well and truly losing it over Mat and Egwene’s parting interaction during Lord of Chaos
this is, if I recall correctly, the last time they will be face to face until they’re standing on the Field of Merrilor. Which means this is the second to last time, ever, that they will see each other. And Mat uses it to leverage the commanding officers of the entire Band to make a very public display of deference to Egwene – even though he personally can’t quite believe she’s really been raised to the Seat – because he cannot stand to see her colleagues treat her with such blatant disrespect.
And then when he asks why Egwene’s even seeing him off in the first place, though she can’t publically tell him everything she very pointedly tells him that she still considers him a friend, and to stay out of trouble in the same way she would if they were back in Emond’s Field. Despite Mat’s indignation at this in the moment, on a reread you can almost feel the horrors that await Mat in Ebou Dar looming over the narrative even before you consider that Egwene’s had a ton of very symbolically-laden Dreams about Mat’s future; and so to me this reads as a very earnest, almost anxious warning to take caution. An indirect apology for sending him off like this, and a hope that he comes back safely. I am going to start crying
