[{Table style='width:100%'

| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_lft.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=ACoS,Ch40'}] 
| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/wheel_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Wheel Chapter Icon'}] ''[ACoS|A Crown of Swords]: A Crown of Swords'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=TPoD,Prologue' align='right'}]
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! __Rand__ POV

[Rand|Rand alThor] has more nightmares - fighting with [Perrin|Perrin Aybara], begging [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] to find [Elayne|Elayne Trakand], flashes of color,[1] [Fain|Padan Fain] attacking him, [Elayne|Elayne Trakand], [Aviendha] and [Min|Min Farshaw] all glaring at him, [Alanna|Alanna Mosvani] trying to soothe him. He wakes to voices; [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] and [Min|Min Farshaw] do not want him disturbed. He feels that [Alanna|Alanna Mosvani] is afraid for him. [Amys] is with [Bera|Bera Harkin] and [Kiruna|Kiruna Nachiman] on one side. [Samitsu|Samitsu Tamagowa],[2] [Corele|Corele Hovian] and [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] are on the other. All of them are glowering at [Dashiva|OsanGar], [Flinn|Damer Flinn], [Narishma|Jahar Narishma], and [Jonan Adley] who are all holding %%ot [saidin|Said]%%, [Dashiva|OsanGar] almost as much as [Rand|Rand alThor] could. [Rand|Rand alThor] looks to [Adley|Jonan Adley] who nods slightly. [Rand|Rand alThor] is surprised that he is alive and says the [ruby dagger|Ruby Dagger] is from [Shadar Logoth|Aridhol (City)]. [Samitsu|Samitsu Tamagowa] and [Corele|Corele Hovian] are startled, but [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] nods saying, "That explains several matters." [Samitsu|Samitsu Tamagowa], [Corele|Corele Hovian] and [Flinn|Damer Flinn] saved him using [Healing|Weaves#h] not seen since the [Breaking]. He has been out for two days; it is early afternoon. He starts to get up and [Amys] threatens to call [Nandera], [Somara] and [Enaila]. The men want him up and the women are fighting it. [Dashiva|OsanGar] prepares weaves - not shields, but complex weaves of [Fire|One Power] and [Spirit|One Power] for pain. [Rand|Rand alThor] stops him, gets up and gets dressed. He wants to talk to the [Asha'man] alone. [Min|Min Farshaw] says she needs to be with him. All the women but [Min|Min Farshaw] leave, glancing at [Adley|Jonan Adley] as they go.[3] [Dashiva|OsanGar] laughs as they leave, then frowns at [Adley|Jonan Adley].[4] [Rand|Rand alThor] sends the men to the anteroom. [Min|Min Farshaw] wanted to stay because she had a [viewing|viewings] of [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin]:

* She is going to teach [Rand|Rand alThor] and all [Asha'man] something they have to learn, but they will not like learning it from her.

[Merana|Merana Ambrey] has not completed the [Sea Folk] bargain; she and [Rafela|Rafela Cindal] have not even left the ship. [Adley|Jonan Adley] is there to report on the army; it has reached the [Illian|Illian (Country)] hillforts. [Flinn|Damer Flinn] and [Narishma|Jahar Narishma] are startled. They did not know where [Adley|Jonan Adley], [Hopwil|Eben Hopwil], and [Fedwin Morr] had gone either. The army arrived days early. High Lord [Weiramon|Weiramon Saniago] left the foot soldiers behind and pressed forward with horsemen and [Aiel]. They ran into [Shaido] yesterday,[5] nine to ten thousand, but there were no [channeling|True Source] [Wise Ones|Aiel] so they were no problem. They reached the hillforts at noon today. [Eben|Eben Hopwil] and [Adley|Jonan Adley] began attacking, but [Sammael] showed up immediately. [Rand|Rand alThor]'s plan was to convince [Sammael] that he was not with the army so he would leave [Illian|Illian (Country)]. His plan[6] is now moot, since everyone with spies knows he is laid up. [Fedwin|Fedwin Morr] will join them; he visits every night. [Sammael] is still cutting up the army. [Rand|Rand alThor] announces his attack on [Sammael] startling [Dashiva|OsanGar]. For secrecy, [Min|Min Farshaw] will keep everyone out and pretend they are still there for about an hour. As [Min|Min Farshaw] walks out, [Dashiva|OsanGar] stares at her licking his lips. [Rand|Rand alThor] clears his throat and [Dashiva|OsanGar] raises his hands defensively. 

