon Gai'don will come, and that alone will tear the world apart.  Will you still try to hide from what you are, and leave the worl...

Character Development: Mat    Finally, after nearly 1100 pages of being a prankster who doesn't take anything seriously, we see a tremendous amount of development in Mat.  In the space of a sentence:    "Mat, Verin must take you and that dagger to Tar Valon, so you can finally be free of it.  You don't have any time to waste."    "Saving Egwene isn't wasting time!" But Mat's hand tightened on the dagger till it shook.Rand and Mat, The Great Hunt, p. 556    Mat's always seemed like the kind of gu...

The Hill To Die On    "I will not go back," Egwene said grimly.  "I'll die first.  Let me show them what they've taught me." ... "I will not go back to that collar," Egwene said fiercely.  "I won't!"Egwene, The Great Hunt, p. 549-550    "I did give my word," Domon said.  He wrenched the axe from Cole's hand and threw it clattering to the deck.  "I did give my word."Bayle Domon, The Great Hunt, p. 551    Bornhald put Byar out of his mind.  He had done what he could, there.  He raised his voice.  ...

I Don't Always Plan, But When I Do, I Keep It Simple    Events are rapidly drawing together.  Nynaeve, Min and Elayne subdue a suldam and, in a quick audible on the fly, leash her instead of one of them.  All the while, Bayle Domon sits onboard the Spray waiting for the women to return.  At the same time, Ingtar, Hurin, Rand, Mat and Perrin arrive in Falme, anxious to find the Horn.  They find it in the possession of Seanchan High Lord Turak.  Rand finds himself face to face with Turak, a true b...

Grin & Bear It    On the trail for Fain, Perrin and Mat come across Bornhald's legion of Whitecloaks.  Wary of being followed, Perrin reaches out to the wolves to see if they are being pursued.    Reluctantly, he reached out with his mind in search of wolves.  Almost immediately he found them, a small pack lying up for the day in the hills above the village they had just left.  There were moments of astonishment so strong he almost thought it was his own; these wolves had heard rumors, but t...

Character Development: Nynaeve, Egwene, Elayne and Min    These chapters focus on Nynaeve and Elayne working to free Egwene and Min from the clutches of the Seanchan.  Min's more or less free to come and go as she pleases, but she's working to free Egwene from her damane leash and collar.  Nynaeve and Elayne are trying to do the same, with the added pressure of not getting caught themselves.     All four do a tremendous amount of character development in these chapters.  Nynaeve actually manages...

Competing Priorities    Throughout the previous 40 chapters, Rand, Mat, Ingtar and the rest have been chasing Fain and his Darkfriends; each for a different reason.  Mat is after the dagger, Ingtar must have the Horn of Valere, and Rand is trying to protect Emond's Field from further harm.  For all three, it seems to be a matter of life or death.  For Mat, at least, if he cannot find the dagger, he will die.  Ingtar seems almost mad in his dedication to finding the Horn.*  Rand, after seeing wha...

Bravely Run Away    Liandrin leads Min, Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve through the Ways to Toman Head.  At the exit, they find themselves surrounded by Seanchan.  In the ensuing fight, Min and Egwene are taken prisoner; while Nynaeve and Elayne manage to escape.    "... That man hit Min, knocked her down.  And one of those women was trying to put something around Egwene's neck.  I saw that much before I ran.  I don't think they got away, Nynaeve.  I should have done something.  Min cut the hand that...

Amnesia    She found it hard to think that there had been a time when she had been eager to have an adventure, to do something dangerous and exciting like the people in stories.  Now she thought the exciting part was what you remembered when you looked back, and the stories left out a good deal of unpleasantness.Egwene, The Great Hunt, p. 465    My first boss told me something similar, although he called it amnesia.  He meant that we all tend to forget the unpleasantness - the sleepless nights, ...

