Mat vs. Tuon, and the Horn of Valere

I apologize to those who have read some of my other AMOL theories; I repeat myself a lot in an effort to make sure this one is clear. Nearly every event in AMOL is by necessity tied together, because everything will be essentially happening all at once. One thing leads to another. Apparently RJ's notes were most detailed for the action in this book, and Team Jordan thinks they have this book pretty much nailed down. So by necessity this little write-up covers a large percentage of what I think will be happening in AMOL; this is just a piece of it that I haven't written much about (and other pieces I have written some, but little, about).
The conflict with the Seanchan is obviously the greatest hurdle Rand has to overcome before he can win the Last Battle. The trouble brewing in Caemlyn and at the Black Tower is really a part of the Last Battle, the opening moves of the Shadow's offensive, but Tuon is still far from being in the bag. Last we heard from her, she was planning on attacking the White Tower again (though she might have gotten wind of Merrilor and changed her plans). Rand has to have the Seanchan on his side, or he will lose:

TITLE - Knife of Dreams
CHAPTER: 18 - News for the Dragon

Rand dropped back into his chair, stretching his legs in front of him and crossing his ankles. “It doesn’t matter how unpopular it is. I went through that doorframe ter’angreal in Tear, Cadsuane. You know about that?” Golden ornaments bobbled as she nodded impatiently. “One of my questions for the Aelfinn was ‘How can I win the Last Battle?’”

“A dangerous question to pose,” she said quietly, “touching on the Shadow as it does. Supposedly, the results can be quite unpleasant. What was the answer?”

‘The north and the east must be as one. The west and the south must be as one. The two must be as one.’” He blew a smoke ring, put another in the middle of it as it expanded. That was not the whole of it. He had asked how to win and survive. The last part of his answer had been ‘To live, you must die.’ Not something he was going to bring up in front of Min anytime soon. In front of anyone except Alivia, for that matter. Now he just had to figure out how to live by dying. “At first, I thought it meant I had to conquer everywhere, but that wasn’t what they said. What if it means the Seanchan hold the west and south, as you could say they already do, and there’s an alliance to fight the Last Battle, the Seanchan with everybody else?”

“It’s possible,” she allowed. “But if you’re going to make this...truce...why are you moving what seems to be a considerable army to Arad Doman and reinforcing what is already in Illian?”

“Because Tarmon Gai’don is coming, Cadsuane, and I can’t fight the Shadow and the Seanchan at the same time. I’ll have a truce, or I’ll crush them whatever the cost. The Prophecies say I have to bind the nine moons to me. I only understood what that meant a few days ago. As soon as Bashere returns, I’ll know when and where I’m to meet the Daughter of the Nine Moons. The only question now is how do I bind her, and she’ll have to answer that."

There is a certain amount of symbolic significance in the fact that Mat and Tuon have married; typically marriage ceremonies purport to join two people as one, and of course that is also a reference to the actual consummation of the marriage, which has notably not happened yet. But considering the prophetic importance of that marriage, it's not unreasonable to assume that it will be important to making the two 'as one'.

Certainly, RJ took care to write Mat into some situations where he was inclined to take a stance on the issues that are most central to the Seanchan conflict, namely the damane problem, and Mat made it clear to Tuon that he wouldn't accept the collaring of women who can channel. There are other problems with Seanchan society, including the da'covale, the Seeker organization, etc., but the damane issue has been framed as the main problem. Rand emphasized that he would not concede that point. Egwene's long term angst over that issue is not likely to have concluded with the Mesaana episode, either; this is something that Egwene needs to work out with the Seanchan (though it's not clear why she wasn't able to do so in the future Aviendha saw).

Mat and Egwene have also both been noted for their bargaining skills, more than any of the other Two Rivers characters. Mat's father was the best horse trader in the Two Rivers, and Egwene's father was the mayor, and probably responsible for bargaining with merchants. Could this be because they will be the ones to hammer out the terms of the truce? The prophecy Rand mentioned, that he will bind the nine moons to serve him, might point to the Oath Rod (called a 'binder' in the Age of Legends).

When Mat left Tuon in Altara, they agreed to disagree:

TITLE - Knife of Dreams
CHAPTER: 36 - Under an Oak

“One more kiss before you leave?”

“I’m not in the mood at the moment,” she said coolly. That hanging magistrate was back. All prisoners to be condemned immediately. “Perhaps later. You could return to Ebou Dar with me. You have an honored place in the Empire, now."

