MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2722 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) MOs, plus TAT SPOILER by "Layla Voll" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 06:07:07 From: "Layla Voll" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: MOs, plus TAT SPOILER Message-ID: Kenneth Allen Hyde writes: >Who is Keghviegn (are you sure of the spelling?)? I've never read that >name before this (and with that unlikely spelling, I'm sure I would have >remembered it) and I've read all of the Valdemar books except for the Owl >series (which took place long after Talamir was dead). > >Cennydd >Councilor of Mist He appears to be the MO before Talamir. I'm not sure of the spelling. His name came up in one of the many, many passages (I think in Arrows: I'm looking for it) about how unique Talia's Gift is and why no one knew how to deal with it: someone says that her Empathy is unusually strong, probably stronger even than any of the MOs in living memory, Talamir and K. (And I remember thinking, good grief, why doesn't she just spell it Kevin? And then thinking, wasn't one of the Merlins in "Mists of Avalon" called Kevin? Wonder if that's a coincidence or a tribute? So I'm fairly certain of the name, although not the spelling.) However, the passage that I think Herald Jacquelle is remembering -- the one about Rolan having lived in the heads of previous MOs and having all that previous experience to give Talia (which always made me think of the Trills in Star Trek), only mentions Talamir: "Rolan, after all, had the benefit of living in the mind of a man of great ability -- the former King's Own, Talamir -- for all of Talamir's life as a Herald, and made all of that wisdom available to his new Herald." (AotQ, p.255) More on this passage below the spoiler space s p o i l e r s p a c e h e r e We already know from TAT that this passage is not entirely accurate, as Rolan was not with Talamir for his entire life as a Herald, but I think we can chalk that up to Talia erroneously jumping to that conclusion. (Or else to some sort of weird passing on of the consciousness that the MOC's do when they die.) It does seem as if early on the older Heralds protect Talia to a degree from some of what happened to Talamir -- Selenay doesn't confirm for Talia that he was actually poisoned until well after Selenay discovered the vial of poison, and only tells Talia when she asks her directly if the rumors were ever proven true. So, in Talia's rather fragile emotional state, given her difficulty in opening up and trusting people all through Arrows, they may not have felt that they needed to emphasize what a devastating blow it was for Talamir to lose Taver -- Rolan is at times the only person Talia feels she can absolutely rely on, and pointing out that she might lose even him might make even that difficult. and Herald Jacquelle writes: >I also read a post that said that Taver was Talamir's MOC in Take a Thief, >but I don't think this is true. Taver was not MOC, Rolan was. I KNOW I >remember reading that (I think). Besides, in the Arrows Books, it clearly >indicates that Rolan was the MOC for Talamir and for Keghviegn. Talia has >some passing thought/realization that Rolan has accumulated wisdom from >living in the minds of both men. And I could have sworn that there was a >scene in TAT where Skif encounters Talamir in the Field and sees that he >has his arm slung over his Companion's shoulder, and is then told the >Companion's name is Rolan. > >So....am I totally confused here, or have I just been misinterpreting the >posts? The snippet from TAT that Paul posted a while ago has Cymry explaining to Skif that Talamir's first Companion was Taver. Taver was killed in the Tedrel Wars and, as Cymry says, Talamir nearly followed him until Rolan Chose him and pulled him back (although his heart is still halfway to the Havens with Taver and the King). Presumably Rolan figured that until Talia grew up, there was still no one else who would be a better Monarch's Own for Selenay than Talamir. I'm not sure, though, if Arrows says that Rolan was the Companion for the MO before Talamir. Layla _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 2722 **********************************