The Great Hunt- Chapter 16 : In the Mirror of Darkness
Ch15- Kinslayer : Rand, Loial, and Hurin wake up in a weird omnibus alternate reality with an out of place landscape. Ba’alzamon shows before Rand in what Rand thinks is a dream, reminding Rand about their battle since the beginning of time. Rand’s blade burns him, leaving a heron mark branded across his palm.
Ch.16
The Mirror World is full of infinite possibilities and outcomes because the Trollocs won the War.
Before I Read!
Symbol Meaning: The Dragon Fang. The symbol reflects the false dragons, darkfriends,etc. With my prediction that they’ll go through the Ways they might face the most dangerous enemy they’ve ever encountered ever and might have to fight their way out of the Ways to return to the real world. I also have a strong feeling they might also encounter some Darkfriends that might be spying for the Dark One in the Ways.
Chapter Title Meaning: In the Mirror of Darkness makes me think Rand’s group will enter the Ways to try and find a way out through a looking glass of sorts or it will take them to a place they weren’t wanting to go and I believe they’ll actually leave the Mirror World at last and rejoin Perrin’s group for the search for the Horn of Valere and Mat’s dagger.
Floatie’s Post Chapter Predictions(After reread) : I believe the Stone raven and the statue itself also foreshadowed Selena’s arrival and have a feeling she may be related to Arthur Hawkwing or some distant relative or is somehow in cahoots with Ba’alzamon somehow.
I also believe the taint is much stronger in the Mirror World compared to the real world because the Trollocs won the War despite how little I know about the taint at this point.
I believe Selene is Ba’alzamon’s eyes and ears more now than ever and it seems similar to the Ravens in the first book and there seems like more clues there that support this theory .
What Just Happened? (My Chapter Thoughts)
Page 209 : *In the Mirror world the spire they see = the Hawkwing monument, but in the Mirror World the statue was never torn down. Rand’s group will have so much to tell everyone about what the monument actually looked like since they just saw it.
the symbols (might be important later to know) on the monument were the horned skull of the Dha’vol Trollocs, iron first of the Dhai’mon, trident of Ka’bol, a whirlwind of the Ahf’frait, and at the bottom was a raven not a hawk like they originally thought.
210 “Perhaps, after they killed the people, they killed each one another. Trollocs live to kill. That is all they do; that is all they are. I just don’t know.”
Prediction on page 211 : I’m thinking the Kinslayer’s Dagger is more than just a mountains. I believe it might be important later.
211 -Rand thinks the Mirror World is similar to the Ways like when Hurin said even Fades feared the Ways. Rand assures Hurin that they will be fine as long as they are careful in the Mirror World.
-When I Finally got to paint a picture of the Arthur Hawkwing monument in my head I absolutely loved that part of the Mirror World.
211 *They hear a woman scream WTF is the woman since we thought the humans were completely wiped out from the different outcome of the War, or did this mystery woman(I’m thinking she might be an Aes Sedai) somehow manage to survive when everyone else died? Who knows.
-What snarling beast was the mystery woman fending off ? Now I’ve learned it was a grolm and Rand used the bow to kill it by hitting one of its eyes.
19-23 Grolm = “The shaft sank into the leathery hide for half its length, and the creature spun to face Rand. …. That huge, wedge-shaped head had never been on any animal he could imagine, not that wide,horny-lipped beak of a mouth, hooked down for ripping flesh. And it had three eyes, small, and fierce, and ringed by hard-looking ridges.” I was like this is a new creature. I should document what it looks like and think another one might appear later in the series.
213 The mystery woman is Selene and she seems so pure based on all the white and silver colors surrounding her from her clothes to her horse,”She was all in white,her dress divided for riding and belted in silver, and her boots, peeking out from under her helms, were tooled in silver too. Even her saddle was white, and silver-mounted. Her snowy mare, with its arched neck and dainty step, was almost as tall as Rand’s bay.”I believe she’s a good guy sent to help Rand get back to the real world in exchange for Rand saving her from the grolm.
*I'm starting to think the woman on the cover of the book is Selene not Moiraine based on her description of being covered in white and the description of her eyes, “....but her dark eyes made him feel as if he was naked” seems to match.” This shows that Rand really likes Selene.
*According to Selene there are just grolms and other creatures roaming the Mirror World(Trollocs?).
*Okay so Selene took a nap like Rand and appeared here too after having no idea how she got here.This seems like something is up.
she’s also from Cairhein
it seems that Rand is her knight in shining armor and would do anything for her
her skin feels like silk (another white element)
I fear Rand trusts Selene more than he should and think something terrible will soon happen because of Selena’s actions.
“”...for that to fall in the wrong hands. The Horn of Valere. I could not tell you how often I’ve dreamed of touching it, holding it in my hands. You promise me, when you have it, you will let me touch it.”’ “‘Before I can do that, we have to find it.”’
“Rand gave an uneasy look at the gray-green bulk of the grolm lying in the stream. It had been better believing they were the only living things in that world.”
-the fact Selene knows a lot about the Horn of Valere makes me pretty uncomfortable
“‘If you find the Horn of Valere, there will be no avoiding greatness. But will it be forced on you, or will you take it? That’s the question.”’
-they made it to the snow capped mountains of Kinslayer’s Dagger
“‘More than a hundred leagues in less than three days. Worse than that. We spent most of a day south of Erinin in the real world. Over a hundred leagues in less than two days, here.”’
-Now a small pack of Grolm has the group's scent . Oh great this could be bad.
What’s Next?
Future Predictions for POV Character: It was from Rand’s POV got the whole chapter. Rand is probably thinking who or what brought the creatures to attack Rand
What's next:
I think Selene is behind the creatures showing up which I doubt he thinks it’s a possibility since he likes her.
