Nakomi

[Mulk]

We see Mesaana hide her channeling. When she is punishing Alviarin the weaves are described as coming from nowhere and Alviarin can't even sense that the woman can channel. If Mesaana had reversed the weaves, Alviarin wouldn't have even seen those. If Verin knew how to hide her ability to channel and how to reverse her weaves she could definitely have channeled without Avi knowing about it.

 

Counter argument is that Nynaeve faced Moghedien while she had herself masked. She couldn't sense the ability to channel in Moggy, but did see the glow and the weaves. This is where my take on Verin not being that person came from. Further, Leane masked herself and inverted her weaves when changing the Tar Valon chain to cuendillar and they were able to find her. I would assume that would be by sensing channeling and following it to its source, though they don't really say specifically. Which brings back to my point. No, you can't sense that a person has the ability when they are masked. You CAN however sense when they are holding the source. There isn't a way to mask that, nor is there a way to mask that someone has channeled if you are near enough to sense it. Perhaps this is a discontinuity?

 

I'm not meaning to turn this into a lengthy debate. :) If it's important that we find out, BS will tell us in AMOL. If not, we'll be left to conjecture I suppose.

[Vadik2004]

I'm still going with my first idea and saying that this was a ghost of some sort. Maybe it was Verin's ghost? Do we know when in the time line this occured?

[NetSlider]

Maybe it was Allana. That's where she went - to do what Verin left her in her letter. I think Allana is just BA and that's the end of it.

[Goramier]

Who is this person? Here is a recap of the thoughts and suggestions as to who this person is:

 

1. A Jenn Aiel

2. A channeler of some sort

3. A manifestation of Avi's mind

4. Shaido Aiel

5. Avi's dream apparition

6. A darkfriend

7. A forsaken

8. Verrin

9. A wise one of some sort

10. An Aiel dreamwalker of some sort

11. A mystery

12. A ghost of some sort

13. A seep over from TAR

14. A time traveler

15. A part of the path to becoming a wise one

16. An older Avi

17. A future Aiel of some sort

18. A hallucination

19. A male channeler

20. some one using the TP

21. The creator

22. Bela

23. Bela who is also the creator

24. Allana

[ShadowsFell]

I honestly think we can rule out the DF thing; based upon Avi's visions, the prompting of N seems to be too much of assistance/help/etc -- to get Avi thinking about future of the Aiel, and to challenge her thinking.

 

A DF playing a long-range/backup plan thing seems too far fetched, its too close to end-game of this age to be thinking about the next one -- they have better/nastier things to do.

[DanteAkmea]

Further, Leane masked herself and inverted her weaves when changing the Tar Valon chain to cuendillar and they were able to find her. I would assume that would be by sensing channeling and following it to its source, though they don't really say specifically.

 

If I recall correctly, they mentioned they couldn't sense Leane at all, and the only reason they were able to catch her was a Guardsman catching sight of the boat.

 

"There was something strange, though. More than strange. We couldn't find the wilder, at first. We couldn't feel her channeling. There was no glow around her, and we couldn't see her weaves. The chain just started turning white. If Arebis's Warder hadn't spotted the boat, she might have finished and gotten away."

 

From what I have. Someone might want to check it, it's somewhere around page 76 in KoD.

 

Personally, I don't think Verin. I might have missed where people began believing it was Verin, but as I recall, Verin died. Unless the Creator, for some reason, decided to intercede, she would have gone to the DO's grasp. I doubt he would bring back someone who had betrayed him so profoundly. As to her leaving a letter to someone else...Nakomi was never mentioned otherwise. I don't think she would come out in an instant without any previous mention of her.

 

I favor the Jenn Aiel theory, though I can't explain why. Something about it just...seems right. The Jenn Aiel made Rhuidean and disappeared, if I recall correctly. Where did they go? We have no word. They did, however, seem to know what was coming. The Only True Dedicated. It also fits with Nakomi also being slightly different from the Aiel, to me. Though she was still Aiel, her mannerisms would be different from time. I don't recall her mentioning where she came from. ((By the way, I do not have the book. I borrowed from someone just long enough to read it, so I can't check any facts. Don't have the money to buy it yet, but will soon, hopefully.)) I don't believe she even mentioned what clan or sept she was from, only that she had come a long way.

