Yet another short chapter where not much happens, so I’ll use this first paragraph to talk about how great mostaccioli is. Some may swear by the humble penne, but mostaccioli reigns supreme. Are you a macaroni fan? Bourgeois. Perhaps you enjoy a longer pasta, such as linguine or fettuccini? Disgusting. Rigatoni? Don’t make me laugh. It is, and it will always be, mostaccioli.

These nine pages are spent horsing around. By that I mean, the seven travelers are on horseback riding due north toward Taren Ferry. By the time they get to Watch Hill, a town that is enjoying their own untainted Bel Tine, the horses are fatigued and three inches from death! That’s ok, though, because Moiraine has those fancy Aes Sedai powers that can pump these horses full of magic coffee and get them back up and moving in two shakes of a Warder’s tail.

Speaking of Warders, this Lan guy is really fun to be around. He’s always cranky, and I hope someone has the good sense to throw him down a well by morning.

During the course of their travels, another Draghkar starts swooping around and scaring the holy peanuts out of the horses. It takes about four pages before they’re unspooked, and by then Moiraine and Lan are nervous that the dreaded Myrddraal is now hot on their heels! Fear not, troupe, for Moiraine rolls her 49-sided die and casts MAGIC FOG over them. They make it safely to Taren Ferry!

Rand has heard stories about Taren Ferry: the people there are scoundrels and petty thieves! They won’t be staying long, though. Lan hammers on a ferryman’s door and pays him a handsome sum to run a ferry across the river. It has never happened during the night, but there’s a first time for everything! After licking his gross lips, the ferryman agrees to arrange for a trip across the river.

The adventure continues. If I were them, I’d scour Taren Ferry for a few bags of some good, good mostaccioli!