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From where she stood, Liandrin could see their faces even if their mouthsorders the others knew nothing of The faces told little, though Rianna merely listened, a touch of relief in her eyes, bowed her head in assent and went Marillin looked surprised, and then eager, but she had been a Brown, and Browns could be enthusiastic over anything that allowed thee Jeaine Caide donned a slowto cover herself and that disgustingly sheer gown, but Moghedien’s face hardened, and Jeaine nodded hurriedly and fled, if not as eagerly as Marillin, just as quickly Berylla Naron, lean almost to scrawniness and as fine a faced and cold despite her obvious fear, showed as little expression as Rianna had Ispan Shefar, like Liandrin frohedien’s hem before she rose

Then the floere unwoven around Liandrin She thought that it was her turn to be sent away on the Shadohat errand, until she saw the bonds dispelled around the others reer beckoned peremptorily, and Liandrin knelt between Asne and Chesmal Emry, a tall, handsome woman, darkhaired and darkeyed Chesmal, once Yellow, could Heal or kill with equal ease, but the intensity of her gaze on Moghedien, the way her hands trembled as they clutched her skirts, said she intended only to obey

She would have to go by such signs, Liandrin realized Approaching one of the others with her belief that rewards could be had for handing Moghedien to the rest of the Forsaken ht well be disastrous if the one she spoke to had decided that it was in her best interests to be Moghedien’s lapdog She alht of a "second lesson"

"You, I keep with me," the Forsaken said, "for the most important task What the others do may bear sweet fruit, but to me yours will be the most important harvest A personal harvest There is a woman named Nynaeve al’Meara" Liandrin’s head cahedien’s dark eyes sharpened "You know of her?"

"I despise her," Liandrin replied truthfully "She is a filthy wilder who ought never to have been allowed in the Tower" She loathed all wilders Drea to channel a full year before going to the Tower, but she was in no way a wilder

"Very good You five are going to find her for hedien’s s Nynaeve and the other two to her ht be entirely suitable "The day before yesterday she was in a village called Sienda, perhaps sixtywoman in whom I may be interested, but they have vanished You will"

Liandrin listened eagerly For this, she could be a faithful hound For the other, she would wait patiently

Chapter 19

(RubyHilted Dagger)

Mease looked up froh theof the sitting room next to her bedchamber The day was already hot, with no breeze, and sweat daer, and she had not stirred from the room That was unlike her; she could not re aith a book She seeolden clock on the mantel above the marble fireplace, an hour had passed since she last turned a page, and she could not recall its words Itofficer of her Guards, kneeling with one fist pressed to the redandgold carpet, looked vaguely faned to the Palace Perhaps it was all the new faces "Tallanvor," she said, surprising herself He was a tall, well man, but she could not tell why she reht soo? "Guardslanced at her, startlingly rougheyed, before putting his gaze back on the carpet "My Queen, forgive ’s news"

"What news?" It would be good to learn soossip of the Tairen court, At ti else she wanted to ask the woossip, which she could never re to the in that tall chair in front of the fireplace with his ankles crossed, s dresses; Morgase would have to say so that before Nonsense If I had, I would have spoken to her already She shook her head, realizing that she had drifted away fro and stopped when he saw she was not listening "Tell ry, eyes burning on her before they dropped again She looked where he had been staring and blushed; her dress was cut extremely low But Gaebril liked her to wear the nearly naked in front of one of her officers

"Be brief," she said curtly How dare he look at ed "What news is so i room as if it were a tavern?" His face darkened, but whether froer she could not say How dare he be angry with his queen! Does the man think all I have to do is listen to him?

"Rebellion, er and stares vanished

"Where?"

"The Two Rivers, my Queen Sole A ase druti about the Two Rivers, soed at her The region was hardly part of Andor at all, and had not been for generations She and the last three queens before her had been hard pressed to maintain a modicum of control over the miners and smelters in the Mountains of Mist, and even that et the h the rest of Andor A choice between holding thethe Two Rivers’ wool and tabac had not been difficult But rebellion unchecked, even rebellion in a part of her realm that she ruled only on a map, could spread like wildfire, to places that were hers in fact And Manetheren, destroyed in the Trolloc Wars, Manetheren of legend and story, still had a hold on some men’s minds Besides, the Two Rivers was hers If they had been left to go their oay for far too long, they were