Wheel of Time Stuff

Final Fantasy Music

Home

Wheel of Time Stuff

The Wheel of Time

Randland Map

Characters:

- Aviendha
- Egwene
- Elayne
- Lan
- Loial

- Matrim
- Min
- Moiraine
- Nynaeve
- Perrin
- Rand
- Thom

Chapters + Summery

- Book 1

- Book 2

- Book 3

- Book 4

- Book 5

- Book 6

- Book 7

- Book 8

- Book 9

Images

Robert Jordan

Buy the Wheel of Time

Series with Amazon.com

Services

Miscellaneous

Get your own Free Email:

@DragonFangMail.zzn.com

The Wheel of Time : Book 3

The Dragon Reborn

Chapters

The Summary

Prologue -- Fortress of the Light

Jaret Byar has been called into the presence of Pedron Niall, Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light. Niall has three drawings of Rand fighting Ba'alzamon in the clouds. Byar is reporting the events that occurred on Almoth Plain; Rand al'Thor has proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn. He also says that the legion was betrayed by the Darkfriend named Perrin Aybara and thus destroyed by Aes Sedai.

Niall see this news as a sign of the coming of the Last Battle and as an obstruction to the plans he has had for so long

Jaichim Carridin comes in to see Niall calling Bornhald a Darkfriend. He discounts Hawkwing's armies return by observing that no ship has ever successfully crossed the Aryth Ocean and that the monsters that people say they have seen are more than likely Trollocs since most still believe them to be myth. Niall proceeds to give Carridin strange orders; they are part of the Lord Captain Commander's plans. He is ordered to leave the Dragon and his followers alone so that when the time is right Carridin might cut him down, making him a hero and able to control both Tarabon and Arad Domon.

Ordeith comes in through a secret passage as soon as Carridin has left. He tells Niall the Dragon's name and the name of his village. Niall plans to do something to the Two Rivers.

In his room, Carridin is confronted by a Fade. It is there to find out why he hasn't yet killed the Dragon. The Fade promises to kill one of Carridin's family each month that Rand remains alive, until it is Jaichim's turn to die. He is torn between which orders to follow.

Chapter 1 -- Waiting

Perrin and a small group of Shienaran soldiers are in the Mountains of Mist waiting for a woman. They have been camped in the mountains all winter and have taken many messengers into the camp. While waiting for this particular one they kill a raven that is nearby, a likely messenger for the Dark One. Perrin learns that the Dark One doesn't see what the animal sees; it has to report to a Fade before anything is learned.

The woman is a Tinker named Leya, and like all the others that come the same way, she will talk only to Moiraine. They lead her back through the mountains into the camp of the Dragon Reborn.

Chapter 2 -- Saidin

As soon as they reach the camp, Leya goes to talk to Moiraine. Perrin talks to Min and she tells him of the vision she sees around the Tinker woman; her face covered in blood and death glossed over her eyes. Perrin is quite disturbed by this revelation and wants to figure out what it is that will cause her death so he can prevent it. Loial joins them. Min complains about how her life in Baerlon was disrupted. Loial says that she had no choice. The pull of three strong ta'veren is too much to overcome.

Rand comes out of Moiraine's hut having argued with her all day and disappears into the trees. The Shienarans having been treating him like a King calling him "Lord Dragon", so he avoids their camp as much as he can. Perrin follows him because he always needs someone to talk to after he has been arguing with Moiraine. Rand complains about his duty. That is the basis of his arguments with Moiraine. His followers, the People of the Dragon, are dying daily on Almoth Plain in his name while he is hiding up in the mountains.

Twice and twice shall he be marked,
twice to live and twice to die.
Once the heron, to set his path.
Twice the heron to name him true.
Once the Dragon, for remembrance lost.
Twice the Dragon, for the price he must pay.

Rand al'Thor, from the prophecies of the Dragon

While complaining about his lack of control over saidin, Rand does lose control and the entire mountain shakes for a few moments. Perrin goes back to camp for dinner, leaving Rand behind.

Chapter 3 -- News From the Plain

Min is still talking with Perrin and Loial. She talks about how she might still like her life even if it has been chosen for her. Both her and Perrin realize that the two of them are tied together along with the others and there is nothing they can do about it..

Moiraine tells the two of them that Leya hurt her head during Rand's episode a few moments ago. They believe that this is what Min saw in her vision and that maybe, for the first time, that her vision, which predicted the woman's death, was wrong.

Moiraine relates some of the news that Leya has brought from Almoth Plain. Half of the Whitecloak forces (5000) are on Almoth Plain, but none of them are opposing the Dragon's followers. Three tall boys with light coloured eyes have been murdered on the Plain over the winter. Moiraine hints that this is the work of the Soulless.

Perrin goes to sleep to that night with many dreams there waiting for him.

Chapter 4 -- Shadows Sleeping

Perrin is dreaming. The faceless man at the table wants Perrin to give up his axe. "You are a blacksmith, boy" Perrin also refuses the wine the man is offering him.

All of sudden Perrin is in front of a mirror admiring the golden helmet and breastplate he is wearing. Lanfear (she doesn't identify herself but it is her) calls him a man destined for glory. He also refuses to drink the cup of wine that she offers him.

"The night is always there, and dreams come to all men. Especially you, my wildling. And I will always be in your dreams." -Lanfear

Perrin now finds himself in a place similar to the Ways. He watches three men arguing and is then consumed in flames. Next, he finds himself in some sort of castle where he picks up Callandor. There is a voice in his head: "Callandor. Who wields me wields destiny. Take me, and begin the final journey." All of a sudden there us another voice -- one completely different: "The Twisted Ones come. The Twisted Ones come, brother."

Chapter 5 -- Nightmares Walking

Trollocs are attacking the camp. Leya is killed by a Fade right in front of Perrin's eyes. Helpless to do otherwise, he joins his brothers in the hunt for the Twisted Ones. During the battle many of the Shienarans and the wolves are killed.

Afterwards, Perrin reflects on how hard it was to come back from the wolves that time. He doesn't want to go that deep again, but he is also regretting not staying in contact with them all the time because he could have warned the camp of the attack well in advance.

Min and Perrin listen to Rand as he recounts his battle with the One Power while everyone else was fighting the Trollocs. He was trying to burn the Trollocs, but he was so filled with the Power he had to release it and ended up setting the forest on fire. Rand, too, feels he should have given warning of the attack because he could feel something although he couldn't figure out what it was.

Moiraine comes around and heals Perrin's wound on his back. Rand's wound on his side opens up again. He makes a joke about his blood on the rocks of Shayol Ghul saving the world and if only they could get there now! Moiraine heals it back up and them faints in Rand's arms.

Up to this point Rand has been trying to deny what he is, but he openly admits his duty to Lan and the others. "I will fight the best I can, Because there is no one else, and it has to be done, and the duty is mine. I'll fight, but I do not have to like what I have become. I will fight. Dreams..."

Chapter 6 -- The Hunt Begins

Perrin wakes to the news that Rand is gone. On the way up to Moiraine's hut, Masema explains Rand's disappearance as a sign that they should be about spreading the word of the Lord Dragon. Perrin thinks he is crazy. When Perrin reaches the hut, Min, Moiraine and Lan are there. He is shown the letter that Rand left:

What I do, I do because there is no other way. He is hunting me again, and this time one of us has to die, I think. There is no need for those around me to die, also. Too many have died for me already. I do not want to die either, and will not, if I can manage it. There are lies in dreams, and death, but dreams hold truth, too.

Perrin questions Moiraine about Rand's destiny and it turns into a heated argument. Moiraine tells them all about the Forsaken. She asks Perrin about the dreams he has had over the past few nights. He tells her about Callandor. She sends Lan out to see if the Shienarans have had dreams about a sword, too. Moiraine then proceeds to describe the part of the prophecies involving Tear and the Callandor, "The Sword That Cannot Be Touched", "The Sword That Is Not A Sword". She goes on to explain her theory that those who can channel and are strong in the Spirit can, unknowingly, force their dreams on those around them. This is what she thinks Rand has been doing. Lan returns with news that the Shienarans have had dreams of a sword, affirming Moiraine's hypothesis.

Uno says that he thinks he knew how Rand got out of camp without being seen. They all want to go help find Rand, although Moiraine tells Min that she must return to Tar Valon to inform the Amyrlin Seat what has been happening.

While walking down from the hut, Min tells Perrin what sword. A falcon and a hawk, perching on your shoulders. Both female, I think. And all the rest of course. What is always there. Darkness swirling 'round you, and --"

Min also give him a warning. She says that if he ever meets the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, then he is to run. She then reveals to him that she is in love with Rand and that Egwene knows.