He did not hesitate before shaking his head. There was no honored place waiting for Leilwin or Domon, no place at all for the Aes Sedai or the Band. “The next time I see Seanchan, I expect it will be on the field somewhere, Tuon.” Burn him, it would be. His life seemed to run that way no matter what he did. “You’re not my enemy, but your Empire is.”

“Nor are you my enemy, husband,” she said coolly, “but I live to serve the Empire.”

Obviously it can't stay this way forever. But when will they work it out, and how? If Aviendha saw the most likely future at the time she entered, then it may be that she saw a future without Mat, though that doesn't make much sense from a logistics perspective. But one thing that RJ has made clear is that the damane issue will be resolved. Mat will never accept his place in Seanchan society so long as they continue to collar channelers, so what gives? It's not clear yet, but it's definitely clear that the real future will be different from the one Aviendha saw. Again, I think the Oath Rod to be the most likely compromise; Aviendha's future simply had a different fulfillment of the prophecy - a simpler fulfillment matching the average reader's expectations for it. However, it's possible that we can chalk it up at least somewhat to this:

Knife of Dreams book tour, Santa Cruz, CA 29 October 2005 - hermano de lobos reporting

...One person asked something to the effect of 'How valid are the viewings and prophecies, given that the Pattern has been loosened?' There was also a comment by the person about how the viewings and prophecies are readings of the Pattern.

Jordan responded (not word for word): The viewings and prophecies that occurred before the loosening of the Pattern are very valid. But those that occurred at, or after, the loosening have a higher chance of not coming true.

By this logic, it would also make sense that prophecies given recently, as the state of the Pattern has gotten worse, have an even higher chance of not coming true. That's not to say that the vision was pointless; undoubtedly there were a lot of truths in it that Aviendha needed to understand in order to optimize the future of the Aiel. But a careful examination of that vision might have some logical contradictions. No doubt the ending will be very different than what that vision led us to believe, and we will find ourselves asking, 'How is it that Rand was successful without X event? He should have lost.'

It doesn't seem that Rand has a lot of time to work things out before things go crazy; they were already crazy at the end of TOM. Some think it will be as simple as, Mat shows up at Merrilor, says, "Oh, you want a truce with Tuon? I'll go get her." Rand does what he plans, threatens her with not going to Shayol Ghul to save the world, and then they go against the Black Tower together. However, there are many details indicating it won't exactly work out that way.

For one thing, there are (at least) three prophecies that work together to indicate that Rand will die before his truce with the Seanchan is accomplished. The presumed reason is that he is somehow linked with Moridin. They are merging. (I will do another post on that soon, since we have a little bit of new info.) Rand has to die in order to sever the connection between them - this is presumably why the Aelfinn said that, in order to survive the Last Battle, Rand must die. To avoid this post getting too long, I'll just link to the aforementioned three prophecies via my Blood on the Rocks FAQ page (which might get updated soon for evolving evidence): Egwene's Dream of Logain, Nicola's Foretelling, and a Dream shared by Bair and Melaine (immediately following the Nicola Foretelling in the link). Those three prophecies together indicate that Rand will be dead yet living on a boat with his three wives on the boat with him. The 'dead yet lives' line explains the 'paper puppet' nature of Rand's body in the Dream of Logain, where Logain steps over Rand's body to mount a black stone (probably indicative of him taking charge of the Asha'man). I believe that the evidence overwhelmingly supports the idea that Rand will be resurrected by Nynaeve, in the same way that Moghedien resurrected Birgitte.

We can assume that the scenario of the boat and the scenario of Logain are roughly concurrent, though the Logain bit might happen slightly before the boat. At the time of the boat, the world 'teeters on the edge of a blade', or it's 'a scale tilting first one way, then the other'. This would seem to indicate that the fate of the world depends on Rand's return. Therefore the 'great battle' referenced by Nicola probably does not refer to the Last Battle, else Rand's return would probably be relatively unimportant. It more likely refers to Demandred's gambit with Caemlyn and the Black Tower - the parallel to the legendary Battle of Camlann where King Arthur was killed by Mordred (who has many parallels in WoT, including Demandred, Moridin, Mordeth/Fain, Moiraine, and Gawyn).

