So I've been rereading a few chapters to remind me of certain things and I stumbled over the last Ash chapter with a new thought..

The Naysayer just so happened to "catch up" to Ash not only in a time of need but when she *tried* to reach out to the Unmade for help.

So what if he is an unmade now, and answered her call? /ponder

_________________
~The Souldrinker~

<insert witty quote here>

NOOOOOO!!! That would just break my heart

Still, wouldn't it be interesting if you were right...

I think that the connection between her reaching and recieving help at the same time is insightful. I don't think Mal is unmade though becuase I think he would look the part.

There is a lot for us to discover about what Ash's abilities are even though we have already discovered several. Her known abilities are as follows:

1. She has powerful sorcerer abilities (but she doesn't know how to use them).

2. She can break the barrier between this world and the world of the unmade (this might just be an offshoot of her being a powerful socerer).

3. Her hair makes the unmade disappear when it penetrates the undead.

I'm staking on the premise that Ark died and Mal lived. They were both Sull, thus physically dangerous above the understanding of most men .. but Mal is something again more than Ark was.

And Mal living gives better balance (in my opinion). He is alive and mourns Ark's loss. As does Ash. He could be her Lancelot. And he continues the charge, whatever it was, of Ash.

_________________

Quote:

Death smiled as she withdrew. Kill an army for me, Raif Sevrance. Any less and I just might call you back.

I really do hope that is the case and time will prove me wrong. I like Mal! I just got a bit suspicious with the timing of it all. The lacking "look" could be done away with, saying it was dark and in te end he is basically bloodsoaked.
Fact that Ash's touch would pretty huch hurt him and yet he holds her in his arms could be just that none of his skin is exposed.

I thought too much about this Just fun theory in the end. The one interesting argument I didn't think of is that she could very well have summoned Mal without him being unmade simply because she really has no idea how her powers work.
I do agree a living Mal would make better balance and I'd like that.
Of course, an unmade Mal would give a dramatic twist to poor Ash..

We'll see!

_________________
~The Souldrinker~

<insert witty quote here>

She would have realized. She loves the guy, and he loves her. Unmade do not love.

I think it amounts to his finally catching up to her and being able to track her from her use of magic. Its the first time she'd tried to draw any magic since the cavern when she discharged her reach powers. I think he was drawn to her magic.
Another possibility is that he knew where she was the entire time and was just kind of sitting back and seeing what was going on with creepy guy. When he tried to kill her Mal felt the need to step in.
Third option, he knew where she was the entire time, also knew what was going to happen. He just felt the need to maintain his reputation as the last possible moment savior for some personal or professional reason.

There could be another reason. Like Raif, he was able to _sense_ where Ash was .. and when he could he travelled to her.

Course, there are problems with that.

_________________

Quote:

Death smiled as she withdrew. Kill an army for me, Raif Sevrance. Any less and I just might call you back.

I've just finnished sword from red ice and my thoughts on mal naysayer is that he new all along what they were going to do and probably where and how they would do it. and waited as long as possible so that ash would realy understand just hoe dangerous it was even in sull