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"Ispan stays where she is," she told Careane coolly without waiting for more "Now, unless you really want to tellup a statue like that " The Green said ancient records claireat deal of that! A queen! "No? Then, if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk with Aviendha alone Thank you socurt did not stop them, of course She was surprised they did not send Merilille’s maid to take a turn

None of this would have happened had Nynaeve been where she was meant to be At least, Elayne was sure that Nynaeve could have quelled the Knitting Circle and the sisters both, in short order She was a great one for quelling The probleht to Lan’s side before they left the first clearing The Warders scouted ahead and to both sides of their path, and soh to report what they had seen or give directions on how to avoid a far ed farther And where Lan went, Nynaeve went

"No one’sany trouble, are they?" she demanded with a dark stare for the Sea Folk, the first tiht, then," she said before Elayne had a chance to open herher roundbellied alloped after Lan holding her hat on with one hand, catching up to him just as he vanished around the flank of the hill ahead Of course, then there really was nothing to complain about Reanne hadseemed settled

By the next tih a nuuised attempts to have Ispan turned over to the sisters, Aviendha had spoken to Kurin, and the Windfinders were on a slow boil, but when Elayne explained, Nynaeve siht at that ed The Atha’an Miere wore glares, true, but the Knitting Circle were all behind theroup of novices could have appeared more wellbehaved and innocent Elayne wanted to shriek!

"I’, Elayne," Nynaeve said "You have had all that training to be a queen This can’t be anywhere near so -- Drat the alloping that poor h it were a warhorse

That hen Aviendha chose to discuss how Rand see the sides of her neck And incidentally how much she had liked it Elayne had liked that when he did it to her, too, but however used to discussing this sort of thing she had become -- uncoht then She was angry with Rand It was unfair, but if not for hi Lan like a child who ht trip over his own feet and attend to her own duties She al Circle was behaving, too, and the other sisters, and the Windfinders It’s one of the thingsonce, and laughing while she did They usually deserve it, even if you don’t know exactly how Not fair, yet she wished he were there long enough for her to box his ears, just once Long enough to kiss hih to

"He will listen to advice, even when he doesn’t like hearing it," she said abruptly, her face reddening Light, for all her talk about shame, in some areas Aviendha had none And it seeer had any, either! "But if I tried to push hiht Was he that ith you?"

Aviendha glanced at her and appeared to understand Elayne was not sure whether she liked that or not At least there was noFor a while, anyway Aviendha had soe of men -- she had traveled with theht beside the but Far Dareis Mai, and there were gaps Even with her dolls as a child she had always played at the spears and raiding She had never flirted, did not understand it, and she did not understand why she felt the way she did when Rand’s eyes fell on her, or a hundred other things Elayne had begun learning the first ti at her differently than he did at the other boys She expected Elayne to teach her all of it, and Elayne tried She really could talk to Aviendha about anything If only Rand had not been the example used quite so often If he had been there, she would have boxed his ears And kissed hiain

Not a pleasant ride at all A miserable ride

Nynaeveto announce that the Kin’s farht around a low rounded hill that appeared ready to fall on its side Reanne had been pessimistic in her estimate; the sun had not fallen nearly two hours’ worth

We’ll be there very quickly, now," Nynaeve told Elayne, not seeave in return "Lan, fetch Reanne up here, please Best if they see a faht away" He whirled his horse away, and Nynaeve turned in her saddle briefly to fix the sisters with a fir theues until we have a chance to explain what’s what And hide your faces Pull up the hoods of your cloaks" Straightening without waiting for any reply, she gave a satisfied nod "There All settled, and all right I vow, Elayne, I don’t knohat you wereexactly as they should, so far as I can see"

Elayne ground her teeth She wished they were in Cae once this was done She had duties long overdue in Caeer Houses that the Lion Throne was hers despite her long absence, that and handling a rival claiht not have been any had she been there when her mother vanished, when she died, but the history of Andor said there would be by now Somehow, it seemed ever so much easier than this

Chapter 4

(Female Silhouettes)

A Quiet Place

The Kin’s farm lay in a broad hollow surrounded by three low hills, a sprawling affair of s with flat roofs, gleaht into the slope of the highest hill, a flattopped thing with one side that fell away in steep cliffs beyond the barns A few tall trees that had not lost all of their leaves provided a modicuroves marched away and even up the sides of the hills A sort of slow bustle enveloped the farm, with easily over a hundred people in evidence despite the afternoon heat, carrying on all the everyd