The Aiel War was fought around 20 years ago when 4 Aiel clans, led by Janduin (aka Rand's dad), came out of the Waste on a mission to kill King Laman (aka Moiraine's uncle) of Cairhien, for cutting down their tree of life to make new throne.
The fought their way all the way to the River Erinin (which Tar Valon is on). Once they had found and killed Laman, they all returned to the Waste… their job was complete… they weren't there to fight a war, they were there for the execution of one man. Not that anyone fighting against them knew that at the time.
"The Grand Coalition" was the name of the great combined army from many nations that gathered to fight against the Aiel.
This story begins just before the end of the Aiel War.
Aan'allein — Aiel name for Lan. They know of him because he is just generally famous.
Lan says that the guy Rakim "boasts about his luck, a fool thing to do." Indeed a fool thing to do in this book. I'm sure you don't remember, but being considered lucky is bad news in this book. RAFO.
Lan says there was 1000 years from the time the Forsaken were sealed until the Trolloc Wars, and another 1000 years before the breakup of Artur Hawkwings empire. Some say they see the shadow's influence in these things… they are correct, it is not a coincidence!
The shadow had no part in causing the Aiel War though.
In the first Prologue (Dragonmount) we saw that Ishamael was not sealed away properly with the other Forsaken (he was talking to Lews after the war against Darky was done, and everyone sealed away). Ishy was not sealed away properly and so was freed from the prison every thousand years or so. During the time he was free, before he was naturally drawn back into the prison, he started the Trolloc Wars, and also used Artur Hawkwing's rule over the whole world to cause chaos after he died.
The trumpets that Lan hears are being blown by the Aiel. I assume it's their way of letting all their warriors know that King Laman has been killed, and the "war" is over - time for them all to go home.
Oh, and don't forget to hail Lan on your way out. lol.
BOOM! Rand is born! It begins.
Moiraine mentions that Temaile and Brendas are also Accepted at this time. 20 years later, Temaile will be one of Liandrin's group of Black Ajah (the ones that Moggy eventually takes command of. Brendas is a White Ajah who has had a few minor appearances in the main story.
Elaida is also mentioned as being a Sedai, but only fairly new. She is a bit older than Siuan and Moiraine (Elaida is 28 in this book, Siuan 20, Moiraine 22). So in the main books they are all in their 40s.
Previously: Gitara Moroso, the Keeper, had a foretelling that the Dragon was reborn… then shrugged and went "guess I'll die"
There's a few Accepted who appear in this chapter that are Sedai in the future in the main books:
Alanna - bonds Rand. Killed by Moridin in the cavern at the very end as he tries to make Rand go into a bond-death-rage.
Myrelle - the one who Moiraine would make Lan's bond pass to when she dies (or doesn't die lul)
Tarna - she becomes Elaida's keeper after Alviarin gets fired. In the very late books, she goes to the Black Tower with Pevara in the group of Reds. She gets Turned.
Don't get Tarna (the Accepted above), and Tamra (the current Amyrlin) mixed up LOL.
Moiraine and Siuan feel tingling when the other uses the power. They explain it by being something to do with being really really close friends (nudge nudge wink wink), but most people think that this was RJ trying to explain something that happened in one of the other books...
In book 2, Moiraine and Siuan see each other for the first time in the main books and Moiraine feels a tingle when Siuan channels. But it never happened again with any other female channellers… presumably he changed his mind about how it worked lol, and so explained that one-off occurrence in New Spring :P
I've never noticed this one before… Moiraine can tell which powers (earth, water, etc) Siuan is using when not looking. I always assumed they could just feel the power being used. Mmm, interesting, but totally irrelevant.
Pondering the world, Siuan wonders "what is west of the Aryth Ocean, or south of the ocean near Tear. You can look at mega-map to see :P
Moiraine says there are 423 Aes Sedai currently in the Tower, and about 2x that many living elsewhere. So there's about 1200-1300 total Aes Sedai. Just FYI.
