The Shadow Rising: Plot Summary

Author: Toral Delvar

WARNING! The next sections contain spoilers for the Wheel of Time book series.

In the White Tower

Min arrives in the Tower, where she tells Siuan and Leane that Rand has gone after Callandor, and also that she has had a viewing that many in the Tower will die in battle on the same day. She is recognized by Gawyn, but not Galad. Neither believe Elayne and Egwene are safe. Elaida and Alviarin begin plotting together. Siuan convinces Min to stay and look for the Black Ajah. In order to accomplish this, Min dresses in a more "girly" fashion and begins calling herself Elmindreda. Siuan receives word from Moiraine that Rand has taken the Stone and tells the Aes Sedai that the Dragon has been Reborn.

With Alviarin's help, Elaida organizes a coup and overthrows Siuan, proclaiming herself Amyrlin. Siuan and Leane are stilled and imprisoned before being rescued by Min, who is helped by the Mistress of the Kitchens, Laras. They are allowed to leave the Tower by Gawyn, who had organized the resistance when those loyal to Siuan tried to free her. They are joined by Logain, who Min insists is important in some way. Siuan promises to help Logain get his revenge.

In the Stone of Tear

Rand is attacked in his room by his own reflection, scaring Berelain, who was attempting to seduce him at the time. Perrin is attacked by his own ax, while Mat is assaulted by playing cards. Moiraine claims that these attacks are the result of "bubbles of evil" rising from the Dark One, and that although they are likely to occur only around ta'veren at first, they will eventually become commonplace.

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve question the two captured members of the Black Ajah, both of whom claim to be willing to help them. They are told of a plot to rescue Mazrim Taim and blame his activities on Rand, and also of an object in Tanchico, which could be used to control Rand.

Elayne and Egwene try to teach Rand about channeling, but all he is able learn is that he can sense when women channel. Egwene is surprised to learn Rand is far stronger than she is. He and Egwene tell each other that they don't love each other anymore, giving Elayne the chance to move in on him.

Mat asks Egwene for advice and she tells him about a ter'angreal which will grant three answers to any who enter. He claims not to be interested.

Lanfear visits Rand in his room, and whilst she is talking to him, he is attacked by a Gray Man. The Stone is attacked by Trollocs and Myrddraal, which Rand eventually kills using Callandor. Afterwards, the members of the Black Ajah are found dead in their cells.

Perrin looks for rumors that could lead Faile away from Tear, as he fears it is too dangerous. Instead, he hears that Whitecloaks have taken over the Two Rivers and are looking for a yellow eyed Darkfriend. He decides to go there and give himself up to be hanged in order to free everyone. He tries to put Faile off going with him. Faile and Berelain fight, with Berelain promising to take Perrin away from her until she gets bored with him. Rhuarc splits them up and punishes both of them. Perrin gets Loial to take him through the Ways, though Loial and Faile have an agreement that he must take her. They are accompanied by three Aiel.

In spite of his earlier feigned disinterest, Mat enters the ter'angreal that takes him to the realm of the Aelfinn and is supposed to give him true answers to any question he asks. However, the answers he receives - that he is to die and live again, that he must go to Rhuidean and that he is destined to marry the Daughter of the Nine Moons - leave him more unhappy than ever. The area inside the doorway starts shaking and he is forced out. When he leaves, he meets Moiraine and Rand, who are also leaving.

Thom stays in the Stone, plotting against the High Lords that oppose Rand, and also advising him. Moiraine does not approve of this, so she promises to give him the names of the Red Ajah responsible for illegally gentling his nephew Owyn if he will go to Tanchico with the girls.

Egwene enters the World of Dreams without the ter'angreal for the first time. While there, she meets Amys, who says that if Egwene wants to learn, she must come to the Waste. She also goes to Tanchico, which Amys says contains an evil worse than men can make, whatever that means.

Rand calls a meeting, where he tells all the Tairen Lords that they must trade with Illian and restore order to Cairhien, which is caught in the throes of a civil war. He sends the Tairen Lords who are plotting against him most to deal with it. Rand says he is going away and drives Callandor back into the Heart of the Stone. He then tells Mat and Moiraine that he is going to Rhuidean in the Aiel Waste.

Rand and the Aiel, together with Mat, Egwene, Moiraine and Lan go directly to the Waste using a Portal Stone, which Rand requires an angreal to use. They arrive next to a city - Rhuidean.

