Chapter 44 - Five Will Ride Forth

Summary

Perrin, Mat, and Hurin track Padan Fain’s trail through a village on Toman Head, observing villagers’ fear of strangers before being interrupted by the arrival of the Children of the Light; Perrin uses his connection with wolves to confirm the Whitecloaks have secured the village and are not pursuing the group. Simultaneously, Geofram Bornhald and Byar investigate the village, securing the inhabitants in the inn to hide from the Seanchan and preparing to send Byar to report to Pedron Niall. Bornhald speculates on the nature of the man who fled but remains uncertain, noting the village blacksmith had left earlier. Meanwhile, Rand, Ingtar, Verin, and the others wait for the trio’s return; upon hearing that the trail leads to Falme where Whitecloaks are also present, Verin uses a stick to draw a wheel in the dirt, determining that five specific riders—Ingtar, Mat, Perrin, Rand, and Loial—must go to retrieve the Horn and dagger while the rest remain hidden.

Characters

• Perrin / Young Bull — Perrin wears borrowed, ill-fitting clothes and observes villagers avoiding strangers before spotting the Children of the Light; he contacts wolves to scout the town, confirming the Whitecloaks are surrounding the village, and reports this to his companions.
• Mat — Mat wears baggy trousers stuffed into his boots and expresses impatience to leave the village, later joining the tracking party and confirming they followed Fain's trail almost to Falme.
• Hurin (the sniffer) — Hurin detects the scent of Padan Fain in the village ruins and leads the group out, later reporting to Ingtar that the trail leads directly to Falme and that Fain must have the Shadar Logoth dagger.
• Ingtar (Lord Ingtar) — Ingtar advises Rand against practicing sword forms, receives the tracking report, and accepts Verin's plan to send five riders to Falme while ordering Uno to keep the main force hidden.
• Verin (Aes Sedai, Verin Sedai) — Verin sits by the fire drawing symbols in the dirt, asserts that the Pattern has led them to Falme, and selects Ingtar, Mat, Perrin, Rand, and Loial to ride to Falme, refusing to join them due to the threat of damane.
• Loial (Ogier) — Loial reads a book and expresses a desire to see Falme and the Aryth Ocean, eventually offering to carry the chest containing the Horn of Valere, though he is ordered to stay behind.
• Uno (soldier) — Uno alerts the group to approaching horsemen and later protests to stay with the five riders, only to be ordered by Ingtar to lead the rest of the force hidden behind them.
• Rand (Heron Wading in the Rushes) — Rand practices sword forms in a void to maintain balance, discusses the Whitecloak presence with Ingtar, and accepts his role as one of the five riders to find the Horn and the Shadar Logoth dagger.
• Geofram Bornhald (my Lord Captain, Lord Captain) — Bornhald orders his Children of the Light to secure the village inn to hide from the Seanchan, instructs Byar to ride to Amador with messages about the Seanchan and Questioners, and identifies Perrin as a potential Darkfriend.
• Byar (Child Byar) — Byar secures the village, receives orders from Bornhald to deliver reports to Pedron Niall, and obeys the command to stay out of combat against the Seanchan.