Rand POV#

Rand goes for a walk around Cold Rocks Hold. Keille, Kadere and Natael are at the peddlers' wagons. He decides that a gift might passivate Aviendha, so he goes to the Roof of the Maidens. He tries to buy an ivory bracelet from Adelin, but when she hears who it is for she gives it to him saying she will accept no price. All seventy of the Maidens hold a brief ceremony with him. Rand finds Aviendha cleaning carpets. She is being punished for her behavior at dinner. He gives her the bracelet and she accepts it. She says anything else would cause a loss of honor, but the Maidens now think he is courting her. Back at Lian's roof, Rand tells the Wise Ones that he knows Aviendha is their spy. Melaine angrily says, "I will make you know our blood for yours if I have to lay the -"[1] and Amys cuts her off. The Wise Ones leave and a gai'shain, Chion, shows him to his room. She is shocked when he asks for water to wash. He goes to sleep thinking about traps.

Rand dreams that he is in a pond in the Waterwood swimming with Min and Elayne. Aviendha is standing on the bank. Suddenly they are gone and there is a beautiful naked woman on the bank. She asks if she should allow him to be unfaithful even in his dreams, then she swims out to him. She mentions Ilyena and now all these others, then bites his neck to mark him. A man's voice from the bank interrupts, and the woman is standing on the bank by a man-sized blur. She chides him saying he fears risk as much as Moghedien. She says he would still be hiding in his hole[2] if she had not hauled him out. They both vanish.

Rand wakes with his neck bleeding. He feels that he is not alone and channels a light and Air to bind the intruder. It is Aviendha. Startled, she inadvertently discloses that the Wise Ones have been spying on his dreams. They have been taking her along, but they said it was too dangerous tonight.[3] Suddenly, Rand senses wrongness. He channels his One Power sword. At the entry chamber he sees Chion being embraced by a man. Chion falls to the floor and Rand sees that it is a Draghkar. He kills the Draghkar, then another as it enters the room. Aviendha runs to sound the alarm. Outside, Rand sees Seana lying dead. Another Draghkar dives at him and he burns it out of the sky. Rhuarc joins him and they run down to join the battle.

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Mat POV#

After the battle, Mat sees Moiraine Healing those who need help. He realizes there were only enough Trollocs to draw attention. At the peddlers' wagons he sees Isendre, but she slams the door in his face when he speaks to her. Moiraine and Rand both come up. Moiraine tells Rand that the attack was surely aimed at him. Moiraine again asks him to confide in her. Rand agrees if she will promise not to try to control him. She says she will not hinder him fulfilling his destiny, but that is not good enough for Rand. Rhuarc arrives and agrees that the Trollocs were a diversion so that the Draghkar could attack Rand.[4] They may see the Soulless next, so Rhuarc wants to put a guard on Rand. The Maidens have volunteered. Mat asks about the Shaido and Rhuarc tells them that they left at nightfall. They went north, so Couladin probably means to meet Sevanna on her way to Alcair Dal. She is a troublemaker and only wed Suladric because he was a clan chief. Rand says they will leave for Alcair Dal at dawn. Rhuarc says ten Red Shields will accompany him and ten Maidens will accompany Rand, but Rand says all the spears will go. He tells someone to roust the peddlers, then asks Mat if he is coming. Wondering how Perrin pulled loose, Mat says he is.
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