rj.thepathofdaggers-第23部分

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　even　than　kings　or　queens。　That　in　turn　depended　on　every　Aes　Sedai　being　seen　that　way；　as　mysterious　and　apart；　different　from　everyone　else。　A　different　flesh。　Historically；　Aes　Sedai　who　could　not　manage　that　…　and　there　were　a　few　…　were　kept　out　of　public　view　as　much　as　possible。
　　　　　　　It　took　Elayne　a　little　while　to　realize　that　the　thrust　of　the　conversation　had　shifted　away　from　the　Sea　Folk；　and　to　see　where　it　was　headed。　A　different　flesh；　mysterious　and　apart；　could　not　have　a　sack　thrust　over　its　head　and　be　tied　across　a　saddle。　Not　where　anyone　who　was　not　Aes　Sedai　could　see；　anyway。　In　truth；　the　sisters　would　be　rougher　on　Ispan　than　the　Knitting　Circle　could　possibly　make　themselves　be；　just　not　in　public。　The　argument　might　have　borne　more　weight　had　it　e　first；　but　as　it　was；　Elayne　sent　Vandene　packing　as　quickly　as　she　did　anyone　else。　And　saw　her　replaced　by　Adeleas；　right　after　Sibella　was　told　that　if　none　of　the　Knitting　Circle　could　understand　what　Ispan　was　mumbling；　then　none　of　the　sisters　was　likely　to　either。　Mumbling！　Light！　The　Aes　Sedai　took　their　repeated　turns；　and　even　knowing　what　they　were　up　to；　sometimes　it　was　hard　to　see　the　connection　at　first。　By　the　time　Careane　began　by　telling　her　that　those　boulders　really　had　been　toes　once；　supposedly　on　a　statue　of　some　warrior　queen　nearly　two　hundred　feet　high。。。
　　　　　　　〃Ispan　stays　where　she　is；〃　she　told　Careane　coolly　without　waiting　for　more。　〃Now；　unless　you　really　want　to　tell　me　why　the　Shiotans　thought　of　putting　up　a　statue　like　that。。。　〃　The　Green　said　ancient　records　claimed　it　had　worn　little　more　than　armor；　and　not　a　great　deal　of　that！　A　queen！　〃No？　Then；　if　you　don't　mind；　I'd　like　to　talk　with　Aviendha　alone。　Thank　you　so　much。〃　Even　being　curt　did　not　stop　them；　of　course。　She　was　surprised　they　did　not　send　Merilille's　maid　to　take　a　turn。
　　　　　　　None　of　this　would　have　happened　had　Nynaeve　been　where　she　was　meant　to　be。　At　least；　Elayne　was　sure　that　Nynaeve　could　have　quelled　the　Knitting　Circle　and　the　sisters　both；　in　short　order。　She　was　a　great　one　for　quelling。　The　problem　was　that　Nynaeve　had　glued　herself　tight　to　Lan's　side　before　they　left　the　first　clearing。　The　Warders　scouted　ahead　and　to　both　sides　of　their　path；　and　sometimes　to　the　rear；　only　riding　back　to　the　column　long　enough　to　report　what　they　had　seen　or　give　directions　on　how　to　avoid　a　farm　or　a　shepherd。　Birgitte　ranged　far；　never　spending　more　than　moments　with　Elayne。　Lan　ranged　farther。　And　where　Lan　went；　Nynaeve　went。
　　　　　　　〃No　one's　making　any　trouble；　are　they？〃　she　demanded　with　a　dark　stare　for　the　Sea　Folk；　the　first　time　she　followed　Lan　back。　〃Well；　that's　all　right；　then；〃　she　said　before　Elayne　had　a　chance　to　open　her　mouth。　Spinning　her　round…bellied　mare　like　a　racer；　she　nicked　the　reins　and　galloped　after　Lan　holding　her　hat　on　with　one　hand；　catching　up　to　him　just　as　he　vanished　around　the　flank　of　the　hill　ahead。　Of　course；　then　there　really　was　nothing　to　plain　about。　Reanne　had　made　her　visit；　and　Merilille　hers；　and　everything　seemed　settled。
　　　　　　　By　the　next　time　Nynaeve　appeared；　Elayne　had　suffered　through　a　number　of　disguised　attempts　to　have　Ispan　turned　over　to　the　sisters；　Aviendha　had　spoken　to　Kurin；　and　the　Windfinders　were　on　a　slow　boil；　but　when　Elayne　explained；　Nynaeve　simply　looked　around；　frowning。　Of　course；　right　at　that　moment　everyone　had　to　be　where　they　belonged。　The　Atha'an　Miere　wore　glares；　true；　but　the　Knitting　Circle　were　all　behind　them；　and　as　for　the　other　sisters；　no　group　of　novices　could　have　appeared　more　well…behaved　and　innocent。　Elayne　wanted　to　shriek！
　　　　　　　〃I'm　sure　you　can　handle　everything；　Elayne；〃　Nynaeve　said。　〃You　have　had　all　that　training　to　be　a　queen。　This　can't　be　anywhere　near　so　…　Drat　the　man！　He's　going　again！　You　can　handle　it。〃　And　off　she　went；　galloping　that　poor　mare　as　though　it　were　a　warhorse。
