"Light, just be quiet", Bornhald said, glancing away. "I don’t want to say this. I hate saying this. But you need to know. Light burn me, you need to know".

"Know what?"

"Aybara", Bornhald said, taking a deep breath. "It wasn’t Trollocs who killed your family".

A shock went through Perrin’s body.

"I’m sorry", Bornhald said, looking away. "It was Ordeith. Your father insulted him. He tore apart the family, and we blamed the Trollocs. I didn’t kill them, but I didn’t say anything. So much blood . . ".

"What?" Perrin grabbed the Whitecloak by the shoulder. "But they said . . . I mean . . ". Light, he’d dealt with this already!

The look in Bornhald’s eyes when his met Perrin’s dredged it all up again. The pain, the horror, the loss, the fury. Bornhald reached up and took Perrin’s wrist, then yanked it free of his shoulder.

"This is an awful time to tell you this, I know", Bornhald said. "But I couldn’t keep it in. I just . . . We may fall. Light, it might all fall. I had to speak, say it".

He pulled away, moving back toward the other Whitecloaks with eyes downcast. Perrin stood alone, his entire world shaking.

Then he pulled it back together. He had dealt with this; he had mourned his family. It was over, through.

He could and would go on. Light, the old hurts returned, but he shoved them down and turned his eyes toward the gateway. Toward Rand, and his duty.

He had work to do. But Ordeith . . . Padan Fain . . . This only added to that man’s terrible crimes. Perrin would see that he paid, one way or another.

He approached the gateway to Travel to find Rand, where he was joined by Gaul.

"I’m going to a place you cannot, my friend", Perrin said softly, his pain subsiding. "I’m sorry".

"You’ll go to the dream within a dream", Gaul said, then yawned. "Turns out I’m tired".

"But—"

"I’m coming, Perrin Aybara. Kill me if you wish me to remain behind". Perrin didn’t dare push him on it. He nodded.

Perrin glanced behind him, raising his hammer once more. As he did so, he caught a glimpse through the other gateway, the one to Mayene that Grady still held open. Inside, two white-robed forms watched Gaul. He raised a spear to them. How must it feel, for a pair of warriors to wait out this, the Last Battle? Perhaps Rand should have tried to have the gai’shain released from their vows for a few weeks.

Well, that would probably have turned every single Aiel against him. Light protect the wetlander who dared tamper with ji’e’toh.

Perrin ducked through the gateway, stepping onto the ground of Merrilor. From there, he and Gaul packed as if for a long trip—foodstuffs and water aplenty, as much as they dared carry.

It took Perrin the better part of a half hour to convince Rand’s Asha’man to tell him where their leader had gone. Finally, a grudging Naeff opened a gateway for Perrin. He left Merrilor, and stepped out into what seemed to be the Blight. Only the rocks were cold.

The air smelled of death, of desolation. The fetor took Perrin aback, and it was minutes before he could sort out normal scents from the stench. Rand stood just ahead, at the edge of a ridge, arms folded behind his back. A group of his advisors, commanders and guards stood behind, including Moiraine, Aviendha and Cadsuane. At this moment, though, Rand stood alone at the end of the ridge.

Distant, in front of them, rose the peak of Shayol Ghul. Perrin felt a shiver. It was distant, but Perrin could not mistake the intense determination in Rand's expression as he regarded the peak.

"Light", Perrin said. "Is it time?"

"No", Rand said softly. "This is a test, to see if he senses me".

"Perrin?" Nynaeve asked from the hillside behind. She had been speaking with Moiraine and for once, she didn’t smell a twinge hateful. Something had happened between those two women.

"I only need him for a moment", Perrin said, walking up to join Rand at the end of the outcropping of rock. There were some Aiel back there, and Perrin didn’t want them—particularly any Wise Ones—to hear what he was going to ask Rand.

"You have this moment and many, Perrin", Rand said. "I owe you dearly. What is it you want?"

"Well . . ". Perrin looked over his shoulder. Would Moiraine or Nynaeve know enough to try to stop him? Probably. Women were always trying to keep a man from doing what he must, as if worried he’d break his neck. Never mind that it was the Last Battle.

"Perrin?" Rand asked.

"Rand, I need to enter the wolf dream".

"Tel’aran’rhiod?" Rand said. "Perrin, I don’t know what you do there; you’ve told me little. I figured that you would know how to—"

"I know how to enter it one way", Perrin said, whispering so that the Wise Ones and the others behind couldn’t hear. "The easy way. I need something else. You know things, you remember things. Is there anything in that ancient brain of yours that remembers how to enter into the World of Dreams in the flesh?"

Rand grew solemn. "Its a dangerous thing you ask".

"As dangerous as going to do what you’re about to do?"

"Perhaps". Rand frowned. "If I’d known back when I . . . Well, let’s just say that some would call your request very, very evil".

"It’s not evil, Rand", Perrin said. "I know something evil when I smell it. This isn’t evil, it’s just incredibly stupid".

Rand smiled. "And still you ask?"

"The good options are gone, Rand. Better to do something desperate than to do nothing at all".

Rand didn’t reply.

"Look", Perrin said. "We’ve spoken of the Black Tower. I know you’re worried about it".

"I will need to go there", Rand said, expression darkening. "And yet, it’s obviously a trap".

"I think I know part of what is to blame", Perrin said. "There’s someone I need to face, and I can’t beat him without being able to face him on equal terms. There, in the dream".

Rand nodded slowly. "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. We will have to leave the Blasted Lands; you cannot enter the dream from . . ".

He trailed off, then did something, crafting a weave. A gateway opened beside him. Something about it was diff