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Mat and Thom arrive at Southharbor. The dockmaster stops Mat, but Mat shows him the executive order from Siuan so he lets them pass. Mat and Thom jump onto a departing ship, Gray Gull. The captain, Huan Mallia, starts to have his crewmen, Sanor and Vasa, throw them off, but Mat shows him the order and his money. He tells Huan Mallia they are going to Aringill. The cabins are full, but Mat pays him a huge sum to let them stay in his cabin. Huan Mallia is Tairen. He is contemptuous of other nations, but High Lord Samon has taught him special hatred for Illian and Tar Valon.[1] That night, Mat hears a bump and wakes Thom. Two men enter the cabin with knives and Mat kills them. Up on deck, he recognizes a voice as one of the men who followed him in Tar Valon. Mat kills him as well. Thom kills a fourth just as he attacks Mat. The boat that brought the men is tied at the stern. The two remaining men jump overboard and swim for shore when they see Mat. Back in their cabin, Mat collapses with the shakes wondering what kind of game he is playing.
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Rand plays the flute to keep himself awake because he fears his dreams. He saw Egwene[2] in his dreams, but then he saw others, Tam, his mother, Mat and Perrin, who tried to kill him. They were Shadowspawn in disguise. Min hurt the most. He feels he can trust her above all others. He dreams of Egwene, Nynaeve and Elayne being trapped, but he worries most about Elayne. He dreams of Selene and glory, but now she tells him to take Callandor.
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[#1] It is not clear if Be'lal and Sammael are building hatred toward each other's countries because of some master plan or because of competition between the two of them.
[#2] Egwene was real, her first trip into Tel'aran'rhiod. (TDR,Ch27)