The Gathering Storm: Chapter 5

A Tale of Blood

Point of View: Rand

Characters: Rand, Harine, Damer Flinn, Corele, Elza

Setting: Arad Doman

Rand is walking through the encampment thinking, he receives a letter from Darlin and replies that he is to continue gathering troops in Tear. Then Rand meets with Harine asking why the ships with food bound to Bandar Eban are late and she replies that traveling in Seanchan controlled water is slowing them. Rand asks her how are the men who can channel treated among the Sea Folk and in return she can ask him a question. She replies that they are given a choice - either drowned in the sea or left on an isolated isle. Rand demands that the practice stop now that saidin is cleansed but Harine* is skeptical. Rand is infuriated that no one believes him that he has cleansed the One Power. Rand realizes he talks about things from Lews Therin's life and is afraid that he is losing himself but he cannot make himself banish the voice as he needs it to help him find a way to seal the bore. Harine informs him that she will ask her question later **. Rand talks about how he feels that he has not freedom but he'll do what he must.

1^ Which is strange since Harine was present during the cleansing.
2^ By the end of the book Harine still haven't asked her question.

Point of View: Cadsuane

Characters: Cadsuane, Merise, Semirhage, Narishma

Setting: Arad Doman

Merise is interrogating Semirhage. Cadsuane is thinking how unbending and frustrating Semirhage is and nothing they've done has yield any results. Semirhage is talking calmly how she has tortured a person and threatens that she will show it some day to Merise which unbalance the Aes Sedai. Cadsuane interferes and weaves a shield of Air around Semirhage's head and balls of light, placed in front of the Forsaken's eyes. Cadsuane is thinking how the Aes Sedai of this age are falling short of what Aes Sedai should be and that Semirhage can be broken and she will find a way. Merise continues the interrogating and Cadsuane is concerned about Rand and how he is resisting her teaching. She turns her thoughts back to Semirhage and sees something of herself in the Forsaken and wonders "if given the task, how would Cadsuane go about breaking herself".

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