"Saw Innle on blackdeathroad. Going to the endmost means end of barud. Obernewtyn finished and all gone for Innle."
~ Maruman, in Ashling
It's been speculated for a while what this comment made by Maruman actually means.
Some believe it means that Elspeth is destined to die by fulfilling her quest.
I've got an alternative theory to pose to you...
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I've though a bit about this quote a while back and what if Maruman's referring not to the future, but one of many possible futures? The Dreamtrails, we are told, shows what has gone (past) and what may come to pass (future); surely there's at least 2 possible outcomes of Elspeth's quest.
We know Maruman jumps between times now, so what if he was sent forward, to be shown what would happen if Elspeth failed?
"Saw Innle on blackdeathroad." - this could mean he saw her making a wrong decision - one that would result in a different outcome to her quest (a bad one). The future and decisions could be interpreted as roads, and junctions in that road are decisions.
"Going to the endmost..." - if she makes the wrong decision/follows the wrong path all the way...
"means end of barud." - I know we interpret barud always as Obernewtyn; what if Maruman's specifically referring to his barud, the beasts freerunning barud? So, if she makes the wrong decision, she'll never lead the beasts to freedom. I only think in this case that barud doesn't mean Obernewtyn because he specifically refers to Obernewtyn in the next sentence - it just seemed a bit redundant to mention the same thing twice so close to one another, so there's another take on it :)
"Obernewtyn finished" - Obernewtyn won't be what it was; this could be anything from destroyed, to the inhabitants dissolving the guilds and going forth into the Land / no longer needing Obernewtyn. Though, in this 'bad' future, it's most likely Obernewtyn will be destroyed.
"and all gone for Innle." - nothing left for her - no more choices, and no way out - i.e. she's going to die.
Perhaps instead of offering her a snippet of her actual future, he's offering a warning of a possible future that he was shown.
WOW realy good min *Loud applaud*
That's a great theory!
I always thought that Maruman's quote meant that if Elspeth continued to the end of her quest, somthing would happen that meant that she could not go home to obernewtyn and that she would be left with no home or friends.
But your theory makes sense too and it has given me hope! :-/
I interpret the quote this way: 'Saw Innle on blackdeath road' - saw Elspeth crossing blacklands. 'Going to the endmost means end of barud' - 'endmost' must refer to a place figuratively or metaphorically where Elspeth completes (we hope!) the task at hand. Perhaps th reason goign to endmost means end of barud (Obernewtyn) is because somehow endmost is linked to Obernewtyn and Elspeth has no choice but to destroy Obernewtyn is the process of saving the world. Otherwise, of course, end of barud means Elspeth will never return there. I think 'all gone for Innle' is just referring to Obernewtyn being gone.
Thats really clever thinking,Min, and i do kinda agree. Dreamtrails do, as u say, show what has gone and what is to come. Maybe the oldone was trying to show Maruman what will happen if elspeth fails, to keep her careful of the decisions she will have to make.
Thats a good theory!! and a hopeful one. I kinda agree that the way i interpreted it was that Elspeth is going across the Blacklands to where she will complete the quest
have to remember also though of ELspeth's own dream of being on blacklands and her legs turning yellow, hoping it wasnt a true dream cos it hasnt been repeated since, *fingers crossed*
I love your theory Min. I was thinking that maybe Obernewtyn will be destroyed but not in the way that we think it will. The walls of Obernewtynbmight fall and the plants shrivel and die but Obernewtyn's people remain with life and hope? I know my it sounds strange but it's possible...I suppose.
i think he said blackdeathroad not because she will die doing this quest but because many have died taking that road, and reguardless this story is in past tense and is like she wrote it herself so if she died she wouldn't be able to write it would she?
Thats a really good theory.
I like the way your theory addresses the whole quote rather than just working through possible deffinitions for each of the parts (ie. one possible future / warning v. what is the blackroad)
i thought he meant he saw elspeth walking on the road to destruction!
awesome theory! :O
i hope you're right, i've always just assumed (hoped) maruman was talking crap..... that crazy cat
