Sir Cai? Certainly not the brightest nor the most powerful of his knights, becoming his steward (if too much retro-fitting by numerous authors hasn't confused me too much).
Practically all great heroes have one childhood/youth buddy at their side (Arthur and Cai, Achilles and Patroklos, Hercules and no-name (Iolaos?)...). Usually not in one of the most powerful positions, though. Sidekicks are important for story and character development. It took Alexander to slay a boyhood friend to recognize how alienated his Macedons had become.
> I never said a wyrm was a dragonewt, I said "draconic" meaning
> anything to do with Dragons, which wyrms must assuredly are
> (why do you think they called the EWF the Empire of the Wyrms'
> Friends?) If Garundyer is buddies with a Wyrm and know some
> of his secrets, then his name would be mud in Lankst which is
> not the case.
I agree - the Lanksti are strongly anti-EWF. However, it appears to me that the major issue in Ralios right now (or at least very soon) is where you stand in respect to Arkat.
>>> Why should Orlanthi settle their differences?
Because the Icelandic sagas are built around the few cases where peaceful solving of cases failed. If every feud on Iceland had been fought as in Njal's saga, it would have failed about the same time as the Greenland colony.
Feuds can be solved, or at least laid aside. Quite a few Orlanthi people are _renowned_ for laying aside a feud for the greater good.
> But Orlanthi do not settle their internal problems by forgiveness.
They do, if they emulate their deity. "The Great Compromise", generosity, shrewdness...
There are enough precedents for either way of Orlanthi behaviour. I don't think that stereotyping "all" Orlanthi for either way will help much.
Besides, a feud laid to rest by the father may bring up this father's sons against the hero in an even more bloody affair, with all the bloodshed and split heads you seem to desire.
> A father's authority does not have the same force in Orlanthi
> society as it does in, say, Japanese or Roman society. Garundyer
> could have quite happily disobeyed pop in these circumstances
> with little or no shame.
Not if the command is "see the little ones out of this mess!".
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