Narrative Atlas 3: The Eye of the World – From to Caemlyn to Tarwin’s Gap

These maps cover the third part of our heroes’ journey in The Eye of the World (Book 1 of The Wheel of Time). For a detailed summary of The Eye of the World, please follow this link.

This part of the narrative atlas covers our heroes’ journey from Caemlyn to Tarwin’s Gap, via Fal Dara. Note that the dates are taken from Steven Cooper’s excellent Wheel of Time Chronology.

Caemlyn

As recounted previously, Mat and Rand reach Caemlyn on Day 40, passing through the Whitebridge Gate. After gawping at the city for several hours, they find their way to the Queen’s Blessing Inn and meet the innkeeper, Basel Gill, and the Ogier, Loial, for the first time. Rand takes Loial into his confidence. They stay in the inn for three days.

On Day 43, the false Dragon Logain is due to be paraded through the city. Mat is feeling unwell, so Rand heads into the city by himself to observe the event. Unable to find a place in the plaza in front of the Royal Palace, he heads down streets behind the structure. At one point he spots Padan Fain, now resembling a crazed beggar, and hides from him. Eventually, Rand finds a desolate spot near the palace wall, and can even climb the wall to observe from the top. He watches Logain parade through the streets, but at one point he seems to make eye contact with Rand, startling him. A woman’s voice further discombobulates Rand and he falls into the palace grounds, where he meets Elayne Trakand, Daughter-Heir of Andor, and her brother Gawyn and half-brother Galad. Galad is unimpressed by this event and has Rand taken into custody by Tallanvor, one of the Queen’s Guard. He is taken before Queen Morgase, her Aes Sedai advisor Elaida do’Avriny a’Roihan and Gareth Bryne, Captain-General of Andor’s armies, who are waiting to receive Logain’s escort. Elaida has the Foretelling that Rand will play a role in major events to come and urges Morgase to take Rand into custody and put him to the question, but Morgase rules that Rand has committed no crime and as a citizen of Andor has a right to his liberty.

Rand is released and he makes his way back to the Queen’s Blessing, where he is reunited with Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Egwene and Nynaeve. Moiraine realises that Mat is poisoned due to the dagger he stole from Shadar Logoth, which is cursed. Moiraine uses the Power to stabilise Mat’s condition but advises he can only be cured in Tar Valon. Aware that Elaida’s agents will be looking for Rand, Moiraine decides they must leave. Much to her surprise, in discussions with Rand, Perrin, Egwene and Loial she hears the phrase “Eye of the World” come up several times. Rand and Perrin (and Mat) have had dreams of a figure mentioning it and the name also made its way to the Ogier via a dying Aiel. Feeling this is a weaving of the Pattern, Moiraine decides they should use the ancient Waygate in Caemlyn to travel to the corresponding Waygate in Shienar, in the Borderlands. Although the Ways have become dark and foreboding recently, Loial agrees to guide them. They set out in the evening of Day 43 and early in the morning of Day 44, locate the Waygate under a building in the Inner City. They enter the Ways and, after a close encounter with Machin Shin, the Black Wind, they reach Shienar a day later.

Fal Dara

The party emerge from the Waygate a few miles to the south-west of Fal Dara on Day 45. They make their way to the city and are received by Lord Agelmar Jagad. They discover that a large Trolloc army is marching into Tarwin’s Gap and Agelmar is leading the army of Shienar forth to confront them in battle. Agelmar asks Moiraine and Lan to join them, knowing the worth of even one Aes Sedai on the field of battle, whilst the presence of the Uncrowned King of fallen Malkier will bolster his troops morale. Moiraine refuses, believing the threat to the Eye of the World is more pressing. The party departs Fal Dara shortly after dawn on Day 46.

Fal Dara is described as a small but extremely well-defended city, with thick outer walls and a strong central keep, also protected by thick walls (with four gatehouses) and a dry moat. The city, like many in the Borderlands, is made up of wide avenues and long roads affording excellent visibility and fields of fire in the event of a Trolloc incursion. The streets are also lit by lamps at all times, minimising the dark spaces where a Myrddraal can travel. Fal Dara is built on the ruins of Mafal Dadaranelle, the ancient capital of Aramaelle that was destroyed in the Trolloc Wars, but that city was considerably larger, extending many miles to the south and west (as the Waygate used to be within the city).

Fal Dara to the Eye of the World

The party travel north and east from Fal Dara, crossing the Blightborder not long after leaving the city. They see the ruined Seven Towers, the capital of fallen Malkier, in the distance and learn more of the ruin of that kingdom and of Lan’s history.

On Day 47 they locate the Eye of the World in the foothills of the Mountains of Dhoom, and meet the Green Man (later revealed to be Someshta, last of the Nym). The Green Man is the guardian of the Eye of the World, an untainted gathering of saidin, the male half of the One Power. They also find the banner of the Dragon, from the Age of Legends, and a golden horn that can only by the Horn of Valere of legend. The party are attacked by two of the Forsaken, Aginor and Balthamel, who have escaped from their prison at Shayol Ghul. The Green Man kills Balthamel but sacrifices his own life to do so. Rand, to his horror, finds himself drawing on the One Power and is able to kill Aginor. Drawing on the Eye of the World, he is able to travel instantaneously to Tarwin’s Gap and collapse part of the surrounding mountains on the Trolloc horde, allowing the army of Shienar to win a great victory.

The party return to Fal Dara on Day 49 and Moiraine advises Lord Agelmar that a party will have to take the Horn back to Illian. Some days later, whilst eavesdropping on Rand’s conversation with Egwene and Nynaeve where he admits he can channel, Moiraine whispers that the Dragon is Reborn.

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