Rand POV#

Rand cuts open the igloo and is surprised that it is broad daylight. It is the middle of the night in Cairhien. He is astounded to see a great beast flying in the air with two riders.[1] He and Aviendha carefully make their way back to the gateway. There is a great ocean to the east confirming again that they are in a land Rand never heard of. Near the gateway there are four mounted women with about twenty soldiers. Two of the women hold leashes to two others and the soldiers have familiar armor. They are in Seanchan. Egwene taught Aviendha to handle multiple weaves at once. Egwene knows little of Healing and Aviendha knows less. Rand has Aviendha shield the two damane and two sul'dam, then he binds them all with Air. The damane wail in despair at the marath'damane. Rand notes that the gateway is gray instead of showing the inside of his room. There is saidin involved so Asmodean must have done something. Rand tries to remove the a'dam from one of the damane and gets a painful jolt of saidin. The damane and sul'dam are both stunned. Aviendha tries to remove the other a'dam but she cannot figure out how. The damane are Jini and Seri. One of the sul'dam tells the woman in charge, Lady Morsa, that the tall man must be Rand al'Thor. Lady Morsa was at Falme and recognizes him. Her sign is a silver stag's head. The other woman with a black raven and tower on her cloak is Jalindin, a Seeker for Truth. Jalindin is suspicious of what Morsa knows.[2] The two women argue over what they should do with Rand. Morsa belittles Jalindin saying she is only there because a nobleman, Sarek, looked above his place and had designs on Serengada Dai and Tuel.[3] Jalindin places Morsa under arrest. They will return to Merinloe.[3]

Rand and Aviendha leap through the gateway. A piece of a Seanchan spear comes though as the gateway snaps shut. Asmodean is there. He rendered the gateway invisible. He is amazed at what Rand did. Only Demandred, Semirhage and Lews Therin could block a gateway open. Asmodean tells Aviendha that a gai'shain came looking for her. She was delighted when Asmodean told her that Aviendha and Rand did not want to be disturbed. Soon, there were twenty Maidens outside the window chanting. To her chagrin, Aviendha identifies the gai'shain as her first-sister, Niella. She was taken six months ago by Chareen Maidens in a raid on Sulara Hold. Aviendha vows to welt her. Aviendha agrees to sleep elsewhere and leaves. Rand is angry that Asmodean never mentioned invisibility to him. He commands Asmodean to teach him the invisibility weave and how to block flows of saidar. He decides to keep the Dragon Scepter as a reminder of the Seanchan.
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