The Dragon Reborn/Chapter 44

==Summary==
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Sammael (Lord Brend) is in Illian, according to Moiraine. Moiraine asks Zarine one more time if she wishes to continue on the journey with them. Zarine ponders it for a moment but decides it is too grand an adventure to pass up. Perrin is convinced that Zarine must have a very good reason for staying and demands to know what she wants, but Moiraine does not have time for this and ushers them out of the inn. They pass Loial packing up on the way to the stable where Moiraine tries to convince Nieda Sidoro to flee the city with her loved ones lest they be killed for her connection to Moiraine. Lan shows Zarine a horse which is now hers and Zarine hops onto it with surprising skill. Moiraine says Sammael did not send the Gray Men, only the Darkhounds. Perrin questions Moiraine on why the Gray Men would be after him when Rand is the Dragon Reborn in front of Nieda and Zarine, shocking the two of them. Angry at Perrin's indiscretion, Moiraine swears the innkeeper to secrecy and tells Zarine that she is bound to them now and cannot leave them. Nieda now believes that she must leave the city. The five of them ride out of the stable.
Perrin hopes the clearing skies will be good for them to get away from Illian and the Darkhounds. Lan tells him that Darkhounds do not like rain, clear moonless nights are when they hunt best. A full pack is chasing them and they gather on top of a hill with a clear view since they will not be able to outrun them. Loial looks at a nearby carving which looks like an Ogier, but they are not near a stedding. Perrin tries to shoot them with his bow to little effect while Loial and Zarine hold the horses to stop them from fleeing. Moiraine finally uses balefire which destroys the Darkhounds. Perrin questions Moiraine more on what is going on and she slips and says that Mat blew the Horn of Valere. Faile is shocked and disappointed that the Hunt is over already. 
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Mat sits in front of a fire, holding one of the fireworks given to him by Aludra. He takes a knife and carefully slices it open. He sees the inside is made out of paper and tiny gray-black pebbles. Thom freaks out that Mat actually opened up one of the fireworks despite Aludra's warnings. Mat throws the bits into the fire which causes Thom to become enraged, but nothing much happens. A woman and three men approach their fire and start to attack. Mat throws another firework into the fire which actually explodes and distracts the attackers. Thom kills one with a thrown knife, then another. Mat fights easily handles the third man with his quarterstaff. The woman is approaching Mat when Thom throws a knife into the throat of the woman. Mat says she was harmless by herself, so Thom didn't need to kill her. Thom points out that she was holding a dagger in her hand. Mat recognizes one of the men from the attack on their ship when they left Tar Valon. Mat thinks about the fireworks again and wonders what would happen if he set them all off at once. He says they have to get going immediately and is even more convinced that he is being hunted because of Elayne's letter.
==Characters==
*Perrin
*Loial
*Moiraine
*Lan
*Faile
*Nieda Sidoro
*Aldieb
*Mandarb
*Stepper
*Mat
*Thom
===Referenced===
*Sammael
*Ba'alzamon
*Rand
*Sheriam
*Siuan
*Aludra
*Bran al'Vere
*Abell Cauthon - as Mat's father
*Marin al'Vere
*Morgase
*Elayne
*Egwene
*Nynaeve
==Groups==
*Darkfriends
===Referenced===
*Forsaken
*Whitecloaks
==Places==
*Illian
*Andor
===Referenced===
*Two Rivers
*Aiel Waste
*Emond's Field
*Tear
*Caemlyn
==Items==
===Referenced===
*Horn of Valere