The Shadow Rising: Chapter 32
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Author: Val a'Shain
Chapter Icon: Dragon's Fang
Point of View: Perrin
Setting: The Two Rivers
Characters: Perrin, Faile, Loial, Gaul, Bain, Chiad, Verin Mathwin, Alanna Mosvani, Tam al'Thor, Abell Cauthon, Wil al'Seen
Summary
Perrin is still having breakfast when Verin tells him to hurry up and get going. It's a long ride to the Whitecloak's camp. He is surprised that Verin will actually join him on this trip but he'd rather have her where he can keep an eye on her so he doesn't protest. Alanna stays behind as does Loial. He really wants to go but he would simply attract too much attention. Faile assumes she is welcome on this trip and much to her surprise Perrin tells her he'd enjoy her company. The three Aiel, still refusing to ride, will keep up with the party from the woods beside the road. They'll have to stay out of sight so they won't attract any attention.
Perrin sees an abandoned farmhouse just outside of the Westwood. The people who lived there decided it was time to move away from the woods. Perrin asks Tam how many Trollocs he thinks there are in the Two Rivers. His initial response is two hundred but when he thinks about it a bit longer he admits there are probably more. When the conversation turns to what the Trollocs are actually trying to accomplish Verin joins the conversation. None of them can come up with a good explanation though. Maybe it is a lure of some kind.
For midday they stop at the al'Seen farm for a meal and to breathe the horses. Tam and Abell, who are still wanted by the Whitecloaks trust the al'Seens enough to join. The Aiel again have to stay out of sight. But despite having to keep up with the horses through the woods they have managed to hunt a bit. They will have their own meal. The al'Seen farm is crowded, despite being a big farm. The al'Seens have taken in the residents of two farms closer to the Westwood.
Perrin spots a number of people he knows. One of them, Wil al'Seen seems to be very taken with Faile. When Perrin goes to say hello Will notices the axe though. Faile is amused by Will's reaction to Perrin. Faile, Verin and her Warder Tomas are a bit of a curiosity to the Two Rivers people. They don't get to see a lot of outsiders. Talk turns to recent events and the Whitecloaks spreading rumours that Perrin, Mat and Rand are Darkfriends. Not that the Al'Seens believe that of course. Perrin explains to them what he thinks about the Whitecloaks and that he has been forced to kill some of them. Killing is very rare in the Two Rivers. People are somewhat shocked by this. Perrin also tells them the man they knew as Padan Fain is with the Whitecloaks and that he knows him to be a Darkfriend. The al'Seens hesitate to believe this at first, but Perrin is still one of their own. After that the midday meal is ready and everybody turns their attention to the food. During the meal the boys who have kept watch from the roof of one of the buildings report that Lord Luc is approaching.
