The Great Hunt/Chapter 30

==Summary==
:
No one has heard the truth of what happened at the Illuminator's guild a few nights ago. Rand knows what happened though and thinking about them makes him think of Selene. Hurin is becoming increasingly Cairhienin in his subservience, flustering Rand who is not actually a lord. There is a knock at the door which opens to reveal the innkeeper with more invitations. Rand plans to burn them like the others but Hurin notices that they are from the two most powerful nobles in Cairhien, Lord Barthanes and the king, Galldrian Riatin. Hurin tells Rand that he must not burn these, because the other nobles he had previously insulted were of lesser Houses. They assumed that he is allied with more powerful nobles and therefore waited to see what would happen; but should he burn these as well, they will realize he is really allied to no one and will no doubt act to repay his earlier insults. Yet Rand cannot accept one or even both invitations without the Cairhienin assuming he is in some plot against them. Rand decides to let everyone see him in the common room with them, unopened and apparently pondering over them. This is a temporary delaying tactic though and will only work for a few days; they must get out of the city soon.
Rand leaves the inn with Loial, leaving Hurin to stand guard over the Horn. Loial lists the various ways to get out of the city safely without help from Ingtar but concludes none of them would work. They go to the guard house and again they are told that no one named Ingtar or Selene has passed through. He asks about Caldevwin whom Rand saw in the guardhouse but the guard claims to not have seen him either. Rand is immeasurably frustrated at the Cairhienin and Daes Dae'mar and having no control over events. He wants to blame Moiraine who started it all but admits it's not really her fault that he started pretending to be a lord, even if he only did it because there was always a compelling reason to do so.
They are walking back when Loial notices a fire up ahead and they see that it is their inn. Running inside, they see people with buckets trying to put out the fire. It appears to have started in their rooms. Rand and Loial go up the stairs and crawl to their rooms. The chest is gone and Hurin quickly falls unconscious. Loial is worried about his books, but realizes he'll have to leave them so that he can save Hurin; Rand cannot carry Hurin while crawling to avoid the smoke. Rand looks back at the Dragon Banner and remembers Moiraine saying that his life may depend on it; he recovers it even though he would rather let it burn. Outside, a Reader is tending to Hurin but admits she cannot really do anything for him. Rand turns around and sees Mat, Perrin, and Ingtar. Rand sits down in the street and laughs bitterly.
==Characters==
*Rand
*Loial
*Hurin
*Cuale
*Aldrin Caldevwin
*Mat
*Perrin
*Ingtar
===Referenced===
*Barthanes
*Galldrian
*Elder Haman
*Moiraine
*Siuan - as Amyrlin
*Selene
*Laman
*Padan Fain
*Lan
*Owyn
*Thom
==Groups==
===Referenced===
*Guild of Illuminators
*Darkfriends
==Places==
*Cairhien
*Foregate
===Referenced===
*Stedding Tsofu
*Two Rivers
==Items==
*Horn of Valere
*Ruby-hilted dagger