34 The Last Village

On the Caemlyn Road, Rand and Mat ride with farmer Hyam Kinch, passing Queen’s Guards and villages growing closer together. Kinch offers them hiding at his farm, but Mat’s suspicion rejects it, and they press on toward Caemlyn.

Flashback: After escaping Four Kings in a thunderstorm, Mat is light-blinded and terrified, while Rand leads them through rain. Rand dreams of Ba’alzamon, who destroys the burned Darkfriend Gode and claims Rand, leaving Rand sun-scorched and shaken on waking. A kind farmer, Alpert Mull, gives them scarves despite fear for his family.

They risk an inn where Rulan Allwine charges dearly but offers warm food and beds; at breakfast a nervous youth, Paitr, admits being a Darkfriend and begs parley. Rand and Mat reject him; when Paitr grabs Rand, Rand punches him. An old sweeper overhears Paitr’s oath to the Shadow; Paitr flees, and Rand and Mat hurry out before gossip hardens into danger.

Riding and walking on, they reach The Queen’s Man, where the crowd is swollen by travelers bound for Logain. The innkeeper, Good Master Inlow, agrees to a performance, but Rand suddenly collapses with chills and fever. Mat hides him in the stable and tends him through delirium as Rand hallucinates accusations and warnings from friends and foes until the fever breaks by dawn.

At first light a silk-clad woman enters the stable, feigning concern before lunging at Mat with a dagger that chars the wall. Mat counters with the ruby-hilted Shadar Logoth blade, which terrifies her; at her cold threat that a Myrddraal is coming, Mat locks her in the tack room. The boys flee the village; Rand soon collapses on the road again, and Hyam Kinch happens by, offering a ride east toward Caemlyn.