Memory of Light Read-through #48: Chapter 42—Impossibilities

By Linda

Aviendha POV

The Windfinders have lost control of the storm at Thakan’dar, but it’s not all bad. Plants are growing in Thakan’dar as the mountain vibrates. Lightning freezes and clouds form the ancient symbol of Aes Sedai—a symbol that arose in an Age when saidin and saidar were frequently used together. Rand and the Pattern are at least holding back the Shadow’s damage. The rise in fertility hints that Rand is on the verge of winning. Aviendha believes that Rand grew these plants just when she needed the cover and that the thrumming is Rand actively resisting the Dark One.

Rhuarc’s sad end is such a shock to Aviendha, although she quickly realises that he is better off dead than being Graendal’s toy.

Mishraile POV

Alviarin is in command of the Dreadlord group of 3 women (all ex-Whites sticking together) and 4 men. Mishraile is rather like Moghedien in that he is a skulker in the shadows who dislikes fighting in the open.

Pevara’s plan to go to where the dragons are being fired to find the Dreadlords has paid off. The Dreadlords fall for Androl’s disguise as Rand because they think that only Rand could have defeated Demandred. Like Demandred, they have no idea of Rand’s battle at Shayol Ghul. Alviarin is determined to lead the circle of two women and one man that attacks Rand to get credit with the Dark One. The Dreadlords are successfully lured into a stedding by Androl’s Rand faking exhaustion (he didn’t have to try very hard).

Pevara POV

I wonder if the Ogier Elders are over-confident that they can hold the Dreadlords. The situation reminds me of when the Ents were guarding Saruman and Wormtongue at Orthanc in Lord of the Rings. The Ogier think the peace of the Stedding will do the Dreadlords good and won’t violate that peace with any executions.

When Androl’s group leaves the Stedding, they find the Trollocs that Moghedien sent attacking civilians.

Aviendha POV

Aviendha scares Graendal, which takes some doing. She deprives Graendal of her companions by making her Travel with the True Power before she could grab any to take with her. The price was having her feet badly burnt.

Memory of Light Read-through #47: Chapter 41—A Smile

By Linda

Pevara POV

Pevara and Androl want to protect Mat’s dragons, but Logain is determined to find the sa’angreal Sakharnen so that he becomes unassailable to anything except a very strong ring.

The group heard the Horn of Valere being sounded. Pevara thinks the sound was significant, so maybe she realises what it means, but she’s not informing the others, just insisting that they fight and not look for the sa’angreal. Androl’s group will not technically disobey Logain’s orders, although some in the group think they should obey Logain in spirit. They are going to follow a preceding order that they think should indeed have precedence—to neutralise Taim’s lackeys. All are too tired to open a gateway, but Pevara thinks that they can just march to the area where the dragons are firing, because surely Taim’s Asha’man are there attacking them.

Moghedien POV

Moghedien thinks Demandred a fool for focussing on his grudges. (Yet it is said of Moghedien that she could remember a slight until the Wheel stopped turning. Of course, at this stage of the books, the world is at risk of exactly that happening). As she quickly disguises herself as Demandred, Moghedien hints that she has impersonated other Forsaken before: for example, she may have ordered Isam to kill Rand in Winter’s Heart.

The Dark One is allowing Moghedien access to the True Power, encouraging her that she may not be punished for her failures among the Seanchan. There are four Forsaken alive, and only two of them are actually fighting in battle right now. Moghedien doesn’t care that she’s effectively the dregs of the Forsaken in the Dark One’s eyes. She’s always been wholly pragmatic.

The Forsaken doesn’t understand how Min saw through her servant disguise. (Min realised that she must be a channeller since she had a large number of images in her aura.) Ironically, while Moghedien muses on this, Mintel sees through her Demandred disguise and denounces her. Moghedien orders Trollocs be sent to attack a large group of civilians, which ultimately results in Logain fighting off the Trollocs rather hunting for Sakharnen, and thus his redemption.

Just as Moghedien hopes that Taim’s Asha’man have destroyed the dragons, they fire upon her. It’s not her lucky scene. She felt exposed moving openly and it did result in her capture. Punished not by the Dark One but by the Light.

Talmanes POV

For once the Whitecloaks love a technology.

No one knows that the dragons are hidden away in an underground cavern. It’s a clever move, because they can’t be tracked by their noise or smoke, and the dragoners don’t have to worry about moving them around. However, they do depend on Aludra spying out the position of opposing forces and calling coordinates.

The chapter title refers to Talmanes smiling for once, and to Pevara’s smile on hearing the dragons fire and on working out how to get around Logain’s orders and defend them.