In the Two Rivers

Perrin and company are attacked by Trollocs in the ways and only just escape Machin Shin, which kills the Trollocs. In the Two Rivers, Perrin shuts the Waygate so it is only possible to open it from the outside. He discovers someone is killing the wildlife. In dreams he chases the man responsible for this, who is called Slayer. Slayer disappears through the Tower of Ghenjei, which leads to the worlds of the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. Here, Perrin meets Birgitte, one of the heroes of legend who warns him that Slayer is dangerous and that he is in the World of Dreams physically.

Perrin learns his entire family has been killed. Trollocs have been blamed for this. Perrin decides against giving himself up to the Whitecloaks and instead to rescue people from them. Padan Fain has linked up with the Whitecloaks, and we learn that he was the one who killed Perrin's family. Bornhald does not trust Fain, as Whitecloaks sent to accompany him tend to die. Fain has killed two Gray Men sent after him and is keeping a Myrddraal prisoner in his tent.

Perrin learns that two Aes Sedai, Alanna and Verin, are in the area, ostensibly to look for recruits. He meets several families and convinces them to move to the village for their own safety. He also meets a man calling himself Lord Luc, who he does not trust, though the others think highly of him. Some of the young men agree to go with Perrin to free the Whitecloaks' prisoners. After doing so, he goes hunting Trollocs. After initial success, he and his men are ambushed and many of them are killed. Perrin is severely injured. They spend the night with the Tuatha'an before returning to Emond's Field, where Alanna Heals him. Faile tells Perrin about her father, Davram Bashere. Perrin talks to Slayer in dreams and notices how much he resembles Lan. Loial and Gaul go to shut the Waygate permanently; Slayer has told Perrin it is open again.

Trollocs mount an attack on the village and are beaten back. They also attack a group of Tuatha'an, who Perrin convinces to come into the village for safety. When they return to the village, they see a wolf’s head banner, as well as a Manetheren banner. The Aes Sedai are behind this. One of the Tuatha’an, Aram, picks up a sword and asks to be taught to use it. Perrin allows it. Whitecloaks arrive to arrest Perrin on charges of being a Darkfriend. Perrin agrees to go with them if they stay and help defend the village against the Shadowspawn. The men and women of the village start coming to him for instructions.

In Tel'aran'rhiod, Perrin shoots Slayer before returning to the real world. Lord Luc runs through the house injured. Perrin realizes that Slayer and Luc have a similar smell and decides he is to be arrested if he reappears.

Perrin sends Faile off to tell the Queen what went on, though in reality he just wants her safely out of the way. She agrees, on the condition that he marries her. They get married. The village is almost overrun by Trollocs chanting "Isam", but is rescued by men from the other Two Rivers villages, some of whom were led there by Faile. They receive no help from the Whitecloaks during the battle, which enables Perrin to refuse to go with them when they try to arrest him. People start referring to Perrin as Lord Perrin, which displeases him.

In Tanchico

Nynaeve and Elayne, along with Thom and Juilin, set off for Tanchico on a Sea Folk ship, which only agrees to take them because they believe they are serving Rand. Elayne suspects that she knows Thom. The Windfinder teaches Elayne a great deal about controlling the weather.

The girls arrive in Tanchico, where they again meet Bayle Domon, who agrees to help them look for the women they are seeking. Elayne gets drunk and makes Thom tell the truth about himself. They also encounter a Seanchan captain, Egeanin, who has remained in Tanchico, looking for escaped sul'dam. She is paying Floran Gelb to look for them. When he mistakenly goes after Nynaeve, she stops him. Egeanin is interested in Aes Sedai and the Power, so she meets with Nynaeve and Elayne. She attacks Domon when he walks in, for which they blame him. Egeanin releases the captured sul'dam.

After using the Power, the girls are visited by Moghedien, who uses Compulsion to make them reveal their plans. She tells them to forget about the visit and leaves them alone, as she doesn't believe they will interfere with her. They locate the Black Ajah, and enter the World of Dreams to check if it is safe. They also locate the object of danger to Rand, using a method taught them by the Wise Ones. Nynaeve sees the Black Ajah holding the Panarch hostage before seeing Moghedien and remembering their encounter. She is prevented from attacking her by Birgitte. Slayer attacks Nynaeve in Tel’aran’rhiod.

