The Great Hunt

Hurin leads Rand to the lower levels of the manor, suspecting the Darkfriends and Trollocs who took the Horn may still be there. In the lower chambers, they meet Mat and Loial, but Mat does not sense the dagger anywhere nearby. Hurin then leads them to an outdoor garden where he first scented the Trollocs entering the manor. Inside a walled enclosure, Loial senses a “Waygate,” a portal through which Ogiers—and others—may travel between steddings (Ogier sanctuaries). They suspect Fain has taken the Horn through the Waygate. Rand sends Mat to bring Verin and Ingtar to the garden, and then he climbs the wall. Inside, he sees a lone stone slab—the Gate—sitting amid a field of grass. Hurin and Loial join him, reprimanding him for his rashness. They approach the Gate, and Rand touches a leaf carved into the stonework, pulling it free. At once, the Gate opens. A black void swirls around them, and evil voices are in the air: It is Machin Shin, the Black Wind. Rand feels the lure of saidin and channels the power into a blazing light, forcing the Black Wind back into the open gate.