View source for The Great Hunt: Chapter 22

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''Author: Estyrien al'Halien''
{{DaggerIcon}}
{{Title|Watchers}}
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{{Pov|Moiraine}}
''' Setting: [[Tifan's Well]], [[Arafel]]'''

'''Characters: [[Moiraine]], [[Lan]], [[Vandene]], [[Adeleas]], [[Jaem (1)|Jaem]]'''
==Outline==
Moiraine visits two elderly Aes Sedai to learn more of the Prophecies of the Dragon and is attacked by a warded draghkar.
==Summary==
Moiraine is sitting at a table full of books scrolls and manuscripts in the house of the twin [[Aes Sedai]] Vandene and Aldeleas in Arafel. She is looking for pieces of the puzzle surrounding [[Rand]] but she's not making any progress. Frustrated with her lack of progress she turns to her [[Warder]] and another problem she must deal with. They talk briefly about how they met and how they got to be [[bonded]]. Moiraine asks him if, after all these years, his bond chafes. Not really knowing where Moiraine wants to take this conversation Lan tells her that he accepts the bond without reservations still.

Moiraine now tells him she has made arrangements so that in the event of her death the bond will pass to another Aes Sedai, [[Myrelle]] of the [[Green Ajah]]. He will feel compelled to seek her out. Lan is upset by this, this is the first time Moiraine has felt the need to use the Bond to compel Lan to do anything. He feels he is being treated as a pet, or worse still a package to be handed over to whomever he will fit best with. Despite Lan's anger Moiraine refuses to undo it though, she can hand him over to any sister she wishes and there is nothing he can do about it.

Instead she returns to the original question. Does the bond not chafe? Lan gets even more upset now. He wants to know if this is all some kind of test to see if he is loyal. Not a test, Moiraine replies, but after events in [[Fal Dara]] she does wonder where his loyalties lie. Lan takes this to be a reference to [[Nynaeve]]. To keep him off balance Moiraine moves to an unexpected topic. Why did Lan tell [[Rand]] how to behave towards [[Siuan Sanche|the Amyrlin]]? Lan doesn't really have a good answer. He suggests it may be the fact that Rand is a ''[[ta'veren]]''. Moiraine can't deny that possibility. She dismisses a still very angry Lan so she can be alone to think.

Moiraine thinks about the changes in Lan that Nynaeve caused. She notices he is starting to share some of her loyalties and objectives and wonders if Lan will be quite so willing to risk his life in the future. Putting the matter aside for the moment she returns to her studies.

Vandene comes in with a pot of tea for Moiraine since her Warder is practicing with his sword. Apparently Lan's presence has reminded Jaem that he is more than a gardener and handyman. The two Aes Sedai talk for a bit about Moiraine's studies. Moiraine asks Vandene some questions about several topics she has been looking at. Is there a connection between [[the Horn]] and the [[Dragon Reborn]] other than that the Horn must be found before the [[Tarmon Gai'don|Final Battle]]? Vandene tells her there is none. Is there a link between the [[Dragon Reborn|Dragon]] and [[Toman Head]]. Vandene and her sister have different ideas on that. Vandene seems to think the Dragon Reborn will appear somewhere above Toman Head based on a questionable translation from [[the Old Tongue]]. Her sister Aldeleas disagrees. Moiraine jumps to [[Shadar Logoth]] and [[Lanfear]] but Vandene can't offer her any useful information on either topic.

After some speculation on the Dragon Reborn, Vandene has noticed the signs, she leaves Moiraine. The [[Blue]] sister decides to go for a walk in the garden to escape from all the unanswered questions. She hears someone behind her in the garden but assumes it is Lan. Too late she realizes she is being followed by a [[Draghkar]], [[Shadowspawn]] that will suck the soul out of its victim. Unable to reach for ''[[saidar]]'', Moiraine is defenceless against the creature. Then Lan and Jaem show up and kill the creature with their swords. The death cry of the Draghkar wakes up the whole village. In no time Vandene and Aldeleas are outside with lanterns. Aldeleas quickly sends Jaem to tell the villagers they don't know what made the noise but that they are all right while the others dispose of the body. The Aes Sedai wondered how it got so close undetected and Moiraine realizes the creature must have been shielded. A [[Black]] sister must have been involved. It's time for her and Lan to leave.

==Notes==
{{Prophecy}}
There is a verse that translates as "Five ride forth and four shall return", in connection to Watchers over the Waves.
{{Development}}
{{LanDev}}
*Explains why he helped Rand with the Amyrlin. Moiraine notes he may be fooling himself.
{{MoiraineDev}}
*Has noticed that Lan is sharing some of Nynaeve's loyalties and feels a little jealous.
*She expects that eventually he will ask to be released from his bond
{{Mysteries}}
;How does Moiraine find Vandene and Adeleas?
;What is the legend of the Return?
;If the Horn is not mentioned in the prophecies of the Dragon, how do they know it must be found before the Last Battle?
===Miscellaneous===
*Vandene says that the Amyrlin Seat will need every Aes Sedai, Accepted and Novice when it comes to face the Dragon Reborn
What does she think would happen there?
===Characters===
;First mention
Vandene, Adeleas, Jaem, Myrelle
;First Seen
Vandene, Adeleas, Jaem
{{Spoilernotes}}
{{Annotated|
{{Prophecy}}
There is a verse that translates as "Five ride forth and four shall return", in connection to Watchers over the Waves. We see this happen in Falme
{{SMysteries}}
;When did she arrange to pass the bond to Myrelle and who is Myrelle going to pass it to?
Even at this stage it is obvious Myrelle will pass it to Nynaeve. Given how possessive Moiraine had been, it seems unlikely she made the arrangement before going to the Two Rivers, so she may have met Myrelle in Fal Dara.
;What is the legend of the Return?
;If the Horn is not mentioned in the prophecies of the Dragon, how do they know it must be found before the Last Battle?
;Who warded the draghkar and why?
They assume Black Ajah, which makes sense, but who commanded it?
}}

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