The fires of heaven

Praise for Robert Jordan’s T W T HE HEEL OF IME® “Jordan’s multivolume epic [is] a feast for fantasy aficionados.” —Library Journal Book One: THE EYE OF THE WORLD “New readers are advised to start with the first book, The Eye of the World It may take you a year of steady reading, but by next year you’ll be chomping at the bit to jump on the newest book.” —Robert Knox, MPG Newspapers Book Two: THE GREAT HUNT “On very rare occasions, very talented storytellers create worlds that are beyond fantasy; worlds that become realities Robert Jordan has.” —Morgan Llywelyn, author of Lion of Ireland and Druids Book Three: THE DRAGON REBORN “One of the books to read this year.” —Science Fiction Review Book Four: THE SHADOW RISING “The fourth volume of the most ambitious American fantasy saga continues to suggest that The Wheel of Time will also be the finest.” —Booklist Book Five: THE FIRES OF HEAVEN “Rich and enthralling.” —Locus T W HE HEEL OF T IME® by Robert Jordan The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter’s Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson The Gathering Storm THE FIRES OF HEAVEN ROBERT JORDAN A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK NEW YORK This is a work of fiction All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously THE FIRES OF HEAVEN Copyright © 1993 by The Bandersnatch Group, Inc The phrases “The Wheel of Time®” and “The Dragon Reborn™,” and the snake-wheel symbol, are trademarks of Robert Jordan All rights reserved Frontispiece by Dan Dos Santos Maps by Ellisa Mitchell Interior illustrations by Matthew C Nielsen and Ellisa Mitchell A Tor Book Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC 175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 www.tor-forge.com Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC ISBN 978-1-4299-6037-3 First Edition: November 1993 First E-book Edition: February 2010 Manufactured in the United States of America For Harriet The light of her eyes is my Light CONTENTS 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 MAPS PROLOGUE: The First Sparks Fall Fanning the Sparks Rhuidean Pale Shadows Twilight Among the Wise Ones Gateways A Departure Over the Border A Signal Figs and Mice The Nine Horse Hitch An Old Pipe A Small Room in Sienda Meetings What Can Be Learned in Dreams An Unexpected Offer Heading West A Hound of Darkness Memories Jangai Pass The Gift of a Blade Birdcalls by Night “The Fifth, I Give You” A Message Sent Dreams of Galad Sallie Daera The Practice of Diffidence Trapped Memories of Saldaea 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 A Wager The Far Snows A Short Spear A Question of Crimson A Silver Arrow Ripped Away A New Name Performances in Samara An Old Acquaintance Encounters in Samara The Wheel Weaves The Craft of Kin Tovere Before the Arrow This Place, This Day The Lesser Sadness After the Storm Other Battles, Other Weapons The Price of a Ship Leavetakings To Boannda To Teach, and Learn News Comes to Cairhien Choices Fading Words To Caemlyn The Threads Burn Glowing Embers GLOSSARY With his coming are the dread fires born again The hills burn, and the land turns sere The tides of men run out, and the hours dwindle The wall is pierced, and the veil of parting raised Storms rumble beyond the horizon, and the fires of heaven purge the earth There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death —fragment from The Prophecies of the Dragon believed translated by N’Delia Basolaine First Maid and Swordfast to Raidhen of Hoi Cuchone (circa 400 AB) PROLOGUE The First Sparks Fall Elaida Avriny a’Roihan absently fingered the long, seven-striped stole about her shoulders, the stole of the Amyrlin Seat, as she sat behind her wide writing table Many would have accounted her beautiful, at first glance, but a second look made it clear that the severity of her ageless, Aes Sedai face was not a momentary matter Today there was something more, a light of anger in her dark eyes If anyone had noticed She barely listened to the women arrayed on stools before her Their dresses were every color from white to the darkest red, in silk or wool as each woman’s