rj.acrownofswords-第66节

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h　a　sort　of　neighborliness　in　a　way　Egwene　found　refreshing。　Startling；　sometimes；　but　enlivening。　Even　Chesa　did　not　do　better；　but　Chesa　was　always　the　servant；　even　if　friendly；　while　Halima　never　showed　the　slightest　obsequiousness。　Yet　Egwene　really　did　wish　she　had　gone　back　to　her　home　when　Cabriana　fell　from　that　horse　and　broke　her　neck。
　　　It　might　have　been　useful　had　the　sisters　accepted　Cabriana's　belief　that　Elaida　intended　to　still　half　of　them　and　break　the　rest；　but　everyone　was　sure　Halima　had　garbled　that　somehow。　It　was　the　Black　Ajah　they　latched　on　to。　Women　unused　to　being　afraid　of　anything　had　taken　what　they　had　always　denied　and　terrified　themselves　half…witless　with　it　How　was　she　to　root　the　Darkfriends　out　without　scattering　the　other　sisters　like　a　frightened　covey　of　quail？　How　to　stop　them　scattering　sooner　or　later　anyway？　Light；　how？
　　　〃Think　on　looseness；〃　Halima　said　softly。　〃Your　face　is　loose。　Your　neck　is　loose。　Your　shoulders。。。　〃　Her　voice　was　almost　hypnotic；　a　drone　that　seemed　to　caress　each　part　of　Egwene's　body　she　wanted　to　relax。
　　　Some　women　disliked　her　just　for　the　way　she　looked；　of　course；　as　though　a　particularly　lascivious　man　had　dreamed　her；　and　a　good　many　claimed　she　flirted　with　anything　in　breeches；　which　Egwene　could　not　have　approved　of；　but　Halima　admitted　she　liked　looking　at　men。　Her　worst　critics　never　claimed　she　had　done　more　than　flirt；　and　she　herself　became　indignant　at　the　suggestion。　She　was　no　fool　…　Egwene　had　known　that　at　their　first　conversation；　the　day　after　Logain　escaped；　when　the　headaches　had　begun　…　not　at　all　the　brainless　flipskirt。　Egwene　suspected　it　was　much　as　with　Meri。　Halima　could　not　help　her　face　or　her　manner。　Her　smile　seemed　inviting　or　teasing　because　of　the　shape　of　her　mouth；　she　smiled　the　same　at　man　or　woman　or　child。　It　was　hardly　her　fault　that　people　thought　she　was　flirting　when　she　was　only　looking。　Besides；　she　had　never　mentioned　the　headaches　to　anyone。　If　she　had；　every　Yellow　sister　in　the　camp　would　be　laying　siege。　That　indicated　friendship；　if　not　loyalty。
　　　Egwene's　eyes　fell　on　the　papers　on　the　writing　table；　and　her　thoughts　drifted　under　Halima's　stroking　fingers。　Torches　ready　to　be　tossed　into　the　haystack。　Ten　days　to　the　border　of　Andor；　unless　Lord　Bryne　was　willing　to　push　without　knowing　why；　and　no　opposition　before。　Could　she　hold　those　torches　back　ten　days？　Southharbor。　Northharbor。　The　keys　to　Tar　Valon。　How　could　she　be　sure　of　Nicola　and　Areina；　short　of　Siuan's　suggestion？　She　needed　to　arrange　for　every　sister　to　be　tested　before　they　reached　Andor。　She　had　the　Talent　for　working　with　metals　and　ores；　but　it　was　rare　among　Aes　Sedai。　Nicola。　Areina。　The　Black　Ajah。
　　　〃You're　tensing　again。　Stop　worrying　over　the　Hall。〃　Those　soothing　fingers　paused；　then　began　once　more。　〃This　would　do　better　tonight；　after　you've　had　a　hot　bath。　I　could　work　your　shoulders　and　back；　everywhere。　We　haven't　tried　that；　yet　You're　stiff　as　a　stake；　you　should　be　supple　enough　to　bend　backwards　and　put　your　head　between　your　ankles。　Mind　and　body。　One　can't　be　limber　without　the　other。　Just　put　yourself　in　my　hands。〃
