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In the last book of the Wheel of Time, A Memory of Light, we see that

Bela is is seemingly killed in battle while carrying Olver and the Horn of Valere during the Last Battle

But is she really dead?

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According to Brandon Sanderson he was told Bela had to die, and in fact wrote her death in A Memory of light.

JEFFREY BERNARD (23 JANUARY 2013) With all the deaths that occurred in A Memory of Light, were there any that hit you harder than any others?

BRANDON SANDERSON (23 JANUARY 2013) Egwene. After that, Bela. I'd promised she would live, but Harriet decided that I was cheating to keep her alive.

BELLYGOD Why did you kill Bela?

BRANDON SANDERSON

I tried to keep her alive! Harriet told me I'd put her in too bad a situation, and she needed to die.

BRANDON SANDERSON

She was right, of course, but it still hurts. 59

TEREZ

Bela. @BrandSanderson told us twice that she would survive. :( But apparently Harriet later insisted she should die.

BRANDON SANDERSON (13 JANUARY 2013) Yeah. Harriet felt that we had painted that character into a corner, and the story demanded that conclusion.

DANIEL SHEPARD Is that the GRRM moment? Or the character that was gonna recover from their injuries?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Character was going to recover.

BRANDON SANDERSON She was right to make that call, but it does turn me into a liar. That's what I get for speaking too soon... 56

According to other interviews, Bela's death seemed to be the most talked about thing on the book tour and interviews after the release of AMOL.

BRANDON SANDERSON (PARAPHRASED) Bela's death was the runaway winner for most brought up subject, to which Brandon usually arched his arm across the head of Memory Keeper Aviendha, pointed at Harriet and said, "Blame her." At one point he said he wrote a scene where she fought back to life, but Harriet cut it. She overheard this, said it wasn't true and Brandon responded that he'd wanted to. He then said that he likes to think that when the Horn is called next one of the Heroes will be riding a shaggy, gray mare. 61

This may be a reason, that upon writing the Companion, that they brought Bela Back to life.

She was thought to be dead, but unaccountably survived. In the first years of the Fourth Age she gave birth to a strong colt and a splendid filly and retired to green pastures in the Two Rivers.

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  • That's some weird chat lurking!
    – user31178
    Commented Jan 5, 2016 at 23:13
  • @CreationEdge i was like, i didnt see any self answered wot questions, lemme go look.
    – Himarm
    Commented Jan 5, 2016 at 23:14
  • A very recent comment from Brandon Sanderson
    – fez
    Commented May 3, 2021 at 20:33
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No! She lives!

While this was one of the most heart-wrenching deaths in Wheel of Time, much like Hedwig in Harry Potter, it apparently didn't happen.

The Wheel of Time Companion has this to say, under this character's entry:

She was thought to be dead, but unaccountably survived. In the first years of the Fourth Age she gave birth to a strong colt and a splendid filly and retired to green pastures in the Two Rivers.

However, the foreword to the Companion states that there may be errors or continuity issues, so it's still up to the reader as to whether or not this extended glossary is truly canon.

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