Chapter 2 - Two Captains

Summary

Mat Cauthon and his companions navigate Valan Luca’s traveling show camp outside Ebou Dar while managing tensions over command and disguise. Seanchan soldiers inspect the troupe’s wagon for a horse warrant signed by High Lady Suroth, but depart after reviewing the exemption. Mat learns the group will leave once Merrilin returns, checks on Juilin, Olver, and Thera hidden in a tent, and receives orders from Egeanin to prepare for departure. As performers scramble and pack their wagons, Mat hears his luck-dice warning signal that danger approaches.

Characters

• Mat / Mat Cauthon — He navigates the traveling show camp while managing tensions with Egeanin and Domon over command and disguise. He discovers Seanchan soldiers inspecting Luca's horse warrant, learns the troupe will depart soon, and checks on his hidden companions before hearing his luck-dice warning signal imminent danger.
• Egeanin / Leilwin — She maintains a farmer's disguise and insists on playing the role of Mat's lover to avoid suspicion. She asserts authority over the group, orders Juilin to pack, and reveals she once knew the Seanchan officer who inspected the camp.
• Noal / Noal Charin — He carries his fishing gear while secretly keeping knives hidden beneath his coat. He helps spread word that the show is preparing to leave and moves quickly to assist Juilin without drawing attention.
• Domon — He disguises himself as a horse-handler with a stocking cap and shaves his topknot to avoid Seanchan notice. He watches the soldiers warily and scowls at Mat's public display of affection toward Egeanin.
• Petra / Petra Anhill — The troupe's muscle stands guard near the entrance while his wife Clarine plays dice with the horse-handlers. He warns Mat about the approaching Seanchan officer and protects his wife as they discuss the camp's precarious situation.
• Clarine — She poses as a gambler alongside her husband Petra while secretly observing the camp's visitors. She offers polite reassurance to Egeanin about the Seanchan presence and later prepares to leave with Luca.
• Col — A Tairen horse-handler with a crooked nose who plays dice beneath the entrance banner. He complains about waiting for payment but quickly backs down when Egeanin threatens him with betrayal.
• Luca / Valan Luca — He argues with Mat about losing his horses to Seanchan inspectors and complains about dwindling profits. He abruptly shifts from anger to joy upon learning the troupe will finally depart, then rushes to wake the performers.
• Latelle — Luca's stern wife follows him into action with a glittering cloak. She dislikes Egeanin's deception but prioritizes her husband's wealth and immediately begins helping pack the wagons for departure.
• Aludra — The Taraboner inventor works quietly in her vivid blue wagon, grinding materials with a bronze mortar and pestle. Mat observes her exotic appearance and wonders about her explosive inventions while Egeanin mocks his distracted gaze.
• Blaeric / Blaeric Negina — A Warder who shaves his Shienaran topknot to blend in with the showfolk. He watches Domon and the Seanchan soldiers while pretending to lean against a wagon, eventually slipping away to inform the hidden sisters of their safety.
• Juilin — The Tairen thief-catcher sits cross-legged playing a board game with Olver outside a crowded tent. He listens to Mat's report about the Seanchan, reassures Thera inside, and prepares to lead the group out of Ebou Dar.
• Olver — A thin boy who plays Snakes and Foxes with Juilin while wearing a coatless outfit despite the cold weather. He eagerly asks to ride Wind but is told to wait, then helps Thera pack as the camp erupts in activity.
• Thera / Amathera Aelfdene Casmir Lounault (Panarch of Tarabon, da'covale) — The former Panarch of Tarabon hides inside a blue wall-tent wrapped in an old gray cloak. She relies on Juilin for comfort and protection, flinching at sudden movements while Egeanin orders her to avoid causing trouble during the departure.
• Adria — A slim contortionist who runs barefoot through the camp in a flowered green robe. She dashes into a yellow wagon as performers begin shouting and scrambling to prepare for the journey.