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There was an oily sense of death to the Blight, of plants barely surviving, kept alive like prisoners starved to the very edge oflike this back in a field in the Two Rivers, he would have burnt the entire crop, and would have been surprised that it hadn’t been done already

To his side, Bashere knuckled his long, dark mustaches "I reues," he noted "That wasn’t so long ago"

"I have patrols running the length of it already," Ituralde said He stared out at the sickly landscape "All the reports are the sah warning that so," Bashere said "There are always patrols or raids of Trollocs to fight If not that, then so worse, to scare them away Worms or bloodwrasps"

Ituralde leaned one ar at the Blight "I’ve no experience with fighting such things I knoparties keep no supply lines, and I’ve only heard stories of orms can do"

"I will leave some of Bashere’s officers with you as advisors," Rand said

"That would help," Ituralde said, "but I wonder if it wouldn’t be better to just leave him here His soldiers could patrol this area, and you could use my troops in Arad Doman No offense, my Lord, but don’t you think it’s odd to have us working in each other’s kingdoms?"

"No," Rand said It wasn’t odd, it was bitter sense He trusted Bashere, and the Saldaeans had served Rand well, but it would be dangerous to leave them in their own homelands Bashere was cousin to the Queen herself, and what of his men? Hoould they react when their own people asked why they had becoe as it was, Rand knew that he would cause a ners on Saldaean soil

His reasoning with Ituralde was equally brutal The e Out here, near the Blight, Ituralde and his troops would have very little opportunity to turn against Rand They were in hostile territory, and Rand’s Asha’ back to Arad Doman If left in his homeland, however, Ituralde could on Reborn’s protection

It was much safer to keep the ar that way, but that was one of the main differences between the man he had been and the man he had become Only one of those men could do what needed to be done, no matter that he hated it

"Narishma," Rand called "Gateway"

He didn’t have to turn to feel Narish The sensation prickled at Rand, enticing, but he fought it off It was beco more andhis stomach, and he did not intend to sick up in front of Ituralde

"You shall have a hundred Asha’ to Ituralde "I suspect you will ood use of them"

"Yes, I think I can do just that"

"I want daily reports, even if nothing happens," Rand replied "Send thecarunted; this was the first Rand had said of the ateway behind the first, as always Narishma stood to the side, his hair in its two dark braids set with bells He had been a Borderlander, too, before he had become Asha’man Too many clouded loyalties Which would come first for Narishma? His homeland? Rand? The Aes Sedai to whom he was a Warder? Rand was fairly certain the man was loyal; he was one of those who had coerous enemies were those you assumed you could trust

None of them can be trusted! Lews Therin said We should never have let theet so close to us They’ll turn on us!

The madman always had trouble with other noring Lews Therin’s ra the voice did take hiht where he had dreamed of Moridin, and there had been no Lews Therin in his mind It twisted Rand’s belly to know that his dreae Nighthtoth, back during the fight with Sa? He had claimed that Rand had invaded his dream, but was that just another lie?

/ have to destroy theood this time I must be hard

Except that Min didn’t want hihten her, of all people There were no gaht call him a fool, but she did not lie, and that made him want to be the man she wished hih also be the man who could face what needed to be done at Shayol Ghul?

To live you must die, the answer to one of his three questions If he succeeded, his acy--would live on after he died It was not very co He didn’t want to die Who did? The Aiel claih they e back to thethe tra ranks of tents It would take a hard ht the Dark One while his blood spilled on the rocks Who could laugh in the face of that?

He shook his head Having Lews Therin in his ht, Lews Therin said suddenly

She? Rand asked

The pretty one With the short hair She says we need to break the seals She’s right

Rand froze, pulling Tai’daishar up short, ignoring the groo

What do we do after that? Rand asked

We die You promised we could die!

Only if we defeat the Dark One, Rand said You know that if he wins, there will be nothing for us Not even death

Yesnothing, Lews Therin said That would be nice No pain, no regret Nothing