Time to Roll the Dice    With Machin Shin waiting at the entrance to every Waygate, the Ogier lead Rand, Verin and the rest to another portal stone; similar to the ones Rand, Hurin and Loial used with Selene.  Verin knows enough of the Portal Stone to be dangerous, as the saying goes.  She doesn't know what all the symbols mean, just the ones that indicate the current Stone and the one of Toman Head.      "... You must choose.  As my father would have said, it's time to roll the dice."    Rand s...

Emotional Intelligence V: The Ogier    "Be not so hasty Shienaran.  You humans never take time for thought.  Only decisions reached in calm can be sure."Alar, The Great Hunt, p. 434    Alar is spot on - emotional responses are unpredictable.  They may work, they may not.  Taking time, even a brief moment, to think things through* pays dividends.  The number of decisions that absolutely must be made right this second is vanishingly small.  The only set of circumstances that really comes to mind w...

Everyone Needs a Break    "Just smell this air, Lord Rand," Hurin said, filling his lungs with a smile.  His feet dangled from one of the chairs at the table; he swung them like a boy.  "I never thought most places smelled bad, but this ... Lord Rand, I don't think there's ever been any killing here.  Not even any hurting, except by accident."Hurin, The Great Hunt, p. 431    Rand, Ingtar and the rest arrive in Stedding Tsofu in their hunt for another Waygate.  The place of peace has a profound e...

The Court of the Nine Moons    "I stand twelfth in line of succession to the Crystal Throne.  If I kept the Horn of Valere, all between myself and the throne would think I meant to be first hereafter, and while the Empress, of course, wishes that we contend with one another so that the strongest and most cunning will follow her, she currently favors her second daughter, and she would not look well on any threat to Tuon.  If I sounded it, even if I then laid this land at her feet, and every woman...

A Poor Pair of Heroes    While Rand, Verin, Ingtar and Loial mingle at Barthanes' party, Hurin tracks Fain and the Darkfriends to a Waygate, the last remnant of a destroyed stedding.  Rand elects to open the Waygate to prove to Hurin that the trail is still trackable even through the blackness of the Ways; upon doing so, Machin Shin appears, actively trying to escape the Ways and kill Rand, Hurin, and Loial.  As Rand fumbles with the Power, Loial crawls forward and manages to shut the Waygate.  ...

Miscommunication    Rand, Verin, Ingtar, Loial, Mat and Hurin use Lord Barthanes' invitation to gain access to his estate in search of Fain and the Horn.  Like all the Cairhienin, Lord Barthanes plays the Great Game almost without thought.  As such, his short conversation with Rand is both funny and frustrating.    "This is a fine party.  You have many friends, and I've never seen so many entertainers."    "Many friends," Barthanes agreed. "You can tell Galldrian ho mnay, and who.  Some of the n...

Adjusting to the Burden (of Command)    Despite Rand's efforts, he gets pulled into Daes Dae'mar more quickly than he would have preferred.  Keeping a low profile is out of the question as he receives invitations to attend soirees at the King's palace, and that of his chief rival, Lord Barthanes.  To buy time, he makes himself seen in the common room of the inn, with the invitations as yet unopened.  Returning from his daily gate check with Loial to see if Ingtar and the rest arrive, he finds th...

The Power of Intent: Geofram Bornhald    Lord Captain of the Children of the Light, Geofram Bornhald, makes a return.  Perrin killed two of his men in the abandoned stedding in The Eye of the World; a fact that Lord Bornhald is intent on seeing to justice.  At the moment, however, Geofram's orders are clear: obey the even more fanatical sub-sect of the Children with a penchant for horrific torture and who deeply believe in guilt until innocence is proven.      His legion was too scattered for hi...

Leadership Development: Perrin    The view point for this chapter switches back to Perrin, Mat, Verin, Ingtar and the rest of the Shienarans still on the hunt for Fain and Rand.  Perrin continues to to use his link with the wolves to track Fain and the Darkfriends, and as his eyes have sharpened, so has his skill at observation, especially of minute details.  This chapter is rich with examples of Perrin's literal eye for detail:He notices that "Uno somehow manage[s] to look offended without chan...

