The Great Hunt

Inside the Amrylin’s chamber, four Aes Sedai work to heal Mat, but without the dagger—a token of corruption to which his life is nevertheless bound—the healing will only buy him a few months of life. They must retrieve the dagger to prevent its corrupting influence from spreading out into the world, and only Mat, Moiraine decides, can carry it without being tainted by it. The Amyrlin also worries about Fain, questioning why the dark forces would risk an open attack on Fal Dara to free a single Darkfriend.

Before the Amyrlin retires for the night, Verin, a Brown Ajah who translated the writing on the dungeon walls, reads some of the stark verse. It is a prophecy mentioning the “Daughter of the Night” (106), which is a reference to Lanfear, a “Forsaken One” who once cast her lot with the Dark One in exchange for immortality. The Amyrlin believes it a false prophecy, and that Lanfear, like the other Forsaken Ones, is still sealed within Shayol Ghul alongside the Dark One. Further interpretation of the verse suggests that the descendants of Artur Hawkwing—an ancient king who once united “all the lands west of the Spine of the World” (694)— may return after 1,000 years. As Verin continues to interpret the verse, she notes that “the man who channels” (109) must be a reference to either Rand, Mat, or Perrin. Moiraine is shocked that Verin, a Brown Ajah who she assumed was too engrossed in her studies to be aware of what lay right under her nose, would make the connection between the channeler of prophecy and the three young men under Moiraine’s charge.

Perrin sneaks into the infirmary to visit Mat, who stirs briefly and falls back asleep. Leane, an Aes Sedai healer, enters and orders him to leave so Mat can rest, but when she claims Mat will be fine in a few hours, Perrin suspects she is lying. As he attempts to leave, Leane notices his yellow eyes, one of the physical traits he displays as a “Wolfbrother.”

Returning to the men’s quarters, Perrin meets Rand, who questions him about Mat’s condition. The exchange is awkward—Perrin finds Rand’s presumed noble status condescending, and when he once again asks Rand for all three of them to leave Fal Dara together and Rand refuses, he storms out. Just as Rand prepares to leave the city alone, Lan enters, summoning him to an audience with the Amyrlin Seat, an order he cannot refuse. Lan gives Rand a quick tutorial in etiquette and escorts him to the meeting.

Assuming a confident posture, Rand and Lan enter the women’s apartments. Their escorts lead them to the Amyrlin Seat’s chambers where they are met by Leane, her chief aide, who ushers Rand inside, alone. The Amyrlin Seat, Moiraine, and a Brown Ajah sit before him. The Amyrlin offers Rand the chance to accompany Ingtar, Mat, and Perrin on the quest to recover the Horn and Mat’s dagger. He accepts her offer. She then brings up Rand’s ability to channel the One Power, a faculty he claims he does not want. The Amyrlin tells him it is not a matter of choice; he must learn to control it or die. Unfortunately, he can only learn that control from a male Aes Sedai—the One Power is divided into male and female elements—and none still exist. When Rand asks why the Aes Sedai are not gentling him, the Amyrlin seat declares, Because you are the Dragon Reborn” (127). When Rand denies it, Moiraine recounts a story of an Aes Sedai who foretells the birth of the Dragon on the snowy mountain of Dragonmount, the very place where Rand was found and adopted by the warrior Tam al’Thor before raising him in the Two Rivers. Rand senses the truth of Moiraine’s story, but he fears his fate and the obligation it will place on him. With the Amyrlin’s vow that he may come and go at will, Rand leaves the meeting.

Nynaeve senses a powerful storm coming despite the clear sky. When she sees Rand leaving the meeting, she knows the storm centers on him. As she runs through the crowded courtyard after him, she thinks about her home in Emond’s Field and how long she has been away. She wonders if she is still her village’s true Wisdom. Nynaeve’s search for Rand proves futile, but she stumbles upon Lan who gives her a ring from the ancient Malkieri nation—a kingdom “once on the borderlands, now consumed by the Blight” (696). The ring, he claims, will grant her privileges in the borderlands and allow her to send him a message anytime. Nynaeve, who is in love with Lan, refuses the gift; she does not want to be indebted to a man who cannot return her love. However, he insists she keep it. Lan leaves to prepare for the Amyrlin Seat’s departure. Moments later, Nynaeve turns to find Moiraine standing there. She tells Nynaeve to pack and say her farewells to Rand, Mat, and Perrin. Nynaeve is suspicious of Moiraine, fearing she might be manipulating Rand for her own purposes, but Moiraine gives nothing away. Frustrated, Nynaeve vows to learn the One Power so she can take down Moiraine.

As Egwene and Nynaeve prepare to leave for Tar Valon, Egwene comes out to speak with Rand. They walk together through the corridors; Rand asks about Egwene’s health after the Trolloc attack, and Egwene questions Rand about his meeting with the Amyrlin Seat. Egwene promises to assist him once she becomes an Aes Sedai, but Rand fears no one can help him. Realizing they may never see each other again, they say their final farewells.

