rj.thepathofdaggers-第14部分

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　　　　　　　Dropping　another　table　leg　…　that　made　three；　none　of　which　matched　…　Elayne　spared　a　glance　for　the　clearing。　All　of　the　packhorses　were　out；　and　the　mounts　were　ing　through　the　gateway；　now；　filling　the　open　space　between　the　trees　with　bustle　and　confusion。　Merilille　and　the　other　Aes　Sedai　already　sat　their　saddles；　barely　concealing　their　impatience　to　be　off；　while　Pol　fussed　hurriedly　with　her　mistress's　saddlebags；　but　the　Windfinders。。。
　　　　　　　Graceful　afoot；　graceful　on　their　ships；　they　were　unused　to　horses。　Renaile　was　trying　to　mount　from　the　wrong　side；　and　the　gentle　bay　mare　chosen　for　her　danced　slow　circles　around　the　liveried　man　who　was　gripping　the　bridle　with　one　hand　while　tugging　his　hair　in　frustration　with　the　other　and　vainly　trying　to　correct　the　Windfinder。　Two　of　the　stablewomen　were　attempting　to　hoist　Dorile；　who　served　the　Wavemistress　of　Clan　Somarin；　into　her　saddle；　while　a　third；　holding　the　gray's　head；　wore　the　tight　face　of　someone　trying　not　to　laugh。　Rainyn　was　on　the　back　of　a　leggy　brown　gelding；　but　somehow　without　either　foot　in　the　stirrups　or　the　reins　in　her　hands　and　having　considerable　trouble　finding　any　of　them。　And　those　three　seemed　to　be　having　the　easiest　time　of　it。　Horses　whinnied　and　danced　and　rolled　their　eyes；　and　Windfinders　shouted　curses　in　voices　that　could　have　been　heard　over　a　gale。　One　of　them　knocked　a　serving　man　flat　with　her　fist；　and　three　more　stable　folk　were　trying　to　catch　mounts　that　had　gotten　free。
　　　　　　　There　was　also　what　she　had　expected　to　see；　if　Nynaeve　was　no　longer　keeping　her　private　watch。　Lan　stood　by　his　black　warhorse；　Mandarb；　dividing　his　gaze　between　the　treeline；　the　gateway；　and　Nynaeve。　Birgitte　came　striding　out　of　the　woods　shaking　her　head；　and　a　moment　later；　Cieryl；　trotted　from　the　trees；　but　with　no　sense　of　urgency。　There　was　nothing　out　there　to　threaten　or　inconvenience　them。
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　was　watching　her；　eyebrows　raised　high。
　　　　　　　〃I　didn't　say　anything；〃　Elayne　said。　Her　hand　closed　on　something　small；　wrapped　in　rotting　cloth　that　might　have　been　white　once。　Or　brown。　She　knew　immediately　what　was　inside。
　　　　　　　〃A　good　thing　for　you；〃　Nynaeve　grumbled；　not　quite　far　enough　under　her　breath。　〃I　can't　abide　women　who　poke　their　noses　into　other　people's　business。〃　Elayne　let　it　pass　without　so　much　as　a　start；　she　was　proud　that　she　did　not　have　to　bite　her　tongue。
　　　　　　　Stripping　away　the　decayed　cloth　revealed　a　small　amber　brooch　in　the　shape　of　a　turtle。　It　looked　like　amber；　anyway；　and　it　might　been　amber　once；　but　when　she　opened　herself　to　the　Source　through　it；　saidar　rushed　into　her；　a　torrent　pared　to　what　she　could　draw　safely　on　her　own。　Not　a　strong　angreal；　but　far　better　than　nothing。　With　it；　she　could　handle　twice　as　much　of　the　Power　as　Nynaeve；　and　Nynaeve　herself　would　do　better　still。　Releasing　the　extra　flow　of　saidar；　she　slipped　the　brooch　into　her　belt　pouch　with　a　smile　of　delight　and　went　back　to　searching。　Where　there　was　one；　there　might　be　more。　And　now　that　she　had　one　to　study；　she　might　be　able　to　reason　out　how　to　make　an　angreal。　That　was　something　she　had　wished　for。　It　was　all　she　could　do　not　to　take　the　brooch　out　again　and　begin　probing　it　right　there。
