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Gawyn froze in place, but the Halflers tohere the rest of the Trollocs had gathered Gaaited, breathing softly through his handkerchief, feeling the shadows of the Bloodknives wreathe his to him He felt heady, and his lirow accustoes, to keep his balance each time he moved

A wolf-featured Trolloc rose up fro after the Fade The Trolloc then crept out of hiding, a corpse thrown over its shoulder It walked past Gawyn, passing not five feet ahere it paused and sniffed the air again Then, hunching low, it continued The body it carried over its shoulder trailed the cloak of a Warder Poor Syrowled softly, and before he could stop hi the Adder, spinning and relieving the Trollocs shoulders of its head

The carcass crashed down to the ground Gawyn stood with sword out, then cursed hi back into the s blackness his blurred for himself to kill one Trolloc Symon’s corpse would end up in a cookpot anyway Gawyn couldn’t kill the entire ar to see if his attack had been noticed Perhaps they wouldn’t have been able to see his clouded hi would have seen the Trolloc fall

No warning call Gawyn rose and continued Only then did he notice that his fingers were showing red a the black of the ash He had burned the straight, but that didn’t--fortunately--stop his ability to fight If anything, his instincts were stronger now

Demandred Where was Dehts Cauthon had troops stationed at the river near the ford, but the smoke made it impossible to see as involved On the other side, the Borderlanders were engaged with a Sharan cavalry unit Yet here, on top, it was peaceful, despite the presence of Shadon and Sharans Noyn crept along the back lines of the Shadon, keeping to the rougher patches of deadwood and weeds Nobody seemed to notice him There were shadows here, and shadoere protection Down below, in the corridor between Heights and bog, the fires were going out That seemed too quick for the?

He had intended to find Dein of theto put out fires, then--

The Shadow’s arh the Sharans remained behind, the bulk of the Trollocs moved They obviously intended to push over the now-dry riverbed and engage Cauthon’s army

If Cauthon had intended to lure all of Dehts, he had failed Many Sharans re impassively as the Trollocs thundered toward battle

Explosions pounded along the slope, throwing Trollocs into the air like dirt froons, the feorking ones Mat had set them up somewhere across the river; it was difficult to see an exact position because of the smoke By the sound, there were only half a dozen or so, but the da the distance

A burst of red light frohts launched toward the sons Gawyn smiled Thank you kindly He put his hand on his sword Tis worked

He dashed, low and quick, out of cover Most of the Trollocs were piling down the slope, loping toward the dry riverbed Crossbow bolts and arrows assaulted thehtly different location Cauthon had the dragonstheround thuround behind him Smoke whipped around him, thick in his throat His hands had been blackened, and he assumed his face had been as well He hoped that would help keep hi, but none of the had passed, but to theh the bond Gawyn smiled He had not expected her to be pleased As he ran, arrows slicing the earth around him, he found peace with his choice Once, perhaps, he would have done this for the pride of the battle and the chance to pit hiainst Demandred

That was not his heart now His heart was the need Soht this creature, someone had to kill him or they would lose this battle They could all see it Risking Egwene or Logain would be too great a gamble

Gawyn could be risked No one would send him to do this--no one would dare--but it was necessary He had a chance to change things, to really wene, for the world itself

Ahead, Dee "Send ons!" Another streak of fire flew fro Trollocs and cae bows, al as those of the Two Rivers They surrounded aaret and aruards The faceplate on his fearsome helmet was open That proud face was eerily familiar to Gawyn, handsoht And Light, I’d better not give him a chance to channel

The Sharan archers stood at the ready, but only two of them turned as Gawyn slipped between them Gawyn pulled his knife fro Deo for the face with his knife It felt like a coward’s attack, but it was the best way Trip him, and Gawyn could--

Demandred spun, suddenly, and looked toward Gawyn A second later, the man thrust his hand forward, and a bea--shot for Gawyn

Itjust beside Gawyn as he leaped away Cracks opened all across the ground nearby Deep, black cracks, that seemed to open into eternity itself

Gawyn leaped forward, cutting at Des let hi in confusion

The saddle came off and Gawyn rammed his knife into the horse’s side The beast screa Demandred