When the red light of attack flares in the southern sky, Pimur and Quercus have no restraint. Tearing through the woods in the predawn light, they find a party of Aiel tangled with the previously-encountered false-Trollocs. Wasting no time, they engage the clear choice of enemy. Following quickly behind, Lance dances with his swords while Amena grimly wields death.

Standing by the side of the road with a dead bandit in the wagon and clouds dropping a drenching rainfall, the party considers their next move. They know an army is marching on Dal Sherandu, but not much else.

Amena and Quercus explore the woods parallel to the road while Lance and Pimur continue taking the cart down the road towards home. The tracks in the trees merge with more groups, picking up speed and changing direction. The fog of rain begins to be laced with the smell of smoke and cooking meat.

Fleeing from a burning watchpost leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of the novices, but what else can they do? A small altercation in the forest to their right proves too intriguing to ignore.

Leaving a sleeping Lance in the cart to be guarded by Quercus, Pimur and Amena sneak into the woods to seek the source of the gunshot. They find a man bleeding from a musket wound, and no gunman in sight.

Bemused and bloodied, the party reluctantly scurries away from the corpse of a man with the words “Chosen of the Shadow” branded into his forehead, just ahead of a horde of his fellows. They make their way to the Children’s signal beacon, and Pimur manages to focus his saidar talent for his favorite element to light the beacon fire with perhaps a bit more flair than is strictly necessary.

Upon arriving at the waystation of the Children of the Light, the party is dismayed to see evidence of hostile forces that should not exist in this day and Age. Lance is disturbed to learn that the waystation was expecting more reinforcements than their lone wagon of basic supplies.

Rather than sticking around to gather information or reinforce the fortifications, the eager novices promptly take off into the woods to look for a lost patrol of Children.

Seeing the suspicious balance of power in the Tinker caravan, Pimur is unpleasantly reminded of the time he was pulled into someone else’s world against his will.

Amena persists in her quest to acquire a furry companion. Quercus provides ample quantities of creative ideas and a bit of help, and eventually she succeeds in “liberating” a Tinker dog. Lance looks askance at this behavior.

Back on the road with shiny new toys granted by the mysterious couple in the hidden thicket, the party continues their quest to deliver a wagonload of supplies to a Children of the Light camp before worse weather arrives. Along the way, they come across a caravan of the Traveling People.

Torn between deep misgivings and burning curiosity about their hosts, the party  manages to keep their cool. Pimur and Quercus offer to help Brechin around the farm, and reach an unexpected mutual understanding laced with more questions. Amena uneasily sits with Saine as the latter chatters like any neighborhood granny about the state of her flowerbeds, and insists that visitors need muffins.

Emerging from the cave complex as wiser and more experienced heroes, the party returns the lost child to a grateful mother. They are promptly “honored” with extra responsibilities that, by pure coincidence, require they leave the festivities promptly to guard a wagon train from inclement weather. The three who are obligated to fulfill these responsibilities persuade Quercus to accompany them, for reasons that are not completely clear, even to them. Maybe there is luck in keeping the party together?

As the Festival of Lights reaches its climax, a panicked mother calls on the crowd for help. Quercus helpfully points out a botanical clue in the child's disappearance, while failing to distinguish between the footprints of small children and squirrels.

Amena uses her cool head to lead the party to a small cave nearby, and Lance bravely volunteers to explore inside first. Pimur is simultaneously excited at the adventure and infuriated by the slippery nature of the One Power in times of need.