The Gathering Storm: Chapter 22
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Chapter Icon: A serpent twisted through a square
Point of View: Rand
Setting: Tellaen's manor, (Rand's hideout in Arad Doman), and the Saldaean plains near the foothills of the Mountains of Dhoom
Characters: Rand, Semirhage, Min, Shaidar Haran, Rodel Ituralde, Bashere, and Elza
Outline
Semirhage is freed by Shaidar Haran who gives her one more chance and the Domination Band. Lews Therin tells Rand Min is right about the seals. Later on Rand is surprised by Semirhage while talking with Min and has the Domination Band put around his neck. He is forced to torture Min and struggling her with his own hands. Something inside him breaks and he uses the Dark One's power and balefires both Semirhage and Elza. He tells Min that where he was steel, he is now Cuendillar.
Summary
Semirhage sits in her cell dwelling on how her reputation has been ruined. After a few moments Shaidar Haran appears. He rebukes her for harming al'Thor, but removes her shield and tells her that she has been given one more chance. When she leaves the cell, a member of the Black Ajah is waiting by the bodies of her three guards. She has compulsion in her mind and has the Domination Band for Semirhage.
Rand rides through the Saldean grasslands near the Blight with Rodel Ituralde. They, on Bashere's recommendation, are going to see the edge of the Blight. After telling Rodel that he wants daily reports, he travels back to the manor house in Arad Doman. While Rand is thinking about dying, to his surprise, Lews Therin tells him that Min's theory about breaking the seals is right.
Rand enters his rooms and finds Min reading. They discuss laughter and Cadsuane, and Rand gets annoyed that a serving woman is there during this. After a few more moments of conversation, the serving woman, who turns out to be Semirhage in disguise, puts the Domination Band around Rand's neck. Min throws a knife at her and yells for help, but to no avail. Elza enters the room and takes the other bracelet of the Domination Band, turning out to be the Black Sister from earlier.
Semirhage forces Rand to torture Min until he begs her to stop. She then forces him to start to strangle her with his own hands. Something inside him "breaks," and he no longer feels anything. Rand senses a new power and takes a hold of it. Lews Therin "runs" away screaming that it is "HIM!"
Rand frees himself and balefires Semirhage and Elza, then reluctantly releases this new power. Rand tells Min that the last that could be done to him, has been done. He thinks that where he had been steel, he was now Cuendillar.
