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He swung at a log, a glancing blow that knocked it to the side He repositioned and continued, Gaul’s quiet sharpening soothing hi, maybe too much That was true

But at the sa done, he had to work on one project until it was complete Perrin had known , and their farms were a mess He couldn’t live like that

There had to be a balance Perrin had claimed he had been pulled into a world filled with probleer than he was He had clai? What if he was a complex man who had once happened to live a simple life? After all, if he was so simple, why had he fallen in love with such a co up Perrin bent down, gathering up quarters, their grain rough against his fingers Callused fingers; he would never be a lord like those milk-fed creatures from Cairhien But there were other kinds of lords, men like Faile’s own father Or men like Lan, who seemed more weapon thanthe wolves in his dream, but wolves didn’t expect you to protect them, or to provide for them, or to make laws for them They didn’t cry to you when their loved ones died beneath your command

It wasn’t the leadership that worried his that ca With his loamy, natural earthen scent he smelled like a wolf Al up Perrin heard Gaul rustling, slipping his spear back into its place on his bowcase, then withdraith the silence of a sparrow streaking off into the sky He would stay close, but would not listen in

Perrin looked up at the dark sky, resting the axe on his shoulder "So the day"

Elyas smiled Perrin didn’t see it, but he could smell the amusement

"Did you ever try to avoid it, Elyas?" Perrin asked "Ignore their voices, pretend that nothing about you had changed?"

"I did," Elyas said He had a soft low voice, one that soested the earth in motion Distant ruentle me I had to flee"

"Do you ed--Perrin could hear the ainst itself "No Warder wants to abandon his duty Sos areI don’t regret my choices"

"I can’t leave, Elyas I won’t"

"I left my life for the wolves That doesn’t mean you have to"

"Noam had to," Perrin said

"Did he have to?" Elyas said

"It consuht a scent of worry Elyas had no answers

"Do you ever visit wolves in your dreams, Elyas?" Perrin asked "A place where dead wolves run and live again?"

Elyas turned, eyeing hierous, Perrin It’s another world, although tied to this one soo there"

"And other people, too," Perrin said, thinking of Slayer

"Be careful in the dream I stay away from it" His scent ary