Let's Read Wheel of Time

This is probably a mistake…

Prologue: Fortress of the Light

Pedron Niall, head honcho for the Whitecloaks, receives news from Falme. He commands Jaichim Carridin to ensure Rand al’Thor lives long enough to be useful, but a Fade is quick to remind him of his obligations to the Shadow.

Pedron Niall, the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of Light, stares at one of the chalk drawings depicting the battle at Falme. Jaret Byar explains that the boy in this drawing has proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn. Byar also recounts how Lord Captain Geofram Bornhald perished fighting invaders, whose armies were aided by Aes Sedai. Wow, somebody set Mr. Byar up with an interview at Fox News — I hear they’re scouting for talent like this.

A man wearing a t-shirt that says "Trust me, I'm a Questioner" with the Questioners' logo next to it.Niall’s next visitor is Jaichim Carridin, a Questioner. Carridin doesn’t believe the rumors about invaders coming from overseas. They’re Darkfriends, he says, and the monsters they brought must have been Trollocs — nobody that far south really knows what a Trolloc looks like anyway. Niall lets Carridin know what a piss-poor job he has done of dealing with the Almoth Plain. He orders Carridin to make certain that this false Dragon from the drawing does not die, and the Questioner is understandably confused. But Niall explains that the best way to gain authority over people is to drop a lion in their midst, then save them from it.

Carridin is dismissed, only for Padan Fain to slip into the room. He calls himself Ordeith now, and has insinuated his way into the Evil Advisor position in Niall’s command structure. Ordeith talks about how the man in the drawing — Rand al’Thor — and his friends from the Two Rivers are Darkfriends. In fact, says Ordeith, the Two Rivers is a breeding ground for Darkfriends. Niall thinks that perhaps he ought to pay Emond’s Field a visit.


In his quarters, Jaichim Carridin is visited by a Fade who wants to know why Carridin is not busy obeying his orders. Find the human called Rand al’Thor and kill him. For Carridin to be here in the Fortress of the Light instead is tantamount to insubordination. At the risk of putting too fine a point on it, the Fade promises Carridin that for every month al’Thor remains alive, he will lose someone dear to him.

Oh boy, sucks to be you, dude. Make sure al’Thor lives. Make sure al’Thor dies. Good luck worming your way out of this one.