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Nynaeve was still gaping when Birgitte added, "Luca was upset, whatever the tale He said" She cleared her throat and h h as a winter cob!’ And off he set, leading two lads with shoulders like s’Gandin quarrymen, to fetch you back Thom Merrilin and Juilin Sandar went as well, in not much better temper That did not improve Luca’s, but they were all so upset over you it left no rooer at each other"

For a h men? What could he possibly roaned "Oh, that is just what I need" And Thoht knehat trouble they could get into

"I still want to knohat you thought you were doing," Elayne said, "but we are wasting tih the crowd, one to either side, but even with the news of Luca and the others, she felt satisfied with her day’s work "We should be out of here in a day or tith luck If Galad doesn’t find us a boat, Masema will It turns out he is the Prophet You remember Mase that Elayne had stopped, Nynaeve paused for her to catch up again

"Galad?" the younger wo to hold her cloak closed "You saw -- you spoke to Galad? And the Prophet? Youto find a vessel? Did you have tea with them, or did you just meet them in a common room? Where the baldheadedof Ghealdan was there, too? Would you please convince rip on yourself," Nynaeve said fir, and yes, she was And he wasn’t bald; he had a topknot The Shienaran, I lared at Birgitte until the wolower slipped a little when Nynaeve re at and what she had done to her, but if the woht have found out whether she could bring herself to slap Birgitte crosseyed They began walking again, and she said as levelly as she could e, "This is what happened I saw Uno, one of the Shienarans as at Falhwalk, Elayne He doesn’t think any better of the DaughterHeir of Andor showing her legs than I do, by the way In any case, Moiraine sent the quickly as they hshod over Elayne’s increasingly incredulous excla their questions in as feords as possible Despite a quick interest in the shifts of the Ghealdanin throne, Elayne concentrated on exactly what Galad had said and why Nynaeve had been fool enough to approach the Prophet, whoever he was That word -- fool -- popped up often enough to ht doubt whether she could slap Birgitte, but Elayne had no such protection, DaughterHeir or not A few itte was more interested in Masema’s intentions on the one hand and the Shienarans on the other It seeh their nations had had different nae She said little, really, but she appeared to approve of holding on to the Shienarans

Nynaeve expected the news about Salidar to startle theitte took it as matteroffactly as if she had said they would eat supper with Thoo where Elayne did, and all else mattered little Elayne looked doubtful Doubtful!

"Are you certain? You have tried so hard to remember, and Well, it seems awfully fortuitous that Galad should just happen to lowered "Of course I am certain Coincidences do happen The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, as you may have heard I remember now that he mentioned it in Sienda, too, but I was so concerned over you being concerned about him that I didn’t --" She cut off short

They had arrived at a long narrow area near the north wall, ment of wooden fence, two paces wide and two tall People lined the ropes four deep, with children crouching down in front or holding a father’s leg or a mother’s skirts A buzz rose as the three woitte had her by the ar to the wagon," she said faintly Busy with talking, she had paid too little attention to where they were going

"Not unless you want to see itte replied She sounded all too willing to give it a try

Nynaeve wished she could have made some other comment than a squeak The bit of fence filled her vision as they progressed down the open space, to the exclusion of the onlookers Even their increasing muritte would stand

"Are you sure that he said he swore by ourGalad as her brother even that far was unpleasant for her

"What? Yes I said so, didn’t I? Listen If Luca is in the city, he would not knohether we did this or not until it was too late to" Nynaeve knew she was babbling, but she could not seeue Somehow she had never realized how far a hundred paces really was In the Two Rivers, grown ets at twice that But then, none of those targets had ever been her "I lare We really should do this in the ht is --"

"If he swore by her," Elayne broke in as if she had not been listening, "then he will hold to it no matter what He would sooner break an oath on his hope of salvation and rebirth than that I think no, I knoe can trust hih

"The light is just fine," Birgitte said, a hint of aht try it blindfolded This lot ant it to look difficult, I think"

Nynaeve opened hercaitte was only

They positioned her with her back against the rough wooden fence, and Elayne began tugging at the knot in the shawl as Birgitte turned back the way they had co