Rand POV#

Loial tells the Emond's Field folks about the Ways. During the Breaking, few Ogier remained in the stedding. Others were driven to the Exile and the Long Wandering and experienced the Longing. Those in the stedding offered sanctuary to male Aes Sedai. The Red Ajah believe this worsened the Breaking. Moiraine is Blue Ajah.[1] Eventually they all left, but in thanks, they grew the Ways and left a talisman[2] to grow more. About a thousand years ago the Ways started to decay. Machin Shin, the Black Wind, appeared.

Moiraine believes there is enough power in the Eye of the World to undo the Dark One's prison. Loial knows of the Green Man and says no Ogier has seen him in "quite a long time."[3] He finally agrees to lead them. Elder Haman would say it is what he deserves. Lan returns and they begin planning. Moiraine told Egwene and Nynaeve about Min and what she saw. After they finish planning the trip, they all retire for a few hours sleep. Rand can sense the wrongness of the ruby dagger. Rand falls asleep and immediately begins to dream:

Ba'alzamon is in the same strange room. He now has three figures with a wolf, a dagger and a sword. Ba'alzamon tells Rand that they have faced each other many times and he always wins. He mentions Aes Sedai "who already serve me." He started the Black Ajah during the Trolloc Wars.

Rand wakes and sees Mat tossing in his sleep. Mat wakes and tells Rand that he picked up the figure with the dagger so Ba'alzamon now knows which one he is. Rand has a splinter in his hand from the table. When he pulls it out it vanishes, but the wound remains. Moiraine enters to wake them. They tell her about the dreams. She Heals Rand's hand and tells them to hurry down.