Moiraine says how the number of Sedai is dwindling over the years. Presumably that's because they're breeding the ability to channel out of the world because sedai very rarely have children. The Aiel and Sharans and Sea Folk have no problems.. their channelers just live like regular women, not locked in some secret tower.
Previously… Moiraine and Siuan (and all the other Accepted) are to go out and gather the names of women who've had babies near Tar Valon recently. The Amyrlin (Tamra) has announced a special payment to all such women, as a cover for trying to find the Dragon Reborn.
Accepted (all just mentioned briefly) in this chapter who are Sedai in the main books (and a reminder of what they do in the future):
Meidani - one of the "ferrets" that the rebel Sedai send to the Tower to spy/spread dissent about Elaida.
Katerine - a Blacky who is one of the main Sedai involved in Rand's kidnapping
Carlinya - one of the original leaders of the rebels in Salidar.
Edesina - one of the Sedai that travel with Mat in the circus after he rescues her from being collared in Ebou Dar
Temaile - another blacky (part of Liandrin/Moggy's group). She was one the tried to kidnap Elayne later in Caemlyn.
Sarene - one of the Sedai who hunt for Blackies with the Oath Rod.
Nothing to noted here
Previously… Moiraine and Siuan (and all the other Accepted) are out to gather the names of women who've had babies near Tar Valon recently.
You can have the good old family tree for the next few chapters - here is a link
"Elaida had never deferred to anyone other than the Amyrlin Seat or a Sitter (a member of the Hall of the Tower), yet she bowed her head [to Meilyn]" - this is because Aes Sedai determine who is "higher ranked" among themselves by who is stronger in the One Power. But no one knows this convention until they are full Sedai themselves.
Meilyn is super-strong in the power. One of the rare Sedai that are on the "+" part of the scale.
Elaida is advisor to the Queen of Andor. That's a job she's had for a while then. Still there 20 years later when Rand falls over the garden wall.
Moiraine hears her uncle(s) are dead. Hence why the Aiel retreating, as Lan saw (and heard the trumpets) in the first chapter.
Moiraine shields her dreams so they don't affect the dreams of others. This is something that was mentioned in the early books of the main story, but then kind of forgotten about and was never relevant to anything.
Previously… Moiraine found out her uncles are dead. But doesn't care. They were dumb anyway.
More peeps in this chapter:
Sheriam - future Mistress of Novices. Then Egwene's Keeper. Then revealed as a Blacky by Verin's noteds.
Laras is "one of the cooks"… not yet the BOSS of the kitchen.
Ryma is also mentioned. She would be be captured by the Seanchan at Falme (in Book 2, the girls know of her, but were unable to find her to rescue)
Lol, queen Moiraine. That would have been cool :P
Moiraine wants to escape the Tower, because she knows what the White Tower wants, the White Tower gets. And they seem to want her as Queen of Cairhien.
Previously… Moiraine and Siuan are making noteds of babies that might be the Dragon Reborn.
Also… the Sedai seem to be pondering setting up Moiraine to be queen of Cairhien.
Elyas! Ok, there's the best name-dropping done so far :) Not sure if you remember, he used to be a warder, before he discovered he could talk to wolves.
Kerene is another of those rare high-power Sedai. She is +2. Here is a link to a rough version of the powers list. Red names are the ones in this book.
So the Aes Sedai recruited by the Amyrlin to search for the Dragon Reborn are:
Kerene (green), Aisha (grey), Meilyn (white), Valera (brown), Ludice (yellow)
Previously: The Amyrlin is secretly gathering Sedai to go searching for the Dragon baby.
They also seem to be secretly trying to set Moiraine up to be Queen of Cairhien.
Elaida. What a bitch. Lol. And now, whether she was trying to help them or hurt them before… now she hates them lul.
"They had acquired an enemy for life"… hellz yeah
"If she ever tries to harm me again, I'll make her pay!" Siuan says. Well, she tried, but really Egwene and the Seanchan made her pay in the end.
