The Dragon Reborn
Robert Jordan
 Rand al'Thor, having been declared the Dragon Reborn by Moiraine Damodred at the end of the second book, The Great Hunt, secretly leaves the Shienaran camp in the Mountains of Mist to go to Tear to prove himself the Dragon Reborn. Along the way he is hunted by Darkhounds and Darkfriends. Min has left the camp by order of Moiraine to report to the Amyrlin on what has transpired. Moiraine, Lan Mandragoran, Loial, and Perrin Aybara chase after Rand. Along the way, they encounter a Hunter for the Horn, Zarine Bashere, who prefers to be called Faile Bashere. They battle Darkhounds, and discover that the Forsaken Sammael rules in Illian. Mat Cauthon is taken to Tar Valon by Verin Mathwin, Nynaeve al'Meara, Egwene al'Vere, Elayne Trakand, and Hurin. The women skirmish with Children of the Light before entering one of the villages at the end of a bridge leading to Tar Valon. Immediately after arrival in Tar Valon Hurin departs to report to King Easar in Shienar as well as his fellow Borderlanders. The Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche, sets Nynaeve, Egwene, with Elayne joining them later, to the task of hunting down the Black Ajah. A lead sends the trio traveling to Tear. In the White Tower, through the use of a sa'angreal by Aes Sedai, Mat is permanently healed of the corruptive influence of the ruby dagger of Shadar Logoth. Once healed Mat defeats Galad Damodred and Gawyn Trakand at the same time in a practice sword battle using a quarter staff. This wins him enough money to gamble with and escape from Tar Valon. Elayne entrusts Mat with a letter to her mother Queen Morgase, explaining that she will be leaving the White Tower for some time. Mat finds Thom Merrilin in an inn. The pair escape Tar Valon together and travel to Andor, where Mat delivers the letter and learns of a plot by Queen Morgase's lover, Lord Gaebril, to murder Elayne, Daughter-Heir of Andor. Seeking to prevent that murder, Mat pursues the women, who are already on their way to Tear. In Tear, Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne are unwillingly betrayed by Juilin Sandar, a thief catcher, (who was under the influence of a form of Compulsion from Liandrin) to the Black Ajah and then imprisoned in the Stone of Tear, where they are rescued by Mat and a repentant Juilin. Faile falls into a Black Ajah trap meant for Moiraine, and Perrin risks his life in the World of Dreams to rescue her. Rand and the Forsaken Be'lal duel in the Stone of Tear. Moiraine interrupts the battle and kills Be'lal with balefire. Ba'alzamon appears, disables Moiraine, and attacks Rand. Rand takes Callandor, proving himself the Dragon Reborn, and, with it, kills Ba'alzamon. Rand thinks he has killed the Dark One, who he believes was Ba'alzamon, but Moiraine tells him that the Dark One is not human, and therefore cannot have been Ba'alzamon, because Ba'alzamon left behind a corpse. Egwene, remembering a parchment of prophecy that Verin Sedai showed her, instead deduces that the corpse is possibly Ishamael, Chief among the Forsaken. The Aiel in Tear take the Stone and reveal themselves as the People of the Dragon.