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"You know hiht tell one of the sisters who you are " Perrin shrugged in resignation "I ht he could -- "but I think Annoura will do whatever she wants" And what did she really think about Masema?
"Oh, Bertain Gallenne doesn’t know the likes of Elyas Machera," Elyas replied with a wry grin " ‘More fools know Jak Fool than Jak Fool knows’ I know hiainst you or behind your back, but Berelain has the brains between theainst the Illianers since she was sixteen Berelain kno to ood at it, but he never sees anything else, and soured that out about both of theer fro in that ith a new maid The only question hy Alliandre’s reply needed a ood, Elyas Later, we’ll talk about what lies south And you canaway
"The Pit of Doom lies south," the other man called after hiht" Perrin iain Now, that would be a pleasant change
In the tent, Breane was carrying a silver tray about with a bowl of rosescented water and cloths for washing faces and hands, curtsying stiffly as she presented it With even stiffer curtsies, Maighdin was offering a tray holding cups of winepunch -- made with the last of the dried blueberries, by the smell -- while Lini folded the newco odd in the way Faile and Berelain stood to either side of the neoman, and Annoura hovered behind them, all focused on her So dark hair that fell alht have been pretty if her nose had not been so long And if she had not carried it so high Shorter than Faile or Berelain either one, she stillhiht of his eyes, although nearly everyone did
"Majesty," Berelain pronounced in a formal voice as soon as Perrin entered, "may I present Lord Perrin Aybara of the Two Rivers, in Andor, the personal friend and enosed woman nodded carefully, coolly, and Berelain went on with scarcely a pause "Lord Aybara, give greetings and welcoarin, Queen of Ghealdan, Blessed of the Light, Defender of Garen’s Wall, who is pleased to receive you in person" Gallenne, standing near the tent wall, adjusted his eyepatch and raised his winecup to Perrin with a smile of triumph
For some reason Faile shot Berelain a hard look Perrin’s mouth nearly dropped open Alliandre herself? He wondered whether he should kneel, then settled for a bow after too long a pause Light! He had no notion how to deal with a queen Especially one who turned up out of the blue with no escort, without a jewel in sight Her dark green riding dress was plain wool, lacking a single stitch of eht I should come to you, Lord Aybara" Her voice was calm, her face smooth, her eyes aloof And observant, or he was a Taren Ferry man Best to step warily till he kne the path lay "You o Illian fell to the Dragon Reborn, blessed be his nah I understand it is now called the Crown of Swords"
Faile, taking a cup frohdin’s tray, whispered under her breath, "And seven days gone, the Seanchan took Ebou Dar" Even Maighdin did not notice
If Perrin had not already taken hold of hiaped Why did Faile tell hi for it to come from the woman who must have told her? In a voice that everyone could hear, he repeated her words A hard voice, but that was the only way to keep it froo? The day Grady and the others had seen the One Power in the sky Coincidence, maybe But would he rather it had been the Forsaken?
Annoura frowned over her cup, pursing her lips, before he finished speaking, and Berelain gave him a startled look that vanished quickly They knew he had not known about Ebou Dar when they rode into Bethal
Alliandre merely nodded, every bit as selfpossessed as the Gray "You see closer to hi Jehannah with the river trade, yet I o Several of the merchants keep me abreast of events I believe," she added dryly, "that they hope I can intercede for theon, if such becomes necessary"
At last he could pick out her scent, and his opinion of her changed, though not for the worse Outwardly, the Queen was all cool reserve, but uncertainty shot through with fear filled the smell of her He did not believe he could have held his face so calm had he felt that
"Always best to know as much as you can," he told her, half distracted Burn ht, I have to let Rand know about this!
"In Saldaea we findthat was how Perrin knew about Ebou Dar "They seem to learn what happened a thousand in"
She did not look at Perrin, but he knew she spoke to hi And anyway, there was no way to get word to him in secret Could Faile really want hi, he realized he hadAlliandre had said "Your pardon, Alliandre," he said politely "I was thinking about Rand -- the Dragon Reborn" Of course it was unthinkable!
Everyone stared at hione wide, and Gallenne’sopen Then it hit him He had just called the Queen by nahdin’s tray, and she rose from her curtsy so quickly that she nearly knocked it fro her away absently, he wiped his damp hand on his coat He had to concentrate here, not let his ht he knew, Faile would