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"Why on earth not?"

"He’d take advantage," Siuan said darkly "Oh, not that I don’t think that" She was quite prudish in some areas "But thehis s his boots and his saddle every day was not?

Egwene sighed How could such a sensible, intelligent, capable woman turn into a scatterbrain over this one subject? Like a hissing viper, an i on Gawyn’s knee playing kissing games In a tavern! She shoved it away, hard "Siuan, I need your experience I need your brain I can’t afford to have you halfwitted because of Lord Bryne If you can’t pull yourself together, I’ll pay him what you owe, and forbid you to see him I will"

"I said I’d work off the debt," Siuan said stubbornly "I have as much honor as Lord Gareth bloody Bryne! As much and more! He keeps his word, and I keep mine! Besides, Min toldlike that" A pinkness in her cheeks gave her away, though Her honor and Min’s viewing notwithstanding, she was si to be near the man!

"Very well You’re besotted, and if I tell you to stay away from him, you’ll either disobey or mope and wrap the rest of your brains in a cloud What are you going to do about hinantly, Siuan went on for so what she would like to do about Gareth bloody Bryne He would have enjoyed none of it Soly "You deny one ive him the money"

Siuan pouted sullenly She pouted! Sullenly! Siuan! "I don’t have ti for you and hiht, I’ll have twice as much to do Besides " Her face fell, and she shifted on the stool "What if he doesn’t return s?" she muttered "He’s never even tried to kiss wene scraped her spoon through her bowl, and was surprised when it ca reht, her middle still felt hollow She eyed Siuan’s bowl hopefully; the wo circles in the lentils

A sudden thought occurred to her Why had Lord Bryne insisted that Siuan work off her debt even after learning who she was? Just because she had said she would? It was a preposterous arrange else would have For that reed to build the arood chance he was laying his head on the chopping block And why he had offered that arirl A the sisters except Siuan, as far as he knew? Could the answer to all of those questions be as simple as he loved Siuan? No; hty, but that was truly preposterous! Still, she offered the suggestion, if only to aht cheer her a little

Siuan snorted in disbelief It sounded odd, co from that pretty face, but no one could put quite so much expression into a snort as she did "He’s not a total idiot," she said dryly "In fact, he has a good head on his shoulders He thinks like a woman, most of the tihten up, Siuan," Egwene persisted "You have to, one way or another"

"Well, of course I will I don’t knohat’s been the matter with me It isn’t as if I never kissed a wene to challenge her on that "I haven’t spentaboutinto her bowl, she seemed to realize for the first ti with it at Egwene "You have to be careful of your tirabs the tiller, you’ll never get your hands on it"

Ridiculous or not, so certainly had restored Siuan’s appetite She went through her stew faster than Egwene had hers, and not a cruwene found that she had drawn her fingers through her own e for it then but to lick off the last few lentils, of course

Discussing as to happen tonight served no real point They had honed and refined what Egas to say, and when, so many times that she was surprised she had not dreamed of it She certainly could have done her part in her sleep Siuan insisted anyway, skirting very near the point where Egould have to call her down, going over it again and again, bringing up possibilities they had discussed before a hundred tiood mood She even essayed a little huallows side

"You know Romanda wanted to be Amyrlin herself once," she said at one point "I’ve heard it was Ta the stole and staff that ull with her tail feathers clipped I’ll lay a silver e twice as much as Lelaine’s"

And later "I wish I could be there to hear theer, and I’d rather it was the" She actually sang a little snatch about staring across the river at a boy and having no boat She was right; her voice was pleasant in its fashion, but she could not carry a tune in a bucket

And later still "A good thing I have such a sweet face now If this goes badly, they’ll dress the pair of us for dolls and sit us on a shelf to adet broken Gareth Bryne will have to find sowene felt considerable relief when the tentflap bulged inward briefly, announcing soh not to enter where there was a ward She really did not want to hear where Siuan’s humor went from there!

As soon as she released the ward, Sheriam stepped inside, accompanied by a rush of air that seemed ten ti is ready" Her tilted eyes ide, and she licked her lips w