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The dream was a pleasant one, if odd Rand knelt before her, and she put a hand on his head and bonded him as her Warder One of her Warders; she would have to choose Green noith Birgitte There were other wolance and the next Nynaeve, Min, Moiraine, Aviendha, Berelain, Amathera, Liandrin, others she did not know Whoever they were, she knew that she had to share him with them, because in the dream she was certain that that hat Min had viewed She was not sure how she felt about that -- some of those faces she wanted to claw to shreds -- but if it was fated by the Pattern, it would have to be Yet she would have one thing of him the others could never have, the bond between Warder and Aes Sedai

"Where is this place?" Berelain said, ravenhaired and so beautiful that Elayne wanted to bare her teeth The woman wore the lowcut red dress that Luca wanted Nynaeve to wear; she always dressed revealingly "Wake up This is not Tel’aran’rhiod"

Elayne started awake to find Birgitte leaning over the side of the bed, gripping her arm weakly Her face was too pale, and damp with sweat as if a fever had broken, but her blue eyes were sharp and intent on Elayne’s face

"This is not Tel’aran’rhiod" It was not a question, but Elayne nodded, and Birgitte sank back with a long sigh "I re," she whispered "I aed Gaidal is out there, so boy But even if I find hih to be his , "I do not cry I never cry I reot up on her knees beside the woitte" She kept her voice low Nynaeve still seeularly -- but she needed rest, not to confront this all over again now "Somehow you will And he will love you I knoill"

"Do you think that is whateyes gave her the lie "He will need e than is good for him; I alwaysforwhy he feels incoether, Elayne Two halves of a whole" The tears welled up, flowing across her face "Moghedien said she would make me cry forever, and she" Suddenly her features contorted; low ragged sobs caathered the taller wo words of comfort she kneere useless Hoould she feel if Rand were taken away froh to itte’s and join her weeping

She was not sure how long it took Birgitte to cry herself out, but eventually she pushed Elayne away and settled back, wiping her cheeks with her fingers "I have never done that except as a s her neck, she frowned at Nynaeve, still asleep on the other bed "Did Moghedien hurt her badly? I have not seen anyone trussed like that since the Tourag took Mareesh" Elayne e Is she hurt?"

"Not badly Her spirit, mainly What you did allowed her to escape, but only after" Elayne could not make herself say it Too many wounds were too fresh "She bla is her fault, for asking you to help"

"If she had not asked ht now She has as little caution as Gaidal" Birgitte’s dry tone sounded odd with her wet cheeks "She did not drag me into this by my hair If she claims responsibility for the consequences, then she clai, she sounded angry "I am a free woman, and I made my own choices She did not decide forthis better than I would" She could not say "better than Nynaeve" That was true, but the other was as well

"I always say, if you ive a jest to the crowd, a coin to the hangitte’s s the trap, but my neck is not yet snapped Perhaps I will surprise her before it is done" The smile faded into a frown as she studied Elayne "I can feel you I think I could close my eyes and point to you a mile away"

Elayne took a very deep breath "I bonded you as a Warder," she said in a rush "You were dying, and Healing did no good, and" The wo anyly sharp "There was no other choice, Birgitte You would have died, else"

"A Warder," Birgitte said slowly "I think I re a tale of a feo that I cannot remember more than that"

It was time for another deep breath, and this ti you should know You will discover it sooner or later, and I’ve decided not to keep things froht to know, not unless I absolutely must" A third breath "I a oldenbraided woman stared up at her, then slowly shook her head "An Accepted In the Trolloc Wars, I knew an Accepted who bonded a fellow Barashelle was due to be tested the next day for raising to full Aes Sedai, and certain to be given the shawl, but she was afraid that a wo that same day would take him In the Trolloc Wars, the Tower tried to raise women as quickly as possible, from necessity"

"What happened?" Elayne could not stop herself fro her fingers over the blanket atop her bosoitte shifted her head on the pillow and put on a look of mock sympathy "Needless to say, she was not allowed to take the tests once it was discovered Necessity did not outweigh such an offense They made her pass the poor fellow’s bond to another, and to teach her patience, put her into the kitchens airls I heard that she stayed there three years, and when she did receive her shawl, the Amyrlin Seat herself chose her Warder, a leatherfaced, stonestubborn man named Anselan I saw theave the commands I do not think Barashelle