Here's that piece about Alain and the spheres from Kate's website:
I had this thought about the ladder, Liath and Alian. As Liath is walking the ladder in the sphere above Earth, I believe Alian is walking the ladder on Earth. Kinda obvious since that's what we have all been discussing on this thread.
My other thought was to list out the steps that Alian takes and see what all you guys think or can add more. For some of the steps I believe there could be more than one, just like Liath when she was battling Sanglant in the Sphere of Jedu and she kept fighting and dying over and over.
Here I go:
1. Rose: The rose he receives from the Lady of Battles, and the mark on his face at the end of book 5.
2. Sword: The help he recieves from the Lady of Battles, and fighting the Aio when he saves Adica in the cave.
3. Cup: The water he drinks from Li'at'dano, and when he mentions something about having enough food for the Lions after he is stepped down from being Count. (I know that one is a stretch, but if there isn't enough food at one moment and then all of sudden there is plenty is would seem boundless right?)
4. Ring: The armband he received as a token from the dead Queens.
5. Throne of virtue: Now someone can take this two ways, I remember someone mentioning that this could be when he is married to Tallia and they never do anything, which I can see that. But then I thought of the dead Queens and how they wanted his virginity. I remember Alain took Adica to the cave where the dead Queens gave him the armband and she felt the Queens inside her when Alian was with her. Throne - Queens, Virtue - giving it up. I know a stretch.
6. Wisdom's Scepter: When Alian has knowledge of why the Aio were cast out, also this wisdom could represent what Henri is going to share with him in the last book about who he is and his destiny.
7. Crown: Several times in different books people have seen Alian with a crown of stars, the Lion that was near death with Ivar's group, Horn, during Adica's time, tells Alian that she sees his crown that shines brighter than the stars, etc..
It appears to me that Alian goes through this ladder twice, once during Adica's time and once during his own time.
All these other miracles, healings and affinity for animals and people I believe are all part of his being, who he is, his heredity from his parents.
http://p199.ezboard.com/fkateelliottfrm3.showMessageRange?topicID=328.topic&start=21&stop=40
And for any one who doesn't remember the The Seven Ladders known to the mage:
"By this ladder the mage ascends:
First to the rose, whose touch is healing.
Then to the sword, which grants us strength.
Third is the cup of boundless waters.
Fourth is the blacksmith's ring of fire.
The throne of virtue follows fifth.
Wisdom's scepter marks the sixth.
At the highest rung seek the crown of stars.
The song of power revealed." - Kate Elliott