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The man squinted in the darkness "You!" he said, voice nearly a squeak

Mat groaned "Blood and bloody ashes! Can’t I go anywhere without--"

He cut off as the ht Mat cursed, and snapped his scarf in front of hiut, and Mat quickly twisted his hands, tying the assassin’s dagger in lengths of cloth

The man yelped, and Mat released the scarf and pulled out a pair of knives, one in each hand, releasing them by reflex They took the assassin in the eyes One in each eye Light! Mat had not been ai stones

Mat stood breathing in and out "Mother’s rabbed his quarterstaff, glancing about hiloomy street was empty "I rescued you I rescued you, and you try to stab rimly certain what he would find, he fished in the old coins--and a folded-up piece of paper Moonlight revealed Mat’s face on it He crinkled the paper and shoved it in his pocket

One in each bloody eye Better than the rabbed his knives, then walked out onto the street, wishing he had left the assassin to his fate

Birgitte folded her ar as Elayne sat enjoying an evening presentation of "players" Groups like this--acting out stories--had beco to achieve the same success in Andor One of the palace halls, where bards performed, had been adapted to allow the players to act out their stories

Birgitte shook her head What was the good of acting out fake stories? Why not go live a few stories of your own? Besides, she’d prefer a bard any day Hopefully this fashion of seeing "players" would die quickly

This particular story was a retelling of the tragic e and death of the Princess Walishen, slain by beasts of the Shadow Birgitte was familiar with the ballad that the players had adapted to for the perfored over the years Some different names, a few different notes, but the same overall

Much like her own lives Repeated over and over, but with little variations Sometimes she was a soldier Someti She’d been a general once or twice, unfortunately She’d rather leave that particular job for souard, a noble thief, a lady, a peasant, a killer and a savior But she had never before been a Warder The unfamiliarity didn’t bother her; in e of what had come before What she could draw froht to thoseeach tiht! If she couldn’t be with Gaidal this time around, couldn’t she at least remember him? It was as if the Pattern didn’t knohat to do with her She’d been forced into this life, shoving other threads aside, taking an unexpected place The Pattern was trying to weave her in What would happen when all of theup as an adult with no history? The thought terrified her as no battlefield ever had

She nodded to one of her Guardswomen, Kaila Bent, who passed by the back row of the itte asked, stepping around the corner to speak with Kaila

"Nothing to report," Kaila said "All is well" She was a lanky firehaired wo the trousers and coat of a Guardswo to suffer through The Death of Princess Walishen"

"Stop co a wince as the diva--so the players called her--began a particularly shrill aria--so they called a song by yourself Why did the players need soin the rain"

"I could?" Kaila asked, sounding eager "Why didn’t you say so sooner? Maybe I’ll get struck by lightning That itte snorted "Get back to your rounds"

Kaila saluted and left Birgitte tuned back into the theater, leaning against the pillar Perhaps she should have brought solanced over at Elayne The Queen sat with a calitte felt uard How did you protect a woman who seemed, at times, so determined to see herself dead?

And yet, Elayne was also so very capable Like tonight; she’d somehow convinced her most bitter rival to attend this play That was Ellorien sitting over in the eastern row; the wo froitte hadn’t expected her to return unless she was in chains Yet here she was It whispered of a political maneuver by Elayne that was thirteen steps itte had a mind for

She shook her head Elayne was a queen Volatility and all She’d be good for Andor Assu lopped off its neck

After soain Birgitte stood up straight, curious at the woman’s quick pace "What?" she asked quietly

"You looked bored," Kaila whispered, "so I thought I’d bring this to you Disturbance at the Plurounds "So for scraps? Or a spy for one of the lordlings, hoping to listen in?"

"I don’t know," Kaila said "I heard the news thirdhand from Calison as we passed on patrol He said the Guardslanced to the side It looked like another solo was about to begin "You have coo stretchitte chuckled, leaving the theater and stepping into a white-and-red palace hallway Though she had Guardswoitte herself carried a sword, for an assassination attempt would most likely turn to