　　　　　　　Vandene　had　been　eyeing　Nynaeve　and　her　for　some　time；　and　now　she　heeled　her　slab…sided　gelding　over　to　them　and　dismounted。　The　groom　at　the　packhorse's　head　managed　a　decent　if　awkward　curtsy；　more　than　she　had　for　Elayne　or　Nynaeve。　〃You're　being　careful；〃　Vandene　said　to　Elayne；　〃and　that's　very　good。　But　it　might　be　better　to　leave　these　things　alone　until　they're　in　the　Tower。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne's　mouth　tightened。　In　the　Tower？　Until　they　could　be　examined　by　someone　else；　was　what　she　meant。　Someone　older　and　supposedly　more　experienced。　〃I　do　know　what　I'm　doing；　Vandene。　I　have　made　ter'angreal；　after　all。　Nobody　else　living　has　done　that。〃　She　had　taught　the　basics　to　some　sisters；　but　no　one　had　managed　the　trick　of　it　by　the　time　she　left　for　Ebou　Dar。
　　　　　　　The　older　Green　nodded；　flipping　her　reins　idly　against　the　palm　of　her　riding　glove。　〃Martine　Janata　also　knew　what　she　was　doing；　so　I　understand；〃　she　said　casually。　〃She　was　the　last　sister　to　really　make　a　business　of　studying　ter'angreal。　She　did　it　for　over　forty　years；　almost　from　the　time　she　reached　the　shawl。　She　was　careful；　too；　so　I　was　told。　Then　one　day；　Martine's　maid　found　her　unconscious　on　the　floor　of　her　sitting　room。　Burned　out。〃　Even　in　a　conversational　tone；　those　words　were　a　sharp　slap。　Vandene's　voice　did　not　alter　a　hair；　though。　〃Her　Warder　was　dead　from　the　shock。　Not　unusual　in　cases　like　that。　When　Martine　came　to；　three　days　later；　she　couldn't　recall　what　she　had　been　working　with。　She　couldn't　remember　the　preceding　week　at　all。　That　was　more　than　twenty…five　years　ago；　and　no　one　since　has　had　the　nerve　to　touch　any　of　the　ter'angreal　that　were　in　her　rooms。　Her　notes　mentioned　every　last　one；　and　everything　she　had　discovered　was　innocuous；　innocent；　even　frivolous；　but。。。　〃　Vandene　shrugged。　〃She　found　something　she　wasn't　expecting。〃
　　　　　　　Elayne　peeked　at　Birgitte；　and　found　Birgitte　looking　back　at　her。　She　did　not　need　to　see　the　worried　frown　on　the　other　woman's　face；　it　was　mirrored　in　her　mind；　in　the　small　patch　of　her　mind　that　was　Birgitte　and　in　the　rest。　Birgitte　felt　her　worry；　and　she　felt　Birgitte's；　until　sometimes　it　was　hard　to　say　which　was　which。　She　risked　more　than　herself。　But　she　did　know　what　she　was　doing。　More　than　anyone　else　there；　at　least。　And　even　if　none　of　the　Forsaken　appeared；　they　needed　all　the　angreal　she　could　find。
　　　　　　　〃What　happened　to　Martine？〃　Nynaeve　asked　quietly。　〃Afterward；　I　mean。〃　She　could　seldom　hear　of　anyone　being　hurt　without　wanting　to　Heal　them；　she　wanted　to　Heal　everything。
　　　　　　　Vandene　grimaced。　She　might　have　been　the　one　to　bring　up　Martine；　but　Aes　Sedai　did　not　like　talking　about　women　who　had　been　burned　out　or　stilled。　They　did　not　like　remembering　them。　〃She　vanished　once　she　was　well　enough　to　slip　out　of　the　Tower；〃　she　said　hurriedly。　〃The　important　thing　to　remember　is　that　she　was　cautious。　I　never　met　her；　but　I've　been　told　she　treated　every　ter'angreal　as　if　she　had　no　idea　what　it　might　do　next；　even　the　one　that　makes　the　cloth　for　Warders'　cloaks；　and　nobody　has　ever　been　able　to　make　that　do　anything　else。　She　was　careful；　and　it　did　her　no　good。〃
　　　　　　　Nynaeve　laid　an　arm　across　the　nearly　empty　pannier。　〃Maybe　you　really　should；〃　she　began。
　　　　　　　〃No…o…o…o！〃　Merilille　shrieked。
