Could someone please explain what Dakar did to compromise Arithon with the Koriani? I’m re-reading and I still don’t get it.
Spoilers from Stormed Fortress:
Dakar pressed Elaira to revive Arithon with Glendien’s help, through his bood oath and crown ties at Athir. Instead, Elaira chooses to use the Biedar ritual. Because it would invoke a Koriani oath of debt (through Elaira’s involvement), Elaira had Dakar make the oath over the Crown of Rathain rather than Arithon directly.
Spoilers from Destiny’s Conflict:
It is later revealed (in the scene at Tiendarion) that because of the oath of debt, Dakar gave over Arithon’s grant of permissions to the Koriathain, which allowed them to capture him before the wedding.
Hi Brian:
I never got the impression that Elaira’s arm had to be twisted too hard at Athir- her eyes were wide open to the possible consequences of her actions. I wonder how much Dakar actually knew about Arithon’s eventual future of taming wraiths and Koriani imprisonment. Sethivir and the Beidar elder seemed as complicit as Dakar.
Julie,
You’re right – I just reread the scene and realized how much had blurred together in my mind.
My interpretation of what’s on the page in Stormed Fortress:
Dakar did receive direction from Sethvir to bring Arithon to Athir, but it is not completely clear whether Sethvir also suggested reawakening Arithon with Glendien’s help.
Then in Initiate’s Trial:
When Dakar is cast out of his apprenticeship, Sethvir lays blame for the oath of debt over Rathain’s crown (and several other subjective faults) at Dakar’s feet. However, it seems as if the Fellowship didn’t truly believe that it was Dakar’s fault, as if they were sharpening their attacks to make the severance more formal so Dakar was truly a free agent.
My opinion is that the Fellowship and Biedar definitely have/had foreknowledge of what was to come, but Dakar was just given vague direction and left to succeed or fail on his own.
Hi Brian:
I agree that the Fellowship and Biedar are very aware of the possible/probable futures and work to achieve the best outcome. I really liked the way Dakar evolved in the last 2 books- OK so it took 500 years. But he is really invaluable, smart, and self aware (he understood why he was cast out).
I am however, disappointed in the way Elaira treats him- it makes her seem petty and unworthy of the accolades thrown her way. Hopefully she will arrive at a place of understanding. Arithon will forgive him as is his nature. I also hope the Fellowship will acknowledge his accomplishments and amazing loyalty to the compact, Seven, Arithon, and Athera.
I don’t think Elaira likes Dakar in general. They didn’t interact much at Merior, I don’t think, and the fiasco in Halwythwood probably ended any possibility of actual friendship between the two. Plus, Dakar has always been a Fellowship instrument first, Arithon’s friend second, while Elaira always put Arithon first, to the point of daring her boss to destroy her.
So I don’t think Elaira is just mad at Dakar for giving Arithon up. She’s also mad about Halwythwood, and Athir, and probably every single time she perceives Dakar putting Fellowship priorities over Arithon’s integrity.
She doesn’t like it when the Fellowship do that directly, either, but at least they’re otherwise helpful and too gracious to yell at.
Well at Merior Dakar was inept, often drunk, an unkempt wastrel who hated Arithon enough to want him dead, and distrusted Koriathain, Elaira would not hate him, but there was no footing for friendship back then. Elaira would have been grateful for Dakar’s help to Arithon later, but still she knows Dakar would not act in Arithon’s best interests if the Fellowship wanted something else, he has proven that numerous times.
And more recently even when Dakar knew the Fellowship cast him out as a free agent in the hopes he would help Arithon, still he was to much of a coward to face up to his past. Elaira might still have contempt for Dakar, but I doubt she would ever hate him. Dakar still has his faults but these days is usually trying his best. And when we left Athera he had at last finally outgrown being a gutless coward. Remains to be seen what he might eventually become, but Dakar has come a long way from what he once was at Merior.
Now considering the many times we have heard of all the things Dakar does not like doing, it would ironic if he followed in Asandir’s footsteps and became a field agent, roughing it in the outdoors.
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Dakar has been torn between his deep regard for Arithon and supporting the Fellowship in their endeavors to preserve the compact. He has lived a very long time with a talent he still cannot always control and never wanted. Not sure how gutless he really has been- scapegrace is more like it because when push comes to shove he dives in. We saw that first when he salvaged Arithon from the tienelle scrying.
He makes a convenient punching bag , a role he accepts. I do not think he would take Elaira’s insults if he did not care so much about Arithon and his role in the greater scheme of Athera.
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