ToM: Wounds

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Egwene POV#

Egwene continues to fight and kills Evanellein. Mesaana appears and she flees again. She hopes to find Katerine or Alviarin. Saerin was right. Mesaana stays to fight instead of fleeing like Moghedien. She is still amazed out how strong Perrin was and takes that as a lesson to rely less on channeling. Bair cannot channel yet she is as effective as Amys and Melaine. She sees Nicola who came against orders. Before she can intervene, Nicola is killed. Egwene spots Alviarin and Ramola and realizes they are bait. Mesaana appears and begins a weave. Thinking like a Wise One, Egwene simply denies the weave and it goes around her. She wills and Aiel spear and throws it, piercing Mesaana. As she collapses, her disguise fades and it is actually Katerine.[1] From behind, Egwene feels an a'dam fasten around her neck. It is the real Mesaana. She takes Egwene to another chamber where Alviarin waits. Mesaana sends Alviarin to call off the attack. This was the same way Elayne and Nynaeve captured Moghedien. Mesaana questions her on the dreamspike. Summoning her inner strength, Egwene denies the a'dam and its pain. It is a test of wills and Egwene is not the girl, she is the Amyrlin, the White Tower itself. Something snaps and Mesaana collapses. She lifts the body and returns to the upper floors of the Tower where Nynaeve, Leane, Siuan and Wise Ones are gathered. Mesaana is alive but her mind is gone. Bair says she saw something similar with Wise One Sammana. Something in the dream snapped her mind and she never recovered. The others have fled and the battle is done, but the dome is still there. They all leave the dream.

More Egwene POV

Perrin POV#

Someone in Tar Valon is dreaming of the Last Battle and Perrin and Slayer are in chaos. Slayer has not practiced nightmares so Perrin has the advantage. Slayer falls into a pit. Masquerading as Azi al'Thone, Perrin helps him out and grabs the dreamspike. He wills a knife and stabs Slayer. He throws the dreamspike a river of lava and the nightmare vanishes. The dreamspike is destroyed. Slayer still has more strength and begins kicking him. Perrin feels Hopper dying and with his last thought he tells Perrin to seek Boundless.[2] Feeling a coward, Perrin leaves the wolf dream.

More Perrin POV

Egwene POV#

Egwene awakes in darkness. She weaves a light and sees Gawyn and the bodies around her bed. She calls for help and Heals Gawyn as best she can. She realizes she was wrong about the assassins and that Gawyn saved her life. She never got his message. She bonds him as her Warder.

Perrin POV#

Perrin wakes to find Faile and Masuri by him. Masuri Heals him and Chiad brings water. Edarra would not let them Heal him till he woke. They tell him that gateways are working again and most of the people have already moved. Only a few thousand soldiers remain. He tells Faile that Hopper died. Even though the dreamspike is gone the air still smells wrong, like the Blight. They go to the center of the camp where the last of the soldiers have Traveled to Whitebridge. Grady, Neald, Gaul, Elyas and some Maidens are all that are left. Through the gateway the air smells clean again. They escaped.

Graendal POV#

Slayer kneels before Graendal but he is resentful and barely under control. She listens to his report and then commands him to spring the trap anyway. She has one remaining tool to use carefully.[3] She thinks it is not yet done Fallen Blacksmith.[4]

More Graendal POV

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Notes (Possible Spoilers)#

[#1] The weave Mesaana put on her in ToM,Ch37.
[#2] Why Boundless? We learn the answer in ToM,Epilogue.
[#3] We learn what this tool is in ToM,Ch41 and ToM,Epilogue.
[#4] The term is from the Dark Prophecy that Moridin showed her in ToM,Ch5. The text of the prophecy follows ToM,Prologue.