Who is Tam Al'Thor from The Eye of the World and what is their importance?

Tam is the father of Rand. He is a sheepherder in Two Rivers, and each spring he brings cider and apple brandy to Emond's Field for Bel Tine. He is the most skilled tracker in Two Rivers and has a seat on the Village Council. When Rand and Tam return to their farm on Winternight, he locks the doors for the first time in Rand's memory. He also arms himself with a sword that Rand did not know he even possessed. The sword is a heron-mark sword, very unusual for a sheepherder.