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Rand felt impatience as the procession continued, one by one up to kneel before hi Cairhienin, as he had decreed This was all necessary, so Moiraine said -- and so agreed a voice in his head that he knew for Lews Therin’s -- but to him it was part of the delay He must have their loyalty, if only on the surface, in order to begin , at least, had to be made before he could move on Sammael And that I will do! I have tooat my ankles froon!

He did not understand why those coan to sweat and lick their lips as they knelt and stammered the words of fealty But then, he could not see the cold light burning in his own eyes

Chapter 47

(Elephant)

The Price of a Ship

Finishing herwash, Nynaeve toweled herself dry and pulled on a fresh silk shift reluctantly Silk was not as cool as linen, and even with the sun only just up, the heat in the wagon foretold another scorching day Besides which, the thing was cut so she was half afraid it would fall in a puddle around her ankles if she breathed wrong At least it was not da dreahedien that woke her bolt upright -- and those better than the ones she did not wake out of -- drea, dreaerie, of being stranded forever in Sa Salidar and finding Elaida in charge Or Moghedien again, there too She had wakened weeping froh Three nights ca days of standing blindfolded against that cursed piece of wall That was enough to put anyone on edge, even without worrying whether Moghedien was closing in But then, just because the woerie did not mean she had to find theeries in the world besides those gathered here Thinking up reasons not to worry was easier than not worrying, though

But why should I be anxious about Egwene? Dipping a split twig into a s her teeth vigorously Egwene had popped up in nearly every dreawene came into them

In truth, anxiety and lack of sleep were only part of whatThe others were such s, but they were realities A pebble in your shoe was s your head cut off, but if the pebble was there and the chopping block ht never be

It was not possible to avoid her own reflection, and her hair hanging loose about her shoulders instead of decently braided Brush it how she would, the brassy red color never became less loathsome And she knew all too well that a blue dress was laid out on the bed behind her A blue to inal red gown hanging on a peg That hy she had on this precariously clinging shift One dress like that was not enough, not according to Valan Luca Clarine was at work on another pair in a virulent yellow, and there was talk of stripes Nynaeve did not want to know about stripes

At least thethe split twig furiously Or Clarine But no, he had his own ideas, and he never asked Not Valan Luca His color choices soht to throw it in his face! Yet she knew she would not Birgitte flaunted herself in those dresses without the hint of a blush The wo like any of the stories about her! Not that she was going to wear the fool dress without protest because Birgitte did She was not co with the wo," she growled around the twig, "best you get used it"

"What did you say?" Elayne asked "If you’re going to talk, please take that out of yourher chin, Nynaeve glared over her shoulder Elayne was seated on her own narrow bed with her legs drawn up beside her, braiding her blackdyed hair She already had on her white breeches, all seith spangles, and a snowy silk blouse with ruffles at the neck that was much too sheer Her sequinsplattered white coat lay beside her White She also had two suits of clothes for perfor, all in white, if not exactly plain "If you are going to dress in that fashion; Elayne, you should not sit so It’s indecent"

The other wolowered sullenly, but She did put her slippered feet on the floor And raised her chin in that haughty way she had "I think I ," she said coolly, still working at the braid "This wagon is confining"

Rinsing her on certainly did seeht asto regret -- but this was beco ridiculous Three days shut up with Elayne except when they went to perfor to feel like three weeks Or three ue Elayne had A ship had to coive every last coin hidden in the brick stove, every last jewel, anything, for a ship today "Well, that wouldn’t attract any attention, would it? But perhaps you could use the exercise Or maybe it’s just the way those breeches fit your hips"

Blue eyes flared, but Elayne’s chin rewene last night, and between going on about Rand and Cairhien -- I worry about what is happening there, even if you do not -- in between, she said you were turning into a screa harridan Not that I think so, necessarily I would have said a fisher"

"Now you listen to me, you illte, Nynaeve snapped her mouth shut, then drew breath slowly With an effort she forced her voice to be level "You dreawene?" Elayne nodded curtly "And she talked of Rand and Cairhien?" The younger woerated exasperation and went on with her, braid Nynaeve made her hand loose its fistful of brassy red hair, hterHeir of bloody Andor some simple common courtesy If they did not find a ship soon "If you can think of anything except how to show ht interest you to know that she was in reat victory at