Difference between revisions of "The Shadow Rising: Chapter 52"

Revision as of 13:47, 7 March 2007

Need

Author: Atarah al'Norahn

Characters: Nynaeve, Bair, Amys, Egwene, Birgitte, Gaidal Cain, Elayne, Thom, Juilin, Bayle Domon, Egeanin

Setting: Tel'aran'rhiod, The Three Plum's Court

Point of view: Nynaeve

Nynaeve is in the Tel'aran'rhiod version of the Heart of the Stone. She is still pondering the situation with Egeanin, though her thoughts eventually shift to wondering where Egwene is. She can't help but think that anything could jump out at her while she is waiting, and when Egwene, Amys and Bair arrive, it is to find Nynaeve dressed in armor. Nynaeve, embarrassed, quickly changes back into Two Rivers garments.

Egwene tells Nynaeve about the Trolloc and Draghkar attack on Cold Rocks Hold, and then goes on to say that Moiraine is frustrated because Rand will not tell her his plans. She also mentions that she is worried about Rand. "I don't know whether it is madness or design. I could almost bear it either way if I knew. Nynaeve, I'll admit it isn't prophecy, or Tarmon Gai'don, that make me anxious right now. Maybe it is foolish, but I promised Elayne to look after him, and I do not know how."

Nynaeve follows up by relating to Egwene what has been happening in Tanchico, and that they still don't know what they are looking for. She asks if there is any way for her to get into Amathera's dreams in order to find out if she is a Darkfriend or not, and Bair tells her that she is foolish. When Nynaeve snaps at the Wise One, she finds her hair split into two braids with red ribbons, and that she is wearing a short skirt and loose white blouse, which is what young girls wear among the Aiel. She struggles, but eventually manages to regain her normal clothing.

Nynaeve is seemingly desperate to get help in finding out what she and Elayne should be looking for. "If there is anything you can do to help, anything you can tell me...anything at all." The Wise One's tell her about a technique that centers on Need. They tell her that if she concentrates on what she needs - a way to keep the Black Ajah from finding a device that can control Rand - that "concentrating on that need will bring you near to what you want. Concentrating on the need again will bring you closer. Each step brings you nearer, until at last you are not only in the valley, but standing beside where water is to be found." Egwene and Nynaeve then make plans to meet again in seven days, and Egwene and the Wise Ones leave.

To start off with, Nynaeve concentrates on the city of Tanchico, and then on the Panarch's Palace, and on what she needs to find. She finds herself in a bedchamber located in the Panarch's Palace. In the bedchamber, she finds Amathera and Temaile; Temaile is forcing the Panarch to sing bawdy songs. Nynaeve shifts to another place, and finds herself in the Panarch's museum. There, she finds a woman whom she does not know wandering about. Thinking that it could be a Black sister she does not know about, Nynaeve is about to embrace the source when she spies Birgitte. She is distracted, and the woman disappears. The Hero tells Nynaeve that it was Moghedien whom she had seen. They stand there talking about numerous things: the Wheel, Falme, and why Birgitte is speaking to Nynaeve when she should not be. It is thus that Gaidal Cain finds them and reprimands Birgitte for speaking with Nynaeve. They argue shortly, and Gaidal ends up completely ignoring Nynaeve.

Nynaeve proceeds to question Birgitte on what she knows of Moghedien, and Birgitte tells her of the promise that Moghedien once made to her: "She promised to make me weep alone for as long as the Wheel turns. She said it as a fact that simply had not happened."

Nynaeve goes to try to find Moghedien. She makes her way over to a glass case that Moghedien had been smiling at, and sees, among other things, one of the seals on the Dark One's prison. She shifts again, and this time, she finds a necklace and two bracelets of jointed black metal that radiate pain, sorrow and suffering. She instantly knows that this is what the Black Ajah has been hunting for. But before she can investigate further, Elayne awakens her.

Nynaeve quickly tells Elayne of what she has found; Egeanin is also listening, and looks almost disbelieving. Nynaeve and Elayne are talking, and Elayne wants to know how a piece of jewelry can be dangerous to Rand. When Nynaeve describes the object, they both look to Egeanin. "I have never heard of an a'dam made for a man, or any like the one you describe. No one tries to control a man who can channel." As they continue to talk, they hear a commotion outside their door and hurry to investigate. They find that Thom has been attacked and that Juilin and Bayle Domon are standing over an unconscious man with pale yellow hair. Thom tells them that the man was walking down the hall and suddenly kicked him in the head; he guesses that the man simply wanted his purse.

Egeanin tells them that the man is Seanchan, and that he was in all probability looking for her with suspicions about Bethamin. She says that they had better slit his throat, but Nynaeve tells the men to just put him out in the alleyway.

Afterwards, Elayne and Nynaeve speak of how they will get into the Panarch's Palace.

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