This the part where an epic journey finally awaits, and let me tell you, I’m more than happy to be along for the ride! I hope someone brings plenty of trail mix and Spider-Man comic books. And beef jerky.

By the way, I never did reread Chapter 9 like I said I would. Blah blah blah, a portentous dream and a very long monologue about the history of Emond’s Field. I’ll piece together than stuff as I go.

Rand, Mat, and Lan the Warder all meet in the stable where they find Perrin waiting. Perrin’s got a big ol’ dang ol’ sword that he got from the blacksmith, Master Luhhan. Moiraine gives Rand a salty look when she learns that he spoke to his dad about leaving. She’s like “NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO KNOW” but what’s done is done. It’s all part of the Pattern now, she says, and because “Pattern” is capitalized that means it’s a very important pattern. It’s not just a pattern, it’s a Pattern!

Speaking of Pattern, here’s what else is part of the Pattern: Egwene pops up out of the loft and demands to tag along. Rand is all NO NO NO NO NO NO NO, but then Moiraine is all YES YES YES and that settles that. As long she’s not afraid of being trounced by Trollocs, which will assuredly happen if they were to step foot outside of Two Rivers. She is not afraid. She’ll trounce those Trollocs back.

Speaking of the Pattern again, that gleeman fuckface also pops out with intentions to come with the troupe. His name is Thom, spelling his name with an “H” like the worst Thomas’s on the planet. He wants to go mostly because he’s bored, but also because he thinks entertaining in Tar Valon would be an absolute joy! I look forward to him regaling the rest of them with lofty tales that would make Moiraine and Lan want to shiv him and leave him for dead in a ditch.

In the dead of night, the seven of them set off: Rand, Mat, Perrin, Egwene, Thom, Lan, and Moiraine. This is going to be totally cool and fun. As they get started, Rand spots a swift creature fly in front of the moon. It was too slow to be a bat. Lan and Moiraine call is a “Dragkhar”, a beast that serves Myrddraal like a good buddy. Thom calls it a creature worse than Trollocs. The Aes Sedai and the Warder say they have to get moving toward Taren Ferry before Myrddraal chases them down, cooks them for dinner, and watches Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Disney+.

Over and over again, these kids speak of Aes Sedai in hushed tones. They make it sound like Moiraine is a stone-cold bitch who will fly off the handle if you even so much as steal her Kid Cuisine brownie. They are constantly in awe of her even though she so far has done literally nothing visibly remarkable except heal Tam. Even then, though, it looked like a whole lot of nothing. She pretty much stood there grunting at him. I wouldn’t find that impressed. I’d be grossed out!

I’m serious about Thom getting the shiv. He’s going to annoy everyone.