Rand has a bad dream and says goodbye to Tam. A mob accuses Moiraine of being the cause of the town’s misfortunes, and she gives a TED Talk about Manetheren to let them know what a shitty job they’re doing of living up to their ancestors’ legacy.
Blah blah blah, Rand has a nightmare, blah blah blah blah blah. Yes, I know — Tel’aran’rhiod, the world of dreams, is important in the Wheel of Time series. But these paragraphs are simultaneously fluffy like an overstuffed pillow, and yet denser than a box of Clif Bars. I have no patience for tripe like this unless it is material to the story.
Rand finally wakes up and gets to speak with Tam, who has also regained consciousness. Tam warns Rand about Aes Sedai, but does not try to dissuade him from going.
Outside, an angry mob has gathered around Moiraine, complete with torches and pitchforks. They are urging her to leave the village, convinced that it was she who brought the attack upon them. Bran approaches the crowd and castigates them for showing no gratitude toward Moiraine for her services rendered.
But let’s face it — Bran is a fucking teddy bear, and nobody is going to take this kind of talk from him seriously. As an outsider, Moiraine sees this more clearly than anyone, so she gives the mob of men a taste of what truly motivates them: a lambasting from a powerful woman.
Emond’s Field, says Moiraine, owes its namesake to Aemon al Caar al Thorin, a man who two thousand years ago was the King of a land called Manetheren, which included all of Two Rivers and then some. Aemon was renowned for his courage, and his army played a pivotal role in battles during the Trolloc Wars. One day, Manetheren needed help from other nations to combat a Trolloc invasion. Sadly, help never came, but the brave people of Manetheren fought to the bitter end, making their last stand precisely where Emond’s Field is today. When the battle was finally lost, Aemon’s Queen, Eldrene unleashed a fireball that burned the Trolloc armies alive.
Those who fled their home found nothing of their farms, villages or cities remaining. So they picked up the pieces and carried on. And this sorry lot of superstitious, xenophobic, ignorant, petty excuses for villagers was is now what remains of the once-great Kindgom of Manetheren. Moiraine didn’t actually say this to the crowd confronting her on the village green, but it was strongly implied. Cowed and embarrassed, the mob disperses with muttered apologies.