The Shadow Rising: Plot Summary
Author: Toral Delvar
Min arrives in the Tower where she tells Siuan and Leane that Rand has gone after Callandor and that many in the Tower will die in battle on the same day. She is recognized by Gawyn, but not Galad. Neither believe Elayne and Egwene are safe. Elaida and Alviarin begin plotting together. Siuan convinces Min to stay and look for the Black Ajah. She dresses girly and calls herself Elmindreda. Siuan receives word from Moiraine that Rand has taken the Stone and tells the Aes Sedai that the Dragon has been Reborn.
Elaida organizes a coup with Alviarin's help and overthrows Siuan, proclaiming herself Amyrlin. Siuan and Leanne are stilled and imprisoned before being rescued by Min, with the help of the Mistress of the Kitchens, Laras. They are let out of the Tower by Gawyn, who had organized the resistance when those loyal to Siuan tried to free her. They are joined by Logain, who Min again insists is important in some way. Siuan promises to help him get his revenge.
Rand is attacked in his room by his own reflection, scaring Berelain who was all over him at the time. Perrin is attacked by his axe and Mat by a playing card. Moiraine claims that this is due to "bubbles of evil" rising from the Dark One, and that although they are only going to have an effect around ta'veren at first, they will eventually become common.
The girls question the two captured members of the Black Ajah, both of who claim to be willing to help them. They are told of a plot to rescue Mazrim Taim, and to blame his activities on Rand and also of an object in Tanchico which can be used to control Rand.
Elayne and Egwene try to teach Rand about channeling, but all he is able learn is that he can sense when women channel. Egwene is surprised to learn Rand is far stronger than she is. He and Egwene tell each other that they don't love each other anymore, giving Elayne the chance to move in on him.
Mat asks Egwene for advice and she tells him about a ter'angreal which will grant three answers to any who enter. He claims to not be interested, but goes anyway.
Lanfear visits Rand in his room, and whilst talking to him he is attacked by a Gray Man. The Stone is attacked by Trollocs and Myrddraal, which Rand eventually kills using Callandor. After this, the members of the Black Ajah are found dead.
Perrin looks for rumours to take Faile away from all the danger and hears that Whitecloaks have taken over the Two Rivers and are looking for a yellow eyed Darkfriend. He decides to go there and give himself up to be hanged to free everyone. He tries to put Faile off going with him. Faile and Berelain fight, Berelain promising to take Perrin away from her until she gets bored. Rhuarc splits them up and punishes Berelain. Perrin gets Loial to take him through the Ways, though Loial and Faile have an agreement that he must take her. They are accompanied by three Aiel.
Mat enters the ter'angreal that takes him to the realm of the Aelfinn and is supposed to give him true answers to any question he asks, but those answers, that he is to die and live again, that he must go to Rhuidean and that he is destined to marry the Daughter of the Nine moons leave him less happy than ever. The place through the doorway starts shaking and he is forced out. When he leaves it, he meets Moiraine and Rand, also leaving.
Thom stays in the Stone, plotting against the High Lords that are against Rand, and advising him. Moiraine doesn't like this, so promises to give him the names of the Red Ajah responsible for illegally gentling his nephew Owyn if he will go to Tanchico with the girls.
Egwene enters the World of Dreams without the ter'angreal for the first time, where she meets Amys who says if she wants to learn, Egwene must come to the Waste. She also goes to Tanchico, which Amys says contains an evil worse than men can make, whatever that means.
Rand calls a meeting, where he tells all the Tairen Lords that they must trade with Illian and restore order to Cairhien, which is under civil war. He sends the Tairen Lords who are plotting against him most to deal with it. He says he is going away and drives Callandor back into the Heart of the Stone. He then tells Mat and Moiraine that he is going to Rhuidean in the Aiel Waste.
Rand and the Aiel, together with Mat, Egwene, Moiraine and Lan go directly to the Waste using a Portal Stone, which Rand requires an angreal to use. They arrive next to a city, Rhuidean.
