32 A Short Spear

Preparing to return through Aviendha’s gateway, Rand opens their snowbound shelter to daylight and sees a vast eastern ocean, realizing they are far from Cairhien. A leathery winged creature with riders forces them to travel cautiously. Near the gateway they find Seanchan soldiers, two sul’dam, and two collared damane.

Rand binds the Seanchan with Air as Aviendha, warned not to embrace the Source early, prepares to shield the channelers. The gateway shows only gray, a male-woven screen that could be a trap. Rand tries to free the damane; touching a collar shocks him and surges the Power through both damane and sul’dam, so Aviendha attempts the release instead. The Seanchan noble Lady Morsa and Seeker Jalindin argue, revealing the Return has been silenced and hinting at internal terror.

As the gateway narrows, Rand abandons the rescue and orders a jump. They leap together, bursting back into Rand’s bedchamber in Eianrod. Rand blocks Asmodean from saidin, then severs the hidden weave to reveal the shrinking opening as a Seanchan spear snaps through before it seals. He keeps the cut spear as a reminder of the threat.

Aviendha insists she left the Seanchan women tightly shielded and counsels hardness toward enemies. Asmodean explains he diverted a gai’shain and that Maidens celebrated outside, news of Rand and Aviendha already spreading. After a tense exchange, Rand forces Asmodean to provide unasked teachings each time and to begin training him to counter unseen female weaves.