As the group journeys toward Chachin, Moiraine uses the One Power to keep them safe. Caniedrin, our unfortunately-named friend from the earlier chapters, attempts to assassinate Moiraine.
Continuing on toward Chachin, Moiraine continues to search along the way for Avene Sahera. They are on the road during severe weather, but it doesn’t matter:
Trick of the Power #1: Invisible barriers to keep everyone from getting soaked in rainstorms.
Later, they are set upon by a large group of bandits. No worries!
Trick of the Power #2: Low frequency noise combined with the megaphone weave, pyrotechnics and the mere mention of Aes Sedai turns bandits into scared little girls.
But even when the bandits run away, Moiraine is not satisfied, having convinced herself that she could single-handedly have defeated an entire army. But that’s Moiraine’s problem, isn’t it? She has never really known defeat… except in her quest to extract an apology from Lan for dunking her in the pond.
Trick of the Power #3: Impress your friends and annoy your enemies with childish antics like causing insomnia, soiling clothes with sand, commanding insects to swarm and bite, and conjuring poison ivy in the most inconvenient places!
Moiraine finally locates Avene Sahera in the village of Ravinda, but she is annoyed to learn that the woman’s child doesn’t meet the criteria and her name never should have been on the list to begin with. As they continue the journey, Lan suddenly takes an arrow in his shoulder.
Trick of the Power #4: Invisible handcuffs!
The marksman hiding in the treeline is held motionless by weaves of Air until return fire from Ryne and Bukama dispatches him. Upon closer inspection, Lan is surprised to see who it is:
LAN: Caniedrin?
RYNE: Who? What’s a Canadian?
BUKAMA: Poor fucker. His own mother did this to him, naming him like that.
CANIEDRIN: Please, Aes Sedai, heal me. I’m… not… dead y–
[BUKAMA shoots him in the head with a crossbow.]
BUKAMA: Yes, you are.
Inside Caniedrin’s purse they find Cairhienan coins, suggesting that Moiraine was the target of the assassination attempt. Lan accepts healing, and the group continues toward Chachin.