Mat POV#

Mat arrives at The Wandering Woman at dawn. A small very dark man is winning at cards.[1] Setalle Anan is out according to Marah, her daughter. She does not like Mat. She snaps at Caira telling her to take care of Air Captain Yulan. She then snaps at her youngest brother, Ross. He taunts her saying she is in a bad mood because Frielle is younger and already married. Mat goes into the kitchen where Enid greets him warmly and gives him breakfast. Setalle arrives with another woman and sends everyone else away. The other woman is Joline Maza.

There is a commotion of someone coming into the kitchen. Mat grabs Joline and covers her face pretending to kiss her. Bayle Domon and Egeanin enter, demanding to see Setalle about a room. Her orders are direct from High Lady Suroth Sabelle Meldarath. Domon is now so'jhin. Egeanin is now Captain of the Green Lady Egeanin Tamarath. Setalle is firm, saying that Captain of the Air Lord Abaldar Yulan and Banner-General Furyk Karede already have the best rooms. She will not throw out anyone who pays, so they will have to sort out among themselves who gets which rooms.

After they leave, Joline breaks down and cries. Setalle leads Mat and her into the cellar. Her Warder, Fen and Blaeric, have been moving her around the city to keep her from being taken. Setalle just found her. She is glad that Teslyn was taken. Someone drugged Joline with forkroot so she could not escape the city. She is sure it was Teslyn. Mat then thanks Joline for leaving the note on his pillow. Joline just says all their debts are settled. It was not Joline. The note was stuck in Mat's pocket.[2] Even so, Mat commits to helping her escape.

Mat returns to the palace and Tylin's rooms. He then goes up to the attic and searches rooms. He finds several Windfinders and eventually finds Teslyn. She admits giving him the note. She wanted to frustrate Elaida's plans, and even drugged Joline to keep her from interfering. Mat offers to help her escape as well. She tells him he must also help Edesina Azzedin. There are two others, Guisin and Mylen whose real name is Sheraine Caminelle, but they are too far gone to rescue.

On his way out, Mat runs into Tuon again. He says he was going to take a pastry to a Windfinder who did him a favor once. Tuon smiles and Mat thinks she is beautiful. Mat sets out in search of Thom and Juilin to help him plan. He hums a song that he recalls from the Court of Takedo in Farashelle before it fell to Hawkwing. It was called "The Last Stand at Mandenhar."
Follow Mat and Tuon

More Mat POV