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The closer the two vessels ca Seanchan ships they passed, some under sail, butas anything Do the Sea Folk A few local craft, he saith their sharp bows and slanted sails, darted across the green swells The sight gave hi hio free
When Spray caaped at the numbers of the Seanchan ships anchored off the harbor He tried counting theave up at a hundred, less than halfway done He had seen as many ships in one place before -- in Illian, and Tear, and even Tanchico -- but those vessels had included lumly to hireat Seanchan watchdog
Falme stood on a spit of land at the very tip of To further west of it except the Aryth Ocean High cliffs ran to the harbor mouth on both sides, and atop one of those, where every ship running into the harbor had to pass under thee hung over the side of one of the towers, with a h the bars
"Who is that?" Do his sword, after Doun to wonder if he lanced up to where Domon pointed "Oh That is the First Watcher Not the one who sat in the chair e first came, of course Every tie"
"But why?" Dorin showed too ot when they should have been re"
Domon tore his eyes away from the Seanchan Spray slid down the last real sea swell and into the quieter waters of the harbor I do be a trader, and it is none of my business
Falme rose from stone docks up the slopes of the hollow that made the harbor Dooodly sized town or a s in it to rival the smallest palace in Illian
He guided Spray to a place at one of the docks, and wondered, while the crew tied the ship fast, if the Seanchan ht buy some of the fireworks in his hold None of eanin had herself rowed to the dock with her da the bracelet this ti on her dress, but the damane was the same sadfaced woeanin had Domon and his crew herded off the ship to sit on the dock under the eyes of a pair of her soldiers -- she seemed to think no ue with her -- while others searched Spray under her direction The da appeared Do creature with a leathery, graygreen hide and a beak of abeside a man whose armor bore three painted eyes, just like those of the creature The local people, dock vests to their knees, shied away as the pair passed, but no Seanchan gave thelance The nals
Man and creature turned in a and his crew uards sneered at them silently No my business, Domon reminded himself His business was his ship
The air had a familiar smell of salt water and pitch He shifted uneasily on the stone, hot fro for What the da had been Gulls cried, wheeling above the harbor He thought of the sounds a caged eanin led the others back onto the dock The Seanchan captain had so wrapped in a piece of yellow silk, Doh to carry in one hand, but which she held carefully in both
He got to his feet -- slowly, for the soldiers’ sake, though their eyes held the same contempt Caban’s did "You see, Captain? I do be only a peaceful trader Perhaps your people would care to buy some fireworks?"
"Perhaps, trader" There was an air of suppressed excitement about her that"You will co, and one of theh shove; Domon had seen far his teeth, he followed Egeanin
The cobblestone street cli the ser and taller as the street clily for a town held by invaders, the streets held ain a curtained palanquin was borne past by barechestedabout their business as if the Seanchan were not there Or almost not there When palanquin or soldier passed, both poor folk, with only a curling line or torked on their dirty clothes, and the richer, with shirts, vests, and dresses covered from shoulder to waist in intricately embroidered patterns, bowed and reone They did the saeanin nor her soldiers so lanced at them
Domon realized with a sudden shock that soers at their belts, and in a few cases swords He was so surprised that he spoke without thinking "Soeanin frowned over her shoulder at hi, she looked at the people and nodded to herself "You mean the swords They are our people, now, trader; they have sworn the oaths" She stopped abruptly, pointing at a tall, heavyshoulderedon a plain leather baldric "You"
The htened look suddenly on his face It was a hard face, but he looked as if he wanted to run Instead, he turned to her and bowed, hands on knees, eyes fixed on her boots "How ht voice
"You are a eanin said "You have sworn the oaths?"
"Yes, Captain Yes" He did not ta