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| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_lft.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=LoC,Ch41'}] 
| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/dragon_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Dragon Chapter Icon'}] ''[LoC|Lord of Chaos]: The Black Tower'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=LoC,Ch43' align='right'}]
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! __Rand__ POV

[Rand|Rand alThor] invites [Min|Min Farshaw] to go to the farm with him but she is afraid. She heads back to [The Crown of Roses] to report. [Rand|Rand alThor] has not been to the farm in too long. He needs to warn them about the presence of the embassy. [Alanna|Alanna Mosvani] and [Verin|Verin Mathwin] are already in the city and there are rumors of another [Aes Sedai] who [Heals|Weaves] stray cats.[1] [Rand|Rand alThor] can tell that [Alanna|Alanna Mosvani] is not at [Culain's Hound|Culains Hound] and that she is eager. He assumes that she is at [The Crown of Roses]. [Rand|Rand alThor] [Travels|Weaves] to the farm leaving [Enaila] and [Somara] behind.[2] 

He is amazed at how much the farm has grown. There are now over a hundred students. [Henre Haslin] is teaching sword practice. [Saeric], a [Red Water] [Goshien] with one hand, is teaching kicks. One of the men comes up and challenges [Rand|Rand alThor]. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] comes up and clubs him, then orders [Kisman|Raefar Kisman] and [Rochaid|Manel Rochaid] to haul off [Torval|Peral Torval]. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] tells [Rand|Rand alThor] that they need hard discipline. [Lews Therin|Lews Therin Telamon] says he should have killed him long ago. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] says he teaches the men the little he knows of [Healing|Weaves] first, then how not to feel the heat. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] tells [Rand|Rand alThor] that the men named the farm the "[Black Tower]." [Rand|Rand alThor] is unhappy with the name but agrees to let it stand. 

[Taim|Mazrim Taim] assembles the students in front of a block of black stone[3] used as a podium. From the stone [Rand|Rand alThor] scans the students. He sees [Jahar Narishma] and other men from [Shienar], [Saldaea], [Tarabon], [Cairhien|Cairhien (Country)] and [Illian|Illian (Country)]. There are men as young as [Eben|Eben Hopwil] and [Fedwin|Fedwin Morr] and others older than [Damer|Damer Flinn]. He sees a man with a farmer's face and a [Tairen|Tear (Country)] lord's beard.[4] [Rand|Rand alThor] tells the men that they will be called [Asha'man]. The word %%ot asha'man%% means "guardian or defender of a just cause" in the [Old Tongue]. [Bashere|Davram Bashere] gave him the word. He tells them the first level will be soldier, the second level will be [Dedicated|AshaMan] and the highest level will be [Asha'man]. He presents [Taim|Mazrim Taim] the sword pin of the [Dedicated|AshaMan] and the dragon pin of the [Asha'man]. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] looks furious.[5] 

[Rand|Rand alThor] and [Taim|Mazrim Taim] go into the farmhouse where [Sora Grady] serves them wine. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] says he now has [Damer|Damer Flinn], [Grady|Jur Grady] and other older men leading recruiting parties. [Rand|Rand alThor] asks [Taim|Mazrim Taim] why he got mad about the pins and winds up shouting. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] shakes with rage,[5] then gets control of himself and changes the subject to the [Aes Sedai] in [Caemlyn]. [Rand|Rand alThor] warns him again to stay away. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] says he has not been there since the day with the [Gray Man]. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] tells [Rand|Rand alThor] there are parties of [Red Ajah] sisters nearby trying to intercept men on their way to the [Black Tower].[6] [Lews Therin|Lews Therin Telamon] shouts that he must kill him. [Rand|Rand alThor] mutters back, "You're dead." [Taim|Mazrim Taim] now looks concerned and tells [Rand|Rand alThor] he must hold on to sanity.[5] [Taim|Mazrim Taim] suggests a convenient "accident" for the [Aes Sedai] in [Caemlyn]. [Rand|Rand alThor] warns him a third time to stay away and says he will hold [Taim|Mazrim Taim] responsible if anything happens to them. [Taim|Mazrim Taim] asks what if [Sammael] or [Demandred] decides to kill them? [Rand|Rand alThor] tells [Taim|Mazrim Taim] to hope it does not happen. [Rand|Rand alThor] intends to teach them to dance to his flute.
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More [Rand POV]
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! Notes (Possible Spoilers)

[#1] This certainly sounds like [Marillin|Marillin Gemalphin] of the [Black Ajah].
\\[#2] This behavior that will greatly delay the discovery of his kidnapping and his rescue. ([LoC,Ch53])
\\[#3] Is this the black stone of [Egwene|Egwene alVere]'s [Dream|TelAranRhiod] in [ACoS,Ch10]?
\\[#4] This sounds like the same man that [Rand|Rand alThor] sees in [Illian|Illian (Country)] in [TPoD,Ch22]. He is [Donalo Sandomere]. ([WH,Prologue])
\\[#5] [Taim|Mazrim Taim] expresses a very odd series of emotions in this chapter. Why? See the discussion about [Mazrim Taim] in the [FAQ, Section 1.5.6|http://steelypips.org/wot-tgs/node/67.html].
\\[#6] This would seem to be a lie, as [Elaida|Elaida do Avriny aRoihan] does not send her force against the [Black Tower] until [ACoS,Prologue].
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