Future
It is supposedly fated for Rand al'Thor to die at Tarmon Gai'don, as one prophecy is "His blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul." Nicola, a novice with the gift of foretelling, foretold, "The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. The future teeters on the edge of a blade." The lion sword is Elayne, the dedicated spear Aviendha and she who sees beyond Min. He who is dead yet lives is Rand (this is confirmed by a dream Bair and Melaine had of Rand in a boat with three women they could not see and a scale tilting).Great Battle may refer to the Last Battle (Tarmon Gai'don), or a large battle leading up to the final confrontation with the Dark One. The return could be the Corenne. The guardians refer to the Asha'man (meaning Guardians in the Old Tongue); the servants, to Aes Sedai (Servants of All in the Old Tongue). However, if he dies at Tarmon' Gaidon, he will have a son, daughter and four other children by Elayne and Aviendha. It is unknown if he and Min shall have children together. Although, if Tarmon Gai'don is lost, Min's visions will mean nothing since time itself will die, and all be under the control of the Dark One.
It has also been hinted that Rand will become blind; Perrin saw him through a 'window' in Tel'aran'rhiod with a bandage across his eyes, while looking at him, Tuon thought "He didn't seem blinded yet, so that had yet to happen", and Min saw a white-hot iron as part of a viewing of him, which suggests that he will be tortured and lose his eyes. This may not be so, however, for the quote from The Prophecies of the Dragon after the epilogue in The Gathering Storm quotes that "the blind man shall stand upon his own grave. There, he shall see again." This quote seems to refer to Rand's apparent blindness in his attempts to become "steel" or "cuendillar," and his new enlightened view of life after contemplation on Dragonmount (Lews Therin's grave), and also is the quote that Tuon was referring to.
Read more about this topic: Rand Al'Thor
Famous quotes containing the word future:
“The planet’s survival has become so uncertain that any effort, any thought that presupposes an assured future amounts to a mad gamble.”
—Elias Canetti (b. 1905)
“Our Last Will and Testament, providing for the only future of which we can be reasonably certain, namely our own death, shows that the Will’s need to will is no less strong than Reason’s need to think; in both instances the mind transcends its own natural limitations, either by asking unanswerable questions or by projecting itself into a future which, for the willing subject, will never be.”
—Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)
“For a parent, it’s hard to recognize the significance of your work when you’re immersed in the mundane details. Few of us, as we run the bath water or spread the peanut butter on the bread, proclaim proudly, “I’m making my contribution to the future of the planet.” But with the exception of global hunger, few jobs in the world of paychecks and promotions compare in significance to the job of parent.”
—Joyce Maynard (20th century)