Chapter 14 - The Stag and Lion

Summary

In Baerlon, the group checks into the Stag and Lion inn, where Innkeeper Fitch provides them with baths and a private meal while warning of the tense atmosphere caused by the Children of the Light and recent conflicts in Ghealdan. During their bath, the youths are reprimanded by Lan for dangerously loose talk about Trollocs, and they discuss the political situation before retiring. Later, Moiraine introduces a seeress named Min to the group. That night, Rand suffers a vivid nightmare in which he confronts Ba’alzamon, who claims to be the Dark One and warns Rand that his fate is already sealed, leaving Rand shaken but ultimately waking in fear.

Characters

• Rand — Rand takes a bath and listens to Lan's warnings about keeping their identities secret. He shares a room with Lan and Thom, and later experiences a terrifying nightmare where he confronts Ba’alzamon, who claims to be the Dark One and predicts Rand's doom.
• Mat — Mat enjoys the inn's baths and eagerly tries to talk about Trollocs, only to be sharply silenced and threatened by Lan al’Tear, who enforces strict secrecy regarding their pursuers.
• Perrin — Perrin soaks in the bath and mentions Trollocs, contributing to the tension that leads to Lan's reprimand. He eats dinner with the group and later retires to the inn for the night.
• Egwene — Egwene takes a bath and dines with the party, though she remains distant from Rand. She questions Lan's suspicion of the innkeeper.
• Thom (gleeman) — Thom relaxes in the bath and later prepares to perform in the common room. He shares a cramped room with Rand and Lan, snoring loudly through the night after Rand's nightmare.
• Moiraine (Mistress Alys) — Moiraine arranges for the group's lodging and baths, negotiates with the innkeeper regarding the Children of the Light, and introduces a seeress named Min to the group before the meal.
• Lan (Warder, Master Andra) — Lan scouts the inn and common room, discovering news of Logain's victory. He aggressively rebukes the youths for mentioning Trollocs, ensuring they maintain their cover, and later sleeps in a room with Rand and Thom.
• Fitch (Innkeeper) — The innkeeper of the Stag and Lion manages the group's arrival, providing baths and a meal while complaining about the crowded conditions and the shortage of food due to the winter.
• Ara — A bath attendant who serves the group in the private bath chamber. He questions Rand about trouble in the Two Rivers but retreats when Lan enters and dismisses him from the room.
• Min — A slender girl with short dark hair wearing a man's shirt and trousers, introduced by Moiraine. She appears in the inn's hall, speaks briefly with Moiraine, and is described as having a sharp gaze.