Of Rocks and Hard Places    Waiting in Cairhien, Rand, Loial and Hurin are beset by intrigue.  As newcomers to the city, the multitude of players of the Great Game seek to entangle them in their plots.  A spot of good luck leads Rand to reunite with Thom Merrilin.  Desperately seeking another ally, Rand attempts to encourage Thom to join again - and fails.  Leaving Thom's inn, Rand and Loial are attacked by Trollocs triggering another mysterious appearance by Selene.  She tries to lure him with ...

Character Analysis: King Galldrian of Cairhien    The King of Cairhien is a name only - the person never makes an appearance; but we learn a significant amount of his leadership style from "overhearing" conversations about him from the other characters.    "It was the Aiel War, Lord Rand."  [Hurin] looked to make sure none of the soldiers were close enough to hear.  "Many of the farmers were afraid ot go back to their lands near the Spine of the World, and they all came here, near anough.  That'...

RHIP - Rank Hath Its Privileges    "[Sheriam] keeps a willow switch on her desk.  She says if you can't learn to follow the rules in a civilized way, she will teach you another way.  There are so many rules for novices, it is very hard not to break some of them," she finished.    "But that's - that's horrible!  I'm not a child, and neither are you.  I won't be treated as one."    "But we are children.  The Aes Sedai, the full sisters, are the grown women.  The Accepted are the young women, old e...

The TestingThis ter'angreal weaves traps for you from your own mind, weaves them tight and strong, harder than steel and more deadly than poison.  That is why we use it as a test.  You must want to be Aes Sedai more than anything else in the whole world, enough to face anything, fight free of anything, to achieve it.  The White Tower cannot accept less.  We demand it of you.Sheriam Sedai, The Great Hunt, p. 293    To become Accepted, Nynaeve must face her fears, and not just spiders in the dark....

Difficult Conversations    For the hundredth time - or so it seemed to [Moiraine] - she considered the words to use.  "Before we left Tar Valon I made arrangements, should anything happen to me, for your bond to pass to another."  [Lan] stared at her, silent.  "When you feel my death, you will find yourself compelled to seek her out immediately.  I do not want you to be surprised by it."    "Compelled," he breathed softly, angrily.  "Never once have you used my bond to compel me.  I thought you ...

The Great Game - Daes Dae'mar    On my first read through, years ago, I absolutely hated the chapters dealing with the Great Game.  After such a sequence of chases from the start, it seemed a complete slow down - no action, all maneuvering and out-thinking - bland in comparison to the previous frenetic pace.  But these chapters really are what make this book incredible.      "Daes Dae-mar, Lord Rand," Hurin said.  "The Great Game.  The Game of Houses, some call it.  This Caldevwin thinks you mus...

Fake It 'Til You Make It  Rand, Loial and Hurin make it out of the alternate reality with the help of a mysterious woman named Selene.  Finding themselves somehow ahead of Fain and his band, Rand and Loial sneak into the Darkfriend camp and steal the Horn and dagger back.  Unsure of how to handle the dagger and it's insidious poison, Rand elects to stash it in the chest with the Horn.    He set the dagger in the chest, inside the curl of the Horn - there was just room for it - and pulled the lid...

Emotional Non-Intelligence I: Nynaeve     On the river trip to Tar Valon, Nynaeve and Egwene continue their introductory lessons with the various Aes Sedai in the Amyrlin's retinue.  It culminates in a lesson with the Amyrlin herself.  It does not go well for Nynaeve.  Nynaeve vents a frustration about "learning something useful" and the Amyrlin responds by wrapping her in invisible bonds of Air.  The situation quickly escalates.    "... I could turn him upside down and paddle his bottom.  Just ...

Still Learnin'    Back to Rand, Loial and Hurin, wherever they are.  Hurin is able to follow Fain's trail; although it appears to gradually be getting more and more faint.  Their first night, Rand takes the first watch and holds it all the way through the night.  He tests the water at a stream before letting the others drink: "He had gotten them into this; it was his responsibility (p. 198)."    "You should not have done it, Lord Rand," Hurin said when Rand woke the others just at daybreak.  The...

