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"The chiefs no longer listen to us as they did," Melaine muttered "Oh, they ask our advice as always -- they have not becoer tell me what he has said to Rand al’Thor, or Rand al’Thor to him He says I must ask Rand al’Thor, who tellsabout, but Bael He has always been a stubborn, infuriating man, yet now he is beyond all bounds Sometimes I want to thump his head with a stick" Amys and Bair chuckled as if that were a fine joke Or perhaps they just wanted to laugh to forget the changes for a tis you can do with a man like that," Bair chortled "Stay away from him, kill hi red For a oldenhaired Wise One was about to let fly words hotter than her face Then a biting gust announced Aviendha’s return carrying a worked silver tray holding a yellowglazed teapot, delicate cups of golden Sea Folk porcelain, and a stone jar of honey

She shivered as she poured -- no doubt she had not bothered to wrap anything around herself out there -- and hurriedly passed around the cups and the honey She did not fill cups for herself and Egwene until Amys told her she could, of course

"More steam," Melaine said; the chill air seemed to have cooled her temper Aviendha set down her cup untouched and scra to wene," A her tea, "hoould Rand al’Thor take it if Aviendha asked to sleep in his sleeping chaourd in her hands

"In his --?" Egwene gasped "You cannot ask her to do such a thing! You cannot!"

"Fool girl," Bair muttered "We do not ask her to share his blankets But will he think that is what she asks? Will he even allow it? Men are strange creatures at the best, and he was not raised aer still"

"He certainly would not think any such thing," Egwene spluttered, then more slowly, "I don’t think he would But it isn’t proper It just isn’t!"

"I ask that you not require this of ould have believed she could She was sprinkling water in jerkyclouds of steareat deal the past days, not having to spend tiwene and Moiraine Sedai to help , I learn even faster Not that they teach any better than you, of course," she added hastily, "but I want very much to learn"

"You will still learn," Melaine told her "You will not have to stay every hour with hi as you apply yourself, your lessons will not be much slowed You do not study while you sleep"

"I cannot," Aviendha ourd More loudly, and more firmly, she added, "I will not" Her head careen fire "I will not be there when he suwene gaped at her "Isendre!" She had seen -- and heartily disapproved of -- the scandalous way the Maidens kept the woman naked, but this! "You can’t really mean he --"

"Be silent!" Bair snapped like a whip Her blueeyed stare could have chipped stone "Both of you! You are both young, but even the Maidens should know men can be fools, especially when they are not attached to a woman