Knife of Dreams: Chapter 7

A Cold Medallion

Author: Velaris Ly'enn

Characters: Mat, Bethamin, Seta, Joline, Edesina, Teslyn, Setalle Anan, Blaeric, Fen

Setting: Valan Luca's Circus outside Jurador in Altara

Point of view: Mat

Mat sends Noal to warn Egeanin and sends Olver to warn Bethamin and Seta and the three Aes Sedai about the Seanchan. Meanwhile, Mat goes to check out the Seanchan camp. Three Seanchan soldiers try to enter the show without paying, almost causing a fight with the show people until another Seanchan appears and inquires as to the problem. Mat verifies that her soldiers have tried to enter the show without paying and she sends them running back to the Seanchan camp. The Standardbearer offers a life of glory and adventure if they sign up with her, but no one takes the offer. The dice are still rattling away in Mat's head.

Mat decides to go check on the Aes Sedai. When he gets to their wagon, Blaeric and Fen, Joline's Warders, are not there. The fool women are channeling in there. Banging open the door he finds Joline, Edesina, Teslyn, Seta, Bethamin and Setalle Anan inside. Bethamin and Seta are standing rigid as fence posts while Joline is slapping Bethamin's face over and over. Mat grabs Joline's arm and she smacks him. Mat, sitting down on the nearest bed, lands hard smacks on her bottom as fast and as hard as he can. Mat's medallion goes cold; Edesina is trying to channel at him, and is shocked when nothing happens. Setalle Anan says that he must have a ter'angreal that disrupts flows of the Power and that Cadsuane Melaidhrin supposedly had one like it and that she would like to see it.

It also comes out that Setalle had mentioned testing for the shawl to the Aes Sedai. Joline asks how Setalle knows Cadsuane and about testing for the shawl. Setalle says, "You may recall that I owned an inn. Many people visited The Wandering Woman, and many of them talked, perhaps more than they should have." Joline begins to argue but stops when her two Warders attempt to get into the wagon and she has to shut the door in their faces. Joline next tries to reprimand Mat for the spanking but Mat cuts her off, pointing out that the three Aes Sedai would be wearing collars if not for him and that he will not put up with being hit by any of them. Mistress Anan and Teslyn agree with Mat.

Mat wants to know why they were channeling like it was the Last Battle and Setalle Anan proceeds to tell him. Joline wanted to go see the Seanchan, Bethamin decided to discipline her, trying to pull Joline across her lap with Seta helping her, and Edesina wrapped them up in flows of Air. Mat says that it doesn't account for the amount of channeling he knows they were doing and he gets speculative looks from the Aes Sedai and Mistress Anan. Joline takes over the story, saying that Bethamin channeled a weave that she has never seen before and that she must have been drawing as much of the Power as she could use. Mat asks the Aes Sedai what they intend to do about it. Teslyn suggests that they let her die. Bethamin, crying, says she will never channel again but Joline replies saying that she will inevitably try again and suggests that they teach her enough to make her safe. Edesina and Mistress Anan take Joline's side while Bethamin and Seta, take Teslyn's side on the matter.

While the women were still arguing, Mat takes the opportunity to slip out of the wagon. When Blaeric and Fen ask what happened in the wagon, Mat tells them to ask Joline. Mat, feeling wary with everything going on, goes to sleep on the floor of the wagon he shares with Egeanin and Domon, sure that the next day will have to be better.

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