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"What was that, Nynaeve Sedai?" Naeff asked
"Nothing" Nynaeve was getting used to having the black-coated men around She did not feel an uncomfortable chill when she looked at Naeff That would be silly Saidin had been cleansed, with her own help No need to be uncomfortable Even if the Asha’ to the into the shadow of a nearby building, hand on his sword
"Careful, Nynaeve Sedai," he said "There’s another Myrddraal following us"
"You’re…certain, Naeff?"
The tall, rectangular-faced man nodded He was talented eaves--particularly Air, which was unusual for a man--and he was very polite to Aes Sedai, unlike some of the other Asha’man "Yes, I’m certain," he said "I don’t knohy I can see them and others cannot I must have a Talent for it They hide in shadows, scouts of some sort, I think They haven’t struck yet; I think they’re wary because they know I can see theh the Stone of Tear, watching the Myrddraal that only he could see His o away He’d always bear this scar Poor man At least his madness wasn’t as bad as so down the wide, paved street Buildings passed on either side, designed in Tear’s haphazard way A large atelike door sat beside an inn of only ht iron worked into the doors and s, but a butcher’s shop had been built right in thefor the All Suhborhood, which was just inside the western wall It wasn’t the richest section of Tear, but it was definitely prosperous Of course, in Tear, there was really only one division: commoner or noble Many of the nobles still considered commoners completely different--and wholly inferior--creatures
They passed some of those commoners Men in loose breeches tied at the ankles, colorful sashes at the waist Wo at the front Wide straw hats with flat tops were co to one side Many people carried clogs on a string over their shoulders to use once they returned to the Maule
The people passing Nynaeve noorried faces, so over their shoulders in fear A bubble of evil had hit the city in that direction Light send that not too many were hurt, for she didn’t have alled her to have to obey Egwene But obey she would, and leave as soon as Rand returned He’d gone so Insufferable man At least he’d taken Maidens with hi
Nynaeve quickened her step, Naeff at her side, until they were nearly running A gateould have been faster, but it wouldn’t be safe; she couldn’t be certain they wouldn’t slice into soateways, she thought Our own feet hardly seeh anyroup of nervous Defenders--wearing black coats and silvery breastplates, black and gold sleeves puffing out at the sides--stood in a line They parted for her and Naeff, and while they looked relieved that she’d arrived, they still clutched their polearms nervously
The city beyond them looked faintly…blander than it should Washed out The paving stones were a lighter shade of gray, the walls of the buildings a fainter brown or gray than they should have been
"You havefor wounded?" Nynaeve asked
One of the Defenders shook his head "We’ve been keeping people out, er, Lady Aes Sedai It’s not safe"
Most Tairens still weren’t accusto had been outlawed in the city
"Send your on will be upset if your timidity costs lives Start at the periuardsmen moved off Nynaeve turned to Naeff, and he nodded She turned and took a step into the affected section of town When her foot hit the paving stone, the stone turned to dust Her foot sank through the shattered paving stone and hit packed earth
She looked down, feeling a chill She continued forward, and the stones fell to powder as she touched the a trail of powdered rock behind
The building was an inn with nice balconies on the second floor, delicate ironwork patterns on the glass s, and a darkly stained porch The door was open, and as she lifted her foot up to step onto the low porch, the boards also turned to powder She froze, looking down Naeff stepped up beside her, then knelt down, pinching the dust between his fingers
"It’s soft," he said quietly, "as fine a powder as I’ve ever touched"
The air sely with the silent street Nynaeve took a deep breath, then went into the inn She had to push forward, walking with the wooden floor at her knees, the boards disintegrating as she touched theer burned People sat about the roo, thebeards oiled to a point One sat at a nearby tall table with long-legged chairs He had aale halfway to his lips He was motionless, his rih little seemed to surprise or unsettle Asha’rabbed his arht in front of hiht ahead of theround fell away He’d been about to step into the inn’s cellar
"Light," Naeff said, stepping back He knelt down, then tapped the board in front of hi down into the dark cellar below
Nynaeve wove Spirit, Air and Water to Delve theat the chair near her Normally she would touch someone to Delve them, but she hesitated this time It would ithout touch, but would not be as effective for Healing
Her Delving found nothing No life, no sense that he had ever been alive His body wasn’t even flesh With a sinking feeling, she Delved other people in the darkened roo breakfast toward three Andoran merchants A corpulent innkeeper, whobetween the close-set tables A wo in the very back of the room, pri