 

Despite that, I'm amazed you haven't all seen it yet. Bela is the Dragon Reborn, using Rand as a puppet she can control through some secret AoL Mind Meld weave that makes them one mind, two bodies. Light, it's obvious!

[Gor]

Further, Leane masked herself and inverted her weaves when changing the Tar Valon chain to cuendillar and they were able to find her. I would assume that would be by sensing channeling and following it to its source, though they don't really say specifically.

 

If I recall correctly, they mentioned they couldn't sense Leane at all, and the only reason they were able to catch her was a Guardsman catching sight of the boat.

 

"There was something strange, though. More than strange. We couldn't find the wilder, at first. We couldn't feel her channeling. There was no glow around her, and we couldn't see her weaves. The chain just started turning white. If Arebis's Warder hadn't spotted the boat, she might have finished and gotten away."

 

From what I have. Someone might want to check it, it's somewhere around page 76 in KoD.

 

Personally, I don't think Verin. I might have missed where people began believing it was Verin, but as I recall, Verin died. Unless the Creator, for some reason, decided to intercede, she would have gone to the DO's grasp. I doubt he would bring back someone who had betrayed him so profoundly. As to her leaving a letter to someone else...Nakomi was never mentioned otherwise. I don't think she would come out in an instant without any previous mention of her.

 

I favor the Jenn Aiel theory, though I can't explain why. Something about it just...seems right. The Jenn Aiel made Rhuidean and disappeared, if I recall correctly. Where did they go? We have no word. They did, however, seem to know what was coming. The Only True Dedicated. It also fits with Nakomi also being slightly different from the Aiel, to me. Though she was still Aiel, her mannerisms would be different from time. I don't recall her mentioning where she came from. ((By the way, I do not have the book. I borrowed from someone just long enough to read it, so I can't check any facts. Don't have the money to buy it yet, but will soon, hopefully.)) I don't believe she even mentioned what clan or sept she was from, only that she had come a long way.

 

Despite that, I'm amazed you haven't all seen it yet. Bela is the Dragon Reborn, using Rand as a puppet she can control through some secret AoL Mind Meld weave that makes them one mind, two bodies. Light, it's obvious!

Avi was in the waste before Verin died. It is very likely the meeting with Nakomi took place before then as well, making it possible that it is Verin in disguise.

 

Truly, she is the only Randlander it could be. My favorite quote involving her is the one where she explains that the Brown Ajah are so caught up in the past because they have such a concern for the future. This would tie-in quite nicely with it, along with all of her other letters to people.

 

I think the last Mohican-I mean Jenn Aiel is the next most likely theory, but I don't think it's very likely.

 

All I can say about Bela is I'm glad she's in TV and not at the BT. A turned Bela would be terrifying.

[Sharaman]

Further, Leane masked herself and inverted her weaves when changing the Tar Valon chain to cuendillar and they were able to find her. I would assume that would be by sensing channeling and following it to its source, though they don't really say specifically.

 

If I recall correctly, they mentioned they couldn't sense Leane at all, and the only reason they were able to catch her was a Guardsman catching sight of the boat.

 

"There was something strange, though. More than strange. We couldn't find the wilder, at first. We couldn't feel her channeling. There was no glow around her, and we couldn't see her weaves. The chain just started turning white. If Arebis's Warder hadn't spotted the boat, she might have finished and gotten away."

 

From what I have. Someone might want to check it, it's somewhere around page 76 in KoD.

 

Personally, I don't think Verin. I might have missed where people began believing it was Verin, but as I recall, Verin died. Unless the Creator, for some reason, decided to intercede, she would have gone to the DO's grasp. I doubt he would bring back someone who had betrayed him so profoundly. As to her leaving a letter to someone else...Nakomi was never mentioned otherwise. I don't think she would come out in an instant without any previous mention of her.

