Chapter 10 - The Hunt Begins

Summary

Ingtar leads the pursuit south, driving the horses hard until the trail leads them to the River Erinin, where they discover the flayed bodies of Changu and Nidao, confirming the treachery of the Dog Gate guards and the presence of Darkfriends. After burying the corpses and crossing the river, the party enters an abandoned village; inside a house, Rand undergoes a supernatural vision of violence and cold, ultimately channeling the One Power unconsciously to kill a swarm of flies. The group then discovers a dead Myrddraal nailed to a building before pressing south again, with Hurin confirming the quarry is still fleeing.

Characters

• Ingtar (Lord Ingtar) — Ingtar pushes the company to a grueling pace south, eventually ordering them to trot to save the horses, and leads the investigation of abandoned camps and murders along the trail. He commands the search of the River Erinin village, oversees the burial of Changu and Nidao, and orders the party to depart after discovering a dead Myrddraal.
• Rand — Rand struggles with the physical toll of the ride and the emotional distance from Mat and Perrin, while noting his ornate clothes and Masema's hostility. He experiences a terrifying, freezing vision inside a house in the abandoned village, which ends with him unconsciously channeling the One Power to kill a swarm of flies.
• Hurin (sniffer) — Hurin leads the tracking by scent, identifying Trolloc tracks and the location of murders, and reports the direction changes of the fleeing quarry. He confirms the trail remains south even after the party discovers the dead Myrddraal.
• Uno — Uno examines tracks and droppings to guide the party, complains about the pace killing horses, and searches the empty village houses. He finds a woman at a window who vanishes and helps transport the ferry across the river.
• Loial — Loial rides alongside Rand, discussing the Aiel and the history of the fallen nation of Hardan. He explains Shienaran burial customs and witnesses the discovery of the dead Myrddraal.
• Mat — Mat remains at the rear of the column with Perrin, eventually crossing the river to search the empty village. He finds no one inside the houses and later joins the group at the site of the dead Myrddraal.
• Changu — Changu's flayed corpse is discovered hanging by its arms from a stoneoak tree on the south bank of the Erinin, confirming he was one of the guards who let the Darkfriends into Fal Dara.
• Nidao — Nidao's flayed corpse is discovered hanging alongside Changu on the south bank of the Erinin, revealing his role in the treachery at Fal Dara.
• Masema — Masema serves stew to the camp, giving Rand a hostile look until Uno intervenes. He later helps pull the ferry across the river and searches the empty village.
• Ragan — Ragan aids Masema in hauling the ferry across the river and scouts the far bank, reporting that there is no ambush but insisting Ingtar must see the stoneoak himself.
• Myrddraal (Fade) — The dead body of a Myrddraal, nailed spread-eagled to the doors of a large building with thick spikes, is discovered by the party, shocking them as no human could have killed such a creature.