Towers of Midnight (118 page)

"And now I come back," he whispered. "I've changed again. A man is always changing."

He felt a unity in returning here, to the place where he'd first confronted the killer inside him. The place where he'd first tried to flee from those whom he should have kept near. He closed his eyes, enjoying tranquility.
Calmness.
Harmony.

In the distance, he heard screams of pain.

Rand
opened his eyes. What had that been? He stood up, spinning. This place was created of his own mind, protected and safe. It couldn't
 

The scream came again.
Distant.
He frowned and raised a hand. The scene around him vanished, puffing away into mist. He stood in blackness.

There, he thought. He was in a long corridor of dark wood paneling. He walked down it, boots thumping.
That screaming.
It shook his peace. Someone was in pain. They needed him.

Rand
began to run. He reached a doorway at the end of the hall. The door's russet wood was knobbed and ridged, like the thick roots of an ancient tree. Rand seized the
handle
 
just
another root
 
and wrenched the door open.

The vast room beyond was pure black, lightless, like a cavern deep beneath the ground. The room seemed to suck in the light and extinguish it. The screaming voice was inside. It was weak, as if it were being smothered by the darkness.

Rand
entered. The darkness swallowed him. It seemed to pull the life out of him, like a hundred leeches sucking blood from his veins. He pressed onward. He couldn't distinguish the direction of the cries, so he moved along the walls; they felt like bone, smooth but occasionally cracked.

The room was round. As if he stood inside the bowl of an enormous skull.

There! A faint light ahead, a single candle on the ground, illuminating

a
floor of black marble. Rand hurried toward it. Yes, there was a figure thete.
Huddled against the bone-white wall.
It was a woman with silvery hair, wearing a thin white shift.

She was weeping now, her figure shaking and ttembling. Rand knelt beside her, the candle flickering from his motion. How had this woman gotten into his dteam? Was she someone real, or was this a creation of his mind? He laid a hand on het shoulder.

She glanced toward him, eyes red, face a mask of pain, tears dripping from her chin. "Please," she pled. "Please. He has me."

"Who are you?"

"You know me," she whispered, taking his hand, clinging to it. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He has me. He flays my soul anew each eve. Oh, please! Let it stop." The tears flowed more freely.

"I don't know you," Rand said. "I . . ."

Those eyes.
Those beautiful, terrible eyes.
Rand gasped, releasing her hand. The face was different. But he did know that soul.
"Mierin?
You're dead. I saw you die!"

She shook her head. "I wish I were dead. I wish it. Please! He grinds my bones and snaps them like twigs, then leaves me to die before
Healing
me just enough to keep me alive. He
 
" She
cut off, jetking.

"What?"

Her eyes opened wide and she spun toward the wall. "No!" she screamed. "He comes!
The Shadow in every man's mind, the murderer of truth.
No!" She spun, reaching for Rand, but something towed het backward. The wall broke away, and she tumbled into the datkness.

Rand
jumped forward, reaching for her, but he was too late. He caught a glimpse of het before she vanished into the blackness below.

Rand
froze, staring into that pit. He sought calmness, but he could not find it. Instead, he felt hatred, concern,
and
 
like
a seething viper within him
 
desite. That had been Mierin Eronaile, a woman he had once called the Lady Selene.

A woman most people knew by the name she'd taken upon herself.
Lanfear.

A cruel, dry wind blew across
Lan's
face as he looked down at a corrupt landscape. Tarwin's Gap was a wide pass, rocky, speckled with Blighted knifegrass. This had once been part of Malkier. He was home again.
For the last time.

Masses of Trollocs clustered on the other side of the Gap.
Thousands.

Tens of thousands.
Probably hundreds of thousands.
Easily ten times the number of men
Lan
had gathered during his march across the Borderlands. Normally, men held at their side of the Gap, but
Lan
could not do that.

He had come to attack, to ride for Malkier. Andere rode up beside him on his left, young Kaisel of Kandor on his right. He could feel something, distant, that had given him strength recently. The bond had changed. The emotions had changed.

He could still feel Nynaeve, so wonderful, caring, and passionate in the back of his mind. He should have been pained to know that now she would suffer when he died, instead of another. However, that closeness to
her
 
a
final closeness
 
brought him strength.

The hot wind seemed too dry; it smelled of dust and dirt, and drew the moisture from his eyes, forcing him to blink.

"It is fitting," Kaisel said.