taste dictated, yet all but one wore their formal shawls, embroidered White Flame of Tar Valon centered on their backs, colored fringe proclaiming their Ajahs, as though this were a meeting of the Hall of the Tower They discussed reports and rumors of events in the world, trying to sift fact from fancy, trying to decide the Tower’s course of action, but they seldom even glanced at the woman behind the table, the woman they had sworn to obey Elaida could not keep her full attention on them They did not know what was really important Or rather, they knew and feared to speak of it “There is apparently something happening in Shienar.” That was Danelle, slight and often seemingly lost in a dream, the only Brown sister present Green and Yellow also had only one sister apiece, and none of the three Ajahs was pleased about that There were no Blues Now Danelle’s big blue eyes looked thoughtfully inward; an unnoticed ink smudge stained her cheek, and her dark gray wool dress was rumpled “There are rumors of skirmishes Not with Trollocs, and not Aiel, though raids through the Niamh Passes appear to have increased Between Shienarans Unusual for the Borderlands They seldom fight each other.” constructed after the Breaking Old Tongue: The language spoken during the Age of Legends It is generally expected that nobles and the educated will have learned to speak it, but most know only a few words Translation is often difficult, as it is a language capable of many subtly different meanings See also Age of Legends One Power: The power drawn from the True Source The vast majority of people are completely unable to learn to channel the One Power A very small number can be taught to channel, and an even tinier number have the ability inborn These few have no need to be taught; eventually they will channel whether they want to or not, often without even realizing what they are doing This inborn ability usually manifests itself in late adolescence or early adulthood If control is not taught, or self-learned (extremely difficult, with a success rate of only one in four), death is certain Since the Time of Madness, no man has been able to channel the Power without eventually going completely, horribly mad, and then, even if he has learned some control, dying from a wasting sickness that causes the sufferer to rot alive, a sickness caused, as is the madness, by the Dark One’s taint on saidin See also Aes Sedai; channel; Five Powers; Time of Madness; True Source Pattern of an Age: The Wheel of Time weaves the threads of human lives into the Pattern of an Age, often called simply the Pattern, which forms the substance of reality for that Age See also ta’veren Rand al’Thor (RAND al-THOR): A young man from Emond’s Field, in the Two Rivers district of Andor, who is ta’veren Once a shepherd Now proclaimed as the Dragon Reborn, and also as He Who Comes With the Dawn, prophecied to unite the Aiel and break them It also seems likely that he is the Coramoor, or Chosen One, sought by the Sea Folk See also Aiel; Dragon Reborn Rhuarc (RHOURK): An Aiel, clan chief of the Taardad Aiel Rhuidean (RHUY-dee-ahn): A great city, the only one in the Aiel Waste and totally unknown to the outside world Abandoned for nearly three thousand years Once men among the Aiel were allowed to enter Rhuidean only once, in order to be tested, inside a great ter’angreal, for fitness to become clan chief (only one in three survived), and women only twice, for testing in that same ter’angreal and again to become Wise Ones, though with a considerably higher survival rate Now the city is inhabited again, by Aiel, and a great lake occupies one end of the valley of Rhuidean, fed by an underground ocean of fresh water and in turn feeding the only river in the Waste sa’angreal (SAH-ahn-GREE-ahl): Remnants of the Age of Legends that allow channeling much more of the One Power than is otherwise possible or safe A sa’angreal is similar to, but more powerful than, an angreal The amount of the Power that can be wielded with a sa’angreal compares to the amount that can be handled with an angreal as the Power wielded with the aid of an angreal does to the amount that can