Emotional Intelligence IV: Perrin        With Rand, Hurin and Loial gone, it's up to Perrin to embrace the wolves to continue following the Fain's trail.      The one time he had gone to the dungeon, with Egwene, the smell of Fain had made his hair stand on end; not even Trollocs smelled so foul.  He had wanted to rip through the bars of the cell and tear the man apart, and finding that inside himself had frightened him more than Fain did.  To mask Fain's smell in his own mind, he added the scen...

Stepping Up    Rand, Hurin and Loial mysteriously vanish from Igntar, Perrin, Mat and the rest of the Shienarans.  The three wake up under what appears to be the same stone column in a slightly different world.  Cut off from the rest, the three begin to figure out where they are and how to get back.    "... You'll get us back.  And if I die, if you can't take her my body, you'll let he know, so she has that, at least."  [Hurin] was no longer questioning in the end.  A note of confidence had crep...

Persuasion & Guile    Shortly after Rand, Ingtar and the others depart, the Amyrlin and her entourage leaves Fal Dara as well, taking Egwene and Nynaeve with her.  We again see Nynaeve's temper barely under control during a lesson with Verin Sedai.  When Nynaeve is on the verge of storming out of the lesson, Verin sets up a question to force Nynaeve's hand:    "By any gauge," Verin cut in, "you are a woman grown, Nynaeve.  Usually, the younger a novice, the better she does.  Not with the tra...

The Chain of Command    The hunt for the Horn of Valere truly begins in earnest.  Mat, Perrin, Loial and Rand, together with Shienaran soldiers under the command of Ingtar give chase to Padan Fain, his Darkfriends and Trollocs. At the first river crossing south of Fal Dara, Ingtar tells Rand that he's the next in command.    "You are second, Rand. ...  No matter, I'll not claim i would have chosen you myself, but I think hyou have it in you to do what is needed.  You will do your duty, if it com...

Leader Assessment: Yarin    Yarin is a very minor character: Captain Bayle Domon's second-in-command of the Spray.  Bayle's assessment is that "he always look[s] on the dark side, but he [is] a good sailor."  Personally, I like the fact that Jordan gave even a minor character dimensions.  It would have been extremely easy to just have Yarin be a "yes-man", simply following orders and making the captain look good.  Instead, he's got a mind and intelligence of his own, bringing concerns for the sa...

Inconceivable!    The forces of Shadow target the Keep of Fal Dara, leaving destruction and death in their wake.  In the aftermath, Ingtar reveals that Darkfriends are amongst the denizens of Lord Agelmar's fortress.  Secure in belief that the victory at Tarwin's Gap was decisive, and that every Shienaran in Fal Dara dedicated to the fight against the Shadow, that, even though guards were posted, the threat was always believed to be from outside.  Loyalty to lord and land was never questioned, a...

Leading Friends    Peer leadership is challenging.  Siuan's frustrated uttering that "[m]ost of my troubles with the Hall stem from you," is an indication to the nuanced challenges that being in a position of leadership over friends can cause.  There is an unspoken expectation of loyalty with friends (otherwise, why have friends?).  But there are also aims and goals of the organization, and personal relationships can cloud judgment.  Or give the appearance of favoritism.  Or both (and more!).  I...

There's Only Room For One In The Captain's Chair    The arrival and introduction of the Amyrlin Seat finally puts a face to a name, so to speak.  Her authority is vast - spanning the entirety of the known lands.  The White Tower has Aes Sedai from (nearly) all lands and peoples, giving The Amyrlin Seat a web of Sisters with inroads to influence and shape world events.  Chosen by and raised from her peers, the Amyrlin Seat is of all ajahs and of none.      Suddenly she threw her arms around Moira...

