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Co in his vision I can feel it starting

Mat stood with Thoh the trees at the spire ahead A trickling, led behind therassy plain spread behind therand river itself

Had he passed this way before? So mented And yet, this tower remained clear in his oth had not been able to excise it from his mind

The tower looked to be of pure ht Mat felt an iciness between his shoulder blades Many travelers along the river thought it soends What else did you ly uninhabited? It was as unnatural and out of place as the twisted red doorere Those warped the eyes to look at them

The forest felt too still here, quiet save for the footsteps of the three Noal walked with a long staff, taller than he was Where had he gotten it? It had that smooth, oiled look of wood that had spent inally had as a tree Noal had also put on a dark blue--nearly black--pair of trousers and a shirt that was of an odd, unknown style The shoulders were stiffer than the cuts Mat was fa almost all the way down to Noal’s knees It buttoned to the waist, then split at the legs Strange indeed The old man never would answer questions about his past

Thoood to see hiain, rather than the frilly court bard apparel The patchwork cloak, the siht breeches tucked into boots When Mat had asked about the choice, Tho, "It feels like what I should wear if I’ to see her"

"Her" meant Moiraine But what had the snakes and foxes done to her? It had been so long, but burn hi to let another hour pass He had chosen clothing of forest greens and earthy browns, along with a deep brown cloak He carried his pack slung over one arm and his ashandarei in his hand He had practiced with the new iron counterweight on the butt, and was pleased

The Eelfinn had given him the weapon Well, if they dared stand between him and Moiraine, then they would see what he could do with their gift Burn him, but they would

The three le opening anywhere on its two-hundred-foot-tall height Not a , not a sea disoriented as he stared along its glearay sky Did the tower reflect too ave a single nod

Hesitating only briefly, Thom slid a bronze knife froainst the tower He grile, about a palainsta wavy line through the center, as one did at the start of any galanced at Thoht?"

"I think so," Thoaht appeared on the tower front Mat ju lines for the one that Thos--the steel in the center of the triangle vanished

Noal eyed the palh" He stepped up to it and looked through "Nothing but darkness on the other side"