#aludra

Canis Major, which is Latin for "greater dog," is one of the original 48 constellations set down by Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. It is probably most famous for containing Sirius (α Canis Majoris), the brightest star in the night sky.

In Greek mythology, Canis Major is the dog Laelaps, a gift from Zeus to one of his lovers, Europa. Or maybe it is the dog of Procris, an Athenian princess. Or maybe the dog given to Aurora by Cephalus, a dog so famed for its speed that Zeus placed it in the sky.

In the mythology of the skies, it's usually assumed to be one of Orion's hunting dogs, pursuing Lepus the Hare or helping Orion fight Taurus the Bull.

In order of brightness, the named stars in Sirius are:

Sirius (α Canis Majoris), the brightest star in the night sky. This is a binary star system, consisting of a blue-white giant and a white dwarf, about 8.5 light years away. Sirius is bright because it is intrinsically bright and it is very close to us. It is slowly moving closer to us, reaching closest proximity in about 60,000 years where it will assume a new role as the Southern Pole Star. It will remain the brightest star in the night sky for the next 210,000 years until Vega (α Lyrae) overtakes it. Its name comes from the Greek word seirios meaning "glowing" or "scorcher."

Adhara (ε Canis Majoris) is a binary star system consisting of at least one blue giant star. The entire system lies about 410 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word aðāra meaning "virgins."

Wezen (δ Canis Majoris) is a solitary yellow-white supergiant star about 1,600 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-wazn meaning "weight."

Mirzam (β Canis Majoris) is a solitary blue giant star about 490 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-mirzam meaning "the announcer" or "the herald," since it rises before Sirius in the night sky.

Aludra (η Canis Majoris) is a solitary blue supergiant star about 2,000 light years away. This star is very young, only about 10 million years old, and is already near the end of its life. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-adhraa meaning "the virgin."

Furud (ζ Canis Majoris) is a binary star system consisting of at least one blue giant star. The entire system lies about 362 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-furūd meaning "the solitary ones." This was a term Arabic poets used for anonymous "solitary stars," and was later given to this star as its name.

Nganurganity (σ Canis Majoris) is a solitary red supergiant star about 1,290 light years away. It is also a variable star. Its name comes from the Boorong people of Australia and is their word for the Jacky lizard.

Muliphein (γ Canis Majoris) is a blue giant star about 430 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word muħlifayn meaning "two [things] causing dispute and the swearing of an oath."

Amadioha (HD 43197) is a Sun-like star about 204 light years away. It has two confirmed exoplanets orbiting it, one about half the mass of Jupiter, and another almost 8 times the mass of Jupiter, the former of which is named Equiano. Both names were given by the people of Nigeria: Amadioha is the god of thunder in Igbo mythology, while Equiano refers to Nigerian writer and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano.

Atakoraka (WASP-64) is a Sun-like star about 1,177 light years away. It has one confirmed exoplanet orbiting it, just over the mass of Jupiter, named Agouto. Both names were given by the people of Togo: Atakoraka refers to the Atacora, the largest mountain range in Togo, and Agouto refers to Mount Agou, the highest mountain in Togo.

This chapter has the Trolloc triptych since we will be getting Trollocs in Cairhien.

The street was empty save for one of the big puppets, a goat-horned Trolloc with a sword at its belt, coming toward them with five men working the poles, but sounds of merriment drifted still from other parts of the Foregate, where the halls of entertainment and the taverns stood. Here, doors were already barred and windows shuttered.

Presumably this is the work of the undescribed man who saw Rand awhile back. I suppose that if Fain is going to defy fate, he might as well defy narrative convention as well.

Instinct brought the sword out of its sheath in a flashing arc. The Moon Rises Over the Lakes.

Honestly the motion I picture when I think of the sword form's name is a bit more complex than a flashing arc, but it gets points for being such a great name.

“Loial, we have to get back to the inn. Hurin’s alone, and they—” He grunted as he was lifted into the air by a thick arm long enough to pin both of his to his chest.

Rand's Shadowspawn Senses still don't seem to have kicked in yet.

The Power. That could do it. How, he did not know, but he knew nothing else to try. The Trolloc had its sword half unsheathed. When the curved blade was bare, it would kill Loial.

I love it when a hero is forced to use an undesirable power because the escalation of the narrative has left them with nothing else.

Driven by a distant desperation, he tried again and again. And again and again there was only the taint.

Of course, that really only makes it all the more hilarious that Rand isn't capable of channeling consistently yet.

“I’m sorry you had to do it, Loial, but it would have killed both of us, or worse.” “I know. But I cannot like it. Even a Trolloc.” Pointing toward the setting sun, the Ogier seized Rand’s arm. “There’s another of them.”

