52 Choices

At dawn in Cairhien, Rand steels himself to kill Rahvin and keeps his plan limited to Aiel allies. Aviendha admits intimidating Colavaere into obedience. Asmodean pleads to accompany Rand to prove loyalty. Mat arrives shaken, reporting he killed Melindhra after discovering she was a Darkfriend.

Moiraine intercepts them with sealed letters for Rand and Thom, insisting they visit the docks. Rand reluctantly agrees, hoping brief public visibility will mask his coming move against Rahvin. At the quay, Kadere, fearful of Lanfear, is lured into his wagon by a disguised woman who reveals herself as Lanfear and demands news of Rand.

When Rand reaches the wagons, Lanfear explodes Kadere’s wagon, steps out holding Kadere’s flayed skin, and attacks in jealous rage. Rand erects a misty dome that ends the spreading flames but cannot stop her. Lan’s charge is contemptuously repelled; Moiraine is flung aside and disappears beneath a wagon. Egwene and Aviendha try to help but are violently struck down by Lanfear’s weaves.

Rand engages Lanfear directly, countering her attempts to shield and kill him while resisting intrusive Lews Therin memories. Though he could end her with overwhelming force, he cannot bring himself to kill a woman and begins to fail under her agony-inducing attacks.

Moiraine claws back onto the wagon, recognizing the ivory bracelet Lanfear toys with as an angreal she had positioned near the redstone doorframe. In a final gamble, Moiraine leaps, wrests at the bracelet, and tackles Lanfear through the ter’angreal. A blinding white light engulfs them both, leaving Rand alive, many injured or dead, and Lan wounded.