I did not like the fact that Nyn and Tam (the two who actually care the most, out of everyone who knows him) were not told. It would have made more sense if the bonds had snapped, leaving the three women to believe him dead (Min, at least, might have shed a tear or two, even if the other two are incapable of such emotion or caring), with Nynaeve aware that he was alive (perhaps via delving, she could've noted something "different" about "Moridin" and gotten Alivia to help him escape, knowing that his life may be in danger from that psycho Forotuona and others who wanted him to die, like everyone at the WT). It would've made a nice twist on Nyn healing someone "three days dead" while merging the vision that Alivia would help Rand die. It also would've freed him from his women. Nyn would've told Tam, I'm sure - she has too much compassion not to do so - but she would've accepted that she could not tell the three stooges and, upon seeing their non-reaction, she would have confirmed it was the correct thing to do.

What bothers me as much as any of this is that Nynaeve, and to a lesser extent, Perrin, are the only two of that whole lot with a heart. I can get the three stooges not crying, given that they know Rand is alive, but Egwene is dead (who was supposedly Elayne and Avi's bestest friend in the whole wide world, and since everyone was supposedly enamored of her greatness, even Min should've felt something over the loss), Gawyn is dead (did Elayne forget that he was the only brother she had that she doesn't despise??)...yet the only person shedding tears for those lost is Nyn? I should've known she was the only one with a heart. Perrin, at least, offered her comfort and shed a few tears himself, and that shows that the man has a heart as well. But the rest of them? A bunch of cold fish. Nyn needs to extricate herself from the lot of them, save Perrin, before they end up rubbing off on her and leaving her an emotionless asshole just like them.

By the way, this book made me dislike Mat, who had been one of my favorite males for a long time. Thanks a lot, BS.