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To his surprise, she folded her arth of the rooard gift," she said accusingly, shaking the bracelet at hiht have put a knife in his ribs had he not conceded it "It was siift from a man who did not know or care what ht think Well, this has nofrom her pouch and tossed it onto the pallet beside him "It cancels debt between us"

Rand picked up what she had thrown and turned it over in his hands A belt buckle in the shape of a dragon, ornately old "Thank you It’s beautiful Aviendha, there is no debt to cancel"

"If you will not take it against my debt," she said fir else to repay you It is only a trinket"

"Hardly a trinket You , Rand al’Thor When I gave up the spear, my spears, my knife" -- unconsciously her hand brushed her belt, where that longbladed knife used to hang -- "even the points of my arroere taken froive away Most I gave to friends, but the Wise Ones had me name the three ive each of theift made from my weapons, with htbacked and glaring, biting off each word, she looked and sounded anything but hu"

"Itsadly Not that he wanted it toto think sheto see him as a friend It was plain foolish to feel jealousy over her I wonder who gave it to her? "Aviendha? Was I one of those you hate so much?"

"Yes, Rand al’Thor" She suddenly sounded hoarse For a"I hate you with all of my heart I do And I alill"

He did not bother to ask why Once he had asked her why she disliked him and practically had his nose snapped, off She had not told hih But this was et "If you really hate me," he said reluctantly, "I will ask the Wise Ones to send someone else to teach , her denial was even more fierce this time She planted her fists on her hips and lectured as if she meant to drive every word home in his heart "Even if the Wise Ones allowed ation and duty, toto her, Rand al’Thor To her and no other wo up his hands At least this ti to him how Elayne looked without any clothes; so used to than others He soreed on this "watching" between theain, even women ere not Aiel were odd as often as not More than that, he wondered who Aviendha was supposed to be protecting him from Except for the Maidens and the Wise Ones, Aiel women seemed to look at him half as prophecy made flesh, and thus not really flesh at all, and half as a blood snake loose a children The Wise Ones were nearly as bad as Moiraine when it ca to make him do what they wanted, and the Maidens he did not want to think about The whole thing made him furious

"Now, you listen to me I kissed Elayne a few times, and I think she enjoyed it as much as I did, but I am not promised to anyone I’m not even sure she wants that much from me anymore" In the space of a few hours she had written hiht of her heart before going on to make his ears burn, while the other naain and then proceeded to rip him up one side and down the other, better than Aviendha ever had Women were definitely odd "I don’t have ti onthe Aiel, even the Shaido if I can I --" He cut off with a groan as the very last woman he could have hoped for swayed into the roo a silver tray with a blownglass flagon of wine and two silver cups

A diaphanous red silk scarf wrapped around Isendre’s head did nothing to hide her palely beautiful, heart shaped face Her long dark hair and dark eyes never belonged to any Aiel Her full, pouting lips were curved enticingly -- until she saw Aviendha Then the s Aside froold and ivory, sohted each wrist, and even more bunched around her ankles That was it; she wore not another thing He made himself keep his eyes strictly on her face, but even so his cheeks felt hot

Aviendha looked like a thunderhead about to spit lightning, Isendre like a woman who had just learned she was to be boiled alive Rand wished he were in the Pit of Dooot to his feet; he would havedown on thenored him

"Did someone send you with that?" she asked coldly

Isendre opened her ulped and whispered, "No"

"You have been warned about this, sorda" A sorda was a kind of rat, especially sly according to the Aiel, and good for absolutely nothing; its flesh was so rank that even cats seldoht the last tiht you"

Isendre flinched, and swayed as if about to faint

Rand gathered himself "Aviendha, whether she was sent or not doesn’t h to bring lanced coolly at the two cups and raised her eyebrows He took a deep breath "She should not be punished just for bringingto drink" He was careful not to look at the tray himself "Half the Maidens under the Roof must have asked if I --"

"She was taken by the Maidens for theft from Maidens, Rand al’Thor" Aviendha’s voice was even colder than it had been for the other woman "You have meddled too much already in the business of Far Dareis Mai, more than you should have been allowed Not even the Car’a’carn can thwart justice; this is n