Rand is still training with Lan at Fal Dara when the Amyrlin Seat arrives — and it’s probably not a social call.
Training is more effective when you do it on top of a dangerously tall structure, right?
Our reluctant hero, Rand, is taking sword fighting lessons from Lan at Fal Dara. A normal person would conduct a session like this on terra firma, but instead the two men are on top of one of the city’s high towers — because as we all learned from Highlander, training is most effective when death is one careless misstep away.
Lan manages to get a jab in that breaks the practice sword and draws blood. Rand’s excuse? “The wind pushed me.” Sure, buddy. Did the dog eat your homework too?
It has been a full month since the events at the Eye of the World, and Rand still hasn’t followed through on his dramatic promise to run off and live in solitude. He admits to dragging his heels because he hopes to learn something from Moiraine that can help with his Dragon situation. But she has been busy, and besides, Lan doubts there is anything more she can do.
The training session ends abruptly when a large procession of Aes Sedai arrives at Fal Dara. It’s the Amyrlin Seat, and it doesn’t take a genius to guess who she’s here to see.