Chapter 16 - The Wisdom

Summary

In the inn hallway of Baerlon, Min al'Vere intercepts Rand to warn him that Nynaeve has arrived and possesses dangerous sparks linked to the group's fate before Rand joins his friends to confront the Wisdom. The group finds Moiraine and Nynaeve locked in a tense standoff regarding the boys' safety and origin, which Moiraine resolves by sending everyone, including Lan and Thom, out of the room to speak privately with Nynaeve. Afterward, Nynaeve reveals she acted on behalf of the Women's Circle to prevent the Village Council from delaying their pursuit, and privately reassures Rand that his father loves him, effectively dismissing his fears that he might have been adopted while withholding Moiraine's specific questions about the boys' birthplaces.

Characters

• Rand / Rand al'Thor — Rand is intercepted by Min, who warns him of Nynaeve's dangerous connection to the Pattern. He later confronts Moiraine and Nynaeve, insisting they cannot return to the Two Rivers, and finally walks with Nynaeve, who reassures him about his parentage and dismisses Moiraine's inquiries about his birth.
• Min — Min pulls Rand aside in the hallway to warn him that Nynaeve has arrived and is dangerously connected to the group's sparks, then gestures angrily at Rand before he leaves her.
• Mat — Mat later leaves the room with the others.
• Perrin — Perrin hesitantly opens the door to the room, sits with his friends during the standoff, and later asks Nynaeve about Master Luhhan's reaction to his departure.
• Egwene / Egwene al'Vere — Egwene sits hidden in her hood during the confrontation, obeys Moiraine's order to leave the room with the others, and fiddles with her unbraided hair while waiting outside.
• Moiraine / Mistress Alys / Moiraine Sedai (Aes Sedai) — Moiraine sits across from Nynaeve, defending her protection of the boys against the Whitecloaks and the Dark One, then orders the others to leave so she may question Nynaeve privately about the boys' origins.
• Nynaeve / Wisdom Nynaeve (Wisdom) — Nynaeve arrives in Baerlon, confronts Moiraine about her authority and the boys' safety, and later walks with Rand to explain that she came to save them from the Village Council's deliberation and to reassure him about his identity.
• Lan (Warder) — Lan provides wine to Nynaeve, questions how she tracked the group, and waits as Moiraine dismisses Egwene and the boys to speak privately with Nynaeve before standing guard outside the door.
• Thom (gleeman) — Thom threatens Nynaeve with the dangers of the Whitecloaks, warns the boys about their tongues, and leaves the hallway, muttering advice to the youths as he goes.