Rand’s group completes its journey through the Aiel Waste and arrives at Cold Rocks Hold.
Devoting any number of words to a chapter carries certain unspoken promises from the author. “I believe in these words,” perhaps. Or maybe, “I have something to say.” At bare minimum, the message ought to be, “This chapter has a reason for existence.” But this chapter isn’t just “an offer refused” — it is also a promise broken. The TL;DR proves that this chapter doesn’t really have anything to say. Movies show periods of time like this as musical montages. Why? Because nothing particularly interesting happens!
Rand and Aviendha kick things off by bickering and utterly failing to reach an understanding. Aviendha channels a massive fireball that shoots off into the desert. Isendre flirts with Mat, and eventually Keille makes things weird by offering to sell Isendre to him for a gold mark. For that matter, the other members of the merchant caravan are also acting suspect. Jasin Natael is fixated on Rand’s fate and creating an epic retelling of the story of the Dragon Reborn. Hadnan Kadere keeps hinting to Rand that he has valuable “knowledge” to sell in exchange for total amnesty for any past or future crimes. All in all, it sounds like everyone spent eleven days in a mobile insane asylum.
As the music fades out, Rhuarc welcomes Rand to his home: Cold Rocks Hold.