What made me think it was an AM was the Gateway. When a Gateway opens and a man steps out, I assume the man made the Gateway unless there's convincing evidence to the contrary. The black clothes were just icing on the cake.

Also, while Graendal says that the soldiers patrolling outside wear black, it seems highly unlikely to me that non-channelers will have any success in fighting off the uncontrolled shadowspawn that lurk deep in the Blight. If Lan could not handle a worm, I don't see how normal soldiers are supposed to handle worse. I wouldn't be surprised if there were AM as well as normal soldiers guarding the fortress.


But those were Rand's men. If this guy is a servant of Moridin, why would Graendal comment more than saying she didn't want to damage one of Moridin's creatures?

And if this is just a common servant, why does the harm from compulsion matter? If Moridin wants hi, Graendal can hand him over and he'd do as Moridin asked, which is the point. For a channeler, however, her statement makes more sense.


This doesn't make much sense. If the gateway was tied off, it would have opened in front of Graendal much earlier.
As for Moridin opening this gateway, then running into another room to open another, then running away from there to go to yet another place so he could make a grand entrance... the whole thing sounds ridiculous, and is entirely pointless. What purpose does it serve? Why not take a seat and open two gateways at once? Demandred, at least, would know who had opened the gateway, and if that's true, Moridin has no reason to enter into the meeting room separately.

The only thing that makes sense is that Moridin sent an AM to bring Graendal, and maybe the same for the other two. And given that Mesaana was asking for his help to rescue Semirhage, it makes sense that he has access to many channelers he can command directly. Unless you think Mesaana wanted just the three of them to tackly Rand's entire entourage.


Taim absolutely hated the pins. He was furious when Rand handed them out. Whether he is Taim or merely his controller, it isn't a streach to assume that Moridin wouldn't like his servants to go about wearing swords and dragons devised by his arch enemy when they are serving him in his secret abode. The absence of the pins is hardly surprising.


I agree on this part.