ToM: EPILOGUE: And After

Graendal POV#

After her failure, Graendal hurriedly packs necessities including a carved ivory knife angreal she got from Mesaana. Her gold ring was lost at Natrin's Barrow. Her latest abode is a manor house on the shore near Ebou Dar; she has started influencing Tuon. She does not understand how Perrin escaped and blames it on Isam and the Whitecloak.[1] She plans to take a Portal Stone to another world. Shaidar Haran appears. He blames her for failing and for the deaths of three Chosen including Mesaana.[2] The errant dreamspike trapped her in the White Tower ruining her plan. Graendal's opportunity to hurt Rand has been given to another.[3] She screams as he smiles and reaches for her.

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Perrin POV#

The wolf dream is reflecting the decay in the real world. Perrin tries to revive it and bring back Hopper but he cannot. His body is with Faile in their tent at the Field of Merrilor. Rand is there and will face Egwene tomorrow. Perrin is seeking Boundless as Hopper instructed. Perrin goes to the Jehannah Road and finds Boundless. He is reluctant, but finally sends images that shock Perrin, Perrin himself with Moiraine by a cage. Boundless is really a human, Noam. He did not lose himself. His life in Jarra was terrible so he chose to become a wolf.[4] He chose his balance as Elyas has and as Perrin can. Perrin sends a thank you to all the wolves.

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Olver POV#

Olver is in Mat's tent with Talmanes playing snakes and foxes. Talmanes reads a book; he is not as much fun as Thom or Noal. He knows they went to the Tower of Ghenjei though they tried to keep it from him. He plans to go himself to learn which Shaido killed his father. All the rolls of the dice go in his favor and suddenly he finds his piece back on the center spot. He won! Talmanes looks stunned. Olver hopes Mat will be back soon. He sees the letter on the desk. Setalle has been teaching him manners and he thinks Mat is rude not to open it. He opens it himself thinking he needs to help Mat more now that Lopin is gone. It seems important so he hands it to Talmanes. The letter from Verin says that she is dead. Mat needs to convince the Queen to destroy the Waygate because a huge army of Shadowspawn is on its way. They rush out of the tent and see the glow of fire in Caemlyn. Talmanes rouses the Band to save the city. Olver runs back into the tent and gets the large knife he stole from the quartermaster Bergevin. It is time to fight.

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Barriga POV#

Barriga's merchant caravan returns to Heeth Tower in Kandor to trade but it is overrun by Trollocs. He flees the Trolloc horde and runs north into the Blight. All the rest of his caravan, Thum, Yang, Rebek, are dead. He sees men ahead dressed like Aiel, only their veils are red. One of the men comes up to him and lowers his veil. His teeth are filed to points. The man smiles gleefully and takes out his knife.[5]

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Rand POV#

Rand is dreaming an ordinary dream. He is in the Mountains of Mist above the valley where he began his journey.[6] He seeks the Void, the Oneness, as Tam taught him. His body is asleep with Min in the Borderlanders camp[7] at the Field of Merrilor. Tomorrow he will make his demands to Egwene and the others, his price for going to Shayol Ghul to face the Dark One. He hears a scream and suddenly he is in a dark corridor.[8] He runs toward the screams into a huge, black, lightless room. There is a single candle beside a woman with silvery hair. Her face is different but he knows she is Mierin Eronaile, Lanfear.[3] She begs him to help her escape from the torture but the wall falls away and she tumbles into darkness.[9]

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Lan POV#

Lan's army, grown to twelve thousand, approaches Tarwin's Gap. Lan rides Mandarb. With him are Prince Kaisel of Kandor and Andere. Lan claims his rightful title, Lord of the Seven Towers, Defender of the Wall of First Fires, Bearer of the Sword of the Thousand Lakes. They charge forward to face a horde of a hundred and fifty thousand Shadowspawn. They will meet their end with swords raised.

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"Lo, it shall come upon the world that the prison of the Greatest One
shall grow weak, like the limbs of those who crafted it. Once again, His
glorious cloak shall smother the Pattern of all things, and the Great
Lord shall stretch forth His hand to claim what is His. The rebellious
nations shall be laid barren, their children caused to weep. There shall
be none but Him, and those who have turned their eyes to His majesty.

In that day, when the One-Eyed Fool travels the halls of mourning, and
the First Among Vermin lifts his hand to bring freedom to Him who
will Destroy, the last days of the Fallen Blacksmith's pride shall come.
Yea, and the Broken Wolf, the one whom Death has known, shall fall and
be consumed by the Midnight Towers. And his destruction shall bring
fear and sorrow to the hearts of men, and shall shake their very will itself.

And then shall the Lord of the Evening come. And He shall take our
eyes, for our souls shall bow before Him, and he shall take our skin, for
our flesh shall serve Him, and He shall take our lips, for only Him will
we praise. And the Lord of the Evening shall face the Broken Champion,
and shall spill his blood and bring us the Darkness so beautiful. Let the
screams begin, O followers of the Shadow. Beg for your destruction!

— From The Prophecies of the Shadow

Notes (Possible Spoilers)#

[#1] Jaret Byar. With his zeal from the beginning, it seems unlikely that he was a Darkfriend so he must have had "suggestions" from Graendal that led to his actions.
[#2] Mesaana, Aran'gar and...this seems to implicate her in the death of Asmodean.
[#3] It seems that Cyndane is given another chance to bring down Rand.
[#4] It is not clear if Noam is still alive, but asleep and dreaming, or if he died and is not in the wolf dream permanently.
[#5] These strange people are something new. Super Darkfriends? Brandon Sanderson has refused to comment on them. They are Samma N'Sei. (AMoL,Prologue)
[#6] This is the valley where Rand and the others spent their first winter in the early chapters of The Dragon Reborn. Rand began his journey when he left Moiraine to go to Tear.
[#7] So the Borderlanders did acquiesce and swear fealty to Rand.
[#8] Rand's dreams are shielded. How was his dream co-opted?
[#9] Quite strange. At this point we can only speculate as to what Cyndane's plan is and what is really going on.


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