Chapter 7 -- The Way Out of the Mountains

Moiraine says it is imperative that they find Rand. She thinks he is heading east, to Tear, based on the dreams that Perrin and the Shienarans have had. Lan scouts the area ahead; he leaves many different signs for Moiraine to find and thus follow the trail. One evening in camp, the only time they would see Lan, Moiraine expresses her frustration: "If you cannot move any faster than this, perhaps I should send you off to Myrelle before you get any older. Well, perhaps that can wait, but you must move us faster". This gets Lan visibly angered.

The first few days of the trip are fairly boring in Perrin's opinion. Their meals consist mainly of rabbit and trout that he and Loial hunt. One day, having finished traveling, Loial and Perrin are out catching fish; They lie on the edge of the shore with their hands outstretched under the water and grab trout from behind. They show Moiraine how to do this, explaining that one cannot expect to be successful without lots of practice. She, not surprisingly, does much better on her first attempts that Loial or Perrin could ever do.

As the journey continues, Perrin and Loial are gradually made to perform all of Moiraine's menial tasks. She starts with small chores that they can't refuse and keeps adding until they are doing everything that she doesn't want to bother with.

Eventually, they enter the foothills of Ghealdan, and then into the village of Jarra.

Chapter 8 -- Jarra

The village green is empty and Perrin thinks he smells evil for a brief second. They are greeted by a 'frog-faced' man named Simion. He explains to them the strange happenings of the last two days. There have been weddings non-stop. He mentions that he thinks Ogier and Trollocs to be child's tales as he is taken back by Loial's presence.

Simion shows them to the only inn in the town , Harilin's Leap, where the innkeeper's name is Master Harod. In the hallway, in front of their rooms, Simion tells them about the happenings with the Whitecloaks over the past two days. Three said they weren't Whitecloaks any longer, and two tried to burn the inn down, among many other strange actions.

When alone, Perrin asks Simion about Rand. Simion says that a man of his description was in town yesterday. He was talking to himself and he left screaming in the middle of the night complaining of a nightmare. "One of us has to die, and I mean it to be him".

Simion figures out that Moiraine is Aes Sedai ands asks Perrin to ask her to help his brother who is very sick. Perrin goes to Moiraine and tells them what he has learned. She and Lan get very upset. Moiraine explains that the weddings and the actions of the Whitecloaks were a result of Rand being such strong ta'veren. Perrin and her go to see Noam. He has become entirely wolf. Moiraine leaves as she can do nothing to help him. Perrin suggests to Simion that he should let Noam go free. Simion does exactly that.

Chapter 9 -- Wolf Dreams

Perrin goes to Moiraine to talk about the changes that he has gone through sine leaving home. It is the first time that they have talked openly about the wolves. Moiraine tells him about the fragment of the book from the Age of Legends that she read. She can't help him much more than that, although she does tell him that he need be wary of his dreams because they can be very dangerous.

Perrin goes back to his room and goes to sleep. In his dream Hopper, who is dead, is telling Perrin to run, with a great deal of urgency in his voice. Perrin realizes that he is dreaming but cannot make himself wake up. He watches a man killed by the shadow surrounding him. Perrin gets a fainter but even more urgent image of danger from Hopper. While running Perrin sees Lanfear: "What are you doing here. How did you --? You'll ruin things you can not begin to imagine."

At that point he sees Hopper: "Run now. You must not be here now. Danger. Great Danger. Worse than all the Neverborn. You must go. Go Now! Now!" Hopper leaps for Perrin's throat waking him. His face is covered with the blood of the man that he saw die.

Rand is hiding in the wilderness. He destroys the dog that is hunting him. He has become addicted to the power and has finally gained some control. He is on his way to Tear, and the wound on his side is very painful.

Chapter 10 -- Secrets

Egwene, Nynaeve, Mat, Elayne, Verin and Hurin have been traveling to Tar Valon all winter. Egwene has been having dreams of Rand running to and from something at the same time. Nynaeve can feel a storm coming and Hurin says that he can smell trouble. At this point in time, Egwene has given up on marrying Rand.

Hurin sees dozens of horse tracks and says that there will be trouble, but Nynaeve disagrees. A large group of Whitecloaks approach over the horizon. The captain, Dain Bornhald, demands them to surrender. Egwene, vowing to herself to never be taken prisoner again, uses the Power the destroys the ground beneath the feet of the Whitecloaks. Elayne and Nynaeve join her. This gets Verin very mad, and she claims she could have talked their way by them. Dain is the only one who hasn't run away. He hints that Morgase has had a falling out with Aes Sedai. Verin dismisses him telling him to walk in the Light.

The group of six finishes the home-stretch to Tar Valon where Verin says the real danger begins.

Chapter 11 -- Tar Valon

The party of six crosses the bridge to Tar Valon through the village of Dairien. Verin comments that what awaits them at the Tower is dangerous. Just outside the Tower, Hurin leaves them to return to Shienar. He says that if they ever need help, all they have to do is send word and he will come.

Inside the Tower grounds, Mat is taken away on his stretcher by two men, and Sheriam greets the women. She scolds them and orders three Accepted to take them to their rooms and guard them. They are not allowed to speak to anyone until the Amyrlin Seat says so.

Chapter 12 -- The Amyrlin Seat

Siuan is in her study: "Ten years with the shawl, Nearly twenty since I decided to sail these dangerous waters. And if I slip now, I'll wish I were back hauling nets". Leane announces Verin's arrival. Siuan tells Verin that there are no more False Dragons loose in the world: Mazrim Taim has been captured and the one in Hadon Mirk has been executed. She believes that these events happened the moment that Rand declared himself The Dragon Reborn on Toman Head. "...And even if the newest Novice learns of it, I will be stilled before the next sunrise, if I'm not torn to pieces first. Me, and Moiraine, and Verin, and likely anyone thought to be a friend of ours, as well.

Verin gives Siuan the Horn and tells her Mat has already sounded it. She also gives her opinion that she thinks the Seanchan will return, but Siuan doesn't want to talk about that. She says that she is going to severely punish the three women for leaving the Tower without permission. She tells Verin to tell her about everything they did while they were gone.

Chapter 13 -- Punishments

Egwene and Elayne are in their rooms waiting. Through the small hole connecting their rooms, they talk about how they do not want to be stilled and will runaway if they have to. They are both very afraid. They are summoned to see the Amyrlin Seat.

Siuan tells them she knows that Liandrin is Black Ajah and that a few months ago her and twelve other Aes Sedai left with some stolen angreal. At the same time three sisters, two Warders, seven guards, and nine servants were killed. Only a few people know, or even suspect the connection between these happenings.

Siuan reveals that, of everyone in the Tower, only herself, Leane and Verin know that the three of them left with Liandrin. If others knew, they would probably be stilled.

Siuan tells them that they are being punished to severe switching and scrubbing duty in the kitchen. She adds that they are also to be raised to Accepted because of the amount of experience they have had with the One Power while they were away.

The two girls also learn that about a month after they had left, Morgase had come to Tar Valon demanding to know the whereabouts of her daughter. She ended up going home without Elaida thus breaking a three thousand year old custom of having Aes Sedai council. Morgase wants her daughter returned as soon as she gets back, but Siuan intends to keep her.

Elayne goes of to see Sheriam and get the letter that her mother left for her, while Egwene and Nynaeve stay behind because Siuan wants to talk to them.

Chapter 14 -- The Bite of the Thorns

Siuan says to Egwene and Nynaeve that they are going to receive even more punishment. She says that she doesn't know who to trust but she believes that the three of them are not Black Ajah because they were manipulated by Liandrin. Siuan goes on to reveal her plan to them. They are to be spies, searching for other Black Ajah in the Tower. They both accept this new responsibility. To aid them in their task Siuan gives them each a piece of paper:

What the bearer does is done at my order and by my authority. Obey, and keep silent, at my command.

Siuan Sanche
Watcher of the Seals
Flame of Tar Valon
The Amyrlin Seat

Chapter 15 -- The Gray Man

Walking to Egwene's room, a crossbow just misses Egwene's head and hits the wall. She sees the man who she thinks shot it and holds him with Air. When they reach him, he is dead with a dagger in his chest. Sheriam arrives moments later and says that he is a Gray man, one of the Soulless. There is no crossbow in the immediate vicinity. Sheriam covers the body with an opaque shield. Egwene secretly goes back to get the arrow, but it is gone, which leads her to believe that there is still another Gray Man in the Tower.

Egwene and Nynaeve head to Nynaeve's room. Nynaeve makes the comment that Sheriam never asked if they knew who stabbed the man.

Chapter 16 -- Hunters Three

When they open the door to Nynaeve's room, Elayne, Galad and Gawyn are inside. The men want to know where the three of them have been for the past few months. They say that Morgase has ordered them to see Elayne safely home as soon as she has learned enough of the One Power to use it without hurting herself. Nynaeve makes them leave by threatening to report the unwarranted presence within the Accepted quarters to Coulin, the Master of Arms. There is no such rule, but the `louts' weren't aware of that fact.