And so, after Rand dies but before he is resurrected, the guardians balance the servants (Asha'man and Aes Sedai), and the land is divided by the Return (and not done with battle). This indicates to me that the Black Tower issue is resolved, but the Seanchan truce is not. This actually fits with the prophecies, since nothing in them indicates that Rand will be the one to make the peace. Aviendha's vision of the future indicates that, but it obviously has differences from the future that is prophesied. If the 'great battle' was the Last Battle, then the Peace should have already been established, aside from the fact that the fate of the world should no longer hang in the balance (though we can't say as much for the fate of the Aiel).

So, that brings us back to Mat and Tuon. Let's assume that Rand is dead, and everyone is freaking out. Not the harem or Nynaeve, because they know how to resurrect Rand and they are working on it. Presumably, they won't tell anyone, except maybe a few people.

It could be that the cataclysmic horror of Rand's death is enough to make Tuon go for the truce, but something tells me that her pride will stand in the way even then. Last we heard, she was planning on attacking the Tower again, and who knows how that will go? Also, the Seanchan conflict has been running since TGH, and there are a whole lot of ingredients planted in the early books that give a possibility for a truly epic resolution of that particular plotline - and I think Rand will be, for the most part, uninvolved.

One of those clues in the early books is something that hasn't been talked about much since then. Why does legend tie the Horn of Valere to Illian? It just so happens that Illian is the only nation where Rand actually holds a crown, and also, Illian borders Altara, where Tuon has her capital. They have already fought one war on that front, and all it accomplished for Rand was that he managed to prevent Tuon from invading Illian...for the moment. It was a hard-fought campaign with heavy casualties on both sides, partly due to Rand's unfortunate incident with Callandor.

Only two characters in the series emphasize the fact that Illian is tied to the Horn in legend - Moiraine and Thom. Moiraine's beliefs are so insistent (and spoken right out) that one wonders if there is a Foretelling known only in the Tower that ties the Horn to Illian (but not to Rand or the Last Battle - there is another Foretelling that does that).

TITLE - The Eye of the World
CHAPTER: 53 - The Wheel Turns

Moiraine motioned for Loial to set the gold chest at her feet, and when he did, she opened it, revealing the horn. "The Horn of Valere," she said, and Agelmar gasped. Rand almost thought the man would kneel.

"With that, Moiraine Sedai, it matters not how many Halfmen or Trollocs remain. With the heroes of old come back from the tomb, we will march to the Blasted Lands and level Shayol Ghul."

"NO!" Agelmar's mouth fell open in surprise, but Moiraine continued calmly. "I did not show it to you to taunt you, but so that you will know that in whatever battles yet come, our might will be as great as that of the Shadow. Its place is not here. The Horn must be carried to Illian. It is there, if fresh battles threaten, that it must rally the forces of the Light. I will ask an escort of your best men to see that it reaches Illian safely. There are Darkfriends still, as well as Halfmen and Trollocs, and those who come to the horn will follow whoever winds it. It must reach Illian."

Thom says that 'all the legends' tie the Horn to Illian:

TITLE - The Great Hunt
CHAPTER: 26 - Discord

The gleeman pushed back his chair and went to stare out of the window. "The Horn of Valere. That means the Last Battle is coming. Who will notice? Did you see the people laughing in the streets out there? Let the grain barges stop a week, and they won't laugh. Galldrian will think they've all become Aiel. The nobles all play the Game of Houses, scheming to get close to the King, scheming to gain more power than the King, scheming to pull down Galldrian and be the next King. Or Queen. They will think Tarmon Gai'don is only a ploy in the Game." He turned away from the window. "I don't suppose you are talking about simply riding to Shienar and handing the Horn to – who? – the King? Why Shienar? The legends all tie the Horn to Illian."

Rand looked at Loial. The Ogier's ears were sagging. "Shienar, because I know who to give it to, there. And there are Trollocs and Darkfriends after us."

So why hasn't this detail been mentioned since the Horn was blown at Falme?

Most likely, RJ didn't want it to be too obvious how things were going to go. He already set up a fantastic irony in the fact that Hawkwing led the Heroes of the Horn against his descendants at Falme. Assuming Hawkwing hasn't been spun out yet (which he likely has not been), then he will no doubt come to the call of the Horn in AMOL. Mat is the only one who can blow it, unless he gets killed. We don't know where the Horn is, but it was theorized by Linda from Thirteenth Depository (see sidebar links) that Laras knows where it is. In any case, Siuan should know. Also worth noting is that there might be something in Tuon's prophecies that indicates she must secure the Horn of Valere. Obviously the Seanchan are aware of it - that much was made clear with Turak - but how? What do they know of it?

