rj.acrownofswords-第52节

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　I'm　sure　Elaida　has　some　nasty　surprise　hidden　behind　her　skirts；　but　we　don't。〃　She　would　see　to　that；　if　anyone　had　different　notions。　Somehow；　she　would。　〃Promise　me？〃
　　　They　passed　unreadable　looks　back　and　forth。　They　could　not　like　the　idea　of　letting　a　sister　near　Rand；　certainly　not　unhindered。　Doubtless　one　of　them　would　contrive　to　be　present　whenever　Merana　was；　but　she　could　live　with　that　so　long　as　they　did　not　hinder　too　much。
　　　〃I　promise；　Egwene　al'Vere；〃　Amys　said　finally；　in　a　voice　flat　as　worked　stone。
　　　Probably　she　was　offended　that　Egwene　had　required　a　pledge；　but　Egwene　felt　as　though　a　weight　had　lifted。　Two　weights。　Rand　and　Merana　were　not　at　each　other's　throats；　and　Merana　would　have　a　chance　to　do　what　she　had　been　sent　to　do。　〃I　knew　I'd　have　the　unvarnished　truth　from　you；　Amys。　I　can't　tell　you　how　glad　I　am　to　hear　it。　If　anything　were　wrong　between　Rand　and　Merana。。。　Thank　you。〃
　　　Startled；　she　blinked。　For　an　instant；　Amys　wore　cadin'sor。　She　made　some　sort　of　small　gesture；　too。　Maiden　handtalk；　perhaps。　Neither　Bair　nor　Melaine；　sipping　their　tea；　gave　any　sign　that　they　had　noticed。　Amys　must　have　been　wishing　she　were　somewhere　else；　away　from　the　tangle　Rand　had　made　of　everybody's　life。　It　would　be　embarrassing；　shaming；　for　a　Wise　One　dream…walker　to　lose　control　of　herself　in　Tel'aran'rhiod　even　for　an　instant。　To　the　Aiel；　shame　hurt　far　worse　than　pain；　but　it　had　to　be　witnessed　to　be　shame。　If　it　was　not　seen；　or　those　who　saw　refused　to　admit　it；　then　it　might　as　well　never　have　happened。　A　strange　people；　but　she　certainly　did　not　want　to　shame　Amys。　posing　her　face；　she　went　on　as　if　nothing　had　happened。
　　　〃I　must　ask　a　favor。　An　important　favor。　Don't　tell　Rand　…　or　anybody　…　about　me。　About　this；　I　mean　to　say。〃　She　lifted　an　end　of　her　stole。　Their　faces　made　an　Aes　Sedai's　best　calm　look　maniacal。　Stone　was　not　in　it。　〃I　don't　mean　lie；〃　she　added　hastily。　Under　ji'e'toh；　asking　someone　to　lie　was　little　better　than　telling　one　yourself。　〃Just　don't　bring　it　up。　He's　already　sent　somebody　to　'rescue'　me。〃　And　won't　he　be　furious　when　he　finds　out　I　shuffled　Mat　off　to　Ebou　Dar　with　Nynaeve　and　Elayne；　she　thought。　She　had　had　to　do　it；　though。　〃I　don't　need　rescuing；　and　I　don't　want　it；　but　he　thinks　he　knows　better　than　everybody。　I'm　afraid　he　might　e　hunting　for　me　himself。〃　Which　frightened　her　more　…　that　he　might　appear　in　the　camp　alone；　raging；　with　three　hundred　or　so　Aes　Sedai　around　him？　Or　that　he　might　e　with　some　of　the　Asha'man？　Either　way；　a　disaster。
　　　〃That　would　be。。。　unfortunate；〃　Melaine　murmured；　though　she　was　seldom　one　for　understatement；　and　Bair　muttered；　〃The　Car'a'carn　is　headstrong。　As　bad　as　any　man　I　have　ever　known。　And　a　few　women；　for　that　matter。〃
　　　〃We　will　hold　your　confidence　close；　Egwene　al'Vere；〃　Amys　said　gravely。
　　　Egwene　blinked　at　the　quick　agreement。　But　perhaps　it　was　not　so　surprising。　To　them；　the　Car'a'carn　was　only　another　chief；　just　more　so；　and　Wise　Ones　had　certainly　been　known　to　keep　things　from　a　chief　they　thought　he　should　not　know。
