Do you think Xaden knows that the reason Imogen won’t get with Garrick is because she’s convinced he will die if she does?

I mean it’s pretty clear his “intention” reading is a little more than that. There’s lots of instances where he’s basically just reading Violets thoughts.

I wonder if Xaden knows what’s really going on with Imogen and if he’s ever discussed it with her. If he did I wonder if he would tell Garrick.

I feel so sad for her carrying all this and with Quinn it’s going to solidify her concerns even further.

Somehow I like to imagine that at least somebody sees what’s actually going on - that Garrick feelings are not unrequited but that she has a really tragic reason for not pursuing it.

After reading Threshing Day, I’m starting to suspect Sawyer is going to become an antagonist. Not necessarily that he’s the big bad himself, and I’m not suggesting he’ll turn venin, but I wonder if he’ll be connected to the One Who Watches or something.

Sawyer is conspicuously angry in Threshing Day, and Sliseag seems to value that anger. It’s a contrast to his characterisation in the main books, where he’s arguably the squad member we know least about.

There’s also something odd about his bond. Sawyer was apparently a very capable cadet who simply wasn’t chosen at his first Threshing. Except Sliseag reveals he’d already picked Sawyer and apologises for making him wait because he himself wasn’t ready to bond. Why Sawyer, and why the delay? It’s not like he’s one of the marked ones, whose dragons may have had particular reasons for choosing them.

Sawyer also comes from the same province as Lyra, whose account of the wards turned out to be accurate. That could be coincidence, but given the series’ themes, it’s interesting.

Here’s where my theory gets a bit more speculative. RY has said Threshing Day is the first account we can trust. The main books are historical documents translated by Jesinia, who happens to be involved with Sawyer.

The series repeatedly shows us how history can be distorted by the people recording it. What if the books themselves are an example? Jesinia doesn’t necessarily have to falsify anything. Translation choices and personal bias could be enough to give readers a misleading impression of Sawyer.

Given RY’s education in history, I wonder whether the framing of the novels as translated historical documents is more significant than we’ve realised.

I don’t think Sawyer’s personality in Threshing Day is a retcon. Maybe his characterisation as kind and good-natured isn’t inconsistent at all. Maybe we’ve simply never been given an entirely reliable account of him.

I recently discovered the Empyrean series, absolutely loved it, and immediately started rereading the books. And now I can't stop wondering whether we're missing some pieces of Xaden and Violet's early history.

Something about Xaden's behavior toward Violet feels off when you look at the timeline of events, especially after reading his bonus chapters.

Throughout Threshing Day and the first half of Fourth Wing, we're constantly told what a ruthless, cold, and dangerous person Xaden is. He kills without hesitation, he's portrayed as someone capable of extreme cruelty, and during his own Threshing Day, he even considers escaping the Quadrant and killing Violet. When we first meet him, we're explicitly told that his eyes darken with hatred at the sight of her.

And honestly, given their circumstances, it makes sense. Violet is the daughter of the general responsible for the deaths of his father and his friends' parents, and she's now a rider in his chain of command. They're not friends, they barely know each other, and before Threshing, their actual interactions can practically be counted on one hand.

But then we get Xaden's POV chapters, and... this man is already DOWN BAD for her. 😭

These chapters take place very early in the timeline, before they really start interacting and getting to know each other through their bond. Yet he's already thinking about kissing her, fantasizing about getting her alone in an empty room, calling her his in his thoughts, and trying to keep her from noticing his very obvious physical reaction to her during sparring. Garrick has even noticed how attracted he is to her.

And the thing is, Xaden isn't exactly a guy with nothing else going on in his life. He has long-term plans, responsibilities, people depending on him, and an entire rebellion to worry about. He's also in a commanding position himself. Even if Violet intrigues him, and even if he has a personal reason to keep an eye on her because of the deal he made with her mother, you'd think he'd have more important things occupying his mind than a girl he's barely interacted with.

I understand being physically attracted to someone or becoming intrigued by their intelligence and personality after a few interactions. But his feelings seem so intense compared to how little time they've actually spent together at that point. It's not just that he's attracted to her; it's how quickly and completely he seems to be consumed by her. And honestly, it almost feels off-putting in a way, because the intensity doesn't feel earned by what we've actually seen happen between them.

Meanwhile, Violet's attraction initially seems much more straightforward: she notices how physically attractive he is, and her feelings develop as they spend more time together.

