Here it is, sorry I was so late. Things have been hectic, but school ends in a few days so I'll have lots of time to write then. I may not get another chapter out before next Wednesday, but certainly soon after that. Hope you all like this one. Mat's master plan will be revealed in the upcoming chapter along with some Juilin angst. This is the best I can offer: By the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth (sound familiar) I swear that I will not leave this story hanging, and I will try my hardest to update more often.

Now, I have to say that my favorite char besides Mat is Juilin, in fact he kinda ties for first, then Thom and Gaul. My favorite book is book five, The Fires of Heaven.

Chapter six

I've got…a plan!

I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused

I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm breaking the habit
Tonight

-Linkin Park

It was morning by the looks of the sunlight that seeping into the cramped wagon beneath the door. Thom's eyes blinked open, he took in the dimly light room. Mat lay sprawled as much as he could in the narrow bed, Thom's eyes swiveled to the three-legged stool the sat between the two beds, his eyes widened the slightest bit to see that Juilin was still awake and looking decidedly frayed. There were dark circles around the man's eyes, and his head fell forward onto his chest every so often.

Thom sat up quickly and Juilin blinked in surprise and turned towards the old gleeman. He made no attempt to speak, by the way his eyes went in and out of focus, Thom could see he was more asleep now than awake. He had stayed up the entire night to look after them.

Juilin hardly felt it when Thom helped him to stand and led him over to the bed that the lanky gleeman had occupied just a few moments before. He made no protest, just shed his coat and instantly fell into a deep sleep. Rolling over and pulling a blanket over his shoulder. Thom hid a grin behind a hand and coughed through his mustaches.

"Has he been awake all night?" The words startled Thom and he jumped and whirled to find Mat, propped up on one elbow, peering at him thoughtfully.

Hiding his surprise and recovering as much of his pride as he could, Thom glared at the gambler. "I see your feeling better," he growled, "Yes, he has been awake this whole time."

Mat grinned at Thom, "Much better." Though he sat up stiffly, and searched around for his shirt. Thom handed it to him and watched Mat shrug into it awkwardly. His ribs were still broken, a night's rest wasn't going to help that. But you try and tell that to Mat and you might just as well be telling it to a wooden post.

And try as Thom might, Mat was adamant about getting up. His ribs were unwrapped and after one attempt to stand and having them prod inward sharply made him gasp and sit back down, his face a bit pale.

Thom knew that the boy would eventually make his way out of the wagon even if he had to kill himself to do it. So with a grumble and a sigh, the gleeman made Mat sit back down after his second try getting up and wrapped his ribs tightly with a linen binding. It left the gambler with shaky legs and lost breath, but he could move now with relative safely, just as long as he did not pick any more fights.

But before Mat could get halfway to the door that would take him out of the stuffy wagon and back out into freedom, the door banged open, revealing the only figure that could radiate that much anger without batting an eye, or managing to look as tall as an Aiel instead of only coming up to Mat's chest. The slurring speech made nearly made Mat recoil, but certainly not in fear. Light, he was not afraid of the woman.

But as sure as Light, it was Tuon that stood in front of him, her eye's cold but her words spit fire. "Toy, we need to talk." The wagon was a bit restricting and Tuon's voice rang throughout the interior of the cramped space. Juilin shifted in his sleep and before Mat could stop himself, he had put a finger to his lips, silently telling her to be quite. He winced just as soon as he realized what he had done, for Tuon's eye's fairly blazed with icy fire.

Resisting the urge to put his head in his hands, Mat walked towards the door and slipped past Tuon, grabbing her hand as he left the wagon, puling her away. "Listen to me Tuon, I do not know what your are doing, but I can explain." The truth was that he could explain, even if it was not the whole truth. But he really did not need this right now. He led her as far away from the wagon as he could.

Though Tuon it seemed, had other ideas. Snatching her hand out of Mat's grasp and held it firmly at her side. If this-this boy thought he was going to manhandle her like that, he had another thing coming. "Explain! What do you have to explain to me. You barge into my wagon," The word curdled her tongue, "looking like you are running from trouble and need to hide behind your mothers skirts and you want to explain. If we had been in Seanchan you would have been drawn and quartered! Hung by your ankles by the tower of Raven's!" She rattled on, listing various forms of torture that sounded absolutely delightful.

Mat stopped listening for a moment. What is the Tower of Raven's? He absentmindedly fingered the signet ring that showed the fox chasing the ravens. Light burn me, but this gets more and more of a tangled mess every time.

