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"Excusehis spear against the loall around the fountain, he leaped up already running His head still buzzed, but not so loudly as before, and he did not stagger He had no worries about his winnings The Aiel had very definite views of as allowed: taking in a raid was one thing, theft another Kadere’s men had learned to keep their hands in their pockets after one of the that left him striped fro he had been alloould not have been nearly enough for hionwall, even if he had had any clothes on Now Kadere’sin the street

"Rand?" The otherescort "Rand?" Rand was not even ten paces away, but he did not waver Some of the Maidens looked back, but not Rand Mat felt cold suddenly, and it had nothing to do with the onset of night He wet his lips and spoke again, not a shout "Lews Therin" And Rand turned around Mat almost wished he had not

For a tiht Mat hesitated about going closer He tried telling himself it was because of the Maidens Adelin had been one of those who taught hiaet; or play again, if he had any say in it And he could feel Enaila’s gaze like an auger boring into his skull Who would have expected a woo up like oil thrown on a fire just because you told her she was the prettiest little flower you had ever seen?

Rand, now He and Rand had grown up together They and Perrin, the blacksmith’s apprentice back in Eether, trae of the Mountains of Mist, camped under the stars Rand was his friend Only noas the kind of friend whoto Perrin could be dead, because of Rand

He made himself walk to arm’s reach of the other loom he seemed taller yet Colder than he had been "I’ve been thinking, Rand" Mat wished he did not sound hoarse He hoped Rand would answer to his right na ti tih, not loud, but al your father’s cows?"

Mat scratched his ear, grinning a bit "Not that, exactly" If he never saw the inside of another barn it would be too soon "But I was thinking that when Kadere’s wagons go, I ain, the brief flash of one "All the way to Tar Valon?"

It was Mat’s turn to hesitate He wouldn’t give me away to Moiraine Would he? "Maybe," he said casually "I don’t know That’s where Moiraine ant et back to the Two Rivers See if everything’s all right at home" See if Perrin’s alive See if my sisters are, and Mother and Da

"We all have to do e must, Mat Not ant to, very often What we must"

It sounded like an excuse, to Mat, as if Rand was asking him to understand Only, he had done what he had to himself a few times I can’t blame Perrin on him, not by himself Nobody bloody forced me to follow after Rand like some bloody heelhound! Only that was not true, either He had been forced Just not by Rand "You won’t -- stop o, Mat," Rand said wearily "The Wheel weaves the Pattern, not me, and the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills" For all the world like a bloody Aes Sedai! Half turning; to go, Rand added, "Don’t trust Kadere, Mat In soerous a ht get your throat slit, and you and I wouldn’t be the only ones to regret that" Then he was gone, down the street in the deepening dusk, with the Maidens around hi wolves

Mat stared after him Trust the merchant? I wouldn’t trust Kadere if he was tied in a sack So Rand did not weave the Pattern? He came close! Before ever any of the to do with them, they had learned that Rand was ta’veren, one of those rare individuals who, instead of being woven willynilly into the Pattern, instead forced the Pattern to shape itself around the ta’veren; he was one hi as Rand Soe the course of the in the same town Perrin was ta’veren as well -- or, nificant, finding three young e, all destined to be ta’veren She meant to fit them all into her plans, whatever they were

It was supposed to be a grand thing; all the ta’veren Mat had been able to learn about had been , or women like Mabriam en Shereed, who stories said had founded the Co But none of the stories told what happened when one ta’veren was close to another as strong as Rand It was like being a leaf in a whirlpool

Melindhra stopped beside him and handed him his spear and a heavy, coarsewoven sack that clinked "I put your winnings in this for you" She was taller than he was, by a good two inches She glanced after Rand "I had heard you were nearbrother to Rand al’Thor"

"In a ," he said dryly

"It does not aze on him, fists on her hips "You attracted ift Not that I will give up the spear for you, of course, but I have had my eye on you for days You have a smile like a boy about to do ht her grin was slow and wide And warh it had not been crooked From pursuer to pursued, in the blink of an eye It could happen like that, with Aiel wohter of the Nine Moons’to you?" It was a question he asked wo ansould send hi out of the Waste

"Nothing," she said "But there are things I like to do byan aran to whisper in his ear In no ti