 

I favor the Jenn Aiel theory, though I can't explain why. Something about it just...seems right. The Jenn Aiel made Rhuidean and disappeared, if I recall correctly. Where did they go? We have no word. They did, however, seem to know what was coming. The Only True Dedicated. It also fits with Nakomi also being slightly different from the Aiel, to me. Though she was still Aiel, her mannerisms would be different from time. I don't recall her mentioning where she came from. ((By the way, I do not have the book. I borrowed from someone just long enough to read it, so I can't check any facts. Don't have the money to buy it yet, but will soon, hopefully.)) I don't believe she even mentioned what clan or sept she was from, only that she had come a long way.

 

Despite that, I'm amazed you haven't all seen it yet. Bela is the Dragon Reborn, using Rand as a puppet she can control through some secret AoL Mind Meld weave that makes them one mind, two bodies. Light, it's obvious!

Avi was in the waste before Verin died. It is very likely the meeting with Nakomi took place before then as well, making it possible that it is Verin in disguise.

 

Truly, she is the only Randlander it could be. My favorite quote involving her is the one where she explains that the Brown Ajah are so caught up in the past because they have such a concern for the future. This would tie-in quite nicely with it, along with all of her other letters to people.

 

I think the last Mohican-I mean Jenn Aiel is the next most likely theory, but I don't think it's very likely.

 

All I can say about Bela is I'm glad she's in TV and not at the BT. A turned Bela would be terrifying.

Just could be a male FS / Ashaman or even Moridin himself, using MoM.

It solves all the problems with Avi not sensing channeling.

[JDJ]

I do not believe it was Verin or anyone evil, as I cannot see any advantage to this, given they are talking about potential issues post TG.

 

I do suspect it is either

 

- the WO in Tel

- Some sort of vision she received

- (less likely) a member of some lost Jenn grp

 

I further suspect it is some strange combo of those 3...

[ShadowsFell]

Just could be a male FS / Ashaman or even Moridin himself, using MoM.

It solves all the problems with Avi not sensing channeling.

 

Again, why? Makes no sense. What N said is too much like what the columns warned about, and got Avi thinking about future of the Aiel. Unless you think someone also messed with the columns? Why would the bad guys want to mess with Avi's head about the nature/future, when Tarmon Gaidon is here? They have other things to be doing, that would be much more productive.

 

Power wielding at all doesn't make sense either, since it doesn't explain all the weird stuff going on in that whole scene

[nolirion]

I just can't see the point of a Light folk( human one) or a dark folk saying that sort of thing .

 

This could be some highly plotting of the do but in don't think so , for this start a course of action that can only be good for Rand

[Sharaman]

Just could be a male FS / Ashaman or even Moridin himself, using MoM.

It solves all the problems with Avi not sensing channeling.

 

Again, why? Makes no sense. What N said is too much like what the columns warned about, and got Avi thinking about future of the Aiel. Unless you think someone also messed with the columns? Why would the bad guys want to mess with Avi's head about the nature/future, when Tarmon Gaidon is here? They have other things to be doing, that would be much more productive.

 

Power wielding at all doesn't make sense either, since it doesn't explain all the weird stuff going on in that whole scene

My "theory":

Nakomi was trying to get Avi to do something that would have bad long-term consequences.

The ter'angreal showed her the consequences.

 

Here's some of the logic (not necessarily very logical):

Either TAR or a Portal would explain the Nakomi sequence and its weird effects.

There are only three Aiel Dreamers -- they're very unlikely candidates to hide themselves since they sent Avi.

Portals as far as we know are only triggered by channeling. The Shadow uses them, the Aiel have never done so.

 

Assuming TAR, Portal, Nakomi is either hiding saidar channeling ability or sent through by a mysterious channeler or using a dream ter'angreal, or she's a saidin channeler Avi cannot sense. Appearance is no deal at all if she's in TAR. Masking channeling ability however, is a deal anywhere.

 

These actions are not somethings the Light side would necessarily want to do.

So I'm assuming Dark is more likely.

 

Whatever/ whoever Nakomi is, I'm also assuming she doesn't know about Avi's ter'angreal ability. Only Elayne does know about that and Nakomi is not Elayne (doesn't know enough about Aiel, apart from lack of motive).

Whatever happened in the Rhuidean columns was not anticipated by Nakomi (whether she's Light or Dark or neutral)

 

What does Nakomi do? Have a philosophical conversation. No hard info there.

