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Uno patiently waited on her for a change She was of two minds as to whether this was simple courtesy -- his scarred face looked a deal too patient -- but finally they walked together into Sa, no one sound distinguishable People jah stonepaved streets all but shoulder to shoulder from slateroofed taverns to thatchroofed stables, frons like The Blue Bull or The Dancing Goose to shops where the signs had no words, only a knifeandscissors here, a bolt of cloth there, a goldsmith’s scales or a barber’s razor, a pot or a lamp or a boot Nynaeve saw faces as pale as that of any Andorman and as dark as that of any of the Sea Folk, soh collars, low collars, no collars, drably colored and bright, plain and ee as often as familiar One felloith a dark forked beard wore silver chains across the chest of his plain blue coat, and tith their hair in braids -- men, with a black braid over each ear below their shoulders! -- had tiny brass bells sewn to their red coatsleeves and the turneddown tops of thighhigh boots Whatever land they hailed from, those tere not fools; their dark eyes were hard and searching as Uno’s, and they carried curved swords on their backs A barechested ed wood and hands intricately tattooed, had to be one of the Sea Folk, though he wore neither earrings nor nose ring
The wo from raven black to yellow so pale it was nearly white, braided or gathered or hanging loose, cut short, to the shoulders, to the waist, dresses in ool or neat linen or shi chins with lace or embroidery and necklines every bit as low as the one she hid She even saw a coppercoown that covered her to the neck and hid next to nothing! She wondered how safe that woht, for that matter
The occasional Whitecloaks and soldiers in that round as hard as anyone else Oxcarts and horsedraagons inched along the haphazardly crisscrossing streets, bearers jostled sedanchairs through the crowds, and now and then a lacquered coach with a plumed team of four or six uards vainly trying to clear a path Musicians with flute or zither or bittern played at every corner where there was not a juggler or an acrobat -- their skill certainly nothing to make Thom or the Chavanas worry -- alith another ars wove through it all, plucking at sleeves and proffering gri from pins to ribbons to pears, their cries lost in the din
Her head spun by the ti seehten her clothes, disarrayed fro him It was a trifle quieter here, too No street entertainers, and fewer hawkers and beggars Beggars kept clear of Uno, even after he tossed a few coppers to a wary pack of urchins, for which she did not blame them The s loo only two or three stories, putting the streets theht in the sky, hours yet till dusk Still plenty of tiet back to the show If she had to With luck, they could all be boarding a riverboat by sunset
She gave a start when another Shienaran suddenly joined them, sword on his back and head shaven but for that topknot, a darkhaired ave curt introductions and explanation without slowing
"Peace favor you, Nynaeve," Ragan said, the skin of his dark cheek di, his face was hard; she had never ht, nor soft women either "I remember you Your hair was different, was it not? No matter Never fear We will see you safely to Maseo after Just be sure not to lance, but he lowered his voice anyway "Maseon"
Nynaeve shook her head Another foolto take care of her At least he did not try to engage her in conversation; the h side of her tongue if he so much as commented on the heat Her own face felt a trifle da to wear a shawl in this weather Abruptly she rean’s opinion of her tongue She did not think she an moved to the other side of Uno as if for shelter and eyed her warily Men!
The streets grew still narrower, and though the stone buildings lining therow ss they saw, and rough gray walls that could hide only small yards Eventually they turned down an alley barely wide enough for all three of theilded coach stood surrounded by scalearmored men More ied thickly along both sides of the alley In a motley of coats, most clutched clubs or spears or swords as different as their garb They could have been a pack of street toughs, but neither of the Shienarans slowed, so she did not either
"The street out front will be full of bloody fools hoping to catch a glimpse of Masema at a bloody " Uno’s voice was pitched for her ears alone "The only way to get in is by the back" He fell silent as they ca men to hear
Two of those were soldiers with rimmed steel helmets and scaled tunics, swords at hip and spears in hand, but it was the others who studied the three newco eyes, too intent, almost feverish For once, she would have been pleased to see an honest leer These men did not care whether she was a woan unfastened the scabbarded blades froers to a pluht have been a shopkeeper once, fro had been good; it was clean, but heavily worn, and wrinkled as if it had been slept in for a h he frowned at her for a moment, especially at her belt knife, he silently nodded to a narroooden gate in the stone wall That was perhaps thefact of all;