Chapter 29 - Eyes Without Pity

Description

In a tense flight across open country, Rand’s companions race to evade swarms of the Dark One’s ravens while Elyas leads them toward potential safety. The group, exhausted from constant running and hiding, discovers that the wolves trailing them have engaged the ravens in brutal combat. Just as hope seems lost, with ravens closing in from all sides, they stumble into the protection of an ancient stedding - a place where neither ravens nor the One Power can harm them. Within this sanctuary, marked by the colossal ruins of Artur Hawkwing’s fallen monument, Elyas shares the history of the High King’s attempted capital and his ultimate downfall, while keeping anxious watch over the surrounding hills as darkness approaches.

Characters

  1. Lan, Elyas Machera - Leads group with cautious tactics across flatlands, demonstrates expertise in hiding their trail, and maintains mysterious vigilance while sensing unknown dangers approaching.
  2. Egwene - Rides Bela and struggles to maintain cheerful demeanor despite growing tension, attempts jokes that fade as group's mood darkens.
  3. Bela - Serves as Egwene's mount while showing gratitude during rest stops.
  4. Perrin Aybara - Grapples with his connection to wolves while trying to hide his internal turmoil, feels something cruel laughing in his mind, and wrestles with dark thoughts throughout the journey.
  5. Dapple - Returns from scouting with reports of ravens, engages in battle with them alongside pack, and continues pursuit despite injuries.
  6. Hopper - Participates in battle against ravens, sustains eye injury, and continues mission despite wounds.
  7. Ba'alzamon - Appears in Perrin's dream, burns a wolf to ash, and marks him through a raven piercing his eye.

Takeaways

  1. The group reaches a stedding, an ancient sanctuary where neither ravens nor the One Power can enter, providing them crucial safety from pursuit.
  2. Elyas reveals the location was meant to be Artur Hawkwing's capital city, and the rock they camp near is all that remains of a massive monument to him, providing historical context about the legendary king's rise and fall.
  3. The wolves warn Perrin that ravens are approaching from behind, forcing them to race against time to reach the stedding before being overtaken, while Perrin struggles with the implications of his ability to communicate with wolves.
  4. Perrin wrestles with whether he would have had the courage to mercy-kill Egwene if the ravens had caught them, showing his growing darkness and internal conflict.
  5. The ravens demonstrate their vicious nature by brutally killing animals in their path, establishing the genuine threat they posed to the group.