The Eye of the World: Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Fal Dara

Val a'Shain

Characters: Rand, Mat, Loial, Moiraine, Lan, Perrin, Nynaeve, Egwene, Ingtar, Lord Angelmar, Padan Fain.

Setting: Country side in Shienar and Fal Dara

Point of view: Rand

The country around the Waygate looks dead. Winter seems to cling to the land. Rand sees trees split as if lightning struck them because the sap in the trees froze. Closer to Fal Dara they see farms that have been abandoned recently. Rand makes an other attempt to convince Loial, Egwene and Nynaeve to stay in Shienar when the party leaves for the Blight. Of course the women don't see any reason too. Loial refuses to stay behind as well. He seems eager to meet the Green Man.

Fal Dara turns out to be a city much smaller than Caemlyn. It is dominated by it's defenses. Everything in the city seems designed to hold the Trollocs out. Lan tells them to push back the hoods of their cloaks so the guards can see their faces. It is law in Shienar, Fades have to hide their faces to have a chance to enter the city. The guards and the people in the city seem to recognize Lan. He is repeatedly asked if the Golden Crane will fly again.

The city itself seems packed with people. Everybody seems to have left the surrounding countryside. In the fort at the center of the city an army seems to be preparing for battle. In the fort they are met by a man named Ingtar. He tells them Lord Agelmar is ready to receive them. He also tells them that Shienar is preparing to ride to Tarwin's Gap to stop the Trolloc hordes. He also asks Lan if the Golden Crane will fly again. Lan tells him Malkier is dead and that they have an other mission.

Lord Agelmar seems very pleased to see Moiraine and Lan. He tries repeatedly to convince them to join the army heading for Tarwin's Gap. The situation seems almost desperate. Trolloc raids have been intense this winter in all the Borderlands. All four nations are watching their own borders now. There won't be any reinforcements. Moiraine refuses and explains some of their mission to Lord Agelmar. He offers to Moiraine to send some men along with them into the Blight but again Moiraine refuses.

Lord Agelmar turns out to be a good host, the company has dinner with him and he manages to draw everybody into the conversation. Then Ingtar enters and tells Lord Agelmar a stranger with a Lugarder accent has entered the city. Moiraine immediately suspects who this stranger is and asks to see him. The stranger is bought up and Mat, Perrin and Rand recognize him as the peddler, Fain and the beggar from Caemlyn. Fain turn out the be mad and clearly a darkfriend. Moiraine asks Lord Agelmar to take him to a place where he can be interrogated.

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