top of page

Cadsuane Melaidhrin

CAD-soo-ain meh-LIE-drihn

Nynaeve_2.jpg

Nationality:

Far Madding

Year of Birth:

705 NE

Gender:

Female

Hair Color:

Iron Grey

Eye Color:

Nearly Black

Other Names:

Mistress Shore

Article Author: 

Carolina Damodred

Basic Information

Appearance

Cadsuane is described as a strikingly handsome woman with nearly black eyes. She wears her iron gray hair in a tight bun atop her head. Her grey hair indicates that she has been alive for a long time as Aes Sedai take much longer to show age. Surrounding her bun, she wears a paralis-net that is adorned with ornaments of stars, birds, crescent moons, and fish.

She describes herself as stout instead of slim. She has an imposing presence augmented by her nearly legendary status. Her gaze is calculating and often considered cold or implacable. She rarely lets any emotion show on her face, least of all, surprise. Her stride is described as a rushing glide, graceful without wasting time. Jordan has said she dressed modestly, but elegantly in dresses of simply cut silk with high necklines, often green.

Saliba_nyneave.jpg
Appearance

Personality

Personality

Cadsuane is an imposing figure. Her long life has made her a near legend. She is composed and rarely allows anything to surprise her, she herself can’t remember the last time she allowed shock to show on her face. She has spent her life teaching those, who she believes need her guidance, the errors of their foolishness. She can be a bit of a bully in this respect. She does not have qualms with using blackmail to manipulate others to her will and accomplish her goals.

Due to her upbringing in Far madding, she has a short lead for bad manners, delicacy or silliness. She prefers directness instead of the usual mincing of words used by most Aes Sedai trying to maneuver around their oaths. She often uses the phrase “Phaw!” when faced with any of the many things that annoy her. She does not like arrogance in others though exhibits quite a bit of arrogance herself.

She often uses her legendary status as a tactic to influence others as many believe it means she is infallible. However, this is not true, she herself admits that she has made mistakes. Many think she is simply traditional and unadaptable, but in fact she is very adaptable which is why she has lived so long.

Despite her strict nature, she has spent her whole life in pursuit of adventure. It is said Cadsuane “would never die so long as even a spark of adventure remained in the world” (CoS, ch.19).

Spoilers Below!!!

Actions During the Story

Actions Before the Story

Actions Before the Story

Cadsuane was sent to the White Tower at the age of fifteen. She was a novice for six years and accepted for five. She was noted to be very strong in the power and could have advanced quicker, but her arrogance got in the way. Once raised, she was often used as the gauge for which other novice, and accepted, would be compared. She was also the strongest Aes Sedai in the Tower the moment of her raising meaning she exceeded the hierarchy of sisters immediately. She is the strongest sister in the last thousand years up until the arrival of Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve.


Cadsuane speaks of an event in her early years where she was shamed by a Wilder named Norla in the Black Hills. This experience would prove formative for her. The event taught her what can and must be endured. She began to earn the ornaments that make up her paralis-net from this wilder. This net would mark her out for years to come as she was not known to ever take it off.


It was rumored that Cadsuane kidnapped the weak Amyrlin, Myriam Copan, in 758 NE. This is not a rumor. Cadsuane kidnapped her in order to teach her how to be a strong Amyrlin, which she did become. This could be the first time Cadsuane tested her ability to tame and teach unruly, or otherwise, foolish leaders as she was only in her fifties at the time.


In her years at the White Tower, she refused the position of Sitter twice, and the Head of the Green Ajah once. Her refusal shocked many as this was never done. She also vanished for ten years when she found out they were going to raise her to Amyrlin.


She stopped a coup in the White Tower during Sereille Bragand’s time as Amyrlin. The two notably did not like each other, likely because of their similar dispositions. When Cadsuane uncovered the plot and brought it to Sereille, the Amyrlin was not best pleased to have her rival be the one to uncover the plan.


She captured the King of Tarabon and brought him to the White Tower to be gentled, pursued by his armies. She similarly kidnapped the Queen of Saldea, and King of Arad Doman before they went to war. Once released, the impending war faded into memory.


25 years before the Aiel War, Cadsuane announced her retirement, and left to Ghealdan to try to grow roses. She came out of retirement briefly during the Aiel war, but returned to retirement after.

logo.jpeg

New Spring

Cadsuane runs into a young Moraine in Canluum. She scolds Moiraine for her foolishness in leaving the Tower. Cognisant of the faltering numbers of the Aes Sedai, she sets Larelle Tesai, and Merean Redhill to accompany Moiraine to Chachin so as to not lose another relatively strong sister. Moirane avades this. Cadsuane will later say that not finding out what Moiraine was up to is one of her greatest regrets. The timing of this occurrence led Siuan and Moiraine to believe Cadsuane was either Black Ajah or one of Tamra’s researchers, a confusion they held for twenty years.

New Spring NICE.jpeg
New Spring

Actions Between the Books

Actions Between the Books

Cadsuane returned to retirement after briefly engaging in the affairs of the Aiel war.

logo.jpeg

Eye of the World

Though Cadsuane is not present in text of EotW, it is revealed later on that she was involved in the events of the books. Cadsuane played a role in capturing Logain Ablar after he claimed himself the Dragon Reborn in Ghealdan. She states that the false dragon practically lying at her doorstep drew her out of retirement. She allowed others to bring him to the Tower as this did not interest her.

The Eye of The World NICE.jpg
Eye of the World
logo.jpeg

The Great Hunt

She is not present in this book. It is believed she went north to Saldea to capture Mazrim Taim.

The Great Hunt NICE.jpg
The Great Hunt
logo.jpeg

The Dragon Reborn

Cadsuane is not present in this book.

The Dragon Reborn NICE.jpg
The Dragon Reborn
logo.jpeg

The Shadow Rising

Cadsuane is not present in this book.

The Shadow Rising NICE.jpg
The Shadow Rising
logo.jpeg

Fires of Heaven

Cadsuane is not present in this book.

The Fires of Heaven NICe.jpg
Fires of Heaven
logo.jpeg

Lord of Chaos

She is not present in this book and as we are introduced to Mazrim Taim in this book, we learn he escaped from his Aes Sedai captors on his way from Saldea in the village of Denhuir. This escape resulted in the death of two sisters. It is not known where Cadsuane was at this point only that she was there for his capture.

Lord of Chaos NICE.jpg
Lord of Chaos
logo.jpeg

A Crown of Swords

Cadsuane sweeps into the Sun Palace in spectacular fashion. Though Rand does not know her, Merana and Annoura have visceral reactions to her arrival. Annoura exclaims she thought Cadsuane was dead and Merana yells at her not to kill Rand. This is the beginning of a very contentious relationship between Cadsuane and Rand.


She takes all of this in stride, which only serves to bother Rand more. She is unaffected when he channels, or when he throws a teapot across the room. Something he does in response to her saying she is has gentled more men than any other Aes Sedai. She even calls him a good boy and goes on to ask if he is hearing voices. Having only arrived minutes ago, she informed him of her ability to gentle, insulted him, patronized him and asked if he was hearing voices. Then like nothing has happened at all, she asks if she might borrow Annoura and Merana. Rand yells at her to leave, and thus ends the first meeting between Cadsuane and the Dragon Reborn.


Cadsuane then interrogates Annoura, Merana, Kiruna and Bera about the ongoings up till now. She finds out about the oaths of fealty that the Aes Sedai gave to Rand and is appalled. Her questions are wandering and often confuse those she is interrogating. She learns of Elaida’s folly in capturing Rand. After the interrogation, she leaves the palace with Corele and Daigan, her Aes Sedai followers. She goes to the rebel camp in the foothills of the Spine of the World.