All five gate to the [Saldaean|Saldaea] camp near [Caemlyn] and the [Black Tower]. It is late afternoon there. [Dashiva|OsanGar] has no idea what is going on. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] should not know, one of [Fedwin Morr]'s jobs was to feel for anyone spying. [Rand|Rand alThor] goes to [Bashere|Davram Bashere]'s tent. He is there with [Deira|Deira Bashere]. [Rand|Rand alThor] says no wives today making her angry. There are nine thousand [Saldaean|Saldaea] light horse and fifteen thousand foot who call themselves the [Legion of the Dragon]. [Fedwin|Fedwin Morr] joins them. [Rand|Rand alThor] makes a huge gateway and runs through to the [Square of Tammaz] with the [King's Palace|Kings Palace] and the [Great Hall of the Council] at either end. [Rand|Rand alThor] announces himself with a voice amplified by [Air|One Power] and [Fire|One Power]. He and the [Asha'man] throw balls of fire into the air to clear the square. [Dashiva|OsanGar] makes blue lightning instead. The [Saldaeans|Saldaea] follow. [Rand|Rand alThor] makes another gateway. One does not need to know a place at all to [Travel|Weaves#t] a very short distance. Each [Asha'man] opens his own and they spread out. [Rand|Rand alThor] is atop a tower on the [King's Palace|Kings Palace]. He sends out very broad weavings of all fives [Powers|One Power] to set off all of [Sammael]'s wards. Once triggered such wards have to be remade to work again. From [Lews Therin|Lews Therin Telamon] [Rand|Rand alThor] knows [Sammael] will come. He has never given up anything of his without a fight. After all the [Saldaeans|Saldaea] are through, [Rand|Rand alThor] closes the gateway and remains standing. He might need to see as well as feel a weave. 

Hours pass. At sunset, [Rand|Rand alThor] wonders what [Sammael] is doing. A man [channels|True Source] in the [Great Hall of the Council], enough for a gateway. Less and [Rand|Rand alThor] might not have felt it at that distance. He gates across just before his tower explodes with [Fire|One Power] and [Earth|One Power]. Then he is hit with laser-like wires of [Fire|One Power] and [Air|One Power]. He starts to use [balefire|Weaves#b], but stops, remembering [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin]. He hears [Sammael] challenge him to follow, weak flows he might not detect at ten paces. He feels [Sammael] open gateway a few floors up, gates up there and opens gateway to close to where [Sammael] went. He finds himself in [Shadar Logoth|Aridhol (City)] with the setting sun slightly higher there. [Sammael] attacks again with [Earth|One Power], [Fire|One Power] and [Air|One Power]. [Rand|Rand alThor] sees two [Trollocs]. [Liah] of the [Cosaida] [Chareen] appears and kills them, snarls at him and runs off.[7] He follows. He runs into four [Trollocs] and a [Fade]. He kills them with his [One Power] sword. Even though the sword takes very little power, [Sammael] attacks again.[8] The lightning is so close [Rand|Rand alThor] loses %%ot [saidin|Said]%%. He runs into a stadium and falls through the floor. 

A hand grabs his and a deep voice says, "You are a fool. Count yourself lucky I don't care to see you die today. Are you going to help? I don't intend to carry you on my shoulders, or kill [Sammael] for you." [Rand|Rand alThor] holds %%ot [saidin|Said]%% again. The man is a big fellow a little older than [Rand|Rand alThor] and as tall with black hair and coat. [Rand|Rand alThor] has never seen him. "Who are you?" "Just say I'm a wanderer passing through."[9] [Mashadar] falls on them. Both use [balefire|Weaves#b] and their beams cross. [Rand|Rand alThor]'s head rings like a gong. With vision doubled he sees the other man holding his head.[10] [Rand|Rand alThor] says, "What happened there?" "I don't know what happened. Run if you want to live." He refuses to take [Rand|Rand alThor]'s hand. Both run, and there is more lightning. [Rand|Rand alThor] asks him to join the [Black Tower] so he will not have to be afraid of [Aes Sedai]. He says, "I have never been afraid of [Aes Sedai]. You probably should leave here now, but if you intend to stay and kill [Sammael], try thinking like him. You have shown you can. He always liked destroying a man in sight of one of that man's triumphs, if he could. Lacking that, somewhere the man had marked as his would do." [Rand|Rand alThor] realizes this must mean the [Waygate|Ways]. "A great many plans will have to be relaid if you let yourself be killed now." The [Wanderer|Moridin] runs into an alley and vanishes. He had time to make a gateway, but [Rand|Rand alThor] felt nothing. He felt nothing at the [balefire|Weaves#b] either.[11]

