The Fires of Heaven: Plot Summary
Author: Toral Delvar
In the tower, Elaida is struggling to hold on to power and her advisors are struggling to cope with the idea of Rand. Fain is counseling Elaida. He steals the dagger back before leaving the tower, only escaping Alviarin by bluffing her. Rhavin is visited by Lanfear, Sammael and Graendal and they make plans to get Rand. Morgase flees Gaebril after he shames her in front of others. She takes Lini, Tallanvor, Basel Gill and Lamgwin with her. Breanne goes with Lamgwin.
In Rhuidean, Rand is living under the roof of the Maidens, the first man ever allowed under it. Moiraine loads the ter'angreal there onto wagons. Rand discusses plans with the clan chiefs, where he learns of what is known as the bleakness.
Egwene and Moiraine start ganging up on him and he begins to have Lews Therin's memories. Moiraine finds another of the seals, which is extremely fragile. Mat picks up a woman, Melindhra, a Shaido, who has come to join the maidens. Isendre irritates Aviendha and the Maidens by her continual attempts to bed Rand. Melaine decides to wed Bael, chief of her clan. Moiraine argues with the Wise Ones about Rand's plans to take them out of the waste.
Rand and the Aiel are attacked by Shadowspawn including Darkhounds. Rand destroys the Darkhounds with balefire. Rand kills a Darkhound attacking Mat with Balefire. Moiraine Heals him after he removes his amulet, and tells Rand balefire is dangerous. Rand agrees not to use it unless he must. Moiraine agrees to obey Rand and to not try manipulating him. Rand is once more visited by Lanfear, who tells him that Rhavin has Morgase.
The Shaido leave the waste, forcing Rand to follow. Trollocs attack again. They leave the waste and see a town that has been attacked. One of the survivors says it was a message to Rand, from Couladin. They learn Couladin had been taking Wetlanders as gai'shan.
Aviendha gives Rand Laman's sword to even out the bracelet he gave her. He discovers it was made with the Power, so gives her the hilt and scabbard back, which are jewel encrusted and useless. She makes a huge profit. Trollocs and Darkfriends attack again; Rand believes it is Sammael, trying to goad him as he remembers him doing it in the Age of Legends, which frightens Asmodean. Rand tells the clan chiefs he will hang anyone who murders or burns anything.
Egwene sees Elayne and Birgitte in Tel'aran'rhiod, Moghedien tries to trap her there, but she escapes. Kadere murders Isendre when she refuses to continue to try and bed Rand.
They move on to Cairhien which is under siege by the Shaido. A week away from it, they meet Lordlings from Tear who Rand had sent north as well as Cairhienen soldiers. They tell him Couladin has the city under siege.
Rand accidentally catches Aviendha naked after taking a bath. Aiel are a little odd about these things, so she flees, using the Power to Travel. Rand follows her to a winter landscape, holding her gateway open and eventually catches up with her unconscious. Removing his clothes as well, to keep her warm, they consummate their relationship. The following morning, they come across a Seanchan patrol outside the gateway, which is now invisible. They shield and bind them and head through, and as Rand lets the doorway dissolve, a spear is thrown through, which he decides to keep.
Rand decides to attack the Shaido after coming up with a plan with the clan chiefs, Mat also comes up with the same plan after studying the map for a minute. Mat decides to leave for safety and heads south, where he sees a group of soldiers about to wander into an Aiel ambush. He goes to simply warn them, but ends up leading them throughout the battle. He also kills Couladin. Other Aiel who have not agreed to follow Rand hang back and watch.
Rand uses the One Power to influence the battle, aided by Aviendha and Egwene. Sammael (probably) tries to interfere. They eventually drive the Shaido from Cairhien, leaving Rand completely exhausted. The other Aiel apart from the Shaido send their Wise Ones to discuss joining with Rand. Rand enters Cairhien, seeing siswai’aman for the first time. Tairen High Lords, and Cairhienen Lords swear fealty to him. Weiramon arrives from Tear.
Colavaere sends young women, including Selande, to try and bed Rand. He puts a stop to it when he claims to prefer more mature women and Aviendha beats her for trying to get near him. Berelain joins him in Cairhien. Moiraine brings letters from the Tower, from Elaida and Alviarin. Alviarin's tells him how wonderful he is.