　　　After　that　there　was　not　much　to　say；　though　they　talked　a　while　longer　over　more　cups　of　tea。　She　longed　for　a　lesson　in　walking　the　dream；　but　could　not　ask　with　Amys　there。　Amys　would　go；　and　she　wanted　her　pany　more　than　learning。　The　closest　the　Wise　Ones　came　to　telling　her　anything　Rand　was　actually　doing　was　when　Melaine　grumbled　that　he　should　finish　the　Shaido　and　Sevanna　now；　and　both　Bair　and　Amys　frowned　at　her　so；　she　turned　bright　red。　After　all；　Sevanna　was　a　Wise　One；　as　Egwene　knew　quite　bitterly。　Not　even　the　Car'a'carn　would　be　allowed　to　interfere　with　even　a　Shaido　Wise　One。　And　she　could　not　give　them　details　of　her　own　circumstances。　That　they　had　leaped　right　to　the　most　shaming　part　did　nothing　to　lessen　the　shame　she　would　feel　talking　about　it　…　it　was　very　hard　not　to　drop　back　into　behaving；　even　thinking；　as　the　Aiel　did　when　she　was　around　them；　for　that　matter；　she　thought　it　might　have　shamed　her　had　she　never　met　an　Aiel　…　and　the　only　sort　of　advice　they　had　about　dealing　with　Aes　Sedai　lately　was　of　a　nature　that　Elaida　herself　would　not　try　to　follow。　An　Aes　Sedai　riot；　unlikely　as　it　sounded；　might　result。　Worse；　they　already　thought　badly　enough　of　Aes　Sedai　without　her　adding　wood　to　the　fire。　Some　day　she　wanted　to　forge　a　link　between　the　Wise　Ones　and　the　White　Tower；　but　that　would　never　happen　unless　she　managed　to　dampen　that　fire　down。　Another　thing　she　had　no　idea　how　to　do；　as　yet。
　　　〃I　must　go；〃　she　said　at　last；　standing。　Her　body　lay　asleep　in　her　tent；　but　there　was　never　quite　enough　rest　in　sleep　while　you　were　in　Tel'aran'rhiod。　The　others　rose　with　her。　〃I　hope　you　will　all　be　very　careful。　Moghedien　hates　me；　and　she　would　certainly　try　to　hurt　anyone　who's　my　friend。　She　knows　a　great　deal　about　the　World　of　Dreams。　At　least　as　much　as　Lanfear　did。〃　That　was　as　close　as　she　could　e　to　warning　them　without　saying　right　out　that　Moghedien　might　know　more　than　they。　Aiel　pride　could　be　prickly。　They　took　her　meaning；　though；　and　without　offense。
　　　〃If　the　Shadowsouled　meant　to　threaten　us〃　Melaine　said；　〃I　think　they　would　have　by　now。　Perhaps　they　believe　we　are　no　threat　to　them。〃
　　　〃We　have　glimpsed　those　who　must　be　dreamwalkers；　including　men。〃　Bair　shook　her　head　incredulously；　no　matter　what　she　knew　about　the　Forsaken；　she　considered　male　dreamwalkers　about　as　mon　as　legs　on　snakes。　〃They　avoid　us。　All　of　them。〃
　　　〃I　think　we　are　as　strong　as　they；〃　Amys　added。　In　the　One　Power；　she　and　Melaine　were　no　stronger　than　Theodrin　and　Faolain　…　far　from　weak；　indeed　stronger　than　most　Aes　Sedai；　but　far　from　a　Forsaken's　strength；　too　…　yet　in　the　World　of　Dreams；　knowledge　of　Tel'aran'rhiod　was　often　as　powerful　as　saidar；　more　at　times。　Here；　Bair　was　the　equal　of　any　sister。　〃But　we　will　take　care。　It　is　the　enemy　you　underestimate　who　kills　you。〃