Emotional Intelligence III: Rand    The next two chapters continue to follow Rand's attempts to escape Fal Dara and break free from the Aes Sedai.  His failure to act earlier continues to compound as he finds himself thwarted at every avenue for escape: the stable hands aren't allowed to saddle his horse and the gate guards were issued strict orders to allow no one in or out.  During Rand's stubborn search for a way out, he runs into his friends.  Mat, Perrin and Loial don't know that Rand can c...

Failing To Commit, Committing To Fail    Chapter 1 picks up within weeks of the end of The Eye of the World.  Rand and Lan are sparring on a tower in Fal Dara.  Rand has been meaning to leave, for weeks, but still lingers in the Borderlands.  When pressed by Lan, Rand can't really provide an articulate response.  As the chapter closes, Rand finds the walls are closing in - the Amyrlin Seat has come in person.  Failing to act forces Rand down a path he can't control.    Leaders are decisive; or, ...

The Man Who Calls Himself Bors    The prologues in this series are fantastic; full of details that confuse at first, then smack you in the face later on in the series.  This one is particularly sinister - providing a glimpse of the magnitude of the host of Darkfriends in the world.  Every country and every affiliation are represented.  This prologues also provides an active example of OODA Loops operating against each other.  Bors makes great effort to disguise everything about himself:... The b...

    That does it for The Eye of the World.  Up next: Book 2, The Great Hunt.  On my first read; I remember finding The Great Hunt too slow for my liking.  There wasn't enough action.  The Eye of the World had a blistering pace to it - things were always moving and always happening; so fast, sometimes, it felt like the characters were barely hanging on.  Really, minus a couple days rest in Baerlon and again in Caemlyn, the gang practically sprinted from Emond's Field to the Blight.  Subsequent re...

R - E - S - P - E - C - T"Good to see you alive, sheepherder," Lan said gruffly.  "I see you hung onto your sword.  Maybe you'll learn to use it, now."  Rand felt a sudden burst of affection for the Warder; Lan knew, but on the surface at least, nothing had changed.  He thought that perhaps, for Lan, nothing had changed inside either."Rand and Lan, The Eye of the World, p. 646    A tiny thing, but extremely important and meaningful: treating everyone with absolute respect.  Egwene and Nynaeve, p...

Alone And Unafraid"...Knowing they would die, they charged me to guard it against the need to come.  It was not what I was made for, but all was breaking apart, and they were alone, and I was all they had.  It was not what I was made for, but I have kept the faith."  He looked down at Moiraine, nodding to himself.  "I have kept the faith, until it was needed.  And now it ends."The Green Man to Moiraine, The Eye of the World, p. 625    Alone, with no specific training and only scant guidance, rel...

Leadership Insight: The Man From The North    We've seen inklings of what Lan is like through this point, but always an external assessment.  A man who prefers action to words, exhibits tremendous skill with a sword, and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of his enemies; we know surprisingly little about him at this point.  In the cold spring in the Borderlands, we finally see a lot more into Lan's turmoil.    "Lan - no! - Dai Shan, for you are a Diademed Battle Lord of Malkier, whatever you sa...

Careful Steps In Darkness    The Ways.  A decaying relic of an age past.  However beautiful in their origin, they bask in impenetrable darkness now.The lanterns should have given enough light to fill a house, but ten feet away from them it stopped.  The blackness stopped it as if it had struck a wall.The Eye of the World, p. 562    I find the concept of the Ways a useful allegory for leading changes in an organization.  Not at all as sinister as what may lurk in the darkness, but a frame of refe...

Fear cannot be allowed to affect our course.Moiraine Sedai, The Eye of the World, p. 541    I remember the first time I stood in front of my team. It was a mundane topic; just the daily task list.  My hands were sweating; I tensed arms and legs to keep from shaking everywhere.  It took all of 5 minutes, but when I was done, my legs were shaking on their own so much I couldn't walk.  Not anything close to the portrait of an inspiring leader.  Prior to that day, I'd made every effort to avoid any ...