Mat hears of Morgase's supposed death and tells Rand, who resolves to kill Rhavin. Moiraine first takes him to the docks where they meet Lanfear, who is in a rage because she has been told by Kadere that Rand has been bedding Aviendha for months. She kills Kadere, then attacks Aviendha and Egwene, who are saved by Rand. She decides to kill him when he says he will never love her.
He cannot bring himself to kill Lanfear. Instead, Morgase takes Lanfear through the doorway into the realms of the Eelfinn, which melts, severing her bond with Lan, who is compelled to go east. Rand learns in a letter that Moiraine new what was to happen. Mat is attacked by Melindhra, who is a Darkfriend, when he reveals he is off to Tear to lead the assault on Illian. He accidentally kills her.
That afternoon, Rand Skims to Caemlyn without Egwene, who is too injured. They are immediately attacked by Rhavin, killing Aviendha, Mat and Asmodean. Rand chases him into the World of Dreams.
Siuan, Leane and Min are arrested by Gareth Bryne after Logain burns down a barn. Leane practices her flirting on Bryne. Giving false names, they swear to work off they debt, but decide sneak off at the first opportunity as they never said when they would repay the debt. Logain rescues them anyway, showing concern for the man he injures in the process. Byrne follows them because of Siuan's eyes.
They discover the Aes Sedai opposing Elaida have gathered in Salidar. They pretend to barely be able to tolerate each other and convince those in charge of who they are and manipulate them into choosing their own Hall and Amyrlin. Siuan is allowed to run the spy network, and tells them Logain was set up by the Red Ajah. After being captured, he agrees to build an army to take Tar Valon on his own terms. Siuan is set to work for him.
Elayne, Nynaeve, Thom and Juilin leave Tarabon to return to Tear, but come across a woman, Rhonda Macura who drugs them to prevent them from chanelling and ties them up. She says there is a message "All sisters are welcome to return to the Tower. The Tower must be whole and strong". Thom and Juilin rescue them. They realize the Tower has split and set out to find the rebels. Elayne is all over Thom like a rash. Nynaeve and Egwene discover that Elaida is Amyrlin. Egwene chastises Nynaeve in Tel'aran'rhiod to cover up herself. They meet Galad.
They head into Ghealdan where they join a traveling circus and act as performers. Here, they take an a'dam from a Seanchan woman, Elayne saying she thinks she could make one. They meet up with the Shienarans they left in Falme.
Moghedien takes over the Black Ajah who left the Tower, giving them different tasks and splitting them up. Liandrin tries to use compulsion on her, but she isn't quick enough or strong enough and fails. Moghedien leaves her shielded in such a way that she is never likely to channel again. She uses compulsion to make sure she doesn't give up though. The other Black sisters are sent off with various tasks.
Birgitte takes Nynaeve to spy on Moghedien and other Forsaken in Tel'aran'rhiod. Moghedien spots them and follows. They overcome her, Birgitte shooting her, but Birgitte herself is severely wounded. Birgitte appears in body in the real world, and Elayne bonds her as a Warder to save her life. Moghedien has one of the Black Ajah heal her and Liandrin fails to persuade the remaining Black Ajah to gang up on her.
They learn the rebels are in Salidar, and arrange with both Galad and Masema for a boat to take them out of Ghealdan, which results in conflict between the prophet's mobs and Whitecloaks, of which Galad is one. They flee to Salidar with Uno and the Shienarans, where they are accompanied by three women, Moghedien, posing as Marigan, Nicola and Areina. Min tells Elayne she loves Rand. The leaders in Salidar decide to talk to Moiraine through Egwene and the Wise Ones. Siuan also forces Nynaeve to teach her about the World of Dreams. Nynaeve makes Siuan agree to let her study being stilled.
Moghedien almost captures Nynaeve in the World of Dreams, but Nynaeve tricks her and captures her with an a'dam. Nynaeve makes her take them to Caemlyn, to try and help Rand. She sees Rhavin and encases him in a sheet of fire, almost killing him, before Rand does kill him, with balefire. Nynaeve tells Moghedien she knows where she is and that she's coming to get her.
Aviendha, Mat and Asmodean are alive again because Rhavin was killed with balefire, but Asmodean is killed a short while later. Rand meets Davram Bashere who had been hunting Mazrim Taim. Rand tells him Taim is off limits and there is an amnesty for men who want to channel.
