The Dragon Reborn: Plot Summary
Author: Toral Delvar
Byar returns from Falme and tells Niall his beliefs about what occurred there, and of his hatred of Perrin. Niall tells Jaichim Carridin not to try and stop Rand as he hopes to make the people turn to him to protect them. Fain tells Niall similar stories to Byar. He persuades Niall that the Two Rivers is full of Darkfriends and he should send men there. Carridin is given new orders, from an unusual Myrddraal, to kill Rand.
Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve head back to Tar Valon with a severely ill Mat, who it seems only has hours to live, and Hurin. Nynaeve tries Healing him, but accomplishes nothing. On the way, they are confronted by Whitecloaks, led by Dain Bornhald. The girls disperse them using the Power, something which gains Verin's anger.
Once in the Tower, they are severely reprimanded by Siuan who sets punishments for them all for running away, to keep the link between them and the Black Ajah secret. She tells Elayne and Egwene that they are to be raised to the Accepted. She also sets Nynaeve and Egwene Black Ajah hunting, in the knowledge that she won't be blamed when Elayne is brought in on it. They are given a note from the Amyrlin, giving the permission to do almost anything. Verin tells Siuan about Mat blowing the Horn, Siuan tells her the two false Dragons were defeated at the moment Rand proclaimed himself.
Nynaeve brings Elayne in on the hunt at the first opportunity. Egwene and Nynaeve are attacked by a Gray Man who fires an arrow at them. Nynaeve captures the man using the Power, but finds him dead. Sheriam tells them to keep quite about it, and she later finds a second Gray Man in her bed. Elaida comes to question them about Rand.
Mat is healed of his link to the dagger, by a circle of thirteen Aes Sedai using a sa'angreal, in the process speaking in the Old Tongue and giving battle orders after he has a sort of flashback, to a battle in the Trolloc Wars. He is visited by Lanfear who tells him he is destined for glory, and Siuan, who he tries to avoid making any commitments with. He tries to leave, but is not allowed and sees Lanfear, masquerading as Else. She is abrupt with him. He defeats Gawyn and Galad together using only his quarterstaff.
Verin gives Egwene a ter'angreal that is linked to the World of Dreams, and does not require channeling, to help her discover if she is a Dreamer. Egwene is raised, her test for the Accepted involving abandoning Rand under various circumstances. She learns anyone who can channel can be turned to the Dark One by thirteen Myrddraal and thirteen Aes Sedai. The ter'angreal she goes through acts very unusually, and almost burns down, prompting Alanna to see Sheriam to ask for punishment, as she noticed something but kept quiet. Elayne's test was similarly hard for her.
The girls are given clues to the whereabouts of members of the Black Ajah who fled the Tower by Lanfear, posing as a novice. They realize it is probably a trap, but tell Siuan they are going to head for Tear and try to spring it.
Egwene uses the dream ter'angreal, and first sees Rand, who attacks her, then a woman calling herself Silvie in the Stone of Tear. The woman seems to think she knows Egwene and tells her to say Ba'alzamon is a fool. The woman sends her out of Tel’aran’rhiod to prevent Be'lal from discovering her.
The girls ask Mat if he will deliver a letter to Queen Morgase. Mat tells them he will do so, after first taunting them, if they can get him off the island, as the Amyrlin has told all the guards he is not to leave. They give him one of the notes from her, allowing the bearer to do whatever they wish.
The girls travel downstream on a boat, which runs aground. They go ahead on foot and encounter a group of Aiel, including Bain, Chiad and Aviendha, who reveal one of their numbers is severely injured. Nynaeve Heals her, and they set off again, before being captured by Darkfriends who wish to hand them over to a Myrddraal. They are freed by the Aiel, though they would have escaped on their own. Nynaeve uses balefire against the Myrddraal. The leader of the Aiel, Rhuarc, says they are going to Tear. The girls make their own way to Tear where they stay with a local healer, Mother Guenna. She enlists Juilin Sandar, a thief catcher, to help them find the Black Ajah, though of course he isn't told they are Black Ajah. He is not careful enough and Liandrin makes him reveal their location. The girls are captured, Egwene and Nynaeve are severely beaten, for refusing to give in.
Mat leaves the Tower and wanders round Tar Valon, gambling and winning every throw. He is attacked by Darkfriends posing as thieves but gets away from them. He meets Thom, who is drunk and persuades him to go to Caemlyn with him, Thom agreeing as Caemlyn is dangerous for him and he is looking for danger after his girlfriend's death. They are attacked by Darkfriends on the ship they board. After getting off, they spend a night in a stable, where Mat rescues Aludra, an Illuminator. Out of gratitude, she gives him some fireworks. He messes with one to try to find out how it works, and throws it in the fire. They are attacked by Darkfriends again on the way to Caemlyn, Thom killing a woman, which displeases Mat.
