A Crown of Swords/Chapter 38

==Summary==
Mat, Elayne, Nynaeve, the Kin, the Redarms, and Beslan head for the river on their way to house with the ter'angreal stash in the Rahad. Mat overhears hints regarding an arrangement between Lan and Nyneave as a result of being married by the Sea Folk having to do with being in public versus in private. Elayne realizes what the flowers in the basket imply and accuses Mat of forcing himself on Tylin. Mat defends himself saying he didn't have any say in the matter, that she has forced herself on him. Elayne responds with barely contained amusement. Despite his humiliation, Mat shocks Elayne with the selfless offer of his Silver foxhead medallion as protection against Moghedien. She reluctantly refuses the ter'angreal. To top everything off, the dice are still spinning in his head. 
After crossing the river they move through the Rahad to the house, which is six stories tall. Mat orders Harnan and some others to find the back entrance and guard it while Elayne claims there is no need for that. Elayne, Reanne, and most of the Kin head up the stairs while the others wait with Nynaeve.
While they are waiting, Falion Bhoda and Ispan Shefar come in the door behind them and shield Nynaeve. Lan crashes into the two Black sisters, which starts a fight between the Redarms and the Darkfriends that accompanied Falion and Ispan. Nynaeve tells Mat there is channeling upstairs so he goes up to help Elayne. The women are all unconscious or dead and a strange man seems to be the cause. Mat attacks and finds the man is faster than a Myrddraal. Nalesean arrives and is quickly killed. Mat stabs the man several times but it has no effect. As they struggle on the floor, Mat's medallion touches the man's cheek and it screams. Mat uses the medallion as a weapon to drive the creature off into another room. When Mat enters the room the creature is gone and there weren't any openings larger than a rat hole.
Elayne recovers and says that channeling had no effect on the creature. Nynaeve arrives and begins Healing those not already dead. Elayne heads in to the room where the Bowl of the Winds should be and begins searching while Matt tallies the dead, ending with a count of two dead Wise Women and six dead Redarms along with Nalesean. Elayne can be heard cursing in the other room, but finally shouts that she has found it and brings the bowl into the room to show those remaining.
==Characters==
* Mat
* Lan
* Beslan
* Nalesean
* Vanin
* Nynaeve
* Elayne
* Reanne Corly
* Tamarla
* Janira
* Harnan
* Tad Kandel
* Sumeko Karistovan
* Ieine
* Corevin
* Falion
* Ispan
* Fergin
* Gorderan
* Metwyn
* Mendair—one of Mat's Redarms
* Sibella
* Famelle Juarde
* Melore
* Gholam
===Referenced===
* Tylin
* Lini
* Aviendha
* Rand
* Thom
==Places==
* Ebou Dar
* Rahad
===Referenced===
* Altara
* Tarabon
* Arad Doman
==Items==
* Ashandarei
* Foxhead medallion
* Bowl of the Winds