Hurin

Author: Val a'Shain

HEW-rhin

General

Hurin (last name unknown) is a thief-taker in service of the King of Shienar. He is stationed in Fal Dara and is described as being a lean man with a lined face and graying long cut hair (TGH, Ch. 9). He does not have the topknot of a Shienaran warrior. This means that he considers himself to be a commoner, not a soldier. His exact age is not mentioned, but from his description and the fact that he has a wife, Melia and children (TGH, Ch. 13) we can derive he is probably not a young man.

His work has taken him beyond the borders of Shienar, in several places it becomes clear he has some experience with Cairhien for instance. He also chased a killer to Maradon in Saldaea once. Hurin is very loyal to his Lords and King and has great confidence in their ability to lead.

Timeline

• Hurin is introduced to Rand by Lord Ingtar when they leave to track down Padan Fain's band to reclaim the Horn of Valere and the dagger from Shadar Logoth (TGH, Ch. 9).

• Hurin leads the party mainly south to the territory of the now abandoned nation of Harad Dakar. They find several abandoned camps and a deserted village where Fain passed. They also find a Fade nailed to a door in one of the deserted villages (TGH, Ch. 10).

• Loial spots a stone that looks like it has been worked at the site where Rand, Loial and Hurin make their bed for the night. It turns out the be a Portal Stone (TGH, Ch. 11).

• Hurin, Loial and Rand wake up in a world that might be, transported during the night by Rand. Hurin looks to Rand for guidance. The sniffer can still follow the trail and Rand decides to do so (TGH, Ch. 12).

• Hurin, Loial and Rand meet Selene/Lanfear in the alternate world (TGH, Ch. 16).

• Rand brings Hurin, Loial, Selene and himself back to their own world using another Portal Stone (TGH, Ch. 17).

• Hurin tracks down Fain's party and Rand, Loial and Hurin reclaim the Horn and the dagger. Despite Selene's insistence they decide to make for Cairhien to wait for Ingtar to catch up with them (TGH, Ch. 19).

• Hurin, Loial and Rand make their way to Cairhien. Hurin tries to keep Rand from making social blunders with the Cairhienin several times (TGH, Ch. 20; Ch. 21; Ch. 25; Ch. 26; Ch. 27).

• Hurin accompanies Rand on his trip from Cairhien after the Horn has been retaken by Fain. The trip will take him to Falme eventually (The Great Hunt).

• Hurin picks up Fain's trail again in Falme. Rand, Perrin, Mat, Ingtar and Hurin decide to enter Falme to look for Fain (TGH, Ch. 44).

• Hurin takes part in the battle at Falme (TGH, Ch. 45 - Ch. 47).

• Hurin accompanies Egwene, Nynaeve, Elayne, Verin and Mat to Tar Valon after the battle at Falme (TDR, Ch. 10).

• Hurin's company arrives in Tar Valon. Hurin will not stay to rest for a while. He is eager to return to Shienar and tell King Easar and Lord Agelmar that the Dragon has been Reborn (TDR, Ch. 10).

• When Rand arranges to meet with the Borderland army, they send Hurin instead. He tells Rand that he can smell something darker and more terrible than death or violence (TGS, Ch. 37).

• Hurin tells Rand that the Borderlander leaders do wish to meet him, but will only do so in Far Madding. Rand refuses and tells Hurin to go back to them with a message, that if they wish to return to their posts with honor, he will take them, otherwise they can remain in hiding (TGS, Ch. 37).

• After meeting with the Borderland Rulers, Rand has them send for Hurin so that he can apologise (ToM, Ch. 51).

• He fights in the Bordelander forces on Povlov Heights during the Last Battle, where is he killed by Trollocs (AMoL, Ch. 37).

Relationships

Hurin looks up to Rand and thinks he is a Lord. Maybe because this was a rumor in the keep at Fal Dara. Initially Rand is annoyed by this. After Rand ends up in the mirror world behind the Portal Stone he accepts more or less he is leading the party. After the battle at Falme Hurin is convinced Rand is the Dragon Reborn.

Hurin has the talent to 'smell' violence and killing that has taken place at a certain location in the past. He is able to use this talent to track down the offenders. The worse the violence the longer the smell will linger. This talent is not related to the One Power. After a meeting with a Brown Sister in Cairhien Hurin is not eager to demonstrate his talent for Aes Sedai. Hurin has been able to smell violence for four years when he is introduced to Rand in 998 NE. There is mention of at least thee others like him in Shienar (TGH, Ch. 9).

Miscellaneous

• Hurin is armed with a short-bladed sword, a sword breaker and a cudgel (TGH, Ch. 9).

• Like most Borderlanders Hurin respects Aes Sedai deeply. He would rather avoid them though, because of his talent.

• Hurin is uneasy around people who play the Game of Houses. Probably because Shienarans have the war with the Blight to occupy their time.

• Hurin offers to come to Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve's aid should they ever need him (TDR, Ch. 11).

• In reply to the question if Hurin will show up again in the books on Tor's New Spring page Jordan replies: "He'll turn up again. He hasn't reappeared earlier because the part he had to play was a sidelight to the main story. You should be able to glean some of what he was doing, what effect he and the news he brought was having, from the news that came out of the Borderlands in the books following The Dragon Reborn, though." (Question week 5) We can assume that the gathering of the Borderland armies and the Salidar Aes Sedai meeting them is somehow tied to this. Maybe the reports of fighting among the Borderlanders reported in several places in the books is as well.

Quotes

"I am a sniffer, you see. Been one for four years this Sunday. I never heard of such a thing before then, but I hear there's a few others like me." (The Great Hunt, Chapter 9)

"My Lord Rand, you'll get us back, won't you? Back where we belong? I've a wife, my Lord, and children. Melia'd take it bad enough, me dying, but if she doesn't even have my body to give to the mother's embrace she'll grieve to the end of her days. You understand, my Lord. I can't leave her not knowing. You'll get us back. And if I die, if you can't take her my body, you'll let her know, so she has that, at least." (The Great Hunt, Chapter 13)

"Daes Dae'mar, Lord Rand." Hurin said. "The Great Game. The Game of Houses, some call it. This Caldevwin thinks you must be doing something to your advantage or you wouldn't be here. And whatever you are doing might be to his disadvantage, so he must be careful." (The Great Hunt, Chapter 22)

"Builder, you don't know Daes Dae'mar as well as you think you do. Not the way they play it in Cairhien, not now. With most Houses, it wouldn't matter. Even when they're plotting against each other to the knife, they act like they aren't, out where everybody can see. But not these two. House Damodred held the throne until Laman lost it, and they want it back. The King would crush them, if they weren't nearly as powerful as he is. You can't find bitterer rivals than House Riatin and House Damodred. If my Lord accepts both, both Houses will know it as soon as he sends his answers, and they'll both think he's part of some plot by the other against them. They'll use the knife and the poison as quick as look at you." (The Great Hunt, Chapter 30)