Page 41 (1/2)

Reluctantly Rand pulled the coarse orkman’s shirt over his head "I’ll feel a fool," he muttered "A silk shirt! I never wore a silk shirt in my life And I never wore so fancy a coat, either, even on a feastday" Light, if Perrin seesa lord, if he sees me in that, he’ll never listen to reason

"You can’t go before the Aroom fresh out of the stables, sheepherder Let et on with it You don’t keep the A Wear your sword"

"My sword!" The silk shirt over his head muffled Rand’s yelp He yanked it the rest of the way on "In the woo for an audience with the A a sword, she’ll -- "

"Do nothing," Lan cut him off dryly "If the Amyrlin is afraid of you -- and it’s smarter for you to think she isn’t, because I don’t know anything that could frighten that woman -- it won’t be for a sword Now reo before her One knee only, ht giving short weight Maybe you had better practice it"

"I kno, I think I sa the Queen’s Guards knelt to Queen Morgase"

The ghost of a smile touched the Warder’s lips "Yes, you do it just as they did That will give the to think about"

Rand frowned "Why are you tellingas if you are on h to help you a bit" The Warder’s face was stone, and syh voice "What training you’ve had, I gave you, and I’ll not have you groveling and sniveling The Wheel weaves us all into the Pattern as it wills You have less freedoht, you can still face it on your feet You remember who the Amyrlin Seat is, sheepherder, and you show her proper respect, but you do what I tell you, and you look her in the eye Well, don’t stand there gaping Tuck in your shirt"

Rand shut his mouth and tucked in his shirt Reet who she is!

Lan kept up a running flow of instructions while Rand shrugged into the red coat and buckled on his sword What to say and to whom, and what not to say What to do, and what not How to move, even He was not sure he could reet -- and he was sure whatever he forgot would be just the thing to ry with him If they aren’t already If Moiraine told the Amyrlin Seat, who else did she tell?

"Lan, why can’t I just leave the way I planned? By the tiue outside the walls and galloping"

"And she’d have trackers after you before you had gone two What the Aets" He adjusted Rand’s sword belt so the heavy buckle was centered "What I do is the best I can for you Believe it"

"But why all this? What does it mean? Why do I put my hand overbut water -- not that I want to eat a meal with her -- then dribble some on the floor and say ’The land thirsts’ ? And if she asks how old I aiven the sword? I don’t understand half of what you’ve told me"