Previously: Moiraine is to be tested!
SPIDERS!!!!!!! SAD
Moiraine went to the test carrying her book, then had to leave it when she got undressed and worried that someone would find it… this is exactly what happened to Egwene in her Accepted test with the stone ring ter'angreal (she was taken for testing just after Verin had first given it to her).
The things that are appearing to distract Moiraine are being made by the Aes Sedai controlling the ter'angreal she is inside of. They decide what things will appear to test her. I assume it's somehow related to the world of dreams, it seems to work the same kind of way.
But seeing as none of the Sedai know about telrod really, and they're all scared of studying ter'angreal, they don't really know either.
Previously: Moiraine is in the middle of her Sedai test
Verin is the one who gives Moiraine her clothes back and Moiraine is worried about her having seen her book. Could she have seen it??
In book 2, Verin very quickly works out what Moiraine and Siuan are up to. Maybe she already knew.
Also, ironically, Verin is the person who gives Egwene the telrod ring in book 3, which is the thing Eggy was secretly carrying in her pocket when she was tested.
Previously: Moiraine and Siuan planned to take advantage of their final night being only Accepted by… putting mice in Elaida's bed as a prank LOL
They went and did it, by the way. Unfortunately you never see it happen :P
Aeldra - the new Keeper, with psychic lady now dead.
More peeps in this chapter:
Leane… Siuan's Keeper. She is brand new to being Sedai.
Lelaine - one of the Sedai who caused many problems for Egwene with her rebels. Lelaine and Romanda formed two factions in the camp, both trying to gain more influence than the other.
Rafela - one of the rebel sedai who go to rescue Rand from his kidnapping and end up swearing to obey and follow him
When they're talking about 'precedence' and who should have gone first, Moiraine and Siuan don't yet know about 'stronger in the power should take precedence' rule. It's a bit of an Aes Sedai secret. So they made up their own plan, and some of the Aes Sedai watching were a bit put off by it.
More names. Leanne (future Keeper) gives Moiraine her shawl.
Each Ajah has a leader. But who the leader is of an Ajah is a secret only known to those within the Ajah. And so is the title that they give to their leader. Some of the titles are really dumb. You hear of them later in the main books :P
Blue Ajah leader = First Selector
Previously: Moiraine and Siuan are now officially Blue Ajah, and are going to join the rest of their Ajah.
Peeps in this chapter: Kairen, Cabriana and Anaiya. Three really good friends. Cabriana was the Sedai tortured and killed by Semi, and Shim used the information about her for her cover story when she joined the rebel camp.
Kairen and Anaiya are later killed by Shim, presumably because they started to suspect Shim.
Even though they are full Aes Sedai, because Moiraine and Siuan were raised to the position quickly, they are still young enough that their strength in the One Power is not at its max - so it is lower than the number shown in the Powers List.
Mmmm, Siuan and Moiraine. It's been hinted at all the way through this story, but now they're just getting it on!
Moiraine "tries to say the rooms are very nice" - you can't even lie to be polite lol
Lan just wants to go home and fight trollocs
Previously: Moiraine wants to get away so she can start searching for Rand and not be made queen of Cairhien
Eadyth - head of the Blue Ajah
Mistress Dormaile is "a hand shorter than Moiraine"… that is REALLY short lol
So I had no idea about Moiraine's explanation of the dodgy dude trying to get her bank details. I had to come back and write this after reading a future chapter:
Guy who came to the banker is "Gorthanes". A dude from Cairhien. He probably works for one of the nobles there who want to become the new king/queen. He has come to get info about one of his master's rivals for the throne (Moiraine).
The banker caught him out being dodgy, and she sent a letter to Moiraine to tell her about this dude. But she never got the letter. Why did the White Tower not give Moiraine the letter?