In the meantime, her words about hearing voices as a sign of madness start to make Rand more paranoid about his own sanity.


It is at the rebel camp that Cadsuane sees Rand again for the first time since their palace encounter. He is under a guise as Caraline Damodred’s cousin. He is about to go after Padan Fain when she interrupts. She puts him on edge, again speaking to him as if he is a child, but he gets distracted by an offer of swordplay with Toram.


It is during the duel that a fog comes from outside, mistook for a bubble evil, it is Fain’s deadly mist known as Mashadar. Cadsuane quickly takes the lead organizing the group to fight, even Rand obeys. Min realizes that Cadsuane means to preserve Rand’s guise, though he ruins the effect when he uses balefire against a creature of the mist. This reveals his identity and Toram runs for it. For using a balefire, Cadsuane slaps him and tells him to never use that weave again. Oddly he does not respond with anger, but tells her that she is wrong that “he is real.” Presumably, he is speaking of LTT, showing that her words about madness have gotten to him.


As they traverse the fog, Fain comes out of the mist and stabs Rand’s side with the dagger. This is his second unhealable mark fulfilling, in part, the prophecy of the Karaethon cycle: “Twice and twice shall he be marked, Twice to live and Twice to die.” Cadsuane is not adept enough at healing to help him. Samitsu, known to be one of the best healers living, heals him as much as she can, but it is not enough against the evil the dagger has left.


Acting quickly, Cadsuane leads the group to the nearest road. Convinced by Min to go back to the palace, she pays a farmer to cart them there. Min hears her uttering, “Do not be afraid, boy. They made my task harder, and yours, but I will not hurt you more than I must.” Hinting that she has plans for him, and he will not enjoy them.


They get him back to the palace, where Cadsuane meets Amys and hears of Sorilea’s commanding presence. Then Damer Flinn comes in and despite the group’s initial reluctance to let him help Rand, he begins to address the wound. Damer explains that the wound is another type of evil from the dark one’s mark. He heals the wound enough so that Rand will live, apparently discovering healing aspects of saidin not known, or remembered. Min studies Cadsuane as they wait for Rand to wake, she is scared of what she sees.


When Rand wakes he is surrounded by Min, Amys, an assortment of Aes Sedai, a few Asha'man, and Cadsuane. He is clad in only a sheet. When he learns two days have past he makes to get up. An argument ensues as Cadsuane scolds him for his impertinence, and for moving at all in his state. He orders everyone to leave, and with hesitation, they do, including Cadsuane. Min urges him to let her stay, hinting there is something she needs to tell him. When they are gone, she tells him that Cadsuane is going to teach him and the Asha’man something. They won’t like learning it from her, but that they have to learn it.

Crown of Swords Nice.png
A Crown of Swords
logo.jpeg

Path of Daggers

Cadsuane visits the sun palace with Daigain and Kumira. On the road there, they discuss the change in the weather and Cadsuane judges her counterparts absentmindedly. She brings their conversation back to the task she has given them, this task is not told to us.


Upon entering the palace, Cadsuane meets the Aes Sedai sworn to Rand and brushes them off, considering still the maneuver she has in place.


Walking the halls of the palace, she notes that her aid to Rand during the events with the mist at the rebel camp has raised many of the Aiel’s opinion of her. This is a rather big accomplishment since the Aiel have maintained a contemptuous outlook on sisters ever since Elaida’s trap. Meanwhile, she angrily muses about Rand’s evasion of her in the last week.


Sitting down with her hoop and needle in a private room, The piece she is working on shows the ancient Aes Sedai symbol held by a man's hands. The cracks on the disc's surface give no hint as to whether it is being broken or held together. All kinds of flowers will be depicted around the man but separated by nettles and briars. She asks for Alanna to be brought to her. Cadsuane has somehow learnt that Alanna is bonded to Rand, and she scolds the woman for this. She thinks it to be just one more way the sisters have fumbled the handling of Rand and pushed him away from them. This angers Alanna.  Cadsuane’s intertwined golden crescent moons ornament grows cold when Alanna channels, indicating that it is a ter'angreal. Considering Cadsuane’s choice not to fill with the power too, the ter'angreal must be able to dissipate weaves. Cadsuane uses the knowledge of Alanna’s bond as blackmail, and requires Alanna tell her all she knows of Rand the moment she knows it.


At the end of their meeting, Sorilea comes to retrieve Alanna. Cadsuane sees the woman as possibly as formidable as herself and even more surprising, maybe as old too. Sorilea pulls up a chair, awkwardly as Aiel do not sit in chairs by custom, and they begin a parley. It is soon clear that Sorilea has come to Cadsuane for help with Alanna, revealing that Alanna’s bond to Rand is not as secret as Cadsuane believed. Sorilea does not want to punish Alanna if it would also hurt the Car’a’carn. Cadsuane tells Sorilea that the bond does not hurt the bonded as it does the bondee so she need not fear administering punishment short of death.


In return for this knowledge, Sorilea tells Cadsuane of the mistakes the Wise Ones made with handling Rand: they assumed he would take what is offered if it seemed pleasant, but Rand did not and now suspects anything given to him by them. It is better instead to not give him what he needs so that he will want it. Cadsuane recognizes Sorilea as her match from this show of intuition into not only Rand’s psyche but of Cadsuane and her intentions.


In response, she asks if Sorilea thinks a man should be hard or strong. When Sorilea responds that men often think the two are the same, Cadsuane decides to show her the rest of her hand. She explains that Rand conflates the two and he needs to find laughter and tears again lest he becomes so hard he shatters. Sorilea considers this and as a gift shows Cadsuane the weave for travelling. They then take a water oath to teach Rand laughter and tears.


Taking Sorilea’s advice, when Rand returns to the Sun Palace and asks for Cadsuane’s presence, she refuses saying she has needlework to finish. This infuriates him. He gathers a few Asha'man and heads to find Cadsuane. He has his Asha'man blow the door of her room open announcing his presence with a long line of titles. Cadsuane mocks his theatrics, bating him further. Despite this, he asks her to be his advisor. She says she will only agree under a few conditions: no oath of fealty, and no more incivility.


Annoyed, he is about to leave when she warns that he should not use Callandor. Having just lost control of it on the battlefield, killing his own men, Rand stops. She tells him that it is flawed as a sa’angreal because it has no buffer to make it safe to use, it increases the taint of saidin in the user, and it is apparently only safe to use with the help of two women channelers. He leaves as she tells him that she expects an apology if he wants her to be his advisor.


Later, after the palace is blown apart by the traitor Asha'man, Rand sees Cadsuane with six Aes Sedai he does not recognize. She looks to be hunting.

The Path of Daggers NICe.jpg
Path of Daggers
logo.jpeg

Winter's Heart

Cadsuane is in the sun palace musing over her failures, and her holding of Caraline Damodred and Darlin Sisnera in Cairhien. She is dealing with the Athan’ miere at the time. She is mostly ignoring the woman Harine, and growing more impatient with Rand. Harine is yelling for her sister Shalon to be released, which Cadsuane will not do. After a moment of irritation, Cadsuane has the sea folk women escorted out. At which point, Sorilea enters and tells her that all 19 of the imprisoned Aes Sedai have come around to giving oaths of fealty to Rand. Cadsuane is suspicious of them and their intentions.