"What?"
Lan
asked.

"That we should strike here."

"Yes,"
Lan
said.

"Perhaps," Kaisel said. "But it is bold. It shows the Shadow that we will not be beaten down, that we will not cower. This is your land, Lord Mandragoran."

My land, he thought. Yes, it was. He nudged Mandarb forward.

"I am al'Lan Mandragoran,"
Lan
bellowed. "Lord of the Seven Towers, Defender of the Wall of First Fires, Bearer of the Sword of the Thousand Lakes! I was once named Aan'allein, but I reject that title, for I am alone no more. Fear me, Shadow! Fear me and know. I have returned for what is mine. I may be a king without a land. But I am still a kingl"

He roared, raising his sword. A cheer rose from behind him. He sent a final, powerful sensation of love to Nynaeve as he kicked Mandarb into a gallop.

His army charged behind him, each man
mounted
 
a
charge of Kan-dori, Arafellin, Shienarans, and Saldaeans.
But most of all Malkieri.
Lan
wouldn't be surprised if he'd drawn every living man from his former kingdom who could still hold a weapon.

They rode, cheering, brandishing swords and leveling lances. Their hooves were thunder, their voices a crash of waves, their pride stronger than the blazing sun. They were twelve thousand strong. And they charged a force of at least one hundred and fifty thousand.

This day will be remembered in honor,
Lan
thought, galloping forward.
The Last Charge of the Golden Crane.
The fall of the Malkieri.

The end had come. They would meet it with swords raised.

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

The End of the Thirteenth Book of

The Wheel of Time

GLOSSARY

A Note on Dates in This Glossary.
The Toman Calendar (devised by Toma dur Ahmid) was adopted approximately two centuries after the death of the last male Aes Sedai, recording years After the Breaking of the World (AB). So many records were destroyed in the Trolloc Wars that at their end there was argument about the exact year under the old system. A new calendar, proposed by Tiam of Gazar, celebrated freedom from the Trolloc threat and recorded each year as a Free Year (FY). The Gazaran Calendar gained wide acceptance within twenty years after the Wars' end. Artur Hawkwing attempted to establish a new calendar based on the founding of his empire (FF, From the Founding), but only historians now refer to it. After the death and destruction of the War of the Hundred Years, a third calendar was devised by Uren din Jubai Soaring Gull, a scholar of the Sea Folk, and promulgated by the Panarch Farede of Tarabon. The Farede Calendar, dating from the arbitrarily decided end of the War of the Hundred Years and recording years of the New Era (NE), is currently in use.

Aelfinn
: A race of beings, largely human in appearance but with snakelike characteristics, who will give true answers to three questions. Whatever the question, their answers are always correct, if frequently given in forms that are not clear, but questions concerning the Shadow can be extremely dangerous. Their true location is unknown, but they can be visited by passing through a ter'angreal, once a possession of Mayene but in tecent years held in the Stone of Tear. They can also be reached by entering the Tower of Ghenjei. They speak the Old Tongue, mention treaties and agteements, and ask if those entering carry iron, instruments of music, or devices that can make fire. See also Eelfinn, Snakes and Foxes.

Arad
Doman
: A nation on the Aryth
Ocean
,
currently racked by civil war and by wars against those who have declated for the Dragon Reborn. Its capital is Bandât Eban, whete many of its people have come for refuge. Food is scarce. In Arad Doman, those who are descended from the nobility at the time of the founding of the nation, as opposed to those raised later, are known as the bloodborn. The ruler (king or queen) is elected by a council of the heads of merchant guilds (the Council of Merchants), who are almost always women. He or she must be from the noble class, not the merchant, and is elected for life. Legally the king or queen has absolute authority, except that he or she can be deposed by a three-quarter vote of the Council. The current ruler is King Alsalam Saeed Almadar, Lord of Almadar,
High
Seat of House Almadar.

area
, units of
: (1) Land: 1 ribbon = 20 paces X 10 paces (200 square paces); 1 cord = 20 paces X 50 paces (1000 square paces); 1 hide = 100 paces X 100 paces (10,000 square paces); 1 rope= 100 paces X 1000 paces (100,000 square paces); 1 march = 1000 paces X 1000 paces Q/4 square mile). (2) Cloth: 1 pace - 1 pace plus 1 hand X 1 pace plus 1 hand.

