Rand POV#

Rand and Loial finish lunch at Lord Algarin's manor house. Lord Algarin left for the Black Tower. It is pouring rain. Loial continues to quiz Rand and take notes for his book. He is trying to grow a beard. He is disappointed because Rand does not elaborate on events like the fall of Illian and the cleansing of the True Source. Nynaeve and Alivia are there. Nynaeve still wears all of her jewelry set ter'angreal and her strange bracelet and rings angreal. Harilin of the Iron Mountain Taardad and Enaila of the Jarra Chareen stand guard. There are fifty Maidens at the manor house including some Shaido. Rand goes through the litany of women who died for him, Moiraine Damodred, Liah of the Cosaida Chareen, Sendara of the Iron Mountain Taardad, Lamelle of the Smoke Water Miagoma, Andhilin of the Red Salt Goshien, Desora of the Musara Reyn.

He wakes Min muttering the list at night. Lews Therin sometimes chants it. Min reads one of Herid Fel's books. With Min, Elayne and Aviendha bonded to him he wonders how to keep them safe. Verin and Cadsuane are there. Rand thinks of Mat and Perrin. He sees an image of Mat talking with a small, dark woman and leading a line of folks through forest.[1] He sees an image of Perrin with a man and woman in uniforms.[2] He can suppress the images if he wants. He is angry because he needs them and they are off for a day at the Ansaline Gardens.

Another image forms, the stranger who saved his life at Shadar Logoth when he fought Sammael. He and Lews Therin both think the man was aware of them as if they were touching.[3] Rand thinks their streams of balefire crossing created a link of some sort. He knows the other man used the True Power so he must be a Darkfriend but not one of the Forsaken as Lews Therin remembers all their faces.

Lews Therin moans about the voice in his head and Ilyena. He wants to die to join her. Lanfear and Ishamael knew how to track ta'veren by their effect on the Pattern.[4] No one else has found him that way since they died. Nynaeve delves Rand to make sure he is okay. Many servants are sick because of bad food. She has no more success Healing the wound in his side than Flinn. Ethin enters and announces that Lord Logain has returned.

Logain enters. He reports on the status of Caemlyn, the Borderlanders and the Black Tower. Arymilla still holds her siege on Elayne. Bashere has not returned yet. The Borderlanders have thirteen Aes Sedai with them. He does not know what they want but they have ties to the White Tower and Elaida certainly still wants him. Ethin leaves. Cadsuane helped capture both Logain and Taim. Logain was a minor noble in Ghealdan but King Johanin and the Crown High Council stripped him of his land and title when he became a false Dragon. Following Rand's orders Logain sent Asha'man to Arad Doman as well as Illian, more than half the Black Tower including all those with bonded Aes Sedai except for the ones with Rand. Dobraine and Rhuarc will send a messenger as soon as they find someone in charge in Arad Doman. The Council of Merchants claim Alsalam is still King but no one can find him. Bandar Eban is in chaos. Rand will have to appoint a steward for Arad Doman but he does not know who. Taim is angry that Logain took so many men and that he does not know where Rand is. There are forty-one full Asha'man with Taim now and fifty more in his special classes. Min still sees an aura of glory around Logain. Rand cannot spend time worrying about Logain and Taim because he has to deal with the Seanchan and Tarmon Gai'don. Rand and Logain start arguing and Cadsuane tells them to be civil. Verin pipes up that the signs indicate the Last Battle is coming soon. Rand asks Cadsuane what she thinks of his plan. She thinks his peace with the Seanchan will be unpopular. He reminds her it is just a truce and only with the Dragon Reborn. When he is gone they can start their war again. Cadsuane is still doubtful. Rand tells her one of his answers from the Aelfinn in the twisted red doorway. When he asked how he can win the Last Battle they answered:

"The north and the east must be as one. The west and the south must be as one. The two must be as one."

He actually asked how to win and survive. The last part of his answer was:

"To live, you must die."

He thinks it means he should let the Seanchan hold the west and south and ally with them. She asks why he is reinforcing Illian and moving an army to Arad Doman. He wants armies in place to fight in case the Seanchan will not agree to a truce. Rand just figured out what the Prophecies of the Dragon meant with, "He must bind the Daughter of the Nine Moons to him." He expects Bashere to return soon with plans for their meeting. Cadsuane tells him he must be flexible rather than hard.

Ethin enters again and announces that three Ogier have arrived including Loial's mother Covril daughter of Ella daughter of Soong. The other two must be Elder Haman and Erith. Loial is distraught but Cadsuane tells him to go see her. They are in the Ogier sitting room upstairs. He is sure Erith will take him back to Stedding Tsofu so he will not be able to finish his book. Loial reluctantly leaves. Verin goes to find Tomas and Nynaeve goes to find Lan. The storm outside is letting up but Nynaeve says a terrible storm is coming.

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