Once Sorilea leaves, Verin reveals that Shalon and Ailil are pillow friends, which is why they have kept tight-lipped after being found tied up under a bed following the attack on the palace. They are both married and don’t want their affair leaked. Cadsuane tells Verin to release them with tenuous assurances. Cadsuane will use this as blackmail to have Shalon find out what the Sea Folk want with Rand. It is revealed here that she has also blackmailed three Asha'man. What she used for blackmail and for what purpose is not yet known. This is followed by the news that Damer Flinn has figured out how to heal stilling.


A moment later more news is brought that Alanna has passed out. At the same time, Cadsuane is told Caraline and Darlin have escaped. She is annoyed, but Dobraine believes it was the right thing to do, indicating he helped them go. When they get to Alanna, her warder says she does not seem hurt, only scared. The room is cold with fear for what this might mean for Rand.


Cadsuane leads a group of Aes Sedai and Sea Folk to Far Madding after Rand. She leaves Samitsu in charge at the Sun Palace. She takes Verin, Harine, Kumira and Shalon with her to meet the Counsels of Far Madding. It is revealed that last Cadsuane was in her home city she taught a lesson to one of the Counsel. When the First Counsel, Aleis Barsalla,  arrives, Cadsuane accepts housing that was not offered. It is made clear that Aleis is the one whom Cadsuane had shamed years ago. It is while they are speaking that Verin says a man has just channeled. Verin then starts to ramble about all the threats facing Far Madding from the Dragon Reborn and  the Seanchan, her words seem to scare the Counsel. Cadsuane does not know why she is doing this and interrupts her.


Later, Cadsuane comes in on Rand and Min at the inn they are staying at, with Alanna in tow. Rand bristles at the sight of them and asks how they learned to travel, which Cadsuane ignores. She tells him that Hopwil, Flinn and Narishma have been bonded, which causes Rand to curse. Cadsuane slaps him hard for it, and then leaves Alanna to speak with him, taking Min with her.


Alanna yells at Rand and asks what he did to make her pass out for three days. He reveals that he has been bonded again, he does not explain that he bonded not just one but three others (Aviendha, Elayne and Min). Alanna says she tried to pass her bond to Cadsuane, but she refused. It is also revealed that the three Asha'man took bonds with Aes Sedai for their safety since they could not count on safety in the Black Tower since the attack. Cadsuane orchestrated this. She used the Asha'mans’ safety as blackmail to convince them to be bonded. Though, Cadsuane’s involvement is not known to Rand. Alanna tells him that Cadsuane is not interested in him, and he wonders how he can make her interested since Min has told him he needs her.


Later on, Cadsuane reveals to Verin her intentions with Rand: to make him laugh and cry again. She senses he is turning into stone and though Min told her that she saw that Rand needs her and has told him as much, she is worried it won’t be enough. Hearing all this, Verin slips a black vial back into her pouch instead of putting it in Cadsuane’s tea as she was apparently planning to.


Cadsuane goes riding with Alivia, NyNaeve, and Min. Rand does not know she is with them. He asks Verin if she thinks Cadsuane would talk with him. After telling him Cadsuane is with the others riding, Verin tells him that his manners have been an issue, but if he can put aside his pride, then yes she would speak with him. He sends Verin to tell Cadsuane that he is sorry for his past behavior and hopes that she will consider leaving with him from Far Madding as his advisor.


The girls arrive back. Nynaeve says that Cadsuane identified what two of her ter'angreal do: one detects saidar and saidin and possibly the direction from which it is being channelled, and the other, her jeweled belt, is a well of saidar, meaning it holds a small amount of the one power that could be drawn upon. All three women seemed to have grown in their liking of Cadsuane, though for different reasons.


When Rand and Lan go after the traitor Asha’man at the top of the bootmaker’s shop with the help of Nynaeve, Min convinces Alivia to tell Cadsuane.


A crowd has gathered at the base of the bootmaker’s shop and it is clear that something has happened to the men. Lan and Rand were captured by the Far Madding Counsel. Cadsuane forces Nynaeve to leave before someone starts asking them questions. The Counsel wants to hand Rand over to the White Tower, but Cadsuane uses her hummingbird angreal on her paralis net, a very small Well, to channel and threatens them into releasing the men.


Officially his advisor, Cadsuane accompanies Rand to Shadar Logoth. She leads the forces to protect Rand and Nynaeve as they cleanse the taint. She uses her shrike angreal, an angreal used to enhance the strength of a female channeler, to keep a shield around Nynaeve and Rand as they work. She uses her golden swallow to detect forsaken channeling and direct Rand’s forces accordingly.

Winter's Heart Nice.jpg
Winter's Heart
logo.jpeg

To recuperate from Shadar Logoth, Cadsuane accompanies Rand and the Aes Sedai to her acquaintance, Lord Algarin’s estate in Tear. Surprisingly, Rand readily agreed. Verin tells her news of the Sea Folk in Tear following their expulsion from Ebou Dar by the Seanchan. Min comes in and tells her that Rand would like to see her. She says she will come when she can. It is revealed that Cadsuane knows Min is bonded to Rand. Cadsuane contemplates Verin’s intentions, while Verin speaks of the rebellion in Tear and how it should be settled soon.


On her way to see Rand, Cadsuane watches the warders practice and speaks to Merise about how Daigan is handling Hopwil’s death, as well as if the taint really has been cleansed. Cadsuane muses about Nynaeve, she is somehow aware Lan is not actually her warder. She finds Nynaeve to be silly, but shows occasional wisdom. Merise asks Cadsuane advice about handling her warder Jahar. This brings on the thought that bonding between Asha’man and Aes Sedai might be different from regular bonds, this bothers Cadsuane for its implications.


Getting to Rand’s room, Cadsuane has to wait for entry as Rand already has a guest, who turns out to be Lord Algarin. Once inside, Rand tells her he knows that Aginar’s brother could channel. Thinking Aginar had told him, Cadsuane informs him that yes, she brought Algarin’s brother to the Tower to be gentled. Aginar was surprisingly grateful to her for this. However, Rand did not know this. Instead, he tells her that Aginar has asked to be tested for the ability to channel. She tells him not to be a fool.


He then discusses the Seanchan with her. They are interrupted by the news that the warders left in Cairhien are on their way to Tear, with unknown company.


The warders arrive with a group of Aes Sedai,  Davram Bashere and a hundred of his horsemen. Cadsuane seems to be as surprised by their arrival as anyone. Rand wonders what she is going to do, and LTT tells him to get Alivia to kill her, but he suppresses the thought as he still needs to learn something from her.


Samitsu tells Cadsuane that the Black Tower has bonded Aes Sedai to their Asha’man, possibly against their wills. Samitsu wants to be freed of her duty to the Sun Palace, but Cadsuane says she needs her there to keep an eye on the Dragonsworn Aes Sedai. Cadsuane seems to know Rand has something planned, but she doesn't know if she should stop it.


His plan is to try to negotiate a peace with the Seanchan.

Crossroads of Twlilight NICE.jpg
Crossroads of Twilight

Crossroads of Twilight

logo.jpeg

Cadsuane is dining with Rand, Min, Nynaeve, Verin, and Loial.  Min tells Loial that Cadsuane or Verin could tell him more about Rand’s latest adventure in Shadar Logoth since Rand will not. Cadsuane barely looks up from her knitting hoop at this.


