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Seanchan channelers were brutal in their effectiveness Though the Wise Ones and Dragon Blooded used the One Power in battle, it was not enough Those cursed a’dam! Each channeler the Aiel lost to capture was eventually turned against the point in the war had been the entry of the other nations After that, the Seanchan had been able to seize wetlander peoples and cull more channelers from their ranks The Ravens were unstoppable; now that Tar Valon had fallen, every realm in the wetlands was subject to the Seanchan Only the Black Tower still fought, though the Asha’man did so in secret, as their fortress had fallen years before

Aiel could not fight in secret There was no honor to that Of course, what did honorin the hundreds of thousands? After the burning of Cairhien and the scouring of Illian? It had been twenty years since the Seanchan had gained the Andoran wartoward defeat for decades; it was a testa

"This is his fault," Takai said, still looking sullen "The Car’a’carn could have led us to glory, but he abandoned us"

"His fault?" Ladalin said, understanding--perhaps for the first ti "No Aiel take responsibility for thereatfather We have forgotten e are We are without honor"

"Our honor was taken froon indeed What is the good of being his people? We were crafted to be a spear, the legends say, forged in the Three-fold Land He used us, then cast us away What is a discarded spear to do, but go to war?"

What indeed, Ladalin thought The Dragon had de happiness to the Aiel But how could they be happy, when the Light-cursed Seanchan were in the land? Her hatred of the invaders ran deep

Perhaps that hatred had destroyed the Aiel She listened to the wind howl as Takai stalked from the tent On the morrow the Aiel would return to the Three-fold Land If they would not accept peace themselves, it seemed they would have to have it forced upon them

Aviendha took another step forward She’d nearly reached the very center of the coluht sparkled around her

Her tears flowed freely now She felt like a child Being Ladalin had been worse than the others, for in her, Aviendha had seen hints of true Aiel ways, but corrupted, as if to ht of war and associated it with honor, but hadn’t understood what honor was No gai’shain? Retreat? There had been no mention of toh This was battle stripped coht? For Ladalin, it had been about hatred of the Seanchan There ar because there had always been war

Ho had this happened to the Aiel?

Aviendha took a step forward

She was Oncala, Maiden of the Spear She would eventually give the spear up and marry, just as her mother had and her ht