| abstract | - Mat spend the next day in his room, eating as much as he could and saving bread and cheese to eat after he leaves. Anaiya visits him at mid-day and says he is well, but seems aware he is asking for more food than he needs. He begins his plan to make an obvious attempt to leave. He bundles up everything he can, along with the food. He makes sure to have the note, Elayne’s letter in his belt pouch, and brings his dice cups also. He plans to take ship toward Tear, but will stop at Aringill so he can deliver Elayne's letter to Morgase. But first he needs some money to finance the trip. Mat remembers always coming out ahead at dice but tonight he is winning every toss. Which game doesn't matter, nor how many dice or whose dice. After a minor altercation Mat pauses for a bit in the street. His pockets are overflowing with gold and silver and he has two full purses besides. He decides it is time to find a ship to take him out down river. As Mat makes his way toward the harbor he hears footsteps following behind. He decides to try moving over the rooftops to avoid the men in the street. After traveling a ways he decides to get back down. He jumps down to a walkway bridge four stories above the pavement. He suddenly finds a man on the bridge with a dagger going for his throat. With an exclamation of "it's time to toss the dice", Mat tumbles off the walkway, pulling the assassin with him. Mat lands on top and the assassin is dead with the dagger in his heart. The man seemed to be very ordinary looking, hardly noticeable. He decides he needs to rest a bit before finding a ship, so he heads for a nearby inn, The Woman of Tanchico.
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