Lord of Chaos: Chapter 5
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Chapter Icon: Five dice, arranged in a ring
Point of View: Mat
Setting: Maerone
Characters: Mat, Betse, Talmanes, Daerid, Nalesean, Olver, Mistress Daelvin, Rand, Harnan, Paers, Culen, Padry, Edorion
Summary
Nalesean, Talmanes and Daerid try to talk Mat into some form of gambling where they might win against him, choosing horse races, not realizing he knows horses well. Mat dances a dance from his memories with a serving girl, Betse, to impress her, but blows it by assuming she will be available when he next wants her. He inspects his men at the various inns in the town, which is also full of Hunters and refugees, who he is feeding. The men are singing a song Mat taught them, about how bad a soldier's life is, which serves as a recruiting aid. He thinks on a nervous visit Rand paid and wonders about his sanity. He comes across two Hunters threatening an ugly boy, Olver, for sitting on a horse and beats them for it and tells them to get out of town. After learning Olver's family is dead, Mat decides to look after him. The Band moves South at first light, under the structure Mat has imposed on them. He tells them he means to push them, till they can travel almost as fast as Aiel.