So there's this huge disconnect between the ruthless Xaden we're introduced to in Threshing Day and the hopelessly smitten Xaden we see in his POV chapters. The transition feels so abrupt and unnatural that I can't help wondering whether we're missing something.

Which brings me back to Violet's memories. I'm not saying I have a specific theory, and I could absolutely be overthinking this. I just keep wondering whether there's more to their early history than we know, or whether we're actually getting the full picture of their relationship from Violet's perspective.

On the other hand, I struggle to imagine what narrative purpose erased memories from such an early period would serve. If something significant happened between them that Violet no longer remembers, I wonder what it could possibly be. But if nothing happened and we really do know everything about their early interactions, then... I don't know. His feelings just seem weirdly disproportionate to the circumstances.

So, how much can we actually trust that we know everything about Violet and Xaden's early history? Or am I overthinking this, and his feelings are simply supposed to develop that quickly?

Cath and Thorit

I’ve been thinking about the whole “Dain and Sloane are a mirror to Xaden and Violet” theory and that has me thinking about Cath and Thorit as a bonded pair.

While I don’t want or think Dain and Sloane need anymore parallels to V and Xaden, I do believe that Cath and Thorit being a bonded pair would be so good for the story and for Slain.

1. We could get to see how bonded pairs gets made.

I think if Thorit and Cath do bond, it would be after the fact that they are already bonded to Sloane and Dain.

And I’m very interested to see what that process is like.

I think, given how much both dragons care about thier riders autonomy—Cath pushing Dain to be his own man, Thorit choosing not to channel to Sloane till she’s ready—I believe it would be something they would give Dain and Sloane a heads up about and maybe even the possibility of input.

If this were the case, I personally can’t see either Dain or Sloane saying “No” to the dragons they love very much and who are now essentially the only family they have left.

They may not be 100% comfortably with each other to now have access to each other’s thoughts. But if it was the price to pay for thier dragons happiness / bond I really think they would do it.

2. It would push Dain and Sloane into some really great character development and healing.

I really think that their dragons bonding would be good for Slain’s character development, healing and growth as a couple.

I can imagine the first couple of weeks getting used to being in each others head is quite jarring and disorienting.
This would be a nice, sharp contrast from V and Xaden who are elated to be in each other’s head.

I can see Dain really learning and doubling down on the importance of ALWAYS shielding to keep Sloane’s privacy and thoughts to herself, despite also wanting to keep her safe.

This would further expand on the amount of growth that He has had with learning how to be a protector and a leader. He intervenes during Sloane’s threshing, he is adamant she trained her signet, he talks through a high-stakes use of it, and now he would be the one actively shielding their dragons bond to ensure her thoughts are her own.

He would not be making the same mistakes he made with Violet when trying to keep her safe.

Additionally, I can see Sloane being majorly freaked out by having Dain freaking Aetos in her head. Someone she loathes but also thinks is hot, but I can imagine after she gets past that she starts to feel that’s it’s kinda nice having the option to never be alone again (besides just Thorit), or no longer feeling like she can hide all of herself and her thoughts from everyone, including her close friends like she did at threshing.

I mean Dain was the who saved her from herself at threshing. Who saw her when no one else could tell how badly she was suffering and now he would be the one who always knows her state of mind, *with her consent of course.*

I love this two so much I think about them entirely way too often and I’m really excited for their POV in book 4 :)

From Fourth Wing when Violet was about to walk the parapet.

It sounds like conscripts aren’t allowed to get married until after a certain time.

For riders specifically, they have to have been graduated to then be allowed to marry someone.

So does that mean Violet and Xaden’s marriage the end of OS is not legally blinding?

Spoiler potential for ALL books!

Heads up - this post gets more and more unhinged as it goes. So if at any point you feel like I've gone too far, it won't get better as you keep reading. Feel free to stop there and leave, let me know your thoughts or when I lost you, or stay and critique the whole thing! If I got something wrong or you can think of something that disproves any part of it, please comment so I can update my post or we can see what could explain it.

>!I have seen people thinking of a possible connection between Fables of the Barren, and the reveal of Alic Baran.

What if the Fables of the Barren was actually about the three Baran brothers. One bonded a dragon (ancestor of King Tauri's lineage) and ruled Navarre, the brother who bonded a gryphon went to Poromiel and is the ancestor of their leader, and the third brother (being jealous) turned venin. (I might be misremembering here) but we don't know how they defeated the venin brother 600 years ago.

What if instead of whatever end (if there is one) in the Fable of the Barren, venin were banished off the continent past the Emerald Sea.

