The Eye of the World/Chapter 1

==Summary==
:
Rand al'Thor and his father Tam al'Thor are traveling in the Westwood via the Quarry Road to Emond's Field. Their mare Bela
is hauling a cart with casks of apple brandy and cider which Tam has promised to the Winespring Inn for the Bel Tine celebrations the next day. 
With the winter being so hard and long, wolves and bears had been attacking people and animals, so both Rand and Tam are watchful of their surroundings. Rand looks behind them, and sees a Myrddraal on a black horse following. Rand stumbles, breaking his stare with the Fade, and tells Tam there is a stranger following them. They stop, look behind them, but the Myrddraal is not there. Rand wonders if it was a figment of his imagination, and they continue on. 
They enter Emond's Field, where they are stopped by Wit Congar. He starts complaining about the new Wisdom, Nynaeve al'Meara, until his wife, Daise Congar, arrives and starts admonishing Wit. Rand and Tam quickly continue to the Winespring Inn. As they walk through the village, they see Bel Tine preparations going on everywhere.
Reaching the Winespring Inn, Brandelwyn al'Vere, the owner of the Inn and the Mayor of Emond's Field, comes out to greet them. He and Tam are chatting about the odd winter when Cenn Buie arrives to add his negative comments on the matter.
As the conversation continues, Matrim Cauthon, hidden from their view, tugs on Rand's sleeve. He tells Rand that he and Dav Ayellin have caught a badger that they are going to let loose on the Green to watch the girls scream. Rand says he has to help carry the casks and barrels into the inn.
Mat mentions strangers in the village, and Rand describes the Myrddraal. Mat admits he saw one three days before, and how scared he was with it just staring at him. Mat's father Abell Cauthon also didn't believe there was anything there, though Mat thinks people would have to believe him now with Rand backing what he saw.
Mat is seen by Tam, and is recruited as another helping hand for getting the casks inside. Tam tells them there is a gleeman in the inn, and Bran recalls how the man had arrived in the middle of the night. Cenn then lets slip that there will be fireworks as well. When Bran confronts him about his loose tongue, Cenn quickly ducks into the inn. Tam states they need to unload the cart, and the rest begin carrying casks into the inn.
==Characters==
*Rand al'Thor
*Tam al'Thor
*Myrddraal - the Black-cloaked Rider
*Wit Congar
*Daise Congar
*Brandelwyn al'Vere
*Cenn Buie
*Matrim Cauthon
*Bela - the al'Thors' mare
===Referenced===
*Perrin Aybara
*Egwene al'Vere
*Nynaeve al'Meara
*Jon Thane - as Master Thane
*Mistress al'Donel
*Dav Ayellin
*Dark One, Shepherd of the Night
*Creator
*Ishamael
*Aginor
*Dragon
*Shadowman
*Elam Dowtry
*Abell Cauthon as Mat's da
*Thom Merrillin - as gleeman
==Groups==
*Wisdom
*Village Council
*Women's Circle
*Innkeeper
*Merchants
*Forsaken
*The Congars and the Coplins
*Gleeman
*Peddler
*Wolves
==Places==
*Emond's Field
*Green
*Quarry Road
*Westwood
*Winespring Inn
===Referenced===
*Sand Hills
*Two Rivers
*Waterwood
*Sand Hills
*Mountains of Mist
*Watch Hill
*Deven Ride
*Taren Ferry
*Winespring
*Winespring Water
*Wagon Bridge
*North Road
*Old Road
*Shayol Ghul
*Blight - as Great Blight
*Baerlon
*Riverwood
==Events==
===Referenced===
*Breaking of the World
*Bel Tine
*Sunday
*Winternight - also called Festival
*Archery Competition at Bel Tine
==Items==
*Spring Pole
*Scales of Office
==Concepts==
*Wheel of Time
*Third Age
*Flame and the Void
*Listening to the Wind
*Creation
===One Power===
==Culture==
*Stones
===Sayings===
*"Maybe sheep will fly..."
*"The Dark One and all of the Forsaken are bound in Shayol Ghul, beyond the Great Blight, bound by the Creator at the moment of Creation, bound until the end of time. The hand of the Creator shelters the world, and the Light shines on us all." (see religious beliefs).