Elayne pretends to be worn out from the heat when a maid brings Nynaeve a couple of bonnets. As soon as the maid leaves they dress in less fancy clothes, don the bonnets and gather up their belongings. They leave by the back stairs and the back gate and walk several miles before Thom and Juilin catch up with a wagon. They successfully avoid Galad and reach the menagerie around noon, where Valan Luca confronts them. He is still mad at Nynaeve for calling him a beggar and believes them to be thieves rather than lady and maid.