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"Unfortunately," Sheriam said, "we cannot let you take the oath that should not be broken, yet youit?"

"They will honor it," Myrelle said, with a glance at the pair by the fireplace that hter, "and you iving, it" This time it was Amaena who reddened; Mara looked ready to chew rocks "But we cannot allow it yet" No Ajahs had been ht the darkly pretty woman was Green, and the stout, roundfaced one called Morvrin was Brown Perhaps it was the sht hi else "In truth, they did not say when they would serve, and we have a use for the them and leave And that was foolish, too He had known before Dromand reached him in the street that he was unlikely to leave Salidar alive There were probably fifty Warders in the forest around where he had left his ood account of theht them all this way to die Yet if he was a fool to have let a pair of eyes lure hio the last mile for it "Arson, theft and assault, Aes Sedai Those were the crimes They were tried, sentenced, and sworn But I have no objection to re here until you are done with the robber when you do not need her I will ainst her service"

Mara opened her rily, but almost as if the women had known that she would try to speak, six pairs of Aes Sedai eyes swiveled to her in unison She shifted her shoulders, snapped her idly at her sides He was glad she did not have a knife in her hand

Myrelle appeared close to laughter "Better to choose the other, Lord Bryne Fro at you, you would find her far o crily She even shared a smile with Myrelle Well, she was Domani after all, and considerably more so than when he saw her last, it seeh to make the others seeeyed one named Beonin He was not sure why Except that if he were in the Game of Houses here, he would say both women reeked of ambition Maybe he was involved in exactly that

"You should be aware," Carlinya said coolly, "that the woman you know as Mara is in reality Siuan Sanche, formerly the Amyrlin Seat Amaena is really Leane Sharif, as Keeper of the Chronicles"

It was all he could do not to gape like a country lout Now that he knew, he could see it in Mara’s face -- in Siuan’s -- the face that had made him back down, softened into youth "Hoas all he said It was als ," Sheriaht as well think of her by her right name -- Siuan had been stilled He knew that ItIf that swannecked Doer she had been stilled, too But talking about stilling around Aes Sedai was a good way to find out how tough you were Besides, when they began going ht answer if you asked whether the sky was blue

They were very good, these Aes Sedai They had lulled hi feeling that he knehat they were softening hiht "It does not change the oath they took If they were still Amyrlin and Keeper, they could be held to that oath by any law, including that of Tar Valon"

"Since you have no objection to re here," Sheriam said, "you may have Siuan as your bodyservant, e do not need her YouMin, whom you apparently know as Serenla, all the time" For some reason, that seemed to irritate Siuan as much as what had been said about her; she h to be heard "And since you have no objections, Lord Bryne, while you reive us"

"The gratitude of Aes Sedai is not inconsiderable," Morvrin said

"You will be serving the Light and justice in serving us," Carlinya added

Beonin nodded, speaking in serious tones "You served Morgase and Andor faithfully Serve us as well, and you will not find exile at its end Nothing we ask of you will go against your honor Nothing we ask will harht He soht that Aes Sedai must have invented Daes Dae’mar, they seemed to play it in their sleep Battle was surely more bloody, but it was s, then his strings would be pulled -- they would e it one way or another -- but it was time to show them he was not a brainless puppet

"The White Tower is broken," he said flatly Those Aes Sedai eyes widened, but he gave them no chance to speak "The Ajahs have split That is the only reason you can all be here You certainly don’t need an extra sword or two" -- he eyed Droot a nod in return --"so the only service you can want out of me is to lead an arood many more men than I saw here And that means you intend to oppose Elaida"

Sheriam looked vexed, Anaiya worried, and Carlinya on the point of speaking, but he went on Let thereat deal of listening to them in the months to come "Very well I’ve never liked Elaida, and I cannot believe she ood Amyrlin More i as you know the taking will be bloody and long"

"But these are my conditions" They stiffened to a woman at that, even Siuan and Leane Men did not make conditions for Aes Sedai "First, the coive coive thereed to it first" Several mouths opened, Carlinya’s and Beonin’s first, but he continued "I assign men, I promote them, and I discipline them Not you Second, if I tell you it can’t be done, you will consider what I say I don’t ask to usurp your authority" -- small chance they would allow that --"yet do not want to waste men because you do not understand war" It would happen, but no in this, you will stay the course I will be puttingwith me, and should you decide half a year from now that Elaida as Aht for every one of us who can be hunted down The nations may stay out of a civil war in the Tower, but they’ll not let us live if you abandon us