They go to Caemlyn, again staying at Basel Gill's inn. The guard on the palace gate refuses to let Mat in, even threatening to have him arrested as a Darkfriend when he reveals he has come from the Tower, so he goes over the wall like Rand had done previously. He over hears two men discussing a plan to kill Elayne, before being taken before Morgase and her lover Gaebril, who was one of the men. He meets Tallanvor, another member of the palace guard who takes him to the Queen. He gives her the letter then sets off for Tear, to help out Elayne and Egwene.
Mat arrives in Tear and comes across Lord Comar, who he had heard being told to kill Elayne by Rahvin, in an inn. They fight and Comar is killed before Mat can learn anything. He meets Mother Guenna, who tells him of the girls capture. Leaving a sick Thom behind, he heads off to try and break into the Stone. He is accosted by Aiel including Gaul and Rhuarc on the rooftops, but once he makes it clear he has no plans to interfere with them, they agree to leave him alone. He meets Juilin, who had been having second thoughts about what he did. They agree to work together. Mat accidentally blows a hole in the wall with fireworks when trying to create a diversion, and enters, fighting defenders of the Stone and nobles. On his way he and Juilin fight High Lord Darlin, who says he intends to watch as the skin is stripped from their bodies.
At the camp of the Dragon Reborn, Rand has spent the winter arguing with Moiraine. He accidentally damages the camp when he draws to much of saidin and has to release it randomly. A Tuatha'an comes with news for Moiraine. Perrin sees Lanfear and Ba'alzamon in the World of Dreams, they both talk to him. He also witnesses an argument between three of the Forsaken. Whilst he is asleep, he is warned by wolves that Trollocs and Myrddraal are attacking. Rand is powerless to help, but they are killed anyway. Masema takes the aid of wolves as a sign that he should go and recruit for the Dragon Reborn. The Tuatha'an is killed.
Rand sets off on his own to Tear, without telling anyone. On the way, he kills a group of people who come to join him at the camp fire. These include a woman and a Gray Man. He also continues to be plagued by dreams and almost kills Egwene in one, when he mistakes her for a dream creation.
Moiraine realizes that Rand has gone to Tear to try and seize Callandor when many of the people with them reveal having dreamed of glowing swords and red stone columns. Moiraine, Lan, Perrin and Loial follow, the Shienarans being injured. One of them, Masema, decides he should go into the world and proclaim the coming of the Dragon. Min goes to Tar Valon. Chasing after Rand, they encounter villages where strange things have been happening mass weddings, insanity and others - a sign of Rand's being ta'veren.
Perrin comes across a man who could talk to wolves, but who has lost the human side of him. He again enters Tel'aran'rhiod, where he meets Hopper, a dead wolf. They learn of Masema stirring up trouble in Ghealdan. He also meets two Hunters of the Horn, and a captured Aiel, Gaul who he frees as children are throwing stones at him. He tells Gaul he is off to Tear, and Gaul announces he is going too, though not with them. They kill some Whitecloaks, before fleeing the village, along with a young woman who decides to call herself Faile, who keeps staring at him. She is also a Hunter and believes they make a strange trail which Hunters should follow. Perrin again sees Ba'alzamon and Lanfear in Tel'aran'rhiod, and tells Moiraine they are free. Rand sees him and attacks him.
They travel through Illian, where they learn Sammael rules. They are attacked by Gray Men in an inn before Sammael sends Darkhounds after them, which Moiraine kills with balefire. They then head on to Tear, where they learn Berelain has given in to Tear's demands. Perrin finds himself growing uncomfortable around Faile. She springs a trap meant for Moiraine, and is caught in Tel'aran'rhiod, the World of Dreams. Perrin's wolf abilities means he can enter this world, so he does so to free her. Moiraine and Lan head for the Stone to help Rand.
Egwene enters Tel'aran'rhiod, where she meets two of the Black Ajah, stilling one and shielding the other, leaving them trapped in Tel’aran’rhiod. The girls, however, remain shielded in the real world. Mat opens the cell and they are free. They knock out the Black Ajah sister and the shield disappears.
Rand enters the Heart of the Stone, where Be’lal tells him to take Callandor. They fight, with Be'lal forcing him in toward it. Moiraine enters and kills Be'lal, again using balefire. Rand is attacked by Ba'alzamon who almost kills him before he takes Callandor, chasing Ba'alzamon and killing him, this time leaving a body, which many people take for the Dark One until Moiraine points out how stupid that is. The Defenders of the Stone, who had been fighting Aiel, fall to their feet to proclaim him the Dragon Reborn. Berelain brings Rand a message from Lanfear.
<< The Great Hunt / The Shadow Rising >>
