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All in all, it did not take very long, though The reathered under the watchful eyes of the Knitting Circle -- and of Alise, who carefully noted the last ten to arrive, all but two in fine embroidered silks, not much different from Elayne’s Definitely not Kinswoup anyway; Alise would not let a little thing like noble birth stand in her way The Windfinders lined up with their horses, surprisingly silent except for Renaile, who muttered imprecations whenever she saw Alise Careane was suht the sisters their mounts Almost everyone kept an eye on the sky, and saidar made halos around all of the older Aes Sedai and most of the Windfinders Around a few of the Kin, as well

Leading her ered the angreal still on her hand as if she were going to be the one to ht be For one thing, though she had washed her face -- and donned her hat; strangely, all things considered -- she still tottered whenever her selfcontrol slipped Lan stayed practically at her shoulder, stonefaced as always, but if ever there was a man ready to catch a wos, Nynaeve ateway More i about the farm ever since they first arrived; Elayne had spent a considerable tiht where they now stood She knew that spot Nynaeve scowled sulkily when Elayne eh to say nothing

Right from the first Elayne wished that she had asked Aviendha for the womancloakedinherownhair; she eary, too, and all the saidar she could draas barely enough to forrasp al to twist free, then snapped into place so suddenly that she ju when you were tired was not at all like other times, but this was the worst ever At least the familiar vertical slash of silver appeared as it should, and widened into an opening right alongside the cistern An opening no bigger than the one Aviendha had h to fit a horse through At the last, she had not been certain it would be Gasps rose fro a view of an upland ray bulk of the cistern

"You should have let me try," Nynaeve said softly Softly, but with a sharp point even so "You nearly fubbed it altogether"

Aviendha gave Nynaeve a flat look that aler they remained nearsisters, the more she seemed to think she had to defend Elayne’s honor; if they did beco to keep her away froitte, completely!

"It’s done, Nynaeve," she said quickly "That’s all that counts" Nynaeve directed a flat look at her andprickly, as if Elayne were the one showing her snappish side

Birgitte was the first through, grinning i her horse with her bow already in her other hand Elayne could sense eagerness in her, a touch of satisfaction, perhaps that this time she had the lead instead of Lan -- there was always a bit of rivalry between Warders -- and a small measure of wariness Very sht her to ride not far from there About five miles over those first sparsely treed hills lay the manor house of one of her et used to that The seven farounds would be the only people for half a day’s journey in any direction

Elayne had chosen that destination because they could reach Caemlyn in teeks froht be entering Caemlyn before anyone knew she was in Andor That could be a very necessary precaution; at various times in Andor’s history, rivals for the Rose Crown had been kept as "guests" until they relinquished their claims Her mother had kept two, until she took the throne With luck, she could have a solid base established by the tiht behind Birgitte’s brown gelding, and Nynaeve lurched as if to rush after the black warhorse, then pulled herself up short with a level stare that dared Elayne to say a word Fiddling furiously with her reins, she ateway after Lan Her lips

"Nynaeve," she said quietly, "we really don’t have ti," Alise called fro a sharp punctuating crack "No pushing or shoving, now, but I’ll have no laggards either! Move along"

Nynaeve’s head sildly, pained indecision painting her face For some reason she touched her wide hat, a few of its blue plu her hand away "Oh, that goatkissing old!" she growled, the rest lost as she dragged her ateway Elayne sniffed And Nynaeve had the nerve to speak to anybody about their language! She wished she could have heard the rest, though; she already knew the first bit

Alise continued her urging, but there really did not seem to be lancing worriedly over their shoulders at the sky Even Renaile, whoabout Alise that Elayne noted in the back of her head Though calling soer" did seem rather mild She would have expected the Sea Folk to eat fish all the tiht up the very rear, except for the re She paused long enough to hand Elayne her greenplumed hat "You’ll want to keep the sun off that sweet face of yours," she said with a sirl No need to turn to leather before your tiround nearby, fell over backward and kicked her heels laughing

"I think I’ll ask her to find you a hat With lots of plu bows," Elayne said in dulcet tones before quickly following the Kinswoently rolling , surrounded by hills taller than those she had left behind, and by trees she knew, oak and pine and blackwood, sourguood, tall tiht not be any cutting this year Most of the more scattered trees to the north, toward the ray boulders dotted the thick brown grass here and there, and not even a withered stalk marked the death of a wildflower That was not so