Mat and Thom are on the Gray Gull approaching Aringill. He opened Elayne’s sealed letter and thinks it is the reason people are following him. The people of the town are starving because of all the refugees from Cairhien, and the Andoran squadman says people are slaughtering horses for food. Mat and Thom check different inns in town with Thom offering to perform for a place in the stable since every inn is full to overflowing. They cannot find a place to stay until Mat finds an innkeeper with dice cups. He pays for a place for them to sleep in the stable, then offers to gamble for the two horses the innkeeper owns. Mat wins of course so they have a place to stay and horses for the journey to Caemlyn.