TGH: Beneath the Dagger

Rand POV#

It is night. Rand, Loial, Hurin and Selene have camped a few days on the slopes of Kinslayer's Dagger waiting for Fain and the Darkfriends. The moon is waning, not far past full. Rand shivers. He looks up and sees Selene with his saddlebags. He thought they were beside him.[1] Hurin runs up saying he spotted a fire. Rand and Loial agree to go after the Horn. They leave with Red and Loial's horse. Loial tells Rand that alantin is short for tia avende alantin ("Brother to the Trees."). Rand holds the void as they approach the camp. Rand and Loial sneak past the guard and steal back the Horn and the ruby dagger. Rand sticks the ruby dagger in his belt, not wanting to touch it. As they leave, Fain wakes and yells, "You're hiding from me."[2] Rand sends Loial ahead and kills several of the Trollocs that chase him. They return to their camp and Selene opens the chest. She reads the inscription, Tia mi aven Moridin isainde vadin ("The grave is no bar to my call"). Rand says he will take the Horn to Lord Agelmar in Shienar. Again, Selene prods Rand about glory. She says they have to go forward to Cairhien because Fain's Friends of the Dark will be hunting them.[3] Rand shows the ruby dagger to Selene and tells her it is from Shadar Logoth. Loial did not know what was wrong with Mat. She is scared of it and tells him to throw it away. He says he has to bring it to Mat and puts it in the chest with the Horn.

Padan Fain POV#

Fain orders the Trollocs and Darkfriends to regroup as he stares up to Kinslayer's Dagger. He can sense Rand again up in the mountains.[2] That much of the Dark One's "gift" still remains in him. He still feels compelled to hunt Rand and hates him for it.

Notes (Possible Spoilers)#

[#1] Evidently she channeled to move them away from him and he felt it.
[#2] Apparently Fain cannot sense Rand when Rand is holding the void.
[#3] Friends of the Dark was the Age of Legends term for Darkfriends.


More Category Chapters, Horn Chapter Icon