Egwene POV#

Egwene prepares to enter Tel'aran'rhiod for the first time without the twisted ring. Nynaeve, Elayne and Aviendha are with her. Egwene has been reading a fifty-three year old book, A Journey to Tarabon by Eurian Romavni. It is the only book she found with good drawings of Tanchico. She was terribly frightened by what Rand did to destroy the Shadowspawn. She studies a map of Tanchico showing the three peninsulas and the Illuminators's chapter house. Aviendha asks if anyone else could use the twisted ring. Egwene says yes, but explains the dangers of Tel'aran'rhiod. They all agree to wake her in an hour. Egwene thinks she is the first Dreamer in five hundred years, since Corianin Nedeal. She has the list of stolen ter'angreal and recalls that thirteen of them were studied by Corianin Nedeal. They recovered two from Amico and Joiya, an iron disc and an amber plaque. Elayne tried them and they both took her to Tel'aran'rhiod. Egwene worries about running into Liandrin or Rianna or Chesmal or Jeaine. She wants to learn where Mazrim Taim is or to speak to Siuan, but she does not know how. She studies a picture of the museum in the Panarch's Palace while Elayne explains the government of Tarabon. Before she sleeps, Egwene recalls some recent dreams:

• Rand as tall as a mountain, walking through cities, crushing buildings beneath his feet, with screaming people like ants fleeing from him.
• Rand in chains, and it was he who was screaming.
• Rand building a wall with him on one side and her on the other, her and Elayne and others she could not make out. "It has to be done," he was saying as he piled up stones. "I'll not let you stop me now."[1]
• Aiel fighting each other, killing each other, even throwing away their weapons and running as if they had gone mad.[2]
• Mat wrestling with a Seanchan woman who tied an invisible leash to him.[3]
• A wolf - she was sure it was Perrin, though - fighting a man whose face kept changing.[4]
• Galad wrapping himself in white as though putting on his own shroud.[5]
• Gawyn with his eyes full of pain and hatred.[6]
• Her mother weeping.

Egwene focuses on a picture of a huge skeleton as she goes to sleep.

Egwene is startled by the skeleton, which is huge.[7] There are several other unrecognizable skeletons. Her clothes keep changing and she finally settles on garb like Aviendha's. She explores the museum and finds several items. An angreal, a weathered stone figurine of a woman. A finely jointed collar and two bracelets that cause a sense of darkness and pain.[8] A three pointed star in a circle that reeks of pride and vanity.[9] There is also a broken figurine of a woman holding a crystal sphere.[10] When Egwene touches it, the One Power surges between her and the figurine causing intense pain. A man appears briefly, calls for someone named Aeldra and disappears. He is just an ordinary person whose dream briefly touched Tel'aran'rhiod. She leaves the Panarch's Palace wondering where she should look next and wonders if a Wise One could teach her.

Suddenly she is in an arid desert and realizes it must be the Aiel Waste. She sees a young Aiel woman hunting a wild boar and the woman sees her. She closes her eyes and concentrates on Tanchico.

Back in Tanchico she wanders the streets. She sees things change and also sees that there are rats and wild dogs, but no horses. She wonders if a Wise One could explain it.

She is back in the Aiel Waste with the wild boar charging at her. It runs by her and she sees the same Aiel woman nearby. The woman tells her she has no right to wear cadin'sor and suddenly she is naked. She opens herself to saidar and strips the other woman, shocking her. As she closes her eyes again to take herself back to Tanchico she sees a golden-haired woman with a silver bow watching them both.

Back in Tanchico she thinks she saw Birgitte because of listening to too many of Thom's stories. She sees a dreaming woman fly and tries it herself. She lands when she realizes that any of the Black Ajah might see her without her seeing them. As she lands, an Aiel woman appears before her. She is older than the other woman, but has the same voice. Egwene comments on her appearance and the woman explains that one can appear however one wants. She asks if Egwene is from the White Tower and identifies herself as Amys of the Nine Valleys sept of the Taardad Aiel. Egwene gives her name and says she is Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah. Amys asks why she is flying around this city. Egwene answers that it is Tanchico and she is hunting the Black Ajah. Amys tells her the city is full of evil. Egwene asks her to help, but Amys says she needs training. She tells Egwene to come to her at the Cold Rocks Hold. She is at Rhuidean now but will be back at Cold Rocks Hold before Egwene can arrive. Egwene begins to fade and Amys continues to tell her to come.

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