Chapter 15 - Strangers and Friends

Summary

In Baerlon, Rand awens from a disturbed sleep and encounters the inn's cook, Sara, who warns him about the city's atmosphere before he joins the bustling streets where he meets the seeress Min, who shares troubling visions of the group's fate. Rand locates the fleeing Padan Fain, who fears Aes Sedai and vanishes into the crowd, leading to a tense confrontation with the Whitecloak commander Bornhald that triggers a strange surge of energy in Rand. Thom Merrilin intercepts the boys, urging secrecy regarding their shared nightmares about Ba’alzamon and the named historical figures, and the group reunites with Perrin to find Nynaeve has also arrived in the city, forcing them to confront their expanding predicament.

Characters

• Rand / Rand al'Thor — Rand awakes with a headache from disturbing dreams and descends to the kitchen, where he speaks briefly with the cook Sara. He later wanders Baerlon's crowded streets, encounters the seeress Min who reveals prophetic images of his and his friends' fates, and is tricked into mud by Mat Cauthon while Whitecloaks pass. A brief, energized confrontation with Lord Bornhald follows before Thom Merrilin stops them to discuss the shared nightmares of Ba’alzamon.
• Sara (the cook) — The inn's cook, a plump woman with flour-covered arms, argues with Master Fitch to protect her cat Cirri and serves Rand a meal of bread, cheese, and milk while warning him about the state of the city.
• Master Fitch / Fitch (the innkeeper) — The innkeeper is caught in a comical struggle with the cook Sara to prevent her from quitting.
• Thom / Thom Merrilin (the gleeman) — Thom performs a tale to a captivated crowd in the common room, then hunts down Rand and Mat to an alley to sternly warn them never to speak the name Ba’alzamon aloud or reveal the content of their shared nightmares.
• Min — Min confronts Rand in the stableyard, revealing her ability to see images of the 'Pattern' that tie the group together in a dangerous web, and shares specific prophetic visions about their individual fates before departing.
• Perrin — Perrin remains in bed suffering from insomnia caused by a nightmare similar to Rand's and Mat's, and later runs out of the inn to meet the others, revealing that Nynaeve has tracked them to Baerlon.
• Mat — Mat admits to Rand that he also had the nightmare, then pranks passing Whitecloaks by smashing a cart stake with his sling, leading to a tense standoff with Lord Bornhald before joining Thom to report the dream details.
• Fain / Padan Fain (the peddler) — Padan Fain appears ragged and paranoid in a Baerlon alley, expressing fear and dread at the mention of the Aes Sedai before crashing into Mat.
• Bornhald (Lord Bornhald) — A commander of the Children of the Light, Bornhald confronts Rand with arrogant suspicion in the street, recognizing the heron-mark on Rand's sword and threatening that they will meet again before departing with his companions.
• Mutch (the stableman) — Mutch stands in the stable door, staring at Rand with a truculent and disapproving expression from a distance.
• Ciel (serving maid) — A serving maid named Ciel brings a tray of bread, cheese, and milk to Rand in the kitchen under the cook's instruction.