Dain Bornhald

Author: Val a'Shain

General

Dain Bornhald is an officer of the Children of the Light, his exact rank isn't mentioned in the earlier books. (TEotW, Glossary). In the Shadow Rising he uses the rand of Captain (TSR, Ch. 45) He is described as a narrow faced with an arrogant unblinking look. (TEotW, Ch. 15)

Dain is a promising officer when we first meet him, even if he doesn't seem to be all that intelligent. Later on his hatred for Perrin consumes him. He doesn't see the bigger picture of the events in the Two Rivers. He doesn't understand Ordeith's role and how Ordeith tries to use him, or that of Lord Luc. He ends up being hopelessly confused over who is a Darkfriend and who isn't and chooses personal revenge on Perrin over fighting Trollocs (tied to the Shadow without a doubt you would think). He manages to convince himself Perrin is planning to lead them all in a trap so the Trollocs can kill them all. Disillusioned but his failure in the Two Rivers he takes to drinking possibly ruining his career with the Children of the Light.

Timeline

• Dain Bornhald runs into Rand, Perrin and Mat in Baerleon in the spring of 998 NE. Mat pulls a prank on Bornhald the Whitecloak doesn't appreciate. (TEotW, Ch. 15)
• Dain Bornhald tries to prevent Rand's party from leaving Baerleon. Moiraine uses the One Power to get past him. (TEotW, Ch. 17)
• It is unclear what Dain does in the time between his encounter with Moiraine and the moment he joins his father. when Perrin meets Geofram Bornhald he hasn't caught up yet or Perrin would surely have been recognized. Considering Perrin took a bit of a detour Bornhald must have done something in the mean time or he would have caught up with his father before they ran into Perrin.
• Dain joins his father in Caemlyn and proceeds to Tar Valon with the group of Whitecloaks under Eamon Valda's command to Tar Valon after his father is recalled to Amador. (TGH, Ch. 5)
• In the spring of 999 NE Dain Bornhald runs into Egwene, Elayne, Nynaeve and Mat who are escorted back to Tar Valon by Verin. The three girls lose their temper and chase Bornhald's patrol of with the One Power. Bornhald learnt of his father's death sometime before this meeting (Byar must be a tireless traveller). (TDR, Ch. 10)
• Later in 999 NE Bornhald arrives with new orders and a group of Whitecloaks under his command in the Two Rivers. He makes camp near Taren Ferry so he can control who enters and leaves the Two Rivers. Ordeith is with him and Niall left the status of Ordeith vague. He isn't under Dain's command exactly, more of an advisor. Dain doesn't like his orders but he has leapt at the chance to avenge his father. (TSR, Ch. 1)
• Ordeith councils to scour the Two Rivers to draw Perrin back (TSR, Ch. 1). Dain takes prisoners to ensure this but fails to capture Abell Cauthon and Tam al'Thor. The Aybara family is slaughtered by Fain before Dain can prevent it. In the mean time Trollocs show up in the Two Rivers and the children start suffering losses. Two Gray men tried to kill Bornhald in Watch Hill before Ordeith killed them. (TSR, Ch. 31)
• Dain returns from a patrol that was ambushed by Trollocs. He finds Ordeith has returned as well. The two Children he send with Ordeith have been 'killed in a skirmish with Trollocs'. Not the first time this has happened. Dain confronts him about it and the two argue. Ordeith wants a free hand to draw 'the tree' out, Dain refuses, sends him away and starts looking for a bottle of brandy. (TSR, Ch. 31)
• Perrin starts organizing the Two Rivers' defences and liberates the hostages held by the Whitecloaks. (TSR, Ch. 34)
• Dain meets Perrin face to face in Emond's Field after a battle with Trollocs there. He brings news of the destruction of Taren Ferry. He also demands Perrin surrenders so he can be put on trail by the Whitecloaks. Perrin agrees to go with them after the Trolloc threat to Emond's field has been neutralized if the Whitecloaks agree to help defend the village. Considering the number of Trollocs around Emond's fields Bornhald has no choice but to agree. (TSR, Ch. 45;TSR, Ch. 56)
• Bornhald refuses the engage the Trollocs in their final attack on Emond's Field. The Two River's folk refuse to let him take Perrin and Bornhald is forced to retreat. Still convinced Perrin is a Darkfriend he screams he will see Perrin hang sooner or later. (TSR, Ch. 56)
• After his failure in the Two Rivers Bornhald returns to Amador and takes to drinking. Valda finds him drunk during the day when he returns from Tar Valon. (LoC, Ch. 31) Dain Bornhald is not mentioned in the books after this point.
• He accompanies Galad along with Trom and Byar when Galad challenges Valda (KoD, Prologue)

Relationships

Dain holds Perrin responsible for the death of his father and hates him intensely for that.

Dain's father thinks he is full of zeal. Too much zeal sometimes. (TGH, Ch. 5)

Dain dispises Fain and thinks he's a madman (TSR, Ch. 1), Fain in return thinks Dain is a fool (TSR, Ch. 31)

Dain thinks Byar is a fool, even if he is useful enough to name second on his mission to the Two Rivers (TSR, Ch. 1; TSR, Ch. 31)

Valda thinks Dain is not as weak as his father and thinks it is a shame he is wasting himself on drink. (LoC, Ch. 31)

Miscellaneous

• Bornhald doesn't like the methods the Questioners use (TSR, Ch. 31)
• For some reason Dain is adressed as Lord by the Whitecloaks. You'd expect Captain.
• Like all Whitecloaks he thinks Aes Sedai are Darkfriends.

Quotes

"Kill me, then, witch," he said shakily. "Go ahead. Kill me, as you killed my father!" Bornhald screaming at Verin after Elayne, Egwene and Nynaeve scatter his patrol near Tar Valon (The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 10)

"I do not know where he is," Bornhald snapped. "Or care! I did not come here to talk of Ordeith!" His horse pranced nervously as Bornhald flung out a hand, pointing at Perrin. "I arrest you as a Darkfriend. You will be taken to Amador, and there tried under the Dome of Truth." Bornhald to the Two Rivers folk after the first Trolloc attack on the village (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 45)

"Clean!" Bornhald roared at him. "If we must die here, we will die clean!" He wrenched his head back to Perrin, spittle on his lips. "We will remain. But at the last I will see you dead, Shadowspawn! For my family, for my father, I -- will -- see -- you -- dead!" Bornhald to Perrin just before the final battle with the Trollocs in Emond's field, (The Shadow Rising, Chapter 56)

"If you've done what's wrong in service to the Light, then you have to do what's right to balance it" (Bornhald to Byar, Knife of Dreams, Prologue)