I honestly feel Selene drew the pack to them on purpose and wants them to think the creatures randomly caught their scent.
I also feel Selene isn’t telling Rand’s group everything like at first she said she didn’t know how she got to the Mirror World.
I believe Ba’alzamon created Selene to make Rand fall for her to keep him off of his guard and I also believe she made up the fact she came to the Mirror World through a Portal Stone. I also believe Ba’alzamon also believe that Ba’alzamon could even be Selene just looking like an innocent woman to gain Rand’s trust(and I believe he doesn’t want Rand to suspect a thing after everything that has happened lately to Rand in particular) and I believe she’ll betray Rand in particular. I also believe Ba’alzamon is manipulating the Mirror World to show the outcome of the Trollocs winning the War.
Reread:
“‘If you use yourself up to spare us, my Lord, who will see you getting us home?”’
What is a kerchief? =handkerchief
Rand is wrong the Darkfriends wouldn’t leave footprints because they’re not in the Mirror World from everything I know.
“‘According to Ingtar,”’Loial said, “‘that is still three to four days ahead of us. If it is here at all. I don’t know why it should be. I don’t think there are any people here at all.”’ - This was such a surprise later in the chapter since they met Selene.
-it was very smart of the group to think before going to the monument in case people were waiting there for them.
“‘We have to stick as close to the trail as we can,”’ he said finally. “ -do they need to stay on the trail to avoid creatures like the grolm I don’t completely understand just yet.
Q- Why was there a raven instead of a hawk on the Hawkwing statue?
A- The stone raven symbolizes that the Trollocs won in the Mirror World and erected a statue to represent the Trollocs winning in this world of possibilities. The raven and the grolm also add to the ominous feeling and that you may not feel completely safe at all times in the Mirror World. I don’t know why but I feel the stone raven on the monument was foreshadowing the grolms attack at the end of the chapter.
“When we get back, you’ll be able to tell them what the monument really looked like.” - or a version of it not the actual monument
“This place may be dead, but we’re alive.” - it’s not as dead as they think since there’s grolms and they meet a woman named Selene
“‘Be careful you said!”’ Loial shouted after him. “‘Light,Rand, remember! Be careful!”’ - Rand does the opposite of being careful when he kills the grolm to save Selene. Seemed kind of ironic.
“She says there are worlds where it is time rather than distance that changes.Spend a day in one of those,and you might come back to find a year has passed in the real world, or twenty. Or it could be the other way around. Those worlds—this one , all the others—— are reflections of the real world, she says.” - I actually believe Selene in this one and don’t think she’s lying here.
217 “This one seems pale to us because it is a weak reflection, a world that had little chance of ever being.Others are almost as likely as ours. Those are solid as our world, and have people. The same people, she says, Rand. Imagine it! You could go to one of them and meet yourself. The Pattern has infinite variation, she says, and every variation that can be, will be.” - I don’t completely understand weak vs strong reflections exactly.
Why don't Aiel not destroy books?
Mirrors of the Wheel( book written about worlds like the Mirror World)
I don’t trust Selene and think Rand shouldn’t take her back to the real world with Rand.
Q- Pay closer attention to how Selene acts and how she acts towards Rand and see if it’s different when she’s not near Rand. Also how credible is she really from what we learn in this chapter? And should Rand actually trust Selene(he hasn’t known her for like a whole day at this point) ?
A- 1. “she was beautiful, ivory-pale skin contrasting sharply with long, night-darker hair and black eyes.” - this reminds me of a siren
2. “”My friends,”’ he said. “‘Loial, and Hurin. My name is Rand. Rand al’Thor. “‘ - Rand introduces his friends before they even know who she is and this seems kinda sketchy and the worst part is they said who they were first.
“‘but if there is such a thing as a perfect human beauty, in face and form, then you—“‘ Loial!”’Rand shouted. - this makes me think Loial is falling for Selene just like Rand did instantly very similar to the siren’s song when they tried to lure sailors and crash their ships.
“The woman laughed musically, but the next instant she was all regal formality, like a queen on her throne.” “‘I am called Selene,”’ she said. “‘ You have risked your life, and saved mine. I am yours Rand al’Thor.”’
“”I’m not from this world, my Lord,”’ she said. “And as to how I came here, I don’t know, exactly. I was out riding, and I stopped to nap, and when I woke, my horse and I were here. I can only hope, my Lord, that you can save me again, and help me get home.”- she acts innocent but I’m certainly not taking her word for anything and think it’s utter bullshit.
“‘If you wish it ...Rand.”’ “Her smile made his throat tighten.” “‘You will help me?”’ “‘Of course, I will.”’ “Burn me, but she’s beautiful. And looking at me like I’m a hero in a story.” - I certainly wouldn’t help her since she’s kind of still a stranger and could be taking advantage of Rand in particular.
I don’t believe Selene will stay quiet about the Horn like Rand wants her to and Selene having dreams and knowing so much about the Horn makes me uncomfortable.
Even though Selene denies being an Aes Sedai I believe she is one because she was able to heal Rand very similar to Nynaeve.
“Moiraine says you can be great, too; the Dragon Reborn. Selene is not Aes Sedai. That’s right; she’s a Cairhienin noblewoman, and you’re a shepherd. She doesn’t know that. How long do you let her believe a lie? It’s only till we get out of this place. If we get out. If.” - this gives me hope Rand will finally stand up to Selene when they get out if they do and will crush Selena’s heart if she even has one.
After rereading this chapter I feel Selene is very manipulative and not a very good person and I strongly hope Rand doesn’t let her in the real world. She may have her moments.
I believe Selene can channel and the ointment wasn’t magical and she did it without realizing it.
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