The Shadow Rising: Chapter 1

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Author: Asandra al'Terra

Wheel and Serpent Chapter Icon.png


Seeds of Shadow


Chapter Icon: Wheel and Serpent

Points of View: Min, Elaida, Dain Bornhald, Suroth

Outline

Min arrives in the Tower and has viewings of death and strife. Suroth prepares to lead the Return.

Summary

Min's Point of View:

Setting: Tar Valon

Characters: Min, Siuan Sanche, Leane, Gawyn, Sahra, Faolain

Having traveled from Falme for many months, Min had finally arrived in Tar Valon. Moiraine had given her a message for the Amyrlin's ears alone, and was told to keep out of notice until she is in the Amyrlin's study; for this reason, she is wearing a dress, and has her hair longer than it was when she last visited the Tower; also, she uses her full name, Elmindreda, so that nobody will recognize her by name.

As she enters the Tower, she is greeted by an Accepted, Faolain, whom she had met briefly during her previous visit. However, the Accepted does not recognize her. Min requests the right to speak to the Amyrlin, and gives her full name, Elmindreda, praying that it will be recognized. In the middle of the request, however, three Aes Sedai walk into the room, and she sees a different aura around each of them - and each aura indicates that each of them will die, and all on the same day. She is shaken. Faolain goes to deliver the message to the Keeper.

Min continues to see auras around the Aes Sedai and Gaidin who enter the room, and is even more scared when she sees that Sheriam will be hurt on the same day that many people of the Tower die. A few moments later, Min is greeted by a novice, Sahra, and is led to the Amyrlin's study. On the way, she sees more auras of death and injury.

Outside the Amyrlin's study, Min runs into Gawyn who is concerned about Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve - he has not been told about their whereabouts, except that they are serving penance on a farm. Min sees an aura of his sigil of the White Boar on a green background, rather than the red one of Andor. Min assures Gawyn that they must be safe, and enters the antechamber of the Amyrlin's study.

The Keeper of the Chronicles, Leane, recognizes Min, despite her disguise, and sends her into the Amyrlin's room.

Min sees an aura of the Siuan lying naked on the ground, and also has a feeling that something else is wrong, yet she cannot explain it. The Amyrlin laughs the vision off, and Min speaks about all her visions since entering the Tower. Siuan then tells Min about the Black Ajah in the Tower, and Min is frightened. Yet Siuan changes the topic to that of Min's reason for coming to the Tower, and Min in turn relays Moiraine's message that Rand is traveling to Tear. Siuan is angry, and believes that it is too soon for him. Siuan also manages to worm out the fact that Min is in love with Rand and that she wants to go to Tear to be with him. However, Siuan had been plotting since Min stepped into the room, and intends for Min to stay as bait for the Black Ajah. Siuan insists that Min keep Elmindreda as her name, and gives her the story of trying to decide between two suitors as her reason to stay in the Tower.




Elaida's Point of View:

Setting: Tar Valon

Characters: Min, Gawyn, Sahra, Elaida, Alviarin

Elaida sees Gawyn talking to a girl outside the Amyrlin's study, and recognizes her as Min. She believes that the Amyrlin is hiding the whereabouts of Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve; she also knows that Moiraine and Siuan are friends, although they had gone their separate ways when raised, and are plotting to manipulate Rand. The Red sister intends to stop them; she believes that Rand will destroy the Royal Line of Andor and she does not intend to let that happen; at one point, she had a Foretelling that the Royal Line of Andor is the key to winning the Last Battle. She has an epiphany moment, in which she considers the possibility that Rand might be able to channel. All of a sudden, she meets Alviarin (Aes Sedai of the White Ajah), and they begin to plan on how to stop Siuan Sanche.




Dain Bornhald's Point of View:

Setting: Two Rivers

Characters: Dain Bornhald, Byar, Ordeith

Dain Bornhald stands staring across the river at Taren Ferry when he is approached by Child Ivon, who delivers the message that Ordeith had been talking to three Tinkers, and, suspiciously, none of them can be found. Bornhald has been ordered to meet Ordeith by the Lord Captain Commander, and was also told that the man would have more orders for him; his exact status was vague, but he acted as somewhat of an advisor. Bornhald believes that Ordeith is quite insane, but ignores him, for the fact that he is intent on avenging his father by killing Perrin Aybara.




Suroth's Point of View:

Setting: Cantorin

Characters: High Lady Suroth, Pura, Taisa, Alwhin

Lady Suroth is on the isle of Cantorin, she had taken over as the ruler. Most of the Sea Folk and other sea-faring people have been taken hostage by her, and therefore they aren't able to inform anyone of the Seanchan's presence. Suroth has also managed to gather a small legion of the Seanchan that had fled Falme six months ago, and plans to lead the Return; she is just delaying until she is certain that the mainland has forgotten about the Seanchan, and does not suspect that they are there, ready to attack.