Elayne tells Egwene that Gawyn is besotted with her. After Nynaeve snaps at them to grow up, they reveal to Elayne what Siuan said to them after Elayne had left the study and about their near death experience with the Gray man. Nynaeve doesn't trust the Amyrlin and want Elayne to be their spy.

Nynaeve goes on to voice her opinion that she thinks the Amyrlin is going to let Mat die. She says she can do it herself. They end up deciding to try to work together to heal him.

Chapter 17 -- The Red Sister

Elaida barges into the Nynaeve's room. She asks them if they know about the Black Ajah and they tell her the truth. She also wants to know where they have been. Egwene says it was to help Mat, but Nynaeve tells her that the Amyrlin told them not to talk about it. The Aes Sedai then proceeds to ask them questions about Rand. During this line of questioning Sheriam comes into the room and subtly makes Elaida leave. Sheriam tells them to forget about the Gray man and orders them to follow her to see Mat healed.

Chapter 18 -- Healing

Sheriam takes them down to the basement into some dark halls. Egwene thinks for a moment that Sheriam is Black Ajah and is taking them to their deaths. Once they reach the room where Mat is, they find Siuan, Leane, Alanna, Serafelle, Anaiya, Verin and Sheriam among others gathered around a table with Mat lying on top. Egwene notices that they are using the most powerful sa'angreal known to the Tower hinting at how difficult a procedure they are about to undertake. She notices some of them as visibly nervous.

During the process, Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve all feel the urge to add their weaves to the flow. All the while Mat seems to be in a great deal of pain and mutters sayings from the Old Tongue:

"Muad'drin tia dar allende caba'drin rhadiem! Los Valdar Cuebiyari! Los! Carai an Caldazar! Al Caldazar!"

Egwene recognizes the end of this phrase as: "For the honor of the Red Eagle! The Red Eagle"

"Mia ayende, Aes Sedai! Caballein misain ye! Inde muagdhe Aes Sedai misain ye! Mia Ayende!"

After they have successfully broken the bond between Mat and the dagger, Siuan tells the women that Mat was ordering soldiers in a battle over two thousand years ago. The last phrase meant, "I am a free man Aes Sedai. I am no Aes Sedai meat". Siuan explains that for a moment Mat was in both the past and the present at the same time. "The Old blood comes again."

Chapter 19 -- Awakening

Mat wakes up in a fancy room very disoriented. He has a dream about commanding soldiers in the Trolloc Wars. "Los Valdar Cuebiyari!" (Forward the Heart Guard). When he finally gets up, he hobbles over to a table with enough food on it for four meals. He is very weak and very hungry, but he decides to find out where he is first. From his sparatic memory, his surroundings and the fact that he feels healed, he reasons that he is in Tar Valon. "I feel -- whole and well, that's all. I've been healed."

Slowly his memory comes back to him and he remembers that he blew the Horn of Valere. He intends to leave Tar Valon in a few days, after he has had a chance to win some money from gambling and see Egwene and Nynaeve.

After all of the reflection and his slowly returning memory, he feels that he has outgrown the Two Rivers and has aspirations beyond what he did a year ago. However, he does feels that he would like to return for a visit.

Chapter 20 -- Visitations

Lanfear comes into Mat's room and introduces herself as Selene. He finds her oddly familiar. She tells him that he can have glory if he doesn't do what the Amyrlin wants him to do. She says that she will use him too, but that her uses will lead him to glory. She tells him that Tam and Abell came to Tar Valon and were sent home empty handed without being told whether their sons were alive or not. Lanfear leaves him and Mat decides he had better get out of the city as fast as he can. He finds his clothes and dice in the wardrobe and starts getting ready to leave when Siuan and Leane knock at the door. They tell him that he will have to stay and recover for some time. He manages to get the Amyrlin to admit that his father was there looking for him.

Leane is told to get some more food for Mat, during which time Siuan asks Mat if he remembers sounding the Horn. She tells him he must stay for his own safety.

When she leaves Mat doesn't think she was as devious as Selene said she would be but he doesn't want to have anything to do with either of them. He begins planning his flight from Tar Valon.

Chapter 21 -- A World of Dreams

Egwene is in the kitchens and has been cleaning and scrubbing for some time. Verin walks by summoning her to her study. When Egwene is done she finds her way to the study through the dark, empty hallways. The room is cluttered with endless books and papers. During their conversation, Egwene recognizes the large skull on a nearby table as that of a Trolloc.

Verin gives Egwene a list of the thirteen Black Ajah along with a information and descriptions of each of them.

She doesn't completely trust Verin yet.

They discuss Egwene's possible Dreaming talent. Corianin Nedeal was the last dreamer, although she wasn't very talented, 473 years ago. Verin talks about parallel and perpendicular worlds and how the Dark One and the Creator and Tel'aran'rhiod are a constant in each of them. Dreams are real in Tel'aran'rhiod and what injuries you sustain are real.

Verin gives Egwene a ring ter'angreal that will allow the wearer to more easily enter the Dream World whether they have the talent or not. Egwene is very scared of the ring and doesn't really want to take it.

When Egwene has left her study, Verin reveals that nobody even knows the ring even exists as Corianin managed to erase it from the Tower's records. She also looks at Corianin's notes, whose existence is unknown as well. She decided not to give them to Egwene.

Chapter 22 -- The Price of the Ring

Sheriam finds Egwene in the hall and tells her to follow. She asks about the paper but Egwene says they are just study material. She is to be made Accepted; Elayne has already succeeded.

Elaida is in the room with the ter'angreal and openly shows that she has no wish to help Egwene in the ceremony. Egwene wants to be able to hide the papers, but accepts the challenge of the three silver arches regardless.

Inside the first arch, she is married to Rand; they have a baby girl named Joiya. Rand has headaches quite frequently and she knows he can channel -- each time a headache comes there is some unnatural event that she is able to link back to her husband. She, too, can channel but has managed to keep both a secret. At that moment Rand has the most severe headache he has ever had. It is very difficult, but she manages to make herself enter the silver ring that appears simultaneously.

Inside the second arch Egwene is in a Caemlyn that has been destroyed and has Fades, Trollocs and Darkfriend in its streets. She has cried herself to the point where there are no more tears left. Inside the castle Rand is pinned under a column. He wants her to kill him. He says that he is holding the madness at bay, but if the Shadow gets a hold of him, they will be able to turn him to the Shadow against his will. She leaves him there pleading for him to kill him to go back through the arch.

Before entering the third arch, prompted by Egwene's question, Sheriam explains that it would take thirteen Aes Sedai weaving the power through thirteen Myrddraal to turn Rand to the Shadow against his will.

Inside the third arch, Egwene finds herself Amyrlin, although she has the feeling that she is a still a Novice. The voice of the Aes Sedai outside the ter'angreal keeps getting cut off. לBe steadfast. The way back will come but...

In the Hall of the Tower Elaida presents Rand in chains to her and asks her to give the order to gentle him. Egwene refuses, and her Keeper, Beldeine, knocks her unconscious with her staff. When Egwene wakes up she is in a room with thirteen Black Ajah and thirteen Myrddraal. She catches them off guard and manages to escape to her study. Beldeine is there and confesses that she has been stilled and was promised to have the One Power given back to her if she would help the Black Ajah overthrow Egwene. Egwene tells her that she never held the Oath Rod and she is going to help Rand who has been taken to Traitors Court to be gentled.

She sneaks her way above the chamber and witnesses Rand in the middle. Elaida has taken over the role of Amyrlin. Just when she is going to help him, the arch appears to her and she throws herself at it.

Chapter 23 -- Sealed

When Egwene comes out of the ter'angreal, she realizes that all is not as it should be. There are six Aes Sedai `holding' the arches where there should only be three. Alanna says it was her fault and she should have done something about the resonance she noticed earlier within the ter'angreal. Egwene was almost killed.

Elaida gives Egwene her clothes along with the papers. The Aes Sedai has had an opportunity to look through them but gives no indication of having done so. She tells Egwene that she didn't want to help her because she believes that Egwene will always be a wilder and will never `belong' to the White Tower.

Alanna says that she wants to share Egwene's punishment. Egwene thinks that Alanna is offering this to be able to spy on her -- that she is Black Ajah.

Egwene asks Alanna what it means to be Green Ajah. She replies it means to love men, and to fight battles; to fight in Tarman Gai'don. Egwene goes back to her room not trusting anyone but Nynaeve and Elayne. Inside, Elayne in crying in Nynaeve's lap -- Egwene finally lets it all out.

Chapter 24 -- Scouting and Discoveries

Mat wakes in his room and finds his memory still foggy and he is still without a plan to leave. He eats another extremely large meal and leaves with his dice cups. He sees many servants, Accepted and Aes Sedai on the way out but none of them try to stop them. Outside he talks to some guards who recognize him from the description they were given. They have been ordered not to let him leave the city. Wandering around some more, he sees Else Grinwell, but she speaks only a few sparse words to him.