The courtyard bustles with activity as both the Aes Sedai and the party questing for the Horn prepare to leave Fal Dara. Rand joins Ingtar’s men, and both Mat and Perrin ride by, giving him the cold shoulder. Lan approaches to give Rand one final lesson: “Sheathing the Sword” (147), a tactic by which a combatant must leave himself open to serious injury to achieve a greater goal. The Amyrlin approaches Ingtar and his men, reminding them of the importance of keeping the Horn out of the wrong hands: “Those who come to answer its call, will come to whoever blows it” (149), regardless of whether they are good or evil. Again, Rand is aware of being watched by unseen eyes, and suddenly an arrow flies past the Amyrlin, grazing her arm. The men draw their swords, and Agelmar orders the assailant found, but Rand suspects the shot was not aimed at her. Anxious to depart, the Amyrlin accepts Agelmar’s offer of armed escort and bids Ingtar a speedy and successful journey.

As Ingtar and Rand puzzle over who might be responsible for the attack, Rand meets Hurin, the company’s “sniffer,” who can track the scent of battle. Soon, Hurin catches the scent, and the company turns south.

In the southern port city of Illian—where residents are currently celebrating the traditional Great Hunt of the Horn—Bayle Domon, captain of the sea vessel known as the Spray, walks grimly through the streets to “meet men he thought might be trying to kill him” (155). He enters an inn where he is approached by three strangers who offer him 1,000 gold marks to transport a passenger from Mayene to Illian—no questions asked. Suspecting political machinations at work, Domon nevertheless agrees to the terms. He opens the strangers’ coin pouch, containing 200 gold marks as down payment, and sees the coins bear the mark of Tar Valon. Moments later, Yarin, his “second,” enters and informs him that another one of his crew has been killed and that Yarin’s room has been ransacked. Domon, suspecting he is being hunted by Darkfriends, orders Spray manned and ready to sail as soon as possible.

Once Spray hits open waters, Domon, in defiance of his agreement, peeks at the sealed parchment the men have given him. It identifies the bearer of the parchment as a Darkfriend and orders those who read it to hang Domon immediately. Domon examines the small treasures he has collected over the years, including a heartstone, and wonders if these objects have anything to do with these men wanting him dead. Instead of sailing to Mayene, he orders the ship west, out into Aryth Ocean.

Ingtar’s company maintains a dangerously fast pace, yet still their quarry outdistances them. Eventually, Ingtar is forced to slow the pace for the horses’ sake, and as nightfall approaches with no sign of the thieves, they stop and make camp. Rand is distressed to find that Moiraine has packed only fine, regal garments for him. He wishes to be just one of the men, not a lord or the Dragon Reborn as the Aes Sedai have claimed.

The next morning, they discover the remains of a Trolloc camp from the night before. Hurin reports they have changed direction—northeast now—and Ingtar orders the company to mount up and ride. Over the next several days, their prey changes direction repeatedly, leaving a dead body at each abandoned campsite and leading Ingtar’s company on a helter-skelter chase across a desolate landscape. Ingtar himself becomes almost madly obsessive, driving his company harder and harder in his quest to reclaim the Horn. Their chase eventually leads them to the River Erinin and a seemingly empty village. They speculate that the Darkfriends and Trollocs took the villagers, and Ingtar orders the far side of the river scouted for signs of an ambush. As the company begins to traverse the river, Perrin warns of danger, but he does not elaborate. Ingtar, Rand, and several of his men, the first to cross, find two Fal Dara dungeon guards skinned alive and trussed up like scarecrows. They bury the corpses and ride on.

After a long stretch of open wilderness—the former nation of Harad Dakar, another in a long line of empires lost to history—they come to another deserted village. They ride in cautiously and search for people. Rand enters an empty house, where a meal sits untouched on the table. He suddenly has a vision of a family inside the house, about to enjoy the meal when they scream in horror at something breaking through the door. In a flash, his vision returns to the empty house. The visions switch back and forth between the family and the empty home until Rand sees the house and himself covered in swarms of black flies. Feeling a strong heat course through his body, he eventually pulls himself out of the vision. The few flies that had swarmed around the food are now dead. Exiting the house, Rand hears a cry and finds the company gathered outside a building in the center of the village. There, impaled upon a door, is a Myrddraal. The sight of a murdered servant of the Dark One is deeply unsettling, and Ingtar orders the company to ride out.

As the company makes camp for the night, Ingtar gives Rand a package from Moiraine along with a shocking message: If Ingtar dies, Rand is second-in-command by order of Moiraine and Lord Agelmar. Rand protests, but Ingtar insists he is obligated to do his duty as part of the company. Retreating under the cover of trees, he opens the package. Inside is the banner of Lews Therin Kinslayer, the Dragon of ancient legend. Mat and Perrin wander into the clearing and see the banner, stunned and alarmed when Rand admits he can channel. Mat fears for their lives, as well as Rand’s sanity, if the company—or any Red Ajah—finds out. Perrin advises him to run far from the reach of the Aes Sedai. That night, Rand lies awake trying to make sense of his disturbing vision and the murdered Myrddraal.

In the Trolloc camp, Padan Fain now holds the dagger once bound to Mat. It was he who impaled the Myrddraal on the door. Now in command of the company of Trollocs and Darkfriends, Fain orders all the captured villagers slain. Employed by the Dark One to track Rand, Mat, and Perrin, he often senses the presence and location of Rand, though that sense fades sometimes. Having not yet figured out how to open the chest which bears the Horn, he vows to see Rand dead.