Chapter 43: A Plan

Min waits in the hallway outside Egwene's room in the damane quarters, but when the screaming begins she cannot hold herself and runs — half blind with tears — into the streets of Falme.

She nearly collides with Nynaeve and Elayne, disguised in farm-women's coats. She pulls them away from the damane quarters and tells them Egwene is close to being shipped back to Seanchan. She has located a ship captain willing to take them — if she can convince him — but the leash, the a'dam, remains the unsolved problem.

She leads them to Captain Domon at the inn The Three Plum Blossoms near the harbor. Nynaeve takes charge: when Domon stalls over the risk of damane patrolling the harbor, she opens her coat and produces her Serpent ring. The sight makes him go pale. Domon tells them he witnessed another Aes Sedai taken in the streets — six damane surrounding her at once, her Warder killed before he could save her, and the woman screaming "Ryma, help me" before they collared her.

Min admits what Egwene told her: the Seanchan hold two Aes Sedai captive — Ryma, a Yellow, and an unknown second. This visibly unsettles Domon, but he agrees to hold Spray ready to sail the moment they appear aboard.

Outside, Nynaeve's composure finally cracks — she sags against the inn wall and admits she was terrified he would refuse. She pulls herself together and announces there are still "one or two small problems" to work out. Almoth Plain and the roads east are crawling with Seanchan patrols, leaving the sea their only real path out.