[{Table style='width:100%'

| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_lft.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=TEotW,Ch39'}] 
| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/lion_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Category Lion Icon'}] ''The Web Tightens'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=TEotW,Ch41' align='right'}]
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! __Rand__ POV

[Rand|Rand alThor] awakes on the ground with a bleeding head. [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] and [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] climb down from a tree. [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] starts to tend to [Rand|Rand alThor]'s injury, bandaging his head with a silk scarf.[1] [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] mentions [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan], [Lini|lini] and [Gareth Bryne]. He served under three Queens and as Captain-General and First Prince Regent for two. [Rand|Rand alThor] asks who their mother is and [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] tells him she is [Morgase|Morgase Trakand]. At that, [Rand|Rand alThor] starts for the wall to leave. [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] asks [Rand|Rand alThor] to tell them his name and where he is from, which he does. [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] says "[Elayne|Elayne Trakand] ought to choose her husband from there," meaning the [Two Rivers]. [Galad|Galad Damodred] walks up. [Rand|Rand alThor] tries to remember what [Hyam Kinch] and [Basel Gill]  told him about [Galad|Galad Damodred]. [Galad|Galad Damodred] distrusts [Rand|Rand alThor] and wants to arrest him, but [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] stops him. [Galad|Galad Damodred] then leaves. Soon after, guards arrive led by [Tallanvor|Martyn Tallanvor]. He and the rest of the guards escort [Rand|Rand alThor], [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] and [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] to [Morgase|Morgase Trakand]. On the way, [Rand|Rand alThor] notes only one cat. [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] explains that [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] hates rats and keeps them away.[2] With [Morgase|Morgase Trakand] are [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] and [Bryne|Gareth Bryne]. [Morgase|Morgase Trakand] chastises [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] and [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand], mentioning that they will be going to [Tar Valon] in two days with [Logain|Logain Ablar]'s escort. She saw him up close and thinks he is still dangerous. [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] comes over to study [Rand|Rand alThor] and notices his heron-marked sword. [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] asks [Rand|Rand alThor] where he got his sword. He replies that his father gave it to him. [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] is suspicious, but [Bryne|Gareth Bryne] says the sword belongs with him. [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] asks where [Rand|Rand alThor] is staying. He lies and says [The Crown and Lion]. [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] has a [Foretelling|Weaves]: 

* "From this day [Andor] marches toward pain and division. The Shadow has yet to darken to its blackest, and I cannot see if the Light will come after. Where the world has wept one tear, it will weep thousands." She whispers the rest to [Rand|Rand alThor], "Pain and division come to the whole world, and this man stands in the heart of it."

[Morgase|Morgase Trakand] questions him and then decides to release him, much to [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan]'s displeasure. She recognizes [Two Rivers] speech from when she was young.[3] [Tallanvor|Martyn Tallanvor], [Elayne|Elayne Trakand], [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] and several guards escort [Rand|Rand alThor] to the front gate. [Gawyn|Gawyn Trakand] tells [Rand|Rand alThor] he looks like an [Aielman|Aiel]. [Rand|Rand alThor] runs away from the [Royal Palace].
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More [Category Rand POV]
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!! Notes


[#1]<li start=1>It is interesting that [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] carries a veritable medical kit in her cloak but later turns out to be really lousy at [Healing|Weaves]. Also, the scarf used as a bandage vanishes after this chapter and is never mentioned again.
[#2]<li start=2>Apparently this is commonly known as [Moiraine|Moiraine Damodred] uses a similar weave in [TEotW,Ch41].
[#3]<li start=3>Under what circumstances did [Morgase|Morgase Trakand] hear [Two Rivers] speech?