Dain Bornhald

Author: Val a'Shain

DAY-ihn BOHRN-hahld

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 rank of Captain (TSR, Ch. 45). He is described as 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 he chooses personal revenge on Perrin over fighting Trollocs. He manages to convince himself Perrin is planning to lead them all in a trap so the Trollocs can kill them all. Disillusioned by his failure in the Two Rivers, Bornhald takes to drinking. He later attaches himself to Galad (KoD, Prologue).

Timeline

• Dain Bornhald runs into Rand, Perrin, and Mat in Baerlon in the spring of 998 NE. Mat pulls a prank on Bornhald that 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, Dain 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 meantime 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 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 off with the One Power. Bornhald learned of his father's death sometime before this meeting (Byar must be a tireless traveler) (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 meantime 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 sent with Ordeith have been 'killed in a skirmish with Trollocs', not the first time this has happened. Dain confronts Ordeith 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' defenses 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 surrender so he can be put on trial 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 Field, Bornhald has no choice but to agree (TSR, Ch. 45; Ch. 56).
• Bornhald refuses the engage the Trollocs in their final attack on Emond's Field. The Two Rivers 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).
• He accompanies Galad along with Trom and Byar when Galad challenges Valda (KoD, Prologue).
• Dain approaches Galad about maybe resting in the swamp, saying the men are exhausted. Galad decides to speak to the men. After Asunawa shows up to arrest Galad and take him for questioning, Dain tries to convince Galad not to give himself up, but Galad decides to anyway (ToM, Prologue).
• Bornhald shows up with Trom and Byar to rescue Galad, and he has blood on his cloak (ToM, Ch. 2).
• He helps Galad to separate some supposed merchants who turn out to be Perrin's men (ToM, Ch. 4).
• Bornhald goes to Perrin's camp and tells him Galad wishes to meet up with him down the road and promises he can return safely (ToM, Ch. 10).
• He attends the second parley Galad has with Perrin in which Perrin admits to killing two Whitecloaks. Bornhald draws his sword but after a look from Galad puts it back. Perrin says he did not kill Dain's father (ToM, Ch. 26).
• Dain attends Perrin's trial where he is troubled by what he hears (ToM, Ch. 34).
• The Whitecloak camp is attacked by Trollocs and Perrin's army rushes down to save them. During the fight Bornhald fights side by side with Galad. After the battle, Byar tries to stab Perrin in the back, but Bornhald kills Byar before he has a chance (ToM, Ch. 41).

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 despises 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; 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 addressed as Lord by the Whitecloaks instead of 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)