A Path Chosen

But hope is like a piece of string when you're drowning; it just isn't enough to get you out by yourself.

Perrin Aybara on hope

But hope is like a piece of string when you're drowning; it just isn't enough to get you out by yourself.
— Perrin Aybara on hope

For other chapters with "path" in the title, see Path.

Book Index
0 I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV
Chapters
Dragonmount - Ravens 1 An Empty Road 2 Strangers 3 The Peddler 4 The Gleeman 5 Winternight 6 The Westwood 7 Out of the Woods 8 A Place of Safety 9 Tellings of the Wheel 10 Leavetaking 11 The Road to Taren Ferry 12 Across the Taren 13 Choices 14 The Stag and Lion 15 Strangers and Friends 16 The Wisdom 17 Watchers and Hunters 18 The Caemlyn Road 19 Shadow's Waiting 20 Dust on the Wind 21 Listen to the Wind 22 A Path Chosen 23 Wolfbrother 24 Flight Down the Arinelle 25 The Traveling People 26 Whitebridge 27 Shelter from the Storm 28 Footprints in Air 29 Eyes Without Pity 30 Children of Shadow 31 Play for Your Supper 32 Four Kings in Shadow 33 The Dark Waits 34 The Last Village 35 Caemlyn 36 Web of the Pattern 37 The Long Chase 38 Rescue 39 Weaving of the Web 40 The Web Tightens 41 Old Friends and New Threats 42 Remembrance of Dreams 43 Decisions and Apparitions 44 The Dark Along the Ways 45 What Follows in Shadow 46 Fal Dara 47 More Tales of the Wheel 48 The Blight 49 The Dark One Stirs 50 Meetings at the Eye 51 Against the Shadow 52 Neither Beginning Nor End 53 The Wheel Turns

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Setting: The banks of the Arinelle, outside Shadar Logoth

Summary

Point of view: Perrin Aybara

Perrin wakes up from a dream of home and working at Master Luhhan's forge. He discovers that he slept under a tree. In a panic, he grabs his axe as last nights events replay in his mind. Perrin reflects that he needs to do "one thing at a time and the most important first" since that is his way. He goes over all of the tools he has and has lost in the escape from the Trollocs. He decides to head down river because Egwene, as a weaker swimmer, would take longer to cross the river.

He searches downriver, jumping behind sparse trees in case Shadowspawn spot him and overcome their fear of water. He finds a hoof print with Master Luhhan's characteristic double crossbar. A small trail leads him to a dense stand of trees and travels through them with a smile. He soon finds Egwene ready to attack him. He calms her and tells her he should have said he was coming. Egwene immediately takes charge of the situation by telling him to dry his clothes by the fire and feeding him. Egwene tells how she got away from the trollocs by Bela nearly pulling her away.

They both sit near the fire and talk of the others they haven't seen, arguing about the intervention of Moiraine in their lives. Perrin talks of how the others could be all dead but decides to hope. Egwene asks what they should do and Perrin is shocked that she didn't decide for them. Drawing in the dirt the locations of the 2 cities and their current location, Perrin decides that they should go cross-country straight to Caemlyn instead of going to Whitebridge, which is where the Fades will be looking. Perrin decides once they get to Caemlyn they will wait a couple of days before moving on to Tar Valon and talk to the Amyrlin Seat directly. They leave immediately instead of waiting for Perrin to dry even with Egwene protesting.

Characters

• Perrin Aybara
• Egwene al'Vere
• Bela (animal)

Referenced

• Master Luhhan
• Mistress Luhhan
• Rand al'Thor
• Moiraine Damodred
• Mat Cauthon
• Master al'Vere

Shadowspawn

• Trollocs
• Fades

Groups

• Aes Sedai
• Warder

Places

• Bank of the Arinelle River

Referenced

• Emond's Field
• Whitebridge
• Caemlyn
• Tar Valon

Items

• Half-moon axe

Concepts

• Light

Sayings

• If wishes were wings, sheep would fly. - Saying of Alsbet Luhhan