A Memory of Light: Prologue

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By Grace and Banners Fallen


Chapter Icon: Wheel and Serpent

Points of View: Baryd, Talmanes, Isam, Egeanin, Aviendha, Androl, Moghedien

Outline

Jarid Sarand struggles to keep control of the men in his small army as they start to desert him. Talmanes struggles to defend Caemlyn and save Aludra's Dragons, Androl and Pevara plan their escape from the Black Tower, Isam is instructed to kill Rand, and Aviendha tells the other Wise Ones of what she has seen.

Summary

Baryd's Point of View:

Characters: Baryd, Eri, Lord Davies, Jarid Sarand, Lord Karam, Morear, Rosse

Setting: Somewhere in Andor

The previous night, a Bubble of Evil struck, turning the metal in the camp soft. Baryd sits, making stone spearheads and watching Lord Jarid. Jarid blames Elayne and the Aes Sedai and demands her head. Eri, one of his personal guard, mocks this, and Jarid docks him two months pay and threatens to cut out his tongue if he repeats the insolence. Eri quits, and walks out, prompting Jarid to decide to attack Whitebridge, but others also leave including Lord Karam and Lord Davies. Baryd also leaves, with eight men of Jarid's personal guard, tying him to a tree to prevent him following and telling him they are going to fight with Andor in the Last Battle.




Talmanes's Point of View:

Setting: Outside the Caemlyn city gates

Characters: Talmanes, Sandip

Talmanes and the Band march slowly toward Caemlyn through the refugees streaming out of the city, until he learns that the Trollocs are trying to seize the last of the gates and prevent anyone else from escaping. He orders the Band to hurry to the gates.




Isam's Point of View:

Setting: A town near the valley of Thakan'dar

Characters: Isam, Moridin, one of the Forsaken

Isam is waiting in what passes for an inn in the Town in the shadow of Shayol Ghul, waiting for one of the Forsaken who summoned him there. Despite having grown up in the Town, or perhaps because of it, he hates the place. One of the inhabitants of the Town, the Samma N'Sei, starts to pay attention to him. Isam gets ready to flee, but Moridin appears, sending the Samma N'Sei on his way. He continues to wait and one of the Forsaken arrives, a woman, but not one Isam knows. She gives him instructions to kill Rand. While they are talking, a carriage passes, containing someone to be turned to the Shadow using the trick of thirteen channelers weaving the flows through thirteen Myrddraal. He sees an urchin and thinks it better for the child to flee and die in the blight than to grow up in the Town. He tells the woman that he would need help so she brings him two Sammma N'Sei who he notes have their teeth filed and have been Turned. she tells him he will also have a handful of the Talentless to deal with Rand's guards




Talmanes's Point of View:

Setting: Caemlyn

Characters: Talmanes, Sandip, Brynt

Talmanes fights at the Caemlyn gate to secure it, taking a fatal wound from a Myrddraal. He recruits a band of mercenaries.



Egeanin's Point of View:

Setting: The Field of Merrilor

Characters: Egeanin, Bayle Domon, Sleete, Nynaeve

Egeanin, who still only answers to Leilwin and Domon are at the field of Merrilor. She is still loyal to the Empire, but feels damane are a lie. They meet Sleete and ask to be taken to Nynaeve or Elayne. He takes them to Nynaeve who berates her for letting the Domination Band fall into the hands of Semirhage and tells her how close they came to defeat. She tells Nynaeve that she had her name stripped from her and that she is giving herself to Nynaeve as payment. Nynaeve says they don't keep people as though they were animals and that she will take her to the Amyrlin. She thinks that she is now da'covale to the Amyrlin, whatever they think.



Talmanes's Point of View:

Setting: Caemlyn

Characters: Talmanes, Melten, Dennel, Ladwin, Madwin, Mar

Talmanes and the members of the Band who are not holding the gates try to fight their way to the Palace.



Aviendha's Point of View:

Setting: A sweat tent in the Field of Merrilor

Characters: Aviendha, Amys, Bair, Melaine, Kymer, Sorilea

Aviendha has been telling the other Wise Ones about her visions of the future and they try to decide if the future is fixed and what they should do. They decide to look for apprentices who are nearly ready to be full Wise Ones to have them verify it. They also decide it does not matter if the future is fixed as they will fight to change it whatever happens. They discuss Rand and his plans, noting that he is going to demand something from the nations of the Westlands in payment for fighting the Last Battle. The Wise Ones have taken insult in that he expects the others can pay the price but not the Aiel. Aviendha realises that they would probably have taken equal offence if he had asked them to pay. She tells them that Rand will be hers and that she means to see him that night, ending the meeting. Before she goes to him, Bair asks her to Weave a Gateway to Rhuidean, as they need someone strong to go through the glass columns to see the future.




Talmanes's Point of View:

Setting: Caemlyn

Characters: Talmanes, Dennel, Melten, Gavid, Londraed, Madwin, Guybon, Filger

Talmanes continues to fight towards the palace, but the Band are outnumbered. As he prepares to order a retreat, they are saved by Guybon leading an Andoran charge from the palace. He tells Talmanes that there are two kinswomen there, but they cannot form a gateway as they lack the strength. Instead they are Healing, which gives Talmanes hope they might be able to Heal his wound. Filger arrives to tell them that the Trollocs are mounting a fresh attack at the gate the Band holds. Talmanes asks Guybon to give support, but Guybon at first insists he needs to stay at the palace in case Elayne sends anyone. Talmanes is able to persuade him that it is more important to keep the gate open. Talmanes tells him he is going after the Dragons and Guybon insists on going with them.




