Getting to the Island

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The Gatekeeper has shown he has a massive degree of Foresight, far more than the ordinary wizard, that’s how he turns up at the appropriate time.

It’s never been about where Harry is, it’s when Harry is.the Gatekeeper travelling through the NeverNever can arrive before he even left.

[Mira]

The Gatekeeper has shown he has a massive degree of Foresight, far more than the ordinary wizard, that’s how he turns up at the appropriate time.

It’s never been about where Harry is, it’s when Harry is.the Gatekeeper travelling through the NeverNever can arrive before he even left.

That's part of the function of his eye I believe, and I think of anyone, Rashid understands the importance of Harry.  Thus all through the series more than anyone else he seems to be there to show up at the right time, to test him when need be, give advice, and to save and protect as well.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

All wizards develop Foresight to some degree, Demonreach felt familiar to Harry when he first went there, younger Wizards sometimes mix up Foresight with anticipation feeling that which isn’t there.

[Mira]

All wizards develop Foresight to some degree, Demonreach felt familiar to Harry when he first went there, younger Wizards sometimes mix up Foresight with anticipation feeling that which isn’t there.

They do, but reread the scene in Turn Coat where Rashid meets them on What's Up Dock, he uses his eye to consider the future before and after Harry tells him he has bound himself to the island.

[Eguzky]

I don't remember in which book it's mentioned, but it basically boils down to someone telling Harry to NOT go into the NeverNever on the Island.
I think it was a villain, actually, taunting Harry about how he had no way to escape. Maybe Nicky-Nick & The Nickleheads?
Something I vaguely remember as 'I know what lives there. You're better off letting me cut your throat.'

[morriswalters]

I don't remember in which book it's mentioned, but it basically boils down to someone telling Harry to NOT go into the NeverNever on the Island.
I think it was a villain, actually, taunting Harry about how he had no way to escape. Maybe Nicky-Nick & The Nickleheads?
Something I vaguely remember as 'I know what lives there. You're better off letting me cut your throat.'

Nicodemus in Small Favor.

The Gatekeeper has shown he has a massive degree of Foresight, far more than the ordinary wizard, that’s how he turns up at the appropriate time.

It’s never been about where Harry is, it’s when Harry is.the Gatekeeper travelling through the NeverNever can arrive before he even left.

Rashid has the eye linked to the Outer Gates. The reveal is in Cold Days.

“I don’t recommend making a regular practice of it,” he continued. “It’s an art, not a skill, and it takes time. Time, or a bit of questionable attention from the Fates and a ridiculously enormous tool.” He tapped a finger against his false eye. I blinked, even though he didn’t, and looked up at the massive gates stretching overhead. “Hell’s bells. The gates . . . they’re . . . some kind of spiritual CAT scanner?”

Butcher, Jim. Cold Days (The Dresden Files, Book 14) (p. 349). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

I highlighted the word Fates since the capitalization indicates he is talking about The Fates, one of whom Harry names when he summons Mother Winter. They are kinda the sonic screwdriver of the Dresden Files. They control the fate of men, and watch them. Mother Winter, Mother Summer and something else. Mab has tapped this capacity in the books, most notably when she shows Harry a snow scene of Marcone's kidnapping. It's the basis for the plot of Small Favor as well, when Gard tells Marcone there would be consequences for saving Harry in Dead Beat.

[Ed0517]

I don't think Mother Summer and Winter are Fates. The Fates were not seasonal personifications. That was their full time job

[Eguzky]

I don't think Mother Summer and Winter are Fates. The Fates were not seasonal personifications. That was their full time job

Well, we know The Ladies, Queens, and Mothers of BOTH courts are also Hecate, which is not bound to either court.
This is pointed out in Skin Game when Dresden sees a statue of Hecate, and likens it to all 3 Queens from BOTH courts (Was, Is, & Will Be)

[morriswalters]

“Ancient crone, harbinger!” I began, then raised my voice, louder. “Longest shadow! Darkest dream! She of the endless hunger, the iron teeth, the merciless jaws!” I poured more of my wind and my will into the words, and the inside of my grave rang with the sheer volume. “I am Harry Dresden, the Winter Knight, and I needs must speak with thee! Athropos! Skuld! Mother Winter, I summon thee!”

Butcher, Jim. Cold Days (The Dresden Files, Book 14) (p. 319). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Get your Wikipedia on for the terms I have put in bold. Athropos and Skuld in particular. Butcher misspells Atropos.

Just for fun, and if you like Small Favor, here is the foreshadowing for it in Dead Beat.

"This is a mistake. It was his fate to die in that alley."

"What is the point of having free will if one cannot occasionally spit in the eye of destiny(read that as Titania)?" Marcone asked.

"There will be consequences," she insisted.

Marcone shrugged. "When aren't there?"

Gard turned her face back to the front and shook her head. "Hubris. Mortals never understand."

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I don't remember in which book it's mentioned, but it basically boils down to someone telling Harry to NOT go into the NeverNever on the Island.
I think it was a villain, actually, taunting Harry about how he had no way to escape. Maybe Nicky-Nick & The Nickleheads?
Something I vaguely remember as 'I know what lives there. You're better off letting me cut your throat.'