From there he wanders over to the Warder training yard and sees dozens of students dueling with the Gaidin watching them. Watching one particular pair is a large group of Accepted and Aes Sedai. He recognizes the two young men as Galad and Gawyn. When they take a break they come over to talk to Mat as they have recognized him from Elayne's description.

Mat wagers that he can the defeat the two of them at the same time with nothing but a quarterstaff. Mat sets the odds at 2:1 and the stakes at two silver marks, but both men are unwillingly to take his money in what would be a farce. Hammar Gaidin, who has been watching the three of them, makes them accept and promises to cover the payment if they are unwilling to pay.

Mat gets incredibly hungry during the fight but relies on his luck and makes relatively quick work of Gawyn and then Galad. When Galad goes down all the women watching rush over to heal him. Hammar Gaidin makes reference to Jearom Gaidin, the greatest swordsman who fought over ten thousand times and only lost once -- to a farmer with a quarterstaff.

At a couple points Mat lets words of the Old Tongue slip out of his mouth. When Hammar asks him where he is from he says `Manetheren'. Mat wanders off with the staff. He is so weak and hungry it is the only thing keeping him up.

Chapter 25 -- Questions

Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne are in Nynaeve's room. They have studied the list of the Black Ajah and the 13 angreal that they took with them. Egwene has been having dreams of Rand, Mat and Perrin.

Rand: one where he is reaching for a crystal sword with a net dropping down on top of him, another where creatures like the one on the Dragon banner are flying around him and settling onto his skin, yet another of him walking into a hole in a mountain from which a reddish light is emanating. Finally, she dreams of him confronting the Seanchan.

Perrin: one where he has a falcon on his shoulder and a hawk trying to put a leash around his neck; the hawk is female. In the other one he has a beard and is leading a huge pack of wolves.

Mat: he is balancing his left eye on a scale and in another he is hanging from a tree with a rope around his neck.

Elayne deduces that the seeming randomness with which the Black Ajah have been chosen means that there is more of them left in the Tower; care has been taken to make it seem random and that means that there was more than the thirteen to chose from. From the lists they find that the use of most of the ter'angreal is unknown and that they were last studied by Corianin Nedeal. They conclude that they must suspect everyone but themselves.

The three of them argue about using the ring Egwene was given, but Egwene wins and they agree to let her try it that night. Else Grinwell enters the room and telling them that the belongings left behind by Liandrin and the others are down in the second basement of the Tower, before she quickly disappears. Egwene runs after her but only finds Lanfear in the hallway (her identity unknown to Egwene).

Chapter 26 -- Behind a Lock

The three women head down to the basement. The door to the room is locked, but Nynaeve is able to open it. Egwene makes uncomfortable progress with the One Power; she weaves two threads at once and is able to leave a ball of light hanging like a lamp. They open the thirteen sacks and within each one is something that has to do with Tear. They can't quite determine if it is bait, carelessness, or simply a lead.

Chapter 27 -- Tel'aran'rhiod

Egwene goes to sleep wearing the ring around her neck while Elayne and Nynaeve sit beside the ring keeping watch. Egwene's first trip into the Dream World begins on rolling hills on a bright day. While wandering around she figures out that she is still able to channel...all of a sudden she is in a dark hall of an inn and sees Perrin chained with a wolf guarding him. Before Hopper is able to attack her she is outside in a forest. She senses someone near and approaches their camp. It is Rand, and he is visibly disturbed by her presence. He says to no one in particular how his mother had appeared and tried to slip him a poisoned honeycake, and how his father had a knife for his ribs. "I could stand any face but that one." He proceeds to swing Callandor at her. Before it strikes her she finds herself back in the hills where she first appeared -- she is confused and wants to find answers. Almost in answer to her wish, she finds herself in the Heart of the Stone in Tear. There is an old women there named Sylvie who says she has served Egwene and her family. Egwene takes a good look at Callandor suspended in mid-air. It is protected by both saidar and saidin. The two women can hear men approaching and Sylvie insists that Egwene leave but she is unable to. In a desperate attempt Sylvie grabs the ring around the younger women's neck causing Egwene to wake up in a burst of pain back in the White Tower.

Egwene describes all that she saw, save for Perrin, and Nynaeve decides that it is best if they journey to Tear. Elayne wants to send a letter to her mother, and Nynaeve knows just the person for the job.

Chapter 28 -- A Way Out

Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve walk into Mat's room. They try various ways to get Mat to commit to delivering Elayne's letter, but Nynaeve resorts to giving him a guilt trip. In order to aid him in his journey, they give him one of the letters that the Amyrlin had given them. Nynaeve channels on him and saying, "not a tenth of what you deserve, in all likelihood." Mat thanks them and makes much the same comment that Hurin made to them before he left them when they first arrived at the Tower making the three women chuckle.

"You'll never catch me. You'll never catch Cauthon."

Chapter 29 -- A Trap to Spring

The three women are in the kitchens cleaning. Laras, Mistress of the Kitchens is introduced for the first time. She is a stern, overbearing women, but is like a little girl when the Amyrlin enters the kitchens. Siuan gets Elayne and Egwene taken out by Laras to be punished so she can talk to Nynaeve. She tells the younger woman that Sheriam found a Gray Man lying dead in her bed. Nynaeve tells her about their visit from Else, but Siuan says that the girl is ten days gone from the Tower. Nynaeve thus concludes that Tear has been set up as a trap. Siuan goes on to reveal that she knew Elayne was told about the Black Ajah. Nynaeve learns that Callandor is a sa'angreal and the High Lords don't want anything to do with it. Siuan carries on to say that the breaking of the Heart of the Stone is but one sign of the Dragon Reborn.

Their conversation over, Siuan compliments Laras on her kitchen on her way out. When the other two women return, Nynaeve tells them that they are to leave for Tear after their work is done in the kitchens.

Chapter 30 -- The First Toss

Anaiya is checking up on Mat. He tells her that he won't even try to leave Tar Valon. After a little conversation, he gets dressed, packs and boldly heads out of the Tower. "If you can't hide what you are going to do, do it so everyone thinks you are a fool." His plan is to gamble for a hour and then a take a ship to Aringill. He ends up gambling most of the night; he wins every toss. Raab, one of the Sea Folk, wagers on Mat and wins some money. He eventually leaves the inn he is at when a man comments that Mat must have `The Dark One's own luck'. Outside, Mat is able to avoid footpads in an alley and heads up on the roofs of the houses. Crossing a bridge high above the ground, he is attacked and pinned down. He throws himself and his assailant over the edge with the comment, לTime to toss the diceמ. He lands on top of the other man who dies on impact. Mat walks away from the fall.

Chapter 31 -- The Women of Tanchico

Mat wanders into an inn named `The Women of Tanchico' for a rest. He finds Thom performing inside and notices that he is acting different; stumbling, yet passionate. He is drunk. Mada and Saal are sisters and are concerned about Thom in his inebriated state. Mat orders three chickens that he quickly devours. Thom mentions that he recently killed a man in Cairhien (King Galldrian?). He also saw Elaida in Tar Valon who would definitely want to throttle him. Mat invites him to go to Caemlyn with him. On their way out Saal gives Mat a Tar Valon silver mark and tells him that he has pretty eyes. Mat tells Thom about his encounter with footpads and Thom says he must be mistaken because there are no footpads in Tar Valon. Outside, the body of Mat's assailant has disappeared.

Chapter 32 -- The First Ship

Down at Southharbour, Mat and Thom get by the Dockmaster and manage to jump onto the Gray Gull. The captain is a Tairen named Huan Mallia. At the outset, Mallia doesn't even want them on his ship, but to the astonishment of the crew, Mat talks him into giving him and Thom his cabin and his food for twelve gold marks. Inside the cabin, Mallia does most of the talking and is quite contemptuous of any nation other than Tear. Thom doesn't believe the story the man tells. With his dice out, Mat rolls the Dark One's eyes (all ones). This confuses him since in some games it is the highest roll and in others, the lowest; he doesn't yet know what game he is playing.

Chapter 33 -- Within the Weave

Perrin, Loial, Lan and Moiraine have reached the Lugard border and are pressing after Rand. Perrin sees a large hound print and smells something funny but doesn't quite know what it is although he is sure the two are not related. He reflects on the recent dream he had of Egwene where Hopper lunged at her throat. He believes that he must be safe in the White Tower and that he shouldn't be worrying about he

Throughout their journey they pass many villages through which Rand had recently passed, all having been affected in some strange way. The results are more bad than good. In the poorest town, the Mayor dug up a sac of gold coins which none of the villagers could recognize. Moiraine says they are from Manetheren. She explains to Perrin and Loial that Rand has "caused" so many bad things simply because the Pattern is both good and bad.

