[{Table style='width:100%'

| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_lft.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=KoD,Ch26'}] 
| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/dragon_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Dragon Chapter Icon'}] ''[KoD|Knife of Dreams]: A Plain Wooden Box'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=KoD,Ch28' align='right'}]
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! __Rand__ POV

[Rand|Rand alThor] is riding [Tai'daishar] with [Min|Min Farshaw], [Alivia], [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin], [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara], [Bashere|Davram Bashere] and eighty-one lancers, [Nandera] and two dozen other [Maidens|Maidens of the Spear]. They are in northern [Altara] a few miles from the [Andoran|Andor] border. They are a hundred and fifty leagues west of [Caemlyn] and [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] so his sense of her is faint. [Aviendha] is even fainter in [Arad Doman]. The manor is to the west. He wears the Crown of Swords and carries the [Dragon Scepter]. [Lews Therin|Lews Therin Telamon] calls him a fool for walking into a trap. [Alivia] revealed that the [Daughter of the Nine Moons|Tuon] is actually the heir to the [Empress]. There are also more than twenty-five [Asha'man], [Aes Sedai] and [Warder] including [Logain|Logain Ablar], [Toveine|Toveine Gazal] and [Gabrelle], [Mezar Kurin] and [Adrielle], [Donalo Sandomere] and [Ayako|Ayako Norsoni], [Welyn Kajima] and [Jenare], [Beldeine|Beldeine Nyram] and [Karldin|Karldin Manfor], [Elza|Elza Penfell] and [Fearil], [Merise|Merise Haindehl], [Narishma|Jahar Narishma] and her other two [Warder].[1] [Beldeine|Beldeine Nyram] bonded [Karldin|Karldin Manfor] with his permission. [Rand|Rand alThor] wonders where [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] sent [Lan|al'Lan Mandragoran].[2] [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] and [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] have all their %%ot [ter'angreal|Angreal]%% jewelry. 

At noon [Rand|Rand alThor], [Logain|Logain Ablar], [Narishma|Jahar Narishma], [Donalo Sandomere], [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin], [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] and [Min|Min Farshaw], ride to Lady [Deirdru]'s manor. [Narishma|Jahar Narishma] and [Donalo Sandomere] are the strongest of the [Asha'man] after [Logain|Logain Ablar]. [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] and [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] hold %%ot [saidar|Said]%% but have it masked. The [Asha'man] are trying to duplicate what [Nacelle|Nacelle Kayama] figured out in reverse - how to detect women's weaves. Farther up the road is the village of [King's Crossing|Kings Crossing] where a bridge crosses the narrow [Reshalle River]. 

At the manor house, six %%ot [sul'dam|Seanchan (People)]%% and six %%ot [damane|Seanchan (People)]%% come out followed by a short, dark woman. [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] detects that one of them is [channeling|True Source]; [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] can do something about it when they get a little closer.[3] As they approach the small dark woman flickers. [Rand|Rand alThor] and [Lews Therin|Lews Therin Telamon] both recognize [Semirhage] and fight for %%ot [saidin|Said]%%. While they are fighting, [Semirhage] throws a fireball at [Rand|Rand alThor]. It destroys the [Dragon Scepter] and blows off his left hand. 

As [Rand|Rand alThor] regains his senses he sees that [Semirhage] and the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] are captured. Gateways open and the other [Asha'man], [Aes Sedai], [Warder] and [Maidens|Maidens of the Spear] arrive with [Bashere|Davram Bashere] and his men. One pair of %%ot [sul'dam|Seanchan (People)]%% and %%ot [damane|Seanchan (People)]%% are dead.[4] [Donalo Sandomere] and [Narishma|Jahar Narishma] are injured. [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] and [Merise|Merise Haindehl] [Heal|Weaves#h] them. [Bashere|Davram Bashere] sends [Aghan] and [Hamad] to search the house and [Matoun] to form the lancers for defense. [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] [Heals|Weaves#h] [Rand|Rand alThor]'s hand to a stump, the best she can do. There is something wrong with his eyes as well.[5] [Rand|Rand alThor] tells them about [Semirhage]. [Falendre], one of the captured %%ot [sul'dam|Seanchan (People)]%%, says she is [Anath Dorje|Semirhage], the Truthspeaker. 

