[{Table style='width:100%'

| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_lft.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=CoT,Ch27'}] 
| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/dice_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Dice Chapter Icon'}] ''[CoT|Crossroads of Twilight]: A Cluster of Rosebuds'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=CoT,Ch29' align='right'}]
}]

%%tabs
! __Mat__ POV

[Valan Luca]'s circus moves slowly through [Altara] along the [Great North Road|Ebou Dar] toward [Lugard]. He stops at every town for a performance causing slow progress. [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] settlers and soldiers often pass by, sometimes riding %%ot [torm]%%. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] is sure the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] must be searching for [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] even though [Suroth|Suroth Sabelle Meldarath] is keeping it a secret. He keeps company with [Noal|Noal Charin], [Vanin|Chel Vanin] and the [Redarms|Band of the Red Hand] [Harnan], [Fergin], [Metwyn] and [Gorderan]. [Vanin|Chel Vanin] is a better cook than [Latelle]. They pass through the village of [Weesin] about thirty miles from [Ebou Dar]. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] has trouble keeping [Edesina|Edesina Azzedin], [Joline|Joline Maza] and [Teslyn|Teslyn Baradon], [Bethamin|Bethamin Zeami], [Renna|Renna Emain] and [Seta|Seta Zarbey] under control. With his [foxhead medallion|Foxhead Medallion] he can tell they are [channeling|True Source]. [Blaeric|Blaeric Negina] and [Fen|Fen Mizar] do not help. He cannot manage to get the %%ot [a'dam|aDam]%% away from the %%ot [sul'dam|Seanchan (People)]%%.[1] The [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] seem to be heading to [Illian|Illian (Country)] in force. More of the settlers are heading east because of stories of [Aiel] ravaging to the north. Rumor has [Suroth|Suroth Sabelle Meldarath] making an alliance with someone powerful who will give them access to many lands.[2] [Juilin|Juilin Sandar] and [Thom|Thom Merrilin] also scout for news in the villages. [Thom|Thom Merrilin] also plays [Snakes and Foxes|Finn] with [Olver]. [Juilin|Juilin Sandar] and [Thera|Amathera Aelfdene Casmir Lounault] are happy together. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] worries about [Thera|Amathera Aelfdene Casmir Lounault]'s reliability so he sets [Noal|Noal Charin] to watch them. [Noal|Noal Charin] suggests getting rid of her, but [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] will have none of it. He already killed one woman[3] and left another to die.[4] [Lopin] and [Nerim] still serve [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]. [Thom|Thom Merrilin] seems sadder as they move.[5] [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] shares a wagon with [Egeanin|Egeanin Tamarath] and [Domon|Bayle Domon].

The night after they leave, [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] goes to visit [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] taking [Egeanin|Egeanin Tamarath] with him. [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] is playing [Snakes and Foxes|Finn] with [Olver]. [Noal|Noal Charin] is also there. He has been telling stories of [Co'dansin|Shara] and the [Ayyad|Shara]. He suddenly remembers something and recites:

%%quote
"Fortune rides like the sun on high\\
with the fox that makes the ravens fly.\\
Luck his soul, the lightning his eye,\\
He snatches the moons from out of the sky."[6]
%%
[Noal|Noal Charin] says it is from the [Prophecies of the Dragon|Karaethon Prophecies]. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] sees the swirling colors again.[7] [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] asks [Noal|Noal Charin] to take [Olver] to bed and he does. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] presents [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] with a gaudy necklace. She gives it to [Selucia] who then throws it at [Egeanin|Egeanin Tamarath], insulting her and likening her to a [shea dancer|Seanchan (People)]. [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] calls her "[Leilwin|Egeanin Tamarath] Shipless." [Egeanin|Egeanin Tamarath] is humiliated and begs to leave. [Setalle|Setalle Anan] tells [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] to behave. He gives up and leaves.

The next night [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] returns and offers to play stones. [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] beats him easily. The next night he brings a paper flower and presents it to [Selucia]. They play every night and [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] wins about half. He continues to bring cloth flowers to [Selucia]. After three nights with no gift, [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] brings a beautiful cluster of silk rosebuds and just sets it beside the stones board. When they play to a draw, [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] says that she wants to take walks and [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] may accompany her. He tells her about the [Two Rivers]. When she asks what he does, [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] says his is a gambler. She replies that her father was a gambler and that he died of a bad wager. He asks what she does for fun. She replies that she trains horses and %%ot [damane|Seanchan (People)]%%. 

One day [Egeanin|Egeanin Tamarath] complains that he is obviously courting [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] and mentions the ceremony. A [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] wedding consists of the each party naming the other their spouse three times with witnesses.[8] For the Blood they do not even have to be in each other's presence. They reach the [Eldar River] and take the ferry across from the town of [Alkindar] on the west bank to [Coramen] on the east. It is an important crossing with lots of [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] troops about. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] rides [Pips] across with the first wagons. There are several hundred soldiers and a few %%ot [raken]%% in camps around the towns. The dice start rattling and [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] sees that [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] is riding in the front of her wagon. He is sure she will betray him but she does not. While [Luca|Valan Luca] sets up his show to perform, [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] makes a request of [Mat|Matrim Cauthon].[9] On the third day of travel after leaving the river they reach the town of [Jurador]. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] says he will honor her request. She smiles and the dice stop.
\\ \\
More [Mat POV]
%%

%%collapsebox-closed
! Notes (Possible Spoilers)

[#1] [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] eventually gets the %%ot [a'dam|aDam]%%. ([KoD,Ch9])
\\[#2] Is this [Masema|Masema Dagar] or is [Suroth|Suroth Sabelle Meldarath] playing more than one game?
\\[#3] [Melindhra|melindhra] ([TFoH,Ch51])
\\[#4] [Tylin|Tylin Quintara] ([CoT,Ch3])
\\[#5] [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] seems to have lost any curiosity about [Moiraine|Moiraine Damodred]'s letter which is important to [Thom|Thom Merrilin]. ([KoD,Ch10])
\\[#6] The quote clearly refers to [Mat|Matrim Cauthon], the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] and [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag]. Why is it important to [Noal|Noal Charin]? He actually did a translation himself. ([CoT,Prologue])
\\[#7] Did the colors swirl just because of the mention of [Prophecies of the Dragon|Karaethon Prophecies] or is there something specific to the quote?
\\[#8] [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] named [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] his wife three times. ([WH,Ch31]) See [KoD,Ch36] for the rest of the story.
\\[#9] To take her into a town to shop for more appropriate dress material. ([CoT,Ch29])
%%
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