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Ingtar looked shaken, as well he ain, and as deeply as they can pile dirt and stone What would have happened if Logain had found it? Or any wretched on Reborn Verin Sedai, you "

"What? Oh, there is no need for that, I think The two h of the One Power to Break the World -- that was the way in the Age of Legends; a ether were always ten ti as they were apart -- and what Aes Sedai today would aid a h, but I can think of feoh the one on Tre The Amyrlin, of course Moiraine, and Elaida Perhaps one or two others And three still in training As for Logain, it would have taken all his strength si left for doing anything No, Ingtar, I don’t think you need worry At least, not until the real Dragon Reborn proclaih to worry about as it is Let us worry now about e shall do e are inside Barthanes’sto Rand Perrin knew it, and from the queasy look in Mat’s eye, he did, too Even Loial shifted nervously in his chair Oh, Light, Rand, Perrin thought Light, don’t let her use you

Rand’s hands were pressing the tabletop so hard that his knuckles hite, but his voice was steady His eyes never left the Aes Sedai "First we have to take back the Horn, and the dagger And then it is done, Verin Then it is done"

Watching Verin’s smile, small and mysterious, Perrin felt a chill He did not think Rand knew half what he thought he did Not half

Chapter 32

(Harp)

Dangerous Words

Lord Barthanes’sas s It was no fortress, though, with tall s everywhere, and lights, and the sounds ofon the tower tops and along the roofwalks, and none of the ere close to the ground He got down from Red’s back and smoothed his coat, adjusted his sword belt The others dismounted around hi up to the wide, heavily carved doors of the manor

Ten Shienarans, under Uno, tar before taking his men to join the other escorts, where ale had been provided and a whole ox was roasting on a spit by a big fire

The other ten Shienarans had been left behind, along with Perrin Every one of them had to be there for a purpose, Verin had said, and Perrin had no purpose to serve this night An escort was necessary for dignity in Cairhienin eyes, but more than ten would seem suspicious Rand was there because he had received the invitation Ingtar had coe of his title, while Loial was there because Ogier were sought after in the upper reaches of the Cairhienin nobility Hurin pretended to be Ingtar’s bodyservant His true purpose was to sniff out the Darkfriends and Trollocs if he could; the Horn of Valere should not be far fro to be Rand’s servant, since he could feel the dagger when it was close If Hurin failed, perhaps he could find the Darkfriends

When Rand had asked Verin why she was there, she had only smiled and said, "To keep the rest of you out of trouble"

As they mounted the stairs, Mat muttered, "I still don’t see why I have to be a servant" He and Hurin followed behind the others "Burn me, if Rand can be a lord, I can put on a fancy coat, too"

"A servant," Verin said without looking back at hio many places another man cannot, and many nobles will not even see hitar put in, "unless you want to give us away" They were approaching the doors, where half a dozen guards stood with the Tree and Crown of House Dareen livery with Tree and Crown on the sleeve

Taking a deep breath, Rand proffered the invitation "I aet it over with "And these are tar of House Shinowa, in Shienar Loial, son of Arent son of Halan, fro be left out of it, but Verin insisted they needed every bit of formality they could offer

The servant who had reached for the invitation with a perfunctory bow gave a little jerk at each additional naled voice he said, "Be welcome in House Daier" He waved the other servants to open the doors wide, and bowed Rand and the others inside, where he hurriedly passed the invitation to another liveried man and whispered in his ear

This reen coat "Aes Sedai," he said, using his long staff tohis head to his knees, to each of theier I am called Ashin Please to follow me"

The outer hall held only servants, but Ashin led theler perfor at one end and tu frouests, or the only entertainments The nobles stood in twos, and threes and fours, soether, sometimes only one or the other, alith careful space between so no one could overhear as said The guests wore the dark Cairhienin colors, each with bright stripes at least halfway down his or her chest, and some had them all the way to their waists The woh in elaborate towers of curls, every one different, and their dark skirts were so wide they would have had to turn sideways to pass through any doorway narrower than those of the manor None of the men had the shaved heads of soldiers -- they all wore dark velvet hats over long hair, some shaped like bells, others flat -- and as with the women, lace ruffles like dark ivory almost hid their hands

Ashin rapped his staff and announced them in a loud voice, Verin first

They drew every eye Verin wore her brownfringed shawl, erape vines; the announceh the lords and ladies, and h no one atching hier Loial received almost as many looks, even before Ashin spoke his name Despite the silver embroidery on collar and sleeves, the otherwise unrelieved black of Rand’s coat made hitar’s swords drew lances None of the lords appeared to be armed Rand heard the words "heronlances he was receiving looked like frowns; he suspected they came from men he had insulted by