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"If you ever treat a itte said dryly, "he’ll be yours for life I think I’ll just sit awhile; I’ve ridden long enough today I’ame in front of the sisters and the other Warders, to spare your blushes, but you and I know better" Despite thewords, what Elayne felt froer than affection Her own eyes stung suddenly Her death would hurt Birgitte to the bone -- the Warder bond made that certain -- but it was friendship that made her stay now
"I am thankful to have two friends such as you," she said si silly
Aviendha, however, blushed furiously and stared at Birgitte, wideeyed and flustered, as though the Warder’s presence were to blaaze to the people still short of the first hill, perhaps half a ht," she said, "but you cannot wait too long Once you have started the unweaving, the flows begin to grow slick after a ti one slip free before it is out of the weave is the sao of the weave; it will fall into whatever it wishes, then But you must not hurry, either Each thread o The more that come loose, the easier others will be to see, but youwarainst Elayne’s cheek "You will do well, if you are careful"
It did not sound that difficult She just had to be careful It see time for the last woman to vanish over the hill, the slender noble bent under the bulk of her dresses The sun barely appeared to settle any at all, but it seemed like hours What did Aviendha mean precisely by "slick"? She could not explain beyond variations on the word; they became difficult to hold, that was all
Elayne found out as soon as she began again "Slick" hat you would get if you coated a live eel with grease She gritted her teeth just holding on to that first thread, and that was on top of trying to pull it free All that stopped her fro about, finally loose, was that there were o If they becae it Aviendha watched closely, but did not say another word, though she always had an encouraging sitte -- she did not dare look away from her work -- yet she could feel her, a sh confidence to fill her
Sweat slid down her face, down her back and belly, until she began to feel "slick" herself A bath tonight would be most welcome No, she could not think of that All attention on the weaves They were getting harder to handle, quivering in her grip as soon as she touched one, but they still caan to lash about, another seemed to leap out of the mass, to suddenly be clearly perceptible where there had only been solid saidar before To her eye the gateway resembled some monstrous, distorted hundredheads on the botto tendrils, every one thickly haired with threads of the Power that grew and writhed and vanished only to be replaced by new The opening visible to anyone flexed along its edges, changing shape and even size continuously Her legs began to tre her eyes as er she could go on Gritting her teeth, she fought One thread at a time One thread at a time
A thousand h the shuddering gateway, dozens of soldiers swept around the white far crossbows, in brown breastplates and painted hele insects Behind the on her skirts, a bracelet on her wrist linked by a silvery leash to the collar around the neck of a woray, and then another sul’dam and her daateway, and the glow of saidar abruptly enveloped her sul’daht of the farateith a roar that filled her ears, forking savagely in every direction Her hair lifted, every strand trying to stand on its own, and thunderous fountains of earth erupted wherever one of the forks struck Dirt and pebbles rained down on her
Hearing returned suddenly, and a , a slurred, drawling accent that made her skin crawl as much as the words " must take them alive, you fools!"
Abruptly one of the soldiers was leaping into the h the clenched fist embossed on his leather breastplate A second Seanchan soldier stumbled over the first as he fell, and Aviendha’s belt knife stabbed into his throat before he could recover Arrows flew froitte’s bow like hail; with one boot on the horses’ reins, she grinned gri horses tossed their heads and danced as if they would jerk free and run, but Birgitte simply stood and shot as fast as she could draw Shouts froitte Silverbow still struck home with every shaft she loosed Answer caht, black streaks, crossbow bolts So quick, all happening so fast Aviendha fell, blood running over the fingers clutching her right ar clear, scrabbling on the ground for the angreal, her face set Birgitte cried out; dropping her bow, she grabbed her thigh where a quarrel stuck out Elayne felt the stab of agony as sharply as if it were her own
Desperately, she seized another thread from where she lay half on her back And realized to her horror after one tug that it was all she could do to hold on Had the thread moved? Had it slipped free any at all? If it had, she did not dare let go The thread trerasp
"Alive, I said!" that Seanchan voice roared "Anyone who kills a woold!" The flurry of crossbow bolts ceased
"You wish to take me?" Aviendha shouted "Then colow abruptly surrounded her, di in front of the gateway and sprayed through again and again Not very large balls, but the blasts as they burst back in Altara sounded in a steady strealistened with sweat Birgitte had recovered her bow; she looked every inch the hero of legend, blood strea, barely able to stand, but an arrow half draw