Chapter 48 - Near Avendesora
Summary
Aviendha visits Rhuidean and sits beneath Avendesora, reflecting on her past trials through the glass rings and the ter'angreal left behind by Rand al'Thor and the White Tower. She uses her innate Talent to touch a glass pillar, sensing an overwhelming awareness before retreating. Defying tradition, she steps into the columns again and experiences sequential visions of Aiel ancestors scavenging, starving, and fleeing Seanchan raiders, ultimately realizing the pillars project the future backward toward her present before she steps into another vision.
Characters
- Aviendha — Visits Rhuidean and sits beneath Avendesora, reflecting on past trials and remaining ter'angreal. She uses her innate Talent to touch a glass pillar, sensing an overwhelming awareness before retreating. Defying tradition, she steps into the columns again and experiences sequential visions of Aiel ancestors scavenging, starving, and fleeing Seanchan raiders, ultimately realizing the pillars project the future backward toward her present.
- Elayne — Mentioned as having helped identify a new Talent for recognizing ter'angreal and as the source of the word icicles used to describe the glass columns.
- Rand / al'Thor — Referenced regarding past discoveries at Rhuidean to cleanse saidin, removal of numerous ter'angreal for the White Tower, and relief that he has not yet disclosed the Aiel's shameful ancestral history to their people.
- Malidta / Malidra — Appears in a vision as an eighteen-year-old scavenger surviving near Lightmaker camps, stealing food scraps before being shot by a guard and dying from her wounds.
- Flern — A Lightmaker guard who shoots the vision-character with a hiss-staff, dismisses her as a pest, and remarks on her heritage as she dies.
- Metalan — Appears in a vision as a gaunt, haunted father begging outlanders for food in exchange for ore, only to be refused by imperial decree before lying down in despair.
- Garlvan — An infant son in a vision who dies of starvation while held against his mother's chest, unnoticed until she attempts to nurse him.
- Meise — A daughter in a vision who has fallen silent since her brother's death and whimpers quietly before being left behind by exhausted parents.
- Tava — Appears in a vision as a fourteen-year-old girl fleeing a burning hold attacked by riders on serpentine beasts, saving a toddler and witnessing her father fight an invader before watching her people scatter into the Waste.
- Tadvishm — A Stone Dog warrior who falls dead during the surprise raid on the hidden hold.
- Rowahn — A tall, red-haired father clad in traditional clothing who rallies survivors to fight fires and kills an invader before ultimately dropping his sword and watching his clan dissolve into scattered survivors.
- Jorshem — Mentioned as a member of the Folk who discovered a large metal nail from roadway construction projects.