Ituralde POV#

Ituralde hides in a broken building. Shadowspawn swarmed the palace but Ituralde had soaked it in oil and the Asha'man set it afire killing hundreds of Trollocs. He and Yoeli no longer defend the city. They just kill Shadowspawn. He and his men hear footsteps and prepare for the worst, but it is Saldaean soldiers led by Bashere. Help has arrived. The soldiers reclaim most of the city but there are still thousands upon thousands on the hills. Yoeli died in the fighting. Bashere is perturbed that Yoeli led the fight while Torkumen was abandoned, but he never liked Torkumen.

They go to Torkumen's home to view outside the northern wall. The Trollocs have retreated but they all know that they will attack again at night. Ituralde is devastated that the rescuers are not enough and the deaths of Yoeli, Rajabi, Ankaer, Rossin, Wakeda and the others will not be avenged. Bashere orders Naeff to prepare gateways and Malain to organize the cavalry. There is a shout and they see a huge force of Trollocs coming over the hills. It seems to go on forever.

Rand appears. He begs forgiveness for not sending help sooner and admits that he failed to secure a truce with the Seanchan. Rand angrily says the Shadow will not have Maradon and opens a gateway. He and two Maidens Travel outside the city to the north. Rand channels and the Shadowspawn die by the thousands. Naeff cannot believe what he is seeing, so many weaves at once. Ituralde hears a scream nearby. Rand stops and the clouds clear to a blue sky. The towers to the north are intact. Rand's attack only affected Shadowspawn.[1] Bashere and Ituralde go to check out the scream. They find Torkumen gone mad. His wife jumped to her death. They were Darkfriends driven mad by Rand's power even though they could not see what was happening. Bashere sends Vogeler to see that Rand is cared for.

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Min POV#

Min tries to read but she worries about Rand's emotions that she can feel. She reads a line in her book, "Light is held before the maw of the infinite void, and all that he is can be seized." A gateway opens and Rand stumbles through accompanied by Evasni and Ifeyina. Bashere follows with Ituralde and Flinn. Rand says he defended Maradon to defy the Dark One, but it still may have been a mistake. The direct confrontation must happen at Shayol Ghul and at the right time. Rand says what is coming will be even grander and more terrible, but he must leave the war to others. Rand says he needs to rest before meeting with the Borderlanders tomorrow. Min tells him that Cadsuane returned from her mission with someone. He asks Ituralde to go with them. As they walk, Min updates him on her studies. Callandor is often called a fearful blade or blade of ruin. The Jendai Prophecy says," and the Blade will bind him by twain." Min thinks Callandor might make Rand weak, open to attack.

Merise meets them at the door and lets them in. Cadsuane is there with an old man. It is King Alsalam. Rand says a friend left him a secret, that Mattin Stepaneos was in the White Tower. He figured they might have sent sisters to collect other monarchs and they might still not have made it back. Graendal never had Alsalam.
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