At the time, Suroth is questioning Pura, a captured Aes Sedai who has been taken as a damane. She wants to know how the Aes Sedai control the Dragon Reborn. However, she is doubtful of the fact that the once-Aes Sedai cannot lie, even if they cannot make her say something as simple as a piece of black cloth being white. Of the two sul'dam present, Alwhin and Taisa, Alwhin is so'jhin - a servant of the Blood. Suroth dismisses Taisa and Pura, then proceeds to speak of a secret only she and three others know, one of which is Alwhin. Suroth resolves to lead the Return.

Notes

This section contains Notes on this Chapter which may contain spoilers. Please expand to view.

Visions and Prophecies

Min's Viewings
  • (About three Aes Sedai in the White Tower) "A slender woman with black hair falling to her waist, the only one of the three she recognized - her name was Ananda; she was Yellow Ajah - wore a sickly brown halo, shriveled and split by rotting fissures that fell in and widened as they decayed. The small, fair-haired Aes Sedai beside Ananda was Green Ajah, by her green-fringed shawl. The White Flame of Tar Valon on it showed for a moment when she turned her back. And on her shoulders, if nestled among the grape vines and flowering apple branches worked on her shawl, sat a human skull. A small woman's skull, pricked clean and sun bleached. The third, a plumply pretty woman halfway around the room, wore no shawl; most Aes Sedai did not except for ceremony. The lift of her chin and the set of her shoulders spoke of strength and pride. She seemed to be casting blue eyes on the petitioners through a tattered curtain of blood, crimson streamers running down her face.".
  • (About an Accepted in the White Tower) "Another Accepted came to replace one already there, and to Min's eyes bars floated in front of her apple-cheeked face, like a cage." (TSR, Ch. 1).
  • (About Sheriam) "Sheriam, the Mistress of Novices, looked into the hall - after one glance, Min kept her gaze on the stone under her feet; Sheriam knew her all too well - and the red-haired Aes Sedai's face seemed battered and bruised. It was only the viewing, of course, but Min still had to bit her lip to stifle a gasp." ).
  • (About a Brown Aes Sedai in the White Tower) "The Brown sister was smiling, too, but her aura faded like a guttering candle flame.".
  • (About some Warders, servants and Aes Sedai in the White Tower) "Warders hurried by with barely a glance for the two women, men who moved like hunting wolves, their swords only an afterthought to their deadliness, but they seemed to have bloody faces, or gaping wounds. Swords and spears danced about their heads, threatening. Their auras flashed wildly, flickered on the knife edge of death. She saw dead men walking, knew they would die on the same day as the Aes Sedai in the entry hall, or at most a day later. Even some of the servants, men and women with the Flame of Tar Valon on their breasts, hurrying about their work, bore signs of violence. An Aes Sedai glimpsed down a side hallway appeared to have chains in the air around her, and another, crossing the corridor ahead of Min and her guide, seemed for most of those few strides to wear a silver collar around her neck.".
  • (About Gawyn) "Min flinched; for a moment, streaks of blood had made his face a grim mask. It was like a double hammer blow. Her friends were gone - it had eased her coming to the Tower, knowing they were here - and Gawyn was going to be wounded on the day the Aes Sedai died.".
  • (About Gawyn) "Despite all she had seen since entering the Tower, despite her fear, none of it had really touched her personally until now. Disaster striking the Tower would spread far from Tar Valon, yet she was not of the Tower and never could be. But Gawyn was someone she knew, someone she liked, and he was going to be hurt more than the blood told, hurt somehow deeper than wounds to his flesh.".
  • (About Gawyn) "He scowled, and for an instant his face was that bloody mask again. More: a sword floated above his head, and a banner waved behind it. The long-hilted sword, like those most Warders used, had a heron engraved on its slightly curved blade, symbol of a blademaster, and Min would not say whether it belonged to Gawyn or threatened him. The banner bore Gawyn's sigil of the charging White Boar, but on a field of green rather than the red of Andor. Both sword and banner faded with the flood.".
  • (About Leane) "For a moment the Keeper had been looking through a transparent mask of her own face, a screaming mask.".
  • (About Siuan) "Siuan Sanche was standing there as regal as any queen, and for a moment she was also lying on the floor, naked. Aside from her being in only her skin, there was something odd about the image, but it vanished before Min could say what.".
Elaida Foretelling
  • The very first thing Elaida had ever Foretold, while still an Accepted , and had known enough even then to keep to herself , was that the Royal line of Andor would be the key to defeating the Dark One in the Last Battle.


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