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"Didn’t she declare you a Darkfriend?" Siuan asked pointedly

Egwene hesitated Yes, Elaida had done that But she didn’t have proof for it

Tower laas intricate, and sorting out the proper punishments and interpretations could be complicated The Three Oaths would have prevented Elaida fro the One Power as a weapon, and so Elaidawasn’t a violation Either she had gone farther than she’d planned, or she saene as a Darkfriend She could argue for either position to defend herself; the latter would relieve her of the uilt, but the former would beyou convicted," Siuan said, apparently thinking along the same lines "You would be slated for execution What then?"

"She won’t succeed She hasn’t any proof that I am a Darkfriend, and so the Hall will never allow it"

"And if you’re wrong?"

Egwene hesitated "Very well If the Hall decides that I aet me out But not until then, Siuan Not until then"

Siuan snorted "You ht not have an opportunity, Mother If Elaida cows them, she will act quickly The woman’s punishments can be swift as a stormwind, take you unaware I know that for certain"

"If that happens," Egwene said pointedly, "ave up, not I"

Siuan shook her head,post"

"We are finished with that discussion, Siuan," Egwene said sternly

Siuan sighed, but said nothing further She seenored the stool on the other side of the roowene’s right

The cobbler’s salesrooreat traffic A stout counter divided the room in half, the wall behind pocketed with dozens of shoesized nooks At times, most of these were stuffed with sturdy work shoes of leather or canvas, laces hanging down the front or buckles gleaht of Tel’aran’rhiod Yet each tilanced at the wall, the shoes had shifted, so in their cubbyholes in the real world, for they left only vague ies behind in the world of dreams

The front half of the shop was croith stools for customers to use The shoes on the back ere of different designs and patterns, along with test shoes for sizing A person ca shoes, then picked a style The cobbler--or, likely, his assistants-- would then craft a pair for later pickup The wide glass s at the front proclaimed the name of the cobbler in white painted letters to be Naorman Mashinta, and a smaller number "three" had been painted beside the naeneration of Mashintas to run the shop Not uncowene that was still influenced by the Two Rivers found it odd that anyone would consider leaving their parent’s trade for another, unless they were a third or fourth child

"Now that we’ve dealt with the obvious," Egwene said, "what news is there?"

"Well," Siuan said, leaning on theand staring out at the eerily empty Tar Valon street "An old acquaintance of yours recently arrived in cawene asked absently "Who?"

"Gawyn Trakand"

Egwene started That was i the rebellion He wouldn’t have come over to the rebel side Had he been captured? But that wasn’t how Siuan had phrased it

For a ht in the power of his whispered proed to keep her form locked into that of the Ahts back to theherself to be casual as she responded "Gawyn?" she asked "How odd I wouldn’t have thought to find him there"

Siuan sh you paused too long, and when you did ask for him, you were overly uninterested That wene said "Another test? Is he really there?"

"I hold to the oaths, thank you," Siuan said, affronted Egas one of the feho knew that, as a result of her stilling and healing, Siuan had been released frowene, she chose not to lie anyway

"Either way," Egwene said, "I should think that the tiyou, Mother," Siuan said "You must be prepared for surprises; at any moment someone could throw one at you just to see how you respond"

"Thank you," Egwene said coldly "But I really don’t need the reminder"

"Don’t you?" Siuan said "Sounds a little like so Elaida would say"

"That’s unfair!"

"Prove it," Siuan said sht Better to take the advice, particularly when it was good advice, than to co out her dress across her knees as she also smoothed the frustration from her face "Tell me more of Gawyn’s arrival"