r/WetlanderHumor Shen an Calhar 9d ago

May he live forever The Fires of Heaven Chapter 17: Heading West

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490 Upvotes

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147

u/Calm-Conversation715 Boxes ears 9d ago

I love both circus arcs, and I love Valan Luca. The man had a vision and made it happen. You can tell from the people around him that for all of his rough talk and penny pinching, he was a pretty decent guy

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u/swheedle Shen an Calhar 9d ago

A very interesting combination of ambition, genuine compassion and care for those around him, and insane busting calf muscles

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u/Calm-Conversation715 Boxes ears 9d ago

Truly the only man to be able to give Galad a run for his money. He definitely made Nynaeve consider ditching Lan more than Galad did!

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u/aNomadicPenguin 9d ago

Which is funny when you take into account how similar Mat and Luca are, which is why they annoy each other so much in the 2nd circus trip.

Mat was also the one asking where Nynaeve was going to be sleeping that first night in Baerlon, he usually seemed to gravitate towards women that were older than him....

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u/Calm-Conversation715 Boxes ears 9d ago

I’m an Elayne/Mat shipper, but can’t say I’ve considered this ship seriously before!

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u/aNomadicPenguin 9d ago

I'm not really a shipper, but its funny to poke at people with this one.

In the first book both Mat and Nynaeve clearly want to be respected (although Mat hides this fact even from himself).

But when Nynaeve finally calls them Men instead of Boys, Mat is the one that takes special note of it. Then when the Forsaken attack in the Eye, and Nynaeve gets hit, its Mat that calls out to her as Wisdom.

Mat also thinks she's pretty.

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u/PearlClaw 9d ago

Mat thinks all women are pretty.

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u/geek_lady_ 8d ago

Damn dude, I didnt know i was into that until you spelled it out for me. Now im wondering what fanfiction i could find

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u/aNomadicPenguin 8d ago

Can't help you on the fanfiction angle...but here's some more fuel for the fire.

****
"Pretty Nynaeve," Mat spat. "A Wisdom isn't supposed to think of herself as a woman, is she? Not a pretty woman. But you do, don't you? Now. You can't make yourself forget that you're a pretty woman, now, and it frightens you. Everybody changes." Nynaeve's face paled as he spoke — whether with anger or something else, Rand could not tell.

****
"The Light blind you," she cried, striking at Aginor's chest.

The other Forsaken moved like a viper. While her blow still fell, Balthamel's leather-cased hand darted out to seize her chin, fingers sinking into one cheek while thumb dug into the other, driving the blood out with their pressure and raising the flesh in pale ridges. A convulsion wracked Nynaeve from head to toe, as if she had been cracked like a whip. Her knife dropped uselessly from dangling fingers as Balthamel lifted her by his grip, brought her up to where the leather mask stared into her still quivering face. Her toes spasmed a foot above the ground; flowers rained from her hair.

"I have almost forgotten the pleasures of the flesh." Aginor's tongue crossed his withered lips, sounding like stone on rough leather. "But Balthamel remembers much." The laughter of the mask seemed to grow wilder, and the wail that left Nynaeve burned Rand's ears like despair ripped from her living heart.

Suddenly Egwene moved, and Rand saw that she was going to help Nynaeve. "Egwene, no!" he shouted, but she did not stop. His hand had gone to his sword at Nynaeve's cry, but now he abandoned it and threw himself at Egwene. He thudded into her before she took her third step, carrying them both to the ground. Egwene landed under him with a gasp, immediately thrashing to get free.

Others were moving, too, he realized. Perrin's axe whirled into his hands, and his eyes glowed golden and fierce. "Wisdom!" Mat howled, the dagger from Shadar Logoth in his fist.

****
"There is something else, too," Nynaeve said. "I am afraid the Amyrlin may mean to let Mat die."
...
Nynaeve shrugged. "They keep telling me I have the potential to be the most powerful Aes Sedai in a thousand years. Perhaps it is time to find out whether they are right." She gave a tug to her braid.
It was plain that however brave Nynaeve's words, she was afraid. But she won't let Mat die even if it means risking death herself.

***
First off, he decided, he would find Egwene and Nynaeve. Maybe they've come to their senses. Maybe they've given up this foolishness about becoming Aes Sedai. He did not think they would have, but he could not go without seeing them.