Funny how this bit of work towards Perrin's arc is here in Rand's, considering how many dead Trollocs this boy will be making even in Zen Mode.

He pulled Loial along to the next corner and turned toward the nearest sounds of laughter and music, but long before they reached it, another group of men appeared ahead of them in the otherwise empty street with a puppet that was no puppet.

Rand has something in common with that Trolloc, I suppose. There are some parallels of course - the puppeteers are far less dangerous than the "puppet"; they control it only to the degree that it's convenient for the Trolloc, everything is being done out of sight and in the shadows - but I'm sad to say that I'm at a blank for any deeper meaning.

Sometimes, here where there were no eyes to see, a Trolloc stalked alone. More than once he was sure it was one he had seen before. They were closing in, and making sure he and Loial did not leave the deserted streets with their shuttered windows.

I really like that the Trollocs are still terrifying at this point.

“I don’t have it with me,” he snapped, “and I don’t know how it could help if I did. The dead heroes are not supposed to come back to save me from Trollocs. Selene, you have to get away. Now!”

This is (very likely unintentional) irony, since the Horn isn't blown in the Last Battle until a young boy with no other options has to be saved from Trollocs.

“Seek the Oneness, and be calm. One who would be great must always be calm.”

This is also ironic, since Lanfear has the chill of a blast furnace on the surface of the sun.

Selene cut him off. “If he wants to go in, alantin, he needs a door. Such as that one.” She pointed to a dark patch a little down the wall. Even with her telling him, Rand was not certain it was a door, but when she strode to it and pulled, it opened.

If it weren't for the fact that the far side of this wall had brackets for a bar, I'd half think that Selene had some incredible forgotten weave for turning walls into doors.

At the worst, humans had to be better to deal with than Trollocs. He might be able to talk the Illuminators into letting them go; Trollocs did not listen before they killed.

Rand of course will forget this lesson much later in his dealings with the Seanchan.

The woman’s dress, worked elaborately across the breast, seemed a pale green, and her hair was done in a multitude of short braids.

Hi Aludra! Sorry about what happens to you for the next six books or so. (Also hi Tammuz I guess? Apparently you're technically a recurring character. Good luck with that; I barely remember you from this chapter and I only reread it seven hours ago.)

In any case, fireworks were too expensive for the Village Council to have allowed anybody unskilled to open one. He could well remember the time when Mat had tried to do just that; it was nearly a week before anyone but Mat’s own mother would speak to him.

I'm pretty sure we hear about this story again. I'm also pretty sure Mat will finally open a firework next book.

Rand was just breathing a sigh of relief as they approached the low wall—and the alleys and buildings behind it—when Loial brushed against another rack, standing right beside the wall. It held ten soft-looking sticks, as long as Rand’s arm, with thin streams of smoke rising from their tips. The rack made hardly a sound when it fell, the smoldering sticks sprawling across one of the fuses.

It's like the Illuminators were asking for their chapterhouse to be burned down, frankly.

“Sometimes,” Selene said quietly, “if you are very still, no one can see you at all.” She did not sound the least bit worried.

This is both a useful observational fact about life and clearly a good weave.

“I am not to blame for this, Aludra,” the man protested. “I have been sure to put everything where it belonged, and the punks, they were—”

Sorry Tammuz, I'm absolutely blaming you.

“It is said great men make their own luck,” Selene said softly.

Lanfear: Just because I'm pretending to be a helpless noblewoman doesn't mean I'm not going to expect credit for every secret thing I do to help you.

“Your greatness will make me happy.” Despite the words, Selene sounded angry. “Perhaps I should leave you to find your own way for a time. If you’ll not take greatness when it is in your grasp, perhaps you deserve to die.”

I can see why she hooked up with LTT in the first place and why the dude dumped her the second he had a chance with a slightly more chill woman.

“You let me worry about the Trollocs.” Three of them. I might do it, with the void.

Of course, Rand is finally embracing the greatness she wants anyway. Doesn't even realize it.

It tilted, started to fall over, and he caught the square wooden base; the tube pointed straight at the Trollocs.

Hence the picture above.

Blinking, Rand staggered to his feet, coughing in thick, acrid smoke, ears ringing.

Jordan should have added tinnitus to Rand's list of agonies because it is a bitch and the boy damages his ear drums way too much not to end up with it.

“An old woman, my Lord. Not a quarter of an hour gone. A servant, though she did not say from what House.” Cuale smiled as if inviting confidences.

Definitely Lanfear in disguise. She's not too vain to try and fool Rand this way as we'll know from later, and the difference in age is more than enough for Mr. Idiot here not to suspect that the Obviously Magic Woman following him around improbably might have left the letter herself.

Think of the glory. “I wish Ingtar would come.”