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No sooner did her fingers close on the s her hands painfully against the ground None of the Wise Ones sofutilely to pull free She could notrulers pale with fear, but she did not dare disturb this wo hard at Sevanna, "it should be to obey all of us here" The others nodded, soreehtfully

Sevanna stared back just as hard "Very well," she acceded finally "Butus I am not only a Wise One; I speak as the clan chief"

Therava s us first, Sevanna You and I" Not a whisper of defiance faded froly Only then did Therava ht of saidar surrounded her, and a flow of Spirit touched the numerals at the end of the rod in Galina’s hands Just as was done with the Oath Rod

For an instant, Galina hesitated, flexing ers It felt the same as the Oath Rod, too; not quite like ivory, not quite like glass, distinctly cool on her palms If it was a second Oath Rod, it could be used to reiven the opportunity She did not want to take the chance, did not want to swear to Therava in any case Always before this in her life, she had commanded; life since her capture had been ! Yet if she did not, would they let Therava break her? She could not find the smallest particle of doubt that the woht and by er believed in the Light or a hope of salvation, and there was no need to speakoath -- "I swear to obey every Wise One present here in all things, and first a them, Therava and Sevanna" The last hope that this "binder" was so else vanished as Galina felt the oath settle on her, as if she suddenly wore a garhtly fro back her head, she screamed In part that was because it suddenly see pressed deep into her flesh, but mainly, it was pure despair

"Be quiet!" Therava said sharply "I do not want to listen to you wailing!" Galina’s teeth clicked shut, nearly biting her tongue, and she struggled to s her sobs Nothing but obedience was possible, now Therava frowned at her "Let us see if this truly works," she ainst any Wise One here? Answer truthfully, and ask to be punished if you have The penalty for violence against a Wise One," she added like an afterthought, "can be to be killed like an aniripped her belt knife with the sa air in horrified panic, Galina shied back from the woh, and she could not stop the words that chattered through her teeth "I ddid, agggainst all of you! Pplease ppunish me ffor it!" Would they kill her, now? After all of this, was she to die here?

"It seems this binder does as your friend clai the rod from Galina’s lihtened "It also seems that you hite after all, Galina Casban" For soave a pleased smile at that But she issued other coai’shain should If a child tells you to jump, you will jump unless one of us has said otherwise And you will not touch saidar or channel unless one of us tells you Release the shield on her, Belinde"

The shield vanished, and Galina knelt there, staring hollowly The Source shone just out of sight, tantalizing And she could have sprouted wings as easily as she could stretch out for it

Bracelets clattered as Sevanna shifted her shawl in anger "You take too ive it to me!" She held out her hand, but Therava merely folded her ar the Wise Ones," the sterneyed woman told Sevanna "We have reached certain decisions" The woathered behind her, all of the Sevanna, and Belinde hurried to join them

"Without me?" Sevanna snapped "Do any of you dare reach a decision withoutas ever, but her eyes flickered to the rod in Therava’s belt, and Galina thought there was a touch of uneasiness there Another tihted to see it

"One decision had to be reached without you," Tion said in a flat voice

"As you so often point out, you speak as the clan chief," Eray eyes "So Or someone who speaks as a chief"

"We decided," Therava said, "that just as a clan chief must have a Wise One to advise him, so must you have a Wise One’s advice I will advise you"

Gathering her shawl around her, Sevanna studied the wo her Her expression was unreadable How did she do it? They could crush her like an egg beneath a hammer "And what advice do you offeradvice is that we move without delay," Therava replied, as cool as Sevanna "These Seanchan are too close and too many We should move north into these Mountains of Mist and establish a hold From there, we can send parties to find the other septs Itto reunite the Shaido, Sevanna Your wetlander friend may have scattered us to the nine corners of the world Until we do that, we are vulnerable"

"We will move tomorrow" If Galina had not been sure she knew Sevanna inside and out, she would have thought the woreen eyes flashed "But east That also is away from the Seanchan, and the lands to the east are in tur silence, then Therava nodded "East" She said the word softly, the softness of silk laid over steel "But re a Wise One’s advice too often You may, as well" The threat on her face was plain as that in her v