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Abruptly, a tallto his shoulders, spurred his horse out of the forest into the road ahead of her, spraying snow "There’s no point struggling," he announced firloved hand "Surrender peacefully, and no one will be hurt"

It was neither his appearance nor his words that ather beside her "Take him," she said calmly "You had better link He has me shielded" It seemed one of these Asha’man had come to her How convenient of hi and took her eyes from the fellow to frown at Jenare The woman’s pale, square face seemed absolutely bloodless "Toveine," she said unsteadily, "I also am shielded"

"I am shielded, too," Lemai breathed in disbelief, and the others chily frantic All shielded

Morethe trees, their horses stepping slowly, all around Toveine stopped counting at fifteen The Guardson a sister’s coues had waylaided theue in irritation These men could not all channel, of course, but apparently every Asha’ainst her She did not panic Unlike some of the sisters with her, these were not the first an riding toward her, s they had obeyed his ridiculous order

"At my command," she said quietly, "ill break in every direction As soon as you are far enough away that the ht they had to be able to see to hold their weaves, which meant that they did have to, "turn back and help the Guards Ready yourselves" She raised her voice to a shout "Guardsed forward, waving their swords and no doubt thinking to surround and protect the sisters Pulling herin her heels and crouched low over Sparrow’s neck, dodging between startled Guardsaped at her in astonishwildly, careless of whether theShe liked the animal, but more than a horse would die today Behind her, shouts And one voice, roaring through all the cacophony The tall on Reborn! Harm an Aes Sedai, and you’ll answer to on Reborn For the first ti into her on Reborn She thrashed Sparrow’s neck with the reins The shield was still on her! Surely there were enough trees between theht, the Dragon Reborn!

She grunted as so struck her across theher out of the saddle She hung there watching Sparro off at asthere In thea pace or round She sed Hard It had to be theher up She had never been touched by saidin before She could feel the thick band of nothing snug around her ht she could feel the Dark One’s taint She quivered, fighting down screams

The tall man reined his horse to a halt in front of her, and she floated down to sit sideways in front of his saddle He did not seem particularly interested in the Aes Sedai he had captured, though "Hardlin!" he shouted "Norley! Kaji louts come here now!"

He was very tall, with shoulders an axehandle wide That was how Mistress Doould have put it Just short of his ed fashion Not at all like the pretty boys Toveine liked, eager and grateful and so easily controlled A silver sword decorated the tall collar of his black wool coat on one side, with a peculiar creature in gold and red enamel on the other He was a man who could channel And he had her shielded and a prisoner

The shriek that burst from her throat startled even her She would have held it back if she could, but another leaped out behind it, higher still, and another even higher, another and another Kicking wildly, she flung herself froainst the Power She knew that, but only in a tiny corner of her s, hoordless pleas for rescue froled like aand dancing as her heels dru "Easy, you lu to -- Easy, you spavined ies, sister, but this is hoe learn to do it" And then he kissed her

She had only a heartbeat to realize his lips were touching hers, then sight vanished, and warh her More than war toward the boil She was a harpstring, vibrating faster and faster, vibrating to invisibility and faster still She was a thin crystal vase, quivering on the brink of shattering The harpstring broke; the vase shattered

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

At first, she did not realize that sound had co , she stared up at the ed to Yes The tall man The man who could --

"I could have done without the extra bit," he sighed, patting the horse’s neck; the anier leaped about, "yet I suppose it is necessary You’re hardly a wife Be calm Don’t try to escape, don’t attack anyone in a black coat, and don’t touch the Source unless I give you perave permission? The effrontery of the man! "Toveine Gazal," she said, and blinked Nohy had she answered hi his horse through the snow to the -- if he could not actually channel, at least She doubted this pinkcheeked lad shaved ain!" the pretty boy exclaimed "Did you take a second one? The M’Hael won’t like that! I don’t think he likes us taking any! Maybe it won’t h, you two bein