Because this guy would only have been looking for info on Moiraine if he thought she were contending for the throne. Moiraine would know this, and then go "but I'm not contending for the throne... unless... the White Tower are secretly doing it on my behalf!"... and they don't want Moiraine to know that they are actively working for her - she's supposed to think they are just SUGGESTING ideas to her.
Cairhienin nobles wear horizontal stripes of colour across their clothing to indicate their rank. The more powerful the noble, the more stripes they have. Moiraine has a dress made with less slashes than she is entitled to so she doesn't seem super-important, and can be more discrete in her travels.
Previously - Moiraine had lots of dresses made to make it look like she wasn't planning on leaving Tar Valon any time soon.
Moiraine is stuck being in charge of signing papers to distribute the money to new mothers.
Siuan is stuck with the job of "solving puzzles" for Cetalia, who runs the Blue Ajah network of eyes-and-ears, and is trying to puzzle out the news she gets from them.
Meilyn, Karene, Aisha, Lucide, Valera… Sedai that the Amyrlin has recruited to go secretly search for Dragon-baby
Gorthanes - the sneaky dude that was trying to access Moiraine's bank details.
Moiraine's invtations: "She tossed the stiff white card into the fireplace unanswered. A dangerous move in Daes Dea'mar, with no way to tell how it might be interpreted"… haha, Rand does the same thing with a whole string of invitations that he gets in book 2. Because he doesn't want to be involved in the Game.
All 6 of the Amyrlins searchers-for-the-Dragon-Reborn have now left the tower to start their secret work… Moiraine is not among them :(
Ok, new Amyrlin is a bit of a bitch
Duhara, the new Keeper, is one of the people who helped Elaida get rid of Siuan in the main books. She is also a blackie!
Siuan suggests they bring Sheriam into the search… phew, lucky they didn't… she is a blackie too!
And now it really begins. Moiraine is off to find Rand! (And it only takes her 20 years LOL)
Previously - Lan wanted to return home to the Borderlands. In this chapter he is in Kandor, so he has indeed returned. This is now about a month after the last chapters we have read.
Well that was just a lot of Lan thinking about borderlanders and other random stuff… I got nothing to say.
Previously - Lan is back in the borderlands. But doesn't want people to know. His whole life, he hasn't wanted to be king of the dead nation.
They caused a fuss at the city gates when some of the guards recognised Lan and wanted to follow him.
Stag's Stand - the location of the palace of the Lord of the City. Lan and co would be welcome to stay there if they wanted… but of course Lan doesn't want to.
More talk of lucky people in this chapter. A theme through this book.
Lan is totes against reviving the memory of Malkier, and now he hears of this Lady Arrel trying to do it on his behalf. Lan will never lead men under the banner of Malkier. Ever. Ever. Until book 13 :P
The ring of the Malkieri king. He gives this to Nynaeve in the main books.
There seems to be a lot of sex being had in the borderlands.
So… this Lady Arrel might be trying to raise Malkier again, an despite being Lan's first lover, it might be her who wants him dead… so that she can be queen. But the nation doesn't exist anymore, it's been overgrown by the Blight - what can she even be queen of? LOL
Previously: Moiraine has left the tower against the orders of Sierin (the new Amyrlin) (mostly in order to avoid the White Tower's plan to make her Queen of Cairhien) to begin her search for the Dragon Reborn.
She is travelling around visiting the women in her notebook of potential candidates - questioning them, looking for one who was born on the correct day and in the correct location (on the slopes of Dragonmount).
The old Amyrlin also sent six other sisters out on a secret search for Mr Reborn.
She is posing as a minor Cairhien noble, rather than Aes Sedai, by wearing some of the Cairhien-style dresses she had made for herself.
Again, we have jumped forward a month in time here (as we saw in Lan's chapters).
Merean - the former Mistress of Novices
Do you recognise the icon for this chapter? Know what's going to happen?
Someone mentions a bunch of things about strength in the power. Maybe have the table of strengths ready.
More lucky people dying!
