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She did not have long to think Suddenly Kirstian fell to her knees, clutching at Adeleas’ skirts with one hand "I sub from that bloodless face "I was enrolled in the novice book alo, and ran away less than a year later I sub o wideeyed Kirstian was clai to have run away from the White Tohen she herself was an infant, if not before she was born! Most of the sisters still did not really believe the ages claimed by the Kin Indeed, Kirstian appeared just into her middle years

Even so, Adeleas recovered herself quickly However old the other wo as anyone living She carried an aura of age, and authority "If that is so, child," her voice did falter just a bit at that, "I fear we must put you in white, too You will still be punished, but surrendering as you have will gain you soation"

"That is why I did it" Kirstian’s steady tone was spoiled so as Zarya -- none of the Knitting Circle eak -- and she would be held very closely "I knew you would find h that were clearly obvious, though how the wouess She very much doubted that Kirstian Chalas the name the woman had been born with Most of the Kin believed in Aes Sedai oh They had, at least

"Rubbish!" Sarainya Vostovan’s husky voice cut through the h to beco the Kin, she still stepped froive them up to the White Tower? We have helped woive them back!"

"Control yourself!" Reanne said sharply "Alise, take Sarainya in hand, please It seeets too many of the rules she claims to know"

Alise looked at Reanne, her face still unreadable Alise, who enforced the Kin’s rules with a firm hand "It is not part of our rules to hand runaways back, Reanne," she said

Reanne jerked as though struck "And how do you suggest keeping them?" she demanded finally "We have always held runaways apart until ere sure they were no longer hunted, and if they were found before, we let the sisters take them That is the rule, Alise What other rule do you propose violating? Do you suggest that we actually set ourselves against Aes Sedai?" Ridicule of such a notion larded her voice, yet Alise stood looking at her, silent

"Yes!" a voice shouted from the crowd of Kinswomen "We are many, and they are few!" Adeleas stared at the crowd in disbelief Elayne eht -- the Kin were too itte setting herself

Giving herself a shake as if co far more practical, certainly far more effective "Sarainya," she said loudly, "you will report to ht, with a switch you cut yourself before we leave this nize your voice!" And then, just as loudly, she said to Reanne, "I will report ht I don’t see anyone getting ready!"

The Kinswos, yet Elayne saw so quietly as they went When they rode over the bridge across the frozen streae, with Nynaeve incredulous over what she hadabout for someone to call down, Sarainya and Asra carried switches -- as did Alise -- and Zarya and Kirstian wore hastily found white dresses beneath their dark cloaks The Windfinders pointed at thehed uproariously Butsilent whenever a sister or one of the Knitting Circle looked at them And there was a darkness to their eyes when they looked at Aes Sedai

Eight h the snohen it was not falling, and grinding her teeth in an inn when it was Eightbleakly at the sisters, days of strutting by the Windfinders around Kin and Aes Sedai alike On the an to wish everyone had si whether they could cover the last ten miles to Caemlyn without a murder, when Kirstian rapped at her door and darted in without waiting for an answer The woman’s plain woolen dress was not the shade of white proper for a novice, and she had regainedher future had smoothed her present, but now sheover her cloak, and her nearly black eyes were anxious "Nynaeve Sedai, Elayne Sedai, Lord Lan says you are to come at once," she said breathlessly "He told me to speak to no one, and you aren’t to, either"

Elayne and Nynaeve exchanged looks with Aviendha and Birgitte Nynaeve growled so private from public, but it was clear before she blushed that she did not believe it Elayne felt Birgitte focus, the drawn arrow hunting a target

Kirstian did not knohat Lan wanted, only where she was to lead the where Adeleas had taken Ispan the night before Lan stood outside, his eyes as cold as the air, and would not let Kirstian enter When Elayne went inside, she sahy

Adeleas lay on her side beside an overturned stool, a cup on the rough wooden floor not far froealed blood spread out from the deep slash across her throat Ispan lay on a s Lips drawn back in a rictus bared her teeth, and her bulging eyes seeht have, since a wristthick wooden stake stood out from between her breasts The hammer that had plainly been used to drive it in lay beside the cot, on the edge of a dark stain that ran back under the cot

Elayne forced herself to stop thinking about eht! Who could do this? How could anyone do this?" Aviendha shook her head wonderingly, and Lan did not even bother with that He just watched nine directions at once, as though he expected whoever, or whatever, had coh one of the two tiny s if not through the walls Birgitte drew her belt knife, and by her face, she dearly wished she had her bow That drawn arroas stronger than ev