Although Sage was hidden from view, all three boys could still hear his voice when he wanted them to. As they traveled east on the Caemlyn Road, he said: [ Before we are under the watchful eye of Moiraine Sedai again, I have something I would like to give to Rand in case we are forced to leave this planet without warning, if Mat is agreeable. ]
A short book fell out of a dimensional hole right above Mat, and he managed to catch it without falling off his horse. He leafed through a few pages before tossing it over to Rand. "Here, take a look. Sage, is that book made of the parchment and leather you had us buy back in Baerlon?"
[ It is. ]
"You can do all sorts of amazing things, why couldn't you just make a book yourself?" Perrin asked.
[ Those who created the Power Rings did not want Green Lanterns to be able to produce weapons they could give to anyone outside the Corps. Like a blacksmith needs iron to make a tool, I needed parchment and leather to make a book. Even with raw materials, my ability to produce new objects is severely limited. It is a weakness I am unable to correct. ]
"How did you write this so quickly?" Rand asked as he read the first page. "We left the city less than an hour ago."
[ Before I revealed myself to Mat, I traveled around this world and visited many libraries. The book was written weeks ago. ]
"Is this about the Age of Legends?"
[ Yes, though it focuses on the life of Lews Therin Telamon and the War of Power. There is also an appendix on what is known about Saidin, the male half of the One Power. Keep in mind that after over 3000 years of wars and natural disasters, finding reliable information is difficult. Through research and analysis, I have eliminated most of the obvious errors in the historical record, but the book is still mostly conjecture on my part. ]
"You think that if I read this, I'll remember my previous life as Lews Therin Telamon? As the Dragon?" Rand asked.
[ As I have told you before, I do not know if you are the Dragon Reborn. Moiraine Sedai believes you are, so read the book. Perhaps it will help you control your ability to channel. ]
"Thank you," Rand said as he continued to read.
Less than an hour later they spotted a tooth-shaped hill just north of the Caemlyn Road. Moiraine told them of a safe campsite east of the hill she and Lan used in the past. With all the expensive supplies they bought in Baerlon that day, a comfortable night's sleep seemed assured.
But it was not meant to be.
The campsite was a disaster when they arrived. Egwene was sobbing as Nynaeve held the younger girl in her arms, and the Wisdom looked like she was barely holding back tears herself. Moiraine's face was calm as always, but her body language was tense. Lan was even worse—he clearly wanted to hurt someone. Mat figured he was the mostly likely target.
At the center of this mess was a girl. An odd girl, to Mat's eyes. Her dark hair was cut as short as any man's, unlike the waist-length hair favored by the women of the Two Rivers. Her plain clothes belonged to a man too: a shirt, a plain coat, breeches, and boots were all a match for the clothes they just bought, although in a smaller size.
Despite all that there was no mistaking her for a man. The loose masculine clothing didn't completely hide the feminine curves of her body. Her face and neck were too delicate, and dark eyes in particular were too big for any man's face. All in all, she was pretty, even with the miserable look she was wearing at the moment.
"Rand, thank the Light!" Egwene wailed when she saw them arrive. She then ran into his arms, sobbing all the while. Her new silk riding dress was quite lovely, Mat thought, so something must really be wrong.
Moiraine marched over to them, dragging Nynaeve—who was also wearing a new silk dress—by the arm. "All of you need to gather together by the light of the fire. Elmindreda…"
"No!" the girl shouted. "Haven't I caused enough trouble? Why can't you just leave me alone?"
Mat expected the Aes Sedai to explode in anger. Nynaeve certainly would if she was in charge. Instead Moiraine went to the girl, and gently placed a hand on the side of her face. "Child, if there was any way I could spare you this ordeal, I would. I swear it. But the fate of the world depends on Rand al'Thor and his friends. If your gift for reading the Pattern can tell you anything about their futures, anything at all, you must share it with me."
"It's not a gift, it's a bloody curse. And my name is Min."
"Very well, Min. Now please look at them."
