Chapter 43 - A Plan

Summary

In the occupied city of Falme, Min Farshaw reunites with Nynaeve al'Maera and Elayne Trakand in the street, sharing their distress over Egwene's captivity and the formidable threat of the Seanchan damane collars. The trio locates ship captain Bayle Domon at The Three Plum Blossoms inn, where Nynaeve boldly reveals her Aes Sedai signet ring to secure his promise to sail immediately. Domon warns them of the lethal power of the sul'dam and collars, recounting the tragic capture of another Aes Sedai, but agrees to be ready to depart within days, leaving the women to formulate the dangerous plan to free their friend.

Characters

• Min (servant) — Min flees the room where Egwene is being punished, weeping in the street until she spots Nynaeve and Elayne. She leads them to an inn to meet Bayle Domon, revealing Egwene's plight and her previous attempt to hire a captain, while also describing Egwene's loss of ability to touch weapons due to the collar.
• Nynaeve — Nynaeve tracks down Min and Elayne, dismissing the need for swords in favor of brains. At the inn, she confidently reveals her Aes Sedai ring to Bayle Domon to secure passage for her and her friends, masking her anxiety about his refusal by projecting absolute certainty and offering an alternative to the damane requirement.
• Elayne — Elayne escapes the Seanchan ambush and joins Nynaeve and Min, expressing her wish for armed assistance to rescue Egwene. She travels with them to the inn and helps Nynaeve persuade Domon, standing by while the captain shares his grim experiences with the collars.
• Domon (Captain) — Bayle Domon sits in The Three Plum Blossoms inn, muttering over wine until approached by Min and her friends. He listens to their plea to sail, reveals his shallow-draft ship can evade patrols if given a damane, warns them of the terror of the collars by describing the capture of an Aes Sedai, and reluctantly agrees to be ready to sail after Nynaeve shows her ring.