Remember to read Part 2 first.
Chapter 6 – The Westwood
Hmm. So, since the wound Tam got is not that bad perhaps the reason he is so ill right now is the blade he was cut with had poison on it maybe?
Man, this trip back to Emond’s Field is a tough one – and he has not eaten anything since the honeycakes he had? Was that not several chapters back?! Cooorrr, thick lamb stew with freshly baked bread and hot tea? Yes please.
Is Tam rambling about people underestimating Trollocs or something else? Who was Laman again? The name sounds familiar but I do not quite recall. It seems that dark rider they kept seeing is in league with the trollocs – but what is it?
Wait – did Tam just reveal in his fever dream that Rand was born on the slope of a mountain during some bad event and he took him in? Uhh… What? Surely Rand is not the Dragon Reborn?… right? That would be a pretty insane twist.
Well for one quite short chapter it certainly contained quite the bombshell. I mean – Rand is the Dragon Reborn then… no? What else would that mean? He clearly did not just say that for no reason and there is no way it just gets revealed as having said it out of confusion.
And if so… that means Moiraine and Lan will be looking for him and now it makes sense why they are in Emond’s Field – however they knew to be there though who knows – but they obviously do not yet know it is Rand… well if it is him… BUT IT HAS TO BE, RIGHT?
Chapter 7 – Out of the Woods
Uhoh – did Trollocs attack Emond’s Field? Ahh crap, it seems they did and quite badly – but at least there seems to be some survivors so maybe Tam can still be helped. Hmm, I wonder where Moiraine and Lan are amoung all this… did they help defend or?
Also – Bel Tine sounded like it was going to be so much fun! What a great shame.
Looks like many of the characters we’ve come to know in Emond’s Field are okay so far – Mat for example – and also the Wisdom thankfully for Tam – that is if she could do anything for him.
Damn! So Tam is going to die then by the looks of it. Ah, I did have a feeling that would be the case. And now we know? Perhaps that Rand is the Dragon Reborn? Maybe? This could maybe be one of the defining events that sets him on the path to his destiny… and I guess eventual madness. And as I said before too – he inherits the sword I guess.
So, the gleeman is still there and it looks like the Peddler’s wagon was destroyed and I guess looted? The mayor is there still. I am not sure why Rand thought the mayor could do anything more to help his father than the Wisdom but I guess thats’s just desperation.
Ah okay, Moiraine and Lan did help which I thought they would have and it sounds like without them the village would have been in a lot deeper trouble – possibly a complete loss. But now of course everyone knows she is an Aes Sedai and he is her Warder.
Rand also seems annoyed by Moiraine for some reason – but I don’t think he completely trusted her from the beginning.
Oh, of course – Aes Sedai can heal and often more so than anyone else or when all else fails. Still though, I’d be surprised if Tam pulls through now. But we’ll see.
Ko’bal and seven bands so far? So, are Trollocs from different groupings then, like tribes? Or is it just a military thing – a number of Trollocs makes up a band and they get a band name and badge? Hmm. Any who, sounds like a lot of Trollocs for whatever reason. That is from Lan by the way and of course he’d know all about Trollocs. Oh! So Moiraine says that many Trollocs have not acted together since the Trolloc Wars – interesting.
Huh, did Lan just say that the Dark One can stop people from dying? I mean, I guess he could but that is quite powerful but I’d imagine not so straightforward and comes with a lot of bad, bad attached strings and other stuff.
But also by the looks of things Rand definitely has got himself on Moiraine’s web now. Hopefully she does not make him regret it. Also – very interesting dynamic. Neither Rand nor Moiraine know that… well… Rand is the Dragon Reborn. Who she is looking for! And I’d imagine getting pretty desperate in doing so at this point – I guess the other dragon spoken of in that war going on elsewhere is a false one then?
Eww, I didn’t like Lan’s attitude towards Rand just then – ‘I don’t know that you are worth it, sheepherder’. Ehh, maybe he is just snapping from the stress of things, hope Moiraine isn’t having an influence on his behaviour.
Chapter 8 – A Place of Safety
I wonder if Moiraine can bring Tam back. Surely he isn’t going to be the same as he was beforehand? And there are certainly going to be strings attached. And again! The Dragon Reborn… just sitting in the room with Moiraine and Lan… none the wiser.
Ah! Lan has taken an interest in the sword that Rand has – it has Heron marks on it which is apparently rare apparently in the area they currently are.
Oh! We got some more Dark One lore – well only a little bit – the odd behaving Raven was a spy and it is because the Dark One uses carrion eaters or eaters of death like crows and also sometimes rats as spies. Wow! That must be tough to deal with since there are millions. And as for the dark figure that had kept being seen – apparently Moiraine would have needed to bring many sisters with her to take it on, whatever it is.
But I still wonder – why did they come? Why are they spying? Does the Dark One know the Dragon Reborn may be in the area?
So that answers my question from earlier – Trolloc blades are wacky magic and evil touched basically and can sometimes cause a variety of odd and bad things from an injury… including bad fevers.
Moiraine is using something called an angreal to help with the healing. They are very rare and how to make them has been lost. Moiraine said the Amrylin Seat allowed her to take it? How can that be true though, is the Amrylin not still a problem for them or have I forgotten something?
Also that dark figure was a Myrddraal – and it does not look like what Rand had originally described because what he thought they looked like was just legend/story in his area and that makes sense – and good because that original description was terrifying.
We get some more lore – Lan says the Myddraal are almost a throwback to the human stock used to originally make the Trollocs – which was apparently done by the Dreadlords whoever they are (they sound metal as heck though). And the Myrddraal are known to lead the Trollocs into battle. Cool! Makes sense from what we have seen. An Aes Sedai can apparently take a Myddraal on easily enough alone – unless they are very weak – so I think what Moiraine meant earlier when she said that she needed more sisters with her is that the Myddraal’s presence was a sign that there would be a lot of Trollocs in the area.
Ah the Myddraal is still alive – managed to get away. And here we go – the Trolloc raid was very specifically targeted and not for no reason – only very specific boys around Rand’s age were being targeted including Rand himself – Moiraine and Lan quickly put this together and figure there is something in one or all three of the targets – they just don’t know what – IT’S RAND HE IS THE DRAGON REBORN. Anyway, so Rand and I am guessing his friends have to leave the village now. The adventure begins!
Looks like they will be heading off to Tar Valon. But I am sure Moiraine is possibly not welcome there unless there is something I missed? As she left without permission of the Amyrlin in the last book, no? Plus they have to be careful of the Aes Sedai who work for the Dark One. I guess we shall see – I am still not sure how much time has passed but I feel like it has been a fair amount since the end of the last book.
Quite smart of Rand to confirm the events of what happened with the mayor – showing Moiraine was probably telling the truth of why the Trollocs and the Mydraal attacked – and in a way that did not reveal other details to the mayor.
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