She is calling herself Alys. In 20 years, she will still be using this alias in a number of places.
Cads! Everyone thought she was dead even 20 years ago lol
And she's apparently been saying "Phaw!" for at least 20 years as well
Hmm, so Moiraine and Siuan actually failed in their attempt to put mice in Elaida's bed on that last night before they were raised. SAD.
Moiraine wonders if Cads is another secret searcher for the Dragon. She is not. We find that out in one of the main books when she's pondering what was going on here 20 years ago.
Previously: Moiraine has just been ordered around by Cadsuane, and hoping she can get out of town without being found out. Meanwhile, Siuan has not been able to join the search for the Dragon Reborn as she was stuck with some other Sedai back in the tower solving puzzles lol
Mentioned in this chapter: Chesmal Emry, a blackie. She will be one of Liandrin's group of Black Ajah in the future.
So all of the sisters who the Amyrlin sent out to search are dead. Well, all of them the Siuan and Moiraine know about - there may be others. Are Moiraine and Siuan going to be targets as well? Or have they somehow escaped suspicion from the Black Ajah?
And presumably the Black Ajah will have their own search going on for the Dragon Recently-Reborn
The guy that Moiraine sees speaking to an Aes Sedai in the doorway of the inn - the one Moiraine is paranoid at being a Drakfriend speaking to a Black Ajah - is actually Ryne (Lan and Bukama's old mate that they met up with a couple of chapters ago)
Previously: Moiraine is about to leave Canluum to get away from Cadsuane and the other sister in the town, to continue her search for the Dragon Reborn unimpeded. Her next stop is the city of Chachin, where she will re-meet with Siuan.
Lan, Bukama and Ryne are about to leave Canluum to go pay a visit to this Lady Edeyn Arrel, in Chachin - the woman who is trying to raise Malkier again, and who is suspected of sending the 6 men that attacked Lan before.
Moiraine saw Ryne speaking one of the Aes Sedai at her inn the previous night.
LOL Moiraine dumping water on Lan is great. So random.
Previously: Moiraine dumped water from a lake onto Lan with the One Power. LOL.
Lan was attacked by 6 men (who he defeated, obvi). He believes they may have been sent by Edeyn Arrel.
Moiraine is planning to check in with one of the women on her list (Avene Sahera) on the way to Chachin - one of the possible mother-of-the-dragon.
It is Bel Tine - the same festival that Emond's Field are preparing for at the start of book 1, when Moiraine and Lan arrived there. So it must be exactly 19 years from now until Moirine finds the Dragon Reborn.
Moiraine says she has fought trollocs before. She is referring to facing them during her test to be Aes Sedai - I can't imagine she's ever done so in real life before this. She says they exist "in places you never dream of", meaning inside the ter'angreal.
"There were matters one spoke of, and matters one did not". See, Lan and Moiraine are a great match. Both thinking the same thing about improper conversation lol
And now Moiraine is flirting with Ryne. Moiraine… flirting… never thought I'd see the day LOL. Except apparently I already did see it, with Thom :P
Previously: Half-a-book ago… A man named Gorthanes tried to pry into Moiraine's financial details, and was then seen watching her from the dock as she left Tar Valon to begin her search for the Dragon Reborn.
More recently - Moiraine travels with Lan and friends. She asked for their protection, and Bukama with his customs and traditions pledged to protect her until they reached Chachin.
She followed them in the first place because she saw Ryne talking to an Aes Sedai, and was all paranoid about Black Ajah at the time.
I wish Moiraine still played pranks on everyone when she was 20 years older and travelling with the Two Rivers people. Hehe.
Caniedrin - one of the men in Lan's army back in chapter 1 of this book.
"Master Lan, are you alergic to wasp stings?"… quote of the book. LOLZ.
