Tam and Rand return to find the farm untouched, so they take care of chores. But a bunch of Trollocs show up and let everyone know that they can’t stand a lovely evening. Rand acquires Tam’s sword.
Tam and Rand return to find the farm untouched. Tam decides they should use the remaining daylight to take care of chores, but both men are clearly on edge. Night closes in and they move indoors. Tam locks the doors — unheard of! Nobody does that in Two Rivers! — and retrieves an ancient sword from storage. They prepare to sup on the stew Tam made when the door splinters into pieces and shit kicks into high gear. In the blink of an eye, Trollocs are clambering to get in the farmhouse and extinguish human life. While Tam holds them off, Rand escapes through a back window.
My father figure just got mortally injured, but on the plus side, I get to use his sword!
Tam manages to get away from the Trollocs and the farmhouse as well — but when he reunites with Rand, it is evident that he has suffered injuries and is in no condition to strain himself any farther. This gives Rand his Link to the Past moment where he acquires a fancy sword that he has no idea how to use. But oh, does it make him feel like a man!
Unlike Link’s uncle, Rand’s father isn’t actually dead — just severely injured, and in need of care that only a Wisdom can offer. After gathering together some supplies and killing his very first Trolloc using nothing more than dumb luck and a weapon he has not earned, Rand drags Tam toward Emond’s Field on a makeshift sled.