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I am still who I always have been I will help theht," she said aloud, "I will use the ring" Sitting down on the bed, she began to pull, on her stockings Stout as hardly comfortable in this heat, but at least part of her would be decently clothed Stout stockings, and stout shoes Birgitte wore brocaded slippers, and gossaht firwene is in the Stone If she isn’t, I will coain until the next scheduledstare thatdiscoaze i To Nynaeve it did It did not help that the thought had flittered on the edge of consciousness, that she could easilyher skin when she went to sleep; there was no real reason to believe that Egould be waiting in the Heart of the Stone tonight She had never really considered it -- the thought had drifted up unbidden -- but it had been there, and made it hard to hedien? It was only good sense, however it galled to admit it

I will do what I must She clamped down firmly on butterflies in the pit of her belly By the tier to don the blue dress and go out into the heat just to escape Elayne’s eyes

Elayne was just finishing helping her with the rows of s that no one had helped her, as if anyone needed help with breeches -- when the wagon door banged open, letting in a wave of hot air Startled, Nynaeve jumped and covered her bosoitte climbed in instead of Valan Luca, she tried to pretend she was adjusting the neckline

S identical brilliant blue silk over her hip, the taller woman pulled her thick black braid over one bare shoulder with a selfpleased grin "If you want to draw attention; don’t bother fiddling It is too obvious Just breathe deeply" She dehed at Nynaeve’s scowl

Nynaeve h why she should, she did not know She could hardly iuilt over what had happened Gaidal Cain was probably glad to get away froot to wear her hair the way she wanted Not that that had anything to do with anything "I knew someone like you in the Two Rivers, Maerion Calle knew every uard by his first naitte’s shtened "And I kneoman like you, once Mathena looked down her nose aton her by accident while she swam naked She had never even been kissed, until Zheres stole one froht she had discovered men for the first tio live on a mountain to escape her Watch out for the firstsooner or later"

Fists clenching, Nynaeve took a step toward her Or tried to Somehow Elayne was in between them, hands upraised

"Both of you stop it this htiness "Lini always said ’Waiting turns men into bears in a barn, and wo at one another right noill not put up with it any longer!"

To Nynaeve’s surprise, Birgitte actually blushed and y itself was the surprise Birgitte had chosen to stay close to Elayne -- there was no need for her to hide -- but after three days the heat was apparently affecting her as badly as it did Elayne For herself, Nynaeve gave the DaughterHeir her frostiest stare She had ed to ether -- she had -- but Elayne certainly had no room to talk

"Now," Elayne said, still in that icy tone, "did you have sootten how to knock?"

Nynaeve opened her entle rehter voice

"Thom and Juilin are back frolanced at her before returning to Elayne

"You did not send theriitte at her heels, before Nynaeve could say a word There was nothing for it but to follow, gru to herself Elayne had better not suddenly think she was the one giving orders Nynaeve had still not forgiven her for revealing so much to the men

The dry heat seemed even worse outside, for all the sun still sat on the canvas wall around the erie Sweat popped out on her brow before she reached the foot of the ladder, but for once she did not gried stools beside the cookfire, hair wild and coats looking as if they had rolled in the dirt A trickle of red ran fro to his scalp, down across a fan of dried blood that covered his cheek and stained one long whitestood out beside Juilin’s eye, and he held his thuhly wrapped with a bloody bandage That ridiculous conical red cap, sitting on the back of his head, appeared to have been trampled

From the noises inside the canvas walls, the horse handlers were already at work cleaning cages, and no doubt Cerandin ith her s’redit -- none of the o near theons as yet Petra was sstemmed pipe while he helped Clarine prepare their breakfast Two of the Chavanas were studying some piece of apparatus with Muelin, the contortionist, while the other pair were chatting with two of the six female acrobats Luca had hired away from Sillia Cerano’s show They clai eventhan the Chavanas One of the pair lounging in colorful silk robes with Brugh and Taeric had blue eyes and almost white hair, the other skin nearly as dark as her eyes Everyone else was already garbed for the day’s first perforauzy red and a tight reen sequins

Thom and Juilin attracted a few looks, but fortunately no one thought it necessary to co way they sat, shoulders sluround under their boots Doubtless they knew they were in for a tonguelashing that would sear their hides Nynaeve certainly