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Rand wove Fire and Air to s’ fall Too slow One bolt struck the shield directly above his head, shattering in a blinding glare, but others grounded themselves, and his hair lifted as the air itself seemed to hammer him down Almost he lost the weave, alh eyes still filled with coruscating light, spread the shield against bolts fro at it Ha saidin through the angreal in his pocket, he wove the shield until he was sure it must cover half of the Inner City, then tied it off As he pushed hian to return, watery and painful at first He had to ly little tily Rahvin had not cared how many of his own he took Stunned Trollocs and Myrddraal on the slope were falling to spears in the hands of Maidens, many of whom moved unsteadily themselves So the, and Pevin stood spraddlelegged, holding hiht with the red banner’s staff, his scarred face still blank as slate More Trollocs boiled through the gaps in the wall above, and the din of battle filled the streets in all directions, but it ht as well have been in another country so far as Rand was concerned

There had been more than one bolt in that first volley, but not all had been ai boots lay a dozen paces from where Mat himself sprawled on his back Tendrils of smoke rose from the black haft of his spear, too, fro out of his shirt, that had not saved hi Asnizable only from the blackened harpcase still strapped to his back And Aviendha Unmarked, she could have laid down to rest -- if she could have rested staring unblinking at the sun

Rand bent to touch her cheek Cooling already It felt Not like flesh

"RAAAAHVIIIIN!"

It startled hi fro somewhere deep in the back of his own head, the Void around hied through him He did not care if it scoured hi, tarnished everything He did not care

Three Trollocs broke past the Maidens, great spiked, axes and oddly hooked spears in hairy hands, alltoo hu there apparently unarmed The one with a boar’s tusked snout went doith Enaila’s spear through its spine Eagle’s beak and bear’s muzzle raced on toward him, one on booted feet, the other on paws

Rand felt himself smile

Fire burst froh black ateway opened right where they stood Bloody halves of burning, cleanly sliced Trolloc fell, but Rand was staring through the opening Not into blackness, but a great colue s of white in his dark hair started up in surprise froilded throne A dozen men, some dressed as lords, some in breastplates, turned to see what theirat

Rand barely noticed them "Rahvin," he said Or so ahead of hiateway close behind hi the temper that allowed her to channel a flow of Spirit to the a woman in her pouch Even the feel of unseen eyes could not touch her through her anger thisSiuan stood in front of her on a Salidar street in Tel’aran’rhiod, a street empty save for them, a few flies, and one fox that paused to look at the on

"You must concentrate," Nynaeve barked "You had more control than this the first tiirl!" Siuan’s plain blue wool dress was suddenly silk The sevenstriped stole of the Aolden serpent bit its own tail on her finger Frowning at Nynaeve, she did not seeh she had already worn the same five times today "If there’s any difficulty, it lies in that foultasting brew you fed all" Stole and ring vanished; the silk dress’s high neck plunged low enough to show the twisted stone ring, dangling between her breasts on a fine gold chain

"If you didn’t insist onto help you sleep, you wouldn’t need it" So there had been a little sheepstongue root and a few other things that were not really necessary in the ue curdled

"You can hardly teachSheriaain, surrounded by a white lace ruff, and a cap of pearls fitted close on Siuan’s hair "Or would you rather I came after them? You claim you need some sleep undisturbed"

Nynaeve quivered, fists clenched at her sides Sheriaer She and Elayne took turns bringing them to Tel’aran’rhiod two at a tiht, and even if she was the teacher they never let her forget she was Accepted and they Aes Sedai One sharp hen they made a foolish mistake Elayne had only been sent to scrub pots once, but Nynaeve’s hands were shriveled fro they were, anyway

But they were not the worst Nor was the fact that she barely had a , could be done about stilling and gentling Logain was more cooperative than Siuan and Leane in any case, or at leastit secret Or thought he did; he probably believed she would Heal him eventually No, worse than that was that Faolain had been tested and raised not Aes Sedai -- not without the Oath Rod, which was tight in the Tower -- but to so more than Accepted Faolain wore any dress she chose now, and if she could not wear the shawl or choose an Ajah, she had been given other authority Nynaeve thought she had fetched more cups of water, more books -- left deliberately, she, was sure! -- s in the last four days than she had her entire stay in the Tower Yet even Faolain was not the worst of all She did not even want to reer could have