Small, random questions about RotE that still bother you (spoilers all RotE books)

[Valarya]

'When Althea kept her own features perfectly still, the woman's smile faded to a look of disdain. That expression did not change as she set a slender-fingered hand to her flat belly. As if those gloved fingers had touched her own midsection, Althea felt a chill dread spread throughout her.'

I've read these lines thrice now and still trying to decide quite what's happening here. I can only surmise it's something to do with Amber's 'skilled' hand but can't think why it would affect Althea unless she has some 'skill' ability herself? Am I missing something or will all become clear?

I always assumed this was just Amber seeing the eventual baby Althea would have. Amber can see several possible future outcomes, after all. You know. White Prophet and all that.

To explain Althea's "dread" spreading throughout her at seeing Amber place her hand on her belly.. here is what I've surmised:

1. Placing your hand on your belly in such an ominous way, between women, is like the universal signal for pregnancy.

2. Althea has come to understand that Amber is different from other people at this point.

3. Seeing Amber use the universal signal for pregnancy while looking at Althea in such a way has a much larger impact than it would from anyone else just because of WHO Amber is (Althea knows this).

4. At that point in her life, Althea still wasn't sure about her own life and the thought of having a child was probably terrifying!!

Simple. IMO

Having finished CoD, I'm wondering if the whole Tawny Man series was necessary. Or does someone from The Six Dutchies need to ride in at the end and save the dragons? One can always hope.

Obviously, Fool needed to be there to save the FitzFitzFarseer line, but wasn't his ultimate purpose to save the dragons? So far it seems like that will happen with just Amber and the cast of the Live Ship and Rain Wild books.

Your first statement there was just too much of a shock for me to handle. At this point, I don't even care if it were necessary to the story.. it was necessary to me, as a reader. The 2nd half of the last TM book is, by far, my favorite literature/story/etc ever. Ever.

However you do realize Fitz was needed to rescue Dutiful from the Piebalds b/c, well.. Dutiful was needed on the throne to further secure a Farseer heir. In between LST and TM, Fool hadn't accomplished what he set out to do b/c the dragons were stunted things who couldn't fly (therefore couldn't mate). Icefyre was needed to help perpetuate an eventual drop of eggs as far as Fool was concerned.

However!

All of the above is besides the point, though. The Tawny Man trilogy absolutely was needed. See... you can't really say Fool's only purpose was to bring Dragon's back. No. No, not at all. Fool's purpose was to move the wheel of time off it's track and set it on a new path. Many things needed to happen in order for that to occur. In the first trilogy, securing a Farseer heir was the 1st step. In the second trilogy, bringing the Dragons back was the 2nd step. And in the third trilogy, defeating the Pale Woman was the 3rd and final step. Fool had seen it since he was a young boy. The cold. The darkness. The moment when he would die, but die successfully because it meant his time was the new time, bringing the Pale Woman's attempt to destroy Time to an end.