The girl turned towards them, and she immediately looked at Egwene. Whatever she saw made her more miserable, but her eyes began drifting. She wasn't looking directly at them, but rather all around them. It was as if they were surrounded by things only she could see.
"There is a darkness threatening to consume them, but together they can hold it at bay with tiny lights of their own," Min said. "White lights, red lights, yellow lights, golden lights, and green lights. The green lights are different though: they buzz around more quickly than the others. But all the lights are needed. If they are separated, the darkness will consume them and then spread throughout the entire world"
"Ta'veren for sure, and strong," Moiraine whispered to herself. "What do you see about them individually?"
"The bully with a long braid has a red dot on her forehead, which ties her to your stone-faced executioner. The blacksmith is surrounded by ferocious wolves. Dozens of them, maybe hundreds of them."
"How did you know I'm a blacksmith?" Perrin asked.
"Because I have eyes," Min snapped, before turning to Moiraine. "The other three… do I really have to go on?"
"You must."
"I'm going to die," Egwene said softly. "I've guessed that much from your reaction to my earlier questions. Do you know anything more?"
Rand's face went white when he heard those words. "What do you mean, you're going to die? How can she know that for sure?"
"Min's ability to read the Pattern has been subjected to rigorous testing by several Aes Sedai," Moiraine explained. "Her viewings do not fail."
"I've tried fighting them my whole life, but no matter what I do, events will play out as the Pattern demands," Min said to Rand. "There will be a great battle. During this battle, she will die. So will you. Nothing can change that now. The only question is whether you lose or whether you win. If you stand apart from each other, you will lose. If you stand together… you have a chance of victory. Nothing more than a chance. I'm terribly sorry."
Egwene and Rand both began trembling during the long silence that followed. Finally they collapsed into each other's arms. No one could think of anything to do or say, so they moved to the far side of the fire to give them some privacy. Everyone had a different reaction to those ominous words. Perrin's face was covered with tears. Nynaeve was crying too, but she was also glancing over towards Lan. This reaction embarrassed the Wisdom, and she quickly looked away when she caught herself doing it. Moiraine was deep in thought, a thousand miles away from the rest of them.
Mat didn't know how to react. He was too busy being terrified by Min. The girl was glaring at him with a look of pure hatred, and fondling her belt knife. "Did I do something wrong?" he finally asked.
"You were born."
Then Min rushed forward and grabbed him by his new shirt. He was too stunned to react, which gave her the opportunity to draw her knife and cut the laces. Then he was really stunned when she ripped the shirt open and placed a cold hand over his heart. "It's a green circle…"
"... with two lines on the top and bottom," Mat finished as he held up the Power Ring for her to see. "Does it have something to do with the future?"
Min looked at the Ring and then back to the left side of his chest. "The symbol is alive with light, and it beats in time with your heart. None of my viewings before were anything like this."
He tried again. "Can you tell me what it means?"
Instead of answering him, Min walked over to Moiraine and began a quiet argument with her. Lacking anything better to do—he doubted Perrin or Nynaeve wanted to talk to him at the moment—Mat reached into Sage's pocket dimension and pulled out the canvas sacks holding the four tents. To his surprise, Lan came over and began helping him set them up.
O-O-O
[ It is time to make breakfast, ] Sage announced in his head.
Mat glanced over at Perrin, the only other person sharing his tent, and saw that his friend was still sound asleep on his comfortable cot. { We have plenty of dry food to eat, and I don't want to get up. It's too bloody cold to leave these warm blankets. }
A deafening buzz erupted in his ears, but Perrin obviously didn't hear it. [ It is time to make breakfast. ]
{ Fine, just stop that blasted noise! }
The noise didn't stop until Mat was dressed and outside the tent. The only person visible in the early dawn light was Lan, who was sleeping on a simple bedroll in front of what he assumed was Moiraine's tent. He had gone to sleep right after the tents were up. It was better than having to deal with all the crying. He was also worried about that girl Min, and where she might stick her knife next.
[ Gather firewood. ]
Mat wandered around the surrounding woods doing just that—he didn't want to hear that buzzing noise in his ears again.
