Chapter 32 - Dangerous Words

Summary

Rand al’Thor, Verin Sedai, Ingtar Gladion, Loial, Hurin, and Mat Cauthon infiltrate Lord Barthanes Damodred’s manor under the guise of guests to retrieve the Horn of Valere and the Shadar Logoth dagger. Inside, Rand navigates the wary Cairhienin nobility and narrowly avoids the aggressive advances of three noblewomen by feigning concern for his injured servant, while Verin and Ingtar blend into the crowd. Barthanes approaches Rand, probing him with questions about his origins and his connection to King Galldrian, while Rand maintains his cover. Rand later encounters the gleeman Thom Merrilin, who warns him of the dangers of Cairhien’s political game, before Hurin arrives with a fabricated excuse to allow Rand to leave the immediate vicinity and join his companions.

Characters

Rand / Lord Rand / Rand al'Thor (Young Lord) — Rand enters Barthanes’s manor, offering the invitation to the guard and navigating the crowd while avoiding conversations with the nobility. He is questioned by Barthanes about his background and political alignments, deflecting with carefully chosen words, before being cornered by three noblewomen. He creates a diversion by feigning concern for his 'injured' servant Mat to escape the women and find Thom Merrilin.
Uno (one-eyed man) — Uno leads a group of ten Shienaran guards as an escort for Rand’s party, exchanging nods with Ingtar before taking his men to the rear of the manor where ale and roast ox are provided.
Ingtar (Lord Ingtar, Lord of House Shinowa) — Ingtar accompanies Rand into the manor to lend his title's prestige, receives a wary reception from the nobles, and then drifts into the crowd to mingle away from the center of attention.
Loial (Friend Ogier, son of Arent son of Halan) — Loial enters the manor and is met with significant interest from the nobles. He discreetly informs Rand that he can feel a Waygate nearby, warning that the manor was once an Ogier grove, and later gathers a circle of lords and ladies to allay suspicion while Rand and the others pursue their tasks.
Hurin (bodyservant, sniffer) — Hurin enters the manor pretending to be Ingtar’s bodyservant to sniff out Darkfriends. He later appears in the room where Thom is playing, acting as the messenger who informs Rand that Mat has twisted his knee, providing the excuse Rand needs to leave the nobles.
Mat (manservant) — Mat enters the manor pretending to be Rand’s servant, grumbling about the role, and disappears toward the kitchens with Hurin. He is later reported by Hurin to have fallen and twisted his knee, a fabrication used to facilitate Rand's exit.
Verin / Verin Sedai (Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah) — Verin enters the manor and is announced to the guests, drawing murmurs from the crowd. She instructs the group on their roles, separates Rand from the others to avoid suspicion, and stands at the center of a knot of women while the men attend to their tasks.
Barthanes / Barthanes Damodred (Lord Barthanes) — Barthanes approaches Rand in the main hall, greeting the group with calculated politeness. He walks with Rand, probing him about his origins, his lack of meeting King Galldrian, and his knowledge of the excavation, before nodding that they will speak again and moving on to another guest.
Ashin (liveried man) — Ashin, a servant with the Tree and Crown on his coat, announces the guests to the room using a long staff, bowing deeply to Verin, the lords, and the Ogier before leading them into the main hall.
Thom / Thom Merrilin (gleeman) — Thom plays a harp and recites tales in one of the manor's rooms, ignoring Rand's initial presence. Rand approaches him to escape the noblewomen, and Thom warns Rand about Cairhien's political dangers and his entanglement with Aes Sedai before observing the noblewomen watching them.
Alaine / Alaine Chuliandred — Alaine intercepts Rand, introducing herself and demanding to hear him play the flute. She follows him as he tries to leave, engaging in a rivalry with another noblewoman, Belevaere, who joins the interaction. Belevaere calls Alaine a 'tavern wench' and claims she lacks courage, asserting that a man who wears a heron-mark sword must be brave, before questioning if Rand's blade is truly heron-marked. The three women then glare sullenly at an older woman who approaches them.
Belevaere / Belevaere Osiellin — Belevaere joins Alaine in cornering Rand, challenging him to visit her manor and questioning the authenticity of his heron-mark sword. She exchanges pointed remarks with Alaine while pressing Rand against a wall.
Breane Taborwin / Breane (older woman, spider) — Breane appears as a third woman surrounding Rand, older than Alaine and Belevaere, and offers to take Rand away from the 'spiders' to share troubles, having no husband to worry about. Thom identifies her as a dangerous woman later.
Red — Red carries Rand to the foot of the manor's stairs, where Rand gets down from his back before entering the building.