— Perrin Aybara to Faile
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| Setting: Stone of Tear |
Summary[]
- Point of view: Perrin Aybara
My nurse used to say [a cock crowing] meant a death coming. Not that I believed it of course. -Faile
Two weeks have gone by since the Stone of Tear fell to Rand and the Aiel. Perrin and Faile Bashere are in their quarters in the Stone of Tear. Faile comments on Perrin's lackluster quarters and is sure Mat has better, but Perrin is more than satisfied and wants nothing fancy. Faile tries to talk Perrin into leaving Tear with her, but Perrin insists that he cannot leave because he is ta'veren and too closely tied to Rand. Perrin takes his hammer off the wall and holds it, which makes him feel better.
A cock crows and suddenly Perrin's axe flies toward him and he blocks it with the hammer. The two wrestle with the axe as it tries to kill Perrin. He fends it off with his hammer and then holds it off with one hand, using the other to push Faile out of the room despite her protests. Faile bangs on the door angrily from the other side. He struggles with the axe a bit longer then releases it and parries it as it flies at him and slams into the door. The axe goes dead, but Perrin is worried because he can't hear Faile on the other side of the door. He opens it and sees that the axe stopped only an inch from Faile's nose. Faile is relieved and kisses Perrin fiercely, then slaps him hard for making her worried for his life. Perrin believes that Rand may have unintentionally caused this to happen and decides to confront him about it.
- Point of view: Mat Cauthon
It would be a shame if you were tried and judged just for having your way with a fisherman's daughter whatever she wanted, or for having some farmer beaten for splashing mud on your cloak. -Mat
Mat is playing cards in the Stone of Tear with Reimon, Edorion Selorna, Estean Andiama, Carlomin, and Baran, all Tairen lordlings. He prefers dice where his luck has greater effect, but dicing is a commoner activity and these lordlings will have nothing to do with it. He plans to leave as soon as he gets enough money to get away from Rand and Moiraine. Estean, who is rather drunk, steers the conversation from the Sea Folk to the Aiel which disgruntles the other nobles. Mat feels his luck increase but fears that the rich noblemen will leave due to the conversation turning uncomfortable. He decides his best bet is to make fun of himself so he tells them about a game called Maiden's Kiss that he played with two Maidens of the Spear, which leads to outrageous laughter at his expense. The plan works as more gold is tossed on the table.
Conversation turns from women to bravado, as each lordling boasts how they would clean Tear of all Aiel if they did not serve the Lord Dragon. Estean asks Mat to intercede with Rand on his behalf about Rand's new laws favoring commoners. Annoyed, Mat imagines hitting Estean in the face as he takes a sip of wine, then almost chokes on it when Edorion mentions a rumor that the Dragon means to invade Illian. The lordlings all say that conquering Illian will be easy with the Dragon to lead them, and ask Mat if he has any information about the war. Mat disagrees and doubts Rand would start a war.
He picks up the fifth card and knows he possesses an unbeatable hand[1] and accidentally blurts out something in the Old Tongue. As the lordlings debate what Mat actually said, he goads them into adding lots of gold into the pot for the hand. A cock crows and suddenly, the card depicting the Amyrlin Seat stabs him with a tiny knife. He drops the cards, and unbelievably, three grow larger and the images begin to step out of the cards to attack him. Mat dispatches them all with rapid knife tosses. Although they are seemingly defeated, Mat takes no chances and rips the cards apart. The others pretend that nothing happened, angering Mat. He doubts the lordlings will be gambling with him again anytime soon after this incident and departs with his coin.
- Point of view: Rand al'Thor
Limping to the foot of the bed, he lowered himself onto the chest there and laid Callandor across his knees, bloody hands resting on the glowing blade. With that in his hands, even one of the Forsaken would fear him. In a moment he would send for Moiraine to Heal his wounds. In a moment he would speak to the Aiel outside, and become the Dragon Reborn again. But for now, he only wanted to sit and remember a shepherd named Rand al'Thor.
