Gawyn POV#

Gawyn walks the Tower grounds frustrated that Egwene sent him away from her door. He enters the Tower and finds Mazone, Celark and Zang fraternizing with some Tower Guards. Many of the Younglings are no longer certain that they want to become Warders. Gawyn offers to put in a word with Chubain and Makzim, lead Warder trainer, so they may join the Tower Guards.

He then goes to Gareth Bryne's rooms. Bryne is preparing for war, to defend Tar Valon against Trollocs. The Field of Merrilor is marked on the maps near the border of Shienar. Another map has a village near Dragonmount circled.[1] Bryne gives Gawyn advice on what he should do about Egwene. Siuan enters bringing tea.

Gawyn leaves and, despite orders, goes to the Amyrlin's quarters. He sees movement in a shadow and narrowly dodges a thrown knife. He runs after the assassin but the person vanishes.[2] The assassin attacks with sword out of nowhere then flees again when he cannot defeat Gawyn immediately. Gawyn rushes back to Egwene's door and opens it. There is an explosion of light and sound and he is wrapped in Air. Egwene is awake, dressed, and very displeased.[3]
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Mat POV#

Mat is at a tavern in Low Caemlyn talking with a man named Chet picking up rumors. Mat thinks a pretty serving girl might be good for Talmanes. Noal joins him and says Mat will soon be more famous than Jain Farstrider. Thom comes in disguised as a Murandian. They have not learned anything useful about the Tower of Ghenjei. Thom says the Aelfinn and Eelfinn made a deal with the Aes Sedai. If he can learn what they did, maybe he can trade it for Moiraine.[4] They will take lanterns, torches and fireworks from Aludra. Thom has some hand drums and cymbals along with his flute and harp. Noal has some iron swords and knives and a band of iron for Mat's ashandarei.

Thom and Noal head back to the camp and Mat takes a roundabout route to his inn. He still has Verin's letter. The dice thunder in his head. He feels naked without his foxhead medallion that Elayne still has. He makes his way into the New City. He thinks about the Two Rivers and sees images of Perrin and Rand. Rand sits in a fine chair staring at the floor with a single lamp. He looks exhausted.[5] He has to figure out what to do with Tuon. He suddenly realizes that if anyone might know about the Tower of Ghenjei it would be Birgitte. She told Olver about it in the first place. He heads through the Mason's Gate to the Inner City. He passes an alley where a man is being robbed and goes to help. He takes out the thugs. The man thanks him. He recognizes Mat and lunges with a dagger. Mat kills him and finds a picture of himself in the man's pocket.[6]

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Birgitte POV#

Elayne has invited nobles including Ellorien to a new form of entertainment, a "play". This one is The Death of Princess Walishen. Birgitte thinks the story and song have barely changed over many years. She has led many lives but never been a Warder before. She is sad that she can barely remember Gaidal Cain.

Kaila Bent brings a report from Calison of a disturbance at the Plum Gate, someone sneaking in. Birgitte goes to check. The sergeant is Renald Macer. The intruder turns out to be Mat. They go to an inn The Grand Hike. The innkeeper is Snert. Mat asks about the Tower of Ghenjei and she warns him away. She admits that she entered once as Jethari Moondancer. After the battle of Lahpoint Hills where she led the Buchaner rebellion, Gaidal was wounded as she took him there to be Healed. The Eelfinn killed them both after they were lost for two months. They feed off emotion and they particularly like Aes Sedai. Suddenly Birgitte feels a jolt of anger, fury and pain. Elayne is in trouble again.
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