Cadsuane gives Rand a piercing look when he indicates he knows the other T’averen are well without any known contact. He does not explain that he sees them as spinning colors in his head. Logain walks in on their lunch. When he is addressed as Lord, Cadsuane pipes in saying that the title was his by birth, lordship of a pittance in her opinion. However, he had been stripped of his title by King Johanin and the Crown High Council of Ghealdan after he became a false dragon. This explanation embarrasses Logain, and Cadsuane laughs at his retort that he is still who he is. Logain and Rand get into a row when Logain tells Rand he needs to handle Taim. When it gets rowdy, Cadsuane admonishes Rand for his incivility as it violates her rules for being his advisor. Verin pipes in to say Taim will have to be dealt with at Tarmon Gai’don, which is fast approaching in her estimation. Cadsuane eyes the Brown and admonishes her for repeating a point she made the day before.


Rand is growing more irritated with Cadsuane, but at Min’s discouragement, he chooses not to do anything. He then asks Cadsuane what she thinks about his truce with the Seanchan. She is exasperated it has taken him so long to ask, but she says she thinks it will be an unpopular choice in the eyes of the nations he has allied with. He says the nations can have at each other when he dies. She says nonetheless it will be unpopular especially for the countries that have lost land to the Seanchan invasion. Rand does not care for their issues and says his trip through the doorframe ter'angreal in Tear told him that he must unite north to east and west to south to win the Last Battle. She concedes that maybe a truce is necessary, but asks why then is he moving an army to Arad Doman and reinforcing Illian. He says that he wants a truce, but if he can’t have it then he must destroy the Seanchan before the Last Battle. He explains that prophecy says he must bind the Daughter of the Nine Moons to him. He now knows this means he must bind the Seanchan Empress to him.


In response to his cold calculation of the state of things, Cadsuane tries to impress upon him that stone cracks under enough pressure, steel shatters and the oak breaks in harsh winds, while the willow bends and survives. Rand only replies that a willow will not win Tarmon Gai’don. They are interrupted by the news that Loial’s mother, Covril, has arrived with Erith and Elder Haman. Cadsuane says Loial must go meet them if his mother is Covril, daughter of Ella daughter of Soong. Loial is not sure how she knows of his mother. It is now that Verin says she is leaving, though none seem to take note of her. Nynaeve says a storm is coming.


Later, while Rand is speaking to Logain, Cadsuane exclaims that Shadowspawn are near. They fight hordes upon hordes of Trollocs at the precipice of the estate. Rand performs incredible feats with Lews Therin controlling saidin inside of him, and they destroy the force. Afterwards, Rand, or rather Lews Therin, does not release the source and is near burning himself out. Therin wants to die and with the control of the power he is considering it. Cadsuane demands Min tell her what Rand is feeling. Rand demands she ask him her questions, not Min. She does. He does not release the source, but says he feels right as well-water. He tells her to never threaten Min again. Cadsuane says he should ask Min if she wants his protection, and notes the bite to his words with something of respect. Finally, Lews Therin releases his hold on the source saying they can die at the Last Battle. Logain tells the group he has released the source, but Cadsuane says she knows, which surprises Rand.


Cadsuane helps dispose of the Trolloc bodies with an ease unnatural to the scene around her. Rand asked Nynaeve and Cadsuane to teach the Seanchan wilders more about the power. They both refused, Cadsuane simply said she was not in the business of instructing wilders.


Later on, Cadsuane muses aloud that she does not understand Min’s infatuation with Rand. To avoid another argument, Rand opens a letter from Verin revealing she has left, saying she has done what she can in his escort, but that she has more to do elsewhere that will also be of service to him. She also says she thinks he can trust Cadsuane, and should heed her advice, but should be wary of other sisters. Cadsuane lifts an eyebrow, as much surprise as Rand has ever seen on her face, when he hands her the letter and reads its contents. She says that Verin wears many masks.


Rand asks Loial to find the waygates so that they cannot be used by Shadowspawn. Loial says he cannot as he must address the Great Stump about helping in the Last Battle. Elder Haman says he will do this task, and Cadsuane is taken aback by the power Rand has over others.


Cadsuane accompanies Rand and is entourage to the Stone of Tear as he goes to assess the Tairen rebellion. She keeps her hood pulled up as Tairen’s are not known to approve of Aes Sedai.  She murmurs on the way in that his Maiden escort is none too subtle. She laughs when they stop at an Inn named The Dragon with a conspicuous sign of a dragon hanging on its front. From the room in the inn, Rand opens a gateway into the Heart of the Stone where he first took Callandor. She refuses to jump down through the gateway so Rand helps her down.


Cadsuane is none too impressed when a few guards run at Rand’s whim. He explains that, if it would win the Last Battle, he’d have everyone obey him. She responds that she thought as much, which confuses Rand to its meaning.


They meet Alanna, Caraline Damodred, Darlin Sisnera, High Lord and Steward of Tear, and a few others in a sitting room. Caroline and Darlin are not happy to see Cadsuane. The last time they’d met, she was holding them captive in Cairhien, and might still be if Dobraine had not aided their escape. She retreats to the wall of the room to keep an eye on everyone at once, whilst feigning indifference. As Rand converses with the occupants of the sitting room, Cadsuane begins to count aloud every time he raises his voice, or exhibits poor manners. When he reaches three, Cadsuane switches him across the bottom with the one power.


Later in the meeting, she gives him the advice that when his terms are met, he should hold to them. It is at this point that Rand raises Darlin from Steward of Tear to King.


Rand, at some point, asked Cadsuane to send an emissary to the Rebel Aes Sedai camp with a message. Cadsuane sends Merise, who tells the rebels that any sister loyal to the Amyrlin Egwene may bond an Asha’man, a total of forty-seven may do so. Forty-seven because of the fifty Aes Sedai bonded to Asha’man, minus the three because of Flinn, Hopwil, and Narishma who were already bonded. They cannot bond any man who wears the dragon pin, but may bond any Soldier or Dedicated.

Cadsuane accompanies Rand when he goes to Altara to meet the Daughter of the Nine Moons. This turns out to be a trap and it is Cadsuane’s ter'angreal that disrupts Semirhage’s disguise. In her confusion at losing her disguise, Semirhage lashes out with fire that costs Rand’s hand. It is only because all the channelers in company were already holding the source that none of them were shielded in the attack and were able to capture Semirhage. Rand tells the company that she is Semirhage and 


Cadsuane asks him to explain how he’s sure. Semirhage says it is because he is insane, and that he hears Lews Therin’s voice in his head. Cadsuane notes aloud to her that she is a very calm prisoner, one that even incriminates herself. Semirhage replies haughtily that she is indeed Semirhage. Cadsuane introduces herself and states that she looks forward to interrogating her.


Pushing down the emotion of losing his hand, Rand hardens further, much to Cadsuane’s dismay.

Knife of Dreams NICE.jpg
Knife of Dreams

Knife of Dreams

logo.jpeg

Cadsuane goes with Rand and company to Ebou Dar to return the sul'dam and damane they captured during the fight with Semirhage. He gives them a message to bring to Tuon: he still desires a meeting and does not blame her for the fight in Altara. As well, the Lady Arath is the forsaken, Semirhage.


She goes with Rand to Arad Doman, and stays at Lord Tallean’s manor with him. Rand asks how the interrogations of Semirhage are going. So far Cadsuane has not got much of anything from her. Rand will not allow them to torture the Forsaken, which annoys Cadsuane. She tells him as much, but he will not budge. The interrogations are beginning to grate on Cadsuane as no headway is made. However, Cadsuane’s element is dealing with problems that are apparently unsolvable. Cadsuane focuses on what would break a woman with such pride as Semirhage. With this perspective she thinks instead what would break her, being of great hubris herself, and is none too pleased with the thought.


It is revealed that Cadsuane is keeping the male Choedan Kal and will not give it to Rand.


