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"He knows, Perrin I’eoncotes everywhere in Amador, and apparently the Seanchan didn’t look at them twice By this time, any merchant who has business with Amador has heard, and so has the White Tower Believe me, Rand must have, too You have to trust that he knows best In this, he does" She was not always so certain of that

"Maybe," Perrin muttered irritably He tried not to worry about Rand’s sanity, but Randin a s back, had plans he never let on

Exhaling, Perrin settled back in the chair, gulped a s of tea The truth of it was, ht a suspicion of what he was up to, or the White Tower did, they would find soive the Tower’s eyesandears less to talk about This ti that bloody banner" And the Wolfhead, too Hea lord, but he could do it without a bloody flag!

Faile’s full lips pursed judiciously, and she shook her head slightly Slipping from her chair, she knelt beside hiaze warily When she looked at him so intently, so seriously, she was about to tell hi important That, or pull the wool over his eyes and spin him around till he did not know front fro her; it was all too easy to lose himself in that, and then she would pull the wool over his eyes One thing he had learned sincewith a woh; woht want to reconsider, husband," she ain knehat he was thinking "I doubt anyone who’s seen us since we entered Ghealdan knehat the Red Eagle is Around a town the size of Bethal, soer we have to hunt for Mase that was all the et rid of the banner Faile was no fool, and she thought much faster than he "Then why keep it," he asked slowly, "when all it’ll do is draw eyes to the idiot everybody will think is trying to pull Manetheren out of the grave?" Men had tried that in the past, and women, too; the name of Manetheren carried powerful memories, and it was convenient for anyone anted to start a rebellion

"Because it will draw eyes" She leaned toward hiain Lesser folk will set you as soon as you do As for the greater, they’ve too ht now to look twice unless you pinch their noses Compared to the Seanchan, or the Prophet, or the Whitecloaks, ato raise Manetheren is small turnips And I think it’s safe to say the Toon’t look twice either, not now" Her sht in her eyes said she was about topoint "Butelse" Abruptly her sainst his nose, hard "And don’t call yourself an idiot, Perrin t’Bashere Aybara Not even sideways, like that You aren’t, and I do not like it" Her scent was tiny spikes, not true anger but definitely displeased

Quicksilver A kingfisher flashing by faster than thought Certainly faster than his thoughts It would never have occurred to hirantly But he could see the sense It was like concealing the fact that you were a ht work

Chuckling, he kissed her fingertip "The banner stays," he said He supposed that meant the Wolfhead did, too Blood and bloody ashes! "Alliandre has to know the truth, though If she thinks Randof Manetheren and take her lands"

Faile rose so suddenly, turning away, that he was afraid he hadup the Queen Alliandre could lead to Berelain all too easily, and Faile smelled prickly Wary But what she said, over her shoulder, was "Alliandre won’t be a bit of trouble for Perrin Goldeneyes That bird’s as good as netted, husband, so it’s tiracefully beside a sainst the tent wall, the only chest without draperies, she lifted the lid and began reht about Alliandre, because he did not knohat to do if she rong If only he were half what she thought him Alliandre was a netted bird, the Seanchan would fall over like dolls for Perrin Goldeneyes, and he would snatch up the Prophet and take him to Rand if Masema had ten thousand men around him Not for the first tier hurt and confused him, it was her disappointment he feared If he ever saw that in her eyes, it would rip the heart out of his chest

He knelt beside her and helped her spread out the largestthe south of Ghealdan and the north of Ah Masema’s name would leap off the parchment at him He had more reason than Rand to want to succeed Whatever else, he could not fail Faile

Faile lay in the darkness, listening until she was sure that Perrin’s breath had the deep rhythm of sleep, then slipped out from the blankets they shared Rueful ahtdress up over her head Did he really think she would not find out that he had hidden the bed deep in a copse oneloaded? Not that she reat deal, at least She was sure she had slept on the ground as often as he She had pretended surprise, of course, and ized, perhaps even gone back to fetch the bed Managing a husband was an art, so her mother said Had Deira ni Ghaline ever found it so difficult?

Scuffing her bare feet into slippers, she shrugged into a silk robe, then hesitated, looking down at Perrin He would be able to see her clearly, if he woke, but to her, he was just a shadowed mound She wished her mother were there, now, to advise her She loved Perrin with every fiber of her being, and he confused every fiber Actually understanding men was irown up with He never swaggered, and instead of laughing at himself, he was modest She had not believed a man could be modest! He insisted that only chance had made him a leader, claimed he did not kno to lead, when men who met him were ready to follow after an hour He dis thoughts saw so deeply that she had to dance ato keep any secrets at all He was a wonderful , she tiptoed from the tent His ears had cause