TDR: People of the Dragon

Omni POV#

In the morning, people of Tear wake from dreams of the Dragon Reborn battling Ba'alzamon in the Heart of the Stone. The Dragon Banner flies above the Stone of Tear. People throng the streets proclaiming Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn.

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Mat POV#

Mat is in a meeting room of the High Lords in the Stone of Tear with Moiraine, Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve and Rhuarc. He saw Rand roaming about the Stone holding Callandor and accompanied by a contingency of Aiel and High Lords. He recalls seeing Lan in the fighting as well. There are about two hundred Aiel in the Stone. Mat met Aviendha, Chiad and Bain last night and got in trouble trying to flirt with them. Moiraine tells them that Perrin is in Tear and might be in trouble along with his "companion."[1] The girls ask for more detail, but she says she will handle it as soon as she shows them what she found. It is one of the seals, this time intact. Moiraine lectures that the seals were hidden during the Breaking and since the Trolloc Wars they have been truly lost. She catches herself and says she is starting to sound like Verin. Mat asks if this all means that they are the People of the Dragon. Moiraine says she does not know.[2] She only came to stop Be'lal from killing Rand. Mat gets the shakes at that name, and recalls that Juilin left the Stone at dawn, ostensibly to bring the good news to Mother Guenna. Rhuarc steps forward and shows them the Dragon on his left arm. He tells them clan chiefs get that when they go to Rhuidean in the land of the Jenn Aiel. Moiraine is stunned, realizing that the Aiel are the People of the Dragon.[2] Mat comments that it really is over now. The girls angrily interject that they only caught Amico and Joiya. They still have Liandrin and the other ten to deal with. Mat says he meant that there is only cleaning up to do since Rand killed Shai'tan. Moiraine calls him a fool and asks if he really thinks the Dark One would leave a human body. Mat recalls that it rotted very fast as well. Egwene tells them about the scrap of paper Verin showed her and they agree that Ba'alzamon might well have been Ishamael. Moiraine comments that there are still nine Forsaken on the loose and that three of the seals are broken so they are far from finished.

A beautiful woman enters, eyes Rhuarc with interest and gives a parchment to Moiraine. She identifies herself as Berelain, the First of Mayene. Moiraine asks why she is delivering messages and who gave it to her. Berelain looks confused, only recalling that she was impressive. She recovers and tells Rhuarc that he disturbed her sleep. She will dine with him soon. She tells Moiraine that she will dine with the Dragon Reborn tonight, then she marches from the room. Moiraine reads the message aloud. "Lews Therin was mine, he is mine, and he will be mine, forever. I give him into your charge, to keep for me until I come." It is signed "Lanfear."

Moiraine reminds Mat that he is ta'veren as well as the sounder of the Horn of Valere so nothing is done for him yet. The girls stare at him with mixed emotions and Rhuarc looks at him with respect.[3] Mat says they can count on him while he really plans to leave as soon as Thom is fit to travel.[4] The cries outside for Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn continue.

More Mat POV

"And it was written that no hand but his should wield the Sword held in the Stone, but he did draw it out, like fire in his hand, and his glory did burn the world. Thus did it begin. Thus do we sing his Rebirth. Thus do we sing the beginning.

—from Do'in Toldara te, Songs of the Last Age,
Quarto Nine: The Legend of the Dragon. Composed by
Boanne, Songmistress at Taralan, the Fourth Age"

Notes (Possible Spoilers)#

[#1] Faile
[#2] Moiraine did not know, but Siuan Sanche did. In TFoH,Ch27, Siuan says that Gitara Moroso told her about the Aiel being the People of the Dragon while she was Accepted.
[#3] So Rhuarc is another who knows that Mat sounded the Horn.
[#4] Rand's ta'veren pull will prevent that from happening.


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