Cadsuane is present when Rand speaks with the Aiel clan chiefs. She scolds him for speaking down to the chiefs, and reminds him of their loyalty and skill. When asked, she explains the inner workings of Arad Doman politics. She questions his decision to have the Aiel capture the members of Council of Merchants.


Later, Cadsuane and Sorilea converse about how to break Semirhage. Sorilea and Bair have a go at Semirhage and Cadsuane notices Sorilea’s condescension to the Forsaken has an effect. Sorilea asks to see the “object,” the Domination band that was found in Semirhage’s possession. Cadsuane acquiesces because of Sorilea’s earlier gift of the travelling weave. In her rooms, she uses an ornate trunk as a decoy, and instead keeps her sacred items in a dingy document box on her mirror stand. It is revealed the box is holding two very important items: the Domination band with two collars, and the Choeden Kal. She has sent the other Domination bands and Callandor to be tested by Aes Sedai, who she trusts and are retired from the affairs of the world. Cadsuane has kept one Domination Band in order to test it on a man. Sorilea understands this choice. She has tested the a’dam on herself and found no way to escape it. Then, Sorilea and Cadsuane discuss how to soften Rand as he has gotten worse since they last met.


Waiting her turn to speak with Semirhage, Cadsuane recollects her time in and away from the Tower. She chose to stay away from the Tower for such lengths of time in the past so that many would assume her dead, and seeked out men who could channel so that each time she brought one in her reputation would be exalted further. She did all of this to prepare for these final days. She muses that it will all be for not if the boy, Rand, turns to stone and shatters. Coming to her turn with the Forsaken, Cadsuane tries out her new tactic on Semirhage: humiliation. Knocking the woman down to the ground, she makes her eat her food off the floor like less than a human. She has the Aes Sedai and some maids come in to watch as she spanks Semirhage. The Forsaken cries, it worked.


Shaidar Haran releases Semirhage and all sh*t goes down. A black sister, soon to be revealed as Elza, hands her the Domination Band that was locked in Cadsuane’s document box. Presumably, Haran retrieved it as the traps Cadsuane put on the box would have been impenetrable by others.


In his rooms, Min tells Rand he needs to lighten up or he won’t make it to the Last Battle. She says Cadsuane agrees with her, and he immediately bristles thinking Cadsuane is using Min to get to him. He yells at her that she should not tell Cadsuane anything. Realizing himself, he softens saying maybe he is growing too hard.


As he does so, the collar clicks around his neck. Semirhage tortures him and has him turn on Min, strangling her. Rand uses his link with Moridin to draw on the Dark One’s power and frees himself before almost killing Min.


In the wake of this, Cadsuane finds out that Daigan has been killed and the other two sisters were only spared because their deaths would have warned their warders.She feels remorse at the loss of the kind sister, Daigan. Cadsuane was in with the Sorilea and the Wise Ones when the events of the night took place.


Cadsuane gets to Rand’s quarters and asks what happened. He has grown almost to stone and speaks without intonation or emotion. He explains that the matter has been dealt with. He then shows Narishma the weave for balefire. She reprimands him for showing Narishma this weave. Rand says it must be used to take out Forsaken or the Dark One can just reincarnate them. She argues, but he does not budge.


Cadsuane begins to talk of what to do next when he interrupts her and tells her to look under the sheets on the bed. There she finds the Domination Band and the collars. She exclaims that it is impossible. Rand says he thought so as well since she promised to have them protected and hidden, yet here they are. He knows she has been meeting with the Wise ones. He reveals that her room was searched, which enrages her, but he goes on. The box with the Choedan Kal and collars was open on the floor. Cadsuane frets that the access key was stolen, but dares not ask.


She asks him if he expects an apology, he does not. Without any more preamble, he says simply that she is to stay out of his sight or he will kill her. She tries to fight this, but he asks her if she thinks he couldn’t just simply kill her if he willed it, that he couldn’t just bend the pattern to have her die on the spot. She does not believe this is possible, but the look in his eyes makes her change her mind. Ashamed and self loathing, Cadsuane begins to leave. Making one last glance at Rand, she notices a darkness emanating from him. She hears him say to prepare the armies to leave. In the hallway, sweating, heart beating fast, Cadsuane realizes that the good-hearted boy she had first met was gone, replaced by this cold man. She has no idea what to do about it.


Keeping a distance from Rand, Cadsuane stays nearby when he goes to Bandar Eban, the capital city of Arad Doman. Rand knows she is still keeping as close as she dares. Trotting through the streets, Merise comes up to Rand and tells him he has been a fool for exiling her. He feels no remorse. He thinks Cadsuane has proven ineffective, and her failure has been punished thusly. He tells Merise as much. She says mistakes should not be punished so harshly, he says he pays for his own mistakes with every breath, and stops the conversation.


Cadsuane makes her way through the streets of Bandar Eban, on her way to the docks. She hides her face under her hood constantly. She makes her way through the city noting the disarray and destitution due to bad crops and no king. She makes it to the docks and her destination, an inn called The Wind’s Favor. Quillin, the innkeeper, knows her on sight as Mistress Shore, and comes over to speak with her as she sits. His wife, and source, knows all the gossip of the city, which is why she came. She hands him a purse of coins to tell her of the ongoings in the city.


His news is as follows: King Alsalam hasn’t been seen by any reliable source for almost half a year. Quillin’s source believed the King to be captured by the Council of Merchants, but thinks if this were true they would have revealed him by now. The people think the Aiel are the reason for the bad grain despite the fact it was bad before they arrived. There have been odd occurrences around the city of stillborn children, men dying from small falls, stones toppling buildings, and hitting women dead as they trade. The odd bit about this news is that these occurrences, which happen whenever Rand’s T’avereness encounters a place, are usually accompanied by balances of good (i.e. marriages, births, miraculous recoveries etc.), but none had. She leaves the inn with more questions than she had coming in.


Walking away from the inn, Cadsuane thinks of recent events and admits that she has bungled her handling of the boy. She thinks the collars being taken were meant to sow distrust. She momentarily questions if he is past saving, but decides he can not be or all is lost. On her walk, she encounters Rand and his entourage and hides to avoid being seen. She notices the darkness around him again and wonders at it. Rand sees her scuttle away, wondering if she thought he would not know it was her with her defining self assured posture.


Losing hope again, Cadsuane seizes on an idea. She resolutely walks in the direction of the Wise Ones. She finds them, sits and says she has failed. They nod in agreement. They tell her she has no Toh as it is Rand’s fault. She says that will be irrelevant soon, instead telling them she has a plan. She asks them if they will help. Sharing a look with the other Wise Ones, Sorilea asks what the plan is. Cadsuane is pleased and begins to explain.


Cadsuane is with Nynaeve, Merise, Flinn, and Corele when they watch a procession of ghosts outside the city walls of Bander Eban. She agrees that the Last Battle is coming soon when Corele mentions Rand believes it is. When Nynaeve defends Rand’s worry about the Seanchan to the other Aes Sedai and turns to leave, Cadsuane gives her a nod of what seems respect.


When Rand is about to destroy Graendal’s place of hiding, Natrin’s Burrow, Min asks if maybe he should ask for advice, and mentions Cadsuane. Rand says that Cadsuane held him in a box, an invisible one, but a box nonetheless, and her tongue was more painful than any rod ever taken to his skin. He chooses to use the access key to balefire the palace instead of Callandor because of what Cadsuane told him of its flaws. Min and Nynaeve watch in horror.


