The Eye of the World by: Robert Jordan - Into the Shadow (Chapters 16 to 20)

 

““Here,” Lan said.  He stopped Mandarb in front of what had once been a gate wide enough for fifty men to march through abreast.  Only the broken, vine-encrusted watchtowers remained; of the gates there was no sign.  “We enter here.”  Trolloc horns shrieked in the distance.  Lan peered in the direction of the sound, then looked at the sun, halfway down towards the treetops in the west.  “They have discovered it’s a false trail.  Come, we must find shelter before dark.”  “What name?” Mat asked again.  Moiraine answered as they rode into the city.  “Shadar Logoth,” she said.  “It is called Shadar Logoth.”” – The Eye of the World, p. 274.

 

The idea of the cursed city that the travelers are waylaid to by their encroaching enemies is one straight out of The Lord of the Rings.  In The Fellowship of the Ring, the four hobbits and Strider are sent to Weathertop where they are attacked and Frodo is stabbed.  The entire setting of The Final Empire could be described as a cursed city.  However, it is Robert Jordan’s Shadar Logoth that is perhaps described as the most haunting of these cursed cities.  Jordan creates this atmosphere of dread and sorrow by introducing the history of the city in these chapters: it was once on the side of Manetheren during the Trolloc Wars, bearing the name Aridhol and becoming zealous against the Dark One and his armies.  This zeal would become their downfall as the city became corrupted and fell into its own form of evil, being abandoned and eventually decaying.  An army of the Dark One entered Aridhol after its corruption and never returned, and this is where the party must spend a night to potentially have a pause.  This is not the first time in The Eye of the World Jordan has included something trying to be good and falling into fanaticism as its own form of evil, and will not be with the last.  These chapters also see a grander encounter with the Whitecloaks as the party leaves Baerlon.  It is these two sequences which are the primary makeup this sequence of The Eye of the World and is perhaps the first true look into the fear the Dark One creates and continues that through line of never being able to stop for anything.

 

The sequence in Baerlon ends after Nynaeve al’Meara catches up to the group and has some of her big character moments.  As stated previously, before they left Nynaeve showed just how much care she had for Rand on Winternight, and that standard of care is present here, responding to the claim that they are safer with Moiraine by saying ““Safer!” Nynaeve tossed her head dismissively.  “You are the one who brought them here, where the Whitecloaks are.  The same Whitecloaks who, if the gleeman tells the truth, may harm them because of you.  Tell me how they are safer, Aes Sedai.”” – The Eye of the World, p. 236.  It is at this point where even Thom Merrilin, who was wary of Moiraine, has at least come to her side that Moiraine is the best bet at least until they stop being followed.  Interestingly, Nynaeve, who has already sent for someone to replace her while she is gone, doesn’t ever actively agree to follow the party, instead the conversation ends with her staying at least the night (something she had already planned for) and going to take a bath.  There are hints of softness and quiet as the party is allowed to dance and get to know one another, giving the boys some sense that maybe they can just do this and shows more of the human side to Nynaeve.  Of course, it is later in the night when they are caught and have to flee, causing another encounter with the Whitecloaks.  Moiraine is the one to get them through this encounter, using essentially an illusion and fleeing as the inn they were staying at caught fire.

 

The encounter in Shadar Logoth, which begins with a strict warning to not wander off and not take anything, is an instance of cosmic horror.  There is this figure, Mordeth, who appears and lulls Rand, Mat, and Perrin into a sense of security: he will share treasure if they’ll help him carry it to his cart, before becoming enraged and formless: “Rage twisted Mordeth’s face, and fear too.  His lips pulled back from his teeth.  “Tar Valon!”  He shook his clenched fists at them. “Tar Valon! You said you were going to this . . . this . . . Caemlyn!  You lied to me!”” – The Eye of the World, p. 283.  This is what forces them out of Shadar Logoth, and as such it is at this point where something that every RPG group knows should never be done.  The party is split.  Chapter 20, “Dust on the Wind”, describes the fear and terror as the characters lose their way as well as featuring the first portion of the book not from Rand’s perspective, seeing Perrin escape and find Egwene stumbling through bushes.  Having Perrin’s perspective immediately gives the reader an indication of his skills at writing different perspectives.  Perrin is already more contemplative than Rand, much of this section coming across as waiting and reflected with Egwene, who is only focused on finding the others quickly, thought be damned.  That is an interesting look as it means that the next stretch of the book will be looking at everyone separately:  Perrin and Egwene together, Rand, Mat, and Thom finding their way onto the Spray a ship captained by Bayle Domon, and Nynaeve, Moiraine, and Lan obviously making up the third group together.