Winter's Heart: Chapter 34
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Chapter Icon: Flame of Tar Valon
Points of View: Nynaeve, Rand, Cadsuane
Outline
Rand and Lan are captured. Rand panics being held in a small cell. Cadsuane deceives the Counsel that saidin is used with the help of her and Nynaeve's ter'angreals.
Summary
Nynaeve's Point of View:
Setting: Zeram’s shop on Blue Carp Street.
Characters: Rand, Nynaeve, Min, Alivia
Nynaeve is watching the alley beside the candlemaker’s shop, when she hears a commotion. She sees Guardsmen flooding Blue Carp Street, shoving people aside. She sees them stop in front of the bootmaker’s shop, and she freezes. She considers using saidar, but then she feels two sets of hands grab each of her arms. Cadsuane has one arm, and Alivia the other. Min is walking beside Alivia. She tells Cadsuane that Rand is unconscious and hurt. Nynaeve is upset that they aren’t going back to help Rand and Lan, but Cadsuane tells her that she’s put a panic into the Counsels with her channelling, since no one can channel in Far Madding. Min is upset with Nynaeve for going along with Rand’s plan. Nynaeve asks what Cadsuane has planned, and she is only told that Cadsuane will keep her promises, but it’s delivered in such a way that the reply doesn't inspire any confidence.
Rand's Point of View:
Setting: A cell
Characters: Rand
Rand awakes in a small, dark cell. He’s in pain. His boots and gloves are gone. He inspects his tiny cell, and Lews Therin begins to panic. He finds he’s in a black box three paces long and just over two paces wide. The height is about a foot above his head. Ignoring Lews Therin, Rand sits in the middle of the floor, and tries to calm himself down. He thinks they know who he is, and that they will try sending him to Elaida. He refuses to surrender, and begins going through the list of women who have died for him, with Moiraine topping the list.
Cadsuane's Point of View:
Setting: Hall of the Counsels
Characters: Nynaeve, Min, Alivia, Damer, Jahar, Eben, Aleis, Counsels of Far Madding (Cyprien, Sybaine, Cumere), Cadsuane
Cadsuane, Nynaeve, Min, Alivia, and the three Asha'man, Damer, Eben and Jahar, are on their way to confront the First and her Counsel. It’s evening, as her preparations took longer than she had anticipated. Nynaeve wants to strike hard from the first, but Cadsuane already knows how she will handle things. Min is wishing they’d moved faster, as she can feel Rand changes. Cadsuane tells her companions to stop whining, or she’ll do this on her own. Cadsuane and her companions enter the Counsels’ Chamber, where thirteen women sit with worried faces. Aleis, the First, tries to bluff Cadsuane with her knowledge that she holds the Dragon Reborn in her cells, but Cadsuane calls her bluff. She offers to take Rand off Aleis’ hands, but Aleis thanks her for the offer and says she’d rather deal with Tar Valon. Then Cadsuane mentions she has three Asha’man with her. Aleis is discomfited but doesn't back down. Cadsuane reminds Aleis that there was channelling in the city today. Cadsuane then takes in a little saidar through her golden hummingbird in her hair, and lifts the coronet off Aleis’ head and sets it on the floor at her feet. The Thirteen are shocked. Then Damer bluffs that he’s using saidin, while Nynaeve draws on her well, and lifts the coronet back onto Aleis’ head. Aleis relents, and agrees to release Rand and Lan into the custody of Cadsuane.