Chapter 27: The Shadow in the Night

Walking back from The Bunch of Grapes through the Foregate, Rand and Loial are ambushed by Trollocs hidden inside Darkfriend puppet costumes. Rand cuts one down; Loial breaks a second's neck bare-handed, his first kill.

More Trollocs herd them east, away from Hurin at the inn. Selene finds them mid-flight. Cornered at the edge of the Foregate, they slip through an unbarred door into the walled Illuminators' chapter house, judging the Illuminators a lesser risk than Trollocs.

Inside, Loial knocks a rack of smoldering punks onto a fuse and sets off a display firework, drawing Aludra and Tammuz out to investigate. When the Trollocs follow them in, Rand tilts one of the large tubes toward them and touches a punk to the fuse; the blast kills the Trollocs and tears the corner off a building. Selene slips back into the compound rather than escape with them.

Back at The Defender of the Dragonwall, innkeeper Cuale hands Rand a second sealed note from Selene, urging him to think of the Horn and of her.