“Highness,” Seta said, “it is true? You’re going to allow these to roam free of you?”
“Best to be rid of them,” Mat said, wincing at her choice of titles for him. Did they have to throw around such words like they were wooden pennies? Anyway, the two Seanchan women had changed a great deal since beginning with the group, but they still seemed to find it odd that Mat did not wish to use the Aes Sedai as weapons. “Do you want to go, or do you want to stay?”
“We will go,” Bethamin said firmly. She was determined to learn, it seemed.
“Yes,” Seta said, “though I sometimes think it might be better to simply let us die, as opposed to…Well, what we are, what we represent, means that we are a danger to the Empire.”
Mat nodded. “Tuon is a sul’dam,” he said.
The two women looked down.
“Go with the Aes Sedai,” Mat said. “I’ll give you your own horses, so you don’t have to rely on them. Learn to channel. That’ll be more use than dying. Maybe someday you two can convince Tuon of the truth. Help me find a way to fix this without causing the Empire to collapse.”
The two women looked to him, more firm and confident, suddenly. “Yes, Highness,” Bethamin said. “It is a good purpose for us to have. Thank you, Highness.”
Seta actually got tears in her eyes! Light, what did they think he had just promised them? Mat retreated before they could get any more odd ideas in their heads. Flaming women. Still, he could not help feeling sorry for them. Learning that they could channel, worrying they might be a danger to everyone around them.
That’s how Rand felt, Mat thought. Poor fool. As always, the colors swirled when he thought of Rand. He tried not to do it too often, and before he could banish those colors, he caught a glimpse of Rand shaving in a fine, gilded mirror hanging in a beautiful bathing chamber.
Mat gave some orders to get the sul’dam horses, then he walked over toward the Aes Sedai. Thom had arrived and he strolled over. “Light, Mat,” he said. “You look like you tangled with a briarstitch patch and came out sore.”
Mat raised a hand to his hair, which was probably a real sight. “I lived through the night, and the Aes Sedai are leaving. I’ve half a mind to dance a jig at that.”
Thom snorted. “Did you know those two were going to be here?”
“The sul’dam? I figured.”
“No, those two.” He pointed.
Mat turned, frowning as he found Leilwin and Bayle Domon riding up. Their possessions were rolled up on the backs of their horses. Leilwin—then known as Egeanin—had once been a Seanchan noblewoman, but Tuon had stripped her name away. She wore a dress with divided skirts of muted gray. Her short dark hair had grown out, and hung over her ears. She climbed from her saddle and stalked in Mat’s direction.
“Burn me,” Mat said to Thom, “if I can be rid of her, too, I’ll almost start thinking that life has turned fair on me.”
Domon followed her as they approached. He was her so’jhin. Or…could he still be so’jhin, now that she had no title? Well, either way, he was her husband. The Illianer was thick of girth, and strong. He was not too bad a fellow, except when he was around Leilwin. Which was always.
“Cauthon,” she said, stepping up to him.
“Leilwin,” he replied. “You’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
Mat smiled. He really was going to do that dance!
“I always intended to make my way to the White Tower,” she continued. “I set my mind there on the day I left Ebou Dar. If the Aes Sedai are leaving, I will go with them. A ship is always wise to join a convoy, when the right opportunity is presented.”
“Too bad to see you go,” Mat lied, tipping his hat to her. Leilwin was as tough as a hundred-year oak stuck with bits of axe left over from the men foolish enough to try to chop it down. If her horse threw a shoe on the road to Tar Valon, she would likely sling the animal over her shoulder and carry it the rest of the way.
But she did not like Mat, for all he had done to save her skin. Maybe it was because he had not let her take charge, or maybe because she had been forced to act like his lover. Well, he had not enjoyed that part either. It had been like holding a sword by the blade and pretending that it did not sting.
Though it had been fun to watch her squirm.
“Be well, Matrim Cauthon,” Leilwin said. “I don’t envy the place you’ve put yourself in. In some ways, I think the winds that carry you may actually be rougher than the ones which have buffeted me, recently.” She nodded to him, then turned to go.
Domon reached over, laying a hand on Mat’s arm. “You did do as you said. By my aged grandmother! You gave a bumpy ride of it, but you did do as you said. My thanks.”
The two of them moved off. Mat shook his head, waving to Thom and strolling over to the Aes Sedai. “Teslyn,” Mat said. “Edesina. Joline. All is well?”
“It is,” Joline said.
“Good, good,” Mat said. “You have sufficient pack animals?”
“They will do, Master Cauthon,” Joline said. Then, covering a wince, she added, “Thank you for giving them to us.”
Mat smiled broadly. My, but it was amusing to hear her trying to act respectful! She had obviously expected Elayne to welcome her and the others with open arms, not turn them away from the palace without an audience.
Joline eyed Mat, lush lips pressed together. “I would like to have tamed you, Cauthon,” she said. “I’ve still half a mind to return someday and see the job done properly.”
“I’ll wait breathlessly for that, then,” he said, taking the cloth-wrapped package from under his arm. He handed it up to her.
“What is this?” she asked, not reaching for it.
Mat shook the bundle. “Parting gift,” he said. “Where I come from, you never let a traveler depart without giving her something for the road. It would be rude.”
Reluctantly, she accepted it and peeked inside. She was obviously surprised to find that it contained a collection of about a dozen powdered sweetbuns. “Thank you,” she said, frowning.
“I’m sending soldiers with you,” Mat said. “They’ll bring my horses back once you arrive in Tar Valon.”
Joline opened her mouth as if to complain, but then closed it. What
