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| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/dice_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Dice Chapter Icon'}] ''[LoC|Lord of Chaos]: Heading South'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=LoC,Ch23' align='right'}]
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! __Mat__ POV

[Mat|Matrim Cauthon] rides south on [Pips]. He is juggling and wonders if [Thom|Thom Merrilin] is still alive. He thinks that [Elayne|Elayne Trakand] and [Nynaeve|Nynaeve alMeara] likely got him killed. He is riding with [Daerid|Daerid Ondin], [Talmanes|Talmanes Delovinde] and [Nalesean|Nalesean Aldiaya]. They have been leading the [Band of the Red Hand] south from [Maerone] along the [Erinin River] for eleven days; they are halfway to [Tear|Tear (Country)]. Riverboats bring them supplies from [Maerone]. There are [Aes Sedai] on the other side of the river heading both ways.[1] They have heard rumors of the [Red Ajah] setting up [Logain|Logain Ablar] and of [Dragonsworn] in [Murandy]. [Chel Vanin], [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]'s head scout, returns with news of a discovery. He takes [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] to the remains of a [Tinker|TuathaAn] camp. The [TuathaAn] were slaughtered. A note on a wagon reads, "Tell the [Dragon Reborn|Rand alThor]." [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] has the Band make camp avoiding the site. As night falls [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] sits outside his tent. He reads the inscription on his spear, "Thus is our treaty written; thus is agreement made. Thought is the arrow of time; memory never fades. What was asked is given; the price is paid." He thinks he got the worst of the deal. Suddenly he hears a noise and sees figures moving. He sees [Talmanes|Talmanes Delovinde] approaching and shouts a warning. The dozen [Aiel] are killed at the cost of half again as many of [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]'s men. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] orders a ditch and palisade around the camp every night. As [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] goes back to his tent he sees that it is sliced open. There are also very cleanly cut ropes and grass indicating that the [Aiel] came through a gateway. One of the [Forsaken] sent the [Aiel] for him.[2] [Olver] comes up to see if he is okay. [Edorion|Edorion Selorna] got him some shoes. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] thought [Olver] was still in [Maerone], but [Olver] says no one there really wanted him. [Olver] takes care of [Burdin]'s horses. [Talmanes|Talmanes Delovinde] sends his personal servant, [Nerim], to tend to [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]'s wounds. [Olver] has a [Snakes and Foxes|Finn] game that his father made. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] offers him a coin but [Olver] refuses to take it saying he is not a beggar. Instead, [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] "hires" him as his personal messenger and says he will give him a horse.[3]
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! Notes (Possible Spoilers)

[#1] Who are they and where are they going?
\\[#2] [Sammael] or one of the others?
\\[#3] [Olver] will name the horse [Wind|Wind (Horse)]. ([LoC,Ch44])
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