THIS THREAD IS SUBJECT TO MASSIVE SPOILERS. DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF THIS BOTHERS YOU.

Now, with that out of the way...

There are a few details about the wisewoman Valada Geloë that I thought were particularly interesting. It wasn't until a recent reread that I came to reconsider a few details about her, details that I'm not sure why I missed the first time, but could still be pretty interesting nonetheless.

Of the diverse cast of characters, I noticed that Geloë is the only mortal who has yellow eyes. That's not particularly strange. Though it's an unusual colour and something of a rarity, it is genetically possible. What struck me is that of the characters, only the Gardenborn seem to display eye colours like this — excepting the Hikeda'ya, whose eyes are black, only the Zida'ya seem to have consistent eye colours of amber, gold, or something between the two. Theoretically speaking, this could also include yellow, or variants thereof.

Aditu also says something very interesting in To Green Angel Tower, when Geloë is mortally wounded by the Hikeda'ya:

Aditu hesitated a moment longer, then stepped back and lowered her head. "As you wish, Valada Geloë. Farewell, Ruyan's Own. Farewell . . . my friend. Sinya'a du-n'sha é-d'treyesa inro."

—Tad Williams, To Green Angel Tower, p. 540

According to the appendix in the back of the book, this Sithi phrase translates to, "May you find the light that shines over the bow."

I used to think that this referred to a weapon, a hunting or composite bow of some kind. Given the Sithi penchant for archery, and Aditu's own skill as referenced in Stone of Farewell, I thought it wouldn't really be all that unusual. But given how she specifically invokes "Ruyan's Own," I'm beginning to wonder if it was a different kind of "bow" — more specifically, the bow of a ship.

Aditu also tells Josua something interesting when Geloë speaks her last:

Josua looked up. His eyes were bright with tears. "To the last," he said, almost in anger, "she tried to help us. Oh, God the Merciful, she was a brave soul."
"An old soul," Aditu said quietly, but did not elaborate. She seemed shaken.

—Tad Williams, To Green Angel Tower, p. 549

Finally, one last piece of the puzzle. (I'm getting to the point, I swear! *sobs*)

When the Sithi host is preparing to attack Naglimund alongside the Hernystiri, Likimeya very directly tells Eolair that it is indeed possible for relations between the two races:

She fluttered her fingers. A cloud of birds leaped up and into the tree branches overhead, momentarily hiding her from view with the blur of their wings. "Long ago, when mortals and Zida'ya were closer . . ." She made a strange gesture. "It could be. We know it can happen."

—Tad Williams, To Green Angel Tower, p. 380

With all of that in mind, I'm starting to think that Geloë is a descendant of the Tinukeda'ya. It's mentioned that they can shape themselves, over time:

"We are all Ocean's Children," said the dwarrow gravely. "Some decided to stay near the sea which forever separates us from the Garden of our birth. Others chose more hidden and secretive ways, like the earth's dark places and the task of shaping stone. You see, unlike our cousins the Zida'ya and Hikeda'ya, we Children of the Navigator can shape ourselves just as we shape other things."

—Tad Williams, To Green Angel Tower, p. 871

...And that, in turn, leads me to my point (which I know you're all rejoicing over, now! Rey talks too much!).

Taking all of that into consideration, together, I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps Geloë was either a Tinukeda'ya that had decided to stay near the forest, or if she was descended of the Tinukeda'ya in some form or another; either directly or across a few generations.

I myself haven't really heard about any theories proposing what exactly Geloë is, or where she comes from... and this is probably just a crazy scatterbrained theory anyway. Well, I thought it was kind of neat, anyway, even if it's just probably an overactive imagination and too much idle research. *scratches the back of her head* Anybody got any other theories? Or thoughts ont his one, mayhap...?