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Master Gill glowered at her, and muttered under his breath when she waved sharply for him to speak "Bony old " hat Perrin heard "What happened -- the siain, but she did not appear to notice, "was that I had soard A chance to iwin along, of course, and Breane, because she won’t let hi the e hdin as we call her, and Lini, and Tallanvor And Balwer, of course On the road Near to Lugard"

"Maighdin and I were in service in Murandy," Lini put in impatiently "Until the troubles Tallanvor was an armsman to the House, and Balwer the secretary Bandits burned the manor, and our lady couldn’t afford to keep us, so we decided to travel together for protection"

"I was telling it, Lini," Master Gill gru behind his ear "The wine ard for the country, for soo into, Perrin Lord Perrin, I ive me You know there’s trouble everywhere nowadays, one kind or another Seems like every ti further frorateful for a rest And that’s the short of it"

Perrin nodded slowly That could be sih he had learned that people had a hundred reasons for lying, or just shading the truth Griht! He was becoled hiot Why on earth would Basel Gill, of all people, lie to hie and fallen on hard tis were simple

Lini’s hands were folded at her waist, but she watched with a keen eye, no little like a falcon herself, and Master Gill began fidgeting as soon as he stopped talking He seehed, e than amused "I haven’t seen so much of the world since the Aiel War, and I was considerably skinnier, then Why, we’ve been as far as Amador Of course, we left after those Seanchan took the city, but truth, they aren’t any worse than the Whitecloaks, that I could -- " He cut off as Perrin leaned forward abruptly and seized his lapel

"Seanchan, Master Gill? Are you sure of that? Or is it one of those rumors, like the Aiel, or Aes Sedai?"

"I saw the uncertain looks with Lini "And that’s what they call the ahead of us all the way from Amador These Seanchan want people to knohat they’re about Strange people, with strange creatures" His voice picked up intensity "Like Shadon Big leathery things that fly, and carryas horses, and they have three eyes I saw the the man’s coat "I’ve seen them, too" At Falme, where a thousand Whitecloaks died in end, called by the Horn of Valere, to throw the Seanchan back Rand had said they would return, but how could they have so soon? Light! If they held Amador, they had to have Tarabon as well, or most of it Only a fool killed a deer when he knew there was a wounded bear behind his back How ht away, Master Gill, but if you stay withwith hith of time was safe The Prophet, Whitecloaks, and now ood man," Lini said suddenly "I’m afraid we didn’t tell you the whole truth, and maybe we should"

"Lini, what are you saying?" Master Gill exclai to her," he told Perrin "And all the travel She has strange fancies, soet Hush, now, Lini!"

Lini slapped away the hand he was trying to put over her hdin was running fro her We all were, four days now, and near killing us and the horses both Well, it’s no wonder she doesn’t know her own mind half the time; you men snarl up a woman’s wits so she can hardly think, then you pretend you’ve done nothing at all The lot of you ought to have your ears boxed on general principle The girl’s afraid of her own heart! Those two should be aped at her, and Perrin was not sure his ownopen "I’m not certain I understand what it is you want of me," he said slowly, and the whitehaired woman leaped in before he ell finished

"Don’t pretend to be dense I won’t believe it in you for a moment I can see you have more wits thanbelieve you don’t see what’s plain under your noses" What had happened to all those curtsies? Folding thin arms across her chest, she eyed him sternly "Well, if you on of yours does whatever he wants, the way I hear Your Prophet picks out people and hdin and Tallanvor and marry them He’ll thank you, and so will she When her lanced at Master Gill, who shrugged and ivewoman, "I have so back once Lini was shaking a finger at Master Gill, berating hi for Perrin to hear what they were saying In truth, he did not want to They were all crazy!

Berelain ht have her two maids and her thiefcatchers, but Faile had her own attendants, of a sort Close on twenty young Tairens and Cairhienin were sitting crosslegged near the tent, the women in coats and breeches with swords belted on just like the er than the shoulder, andthe Aiel tail Perrin wondered where the rest were; they seldo trouble, he hoped She had taken the to keep theht knew they would have gotten into it, left back in Cairhien with a great lot of young fools just like the of them needed a swift kick in the botto at ji’e’toh, pretending to be