Rand POV#

Rand and the Aiel near Imre Stand. Rhuarc, Mat and Aviendha are with Rand. Moiraine and Egwene are with Amys and the other Wise Ones. Water Seekers accompany Kadere's wagons. A Maiden named Adelin returns from scouting Imre Stand. Rand remembers her from the Stone of Tear. She reports that there is trouble at Imre Stand. Rhuarc sends her to tell the Wise Ones, but Rand can see from their agitation that they already know.[1] Aviendha tells Rand that the trouble is probably a raid from a nearby sept. Either the White Mountain or Jarra of the Chareen, or possibly a Goshien sept. They arrive at Imre Stand. The inside of the crude stone building is drenched with blood. Scouts search the area but find nothing. The Aiel fill their water bags at the spring while Kadere opens shop. He brings out a beautiful young woman and introduces her to Rand as Isendre. Kadere hints that he has knowledge for sale, then leaves. Aviendha angrily reminds Rand that he belongs to Elayne. While they set up camp, Rand practices swords with Lan. Keille and the gleeman watch. Rhuarc walks up and addresses Aviendha as a Wise One in training. Rand finally realizes that that must be why she went to Rhuidean and he wonders if she, too, can channel. Rhuarc offers to teach Rand how to fight with spears and they begin.

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Mat POV#

At the peddlers' wagons, Mat notes that Kadere and Couladin have long talk. There is heavy trading and Mat is surprised to hear Heirn ask for Two Rivers tabac. Mat worries that he still has no answers about Rhuidean, living and dying again, or the Daughter of the Nine Moons. He still has the foxhead medallion and the ashandarei. More, he now has lots of strange memories, bits and pieces from a hundred men.[2] Among other things, he is now fluent in the Old Tongue and has an expert's knowledge of battles. He mutters to himself, "Sa souvraya niende misain ye," "I am lost in my own mind." The gleeman notes him speaking the Old Tongue and introduces himself as Jasin Natael. He murmurs that the Aiel were not what he expected.[3] He questions Mat intensely about what he saw in Rhuidean.[3] He reminds Mat of Thom. Keille comes over and they leave arguing. Evening comes on and Mat eats with Rand, Rhuarc, Heirn and Aviendha. Natael, Keille, Kadere and Isendre are there as well.

After dinner, Rhuarc asks Natael for a song. Natael sings of Midean's Ford, a battle between Aedomon of Safer and Buiryn of Manetheren before the Trolloc Wars. Mat can remember how the battle really went and remembers counseling Buiryn.

Suddenly there are warning cries and Trollocs attack. Mat fights with the rest and a Fade nearly gets him before the Aiel kill it. He feels his foxhead medallion pulsing cold.[4] At last all the Shadowspawn are dead. Rand and Rhuarc come up to Mat. Rhuarc tells them that more Trollocs attacked the Jindo than the Shaido. That is odd since there are twice as many Shaido. Also, fifty attacked the Wise Ones and would have overwhelmed them except for Moiraine. Mat is exhausted and leaves for his blankets.

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Rand POV#

Moiraine comes up and tells Rand that the attack was aimed at him.[5] Then Egwene comes over and tells him to stop upsetting Aviendha. She goes off with Amys and Bair. Exhausted, he goes to his tent. Aviendha sits outside and is still there the next morning.
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