Nynaeve POV#

Rand rides Tai'daishar to his meeting with the Borderlanders' delegation with Nynaeve, Narishma, Naeff and two hundred Aiel guards. Nynaeve rides Moonlight. The meeting is at a crossroads some distance away. The Maidens convinced Rand not to Travel directly to the meeting place. Nynaeve tries to convince Rand to support Lan and his Malkier at Tarwin's Gap. Ituralde reports Trollocs massing in the Blight. Rand refuses. He will not attack where the Shadow dictates. He no longer cares about anyone or anything but fighting the Dark One at any cost. Nynaeve thinks she has no choice but to try to help Cadsuane in her plan. She asks Rand if he knows where Perrin is. He says he has not been meeting with Perrin; he simply knows. He and Perrin and Mat are connected. The crossroads is no longer important. Perhaps Verin could say why. It is a remnant of the nation that is now only the city-state of Far Madding.

Nynaeve falls back and rides with Narishma. Merise and the other Aes Sedai were furious when Rand did not let them come, but he demanded a balance, the four channelers and two hundred Aiel in his party and no more than four Aes Sedai and two hundred men from the Borderlanders' camp. Narishma has no idea why they left the defense against the Blight. His loyalty is now to Rand.

The Aiel scouts return to report that the Borderlanders have great honor. There is only one man in their delegation! They ride forward and discover that it is Hurin. Rand callously wraps him in Air and questions him to prove that he is real. Nynaeve feels sorry for him. He spent a lot of time with Rand chasing Fain and the Horn. On the return trip to Tar Valon it was clear that he idolized Rand. Hurin says that he smells something terrible, like death and violence only darker.[1] Hurin tells Rand that he is there to set up a formal meeting. The Borderlanders want badly to meet with him, but they require that he come inside the guardian at Far Madding.

Rand cuts him off and opens a gateway to a point a short way back on the road. They all ride through and Rand opens another gateway to the wooded hollow where they stopped after leaving Far Madding. Traveling to a place, one learns it well enough to Travel from there immediately. Rand rides out of the hollow to where he can see Far Madding and the army around it. Rand says they want to capture him and put him in a box again. The access key begins to glow and Rand says he will teach them a lesson. Frantically, Nynaeve talks him out of raining lightning on the army saying there will be no turning back if he does that. Rand calmly says there has been no turning back since Tam found him on Dragonmount, but the access key stops glowing. He gives Hurin a message, the Dragon Reborn rides to Shayol Ghul. He will return the army to their duty at the Blight if they wish. Else, they can stay here in hiding and explain their failure to their grandchildren. Leaving Hurin,

Rand opens another gateway back to Tear. As they dismount at the Stone of Tear stableyards, Rand tells Nynaeve that Perrin is camped near a huge statue of a sword point down. He is telling her this as he owes her a debt for caring when he cannot. As she enters the Stone, she sees the place where Mat blasted a hole with Illuminator's fireworks to rescue her. She has not seen him since Ebou Dar fell to the Seanchan. She wonders why she embarrassed herself in front of the Daughter of the Nine Moons over him.

She goes to Cadsuane's room and finds her with Merise, Corele and Min. Nynaeve tells them that she knows where Perrin is, but demands to know the plan before she will tell. She tells them how badly the meeting went. Cadsuane mutters that she will teach him to laugh again. Corele says that none of it matters. Min's viewings indicate that they will win. Min disagrees and Cadsuane says she is right. Min views the Pattern, but if Rand loses the Pattern will be destroyed. Nynaeve describes the statue and Cadsuane says it is the amahn'rukane[2] near the Jehannah Road. They will go for him right now. She then accedes and answers Nynaeve's question. They are not after Perrin. They are after someone with him.[3]
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