Min POV#

The wind blows across the Caralain Grass, the Luan River, Dragonmount, the towns of Jualdhe, Darein and Alindaer to Tar Valon. Min arrives at the White Tower and joins the other petitioners. Her hair is longer and she wears a blue dress with Jaerecuz lace to avoid recognition. She hopes to cross the Ostrein Bridge heading south in a few hours.[1] An Accepted introduces herself as Faolain and asks what she wants. Min demands an immediate audience with Siuan. At that moment three Aes Sedai enter the room and Min has a viewing:

• Ananda of the Yellow Ajah - a sickly brown halo, shriveled and split by rotting fissures that fell in and widened as they decayed.
• One of the Green Ajah, small and fair-haired - on her shoulder sat a human skull. A small woman's skull, picked clean and sun-bleached.
• A third Aes Sedai, plumply pretty, arrogant, cool, blue eyes - a tattered curtain of blood, crimson streamers running down her face.
• All three will die on the same day.[2]

Faolain tells her she cannot see the Amyrlin another sister will have to do. Min insists and gives her name as Elmindreda. Faolain sighs and says she will pass the message to the Keeper of the Chronicles. While she waits, Min has more viewings:

• An apple-cheeked Accepted - bars floated in front of her face like a cage.
• Sheriam - her face seemed battered and bruised.
• A Brown Ajah sister - her aura faded like a guttering candle flame.

A novices enters and introduces herself as Sahra. She takes Min to the Amyrlin's chambers. On the way Min has more viewings:

• Several Warders - bloody faces or gaping wounds. Swords and spears danced about their heads, threatening. Their auras flashed wildly, flickered on the knife edge of death.[2]
• Dead men walking - they would die on the same day as the Aes Sedai in the entry hall, or at most a day later.[2]
• Some of the servants - signs of violence.[2]
• Another Aes Sedai - chains in the air around her.
• Yet another Aes Sedai - a silver collar around her neck.[3]

At the Amyrlin's chambers, Gawyn comes out and recognizes her. He demands to know where Egwene and Elayne are. She tells him all she knows is that Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve started for the White Tower months ago with Verin. He tells her they arrived safely but then disappeared again. He is angry that Siuan will not give him a straight answer. She views him:

• Gawyn - streaks of dried blood had made his face a grim mask. He was going to be wounded on the day the Aes Sedai died. He was going to be hurt more than the blood told, hurt somehow deeper than wounds to his flesh.[2]

She tells him she does not know where they are, but he should not worry. He says he took an oath when Elayne was a baby to protect her. He says Galad is worried about them as well. Min says she will talk with him more after she sees Siuan. He says he will be practicing with Hammar. Her viewing returns:

• Gawyn - that bloody mask again. More: a sword floated above his head, and a banner waved behind it. The long-hilted sword, like those most Warders used, had a heron engraved on its slightly curved blade, symbol of a blademaster, and Min could not say whether it belonged to Gawyn or threatened him. The banner bore Gawyn's sigil of the charging White Boar, but on a field of green rather than the red of Andor.[4]

Gawyn leaves and Sahra takes Min into the anteroom where Leane waits. Leane dismisses Sahra. She recognizes Min. Min views her:

• Leane - a transparent mask of her own face, a screaming mask.[2]

Leane admits Min to Siuan's audience room and leaves. Min views Siuan:

• Siuan - she was lying on the floor, naked. Aside from her being in only her skin, there was something odd about the image.[2] She has no idea what it means.