TITLE - Knife of Dreams
CHAPTER: 8 - Dragon's Eggs

Talking with her could be dangerous in other ways, too. “What do you know of the Dragon Reborn?” she asked him another evening.

He choked on a mouthful of wine, and the whirling colors in his brain dissipated in a fit of coughing. The wine was near enough vinegar; but even Nerim had a hard time finding good wine these days. “Well, he’s the Dragon Reborn,” he said when he could speak, wiping wine from his chin with one hand. For a moment, he saw Rand eating at a large dark table. “What else is there to know?” Selucia refilled his cup smoothly.

“A great deal, Toy. For one thing, he must kneel to the Crystal Throne before Tarmon Gai’don. The Prophecies are clear on that, but I haven’t even been able to learn where he is. It becomes still more urgent if he is the one who sounded the Horn of Valere, as I suspect."

“The Horn of Valere?” he said weakly. The Prophecies said what? “It’s been found, then?"

“It must have been, mustn’t it, if it was sounded?” she drawled dryly. “The reports I’ve seen from the place where it was blown, a place called Falme, are very disturbing. Very disturbing. Securing whoever blew the Horn, man or woman, may be as important as securing the Dragon Reborn himself. Are you going to play a stone or not, Toy?”

It may simply be that she heard that Hawkwing fought against her, which is clearly unacceptable, but it's also possible that the Essanik Cycle mentions the Horn, even though Turak did not mention that to Fain. (He only mentioned their legends, and said only that they indicated the Horn was hidden on the Randland continent. He also knew that whoever blew the Horn would be tied to it for life.)

So why Illian?

It seems to me that there is only one truly logical scenario, unless the Shadow is planning on attacking Illian (which would seem to be strategically a waste of time aside from the old 'divide their forces' tactic, which is not all that effective when your enemy can use gateways and you can't). Either Tuon is going to try to invade Illian again, or Mat is going to invade Altara from Illian. The former seems more plausible, simply because it gives a better reason for the Horn to be blown in Illian rather than in Altara. We know from KOD that Rand has deployed half of the Black Tower along the borders of Illian and Arad Doman - the major borders of Seanchan territory:

TITLE - Knife of Dreams
CHAPTER: 18 - News for the Dragon

“More than half the Black Tower is in Arad Doman and Illian. I sent all the men with bonded Aes Sedai except those here, as you ordered.” Logain walked to the table while he talked, found a blue-glazed pitcher that still held wine among the plates and scraps, and filled a green-glazed cup. There was very little silver in the house. “You should have let me bring more men here. The numbers tilt too much to Aes Sedai for my liking.”

Rand's explanation for that (and Cadsuane's reaction to it) are in the first quote I provided. Since Rand's attempt at a truce failed, those troops might still be there, but there is also a chance that Logain will gather them up to go against the Black Tower, so it's questionable whether or not they would be available to Mat.

At the time of the Nicola Foretelling, Rand is dead, but it seems that the Aes Sedai and the Asha'man are finally working together. With Logain at the head of the Asha'man, this would make sense. It also might be supported by Elaida's Foretelling:

TITLE - A Crown of Swords
PROLOGUE - Lightnings

Elaida clenched her fist as though she held all the rebels by the throat. Or Alviarin. "I mean to break them, daughter. They will split open like a rotten melon." Her secret assured that, however many farmers and tailors Lord Bryne hung on to, but let the other woman think as she would. Suddenly the Foretelling took hold of her, a certainty about things she could not see stronger than if they had been laid out before her. She would have been willing to step blindly over a cliff on that certainty. "The White Tower will be whole again, except for remnants cast out and scorned, whole and stronger than ever. Rand al’Thor will face the Amyrlin Seat and know her anger. The Black Tower will be rent in blood and fire, and sisters will walk its grounds. This I Foretell."

One might argue that everything in this has been fulfilled except for the 'rent in blood and fire' bit, though we have at least one more foretold confrontation between Rand and Egwene. In any case, Egwene's decision to set Logain free in LOC might possibly have earned her his favor, so it's not difficult to see them getting along, especially with Rand dead.