　　　Egwene　took　Amys'　hand　and　Melaine's；　and　would　have　Bair's　had　there　been　a　way。　Instead；　she　included　her　with　a　smile。　〃I'll　never　be　able　to　tell　you　what　your　friendship　means　to　me；　what　you　mean　to　me。〃　Despite　everything；　that　was　simple　truth。　〃The　whole　world　seems　to　be　changing　every　time　I　blink。　You　three　are　one　of　the　few　firm　spots　in　it。〃
　　　〃The　world　does　change；〃　Amys　said；　sadly。　〃Even　mountains　are　worn　away　by　the　wind；　and　no　one　can　climb　the　same　hill　twice。　I　hope　we　will　always　be　friends　in　your　eyes；　Egwene　al'Vere。　May　you　always　find　water　and　shade。〃　And　with　that；　they　were　gone；　back　to　their　own　bodies。
　　　For　a　time　she　stood　frowning　at　Callandor　but　not　seeing　it；　until　suddenly　she　gave　herself　an　exasperated　shake。　She　had　been　thinking　about　that　endless　field　of　stars。　If　she　waited　there　long；　Gawyn's　dream　would　find　her　again；　swallow　her　the　way　his　arms　would　shortly　thereafter。　A　pleasant　way　to　spend　the　rest　of　the　night。　And　a　childish　waste　of　time。
　　　Firmly　she　made　herself　step　back　to　her　sleeping　body；　but　not　to　ordinary　sleep。　She　never　did　that　anymore。　That　one　corner　of　her　brain　remained　fully　aware；　cataloging　her　dreams；　filing　away　those　that　foretold　the　future；　or　at　any　rate　gave　glimpses　of　the　possible　course　it　might　take。　At　least　she　could　tell　that　much　now；　though　the　only　one　she　had　been　able　to　interpret　so　far　was　the　dream　that　told　of　Gawyn　being　her　Warder。　Aes　Sedai　called　this　Dreaming；　and　the　women　who　could　do　it　Dreamers；　all　long　dead　but　her；　yet　it　had　no　more　to　do　with　the　One　Power　than　dreamwalking　did。
　　　Perhaps　it　was　inevitable　she　should　dream　first　of　Gawyn；　because　she　had　been　thinking　of　him。
　　　She　stood　in　a　vast；　dim　chamber　where　everything　was　indistinct。　Everything　except　Gawyn；　slowly　ing　toward　her。　A　tall；　beautiful　man　…　had　she　ever　thought　his　half…brother　Galad　was　more　beautiful？　…　with　golden　hair　and　eyes　of　the　most　wonderful　deep　blue。　He　had　some　distance　to　cover　yet；　but　he　could　see　her；　his　gaze　was　fixed　on　her　like　an　archer's　on　the　target。　A　faint　sound　of　crunching　and　grating　hung　in　the　air。　She　looked　down。　And　felt　a　scream　building　in　her。　On　bare　feet；　Gawyn　walked　across　a　floor　of　broken　glass；　shards　breaking　at　every　slow　step。　Even　in　that　faint　light　she　could　see　the　trail　of　blood　left　by　his　slashed　feet。　She　flung　out　a　hand；　tried　to　shout　for　him　to　stop；　tried　to　run　to　him；　but　just　that　quickly　she　was　elsewhere。
　　　In　the　way　of　dreams　she　floated　above　a　long；　straight　road　across　a　grassy　plain；　looking　down　upon　a　man　riding　a　black　stallion。　Gawyn。　Then　she　was　standing　in　the　road　in　front　of　him；　and　he　reined　in。　Not　because　he　saw　her；　this　time；　but　the　road　that　had　been　straight　now　forked　right　where　she　stood；　running　over　tall　hills　so　no　one　could　see　what　lay　beyond。　She　knew；　though。　Down　one　fork　was　his　violent　death；　down　the　other；　a　long　life　and　a　death　in　bed。　On　one　path；　he　would　marry　her；　on　the　other；　not。　She　knew　what　lay　ahead；　but　not　which　way　led　to　which。　Suddenly　he　did　see　her；　or　seemed　to；　and　smiled；　and　turned　his　horse　along　one　of　the　forks。。。　And　she　was　in　another　dream。　And　another。　Another。