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his dreams once more

In spite of the heat, he shivered, yet he had to wipe his face again, too He had the feeling that Lanfear was a jealous mistress to serve, but if another of the Chosen wanted him he would have no choice Despite all the proiven his oaths as a boy, he was a ht between two of the Chosen, he could be flattened like a kitten beneath a wagon wheel, and they would notice as on did He wished he were hoain

A scraping at the door brought hiile than he let anyone see Mopping his face and neck, he made his way past the brick stove that he certainly had no need for here, and the cabinets with their ornately carved and painted uprights When he pulled the door open, a slender figure swathed in black robes scurried in past him He took one quick look around the-- the drivers were all snoring beneath the other wagons and the Aiel guards never caain

"You must be hot, Isendre," he chuckled "Take off that robe and make yourself comfortable"

"Thank you, no," she said bitterly from the shadowed depths of her cowl She stood stiffly, but every now and then she twitched; the wool ain "As you wish" Beneath those robes, he suspected, the Maidens of the Spear still allowed her to wear nothing but the stolen jewelry, if that She had become prudish in ways, since the Maidens had her Why the woh to steal, he could not understand He had certainlyfrolad that they had not thought he was involved Her greediness had certainlyto report on al’Thor or Natael?" A major part of Lanfear’s instruction had been to keep a close eye on those two, and he knew no better way to keep an eye on a man than to put a wos he had vowed to keep secret, boasted of his plans, revealed his weaknesses, even if he was the Dragon Reborn and this Dawn fellow the Aiel called him

She shuddered visibly "At least I can coht her sneaking to theher into it every night She always put the best face onWait Be patient Keep silent Make accommodation with fate, whatever that means He says that every time I try to ask a question For the most part, all he wants to do is play music I’ve never heard before and leeman For the hundredth time he wondered why Lanfear wanted Natael watched The h as a Darkfriend could reach, only a step below the Chosen theed to wriggle into al’Thor’s bed?" he asked, brushing past her to sit down on the bed

"No" She writhed uncomfortably

"Then you will have to try harder, won’t you? I a tired of failure, Isendre, and our masters are not as patient as I He’s only a man, whatever his titles" She had often boasted to him that she could have any man she wanted, and make him do whatever she wanted She had shown him the truth of her boasts She had not needed to steal jewelry; he would have bought her anything she wanted He had bought her more than he could afford "The bloody Maidens can’t watch him every second, and once you are in his bed, he’ll not let theh for that "I have full faith and confidence in your abilities"

"No" If anything, the as shorter this time

He rolled and unrolled the kerchief irritably "’No’ is not a word ourthe Darkfriends; not all lords or ladies by any istrate -- but their commands were at least as strictly enforced as any noble’s, and usually more so "Not a word our mistress will like to hear"

Isendre shuddered She had not believed his tale until he showed her the burns on his chest, but since then, one h to quell any rebellion on her part This tian to weep

"I cannot, Hadnan When we stopped tonight, I thought I ht ot within ten paces of hiht played over her bare scalp Even her eyebroere gone "They shaved me, Hadnan Adelin and Enaila and Jolien, they held me down and shaved every hair They beat h wind, sobbing slack the words "I itch from shoulders to knees, and burn too much to scratch They said they’d make me wear nettles, the next time I so much as looked in his direction They ive me to Aviendha, and they told ain I cannot"

Stunned, he stared at her She had had such lovely dark hair Yet she was beautiful enough that even being bald as an egg onlyface detracted only a little If she could put herself into al’Thor’s bed for just one night It was not going to happen The Maidens had broken her He had broken people hierness to avoid erness to obey The , so she would soon convince herself that she really wanted to obey, that she really wanted nothing more than to please the Maidens

"What does Aviendha have to do with it?" he muttered How soon before Isendre felt the need to confess her sins, as well?

"Al’Thor has been bedding her since Rhuidean, you fool! She spends every night with hih her sobs he could detect resentful fury She would not like it that another had succeeded where she failed Doubtless that hy she had not told him before

Aviendha was a beautiful woman despite her fierce eyes, fullbreasted coainst her if only Isendre slu fro down her cheeks that she did not even bother to wipe away She would grovel on the ground i