All of Verin's other actions/ messages have been about hard info. Even if she knew Avi was going to Rhuidean and decided to contact using some mysterious means, she would spend that time only to pass on some hard info. Hence, I don't think it's Verin though she has the capability probably to pull this off.

 

Why would somebody have a Aiel philosophy 101 class with Avi? To nudge her into doing something with long-term consequences.

Why would the Shadow be interested? If they lose this battle, they want the People of the Dragon out of the way on the next round.

 

I think Avi would have gone into some kneejerk routine (We must return to the Waste) or done something with Rand, which would lead to the ter'anrgreal possibilities coming true.

 

Only she has that Talent and the ter'angreal responded by showing her evil consequences. Now she knows some of what she must avoid.

[Gandaal]

Why do so many people think it might be Verin? Verin is dead, she didn't seem to care less about the future of the Aiel (why would she?), and she has no motive or motivation to take the effort to go to Waste, and learn anough about Aiel custom and culture to flog herself off as a Aiel to Aviendha

 

Sounds like wishful thinking to me.

 

She is the creator

I'm amazed that it took this long for someone to say it. That was my first and only thought as to who it was. Prehaps a English literary major would be better at breaking down the scene to prove that this was your standard 'Visitation from God' scene that appears across a range of literary artforms but I'll try.

 

1. Young character is taking a personal journey to learn more about herself, and to prove herself worthy of leadership among her people.

2. She's travelling through harsh terrain alone.

3. She meets a wise old (in this case) women who appears out of practically nowhere one night.

4. Wise old women provides sage advice that challanges young characters view of the world.

5. Wise old women soon disappears leaving no trace of her existence despite young character being an expert tracker.

6. Young character has an epiphany resulting from sage advice.

[Terez]

Why do so many people think it might be Verin? Verin is dead

Aviendha left for Rhuidean about 20 days before Verin died. I'm pretty sure that's been mentioned a couple of times already.

 

she didn't seem to care less about the future of the Aiel (why would she?), and she has no motive or motivation to take the effort to go to Waste, and learn anough about Aiel custom and culture to flog herself off as a Aiel to Aviendha

There is evidence to the contrary all throughout Verin's plotline.

 

She is the creator

I'm amazed that it took this long for someone to say it. That was my first and only thought as to who it was.

RJ has verified that the Creator does not interfere. So...

 

Sounds like wishful thinking to me.

Yeah.

[Gandaal]

Why do so many people think it might be Verin? Verin is dead

Aviendha left for Rhuidean about 20 days before Verin died. I'm pretty sure that's been mentioned a couple of times already.

 

she didn't seem to care less about the future of the Aiel (why would she?), and she has no motive or motivation to take the effort to go to Waste, and learn anough about Aiel custom and culture to flog herself off as a Aiel to Aviendha

There is evidence to the contrary all throughout Verin's plotline.

She is the creator

I'm amazed that it took this long for someone to say it. That was my first and only thought as to who it was.

RJ has verified that the Creator does not interfere. So...

 

Sounds like wishful thinking to me.

Yeah.

The timeline of the last two books is very unclear but whatever. So your saying even though she was stuck in Trustair and unable to leave due to Mat, she somehow left anyway just to pay Aviendha a visit in the desert (despite having no clue about the potential future of the Aiel or what Aviendha would find out in Rhuidean). After which she promptly returned to Trustair to wait for Mat despite telling Mat that she had wanted to leave but was unable to escape for various reasons. Good luck with that theory.

 

 

RJ doesn't write the books any longer, plus the creator has already spoken to Rand at least once when RJ was writing. The scene just reeks too much of divine interference to just ignore the possiblity because RJ mentioned at one point that the Creator wouldn't interfer in Rand's battles against DO.

[Caedn of the Taardad]

If memory serves (and it may not here), the time line does state that Verin was sometime between leaving Mat and seeing Egwene. Besides, they said that Avi LEFT 20 days before, she's been traveling for some time now. So it's not too much of a stretch to assume that was one of Verin's stops.

[Terez]

The timeline of the last two books is very unclear but whatever.

It's not all that unclear. There's a link in my sig to Steven Cooper's chronology; you should check it out.