An Oath Kept     "Suspicion is smothering Caemlyn, perhaps all of Andor.  Fear and black suspicion.  Women denounce their neighbors for Darkfriends.  Men scrawl the Dragon's Fang on the doors of people they have known for years.  I will not become a part of it."        "Morgase-" Elaida began, but the Queen cut her off.        "I will not become a part of it.  When I took the throne I swore to uphold justice for the high and the low, and I will uphold it even if I am the last in Andor to remembe...

Unity of EffortYou must understand, there are ... factions within Tar Valon.  Some would fight the Dark One one way, some another.  The goal is the same, but the differences ... the differences can mean lives changed, or ended.  The lives of men or nations.Lan, The Eye of the World, p. 486    People aren't robots; so by default, there will always be varying degrees of opinion in any organization.  Smaller organizations generally have an easier time avoiding or overcoming severe differences of op...

What's In A Name: Loial    Shortly after settling in at the Queen's Blessing, Rand (almost quite literally) bumps into the Ogier, Loial.  At this point, little is known about the Ogier.  They have a fondness for trees and all things that grow and they work wonders with stone carving.  More interesting, perhaps, is the pronunciation of this particular Ogier's name: LOY-ahl.  Identical to loyal.  At this meeting, it's unclear how this Ogier was named, but he immediately expresses an interest in jo...

The Quality of Trust     Mat and Rand finally make it to Caemlyn.  Despite the awe-inspiring grandeur, the city is broiling in turmoil as well.  The lads end up at Thom's recommended inn, The Queen's Blessing.  They mention Thom and show the gleeman's flute and case to Basel Gill, the innkeeper.   Rand put a hand on Mat's shoulder. "It's all right, Mat. He's a friend."Master Gill glanced at Matt, and sighed. "I suppose I am at that."The Eye of the World, p. 452-453 "You two look the right sort...

Somebody Should Do Something: Managing Expectations   At least twice during this chapter, we get a glimpse of the collective expectation Andormen have of their Queen as Rand and Mat get closer to Caemlyn.  Crowded roads, low harvest, bad weather - mutterings of "The Queen should do something" are heard.  It's unclear what that something should be, but the perspective of the Andormen is that it's part of the Queen's responsibility.  Obviously, an all-powerful leader should be able to solve such m...

Of Risks and Strategies    He had never realized before what a good trap an inn made.  Hake, Jak, and Strom did not even have to keep a close on eye on them; the crowd would let them know if he or Mat left the dais.  As long as the common room was full, Hake could not send Jak and Strom after them, but as long as the common room was full of people they could not get away without Hake knowing.  And Gode was watching their every move, too.  It was so funny he would have laughed if he had not been ...

Emotional Intelligence II: Perrin and his Axe    "You'll use it, boy, and as long as you hate using it, you will use it more wisely than most men would.  Wait.  If ever you don't hate it any longer, then will be the time to throw it as far as you can and run the other way."     Perrin hefted the axe in his hands, still tempted to leave it in the pool.  Easy for him to say wait. What if I wait and then I can't throw it away?Elyas and Perrin, The Eye of the World, p. 369    Perrin's introspection ...

About Face     Upon reaching Whitebridge, we see Moiraine appear to reverse her initial decision, abandoning the pursuit of the coinless lads (Mat and Rand) in favor of the one she can sense with the coin (Perrin).     First, I must find the one I can be sure of finding, and at present he is somewhere to the north of us.  I do not think the other two went with the boat in any case." A small, satisfied smile touched her lips. "They were in this room, perhaps a day ago, no more than two.  Afraid, ...

Never Get Involved In A Land War With Asia   Perrin, Egwene, and Elyas link up with a band of the Traveling People.  The Tinkers are extreme pacifists, a concept foreign even to the sheltered youths of the Two Rivers.  Perrin even tries to debate the differing ideals with Raen, their leader.  It's a laughable failure, leaving Perrin utterly frustrated.  He believes he is more right than the Tinkers, trying to explain that there are horrors in the world that simply destroy for the sake of destru...

