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He sht, of course I’ll contact theht of the world itself is on your shoulders Let ements"

"Very well," she said She stepped outside, where Silviana waited--she had one of her glowers for Gawyn Egwene sent some servants for a bed for him, then she and her Keeper

Gaould have liked to go with her There ht to send hiht He stood on unsteady legs, then noticed a line of sheet-covered bodies outside They wouldn’t be reht now, finding Mesaana--and looking for other assassins--had beenhis teeth, he forced hi Celark’s and Mazone’s lifeless faces--Celark’s, unfortunately, sitting beside his body, separated from it at the neck

"You did well, men," he said "I’ll see that your families know that you saved the life of the Aood ht about thelanced to the side, to where the three assassins lay beneath sheets of their own, black-slippered feet sticking out the bottom Tomen and a man

I wonder… he thought, then crossed to where they lay Guards glanced at him as he pulled back the sheet, but nobody forbade hih only because he’d been told what to look for Identical black stone rings, worn on the s were carved in the shape of a vine with thorns Apparently none of the Aes Sedai had recognized them for what they were, at least not yet

Gawyn slipped all three rings off, then tucked the, a distinct difference to the enoring those, and the woed More and more, he was certain that Nynaeve had taken his bond He could identify her by the way she felt How could one not know her, that sense of passion and kindness? It felt…remarkable

He stared down the roadway It twisted around the side of a hill before turning straight toward a distinctive fortress ahead The border between Kandor and Arafel was e fortification built on two sides of Firchon Pass It was an extremely impressive fortress--really two of theht wall of the narrow canyonlike pass Like two sides of an enor a considerable distance between large stone walls pocked with arrowslits, and it would be effective at stopping ar in either direction

They were all allies, the Borderlanders were But that didn’t stop the Arafellin fro the way up to Shol Arbela Ca of thousands of people, clustered in s of Malkier--the Golden Crane--flew over sos of Kandor or Arafel

"Which of you broke your oath?" Lan asked, looking back at the caravan

The men there shook their heads

"Nobody needed to break his oath," Andere said "What else would you do? Cut through the Broken Lands? The Uncapped Hills? It is here or nowhere They know this And so they wait for you"

Lan growled It was probably true "We are a caravan," he said loudly "Remember, if any ask, you may ad That is truth You may not mention that you have found him"

The others seemed troubled, but they made no objection Lan led the way down the slope, their caravan of twenty wagons, warhorses and attendants following

This hat he’d alorried would happen Reclai Malkier was ie their force An assault? On the Blight? Ridiculous

He could not ask that of them He could not allow that of them As he continued down the road, he becas…they should join with the Shienaran forces and fight in a battle that hter than a feather… Raki their ride He had followed Lan decades ago, during the Aiel War Duty is heavier than atoward it Still, sight of the camps stirred his heart as he reached the botto arb, hadori in place, women marked with a ki’sain on their foreheads Some of the men wore coats with the Golden Crown on the shoulders--the uard of Malkier They would have donned those only if their fathers or grandfathers had served in that guard

It was a sight that would have one as a people, broken, shattered, absorbed by other nations Yet here they were, gathering at the faintest whisper of a call to ardom fell, and those who rehth decade They had gray hair, but they were still warriors, and they’d brought their sons and grandsons

"Tai’shar Malkier!" a roup passed The call went up a dozen, two dozen tinize him for who he was They assumed that he had come for the reason they had coht Must I deny theside nized He kept his eyes forward, his hand on his sword, his mouth closed But each call of Tai’shar Malkier then hiates between the two fortress keeps were open, though soldiers checked every h Lan halted Mandarb, and his people stopped behind him Could the Arafellin have orders to watch for hi around would take weeks His caravan waited its turn, then stepped up to the guard post

"Purpose?" asked the uniformed A