be handled unaided The making of them is no longer known As with angreal, there are male and female sa’angreal Only a handful remain, far fewer even than angreal saidar (sah-ih-DAHR); saidin (sah-ih-DEEN): See True Source Seanchan (SHAWN-CHAN): (1) Descendants of the armies Artur Hawkwing sent across the Aryth Ocean, who conquered the lands there They believe that any woman who can channel must be controlled for the safety of everyone else, and any man who can channel must be killed for the same reason (2) The land from which the Seanchan come Seekers for Truth: A police/spy organization of the Seanchan Imperial Throne Although most Seekers are property of the Imperial family, they have wide powers Even one of the Blood (a Seanchan noble) can be arrested for failure to answer any question put by a Seeker, or for failure to cooperate fully with a Seeker, this last defined by the Seekers themselves, subject only to review by the Empress Shayol Ghul (SHAY-ol GHOOL): A mountain in the Blasted Lands, beyond the Great Blight Site of the Dark One’s prison Siuan Sanche (SWAHN SAHN-chay): Daughter of a Tairen fisherman, according to Tairen law she was put on a ship to Tar Valon before the second sunset after discovery that she had the potential to channel Once Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah and later Amyrlin Seat, she was deposed and stilled Now seeking to avoid the fate she fears Spine of the World: A towering mountain range, with few passes, which separates the Aiel Waste from the lands to the west Also called the Dragonwall stilling: The act, performed by Aes Sedai, of shutting off a woman who can channel from the One Power A woman who has been stilled can sense the True Source, but not touch it So seldom has it been done that novices are required to learn the names and crimes of all women who have suffered it Officially, stilling is the result of trial and sentence for a crime When it happens accidentally, it is called being burned out In practice, the term “stilling” is often used for both Women who have been stilled, however it occurred, seldom survive long; they seem to simply give up and die Stone of Tear: A great fortress in the city of Tear, said to have been made with the One Power soon after the Breaking of the World Attacked and besieged unsuccessfully countless times, it fell in a single night to the Dragon Reborn and a few hundred Aiel, thus fulfilling two parts of the Prophecies of the Dragon See also Dragon, Prophecies of the sul’dam (SOOL-dam): Literally, “leash holder.” Seanchan term for a woman with the ability to control, by means of an a’dam, a woman who can channel A fairly honored position among the Seanchan What is known only to a few is that sul’dam are in fact those women who could be taught to channel See also a’dam;damane; Seanchan Talents: Abilities in the use of the One Power in specific areas The best known is Healing Some, such as Traveling, the ability to shift from one place to another without crossing the intervening space, have been lost to the Aes Sedai of today Others, such as Foretelling (the ability to foretell future events, but in a general way), are now found rarely Another Talent long thought lost is Dreaming, which involves, among other things, interpreting the Dreamer’s dreams to foretell future events in more specific fashion than Foretelling does Some Dreamers had the ability to enter Tel’aran’rhiod, the World of Dreams, and (it is said) even other people’s dreams The last acknowledged Dreamer was Corianin Nedeal (coh-ree-AHN-ihn neh-dee-AHL), who died in 526 NE, but there is now another, known to but a few See also Tel’aran’rhiod Tallanvor, Martyn (TAL-lahn-vohr, mahr-TEEN): Guardsman-Lieutenant of the Queen’s Guards who loves his queen more than life or honor ta’maral’ailen (tah-MAHR-ahl-EYE-lehn): In the Old Tongue, “Web of Destiny.” A great change in the Pattern of an Age, centered around one or more people who are ta’veren See also Pattern of an Age; ta’veren Tanchico (tan-CHEE-coh): Capital city of Tarabon See Tarabon Tarabon (TAH-rah-BON): Nation on the Aryth Ocean Once a great trading nation, a source of rugs, dyes and