 

So your saying even though she was stuck in Trustair and unable to leave due to Mat, she somehow left anyway just to pay Aviendha a visit in the desert (despite having no clue about the potential future of the Aiel or what Aviendha would find out in Rhuidean). After which she promptly returned to Trustair to wait for Mat despite telling Mat that she had wanted to leave but was unable to escape for various reasons.

She didn't die in Trustair, you know. There was a decent period of time between Trustair and her final visit to the White Tower.

 

RJ doesn't write the books any longer

And? Brandon knows that the Creator does not interfere, and if he didn't know it from the books, I know that he has at least read the interviews, and has a better familiarity with them than the average forumgoer.

 

plus the creator has already spoken to Rand at least once when RJ was writing.

That was the Dark One.

[lenardo]

again my question is why it is taking avi so long?

 

rhuiden (spelling) is ~week from cold rock.

she spends- lets say 10 days each time

 

we are at 27 days from when she left (she can travel so she can just finish, rest a night then go look him.

 

Rand has gone at least 35 days from that same time.

[Gandaal]

If memory serves (and it may not here), the time line does state that Verin was sometime between leaving Mat and seeing Egwene. Besides, they said that Avi LEFT 20 days before, she's been traveling for some time now. So it's not too much of a stretch to assume that was one of Verin's stops.

Moving on from the timeline issue, where's the motivation for Verin to make this appearence?

 

Here's the evidence from the book that she's the creator:

 

Nakomi stirred the tea, then repositioned Aviendha's shellback, placing it over the coals to cook more evenly. From insider her back she drew forth several deepearth roots. Aviendha's mother has always cooked those.

 

So Verin decided before appearing before Aviendha in a random place in the desert seven days away from Rhuidean (how did she know where she would be exactly?) to forage for deepearth roots in the waste? For a very busy women she sure likes wasting time.

 

Nakomi placed them in a small ceramic baking box, then slid this into the coals. Aviendha hadn't realised the fire has grown so warm. Where had all those coals come from?

 

Nakomi, the women who can make red hot coals magically appear.

 

"I am far from my roof" the women said wisful, "yet not far at all. Prehaps it is far from me. I cannot answer your question, apprentice for it is not my place to give this truth."

Aviendha frowned. What kind of answer was that?

 

A fairly philosopical one for a Aiel women wandering around in the desert.

 

"I'm sorry," Nakomi said. "I've let myself ramble again. I am prone to it, I fear. here, let us eat.

Aviendha started. Surely the roots weren't done yet. However, Nakomi pulled them out, and they smelled wonderful. She cut the shellback, fishing a pair of tin plates out of her pack. She seasoned the meat and roots, then passed a plate to Aviendha.

 

She tasted hesitantly. The food was delicious. Wonderful, even. better than many a feast she'd had in fine palaces back in the wetlands. She stared at the plate, amazed.

"If you'll excuse me," Nakomi said. "I need to see to nature." She smiled, rising, then shuffled off into the darkness.

She can make food magically cook faster, and the food ends up tasting better than any other food Aviendha's had before. She also claims that she needs to "see to nature". Unless she is a Nym in disguise, or a very short Ogier, that's a very unusual comment from a human in this series.

 

It's all circumstantial I'll admit but to me it all point to Nakomi being the creator in disguise.

[Terez]

There is a guy named Felix. He sometimes goes by Dida. I'm sure he will love your theory; I'll point it out to him.

[AliasKelly]

I considered Verin, and would LIKE it to be her in some ways, but I would be more inclined to think she would have given Avi one of her famous letters instead. A person given one of these letters I could see, but again, why not give it to Avi directly? All I know is that from the first time I read the name, before any of the strangeness began, I had a VERY strong feeling that I had read/heard it somewhere before... So I, and hopefully some other sharp fans, should probably look for the magic word Nakomi on our next read through

 

There is no Nakomi on www.encyclopaedia-wot.org under characters: N

 

 

Hm... Thanks for that. I didn't have time to check anything before my next class. I've still heard it, or something like it, somewhere. It's the puzzle of where and when that will keep me awake for a few weeks. It'll probably come to me sometime next month that there was someone in an obscure book, or one of my classes, who was named similarly and stuck in my mind while I was reading WoT book.

