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"Ingtar," Rand said uneasily, "I really wasn’t trying to take command I just didn’t think" Yet not as nervously as he would have once, Perrin thought Shadowkiller We’re all of us changing

Ingtar did not answer, but only kept staring into the fireplace

"There are soreatly, Rand," Verin said quietly "One is how you vanished frotar’s camp without a trace Another is how you arrived in Cairhien a week before us That clerk was very clear on that You would have had to fly"

One of Mat’s eggs hit the floor and cracked He did not look at it, though He was looking at Rand, and Ingtar had turned around Loial pretended to be reading still, but he wore a worried look, and his ears were up in hairy points

Perrin realized he was staring, too "Well, he did not fly," he said "I don’t see any wings Maybe he has s to tell us" Verin shifted her attention to hied to meet her eyes, but he was the first to look away Aes Sedai Light, e ever fools enough to follow an Aes Sedai? Rand gave hirinned at hirown into that fancy coat; it looked right on hirown up with Shadowkiller A man the wolves hold in awe A man who can channel

"I don’t mind," Rand said, and told his tale si Portal Stones Other worlds, where the land see the trail of where the Darkfriends would be And a beautiful wolee whistle "And she brought you back? By one of these -- these Stones?"

Rand hesitated for a second "She ot so far ahead of you When Fain caed to steal back the Horn of Valere in the night, and we rode on to Cairhien because I didn’t think we could tar would keep co south after them and reach Cairhien eventually"

Shadowkiller Rand looked at hi, and Perrin realized he had spoken the nah for anyone else to hear, though No one else glanced at hi to tell Rand about the wolves I know about you It’s only fair you know my secret, too But Verin was there He could not say it in front of her

"Interesting," the Aes Sedai said, a thoughtful expression on her face "I would very irl If she can use a Portal StoneEven that naave herself a shake "Well, that is for another tiirl should not be difficult to find in the Cairhienin Houses Aah, here is our meal"

Perrin smelled la trays of food His mouth watered more for that than for the peas and squash, the carrots and cabbage that caetables tasty, but sometimes, of late, he dreamed of redto find hi that the nicely pink slices of lamb that the innkeeper carved were too well done He fir And two of the la on his own thoughts Perrin found it painful to watch Mat eat Mat’s appetite was as healthy as ever, despite the feverish flush to his face, and the way he shoveled food into hisPerrin kept his eyes on his plate as much as possible, and wished they had never left Emond’s Field

After the ain, Verin insisted they re word that will , and Loial to his reading Rand asked the innkeeper if there were any ht him The Travels of Jain Farstrider Perrin liked that one, too, with its stories of adventures a the Sea Folk and journeys to the lands beyond the Aiel Waste, where silk cah, so he set up a stones board on the table with Ingtar The Shienaran played with a slashing, daring style Perrin had always played doggedly, giving ground reluctantly, but he found hitar Most of the gatar did The Shienaran was eyeing hi, when the sniffer returned

Hurin’s grin was at the satar Lord Rand I tracked thetar said sharply "You tar The ones who took the Horn, I followed straight there, and there was Trolloc scent all around the place, though sneaking as if they didn’t dare be seen, even there And no wonder" The sniffer took a deep breath "It’s the great "

"Lord Barthanes!" Ingtar exclaimed "But hehe’she’s "

"There are Darkfriends ah as well as the low," Verin said sive their souls to the Shadow as often as the weak" Ingtar scowled as if he did not want to think of that

"There’s guards," Hurin went on "We’ll not get in with twenty ain A hundred could do it, but tould be better That’s what I think, ?" Mat de will help us"

"I am quite sure," Verin said dryly, "that Galldrian Riatin would ainst Barthanes Dalad of the excuse I am also quite sure Galldrian would never let the Horn of Valere out of his grasp once he had it He would bring it out on feastdays to show the people and tell thehty Cairhien is, and no one would ever see it else"

Perrin blinked with shock "But the Horn of Valere has to be there when the Last Battle is fought He couldn’t just keep it"

"I know little of Cairhienin," Ingtar told hih of Galldrian He would feast us and thank us for the glory we had brought to Cairhien He would stuff our pockets with gold and heap honors on our heads And if we tried to leave with the Horn, he’d cut our honored heads off without pausin