Rand POV#

The same night Rand awakens from a nightmare. Nynaeve is there in Egwene's room. She tells him Egwene has gone to see Fain. Rand brings up that they did not ask Moiraine if it was okay. Rand says Lan told him the Amyrlin is here for him. Nynaeve says women, including Lady Amalisa, are searching the keep.[1] He says he will leave as soon as the gates are opened. Perrin told him there are places in the Black Hills and Caralain Grass where one can go for days seeing no one.[2] Rand names the Dark One and has an attack of dizziness.

There is an alarm; the keep is under attack. Nynaeve tells him Egwene was going to the dungeon with Mat and Perrin. Rand rushes out heading for the dungeon. He runs into a Fade that smiles and comes toward him,[3] but Ingtar arrives and tells him to go on. Rand finds the dungeon unlocked and the guards butchered. There is a note on the door written in blood, "We will meet again on Toman Head. It is never over, al'Thor."[4] Rand scrubs it away. Liandrin enters the dungeon, asks him what he is doing, and compels him to answer. Rand resists the Compulsion. Moiraine enters next. They proceed into the dungeon and find the other two prisoners insane, Fain gone, and Egwene and Mat unconscious. Moiraine Heals Egwene, then examines Mat. She notes angrily that the ruby dagger is gone. Liandrin asks, "What dagger?"[5] Ingtar enters with some men who take Egwene to her room and Mat to the Amyrlin's chamber. Ingtar says the Fade escaped.[6] The storeroom was looted and the Horn is gone. Ronan is dead. Ingtar says that Ronan and twenty men once held Jehaan Tower against a thousand Trollocs. The Darkfriends and Trollocs entered through the Dog Gate; someone on the inside murdered the guards and let them in. He says Agelmar just ordered the gates closed. When Rand asks, Ingtar says he heard nothing about earlier orders. Ragan and Tema would not have made up something like that.[7] Verin and Serafelle enter and examine more writing on the walls. Verin says some of the writing is by Trollocs, but some is by a "better hand"[8] and they copy it down. As Rand leaves, Lan finds him and tells him he can go back to his room. He says Moiraine had Agelmar exempt Rand so now he can leave at any time. He says the choice is up to Rand.

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