Mat POV#

Mat and the Band are preparing to approach Trustair. After Hinderstap, Mat has developed an elaborate plan. He reviews Master Roidelle's map with Talmanes, Thom, Noal, Juilin and Mandevwin. They will approach an inn, The Shaken Fist, where the pictures came from. Thom will take Harnan, Fergin and Mandevwin with him. Talmanes will masquerade as a Warder borrowing Fen's cloak.

Afterwards Mat walks through the camp. His memories from the Eelfinn have smoothly blended with his own. He watches his crossbowmen practice and thinks that if he had had a few banners of them at Bloodwash Falls, Nashif would have learned his lesson sooner.[1]

He looks forward to reuniting with Estean and Daerid. Egeanin is helping her. Tuon is still on his mind a lot. He goes to meet with Aludra where Bayle Domon stands guard. She gives Mat a supply list for constructing her dragons. The quantities are huge! But she says the Dragon Reborn can afford them and Mat sees an image of Rand and feels a pull northward. She will need all the copper and tin and every bellfounder in the lands that Rand controls.

Olver arrives with news of a visitor. It turns out to be Verin and her Warder.[2] She is the one who has been distributing his picture. A merchant arrived in Trustair an hour ago and told her he had drawn a map for Mat. Trustair is a half day away so Mat realizes that Verin must know Traveling. She says she can have Mat and the Band to Caemlyn by evening saving him twenty days' march. He asks what she wants and she answers that she wants to be free of his ta'veren web. He follows her to hear her story.
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