Min tells Siuan about all of her viewings. There will be a huge battle with many killed and injured. Siuan says she will send Sahra to a farm to serve a penance just in case she remembers Min. Min believes only three Aes Sedai, Siuan, Moiraine and Verin, know about her talent. Min says she saw a lot of Whitecloaks in Alindaer and asks if that could be the source of the battle. Siuan says no. Eamon Valda would not order an attack without direct orders from Pedron Niall. Moreover, Valda sent all but five hundred men somewhere else weeks ago.[5] Min passes on Moiraine's message that Rand took off on his own headed for Tear. Siuan immediately realizes this means he is after Callandor.[6] Siuan realizes that Min is in love with Rand and she admits it. Her first viewing of Rand was three women's faces, one hers, the other two blurred.[7] Min wants to leave to go to Tear, but Siuan tells her she is staying. Siuan tells her to disguise herself as Elmindreda, a silly coquette, and Min is horrified.

Elaida POV#

Elaida sees Sahra and Min enter the Amyrlin's anteroom. She recognizes Min and recalls that Min spent a lot of time with the Amyrlin and no one knew why. She is also friends with Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve. Elaida is infuriated that she cannot find Elayne. Elaida is the only one since Gitara Moroso to have the Foretelling. Her first, while still an Accepted, was that the Royal line of Andor would be the key to defeating the Dark One in the Last Battle. She attached herself to Morgase because of it. She recalls that Egwene and Nynaeve are from the same village as Rand and that Min knows him as well. She knows that Rand is ta'veren and her Foretelling had him causing division and strife in Andor. She recalls that Siuan met with Rand, Mat and Perrin at Shienar and that Moiraine spirited him away in Caemlyn. Finally, she remembers that Moiraine and Siuan were best friends as novices. Elaida was the Accepted in charge of them. She concludes that they are plotting something with Rand that could be dangerous to the White Tower. She considers the possibility that Rand can channel and says to herself that they must be stopped. Alviarin is passing by and hears her words. Elaida confides in her and they begin discussing how to stop Siuan.

Dain Bornhald POV#

Dain Bornhald is observing while Jaret Byar lectures the villagers of Taren Ferry. He asked for this command because this is the home of Perrin Aybara whom he holds responsible for his father's death. Ivon rides up saying that Farran sent him with a message. Ordeith was questioning three Tinkers and now they are missing. Dain goes over to the Tinkers's camp and talks with Ordeith who denies hurting the Tinkers. When he arrived at the Two Rivers, Ordeith had more orders for him signed by Pedron Niall. He has half a legion of Whitecloaks with him and fifty accompanied Ordeith. Byar rides up and says he has Lucellin guarding the village. Dain orders him to begin moving troops across the river. Ordeith talks to himself saying they will scour the Two Rivers and he[8] will come. Dain thinks he is a madman but does not care as long as he can find Perrin.

Suroth POV#

High Lady Suroth has rallied the Seanchan forces after High Lord Turak's debacle and now leads the Hailene from the island of Cantorin. The Sea Folk of the islands have all been captured. She may not have to return to the Court of the Nine Moons and apologize to the Empress after all. To avoid that she must re-take the Westlands and must deal with this man who claims to be the Dragon Reborn. She thinks that if she cannot deal with him, the Empress will be the least of her worries. Suroth enters a room where two sul'dam wait with a damane. There are panels of animals from the Sen T'jore, a black mountain eagle and a large cat.[9] One of the sul'dam, Alwhin, now shaves the left side of her head. She was raised to so'jhin, a high level servant. This has never been done before, but she knows too much.[10] The other sul'dam, Taisa, holds the leash on the damane, Pura, who used to be Aes Sedai. Suroth is uneasy. She no longer trusts sul'dam.[10] She questions Pura about how the White Tower controls the man claiming to be the Dragon Reborn, but Pura has no idea. Suroth knows from Falme that the man can channel. Pura almost touches Suroth, so Alwhin orders Taisa to punish Pura then report herself to Surela for punishment. Suroth wishes she had the other captured Aes Sedai to question but she does not know what became of her.[11] Suroth dismisses Alwhin, but Alwhin is slow to respond; she is not well trained as so'jhin. Suroth says to herself that the worst news in known only by four, and two will surely never speak of it.[10] Alwhin overhears and adds that all three must be kept alive.[10] Suroth dismisses her and thinks about what she must accomplish.