Perrin and company are attacked by Trollocs in the ways and only just escape Machin Sin, which gets the Trollocs. In the Two Rivers, Perrin shuts the Waygate so it is possible only to open it from the outside. He discovers someone is killing the wildlife. In dreams he chases the man responsible for killing the wildlife, called Slayer, who disappears through the tower of Ghenjei, which leads to the worlds of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. Here, he meets Birgitte, one of the heroes of legend who warns him that Slayer is dangerous and that he is in the World of Dreams physically.
He learns his family has all been killed, by Padan Fain, though Trollocs have been blamed. Perrin decides against giving himself up to the Whitecloaks and instead to rescue people from them. Padan Fain has linked up with the Whitecloaks. Bornhald does not trust Fain, as Whitecloaks sent to accompany him tend to die. Fain has killed two Gray Men sent after him and is keeping a Myrddraal prisoner in his tent.
Perrin learns that two Aes Sedai, Alanna and Verin, are in the area, ostensibly to look for recruits. He meets several families and convinces them to move to the village for their own safety, he also meets a man calling himself Lord Luc, who he distrusts, though the others think highly of him. Some of the young men agree to go with him to free the Whitecloaks prisoners. After doing so, he goes hunting Trollocs. After initial success, they are ambushed and many of the men with him are killed. Perrin is severely injured. They spend the night with the Tuatha’an before returning to Emond’s Field where Alanna Heals him. Faile tells Perrin about her father. Perrin talks to Slayer in dreams and realizes how much he resembles Lan. Loial and Gaul go to shut the Waygate permanently, which Slayer has told Perrin is open again.
Trollocs mount an attack on the village which is overcome. They also attack a group of Tuatha’an, who agree to come into the village for safety. When they return to the village, they see a wolf’s head and Manetheren banner. The Aes Sedai are behind this. One of the Tuatha’an, Aram, picks up a sword and asks to be taught to use it. Perrin agrees. Whitecloaks arrive to arrest Perrin on charges of being a Darkfriend. Perrin agrees to go with them if they stay and help defend the village against the Shadowspawn. The men and women of the village start coming to him for instructions.
In Tel'aran'rhiod, Perrin shoots Slayer before returning to the real world. Lord Luc runs through the house injured. Perrin realizes that Slayer and Luc have a similar smell and decides he is to be arrested if he reappears.
Perrin sends Faile off to tell the Queen what went on, though in reality he just wants her safely out of the way. She agrees on the condition that he marries her. They get married. The village is almost overrun, by Trollocs chanting "Isam" but is rescued by men from the other Two Rivers villages, one village brought by Faile, with no help from the Whitecloaks. People start referring to him as Lord Perrin, which doesn't please him.
The girls with Thom and Juilin set off for Tanchico on a Sea Folk ship, which only agrees to take them as they believe they are serving Rand. Elayne believes that she knows Thom. The Windfinder teaches Elayne much about controlling the weather.
The girls arrive in Tanchico, where they again meet Bayle Domon, who agrees to help them look for the women they are seeking. Elayne gets drunk and makes Thom tell the truth about himself. They also encounter a Seanchan captain, Egeanin, who has stayed on looking for escaped sul'dam. She is paying Floran Gelb to look for them. When he mistakenly goes after Nynaeve, she stops him. She is interested in Aes Sedai and the Power. She attacks Domon when they meet, for which they blame him. Egeanin releases the captured sul'dam.
After using the power, they are visited by Moghedien, who makes them reveal their plans. She tells them to forget about the visit and leaves them alone as she doesn't believe they will interfere with her. They locate the Black Ajah, and enter the world of dreams to check if it is safe. They also locate the object of danger to Rand, using a method taught them by the Wise Ones. Nynaeve sees the Black Ajah holding the Panarch hostage before seeing Moghedien and remembering their encounter. She is prevented from attacking her by Birgitte. Slayer attacks Nynaeve in Tel’aran’rhiod.
