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It was al the Wise Ones wanted her to learn, but that could not be She was not soood would constant and unexplained punishraveso she held up was about the size of a fist "We have decided," she said, "that we have been too lax in our instruction Time is precious and we have no room left for delicacy"

Aviendha covered her surprise Their previous punish over the small sack, "you will take this Inside are seeds So, before we sleep, you will separate the colors, then count how , ill ain"

Aviendha found herself gaping, and she nearly stu clothing was necessary work Cooking ai’sbain had been brought with the sroup

But thisthis was useless work! It was not only unimportant, it was frivolous It was the kind of punishment reserved for only the most stubborn, or h the Wise Ones were calling her da’tsang\

"By Sightblinder’s eyes," she whispered as she forced herself to keep running "What did I do?"

Alanced at her, and Aviendha looked away Both knew that she didn’t want an answer to that question She took the bag silently It was the iven

Amys moved off to run with the other Wise Ones Aviendha shook off her stupor, her deter Her ht Amys punish and glanced inside There were three little es inside to help with the separation, and thousands of tiny seeds nearly engulfed the her shame Whatever she’d done, it was offensive not just to the Wise Ones, but to all around her, even if they--like Aviendha herself-- were ignorant of it

That only htfall

Gaatched the sun burn the clouds to death in the west, the final light fading That haze of perpetual gloom kept the sun itself shrouded Just as it hid the stars froh in the air Often, Dragonmount’s tip would be hidden on cloudy days, but this thick, gray haze hovered high enough that ed, broken tip

"Let’s engage them," Jisao whispered frolanced away froe below It should have been still, save perhaps for a good in It should have been di in s as people finished evening e was alight with angry torches carried by a dozen sturdy figures By that torchlight and the light of the dying sun, Gawyn coulda nondescript uniform of brown and black Gawyn couldn’t see the three-starred insignia on their unifore, Gaatched a few latecohtened and worried as they gathered with the others in the crowded square These villagers welcomed the armed force with reluctance Women clutched children, men were careful to keep their eyes downcast "We don’t want trouble," the postures said They’d undoubtedly heard froes that these invaders were orderly The soldiers paid for goods they took, and no young h they weren’t turned away either A very odd invading army indeed However, Gawyn knehat the people would think This army was led by Aes Sedai, and who could say as odd or normal when Aes Sedai were involved?

There were no sisters with this particular patrol, thank the Light The soldiers polite, but stern, lined up the villagers and looked them over Then a pair of soldiers entered each house and barn, inspecting it Nothing was taken and nothing was broken All very neat and cordial Gawyn could ale mayor

"Gawyn?" Jisao asked "I count barely a dozen of them If we send Rodic’s squad to come in from the north, we’ll cut off both sides and sh that they won’t see us co up a lather"

"And the villagers?" Gawyn asked "There are children down there"

"That hasn’t stopped us other ti his head "The last three villages they’ve searched point a direct line toward Dorian If this group vanishes, the next one onder what it was they nearly uncovered We’d draw the entire army’s eye in this direction"

"But--"

"No," Gawyn said softly "We have to knohen to fall back, Jisao"

"So we ca"

"We ca away fro certain he didn’t show a profile on the horizon "And now that I’ve inspected that opportunity, we’re not going to take it Only a fool looses his arrow just because he’s got a bird in front of hiht there in front of you?" Jisao asked as he joined Gawyn

"Because sometimes the prize isn’t worth the arrow," Gawyn said "Co in the dark with lanterns hooded, were so for Gareth Bryneforce hiding so to flush it out, but the countryside near Tar Valon was liberally sprinkled with villages, forests and secluded valleys that could hide a sed to keep his Younglings out of sight while pulling off the occasional raid or ambush on Bryne’s forces There was only so much you could do with three hundred men, however Particularly when you faced one of the five Great Captains

Aainst each and every man who has been a ave a silent order to withdraw by raising his right hand, then gestured sharply away fro and leading their ht he was over Haht Gawyn that the battlefield soht his former teachers, and Gawyn had won That was the end of it