Nynaeve stands before the Arches in the Accepted Test Room. Sheriam, Leane, and Liandrin explain to her that once she begins the testing, she has to complete it or be put out of the Tower. Also, other women have died inside the arches. No big deal though, Nynaeve is ready now. She strips down to her shift and is told she will be unable to channel in the Arches, so it’s a normal day for Nynaeve. The Aes Sedai channel, “The way back will come but once” and she’s through.
She’s in a field, with her naturally curly hair. She sees her father, who we know is dead, and her reflection is that of a young girl. Nynaeve is holding a dangerous poisonous herb but her father cleans her hands off and protects her before they are suddenly attacked by men from the woods. Nynaeve is only slightly stabbed before her mother shows up to save them. They run to their house and hide Nynaeve in the cellar, her father whispering words in the Old Tongue before he leaves her. The arch appears in the room and Nynaeve steps through to the sounds of her parents being slaughtered above her.
Back in the Tower, the Aes Sedai pour water over Nynaeve and heal her stab wound. They can’t tell her if what she saw was really happening. “The way back will come but once,”…
And Nynaeve is through the second arch and waking up in a makeshift hospital in the Two Rivers. Tam al’Thor is in the bed next to her with a nasty fever and boils. Natti Cauthon has been acting as Wisdom since Nynaeve ditched them in their hour of need. Natti wrote to the Tower for help and heard nothing, so she’s been helping the townspeople painlessly pass away using that same poisonous herb from the first arch. Nynaeve tries to heal Tam but can’t. He thanks her for keeping Rand safe (yeesh) and asks her to stay with him for comfort but there’s the arch so, sorry! Nynaeve’s gotta go.
Back in the Tower, she begs the Aes Sedai for help in the Two Rivers but they just tell her she has to continue. “The way back will come but once.” Nynaeve steps through the third arch into blackness and screaming. She hears Lan’s voice and sees him dying, then stumbles out covered in blood, but she can’t remember what happened. She rejects the Tower, tells the Aes Sedai to stuff their ring where the sun don’t shine, and peaces out.
Nynaeve packs and says goodbye to Egwene, convincing her that she can stand on her own. Riding away from Tar Valon, Nynaeve runs into Lan on the road! They embrace and he offers to go home with her. But wait a second… the arch? Nynaeve is still in the test! But she ignores the arch and lets it close, staying with Lan. In the Tower, the arches power down and Nynaeve is presumed dead. Again.
Back in Atuan’s Mill, it’s a lovely morning under the Seanchan’s watchful eye. A young damane, a Seanchan channeler, silently points out women in the crowd who are pulled away. Ahlwin speaks from atop the palanquin. The Seanchan are back from across the Aryth Ocean and all anyone has to do is swear the oaths and bow. Easy, right? Not for Uno, whose muttering gets him pulled out in front first. He fights back and refuses to swear. Well, those who refuse to swear get a spike through the brain. Goodbye, Uno. The rest of the group can’t swear fast enough.
Rand visits Logain in the courtyard of the sanitarium. He tells Rand he remembers seeing him in Tar Valon and knows he can channel by the glow around him. He says if Rand wants his help, he will need some Ghealdanin red wine.
Rand returns to the Foregate, passing a gleeman telling stories of the Hunt for the Horn. Selene tells him the Hunt begins tomorrow and the Queen has a large reward for whoever may find it. He looks in her bar for the wine he needs but she says he will not find it in the lower income Foregate and they are off to find Rand a better coat.
Egwene and Elayne stop by Nynaeve’s room but Sheriam is there packing up her stuff. Sorry, Egwene, Nynaeve’s dead, so get over it. It will make you stronger. Elayne is very sorry but Egwene doesn’t want to hear it and throws her out, sobbing.
In Mat’s room, Liandrin has decided to let him out. She has opened his door and she tells him Egwene is in the Tower and she needs a friend. When Mat doesn’t believe her, she tells him he’s not special, he’s a stupid, cowardly boy who left his friends and he does not matter to her at all.
Liandrin melts down what would have been Nynaeve’s Accepted ring. Egwene confronts her and blames her for Nynaeve’s death. Egwene channels at Liandrin like a big idiot and Liandrin almost fulfills my biggest wish and pushes Egwene off the Tower. Maybe next time. Liandrin truly believed in Nynaeve but she turned out to be a disappointment. Egwene basically chest bumps her and stalks away.
Rand’s wearing a kickass red coat at a fancy party, where he and Selene are passing themselves off as outlander nobles. Rand gets an invitation to another dinner, although an older lady, Anvaere, warns him to be careful of the invitation. Rand just chucks it in the fire. Anvaere tells him the Hunt is not real and it’s just the Queen’s way of emptying the Foregate. Selene comes back with the wine and extricates Rand from the conversation. But Rand’s suspicious of everyone now, even her, and he leaves her behind.
Under a sky of fireworks, Rand delivers the wine to Logain. Logain tells him there is no way to stop himself from channeling and the madness is an Aes Sedai lie, but he’s yelling and looking pretty mad, still claiming to be the dragon. Rand knows now that this man can’t help him, and he leaves.
Mat sees Egwene crying in a garden but decides not to talk to her and I want to punch him. He goes back to his room and frees Min next door.
Perrin is chained in a wagon caravan and he awakens to Ishamael sitting with him. They are headed to Falme with Lady Suroth. Ishamael gives Perrin water, because he’s not so bad, but he knows about the wolf stuff. Perrin finally realizes that Ishamael is the fire eyes guy from his dreams as wolves begin to howl outside and attack the Seanchan guards. Ishamael says Perrin becomes more dark the more wolf he is, and then exits the wagon. Perrin tries to free himself but Elyas busts in and gets him out, and yes, that is blood on his mouth.
Min and Mat are packing horses when Min runs inside to grab one more thing. Psych! Liandrin is in there and Min has been working for her. Min is supposed to be taking Mat somewhere but she doesn’t look too happy about it.
Rand gets back to his room and crazy eyes Selene threatens to kill him if he ever leaves her again. This turns Rand on so they start getting revved up and then Rand channels. But Selene is not afraid of him, and this doesn’t seem to surprise her. Rand wakes up in bed, channeling, and the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire. Everyone gets out of the inn as it burns up.
Egwene tries to activate the arches but nothing’s happening. Elayne tells her this is not going to work and she won’t help her. Elayne knows all about what happened in the Two Rivers, and she does not think Nynaeve would want Egwene to throw away her future.
Inside the arches, Nynaeve is married to Lan with an adorable daughter. They live in the Two Rivers, and uncles Mat and Perrin come to visit. Mat even got a new outfit for the occasion. Nynaeve receives a letter from Egwene that she and other Green sisters are fighting Trollocs in Saldaea. Suddenly, Trollocs burst in and now Nynaeve hides her daughter in the cellar. After the fight, Nynaeve is the only adult left alive. In a burst of grief-stricken channeling, Nynaeve brings back the arch. She walks through cradling her daughter but when she gets to the other side, all she is cradling is intense trauma. Egwene and Elayne awaken to the sound of her wails.
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