Merlin as Elisha

I was teaching my Sunday School class this morning and started wandering fairly far afield. I found 2 Kings 6: 8--14, and couldn't help but be reminded of Our Hero Merlin. In the NIV it goes like this:

Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place."

The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"

"None of us, my lord the king, said one of his officers, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."

"Go find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back, "he is in Dothan." Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

So, does anyone else see the parallels?

~Tonto

You are suggesting a Rakurai agent luring Merlin close to blow him up? Perhaps that is what Aivah is attemptingto do?

If Aivah figured out Merlin was also Ahbraim, might not a suitably well informed inquisitor? Someone who has researched seijin from the succession wars?

Tonto Silerheels wrote:I was teaching my Sunday School class this morning and started wandering fairly far afield. I found 2 Kings 6: 8--14, and couldn't help but be reminded of Our Hero Merlin. In the NIV it goes like this:

Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place."

The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there." So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"

"None of us, my lord the king, said one of his officers, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."

"Go find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back, "he is in Dothan." Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

So, does anyone else see the parallels?

~Tonto

PeterZ wrote:You are suggesting a Rakurai agent luring Merlin close to blow him up? Perhaps that is what Aivah is attemptingto do?

If Aivah figured out Merlin was also Ahbraim, might not a suitably well informed inquisitor? Someone who has researched seijin from the succession wars?

I thing Merlin is high enough on Clytan's shit list to have his own dedicated hit squad already. Nimue is also on the horizon as a target too, and easier to reach.

Aivah had the advantage of spending time with Merlin and Ahbraim.

While an Inquisitor (or a spy) could have the same ability to "read people" as Aivah, I doubt any Inquisitor or Temple spy have spent much time with both Merlin & Ahbraim to see how similar they are.

On the other hand, Merlin, his "personas" and now Nimue are likely on Clyntahn's hit list.

Oh, I doubt that "Merlin has visions" is known to the Inquisition.

PeterZ wrote:You are suggesting a Rakurai agent luring Merlin close to blow him up? Perhaps that is what Aivah is attemptingto do?

If Aivah figured out Merlin was also Ahbraim, might not a suitably well informed inquisitor? Someone who has researched seijin from the succession wars?

PeterZ wrote: You are suggesting a Rakurai agent luring Merlin close to blow him up?

No, that idea hadn't occurred to me. Actually, all ideas I had were quite inchoate. I had thought that the CoGA's armies were placed at a variety of places, that Charis's armies were on their guard at those places, that the CoGA are getting quite angry at all of the failures and wondering at spies in their midst. If the plots continue in their parallels then the CoGA will identify Merlin (or someone) as the person responsible and attempt to eliminate him.

No, Merlin never wanders very far from Cayleb, and killing Merlin is going to be something like salting the bird's tail. (Well, there was that one time in Delferahk, but Merlin proved to be quite the slippery character there.) (On second thought, Merlin did make some trips by pony while in...Chisholm, was it? A company of arbalesters might be in order.)

Oops, I just found another parallel.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

2 Samuel 23: 20-23 NIV

There are lots of snowy days in Siddarmark. I wonder whether there are any lions in Merlin's future.

~Tonto

"Tonto Silerheels"]

[quote]Benaiah son of Jehoiada, etc. etc.

2 Samuel 23: 20-23 NIV

Well, we do know that "Runsfor" is a lay minister, your notion gives us a another whole book to examine for "Easter":shock: eggs (Couldn't resist)

Well done!

Tonto Silerheels wrote:No, Merlin never wanders very far from Cayleb, and killing Merlin is going to be something like salting the bird's tail. (Well, there was that one time in Delferahk, but Merlin proved to be quite the slippery character there.) (On second thought, Merlin did make some trips by pony while in...Chisholm, was it? A company of arbalesters might be in order.)

I don't think arbalests could harm Merlin at all.

In fact, they wouldn't have much luck with any vaguely portable weapon available to current Safehold technology.

cralkhi wrote:

Tonto Silerheels wrote:No, Merlin never wanders very far from Cayleb, and killing Merlin is going to be something like salting the bird's tail. (Well, there was that one time in Delferahk, but Merlin proved to be quite the slippery character there.) (On second thought, Merlin did make some trips by pony while in...Chisholm, was it? A company of arbalesters might be in order.)

I don't think arbalests could harm Merlin at all.

In fact, they wouldn't have much luck with any vaguely portable weapon available to current Safehold technology.

While I have no doubt that Merlin is on Clyntahn's bad list, there is no textev to support the notion that the inquisition is specifically planning to off Merlin. I also don't see Nimue as an easier target. I think she would be easier to underestimate. About the only thing on Safehold that could damage either of them would be for them to be caught in a massive explosion. While possible, it wouldn't be easy to arrange.

As for Aivah, there are a lot of questions about what she is up to, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it doesn't run contrary to Merlin's interests or his mission. I think there is sufficient textrv to establish her "good girl" creds.

Don

cralkhi wrote:

Tonto Silerheels wrote:No, Merlin never wanders very far from Cayleb, and killing Merlin is going to be something like salting the bird's tail. (Well, there was that one time in Delferahk, but Merlin proved to be quite the slippery character there.) (On second thought, Merlin did make some trips by pony while in...Chisholm, was it? A company of arbalesters might be in order.)

I don't think arbalests could harm Merlin at all.

In fact, they wouldn't have much luck with any vaguely portable weapon available to current Safehold technology.

You're correct, in LAMA the 'assassin' (what was his name?) that took out the outpost was clearly hit by pistol fire from the priest, yet it didn't even slow him down.

His name was Dialydd Mab.

Of course, he wasn't going to leave anybody alive to tell anybody else that pistols couldn't harm him.

Which is the "problem" with any assassination attempt against Merlin and Nimue (under any id).

If Merlin is known to have been at "ground zero" of a major explosion (for example), then people are going to be asking major questions about his survival.

While he could likely "fake" a major wound from a lesser attack and claim his seijin gifts allowed him to survive, a major attack that is seen to have been successful would require him IMO to discard that identity.

fossten wrote:You're correct, in LAMA the 'assassin' (what was his name?) that took out the outpost was clearly hit by pistol fire from the priest, yet it didn't even slow him down.