Chapter 6 - The Westwood

Summary

Rand al'Thor drags his feverish father Tam al'Thor on a makeshift litter through the dark woods toward Emond's Field, grappling with exhaustion and fear. They narrowly avoid detection when a silent, black-cloaked rider leads a column of twenty Trollocs past them on the nearby Quarry Road, searching the forest. As he continues his perilous trek, Rand endures Tam's delirious muttering about historical wars and the Tree of Life, while desperately clinging to his own identity and memory amidst the physical strain.

Characters

• Rand — Rand tends to Tam's wounds and constructs a litter from blankets and cart shafts to transport his father through the forest. He struggles with physical exhaustion and fear, narrowly hiding from a silent black-cloaked rider and twenty Trollocs on the Quarry Road. He attempts to maintain his sanity and identity while enduring Tam's feverish ramblings about past battles and the Tree of Life.
• Tam (father) — Tam lies on the litter, suffering from a severe fever and delirium that causes him to recall the War of the Hundred Years and the fate of the Tree of Life. He occasionally speaks clearly enough for Rand to hear, but remains largely unresponsive to Rand's attempts to care for him.