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All of their agreements had been made in those careful letters, and all of their plans would have to be ed Thishad only one real purpose, a simple and ancient ceremony of the Borderlands that had been recorded only seven ti A si words could do, however strong The rulers moved their horses closer while the others drew back

Ethenielle hissed as her belt knife slashed across her left palht as well have been plucking splinters Four hands reached out and round, soaking into the stony dirt "We are one, to the death," Easar said, and they all spoke with him "We are one, to the death" By blood and soil, they were committed Now they had to find Rand al’Thor And do what needed to be done Whatever the price

Once she was sure that Turanna could sit up on the cushion unaided, Verin rose and left the slu to sip, anyway Turanna’s teeth chattered on the silver cup, which was no surprise The tent’s entryway stood low enough that Verin had to duck in order to put her head out Weariness augered into her back when she bent She had no fear of the wo behind her in a coarse black woolen robe Verin held the shield on her tight, and she doubted Turanna possessed enough strength in her legs at theon her froht occurred to her Whites just did not think that way For that matter, in Turanna’s condition, it was doubtful she would be able to channel a hair for several hours yet, even if she were not shielded

The Aiel camp covered the hills that hid Cairhien, low earthcolored tents filling the space between the few trees left standing this close to the city Faint clouds of dust hung in the air, but neither dust nor heat nor the glare of an angry sun bothered the Aiel at all Bustle and purpose filled the caa the soft boots they all wore, wo s after soai’shain darted about carrying burdens, or stood beating rugs, or tended packhorses and es, of course A city? It was h reatly outnu their anvils ring, nearly every man not in white carried weapons Most of the woreat cities’, h to envelope a few Aes Sedai prisoners co away not fifty paces off, struggling to pull a waisthigh pile of rocks behind her on a cowhide The deep cowl hid her face, but no one in the camp except the captive sisters wore those black robes A Wise One strolled along close to the hide, gloith the Power as she shielded the prisoner, while a pair of Maidens flanked the sister, using switches to urge her on whenever she faltered Verin wondered whether she had beenshe had passed a wildeyed Coiren Saeldain, sweat strea down her face, with a Wise One and two tall Aiel her back as she staggered up a slope Yesterday it had been Sarene Ne handfuls of water from one hide bucket to another beside it, switched her to move faster, then switched her for every drop spilled when the water spilled because they were switching her to move faster Sarene had stolen a h not as if she expected any answer Verin certainly had not been able to supply one before the Maidens drove Sarene back to her useless labor

She suppressed a sigh For one thing, she could not truly like seeing sisters treated so, whatever the reasons or need, and for another, it was obvious that a fair number of the Wise Ones wanted What? For her to know that being Aes Sedai counted for nothing here? Ridiculous That had been o Perhaps that she could be put into a black robe, too? For the tiht she was safe from that, at least, but the Wise Ones hid a number of secrets she had yet to puzzle out, the smallest of them how their hierarchy worked Very much the smallest, yet life and a whole skin lay wrapped inside that one Woave commands so earlier, and then later it was turned about again, all without rhyme or reason that she could see No one ever ordered Sorilea, though, and in that e of satisfaction Early thisin the Sun Palace, Sorilea had demanded to knohat shamed wetlanders most Kiruna and the other sisters did not understand; theyout here, perhaps fearing what they ht put on their oaths They still struggled to justify taking the path fate had pushed them down, but Verin already had reasons for the path she followed, and purpose She also had a list in her pouch, ready to hand to Sorilea when they were alone No need to let the others know Soht that for most wo Life was going to grow much more difficult for the women in black And her own efforts would be aided no end, with luck

Two great hulking Aielht outside the tent, seeame of cat’s cradle, but they had looked around ih the tentflaps Cora for all of his size, and Mendan waited only to tuck the string away Had she been standing straight, her head barely would have reached the chest of either She could have turned them both upside down and paddled them, of course Had she dared She had been teuides, her protection against s in the ca she said or did In some ways she would have preferred to have To secrets fro theers

"Please tell Colinda that I’m done with Turanna Norill," she told Coram, "and ask her to send Katerine Alruddin to me" She wanted to deal first with the sisters who had no Warders He nodded once before trotting off without speaking These Aielmen w