　　　Egwene　teetered　on　the　brink　of　sleep。　Not　a　dreamwalker's　sleep；　just　sleep。　How　long　since　she　had　done　that？　The　camp　would　be　in　an　uproar　once　Delana's　proposal　got　out；　which　it　would　soon　enough；　and　that　was　before　she　had　to　tell　Romanda　and　Lelaine　she　had　no　intention　of　issuing　their　edicts。　But　there　was　one　thing　yet　today　to　look　forward　to；　a　reason　to　remain　awake。　〃That　will　be　nice；〃　she　murmured；　meaning　more　than　the　promised　massage。　Long　ago　she　had　pledged　that　one　day　she　would　bring　Sheriam　to　heel；　and　today　was　the　day。　At　last　she　was　beginning　to　be　the　Amyrlin；　in　control。　〃Very　nice。〃
　　　
　　　
Chapter　13　
（Star　and　Birds）　
The　Bowl　of　the　Winds　
　　　
　　　Aviendha　would　have　sat　on　the　floor；　but　three　other　women　occupying　the　boat's　small　room　left　not　quite　enough　space；　so　she　had　to　be　content　with　folding　her　legs　atop　one　of　the　carved　wooden　benches　built　against　the　walls。　That　way；　it　was　not　so　much　like　sitting　in　a　chair。　At　least　the　door　was　shut；　and　there　were　no　windows；　only　fanciful　carved　scrollwork　piercing　the　walls　near　the　ceiling。　She　could　not　see　the　water　outside；　but　the　piercings　let　in　the　smell　of　salt　and　the　slap　of　waves　against　the　hull　and　the　splash　of　the　oars。　Even　the　shrill　hollow　cries　of　some　sort　of　birds　shouted　of　vast　expanses　of　water。　She　had　seen　men　die　for　a　pool　they　might　have　stepped　across；　but　this　water　was　bitter　beyond　belief。　Reading　of　it　was　not　at　all　the　same　as　tasting　it　And　the　river　had　been　at　least　half　a　mile　wide　where　they　boarded　this　boat　with　its　two　oddly　leering　oarsmen。　Half　a　mile　of　water；　and　not　a　drop　fit　for　drinking。　Who　could　imagine　useless　water？
　　　The　motion　of　the　boat　had　changed；　to　a　rocking　back　and　forth。　Were　they　out　of　the　river；　yet？　Into　what　was　called　〃the　bay〃？　That　was　wider　still；　far　wider；　so　Elayne　said。　Aviendha　locked　her　hands　on　her　knees　and　tried　desperately　to　think　of　anything　else。　If　the　others　saw　her　fear；　the　shame　would　follow　her　to　the　end　of　her　days。　The　worst　of　it　was；　she　had　suggested　this；　after　hearing　Elayne　and　Nynaeve　talk　of　the　Sea　Folk。　How　could　she　have　known　what　it　would　be　like？
　　　The　blue　silk　of　her　dress　felt　incredibly　smooth；　and　she　latched　on　to　that。　She　was　barely　used　to　skirts　at　all　…　she　still　yearned　for　the　cadin'sor　the　Wise　Ones　had　made　her　burn　when　she　began　training　with　them　…　and　here　she　wore　a　silk　dress　…　of　which　she　now　owned　four！　…　and　silk　stockings　instead　of　stout　wool；　and　a　silk　shift　that　made　her　aware　of　her　skin　in　a　way　she　never　had　been　before。　She　could　not　deny　the　beauty　of　the　dress；　no　matter　how　odd　it　was　to　find　herself　wearing　such　things；　but　silk　was　precious；　and　rare。　A　woman　might　have　a　scarf　of　silk；　to　be　worn　on　feastdays　and　envied　by　others。　Few　women　had　two。　It　was　different　among　these　wetlanders；　though。　Not　everyone　wore　silk；　yet　sometimes　it　seemed　to　her　every　second　person　did。　Great　bolts　and　even　bales　of　it　came　by　ship　from　the　lands　beyond　the　Three…fold　Land。　By　ship。　On　the　ocean。　Water　stretching　to　the　horizon；　with　many　places　where；　if　she　understood　correctly；　you　could　not　see　land　at　all。　She　came　close　to　shivering　at　the　impossible　thought。
