Prologue to the Apocalypse: Towers of Midnight Unveils Shifting Tides for Key Players
TARWIN’S GAP, BORDERLANDS – The epic narrative of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time, now continued by Brandon Sanderson, plunges deeper into the shadow of the Last Battle with the opening movements of Towers of Midnight. The initial half of the prologue sets a somber, introspective, and strategically charged tone, introducing critical developments for three pivotal characters: Lan Mandragoran, Perrin Aybara, and the Forsaken Graendal. As the world braces for Tarmon Gai’don, these early chapters underscore the personal battles raging alongside the global conflict, hinting at profound transformations and escalating stakes.
Main Facts
The prologue’s first half immediately thrusts readers into the heart of the burgeoning conflict and the internal struggles of its protagonists. Lan Mandragoran, the uncrowned King of Malkier, embarks on his solitary march towards the Blight, a journey widely perceived as a suicide mission. However, his isolation is broken by the unexpected arrival of Bulen, a young man inspired by Nynaeve al’Meara’s defiant call to raise the Golden Crane, signaling the first ripple of an unexpected army forming behind the stoic warder.
Concurrently, Perrin Aybara grapples with his dual nature in a haunting dream sequence. His subconscious vividly portrays his deep-seated anxieties regarding his evolving identity as both a man and a wolf, his responsibility to his people, and the violence he has wielded. This dream serves as a stark internal reflection of his ongoing quest for self-mastery amidst the chaos.
Meanwhile, in a clandestine stronghold known as Natrin’s Barrow, the notorious Forsaken Graendal finds herself ensnared in a cunning trap laid by Rand al’Thor, the Dragon Reborn. Utilizing a Compulsed messenger as bait, Rand orchestrates a devastating balefire strike designed to eradicate her. Yet, through a combination of her inherent cunning and a crucial act of delegation, Graendal narrowly escapes the obliteration of her lair, emerging wounded but alive, poised to become an even more formidable, if vengeful, adversary.
Chronology of Events
The prologue unfolds across distinct geographical and psychological landscapes, each sequence building on the impending sense of doom and the complex motivations driving the characters.
Lan’s Solitary Journey and the Golden Crane’s Stirring
The narrative opens with Lan Mandragoran riding alone through the desolate stretches of Saldaea, his path paralleling the Blight, a land perpetually scarred by the Shadow. His thoughts betray a rare vulnerability, acknowledging his annoyance at Nynaeve’s rapid mastery of Aes Sedai diplomacy, yet tempered by a profound regret for the pain his inevitable death will inflict upon her. This internal conflict highlights the personal cost of his unwavering dedication to a centuries-old oath.
His solitude is soon interrupted by the tell-tale sound of sliding rocks, a precursor to an encounter. Prepared for battle, Lan readies his bow, only for a lone figure leading a packhorse to emerge. The man addresses him by name, introducing himself as Bulen, a former messenger boy from two decades prior. Bulen brings not only much-needed supplies but also the astonishing news that Nynaeve has begun to spread the message of the Golden Crane being raised, rallying others to join Lan’s solitary crusade. Despite his promise to Nynaeve to accept any who wished to ride with him, Lan initially attempts to dismiss Bulen, citing the technicality of his being on foot.
Bulen’s persistence, however, proves unyielding. He recounts his tragic Malkieri heritage—parents killed by bandits in his youth—and his fervent desire to wear the hadori, the symbol of Malkieri warrior tradition, and fight the Shadow. With no one else to grant him this traditional permission, he turns to Lan. The King of Malkier, momentarily hesitating at the young man’s lack of provisions, ultimately agrees, his honor and his promise to Nynaeve compelling him. He stipulates only that they ride anonymously, a small concession to his ingrained solitary nature. With this acceptance, the poignant declaration is made: "And the one became two," marking the quiet inception of the Golden Crane’s resurgence.
Perrin Aybara’s Tormented Dreamscape
The scene shifts abruptly to Perrin Aybara, deep within a troubled dream. He finds himself in Master Luhan’s forge, engaged in a task of immense, yet undefined, importance. The resulting creation is a misshapen lump, a physical manifestation of his internal confusion and perceived inadequacy. His wolf-brother, Hopper, observes with a lazy amusement, dismissing Perrin’s efforts as "idle foolishness, like a pup snapping at butterflies."