So - when the story was originally told, it was told as the Fables of the Baran. When the king (either OG rider or a descendant) had the scribes write the story down, he made it be spelled closer to the dead part of the continent, The Barrens, so that his people wouldn't make the connection, and didn't know the true story about the brother. And therefore don't know about the third brother living beyond the Emerald Sea.

If a Daxton was the scribe who originally recorded the story, that could explain why one has (I assume) been passed down the family line and Asher had a copy of it even after it was clearly removed from the rest of the public.

I'm not as sold on this next part, but what if the venin are actually "good." And what if the third brother only channeled to keep the other two brothers from destroying the continent. OR, we have the timeline of the brothers wrong and the "third" brother actually channeled first, and the other two brothers were the jealous ones without magic. Enter the dragons, who could access the magic but offered to bond the Navarre brother to one, raise the wards, and two, be able to compete with the venin brother by channeling magic to the rider. So the dragon rider is actually the balance to the venin, remember Theophanie said "she was their answer to me."

This could be when the Irids chose to leave. The dragons who bonded and stayed behind already were, or eventually became whatever color they were. Andarna was left behind incase the dragons ever stopped fighting and humans were jealous for power. !<

TLDR - fables of the barren is a coverup by the original dragon rider so his people wouldn't know he was the bad guy. It clearly has worked for 600 years.

Thanks for staying. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

For people who have read the books or listened to the traditional audiobook first and then listened to the Graphic audiobook

Do you feel like the voice actors have impacted how you feel about the characters or some of the scenes?

I didn’t read them which is a huge regret but also I’d have never gotten to it I’m so busy but I did the traditional audiobook first and listened to the series at least 5 times (in a row lol)

It wasn’t until the GA that I cared about Ridoc, Garrick or Dain and now I care too much lol

I hadn’t finished OS during my series re-read before TD dropped, but I finally did…and noticed something.

Xaden’s OS POV: “Sgaeyl lowers her head and steam gusts down the canyon, reminding me of the moment she found me in the forest at Threshing.”

Cross-reference TD for Xaden’s description of that exact moment: “A wave of steam washes over us, and we all still. My lungs spasm. Standing near a lone tree midway across the field is a giant sapphire-blue dragon with a scar across its snout and swinging a clubtail behind it.” (Right after this, Sgaeyl makes her grand entrance 💅)

The source of the steam that Xaden was reminiscing about in his OS POV? Molvic.

Maybe it was just Sgaeyl looking at him through steam is that that triggered the memory.

Maybe it’s a little bit more than that.

Just wanted to point out the connection!

We always hear how dragons have all the power and they go wherever they want and the riders are along for the ride...BUT I think they care about their riders a lot more than they lead on us to believe and not just whether they die or not.

Just reread Rhi's POV from OS and noticed:

"Tairn flew into the cloud cover moments before the windstorm hit, carrying Teine in chains and escorted by Marbh"

Tairn left Violet in the field to bring injured Teine to safety (she begged him) while Marbh escorted...I think two Sorrengail siblings' dragons saving Mira's isn't all because dragonkind protects their own!!! Dragons care about their riders' feelings!!

She came to bring Violet from the field with Theophanie to Tairn, who asked her to do that?

Initially I thought it was Tairn but this convo made me think maybe it wasn't Tairn?

“I told you to stay on the field.” Two talons hook over my shoulders, and every bone in my body grates on the others as I’m jerked upward.

“But in this case, I’m relieved you did not listen.”

“Sgaeyl made that choice, but me, too.”

Xaden didn't know what Violet was up to at the time so he wouldn't have been the one to ask her to bring her to Tairn?

Did Sgaeyl make that choice to save her after realizing how far away Tairn was and Violet wouldn't be able to wield against Theophanie? I mean...if she died all 4 of them die but still...she even complemented her on occupying the maven which felt oddly... sweet for her

In book 1, feathertails are known as a breed and violet recites during gauntlet “feathertail dragons are the breed we know the least about”. And how they abhor violence yada yada. But in book 1, there are only six breeds — the colors — red, blue, orange, brown, green and black.
So where did feathertails fit in this ^^ ?

I’ve read the other books so I understand the lead up to irids which is kinda why I’m confused. Because if irids are the surprise seventh breed than wtf were feathertails supposed to be the whole time? The general public did not know feathertails are just babies and not a breed.

I’m confused if this is a plot hole.

