Mat POV#

The next morning Mat reviews the plan. Nerim and Lopin will take Olver out the back gate. They will get Mat's gold and clothes at The Wandering Woman. Metwyn, Fergin and Gorderan will meet them there with the horses. They will leave through the Dal Eira Gate and take the Great North Road to an abandoned stable a mile north of the Circuit of Heaven. Olver will take care of Wind until Mat arrives. They will wait for Mat until sunrise, then head out to find Talmanes and the Band of the Red Hand. Egeanin will bring Joline's sul'dam to The Wandering Woman that evening.[1] Egeanin and Domon will bring the two other sul'dam to the Tarasin Palace while Thom leads the others to a rendezvous near the Dal Eira Gate. Juilin will free Thera. Vanin and Harnan will stay in the barracks and wait for Mat with their horses.

After reviewing the plan, Mat wanders around the palace. Teslyn looks nervous while being exercised. Olver is not upset at leaving Riselle. She will marry Banner-General Yamada tomorrow. They are out looking at a vineyard in the Rhannon Hills that he bought for her. Olver insists that Mat play Snakes and Foxes with him every night. Beslan insists on helping. He saw Thom go to The Wandering Woman earlier and figured that today was it. He and his loyalists will set fire to the Seanchan stores stockpiled on the Bay Road. Mat goes back to Tylin's rooms. He will leave his ashandarei there until the last moment.

At the appointed time, Mat goes to the stableyard and sees numerous riders. Four of them come up to him, Egeanin, Domon and the two sul'dam, Seta Zarbey and Renna Emain. Egeanin changed the plan and brought everyone with her including Setalle Anan. Joline's Warder[2] are part of her escort. The five of them enter the Tarasin Palace while the others wait outside.

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