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"It was further proposed, also by the Greens, that your care during your retreat should be given to the Red Ajah The Red Sitters tried to appear surprised, but they looked like fisherbirds who knew the catch was unguarded" The Amyrlin sniffed "The Reds professed reluctance to take custody of one not of their Ajah, but said they would accede to the wishes of the Hall"

Despite herself, Moiraine shivered "That would bemost unpleasant, Mother" It would be worse than unpleasant, ht of it firmly to one side, to deal with later "Mother, I cannot understand this apparent alliance between the Greens and the Reds Their beliefs, their attitudes toward men, their views of our very purposes as Aes Sedai, are completely opposite A Red and a Green cannot even talk to each other without cohter I am the fifth in a row raised to the Amyrlin Seat from the Blue Perhaps they feel that is too er suffices in a world full of false Dragons After a thousand years, rimaced and spoke as if to herself "Old walls weaken, and old barriers fall" She shook herself, and her voice firmed "There was yet another proposal, one that still smells like weekold fish on the jetty Since Leane is of the Blue Ajah and I ca two sisters of the Blue with ive the Blue four representatives Proposed in the Hall, tothe drains Two of the White Sitters stood againstthe nay, and your sisters Anaiya and Maigan would not be here There was even some talk, open talk, that I should not leave the White Tower at all"

Moiraine felt a greater shock than on hearing that the Red Ajah wanted her in their hands Whatever Ajah she came from, the Keeper of the Chronicles spoke only for the Amyrlin, and the Amyrlin spoke for all Aes Sedai and all Ajahs That was the way it had always been, and no one had ever suggested otherwise, not in the darkest days of the Trolloc Wars, not when Artur Haing’s ar Aes Sedai inside Tar Valon Above all, the Aed to obey her No one could question what she did or where she chose to go This proposal went against three thousand years of custom and law

"Who would dare, Mother?"

The Ahter Riots in Cae a hint of it until the procla up like redbells after a rain Nations fading, andat the Ga cut all their plottings short And worst of all, every one of us knows the Dark One is stirring again Show rip on events, and if she is not Brown Ajah, she is dead Tihter So shorter"

"As you say, Mother, things change But there are still worse perils outside the Shining Walls than within"

For a long aze, then nodded slowly "Leave us, Leane I would talk to hter Moiraine alone"

There was only a moment’s hesitation before Leane said, "As you wish, Mother" Moiraine could feel her surprise The Aave few audiences without the Keeper present, especially not to a sister she had reason to chastise

The door opened and closed behind Leane She would not say a word in the anteroom of what had occurred inside, but the news that Moiraine was alone with the Ah the Aes Sedai in Fal Dara like wildfire through a dry forest, and the speculation would begin

As soon as the door closed the Ale in her skin as the other woman channeled the One Power For an instant, the Aht light

"I don’t know that any of the others have your old trick," the A the blue stone on Moiraine’s forehead with one finger, "but most of us have some small tricks remembered from childhood In any event, no one can hear e say now"

Suddenly she threw her ar between old friends; Moiraine hugged back as warmly

"You are the only one, Moiraine, hom I can remember who I was Even Leane always acts as if I had become the stole and the staff, even e are alone, as if we’d never giggled together as novices Sometimes I e still were novices, you and I Still innocent enough to see it all as a gleeh to think ould findand gentle? -- who could bear to live oh to drea our lives as other women do, just with more than they"

"We are Aes Sedai, Siuan We have our duty Even if you and I had not been born to channel, would you give it up for a home and a husband, even a prince? I do not believe it That is a village goodwife’s dreao so far"

The Aive it up Most of the tioodwife At this moment, I almost do Moiraine, if anyone, even Leane, discovers e plan, ill both be stilled And I can’t say they would be wrong to do it"

Chapter 5

(Sunburst)

The Shadow in Shienar

Stilled The word seemed to quiver in the air, almost visible When it was done to a man who could channel the Poho must be stopped before madness drove hi, but for Aes Sedai it was stilling Stilled No longer able to channel the flow of the One Power Able to sense saidar, the fe the ability to touch it Reone forever So seldom had it been done that every novice was required to learn the na of the World who had been stilled, and her crime, but none could think of it without a shudder Woentled

Moiraine had known the risk from the first, and she kneas necessary That did not mean it was pleasant to dwell on Her eyes narrowed, and only the gleaer, and her worry "Leane would follow you to the slopes of Shayol Ghul, Siuan, and into the Pit of Doom You cannot think sh