Mat POV#

With the arrival of the Seanchan, Luca has the circus break camp and leave Jurador before dawn the next morning. Petra and Clarine hitch up their wagon. Mat rousts Chel Vanin and the Redarms including Harnan, Fergin and Gorderan to hitch teams to Tuon's wagon and saddle Pips. Vanin is already up. Gorderan drives the wagon with Tuon and Selucia at either side.

Mat rides beside the Aes Sedai wagon driven by Fergin and Metwyn. He feels the foxhead medallion go cool so they are channeling. At midday they arrive at the town of Runnien Crossing. Luca negotiates with the Mayor and the Wisdom, Mother Darvale. She acts like a much older version of Nynaeve. That night Mat talks with Aludra. He figured out she needs a bellfounder to make bronze lofting tubes for fireworks. She wants weapons to repay the Seanchan for destroying the Illuminators. She will call the tubes dragons and the charges dragons' eggs. Mat says he knows someone to get them made. He sees the swirling colors and Rand talking with Loial. It is a secret only Thom and Juilin, Egeanin and Domon, Teslyn and Joline and Vanin and the Redarms know, the Dragon Reborn. She agrees to go with Mat when he leaves the circus and one set of dice stops rattling.[1]

That night Mat dreams of men dying in hundreds of battles and the Dark One laughing. The next morning Egeanin and Domon go into the village and Mother Darvale marries them. Mat leaves them the wagon and buys a tent from Balat and Abar, the sword-swallowers. Lopin and Nerim try to outdo each other serving Mat though they miss their previous employment with Nalesean and Talmanes. Noal tells stories. Olver plays stones or Snakes and Foxes. Thom and Juilin scout for news. Amathera is still terrified of Tuon, Selucia, Egeanin, Bethamin and Seta. Mat still sees images of Rand, often with Min.

He spends a lot of time with Tuon. She asks him about the Dragon Reborn. The Prophecies are clear that he must kneel to the Crystal Throne before Tarmon Gai'don. She wonders if he was the one who sounded the Horn of Valere at Falme. Mat is badly shaken. Four days out of Jurador Mat gives Tuon the razor. Another set of dice stop.[1] Mat has Pips already saddled. Metwyn brings Selucia's dapple and they go for a ride.

They pass a Tinker caravan and suddenly Tuon gallops off the road into the trees. Mat and Selucia follow.[2] Tuon names the razor Akein, Swallow in the Old Tongue. They are among some ruins. Mat sees some hills he recognizes as The Dancers and knows this was Londaren Cor, the capital city of Eharon. He also remembers dying in a battle near the hills when Nerevan and Esandara invaded Shiota. Mat wonders how the Eelfinn collected memories from dead men. Mat thinks they must create a link so they must still be in his head, too.[3]

Selucia catches up and says the Tinkers are following. Mat talks with the Seeker while Tuon and Selucia talk with the women. The Tinkers are heading toward Ebou Dar because they have heard the Seanchan offer safety. Tinkers take their women who can channel straight to Tar Valon. After appeasing the Tinkers, Mat, Tuon and Selucia ride back to the circus.