She stopped talking and Mat frantically tried to recall what it was that she had been saying. "Was a High Lady Tuon, was. I do not know what your are now, but I have no intent of letting you go now. Not with the Seanchan and all." Light, what was he going to do. The woman he was supposed to marry now looked as if she now wanted to tear out his throat. He did not want to have anything more to do with the one power, yet she could learn to channel. Mat fought down the urge to laugh hysterically. This was not the time to fall apart.

"I am still a High Lady Toy, and don't forget it. Act like a man and stop this foolish nonsense." If he had a lover he could just come out and tell her. Did he think her so blind as to not notice his odd behavior? Laughing in the wagon and mourning after a traitor. Light but he made her blood boil.

Mat was a feathers fall from throwing his hat down and stomping on it. What did the woman want. Did she have to have someone to glare at before the day was done or was she just being difficult. It was almost like she realized how much more power over him now that Luca knew who she was. And from what he had seen, more than one person knew that there was at least one Aes Sedai in the show and there was likely to be more trouble with that.

Her fist in his short ribs did not only make him grunt in pain, but also succeeded in getting his attention. His scowl met her own. A woman that can channel. "What do you want, tell me straight forward and I'll answer you. But you keep blathering on about this and that."

It seemed that Tuon was shocked into silence for a moment. Mat allowed himself a small smile, but the victory was short lived.

A small smile now graced Tuon's lips, it was that same bloody smile she always gave him. Maybe she wasn't so shocked. "You are right Toy, I was babbling like a new servant girl."

Mat's jaw dropped and for all he cared it could bloody well stay that way. What in the name of Light was the woman thinking?! If he lived half as many of the past lives that were stuffed into his head, he would still not know enough about women to tell heads from tails. Light but right now he needed a strong drink.

Mat felt like punching one of the wagon's walls, but no doubt that Latelle would skin his hide if he so much as thought of damaging her wagon's. No dicing, no women, no wine, he had bloody responsibility stacked on him like coins, one right after another. Her didn't realize he was stomping on his hat until he felt the material grind into the dust. Snarling and tossing Tuon a glare, he bent to pick up his dusty hat and brush it off before ramming it onto his head.

He turned on his heel without another word, he would regret saying any more to her. Best leave with her smiling that him weeping later. Women had the strangest effects on a man. He ignored her indignant squawk and stormed away angrily.

Noal caught up with him before he was fifteen paces from Tuon and frightened Mat so badly he very nearly put a knife through the old man before he knew who it was. Cursing under his breath and growling irately, Mat turned to him, stopping in mid stride. "For the lioe of Light Noal, what is it?"

The old man smiled at the gambler before rattling off his message. "Merrilin wants you, he said for you to meet him by your wagon."

Mat grunted and hoped that it was sufficient enough for an answer. What could Thom possible want with him now? He'd been cooped up in the wagon for days, did he have to send for him now? But back to the wagon he did go.

Why did things always seem to be going wrong lately, he must have done something to deserve this. But he still stared blankly at Thom as they sat outside on the steps to the wagon's entrance. "Putting on a show for the Seanchan? Is the man mad, what does he think we're going to do?"

The old gleeman sighed and knuckled his mustaches thoughtfully, "I really don't know. But I do know this Mat, we can't leave the show, we'd stick out like sore thumbs, we're going to have to convince him to bypass them or else think of something ingenuous."

Mat gave a horse laugh, "Convince Luca out of anything that will put a little coin in his pocket is way out of my league." The gambler heard Thom sigh again. But this time he paid it no head. Something had sparked for a moment and his swift mind was now fanning it into a flame.

"Mat, what if-" The Gleeman broke off at a quick wave from Mat. The wheels were finally starting to turn and things started to click into place. "Thom, we're not going to leave the show, you're right, we will stick out. But we will stand out even more if we stay in the show looking like we are. They will never believe Tuon is a maid, even if they did not know what she looked like. I do not know if I can get the Aes Sedai or any of them to do this, but it's their only hope." Mat finished and hurried off, jogging as fast as his ribs would allow.

Thom had absolutely no clue what Mat was talking about. But he knew from experience that the boy could hold his own when it came to strategies. He jogged after Mat, his limp slowing him a bit, but eager to know what he had up his sleeve.

Thom's ears perked up when he heard Mat and Luca's voices. But what made the old gleeman take notice was the volume that the conversation lacked. In fact, it was more of a whisper if anything. Mat spared Thom only a glance before his eyes darted back to bore into Luca's.

"Now you listen to be you light blinded fool. If you kick us out of here not only will be slaughtered by those Sheanchan, which you probably could not care less about, but you'll not get your gold, and I'll be a son of a goat if you think you can get rid of me and rob my carcass. But if you cooperate I will personally ensure that you get what's coming to you."

