Chapter 20 - Dust on the Wind

Summary

The group escapes the ruins of Shadar Logoth under the pursuit of Trollocs and the lethal influence of Mashadar, a shadowy fog that kills anything it touches. After being separated during the chaotic flight, Rand and Mat reunite briefly before continuing, while Perrin and Egwene meet at the city gate and accidentally fall into the Arinelle River; Perrin manages to swim to the far bank but loses sight of Egwene. Thom Merrilin, Rand, and Mat find a large trader's boat, the Spray, anchored on the riverbank, only to be pursued onto it by more Trollocs. On deck, they are attacked by a Trolloc but are saved when the boat's captain, Bayle Domon, inadvertently knocks the beast overboard. Thom concocts a tale of a gleeman seeking treasure to explain their presence, and they pay for passage to Whitebridge using silver coins Moiraine gave them. Domon reveals he is also being hunted by Trollocs in the region. Once underway, Rand is left with the distressing knowledge that the rest of his friends may still be trapped in Shadar Logoth.

Characters

• Rand — Rand leads the initial escape from the fog and Trollocs, later reuniting with Mat before they discover a boat on the river. He fights a Trolloc on the ship, pays for passage to Whitebridge using Moiraine's coin, and remains silent and worried on deck after learning the others were not saved by the boat.
• Mat — Mat follows Rand through the city, narrowly avoiding Trollocs. He finds a brief moment of respite with Rand before they board the Spray. He contributes his silver coin for the passage and listens to Thom's fabricated story with wide eyes.
• Thom / Thom Merrilin — Thom rides ahead and alerts the others to Trollocs near the river. He rescues Rand and Mat from attackers with his knives and negotiates passage on the Spray by inventing a tale of being a gleeman who found a Dreadlord's treasure, paying with the boys' combined coins.
• Perrin — Perrin carefully navigates the ruins and meets Egwene at the gate before they are chased into the river. He swims to the far bank alone, shivering and terrified, unable to find Egwene among the Trollocs on the other side.
• Egwene — Egwene rides with Perrin toward the gate and falls into the Arinelle River along with him. After a brief moment in the water, she is separated from Perrin, and her fate after that remains unknown as the Trollocs pursue them.
• Bayle Domon (Captain) — The stocky, bearded owner and captain of the Spray, who lives in a tidy cabin and speaks rapidly. He is angry about the Trollocs attacking his boat but allows the group passage to Whitebridge in exchange for silver coins, sharing his own troubles with Trollocs in the area.
• Floran Gelb (Gelb) — A narrow-faced crewman of the Spray who tries to blame Rand for injuring him and accuses him of being a Darkfriend. He is dismissed by Captain Domon after lying about securing the boom.