[{Table style='width:100%'

| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_lft.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=TGS,Ch26'}] 
| %%(display:block; text-align:center;) [{Image src='Chapter Icons/dice_bw.gif' align='center' link='Wiki.jsp?page=Dice Chapter Icon'}] ''[TGS|The Gathering Storm]: The Tipsy Gelding'' %% 
| [{Image src='Chapter Icons/btar_rgt.gif' link='Wiki.jsp?page=TGS,Ch28' align='right'}]
}]

%%tabs
! __Mat__ POV

[Mat|Matrim Cauthon] rides [Pips] into [Hinderstap], a little smaller than [Baerlon], accompanied by [Joline|Joline Maza], [Edesina|Edesina Azzedin], [Teslyn|Teslyn Baradon], [Blaeric|Blaeric Negina], [Fen|Fen Mizar], [Talmanes|Talmanes Delovinde], [Thom|Thom Merrilin], [Harnan], [Delarn] and three other soldiers. [Aludra], [Egeanin|Egeanin Tamarath], [Amathera|Amathera Aelfdene Casmir Lounault], [Noal|Noal Charin] and [Olver] stayed behind. He refuses to think about [Tuon|Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag]. [Thom|Thom Merrilin] is reading his letter from [Moiraine|Moiraine Damodred] again. [Bayle Domon] will lead them to the [Tower of Ghenjei] in a few weeks. He wonders if they will run into [Lanfear]. They are heading to [Caemlyn], but may stop at [Four Kings] on the way. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] thinks of [Rand|Rand alThor] and sees an image of him slumped in a chair missing a hand. [Thom|Thom Merrilin] quotes a poem on the Wheel of Time written by [Doreille Torghin], a queen of [Aridhol (City)]. She visited this area called the [Splintered Hills|Murandy] near the [Eagle's Reaches|Murandy] in [Coremanda]. 

They round a bend and find the town just as [Vanin|Chel Vanin] said. Master [Roidelle] said the road will lead them into [Andor]. In town, [Barlden], the mayor, welcomes them, but tells them they must leave before nightfall. The [Aes Sedai] and three [Redarms|Band of the Red Hand][1] enter the finest inn in town. The dice start rattling in [Mat|Matrim Cauthon]'s head. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] sees a man showing a piece of paper to [Barlden], but [Barlden] just shakes his head.[2] [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] and [Talmanes|Talmanes Delovinde] go into an average inn, [The Tipsy Gelding]. [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] begins systematically losing his money.[3] After losing his pocket money, [Harnan] and [Delarn] bring in a chest of gold and [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] bets it against a wagon of provisions. [Barlden] says it is too late, but [Mardry] says he has a wagon and team. It is getting dark, but [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] makes a decision to stay and the dice in his head stop.[4] When the wagon is loaded with supplies, the mayor makes the toss but [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] still wins. The mayor yells at them to leave and never return. As they go out to the wagon there is no one on the street. Then they hear screaming.
\\ \\
More [Mat POV]
%%

%%collapsebox-closed
! Notes (Possible Spoilers)

[#1] The three [Redarms|Band of the Red Hand] were omitted from [TGS,Ch28] in the original printing but this was corrected in later printings.
\\[#2] The man is [Ledron]. We find out what is on the paper in [TGS,Ch28].
\\[#3] [Mat|Matrim Cauthon] is beginning to have some control over his luck, winning or losing as necessary. See [KoD,Ch11].
\\[#4] Indicating that it was a momentous choice.
%%
----
More [Category Chapters|Category.Chapters], [Dice Chapter Icon]