This is an essay about Birgitte, a fact that shouldn't surprise anyone who read the title. Specifically, it is an essay about Birgitte's death.

"What?" you cry in protest. "Jordan won't kill Birgitte off! She's such a great character!" Well, yes, she is. I have no disagreement with that. That, dear readers, is precisely why she is going to die.

There has been a lot of talk, as the various books have come out, about Jordan's seeming reluctance to kill off 'good' characters. Moiraine vanished - but all except a few diehards know perfectly well she'll be back within the next couple of books. Harid Fel was killed - but we didn't know him well enough to really be upset at his death. In fact, the Shadow in general has gotten a lot less scary over time. Back in The Eye of the World, Trollocs and Myddraal were terrifying. Now, it's "Oh, another fist of Trollocs and a Myrddraal. Let's go get some exercise and be back in time for dinner."

Of course, some of this is inevitable - the characters are growing, learning what's myth and what's fact, and even Forsaken lose a lot of their scare value once you've killed a couple of them. But Jordan seems to be getting ready to put some of that scare value back into the books. The gholam - a creature that channeling can't touch - was a good start. So is Shaidar Haran, and the revelation that the Forsaken are starting to team up.

Now in my opinion, two more things are going to happen to really throw both characters and readers off their stride. One is that a major good character is going to be turned to the Shadow. I'm guessing it'll be Nynaeve - read my essay The Lady of the Lakes. And the other is that a major good character is going to die, and that will be Birgitte.

Why Birgitte? Because she is one of those rare characters who all the readers seem to like. If Egwene or Gawyn, say, died, I'd be upset, but I'm sure a lot of people would be cheering. But if a character everyone likes is killed off, it'll be much more of a shock. The other favourites are Mat and Min. Mat still has a lot to do - marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons for one, possibly lose an eye for another. Furthermore, as 'one leg of the tripod', he has to stay around or Rand will fall. Min also seems set to survive Tarmon Gai'don, judging by the various prophecies of three women around Rand who are most likely Min, Elayne and Aviendha.

Birgitte is the perfect tragic heroine. She's been unnaturally 'born' into the world at a time when she should still be in Tel'aran'rhiod - and more importantly, by doing so she's been separated from her soulmate, Gaidal Cain. As Elayne's Warder, she's sworn to protect Elayne even if doing so means losing her own life. And it will.

Elayne is - right now - in danger. There is at least one Darkfriend in the Royal Palace - possibly a Black sister. There are at least three more in the city, although Falion doesn't exactly have a great deal of freedom of action. There are also two Forsaken involved in whatever is going on there, which appears to involve Daved Hanlon 'getting his hands on a queen.' Hmm, anyone know any queens he could be talking about? And knowing Hanlon, does anyone think his intentions toward said queen are likely to be benevolent?

We know Elayne is going to live, at least past Tarmon Gai'don, for the same reason as Min. So whatever happens with that lot, it won't involve Elayne's death. Unless the prophecy refers to someone else, which is a whole other question and pretty unlikely anyway. I suspect Birgitte will end up rescuing her, but dying in the attempt.

Now while I don't know exactly how this will happen, it's an interesting fact that either Nynaeve, Elayne or Birgitte herself has in her possession one of Birgitte's legendary silver arrows, which she was holding at the moment Moghedien tore her out of Tel'aran'rhiod and which came with her into the waking world. Remember what happened back in The Great Hunt when Birgitte shot just such an arrow at a Seanchan ship? Yes...As I said...interesting.

But don't worry. She'll be gone - but she won't be gone forever. Moghedien may have ripped her from the World of Dreams, but I refuse to believe, to quote some witty soul whose name I unfortunately don't know, that an unethical stock broker can keep Birgitte out of the Pattern if the Pattern wants her to be there.

And even in the short term, she won't be gone for long. She'll be back soon, although her mother-to-be won't realize it for a long time. Yes, she'll be back, toddling around the royal nursery in Caemlyn, and playing with her toy bow and arrows...

Raina's Hold / Raina's Library / Raina's Library - Essays