The Great Hunt/Chapter 26

==Summary==
Rand gets back to The Defender of the Dragonwall and convinces Loial to come with him to see Thom. They go to The Bunch of Grapes and the innkeeper sends them up to his room. Dena is waiting there, practicing her juggling. She tells Rand that she will become the first woman gleeman. Thom enters and Dena and he kiss, making Rand uncomfortable. He complains about a group of 'players' that pretend to be different heroes from legend. She introduces Rand and Loial and Thom sends her to collect her knives.
Thom tells Rand that he had word about him from Basel Gill. Rand offers Thom a part in a big adventure and tells him that they have the Horn of Valere. Thom doesn't believe him. When he tells him Moiraine also says it is the Horn of Valere, he stops laughing. He tells him that Trollocs and Myrddraal are after them and tells them about their plans for the Horn. Thom doesn't want any of the glory.
Rand asks Loial to leave he and Thom alone. When he is gone, he asks Thom about the Karaethon Cycle. Thom quotes some of the prophecies and is suspicious about Rand. Rand says that no Aes Sedai are going to use him and that Moiraine is far away. After prompting, Thom tells Rand about Owyn and how the Aes Sedai who gentled him gave him no chance. Rand tries to convince Thom to come with them once again, but Thom refuses. He is happy enough with life and with Dena. He doesn't want to be tangled up in events and won't even let Rand tell him what inn he is staying in.
Thom is tempted to follow Rand with the Horn of Valere, but still decides against it. The innkeeper, Zera, accuses him of getting himself involved in the Great Game again. Thom says that Rand is only a shepherd from the Two Rivers, but she doesn't believe him, thinking that he must be an outlander lord instead. She warns him that the Game has become more dangerous and that he shouldn't be playing at so many lords' manors. She urges him to settle down and to marry Dena. Thom thinks it would be unfair to burden the girl with an old husband. He concludes that Rand must not be a channeler after all, or the Aes Sedai would not have let him go ungentled.
==Characters==
*Rand al'Thor
*Cuale - as innkeeper
*Loial
*Hurin
*Thom Merrilin
*Dena
*Zera
===Referenced===
*Elder Haman
*Ingtar Shinowa
*Seaghan Entertainment Manager in the Foregate
*Rogosh Eagle-Eye
*Blaes of Matuchin
*Gaidal Cain
*Ivon
*Basel Gill
*Egwene al'Vere
*Nynaeve al'Meara
*Galldrian Riatin
*Easar Togita - as King of Shienar
*Selene
*Owyn
*Ba'alzamon
*Moiraine Damodred
*Arilyn Dhulaine
===Groups===
* Sea Folk
* Darkfriends
* Aiel
* Aes Sedai
==Places==
* Cairhien
* Foregate
===Referenced===
* Stedding Shangtai
* Emond's Field
* Tear
* Mountains of Dhoom
* Caemlyn
* Illian
* Fal Dara
* Shienar
* Blasted Lands
* Borderlands
* Andor
* Two Rivers
* Ghealdan
==Items==
* Horn of Valere
* Callandor
==Events==
* Great Hunt for the Horn
* Last Battle
Category:The Great Hunt chapter summaries