"He could meet the wasps in perfect health".. Ok this is maybe the equal best quote of the book :P
Aw, and after all that… "for [him being kind in letting the assassin's horse go], he would escape the wasps." LOL again
Previously: Moiraine, along with Lan and his mates have arrived at Chachin. Lan is here to find Edeyn Arrel - his first love, and a woman who is trying to raise Malkier again. She is also suspected of trying to kill Lan, presumably so that if Malkier does return, he cannot be king, and she can be its ruler.
Bulen - in Book 13, he will be one of the first people to come to join Lan (unwanted, obvi) as he travels to the Last Battle. This chapter is where he first appears.
Diryk - the 8 year old boy who fell fifty feet from a balcony without breaking a bone. Another lucky person.
A man's first love cuts his hair, keeps it, and then presents it to his wife when he is married. Borderlanders are a bit odd, but this is maybe the strangest custom I can think of in the books LUL
Ok, so it seems Edeyn wasn't the one behind the assassination attempts on Lan. So who was then?
Previously - Moiraine and Siuan planned to meet up again in Chachin. Lan and friends went off to stay at the palace.
Ethenielle - Queen of Kandor. She is still queen in the main books too. She is one of the borderlander rulers that slaps Rand.
The "secret weave" that Moiraine knows, she calls it fear-inducing. Sounds almost like compulsion.
Hmmm, what does the charitable blacksmith have to do with anything? What has Siuan puzzled out? These two are like Holmes and Watson… or something.
Previously - Siuan discovered that one of the women they are looking for is staying in the Royal Palace.
Unlike their earlier visit to the seamstress in Tar Valon, Moiraine wears clothing with many stripes indicating her family's high ranking among Cairhienin nobles. She is not trying to be discrete this time, she just wants to get into the Queen's palace as a visitor.
Siuan's alias is Suki!! Suki La La?
Died in his porridge. Almost as bad as dying in jelly.
Previously, in New Spring:
Moiraine saw Ryne talking to one of the Aes Sedai (either Merean or Larelle) in Canluum, but still hasn't found out why.
Lord Brys's 8-year-old son, Diryk, fell off a balcony but miraculously survived.
There are rumours of a man who can channel somewhere in the borderlands. Several people have noted that there are more Aes Sedai around than normal.
A charitable blacksmith was mysteriously killed carrying bags of cash to a bank, but was not robbed.
How does this all fit together? Time for the thrilling conclusion of… New Spring.
All the names:
Merean (former Mistress of Novices) and Larelle - the two Sedai (along with Cadsuane) that Moiraine ran into in Canluum.
Edeyn - Lan's first lover who now wants him to marry her daughter. She has his old hair lol
Iselle - Edeyn's daughter. She can channel, and wants Moiraine to take her away to the White Tower.
Sierin - the Amyrlin
Lord Brys - Queen Ethenielle's consort
Diry - Brys's son, who recently had a bad fall and was extremely lucky to survive.
Ryne - Lan's buddy that Moiraine saw talking to an Aes Sedai much earlier in the book (and that was the reason she followed them in the first place).
Lady Ines - the women who had a baby near Dragonmount that Moiraine and Siuan are trying to talk to
Rahien - Lady Ines's baby son
Milestone - first use of the word "chit" in wheeley!
So there it is - the story of how Moiraine and Siuan began their plan to find the Dragon Reborn, and about how they discovered the existence of the Black Ajah so had to keep their quest secret. How Lan and Moiraine met, and how she convinced him to be her Warder. How Siuan ended up in the tower while Moiraine did the searching.
Rand's parents (his real ones, nor his adopted ones) were not on Moiraine's list. That's why it took so long to find him. During book 2, Moiraine gives a little more info on how her quest finally led her to find Rand, after she had exhausted her list of possible mothers:
"There were many fatherless children after that battle. But we found a story that one man had found an infant on the mountain. That was all. A man and an infant boy. So we searched on. For years we searched, finding other clues, pouring over the prophecies. 'He will be of the ancient blood, and raised by the old blood', That was one, there were others. But there are many places where the old blood, descended from the age of Legends, remains strong."