My best guess for tying all this together is that Mat will use the Horn to conquer Tuon's empire and force the truce. It's doubtful that he has any interest in being Emperor, but it seems likely that he will use his advantages to convince her to bend on the damane issue. In any case, it will be interesting to see what happens when Mat blows the Horn and meets Hawkwing again. The fact that Mat remembered Hawkwing's face (from Falme and from his borrowed memories) was important to Lydia's Foretelling about her marriage, but those borrowed memories are not conducive to fondness for Hawkwing:

TITLE - Knife of Dreams
CHAPTER: 3 - A Fan of Colors

“Do you remember Hawkwing’s face, Toy?” Mistress Anan blinked in surprise, and Selucia sat up on the bed frowning. At him. Why would she frown at him? Tuon just continued to look at him, hands folded in her lap, as cool and collected as a Wisdom at Sunday.

Mat’s smile felt frozen. Light, what did she know? How could she know anything? He lay beneath the burning sun, holding his side with both hands, trying to keep the last of life from leaking out and won­dering whether there was any reason to hold on. Aldeshar was finished, after this day’s work. A shadow blotted the sun for an instant, and then a tall man in armor crouched beside him, helmet tucked under his arm, dark deep-set eyes framing a hooked nose. “You fought well against me today, Culain, and many days past,” that memorable voice said. “Will you live with me in peace?” With his last breath, he laughed in Artur Hawkwing’s face. He hated to remember dying. A dozen other encounters skit­tered through his mind, too, ancient memories that were his, now. Artur Paendrag had been a difficult man to get along with even before the wars started.

Drawing a deep breath, he took care choosing his words. This was no time to go spouting the Old Tongue. “Of course I don’t!” he lied. A man who could not lie convincingly got short shrift from women. “Light, Hawkwing died a thousand years ago! What kind of question is that?"

Her mouth opened slowly, and for a moment he was sure she meant to answer question with question. “A foolish one, Toy,” she replied finally, instead. “I can’t say why it popped into my head.”

Aldeshar was, coincidentally, the last nation to fall to Hawkwing. Its last king was Ishara's grandfather, and Culain was apparently his Captain General.

I believe that Mat and Hawkwing will probably take care of most of Tuon's objections. Mat ordering Hawkwing will be good fun; Hawkwing was one of the best generals to ever live, but Mat is no doubt better. Mat might even accept Hawkwing's advice on planning the battle against the Seanchan, and then the battle against the remnants of the Shadow's forces. However, Hawkwing could also be influential in convincing Mat that the Empire is a good idea. It is, after all, his legacy...and while he might see it in a different light now that he's dead and he remembers all his past lives, RJ does seem to be setting Tuon up to rule all of Randland (with Mat by her side). The fact that the outriggers were to be about Mat and Tuon five years after the Last Battle might be an indication that they were going to reconquer Seanchan together. But in order for Mat to be happy ruling by Tuon's side (or slightly underneath her, as it may be - I doubt he really cares all that much), then no doubt the damane issue will have to be resolved.

So, the last stop along this line of thought is a combination of two of Egwene's Dreams.

TITLE - Crossroads of Twilight
CHAPTER: 20 - In the Night

She was struggling up a narrow, rocky path along the face of a towering cliff. Clouds surrounded her, hiding the ground below and the crest above, yet she knew that both were very far away. She had to place her feet very carefully. The path was a cracked ledge barely wide enough for her to stand on with one shoulder pressed against the cliff, a ledge littered with stones as large as her fist that could turn under a misplaced step and send her hurtling over the edge. It almost seemed this was like the dreams of pushing millstones and pulling carts, yet she knew it was a true dream.

Abruptly, the ledge dropped away from under her with the crack of crumbling stone, and she caught frantically at the cliff, fingers scrabbling to find a hold. Her fingertips slid into a tiny crevice, and her fall stopped with a jolt that wrenched her arms. Feet dangling into the clouds, she listened to the falling stone crash against the cliff until the sound faded to nothing without the stone ever hitting the ground. Dimly, she could see the broken ledge to her left. Ten feet away, it might as well have been a mile off for all the chance she had of reaching it. In the other direction, the mists hid whatever remained of the path, but she thought it had to be farther away still. There was no strength in her arms. She could not pull herself up, only hang there by her fingertips until she fell. The edge of the crevice seemed as sharp as a knife under her fingers.

