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"Is that how you see Aes Sedai? The A wolfhound?" Lan shook his head "You knohat he is, Lan You knohat he must become Must What I have worked for since the day you and I met, and before Do you now doubt what I do?"

"No No, but " He was recovering hiain But they were not rebuilt yet "How many times have you said that ta’veren pull those around thes in a whirlpool? Perhaps I was pulled, too I only know that it felt right Those farm folk needed someone on their side Rand did, at least Moiraine, I believe in what you do, even as nohen I know not half of it; believe as I believe in you I have not asked to be released fro and seeing reat pleasure in keeping you alive and seeing those plans, at least, go for nothing"

"Ta’veren," Moiraine sighed "Perhaps it was that Rather than guiding a chip floating down a streah rapids Every tier the farther we go Yet I h "I will not be unhappy, e to put those plans awry Now, please leave me I need to be alone to think" He hesitated only a h, she could not let hio without onedifferent, Lan?"

"All men dream But I know dreams for dreams This" -- he touched his sword hilt -- "is reality" The walls were back, as high and hard as ever

For a ti into the fire She thought of Nynaeve and cracks in a wall Without trying, without thinking what she was doing, that young woman had put cracks in Lan’s walls and seeded the cracks with creepers Lan thought he was secure, imprisoned in his fortress by fate and his oishes, but slowly, patiently, the creepers were tearing down the walls to bare theso he had been indifferent to the Emond’s Field folk, except as people in whoed that as she had changed Lan

To her surprise, Moiraine felt a flash of jealousy She had never felt that before, certainly not for any of the women who had thrown their hearts at his feet, or those who had shared his bed Indeed, she had never thought of hiht so of any man She was married to her battle, as he was married to his But they had been co He had ridden a horse to death, then run hi her in his ar She had tended his woundswith her arts a life he had been ready to throay to save hers He had always said he edded with death Now a new bride had captured his eyes, though he was blind to it He thought he still stood strong behind his walls, but Nynaeve had laced bridal flowers in his hair Would he still find himself able to court death so blithely? Moiraine wondered when he would ask her to release hiriot to her feet There were more important matters Far more i the room So many hints, but no answers

Vandene caraceful, with a straight back, and the hair gathered neatly at the nape of her neck was alelessness of her s years "I would have had Jae this, and not disturb youwith his sword" Shesound as she pushed a batteredhere has hiardener and handyht Lan would still be here; that’s why I brought an extra cup Have you found what you were seeking?"

"I a" Moiraine frowned, studying the other woman Vandene was of the Green Ajah, not Brown like her sister, yet the two of theether that she knew as much of history as Adeleas

"Whatever it is, you don’t even seem to knohere to look" Vandene shifted so her head "So many subjects The Trolloc Wars The Watchers Over the Waves The legend of the Return Two treatises on the Horn of Valere Three on dark prophecy, and -- Light, here’s Santhra’s book on the Forsaken Nasty, that As nasty as this on Shadar Logoth And the Prophecies of the Dragon, in three translations and the original Moiraine, whatever are you after? The Prophecies, I can understand -- we hear some news here, re in Illian There’s even a rue that soestured with a hed in the dust that rose from it "I discount that, of course There would be rumors But what --? No You said you wanted privacy, and I’ll give it to you"

"Stop athe other Aes Sedai short of the door "Perhaps you can answer some questions for me"

"I will try" Vandene smiled suddenly "Adeleas claims I should have chosen Brown Ask" She poured two cups of tea and handed one to Moiraine, then took a chair by the fire

Steam curled over the cups while Moiraine chose her questions carefully To find the answers, and not reveal too much "The Horn of Valere is not on anywhere?"

"No Except for the fact that the Horn on Reborn is supposed to fight the Last Battle, there is no link between them at all" The whitehaired woon with Toman Head?"

Vandene hesitated "Yes, and no This is a bone between Adeleas andtone, and for a tiinal that translates literally as ’Five ride forth, and four return Above the watchers shall he proclaioes on The point is, the word ma’vron I say it should be translated not simply as ’watchers,’ which is a’vron Ma’vron has more importance to it I say it h they call themselves Do Miere A’vron, of course, not Ma’vron Adeleas tells on Reborn will appear somewhere above Toman Head, in Arad Doman, or Saldaea Adeleas may think I’ from Saldaea these days Mazrim Taied to corner hion is Reborn, and the Horn of Valere found, then the Last Battle is coave a shiver, then abruptly laughed "Odd thing to worry about I suppose I a to contemplate Ask