Darein

Author: Toral Delvar

General

Darein is a small village beside the River Erinin on one of the southern routes into Tar Valon, on the road to Caemlyn. It is almost as old as the city of Tar Valon itself. The streets are stone-paved and the houses are red and brown brick. Despite being close to Tar Valon, it has been looted and burned many times in its history: during the Trolloc Wars, when Artur Hawkwing besieged Tar Valon during the War of the Hundred Years, and in the Aiel War. It is rebuilt each time because of its location (TDR, Ch. 11). The bridge from the village to Tar Valon is half a mile long, fifty paces above the river and looks both intricate and delicate, looking like lace woven from stone. When Egwene passes through on her return from Falme, soldiers from Tar Valon are marching through the town and she overhears people speak out against Aes Sedai, something almost unheard of that close to Tar Valon (TDR, Ch. 11).

When the rebel Aes Sedai decide to negotiate with the Tower Aes Sedai, they do this in a pavilion a the foot of the bridge in Darein (KoD, Ch. 23).