Leader Assessment: Thom Merrilin  Thom is a bit of an enigma at this point in the story.  An interesting aspect is that he seems to prefer not to take charge directly.  Moiraine and Lan have a plan, and are intent on executing it, no matter the obstacle.  They drag others along with them, willing or not.  Their presence is so forceful, that the others can't help but be drawn in by that confidence.  Thom, on the other hand, seems more comfortable sitting off to the side observing.  Its not a relu...

Wooden Ship, Iron Discipline    While Perrin trudges along the banks of the Arinelle, Mat, Rand and Thom found a more fortunate means of transport: Spray captained by Bayle Domon.  Ships are interesting leadership laboratories.  The interaction between officers and crew is continuous; there's no leaving at 5pm.  A team of watchstanders must be awake at all times, ensuring the safe operations and navigation.  There is always something that needs doing or fixing, so even hours not on watch are spe...

Leader Development: Perrin Aybara    These two chapters really set the foundation for Perrin as a leader.  Up to this point, he's been the quiet, gentle giant in the background; providing a fixed endpoint on the spectrum in contrast to Rand and Mat.  Perrin is methodical and deliberate: from politely picking his way through the crowd gathered for Padan Fain's arrival in Emond's Field to his penchant for analyzing a situation before jumping into it (as Mat is apt to do).      One of the real joys...

    Leadership is in the Aftermath    Moiraine's carefully crafted plans, albeit harried constantly from the outset at Emond's Field, shatter completely in Shadar Logoth.  Clearly, seeking the ruins of Aridhol was not in her plans, under any circumstances.  Her discussion with Lan makes her stance abundantly clear.  She relents, grudgingly even, only because she needs rest.  Venturing off on their own, the three boys discover the city's only denizen, Mordeth; who, by phonetic pronunciation of hi...

    Focusing Through The Distractions    A few days rest in Baerlon, and the chase resumes.  Master Fitch, the innkeeper of the Stag and Lion, finds his inn ablaze shortly after the Emond's Fielders depart.  The Emond's Fielders find themselves at odds with Moiraine's single minded purpose.  Moiraine counters Nynaeve's questions about concern about the inn with several options; all of which would likely end poorly."And that would expose all of you to whomever set the fire, not to mention the Whi...

A Questioning Attitude"Something happened," [Rand] insisted. "Why do you want us to go back if you think there's even a chance we are right? And why you, at all? As soon send the Mayor himself as the Wisdom.""You have grown." [Nynaeve] smiled, and for a moment her amusement had him shifting his feet. "I can think of a time when you would not have questioned where I chose to go or what I chose to do, wherever or whatever it was. A time just a week ago."The Eye of the World, p. 201    No one wants...

The Speed of DistrustLan's constant admonitions not to trust anyone, and especially Ara being afraid to trust them, had made [Rand] think of just how alone they really were.  It seemed they could not trust anyone but themselves, and he was still  not too sure how far they could trust Moiraine, or Lan.  Just themselves.The Eye of the World, p. 165    On the run, spirited away from home and families, with enemies in chase; the Emond's Fielders have had little time to breathe, let alone think.  Now...

Making Practice Harder Than The Game    As the band travels onward towards Baerlon, Lan puts the three young lads through the paces of the weapons they carry.At their first stop, before the sun sank, Lan began teaching the boys what to do with the weapons they carried.  He started with the bow. ... He showed Perrin a bit of how to use that great-bladed axe; raising an axe to someone, or something, that had a weapon was not at all like chppping wood or flailing around in pretend.  Setting the big...

Options Come Standard    Racing through the night, in a unnatural fog, the band blazes through Watch Hill, gallopping onwards towards Taren Ferry.  Moiraine and Lan persuade the ferrymen to pull them across.  On the other side, they finally halt for a rest near a thick tangle of roots.Thrusting a stub of a torch ahead of him, Lan crawled out from under the mound and straightened. "No unwelcome visitors," he told Moiraine.  "And the wood I left is still dry, so I started a small fire.  We will re...

