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He flexed his hand She sounded so much like Moiraine "Are you Aes Sedai?"

Selene’s eyebrows lifted; her dark eyes glittered at him, but her voice was soft "Aes Sedai? I? No"

"I didn’t mean to offend you I’m sorry"

"Offend me? I am not offended, but I’m no Aes Sedai" Her lip curled in a sneer; even that was beautiful "They cower in what they think is safety when they could do so ht hen they could bring order to the world No, never call me Aes Sedai " She sry -- her touch made him s -- but he was relieved when she let the mare drop back beside Loial Hurin bobbed his head at her like an old family retainer

Rand was relieved, but he missed her presence, too She was only two spans away -- he twisted in his saddle to stare at her, riding by Loial’s side; the Ogier was bent half double in his saddle so he could talk with her -- but that was not the sah for hih to touch He settled back angrily It was not that he wanted to touch her, exactly -- he reuilty at the need for reht he was a lord, and she said he could be a great ued sourly with hireat, too; the Dragon Reborn Selene is not Aes Sedai That’s right; she’s a Cairhienin noblewoman And you’re a shepherd She doesn’t know that How long do you let her believe a lie? It’s only till we get out of this place If we get out If On that note, his thoughts subsided to sullen silence

He tried to keep a watch on the country through which they rode -- if Selene said there were rolmabout, he believed her, and Hurin was too intent on s else Loial was too wrapped up in his talk with Selene to see anything until it bit hi his head too quickly made his eyes water; a hill or a stand of trees could seele and only a few hundred spans when seen fro closer, of that ainst the sky now, a sawtooth expanse of snowcapped peaks The land around the of the e of the mountains proper well before dark, perhaps in only another hour or so More than a hundred leagues in less than three days Worse than that We spent most of a day south of the Erinin in the real world Over a hundred leaguer in less than two days, here

"She says you were right about this place, Rand"

Rand gave a start before he realized Loial had ridden up beside hi with Hurin; the sniffer was grinning and ducking his head and all but knuckling his forehead at everything she said Rand glanced sideways at the Ogier "I’o, the way you two had your heads together What do youwoman, isn’t she? Some of the Elders don’t know as ends -- and about -- oh, yes She says you were right about the Ways, Rand The Aes Sedai, some of them, studied worlds like this, and that study was the basis of how they grew the Ways She says there are worlds where it is ties Spend a day in one of those, and you ht come back to find a year has passed in the real world, or twenty Or it could be the other way round Those worlds -- this one, all the others -- are reflections of the real world, she says This one seems pale to us because it is a weak reflection, a world that had

little chance of ever being Others are almost as likely as ours Those are as solid as our world, and have people The sao to one of them and meet yourself The Pattern has infinite variation, she says, and every variation that can be, will be"

Rand shook his head, then wished he had not as the landscape flickered back and forth and his stomach lurched He took a deep breath "How does she know all that? You know about s than anybody I ever met before, Loial, and all you knew about this world amounted to no more than a rumor"

"She’s Cairhienin, Rand The Royal Library in Cairhien is one of the greatest in the world, perhaps the greatest outside Tar Valon The Aiel spared it deliberately, you knohen they burned Cairhien They will not destroy a book Did you know that they -- "

"I don’t care about Aielmen," Rand said hotly "If Selene knows so et us home from here I wish Selene--"

"You wish Selene what?" The wohed as she joined theone months; that was how he felt "I wish Selene would come ride with me some more," he said Loial chuckled, and Rand felt his face burn

Selene smiled, and looked at Loial "You will excuse us, alantin"

The Ogier bowed in his saddle and let his big horse fall back, the tufts on his ears drooping with reluctance

For a ti Selene’s presence Now and again he looked at her out of the corner of his eye He wished he could get his feelings about her straight Could she be an Aes Sedai, despite her denial? So whatever path he was meant to follow in the Aes Sedai’s plans? Moiraine could not have known he would be taken to this strange world, and no Aes Sedai would have tried to fend off that beast with a stick when she could strike it dead or send it running with the Power Well Since she took hiht keep on letting her think it She was surely the ent and learned, and she thought he was brave; what more could a wene if I could marry anyone, but I can’t ask a woo mad, maybe hurt her But Selene was so beautiful

She was studying his sword, he saw He readied the words in his head No, he was not a bladeht, why couldn’t you really be ht ruthlessly

"That was a nificent shot," Selene said

"No, I’an, then blin