Okay we know that you don’t have to go through threshing to have a bonded dragon and I already have a theory that Asher was one of the few people who bonded with dragons without going through threshing plus I also have a theory that Asher’s dragon had 2 riders (like how in Fourth wing when it’s mentioned that “at what point a dragon decided to bond only one rider, rather than better the odds with two”) or that he was bonded to an Irid because Irid’s do not like violence and scribes aren’t violent but I also think that andarna already bonded to Violet and that’s why Violet HAD to be a rider. We see it in the earlier chapters in the scenes where Violet is “talking to herself” like in chapter 4 when there’s the italicized line “don’t borrow tomorrows trouble” or during threshing day this other italicized line “you can get there first and warn it” or on page 47 there’s the italicized line “But you’ve already made it this far” and violet herself says “ahh, there she is, the little voice that’s been riding my shoulder lately, daring to give me hope that I might actually survive Presentation” indicating that Violet doesn’t hear this as her own voice and Andarna just happened to be at presentation when she’s never been before? Plus we know that Italicized are used by Rebecca to indicate the speech from a dragon or between a dragon and its rider. It can also not be Andarna since, in Onyx Storm, Andarna can break her bond with Violet because she wasn’t the first to bond with Violet since it was Tairn. But my question still stands, what is the voice in Violets head that kept her going through Basgiath and the challenges and why haven’t we seen it since Violet bonded with Tairn and Andarna? But then Irid’s can also talk to more than their bonded riders and if Violet’s second possible signet she gets from Andarna is mindwalking perhaps that has something to do with it?

So, I was rereading Dain’s chapter in Threshing Day and came across the line where he says that his father hears about everything he doesn’t want him to hear about and nothing he wants him to. And knowing Aetos and how he feels about the marked ones, I feel like it’s only a matter of time before he finds out about Dain and Sloane, probably in book 4. Considering that he sent assassins after a girl he practically viewed as a daughter, I’m genuinely worried about what he might do to Sloane.
What makes this even more worrisome is how the others would react to Dain’s and Sloane’s relationship . Violet and Ridoc have shown him support in Onyx, with Ridoc literally hugging him despite everyone still being wary of his signet. There have also been multiple mentions of Bodhi and Dain talking in the background, and by the end of Onyx Storm, Bodhi acknowledges him as their wingleader. Imogen saved his life, and even Xaden has had his moments of warming up to him.
But I wonder how much of that would change if they found out about Sloane. I feel like there’s a difference between accepting Dain again and accepting that he’s involved with someone who blamed him for her brothers death.
For some reason, I also think Aaric might already know. Sloane mentioned how observant he is, and with his precognition signet, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had picked up on something. I’m not sure whether anyone else in the main cast suspects anything, but I could see Sloane’s squadmates, Baylor, Avalynn, and Lynx, knowing, while Cianna might know something from Dain’s side.

Just Ridoc being a menace again 🌩️⚡️

Breakfast is busy.

Hundreds of riders talking.
Cutlery clattering.
Chairs scraping.

Above all of it—

Ridoc: “DID EVERYONE HEAR THAT F*CKING LIGHTNING LAST NIGHT?”

The entire table looks up.

Several people at neighbouring tables do too.

Violet slowly lowers her spoon.

Violet: “Ridoc”

Ridoc: “WHAT?”

Violet: “You don’t need to shout”

Ridoc: “I’M NOT SHOUTING”

Sawyer winces: “You absolutely are”

Ridoc points towards the windows.

Ridoc: “I’M JUST SAYING, THAT WAS THE LOUDEST LIGHTNING I’VE EVER HEARD”

Rhiannon blinks: “You mean thunder”

Ridoc: “No. Lightning”

Rhiannon: “You can’t hear lightning”

Ridoc: “THEN WHAT THE F*CK WENT—”

Ridoc slams both palms onto the table.

Ridoc: “CRACK!”

Half the dining hall jumps.

Someone drops a cup.

Dain closes his eyes.

Dain: “That was you hitting the table”

Ridoc: “I WAS DEMONSTRATING”

Dain: “We understood without the demonstration”

Ridoc looks around in disbelief.

Ridoc: “DID NOBODY ELSE HEAR IT?”

A rider two tables away shouts, “YES”

Ridoc points at him.

Ridoc: “THANK YOU.”

Sawyer: “He means the thunder!”

Ridoc ignores him.

Ridoc: “IT WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW. FLASH—”

He throws both arms wide.

Ridoc: “—BANG!”

Violet puts her face in her hands.

Ridoc: “FLASH! BANG!”

Violet: “Please stop.”