Perrin’s realization that he is no longer an apprentice, but a lord burdened with leadership, brings a sense of things being "worse now than they did before." His internal monologue reveals a desperate longing for time with Faile, a need to mend the awkwardness between them, overshadowed by the relentless demands of his perceived duties to the "Light-blinded fools" of the Two Rivers. Hopper’s suggestion to simply leave with Faile and let another lead his "pack" is met with Perrin’s adamant refusal, born of his deep-seated fear of succumbing entirely to the wolf, even as he yearns for its freedom.
The dream takes a darker turn as Perrin discovers a figurine in the quenching barrel: the screaming face of Aram. The dream then morphs into a distorted memory of Malden, where Perrin, as a shadowy wolf, brutally kills Aram himself, and other Aiel, contrasting sharply with his waking memory of using a hammer and knife. Accusing Hopper of manipulating his dreams, Perrin is returned to the forge, where more accusing figurines of those he has lost or failed emerge from the barrel, shattering into reaching shards. He wakes abruptly, Faile beside him, haunted by the dream, struggling to reclaim sleep after days camped due to a "bubble of evil" that manifested as venomous snakes.
Graendal’s Deception and Rand’s Retribution
Far from the Borderlands, in the opulent yet secluded Natrin’s Barrow, the Forsaken Graendal sips wine, observing her fellow Chosen, Aran’gar, who chafes under the enforced boredom. Graendal, ever the manipulator, prefers to view "action and excitement… from a distance." She indulges in a subtle display of power, using a trickle of the True Power to conjure a ribbon of air that caresses Aran’gar’s cheek, a casual flexing of a forbidden ability that shocks Aran’gar. Graendal reminds her that the True Power’s favor was not solely Moridin’s before the Nae’blis was named.
Aran’gar, seeking distraction, summons Delana, and the two engage in "exchanging affections" while Graendal’s private alarm sounds. Leaving her pets to keep Aran’gar distracted, Graendal proceeds to her audience chamber, where she meets Piqor Ramshalan. Before he can fully introduce himself, Graendal employs Compulsion, forcing him to reveal Rand al’Thor’s supposed "weakness" and Ramshalan’s own ambitious, self-serving desires to become King of Arad Doman.
Graendal’s sharp intellect immediately perceives the deception: Rand has found her and sent Ramshalan as a calculated distraction. Her initial instinct is to escape via gateway, but the memory of the Dark One’s command to inflict anguish upon Rand, coupled with Aran’gar’s recent punishment for failing with Egwene, anchors her. Aran’gar’s voice outside the door solidifies her decision. Graendal reveals the trap to Aran’gar, instructing her and Delana to apply layers of intricate Compulsion to Ramshalan, altering his memory and predetermining his actions before releasing him.
Utilizing Compulsion on a dove, Graendal spies on the surrounding forest. Her terror mounts as she locates Rand al’Thor, dangerously close to her hideout and looking directly at it. She watches Ramshalan being brought to him, and the sight of an Access Key confirms Rand’s devastating intent. "Light! How clever he’s become," she thinks, a chilling realization of her adversary’s evolving strategic prowess.
Desperate, Graendal abandons the True Power and embraces saidar. As Aran’gar senses the building force of saidin that only male channelers can detect, Graendal makes a critical calculation: if Aran’gar and Delana, who performed the Compulsions, survive, her own survival might be deduced. Their deaths, however, would lead Rand to believe she perished. She shields both Forsaken and leaps through a Gateway, just as the blinding light of balefire engulfs Natrin’s Barrow. She lands nearby, winded, with a twisted ankle, witnessing the complete annihilation of her stronghold and the ridge where Rand stands. The "balescream" that follows, a cosmic howl of pain as the Pattern itself warps, underscores the immense power Rand has wielded. Graendal consoles herself with the thought that Rand believes her dead, granting her a measure of safety, but acknowledges the Dark One’s displeasure at the loss of a fellow Chosen. She limps away, already meticulously planning her next move.
Supporting Data and Analysis
The prologue’s intricate weaving of character perspectives offers rich thematic depth and foreshadowing.
The Weight of the Malkieri Oath: Lan’s Burden and Legacy
Lan Mandragoran’s journey is a profound exploration of duty, sacrifice, and the definition of a lost nation. His "duty to die" mentality, ingrained since infancy, stems from the Malkieri oath to defend his people, which he has tragically reinterpreted as an obligation to perish fighting the Shadow for a land that no longer exists. This conviction, as noted by Moiraine Sedai early in the series, transformed him into a "terrible mentor" for Rand, inadvertently instilling a similar fatalism in the Dragon Reborn.