fireworks produced by the Guild of Illuminators, among other things Little news has come out of Tarabon since the land became racked by anarchy and civil war compounded by simultaneous wars against Arad Doman and the Dragonsworn, people who have sworn to follow the Dragon Reborn Tarmon Gai’don (TAHR-mohn GAY-dohn): The Last Battle See also Dragon, Prophecies of the; Horn of Valere ta’veren (tah-VEER-ehn): A person around whom the Wheel of Time weaves all surrounding life-threads, perhaps ALL lifethreads, to form a Web of Destiny See also Pattern of an Age; ta’maral’ailen Tear (TEER): A nation on the Sea of Storms Also the capital city of that nation, a great seaport The banner of Tear is three white crescent moons slanting across a field half red, half gold See also Stone of Tear Telamon, Lews Therin (TEHL-ah-mon, LOOZ THEH-rihn): See Dragon, the Tel’aran’rhiod (tel-AYE-rahn-rhee-ODD): In the Old Tongue, “the Unseen World,” or “the World of Dreams.” A world glimpsed in dreams which was believed by the ancients to permeate and surround all other possible worlds Many can touch Tel’aran’rhiod for a few moments in their dreams, but few have ever had the ability to enter it at will, though some ter’angreal have recently been discovered to confer that ability Unlike other dreams, what happens to living things in the World of Dreams is real; a wound taken there will still exist on awakening, and one who dies there does not wake at all See also ter’angreal ter’angreal (TEER-ahn-GREE-ahl): Remnants of the Age of Legends that use the One Power Unlike angreal and sa’angreal, each ter’angreal was made to a particular thing Some ter’angreal are used by Aes Sedai, but the original purposes of many are unknown Some require channeling, while others may be used by anyone Some will kill or destroy the ability to channel of any woman who uses them Like angreal and sa’angreal, the making of them has been lost since the Breaking of the World See also angreal; sa’angreal Thom Merrilin (TOM MER-rih-lihn): A not-so-simple gleeman and traveler See also gleeman Time of Madness: The years after the Dark One’s counterstroke tainted the male half of the True Source, when male Aes Sedai went mad and Broke the World The exact duration of this period is unknown, but it is believed to have lasted nearly one hundred years It ended completely only with the death of the last male Aes Sedai See also One Power; True Source Trollocs (TRAHL-lohks): Creatures of the Dark One, created during the War of the Shadow Huge of stature, they are a twisted blend of animal and human stock Divided into tribe-like bands, among them the Dha’vol, the Ko’bal, and the Dhai’mon Vicious by nature, they kill for the pure pleasure of killing Deceitful in the extreme, they cannot be trusted unless coerced by fear Trolloc Wars: A series of wars, beginning about 1000 AB and lasting more than three hundred years, during which Trolloc armies ravaged the World Eventually the Trollocs were driven back into the Great Blight, but some nations ceased to exist, and others that survived were almost depopulated All records of the time are fragmentary True Source: The driving force of the universe, which turns the Wheel of Time Divided into a male half (saidin) and a female half (saidar), which work at the same time with and against each other Only a man can draw on saidin, only a woman on saidar Since the beginning of the Time of Madness, saidin has been tainted by the Dark One’s touch See also One Power Verin Mathwin (VEH-rihn MATH-wihn): Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah, last known to be in the Two Rivers purportedly seeking girls who could be taught to channel See also Ajah Warder: A warrior bonded to an Aes Sedai The bonding is a thing of the One Power: by it he gains such gifts as quick healing, the ability to go long periods without food, water, or rest, and the ability to sense the taint of the Dark One at a distance So long as a Warder lives, the Aes Sedai to whom he is bonded knows he is alive however far away he is, and when he dies she will know the moment and manner of his death While most Ajahs believe an Aes Sedai may have one Warder