After, they both decide they need to go to Cadsuane and find out what her plans are. They find Cadsuane with her posse and Wise ones in the gate keepers cottage. They tell her of what happened. Cadsuane thinks Nynaeve can help, but asks her if she can be obedient, Nynaeve assents. Cadsuane sets her on the task of finding Perrin and will not tell her the whole of her plan. She says Rand will probably know where he is.


Rand wonders where Cadsuane and Nynaeve are when he announces his abandonment of Arad Doman. They are not in the mansion when he makes the announcement.


Later, having gathered Perrin’s location from Rand, Nynaeve goes to Cadsuane, who is now staying in rooms in the Stone of Tear. Before relaying her information, Nynaeve asks again why she wants to know this. Cadsuane deflects asking instead how the meeting with the borderlands went. Nynaeve tells her they went poorly in as much as they didn’t show and wouldn’t unless Rand came in range of the Guardian so as to be cut off from the source.  Rand did not take this well. Nynaeve tells them that he almost used the Choedan Kal to rain fire on them. This alarms Cadsuane and Min.


Cadsuane whispers that he will laugh again. Corele says it does not matter because Min’s vision means they are bound to win the Last Battle because her visions exceed the events of Tarmon Gai’don. Min says that is wrong because the visions are pieces of the Pattern, but if they lose there is no Pattern. Cadsuane is surprised at Min’s intuition on the matter and agrees explaining this logic holds for all prophecies.


At this, Nynaeve decides to tell Cadsuane that Perrin is located under a statue of an enormous sword, fallen to the earth as if stabbing it. Cadsuane knows of it, relaying its name: the hand of the amahn’rukane. In response, Cadsuane partially answers Nynaeve's earlier question saying they are going to this place now, not for Perrin, but someone else.


It is revealed that the person in question is Tam Al’Thor. Cadsuane had previously tried to find Rand’s father in the Two Rivers only to learn that he was with Perrin Aybara. Cadsuane tells Tam to go to Rand and emphasize that being hard will break him, that one must have a reason to do what must be done otherwise the task will be impossible. When talking to Rand, Tam reveals that Cadsuane told him to speak to him. This enrages Rand to the point of almost killing his own father.


Meanwhile, Min no longer regrets going to Cadsuane since the day at Graendal’s palace. Though initially uncomfortable telling Cadsuane of her visions, she has begun to prefer being away from Rand since he’s become so cold. Under Cadsuane’s tootalidge, Min studies Callandor and anything that might be of help to Rand in the Last Battle. She is annoyed that Cadsuane doles out her knowledge so sparingly. While reading about the blade that is not a blade, Min thinks she discovers a discrepancy and asks Cadsuane. She believes the interpretation of prophecy that speaks of three kingdoms under one banner is wrong in its calculation, and that actually the prophecy is speaking about how Rand must use Callandor. Beldeine mocks Min, but Cadsuane agrees that she is right. This is why Cadsuane believes Rand must be in a circle with two other women to use Callandor effectively. Min is discouraged since Cadsuane has already made the discovery. Cadsuane makes Beldeine apologize for her insults.


It is now that Tam barges into the room. He demands to know what Cadsuane has done to his son. He accuses her of turning Rand to the darkness that he saw in him. She responds that she only tried to teach him some manners. Insulting Tam, she says it seems to her that he learnt his bad ones from his father. She takes it that the meeting did not go well and Tam tells her that his own son almost killed him. He then goes on to insult her for her handling of Rand, and feeling disrespected, Cadsuane wraps him up in air. Nynaeve and Min try to put her off, but Tam says to not bother, he knows a bully when he sees one. This bothers her and she lets him down.


They argue about Rand’s state further, but finally he says that his son left. Min feels him gone. She tells them Rand is in Ebou Dar, and he is going to destroy it as he told the Maidens he would.


During this, Rand does go to Ebou Dar but leaves to Dragonmount when he sees the prosperity of the city under the Seanchan. He goes to think. It is here that he has an incredible self discovery that turns him away from the brief thought of destroying the entire Pattern with the Choedan Kal. This discovery ends with him becoming one with LTT and finding his reason for fighting the Last Battle: love. He destroys the Choedan Kal.


Cadsuane's methods did not directly teach Rand how to laugh or cry and were flawed in their approach. However, it was a result of her schemes that on the slopes of his grave and birthplace, Rand Al’Thor smiling, “let out a deep-throated laugh, true and pure. It had been far too long.”

Gathering Storm NICE.jpg
the Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm

logo.jpeg

Cadsuane sends for Min and Nynaeve when she is told Alanna is missing. Cadsuane is annoyed with the entire situation having thought Alanna well in hand. Nynaeve does not understand why Cadsuane is so worried about Alanna. Cadsuane asks Nynaeve if she recognizes a piece of paper, apparently she doesn't. Cadsuane momentarily questions if Nynaeve is truthful or even of the black ajah, but dismisses the thought as the “boy’s” paranoia seeping into her own thoughts. Nynaeve asks what was in the envelope, but Cadsuane does not know. When Nynaeve asks again why this is so important, Min says that Alanna is a pathway to Rand. Nynaeve says it's not as if Min has been helpful and she is also a pathway to him. Cadsuane points out that Shadowspawn have more persuasive ways to garner information from someone. The room now solemn, Nynaeve points out they were fools for not putting a guard on Alanna.


Cadsuane. stressed by the events, asks for tea to be brought. She thinks about what to do with the boy when she sips her tea. It tastes remarkably good. Suddenly Min gasps. Rand has returned.


Later, Rand asks for Cadsuane to be brought to him, saying not to worry, he will not execute her. When she arrives, he asks her to find someone for him. He has recently realized that well-meaning allies likely hold someone he seeks. He has also found out that Mattin Stepaneos is being held in the Tower. Cadsuane conflates the two statements and asks if he wants her to fetch Mattin, he says no not all. He wants her to find someone else who he expects is somewhere in the Caralian Grass. He says he will speak on it more with her when they are not in the open.


Many events take place while Cadsuane goes to find this person.


Later on, when Rand returns from Maradon with Rodel Ituralde, Min tells him that Cadsuane has returned with someone. Once he arrives at Cadsuane’s door, Merise begins to scold him for his treatment of Cadsuane. Cadsuane interrupts her from inside the room telling her to let him in. She is sitting with an older man in regal clothing. Ituralde comes in after Rand, and seeing the man, goes down on one knee acknowledging the King of Arad Doman, Alsalam Almadar. This is who Rand had sent her to retrieve. Rand expresses relief at having not killed the man with balefire as he had all the others in Graendal hideout.


Cadsuane accompanies Rand and party when he goes to speak with the borderlanders in Far Madding. She suggests they hide Callandor again, and Min explains that she has another viewing of a blackened hand holding the sword.


Rand tells Cadsuane to be ready to make a gateway to get them out if need be. She responds that the source cannot be touched in Far Madding. He says that she is wearing a full paralis-net which includes a Well ter'angreal. He is certain she keeps it full and can use it for a gateway if need be. She did not know that what she wore was called a Paralis-Net or that he knew of its properties. He goes on to tell her that hers is likely a Breaking-era creation and that he himself wore the original male version. She responds calling him boy, as is her usual address for him. He asks her if she will ever stop calling him that especially now that he is one with LTT and is her elder by well over two hundred years having died on the slopes of Dragonmount at four hundred years of age. Rand tells her if she wishes she can call him Rand Sedai since he is the only living male sedai who has not turned to the shadow. Chagrinned, Cadsuane does not call him boy again.


