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The commander of the pikemen proved to be a pale, slender Cairhienin, half a head shorter than Mat andthat looked past ready for the pasture Daerid had hard eyes, though, an oftbroken nose, and three white scars crisscrossing his face, one of them not very old He took off his bellshaped helmet while he talked with Mat; the front of his head was shaved No lord, he Maybe he had been part of the army, before the civil war started Yes, hisHe had not faced Aiel, but he had faced brigands, and Andoran cavalry There was an iht other Cairhienin as well, for one of the Houses contesting for the throne Daerid sounded neither eager nor reluctant; he sounded like a man with a job of work to do

The column stepped off as Mat turned Pips’ head the other way They marched with a measured pace, and a quick look behind showed the Tairens’ horses o a little quicker than a walk, but not much It see what he had said, and where he was going now and why Just aaway Nothing to worry about He certainly hoped that hat the Aiel thought, but his shoulders did not untense until he was sure they could no longer see hi where he had left them They still had their flankers out, too Banners and con athered, one in ten or better of the Cairhienin’s number Most of theilt or silverwork, it was battered as though a drunken blacksmith had been at it Some of their mounts made Daerid’s look like Lan’s warhorse Could they even do as needed? But the faces that turned to hiazes harder

He was in the clear, now, hidden fro this lot as expected of them, anyway He had sent the others on into the Aiel trap; he could not simply abandon them

Talmanes of House Delovinde, his con three yellow stars on blue and his banner a black fox, was even shorter than Daerid and had three years on Mat at h there were older ray hair present His eyes held as little expression as Daerid’s, and he looked like a coiled whip His armor and sere utterly plain Once he had told Mat his name thea little out of the saddle to cut lines in the ground with the swordbladed spear

The other Cairhienin lords gathered round on their horses, watching, but none so sharply as Talmanes Talmanes studied the map he drew, and studied him from boots to hat, even his spear When he was done, the fellow still did not speak, until Mat barked, "Well? I don’t care whether you take it or leave it, but your friends will be hipdeep in Aiel in not er"

"The Tairens are no friends of mine And Daerid is useful Certainly not a friend" Dry chuckles ran through the onlooking lords at the suggestion "But I will lead one half, if you lead the other"

Talauntlet and put out his hand, but for a aone spun through his head, but he forced them down All he had to do was ride on But then maybe Talmanes would leave Estean and Daerid and the rest to roast On the spit Mat had hung therasped the other’s hand and said, "You just be there when you’re supposed to be"

For reply Tal off nas reined toward Mat, each followed by a bannerman and perhaps a dozen retainers, until he had four hundred odd of the Cairhienin Talmanes did not have much to say after, either; he just led the re a faint cloud of dust

"Keep together," Mat told his half "Charge when I say charge, run when I say run, and don’t make any noise you don’t have to" There was the creak of saddles and the thud of hooves as they followed him, of course, but at least they did not talk, or ask questions

A last gliht banners and con, and then a twist in the shallow valley hid theotten into this? It had all started so sio Each step after had seemed so small, so necessary And now he had waded waist deep into the mud, and no choice but to keep on He hoped Talmanes meant to show up The man had not even asked who he was

The hill valley twisted and forked as he angled north, but he had a good sense of direction For instance, he knew exactly which way lay south and safety, and it was not the way he was heading Dark clouds were for up there toward the city, the first he had seen so thick in a long tiood for the farood for horsemen, so they did not announce theive up and go ho a little cool, for a wonder

The sound of fighting drifted over the crests, un

Mat turned Pips, raised his spear and swung it right and left He was al line to either side of hiesture had been instinctive, frohting He started Pips up through the scattered trees at a sloalk, and they kept pace to the quiet jangle of bridles

His first thought on reaching the height was relief at seeing Talht on the crest across froehog, spiny thickets of pikes four deep interspersed with bow pikes et close, however they rushed in, and the archers and crossboere exchanging shots hot and fast with the Aiel Men were falling on both sides, but the pikes si the square tighter Of course, the Shaido did not appear to slacken their assault either

The Defenders were dismounted in the center, and maybe half the Tairen lords with their retainers Half That hatthe Aiel, slashing and stabbing with sword and lance in knots of five or ten, or alone Dozens of riderless horses told hoell they were doing Melanril was off with only his banner about with his blade Two Aiel darted in to neatly ha -- Mat was sure it screamed, but the din sed it -- and then Melanril vanished behind cadin’sorclad figures, spears stabbing The bannerm