I think Nakomi is Shaiel/Tigraine. First of all, we must assume that the person who's talking to Rand when he's trying to escape the Dark One's prison is the same person as Nakomi. AMOL, Epilogue: "He could..see, just faintly. A figure kneeling down beside him. "Yes", a woman whispered. He did not recognize the voice. "Yes, that's good. That is what you need to do". He blinked, his vision fuzzy. Was that Aiel clothing? An old woman, with gray hair? Her form retreated, and Rand reached toward her, not wanting to be alone. Wanting to explain himself. "I see the answer now", he whispered. "I asked the Aelfinn the wrong question. To choose is our fate. If you have no choice, then you aren't a man at all. You 're a puppet...". Shouting. Rand felt heavy. He plunged into unconsciousness." This passage has a strong indication that the old, gray-haired woman in Aiel clothing has a personal interest in Rand's survival. Not his success against the DO, just his own survival. Rand tries to reach her (unsuccesfully), longing for her. He speaks about choices, something his mother made when she decided to become an Aiel, in order to save the world. If we compare the graying woman to Nakomi, there are many similarities. Nakomi is also gray-haired, middle aged to old, wears Aiel clothing, cannot channel and is ALSO personally interested in Rand's character as well as his relationship to Aviendha. She has knowledge of the traditional ways of the Aiel, she acts and behaves like one of them. But the passage that tells us a lot about her origin is the following: Towers of Midnight,In the Three-fold land, "I am far from my roof", the woman said, wistful, "yet not far at all.Perhaps it is far from me. I cannot answer your question, apprentice, for it is not my place to give this truth". The roof that is far away is Andor and Caemlyn, in particular. But Nakomi is not far away from her roof, because she has found a new roof/home in the Aiel desert, so she is near her (new) roof and Andor/Caemlyn is away from her. Shaiel/Tigraine could be one of the dead living again, therefore she cannot be touched neither by Rand nor by Aviendha. Aviendha doesn't even hear her as she approaches or ,later, when she vanishes.