Lord of Chaos: Chapter 7
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Author: Atarah al'Norahn
Chapter Icon: Dream Ter'angreal
Points of View: Elayne, Demandred
Summary
Elayne's Point of View:
Setting: Salidar, Tel'aran'rhiod
Characters: Elayne, Nynaeve, Leane, Siuan, Sheriam, Carlinya, Morvrin, Myrelle, Anaiya, Beonin, Elaida
Elayne and Nynaeve are sitting in their room in Salidar, preparing to go to Tel'aran'rhiod. Elayne is telling Nynaeve that they must get there before the Aes Sedai leaders, whom they are teaching about the World of Dreams. They each take one of the ter'angreal rings that Elayne has made. Elayne is studying her ring, trying to figure out why the ones that she has made do not work as well as the original, when Nynaeve asks if she is going to sit there all night. They each take a drink of the herbal drink that Nynaeve had prepared to help them sleep, and then lie down. They speak shortly of Egwene, who they know was harmed in Cairhien on the day that Moiraine and Lanfear died, before Nynaeve falls asleep. As Elayne drifts off, she thinks about the Hall of the Tower in Salidar, and of how they have been so slow to make decisions.
When Elayne arrives in Tel'aran'rhiod, Nynaeve, Siuan and Leane are waiting for her. Finally, Sheriam, Carlinya, Morvrin, Myrelle, Anaiya and Beonin appear. Much thinking occurs on Elayne's part, mostly about Tel'aran'rhiod, the Aes Sedai, the Wise Ones and Egwene.
The first place they go in Tel'aran'rhiod is to Elaida's study in the White Tower. When Leane disappears to go check if her eyes-and-ears have received her messages, Myrelle tells Nynaeve to go with her.
Once Nynaeve has left, Elaida appears, dreaming. "As I have Foretold, the White Tower will be reunited under me. Under me!" She leaves, and Anaiya points out that the blue stripe has been removed from Elaida's stole.
Morvrin, Carlinya and Anaiya make their way to the Keeper's worktable, and Sheriam, Beonin and Myrelle go to search Elaida's desk. They read many reports, among them reports on the arrest warrant for Moiraine, the fighting in Arafel and Shienar, and of the Blight still being quiet. There are strange occurrences in Cairhien and Illian, Elayne is to be returned to the White Tower as soon as possible, and Elaida has sent emissaries to Rand. Beonin tells them that it seems that Elaida means to support Rand, and that she is offering him an escort to the Tower. Their conversation is cut short when they hear a scream, and shouts from the anteroom. They all rush to find out what has happened, and step into a nightmare.
They find themselves in a stone cavern that is filled with Trollocs. Carlinya is bound and hanging by her ankles from a chain, and is being lowered headfirst into a bubbling kettle of boiling oil. Anaiya and Morvrin are standing at the border of the nightmare, and are then transported into it. Morvrin finds herself being stretched tightly on great iron wheels, and Anaiya is being dangled by her wrists while Trollocs flog her with metal tipped whips. Sheriam announces to the other two Aes Sedai with her that they must link, but Elayne tells them that they must not accept this nightmare as being real. However, the Aes Sedai do not listen, link, and try to attack with fire. The weave vanishes at the edge of the nightmare, and then the three Aes Sedai are drawn in. Sheriam's head is sticking up from a dark metal bell shape, and Trollocs are jerking levers on the outside.
Elayne asks Siuan if she remembers what she and Nynaeve had told them about dispelling nightmares, and Siuan nods, replying that they must deny that they are reality. Elayne and Siuan try to picture the hallway as it had been, but nothing changes, and they realize that they need help. They don't know where Leane and Nynaeve are, so their only hope is the Aes Sedai. They both step into the nightmare.
Elayne finds herself lying on her belly on rough gray stone, with her wrists and ankles tied in the small of her back. Siuan starts screaming to Sheriam, telling her to believe that it is a dream, and Elayne takes up the refrain.
Finally, suddenly, they are back in the hallway. Siuan is a mass of bruises, Carlinya's hair has been burned down to a hand from her scalp, Sheriam and Anaiya seem to be "weeping heaps of bloody rags," Myrelle is naked and covered in welts, Morvrin is moving unnaturally, and Beonin's dress has been clawed to shreds. All of the Aes Sedai want to go back to Salidar, but Siuan says that she will stay. Elayne wishes to stay with Siuan, but the Aes Sedai tell her not to be foolish and to return with them.
When the Aes Sedai disappear, Elayne knows that she has a few moments before anyone will check in on her, so she transports herself to the Grand Hall in the Caemlyn Palace. What she finds dismays her terribly. The Lion Throne is sitting on some kind of pedestal, while a throne made of golden Dragons sits on the dais. She wonders what Rand thinks he is doing. She finally steps out of Tel'aran'rhiod.
Demandred's Point of View:
Setting: Tel'aran'rhiod
Characters: Demandred
The point of view switches to Demandred, who steps out from behind the columns in the Grand Hall of the Caemlyn Palace; he had been watching Elayne. He can tell that she does not like what Rand has done in Caemlyn. "Let the Lord of Chaos rule," he says, and then leaves Tel'aran'rhiod.
