The Great Hunt: Chapter 45
Chapter 45: Blademaster
Estyrien al'Halien
Characters: Nynaeve, Elayne, Min, damane, Seta, Domon, Yarin, Rand, Mat, Hurin, Perrin, Ingtar, Turak and Seanchan servants
Setting: Falme, Toman Head
Nynaeve, Min and Elayne wait in an alleyway to begin their plan to free Egwene. It's early morning so only a few people are about but they see a damane and sul'dam walk down the road towards them, the few Falmen? averted their eyes and gave them a wide berth". Nynaeve focuses all her anger, "Leashed Ones and Leash holders? They had put their filthy collar on Egwene's neck", and channels directly at the a'dam, opening the collar. The damane is obviously local because she punches the sul'dam and then flees. Nynaeve, Min and Elayne drag the stunned sul'dam and the a'dam into the alleyway and to a disused shed. None of the Falmen attempted to help the sul'dam, "Nynaeve had been counting on that".
Once there, they bind the sul'dam's hands, takes off the bracelet of the a'dam and take away her dress and boots. The clothes are most likely to fit Nynaeve so she puts them on and Elayne starts to put on a grey dress, similar to that of a damane's. When Elayne wishes that she "knew more of what it (a'dam) does", Nynaeve tests it on the cowering sul'dam, "there is one way to find out". She wears the bracelet of the a'dam and is immediately aware of what the sul'dam is feeling. When the sul'dam laughs at her, Nynaeve has an idea and adds a sensation to "the lump of sensations that she knew belonged to the sul'dam". The sul'dam is then in immediate pain, despite the fact that Min says that "it won't work any woman who cannot channel". Nynaeve stops immediately but the sul'dam is terrified and answers her questions. Nynaeve realises "she could never make Elayne wear that collar" and decides that she will use the sul'dam as a fake damane and Elayne will be a servant. She explains "No one really looks at a damane" and so their plan should work. When they are all dressed accordingly, they move out of the shed and head towards the building where the damane are kept.
The point of view changes to Domon, who is on board his ship with his crew. He explains to Yarin, a crewman, that the ship won't sail until "those women are aboard" unless the Seanchan soldiers come for the ship.
The point of view changes again to that of Rand's who is in Falme, stabling his horse along with Mat, Perrin, Ingtar and Hurin's. He leaves the Dragon banner in his saddlebags in the stable, safe away from Verin's prying eyes. They walk around the town with Hurin leading, only to find the Fain's trail criss-crosses all over the town, "it's hard to tell old from new". As they walk, they not only see damane, which surprises them, but grolm as well. Rand and Hurin recognise the grolm from the portal worlds and have to make a conscious effort not to stare.
They come across Turak's house and Hurin explains "The street stinks of layer on layer on layer of him" and Mat can feel that the dagger is in the house too. Rand explains to a doubtful Ingtar that the Horn is probably in the house too, along with Fain and the dagger. When Rand suggests a cautious plan, Ingtar explains that "I've waited too long" and suggests that they act quickly. He then explains that there are gardens and alleys running behind the house and "sometimes men are so busy guarding their front, they neglect their back". They go round to the back and Ingtar looks over the wall to check the gardens. There is only one guard there, who is killed and hidden by Ingtar, "the man was overconfident". Now free to enter the house, the do so cautiously, uninterrupted until a female servant spots them, only to run away without a word. Mat follows the pull of the dagger and leads them to an unoccupied room. Sure enough, the Horn of Valere and the dagger are in the room and Mat picks up his dagger while Ingtar is in awe of the Horn, "By Light, it is! I am saved".
Rand crosses to the window to look at the grolm but instead sees Egwene in the damane quarters. The others try to convince him that it can't have been her, "Egwene is safe in Tar Valon", but before Rand can comment, they are interrupted by Turak and several Seanchan soldiers. Turak tells them that he had suspected Fain would try to steal the Horn, "I have been suspicious of him since Huon died", but he will kill them instead. When a soldier tries to take the Horn, Mat stabs him with his dagger, only to find that the merest scratch can kill a man in extreme agony. The dagger causes the victim's body to turn black and leaves him in agony.
When the man is dead, Ingtar and the others fight with the soldiers and Rand fights Turak. Through Turak is a skilled blademaster, Rand defeats him, despite having to hold off the call of Saidin throughout the fight, "Saidin flowed towards him? but he ignored it". When Turak is killed, the servants with him kill themselves, "From birth to death? I serve the Blood". The others return to the room, obviously having fought with the guards. Despite his protests that he must save Egwene, Rand runs out of the building with Ingtar, Mat, Perrin and Hurin with the two items that they came for. They run past other Seanchan servants who haven't moved from where their masters left them and out of the building. Rand spares one last thought for Egwene, "I will come back for her. Somehow".
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