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Elayne peeked at Birgitte, and found Birgitte looking back at her She did not need to see the worried frown on the other woman’s face; it was mirrored in her itte and in the rest Birgitte felt her worry, and she felt Birgitte’s, until sometimes it was hard to say which hich She riskedMore than anyone else there, at least And even if none of the Forsaken appeared, they needed all the angreal she could find

"What happened to Martine?" Nynaeve asked quietly "Afterward, Ihurt without wanting to Heal theht have been the one to bring up Martine, but Aes Sedai did not like talking about women who had been burned out or stilled They did not like reh to slip out of the Tower," she said hurriedly "The i to remember is that she was cautious I never real as if she had no idea what it ht do next, even the one that makes the cloth for Warders’ cloaks, and nobody has ever been able toelse She was careful, and it did her no good"

Nynaeve laid an arm across the nearly ean

"Noooo!" Merilille shrieked

Elayne spun, instinctively opening herself through the angreal again, only half conscious of saidar flooding into Nynaeve and Vandene The glow of the Power sprang up around every wo who could e forward in her saddle, eyes bulging, one hand reaching toward the gateway Elayne frowned There was nothing there except Aviendha, and the last four Warders, startled in thefor the threat with swords halfdrawn Then she realized what Aviendha was doing and nearly lost saidar in her shock

The gateway trembled as Aviendha carefully picked apart the weave that hadThe last flows ca shi away until it evaporated like mist in the sun

"That is impossible!" Renaile said incredulously An astonishedthe Windfinders The Kinswo soundlessly

Elayne nodded slowly in spite of herself Clearly it was possible, but one of the first things she had been told as a novice was that never, ever, under any circu apart a weave, any weave, rather than si it dissipate, could not be done, she had been told, not without inevitable disaster Inevitable

"You fool girl!" Vandene snapped, her face a thunderhead She strode toward Aviendha dragging her gelding behind "Do you realize what you al what the weave will snap into, or what it will do! You could have co for a hundred paces! Five hundred! Everything! You could have burned yourself out and -- "

"It was necessary," Aviendha cut in A babble erupted fro around her and Vandene, but she glared at theers, Vandene Na you Aes Sedai cannot do? The Wise Ones say any woht, some women more and some less, but any woman, if she can pick out embroidery" She did not quite sneer Not quite

"This is not eirl!" Merilille’s voice was deep winter ice "Whatever socalled training you received a your people, you cannot possibly knohat you are playing with! You will proain!"

"Her nalaring across the Bowl still held firmly to her bosom "I’ve always said it She should be entered in the book" Careane nodded, her stern gaze ht not be necessary for theforward in her saddle, "but you uided by us" The Brown sister’s tone was estion

A un to wilt under all that Aes Sedai disapproval, but not now Elayne hurriedly pushed in a the horses before her friend decided to draw the knife she was fondling Or to do soht it was necessary," she said, slipping an arm around Aviendha’s shoulders as much to keep her arms at her sides as for comfort

Aviendha did not quite include her in the exasperated look she gave the other sisters "This leaves no residue," she said patiently Too patiently "The residues of a weave this large ht be read two days fro sound to coirl Neither Teslyn nor Joline has it Or do you Aiel wilders all learn that as well?"

"Few can do it," Aviendha admitted calmly "But I can" That produced a different sort of stare, from Elayne as well; it was a very rare Talent She did not seem to notice "Do you claihtness of her shoulder under Elayne’s hand said she was not so cool as she pretended "Are you such fools that you leave tracks for your eneateway to this spot"

That would have taken great dexterity, very great dexterity, but the suggestion was enough to leave Merilille blinking Adeleas opened her , and Vandene frowned thoughtfully Sareitha simply looked worried Who could say what Talents the Forsaken had, what skill?

Strangely, all the fierceness drained out of Aviendha Her eyes fell, her shoulders loosened "Perhaps I should not have taken the risk," sheme, I could not think clearly, and when he disappeared " A little of her spirit returned, but not a great deal "I do not think a man could read my weaves," she said to Elayne, "but if he was one of the Shadowsouled, or even the ghola, I have great toh But I do not think I was