Upon entering the town of Remen, Perrin smells the same thing he did in Jarra. In the square is a tall man in cage at which small children are throwing rocks. Lan takes the group of them right by the cage and on to an inn named The Wayman's Forge where the innkeeper's name is Master Furlan. Everyone in the common room is dressed up save for four men. The mention that the man in the cage is an Aiel triggers Perrin recollection of Min's prophecy: "An Aielman in a cage. A turning point in your life, or something important that will happen." They also hear news of fighting in Altara. The man everyone is gathered to hear is Lord Orban. He is telling a story of how he managed to catch the Aiel, and was able to kill twenty others while only losing half of his dozen men. Going up the stairs to his room Perrin sees a girl in plain clothes watching him.

Chapter 34 -- A Different Dance

The innkeeper is talking to Moiraine, Lan and Perrin on the way to their rooms when he mentions, what Moiraine interprets as, another False Dragon rising in Ghealdan. It is at that point that Perrin smells fear on her. It turns out that is a man who is preaching about the dragon (Masema). Loial's room has a bed that is made of Sung wood and tries to share this with Perrin but he is lost in thought about the girl that was staring at him. He remarks, at this point, how natural the axe has become to him.

Perrin goes to talk to Moiraine. She tells how she is debating whether to continue following Rand on land or to take to a ship to his eventual destination of Tear. She remarks how Rand has the blood of strong walkers/runners in him. For a moment Perrin gets a little excited in the room alone with her as he notices what a beautiful woman she really is.

Perrin has come to the conclusion that the girl who was watching him must be a Darkfriend. He proceeds outside to the square where the Aiel is being held and lets the man down. His name is Gaul of the Imran sept of the Shaarad Aiel. He is Shae'en M'taal, a Stone Dog. He and his kind have crossed the Spine of the World to search for He Who Comes With the Dawn. A dozen Whitecloaks see what Perrin has done and attack the two of them. They "dance" with the Whitecloaks and when they are through Gaul discredits Orban's story by telling Perrin that there was only him and another that fought with Orban and his men. The Aiel leaves Perrin and sets out for Tear. Lan quickly approaches and hurries Perrin off to the harbour.

Chapter 35 -- The Falcon

Sneaking their way down to the docks, Loial mentions the book he is writing about their adventures and comments on how much he is enjoying everything. The ship they board is named `Snow Goose' and its captain is Jaim Adarra. The girl from the inn manages to jump on board just as the boat is setting sail. She immediately walks right up to Perrin. Her reason for following them is that she couldn't figure out how he fit in with the rest of his companions. She lets him know that the townsfolk think the Aiel freed himself. She goes on to reveal that she is a Hunter of the Horn and that she is incredibly adept with knives. She believes that the Horn can be found in the Mountains of Mist but is willing to follow a strange trail. She names herself as Zarine Bashere and as Perrin is walking away she says to call her Faile. Perrin almost falls down the ladder when he hears this.

Chapter 36 -- Daughter of the Night

Perrin goes to sleep in his cabin with the wolves absent for the first time in a longtime. In his dream there is a very thick fog and he is being lead along by Hopper. Looking down he can see men bent down in front of Ba'alzamon but who are really asleep back in their own beds. He sees Ba'alzamon kill the man from Tar Valon for letting Mat escape and then proceeds to order the rest of them awake. Lanfear appears in front of the Dark One and Perrin recognizes her from his dream and now as one of the Forsaken freed from her prison. She is defiant of her master and claims Lews Therin for her own. Eventually she submits and vows to serve. Hopper proceeds to lead Perrin out of the fog and then flies away. At that point Perrin see Rand slaying a Myrddraal and a large circle of people closing in on him. Perrin tries to warn him but Rand turns on him and Perrin wakes up in a great burst of pain. There is a small burn on his chest from the lighting that Rand fired at him.

Perrin goes to Moiraine's cabin and tells her about the dream but she doesn't much except that he must be careful. He asks her about Zarine and finds out that her name is of Saldaean royalty.

Rand awakes realizing Perrin was real and warns himself to be careful in the future. A female merchant and her men approach his camp in a peaceful manner looking to share it with him. Without hesitation he kills all of them with a sword of fire. "No Mistakes." He takes the woman's gelding and heads out on the straightest path to Tear. "`I will put an end to it. The taunting. The baiting. I will end it! Callandor.' It called to him."

Chapter 37 -- Fires in Cairhien

The Blue Crane is passing near Cairhien with Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne on board. The towns on the Cairhien side have all been burnt down and are abandoned. The captain and the crew think that the three women are Aes Sedai. Egwene has been using the ring most nights since her first attempt but they have not been very productive. Her own dreams however, without the ter'angreal, have been filled with her friends. Of Rand, she has dreamed of him with a fire sword and that he is in danger from two people. Of Perrin, she has seen him with a wolf, a falcon and a hawk who are fighting each other, him running from something deadly and him stepping of a cliff saying, "It must be done. I must learn to fly before I reach the bottom." She has dreamed of Min springing a steel trap but walking right through it without noticing it. With relation to Mat she has dreamed of dice spinning, men following him who aren't really there, and him riding towards something unseen in the distance that he has to reach and him with a women with fireworks all around her.

Talking to Elayne later, they figure out that the men following Mat who are not there must be Gray men. Their conversation is interrupted when the ship runs into something that turns out to be a sunken ship. Nynaeve determines that they can't wait so the three of them are going to continue on foot. She decides to take the shorter route, on the Cairhien side, despite Ellisor's insistence on the safer Andor side. Not long on their way, a figure jumps up in front of the three women from behind a small bush.

Chapter 38 -- Maidens of the Spear

The figure in front of them is a Aiel girl of Egwene's age. Egwene notices that she looks like she could be Rand's cousin. The girls introduces herself as Aviendha of the Bitter Water sept of the Taardad Aiel and as Far Dareis Mai. She recognizes them as Women of the White Tower and says that they are similar to the women called Wise Ones in her culture. She is there to ask them to help her dying friend. They meet up with two other Aiel girls, Bain and Chiad, before going to tend to the wounded girl. On the way, Egwene and Elayne, and Bain and Chiad have an awkward conversation about the concept of first sisters in the Aiel culture.

The wounded girl is named Dailin and she is hurt quite bad. While Nynaeve is healing her with herbs, the others continue there conversation, verbally exploring the othersם culture. Egwene learns that the Far Dareis Mai cannot attack an Aes Sedai because history says that their ancestors used to serve the Tower. The Aiel find the concept of swimming very difficult to grasp. The Aiel girls mention balefire, a power that the ancient Aes Sedai used although Elayne doesn't know what it is. Egwene, however, is sure that balefire was what she saw in her dream. By that time Nynaeve has worked up her anger and has healed Dailin.

Chapter 39 -- Threads in the Pattern

Aviendha is very grateful to Nynaeve: "Aes Sedai, I owe you a debt. My water is yours, and the shade of my septhold will welcome you. Dailin is my second-sister... I owe you a blood debt." The Aiel say that they are searching for He Who Comes With The Dawn and that he was born of Far Dareis Mai. When Nynaeve mentions that they are on their way to Tear the Aiel seem perplexed at the thought. While following Nynaeve on to Jurene, the nearest village, Egwene and Elayne discuss the Aiel war and its causes. It was King Laman of Cairhien who cut down the Avendoraldera tree that the Aiel had given as a present four hundred years prior so that he could make a throne for himself. The Avendoraldera was an offspring of the Avendesora tree, `The Tree of Life', itself. The Aiel do not view those three years as a war but a rather an execution. Elayne makes the connection between Rand and He Who Comes With the Dawn and explains it to Egwene.

Passing a copse of trees, the three of them are ambushed by a group of men and knocked unconscious. Egwene wakes tied onto a horse and vows not to be taken prisoner again. She is promptly knocked out again.

Some time later she wakes once again in a dark room. She is able to see a dozen men, their captors, in the next room through cracks in the wall. They are planning to sell the women to another man. They think that their prisoners will be unconscious for some time yet. Egwene wakes up Nynaeve and figures out that they have been given `sleep root' which does not keep one unconscious, but rather helps relieve headaches. They find that Elayne is near death but Nynaeve is able to heal her.

There are three Myrddraal in the room with the men. When Egwene and the others burst out of their room, a group of Aiel attack from outside. Egwene is holding the Fades when Nynaeve unleashes a stream of incredibly intense light at them. Nynaeve doesn't know what it is but Egwene recognizes it as balefire. One of the two dead Aiel is Dailin. Rhuarc is the male and he is a clan leader. He is there because a Wise One's dream said he should go. He recognizes Nynaeve's ring as that of the King of Malkier and is quite intrigued by the three of them. The women leave the next morning and part ways with the Aiel before they reach Jurene. They board a boat named Darter and continue their trip downriver.

