— Galad to Gawyn and Mat
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| <<< Scouting and Discoveries >>> |
| Setting: White Tower |
Summary[]
- Point of view: Matrim Cauthon
Mat wakes and immediately begins thinking about how to leave Tar Valon. He is still gaunt but beginning to look better already. After eating a tray of food brought to him by servants, Mat exits the main Tower to begin scouting. He chats with soldiers and guards on the Tower grounds and finds out there are Whitecloaks on both sides of the river. One of them is a bridge guard and recognizes Mat from the descriptions the Aes Sedai gave him. Mat wanted to test how thoroughly his description had been circulated - too thoroughly as it turns out. He encounters Else Grinwell[1] and asks if she remembers him. She says he is not supposed to be out and seems harsher than he remembers.
He continues on to the training grounds, watching Warders and trainees practice. He finds pebbles and sits down to watch them, juggling the pebbles. He realizes he is watching Gawyn and Galad and remembers the stories Elayne told of them on the trip from Falme. He offers a wager to spar both of them at the same time. They feel it would be unfair to Mat, but Hammar, their teacher, says he will cover the bet if they won't. After Mat insists again, they agree to the wager. Mat says it's time to toss the dice, except he accidentally says it in Old Tongue, which Hammar recognizes.
The fight begins and Galad rushes at him. Mat smoothly lands blows on both men a couple times before quickly knocking Gawyn out of the fight. Galad recovers and Mat knows he needs to win quickly before he weakens too much. Mat attacks furiously with Galad parrying all his blows until Mat expends his last bit of energy to land four quick hits. Mat seems to be in a battle trance and almost instinctually lands a killing blow on Galad's throat but he stops himself. Galad can no longer stand and Hammar declares Mat the winner. He recounts the story of Jearom, the greatest swordsman ever whose only loss was to a farmer with a quarterstaff. The Aes Sedai and Accepted all rush to look at Galad's injuries.
Mat leans on his staff heavily and is close to falling over with exhaustion. Gawyn comes over, having been Healed, and gives him the two marks that were wagered. Mat apologizes for injuring Galad. Hammar covers Galad's wager since he is being tended to by the Aes Sedai. Hammar asks Mat where he is from and Mat says Manetheren; after pausing for a beat, he corrects himself and says the Two Rivers. Mat takes his leave quickly before he can be asked any awkward questions. He keeps the quarterstaff and uses it as a walking stick to drag himself back to his room.
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Notes
- ↑ This is actually Lanfear.