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Geofra at the head of his men, wondered what it was all about He remembered too well his intervieith Pedron Niall, Lord Captain Coht, in Amador, but he had learned little there

"We are alone, Geofram," the whitehaired e "I reo, it htened "My Lord Captain Commander, may I ask why I was called back froase could be toppled There are Houses in Andor that see dealing with Tar Valon as we do, and they were ready to lay claie, but he seehterHeir to Tar Valon I would not be surprised to learn the irl, or even attacked Tar Valon " And Dain, Bornhald’s son, had arrived just before Bornhald was recalled Dain was full of zeal Too h to fall in blindly hatever Valda proposed

"Valda walks in the Light, Geofra the Children You will asseion, the bestany eyes attached to a tongue that ue must be silenced, if the eyes see"

Bornhald hesitated Fifty Children together, or even a hundred, could enter any land without question, at least without open question, but an entire legion "Is it war, my Lord Captain Commander? There is talk in the streets Wild ru’s ar"

"Does not command the Children, Lord Captain Bornhald" For the first time there was a snap in the Lord Captain Co sit in his palace and do what he does best Nothing You will be e called Alcruna, and there you will receive your final orders I expect your legion to ride in three days Now go, Geofram You have work to do"

Bornhald frowned "Pardon, my Lord Captain Co ith Tarabon?"

"You will be told what you must knohen you reach Alcruna" The Lord Captain Coe Absently he plucked at his white tunic, with the golden sunburst of the Children large on the chest "There are forces at work beyond what you know, Geofram Beyond what even you can know Choose your ht ride with you"

Now Bornhald straightened in his saddle, working a knot out of his back I aht in the saddle, with two pauses to water the horses, and he felt every gray hair on his head He would not even have noticed a few years ago At least I have not killed any innocents He could be as hard on Darkfriends as any ht -- Darkfriends must be destroyed before they pulled the whole world under the Shadow -- but he wanted to be sure they were Darkfriends first It had been difficult avoiding Taraboner eyes with so ed it No tongues had needed to be silenced

The scouts he had sent out ca back, and behind the torches to ruin the night vision of everyone at the head of the column With a muttered curse, Bornhald ordered a halt while he studied those who caolden sunburst on the breast as his, the saolden knots of rank below it equivalent to Bornhald’s But behind their sunbursts were red shepherd’s crooks Questioners With hot irons and pinchers and dripping water the Questioners pulled confession and repentance frouilt before ever they began Geofram Bornhald was one who said it

I have been sent here tofor you, Lord Captain Bornhald," the leader said in a harsh voice He was a tall, hooknosed leam of certainty in his eyes that every Questioner had "You could have made better time I am Einor Saren, second to Jaichiht in Tarabon" The Hand of the Light -- the Hand that dug out truth, so they said They did not like the nae Have your ly comfortable"

"I was told by the Lord Captain Coe has beenpacified Now move your men I command, now I have orders with the Lord Captain Corowl that rose in his throat Pacified He wondered if the bodies had been piled outside the village, or if they had been thrown into the river It would be like the Questioners, cold enough to kill an entire village for secrecy and stupid enough to throw the bodies into the river to float downstream and trumpet their deed from Alcruna to Tanchico "What I doubt is why I am in Tarabon with two thousand htened, but his voice re "It is sies across Almoth Plain with none in authority above a ht to the Light There will be many Darkfriends in such places"

Bornhald’s horse staht an entire legion across most of Tarabon in secrecy to root a few Darkfriends out of soes?"

"You are here to do as you are told, Bornhald To do the work of the Light! Or are you sliding frorimace "If battle is what you seek, you reat force on Toetherlong enough to work together If the strangers break through, you will have all the fighting you can handle The Taraboners claiers are monsters, creatures of the Dark One Soht for theers, they will have to be dealt with, too In their turn"

For a"Then the ru’s arers," Saren said flatly He sounded as if he regretted having ers, and probably Darkfriends, from wherever they came That is all we know, and all you need to know They do not concern you now We are wasting tiive you your orders in the village" He whirled his horse and galloped back the way he had come, his torchbe