The Shadow Rising: Chapter 36
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Author: Atarah al'Norahn
Chapter Icon: Crescent Moon and Stars
Point of View: Mat
Setting: En route to Imre Stand
Characters: Rand, Mat, Rhuarc, Heirn, Aviendha, Couladin, Hadnan Kadere, Keille Shaogi
Summary
The Aiel break camp and leave Rhuidean, Rand and Mat riding with Rhuarc and Heirn at the front of four hundred Jindo. Couladin and the Shaido also leave Rhuidean, even though ten days have not passed since Muradin entered the city. Moiraine, Egwene and Lan ride with the Wise Ones.
As they travel, Rand and Aviendha talk. "Elayne is the woman for you." Aviendha proceeds to paint out in detail exactly why she thinks this way. When she starts to describe Elayne's body to Rand, he becomes embarrassed. "She is the woman for you," she insists. "Elayne has laid her heart at your feet for a bridal wreath. Do you think there was anyone in the Stone of Tear who does not know?" She proceeds to tell Rand that Elayne meant everything she wrote in her letters to him, which confuses Rand to no end; the two letters that she wrote him are completely contradictory.
Meanwhile, Mat is riding and considering a number of things; Rand and Aviendha, his refusal to be Healed the night before and what happened in Rhuidean. "I've been to Rhuidean. I've done what those snake folk said I had to."
As they ride, they see a group of approaching peddlers' wagons. The are unknowingly (so they say) heading towards Rhuidean, and are stopped by Rhuarc and the Aiel. The peddler introduces himself as Hadnan Kadere. Rhuarc tells them that they will accompany them to Imre Stand.
Couladin wishes for the Shaido to escort the peddlers, but Rhuarc refuses. "Have you become a clan chief when I did not see? The peddler seeks Cold Rocks Hold. He will journey with me." He then tells Couladin that the Shaido are welcome to trade with the peddler as well. Couladin says that he will camp near Cold Rocks, and then goes on to say that He Who Comes With the Dawn does not concern only the Taardad, but all the Aiel. He also says that the Shaido, too, will follow He Who Comes With the Dawn, but he does not acknowledge that this is Rand.
Mat expresses a wish to buy a hat like the one that Hadnan Kadere is wearing. A woman appears, and sells him Kadere's hat for a gold mark. She is Keille Shaogi, the senior peddler. Kadere tells her that they will be opening trade that night at Imre Stand.
When Rand and Mat begin talking about Couladin, Aviendha attempts to explain the argument between Rhuarc and Couladin. She tells them that it does not concern ji'e'toh, but rather the fact that Couladin is trying to behave as a clan chief.
Rand is distrustful of Kadere. "Kadere's eyes. All that sweating, going white in the face. Yet his eyes never changed. You always have to watch the eyes. Not what he seems." Rand goes on to say some more stuff, and Mat is afraid that he might already be going crazy from the taint on saidin.
