ACoS: White Plumes

Mat POV#

Mat is at the Silver Circuit horse races. Ebou Dar inns tend to have grand names such as The Queen's Glory in Radiance or The Golden Crown of Heaven even if they are filthy holes. Mat remembers when wagers were really written in a book centuries ago. He is with Nalesean. Olver is riding Wind. Nalesean took Olver and Wind to their first race. Mat worries that if Olver gets hurt he will catch it from Mistress Anan, Aviendha, Elayne, Nynaeve and Birgitte. Abell Cauthon taught Mat about horses.

Juilin arrives and reports that the girls left the palace again and that they hired a boat. Thom hired a man to follow them. They have been in Ebou Dar over a month, yet Mat still does not know what they are doing here. Mat promised Rand to bring Elayne to Caemlyn with Egwene and Nynaeve, then promised Egwene to keep Nynaeve and Elayne safe in Ebou Dar. Juilin sees some Tarabon and says, "Tarabon must be terrible now for a woman not used to taking care of herself."[1]

Mat eyes the crowd and sees a bent, white haired old man with hooked nose,[2] a sharp faced woman with plumed hat about Nynaeve's age and a tall fellow like a stork in green silk and gold braid. The woman looks familiar. Mat thinks Birgitte is a Hunters of the Horn. He remembers leaving Two Rivers, but then almost nothing till Caemlyn. There are gaps before and after as well. As the race starts, Mat remembers who the woman is; she was the one who tried to kill Rand and him on their way to Caemlyn.[3] Wind wins the race. Mat sends Nalesean and Olver home and follows the woman. The Silver Circuit is south of the city through the Moldine Gate. The woman stops at a goldsmith's shop, so Mat stops at a ring shop next to it and picks a ring at random. It gets stuck so he buys it. It immediately comes loose so he puts it in his pocket.[4] The guard at the ring shop is a large, one-eyed man named Deryl. Mat follows the woman to a small palace and asks to himself who lives there. A scrawny white haired guy with missing teeth and a hook nose,[2] but fine gray coat, says, "Chelsaine Palace is let to Jaichim Carridin." It is the same old guy from the races. Dice start tumbling in Mat's head.

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Notes (Possible Spoilers)#

[#1] He is thinking of Amathera.
[#2] He turns out to be Noal. (ACoS,Ch17, WH,Ch16)
[#3] Mili Skane also known as Lady Shiaine.
[#4] The image on the ring, a fox startling ravens among nine crescent moons, it a key component of Lidya's Foretelling. (WH,Ch14, KoD,Ch36)


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