Rand rebuffs Selene’s charms, gets hypnotized by a giant crystal ball, freaks out his companions, and leads them into the village of Tremonsien.
Rand keeps his group moving through the night toward Cairhien. They stop at dawn to rest, and Selene doubles down on her “coquettishly petulant” shtick.
SELENE: I want to see the Horn, Loial.
Remarkably, Rand grows a pair.
RAND: No, Loial. I want to keep the dagger sealed.
SELENE: But Lord Rand. I just want to see it. I don’t even have to touch it. Unless you want me to.
But still Rand refuses, earning him a cold shoulder. The terrain eventually levels out and signs of civilization become more frequent. Selene and Rand butt heads over whether to stay at the village inn, and Rand is in the middle of insisting on it when the setting sun glints off something to their left.
The Awakening
A precipitous drop into an excavation site reveals a statue peeking out of the earth. It sounds a lot like The Awakening, except with a gigantic crystal ball held in its hand. The crystal hypnotizes Rand. He feels as though the light inside sings and dances “to the song of saidin.” Selene urges him to come away from the ledge, but he is enchanted, and is only able to break free by uttering an Aiel oath against the Dark One.
Having thoroughly freaked out his traveling companions, Rand leads them into Tremonsien to seek lodging.