Ridoc: “FLASH! BANG!”

Garrick has started laughing into his mug.

Bodhi arrives, takes one look at the table and hesitates.

Bodhi: “What’s happening?”

Sawyer: “Ridoc thinks he heard lightning”

Ridoc: “I DID”

Violet: “You heard thunder”

Ridoc: “I HEARD BOTH”

Sawyer: “You saw one”

Ridoc: “DON’T TELL ME WHAT I EXPERIENCED, SAWYER”

Bodhi sits down.

Bodhi: “Wish I hadn’t asked”

Ridoc is fully committed now.

Ridoc: “AND IT WENT ON FOR HOURS. FLASH. BANG. FLASH. BANG. FLASH. BANG”

Rhiannon rubs her temples.

Rhiannon: “We know”

Ridoc: “NO, BECAUSE THERE WAS A RHYTHM TO IT”

Violet’s head snaps up.

Ridoc starts tapping the table.

Ridoc: “Flash”

Tap.

Ridoc: “Bang”

Tap tap.

Ridoc: “Little pause”

Garrick's mouth twitches as he glances towards Xaden.

Xaden doesn't look up from his breakfast.

Violet suddenly becomes fascinated by her porridge.

Ridoc continues, louder.

Ridoc: “FLASH. BANG. PAUSE. FLASH. BANG. PAUSE”

Dain: “Ridoc”

Ridoc: “Honestly, after about twenty minutes I was lying there thinking…”

Violet points her spoon at him.

Violet: “Whatever comes next, don’t”

Ridoc takes a breath.

Ridoc: “IS THE SKY GETTING F*CKED?”

Silence.

Not table silence.

Dining hall silence.

Somewhere near the doors, a fork hits the floor.

A few riders exchange bewildered looks.

Someone at the next table starts choking on their drink.

Violet’s eyes close.

Rhiannon whispers: “Oh my gods”

Bodhi quietly: “There it is”

Sawyer is folded over the table silently laughing.

Dain looks like he wants reassignment.

Garrick finally loses it, his laughter echoing across the silent dining hall.

Xaden very slowly puts down his fork.

Ridoc looks around.

Ridoc: “WHAT? I’M TELLING YOU, IT WAS VIOLENT, SEXUALLY AGGRESSIVE WEATHER!”

Xaden’s shadows begin sliding across the table.

Ridoc points at them.

Ridoc: “OH, DON’T YOU START. YOU WEREN’T THE ONE TRYING TO SLEEP THROUGH THE SKY GETTING POUNDED”

Garrick makes a noise like he’s dying.

Violet gets up.

Violet: “Nope”

Ridoc watches her leave.

Ridoc: “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?”

Violet: “Anywhere else”

Ridoc turns back to the table.

Then, from somewhere across the dining hall—
“IT WAS THUNDER, GAMLYN!”

Ridoc shoots to his feet.

Ridoc: “THAT’S WHAT I’VE BEEN F*CKING SAYING!”

Sawyer’s forehead hits the table.

Hi, please only read ahead if you’ve read all of these books and are up to date:

1) fourth wing
2) iron flame
3) onyx storm
4) threshing day

Question 1: does a dragon gift their riders second signets only if they have themselves bonded a riders direct relative before? Or is it to do with whether the dragon line (so also any dragon in their dragon family) bond a rider in the riders familial line? My questions comes after the discussion with Sloane and her dragon about family lines and siblings given Sloane and Liam are siblings, and their dragons are siblings. Is it just the direct dragon link, or do dragon familial lines work too?

Question 2: Sloane - regardless of the sibling thing, do we feel like she will she have a second signet given her dragon seems to know much about her mother and runes? If so what do we think it will be? Would be fitting if it was far-sight or perhaps rather than seeing what’s not there to everyone else, or as as book one suggested ice (or was this a typo?).

Question 3: Will Aaric have a second signet if Molvic waited years to bond him - if we assume he wanted a strong rider and wouldn’t settle for just anyone…What do we think it might be?

Question 4: We learn from Threshing day about the affair in his family lines, that Xaden might not be the true heir. Would this make it Bodhi? Or have I read/misunderstood that wrong. Also not aware that Bodhi has a second signet which could make him go mad. But if his ancestry is wrong (speculation), could this be why?

Statement rather than question: Cath is a red dragon (male) and Sloane’s dragon Thoirt is female. I reckon this could be the start of something here and I guess in theory they could they have a mating bond (if they choose to mate) or link given they’re from the same red den. Thoirt also alludes to Sloane’s being the last of her family, for now.