Thom raised an eyebrow and by Luca's gulp, he was thinking beyond the size of his purse now. He obviously did not know what to make of Mat's promise, but by the dangerous glint in his eye, he could guess.

Mat did not waste any time after Luca's short nod. He took off again, heading for the wagon that the Aes Sedai and sul'dam shared. A smile came to his lips, this is going to be fun, thought the gambler sarcastically. But if they did not accept this, he would shove it down their throats or stake them out for the Sheanchan himself. But if things went the way he planned, he was not going to have to see any women killed this day, or any other day for that matter.

Thom settled for following Mat until the boy would tell him what he had going on. But he figured that he just might end up hauling Mat back to the wagon unconscious again when he barged into the wagon that the Aes Sedai Joline, Edesina and Teslyn and the sul'dam Bethamin and Seta shared. The wagon had been uncomfortable to say the best, but when Mat entered even the air seemed to hold its breath.

Mat cursed silently, Of course the would have heard about Renna. Mat did not try to be friendly this time. The Aes Sedai looked at him with a wariness and the sul'dam avoided his eyes. But Mat was sure that they held stark terror. If any thought had been given as to whether they should flee to the Sheanchan camp, it was quelled quite thoroughly. Seeing them brought back Renna's death, and Mat was silent for a moment more before he coughed into his hand roughly and started his speech.

Thom hesitated for a good while before finally entering the wagon. He really did not know what to expect from the women inside and the scene certainly was not what he had imagined. All the women had their eyes glued on Mat, and the white haired Gleeman was just in time to hear the end of the talk that had without doubt subdued any objections to the plan that Thom had yet to hear.

"You know better than I what you'll get if those Sheanchan get a hold of you and believe me when I say that I will do worse if you do not do exactly as I say. Now ready yourselves, Latelle, will be by later and you had better follow her instructions."

Mat paused to give Thom a wink as he swept out of the wagon and went on to the next. Thom was already to follow Mat, but when he recognized the direction they were headed, he stopped dead and watched as Mat, foolishly or bravely, bounded up the steps and burst through the door to the wagon that Tuon occupied with Selucia and mistress Anan.

This was going to take a while Thom guessed. He'd better go wake Juilin up and tell him what was going on. Well, the truth be told he really did not know what was happening, but something was and they would certainly be playing a part in it if he knew Mat at all.

Hurrying back to the wagon they shared, the white haired gleeman found the thief-catcher sprawled across the bed, an arm over his eyes, snoring peacefully. Rolling his eyes, Thom hesitated, the man really did need the sleep, what could it hurt if he told him later. Hopefully it would not take to terribly long to explain and get ready.

He expected Thera to be here by now, but maybe she sis not want to be out of the tent alone. Light, he had never met such a tumid woman before in all his life. Though truth be told, he did not care for the woman all that much. She could be a threat to them if the Sheanchan ever came close enough. Like they'll be doing in a days time, thought Thom grimly.

But woe to anyone who said a word against her, Juilin would be having just as nice a chat as Mat and Domon did. Thom couldn't understand why the man wanted a wife. Look at Mat, the boy was all set to be married sometime in the future and he looked positively sick about it. He really couldn't blame him, he would be sick if he had to marry Tuon, light, the woman was more than any man should be cursed to live with.

Thom exited the wagon as quietly as possible. He descended the steps and decided to see if Mat was tiered of his death wish yet. The boy had a creative knack for finding trouble, and he just might have met his un-maker in the form of a tiny Sheanchan woman.

Laughing Dragoness: Yeah, I'm terrible at updates myself. But the actions picking up and the chapters should be coming in quicker. Thanks for your review, I look forward to yours, Ersatz's and demoness's every time, they keep me going. Perrin's your second Fav? I liked him better before he met Faile. But I do look forward to his chapters because of Gaul.

Ersatz: I love your reviews! Sorry I took such a long break, but I'm back! I like Thom too, he kind a keeps the plot together. I like how Berelain get's under Faile's skin. Mwahaha.

Lemon freak: Sorry for the long delay. The next should be in sooner. Thanks for the review.

Bloodmoon: No problem, my pleasure. Thanks for the review.

Aniki19: Yeah, I love Mat too. Tuon's kinda weird, but I'm sure that RJ will find a purpose for her. Thanks bunches for the review…cookies all around!

Demoness: I know what you mean, it's about time the author got some Juilin angst coming along, I don't know about you, But I thinks there's some screws loose up in the attic, but I'll let it slide if she gets the next chapter in quicker.

Fei: Don't worry, I have much more torture and angst coming along, mostly for Mat and Juilin cause they're my favs. Thanks a lot for the reviews. Hope I got all there errors in this one.

TBC…