Sorry this is so late you guys. I just stopped writing to start on my book for a while. I've gotten a lot written in it, but not so much in my fan fics. Oh well, I think I'll start writing more in these and take a break from my original. Hope you guys like this chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter three

Deserving it

I'm down at the bottom of the well.
It's night, and the rain is coming down.
The sides are falling in,
and there's no rope to climb.
I'm down at the bottom of the well.
-Mat's song

The dark fringes around Mat's vision grew stronger until they overwhelmed him completely. His last conscious thoughts were not comforting and were spent cursing his mouth and Egeanin. He slumped against the cart he had been slammed against with his arm curled about his chest still talking to himself.

Thom was the first to notice that Mat wasn't moving anymore. He was still restraining Domon, though the man was no longer looking at Mat. He was arguing rather loudly with Juilin and Thom. Glancing over Domon's shoulder he caught a glimpse at Mat before turning back to the argument, but in seeing Mat's eyes closed and his still body, he broke off with a cry "Mat!"

In a moment he was kneeling at the young man's unconscious form. Grabbing him by the shoulders, Thom shook his lightly and patted his cheek.

"Mat, Mat. Light, boy open your eyes." Mat neither responded nor opened his eyes.

Growling in frustration and worry. Thom checked Mat's pulse to find that is was a bit fast but nothing more out of the normal. He didn't seem to be dying and Thom, seeing this as a good sign, beckoned to Juilin who had stopped arguing and was now looking at what the gleeman was yelling about.

Muttering a curse under his breath, the Thief-catcher snatched up his bamboo walking stick and ran over to where Thom was kneeling besides Mat.

Juilin took Mat by the shoulders and moved him so that he was leaning against the Thief-catchers chest. Thom leaned over him to see how badly he was hurt, or if he was just unconscious.

Moving Mat's arm from where he had it around his chest, Thom ran his hands along his ribs and

chest seeking out any injury he might have.

Watching from a little ways off, Domon and Egeanin frowned intently but moved closer.

"The boy did earn it." Domon sneered, but no one said anything against him. Mat did have it coming, or rather had it coming.

But still, they couldn't ignore the fact that Mat was unconscious and possibly injured regardless of how he obtained his condition, and it wouldn't do to just leave him there because he deserved what he got.

Thom's fingers prodded along Mat's ribs until he felt a shifting under his touch and heard Mat groan softly. Upon further examination, the old Gleeman found that four of Mat's ribs had been broken and there were probably still more bruised.

Mat probably wouldn't have broken that many if it weren't for the fact that quite a few had been broken once already and not that long ago. Even if it could have been worse, four broken ribs wasn't going to tickle, the boy would be sore tomorrow, that is even if he was able to get out of bed.

Careful so as not to disturb his injuries any more than they could afford, Thom and Juilin slowly carried Mat to his wagon he shared with Domon and Egeanin. Thom winced at the thought. He was going to have to find a way to stop Domon from throttling Mat in his sleep. If fact, he needed a way to keep him and Egeanin completely away from the wagon for a few days.

Kicking open the wagon door, Juilin, who was carrying mat's upper body, laid Mat gently on the narrow bed built into the wall. Mat moaned in his sleep when the broken ends of his ribs scrapped together painfully.

There wasn't much of a healer in the camp and the Aes Sedai were out of the question, so putting together what ever skills they had, Thom and Juilin began to patch Mat up the best they could.

The best they could turned out to be more than enough to take care of Mat's injuries. Both Thief-catcher and Gleeman had been in enough scrapes to learn a bit more that rudimentary ability for healing. Neither had tried anything on anyone but themselves, but there was a first time for everything.

Juilin disappeared for a time and came back shortly with the supplies they would need. The Thief-catcher had found a few long strips of white linen and a collection of assorted herbs. A good part of them were feverfew and others that would take down a fever and dull pain. There was already a pitcher of water on a three-legged stool.

Juilin tossed the roll of make-shift bandages to Thom and dug through the herbs and tossed them into the black kettle on the tiny stove in the cramped wagon. Adding a bit of water, he started a small fire in the stove and joined Thom near the narrow bed.

Mat was starting to mutter to himself again and his eyes fluttered. Thom glanced to Juilin and knuckled his mustaches to hide a grin. They could only catch a few words but he seemed to be half upbraiding himself and muttering about women. Mat's eyes fluttered once more and opened.

"So he didn't kill me." Mat's voice was soft, but hadn't lost any of it's normal sarcasm.

"Not yet, but don't worry, he'll be back to finish you off." Thom's grin grew and it was backed up by a small smile from Juilin.

"Just as well, I deserve it."

"But you feel better don't you? It's good to vent sometimes." The remark from Juilin startled Thom and Mat. The Thief-Catcher's smile grew and he have a small chuckle.

