— Rand to Mat and Perrin
- For the chapter with the same title in Crossroads of Twilight, see Crossroads of Twilight/Prologue.
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In the Shadow
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| <<< Glimmers of the Pattern >>> |
| Setting: South of Shienar |
Summary[]
- Point of view: Rand al'Thor
After seeing the Fade nailed to the door and the guards hanging from the trees, everyone is a bit shaken. Uno mentions he spotted the white-dressed woman[1] again in the second village, shortly before finding the dead Fade. Rand doesn't think it's possible that it was the same woman. Due to the current morale of the group, Ingtar calls for an early stop and is extra vigilant in posting guards. Rand receives a package from Ingtar that he says is from Moiraine. Ingtar also tells Rand that he is second in command of the party and if Ingtar dies, Rand must complete the mission. Rand objects to no avail.
Rand goes into the forest to open the package and discovers that it is the Dragon Banner. Mat sees him with the banner and gets even angrier at Rand. Perrin reacts differently and just ponders. Rand gets angry too and exclaims that Moiraine is setting him up to be a False Dragon despite his best efforts to stop it. Perrin asks Rand whether he can channel, and Rand admits he can. Mat panics and starts rambling about all of them getting killed but Perrin tells him to shut up. Rand says that Moiraine told him that he is the real Dragon but he doesn't believe it. Rand finally gets to explain his earlier words and his friends understand, although Mat is still afraid of him. Perrin advises him to run away but admits that it may not be possible. Rand keeps trying to figure out what Moiraine wants him to do so he can do something else, but all he does is confuse himself in the increasing layers of psychology.
Rand joins Loial and Hurin on the other side of the hollow, separate from the rest of the men. Loial is examining a half-buried, weathered stone[2] which he thinks may have been worked in some fashion. The three lay down next to the stone. Rand goes to an uneasy sleep holding the Void.
- Point of view: Padan Fain
Fain reflects on the changes that Ba'alzamon made to him. He is now permanently aware of the location of the three ta'veren, especially Rand, except the moments when Rand uses his "vanishing trick."[3] He followed the three to Shadar Logoth where he was transformed further. He carries the ruby-hilted dagger and it is now a part of him. He recalls his power struggle with the Fade, feeling weak every morning and losing command before wrestling it back later in the day. The weakness reduced gradually until he was able to take over completely and nail the Fade to the door in the village. The Fade had wanted to go north to the Blight and Shayol Ghul, not south where they are going now.
He has twenty Trollocs under his command along with twelve remaining Darkfriends. He is annoyed that he let the Trollocs take an entire village captive, slowing him down. He orders the Trollocs to cut all the villagers down and eat what they can, but to leave the rest of the remains in a pile for Rand to find. He threatens to feed the remaining Darkfriends to the Trollocs should they get hungry again. The Darkfriends babble how they are important nobles and useful to him; he ignores them completely. He thinks about the Horn of Valere which is in a locked chest that he can't open. He is tired of following Rand; this time Rand must do the following. They will meet again on Toman Head. There he will kill Rand and be free of him at last.
Characters[]
Referenced[]
- Moiraine
- Siuan - as Amyrlin Seat
- Agelmar
- Lews Therin
- Masema
- Ba'alzamon
Groups[]
Referenced[]
Places[]
Referenced[]
- Borderlands
- Blight
- Tar Valon
- Fal Dara
- Aryth Ocean
- Emond's Field
- Shadar Logoth
- Shayol Ghul
- Cairhien
- Toman Head