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Loial put his mouth close to Rand’s ear "It’s asleep," he whispered incredulously

Rand nodded Taive up any task but killing unless fear kept them to it He turned back to the caain The er shone on the chest, but he knehich shadoas He could see it in his olden, chased with silver, in the glow of saidin The Horn of Valere and the dagger Mat needed, both almost within reach of his hand Selene’s face drifted with the chest They could follow Fain’s party in the tar did come, if he still followed the trail without his sniffer No, there would never be a better chance All within reach of his hand Selene aiting on thefor Loial to follow, Rand dropped to his belly and crawled toward the chest He heard the Ogier’s asp, but his eyes were fixed on that one shadowed ht of hih to a deer to put his hand on its flank before the animal bounded off; he had tried to learn froht flew by di --hts

Slowly, silently, he slithered to that one special shadow, and put out a hand Ornate traceries worked in gold met his touch It was the chest that held the Horn of Valere His hand touched soer, barebladed In the dark, his eyes widened Re what it had done to Mat, he jerked back, the void shifting with his agitation

Thenearby -- no more than two paces froroaned in his sleep and thrashed at his blankets Rand allowed the void to sweep thought and fear away Mur uneasily in his sleep, the er, not quite touching it It had not har Not much, at least; not quickly In one swift er, stuck it behind his belt, and pulled his hand away, as if it ht help to minimize the time it touched his bare skin Perhaps it would, and Mat would die without the dagger He could feel it there, alainst hiht, and the feel of the dagger faded quickly to so at the shadorapped chest -- the Horn had to be inside, but he did not kno to open it and he could not lift it by hiier crouched not far behind hi as he peered back and forth fro Trollocs Even in the night it was plain Loial’s eyes were as wide as they could go; they looked as big as saucers in the light of the ier gave a start and gasped Rand put a finger across his lips, set Loial’s hand on the chest, and ht, with Darkfriends and Trollocs all around; it could not have been more than heartbeats -- Loial stared Then, slowly, he put his arolden chest and stood He made it seem effortless

Ever so carefully, even an to walk out of the camp, behind Loial and the chest Both hands on his sword, he watched the sleeping Darkfriends, the still shapes of the Trollocs All those shadowed figures began to be sed deeper in the darkness as they dreay Al near the chest suddenly sat up with a strangled yell, then leaped to his feet "It’s gone! Wake, you filth! It’s gooonnne!" Fain’s voice; even in the void Rand recognized it The others scra to knoas happening, growling and snarling Fain’s voice rose to a howl "I know it is you, al’Thor! You’re hiding from me, but I know you are out there! Find him! Find him! Al’Thoooor!" Men and Trollocs scattered in every direction

Wrapped in e the camp, saidin pulsed at him

"He cannot see us," Loial whispered low "Once we reach the horses -- "

A Trolloc leaped out of the dark at thele’s beak in a man’s face where mouth and nose should have been, scythelike sword already whistling through the air

Rand ht He was one with the blade Cat Dances on the Wall The Trolloc screaain as it died

"Run, Loial!" Rand commanded Saidin called to hi to an aard gallop, but another Trolloc looht, boarsnouted and tusked, spiked axe raised Set the Horn away Head and shoulders taller than Rand, half again as wide, the Trolloc came at him with a silent snarl The Courtier Taps His Fan No screa the night Saidin sang to hi The Power could burn them all, burn Fain and all the rest to cinders No!

Twohorns Lizard in the Thornbush He rose smoothly fro his shoulder The song of saidin caressed his Burn them all with the Power No No! Better dead than that If I were dead, it would be done with

A knot of Trollocs ca uncertainly Three of them, four Suddenly one pointed to Rand and raised a howl the rest answered as they charged

"Let it be done with!" Rand shouted, and leaped to meet them

For an instant surprise slowed theleeful, bloodthirsty, swords and axes raised He danced abird Kisses the Honeyrose So cunning that song, filling him Cat on Hot Sand The sword seemed alive in his hands as it had never been before, and he fought as if a heronmark blade could keep saidin fros

Rand stared at the round around him "Better to be dead," he murmured He raised his eyes, back up the hill tohere the camp lay Fain was there, and Darkfriends, and ht Too many to face and live He took a step that way Another

"Rand, coh the emptiness to him "For life and the Li