bonded to her at a time, the Red Ajah refuses to bond any Warders at all, and the Green Ajah believes an Aes Sedai may bond as many as she wishes Ethically the Warder must accede to the bonding voluntarily, but it has been known to be done against the Warder’s will What the Aes Sedai gain from the bonding is a closely held secret See also Aes Sedai War of Power: See War of the Shadow War of the hundred years (Fy 994–Fy1117): A series of overlapping wars among constantly shifting alliances, precipitated by the death of Artur Hawkwing and the resulting struggle for his empire The War of the Hundred Years depopulated large parts of the lands between the Aryth Ocean and the Aiel Waste, from the Sea of Storms to the Great Blight So great was the destruction that only fragmentary records of the time remain The empire of Artur Hawkwing was pulled apart, and the nations of the present day were formed See also Hawkwing, Artur War of the Shadow: Also known as the War of Power Began shortly after the attempt to free the Dark One, and soon involved the whole world In a world where even the memory of war had been forgotten, every facet of war was rediscovered, often twisted by the Dark One’s touch on the world, and the One Power was used as a weapon The war was ended by the resealing of the Dark One into his prison in a strike led by Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon, and one hundred male Aes Sedai called the Hundred Companions The Dark One’s counterstroke tainted saidin and drove Lews Therin and the Hundred Companions insane, thus beginning the Time of Madness See also Dragon, the; One Power, the; Time of Madness, the Weight, units of: 10 ounces = pound; 10 pounds = stone; 10 stone = hundredweight; 10 hundredweight = ton Wheel of Time, the: Time is a wheel with seven spokes, each spoke an Age As the Wheel turns, Ages come and go, each leaving memories that fade to legend, then to myth, and are forgotten by the time that Age comes again The Pattern of an Age is slightly different each time an Age comes, and each time it is subject to greater change Whitecloaks: See Children of the Light wilder: A woman who has learned to channel the One Power on her own, surviving the crisis as only one in four does Such women usually build barriers against knowing what it is they are doing, but if these can be broken down, wilders are among the most powerful of channelers The term is often used in derogatory fashion Wisdom: In villages, a woman chosen by the Women’s Circle for her knowledge of such things as healing and foretelling the weather, as well as common good sense Generally considered the equal of the Mayor, and in some villages his superior She is chosen for life, and it is very rare for a Wisdom to be removed from office before her death Depending on the land, she may instead have another title, such as Guide, Healer, Wise Woman, or Seeker Wise one: Among the Aiel, Wise Ones are women chosen by other Wise Ones and trained in healing, herbs and other things, much like Wisdoms Usually there is a single Wise One to each clan or sept hold They have great authority and responsibility, as well as great influence with sept and clan chiefs, though these men often accuse them of meddling Wise Ones stand outside all feuds and battles, and according to ji’e’toh may not be harmed or impeded in any way Some Wise Ones have the ability to channel, but they not advertise this Three Wise Ones now living are dreamwalkers, with the ability to enter Tel’aran’rhiod and to speak to other people in their dreams, among other things See also dreamwalker; ji’e’toh;Tel’aran’rhiod About the Author Robert Jordan was born in 1948 in Charleston, South Carolina He taught himself to read when he was four with the incidental aid of a twelveyears-older brother, and was tackling Mark Twain and Jules Verne by five He was a graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, with a degree in physics He served two tours in Vietnam with the U.S Army; among his decorations are the Distinguished Flying Cross with bronze oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star with “V” and bronze oak leaf cluster, and two Vietnamese