Chapter 15 - Kinslayer

Summary

Rand, Loial, and Hurin travel through a desolate, colorless landscape scarred by ancient burn lines, where Loial uses Treesong to fashion a quarterstaff from a giantsbroom tree to protect them. As they pursue the fading scent of Padan Fain's trail, the group becomes increasingly unsettled by the unnatural silence and strange sensory distortions of the land. During the night watch, Rand is confronted by Ba'alzamon in the fog, who tempts him with the One Power and reveals the truth of their past connection, culminating in a terrifying vision of fire that leaves Rand with a branded heron on his hand while proving himself immune to physical harm through illusion.

Characters

• Rand / Rand al'Thor (Lews Therin, the Kinslayer) — Rand leads Loial and Hurin through the eerie, faded landscape, suppressing his fear to maintain the group's morale. During his watch, he engages in a mental and illusory confrontation with Ba'alzamon, who tempts him with power and reveals their shared past, ending with Rand rejecting the offer and finding a heron branded on his palm despite no physical wounds.
• Loial (Ogier) — Loial rides alongside the group with unease until he stops to sing to a giantsbroom tree, using his fading Talent to create a quarterstaff for protection. He remains skeptical of the land's safety and carries the staff as they continue their search.
• Hurin (the sniffer) — Hurin tracks the Darkfriends' scent with intense concentration, though he begins to experience strange sensations of remembering violence that isn't physically present. He attempts to keep his humor up despite the growing dread of the environment.
• Ba'alzamon (Father of Lies) — Ba'alzamon manifests in the fog before Rand, revealing his burned face and claiming their fates are linked. He tempts Rand to channel the One Power, offering power and immortality in exchange for service to the Shadow, and vanishes after Rand's refusal, leaving behind a magical illusion of fire.