Asha'man
: (1) In the Old Tongue, "Guatdian" or "Guardians," but always a guardian of justice and truth. (2) The name given, both collectively and as a rank, to the men who have come to the Black Tower, near Caemlyn in Andor, in order to leatn to channel. Their ttaining largely concentrates on the ways in which the One Power can be used as a weapon, and in anothet departure from the usages of the White Towet, once they leatn to seize saidin, the male half of the Power, they are required to perform all chores and labors with the Power. When newly enrolled, a man is termed a soldier; he wears a plain black coat with a high collar, in the Andoran fashion. Being raised to Dedicated brings the right to wear a silver pin, called the Swotd, on the collar of his coat. Promotion to Asha'man brings the right to wear a Dragon pin, in gold and red enamel, on the collar opposite the Sword. Although many women, including wives, flee when they learn that their men actually can channel, a fair number of men at the Black Tower are married, and they use a version of the Warder bond to create a link with their wives. This same bond, altered to compel obedience, has been used to bond captured Aes Sedai as well. Some Asha'man
have
been bonded by Aes Sedai, although the traditional Warder bond is used. The Asha'man
are
led by Mazrim Taim, who has styled himself the M'Hael, Old Tongue for "leader."

Avendesora
: In the Old Tongue, "the Tree of Life." It is located in Rhuidean.

Balwer, Sebban
: Formerly Pedron Niall's secretary, in public, and secretly Mall's spymaster. He aided Morgase's escape from the Seanchan in Amador for his own reasons, and now is employed as secretary to Perrin t'Bashere Aybara and Faile
ni
Bashere t'Aybara. His duties expanded, however, and he now directs Cha Faile in their activities, acting as a spymaster for Perrin, though Perrin doesn't think of him so. See also Cha Faile.

Band of the Red Hand
: See Shen
an
Calhar.

Bloodknives
: An elite division of Seanchan soldiers. Each is equipped with a ter'angreal that increases their strength and speeds and shrouds him in darkness. The ter'angreal is activated by touching a drop of the Bloodknife's blood to the ring, and once
activated,
it slowly leaches the life from its host. Death occurs within a matter of days.

Brown Ajah Council
: The Brown Ajah is headed by a council instead of an individual Aes Sedai. The current head of the council is Jesse Bilal; the other members are unknown.

Captain-General
: (1) The military rank of the leader of the Queen's Guard of Andor. This position is currently held by Lady Birgitte Tra-helion. (2) The title given to the head of the Green Ajah. This position is currently held by Adelorna Bastine.

calendar
: There are 10 days to the week, 28 days to the month and 13 months to the year. Several feast days are not part of any month; these include Sunday (the longest day of the year), the Feast of Thanksgiving (once every four years at the spring equinox) and the Feast of All Souls

Salvation, also called All Souls Day (once evety ten years at the autumn equinox). While the months have names (Taisham, Jumara, Saban, Aine, Adar, Saven, Amadaine, Tammaz, Maigdhal, Choren, Shaldine, Nesan and Danu), these are seldom used except in official documents and by officials. For most people, using the seasons is good enough.

Callandor
: The Sword That Is Not a Swotd, the Sword That Cannot Be Touched. A crystal sword once held in the Stone of Tear, it is a powerful sa'angreal for use by male channelers. It has known flaws: It lacks the buffet that makes sa'angreal safe to use, and magnified the taint. Other flaws ate suspected.

Cha Faile
: (1) In the Old Tongue, "the Falcon's Talon." (2) Name taken by the young Cairhienin and Tairens, attempted followers of ji'e'toh, who have sworn fealty to Faile
ni
Bashere t'Aybata. In secret, they act as het petsonal scouts and spies. During her captivity with the Shaido, they continued theit activities undet the guidance of Sebban Balwer. See also Balwer, Sebban.

Charin, Jain
: See Farstrider, Jain.

Children of the Light
: Society of sttict ascetic beliefs, owing allegiance to no nation and dedicated to the defeat of the Datk One and the destruction of all Darkfriends. Founded during the War of the Hundred Years by Lothair Mantelat to proselytize against an increase in Darkfriends, they evolved during the wat into a completely military society. They ate extremely rigid in their beliefs, and certain that only they know the truth and the fight. They consider Aes Sedai and any who support them to be Darkffiends. Known disparagingly as Whitecloaks, a name they themselves despise, they were formerly headquartered in Amador, Amadicia, but were forced out when the Seanchan conquered the city. Galad Damodred became Lord Captain Commander
aftet
he killed Eamon Valda in a duel for assaulting his stepmother, Morgase. Valda's death produced a schism in the organization, with Galad leading one faction, and Rhadam Asunawa, High Inquisitot of the Hand of the Light, leading the other. Their sign is a golden sunburst on a field of white. See also Questioners.

