Chapter 36 - Among the Elders

Summary

The group enters the chamber of the Elders in Stedding Tsofu, where Eldest Alar informs them that no Ogier has traveled the Ways in over a century due to the danger of Machin Shin. To demonstrate the risk, Alar brings out Trayal, an Ogier whose mind and soul were destroyed by the Ways, leaving him a hollow shell. Despite Ingtar's anger at the refusal to use the Waygate, Alar denies them passage through this gate but later reveals a Portal Stone is located nearby. Upon joining the horses, Hurin suggests using a Portal Stone instead of a Waygate to reach Toman Head quickly enough to save Mat. Rand agrees to locate a Stone in Kinslayer's Dagger, prompting Verin to confirm she knows how to use them. Alar then reveals that a Portal Stone is located near the stedding, ending the chapter as Verin orders them to take it immediately.

Characters

• Rand — Rand accompanies the group into the Elders' chamber, feeling the weight of their authority and the absence of the stedding's peace outside. He advocates for Loial to join them, citing his friend's importance and ability to decipher Guidings. When the Waygate is opened and closed by Machin Shin, Rand identifies the Black Wind. He later agrees to find a Portal Stone in Kinslayer's Dagger to save Mat, driven by both desperation and an eager pull toward channeling saidin.
• Loial (son of Arent son of Halan) — Loial waits anxiously outside the Elders' chamber, fearing for his fate among the Ogier women before eventually sitting with a book to hide his embarrassment. He receives a trueheart blossom from Erith, which he secretly preserves after being called handsome. He expresses relief that the Waygate cannot be used, then lists potential Waygates at other steddings before Verin redirects the plan to a Portal Stone.
• Mat — Mat questions the Elders' treatment of Loial and teases him relentlessly about the flower he received from Erith. He sits on the coping with his head in his hands when the Waygate is rejected, but lifts his head with hope when Hurin suggests using a Portal Stone to save him from wasting away.
• Ingtar — Ingtar bows formally to the Elders and angrily argues for the use of the Waygate, but remains silent when Verin intervenes. After the Waygate is shut by Machin Shin, he declares his intent to return to Cairhien to force Lord Barthanes for information, refusing to follow Verin's new path.
• Hurin (the sniffer) — Hurin stands with the group, gaping at the Elders and later riding with Uno and the soldiers to fetch horses. He suggests using a Portal Stone to bypass the dangerous Ways and reach Toman Head quickly enough to save Mat, offering a practical alternative to the delayed journey.
• Verin (Verin Sedai) — Verin sits facing the dais, defending the group's need to use the Ways. She touches Trayal and recoils in horror at his empty soul. When the Waygate is rejected due to Machin Shin, she acknowledges the danger but remains focused on the timeline. She confirms her knowledge of how to use Portal Stones and accepts Alar's revelation of a nearby Stone, ordering the group to proceed to it immediately.
• Alar (Eldest) — Alar, the Eldest of the Elders of Stedding Tsofu, presides over the meeting with measured calm and immense authority. She explains the century-long prohibition on using the Ways and presents Trayal to demonstrate the soul-destroying danger of Machin Shin. Though she denies the group the Waygate, she reveals the existence of a nearby Portal Stone and acknowledges Rand's strong ta'veren nature.