Suddenly a woman appeared, clambering down the sheer side of the cliff out of the clouds, making her way as deftly as if she were walking down stairs. There was a sword strapped to her back. Her face wavered, never settling clearly, but the sword seemed as solid as the stone. The woman reached Egwene’s level and held out one hand. “We can reach the top together,” she said in a familiar drawl­ing accent.

Egwene pushed the dream away as she would have a viper. She felt her body thrash, heard herself groan in her sleep, but for a moment she could do nothing. She had dreamed of the Seanchan before, of a Seanchan woman somehow tied to her, but this was a Seanchan who would save her. No! They had put a leash on her, made her damane. She would as soon die as be saved by a Seanchan! A very long time passed before she could address herself to calming her sleeping body. Or maybe it only seemed a long time. Not a Seanchan; never that!

Because of the cliché-sounding 'reach the top' phrase, many believed that this prophecy indicated that a Seanchan would help Egwene (officially) gain the Amyrlin Seat, but it didn't turn out that way. Some thought after TGS that it had been fulfilled in a very metaphorical way, but Brandon said that it was not:

The Gathering Storm Book Tour, Borders Dallas 14 November 2009 - Matoyak reporting

Mato: Have the visions and other such prophecies about Egwene and the Seanchan (such as the running one and the one with the sword) have they been fulfilled yet?
Sanderson: No, none of those have been fulfilled other than the attack on the White Tower. She still has more to go.

It may be that the rocky path is Egwene's struggle to prepare the White Tower for the Last Battle. The ledge collapsing underneath her might represent Rand's death before the (presumed) appointed time. Many think the woman is Egeanin, or Tylee, or even Seta or Bethamin, but there is another Dream connecting Egwene to a female golden hawk:

TITLE - A Crown of Swords
CHAPTER: 10 - Unseen Eyes

A golden hawk stretched out its wing and touched her, and she and the hawk were tied together somehow; all she knew was that the hawk was female.

Technically, this could refer to Berelain, so technically, it may be that neither Dream refers to Tuon. But considering the fact that Egwene's major drama with the Seanchan began on Toman Head, it doesn't seem that Berelain can compete. In fact, there is foreshadowing that Berelain might become 'adopted' into the royal family (in truth, the Firsts of Mayene are actually descended from Hawkwing's daughter who was sent to conquer Shara, just as Tuon is descended from Luthair):

TITLE - The Shadow Rising
CHAPTER: 14 - Customs of Mayene

"Serving girl? Serving girl! I am —" Faile bit her tongue to stop the furious words. The First of Mayene, indeed. There were estates in Saldaea larger than Mayene. She would not last a week in the courts of Saldaea. Could she recite poetry while hawking? Could she ride in the hunt all day, then play the bittern at night while discussing how to counter Trolloc raids? She thought she knew men, did she? Did she know the language of fans? Could she tell a man to come or go or stay, and a hundred things more, all with the twist of a wrist and the placement of a lace fan? Light shine on me, what am I thinking? I swore I would never even hold a fan again! But there were other Saldaean customs. She was surprised to see the knife in her hand; she had been taught not to draw a knife unless she meant to use it. "Farm girls in Saldaea have a way of dealing with women who poach others' men. If you do not swear to forget Perrin Aybara, I will shave your head as bald as an egg. Perhaps the boys who tend the chickens will pant after you, then!"

The royal family are the only ones to fully shave their heads, and RJ had already introduced the shaving thing in TGH.

Assuming that the Seanchan woman in Egwene's first dream is Tuon, then the sword is no doubt Justice - Rand's new sword, which once belonged to Hawkwing, and might have belonged to Guaire Amalasan as well. This goes along with my theory that Gawyn will Sheathe the Sword to strike a mortal blow at Rand, though obviously his motive will be different than I expected previous to TOM, and I no longer believe Rand will die from that wound (I believe Moiraine will balefire him to prevent his soul from being grabbed by the Dark One). Gawyn will probably die from a sword through the heart. If this happens, then it may be that the 'into the heart' prophecy could be interpreted another way, and that 'who draws it out' (deliberately gender-neutral?) might not be Narishma at all (though the dark man with the brightly shining object might still be him). I think it likely that 'who draws it out' will be Egeanin, and that she will redeem herself by presenting Justice to Tuon, and become Tuon's most loyal follower. (And Selucia, being a minor character, might well die in AMOL, but either way she is currently fulfilling four important positions for Tuon - servant, bodyguard, Voice, and Truthspeaker.) Most likely, Egeanin will go along for the ride when Mat goes to Illian.

