The Eye of the World: Chapter 45

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Author: Val a'Shain

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What Follows in Shadow


Chapter Icon: Dragon's Fang

Point of View: Rand

Location: The Ways

Characters: Rand, Mat, Loial, Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Nynaeve, Egwene.

Outline

They escape the Ways just ahead of Machin Shin.

Summary

Rand can now clearly see what holds up the bridges. Nothing. Nynaeve wonders loudly if this is why Moiraine led them here. Just so they can return to Caemlyn. Moiraine tells them there are more ways to reach the same Waygate and asks Loial to find an other route. Loial is shaken by the fact that the corruption of the Ways has gone this far. He offers to take them to the nearest Waygate but Moiraine insist they go to Fal Dara.

Loial leads them further until Lan decides it is time to halt for the night. There is no indication of it being night in the Ways but Rand is yawning already. They quickly set up a camp and have dinner and tea. At the talk over dinner it becomes increasingly clear that the all but promised couple Rand and Egwene are heading in different directions. Before they go to sleep Moiraine kneels down with all of them to whisper a few reassuring words. As long as they are close to her their dreams will be safe.

The following morning, as far as you could call it that in the Ways, they have a quick breakfast and get ready to be off. Lan tells them someone is following them. That someone doesn't seem interested in catching up though so Moiraine decides to leave it alone. At one of the Islands they find evidence of Trollocs entering the Ways. They left their runes on one of the Guides. Some distance away they find the remains of a group of Trollocs. Their end wasn't pretty. Moiraine thinks it might have been a trap left by the male Aes Sedai who built the Ways to keep Shadowspawn out. Cautiously, they continue on their way.

Later that day, Rand notices a faint sound of the wind. According to Loial there is no wind in the Ways so Rand asks him about it. Loial turns pale and announces that Machin Shin, the Black Wind that eats souls, is on its way. Moiraine asks him how many more bridges they need to cross. According to Loial only two. They rush towards the Fal Dara Waygate. When they find it Moiraine sees the leaf, the key to open the Waygate is gone. She sees no alternative than to destroy it. The company quickly leaves the Ways while Moiraine tries to hold off​ the Black Wind with the One Power. Moiraine steps out last, the Black Wind tries to follow her but can't leave the Ways. Moiraine is shaken by the corruption of the Ways, it even tainted the female half of the One Power. The Waygate cannot be closed any more so the company has no other alternative than to proceed to Fal Dara and ask Lord Agelmar to have it closed up.

Notes

Common Themes

Pipes

Lan and Loial. The boys haven't succumbed yet

Character Development

Egwene

Egwene stops Mat from talking about the Ways because she doesn't like to hear

Mysteries

Who took the Fal Dara key
Who is following them?
When did Moiraine meet the Green Man?

Mysteries Resolved

To an extent, we learn what Machin Shin is, though not where it came from

Miscellaneous

  • Mat hardly saw Min. He claims she was pretty but must be nearly as old as Nynaeve. He remembers her as spending most of her time looking at Rand
  • Trollocs are using the ways

The trap that kills the Trollocs is described in a very similar way to the deaths of Lews Therin's family and friends in the prologue.

  • Ogier language is very musical, a bit like birds singing.

Nature

Plants

Pear, Bellfruit, Plums, Apricots

Spoilers

This section contains Notes on this Chapter which may contain spoilers. Please expand to view.

Mysteries

Who took the Fal Dara key

No one seems to have been expecting them, so it is likely just coincidence

Who is following them?

Padan Fain

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