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Hanging upside down beside the door of a thatchroofed seamstress’ shop was a bunch of what looked almost like broomweed, with tiny yelloers, the stalks wrapped their whole length in a white ribbon, then tied with a dangling yellow one It ht have been some woman’s feeble attempt at a festive decoration in thebeside an eing over the door, she pretended to search for a stone in her shoe while furtively studying the seamstress’ shop The door was open, and colorful bolts of cloth stood in the smallpaned s, but no one went in or out

"Can you not find it, Nynaeve? Take off your shoe"

Nynaeve’s head jerked; she had al any attention to theh to overhear She still lowered her voice "That bunch of brooency signal from one of the Yellow’s eyesandears"

She did not have to tell Elayne not to stare; the girl’s eyes barely moved toward the shop "Are you certain?" she asked quietly "And how do you know?"

"Of course I a bit of yellow ribbon is even split in three" She paused to take a deep breath Unless she was conificant fistful of weeds held a direa fool of herself, and she did hate to do that "I spent a good deal of ti was the main purpose of the Yellows; they did not care much for her herbs, but you did not need herbs when you could Heal with the Power "One of theression, since she was sure I’ll choose Yellow Besides, it has not been used in nearly three hundred years Elayne, only a feomen in each Ajah actually knoho the Ajah’s eyesandears are, but a bunch of yelloers tied and hung like that tells any Yellow sister that here one is, and with aherself"

"How are we going to find out what it is?"

Nynaeve liked that Not "What are we going to do?" The girl had backbone

"Follow htened She hoped she re She The plump Yellow could be fluttery for an Aes Sedai

The interior of the shop was not large, and every scrap of as taken up by shelves holding bolts of silk or finely woven wool, spools of piping and binding, and ribbon and lace of every width and description Dressar suitable for a dance in eown that could have done very well at court At first glance the shop had a look of prosperity and activity, but Nynaeve’s sharp eye caught a hint of dust in one high neck of frothy Solinde lace, and on a large black velvet bow at the waist of another gown

There were two darkhaired wo to wipe her nose surreptitiously with the back of her hand, held a bolt of pale red silk clutched anxiously to her boso curls to her shoulders, in the Ale beside the other woman’s neat array The other, handsome and in her middle years, was assuredly the sea pincushion fastened to her wrist Her dress was of a good green wool, well cut and well htly worked hite flowers around the high neck so as not to overshadow her patrons

When Nynaeve and Elayne walked in, both woaped as if none had entered in a year The seanity as she ht curtsy "May I serve you? I am Ronde Macura My shop is yours"

"I want a dress embroidered with yellow roses on the bodice," Nynaeve told her "But no thorns, h "I don’t heal very fast" What she said did notas she included "yellow" and "heal" in it Now, if only that bunch of floas not happenstance If that was the case, she would have to find some reason not to buy a dress with roses And a way to keep Elayne fro the whole miserable experience to Thom and Juilin

Mistress Macura stared at her for aher toward the back of the shop "Go on to the kitchen, Luci, and ood ladies Froht Go on, girl Put that down and stop gawking Quickly, quickly The blue canister, irl vanished through a door at the rear "I live over the shop, you see, andher skirts nervously, thu a circle For the Great Serpent ring There would be no need for an excuse about the dress, it seen, and after a moment Elayne did, too "I anal"

The wonal? Ah Yes Of course"

"Well?" Nynaeve said "What is the urgent e?"

"We should not talk about that out here uh Mistress Nynaeve Anyone ht walk in" Nynaeve doubted that "I will tell you over a nice cup of tea My best tea, did I say?"

Nynaeve exchanged looks with Elayne If Mistress Macura was this reluctant to speak her news, itindeed

"If we may just step into the back," Elayne said, "no one will hear but us" Her regal tone ht it h her nervousness, but the next instant the fool woain

"The tea will be ready in a et Taraboner tea through here That is why I am here, I suppose Not the tea, of course All the trade that used to be, and all the news that caons They -- you are mainly interested in outbreaks of disease, or a new kind of illness, but I find that interesting hed and rushed on; if she smoothed her dress any harder, she would wear a hole in it "Some about the Children, of course, but they -- you -- are not much interest