　　　　　　　Elayne　spun；　instinctively　opening　herself　through　the　angreal　again；　only　half　conscious　of　saidar　flooding　into　Nynaeve　and　Vandene。　The　glow　of　the　Power　sprang　up　around　every　woman　in　the　clearing　who　could　embrace　the　Source。　Merilille　was　straining　forward　in　her　saddle；　eyes　bulging；　one　hand　reaching　toward　the　gateway。　Elayne　frowned。　There　was　nothing　there　except　Aviendha；　and　the　last　four　Warders；　startled　in　the　middle　of　walking　away；　searching　for　the　threat　with　swords　half…drawn。　Then　she　realized　what　Aviendha　was　doing　and　nearly　lost　saidar　in　her　shock。
　　　　　　　The　gateway　trembled　as　Aviendha　carefully　picked　apart　the　weave　that　had　made　it。　It　shivered　and　flexed；　the　edges　wavering。　The　last　flows　came　loose；　and　instead　of　winking　out；　the　opening　shimmered；　the　view　through　it　of　the　courtyard　fading　away　until　it　evaporated　like　mist　in　the　sun。
　　　　　　　〃That　is　impossible！〃　Renaile　said　incredulously。　An　astonished　murmur　of　agreement　broke　out　among　the　Windfinders。　The　Kinswomen　gaped　at　Aviendha；　mouths　working　soundlessly。
　　　　　　　Elayne　nodded　slowly　in　spite　of　herself。　Clearly　it　was　possible；　but　one　of　the　first　things　she　had　been　told　as　a　novice　was　that　never；　ever；　under　any　circumstances　was　she　to　try　what　Aviendha　had　just　done。　Picking　apart　a　weave；　any　weave；　rather　than　simply　letting　it　dissipate；　could　not　be　done；　she　had　been　told；　not　without　inevitable　disaster。　Inevitable。
　　　　　　　〃You　fool　girl！〃　Vandene　snapped；　her　face　a　thunderhead。　She　strode　toward　Aviendha　dragging　her　gelding　behind。　〃Do　you　realize　what　you　almost　did？　One　slip　…　one！　…　and　there's　no　saying　what　the　weave　will　snap　into；　or　what　it　will　do！　You　could　have　pletely　destroyed　everything　for　a　hundred　paces！　Five　hundred！　Everything！　You　could　have　burned　yourself　out　and　…　〃
　　　　　　　〃It　was　necessary；〃　Aviendha　cut　in。　A　babble　erupted　from　the　mounted　Aes　Sedai　crowding　around　her　and　Vandene；　but　she　glared　at　them　and　raised　her　voice　over　theirs。　〃I　know　the　dangers；　Vandene　Namelle；　but　it　was　necessary。　Is　this　another　thing　you　Aes　Sedai　cannot　do？　The　Wise　Ones　say　any　woman　can　learn；　if　she　is　taught；　some　women　more　and　some　less；　but　any　woman；　if　she　can　pick　out　embroidery。〃　She　did　not　quite　sneer。　Not　quite。
　　　　　　　〃This　is　not　embroidery；　girl！〃　Merilille's　voice　was　deep　winter　ice。　〃Whatever　so…called　training　you　received　among　your　people；　you　cannot　possibly　know　what　you　are　playing　with！　You　will　promise　me　…　swear　to　me！　…　that　you　will　never　do　this　again！〃
　　　　　　　〃Her　name　should　be　in　the　novice　book；〃　Sareitha　said　firmly；　glaring　across　the　Bowl　still　held　firmly　to　her　bosom。　〃I've　always　said　it。　She　should　be　entered　in　the　book。〃　Careane　nodded；　her　stern　gaze　measuring　Aviendha　for　a　novice　dress。
　　　　　　　〃That　might　not　be　necessary　for　the　moment；〃　Adeleas　told　Aviendha；　leaning　forward　in　her　saddle；　〃but　you　must　let　yourself　be　guided　by　us。〃　The　Brown　sister's　tone　was　much　milder　than　the　others'；　yet　she　was　not　making　a　suggestion。
　　　　　　　A　month　or　so　earlier；　Aviendha　might　have　begun　to　wilt　under　all　that　Aes　Sedai　disapproval；　but　not　now。　Elayne　hurriedly　pushed　in　among　the　horses　before　her　friend　decided　to　draw　the　knife　she　was　fondling。　Or　to　do　something　worse。　〃Maybe　somebody　should　ask　why　she　thought　it　was　necessary；〃　she　said；　slipping　an　arm　around　Aviendha's　shoulders　as　much　to　keep　her　arms　at　her　sides　as　for　fort。
　　　　　　　Aviendha　did　not　quite　include　her　in　the　exasperated　look　she　gave　the　other　sisters。　〃This　leaves　no　residue；〃　she　said　patiently。　Too　patiently。　〃The　residues　of　a　weave　this　large　might　be　read　two　days　from　now