For example, one time I told someone at work that I was driving to lunch (he had no car that day and got dropped off). He muttered very softly, "God help us...". Given Mat's scowl, and his comment about Tuon saying the same thing, I can easily see it being a similar situation.



Moiraine breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Mat step through the gateway with the young Asha'man following closely behind him. "Did the meeting go well?" she asked evenly, if a bit loudly. Too much was at stake to waste time. If the Seanchan refused to join the forces of the Light, all would be lost, and all Rand had suffered would be for naught. "Is she willing to negotiate?"

Mat snorted, tipping his wide-brimmed hat back on his head to reveal the leather eye patch he now wore. "It took some doing, but she has agreed to certain...terms." He came to a stop in front of her, then settled onto the ground with his ashandarei slanted across his knees. "Egwene won't like all of it - Tuon didn't either - but that's the best sign that it's a fair deal. So the bloody Amyrlin will just have to give over."

Eying him rather dubiously, Moiraine asked softly, "The a'dam? Did she agree to release the damane?"

"No." Though he did not appear to be any more pleased than Moiraine was with that answer, he shook his head slightly. "You can't expect them to change overnight, not when you Aes Sedai won't change either." There had been a time when Moiraine would have taken offense to such words, but no more. "She agreed not to collar any more channelers, though. For now. Once...this...is done, she will discuss other ways of...limiting...Aes Sedai influence."

Moiraine gave a slight nod. She did not like it, but she understood. Perhaps the Oath Rod would give the woman what she wanted. Now was not the time to worry over it, however. "And the armies?" That had been a point of contention. Egwene was not willing to place Aes Sedai under anyone's authority but her own, but from what Mat had told her of Tuon, Moiraine doubted the woman would agree to working with unfettered Aes Sedai.

"About that..." Taking off his hat, Mat dusted it on his knee. He looked troubled. "She isn't willing to follow Egwene's lead, and she refused to put her men under the authority of any Aes Sedai, but I did convince her that the only way to hold off the Shadow is through a coordinated effort."

Moiraine imagined that had not been easy. The Light knew it had not been easy to convince Egwene that she had to ally with the Seanchan in order to save the world from complete destruction. Rand would do his part, but it was up to the rest of them to make the most of his sacrifice. "Did you propose a solution?" she prompted. "This must be resolved quickly, Matrim. If we--"

"I'm going to do it," he blurted out, cutting her flow of words. For a moment, she stared at him, stunned. "I don't like it either, but she trusts me enough to lead her army. As her husband, it's apparently my bloody duty. And I'm the only one she trusts enough to keep the Aes Sedai from taking over." He sighed. "She made me agree to lead all the armies...the Seanchan, the Aes Sedai...whatever is left of the Asha'man. I coordinate it all...direct the armies, combine the forces into teams. Egwene will just have to agree to it. Like it or not, I'll be leading this war."

Moiraine felt a smile tugging at her lips. He was correct - Egwene would not like this. Not at all. Aes Sedai being forced to obey Matrim Cauthon? It seemed like something out of a dream. Or a sister's nightmare. He looked uncomfortable with the idea as well, though Moiraine knew this was the part he was meant to play in Tarmon Gai'don. In truth, there was nothing amusing about the situation, but she almost felt an urge to laugh. "Creator shelter us," she whispered.

Mat scowled. "You know, that's what Tuon said."



Not exactly sarcastic, but not dire either. Kinda humorous. Which is exactly how I pictured it.