They head for the palace. Egeanin accompanies them. Elayne goes to rescue the ruler of Tarabon, the Panarch, from Temaile. Nynaeve's objective is to find the object that could hurt Rand. She finds some bracelets, and is interrupted by Moghedien, who tells her the bracelets can be used to control men who can channel. They battle with the Power, and are evenly matched until Nynaeve throws the bracelets at her, then shields Moghedien and ties her up. She retrieves the bracelets and one of the seals, and is attacked by an Aes Sedai of the Black Ajah using a ter'angreal that produces balefire. By the time it stops, Moghedien has escaped. The girls then leave the building.

In the Waste

Rand asks the Wise Ones' permission to enter Rhuidean. Permission is granted, and Mat makes the same request. He is refused permission, but when Rand tells them he is going whether they allow it or not, they relent. Couladin attacks Rand and Mat, and is stopped by Melaine and Amys using the Power, to Moiraine's surprise.

The boys leave all their weapons and head to the city, which is surrounded by a strange fog, one which cannot be penetrated in Tel’aran’rhiod. In the center of Rhuidean, Rand enters a crystal ter'angreal, where he starts to see visions of Aiel long dead, including most of the important events from their history. He learns the truth that most Aiel don't know; that once, they followed the Way of the Leaf. In fact, the original, full name of the Aiel, "Da'shain Aiel", means “dedicated to peace” in the Old Tongue. Rand also learns that the Tuatha’an are descended from the same people in the Age of Legends. He sees Couladin's first-brother, Muradin, apparently dying.

Mat enters a separate ter'angreal, this time to the land of the fox heads (Eelfinn), in the belief this will also allow him to ask questions. Instead, he is given gifts, based on requests he makes. These are memories of dead lords, soldiers and generals, to fill up holes in his memory from when he had the dagger, an amulet to protect him from Aes Sedai and the One Power, and the ashandarei, which is like a spear, but with a more sword-like blade on the end. He also gains the ability to fully understand and speak the Old Tongue. The people behind the doorway leave him hanging from the Tree of Life. Rand resuscitates Mat after leaving his ter'angreal. They make their way out of Rhuidean, overcoming another "bubble of evil" on the way.

They arrive at the camp outside at dawn and Rand reveals dragons on both arms, showing him to be the Car'a'carn. Couladin attacks him and is threatened with being outlawed. He learns Moiraine has also gone, as has Aviendha, and they have been gone seven days. He also learns of his mother and how she became a Maiden of the Spear. She is obviously Tigraine, though Rand doesn't realize it. He learns how his real father died, killed by a man who looked like his mother.

Rand and Mat journey with the Aiel to Al'cair Dal, following Couladin, who has said the Shaido will not accept Rand. Rand is accompanied by Aviendha, who claims to dislike Rand because he has treated Elayne badly. Despite this, she is told by the Wise Ones to teach him Aiel ways, which she does.

They stop off at Cold Rocks Hold, which is where Rhuarc lives. Couladin asks to enter as a clan chief but is welcomed as a beggar. Rand gives Aviendha a bracelet as a thank you, and to try and pacify her. Her friends take this to mean he is trying to attract her attention, and they approve of him. Lanfear appears in his dreams and argues with Asmodean. Aviendha accidentally reveals that the Wise Ones are watching Rand through his dreams. The hold is attacked by Trollocs and other Shadowspawn. One of the Wise Ones, Seana, is killed by a Draghkar. They are joined by a group of peddlers, who Rand knows to be Darkfriends. Couladin heads for Al'cair Dal, prompting Rand to leave earlier than he wished.

At Al'cair Dal, Rand announces that the Maidens carry his honor, which pleases them greatly. He and Couladin both announce they are the Car'a'carn. Both have dragons on their arms. Rand is accepted only after revealing the secret of the Aiel's history. He confronts Lanfear, who was masquerading as one of the peddlers. She tells him that Asmodean has gone to Rhuidean in search of something useful. Rand Skims after Asmodean to Rhuidean, where they battle with the Power next to the Tree of Life, after grabbing a ter'angreal that links them both to the giant sa'angreal outside Cairhien. Rand cuts Asmodean off from the Dark One, and Lanfear shields him partially so he will not escape. She almost kills Asmodean when he accidentally calls her by her original name, which Rand recognizes as one of the Aes Sedai who created the bore in the Dark One's prison. Asmodean agrees to teach Rand to channel, as the other Forsaken will turn on him if they get the chance. A great lake is created in Rhuidean, the fog having been dispersed.

For a list of all characters who appear or are mentioned in The Shadow Rising, see The Shadow Rising Character List

For a brief summary of the book, see the The Shadow Rising (Brief Plot Summary)

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