Consolidation, the
: When the armies sent by Artur Hawkwing under his son Luthair landed in Seanchan, they discovered a shifting quilt of nations often at war with one another, where Aes Sedai often reigned. Without any equivalent of the White Tower, Aes Sedai worked for
their own
individual interest, using the Power. Forming small groups, they schemed against one another constantly. In large part it was this constant scheming for personal advantage and the resulting wars among the myriad nations that allowed the armies from east of the Aryth Ocean to begin the conquest of an entire continent, and for their descendants to complete it. This conquest, during which the descendants of the original armies became Seanchan as much as they conquered Seanchan, took centuries and is called the Consolidation. See also Towers of Midnight.

cuendillar
:
A supposedly indestructible substance created during the Age of Legends. Any known force used in an attempt to break it, including the One Power, is absorbed, making cuendillar stronger. Although the making of cuendillar was thought lost forever, new objects made from it have surfaced. It is also known as heartstone.

currency
: After many centuries of trade, the standard terms for coins are the same in every land: crowns (the largest coin in size), marks and pennies. Crowns and marks can be minted of gold or silver, while pennies can be silver or copper, the last often called simply a copper. In different lands, however, these coins are of different sizes and weights. Even in one nation, coins of different sizes and weights have been minted by different rulers. Because of trade, the coins of many nations can be found almost anywhere, and for that reason, bankers, moneylenders and merchants all use scales to determine the value of any given coin. Even large numbers of coins are weighed.

The heaviest coins come from Andor and Tar Valon, and in those two places the relative values are: 10 copper pennies = 1 silver penny; 100 silver pennies = lsilver mark; 10 silver marks = 1 silver crown; 10 silver crowns = 1 gold mark; 10 gold marks = 1 gold crown. By contrast, in Altara, where the larger coins contain less gold or silver, the relative values are: 10 copper pennies = 1 silver penny; 21 silver pennies = 1 silver mark; 20 silver marks = 1 silver crown; 20 silver crowns = 1 gold mark; 20 gold marks = 1 gold crown.

The only paper currency is "letters-of-rights," which are issued by bankers, guaranteeing to present a certain amount of gold or silver when the letter-of-rights is presented. Because of the long distances between cities, the length of time needed to travel from one to
another,
and the difficulties of transactions at long distance, a letter-of-rights

may
be accepted at full value in a city near to the bank which issued it, but it may only be accepted at a lower value in a city farther away. Generally, someone intending to be traveling for a long time will carry one or more letters-of-rights to exchange for coin when needed. Letters-of-rights are usually accepted only by bankers or merchants, and would never be used in shops.

da'covale
: (1) In the Old Tongue, "one who is owned," or "person who is property." (2) Among the Seanchan, the term often used, along with "property," for slaves. Slavery has a long and unusual history among the Seanchan, with slaves having the ability to rise to positions of great power and open authority, including authority over those who are free. It is also possible for those in positions of great power to be reduced to da'covale. See also so'jhin.

Deathwatch Guards, the
: The elite military formation of the Seanchan Empire, including both humans and Ogier. The human members of the Deathwatch Guard are all da'covale, born as property and chosen while young to serve the Empress, whose personal property they are. Fanatically loyal and fiercely proud, they often display the ravens tattooed on their shoulders, the mark of a da'covale of the Empress. The Ogier members are known as Gardeners, and they are not da'covale. The Gardeners are as fiercely loyal as the human Deathwatch Guards, though, and are even more feared. Human or Ogier, the Deathwatch Guards not only are ready to die for the Empress and the Imperial family, but believe that their lives are the property of the Empress, to be disposed of as she wishes. Their helmets and armor are lacquered in dark green (so dark that it is often mistakenly called black) and blood red, their shields are lacquered black, and their swords, spears, axes and halberds carry black tassels. See also da'covale.

Delving
: (1) Using the One Power to diagnose physical condition and illness. (2) Finding deposits of metal ores with the One Power. That this has long been a lost ability among Aes Sedai may account for the name becoming attached to
another ability
.