Cadsuane advises him not to be arrogant with the Borderlanders, and remarks that she will have a small gateway ready. She expects they will want to parley though, but Rand says it is more complicated though he appreciates her advice. On approach, Cadsuane tells them who is who of the Borderland leaders present, and what to expect of each. Rand tells his entourage to stay behind. Cadsuane calls him a blasted fool, to which Min concurs, which earns her a smile from Cadsuane.


The Borderlanders all proceed to slap him. His group rejoins him at his indication. When the Borderlanders ask him the answer to their prophecy he answers correctly, Cadsuane had never heard of it, which they explain is intentional otherwise he could have found the answer instead of knowing it. They accept he is the Dragon Reborn.


Rand handles the Borderlanders with surprising grace and patience. Cadsuane also notes he is not nervous at the sight of the Borderlanders’ thirteen Aes Sedai and begins to accept that he has changed. He tells the leaders that they must swear fealty to him. Rand ends the meeting saying he is going to break the seals, and they can help him defeat the forces of the dark or sit on their hands. Cadsuane decides to speak with the sisters accompanying the Borderlanders to feel them out, as it seems Rand has the rest in hand.

Towers of Midnight NICE.jpg
Towers of Midnight

Towers of Midnight

logo.jpeg

Cadsuane is present at the Field of Merrilor when Rand proposes his Dragon’s Peace. Rand permits her presence despite his condition of only allowing five Aes Sedai admission. Rand manages with the help of the newly arrived Moraine to convince the rulers to sign his demands. Perrin notes during the meeting that Cadsuane smells immensely proud though her expression remains stern.  She stays at the camp in order to accompany Rand at Shayol Ghul as the others begin their battles elsewhere.


Rand returns to the Merrilor travelling ground after watching Elayne’s part of the battle. Cadsuane comes to speak with him, seeing her Moraine turns away. The two have kept a wide berth of each other since the latter's arrival. Cadsuane nods to herself as she comes up to Rand and he asks if she thinks up to the task. Cadsuane replies she always knew whoever would be the Dragon Reborn was up to the task because to think otherwise would make her a fool. She asks if he is a fool and Min replies that he would only be a fool if he answers that question. Cadsuane jests that Min has been reading too much, but it is clear she has grown fond of the woman. She tells Rand he better give Min a good gift. He asks why she thinks he would give her a gift. Cadsuane knows that he is preparing for his death and thus wants to leave something with those he loves. Rand stiffens, and she asks if he would walk with her alone.


Cadsuane notes that Moiraine is not pleased with his delay, he asks her opinion on the matter. Cadsuane partially agrees with Moiraine, but also with him. She does not think he should delay much longer though. However, this is not what she wishes to speak with him about. She says she is more worried that he does not expect to live, that he is giving things away and that he does not even seek to live. He tells her to leave him to his fate, he will embrace death. She is pleased with this, but tells him that he must not assume death even if it is inevitable, he must always believe it is not completely inevitable. He confides that Elayne said the same thing, she pretends surprise that the girl had at least that much wisdom. Rand does not rise to the bait, and he realizes she is still testing him. She smiles at this, proud of the control he has mastered. She stops suddenly, and asks if he has a gift for her. He says he is only giving gifts to those he cares about. Surprisingly, she smiles more deeply at this, and remarks that their encounters have not always been smooth. He agrees, but she goes on to tell him that she is pleased with how he has turned out. He jokingly asks if he has permission to save the world then, but she responds seriously that yes he does, but he must do it soon. The darkness grows.


Just then, the camp ground shakes, tremors from the Pattern loosening. Rand tells her that he intends to have Aviendha lead the forces of the Light against the Forsaken outside of Shayol Ghul. She says she will do her part, and he asks her to bring Alivia along with her. She seems to already have intended to.

Suddenly, she asks about the Black Tower. Rand responds that he has sent Perrin to help. She asks him if he plans to go himself. When he doesn't respond, she notes that he is still unsure and is risking all their lives. But before he can respond, she tells him the Black Tower is free. She explains that they freed themselves, though they took a beating in doing so. She does not know if Queen Elayne will be able to use them in battle yet, she doesn’t know the details. When he does not say anything on the matter, she responds that she wished she knew what he had planned for them. She says he still has cracks, but accepts that he will have to do. She leaves him.


Later on, Cadsuane accompanies Rand outside of Shayol Ghul where he tests the Dull Dagger to see if it truly hides him from the Dark One.


When Rand goes to face the Dark One, Cadsuane joins the forces of the Light on the steps of Shayol Ghul. Aviendha notes during the battle that Cadsuane and her followers consider themselves outside of Rand’s orders to follow her.


Later on, Aviendha seeks out a source of channeling in the Shayol Ghul camp. She has the first encounter with the Red Veiled Aiel, three of them. They wound and shield her. Cadsuane saves her by stopping the hearts of her attackers. Aviendha asks her how she knew they were not true Aiel. Cadsuane heard them threaten her and noticed the male channeler. She asks Aviendha if they have been hiding male channelers, and Aviendha says no, of course not. Cadsuane thinks this a pity because they would be a huge help now. Aviendha points out that they need to alert the camp as many will not know the difference between these Red Veiled Aiel and those that serve the Car’a’carn.


Aviendha then realizes it was a female channeler she originally sensed and asks Cadsuane if that was her. She says it was not. Aviendha goes in search of the channeler while Cadsuane speaks with soldiers. Upon returning, Aviendha disrupts a weave she senses being channeled at Cadsuane. Cadsuane thanks her for this. When Aviendha says this makes them even, Cadsuane scoffs and says not by a couple hundred years. Aviendha notes that whoever this channeler is has disappeared the way she did before, out of thin air. Cadsuane suggests a form of travelling they do not know. She starts to consider it when-


Trollocs start an attack. Channeling comes from all sides. Cadsuane notes there are twelve channelers. She yells for Aviendha to tell the others. Aviendha mentally bristles at the command, but goes. Asking for a circle from the Wise Ones, Aviendha notes Sorilea to be as stubborn as Cadsuane. It is now the Wise Ones come to the terrifying conclusion that the Red Veiled Aiel male channelers must be the men they had sent to fight the Dark One.


The battle at a momentary stillness, Cadsuane sits in the Wise Ones’ tent with Aviendha and the others. She appraises the girl noting that she wishes she was in the Tower. She believes the Aiel Wise Ones to have the bite that the best Aes Sedai possess. She considers this with the information of the past months. It is clear to her the Dark One has been undermining the Tower for years. It goes deeper than Elaida’s unseating of Siuan Sanche. It might take centuries to uncover how deeply the Tower has been undermined. The hundreds of Aes Sedai, instead of dozens that Cadsuane had believed, that turned out to be Black Ajah spoke to this. Nothing to do for it now, Cadsuane returns to the moment.


Addressing Aviendha, Cadsuane says that she has made inquiries into the female channelers' travelling ability. From what she can gather, it is from the War of Power. Aviendha respectfully addresses her as Cadsuane Sedai, saying she did not see any weaves. Cadsuane notes the girl’s respectful address as admission that Cadsuane should have led the forces of the Light over her. She responds to Aviendha’s remark saying that the channeler is not using the One Power to do her travelling. She is using the True Power directly from the Dark One. Cadsuane suspects that this forsaken is Graendal based on the compulsion she had placed on Sarene. Cadsuane and Sorilea lock eyes, and wordlessly decide that they will hunt Graendal together.


