Page 118 (1/1)

Suddenly she realized that she could hear voices, like faint whispers a saidar, she moved cautiously toward the sound, toward the place where Rand had left Callandor beneath the great dome The Wise Ones clai as the One Power here, but she knew her abilities with the Power far better, and trusted the the thick redstone columns, she stopped and stared

It was not a pair of Black sisters, as she had feared, and not Nynaeve, either Instead, Elayne stood near the glittering shaft of Callandor rising out of the floorstone, deep in quiet conversation with as oddly dressed a wowene had ever seen She wore a short white coat of peculiar cut and wide yellow trousers gathered in folds at her ankles, above short boots with raised heels An intricate braid of golden hair hung down her back, and she held a bow that gleamed like polished silver The arrows in the quiver shone, too

Egwene squeezed her eyes shut First the difficulty with her dress, and now this Just because she had been reading about Birgitte -- a silver bow told the naine that she saw her Birgitte waited -- somewhere -- for the Horn of Valere to call her and the other heroes to the Last Battle But when Egwene opened her eyes again, Elayne and the oddly dressed woman were still there She could not quite , but she believed her eyes this ti out to announce herself when a voice spoke, behind her

"Did you decide to cohirled to face Amys, her sundarkened face too youthful for her white hair, and leatherycheeked Bair Both stood with their arms folded beneath their breasts; even the way their shaere pulled tight spoke of displeasure

"I fell asleep," Egwene said It was too much before time for her story to work Even as she explained hastily about dozing off and why she had not gone back --Nynaeve and Ae of shame that she had intended to lie and relief that she had not Not that the truth would necessarily save her Amys was not as strict as Bair -- not quite -- but she was perfectly capable of setting her to piling up rocks the rest of the night Many of the Wise Ones were great believers in useless labor for punish other than being punished while you were burying ashes with a spoon That was provided they did not simply refuse to teach her any more, of course The ashes would be h of relief when Amys nodded and said, "It can happen But next time, return and dream your own dreams; I could have heard what Nynaeve has to say, and tell her e know If Melaine was not with Bael and Dorindha tonight, she would be here, as well You frightened Bair She is proud of your progress, and if anything happened to you"

Bair did not look proud If anything, she scowled even more deeply, as Amys paused "You are lucky Cowinde found you when she returned to clear away your supper, and orried when she could not rouse you to ht you had been here lare sharpened in dire prorumpy "Now I suppose we have to wait for Nynaeve to arrive, just to stop you begging if we send you back If we e Concentrate your wene said hastily She did not want to knohat a lesson would be like with Bair in this mood "It is Elayne, and" She trailed off, as she turned Elayne, in elegant green silk suitable for a ball, was pacing up and down not far froine her

"She is here already?" A fool," Bair muttered "Girls today have no oats" She stalked out ahead of Egwene and A shape from Elayne, fists on hips "You are not h out of us to keep you fro yourself here, if you are careful -- but if you were, I would welt you from your toes up and send you back to your ht Which I think ht take as many more years as you have lived already I know you have been co into the World of Dreams alone, you and Nynaeve You are both fools to do it"

Elayne gave a start when they first appeared, but as Bair’s tirade washed over her, she drew herself up, that chilly tilt to her chin Her gown becarew eh bodice, including rearing lions in white and golden lilies, her own sigil A thin golden diade lion set in moonstones above her brows She did not yet have the best control over such things Then again, maybe she wore exactly what she intended this tially "Yet it is true that I arateful for your instruction, but I iven me by the Amyrlin Seat"

"A dead woman," Bair said coldly "You claiwene could all but feel Bair’s hackles standing erect in anger; if she did not do soht decide to teach Elayne a painful lesson The last thing they needed was that sort of squabble

"What why are you here instead of Nynaeve?" She had been going to ask what Elayne was doing there, but that would have given Bair an opening, and maybe sounded as if she were on the Wise One’s side What she wanted to ask hat Elayne had been doing talking to Birgitte I did not iitte But only those who entered Tel’aran’rhiod knowingly remained for more thanwith one of theitte and the others wait?

"Nynaeve is nursing a sore head" The diadeown becaolden scrolls around the bodice

"Is she ill?" Egwene asked anxiously

"Only with a headache, and a bruise or two" Elayne giggled and winced at the sawene, you would not have believed it All four of the Chavanas had come to have supper with us To flirt with Nynaeve, really They tried flirting with me the first few days, but Thom had a talk with theht to do that Not that I wanted the with Nynaeve -- or trying to, because she paid the flies -- when Latelle stalked up and began hitting Nynaeve with a stick, calling her all sorts