Page 85 (1/1)

Making her way to the washstand, she cleansed her face, and scrubbed her teeth with salt and soda The water was not hot, but it could not be called cool either The sodden shift she stripped off, and dug a fresh one fro with a hairbrush andher braid for cole to her waist Sitting down on the chest, she laboriously worked the knots out, then began giving her hair its hundred strokes

Three scratches ran down her neck and disappeared beneath her shift They were not as red as they ht have been, thanks to an ointment of healall taken from the Macura woman She had told Elayne they came from brambles Foolish -- she suspected that Elayne kneas not true, despite her tale of looking about the Tower grounds after Egwene left -- but she had been too upset to think straight She had snapped at the other wo about her unfair treatood to be rehterHeir here Still, it was none of the girl’s fault; she would have to make it up to her

In the"I still thinkher face Her ravendyed hair did not seem to have one snarl, despite her curls "We could be in Tear much more quickly my way"

Her plan was to abandon the coach once they reached the Eldar, at soe where there would not likely be many Whitecloaks, and just as important, no eyesandears for the Tower There they were to take a riverboat down to Ebou Dar, where they could find a ship for Tear That they had to go to Tear was no longer in doubt Tar Valon they would avoid at all cost

"How long before a boat stops where we are?" Nynaeve said patiently She had thought this was all settled before they went to sleep It had been, to her ht not stop And how long do ait in Ebou Dar before we find a ship for Tear?" Putting the brush down, she began re if they want a boat to put in, and most will And there are always ships for anywhere in a seaport the size of Ebou Dar"

As if the girl had ever been in a seaport of any size before leaving the Toith Nynaeve Elayne always thought that whatever she had not learned of the world as DaughterHeir of Andor, she had learned in the Tower, even after plenty of proof to the contrary And how dare she put on that forbearing tone with her! "We are not likely to find that gathering of Blues on a ship, Elayne"

Her own plan was to stick with the coach, cross the rest of A in the Hills of Kintara, and over the Plains of Maredo to Tear It would certainly take longer, but aside fro somehow, coaches very rarely sank She could swiht

Patting her face dry, Elayne changed her shift and ca the braid Nynaeve was not fooled; she would hear about boats again Her stomach did not like boats Not that that had influenced her decision, of course If she could bring Aes Sedai to Rand’s Aiel, it would be orth the longer travel time

"Have you recalled the na the strands of hair

"At least I reive me time" She was sure there had been a name A town, it would have to be or a city She could not have seen the na breath, she took a hold on her temper, and went on in a ive me ti After a bit, she said, "Was it really wise to send Birgitte looking for Moghedien?"

Nynaeve shot the young wo frown, but it rolled off her like water off oiled silk As a change of subject, this was not the one she would have chosen "Better we find her than she finds us"

"I suppose so But e do e find her?"

She had no answer for that But it was better to be the hunter than the hunted, however roughly it went The Black Ajah had taught her that

The common room was not crohen they went down, yet even at that early hour there was a sprinkling of pale cloaks a the patrons, mostly on older men, all with officers’ rank No doubt they preferred to eat from the inn’s kitchens rather than what Whitecloak cooks dished up in the garrison Nynaeve would alain, but that little room was like a box All of these men were intent on their food, the Whitecloaks no less than the others Surely it was quite safe Cooking smells filled the air; apparently these

No sooner did Elayne’s foot leave the last step than Mistress Jharen bustled up to offer the room Nynaeve never shifted her eyes toward Elayne, but the other woman said, "I think ill eat here I seldom have the opportunity to eat in a coirls bring us so If the day is like this already, I fear I’ll swelter before we reach the next stop"

It was a constant wonder to Nynaeve that that haughty ot theh lords and ladies by now to know that nearly all behaved in that fashion, but still She would not have put up with it for aand drywashing her hands, then showed the onto the street and scurried away to do Elayne’s bidding Perhaps that was her way of getting back at the girl They were off by themselves, well away fro by could stare in at them, and if any of their food was hot -- which she hoped it was not -- they were as far from the kitchens as it was possible to be

When it came, breakfast consisted of spicy muffins -- wrapped in a white cloth and still warrapes that looked a bit wizened, and soirl called strawberries, though they looked like no berry that Nynaeve had ever seen They certainly did not taste anything like straw, especially with clotted cream spooned on top Elayne claihtly spiced wine supposedly cooled in the springhouse -- one sip told her that the spring was not very cool, if there was one -- it made