The question is clear: What has happened with Talene Minly? Does she still have any future in this story for good or for evil? Or do we have to assume that the Shadow takes care of traitors and she's already dead or soon will be,

The deeper question is whether she succeeded where Verin didn't: elude the oaths to the Dark One (she betrayed three Black Ajah sisters) and live.

 

My guess: I think she still has a role to play, but I'm not sure whether it's for good or evil.

I suppose I will post since nobody seems to be.

 

But I didn't post in the first place because I have no idea really. I didn't particularly think about it before now.

 

It could provide some interesting scenes, however, I don't think there will be time to explore it.

 

I think she will be pretty much a mess. She won't do anything unless the DO forces her, and then she will probably try to get herself killed.

The interesting part is that we now have had a few people trying to defect from the Dark One or betrayed him or his servants:

 

Verin - never actually served the Dark One with her heart. Wasn't able to break her oaths, but circumvened them and betrayed many Black Ajah and Mesaana.

Tomas - wanted to defect and was able to do so because of Verin.

Talene - caught by BA hunters and released of her oaths. Betrayed some BA sisters. She seemed to be true about her new allegiance, as she reswore the oaths. Fled the White Tower, fate unknown.

Atuan - betrayed by Talene and released of her oaths. Fate unknown.

 

These few people who tried to turn back from the Shadow might be a foreshadowing of more people who try to turn back.

I wonder what happened to Talene, but wonder even more about the implications.

The interesting part is that we now have had a few people trying to defect from the Dark One or betrayed him or his servants:

 

Verin - never actually served the Dark One with her heart. Wasn't able to break her oaths, but circumvened them and betrayed many Black Ajah and Mesaana.

Tomas - wanted to defect and was able to do so because of Verin.

Talene - caught by BA hunters and released of her oaths. Betrayed some BA sisters. She seemed to be true about her new allegiance, as she reswore the oaths. Fled the White Tower, fate unknown.

Atuan - betrayed by Talene and released of her oaths. Fate unknown.

 

These few people who tried to turn back from the Shadow might be a foreshadowing of more people who try to turn back.

I wonder what happened to Talene, but wonder even more about the implications.

 

Aside from Verin and Tomas, I don't think we have many examples of "reformed Darkfriends" who're still alive (Ingtar reference). I don't think Talene and Atuan voluntarily turned (or returned) to the Light. They were caught; and had their oaths to the DO removed. They betrayed the DO; and thus their penalty is death (Alviarin already ordered Talene found and executed).

 

What we might want to consider is that people decide to turn to the Shadow. It is more a decision of treachery than an oath forced on someone. Even in Verin's case, she decided to serve and betray; but it was a decision nonetheless.

BTW is it confirmed that Talene actually fled the WT? The last reference we have is the BA hunters telling her to hide in the basement while putting the rumour about that she had run away.

Alviarin thinks she's run away but this may not be true.

Talene cannot run away without the hunters allowing her to do so because she, like Meidani, is under an extra oath of obedience.,

She could have been executed by Egwene's decree?

BTW is it confirmed that Talene actually fled the WT? The last reference we have is the BA hunters telling her to hide in the basement while putting the rumour about that she had run away.

Alviarin thinks she's run away but this may not be true.

Talene cannot run away without the hunters allowing her to do so because she, like Meidani, is under an extra oath of obedience.,

She could have been executed by Egwene's decree?

 

Interesting take that she could be executed. It is certainly a viable possibility.

 

A note that the Tower's BA hunters removed the extra oath from sisters who were not BA. They probably still have Talene and Atuan (if alive) bound by oaths to keep them in line. The point about Talene (and Atuan) is that they cannot go back to the BA. They would be executed right away for betrayal. And with the BA in disarray after Verin's coup and the defeat in the TAR battle, they will be extremely suspicious and vindictive.

It's also entirely possible that she could have been asked to reswear the oaths by Egwene, and passed the test by no longer considering herself to be part of the black ajah. She did, after all, betray them. I know she had no intent of betraying them, but the black and the DO have never been good at differentiating between failure and betrayal.

 

No, I consider it likely that she will have decided in an internal conversation that she is no longer a member of the black with the having forsaken her oaths to the dark and betrayed the dark to the light. Given that, she could well say "I am not a darkfriend" with the first oath in place.

I don't think Egwene would necessarily give her the chance - she stilled and executed every BA member she caught including several she was fond of.

In any case, no reader even knows if Talene is alive.

My guess is, she's dropped out of the story - AMoL will have too many big plotlines to tie up.

Talene is toast! Or in case she is not, then she will become a toast. She's between a hammer and an anvil and I don't see her finding a way to survive. Still, it is not necessary to see her lethal end on-screen.