Rand dreams of Moiraine prodding him with a stick to the Amyrlin Seat and her halter for his neck, through a shadowy forest filled with dim shapes. Traps from Darkfriends and the Forsaken await in the darkness. Fear mars Moiraine's face. Rand dodges Moiraine's stick and flees, despite her protests that it is too late to do so.
He appears in the Waterwood back in the Two Rivers, where Min and Elayne invite him for a quiet swim before stripping in front of him. He turns around and spots Egwene with an expression of hurt on her face. Rand chases Egwene as he flees Min and Elayne, but stops when the other two ask him to come back. He stands frozen, unable to decide what he wants.
Rand awakes and ponders how to handle his relationship with Egwene which he realizes must be at an end. Small sounds in the room make him realize that he is not alone. He channels through the sickening taint on saidin a power-wrought sword. But the intruder is not a thief trying to steal Callandor, not an assassin trying to kill the Dragon Reborn, but Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron, First of Mayene, dressed in a white silk robe that emphasized more than it hid. Berelain tries repeatedly to seduce Rand and he tries to dismiss her, but each of his excuses is rebuffed until he finally pushes her back by creating a wall of Air between them. He tells her to return to Mayene and promises that Tear will trouble the city-state no further.
A cock crows, and Berelain's attention makes Rand look behind him. He sees his reflection in one of the mirrors in the room step out to attack him. He briefly thinks that he has gone mad already, but Berelain saw it also. Other reflections begin to step out of other mirrors and Rand destroys the mirrors with the Power, but two other reflections escape. He engages the three living reflections in a sword fight and takes many wounds. His old wound from the Battle of Falme breaks open again. He inflicts wounds on the reflections but they do not seem to be slowed by them. As he rolls across the bed to try to catch his breath, a small reflection on the bed stabs him in the hand with a tiny sword; he then sees countless other miniature reflections moving out of the shattered fragments of mirrors. The stabbing seems to make him weaker and his hand begins to grow numb and cold. He instinctively fills himself with saidin and its associated heat surges within him which makes his hand feel better; suddenly the small reflection bursts like a bubble and the other small reflections are also no more. He feels stronger with the disappearance of each reflection, as if he is absorbing their vitality back into him.
He ponders the nature of the reflections and gets an idea. He makes his sword disappear which causes the reflections to lose theirs. The reflections, confused, jump on him and their touch makes him feel cold and numb as the small reflection had. The reflections seem to be becoming more lifelike as his vitality ebbs away into them. He wrestles with them and tries to recall what he did before with the smaller reflections; with the help of saidin, he begins to absorb them, first one then the other two at once. Rand assumes this was an attack from one of the Forsaken and strides over to take Callandor from its stand. Berelain is thoroughly shaken and seems unsure if the real Rand survived. She apologizes deeply and swears on her mother's name that she will not bother him again; he dismisses her with instructions not to tell anyone what happened. Weary to the bone, Rand sits with the Sword That Is Not a Sword and rests for a moment.
Characters[]
- Perrin Aybara
- Faile Bashere
- Matrim Cauthon
- Reimon
- Edorion Selorna
- Estean Andiama
- Baran
- Carlomin
- Rand al'Thor
- Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron
Referenced[]
- Moiraine
- Lews Therin
- Bain
- Chiad
- Egwene
- Elayne
- Nynaeve
- Artur Hawkwing
- Loial
- Haral Luhhan
- Thom Merrilin
- Alsbet Luhhan
- Rhuarc
- Astoril Damara
- Medore Damara
- Siuan Sanche
- Min
- Eban Vandes
- Lan
Places[]
Referenced[]
Items[]
Culture[]
- Bubble of evil
- Unfolding the Fan
- Apple Blossoms in the Wind
- The Moon Rises Over Water
- Stones Falling Down the Mountain
- Eban Vandes's The History of the Stone of Tear
- Sa'angreal
- Angreal
Notes
- ↑ The card game appears to be similar to five-card stud, but with five suits and all cards hidden from other players.
- At least one edition has the wheel icon for this chapter.