Gallantry Crosses with Palm A history buff, he also wrote dance and theater criticism He enjoyed the outdoor sports of hunting, fishing, and sailing, and the indoor sports of poker, chess, pool, and pipe collecting He began writing in 1977 and continued until his death on September 16, 2007 Table of Contents MAPS PROLOGUE: The First Sparks Fall Fanning the Sparks Rhuidean Pale Shadows Twilight Among the Wise Ones Gateways A Departure Over the Border A Signal 10 Figs and Mice 11 The Nine Horse Hitch 12 An Old Pipe 13 A Small Room in Sienda 14 Meetings 15 What Can Be Learned in Dreams 16 An Unexpected Offer 17 Heading West 18 A Hound of Darkness 19 Memories 20 Jangai Pass 21 The Gift of a Blade 22 Birdcalls by Night 23 “The Fifth, I Give You” 24 A Message Sent 25 Dreams of Galad 26 Sallie Daera 27 The Practice of Diffidence 28 Trapped 29 Memories of Saldaea 30 A Wager 31 The Far Snows 32 A Short Spear 33 A Question of Crimson 34 A Silver Arrow 35 Ripped Away 36 A New Name 37 Performances in Samara 38 An Old Acquaintance 39 Encounters in Samara 40 The Wheel Weaves 41 The Craft of Kin Tovere 42 Before the Arrow 43 This Place, This Day 44 The Lesser Sadness 45 After the Storm 46 Other Battles, Other Weapons 47 The Price of a Ship 48 Leavetakings 49 To Boannda 50 To Teach, and Learn 51 News Comes to Cairhien 52 Choices 53 Fading Words 54 To Caemlyn 55 The Threads Burn 56 Glowing Embers GLOSSARY Table of Contents MAPS PROLOGUE: The First Sparks Fall Fanning the Sparks Rhuidean Pale Shadows Twilight Among the Wise Ones Gateways A Departure Over the Border A Signal 10 Figs and Mice 11 The Nine Horse Hitch 12 An Old Pipe 13 A Small Room in Sienda 14 Meetings 15 What Can Be Learned in Dreams 16 An Unexpected Offer 17 Heading West 18 A Hound of Darkness 19 Memories 20 Jangai Pass 21 The Gift of a Blade 22 Birdcalls by Night 23 “The Fifth, I Give You” 24 A Message Sent 25 Dreams of Galad 26 Sallie Daera 27 The Practice of Diffidence 28 Trapped 29 Memories of Saldaea 30 A Wager 31 The Far Snows 32 A Short Spear 33 A Question of Crimson 34 A Silver Arrow 35 Ripped Away 36 A New Name 37 Performances in Samara 38 An Old Acquaintance 39 Encounters in Samara 40 The Wheel Weaves 41 The Craft of Kin Tovere 42 Before the Arrow 43 This Place, This Day 44 The Lesser Sadness 45 After the Storm 46 Other Battles, Other Weapons 47 The Price of a Ship 48 Leavetakings 49 To Boannda 50 To Teach, and Learn 51 News Comes to Cairhien 52 Choices 53 Fading Words 54 To Caemlyn 55 The Threads Burn 56 Glowing Embers GLOSSARY Table of Contents MAPS PROLOGUE: The First Sparks Fall Fanning the Sparks Rhuidean Pale Shadows Twilight Among the Wise Ones Gateways A Departure Over the Border A Signal 10 Figs and Mice 11 The Nine Horse Hitch 12 An Old Pipe 13 A Small Room in Sienda 14 Meetings 15 What Can Be Learned in Dreams 16 An Unexpected Offer 17 Heading West 18 A Hound of Darkness 19 Memories 20 Jangai Pass 21 The Gift of a Blade 22 Birdcalls by Night 23 “The Fifth, I Give You” 24 A Message Sent 25 Dreams of Galad 26 Sallie Daera 27 The Practice of Diffidence 28 Trapped 29 Memories of Saldaea 30 A Wager 31 The Far Snows 32 A Short Spear 33 A Question of Crimson 34 A Silver Arrow 35 Ripped Away 36 A New Name 37 Performances in Samara 38 An Old Acquaintance 39 Encounters in Samara 40 The Wheel Weaves 41 The Craft of Kin Tovere 42 Before the Arrow 43 This Place, This Day 44 The Lesser Sadness 45 After the Storm 46 Other Battles, Other Weapons 47 The Price of a Ship 48 Leavetakings 49 To Boannda 50 To Teach, and Learn 51 News Comes to Cairhien 52 Choices 53 Fading Words 54 To Caemlyn 55 The Threads Burn 56 Glowing Embers GLOSSARY ... suggest that The Wheel of Time will also be the finest.” —Booklist Book Five: THE FIRES OF HEAVEN “Rich and enthralling.” —Locus T W HE HEEL OF T IME® by Robert Jordan The Eye of the World The Great... World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter’s Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams by Robert... novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously THE FIRES OF HEAVEN Copyright © 1993 by The Bandersnatch Group, Inc The phrases The Wheel of Time®” and The Dragon