Chapter 18 - The Caemlyn Road

Summary

On the Caemlyn Road, the group is pursued by Trollocs and Fades who use horns to drive them forward; Lan scouts ahead and reports five hundred Trollocs and several Myrddraal closing in. As the pursuers catch up on a hill, the group fights their way through a Trolloc line, and Moiraine uses her angreal to raise a wall of earth and fire that halts the enemy, though it exhausts her. After recovering slightly, she creates a false scent trail to mislead the trackers, and the party rides north to find shelter in the ruins of a city overgrown with vines, which Moiraine reveals was once Aridhol and is now known as Shadar Logoth.

Characters

• Rand — Rand rides Cloud through the hills, fighting off Trollocs with Tam's sword and shouting the warcry of Manetheren. He witnesses Moiraine's power against the enemy and later joins the group as they discover the ruined city of Shadar Logoth.
• Cloud — Rand's spirited gray horse carries Rand into battle against the Trollocs, rearing and screaming amidst the chaos.
• Lan (the Warder, Last Lord of the Seven Towers) — Lan scouts the rear, returns to warn of the approaching Trolloc force, and leads a charge against a Myrddraal, dueling it while his men fight the infantry. He later catches Moiraine when she faints and leads the group to their hiding place in Shadar Logoth.
• Mandarb — Lan's black stallion participates in the charge against the Trollocs and is later led by the reins while the group hides in the ruins.
• Moiraine / Moiraine Sedai — Moiraine maintains a steady pace until the Trollocs appear, then uses an angreal to raise a wall of earth and fire to stop the pursuit. She is left exhausted and is supported by Nynaeve before creating a false trail and leading the group into Shadar Logoth.
• Aldieb — Moiraine's white mare is ridden into battle, carries Moiraine while she uses her power, and is later dragged by the reins as the group hides in the city.
• Egwene / Egwene al'Vere — Egwene travels with the group, complains about the food, fights alongside Moiraine and Nynaeve, and is surprised to understand Mat's warcry before it fades from her memory.
• Bela — Egwene's shaggy brown mare carries Egwene through the hills and into the ruins of Shadar Logoth.
• Perrin — Perrin rides with the group and participates in the warcry of Manetheren. Mat is nearly dragged from his saddle by Trollocs before scrambling back into his saddle. Perrin helps identify the ruins of the city, noting that the walls have fallen and no people remain to maintain them.
• Mat — Mat rides with the group, is unhorsed during the battle but quickly remounts, and shouts a warcry that he cannot remember later. He observes the ruins of the city and is identified by Moiraine as having the blood of Manetheren.
• Thom (the gleeman) — Thom rides with the group, comments on the pursuit, and watches the battle with the others. He notes that the Myrddraal will not die until nightfall and questions Moiraine's intention to stay.
• Nynaeve (the Wisdom) — Nynaeve rides with the group, questions Moiraine's pace, and fights beside Moiraine against the Trollocs. She gives Moiraine a packet of herbs to help her recover and helps support her as they enter the city.