Bulen’s appearance is critically significant. Like Lan, he is a young man with no memory of Malkier itself, having lost his parents prematurely. His earnest plea to wear the hadori and fight, to connect with a lost heritage, mirrors Lan’s own unspoken yearning for purpose beyond solitary death. It is this shared resonance, coupled with the practical reality of Lan’s dwindling supplies, that seems to sway the stoic Borderlander. The Malkieri oath, after all, is to defend the Malkieri people, not solely the land of Malkier. Bulen’s desire for identity within that tradition subtly redirects Lan’s focus from a dead nation to its surviving descendants, offering a glimmer of hope for a future where the Malkieri legacy is one of life, not just death. Lan’s lingering resentment towards Aes Sedai, particularly Nynaeve, is a complex layer, showing his human struggle against the inevitable, yet his regret for her pain reveals the love beneath his hardened exterior. His survival of the Last Battle could redefine his very existence, potentially leading him to rule a rebuilt Malkier and embrace life beyond a death sentence.
Perrin’s Internal War: Hammer, Axe, and the Wolf Within
Perrin Aybara’s dream sequence is a masterclass in psychological symbolism, vividly depicting his ongoing, often unconscious, struggle with self-deception and the nature of his violence. His inability to forge anything but a misshapen lump signifies his internal confusion regarding his identity and purpose, a stark contrast to his earlier life as a skilled blacksmith. Hopper, the pragmatic wolf-brother, acts as a blunt, often frustrating, mirror, directly challenging Perrin’s justifications.
The central metaphor of the hammer versus the axe is crucial. Perrin clings to the hammer as a symbol of creation and destruction, allowing him to rationalize his violent acts. Hopper’s pointed observation—"A horn or a hoof, Young Bull, does it matter which one you use to hunt? …And yet you use them the same way"—strips away Perrin’s self-imposed distinction. This highlights Perrin’s deep-seated refusal to acknowledge the inherent violence within himself, often blaming the "wolf" aspect when his most brutal acts are distinctly human, driven by anger and fear. The accusatory figurines, particularly Aram’s screaming face, represent his profound guilt over Malden and his perceived culpability in Aram’s tragic end. Hopper’s counsel, "the dead are dead regardless of how they died," urges Perrin to move beyond paralyzing guilt and embrace accountability for the future, rather than dwelling on the unchangeable past. This dream pushes Perrin closer to his own "Dragonmount moment," a necessary confrontation with his true self.
The Forsaken’s Cunning and the Dragon’s Evolving Strategy
Graendal’s section reveals her as both intellectually formidable and remarkably fortunate. Her immediate suspicion of Ramshalan’s true purpose, recognizing him as bait, demonstrates her strategic acumen. Her decision to have Aran’gar and Delana perform the intricate Compulsion, rather than doing it herself, proves to be her salvation. This subtle act of delegation, born of caution and a desire to avoid direct implication, becomes the loophole through which she evades Rand’s balefire.
The irony of Rand’s "cleverness" is palpable. His sophisticated trap, designed to confirm Graendal’s presence and ensure her annihilation, inadvertently provides the precise conditions for her escape. Had he simply unleashed balefire without the elaborate setup, she would likely have perished without warning. This "swing and a miss," despite its devastating physical impact on Natrin’s Barrow, marks a critical moment in Rand’s post-Dragonmount evolution. While he has shed his crippling despair and embraced a more pragmatic, ruthless approach, his strategies are still imperfect, highlighting the enduring threat and cunning of the Forsaken. The narrative’s adherence to the "no body = no death" trope ensures Graendal’s continued presence, setting the stage for future confrontations.
The discussion of the True Power’s capabilities, particularly Compulsion on animals, is a fascinating detail. Graendal’s observation about Aginor’s mastery of its intricate weaves suggests a specialized knowledge. Her musings on the Dark One’s "favored eyes"—ravens and rats—and her theory of his influence being a "translation" into the Pattern through natural elements like death and decay, provides a compelling insight into the cosmology of the series. This aligns with the idea that the Dark One doesn’t create evil but corrupts and magnifies existing natural processes to unnatural degrees. The accurate depiction of bird vision (infrared sensitivity, lateral depth perception necessitating head-bobbing) adds a layer of unexpected realism and scientific grounding to the fantastical elements.
Official Responses
Within the context of the narrative, "official responses" can be interpreted as the immediate strategic reactions and confirmations of intent by the key players.