Chapter 40 -- A Hero in the Night

The Gray Gull has arrived in Aringill. Mat opened Elayne's letter on the way but didn't find anything interesting. "I told you I'd deliver it, Nynaeve, and I bloody will, no matter who tries to stop me." There are many Cairhienin refugees on the docks. Mat's appetite has finally returned to normal over the last two days. Ashore, they are informed by a guard that as of tomorrow, Morgase has ordered that no more refugees be allowed to cross. Thom remarks that that does not sound very much like something Morgase would do. They are turned down at several inns before Mat is able to get them a stable to sleep in and a couple of geldings by dicing with an innkeeper named Jeral Floory. Mat has not been winning every toss anymore but he remarks: "I win enough". Thom and Mat have retired to the stable when a women walks in followed by four men who are threatening her. Mat rescues Aludra who is a apparently a renegade Illuminator. To thank him she gives him a bundle of fireworks. Aludra and then Mat and Thom leave.

Chapter 41 -- A Hunter's Oath

The Snow Goose is approaching Illian. Moiraine has learned that Zarine is a Hunter of the Horn and knows that she is Aes Sedai. She is mad at Perrin for not letting her know these things. Actually, everyone on board knows that Moiraine is Aes Sedai. Perrin: "(Zarine) may be pretty, but she looks at me the way I'd look at a tool I'd never seen before, trying to puzzle out how it is made and what it is supposed to be used for. "Zarine insists that they use the name `Faile'. Moiraine tells her that they must part ways but Zarine is intent on following them. Moiraine makes her take an oath and says, much to his dismay, that she is Perrin's responsibility. "It seems that you have found Min's falcon, ta'veren."

Chapter 42 -- Easing the Badger

Riding through Illian, Loial is worrying about other Ogier being there and taking him home. He mentions the Ways in front of Zarine. Moiraine and Lan both notice that something with the city is not right. Perrin notices that many people seem unhappy. Lan leads them into the Perfumed Quarter and to an inn named Easing the Badger. The proprietress, Nieda, greets Moiraine as Mistress Mari and asks if her pigeons arrived safely. She goes on about a tough winter and says that Lord Brend, a newcomer to Illian has been raised to the Council of Nine and is controlling it. She also mentions that she has been having strange dreams. It is after that remark that Perrin senses that Moiraine is scared once again. Moiraine states that she has something to do that night. There are no ships allowed to or from Tear; there is talk of war with them.

Eating in the common room, Perrin smells the thing from Jarra and Remen. It is coming from the six men approaching him from across the room who attack him with knives. The six of them are dead in seconds with help from Moiraine and the others. She identifies them as Gray Men. At that point she leaves the inn although Lan does try to stop her. She insists on going alone, possibly to her death. "The wheel weaves as the wheel wills, and the Shadow darkens the world. Heed me, Lan, and obey as you swore to."

Chapter 43 -- Shadowbrothers

Lan asks Perrin and Loial to help him search outside; Zarine follows. There is no one about and Perrin smells something almost like burnt sulphur. Lan finds the tracks of a Darkhound in the stone; that is the source of the smell. It has found what it was looking for and has gone to report to its master. These creatures have not been seen south of the Mountains of Dhoom since the Trolloc Wars. Lan offers to release Zarine from her oath in light of recent events but she declines. He goes off to find Moiraine, and Perrin and the others go to sleep.

He is searching for the Wolf dream and eventually finds it. While looking around for Hopper in a barren land, he sees visions of Mat dicing with the Dark One and Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne stepping into a huge cage. Hopper arrives. "Dangerous. You have been warned, Young Bull. Too young. Too new yet." Hopper tells Perrin that `the Last Hunt' comes and that Perrin must flee the `Shadowbrothers' (Darkhounds). Perrin wakes up in his room with Zarine there. He thinks for a moment that she might be the beautiful woman that Min had told him to run from. Before he can think any further Moiraine bursts into the room: "Your Wolf dreams tell as truly as a Dreamer's, Perrin. The Forsaken are loose, and one of them rules in Illian."

Chapter 44 -- Hunted

The Forsaken in control of Illian is Sammael. Lan has killed the Darkhound and Moiraine says that they have to leave before Sammael finds out they are there. Moiraine gives Zarine another chance to leave but she says she will stay for the story she will be able to tell once the adventure is over. Perrin: "She has to have a reason. Being in a bloody story isn't reason enough for any but a mad woman." Nieda has been serving Moraine for twelve years but she doesn't really believe that Moiraine is serious about the danger that they are all in. Moraine reveals that is was not Sammael who sent the Gray Men after Perrin. He realizes that this must mean that another Forsaken is loose! Moiraine does not believe that Sammael knows that Perrin exists yet. Perrin: "Why me? Rand is the bloody Dragon Reborn!". He says this in front of Zarine and Nieda.

Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Loial and Zarine head out of Illian but have to stop to face ten Darkhounds that are on their trail. "You can never outrun the Darkhounds, blacksmith." Perrin kills one of the hounds with an arrow before Moiraine obliterates the rest of them with a stream of blinding white light; something that is forbidden and has not been used in two thousand years. Moiraine says that they are not Sammael's main quarry. Zarine finds out that Mat has blown the Horn of Valere. Moiraine: "Once again events outpace me. I do not like that. And neither should you. If events outrun me, they may trample you and the rest of the world with you."

Mat and Thom are camping near Caemlyn. Mat cuts up a firecracker exactly like he is supposed to avoid doing. The two of them are attacked by a group of men and a woman, all four of which they kill. Mat recognizes one of the men who jumped overboard into the Erinin. Mat is confused and thinks people are after him because of the letter he is carrying for Elayne. They head out for Caemlyn without any sleep.

Chapter 45 -- Caemlyn

Mat and Thom enter Caemlyn early in the morning. Mat goes to deliver Elayne's letter and Thom goes to the Queen's Blessing. Mat is chased away by the Palace guards -- they name him a Darkfriend for saying he comes from Tar Valon. He heads back to the inn. In the kitchen the cook remembers him as the servant to the young Prince who looked like Tigraine. Basel Gill, (the innkeeper and Thom's friend) and Thom tell Mat that Morgase has a new advisor. Bryne didn't like him and has been retired to his estate. Lord Gaebril, the new advisor has replaced half of the Queen's Guard in a very short time. Mat intends to get the letter to Morgase without having to deal with the guards. He rolls the Dark One's Eyes before leaving, again, not knowing what game he is playing. Basel (to Thom): "How does he come by gold?" Mat: "I always win, that's how. I just have to win once more and I'm done with Elayne, and that's the last of the White Tower for me. Just once more."

Chapter 46 -- A Message out of the Shadow

Mat climbs over the wall of the Palace Garden that Rand fell over a year earlier. While hiding from the guards behind a bush, he hears two men talking through the window. The man referred to as `Great Master' by the other, is ordering his `servant' to have Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve killed. They are on their way to Tear. The same man also refers to a male third party whose plans the three women are trying to spoil.

Guardsman-Lieutenant Tallanvor wanders across Mat and takes him to the Queen. Lord Gaebril, standing beside Morgase, is taller than Rand and almost as big as Perrin. When presenting himself to the Queen, Mat uses the name Thom Grinwell. He almost mentions the conversation he had just overheard concerning Elayne, when he is stopped by Gaebril. Mat recognizes his voice as that of the `Great Master'. During the following dialogue, there are several passages where Morgase is described by Jordan as a follower, or even a pet, of Gaebril. "It has come time, Morgase, to lance that festering sore on the border of Andor. By your marriage to Taringail Damodred you have claim to the Sun Throne. The Queen's Guard can make that claim as strong as any. Perhaps I can even aid them in some small way. Hear me."

Chapter 47 -- To Race the Shadow

Mat has a very strong urge to run as Tallanvor escorts him out of the Palace. He inquires whether Mat knows much about the Tower. He thinks Morgase was trying to say something by asking Mat questions concerning her daughter and Tar Valon. When Mat asks, Tallanvor says that he serves Morgase to the death. On his way back to the inn Mat is thinking about the trouble that Elayne, Egwene and Moiraine are in. לFool women! Now I have to keep their bacon from burning instead of looking after my own!

Back at the inn, Mat learns from Basel that Gaebril came to Caemlyn during the winter and restored order to the city while Morgase was in Tar Valon. She was so happy about what he had done, she named him her advisor. Basel continues to tell Mat and Thom that he and some others have been having strange dreams that are very similar to one anothers. Mat tells the other two men about the plan that Gaebril has for Elayne and the others. They don't believe him at first, but are eventually convinced. Thom suggests that the best thing for them to do is to spread a rumour about it and let I get back to Morgase. Jordan uses a very coy analogy in this passage. While telling his ideas, Thom's moves in the game of Stones he is playing with Gill are analogous to his plans for Gaebril. Mat declares that he is leaving for Tear and Thom agrees to go along. Mat tosses a purse of gold that he received from Gaebril to Master Gill. When Basel asks him what it is for, Mat replies, "Stakes. Gaebril doesn't know it, but he and I have a wager. And I always win." Mat proceeds to role five sixes.

