Predictions (MAJOR progressive spoilers on all books)

[Farseer]

Just had a thought re the Speck plague. As it mimics death, maybe it is merely a tool for the Tree Woman to obtain souls from people/choose people like Nevare after testing their worthiness to be used by the magic? That is why the Specks are thought to desecrate the dead? The plague tricks the Gernians into thinking the bodies are dead, and once buried alive or weakened by plague symptoms, like fever, they are easier for the Tree Woman or the magic to infiltrate.

Whatever it is, the twelve hour timeframe as spoken of by Dr Amicas (at least, I think it was twelve!) has to be there for a reason...either souls stay with their bodies for only twelve hours after death or the magic has only twelve hours within which it can make a choice as that is as long as the plague can mimic death etc??

I hear you laughing as you think, "She has NO IDEA!"