Androl's Point of View:

Setting: The Black Tower

Characters: Androl, Pevara, Emarin, Canler

Androl and Pevara talk in her rooms at the Black Tower. She is trying to find out more about him, but he is reluctant to give anything away. She tells him they should practice a circle, as it will give an advantage against Taim's men. He tells them she should try it with Nalaam, Emarin or Jonneth as they are all much stronger than him, but she doesn't seem to believe this. Emarin and Canler arrive to tell them that they might be able to get past the walls if there was a strong enough storm and the right men were guarding. Pevara says once out, they could join with the rebel Aes Sedai and storm the Black Tower, but Androl explains that it has several hundred men trained to be weapons so an assault would be unwise. He tells them they cannot subject themselves to the authority of the Aes Sedai and if they run to the Dragon, they will be nothing once he has gone, so they need to solve the problem for themselves. Emarin reminds them that there can be no reconciliation with Taim as he has been Turning men to the Shadow. They accept this, but are unsure of what to do as they are weak and outnumbered. Androl tells them of the Knoks Rebellion where a group of simple country folk overthrew their lord, inadvertently letting slip that he fought in it. When Emarin brings this up, Androl tells him he knows that he is really Algarin Pendaloan and that they both have secrets. Algarin tells him they are his men, but Androl says no, they are the Black Tower's and that he is only in charge until Logain returns. He asks Algarin for an hour to decide what to do.




Talmanes's Point of View:

Setting: Caemlyn

Characters: Talmanes, Jesamyn, Dennel, Guybon, Melten, Aludra, Filger

Jesamyn tells Talmanes that his wound is beyond her ability to Heal. She tells him that there are Black Ajah sisters with them and she can feel them channeling. There is one section of the city not burning, the location of the Waygate. This happens to be close to the quarter where the Dragons are located, so Talmanes decides to head in that direction. As they get close they begin to hear explosions. Talmanes faces another Myrdrraal, and not having to worry about taking a wound, is able to kill it. At the end of the street, they see Aludra, behind a barricade, with the dragons. He is told their retreat is cut off, so they head for the East gates.



Moghedien's Point of View:

Setting: Moridin's Dreamshard

Characters: Moghedien, Moridin, Demandred, Hessalam, Mazrim Taim

Moghedien is in a Dreamshard with Moridin, waiting for the remaining Forsaken to arrive. She has been given her cour'souvra, so Moridin no longer controls her utterly, but she has not been forgiven entirely. She has noted that Moridin still wears Cyndane, whom she has worked out was indeed Lanfear, killed by Moridin so that he could rescue her from sindhol and placed in a new body. Demandred arrives, followed shortly by an unattractive woman who Moridin names Hessalam, without forgiveness in the Old Tongue, telling them they have met her before. Moghedien realises that it is Graendal in a new body, chosen because it is ugly and she values beauty so strongly. Moridin tells them they are too few and that there is a new Chosen. Mazrim Taim joins them and they are told he has a new name, M'Hael. Moridin tells them that M'Hael has been training the new Dreadlords and asks what they have done. Demandred replies saying that they will know the fruits he has harvested in bushels and droves and that Rand's blood is his and no one else's. They do not deny him this, but Moghedien realises M'Hael wants Rand almost as much as Demandred does. Moridin tells her that she is to assist Demandred, watching over one of the armies that lacks proper monitoring.



Talmanes's Point of View:

Characters: Talmanes, Guybon, Dennel, Aludra, Jesamyn, Melten, Ryden, Mar

Talmanes is lying on the floor listening to Guybon and Dennel argue. Melten tells them they are cornered. They can't reach the wall as there are trollocs on it, throwing spears at anyone who comes too close. Aludra tells them she can set charges to destroy the Dragons, and Guybon says she should do it, to make sure they don't fall into the Shadow's hands. Talmanes realises they can aim the Dragons at the Wall, and Talmanes gets one squad to turn and break down the wall while the others defend against the rush of Trollocs. He sees the wall break and collapses.

Notes

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

Mysteries

What are the Samma N'Sei and what does it mean that some of them don't breed true?

From what Isam thinks, they seem to be male channelers who live in the Town. The ones that don't breed true may be those that are unable to channel, though that wouldn't fit the phrase "wash out in training." Perhaps some of them cannot handle the rigors of training. Some are recruited through Turning, though Isam had assumed that would have ended once the taint had been cleansed, which is a little counter-intuitive - before the cleansing, swearing to the Shadow might have been a method of protection from the taint, which would now be unnecessary.

What are the Talentless?

The most likely answer would be people who cannot channel, though that doesn't explain the capitalisation.

Who was the mysterious female Forsaken?

She could be Hessalam, Cyndane, or another woman. If it is Hessalam, she is disguised, because Isam describes the woman's face as "delicate". Hessalam would have reason to disguise her appearance, but her demeamor with Isam doesn't fit what we would expect after his involvement in her recent failure.

Why do the Samma N'Sei have such strong feelings about people being turned to the Shadow?

Those who had been Turned may have some thoughts on the matter. Perhaps they have painful memories of the Turning process. why the others would care is not known.

Where is Demandred and what armies are he controlling?
Why hasn't Osangar been reincarnated again?

After all, Graendal has, and she was considered a failure.

Mysteries Resolved

The red-veiled men who attacked Barriga were Samma N'Sei, though we don't know anything more than that for certain.

The Seanchan who will save Egwene: Now that Egeanin has pledged herself, it is almost certain that she is the woman in Egwene's dream.

Characters

First Mention

Baryd, Eri, Lord Davies, Lord Karam, Morear, Rosse

First Appearance

Baryd, Eri, Lord Davies, Lord Karam, Morear, Rosse


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