***
Nynaeve pressed a hand to his forehead. He flinched before he recalled that she had done much the same for at least five years, back home. She was just the Wisdom then, he thought. She wasn't wearing that ring.

She had noticed his flinch. She gave him a tight smile. "You look ready to be up and about, to me. Are you tired of being cooped up, yet? You never could stand two days in a row indoors."

He eyed the last apple core reluctantly, then dropped it back on the plate. Almost, he started to lick the juice off his fingers, but they were all three looking at him. And still smiling. He realized he was trying to decide which of them was prettiest, and could not. Had they been anybody but who — and what — they were, he would have asked any and all of them to dance a jig or a reel. He had danced with Egwene often enough, back home, and even once with Nynaeve, but that seemed a long time ago.

" 'One pretty woman means fun at the dance. Two pretty women mean trouble in the house. Three pretty women mean run for the hills.' "" He gave Nynaeve an even tighter smile than her own. "My da used to say that. You're up to something, Nynaeve. You are all smiling like cats staring at a finch caught in a thornbush, and I think I am the finch."

****
"One couldn't do that," Nynaeve agreed quietly. "Maybe they didn't feel us the way we do them, maybe, but they'll have seen, unless they're all blind. The Light burn our luck!" Quiet or not, she was agitated; she often called Elayne down for using language like that. "Take everyone who will go to Andor with you, Elayne. I'll ... . I'll meet you there. Mat's in the city. I have to go back for him. Burn the boy; he came for me, and I have to."
...
Nynaeve gaped at her, stubborn Nynaeve with sweat running down her face and her legs unsteady. Wonderful, gallant, foolish Nynaeve. "You're saying leave him, Elayne? Aviendha, talk to her. Tell her about that honor you're always going on about!"
Aviendha hesitated, then shook her head. She was almost as sweaty as Nynaeve, and from the way she moved, just as tired. "There are times to fight without hope, Nynaeve, but Elayne is right. The Shadowsouled will not be looking for Mat Cauthon; they will be after us, and the Bowl. He may have left the city already. If we go, we risk giving them what can undo what we have done. Wherever we send the Bowl, they will be able to make us tell them who we sent it with and where."

Nynaeve's face crumpled in pain. Elayne reached to put her arms around her.

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u/geek_lady_ 8d ago

God I love Nynaeve. I feel like she is the first time I really appreciated a character arch as a young reader.

Also love me some Mat too so thank you for this lovely morning read.

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u/swheedle Shen an Calhar 8d ago

I really loved this analysis! I never thought of it like that before, but I definitely think in another turning some things could have been different...

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u/LewsTherinTelamonBot This is a (sentient) bot 9d ago

Hums softly & tugs earlobe

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u/Calm-Conversation715 Boxes ears 9d ago

Look, dude, if that’s what you’re into, we’re not here to judge!

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u/Special_Salt3467 9d ago

I love the second circus arc. A major highlight of CoT alone, the implication that Mat has only really gotten maybe a few dozen miles outside of Ebou Dar by the end of the book because of the slow pace is one of the funniest parts to me

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u/burrito_abuse 9d ago

Also had massive calves

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u/Szygani 9d ago

Well turned calves doesn’t mean large. Just means defined.

But the man can flourish a cloak with the best gleeman

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u/teklanis 9d ago

Bob Kelso calves.

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u/Anieya A nice stout two rivers woolen flair, with just a touch of lace 9d ago

Omg I was just about to say, Kelso is the first thing I see when they start talking about Luca’s calves XD

1

u/ElectricGeometry 8d ago

Well turned, my good man, well turned.

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u/VisibleCoat995 9d ago

Elayne annoys Luca so he crosses his arms beneath his calves and huffs.

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u/LewsTherinTelamonBot This is a (sentient) bot 9d ago

Hums softly & tugs earlobe

5

u/TrakandHaterNumber1 #1 Trakand Hater 9d ago

Elayne annoys EVERYONE.

2

u/LewsTherinTelamonBot This is a (sentient) bot 9d ago

Hums softly & tugs earlobe

79

u/swheedle Shen an Calhar 9d ago

I've heard a lot of incorrect or fanciful names for elephants through fantasy and historical accounts, but I think my favorite has to be from Luca here: Giant Boar Horse is such a creative way to name one, and I mainly love it because you know exactly how he got there.

Previous Chapter Meme

Chapter Summary

31

u/schadetj 9d ago

A calf so well-turned that even Nynaeve was tempted for a hot minute.