36 Web of the Pattern

Almen Bunt delivers Rand and Mat to Caemlyn at dawn. The city’s towering walls, Inner City, and surging crowds astonish Rand, while Mat is rattled by the noise and danger. At the gate the Queen’s Guards watch the influx of travelers, many drawn by the display of the captured false Dragon, Logain. Inside, Bunt pointedly advises Rand to hide what he carries, then departs, leaving the boys to navigate the overwhelming city alone.

Fearing attention to the heron-mark, Rand follows local fashion and wraps his sword in red cloth and white cord despite Mat’s complaints about money. The streets teem with hawkers selling fake Logain relics, Whitecloaks clearing space, and tempers fraying into scuffles. Rand steadies a spiraling Mat and insists on seeking The Queen’s Blessing, the inn Thom had named.

After persistent inquiries, they reach The Queen’s Blessing. Innkeeper Basel Gill recognizes Thom’s flute and patched cloak. In a private talk, Rand tells of Thom’s stand against an attacker and presumed death; Gill doubts Thom is dead but accepts the boys as Thom’s friends. He offers modest beds and food, warning them not to speak of Aes Sedai or Thom publicly, given rising hostility and Guard sensitivities.

Gill then reveals Thom’s history: once Courtbard in Caemlyn, Thom angered Queen Morgase and her Aes Sedai advisor, Elaida, when he abandoned court to meddle in his nephew’s Aes Sedai-related trouble, returning only to exchange unforgivable words. Gareth Bryne and others remember, and the writ against Thom likely still stands. With caution emphasized and shelter secured, Rand and Mat gain a fragile haven amid Caemlyn’s political unrest.