Nynaeve is a strong-minded, independent young woman of about 19 or 20 years of age. She was the wisdom of Emond’s Field and commanded respect from most of the villagers with her authoritative air. She forces Moiraine to allow her to go with them by being stubborn when she catches up to the party. However her stubbornness does get her in trouble sometimes. When she learns she can channel, she at first denies it as she has been taught that Aes Sedai are bad, but she gradually, if not begrudgingly accepts it, even though she finds she cannot channel properly unless she is angry. She falls in love with Lan and hates Moiraine with a passion, partly because she took her fellow villagers away from their home and also because as long as Lan is bonded to Moiraine as her warder, he is not free to marry Nynaeve or even truly show his feelings for her as well. She feels Moiraine acts for her own purposes and does not care about the welfare of others like when she let the Stag and Lion burn in Baerlon (chap. 17). She is small and slender, has a waist-long wrist-thick dark braid, dark skin, deep brown eyes and is full-chested, about 5’3" in height.

Rand al'Thor

Rand is a tall, strong, handsome young man with broad shoulders, dark reddish hair, bluish-gray eyes, and a sun-darkened face. He is approximately 17 years old and about 6’6". He is right-minded and always tries to do his best. He was a simple shepherd before Moiraine came to take him away. He holds moderate contempt for Moiraine and Lan for taking him and his friends away from their home which he never really let’s go of. He is ta’veren and things seem to always revolve around him. He has dreams involving the Dark One which usually coincide with Mat and Perrin’s. We don’t know it until the end of the novel, but he is destined to be the Dragon Reborn, Lews Therin Telamon’s reincarnation, who can channel and is supposed to fight the Dark One in Tarmon Gai’don, the last battle, which will bring on the second breaking of the world. He was born of Aiel blood and is not Tam’s birth son.

Egwene is an innocent, naïve, fun-loving young woman. She is the daughter of the wealthy mayor and owner of Emond’s Field’s only inn: the Winespring Inn. Unlike Nynaeve, she is delighted when Moiraine tells her she can channel. She believes in what is right and just. However, her foil is she cannot believe people have the capacity to be as evil as they are so she is easily taken advantage of. She loves Rand and is all but promised to marry him. She has big brown eyes, is about 15 or 16, has waist-long dark hair, slender, and about 5’3".

Mat is a trickster at heart. He is always joking around, playing jokes on people and getting in trouble. He lies a lot so people don’t always believe him when he says something. Originally he was a farmer in Emond’s Field. He is very resentful of Moiraine and Lan for taking him and his friends away from their home, but he does listen to her. He too is ta’veren and has strange dreams coinciding with Rand’s and Perrin’s, involving the Dark One. He is a bad womanizer who always seems to have a girl or too hanging around him. He is wiry, long-limbed, well-muscled and rumpled-looking with deep brown eyes about 5’11".

Moiraine is an Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah who was born of noble blood in Cairhien. Like all Aes Sedai, she hides her true character very well. However, she is very strong-minded and authoritative and used to getting her way. She even shows up Nynaeve once or twice in this respect. She knows about Rand being the Dragon Reborn and has come to Emond’s Field to find him. All she cares about is the world being right and everything working out as it should no matter who’s life she upsets. Her face has a kind of agelessness to it which all Aes Sedai seem to have. She has large dark eyes and dark hair hanging in ringlets. She is short and slender, about 5’2".

Loial is an Ogier from Stedding Shangtai who meets Rand in Caemlyn. He is a soft-spoken gentile person who, unless provoked wouldn’t harm a thing which is in sharp contrast to his overall size and outward appearance. He takes a liking to Rand immediately and recognizes him as ta’veren. Loving the pursuit of knowledge, he always had his nose stuck in a book. He left his Stedding at the age of 90, still considered young for an Ogier, to see the world. Now he dreads returning to his home for fear his mother might try to marry him off to settle him down the minute he returns. He is about nine feet tall, has tufted pointed ears, long shaggy black hair, goat-like nose almost as broad as his face, thick eyebrows hanging almost to his cheeks, pale eyes as big as tea-cups, broad blunt fingers on hands as big as hams, a too wide mouth with white teeth broad as chisels, and a narrow strip of furlike hair up the middle of his chest.

Lan is Moiraine’s warder which means he is bound to her for life, or until she releases him, to serve and protect her even with his life if necessary. He is the sole remnant and uncrowned king of his ruined nation of Malkier. He is a master swordsman and tracker who grew up with a sword in his hands. He is an extremely hard man who is unfazed by almost anything(except for his feelings for Nynaeve).

Thom is a gleeman who comes to Emond’s Field to perform. He has a very strong character and always seems to know what to do. He juggles, plays the flute, plays the harp, sings and recites stories. Because he was the court-bard of Andor for Queen Morgase, he is said to be able to play the Game of Houses in his sleep (Game of houses is what nobles do by plots and counterplots to gain either honor or power for their House). He does not particularly like Moiraine and Lan for coming and taking the boys and Egwene away from their life, but he doesn’t openly complain. He is not ta’veren, but he plays a very important part in the pattern according to Moiraine. He is very brave when he takes on the Fade to help the boys escape form Whitebridge.