They head for the palace, with Egeanin, where Elayne goes to rescue the ruler of Tarabon, the Panarch, from Temaile and Nynaeve to find the object to hurt Rand. She finds some bracelets, and is disturbed by Moghedien who tells her the bracelets can be used to control men who can channel. They battle with the power, and are evenly matched until Nynaeve throws the bracelets at her and shields and ties up Moghedien. She retrieves the bracelets and one of the seals, and is attacked by one of the Black Ajah using a ter'angreal that produces balefire. When this stops, Moghedien has escaped. The girls then leave the building.
Rand asks the Wise Ones permission to enter Rhuidean, which is granted, as does Mat. He is refused permission, but when Rand tells them he is going whether they allow it or not, they relent. Couladin attacks them, and is topped by Melaine and Amys using the power, much to Moiraine's surprise.
They leave all their weapons and head to the city, which is surrounded by a strange fog which cannot be penetrated in Tel’aran’rhiod. In the centre of Rhuidean, Rand enters a crystal ter'angreal, where he starts to see visions of Aiel long dead, including most of the important events from their history and learns the truth most Aiel don't know, that once they followed the Way of The Leaf - indeed this is what aiel, which is “dedicated” in the Old Tongue, means - and that the Tuatha’an are descended from the same people in the age of legends. He sees Couladin's first-brother Muradin apparently dying.
Mat enters a separate ter'angreal, this time to the land of the fox heads, in the belief this will also allow him to ask questions. Instead, he is given gifts, to requests he makes. These are memories of dead lords, soldiers and generals, to fill up holes in his memory from when he had the dagger, an amulet to protect him from Aes Sedai and the One Power, and the ashandarei, which is like a spear, but with a more sword like blade on the end. He also gains the ability to fully understand and speak the Old Tongue. The people behind the doorway leave him hanging from the Tree of Life. Rand resuscitates Mat when Rand leaves his ter'angreal. They make their way out of Rhuidean overcoming another "bubble of evil" on the way.
They arrive at the camp outside at dawn and Rand reveals dragons on both arms, showing him to be the Car'a'carn. Couladin attacks him and is threatened with being outlawed. He learns Moiraine has also gone as has Aviendha and they have been gone seven days. He also learns of his mother and how she became a maiden of the spear. She is obviously Tigraine, though Rand doesn't realize it. He learns how his real father died, killed by a man who looked like his mother.
Rand and Mat journey with the Aiel to Al'cair Dal following Couladin who has said the Shaido will not accept Rand. Rand is accompanied by Aviendha, who claims to dislike Rand because he has treated Elayne badly. Despite this, she is told by the Wise Ones to teach him Aiel ways, which she does.
They stop off at Cold Rocks Hold, which is where Rhuarc lives. Couladin asks to enter as a Clan chief but is welcomed as a beggar. Rand gives Aviendha a bracelet as a thank you and to try and pacify her, which her friends think means he is trying to attract her attention, they approve of him. Lanfear appears in his dreams and argues with Asmodean. Aviendha accidentally reveals that the wise ones are watching Rand through his dreams. They are attacked by Trollocs and other Shadowspawn. One of the Wise Ones, Seana, is killed by a Draghkar. They are joined by a group of peddlers, who Rand knows to be Darkfriends. Couladin heads for Al'cair Dal, causing Rand to go earlier than he wished.
At Al'cair Dal, Rand announces that the Maidens carry his honour, which pleases them greatly. He and Couladin both announce they are the Car'a'carn. Both have dragons on their arms. Rand is accepted only after revealing the secret of the Aiel's history. He confronts Lanfear who was masquerading as one of the peddlers. She tells him that Asmodean has gone to Rhuidean in search of something useful. Rand Skims after Asmodean to Rhuidean where the battle with the power beside the Tree of Life, after grabbing a ter'angreal that links them both to the giant sa'angreal outside Cairhien. Rand cuts him off from the Dark One and Lanfear shields him partially so he will not escape. She almost kills Asmodean when he accidentally calls her by her original name, who Rand recognizes as one of the Aes Sedai who created the bore in the Dark One's prison. Asmodean agrees to teach Rand to channel as the other Forsaken will turn on him if they get the chance. A great lake is created in Rhuidean, the fog having been dispersed.
