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"I wouldn’t turn against that oath," Gawyn said harshly "How could you think that I would?"

"I’ve had experience with unexpected renunciations of oaths lately," Bryne said "I said I believe you, lad And I do But you still haven’t explained why you didn’t return to Caeith the Aes Sedai," Gawyn said "As far as I knew, Elayne was as well This seeh I wasn’t certain I liked Elaida’s authority"

"And what is Egwene to you?" Bryne asked softly

Gawyn met his eyes "I don’t know," he adely, Bryne chuckled "I see And I understand Come, let’s find this Aes Sedai you think you saw"

"I did see her, Gareth," Gawyn said, nodding to the guards as they passed out the gates The men saluted Bryne, but watched Gawyn as they would a blacklance As well they should

"We shall see e find," Bryne said "Regardless, once I get you awith the Aes Sedai leaders, I want your word that you’ll go back to Caewene to us You need to help Elayne It’s your place to be in Andor"

"I could say the sa followers’ caruffly "But it wouldn’t be true Your lanced at him

"She put me out to pasture, Gawyn Banished me and threatened ris she saidthey stung, Gawyn That they did indeed"

That was all Bryne said, but from him, it spoke volumes Gawyn had never heard the man offer a word of discontent about his station or his orders He had been loyal to Morgase--loyal with the kind of steadfastness a ruler could only hope for Gawyn had never known a man more sure, or a man less likely to complain

"It must have been part of some scheme," Gawyn said "You know Mother If she hurt you, there was a reason"

Bryne shook his head "No reason other than foolish love for that fop Gaebril She nearly let her clouded head ruin Andor"

"She’d never!" Gawyn snapped "Gareth, you of all people should know that!"

"I should," Bryne said, lowering his voice "And I wish I did"

"She had another er rise within hilanced at the two, but said nothing They probably knew not to approach Bryne "But noe’ll never know it Not now that she’s dead Curse al’Thor! The day can’t coh"

Bryne looked at Gawyn sharply "Al’Thor saved Andor, son Or as near to it as ahis hand away "How could you speak well of that monstet? He killed my mother!"

"I don’t know if I believe those ru his chin "But if I do, lad, then perhaps he did Andor a favor You don’t kno bad it got, there at the end"

"I can’t believe I’ his hand to his sword "I won’t hear her name soiled like that, Bryne I aze was so solid Like eyes carved of granite "I’ll always speak truth, Gawyn No es me on it It’s hard to hear? Well, it was harder to live No good co complaints But her son needs to know In the end, Gawyn, yourGaebril She needed to be removed If al’Thor did that for us, then we have need to thank hi one another This was Gareth Bryne?

"These aren’t the words of a spurned lover," Bryne said, face set, as if shoving aside emotions He spoke softly as he and Gaalked, ca them a wide berth "I can accept that a woman could lose affection for a ase the wodom to that snake She sent her allies to be beaten and iht in her mind Sometimes, when a soldier’s arm festers, it needs to be cut free to save the man’s life I’m pleased at Elayne’s success, and it is a wound to speak these words But you have to bury that hatred of al’Thor He wasn’t the problem Your ht / will nevet forgive al’Thor Not for this

"I can see the intent behind that look," Bryne said "All the et you back to Andor You’ll see If you don’t trust me, ask your sister See what she says of it"

Gawyn nodded sharply Enough of that Ahead, he noted the place where he’d seen the wolanced toward the distant lines of o between two s "This way," he said, perhaps too sharply

He didn’t look to see if Bryne followed Soon the general caught up to hi displeased, but he kept his peace They walked down a crowded, twisting pathway arays, and soon reached the line of wo water Men stood at the far end, pouring water down the troughs, and the line of wo in the sudsy one, then rinsed theround was so wet! At least here it smelled of suds and cleanliness

The women had their sleeves rolled up to their upper ar clothing against boards in the troughs They were all dressed in those same brown skirts he had seen on the Aes Sedai Gawyn rested his hand idly on his po the women from behind

"Which one?" Bryne asked

"Just a moment," Gawyn said There were dozens of woht? Why would an Aes Sedai be in this camp, of all places? Surely Elaida wouldn’t send an Aes Sedai out to spy; their faces nize

Of course, if they were that easy to recognize, why couldn’t he spot her now?

And then he saw her She was one of the only wo with those around her She knelt with her head bowed, the yellow kerchief tied around her head, shading her face, a few locks of light hair sticking out from under the cloth Her posture was so subservient that he almost missed her, but the shape of her body stood out She was plump, and that kerchief was the only yellow one in the line