Chapter 40 - A Hero in the Night

Summary

Mat Cauthon and Thom Merrilin arrive in the overcrowded, war-stricken town of Aringill after fleeing Tar Valon, seeking passage to Caemlyn. After finding no rooms at local inns due to the refugee crisis, Mat uses his supernatural luck to win a pair of horses and lodging in a stable from a reluctant innkeeper. Shortly after settling into the hayloft, Mat drops down to intervene when a group of Illuminators, led by a man named Tammuz, attempts to kill an older Illuminator named Aludra. Mat and Thom defeat the attackers, and Aludra, in gratitude, gifts them a large bundle of complex fireworks before departing for Lugard. Mat, chagrined by his unsolicited heroism, mounts his new horses and rides off into the rain, determined to avoid such roles in the future.

Characters

• Mat (young hero) — Mat arrives in Aringill with Thom, observing the desperate refugee crisis. He struggles to find lodging, eventually bribing an innkeeper with a dice game to secure a stable and two horses. He drops from the loft to save Aludra from assassins, gifts her coins when she leaves for Lugard, and then rides out into the rain, resolving to never act like a hero again.
• Thom / Thom Merrilin (gleeman) — Thom accompanies Mat to Aringill, commenting on the misery of the refugees and Mat's taunting of Captain Mallia. He identifies Aludra as an Illuminator based on her fireworks. He helps Mat defeat the attackers and questions Aludra about her light source before they saddle up in the stable and ride out.
• Mallia (Captain, the captain) — Captain Mallia of the Gray Gull attempts to ingratiate himself with Mat and Thom, showing relief when they disembark in Aringill. He expresses disdain for the refugees and the 'scum' on the docks, wishing they had cleared the way with swords, before being left behind with his lighter money chest.
• Aludra (Illuminator, Mistress of the Chapter House) — Aludra, a former Mistress of the Chapter House of the Guild of Illuminators, enters the stable to hide from her attackers, including Tammuz. After Mat and Thom defeat Tammuz and his men, she reveals her fireworks as payment for her rescue. She gives Mat coins for food before departing for Lugard, hinting at a secret invention involving sticks.
• Jeral Florry (the innkeeper, round-faced man) — Jeral Florry is the innkeeper of the fifth inn Mat visits. He refuses to house Mat and Thom but eventually accepts a dice wager for their lodging and horses. He is disparaging of his stableman's complaints and provides Mat with minimal food and water for the price of one horse.
• Tammuz (the man in the yellow coat) — Tammuz, an Illuminator in a yellow coat, chases Aludra to Aringill to kill her for secrets she knows. He confronts her in the stable and draws a knife, but is knocked out by Mat's quarterstaff. He remains groggy and injured as Mat and Thom prepare to leave.
• Galldrian (King of Cairhien) — Mentioned by Thom and Aludra as the former King of Cairhien who died due to an Illuminator disaster. He is noted as being dead and will see no more fireworks.