[Rand|Rand alThor] thinks [Sammael] brought the [Trollocs] and [Fades|Fade] by [Waygate|Ways] which means they will all die. [Rand|Rand alThor] climbs a tower overlooking the square with the [Waygate|Ways]. He spots [Sammael] looking out of a palace entrance. [Mashadar] starts to fall on [Sammael]. [Rand|Rand alThor] prepares to [balefire|Weaves#b] him, but he hears a scream. [Mashadar] has got [Liah]. [Rand|Rand alThor] [balefires|Weaves] her instead and turns back to [Sammael], but the whole front of the palace is now full of [Mashadar]. There was no time for him to run and [Rand|Rand alThor] would have felt it if he opened a gateway so he must be dead.[12] The waning moon is almost at half. [Rand|Rand alThor] contemplates a while, then [Skims|Weaves#s] back to [Illian|Illian (Country)]. [Bashere|Davram Bashere], [Dashiva|OsanGar] and the [Asha'man] are waiting in the throne room. [Rand|Rand alThor] says [Sammael] is dead. [Dashiva|OsanGar] sighs loudly with relief. Lord [Gregorin Panar den Lushenos], speaking for the [Council of Nine|Illian (Country)], offers [Illian|Illian (Country)] and the crown to [Rand|Rand alThor]. The crown is laurel leaves with tiny pointy swords. [Mattin Stepaneos|Mattin Stepaneos den Balgar] disappeared two days ago. [Gregorin Panar den Lushenos] thinks [Brend|Sammael] was involved.[13] They want [Rand|Rand alThor] for king because of the grain he sent from [Tear|Tear (Country)] prevented starvation. Word spreads, with a feeling the storm is coming.
\\ \\
More [Rand POV]
%%

! Footer

"Master of the lightnings, rider on the storm,\\
wearer of a crown of swords, spinner-out of fate.\\
Who thinks he turns the Wheel of Time,\\
may learn the truth too late.

%%right
—From a fragmentary translation of ''The\\
[Prophecies of the Dragon|Karaethon Prophecies],'' attributed to Lord\\
[Mangore Kiramin], Sword-bard of [Aramaelle] and\\
[Warder|Warder] to [Caraighan Maconar], into what was then\\
called the vulgar tongue (circa 300 AB)."
%%

%%collapsebox-closed
! Notes (Possible Spoilers)

[#1] These flashes began while he was imprisoned, ([ACoS,Ch7]) continue to grow ([ACoS,Ch18]) and will begin to include [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] and [Perrin|Perrin Aybara]. ([WH,Ch11])
\\[#2] In early printings [Samitsu|Samitsu Tamagowa] was incorrectly identified as [Sumeko|Sumeko Karistovan]. This was corrected in more recent printings.
\\[#3] Evidently his arrival after being gone for days caused the dissension.
\\[#4] Dashiva does not know why [Adley|Jonan Adley] is back.
\\[#5] One of the groups sent by [Sammael].
\\[#6] Exactly what [Rand|Rand alThor] planned to do is not clear.
\\[#7] How did [Liah|liah] survive in [Shadar Logoth|Aridhol (City)]? In an online chat Robert Jordan explained, "She became absorbed into the city. She was left there and she is, after all, an [Aiel], one of the people better at surviving under harsh circumstances than anyone else in the world. And also her corruption by [Shadar Logoth|Aridhol (City)] gave her ''some'' protection." 
\\[#8] In the hours [Rand|Rand alThor] waited, [Sammael] brought in [Trollocs] and warded [Shadar Logoth|Aridhol (City)].
\\[#9] By his appearance and actions, this [Wanderer|moridin] is, in fact, [Moridin].
\\[#10] The appears to be the beginning of the link between [Rand|Rand alThor] and [Moridin] whereby [Rand|Rand alThor] sees increasingly clear images of [Moridin] in his mind. ([TPoD,Ch21], [WH,Prologue], [WH,Ch22], [KoD,Ch18], [KoD,Ch21])
\\[#11] Apparently the [Wanderer|Moridin] used the [True Power].
\\[#12] At post Winter's Heart [signings|Guide#3] and [chats|Guide#3], Robert Jordan confirmed that [Sammael] is really dead, killed by [Mashadar].
\\[#13] Was it [Sammael] or the result of [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan]'s orders from [ACoS,Prologue]? We learn the answer in [KoD,Ch2]. 
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