TPoD: A Time for Iron

%tabs

Kennar Miraj POV#

Captain General Kennar Miraj is camped a few miles east of Ebou Dar. There are lots of raken, morat'torm and morat'grolm on their mounts. He believes there are ninety thousand men in the opposing force, nearly twice his own number. They seem to spring up like trap-worms in the Sen T'jore. They are still a hundred miles east. His men are from all over Seanchan - Alqam, N'Kon, Khoweal and Dalenshar.

High Lady Suroth arrives from Ebou Dar. She arrives with Alwhin and two da'covale. Both appear ageless. One is Liandrin.[1] Miraj notes with some surprise that the second who is short, dark-haired, slim and pale-eyed, is leashed as damane.[2] Suroth tells him there are only a few thousand troops, but fifty Asha'man so they are Traveling. She orders him to wipe them out. Miraj wonders about her source of information.[3] He asks for sul'dam and damane and assurance that they are no longer sick.[4] She gives him the damane, but no assurance.

More Kennar Miraj POV

Rand POV#

Rand rides Tai'daishar the day after he was wounded.

Lews Therin is becoming more withdrawn. Dashiva, Flinn, Adley, Hopwil, Morr, Narishma, Gedwyn and Rochaid hold gateways as the army pours through. Bashere rides up joining Ailil and Anaiyella. Denharad is nearby. The nobles begin to join Bashere while Tihera and Marcolin stay to the sides. Weiramon, Torean, Sunamon, Gueyam, Maraconn, Bertome, Semaradrid, Gregorin and the three others of the Council of Nine are there. Rand announces that there are fifty thousand Seanchan ten miles west and warns everyone to stick with the plan. Weiramon leads Kiril Drapaneos, Bertome, Doressin and several minor Cairhienin. Gregorin leads Sunamon and Dalthanes. Bashere leads Jeordwyn Semaris(of the Nine), Amondrid and Gueyam. Semaradrid leads Torean, Maraconn and Ershin Netari. Gedwyn accompanies Weiramon while Rochaid accompanies Bashere. Masond leads a company of the Legion.

As the Asha'man join Rand, Dashiva rides up and weaves a barrier against eavesdropping. He tells Rand in very precise terms that saidin is misbehaving.[5] His weave vibrates instead of holding steady. Rand belittles the problem and Dashiva's experience whereupon Dashiva gets angry. Rand wishes Herid Fel were still alive as he might have an answer. Nalaam gates in with a report that the Seanchan are on the march only five miles away.

More Rand POV

Kennar Miraj POV#

Miraj leads his forces east. He knows that news of an army such as his runs like wildfire on the Sa'las Plains. He is accompanied by Abaldar Yulan, one of his captains, and Lisaine Jarath, his senior der'sul'dam. He has at least twenty damane and sul'dam. An under-lieutenant, Varek, reports that the enemy is only five miles east. Miraj issues orders to prepare for attack.

Bertome Saighan POV#

Bertome talks with Doressin, his boyhood friend. Doressin thinks Rand means for him to die because he listened to Colavaere. There are seven Asha'man leading them. Bertome rides up to speak to Weiramon and hears him angrily say to Gedwyn, "I don't care who you are. I won't take more risk without a command direct from the lips of—"[6] Weiramon stops, immediately smiles, and begins gigging Bertome about Colavaere. Bertome has mixed feelings. Colavaere was ambitious beyond reason, yet she was his favorite cousin. One of his scouts, Doile from his Colchaine estates, rides up with news that two thousand Tarabon with sul'dam and damane are right on his heals. They prepare to fight as the Tarabon attack.

More Bertome Saighan POV

Varek POV#

Varek, in the heat of battle, hears shouts for den Lushenos, Annallin and Haellin for High Lord Sunamon. He has an urgent message for Banner-General Chianmai from Miraj, an order to pull back. He thinks this is even worse than Falme. He finds Chianmai dead, accidentally killed when the damane, Zakai, had her channeling go out of control. Varek takes charge of the survivors and orders them to head south.

More Varek POV

Davram Bashere POV#

Bashere is with Gueyam, Amondrid, Jeordwyn Semaris and Rochaid. His horse is Quick. A third of his men and two of the seven Asha'man with them are dead. Rochaid acts worried. The Asha'man are becoming slow and hesitant in their attacks.[7]

More Davram Bashere POV

Rand POV#

Rand is with Adley who lost control of saidin killing a bunch of Ailil's and Anaiyella's men. Morr is with the Companions to the south and Narishma and Hopwil are with the Defenders of the Stone to the north. Flinn and Dashiva are also with him. Bashere rides up telling Rand that he sent orders to Semaradrid, Gregorin and Weiramon to rally to Rand. Rand is angry, but Bashere says there are ten to fifteen thousand soldiers with maybe a hundred damane nearby. Rand says not even the Forsaken stand against the Dragon Reborn and Dashiva flinches.

Rand draws Callandor, the bundle that Narishma brought. Rand channels Wind, Water and Fire and lightning destroys the entire area. Despite Asmodean's teaching, Rand often does not know what he is doing when he channels. He loses control, killing men on both sides. Jonan Adley is killed. Bashere tackles him to the ground to stop him. Despondent, Rand orders a retreat not knowing whether he has won or lost.[8]

Abaldar Yulan POV#

Abaldar Yulan covers Miraj's body and orders a general retreat back to Ebou Dar. This is the second devastating defeat for the Seanchan. He will have to apologize to Suroth and the Empress.

More Abaldar Yulan POV

%collapsebox-closed

Notes (Possible Spoilers)#

[#1] Liandrin must have been captured by Suroth in Amador. She is evidently still shielded. Hence she is not leashed.
[#2] The description matches Pura.
[#3] Good question. Does the information come from Dashiva, the renegade Asha'man or some other source?
[#4] The sickness is the effect of saidar misbehaving from the overuse of the Bowl of the Winds. The effect is strongest near Ebou Dar. (TPoD,Ch6)
[#5] So saidin is also misbehaving.
[#6] Was he about to say, "the Lord Dragon Reborn," or someone else?
[#7] Because of saidin acting so strange.
[#8] Aracome is already dead fulfilling part of Min's viewing. (LoC,Ch50) It is not clear if Gueyam and Maraconn also die in this battle or if they survive.