Definitely Mab then, Harry was still avoiding being the Winter Knight at that point, which was probably common knowledge at this point, and if the Ice Garden, then that’s  where Lloyd Slate was kept, Harry’s predecessor, whom Harry’s slit the throat of. Nicky would easily guess that would be required of Harry, and knew Harry would rather slit his own throat (or as actually happened hire a sniper) than be Winter Knight and Kill an innocent human (although Lloyd Slate v Maggie, foregone contest)

A great find adding to my theory, that Demonreach comes out at Arctis Tor.

Nicky knows where it comes out and doesn’t dare use it himself. Not without using up his precious favour to Mab, perhaps and it would be a grievous insult to Winter to arrive at Arctis Tor without invitation, no Guest Right would apply and Nicky most likely would be next to Lea and Lloyd if he tried it.

Harry as Winter Knight has a right as a senior Vassal to enter Arctis Tor unless forbid like Nameless who is bound by Winter Law and can’t even try.

The Mothers are Mantles and are artificial constructs apart from the person or being they were. No doubt Hecate and the Fates poured all or part of their power into the Mantles, the beings may have retired like a certain bartender, living in the Mortal World, powered down, at a power level much less than the Queens. We know they weren’t Queens or Ladies in the last millenia. The other option was to embrace the Mother Mantle but live permanently in the Never Never, to prevent reality breaking in line with my theory of the White Gods Proscription.

[Mira]

Definitely Mab then, Harry was still avoiding being the Winter Knight at that point, which was probably common knowledge at this point, and if the Ice Garden, then that’s  where Lloyd Slate was kept, Harry’s predecessor, whom Harry’s slit the throat of. Nicky would easily guess that would be required of Harry, and knew Harry would rather slit his own throat (or as actually happened hire a sniper) than be Winter Knight and Kill an innocent human (although Lloyd Slate v Maggie, foregone contest)

I wouldn't really call Slate an innocent, and after Mab's treatment of him, death was a mercy.

[vincentric]

Definitely Mab then, Harry was still avoiding being the Winter Knight at that point, which was probably common knowledge at this point, and if the Ice Garden, then that’s  where Lloyd Slate was kept, Harry’s predecessor, whom Harry’s slit the throat of. Nicky would easily guess that would be required of Harry, and knew Harry would rather slit his own throat (or as actually happened hire a sniper) than be Winter Knight and Kill an innocent human (although Lloyd Slate v Maggie, foregone contest)

A great find adding to my theory, that Demonreach comes out at Arctis Tor.

Nicky knows where it comes out and doesn’t dare use it himself. Not without using up his precious favour to Mab, perhaps and it would be a grievous insult to Winter to arrive at Arctis Tor without invitation, no Guest Right would apply and Nicky most likely would be next to Lea and Lloyd if he tried it.

Harry as Winter Knight has a right as a senior Vassal to enter Arctis Tor unless forbid like Nameless who is bound by Winter Law and can’t even try.

The Mothers are Mantles and are artificial constructs apart from the person or being they were. No doubt Hecate and the Fates poured all or part of their power into the Mantles, the beings may have retired like a certain bartender, living in the Mortal World, powered down, at a power level much less than the Queens. We know they weren’t Queens or Ladies in the last millenia. The other option was to embrace the Mother Mantle but live permanently in the Never Never, to prevent reality breaking in line with my theory of the White Gods Proscription.

How is it definitely Mab? It would make sense for it to back onto one of the greatest supernatural prisons that are out there in the NeverNever and Winter is pretty far down that list. I mean Demonreach holds things as strong or stronger than Mab. You'd think the NeverNever analog would be one of the mythological hells.

Mab has one ice garden. I'm pretty sure Hades, Hela and Lucifer could fit it into a tiny wing of their realms without any trouble. Not to mention the Hindu, Sumerian, Chinese and Egyptian pantheons. Just staying regional, there are things far worse than Nagloshi in Amerind religion, especially if you include the Aleuts. Popping thru a Way and disturbing say Yamata no Orochi or Tiamat wouldn't rank very high as a survivable experience either.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

“Prison” is the operative word, not Hell or any of its equivalents if Demonreach was built with such care then that care extends to the NeverNever that Mab and the Merlin personally knew each other was established in Battle Ground, it makes sense therefore that they worked on each end of the link to make sure they matched up, accidentally linking to Hell or somewhere else without an guardian entity would be a major flaw, and it is clear Mab did this with Hade Vault.

As far as we are aware nothing has ever escaped Demonreach, HadesRealm for example has a revolving door, according to mythology, so it couldn’t be a match.

[vincentric]

Why would Merlin have worked together with Mab to create Demonreach and the island not show that  to Bob and Harry in CD? Would they be working together at all? Ethniu taunts Mab about her bad breakup with Merlin and that's all we know from the books, that they had a falling out before she became Mab and could have assisted him.

[morriswalters]

Why would Merlin have worked together with Mab to create Demonreach and the island not show that  to Bob and Harry in CD? Would they be working together at all? Ethniu taunts Mab about her bad breakup with Merlin and that's all we know from the books, that they had a falling out before she became Mab and could have assisted him.

Because they are all afraid of creating a paradox.