Mat POV#

Back in the palace three hours later the dice are still rolling. Mat is with Tylin, Elayne, Nynaeve, the five Salidar Aes Sedai, the six Kin and twenty Sea Folk women, all channelers but of widely varying rank. The Sea Folk[1] are led by Renaile din Calon Blue Star, Windfinder to the Mistress of the Ships. Of the Kin, only Sumeko is not flustered by the Aes Sedai. Sibella nearly faints when offered a chair.

Mat wants to leave now but the others are resisting. He repeats what Birgitte told him about gholam. They were created in the middle of the Shadow War as Aes Sedai assassins. They can sense the ability to channel at fifty paces. They are immune to the One Power and have no bones. There were three male and three female made. This one probably survived in a stasis box. It was sent by a Forsaken, so the gholam, Forsaken and more Black Ajah are likely to show up. Nynaeve and Elayne do not help him at all.

Ispan is being held in another part of the palace guarded by the rest of the Knitting Circle.[2] Aviendha and Birgitte are there, but Lan and Beslan were sent off. Thom and Juilin are packing. Mat gets angry and calls Renaile "daughter of the sands," an extreme insult. He remembers a Sea Folk woman calling an Shiotan soldier "son of the sands" just before trying to kill him. He tells her to go with Elayne and Nynaeve and, with his ta'veren effect, she agrees! They discuss where to go; Elayne suggests Caemlyn, Careane suggests the Black Hills,[3] Vandene suggests Arafel and Aviendha suggests Rhuidean. They agree to go to the farm, which is a few miles north on the other side of the river. They discuss whether to Travel or just travel. Nynaeve and Elayne used him because they got taken apart trying to bargain. They all leave, Mat with his spear, after Tylin kisses him goodbye. He finds Thom, Juilin, Nerim and Lopin leaving Tylin's apartments with his belongings. Lopin is disconsolate after Nalesean's death so Mat offers to take him on. Thom brings Mat his ring and Mat puts it on. Mat goes back to his rooms looking for Olver, but Riselle let him out till evening. Olver is diligent in keeping his promises.

Leaving his spear, Mat tells the men to leave his stuff and find Vanin and the Redarms. Mat goes to the girls' apartments and tells Lan and the women to go on. Nynaeve warns him about the storm that she feels coming. Mat and Birgitte exchange a Barashandan oath no one else understands. Nynaeve warns him about the coming storm. Something about the weather and Elayne that makes no sense bothers him.[4] Mat, Thom, Juilin, Harnan, Vanin, Fergin, Gorderan and Metwyn split up to look for Olver who is wearing a red coat. There is a statue in Mol Hara Square of Queen Nariene known for her honesty. Mat wishes he brought Pips from the stable so he could see further. Mat hears rumors of a riot. Some say at the end of the Bay Road to the south, some say in the Cordese Hills to the west or the Rhannon Hills to the east. He talks to a tavern serving girl, Maylin, at The Old Sheep. The Seanchan attack. A building collapses on Mat just as the dice stop.[5]

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