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Rajabi straightened visibly, growing confident That was the kind of talk Ituralde knew he expected Like the others, Rajabi trusted the Little Wolf They didn’t believe he could fail

Ituralde knew better But if you were going to die, you did it with dignity The young Ituralde had often drealory of battle The old Ituralde knew there was no such thing as glory to be had in battle But there was honor

"My Lord Ituralde!" a runner called, trotting along the inside of the unfinished palisade wall He was a boy, young enough that the Seanchan would probably let him live Otherwise Ituralde would have sent the lad, and those like hi Rajabi stood like a s "The scouts caught hiht for us?" Ituralde said It was not uncommon for an army to draw recruits There were always those telory, or at least by the lure of steady"He says he’s come to see you"

"Seanchan?" Rajabi barked

The boy shook his head "No But he’s got nice clothes"

Soer, then Doade Whoever he was, he could hardly make their situation worse "And he ca him, then," Ituralde said

"Where will you receive him, my Lord?"

"What?" Ituralde snapped "You think I’m soet hi back And uarded"

The boy nodded and ran off Ituralde waved over so for Wakeda and the other officers Shimron was dead, burned to char by a damane’s fireball Too bad, that Ituralde would rather have kept him than many of the others

Most of the officers arrived before the stranger Lanky Ankaer One-eyed Wakeda, who ht otherwise have been a handsome man Squat Melarned Youthful Lidrin, who continued to follow Ituralde after his father’s death

"What is this I hear?" Wakeda asked, folding his ar in this death trap? Rodel, we don’t have the troops to resist If they coht," Ituralde said simply

Wakeda turned to the others, then back to Ituralde, a little of his irritation deflated in the face of Ituralde’s frank answer "Wellwhy don’t we run, then?" He blustered a lot less now than he had just n

"I won’t give you sugar and lies," Ituralde said, looking at them each in turn "We’re in a bad shape But we’ll be in a worse shape if we run We’ve got no e, and we can fortify The stedding will negate the daht here"

Ankaer nodded, seeravity of the situation "We have to trust hiht so far"

Wakeda nodded "I suppose"

Bloody fools Four ht for staying loyal to the king Now they thought he could do the i to think he could have brought the at various spots along their fortification "Here’s e’re going to do to shore up the weak points I want "

He trailed off as he saw a group approaching through the clearing Theaabout the newcoht; the young man was as tall as an Aiel, and fair of hair like theolden embroidery There was a sword at his side, and the way the newcomer walked made Ituralde think he kne to use it He strode with firht the soldiers around hiuard A lord, then, and one accusto a th in front of Ituralde and his generals, looking at each of them in turn, then focused on Ituralde "Rodel Ituralde?" he asked What accent was that? Andoran?

"Yes," Ituralde said cautiously

The young man nodded "Bashere’s description was accurate You appear to be boxing yourself in, here Do you honestly expect to hold against the Seanchan army? They are many tier to join you in your defense"

He had good intelligence, whoever he was "I aers" Ituralde studied the young lord He was fit--lean and hard, though it was difficult to tell with the coat on He favored his right hand, and on closer inspection, Ituralde noticed that the left hand was e red and gold tattoo on them

Those eyes Those were eyes which had seen death a nueneral Ituralde narrowed his eyes "Who are you?"

The stranger on Reborn And I need you You and your arlanced at the Lidrin openly dison Reborn? This youth? He supposed it could be possible Most ru man with red hair But, then, rumors also clailowed in di in the sky at Falme Blood and ashes, Ituralde didn’t know if he believed that the Dragon had been reborn in the first place!

"I haven’t tier said, face impassive He seemedolder than he looked He didn’t appear to care that he was surrounded by ar aloneit should have seehtful Only one such as the Dragon Reborn himself could stride into a war camp like this, completely alone, and expect to be obeyed

Burn him, if that fact by itself didn’t make Ituralde want to believe him Either this man ho he claio outside the stedding, I will prove I can channel," the stranger said "That should count for so Give me leave, and I’ll have ten thousand Aiel here and several Aes Sedai, all of ill swear to you that I aon Reborn The lanced about unco to Ituralde With the right words, this Rand al’Thor--or whoever he was--ainst itself

"Even if we assume that I believe you," Ituralde said carefully, "I don’t see that it ht You have other business to concern you, I assume"