[Adulation]

I want to talk about the scene where Syntara strikes at Sheltatha's face because of her snide comments. The raw magic power was headed toward Sheltatha but somehow it is shunted aside and strikes the carriage door. I don't think this is a coincidence. Also Sheltatha displays no emotion (she's expresionless at Sagander's death right in front of her) even though she could have been killed. Is this a hint at the future power she will hold? Did she somehow develop her own magic power, if so what is the source of it? It can't be light can it? She's revealed to be a Tiste Edur in the MBotF. I'm really curious to see how this will develop.

[worry]

I thought her burgeoning magic ability was established before that scene, but I can't actually recall if that's true. Does she show it off to Renarr earlier, and Renarr is like "let's keep that a secret between us"? To answer your question, it's definitely not a coincidence. It's clear that SL has defended herself. I don't think the TE thing matters...Tiste are consistently shown to go grey at any point they distinctly side w/ neither MD or FL. The source of the sorcery could be one of the new faiths or it could be she's an adept to K'rul's blood.

[Puck]

Sheltatha shows off her newfound magical abilities to Renarr even before that scene, and as worry already mentions, Renarr advises her to keep it a secret. So Sheltatha was just defending herself in the carriage by deflecting Syntara's attack away (who was completely unsuspecting in regards to Sheltatha's magic and did not expect any kind of defense). With magic being new to pretty much everyone it's not like Syntara could even tell that her spell was deflected instead of just malfunctioning.

As to where Sheltatha's magic comes from.. probably K'rul, same as almost everyone who finds themselves with new power in FoL.

[qcp]

K'rull says to Ardata:

'I mean that the surviving Tiste of this world all carry the blood of the Eleint. It is the chaos at the core of their souls.'

So it's possible that that latent blood somehow that is part of her access to power. We know that she becomes an Eleint soletaken eventually.

Not to hijack the thread, but that line above also makes me think that something might activate that latent blood in many of the Tiste instead of them actually ingesting the blood of a dragon. After Silchas Ruin asks Grizzan Farl about an alternate path to sorcery Grizzan thinks:

Protector of nothing, not this path, not any path. When next you find me, Silchas Ruin, I will of course yield to your demands, seeing in you the ambition which you will name necessity. The easier path is not one to welcome – I said as much – but in the slaying of fear, my warning will not stop you, will it?
Draconus. Caladan Brood. Unknown sister T'riss. See what we begin here. The wolves are awake, and we drip words in a trail of blood.
Let them find their own hunger, as they must.
But oh, see what we begin here.

I guess we can only wait and see.

[worry]

Yeah, I think we'll get some answer to that with how Erelan Kreed's fate turns out. The revelation that the dragon's memories (mind?) still exists inside him now that he's drunk the blood is kind of a big one and I'm curious to see if that subsides or what, and how it manifests in other species. IIRC nothing like that was mentioned for the Tiste Liosan in TCG.

[qcp]

IIRC it caused some of them to go mad, but there was no mention of what kind of madness they experienced.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

I wondered if that is the reason the Soletaken can be overtaken by a storm - because the draconic mind still lives in them and so responds. Before I was reading it as just Tiste in a draconic form so wasn't clear on how just being that shape could make them susceptible - this makes more sense in my mind.

[Cedz]

Is it clear that the Dark & Light sources of power come from K'rull and not from direct gates provided by Draconus and T'riss?

[Adulation]

I would like to thank you all for contributing with your answers. I have somehow missed that little detail by misunderstanding the conversation between Renar and Sheltatha. I enjoy little details such as these, subtle hints towards the future of the said character even though maybe Sheltatha's not anybody's favourite

[Abyss]

Given Shelty's near complete lack of characterization in the MBF, she's pretty much a blank slate for purposes of the trilo. I liked the notion that she was inherently powerful enough to just deflect Syntara's attack by reflex.

She also gave had one of the most interesting scenes with Renarr, where Renarr is wholly unimpressed with Shelt's magic.