　　　　　　　That　was　when　Aviendha　chose　to　discuss　how　Rand　seemed　to　like　kissing　the　sides　of　her　neck。　And　incidentally　how　much　she　had　liked　it。　Elayne　had　liked　that　when　he　did　it　to　her；　too；　but　however　used　to　discussing　this　sort　of　thing　she　had　bee　…　unfortably　used　to　it　…　she　did　not　want　to　talk　about　it　right　then。　She　was　angry　with　Rand。　It　was　unfair；　but　if　not　for　him；　she　could　have　told　Nynaeve　to　stop　treating　Lan　like　a　child　who　might　trip　over　his　own　feet　and　attend　to　her　own　duties。　She　almost　wanted　to　blame　him　for　the　way　the　Knitting　Circle　was　behaving；　too；　and　the　other　sisters；　and　the　Windfinders。　It's　one　of　the　things　men　are　for；　taking　the　blame；　she　remembered　Lini　saying　once；　and　laughing　while　she　did。　They　usually　deserve　it；　even　if　you　don't　know　exactly　how。　Not　fair；　yet　she　wished　he　were　there　long　enough　for　her　to　box　his　ears；　just　once。　Long　enough　to　kiss　him；　to　have　him　kiss　the　sides　of　her　neck　softly。　Long　enough　to。。。
　　　　　　　〃He　will　listen　to　advice；　even　when　he　doesn't　like　hearing　it；〃　she　said　abruptly；　her　face　reddening。　Light；　for　all　her　talk　about　shame；　in　some　areas　Aviendha　had　none。　And　it　seemed　that　she　herself　no　longer　had　any；　either！　〃But　if　I　tried　to　push　him；　he　dug　in　his　heels　even　when　it　was　plain　that　I　was　right。　Was　he　that　way　with　you？〃
　　　　　　　Aviendha　glanced　at　her　and　appeared　to　understand。　Elayne　was　not　sure　whether　she　liked　that　or　not。　At　least　there　was　no　more　talk　of　Rand　and　kissing。　For　a　while；　anyway。　Aviendha　had　some　knowledge　of　men　…　she　had　traveled　with　them　as　a　Maiden　of　the　Spear；　fought　beside　them　…　but　she　had　never　wanted　to　be　anything　but　Far　Dareis　Mai；　and　there　were。。。　gaps。　Even　with　her　dolls　as　a　child　she　had　always　played　at　the　spears　and　raiding。　She　had　never　flirted；　did　not　understand　it；　and　she　did　not　understand　why　she　felt　the　way　she　did　when　Rand's　eyes　fell　on　her；　or　a　hundred　other　things　Elayne　had　begun　learning　the　first　time　she　noticed　a　boy　looking　at　her　differently　than　he　did　at　the　other　boys。　She　expected　Elayne　to　teach　her　all　of　it；　and　Elayne　tried。　She　really　could　talk　to　Aviendha　about　anything。　If　only　Rand　had　not　been　the　example　used　quite　so　often。　If　he　had　been　there；　she　would　have　boxed　his　ears。　And　kissed　him。　Then　boxed　his　ears　again。
　　　　　　　Not　a　pleasant　ride　at　all。　A　miserable　ride。
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　made　several　more　brief　visits；　before　finally　ing　to　announce　that　the　Kin's　farm　lay　just　ahead；　out　of　sight　around　a　low　rounded　hill　that　appeared　ready　to　fall　on　its　side。　Reanne　had　been　pessimistic　in　her　estimate；　the　sun　had　not　fallen　nearly　two　hours'　worth。
　　　　　　　We'll　be　there　very　quickly；　now；〃　Nynaeve　told　Elayne；　not　seeming　to　notice　the　sullen　stare　Elayne　gave　in　return。　〃Lan；　fetch　Reanne　up　here；　please。　Best　if　they　see　a　familiar　face　right　away。〃　He　whirled　his　horse　away；　and　Nynaeve　turned　in　her　saddle　briefly　to　fix　the　sisters　with　a　firm　eye。　〃I　don't　want　you　frightening　them；　now。　You　hold　your　tongues　until　we　have　a　chance　to　explain　what's　what。　And　hide　your　faces。　Pull　up　the　hoods　of　your　cloaks。〃　Straightening　without　waiting　for　any　reply；　she　gave　a　satisfied　nod。　〃There。　All　settled；　and　all　right。　I　vow；　Elayne；　I　don't　know　what　you　were　moaning　so　about。　Everyone's　doing　exactly　as　they　should；　so　far　as　I　can　see。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne　ground　her　teeth。　She　wished　they　were　in　Caemlyn　already。　That　was　where　they　were　heading　once　this　was　done。　She　had　duties　long　overdue　in　Caemlyn。　All　she　had　to　deal　with　there　was　convincing　the　stronger　Houses　that　the　Lion　Throne　was　hers　despite　her　long　absence；　that　and　handling　a　rival　claimant　or　two。　There　might　not　have　been　any　had　she　been　there　when　her　mother　vanished；　when　she　died；　but　the　history　of　Andor　said　there　would　be　by　now。　Somehow；　it　seemed　ever　so　much　easier　than　this。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　
Chapter　4　
（Female　Silhouettes）　
A　Quiet　Place　
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　The　Kin's　farm　lay　in　a　broad　hollow　surrounded　by　three　low　hills；　a　sprawling　affair　of　more　than　a　dozen　large；　white…plastered　buildings　with　flat　roofs；　gleaming　in　the　sun。　Four　great　barns　were　built　right　into　the　slope　of　the　highest　hill；　a　flat…topped　thing　with　one　side　that　fell　away　in　steep　cliffs　beyond