The Great Hunt

The story opens with masked Darkfriends receiving orders from Ba'alzamon, who reveals images of three young men from the Two Rivers: Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara. At Fal Dara, Rand trains with Lan Mandragoran and fears the arrival of the Amyrlin Seat, Siuan Sanche, because he can channel. Fine clothes bearing dragon symbols, sealed gates, and secretive Aes Sedai maneuvers convince him he is being trapped. During the confusion, Trollocs and Darkfriends raid the keep, free Padan Fain, steal the Horn of Valere, and take Mat’s Shadar Logoth dagger, without which Mat will die.

Moiraine Damodred and Siuan privately confirm that Rand is the Dragon Reborn. They partially Heal Mat but determine the dagger must be recovered. Rand is confronted by Siuan, told the truth of his identity, and allowed to ride with Lord Ingtar Shinowa’s party after the Horn and dagger. Rand, Mat, Perrin, Loial, Hurin the sniffer, and Shienaran soldiers follow Fain’s trail south, finding murdered guards, deserted villages, and signs that Fain has become something more dangerous than an ordinary Darkfriend. Rand receives the Dragon banner from Moiraine and admits to Mat and Perrin that he can channel, straining their friendship.

Rand, Loial, and Hurin are separated from the others by a Portal Stone and wake in a pale mirror world. There Rand is tempted by Ba'alzamon, branded with a heron on his palm, and meets the mysterious Selene, who urges him toward greatness and the Horn. Under threat from grolm, Rand uses saidin and a Portal Stone to return to the real world. Believing they are ahead of Fain, the group intercepts his camp, steals back the Horn and dagger, and flees toward Cairhien. In Cairhien, Rand is pulled into Daes Dae'mar, the Game of Houses, while Selene presses him to claim glory. The chest is stolen again during a fire, and Ingtar’s party reunites with Rand too late to stop the theft.

Hurin tracks the thieves to Lord Barthanes Damodred’s manor. Rand, Ingtar, Verin Mathwin, Loial, Mat, and others infiltrate a noble gathering, discover a Waygate, and learn Fain has taken the Horn toward Toman Head. The Waygate is unusable because Machin Shin waits within. Barthanes later delivers Fain’s message, and the party goes to Stedding Tsofu, where the Ogier warn them of the corrupted Ways. With the Ways blocked, Verin leads the group to a Portal Stone. Rand channels to transport them to Toman Head, but the attempt forces everyone through countless possible lives and costs them months.

Meanwhile, Egwene and Nynaeve travel to Tar Valon with the Amyrlin. Egwene becomes a novice and Nynaeve is raised to Accepted after surviving a dangerous test through the arches. They befriend Elayne Trakand and Min Farshaw, but Liandrin betrays all four by luring them through the Ways to Toman Head. There she hands them to the Seanchan. Egwene is collared with an a'dam and trained as a damane by Renna, while Min is kept as a servant. Nynaeve and Elayne escape and, with Min’s help, arrange passage with Bayle Domon while planning Egwene’s rescue.

On Toman Head, the Seanchan occupy Falme under High Lord Turak. Bayle Domon has already been captured there, and the Seanchan possess another broken seal linked to the Dark One’s prison. Geofram Bornhald leads Whitecloaks toward Falme, convinced the Seanchan are the true threat and increasingly distrustful of Questioner plots. Rand’s party confirms Fain’s trail leads into Falme and decides that only Rand, Mat, Perrin, Ingtar, and Hurin should infiltrate, since Verin’s channeling could draw damane.

In Falme, Nynaeve captures the sul'dam Seta and discovers the a'dam can control sul'dam as well, proving they can channel or learn to channel. She, Elayne, and Min use Seta as cover to enter the damane quarters and free Egwene. Egwene collars Renna in furious revenge, but Nynaeve stops her from killing the woman. Their escape erupts into open battle as Egwene and other damane unleash the One Power in the streets.

At the same time, Rand’s group enters Turak’s mansion, recovers the Horn and Mat’s dagger, and is confronted by Turak. Rand refuses saidin and defeats the Seanchan Blademaster with the sword. As alarms rise, Rand sees Egwene collared and wants to turn back, but Ingtar forces the retreat. In a narrow alley, Ingtar confesses that he is a Darkfriend who joined the Shadow from despair, hoping the Horn might redeem him. He sacrifices himself to hold off pursuers so the others can escape.

Cornered between Seanchan and Whitecloaks, Mat blows the Horn of Valere. The Heroes of the Horn appear, led by Artur Hawkwing, but they declare they must follow the Dragon and his banner. Perrin raises the Dragon banner, and the Heroes charge the Seanchan while battle spreads through fog around Falme. Rand confronts Ba'alzamon in a duel bound to the struggle below. Accepting his role, Rand lets Ba'alzamon wound him in order to strike back, driving his broken heron-mark blade into Ba'alzamon’s heart. Fire consumes the vision of battle.

Afterward, Min finds Rand gravely wounded and keeps him alive. Lanfear appears, reveals herself as the woman who had posed as Selene, claims Rand as Lews Therin, and vanishes. Egwene, Nynaeve, Elayne, Mat, Hurin, Verin, and the Horn depart for Tar Valon. Rand wakes days later with Moiraine, Min, Perrin, Loial, Lan, and Shienaran soldiers nearby. Moiraine reveals that his battle was seen across the sky and that two more seals are broken. The Shienarans swear to him, Masema with fanatic devotion. Rand finally stops trying to hide and accepts that he must face his duty as the Dragon Reborn.