Thom joined in, but from past experiences, Mat knew the consequences of laughing with broken ribs. They felt like a knife had been taking out it anger through Mat's chest. His breathing hitched with every inhalation. He wasn't looking forward to having his ribs wrapped. It was painful to say in the least to have any broken bone forced back into place.

Mat took the steaming mug that Juilin pressed into his hands and took a tentative whiff. He knew what concoctions Nynaeve used to put together when he was little. Foul things that left a lingering taste for the whole day, more than once he had had to choke down raw sheepstongue root. It didn't make his nose curl like the others so he took a cautious taste. It tasted of a relaxing mint and something else he couldn't quite put a finger on. But the main point was that it didn't leave a unpleasant taste afterwards.

"It'll dull the pain a bit." Said Juilin.

So that's what that was. Mused Mat silently, swirling the contents of the cup.

The pain did indeed begin to fade a bit, or it might have been that it just dulled Mat's senses. In any case, he knew that they intended to wrap up his ribs soon if they were giving him this, He steeled himself and allowed Thom to help him sit up without a fight. Gritting his teeth, Mat tried to put his mind elsewhere.

A while later, Mat laid back onto the bed trying his best to keep his breathing under control. It was hard considering he felt as if he had run ten mikes and then decided to swim the Aryth ocean just for kicks. The wrapping had forced his broken ribs back into place rather painfully and his dulled senses didn't seem to keep all of the ripping pain away.

He very much wanted to pant and take deep gulping breaths of sweet air, but the consequences were too great. Mat settled for a few sips of cold water. His head pounded and right now he felt like he could sleep for weeks.

But let's not forget that I deserved it, no pity for Mat Cauthon this day. Even so his body ached something fierce and you could try all you wanted but admonishing him wouldn't take it any less painful.

His eyes drifted close and a small sigh escaped him. Mat shivered, but didn't reach for the blanket that was folded at the end of the bed, he was too tiered. Hopefully he wouldn't feel it after he went to sleep.

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Thom looked to check on Mat and growled in surprise. He had been awake a second ago. Mat needed to stay awake, or at least until he was sure the boy would wake up again. Just until his fever was down. But it didn't look that way now.

Anyone who got a glimpse at Mat's shivering body and felt the heat radiating strongly from his body. Juilin reached over to lay a hand on Mat's forehead. "He's burning up."

Thom nodded the obvious. A moment later they both jumped a foot as a loud pounding exploded sound throughout the small interior of the wagon.

"If you do not be dead yet Cauthon come out so that we can get a proper nights rest. You do seem to think this wagon is your own." Domon's clearly angry voice grated through his pounding.

Thom gritted his teeth and started towards the door. "I'll keep then away, get his fever down and don't move him."

"I know that much." Juilin murmured, annoyed by the racket. But was already bend over Mat as soon as the gleeman spoke.

"My good people, I can offer-" Thom's falsely pleasant voice cut off when the wagon door shut noisily.

"Just me and you now Mat." Juilin's quiet voice was mingled with the sound of Mat's soft groan as the Thief-catcher gently bathed Mat's fevered body with a damp rag dipped in the water basin sitting on a three legged stool near the bed.

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Fox of Midnight: Thanks for reviewing. This chapter is really late and I don't want to update that late ever again on this fic. I'd hoped I got Mat's char right enough. I've read the series over an over, you'd think I get his char down at least a bit.

Laughing dragoness: Thanks, sorry to keep you waiting. I promise the next one will come in faster.

I was stuck with this craapy name because it was the only one left: I'll keep it going for a good long time. Thanks for the compliment. By the way, I love your name.

Demoness: Thanks for writing that e-mail and getting me in gear. So glad you like angst and torture because so do I and I'm happy to write it. Yeah, I did give him a beating, but Domon's a big fella. Alos, I started the next chapter of Guys Night Out and it'll be ready in a day or so. Thanks for all the reviews and moral support.

Cary: Thanks for the review, glad you like the story.

Leamaryu: Thanks for answering my e-mails and all that. Your suggestions really helped and we'll be seeing Tuon in the next few chapters. I'm gonna try bringing the chars in a bit closer but sorry, I probably won't switch from char to char a whole bunch unless it's with Thom or Juilin.

Ersatz: Failed mat-fic you say. Well, when you have it up or if you ever get it up I'll look at it and see for myself whether it's failed or not. Yes, I couldn't help myself, I gave Mat a sound Thrashing, but he make up for it later will all his fun luck. I'll work on the typos, please tell me if you see any in this one.

Prism elf: Just started to read the series eh? This is gonna have major spoilers for every book. I don't want to ruin anything for you. But if you want go ahead and read, I'm not complaining. Glad you like the fic.

TBC…