 

May you find Water and Shade.

 

I realised why the name sounded familiar to me...Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard :p

 

That is so funny - when I first read your post about puzzling out the name I wondered if it might be Nakatomi Plaza in the back of your mind.

[smileyman]

I think these are the strongest possibilities, listed in order of probablity.

 

1. Jenn Aiel. This was my first gut reaction, and that's not a bad way to go with Robert Jordan's writing. Sure the Jenn Aiel had a prophecy of their extinction and saw it happening, but we never found out when that extinction would take place--just that it would. Rather leaves the door open don't you think? Who else but the Jenn Aiel would concern themselves with the path of the Aiel after the Last Battle, especially given what happens in the future Aviendha sees. That future happens because the Aiel have no purpose other than to fight, and Nakomi's questions set Aviendha on the path to thinking about what purpose the Aiel have.

 

That was always the purpose of the Jenn Aiel.

 

Another thought comes to me regarding how one of the Jenn Aiel survived. The possibility exists that one survived this long but would eventually die--still fulfilling the prophecy. However maybe one of the Jenn Aiel used a Portal Stone to travel to a different World. We know that time is different in some of them. Maybe she found one where time slowed down, so she could live there until Aviendha came and then could come and ask those very pointed questions to warn Aviendha.

 

That might be a lot of effort and trouble, but it fulfills the purpose of the Jenn Aiel. If Aviendha's descendants go through with their plan every last Aiel will be killed--absolutely none would survive. The Aiel prophecies say that a remnant will survive, and the Jenn Aiel want to make sure that happens.

 

2. Verin. This is a strong possibility, but it seems a little off to me. Some of the characteristics are very Verinish--the questions with no answers, the appearing and then suddenly disappearing, but some other things are odd. She knows too much about Aiel and ji'e'toh for one. She has a startling grasp of the future of the Aiel, as evidenced by her rather pointed questions for Aviendha. It's possible that Verin went through one of the doorways and learned something about the Aiel, but I find it highly unlikely.

 

3. Ter'Angeal

I don't think it's a function of the rings simply because Aviendha wasn't in them when Nakomi came on the scene and as far as I could make out there were no other objects of the Power listed in that chapter.

[CTKShadow]

The oddities in the scene:

- Nakomi approaches without being heard, and then makes a noise to alert Aviendha of her presence

- Aviendha is naturally suspicious, but when Nakomi says "I promise that I mean you no harm, child," Aviendha immediately feels foolish and rationalizes the first point

- Nakomi is travelling alone

- Magically appearing coals

- "I am far from my roof, yet not far at all. Perhaps it is far from me. I cannot answer your question, for it is not my place to give this truth."

- Disappears without a trace, and her pack and supplies disappear when Aviendha goes to look for her

 

Plausible explanations (in my not-so-humble opinion)

- Nakomi approaches without being heard (T'A'R, channeler -> eavesdropping ward, portal stone)

- Aviendha is naturally suspicious, but when Nakomi says "I promise that I mean you no harm, child," Aviendha immediately feels foolish and rationalizes the first point (T'A'R, channeler -> compulsion)

- Nakomi is travelling alone (T'A'R, channeler -> traveled there, portal stone, time travel)

- Magically appearing coals (T'A'R)

- "I am far from my roof, yet not far at all. Perhaps it is far from me. I cannot answer your question, for it is not my place to give this truth." (Portal stone, T'A'R, time traveler)

- Disappears without a trace, and her pack and supplies disappear when Aviendha goes to look for her (T'A'R, remote chance of portal stone, but that would require leaving and coming back behind Avi)

 

I'm ignoring the possibility of Nakomi just being a hallucination because her beliefs contract Aviendha's, and it doesn't make sense for Aviendha's subconscious to challenge her in this way.

 

So I'm calling it as T'A'R, or a dreamwalker who entered Aviendha's dream entirely. Either Moridin or Cyndane are likely possibilities. Moridin because it's subtle enough to be his handiwork, and Cyndane because we see her messing with someone else's dreams in the same book...and naturally, if it's Cyndane then Moridin is pulling the strings anyway.