Never pass up a good crisis    Half of Emond's Field is in ashes, courtesy of a surprise nighttime attack by Trollocs and Myrddraal; driving our band of youths away from the only home they've known.  Under cover of darkness, Moiraine and Lan lead them out of the village; quickly and quietly to avoid any attention at all.  Even from their own villagers.The footsteps halted before the inn in the grayness just beyond the dim light form the common-room windows.  It was not until Jon Thane stepped fo...

Last Stand City    Moiraine's tale of Aemon and the last stand in Manetheren is a favorite passage of mine: the dichotomy of the current gaggle of angry farmers against her story of those same farmers' ancestors standing tall and facing the overwhelming hordes of darkness.No one who made that journey did not know they would never return. But it was their land. It had been their fathers', and it would be their children's, and they went to pay the price of it. Not a step of ground was given up unt...

Rand & Nynaeve: A Study in Resolve    Rand drags his wounded father through the woods taking the majority of the night to make a trip that both had made twice earlier in a fraction of the time.  Despite being practically petrified with fear, Rand is single-minded in his determination to get medical attention for his father.  Despite fear, hunger, or weariness, Rand manages to trudge along - a very physical embodiment of self-reliance.  Those who have completed an Ironman, run a marathon, com...

Acting on Intincts    Tam knows something; or, at the very least, he suspects significantly more than he lets on. Breaking tradition, he and Rand head for home on Winternight.Tam nodded but did not stop.  When he had made a complete circuit of the house, he did the same around the barn and the sheep pen, still studying the ground.  He even checked the smokehouse and the curing shed.  Drawing a bucket of water from the well, he filled a cupped hand, sniffed the water and gingerly touched it with...

Team Dynamics    Part of choosing a team is selecting individuals who have traits that work well together.  We see this tale repeatedly told in sports: one side has extremely talented individuals, spending lots of money and effort in recruiting that high level talent; the other has fewer superstars, but rocks the fundamentals and behaves as a cohesive unit focused entirely on winning. More often than not, the team beats the group of individuals; ego is pushed aside for the strategic goal and eve...

Emotional Intelligence I:    A key element to Chapter 2 is not about who we meet, but who we don't meet. The Wisdom of Emond's Field is a tempest, by all accounts:You know Nynaeve's temper. When Cenn Buie called her a child last year, she thumped him on the head with her stick, and he's on the Village Council, and old enough to be her grandfather, besides. She flares up at anything, and never stays angry past turning around.Rand al'Thor, The Eye of the World, p. 20    The problem with continuall...

Initial Impressions: Rand al'Thor    We first meet Rand as he's walking the Quarry Road with his father, heading through the blistering cold towards the village of Emond's Field. He's tall, very tall; the anti-Napoleon of the district, if you prefer. He's very much a young man - old enough to be trusted to wander the woods alone with his friends and handle hunting weapons, but still young enough to be afraid of being out alone on a cold, dark day.  ... he was a pillar of reality in that morning,...

Women's Circle Business "You try meddling in Women's Circle business, and see how you like eating your own cooking. Which you won't do in my kitchen. And washing your own clothes and making your own bed. Which won't be under my roof."Daise Congar to Wit Congar, The Eye of the World, p. 7    At the risk of causing a roiling feminist stampede; I'll explore some different nuances to Daise Congar's stout proclamation.  Admittedly, on the surface, it reeks of the past two centuries and earlier eras:...

Chapter 1  One of the trademarks for Jordan's series is its opening phrase: The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.The Eye of the World, p.1        From the macro view, the events in this world are cyclical, as Elan Morin hinted: he and Lews Therin have clashed a "thousand times a thousand" times.  Faces,  names, places - all may have changed, bu...

    Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World.  I've read this particular book at least a dozen times since I stumbled across the series in the mid-1990's.  A fan of all things fantasy; I recall being particularly ecstatic about a series where each individual book could be used as a doorstop.  It was the sixth in the series, Lord of Chaos, that first drew my young teenage attention on the neatly packed shelves of a now shuttered bookstore in Williamsburg.  I frantically hunted across the shelf, pulli...