[Semirhage] tells them that [Rand|Rand alThor] is insane, that he has [Lews Therin|Lews Therin Telamon] in his head. [Lanfear] confirmed that he knew things only [Lews Therin|Lews Therin Telamon] could. [Graendal] was an expert in hearing voices from past lives. She was known as the [Lady of Pain|Semirhage]. Everyone else is stunned at the revelation. [Falendre] swears they thought [Semirhage] was [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag]. [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] and [Semirhage] try to outstare each other. [Hamad] and [Aghan] return from the house with a plain wooden box. The residents were killed. The box contains six %%ot [a'dam|aDam]%% and five copies of the [sad bracelets|Sad Bracelets]. [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] is furious that [Egeanin|Egeanin Tamarath] failed to get rid of them. [Rand|Rand alThor] says to send the %%ot [sul'dam|Seanchan (People)]%% and %%ot [damane|Seanchan (People)]%%[6] back to [Ebou Dar] with the message that the [Dragon Reborn|Rand alThor] still wants to meet with the [Daughter of the Nine Moons|Tuon].
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More [Rand POV]

! __Mat__ POV

[Mat|Matrim Cauthon] carries his %%ot [ashandarei]%% as he rides [Pips]. [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] is on [Akein] and [Selucia] is on her dun.[7] [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] and the [Band|Band of the Red Hand] are preparing a trap for a nearby force of [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] soldiers. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]'s plan is to create havoc among the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] forces in northeast [Altara] to draw their main army out of the [Molvaine Gap|Damona Mountains] so that he and the [Band|Band of the Red Hand] can slip though into [Murandy]. According to [Thom|Thom Merrilin] and [Juilin|Juilin Sandar], the next [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] target is [Illian|Illian (Country)]. That army is to guard against attack from [Murandy] or [Andor]. Captain [Mandevwin] leads two thousand of the [Band|Band of the Red Hand]. [Reimon] is attacking a supply camp. 

[Aludra] sends up two green nightflowers, a message that the camp %%ot [raken]%% is heading west for help. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] will intercept the help. [Teslyn|Teslyn Baradon] is with [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]. He would prefer [Bethamin|Bethamin Zeami] or [Seta|Seta Zarbey] but they might refuse to help him against the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)]. [Leilwin|Egeanin Tamarath] refused him outright. [Teslyn|Teslyn Baradon], [Joline|Joline Maza] and [Edesina|Edesina Azzedin] try to interfere in his plans. [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag] planned to call [Joline|Joline Maza] "[Rosi|Joline Maza]". [Setalle|Setalle Anan] always seems to take [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag]'s side in arguments. 

[Londraed] spots [Aludra]'s signal. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] orders [Vanin|Chel Vanin] to ride out as lookout. [Mandevwin] orders [Connl] to get the crossbowmen in order. Master [Roidelle] has all the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] forces marked on his maps. The [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] avoid the [Lugard Road] until they reach the [Malvide Narrows|Damona Mountains] and the [Molvaine Gap|Damona Mountains] beyond. At the road, [Mandevwin] has [Admar], [Eyndel], [Madwin] and [Dongal] arrange their men half on each side. [Talmanes|Talmanes Delovinde] convinced the lancers and nobles to wear dull colors for camouflage. [Vanin|Chel Vanin] returns with news that the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] force is approaching. When they reach [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]'s position [Teslyn|Teslyn Baradon] [channels|True Source] a ball of light above them and the crossbowmen cut them down using their bolt cranks to reload before the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] can react. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] quickly has them on the move to rejoin with [Carlomin] and the rest. They plan to hit the [Seanchan|Seanchan (People)] again before sunrise.
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More [Mat POV]
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! Notes (Possible Spoilers)

[#1] [Bassane] and [Nethan]
\\[#2] He is riding east from [Saldaea] to [Tarwin's Gap|Tarwins Gap] picking up an army on the way. ([KoD,Ch20])
\\[#3] [Cadsuane|Cadsuane Melaidhrin] apparently has a %%ot [ter'angreal|Angreal]%% that disrupts weaves at close proximity. Is this the one [Setalle Anan] refers to in [KoD,Ch7]?
\\[#4] They are [Tanera|tanera] and [Miri|miri]. ([TGS,Prologue])
\\[#5] Is this the beginning of the fulfillment of [Perrin|Perrin Aybara]'s dream of [Rand|Rand alThor] with a bandage covering his eyes? ([TSR,Ch53]) We learn more in [TGS,Ch49].
\\[#6] They include [Nenci|nenci], [Surya|surya], [Tabi|tabi], [Malian|malian], [Ciar|ciar] and [Talha|talha]. ([TGS,Prologue])
\\[#7] [Rosebud]
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