Another reason I call it as T'A'R, besides the fact that it is the only thing that can explain every oddity, is the fact this book is all about T'A'R and alternate realities, more than any before. We had the wolf dream, Slayer entering T'A'R in the flesh, Egwene's dreamwalker adventures, Nynaeve taking her testing, Avi in the pillars, the Tower of Ghenjei, and Lanfear invading Rand's dreams. It fits.

[Sharaman]

The oddities in the scene:

- Nakomi approaches without being heard, and then makes a noise to alert Aviendha of her presence

- Aviendha is naturally suspicious, but when Nakomi says "I promise that I mean you no harm, child," Aviendha immediately feels foolish and rationalizes the first point

- Nakomi is travelling alone

- Magically appearing coals

- "I am far from my roof, yet not far at all. Perhaps it is far from me. I cannot answer your question, for it is not my place to give this truth."

- Disappears without a trace, and her pack and supplies disappear when Aviendha goes to look for her

 

Plausible explanations (in my not-so-humble opinion)

- Nakomi approaches without being heard (T'A'R, channeler -> eavesdropping ward, portal stone)

- Aviendha is naturally suspicious, but when Nakomi says "I promise that I mean you no harm, child," Aviendha immediately feels foolish and rationalizes the first point (T'A'R, channeler -> compulsion)

- Nakomi is travelling alone (T'A'R, channeler -> traveled there, portal stone, time travel)

- Magically appearing coals (T'A'R)

- "I am far from my roof, yet not far at all. Perhaps it is far from me. I cannot answer your question, for it is not my place to give this truth." (Portal stone, T'A'R, time traveler)

- Disappears without a trace, and her pack and supplies disappear when Aviendha goes to look for her (T'A'R, remote chance of portal stone, but that would require leaving and coming back behind Avi)

 

I'm ignoring the possibility of Nakomi just being a hallucination because her beliefs contract Aviendha's, and it doesn't make sense for Aviendha's subconscious to challenge her in this way.

 

So I'm calling it as T'A'R, or a dreamwalker who entered Aviendha's dream entirely. Either Moridin or Cyndane are likely possibilities. Moridin because it's subtle enough to be his handiwork, and Cyndane because we see her messing with someone else's dreams in the same book...and naturally, if it's Cyndane then Moridin is pulling the strings anyway.

Another reason I call it as T'A'R, besides the fact that it is the only thing that can explain every oddity, is the fact this book is all about T'A'R and alternate realities, more than any before. We had the wolf dream, Slayer entering T'A'R in the flesh, Egwene's dreamwalker adventures, Nynaeve taking her testing, Avi in the pillars, the Tower of Ghenjei, and Lanfear invading Rand's dreams. It fits.

I'd rule out Cyndane for fairly obvious reasons. Avi likely wouldn't survive.

Edit: Another point if it is TAR or somebody entering Avi's dream, then Nakomi is a very powerful dreamwalker.

Avi is not a dreamer. While she could enter TAR naturally while sleeping, that would be momentary. It would take a good dreamer to drag her into TAR and keep here there without a ter'angreal.

Ditto, it would take a special Talent to find her dreams, break into her dreams and turn them around in this fashion.

Moridin can do this. He does it for fun. Moggy could do this (Cyndane too) - in fact she has, to Egwene.

Egwene herself is imprisoned and has other things on her mind.

I don't think the Aiel DW would ever try, because they're frankly scared of it - Melaine got caught in Bael's dreams once and they warned Egwene against being in Gawyn's dreams. I don't think Verin has the ability to do this.

[GusE]

My first instinct was Jenn, then reading a bit here I found the Verin theory interesting but as someone said, she has mainly been delivering hard facts and handing out letters.

 

After a re-read the oddities makes me sure it has to be either TAR (but then why would Avi's feet hurt?) or the Creator. In the thread about Aviendha Yates said something I really liked:

I think the Aiel are the key to the victory of the light, no matter the era.

It would make sense for the Creator to give some nudge guidance to prevent the Aiel from being destroyed utterly. Together with Grandaals points I'm growing more certain of this. The Creator can't interfere? Noone can remember their previous lives in the wheel, but I would say that it is the Creator who gave Rand access to his previous lifetimes.