Cadsuane thinks of Rand and wills him to stay alive in her thoughts, at least until he has done what must be done. The chill of that wretched place seeps into the tent. Aviendha admits that she left them to die, she is referring to Hopwil and Sarene. Cadsuane tells her not to be a fool, she is not to blame for the work of a Forsaken. But, Aviendha says that because they were in a circle she led, they could not defend themselves. Cadsuane tells her to not leave those in her circle behind from now on, but there was no way she could have known what would happen. Sorilea interjects that if Aviendha senses this Forsaken again that she must alert them - her, Amys, and Cadsuane. Saying there is no shame in recognizing you are not as strong as one of the Forsaken. They must team up on Graendal in order to protect the Car’a’carn. Aviendha agrees, but only if they do the same. Sorilea and Amys agree, Cadsuane reluctantly does as well.


Needing to unite the forces of the Light for an attack, Aviendha seeks out Cadsuane who has picked her own team of Alivia, and the windfinder Talaan. They are among the strongest channelers the Light has. She sees Cadsuane and Alivia fighting Graendal and her minions. Sarene has fallen dead from exhaustion, as well as one more. Aviendha is wondering if she could attack without hitting the captives when she stops an attack of one of Graendal’s compelled captives. She kills Rhuarc before she knows who it is. In shock, Aviendha comes back to herself and sees Graendal dueling with Amys, Talaan, Alivia and Cadsuane. Graendal was winning. The forces of the Light were on the defense, each weave less bright than the last. Amys is thrown to the ground by lightning, Graendal’s minion Sashelle dies of exhaustion. Cadsuane and Talaan send fire at Graendal that is taken at the last moment by a minion who steps in front of the blast. Aviendha leaps at Graendal, throwing a spear into her side. Graendal travels, and Aviendha is taken with her.


In the midst of the battle, Thom Merrilin sits on the top of the cave entrance to Shayol Ghul taking out those that try to sneak into the cave. He sees Cadsuane begin to go in and takes her out with one of his knives. It turns out not to be her, but a Black Sister in disguise. He muses that the woman’s walk had been all wrong.


After the battle, Rand’s body slowly dies. Cadsuane stands around the pyre with the others as the body of the Dragon Reborn burns away. Rand, in the body of Moridin, with the help of Alivia, sneaks away into the night. Cadsuane sees him go, but does not give him away. Seeing his eyes, she confirms her suspicions that he still lives. She puts this information away to be used later. She decides there is no reason to stay at this sham of a funeral. She is walking away when she is ambushed by Yukiri, Lyrelle, and Rubinde. They ask her for direction. She tells them they can ask the next bloody unlucky Amyrlin. As she walks away, she realizes with horror what is happening. They recite her own words back to her: She always told the Dragon Reborn that he must keep to his responsibility, and that she herself said the women of this Age need better training. Lyrelle finishes by saying that it is a new Age, and they will need a strong Amyrlin to lead them. Cadsuane closes her eyes, groaning.

A Memory of Light NICE.jpg
A Memory of Light

A Memory of Light

Character Summaries

Special Abilities

Special Abilities

Cadsuane has a few notable talents. She is very strong in the One Power rating 5 (+8) in channeling, This rating would put her above Elayne and Egwene, though in the books it is said they are the strongest women other than Nynaeve to come to the Tower for the late thousand years.   Her rating is inconsistent with other entries within the Companion as well and it is more likely that her actual strength is 9 (+4) as is noted in Nicola Treehill's listing. 


She has a talent for reading residues of weaves. She is also a skilled fighter, not much of a surprise as she is of the Green Ajah.


Despite not being of the Red Ajah, Cadsuane is the most accomplished sister at finding and gentling men. This is in part due to one of the ter'angreal’s on her paralis-net ability to sense male channeling ability.


She is known for her ability to train leaders to reach their full potential.

Notable Possessions

Notable Possessions

Cadsuane wears a Paralis-Net in her hair that Rand identifies as from the Breaking-era. This object surrounds her iron gray bun. It has ten needle-like protrusions in which 10 objects hang off on golden chains. These objects total nine ter'angreal and one angreal. Cadsuane knows what seven out of the ten do specifically. We know that one of the remaining three can disrupt weaves as we see done when, at close range, it removes Semirhage’s disguise. The angreal and ter'angreal are described as thus:


  1. A Bird that looks like a shrike. This is an angreal that, though not very powerful, steps Cadsuane up to the top level of male strength in the power.

  2. Double Crescent Moons, facing and overlapping one another, is a ter'angreal that dissipates weaves directed at her whether saidar or saidin, similar to Mat’s foxhead medallion. It grows cold, warning the wearer, when someone nearby has embraced the Power, no matter if it is saidar or saidin.

  3. A hummingbird ter'angreal  is a Well. It holds a small amount of the Power that can be drawn upon.  It can be refilled, and the Power within will not run down unless used.

  4. An eight-pointed star containing four long and four short wavy rays ter'angreal can detect if a man is able to channel even if he is not channeling, within a distance between thirty and forty paces. It does not identify who has the ability, just that there is aman within that range can channel.

  5. A bird that looks like a swallow ter'angreal can detect the use of even a small amount of saidin or saidar within as much as three miles. If held by its chain, the ter'angreal points its beak in the direction of the use. It is only able to detect pure use of saidar or saidin because it was made at a time (the Breaking) when the two sources were not being combined. (Thus, at Shadar Logoth it would only point to individual channelers.)

  6. A six pointed star ter'angreal can lay a thin skin of armor on the wearer when activated. The armor is invisible except to the wearer. It can take the blunt force of a sword or mace, and dissipates the force of the blow over the entire body, thus reducing its impact.

  7. A sleek fish with sharp fins ter'angreal enables the wearer to pull someone into a circle with her guiding the flows all the while, but it only works if the person drawn in is already embracing saidar or saidin.

  8. A shadowed moon that is a full disc with part shaded out so that a crescent moon shines luminescent. Its use is unknown.

  9. A leaping fish that looks like a fat trout ter'angreal, use is unknown.

  10. A carp. Use unknown.


Outside of her Paralis-Net, Cadsuane is not known to have any more objects of Power though she did have the male Choedan Kal, Callandor, and Domination Bands in her possession, all at different times. She did not use any of these items.


Though it is not an object of Power technically, Cadsuane uses her knitting kit for a great many things. She uses the reflection of a needle box to see when people enter a room behind her. She knits an intimidating image of a man holding together or possibly breaking the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai, throwing off guests. She often will use knitting as a reason not to be somewhere. She uses the hoop and needle to make any who are with her feel inconsequential as she sews instead of giving them her full attention. The kit is really just many ways for her to make others feel inferior to her. She is a catty Cadsuane.

Legacy

Legacy

Cadsuane is the current Amyrlin Seat, a position she had avoided in the past. She is one of the oldest living persons in the world at 295 years of age. She is known for advising the Dragon Reborn in the final days before Tarmon Gai’don.


She was vital in the capture of Semirhage. Though before Semirhage’s demise, the Forsaken escaped and used a Domination Band, which was meant to be in Cadsuane’s safe possession, on Rand Al’Thor.


This event caused a rift between Cadsuane and the Dragon Reborn that many believed indelible. However, Cadsuane did not give up her mission to make the Dragon Reborn laugh and cry again. Through flawed methods, she did succeed at this in the end. This lesson proved to be what prepared The Dragon Reborn to win the Last Battle.


She is also known for fighting valiantly at Shayol Ghul in the Thakan’dar valley. She went toe to toe with Graendal in the Last Battle along with the help of a few others. She is one of a select few that is aware that Rand Al’Thor lives on in Moridin’s body. She has not yet acted on this knowledge.

In Other Media

Cadsuane has not been cast as of yet in the Amazon adapatation of The Wheel of Time.

A Memory of Light NICE.jpg
In Other Media
bottom of page