ToM: Chapter 51

A Testing

Summary

Min POV � Min and Rand are in their rooms in the Stone of Tear with Cadsuane, Narishma, Merise, Naeff and two Maidens. Min holds Callandor. She has a viewing:

A glowing sword, Callandor, being gripped in a black hand.

Rand takes the sword and puts it in a sheath over his back. He also wears the sword he acquired in Arad Doman. They represent the future on the past to him.¹ Min fears Callandor. She thinks it has a deeper flaw than they know of and that it will be used against Rand.² He orders Narishma to open a gateway to Far Madding so they can pay an overdue call on the Borderlanders there. Rand asks Naeff if there is any word from the Black Tower and Naeff says no. Rand says he cannot Travel there and fears the worst. He shows Naeff how to weave a disguise and tells him to Travel to nearby the Black Tower and ride in. Find Logain³ and those loyal to him and deliver a message. Tell them that they are not weapons, they are men.⁴ He tells Cadsuane to be prepared to make a gateway for retreat if necessary. She says she cannot touch the True Source there but he notes that she is wearing a full paralis-net which includes a Well. Rand says he wore the original male version. When she calls him "boy" one more time he suggests that she call him Rand Sedai. They walk through the gateway where Maiden scouts wait with horses and ride to Far Madding. Rand rides Tai'daishar. Rand says the city is even more ancient than the guardian, Aren Deshar, Aren Mador, Far Madding. The enclave of the Incastar were afraid of progress. Gilgame....⁵ He has all of Lews Therin�s memories but he tells Min there is a big difference. He has Min, Tam, Perrin, Nynaeve, Mat, Aviendha, Elayne, Moiraine. Min wonders if the rest of the Borderlands are suffering like Maradon did. An escort meets them and brings them to the front of the army where they meet Ethenielle, Paitar, Easar and Tenobia. Min has viewings of them:

Tenobia � a spear hovering over her head, bloody, but shining in the light.
Ethenielle � white doves meaning that she will soon be wed.⁶
Easar and Paitar � Swords, shields and arrows, they will fight soon.

Ethenielle and a man with a sheathed sword⁷ walk up to Rand. She slaps him hard. One by one the others follow drawing blood. Rand is angry but holds his temper and quiets those with him. Paitar then asks how Tellindal Tirraso died. Upset, Rand replies that she was a clerk who died accidentally in the fighting when Demandred attacked him. They finally acknowledge him as the Dragon Reborn.

Cadsuane POV � They sit in a large tent with the rulers. Thirteen Aes Sedai wait outside but they do not seem to bother Rand.⁸ Cadsuane knows some of them.⁹ Paitar says his ancestor Reo Myershi heard a Foretelling from an Aes Sedai:

I see him before you. Him, the one who lives many lives, the one who gives deaths, the one who raises mountains. He will break what he must break, but first he stands here, before our king. You will bloody him! Measure his restraint. He speaks! How was the fallen slain? Tellindal Tirraso, murdered by his hand, the darkness that came the day after the light. You must ask, and you must know your fate. If he cannot answer then you will be lost. You will bring his end swiftly, so that the final days may have their storm. So that Light may not be consumed by he who was to have preserved it. I seem. And I weep.

Rand tells them they came close to doom. A short time earlier he would have returned the slaps with balefire. He says the guardian only blocks the One Power,¹⁰ which greatly puzzles Cadsuane. He says he will teach their Aes Sedai gateways in they will swear to him. He will meet the monarchs of the world tomorrow then go to Shayol Ghul to break the remaining seals. The Borderlanders can come with him to the Last Battle only if they swear to him. He will wait one hour for their answer.¹¹ Meantime he asks them to send for Hurin so he can apologize. One more day and it will all begin. Cadsuane hopes that they are ready.

Notes

The sword is Justice, Artur Hawkwing�s sword from the past. It is not clear exactly how Callandor represents the future.
At this point it is not clear what this flaw might be and what it might mean.
Androl and the others in the Black Tower think Logain is with Rand. Where is he?
The lesson that Rand learned from Cadsuane.
Gilgamesh??
Perhaps Kalyan Ramsin? (TPoD,Prologue)
Her Swordbearer Lord Baldhere
So it would seem that this threat was a red herring.
But we still have no names and know nothing about them.
This seems to imply that Rand still has access to the True Power. Is this correct?
We learn about their answer in ToM,Epilogue.

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