Elayne POV#

Melfane orders Elayne to one week of bed rest. Birgitte is in the doorway and Mat in the room beyond. Elayne feels like Gelfina locked in a tower for a thousand years. After Melfane leaves Elayne promises Birgitte that she will be more careful. Mat enters. Elayne tells them of the assassination plot against Mat but she holds back on the invasion Chesmal mentioned for the moment. Birgitte reports that Mellar, Lady Shiaine, Marillin and Falion escaped. The secretary was also murdered.[1] Elayne gives the foxhead medallion back to Mat. He wants to talk to her about the gholam.[2]

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Ituralde POV#

Yoeli and Ituralde walk into Maradon. Asha'man Antail Healed Ituralde's broken leg. Yoeli's sister Sigril leads the Lastriders to the southeast who will ride with the news if Maradon falls. Queen Tenobia took many troops with her when she left to search for the Dragon Reborn. Yoeli and many others carry a black and yellow pendant called the Traitor's Banner. Ituralde thinks of an Old Tongue phrase, Desya gavane cierto cuendar isain carentin ("A resolute heart is worth ten arguments."). His rescue came only after fighting among the Saldaeans. They go to see Vram Torkumen appointed lord of the city in Tenobia's absence. Tarran leads the guard at the manor house. Torkumen and his wife are there. Torkumen is insulting, telling Ituralde he is an invader and Dragonsworn. The Queen will return after unmasking the false Dragon and execute Yoeli. Ituralde names him a Darkfriend and hopes that he burns for the men he lost. Yoeli and Ituralde leave. Yoeli asks about the Asha'man and gateways. Ituralde knows it is about communications and supplies. Neither Yoeli nor Ituralde will use them to escape.
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Perrin POV#

Perrin and Faile prepare for bed. He gave her a silver comb he traded for from Gaul from Malden. The Whitecloaks have chosen a battlefield. Perrin will probably win, but he is frustrated that he will lose men. He goes to sleep.

In the wolf dream, Perrin starts at his camp by the great sword impaling the ground.[3] He calls for Hopper but gets no response. He searches the Whitecloak camp again but learns nothing new. Balwer did not recognize the Lord Captain Commander's signet. Perrin thinks he is an honorable man. He senses Oak Dancer's pack, Boundless, Sparks, Morninglight and others. They lead him on a chase to the Mountains of Mist but he cannot catch them. Hopper appears and tells him he is in the dream too strongly, to remember Faile. He practices moving to where the wolves are and finally gets it right. The wolves laugh and he feels like he did when cousin Wil dropped a bucket of wet feathers on him. He practices following and changing his surroundings. He moves again and he is on the side of Dragonmount. The next move takes him back to the Jehannah Road. There is a howl of pain and Morninglight dies, killed by Slayer. Perrin goes there and attacks the man who looks like Lan.[4] Slayer is much stronger, more proficient in the wolf dream and Perrin barely escapes alive. Hopper is angry that a foolish cub attacked a lion. Perrin says he must learn to face Slayer. The Last Hunt is upon them.

Perrin wakes next to Faile. He cannot sleep so he gets up passing Kenly Maerin and Jaim Dawtry. Gaul follows him. He supposedly is guarding Perrin but Perrin thinks he is really avoiding his gai'shain.[5] Perrin goes to the woods nearby where Denton prepared a pile of logs. Denton is taking Lamgwin's place until he returns. Perrin chops wood and thinks while Gaul watches. Loial liked to sit and think but Perrin must be active. His focus impressed Master Luhhan. He wonders about lords, soft people like the Cairhienin and hard men like Lan and Faile's father.[6] Elyas approaches. Elyas chose to leave his life for the wolves. Perrin does not want to and Noam had to. Elyas only has a scent of worry. He says he stays away from the wolf dream. Perrin tells him to alert Tam and the others. They will meet the Whitecloaks tomorrow. He wonders about his vision of wolves running sheep toward a beast and wonders if it is the Whitecloaks.[7]
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