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"Questioners!" Bornhald spat Earwin and Wuan were a those he had had to hand over to the Questioners’ command He had seen Questioner tactics before, but this was the first time he had ever been faced with children’s bodies

"If reement

"Cut them down," Bornhald said wearily "Cut theers know there will be no " Unless so, and I have to ain, as Muadh hurried off calling for ladders and knives He had more to think about than Questioners’ overzealousness; he wished he could stop thinking about Questioners altogether

"They do not put up ht, my Lord Captain," Byar said, "either these Taraboners or what is left of the Domani They snap like cornered rats, but run as soon as anything snaps back"

"Let us see hoe do against the invaders, Byar, before we look down on these men, yes?" The prisoners’ faces bore a defeated look that had been there before his men came "Have Muadh pick one out for h to soften most men’s resolve by itself "An officer, preferably One who looks intelligent enough to tell what he has seen without erown a full backbone Tell Muadh to be not too gentle about it, yes? Make the fellow believe that I mean to see worse happen to him than he ever dreamed of, unless he convinces me otherwise" He tossed his reins to one of the Children and strode into the inn

The innkeeper was there, for a wonder, an obsequious, sweatingover his belly until the embroidered red scrollwork seeuely aware of a wo in a doorway, until the fat innkeeper shepherded theauntlets and sat at one of the tables He knew too little about the invaders, the strangers That hat almost everyone called the He knew they called theh of the Old Tongue to know the latter meant Those Who Come Before, or the Forerunners They also called theelle, Those Who Coh to ’s armies come back No one knehere the Seanchan had come from, other than that they had landed in ships Bornhald’s requests for information from the Sea Folk had been met with silence Aood favor, and the attitude was returned with interest All he knew of the Seanchan he had heard from men like those outside Broken, beaten rabble who spoke, wideeyed and sweating, ofht with ht Aes Sedai to rend the earth under their enemies’ feet

A sound of boots in the doorway rin, but Byar was not accoht who stood beside him, back braced and helmet in the crook of his arm, was Jeral, who Bornhald expected to be a hundredman wore a cloak of Domani cut, trimmed with blue, not the white cloak of the Children

"Muadh is talking to a young fello, my Lord Captain," Byar said "Child Jeral has just ridden in with aman did not unbend "The coht ahead, "who guides the Hand of the Light in -- "

"I have no need of the Questioner’s co , yet For that ive e, yes? Not word for word, unless I ask it Simply tell me what he wants"

The Child, set to recite, sed before he began "My Lord Captain, he -- he says you aretoo many men too close to Toman Head He says the Darkfriends on Alive me, Lord Captain -- you are to turn back at once and ride toward the heart of the plain" He stood stiffly, waiting

Bornhald studied him The dust of the plain stained Jeral’s face as well as his cloak and his boots "Go and get yourself so to eat," Bornhald told him "There should be ater in one of these houses, if you wish it Return to es for you to carry" He waved the young ht, one "There are es scattered on the plain, and the Darkfriends -- "

Bornhald’s hand slapping the table cut hie he has ordered taken except farmers and craftsmen worried that ill burn their livelihoods, and a few old women who tend the sick" Byar’s face was a study in lack of expression; he was always readier than Bornhald to see Darkfriends "And children, Byar? Do children here become Darkfriends?"

"The sins of the eneration," Byar quoted, "and the sins of the father to the tenth" But he looked uneasy Even Byar had never killed a child

"Has it never occurred to you, Byar, to wonder why Carridin has taken away our banners, and the cloaks of the men the Questioners lead? Even the Questioners the, yes?"

"He must have his reasons, Lord Captain," Byar said slowly "The Questioners always have reasons, even when they do not tell the rest of us"

Bornhald reood soldier "Children to the north wear Taraboner cloaks, Byar, and those to the south Doests to me There are Darkfriends here, but they are in Falme, not on the plain When Jeral rides, he will not ride alone Messages will go to every group of the Children I kno to find I ion onto Toman Head, Byar, and see what the true Darkfriends, these Seanchan, are up to"

Byar looked troubled, but before he could speak, Muadh appeared with one of the prisoners The sweating young htened looks at Muadh’s hideous face

Bornhald drew his dagger and began tri his nails He had never understood why that made sorandfatherly s ers, yes? If you need to think on what to say, I will send you back out with Child Mu