Rand POV#

Rand is riding Jeade'en. The Aiel quickly make camp near Taien in the mouth of the Jangai Pass. Moiraine and Lan see that Kadere's wagons are settled. The gai'shain set up the tents for Amys, Bair and Melaine. Melaine and Bael were married three days ago; Melaine and Dorindha are now first-sisters.[1] Egwene and Aviendha ride up on Mist. Mat dismounts from Pips and continues to study the town. He often talks about odd things now. Rand wonders again what happened to him in Rhuidean, but Mat will only say that he got the foxhead medallion and the ashandarei. Melindhra watches Mat until Sulin sends her on an errand.

Rand goes to find Asmodean who is playing his harp. Rand asks him about the ruins above. Asmodean says they could possibly be his hometown of Shorelle, which was a port. As he walks to his tent, Rand channels through the little fat man to sets wards against Shadowspawn around the entire camp. He does not need to actually touch the angreal to use it. Adelin and a dozen other Maidens[2] guard his tent. Aviendha meets him there with a dead bloodsnake and they go into the tent. Still trying to cancel her debt to him, Aviendha gives Rand a gift, the jewel encrusted sword of King Laman. It is a small gift among Aiel because it is a sword. Rand accepts only the blade, giving the scabbard and hilt back to her. Aviendha is furious because the jewels, separated from the sword, are now worth a fortune.[3]

Dinner is bloodsnake stew, but that does not bother Rand nearly as much as the gara. After dinner, Rand asks about Melaine's and Bael's wedding. Bael had to fight his way through a hundred of their relatives and then fight Melaine before he carried her off. Aviendha also tells Rand that a man who wants a Maiden will sometimes let himself be taken gai'shain so he can be near her. The Maidens will then teach him to sing for them. Rand wonders again about Aviendha's necklace.

Lan told him the pattern is Kandori, so it might have come from a raid up north where the Reyn are from. He asks her where she got it, but she still will not tell him.[4] Rand wards his dreams, then goes to sleep wondering about the necklace. He dreams of Aviendha, Elayne and Min.

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