Mat POV#

Mat enters The Woman of Tanchico. Mat recognizes a man playing the harp as Thom Merrilin. Surprisingly, Thom is drunk and seems sad. He is telling the story of "Mara and the Three Foolish Kings," Madel, Orander, and Kadar. Thom finishes the story and joins Mat. Thom has been at The Woman of Tanchico for weeks. Two serving girls, Mada and Saal, bring Mat and Thom a huge dinner that Mat promptly eats. Mat tells him that Rand said he was alive and Moiraine believed he was also. Thom comments that Moiraine is a fine woman if she were not Aes Sedai.[1] Thom is despondent over his loss of Morgase, then Dena. Mat asks him why he left Cairhien and Thom implies that he killed a man.[2] Mat asks why he came to Tar Valon and Thom says it is the worst place in the world for him outside of Caemlyn. He says some of the Red Ajah remember him.[3] Mat invites Thom to go to Caemlyn with him and Thom agrees. As they leave, Mat looks around nervously, but Thom tells him the guards and Aes Sedai make sure there are no thieves in Tar Valon.[4] They head toward the docks.

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