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The raised heels of Birgitte’s boots made her almost a hand taller than Nynaeve, if still shorter than Elayne or Aviendha In dark blue coat and wide green trousers, she carried herself with h it see on a rock, and not nearly so lazy as she appeared There was no arrow nocked in the bow Birgitte carried, but for all her stroll and smiles, she could have a shaft out of the quiver at her waist before anyone could blink, and be loosing her third before anybody else could have fitted a second to bowstring
She gave Elayne a wry grin and a shake of her head that swung a golden braid as long and thick as Nynaeve’s dark one "I promised to your face, not behind your back," she said dryly "When you’ve learned a little more, I won’t have to tell you about Warders and Aes Sedai" Elayne sniffed and lifted her chin haughtily, busying herself with the ribbons of her hat, which was covered with long green plureat dealanother knot in that bow"
Had Elayne not been her nearsister, Aviendha would have laughed at the cri so it done, and even a short fall orth a laugh As it was, she leveled a fir retribution She liked the woman despite all her secrets, but the difference between a friend and a nearsister was a thing these wetlanders see froht the word "kittens" Worse, it sounded fond Everyone otten into you, Aviendha?" Nynaeve deer "Do you intend to stand there blushing all day? We are in a hurry"
Only then did Aviendha realize by the heat in her face that shestill as stone besides, when they had need for haste Cut by a word, like a girl needded to the spear and unused to the banter a Maidens She had al with her first bow That added flames to her cheeks Which hy she all but leaped around the next turning and very nearly ran headlong into Teslyn Baradon
Skidding aardly on redandgreen floor tiles, Aviendha halffell backward, catching herself against Elayne and Nynaeve This tied not to blush herself to fire, but she wanted to She was sha her nearsister as much as herself Elayne always held her composure, no matter what Luckily, Teslyn Baradon took the encounter little better
The sharpfaced wo before she could stop herself, then shifting her narrow shoulders irritably Gaunt cheeks and a narrow nose hid the ageless quality of the Red sister’s features, and her red dress, brocaded in a blue that was nearly black, only athered a clan roofmistress’s selfpossession, dark brown eyes as cool as deep shadows They slid past Aviendha dis Lan like a tool she had no use for, burned a brief itte being a Warder, though none could give a reason beyond sour mutters about tradition Elayne and Nynaeve, however, the woman fixed by turns Aviendha could have tracked yesterday’s wind before reading anything on Teslyn Baradon’s face now
"I did already tell Merilille," she said in a thick Illianer accent, "but I may as well put your minds at rest, also Whatever mischief you do be about, Joline and I will no interfere I did see to that Elaidaat rimace of distaste "I be neither blind nor deaf I do know of Sea Folk Windfinders in the palace, and secret s" That thin h her tone reer "You will pay dearly yet for those other things, you and those who do allow you to play at being Aes Sedai, but I will look aside for now Atonerip on her braid, back straight, head high, and her own eyes blazed Under different circuet of the tonguelashing plainly about to erupt Nynaeve’s tongue carried ade, and sharper ones Coldly, Aviendha considered this woh her A Wise One did not stoop to thrashing someone with her fists, but she was still only an apprentice; perhaps it would not cost her ji if she just bruised this Teslyn Baradon a little She opened her ive the Red sister a chance to defend herself at the same instant Nynaeve opened hers, yet Elayne spoke first
"What we are about, Teslyn," she said in a chill voice, "is none of your business" She, too, stood straight, her eyes blue ice; a chance ray of light fro to set theht then, Elayne could have oatherd with too much oosquai in her belly It was a skill she honed well She delivered each ith cold crystal dignity "You have no right to interfere in anything we do, in anything that any sister does No right whatsoever So pull your nose out of our coats, you sulad we do not choose to take issue with you supporting a usurper on the Alanced sideways at her nearsister Pull her nose out of their coats? She and Elayne, at least, were not wearing coats A summer has, but the other wo at Elayne askance, appeared to understand, and he seemed startled And perhaps amused It was difficult to tell; Aan’allein controlled his features well
Teslyn Baradon sniffed, pinching her face even tighter Aviendha was trying hard to call these people by only part of their names the way they theht she was upset! -- but she could not begin to i so intimate with Teslyn Baradon "I will leave you foolish children to your business," the woht in a worse crack than they already do be"
As she turned to go, gathering her skirts grandly, Nynaeve caught her arild their faces, and Nynaeve’s was the ih fixed determination "Wait, Teslyn," she said reluctantly "You and Joline er I told Tylin, but I think she , anyway It’s nothing anybody really wants to talk about" She drew a long, deep breath, and if she was thinking of her own fears in thefear, only in giving way to it, or letting it show Aviendha felt a flutter in her own belly as Nynaeve went on "Moghedien has been here in Ebou Dar She ht still be And holam, a kind of Shadon the Poon’t touch It looks like a man, but it was made, and made to kill Aes Sedai Steel doesn’t seeh a mousehole The Black Ajah is here, as well And there’s a stor, a bad storm Only it isn’t a storm, not weather I can feel it; that’s a skill I have, a Talent, er headed for Ebou Dar, and trouble worse than any wind or