|
| <<< The Strength of This Place >>> |
| Setting: Wolf Dream, Maradon in Saldaea, Ghealdan |
Summary[]
- Point of view: Perrin Aybara
Perrin Aybara hunts in the wolf dream. He searches the Children of the Light's camp, looking for anything that his scouts may have missed. He eventually reaches the command tent and searches it, looking for some clue as to who his foe is. Perrin is frustrated at himself for not using this method in Malden. He then spots Hopper watching him. Perrin tells the wolf that he is ready to learn now. Hopper asks him to follow him and sends an image of Emond's Field. One of the poles still flies the wolfhead banner. Hopper tells Perrin that he cannot come here to strongly, as this is not his natural den. Perrin must always remember who he is and the strength of the wolf dream comes from within him. Hopper jumps at Perrin, to try and knock him out of the dream, but Perrin is prepared and knocks Hopper back to the ground. Hopper is pleased. Hopper shifts to another place and Perrin follows. Again Hopper attempts to knock Perrin from the dream, but Perrin manages to remember where he is and stay in the dream. They shift somewhere else and this time Hopper sends a mental assault at Perrin, which he again resists. The two then go running along the landscape together. They suddenly reach a violet dome. Hopper sends to Perrin that this is wrong and shouldn't be here. The wall suddenly disappears. The two continue their training.
- Point of view: Rodel Ituralde
Rodel Ituralde is in the middle of a battle with Trollocs. Ituralde and his men hold the hill-fort above Maradon. They are engaged with a group of Trollocs that have created rafts and crossed the River Arinelle. Ituralde calls for more archers, who fire upon the Trollocs as they try to surge up the hill. He charges Lidrin and his archers to go to one of the towers and keep it from being over-run. Ituralde has his camp perched around the fortifications, but so far has had no help from any of the Saldaean forces inside Maradon. Suddenly Trolloc bodies start raining down on the camp. The Trollocs had resorted to tossing bodies from their trebuchets in order to attack the fortifications. Ituralde calls for the Asha'man. He had pushed them hard at the start of the siege, but now holds them back for when the Trollocs come to close. A report comes back that the Shadowspawn army has 16 trebuchets. Rajabi arrives to take command of the upper camp. Ituralde hangs onto the promise that Rand gave him, that Arad Doman would be protected from the Seanchan and that he would provide help. Rajabi had lost a leg to the fighting, but had refused to leave the army. Ituralde realizes that they are going to have to retreat back to the direction of Arad Doman. The Saldaeans had considered Ituralde's army foreign and refused to let them retreat to within Maradon. Trolloc bodies continue to pummel the camp. Ituralde looks to the sky and realizes that their are too many bodies being thrown in the next wave. He screams for archers as Draghkar are hiding among the bodies, but it is too late. The Draghkar attack the army. One tries to seduce Ituralde with its song, but he is screaming so loud he can't actually hear the song. He pretends to be ensured and then kills it at the last minute. Ituralde spots Rajabi fall to the Draghkar. Then balls of fire start hitting the Draghkar, indicating the Asha'man have joined the battle. The Trolloc horde at the bottom of the hill make another surge up the hill at the same time. Ituralde can't help but keep thinking about the Dragons promise to send more help.
- Point of view: Faile Aybara
Zarine ni Bashere t'Aybara strolls through the camp pondering all the recent developments. Perrin had sent one last parley to the Whitecloaks, and the scouts had returned from Cairhien (city). Faile makes her way to the Mayene section of the camp to confront Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron. The guards let her enter, as Berelain has been expecting the meeting. Faile knows that Berelain didn't sleep with Perrin while Faile was in captivity. Her purpose to today's meeting is that the men in the camp presume that the two did sleep together and that Berelain has done nothing to squash the rumors. Berelain counters that many monarchs have overcome such rumors. Faile retorts that Saldaea and the Two Rivers have higher expectations of their Lords. All these rumors are affecting Perrin and Faile states that Berelain does not know Perrin very well at all if she believes otherwise. Faile then offers Berelain a challenge which would be a fight to the death to clear Perrin's name. Berelain asks if they could negotiate other terms such as she and her men leaving the camp for good. Faile tells her this will do nothing to prevent the rumors, and Berelain replies that neither would one of them dying in a fight. Faile then charges Berelain with a way of destroying all the rumors. Berelain comes up with a plan. The two women would act as friends and be seen around the camp together. Faile adds that Berelain would need to find a new man as well.
Characters[]
- Perrin Aybara
- Faile Aybara
- Hopper
- Oak Dancer
- Sparks
- Boundless
- Rodel Ituralde
- Lidrin
- Rajabi
- Zhell Domani officer
- Nils Domani Lieutenant
- Berelain Paendrag
- Annoura
Referenced[]
- Sebban Balwer
- Elyas Machera
- Gaul
- Basel Gill
- Tam al'Thor
- Finsas Domani Captain
- Creedin Domani Captain
- Rand al'Thor
- Rosene as Berelain's maids
- Nana as Berelain's maids
Places[]
Referenced[]