Chapter 11 - A Hell in Maderin

Summary

The traveling show departs Maderin early, with Mat riding alongside a brooding Tuon and Selucia. After arriving in the fortified town, Mat waits in his tent while Thom scouts ahead and reports Seanchan troop movements and rumors of an assassination plot against an impostor Daughter of the Nine Moons. Mat reluctantly agrees to take Tuon to a local inn called The White Ring, where she questions him about southern customs, drinks ale, and wins heavily at dice before deliberately losing to avoid suspicion. When seven attackers ambush them in a narrow street, Mat fights them with knives and sustains multiple wounds until Tuon intervenes, brutally killing the final female assailant. Thorn and Selucia reveal they also fought, and the group decides to abandon the show immediately to escape the growing threats.

Characters

• Mat / Toy — He rides to Maderin, rolls dice in his tent, and reluctantly agrees to take Tuon to a tavern after Thom reports Seanchan troop movements and an assassination plot. He fights off seven street attackers with knives, sustains multiple wounds, and decides to abandon the show immediately to escape the threats.
• Tuon (Daughter of the Nine Moons, High Lady) — She demands a visit to a local tavern, questions Mat about southern customs, and wins heavily at dice before deliberately losing to avoid suspicion. After learning of assassination plots against her, she silently argues with Selucia via finger-talk, then brutally kills an attacking woman by breaking her throat and stabbing her heart.
• Selucia — She acts as Tuon's chaperone, accompanies the group to The White Ring, and engages in a silent finger-talk argument with Tuon before fighting alongside Thorn against the attackers, emerging with a bloody gash on her arm.
• Thorn / Thom — He scouts Maderin, reports Seanchan troop movements and rumors of an impostor hunt, guides the group to The White Ring, and fights in the street ambush alongside Selucia while downplaying his own injuries.
• Setalle / Setalle Anan — She sits with Tuon in the wagon before departing for the inn, refuses an invitation to join them, and watches silently as Mat negotiates with Tuon over the tavern visit.
• Heilin (Mistress Heilin) — She greets the group at The White Ring, accepts payment for wine and ale, and assures Tuon that she will quickly settle any potential tavern brawls.
• Jera — She serves wine and ale to the table, becomes confused when Selucia trades drinks with Tuon, and scurries off after receiving a silver penny from Mat.
• Camrin — He plays dice with Kostelle and Vane, matches Mat's wagers, loses heavily, then challenges Mat to a final high-stakes toss before losing again and departing the table.
• Kostelle — He gambles alongside Camrin, watches Mat win repeatedly, agrees to a gold crown wager on the final toss, and loses his money along with his companion.
• Vane — He sits at the dice table, leaves abruptly after losing, later appears among the attackers in the street, and is identified by Mat as one of the conspirators despite not having lost any coin earlier.
• Alstaing (Mistress Alstaing) — She gambles with the Altaran men, appears heavily intoxicated but sharpens her gaze to suspect Mat of cheating, and watches him deliberately lose his final wager.