Elayne POV#

Min finds Elayne and Aviendha and the three of them go to Rand accompanied by Caseille, Deni and other Guardswomen. Birgitte is interviewing more and having uniforms made as well. Vandene told Elayne how to mask her bond to Birgitte.

They arrive at Nynaeve's room and enter while the guards wait outside. Nynaeve and Lan are with Rand. Rand tells them not to trust any Asha'man except Damer Flinn, Jahar Narishma and Eben Hopwil. Rand apologizes for sending the sul'dam and damane. Taim was supposed to deliver them to all the Aes Sedai Rand thought were with them. He still thinks that Mat is with Egwene but they do not correct him. He still believes that he has a secret following in the White Tower from Alviarin's letter. Rand wants to leave immediately, but the three women convince him to stay.

In his "Nuli" disguise he accompanies them back to Elayne's rooms. They ask him to let all three of them bond him as Warder. He tells them that Alanna got him first. Elayne says that does not ward him against them bonding him and he reluctantly agrees. Elayne and Aviendha link and weave Spirit around the three women then they lay the weave on Rand. All three women can now feel Rand's pain as well as his love for them. Rand starts to leave, but Elayne says there is one more thing. Min and Aviendha leave, then Elayne asks Rand to help her take off her dress.
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Min POV#

As Min and Aviendha leave, the two Guardswomen at the door express disgust at Elayne's taste. Min thinks about doing one of the knife tricks Thom taught her. Suddenly Min is horrified that she can feel what Rand and Elayne are doing. She tries Elayne's suggestion of blocking the feeling but it does not work.[1] She babbles to Aviendha that she had a viewing:

• "She'll get with child from this. Two of them; a boy and a girl; both healthy and strong."

Min then wonders if she should tell Aviendha what she saw about her:

• Aviendha would have Rand's babies, too. Four of them at once! Something was odd about that, though. The babies would be healthy, but still something odd.

Aviendha is successful in blocking the feelings from Rand.[1] Min and Aviendha walk down the hall and see a woman approach. Min is amazed at what she sees:

• Auras danced around her and images flickered, more than Min had ever seen around anyone, thousands it seemed, cascading over one another. Those multitudes of images and auras flashed by too quickly for her to make out any clearly, but she was certain they indicated more adventures than a woman could have in one lifetime. Strangely, some were connected to an ugly man who was older than she, and others to an ugly man who was much younger, yet somehow Min knew they were the same man.

Min recognizes her as Birgitte from Falme and says so.[2] Birgitte says that Birgitte is dead. She is Birgitte Trahelion. She thinks Min shows off her legs like a feather-dancer. Birgitte is absolutely livid at what she is feeling from Elayne. Most of the time she is proper as a Talmouri maiden. Min and Aviendha finally convince Birgitte not to bother Elayne and Rand. They all go to get drunk.
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Elayne POV#

Elayne wakes the next morning to find Rand gone. He left her a present of a golden lily[3] in full bloom. She weaves a Keeping around it. It will now stay fresh forever. The weave was Moghedien's teaching. Later in the morning she learns that Alivia, Nynaeve and Lan have vanished. The Kin, Zaida and the Windfinders are in a fit. They also took the most powerful angreal[4] and some ter'angreal[5] from the Ebou Dari stash.
Follow Elayne, Aviendha and Birgitte