The Great Hunt by: Robert Jordan: The Hunt Begins (Chapters 9 to 12)

 

“There was a man spread-eagled across the doors with thick spikes through wrists and shoulders.  More spikes had been driven into his eyes to hold his head up.  Dark, dried blood made fans down his cheeks.  Scuff marks on the wall behind his boots showed that he had been alive when it was done.  When it began, anyway.  Rand’s breath caught.  Not a man.  Those black clothes, blacker than black, had never been worn by any human.  The wind flapped an end of the cloak caught behind the body – which it did not always, he knew too well; the wind did not always touch those clothes – but there had never been any eyes in that pale, bloodless face.  “Myrddraal,” he breathed, and it was as if his speaking released all the others.” – The Great Hunt, p. 186.

 

The image of a Fade, nailed to a door by Padan Fain, is perhaps one of the more grotesque images of The Great Hunt, as Robert Jordan does something to change the tone back to the seriousness which had been lacking.  Immediately after the last section, there is levity as Rand realizes that he is not going to be gentled or handed over to the Aes Sedai, and this image brings Rand right back to the reality.  The entire hunt is frozen in this moment just to take in this horror, a creature which has been responsible for so much horror in the last book and a half, now dead creates weight.  This sequence is part of essentially the beginning of the hunt where there are a number of things happening.  Rand, Mat, and Perrin are for the first time separated from Egwene and Nynaeve by their own volition while Moiraine and Lan are gone on their own quest.  Separating the three from what is essentially authority allows for quite a few things to happen, and allows for new characters to build out the world in quite a few ways as well as helping the reader understand just what is happening to Rand.  Ingtar, a lord from Fal Dara, was introduced in The Eye of the World and here is essentially the leader of the hunt and the revelation here is that Rand is made second in command if Ingtar is to fall, however this is not a public fact and on the surface a warrior called Uno, a man with one eye and a topknot, is acting second in command.

 

Rand reacts thusly: “Me!...That’s crazy! I’ve never led anything but a flock of sheep, Ingtar.  They would not follow me anyway.  Besides, Moiraine can’t tell you who your second is.  It’s Uno…Moiraine’s hand was bright and clear in it, her’s and the Amyrlin’s pushing him along the path they had chosen” – The Great Hunt, p. 190.  This is the first time Rand is essentially being given any sort of power, all out of his control, almost paralleling his discovery of the ability to channel, something he has been avoiding.  This is further driven by the Dragon Banner, found at the end of The Eye of the World, being in his pack along with several coats which are lavish.  Moiraine and Siuan are essentially telling him that he is no longer allowed to be the farmer and sheepherder from the Two Rivers without actually telling him he is no longer allowed to be the farmer from the Two Rivers.  They’re on their way back to Tar Valon, not hunting for the Horn of Valere and the ruby dagger.  Rand tries to hide this and outright denies the possibility of being the Dragon Reborn, though the reader knows that at least Moiraine and Siuan believe it to be true and it is the reason that Ba’alzamon was after them in The Eye of the World.  Mat is the first to react in hostility to the discovery of the Dragon Banner which then begins this exchange: “Anger boiled up in Rand, anger at Moiraine and the Amyrlin Seat, pushing him, pulling him.  He snatched up the banner in both hands and shook it at Mat, words boiling up uncontrollably, “That’s right! The Dragon’s banner!” Mat took another step back.  “Moiraine wants me to be a puppet on Tar Valon strings, a false Dragon for the Aes Sedai.  She’s going to push it down my throat whatever I want.  But—I—will—not—be—used!” Mat had backed up against a tree trunk “A false Dragon?...You? That…that’s crazy.” Perrin had not retreated.  He squatted down with his arms on his knees and studied Rand with those bright golden eyes… “If the Aes Sedai want you for a false Dragon…Rand, can you channel?”” – The Great Hunt, p. 192-193.

 

Of course, Rand has to tell them the truth, Mat taking it terribly while Perrin simply tells Mat to shut up.  Both are scared of and for their incredibly close friend which is certainly an understandable fear, but there is at least an amicable ending there.  They eventually all cool off, but are still uncertain as to how they should be proceeding.  Perrin has perhaps the closest camaraderie to Rand as he has already been in contact with the wolves and the physical changes of his eyes.  The other important character here is Hurin, who is a sniffer, a character who is initially set up as a foil to Perrin, though not explored here.  He essentially can follow the scents of people and doesn’t exactly know how it works.  Now this is something that Robert Jordan perhaps had held over from an earlier draft where the magic system differed from the way it developed, as it doesn’t quite sit, it’s just a cool thing that he can do which is excellent.

 

While the three boys are off having their own adventure, Egwene and Nynaeve are on their way to Tar Valon where they, and the reader, get a formal introduction to Verin Mathwin which is important to explaining their position as older than standard Novices, how the White Tower structure works (there is a mistress of Novices, Sheriam, who will be responsible for disciplining them), and how it is odd that they have been able to channel late.  Nynaeve is told she is frightened and her reaction is to deny it, but that is something she is clearly afraid of.  It is at this point where Nynaeve actively channels for the first time, and like with Rand at the end of The Eye of the World, it is of a destructive nature.  She channels a flame while the other Aes Sedai are essentially needling her and Egwene to get information on Rand which is not happening.  There is also the first dream from Egwene which she shares to Anaiya, the one Aes Sedai who was at least friends to Moiraine, as they were in the same Ajah, and the idea is that Egwene may be a dreamer.  Finally, the Aes Sedai don’t actually know where Rand’s party is going, thinking they are going in the opposite direction.  This is a point where the Hunt has begun and separated from Moiraine, the Two Rivers folk are going to have to fend for themselves in a dangerous world where danger is around every corner.