rj.acrownofswords-第59章

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　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。　And　again。
　　　Not　all　had　any　bearing　on　the　future。　Dreams　of　kissing　Gawyn；　of　running　in　a　cool　spring　meadow　with　her　sisters　the　way　they　had　as　children；　slid　by　along　with　nightmares　where　Aes　Sedai　with　switches　chased　her　through　endless　corridors；　where　misshapen　things　lurched　through　shadows　all　around；　where　a　grinning　Nicola　denounced　her　to　the　Hall　and　Thom　Merrilin　came　forward　to　give　evidence。　Those　she　discarded；　the　others　she　tucked　away；　to　be　prodded　and　poked　later　in　the　hope　she　might　understand　what　they　meant。
　　　She　stood　before　an　immense　wall；　clawing　at　it；　trying　to　tear　it　down　with　her　bare　hands。　It　was　not　made　of　brick　or　stone；　but　countless　thousands　of　discs；　each　half　white　and　half　black；　the　ancient　symbol　of　the　Aes　Sedai；　like　the　seven　seals　that　had　once　held　the　Dark　One's　prison　shut。　Some　of　those　seals　were　broken　now；　though　not　even　the　One　Power　could　break　cuendillar；　and　the　rest　had　weakened　somehow；　but　the　wall　stood　strong　however　she　beat　at　it。　She　could　not　tear　it　down。　Maybe　it　was　the　symbol　that　was　important。　Maybe　it　was　the　Aes　Sedai　she　was　trying　to　tear　down；　the　White　Tower。　Maybe。。。
　　　Mat　sat　on　a　night…shrouded　hilltop；　watching　a　grand　Illuminator's　display　of　fireworks；　and　suddenly　his　hand　shot　up；　seized　one　of　those　bursting　lights　in　the　sky。　Arrows　of　fire　flashed　from　his　clenched　fist；　and　a　sense　of　dread　filled　her。　Men　would　die　because　of　this。　The　world　would　change。　But　the　world　was　changing；　it　always　changed。
　　　Straps　at　waist　and　shoulder　held　her　tightly　to　the　block；　and　the　headsman's　axe　descended；　but　she　knew　that　somewhere　someone　was　running；　and　if　they　ran　fast　enough；　the　axe　would　stop。　If　not。。。　In　that　corner　of　her　mind；　she　felt　a　chill。
　　　Logain；　laughing；　stepped　across　something　on　the　ground　and　mounted　a　black　stone；　when　she　looked　down；　she　thought　it　was　Rand's　body　he　had　stepped　over；　laid　out　on　a　funeral　bier　with　his　hands　crossed　at　his　breast；　but　when　she　touched　his　face；　it　broke　apart　like　a　paper　puppet。
　　　A　golden　hawk　stretched　out　its　wing　and　touched　her；　and　she　and　the　hawk　were　tied　together　somehow；　all　she　knew　was　that　the　hawk　was　female。　A　man　lay　dying　in　a　narrow　bed；　and　it　was　important　he　not　die；　yet　outside　a　funeral　pyre　was　being　built；　and　voices　raised　songs　of　joy　and　sadness。　A　dark　young　man　held　an　object　in　his　hand　that　shone　so　brightly　she　could　not　see　what　it　was。
　　　On　and　on　they　came；　and　she　sorted　feverishly；　desperately　tried　to　understand。　There　was　no　rest　in　it；　but　it　must　be　done。　She　would　do　what　must　be　done。
　　　
　　　
Chapter　11　
（Female　Silhouettes）　
An　Oath　
　　　
　　　〃You　asked　to　be　wakened　before　the　sun；　Mother。〃
　　　Egwene's　eyes　popped　open　…　she　had　set　herself　a　time　to　wake　only　moments　from　now　…　and　despite　herself　she　started　back　against　her　pillow　from　the　face　above　her。　Stern　through　a　sheen　of　perspiration；　it　was　not　a　pleasant　sight　first　thing　in　the　morning。　Meri's　manner　was　perfectly　respectful；　but　a　pinched　nose；　a　permanently　downturned　mouth　and　dark　eyes　sharp　with　censure　said　she　had　never　seen　anyone　half　as　good　as　they　should　be　or　pretended　to　be；　and　her　flat　tone　turned　every　meaning　head　to　heels。
　　　〃I　hope　you　slept　well；　Mother；〃　she　said；　while　her　expression　managed　a　fair　accusation　of　sloth。　Her　black　hair；　in　tight　coils　over　her　ears；　seemed　to　pull　her　face　painfully。　The　unrelieved　drab　dark　gray　she　always　wore；　however　it　made　her　sweat；　only　added　to　the　gloom。
　　　It　was　a　pity　she　had　not　managed　a　little　real　rest。　Yawning；　Egwene　rose　from　her　narrow　cot　and　scrubbed　her　teeth　with　salt；　washed　her　face　and　hands　while　Meri　laid　out　her　clothes　for　the　day；　donned　stockings　and　a　clean　shift；　then　suffered　herself　to　be　dressed。　〃Suffered〃　was　the　word。
　　　〃I　fear　some　of　these　knots　will　pull；　Mother；〃　the　cheerless　woman　murmured；　drawing　the　brush　through　Egwene's　hair；　and　Egwene　very　nearly　told　her　she　had　not　deliberate