The Path of Daggers: Chapter 27
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Author: Val a'Shain
Chapter Icon: A serpent twisted through a square
Point of View: Min
Outline
Rand is back in the Sun Palace. He is beaten by three Maidens because he broke his word and went to a fight without them. Cadsuane declines Rand's invitation to come see him. Rand visits her instead and they reach some sort of agreement. Cadsuane tells him Callandor can only be used safely if the male channeler is linked with two women and one of them is guiding the flows.
Summary
Min's Point of View:
Setting: The Sun Palace, Cairhien
Characters: Min, Rand, Dobraine, Rafela, Merana, Daigian Moseneillin
Min is reading one of Herid Fel's books in Rand's quarters in the Sun Palace. She hopes to find a clue as to why he was killed. She is distracted though, hoping that Rand will come back. When the doors swing open and admit Rand she doesn't spring up to greet him. He should have been back sooner and he should have sent her messages. She gives him a piece of her mind when he asks why the Maidens look upset. He tells her he did write. Two one line messages delivered by an Asha'man don't count in Min's opinion.
Dobraine comes in to brief Rand on the situation in Cairhien. Min isn't at all pleased at having to play a servant. It seems the great game has continued as always in Rand's absence. The name Cadsuane comes up a number of times in the conversation. Later Rafela and Merana enter as well. They have come to tell Rand they have made a bargain with the Sea Folk. When Rand hears the terms he gets very upset with them. Merana gets angry herself. After Rand, a ta'veren, left and the Sea Folk realized they had been dancing to a ta'veren's strings negotiations were hard indeed. If he wanted a better bargain he should have stayed. Rand calms down and realizes Merana is right. He tells them they did a good job.
Rand asks Min to have one of the Maidens bring Cadsuane to him. When Min passes the message she notes Rand is right. The Maidens are behaving strangely. When she goes back in the other visitors leave. Rand and Min go to a more private chamber and Rand asks what it is that Cadsuane will teach him. Min doesn't know, only that it is important and he needs her. Rand doesn't like needing people and he expresses it. Then he relaxes and says he needs her. Min promptly forgets her anger.
Just when they are about to get comfortable, three Maidens enter. They beat Rand up thoroughly and make it clear that he has broken his word to them by going off to fight without them. He will not do this again. When they leave Min is outraged. She wants to have them punished. Rand calms her down. They had every right to do what they did and he knows it. Min thinks he is being stubborn and just for that he deserves a few bruises.
Daigian Moseneillin comes in with a message from Cadsuane. The Aes Sedai tells Rand Cadsuane is too busy with her embroidery to come and see Rand now. This insult makes Rand angry again. He says that Cadsuane can go to the pit of doom for all he cares. Min tells him that won't do. He needs her.
Rand's Point of View:
Setting: The Sun Palace, Cairhien
Characters: Min, Rand Dashiva, Hopwil, Flinn, Morr, Cadsuane
Rand is preparing in his quarters for a visit to Cadsuane. He is still hurting all over from the beating the Maidens gave him. He had promised. Min wants to go with him if he insists on this foolish plan but Rand tells her to stay in their quarters. At least he can keep her safe.
He gathers Dashiva, Hopwil, Flinn and Morr for a grand entrance. Cadsuane obviously isn't impressed and Rand decides not to follow that strategy any further. He asks the Asha'man to wait outside. Cadsuane tactfully reminds him she helped save his life and Rand fights to hold his temper. He offers her a position as an advisor now that he is the King of Illian. Cadsuane refuses even after he offers not to have her take any oaths. She has enough of playing games though. She makes Rand a few promises. Although some of them put Rand at ease others still sound like a threat to him. It seems they can come to some sort of understanding though.
Cadsuane changes the topic to Callandor. She knows it is missing from the Stone and she hopes Rand hasn't tried to use it. When Rand asks what she means she tells him Callandor is flawed, it lacks the buffer that protects the channeler from drawing too much of the One Power. He can only use it safely linked to two women with one of them guiding the flows. Would that explain the strange feeling about saidin near Ebou Dar? Regardless of that it is a serious problem, Rand had hoped to use it one more time. Now he has only one alternative left.
Notes
This section contains Notes on this Chapter which may contain spoilers. Please expand to view.
Visions and Prophecies
- Min' Viewings
- (About Caraline and Darlin, to Rand and Dobraine) "As for Darlin, aside from the fact that he'll marry Caraline, after she's wrung him out and hung him up to dry, all I can say is that one day he'll be a king. I saw the crown on his head, a thing with a sword on the front of it, but I don't know what country it belongs to. And, oh, yes. He'll die in bed, and she will survive him." (TPoD, Ch. 27).
