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In the silence that followed, a ht?" Saerin said, releasing the Power She held the Rod out toward Seaine

For the third ti, and for the second time repeated that she was not of the Black Pevara did the sale’s

"This is ridiculous," Talene said "There is no Black Ajah"

Yukiri took the Rod froht, I will speak no word that is not true I aht of saidar around her winked out, and she handed the Rod to Doesine

Talene frowned in disgust "Stand aside, Doesine I for one will not put up with this filthy suggestion"

"Under the Light, I will speak no word that is not true," Doesine said allow around her like a halo "I aue was as clean as any Mistress of Novices could have wished She extended the Rod to Talene

The goldenhaired woman started back as from a poisonous snake "Even to ask this is a slander Worse than slander!" Soht, perhaps, but that hat Seaine saw "Now move out of my way," Talene demanded with all the authority of a Sitter in her voice "I a!"

"I think not," Pevara said quietly, and Yukiri nodded slowly in agreeripped it till her knuckles hite

Riding through the deep snows of Andor, floundering through thehtly plulossy dark hair, she had seemed pretty to many over the years, but none had ever called her beautiful Certainly none would now The dark eyes that had once been direct now bored into whatever she looked at That hen she was not angry She was angry today When Toveine was angry, serpents fled

Four other Reds rode -- floundered -- at her back, and behind them twenty of the Tower Guard in dark coats and cloaks None of the men liked it that their armor was stoay on the packhorses, and they watched the forest lining both sides of the road as though expecting attack any ht to cross three hundredcoats and cloaks with the Flaine The journey was alh In another day, perhaps tith roads kneedeep in snow on the horses, she would join with nine other parties exactly like hers Not all of the sisters in them were Red, unfortunately, but that did not trouble her overo into the histories as the woman who destroyed this Black Tower

She was sure Elaida thought her grateful for the chance, called back froiven the opportunity for rede into the deep hood of her cloak, it o was necessary, and the Light burn all those who muttered that the Black Ajah ht, but Toveine Gazal had been driven from her chair in the Hall, and forced to howl for , and even novices and Accepted witnessing that Sitters, too, lay beneath the law, though they were not told what law And then she had been sent to work these last twenty years on the isolated Black Hills farm of Mistress Jara Doweel, a wo penance in exile no different fro in sun and snow Toveine’s hands shifted on her reins; she could feel the calluses Mistress Doweel -- even now, she could not think of the woman without the honorific she had demanded -- Mistress Doweel believed in hard work And discipline as tight as any novice faced! She had nolabor that she herself shared, and less than none for a woman who sneaked away to comfort herself with a pretty boy That had been Toveine’s life these past twenty years And Elaida had slipped through the cracks uncaught, danced her way to the Amyrlin Seat that Toveine had once drearateful But she had l