The bond. i think the bond was so that alanna could have some control of rand. but i think that rand being ta'veran pulled her to do it. he pulls what he needs. if he was not bonded to alanna then the greyman probly would have killed him. the greyman slipped past the maidens and it was him being a warder that aloud him to sence the soulless one. the bond allows him all the benifits and so far none of the reprocutuions, after all alanna said it would be easier to uproot a gaint oak with her hands than to control him with the bond.