Strategic Maneuvers and Revelations
Rand al’Thor’s deployment of Ramshalan as a human tripwire represents a significant strategic evolution. Post-Dragonmount, Rand is no longer merely reacting; he is actively hunting, planning, and executing complex traps. His willingness to use a human pawn in such a cold, calculated manner underscores his newfound resolve and ruthlessness, confirming the emergence of the "Dragon who means to win." This move, while ultimately failing to kill Graendal, officially confirms his aggressive stance against the Shadow’s lieutenants.
Graendal’s instantaneous recognition of Rand’s ploy and her subsequent delegation of the Compulsion task constitute her "official response." It confirms her formidable intellect and deep understanding of her adversaries. Her subsequent actions—shielding Aran’gar and Delana and gating away—are a confirmation of her prioritization of self-preservation and cunning over direct confrontation when at a disadvantage. Her internal reflection, "Light! How clever he’s become," serves as an official acknowledgment of Rand’s escalated threat level, an "intelligence report" to herself on the changed nature of her opponent.
Character Affirmations and Shifting Dynamics
Lan’s acceptance of Bulen marks a subtle but profound shift in his personal campaign. It’s an affirmation of Nynaeve’s influence and a tacit acceptance that his fight need not be a solitary one. The "one became two" is a narrative confirmation of the Golden Crane’s stirring, a symbolic "official response" to the Shadow’s encroaching darkness from the Borderlands.
Perrin’s dream serves as an internal "official report" on his psychological state. It affirms his ongoing struggle with self-identity and the burden of leadership, confirming that despite Faile’s return, his internal conflicts remain unresolved and perhaps intensified. The recurrence of guilt over Aram and the stark confrontation with his own violent capabilities officially pushes him towards a necessary reckoning.
Implications
The events of this prologue’s first half carry significant implications for the overarching narrative and the fates of the characters.
The Looming Last Battle: Stakes and Character Trajectories
Lan’s decision to allow Bulen to join him, driven by Nynaeve’s spreading of the Golden Crane message, has monumental implications. It signifies the nascent formation of the legendary army of Malkieri and Borderlanders, an essential force for the Last Battle. This growing host, initially a trickle, promises to become a torrent, providing much-needed strength for the final confrontation at Tarwin’s Gap, a battle that Lan had historically envisioned fighting alone. His personal journey from a solitary death-seeker to a leader of a renewed Malkieri hope is a critical trajectory that could shift the very nature of the Last Battle’s front lines.
Perrin’s deepening internal struggle, vividly portrayed in his dream, indicates that his personal arc of self-acceptance and mastery over his wolf-nature is nearing its climax. His ability to reconcile his human responsibilities with his wolf-powers will be crucial for his role in Tarmon Gai’don, especially as he navigates leadership and the moral complexities of violence. His ultimate "Dragonmount moment" will likely unlock his full potential, enabling him to contribute meaningfully to the fight against the Shadow.
Graendal’s survival, despite Rand’s devastating attack, ensures her continued presence as a formidable antagonist. Her narrow escape and the loss of her stronghold will likely fuel her desire for vengeance, potentially making her an even more dangerous and unpredictable foe. The Dark One’s displeasure over the death of Aran’gar (and Delana) will also undoubtedly pressure Graendal, forcing her into more desperate and perhaps more ruthless schemes. Her survival complicates Rand’s plans and emphasizes the enduring threat of the Forsaken, even as Rand grows in power and cunning.
The Ethical Landscape of Power
Rand’s use of balefire, particularly the wholesale destruction of Natrin’s Barrow, stands as a stark reminder of the ethical tightrope he walks. While effective in its intent, such an act carries immense moral weight, potentially marking it as one of his "worst" actions despite its strategic purpose. This highlights the inherent dangers of wielding the One Power, and especially balefire, underscoring the delicate balance between necessary ruthlessness and succumbing to the very darkness he fights. The continued use of Compulsion by the Forsaken, and its unique application to animals via the True Power, further illustrates the insidious nature of the Shadow’s influence and the dark arts it employs.
Anticipation for the Road Ahead
The first half of the prologue serves as a powerful overture, setting the stage for intense character development and escalating conflict. The upcoming sections, promising encounters with Galad, the creature known as Padan Fain, and the introduction of Malenarin Rai, commander of Heeth Tower, hint at further exploration of Borderlander heroism and the ever-present threat of the Shadow’s insidious agents. As the threads of destiny tighten, Towers of Midnight promises a tumultuous journey towards the inevitable Last Battle, where personal salvation and global survival hang precariously in the balance.