There are actually many possible scenarios for where Mat will use the Horn, but I believe that the Caemlyn situation will mostly be resolved without it, or Logain's glory would presumably not amount to much. Mat might find it in time to save the Tower from the second Seanchan attack; he might not. (Tuon did consider making it her capital, and she might give it a new name in the Seanchan way.) The Tower might be attacked by Shadowspawn - that Waygate is presumably unguarded. But he has to take it to Illian for something, and it would be strange to see a major, pivotal, legend-worthy Mat vs. The Shadow battle in Illian. Tuon makes much more sense, especially if he cracks the nut as cleanly as Illian was cracked by his plan in the first place. Will he take the Heroes straight to Ebou Dar? In any case, for Tuon to save Egwene, it seems that she would have to change her mind about the a'dam beforehand. Perhaps Mat and Tuon will bargain, and then Mat will take Tuon's side against the monarchs.

Presumably, somewhere in the meantime Rand will be resurrected. When Mat blows the Horn, many will be expecting Rand to come to its call. But according to Nicola's Foretelling, I think it more likely that Rand will have already - barely - been resurrected by the time Mat blows it. (The body on the boat would have to be his new body - the one ripped from Tel'aran'rhiod.) In this way, Mat will 'betray' the fact that Rand is not dead, or maybe lead some people to believe that the balefire killed him permanently, but I think the former is more likely because it's a double Jesus-parallel and very cleverly 'reverse-engineered' (RJ's term for what he does with legend and myth to weave the story of WoT). Mat is one major source for the Judas stories, and his blowing of the Horn is a parallel to the empty tomb. He might know by the color-swirl ta'veren connection as soon as Rand is resurrected, but it may be that he does not think of Rand until after he blows the Horn. Either way he will be able to confirm that Rand is not dead.

And so, we proceed to the Dragon's Peace. Tuon has reached her hand out to Egwene, and they are now on the same team. Perhaps Tuon decided that the Oath Rod was an acceptable compromise for the a'dam. Perhaps she agreed to be bound by an Oath herself, to free the damane after the Last Battle. It seems likely from that perspective that Tuon might be the Seanchan woman with Egwene in this Dream:

TITLE - The Dragon Reborn
CHAPTER: 48 - Following the Craft

Rand in that dry, dusty chamber again, with those small creatures settling into his skin. Rand confronting a horde of Seanchan. Rand confronting her, and the women with her, and one of them was a Seanchan. It was all too confusing. She had to stop thinking about Rand and the others and put her mind to what was right ahead of her.

Of course, this could also happen at Merrilor, and in that case, the Seanchan woman in this Dream might be Egeanin, Seta, or Bethamin. After that...well, it may be that Tuon's prophecies are actually correct:

TITLE - The Gathering Storm
CHAPTER: 35 - A Halo of Blackness

The Last Battle would be between the Empire and the forces of the Dark One. Everybody knew that. The prophecies clearly showed that the Empress would defeat those who served the Shadow, and then she would send the Dragon Reborn in to duel with Lighteater.

In fact, it may be that Tuon ends up being the second woman in Rand's Callandor circle (it would be a neat way of fulfilling her prophecies in a way, and encouraging her to channel). In any case, I don't expect the Peace to be established until after Rand is resurrected, and I expect this to be primarily a big moment for the Aiel, though it may be that the damane issue is not resolved until then. One thing I expect to be very different from the future Aviendha saw, aside from that: I expect Tuon to be made Empress of all of Randland. Unlike Hawkwing, she seems to be content to leave national borders as they are, and even the rulers of each nation so long as they accept her as Empress. Channelers would probably serve the Empire in volunteer positions, military or otherwise, earning rank and honor the same way as everyone else. Many expect the Aiel to become peacekeepers, but I think it more likely they will renounce battle and return to the Way of the Leaf. In either case, I think that it's quite possible the Aiel will serve some role in the Empire as well.

Much of this is stuff I've gone on about before. The Horn, not so much. It's sort of a fledgling theory, so I'd be interested to hear what people say about it - particularly if you can think of any prophecies or possible foreshadowing that might shed light on the subject. (In other words, 'I don't believe that will happen' is not very helpful.) In particular I'd like to see some discussion on the link between the Horn and Illian. I will probably post on this subject again before AMOL comes out if I manage to logick out some more details. In any case, thanks for reading!