The Eye of the World: Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Peddler

Dinn da Noor

Characters: Padan Fain, various Emond's Fielders, Rand, Mat, Perrin, the Village Council, Nynaeve, Egwene.

Setting: Emond's Field.

Surrounded by a cloud of villagers and farmers, the peddler stops in front of the inn. People joins the crowd continuously, constantly watching the peddler, Padan Fain, who is as always smiling and laughing. The Village Council joins the spectators who are eager to hear news from the outside.

Perrin Aybara joins Mat and Rand, excited about the gleeman.

The peddler eventually starts talking and tells them that it is war going on in Ghealdan and that people are flocking around the Dragon. With this comment everybody gasps and starts shouting that it can only be another false Dragon. Fain says that they cannot be sure whether he is the Dragon Reborn or just a false Dragon, but that this one can channel the One Power and that a party of Aes Sedai has ridden south from Tar Valon to deal with him.

The Village Council brings the peddler to the inn to discuss the issue more thoroughly. Mat, Perrin and Rand starts discussing the news and tales about the Dragon and Aes Sedai. Mat has just told the others that Bili Congar named the Dark One last year when Nynaeve comes to them and tells Mat that he "shouldn't be off his mother's apron strings". Rand suddenly notices Egwene standing behind the Wisdom watching them. He tells Nynaeve what the peddler said, and she quickly leaves to get the Woman's Circle to "find out anything useful".

Egwene starts talking to Rand and tells him that she wants to become a Wisdom. Rand is disapproving about it, but suddenly Mat says that Perrin got a coin from Moiraine, and that he saw the rider too.

Perrin says that Master Luhhan didn't quite believe him, but he carried his biggest hammer with him that day. When Egwene asks what they talk about, Mat and Perrin starts talking about their encounters with the black-cloaked rider. Egwene thinks it's silly that they shall go around and spread tales scaring children. She is about to say something when the door to the inn opens and the gleeman comes out.

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