Chapter 48 -- Following the Craft

The Darter arrives in Tear. Egwene and Nynaeve have been sick the entire trip. They have assumed the names Joslyn and Maryim, respectively. Elayne is calling herself Caryla. Egwene has been having dreams again and has been getting used the ter'angreal. She has dreamt of Perrin choosing between an axe and a hammer and Mat coming after her and gambling with the Dark One. Of Rand, she has seen him sneaking towards Callandor and around him are six men and five women all trying to get him.

On shore, the women are in awe of the Stone of Tear, made with the One Power. Egwene does not like how Elayne always agrees with Nynaeve so easily. Elayne suggests that they hire a thief taker to help them find the Black Ajah. Nynaeve says that they should not stay in an inn and proceeds to walk to the door of a house which she recognizes to be that of a Wisdom. A woman named Mother Guenna answers the door and she gives Nynaeve something for her stomach. The two women test each other extensively with regards to how they would soothe a wide variety of aliments. Mother Guenna tells the women that her name in Ailhuin. She offers them her spare rooms in exchange for their story of why they are in Tear. After they answer, she says she knows a man that will be able to help them and goes off to find him. His name is Juilin Sandar, a thief taker, and the most dangerous man Ailhuin knows.

Egwene comments on how manipulative Nynaeve has become and how much she is becoming like Moiraine. Elayne gets upset at this comment. Neither Egwene nor Elayne like what they have to do, but agree they that it has to be done.

Chapter 49 -- A Storm in Tear

Ailhuin bring Juilin back with her. He gives Nynaeve a second look and she notices. Ailhuin says that Juilin is an honourable man and will always tell the truth except where it might get him a kiss. To answer Elayne's question, he says that he doesn't carry a sword because, except for foreigners and High Lords, they are illegal in Tear. Nynaeve lays thirteen silver marks out on the table and promises that again once the 13 women that they seek are found. She describes all thirteen to Juilin and he says that he will treat them all like Aes Sedai and Black Ajah. He interprets Egwene's choking for fear and assures her that there are no Aes Sedai in Tear.

That night, Elayne and Nynaeve are beside Egwene when she enters the Dream World. Egwene has learned how to travel in Tel'aran'rhiod. When she appears in the Heart of the Stone, thirteen women are seated around Callandor. Liandrin looks right at Egwene and smiles. Egwene is awake a moment later and tells Elayne and Nynaeve that, "They are waiting for us. And I think they know we are in Tear." A storm breaks out over the city.

Mat and Thom have hired the ship named Swift and Captain Dermet to take them downriver to Tear. They have arrived in pouring rain. Walking up from the docks, Mat is intent on finding Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne before Comar (Gaebril's servant) does. Thinking about his friends makes his homesick for a moment. During a lightning flash he sees the house where they are staying but doesn't know it. Along with Thom, he enters The White Crescent inn where the innkeeper's name is Cavar Loper. After a meal they are out in the city looking for the women.

Just before dawn when complete fatigue is setting in, they wander into The Golden Cup--Comar is there. He is dicing at a table and is winning all the time. Thom shows how Comar is using weighted dice and leaves Mat and the innkeeper in awe of how he switched the dice without them noticing. Loper says that exposing Comar will do nothing for them since the guards are apt to believe an outland Lord before a poor local man. He also comments on how he has been having nightmares of a man who matches Rand's description. Mat takes matters into his own hands and challenges Comar to some dicing. When Mat rolls he fells the dice tumble oddly and wins. "I think your luck is about used up Comar. If you've harmed those girls, it's all gone." Comar slips and says that he hasn't even found them yet. Mat fights that larger man and ends up breaking his back, killing him. Before he dies, however, Comar reveals that he was not the only one looking for them.

Leaving the inn, Mat tells Thom that he has figured out how his luck works; it only works for random things like dice, not Stones and other things that require thought. For three days and nights they wander about Tear picking random spots to look for the three women. During this time Mat has been dreaming of Rand quite a bit.

Chapter 50 -- The Hammer

Arriving in Tear, Perrin feels lonely when he reaches out for the wolves and they are not there. Riding through the city, Lan notices that most of the people look defeated for some unknown reason. He leads the group of them to an inn named The Star who's innkeepers name in Jurah Haret. Moiraine tells the others to stay near the inn while her and Lan go out into the city investigating.

Perrin goes to the smithy that is next door and helps the blacksmith there. The man is very impressed with Perrin's work and asks if he would like to work for him since his three apprentices have left him because of their nightmares. He really wants Perrin to stay. Perrin says he doesn't know how long he will be in Tear, but agrees to stay for the meantime. He feels very much at home working in the smithy. When they close that night, Zarine is there. The Blacksmith, Dermid Ajala, asks Perrin to keep the ten pound hammer he was using because he says it looks right in his hands. He looks Perrin right in the eyes but doesn't flinch when he notices their colour.

Back in the inn, Perrin gets upset when Lan calls him farmboy when he summons him into the private dining room. Moiraine tells the group of them that Be'lal is ruling in Tear and is using the name Lord Samon. Loial wants to go back to the Stedding, but doesn't want to leave his book incomplete. Zarine has no problems about leaving but is not allowed to. Moiraine says that Be'lal's plans are to let Rand into the Stone to take Callandor, only to kill him and take the sword for his own. She says that she will attempt to kill the Forsaken with Balefire, something she has learned over the past year. He is extremely dangerous, and will be difficult to defeat. She asks Loial what the Ogier remember about Be'lal. He tells how he was envious of Lews Therin Telamon, Lanfear and Sammael and thus Forsook the Light. He is called Netweaver and is a master of the Sword. Lan reports that he has seen Aiel on the rooftops in Tear. Perrin recounts how the Aiel he freed in Remen, Gaul, said that his people would leave the Three Fold Land when the Stone broke. Moiraine says she has never read anything about the Aiel in the Prophecies of the Dragon. Lan and Moiraine plan to find a way into the Stone tonight.

Chapter 51 -- Bait for the Net

Nynaeve thinks she sees Rand walking in the distance while she is out in the street buying some meat. Juilin approaches at that point to tell her that he has found the women for whom they are searching. He is very frightened and says that they are guests of the High Lord Samon. When they arrive at the house, Ailhuin is bound by Air and Nynaeve is shielded from the Source before she can do anything. Liandrin and Rianna are there. Nynaeve tries to fight with her fists but is beaten severely by flows of Air. Egwene and Elayne have suffered similar treatment. The two Black Ajah tell Ailhuin to keep her tongue quiet about what she has seen to which she agrees. Liandrin has to stop Rianna from killing Nynaeve rationalizing that bait is of no use of it is dead. Outside, when being loaded onto the Black Ajah's carriage, Nynaeve sees that Juilin was made to betray them. Liandrin and Rianna serve Be'lal who has sent for thirteen Myrddraal.

Chapter 52 -- In Search of a Remedy

Thom has become so sick that Mat has obtained directions to a Wise Woman's house in order to purchase a remedy. Outside the house Mat notices some recent carriage tracks and thinks them out of place in the Maule (the poorer part of Tear). He doesn't make much of it as his mind is on carrying Thom to the door. The woman, Mother Guenna, gives Thom a concoction to ease his cough against his will. In talking with Mat she realizes that Mat's friends (Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne) were there earlier. He is mad for walking by Mother Guenna's house on that first night in Tear. Against her judgment, she tells Mat that they have been taken to the Stone by Aes Sedai for Lord Samon. Mat thinks that this is good news until he learns that they were beaten. He leaves Thom with the Wise Woman and heads to the Stone with a mind to rescue his friends. He can feel the dice tumbling in his head.

Chapter 53 -- A Flow of the Spirit

Perrin has been working for the blacksmith again, while Zarine watches him. He has become uncomfortable with her gaze. When the two of them are on their way back to the inn, Lan and Moiraine tell them that Rand is in Tear; there have been may marriages and many other unlikely events occurring in the last day. Many people dreamt about Rand last night and have been having other nightmares because Be'lal has not been shielding his dreams. Lan orders Perrin and Zarine to leave for Tar Valon immediately. In the common room of the Star, Perrin overhears people talking about the Dragon. Upstairs he hears a noise from their private dining room and finds Zarine lying motionless on the floor with a carving of a hedgehog lying by her hand. The only thing that keeps Perrin from running to her side is Moiraine's cry to "Stop!".

If he had entered the room, he too would have been caught in the trap. Moiraine is unsure as to what has happened and orders Lan to find the innkeeper. Moiraine had order the man to not allow anyone into that room. He is incredibly terrified but says that two women came and said that they wanted to leave a surprise for her. Moiraine concludes that Be'lal knows she is in Tear and had set that trap for her. Lan comments that Be'lal will not be expecting them tonight. Moiraine explains to Perrin that Faile has been sent entirely to the World of Dreams -- dreamers are only part way there -- and she will die if she is left there for too long. When her and Lan have left, Perrin asks Loial to watch his back while he tries to save Zarine. Perrin leaps into the room and manages to touch her ankle before he is gone.

