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He did not blink, and he did not ask questions Perhaps he knew she would not give answers Or ht he knew them "There isn’t much traffic between my camp and yours, but tooI will do what I can, though"
As simple as that The first step down a road that would see her on the Amyrlin Seat in Tar Valon, or else deliver her fir left to decide except whether it was Romanda or Lelaine who told her what to do Somehow, such a pivotal moment should have been accompanied by fanfares of trumpets, or at the least, thunder in the sky It was always that way in stories
Egwene let the ball of light vanish, but as Bryne turned to leave, she caught his arh his coat "A thing I have beento ask you, Lord Bryne You can’t want to take e of Tar Valon How long would you want to rest thean?"
For the first tiht to see his face She thought he frowned "Even leaving people in the pay of the Tower out of it," he said at last, slowly, "news of an army flies as fast as a falcon Elaida will know to the day e’ll arrive, and she won’t give us an hour You know she’s increasing the Tower Guard? To fifty thousand men, apparently But a month, if I could, to rest and recover Ten days would do, but ahim That casual question about the Tower Guard hurt He are that the Hall and the Ajahs told her what they wanted her to know and no ht," she said evenly "There’ll be no time for rest once we reach Tar Valon Send your fastest riders There won’t be any difficulty, will there? Pelivar and Arathelle will hear then the touch of anxiety More than her plans ht now
Bryne’s tone did not alter a whit that she could tell, but soh for thenize a truce and listen I’d better go, Mother It’s a long way and hard riding, even for men with extra horses"
As soon as the tentflap fell behind hiht, and she expected her head to start aching anyhis sureness Tonight, she had had to ht he knew it He was very observant for a man But too much was at stake to trust him more, until he made an open declaration Maybe an oath like the one Myrelle and the others had given Bryne followed the Aoing to throw men away uselessly, a feords fro on a platter She drank deeply, feeling the warh her
"Better for us if they believed," shefor the else, Siuan, I hope at least I can free us from the Three Oaths"
"No!" Siuan barked She sounded scandalized "Even trying could be disastrous, and if you succeeded The Light help us, if you succeeded, you would destroy the White Tower"
"What are you talking about? I try to follow the Oaths, Siuan, since we’re stuck with theainst the Seanchan If sisters have to be in danger of their lives before they can fight back, it’s only a matter of time before we are all dead or collared" For a ain, turning her into a dog on a leash A welltrained and obedient dog She was glad of the darkness, now, hiding her trembles Shadows obscured Siuan’s face, save for a soundlessly working jaw
"Don’t you look at ry than afraid, easy to ain! "You’ve taken every advantage since you were freed from the Oaths If you hadn’t lied in your teeth, we’d all be in Salidar, without an ar for a miracle Well, you would be They’d never have suain and the Reds Elaida would reign supreme, and in a year, nobody would remember how she usurped the Amyrlin Seat She’d destroy the Tower, for sure You know she’dabout Rand I would not be surprised if she had tried to kidnap him by now, except that she’s concerned with us Well,Likely, Aes Sedai would be fighting Asha’ over the horizon"
"I have lied when it seemed necessary," Siuan breathed "When it seemed expedient" Her shoulders hunched, and she sounded as though she were confessing crimes she did not want to admit to herself "Sometimes I think it’s become too easy for me to decide that it’s necessary and expedient I’ve lied to almost everyone Except you But don’t think it hasn’t occurred to e you toward a decision, or away fro to keep your trust that stopped"The Light knohat your trust and friendshipthat you’d have the hide off me in strips, or send me away, if you found out I realized that I had to hold on to the Oaths with somebody, or I’d lose myself completely So I don’t lie to you, or to Gareth Bryne, whatever it costs And as soon I can, Mother, I will swear the Three Oaths on the Oath Rod again"
"Why?" Egwene asked quietly Siuan had considered lying to her? She would have had her hide for that But her anger was gone "I don’t condone lying, Siuan Not normally It’s just that sometimes, it really is necessary" Her ti as you’re willing to pay for it, anyway I’ve seen sisters take on penance for ss You are one of the first of a new sort of Aes Sedai, Siuan, free and unbound I believe you when you say you won’t lie to ive up your freedo" Her back straightened, and her voice began to gain strength, and then passion "The Oaths are whatin the affairs of the world Or seven groups Or fifty The Oaths hold us together, a stated set of beliefs that bind us all, a single thread running through every sister, living or dead, back to the first to lay her hands on the Oath Rod They are what make us Aes Sedai, not saidar Any wilder can channel Men may look at e say from six sides, but when a sister says, ‘This is so,’ they know it’s true, and they trust Because of the Oaths Because of the Oaths, no queen fears that sisters will lay waste to her cities The worst villain knows he’s safe in his life with a sister unless he tries to harm her Oh, the Whitecloaks call thee ideas about what the Oaths entail, but there are very few places an Aes Sedai cannot go, and be listened to, because of the Oaths The Three Oaths are what it is to be Aes Sedai, the heart of being Aes Sedai Throw that on the rubbish heap, and we’ll be sand washing away in the tide Give up?