Page 76 (1/1)

He drew rein, stopping his horse dead The others did the saht ahead and cursed softly, bitterly

Wolves would kill men, but men were not a preferred prey Wolves res tasted bad, for another Wolves were more particular about their food than he would have believed They would not eat carrion, unless they were starving, and feould kill more than they could eat What Perrin felt froust And there were the ies He could see them much more clearly than he wished Bodies, men and women and children, heaped and tumbled about Bloodsoaked earth churned by hooves and frenzied atte, their white wings stained red; bloody, featherless heads tearing and gorging He broke loose before his stomach emptied itself

Above some trees in the far distance he could just ain Vultures fighting over theirbad up there" He sed,theet close enough to look at that But they’ll want to investigate once they can see the vultures I have to tell theh so they’ll circle around "The people froeI think the Trollocs killed the quietly, and some of the other Shienarans muttered to themselves None of thetar said he was a sniffer, and sniffers could star said

Mat turned his horse eagerly "Maybe it’s Rand I kneouldn’t run out on me"

Thin, scattered puffs of dust rose to the north; a horse was running across patches where the grass grew thin The Shienarans spread out, lances ready, watching in all directions It was no place to be casual about a stranger

A speck appeared -- a horse and rider; a wo before anyone else could discern the rider -- and quickly drew closer She slowed to a trot as she ca woman, with her cloak tied behind her saddle, who blinked at theuely

"That’s one of the Aes Sedai," Mat said disappointedly "I recognize her Verin"

"Verin Sedai," Ingtar said sharply, then bowed to her frotar," Verin announced with a satisfied sallop I’ve had I thought I e, of course? Oh, that was very nasty, wasn’t it? And that Myrddraal There were ravens and crows all over the rooftops, but never a one went near it, dead as it was I had to wave away the Dark One’s oeight in flies, though, before I could make out what it was A shame I did not have time to take it down I’ve never had a chance to study a --" Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and the absent tar griht, without a trace Hiier, Lord Ingtar? And your sniffer ith hiaped at her, and she snorted "Did you think you could keep soain "Sniffers Vanished, you say?"

"Yes, Verin Sedai" Ingtar sounded unsettled It was never easy discovering Aes Sedai knew the secrets you were trying to keep from them; Perrin hoped Moiraine had not told anyone about hiestured to Perrin "This man seems to have the ability, also I will find the Horn of Valere, as I swore to, have no fear Your company will be welcome, Aes Sedai, if you wish to ride with us" To Perrin’s surprise, he did not sound as if he entirely lanced at Perrin, and he shifted uneasily "A new sniffer, just when you lose your old one Howprovidential You found no tracks? No, of course not You said no trace Odd Last night" She twisted in her saddle, looking back north, and for ato ride back the way she had cotar frowned at her "You think their disappearance has so to do with the Horn, Aes Sedai?"

Verin settled back "The Horn? No No, Ithink not But it is odd Very odd I do not like odd things until I can understand them"

"I can have two men escort you back to where they disappeared, Verin Sedai They will have no trouble taking you right to it"

"No If you say they vanished without a trace " For a long tar, her face unreadable "I will ride with you Perhaps ill find thetar Tellhe did, everything he said"

They started off in a jingle of harness and ar hiave Perrin a look when he tried to maintain his place, and he fell back

"It’s Rand she’s after," Mat murotten to, Rand, stay there It’s safer than here

Chapter 15

(HeronMark Sword Hilt)

Kinslayer

The way the strangely faded distant hills seeht at them made his head spin, unless he wrapped himself in the void Sometimes the emptiness crept up on him unawares, but he avoided it like death Better to be dizzy than share the void with that uneasy light Better by far to stare at the faded land Still, he tried not to look at anything too far away unless it lay right ahead of the the trail, as if he were trying to ignore the land the trail crossed When the sniffer did notice what lay around theive a start and wipe his hands on his coat, then push his nose forward like a hound, eyes glazing, excluding everything else Loial rode slulanced around, ears twitching uneasily, ain they crossed land blackened and burned, even the soil crunching under the horses’ hooves as if it had been seared The burned swathes, sometimes a mile wide, sometiht as an arrow’s flight Twice Rand saw the end of a burn, once as they rode over it, once as they passed nearby; they tapered to points at the ends At least, the ends he saere so, but he suspect