Something occurred to me after finishing Threshing Day, and being reminded again of how much all the marked ones are hated in Basgiath College. So where did Xaden get all of his sexual experience, being in a college full of people that hated and mistrusted him? He made the comment to Violet that he ended up with quite a few next-day regrets on nights where Sgaeyl and Tairn were getting it on, and he didn't sleep with first years even when he was a first year, so that rules out the marked ones he started college with. Plus, I don't see him going for marked girls because he had too much responsibility on his shoulders in having to look out for all of them.

So we know there was Cat, but I'm really curious who else he would've been with considering that they were outcasts. That just popped into my head as I was rereading Fourth Wing after finishing TD.

SPOILERS FOR ALL BOOKS BELOW.
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If dragons can choose which signets to gift their riders,

then this:

“Consider this my point,” I tell him as my arms start to shake with the exertion of keeping myself in this position. “You may have stuck leaves to my face, but there’s a trail of sap across some very hard-to-reach places on your back. Good luck getting that off.”

Aotrom stiffens, then lets out a chortle.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure you can find some snow up in the peaks to help harden it so it chips away. Ice will do the trick.” I can’t help but laugh again, even knowing I’ve got maybe sixty seconds at this precarious angle before muscle fatigue causes me to fall to my death. “I’d say this calls us even, wouldn’t you?”

means that Ridoc’s ability to wield ice was probably a fuck-you from Aotrom and one fantastic prank in their ongoing prank war.

My andarna and I are going to be dressing up for Halloween this year!!!! I am sooo excited I think I found the perfect pants and shirt and I just ordered a corset on Amazon and some fake knifes and I got andarna her own little dragon outfit!!! I know it's silly dressing up for Halloween at 25 but I love it and it's so fun I can't wait!!!! Andarna totally photobombed so I took a photo with her 🤣🤣🤣🤣

And I lowkey hate RY music taste lol I really hope the music for the show is good

Spoilers for IF and OS ahead, proceed with caution.
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During the meeting with the Senarium where Xaden gets his title back, Halden makes his appearance and declares/demands that he will be going with Vi on the mission to find Andarna’s kind.

I was just thinking, both Mira and Brennen were in the same meeting and it appears that both of them knew about Vi’s history with Halden. Mira because Vi likely told her and Brennen because he was still keeping tabs on his sisters while in Aertia.

When they drop the bomb about Halden being in negotiations they both give Vi apologetic looks.

Does anyone else think that between the meeting and before they told Vi about Halden joining her, they separately decided not to mention to Xaden that Vi had been in a relationship with Halden. Maybe as a little payback for Xaden not telling Vi the whole truth about his relationship with Cat for so long?

I’m on the fence about Brennen, but I definitely think it crossed Mira’s mind to mention it and then she ultimately decided against it so Xaden would have a little taste of what Vi felt when she got blindsided by Cat in Cordyn and then again with the betrothal bombshell on the mat in Aertia.

One of things that has stood out to me after Threshing Day and a re-read is the timing of the following:

• Dain's mom taking off
• Brennan's "Death"
• The beginning of Asher's heart problems.

Anyone notice all three would've occurred likely within the same year and are all possibly interconnected? At the beginning of FW, Vi mentions how Basgaith has been her home for about five years. The rebellion at that point was six years prior to the beginning of FW.

We know that Brennan disappeared during the rebellion, Dain's mom took off during the rebellion, and Asher's heart problems started about a year after Brennan disappeared.

I have a strong inkling these are tied together in a way and interdependent events. The question is how.

It's kind of obvious that Aetos Sr. was lying to Dain about why his mom left, which would've been during their time in Luceras around the time Brennan disappeared. Then a year later, they switch stations to Basgaith and Asher develops heart problems?

Did anyone see a body? Was it his body burned?

Are both parents dead or hiding somewhere? Somewhere together? Did Brennan evac Dain's mom somehow and make a plan with Asher for later?

Just spit-balling and I don't have a real theory, but the timing here is just too rich to ignore. Granted all sorts of crazy was going down because of the rebellion. But these three would've known eachother and lived alongside eachother for a decade at that point.

I definitely feel like Asher started orchestrating his leaving years in advance or he was killed over the course of time via slow poisoning. Idk. I have flimsy ideas and I just need the next book.

EDIT: Also...Dain's mom would've stopped writing very close to the timing of Asher's death. Also seems sketchy and could be connected. Or maybe not. But lots of threads to this sweater!