The Great Hunt

A shepherd from a sleepy town in the Two Rivers, Rand al’Thor, the story’s main protagonist, imagines a simple life for himself, betrothed to Egwene and living out his days in Emond’s Field. When Moiraine of the Aes Sedai shows an interest in him as one who can channel the One Power, Rand is forced along a path he resists with every ounce of his strength. His father Tam gives him a “heron-marked blade,” a rare and powerful weapon and the first sign that his fate lies beyond the borders of the Two Rivers. After a Trolloc attack on the Two Rivers, Rand—along with his friends Mat, Perrin, Egwene, and the Wisdom, Nynaeve—leaves his village with Moiraine. This begins a long journey, both literal and existential, during which Rand confronts his greatest fear: that he is the reincarnation of Lews Therin, and that he is fated to battle the Dark One once again and save the world. As Rand frequently thinks to himself, “Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain” (679). He is shouldered with a duty with no say in the matter, and he must pass overcome denial and rage before he can accept it.