Perrin finds himself in the Wolf Dream where Hopper tells him that it is more dangerous than ever for Young Bull to be there. Instead of the axe at his side, he has his hammer. Perrin has entered the dream too strongly and his body turns into that of a wolf even larger than Hopper's. The two wolves set off together to find Faile.

Chapter 54 -- Into the Stone

It is night in Tear and Mat is on the rooftops. He intends to get into the Stone by crossing the wall to it and climbing up the wall. Glancing at it, he sees someone climbing up the wall. Out of nowhere, he feels a blade at his throat. He manages to put up a good fight before he is overcome by four figures. They are black-veiled Aiel. Juilin Sandar appears shortly thereafter feeling regret for how he betrayed Nynaeve and the others that afternoon. Among the Aiel are Rhuarc and Gaul. They leave the wetlanders trusting that they will not raise an alarm because of their presence in Tear. Juilin suggests that they use the thief-catchers entrance to the Stone. Mat asks Juilin to wait until he "stirs the ant-hill a bit."

He lights the fireworks in an arrowslit of the Stone and they explode before he is halfway back across the town wall. He sees that they have made a hole in the wall big enough for him to get through although he doesn't understand how. Regardless, he doesn't trust Juilin and decides to head through the newly made entrance. Inside, he curses himself for there are many Defenders of the Stone waiting for him. While he is fighting them, Juilin appears and leads Mat down to the dungeon where they hope to find Nynaeve and the others.

Rand is in the Stone and has heard the explosion and the resulting alarm. He climbed up the wall and opened the wound in his side while doing so. He is intent on getting Callandor and thus end the taunting and the hunting.

Egwene wakes in a cell and finds Nynaeve and Elayne in there with her. She swears that she will not be held prisoner again. While she was unconscious she dreamt of Rand coming for Callandor, Mat coming to save them and Perrin as a wolf. The other women tell her that they have been taken as bait for Rand and that there are thirteen Myrddraal coming to the Stone. Egwene wants to enter Tel'aran'rhiod to see if she can help them escape. When she gets there is able to channel. In the dungeon, she finds Joiya Byir faintly appearing in and out of the Dream World in front of Callandor in the Heart of the Stone. Very quickly, Egwene shields her from the Source and bounds her with a flow of Air. She leaves the Black Ajah there because she doesn't have the heart to kill her.

Perrin and Hopper are in the Stone killing the men guarding a tall door. Inside they find Faile who proclaims that she new Perrin would come before she disappears. Perrin vows to continue the hunt to find her.

Mat and Juilin are fighting again. Mat is dueling with the High Lord Darlin who is a very skilled opponent. Mat eventually defeats him and sees Rand run by in an adjacent corridor. Casually swinging his staff over his shoulder while talking to Juilin, Mat knocks out another High Lord who would have surely killed both of them before they saw him. Mat urges Juilin to find the staircase that will lead them down to the dungeon.

Chapter 55 -- What is Written in Prophecy

Rand is in the Heart of the Stone along with Be'lal. The Forsaken describes how they were once allies. Rand refuses to cower before merely one of the Forsaken and will not take Callandor even with Be'lal's continued insistence. They engage in swordfight and Rand finds himself outmatched. There are now many others fighting around the two men with swords made from saidin. Before Be'lal can kill Rand, Moiraine comes in and blasts the Forsaken with balefire. She says to Rand that he has come too soon, but that he must take Callandor.

Without warning, Moiraine is flung into one of the redstone columns by some unseen force. It is Ba'alzamon and he descends from the darkness above. "Twice in this life I have offered you the chance to serve me living. Twice you have refused, and wounded me. Now you will serve the Lord of the Grave in death. Die, Lews Therin Kinslayer. Die, Rand al'Thor. It is time for you to die! I take your soul!" The Dark One strikes Rand as he dives to grab Callandor. When he has it in his hands, he is able to channel more of the Power than he can believe. "You will not take my soul. This time, I mean to finish it once and for all! I mean to finish it now!" Ba'alzamon flees and Rand follows him with the Sword That Cannot Be Touched.

Egwene is down in the dungeon as it exists in Tel'aran'rhiod. She is unable to locate her cell, but she catches a glimpse much fainter that Joiya had been before and recognizes it as Amico, the Black Ajah who was guarding the door to her cell. She shields the other women, bounds her with air and smashes the lock of the cell door. Awake, a moment later, Amico is still bound but the lock on the door is still intact. All three of them feel that something has happened to the shield severing them from the source; it has weakened. Egwene goes back to finish things off.

Mat and Juilin have found their way down to the dungeon. Down the first corridor Mat sees a women sitting oddly in front of a door. Sandar recognizes the women as one of the Aes Sedai Nynaeve was looking for. Mat wants to help the seemingly helpless women, but decides to take her key and find out if his friends are behind the cell door. His hunch was right and Nynaeve and Elayne wake Egwene. Mat is let down at the harsh reception he receives from them. All three of them stare at Juilin when he walks in the door, and he apologizes for his earlier actions saying Liandrin made him do it. Nynaeve punches Amico which knocks her out and removes the shield from the One Power. Egwene takes Amico's ter'angreal. Mat asks why Nynaeve punched a helpless women and is momentarily suspended in the air while he is told to keep his opinions to himself. He and Juilin follow the women out of the dungeon.

Hopper has led Perrin to Faile twice but she has disappeared each time. This time, behind a door with hundreds of Falcons engraved on it, there is a falcon chained to its perch. Running to the bird, Perrin is attacked by dozens of falcons clawing at him. He reaches the perch, breaks the chain and blacks out in pain.

He awakens in the private dining room back at the Star with Faile bending over him tending to his many wounds. "My poor Perrin, my poor blacksmith. You are hurt so badly." There is a broken carving of a hedgehog on the floor near where he lay.

Rand is in what appears to be the Heart of the Stone in the Dream World. Balefire is shot at him from behind a column and he deflects it with Callandor which sends it into the columns around him obliterating them. He fires back and proceeds to chase Ba'alzamon around the Stone. Rand is forced to defend himself against all the traps and obstacles that The Dark One throws in his way. He is able counteract them without so much as a thought but finds it difficult to maintain the balance between existence and nothingness. Ba'alzamon has lead him back into the Heart of the Stone. He makes a plea for Rand to join him. In response, Rand severs the black lines that are connected to his foe from the surrounding darkness and slays him through the chest. This sends them both back to the Heart of the Stone in the real world. A man with a hole in his chest lies dead at Rand's feet with tendrils of black smoke rising from his eyes. "I have done it. I have killed Ba'alzamon, killed Shai'tan! I have won the Last Battle! Light, I am the Dragon Reborn! The breaker of nations, the breaker of the World. No! I will end the breaking, end the killing! I will make it end!" Rising Callandor above his head he yells "Stop!" and proclaims himself as the Dragon Reborn. One by one everyone in the room kneels to him crying, "The Dragon is Reborn! The Dragon is Reborn!"

Chapter 56 -- People of the Dragon

In the morning, people all over Tear speak of the dream they had of the Dragon battling Ba'alzamon in the Heart of the Stone, and see the Dragon banner flying above the Stone. All day people wander through the streets proclaiming "al'Thor! The Dragon! al'Thor!"

One hundred of three hundred Aiel had been lost through the night and ten times that many Defenders of the Stone. Mat has been laughed at by the Aiel for his efforts to try get Aviendha to dance without her spear and for trying to get Bain and Chiad alone. Moiraine tells Nynaeve and the others that Perrin is in Tear and should be safe with his companion. The Aes Sedai has one of the four remaining cuendillar disks that are still intact binding the Dark One in Shayol Ghul. Three of them have already been destroyed. Rhuarc tells how his people are the People of the Dragon mentioned in the prophecies. When an Aiel wishes to become a clan chief or a Wise One, they must travel to Rhuidean, in the land of the Jenn Aiel, where, among other things, they receive markings on their arms just like that on the Dragon banner. The Emond's Fielders are dumbfounded when Moiraine tells them that the Dark One is not dead. Egwene offers an explanation from something Verin had shown her. It mentioned Ba'alzamon and Ishamael together which might mean that is was the latter that Rand killed. That would leave nine Forsaken still alive.

Berelain, a young and very pretty women who is also the First of Mayene, delivers a message to Moiraine. It reads:

Lews Therin was mine. He is mine, and he will be mine, forever. I give him into your charge, to keep him for me until I come.

Lanfear

Knowing that Mat is eager to leave, Moiraine tells him that he is still a crucial part of the Pattern. He agrees with her, all the while planning his departure as soon a Thom is healthy enough to travel.

Summary by Craig Cassar: <[email protected]>
HTML-ised by Karl-Johan Norén: <[email protected]>