<<< A Pile of Sand >>> |
Setting: Cairhien (city), Salidar |
Point of view: Egwene al'Vere
Egwene is still recovering from the attack on her by Lanfear, when Moiraine and Lanfear fought and both died. When she looks in the mirror she is blushing as she remembers the dream she shared with Gawyn and what happened there. She decides to sleep a bit longer to recover from being in Tel'aran'rhiod all night. She has some dreams:
- Egwene cupping Gawyn's face in her hands.[1]
- Twice she dreamed of turning him around against his will. The first time he pushed her hands away. The second time she was stronger and forced him around.
- In another Gawyn was closing a door and she knew that if he closed it all the way she would die.[2]
- Perrin with a wolf at his feet, and a falcon and a hawk on his shoulders glaring at each other, while he tries to throw away his axe.
- Perrin turning away from a Tinker and running from him.[3]
- Mat speaking the Old Tongue while two ravens land on his shoulder, sinking in their claws.[4]
- A woman beckons Mat toward great danger but her face is shrouded.[5]
- Elayne forcing Rand to his knees.
- Elayne, Min, and Aviendha in a circle around Rand, then each laying a hand on him.[6]
- Rand walking toward a burning mountain while something crunched beneath his boots―the Seals on the Dark One's prison.[7]
Cowinde wakes her and she decides to skip breakfast until Amys wonders what is wrong with her to not be hungry. She then decides she needs to make the Wise Ones believe her to be healed, so she eats. Melaine becomes irritated with Cowinde, who should have put off the white by now, and sends her to perform a useless task looking for a red grain of sand in a pile of sand near her tent. The Wise Ones discuss Egwene's health and when she will have permission to return to Tel'aran'rhiod. The Salidar Aes Sedai are very insistent that Egwene come to the next meeting. After asking the Wise Ones some questions, Egwene mostly resolves to avoid Gawyn's dreams in the future.
Point of view: Elayne Trakand
A large crowd waits outside the Little Tower to hear the results of the negotiations between the Salidar Hall and the White Tower representative, Tarna Feir. Elayne is very tired, having stayed awake most of the night dealing with the aftermath of the bubble of evil. Nynaeve joins her, even more tired since she did not go to bed at all trying to comply with Theodrin's orders to stay awake all night to see if that breaks her block on channeling. Siuan joins them, with everyone impatient for the announcement. In the end, nothing has changed. Salidar will not return to the White Tower while Elaida is the Amyrlin.
Nynaeve goes to speak to Sheriam, with Elayne following. They ask to speak privately with Sheriam, Morvrin, and Carlinya. Nynaeve tells them of the ter'angreal[8] they found in Tel'aran'rhiod last night and that it may be able to affect the weather. Nynaeve and Elayne wish to go to Ebou Dar to find it but the Aes Sedai won't let Accepted make the trip. They decide to send a letter to Merilille, an Aes Sedai in Ebou Dar, instead. To try to bring the Salidar Aes Sedai together with Rand, Elayne tells them the bowl will need a man channeling to work.[9] Nynaeve then berates the Aes Sedai for not doing anything proactive and gets a punishment for her outburst.
Point of view: Sheriam Bayanar
Sheriam, Carlinya, and Morvrin are watching Elayne and Nynaeve at their chores through the fence. They have plans for the criticisms that were made, but can't make them public yet. They still don't know how they should handle Rand, though.
Characters[]
- Egwene
- Cowinde
- Amys
- Bair
- Melaine
- Elayne
- Leane
- Birgitte
- Tarna Feir
- Siuan
- Myrelle
- Sheriam
- Romanda
- Morvrin
- Carlinya
- Faolain
Referenced[]
- Lanfear
- Moiraine
- Aviendha
- Nynaeve
- Gawyn
- Perrin
- Rand
- Mat
- Min
- Liandrin
- Juric gai'shain
- Beira gai'shain
- Mora
- Bael
- Anaiya
- Areina
- Ashmanaille
- Theodrin
- Moghedien
- Lini
- Elaida
- Logain
- Merilille
- Edesina
- Afara
- Guisin
- Kiruna
- Bera
- Merana
- Thom
- Juilin
- Sammael
- Tiana
Places[]
Referenced[]
- Tel'aran'rhiod
- Tear
- Aiel Waste
- Rhuidean
- Tar Valon
- Chachin
- Caemlyn
- Ebou Dar
- Tarabon
- Spine of the World
- Tanchico
Notes
- ↑ Egwene bonding Gawyn as her warder. Fulfilled in Towers of Midnight, Chapter 38.
- ↑ This is Gawyn abandoning her when she uses herself as bait to capture Mesaana, then returning in time to save her from Seanchan Bloodknives. Fulfilled in Towers of Midnight, Chapter 15, Chapter 23, and Chapter 37
- ↑ This is Aram attempting to kill Perrin. Fulfilled in Knife of Dreams, Chapter 30.
- ↑ This is Mat becoming the Prince of the Ravens. Fulfilled in Knife of Dreams, Chapter 37.
- ↑ This might be Moiraine's letter to Thom that convinces Mat to come save her from the Finn.
- ↑ This is Elayne, Min, and Aviendha bonding Rand. Fulfilled in Winter's Heart, Chapter 12.
- ↑ This is when Logain destroys the remaining Seals as Rand reforges the Dark One's prison. Fulfilled in A Memory of Light, Chapter 47, Chapter 48, and Chapter 49.
- ↑ The Bowl of the Winds.
- ↑ Elayne is lying, but she's actually right. The Bowl of the Winds does require the use of both saidin and saidar.