T HE W HEEL OF T IME by Robert Jordan The Eye of the World The Great Hunt The Dragon Reborn The Shadow Rising The Fires of Heaven Lord of Chaos A Crown of Swords The Path of Daggers Winter's Heart Crossroads of Twilight Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson The Gathering Storm This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of th e authors' imaginat ions or are used fictitiously. THE GATHERING STORM Copyright © 2009 by The Bandersnatch Group, Inc. The phrases "The Wheel of Time ®" and "The Dragon Reborn™," and the snake - wheel symbol, are trademarks of Robert Jordan. All rights reserved. Maps by Ellisa Mitchell Interior illustrations by Matthew C. Nielsen and Ellisa Mitchell A Tor Book Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC 175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 www.tor - forge.com Tor ® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC. Library of Co ngress Cataloging - in - Publication Data Jordan, Robert, 1948 - 2007. The gathering storm / Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (The Wheel of time ; 12) "A Tom Doherty Associates book." "Maps by Ellisa Mitchell; interior illustrations by Matt hew C. Nielsen and Ellisa Mitchell." ISBN 978 - 0 - 7653 - 0230 - 4 (regular edition) ISBN 978 - 0 - 7653 - 2416 - 0 (limited edition) 1. Rand al'Thor (Fictitious character) — Fiction. I. Sanderson, Brandon. II. Title. PS3560.O7617G38 2009 813'.54 — dc22 2009035171 First Edition: November 2009 Printed in the United States of America 0987654321 FOREWORD In November 2007, I received a phone call that would change my life forever. Harriet McDougal, wife and editor of the late Robert Jordan, c alled to ask me if I would complete the last book of The Wheel of Time. For those who did not know Mr. Jordan had passed away, it pains me to be the one to break the news. I remember how I felt when — while idly browsing the Internet on September 16, 2007 — I discovered that he had died. I was shocked, stunned, and disheartened. This wonderful man, a hero to me in my writing career, was gone. The world suddenly became a different place. I first picked up The Eye of the World in 1990, when I was a teenage fantas y addict visiting my corner bookstore. I became a fan instantly and eagerly awaited The Great Hunt. Over the years, I've read the books numerous times, often re - reading the entire series when a new book was released. Time passed, and I decided I wanted to become a fantasy author — influenced, in large part, by how much I loved The Wheel of Time. And yet, never did I think that I would one day get that phone call from Harriet. It came to me as a complete surprise. I had not asked, applied, or dared wish for th is opportunity — intend to see it done right. I intend to remain true to Mr. Jord an's wishes and notes. My artistic integrity, and love for the books, will not let me do anything less. In the end, I let the words herein stand as the best argument for what we are doing. This is not my book. It is Robert Jordan's book, and to a lesser ex tent, it is your book. Thank you for reading. B RANDON S ANDERSON June 2009 For Maria Simons and Alan Romanczuk, without whom this book wouldn't have been possible CONTENTS MAPS..................................12 - 13, 442 PROLOGUE: What the Storm Means...... ...........17 1 Tears from Steel..................................49 2 The Nature of Pain...............................64 3 The Ways of Honor...............................81 4 Nightfall.......................................92 5 A Tale of Blood..................................97 6 When Iron Melts................................112 7 The Plan for Arad Doman.........................121 8 Clean Shirts....................................136 9 Leaving Maiden.................................155 10 The Last of the Tabac.............................168 11 The Death of Adrin..............................180 12 Unexpected Encounters...........................191 13 An Offer and a Departure.........................212 14 A Box Opens...................................227 15 A Place to Begin................................234 16 In the White Tower..............................249 17 Questio ns of Control.............................275 18 A Message in Haste..............................285 19 Gambits......................................294 20 On a Broken Road...............................311 21 Embers and Ash.... ............................325 22 The Last That Could Be Done......................338 23 A Warp in the Air...............................357 io C ONTENTS 24 A N ew Commitment.............................362 25 In Darkness....................................378 26 A Crack in the Stone.............................385 27 The Tipsy Gelding..............................400 28 Night in Hinder stap.............................420 29 Into Bandar Eban...............................443 30 Old Advice....................................457 31 A Promise to Lews Therin.........................468 37 A Force of Light................................562 38 News in Tel'aran'rhiod . . : .........................581 39 A Visit from Verin Sedai..........................598 40 The Tower Shakes...............................618 41 A Fount of Power...............................634 42 Before the Stone of Tear...........................654 43 Sealed to the Flame..............................664 44 Scents Unknown................................684 45 The Tower Stands...............................702 46 To Be Forged Again..............................714 47 The One He Lost................................728 48 Reading the Commentary ..........................741 49 Just Another Man...............................749 50 Veins of Gold...................................755 EPILOGUE: Bathed in Light......................761 GLOSSARY..................... ..............767 Ravens and crows. Rats. Mists and clouds. Insects and corruption. Strange events and odd occurrences. The ordinary twisted and strange. Wonders! The dead are beginning to walk, and some see them. Others do not, but more and more, we all f ear the night. These have been our days. They rain upon us beneath a dead sky, crushing us with their fury, until as one we beg: "Let it begin!" — Journal of the Unknown Scholar, entry for The Feast of Freia, 1000 NE PROLOGUE What the Storm Means Renald Fanwar sat on his porch, warming the sturdy blackoak chair crafted for him by his grandson two years before. He stared northward. At the black and silver clouds. He'd never seen their like before. They blanketed the entire horizon to the north, high in the sky. They weren't gray. They were black and silver. Dark, rumbling thunderheads, as dark as a root cellar at midnight. With striking silver light breaking between them, flashes of lightning that gave off no sound. The air was thick. Thick with the scents of dust and dirt. Of dried leaves and rain that refused to fall. Spring had come. And yet his crops didn't grow. Not a sprout had dared poke through the earth. He rose slowly from his chair, wood creaking, chair rocking so ftly behind him, and walked up to the edge of the porch. He chewed on his pipe, though its fire had gone out. He couldn't be bothered to relight it. Those clouds transfixed him. They were so black. Like the smoke of a brushfire, only no brushfire smoke eve r rose that high up in the air. And what to make of silver clouds? Bulging between the black ones, like places where polished steel shone through metal crusted with soot. He rubbed his chin, glancing down at his yard. A small, whitewashed fence contained a patch of grass and shrubs. The shrubs were dead now, 17 18 T HE G