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The One Power filled Egith life She s bath She could feel the rough plaster of the walls, the smooth stones of the floor, as well as she could the bed where she sat She could hear Min and Nynaeve breathe, ," Min said, "ive ive you if you forgive iven" that sounded ed "But if you do it again," Min said with a laugh, "I ht clout your ear"
"Next ti at you" She was laughing, too, but her laughter ceased abruptly as her eye fell on Egwene and Elayne "You two stop that, or there will be so to the Mistress of Novices Two sowene protested When she saw the look in Nynaeve’s eyes, though, she hastily severed all contact with saidar "Very well I believe you There’s no need to prove it"
"We have to practice," Elayne said "They ask more and more of us If we did not practice on our oould never keep up" Her face showed calwene herself had
"And what happens when you draw too much," Nynaeve asked, "and there’s no one there to stop you? I wish you were more afraid I am Don’t you think I knohat it is like for you? It’s always there, and you want to fill yourself with it Sometimes it is all I can do to make myself stop; I want all of it I knoould burn me to a crisp, and I want it anyway" She shivered "I just wish you were h "I’m terrified But it doesn’t see that terrifiesdishes It seewene threw her pillow at her Elayne pulled it off her head and threw it back, but then her shoulders slumped "Oh, very well I a Elaida told htened that I would want to run aith the Traveling People, but I did not understand A man who drove oxen as hard as they drive us would be shunned I ao to bed exhausted, and sometimes I’m so afraid that I will slip and channelinto her lap, she let the words trail off
Egwene knehat she had not spoken Their rooht next to each other, and as in o been bored through the wall between, too small to be seen unless you knehere to look, but useful for talk after the lairls could not leave their roo herself to sleep more than once, and she had no doubt that Elayne had heard her own crying
"The Traveling People are teo, it will not change what you can do You cannot run from saidar" She did not sound as if she liked what she was saying
"What do you see, Min?" Elayne said "Are we all going to be powerful Aes Sedai, or e spend the rest of our lives washing dishes as novices, or " She shrugged uncomfortably as if she did not want to voice the third alternative that came to mind Sent home Put out of the Tower Two novices had been put out since Egwene came, and everyone spoke of them in whispers, as if they were dead
Min shifted on her stool "I don’t like reading friends," sheIt makes me try to put the best face on what I see That’s why I don’t do it for you three anyed about you that I can " She squinted at them, and suddenly frowned "That’s new," she breathed
"What?" Nynaeve asked sharply
Min hesitated before answering "Danger You are all in soer Or you will be, very soon I can’t er"
"You see," Nynaeve said to the two girls sitting on the bed "You must take care We all ain without souide you"
"I don’t want to talk about it anyerly "Yes Let’s talk about soer Gaould ask you to go walking with hi at you, but I think the breeches and the man’s coat put hie for a lord, even if he is your brother" Min spoke absently, still squinting at the; it was a conversation they had had before "Sometimes it is useful to pass as a boy"
"No one who looks twice believes you are a boy" Elayne s a se attention, and Nynaeve looked as if she wanted to warn thewene bounded to her feet to close it, grateful for so to do besides watch the others pretend Before she reached it, though, a darkeyed Aes Sedai with her blond hair done in a wene blinked in surprise, asany Aes Sedai as at Liandrin She had not heard that Liandrin had returned to the White Tower, but beyond that, novices were sent for if an Aes Sedai wanted the herself
The room was croith five woed shawl, eyeing the curtsied, though Nynaeve barely flexed her knee Egwene did not think Nynaeve would ever grow used to having others in authority over her
Liandrin’s eyes settled on Nynaeve "And why are you here, in the novices’ quarters, child?" Her tone was ice
"I aht voice After a moment she added a belated, "Liandrin Sedai"
"The Accepted, they can have no friends a the novices This you should have learned by this time, child But it is as well that I find you here You and you" -- her finger stabbed at Elayne and Min -- "will go"
"I will return later" Min rose casually,in no hurry to obey, and strolled by Liandrin with a grin, of which Liandrin took no notice at all Elayne gave Egwene and Nynaeve a worried look before she