　　　None　of　the　others　looked　as　if　they　wished　to　talk。　Elayne　absently　twisted　the　Great　Serpent　ring　on　her　right　hand　and　peered　at　something　not　to　be　seen　inside　the　four　walls。　These　worries　often　overtook　her。　Two　duties　confronted　her；　and　if　one　lay　nearer　her　heart；　she　had　chosen　the　one　she　considered　more　important；　more　honorable。　It　was　her　right　and　duty　to　bee　the　chief；　the　queen；　of　Andor；　but　she　had　chosen　to　continue　hunting。　In　a　way；　however　important　their　search；　that　was　like　putting　something　before　clan　or　society；　yet　Aviendha　felt　pride。　Elayne's　view　of　honor　was　as　peculiar　at　times　as　the　notion　of　a　woman　being　a　chief；　or　her　being　chief　just　because　her　mother　had　been；　but　she　followed　it　admirably。　Birgitte；　in　the　wide　red　trousers　and　short　yellow　coat　Aviendha　envied；　sat　toying　with　her　waist…long　braid；　lost　in　thought　as　well。　Or　maybe　sharing　part　of　Elayne's　worries。　She　was　Elayne's　first　Warder；　which　upset　the　Aes　Sedai　back　in　the　Tarasin　Palace　no　end；　though　it　did　not　seem　to　bother　their　Warders。　Wetlander　customs　were　so　curious　they　hardly　bore　thinking　about。
　　　If　Elayne　and　Birgitte　seemed　to　deflect　any　thought　of　talk；　Nynaeve　al'Meara；　directly　opposite　Aviendha　by　the　door；　rebuffed　it　firmly。　Nynaeve；　not　Nynaeve　al'Meara。　Wetlanders　liked　to　be　called　by　only　half　their　names；　and　Aviendha　was　trying　to　remember；　however　much　it　felt　like　using　a　honey…name。　Rand　al'Thor　was　the　only　lover　she　had　ever　had；　and　she　did　not　think　even　of　him　so　intimately；　but　she　had　to　learn　their　ways　if　she　was　to　wed　one　of　them。
　　　Nynaeve's　deep　brown　eyes　stared　through　her。　Her　knuckles　were　white　on　a　thick　braid　as　dark　as　Birgitte's　was　golden；　and　her　face　had　gone　beyond　pale　to　a　faint　green。　From　time　to　time　she　emitted　a　tiny　muted　groan。　She　did　not　usually　sweat；　she　and　Elayne　had　taught　Aviendha　the　trick。　Nynaeve　was　a　puzzle。　Brave　to　the　point　of　madness　sometimes；　she　moaned　over　her　supposed　cowardice；　and　here　she　displayed　her　shame　for　all　to　see　without　a　care。　How　could　the　motion　disturb　her　so；　when　all　that　water　did　not？
　　　Water　again。　Aviendha　shut　her　eyes　to　avoid　seeing　Nynaeve's　face；　but　that　only　made　the　sounds　of　the　birds　and　the　lapping　water　fill　her　head。
　　　〃I　have　been　thinking；〃　Elayne　said　suddenly；　then　paused。　〃Are　you　all　right；　Aviendha？　You。。。　〃　Aviendha's　cheeks　reddened；　but　at　least　Elayne　did　not　say　aloud　that　she　had　jumped　like　a　rabbit　at　the　sound　of　her　voice。　Elayne　seemed　to　realize　how　close　she　had　e　to　revealing　Aviendha's　dishonor；　color　flushed　her　own　cheeks　as　she　continued。　〃I　was　thinking　about　Nicola；　and　Areina。　About　what　Egwene　told　us　last　night。　You　don't　suppose　they　can　cause　her　any　trouble；　do　you？　W