The sun had already climbed high enough in the sky to cast the back stairway into shadow, but the magical candles were already lit. Rand led the group to the library through a side route that passed by the kitchen, avoiding the main hall. Only staff were allowed through that way; it was one of the rules he insisted on maintaining in his hotel.
He had taken five steps into the library before realizing the others had stopped at the entrance, slack-jawed and wide-eyed. A small fire crackled in the hearth, and Loial lay stretched out on a long sofa, reading, with a black kitten with white paws curled up and half-asleep on his belly. When he noticed them, he closed the book with one enormous finger marking the page and gently set the cat on the floor before rising to offer a formal bow.
Rand was so used to the Ogier by now that it took him a moment to realize that Loial was the source of their astonishment.
"These are the friends I was waiting for, Loial," Rand said. "This is Nynaeve, the Wisdom of my village. This is Perrin. And this is Egwene."
"Ah, yes," Loial replied in his thunderous voice. "Egwene. Rand has spoken much of you. Yes. I am Loial."
"He's an Ogier," Rand explained, watching the nature of their astonishment shift. Even after facing Trollocs and Fades, it was still shocking to meet a living legend, walking and breathing before their eyes. Remembering his own reaction when he first met Loial, Rand just smiled. They were handling it better than he had.
Loial didn't seem to mind their stares. Compared to an angry mob shouting "Trolloc," this was practically a compliment.
"And the Aes Sedai, Rand?" Loial asked.
"She's upstairs with Mat. She should be here soon."
Loial raised a thick eyebrow, thoughtful.
To Rand's surprise, Perrin was the first to speak.
"The Steddings, Loial... Are they truly sanctuaries, like the stories say?"
His voice was serious, as if there were a deeper reason behind the question.
Loial looked pleased to have the chance to speak. He spoke at length about the Steddings, how he ended up at the Queen's Blessing, what he had seen on his travels, and how he had met Rand and come to live at the Continental Hotel. Loial loved to talk—and talk a lot—whenever he had the chance. But he generally seemed to believe that every story required at least two or three hundred years of context to be properly understood.
His sense of time was… peculiar. For him, three hundred years seemed like a perfectly reasonable timespan for any explanation. He spoke of the Stedding as if he had left only a few months ago, though Rand knew it had been almost three years.
Finally, Moiraine entered the library, with Mat now conscious and clearly better. Helena and Lan followed behind her.
"I... ah... well..." Mat took a deep breath. "Seems I've been acting a little... strange."
"You've always been crazy," Perrin said with a smile. And for a moment, he looked like his old self again.
Mat replied with a grin and a joke of his own, walking over to a chair with his old easy swagger. As he sat, still smiling, he absently touched his coat, as if to make sure something tucked behind his belt was still there.
Rand discreetly pulled out the wand. Moiraine noticed.
"Yes," she said softly, "he still has the dagger."
"I can't take it from him without killing him," she continued. "The bond has lasted too long and grown too strong. That knot must be undone in Tar Valon. It's beyond me—or any single Aes Sedai—even with an angreal."
"I know. That's why I sealed it," Rand crossed his arms. "But you undid my work. It's... irritating. I just hope nothing goes wrong."
Loial stepped forward and bowed to Moiraine.
"I am Loial, son of Arent, son of Halan, Aes Sedai. The Stedding offers sanctuary to the Servants of the Light."
"Thank you, Loial, son of Arent," Moiraine replied solemnly. "But I wouldn't be so generous with that greeting if I were you. There are perhaps twenty Aes Sedai in Caemlyn at the moment, all of them—except me—from the Red Ajah."
Loial nodded wisely, as if he understood the implications. Rand could only shake his head.
"Now, Loial, forgive our rudeness. It's a flaw of humans, I know. My companions and I urgently need to plan our journey. Would you give us some privacy?"
Loial looked confused. Rand stepped in to help.
"He's coming with us. I promised him he could."
Moiraine stood still, staring at the Ogier as if she hadn't heard. But eventually, she gave a small nod.
"We can't remain long in Caemlyn," she said. "Beyond the Darkfriends, the Children of the Light are also here, hunting Perrin and Egwene."
"So we've got Darkfriends, Whitecloaks, and Elaida Sedai on our heels," Rand muttered.
"Elaida?" Moiraine cut in sharply. "What does Elaida Sedai have to do with this?"
"She tried to throw me in a cell," Rand said slowly. "I only wanted to see Logain, but she didn't believe I was in the palace gardens with Elayne and Gawyn by chance."
Everyone stared at him as if a third eye had suddenly grown on his forehead—everyone except Loial.
"Queen Morgase let me go. Blood and ashes, I only climbed the wall to see the false Dragon. I didn't do anything wrong!"
"That's what I always say," Mat added, grinning wide. Egwene asked, in a carefully neutral voice:
"Who is Elayne?"
Moiraine grumbled something under her breath, clearly irritated.
"A queen," said Perrin, shaking his head. "You've really had adventures. We only ran into some tinkers… and a few Whitecloaks."
"I can't even risk stopping at Tar Valon to seek help," Moiraine continued. "Time is against us. Even if we could ride out of the city without interference, it would take weeks to reach the Blight. And I fear we don't have that time."
"The Blight?!" Rand and the others echoed, but Moiraine ignored them.
"The Pattern gives us a crisis... and at the same time, a solution. If I didn't know it was impossible, I might think the Creator was intervening. There is a path," she said, smiling as if sharing a private joke. Then she turned to Loial. "There was once an Ogier grove here in Caemlyn, and a Waygate. The New City now sprawls over where the grove once stood, so the Waygate should still be within the city walls. I know not many Ogier know the Ways anymore, but one with Talent and the old Songs of Growing might have been drawn to such knowledge, even if they thought it would never be used. Do you know the Ways, Loial?"
The Ogier shuffled his feet, uncomfortable.
"I do, Aes Sedai, but…"
"Can you find the path to Fal Dara through the Ways?"
"I've never heard of Fal Dara," said Loial, visibly relieved.
"During the Trolloc Wars, it was known as Mafal Dadaranell. Do you know that name?"
"I do," Loial answered reluctantly. "But…"
"Then you can guide us there," Moiraine said.
"No!" Loial boomed, his voice like thunder. Everyone turned to him, and he blinked at the sudden attention. But there was no hesitation in his voice. "If we enter the Ways, we will all die... or be swallowed by the Shadow."