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The street was full of sickly, dirty people, crowded alongside walls, huddled in blankets There wasn’t room to move on the boardwalks; Min and Rand had to step down into the hed and moaned, and she realized the stenches weren’t confined to the alley The entire city see fros, but they’d been pulled down and ripped apart for blankets or fuel

Most of the buildings had broken ith refugees clogging the doorways and floors inside As Min and Rand walked, the people around thery And dangerous Many were Domani, but there seeees from Almoth Plain or Saldaea, perhaps Min loosened a knife in her sleeve as they passed a group of young toughs lounging at an alleyway’s ht This didn’t feel safe

"I walked through Ebou Dar like this," Rand said softly Suddenly, she are of his pain A crushing guilt, more hurtful than the wounds in his side "That was part of what e The people in Ebou Dar were happy and well-fed They didn’t look like these The Seanchan rule better than I"

"Rand, you aren’t responsible for this," Min said "You weren’t here to…"

His pain increased, and she realized she’d said the wrong thing "Yes," he replied softly, "I wasn’t here I abandoned this city when I saw that I could not use it as the tool I wished it to be I forgot, Min I forgot what this was all about Ta"

Rand had sent his father--along with one of the Asha’ather them for the Last Battle

Rand stu very tired He sat down on a nearby box A copper-skinned urchin watched him keenly from a nearby doorway Across the street, a roadway branched off the ed with people; brutish-looking s," Rand said softly, shoulders bowing "The rich hire the strong to protect the their wealth But it’s not a wealth of gold or jewelry It’s about food, now"

"Rand," she said, going to one knee beside him "You can’t--"

"I know I s that I’ve done, Min By turning myself to steel, I pushed out all of these eain, I’ve had to open ht around you"

He looked up at her, then glanced at the sky

"Not that sunlight," Min whispered "A viewing I see dark clouds, pushed away by the sunlight’s warmth I see you, a brilliant white sword held in your hand, wielded against one of black, held by a faceless darkness I see trees, growing green again, bearing fruit I see a field, the crops healthy and full" She hesitated "I see the Two Rivers, Rand I see an inn there with the er a syn of victory and hope"

He looked to her

Min caught so fro on the street, and gaped Every single one had an is, all at once, flaring to light above the heads of the sickly, the weak, and the abandoned

"I see a silver axe above that ar, who lay against a wall, his chin down against his chest "He will be a leader in the Last Battle That wo in the shadows--she will be trained by the White Tower and become Aes Sedai I can see the Flame of Tar Valon beside her, and I knohat it h? He will save her life I know he doesn’t look like it, but he will fight All of them will I can see it!"