[ Do not carry the firewood with your hands. ]
{ You called that wagon a construct. Can I make one of those? }
[ Your Power Ring can, if your will is strong enough. ]
Maybe it was because Mat was still tired. Maybe because it was too cold for this time of spring. Maybe because he missed his bratty little sisters and was afraid he might never see them again. Maybe because his friend Rand and Egwene—the girl Rand had been in love with his entire life—were going to die in a blasted battle against the Dark One. Maybe for all those reasons Mat was able to create a crude little wagon of green light, just like the ones children use to play with back home in Emond's Field.
{ It worked. I just wanted a wagon, and it appeared. }
[ Yes, it did. ]
Mat placed the firewood on the wagon, and it began to move. He made it stop. He made it move. He made it stop. He made it move. He repeated the cycle over and over again in amazement. The little green construct obeyed his silent thoughts. How was that even possible?
[ We do not have time for a technical explanation. Go start the fire. ]
He returned to the still-quiet campsite and set the firewood in the pit from last night. Mat sighed when he saw there were no hot ambers left. Making a fire from scratch was simple, but time-consuming and tedious. He mentally called for the pocket dimension that held their supplies, but it didn't appear.
{ Sage, I need one of those flints we bought yesterday. }
[ No, you do not. How do you start a fire without flint? ]
{ Rub two sticks together until the friction gets hot enough to light the kindling. But that method takes forever, and I'm cold. }
[ You made the wagon move. ]
{ Can I grab a hold of a piece of wood? }
[ You grabbed a hold of Moiraine Sedai, Perrin, and Rand during that first night. Is grabbing a piece of wood any different? ]
Mat looked down at the wood in the pit and found two suitable sticks. He pointed his Power Ring at them and two bands of green light appeared around the center of each stick. He mentally moved them into position and began spinning one while holding the other still. The one stick spun faster and faster until they both burst into flames. The whole process took only a few seconds.
{ Did you see that? }
[ I did, ] Sage replied as the hole opened in the air. [ If you are done patting yourself on the back, we should start with the porridge. ]
Inside the pocket dimension was an iron pot and a collapsible rack to hold it in place over the fire. Sage recited a recipe, which Mat followed the best he could. He'd never really cooked much before, even when he camped out in the woods with Rand and Perrin, but the recipe and the ready supplies made it easy. Once the porridge ingredients were all mixed, he moved on to making some flatbread dusted with sugar and spices, and finally to brewing a large pot of tea. The iron rack Perrin picked out was a fine piece of work, and held all three pots with ease.
Mat noticed that Lan was awake and watching him. "Good morning."
"There is nothing good about it."
He briefly wondered what Nynaeve saw in the man, but figured he didn't want to know. Perrin emerged from their tent, went off to relieve himself, returned to the fire, and then sat down all without speaking a word. Mat silently filled a bowl with porridge and handed it over to him, along with a spoon and a mug of hot tea.
Min, with her rumpled clothes, and Nynaeve, with her fine silk dress, were next. Neither of them were talkative. Min's eyes were barely open, and Nynaeve was too busy glaring at the fourth tent. Moiraine soon followed, and despite the hour she looked ready for a fancy ball at some palace.
"Ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon," Moiraine said as she ate her porridge. "And a fine section of dried fruit. My compliments to Sage."
"Sage?" Min asked. "The ghost you told me about last night made breakfast for us?"
"No, I made breakfast," Mat said between bites of flatbread. "Sage just woke me up and gave me the recipe." Min stared at him until he became very uncomfortable. "Sage, it's time for you to meet the newest member of our traveling circus."
The ghost appeared, standing just behind him. [ Hello, Elmindreda Farshaw. I have been eager to make your acquaintance since Moiraine Sedai first mentioned you. I find your ability to read the Pattern to be fascinating, and I have a few tests in mind, if you are willing. ]
Min did the sensible thing when confronted with a creepy ghost. She screamed.
That scream finally brought Rand and Egwene out into the open. Mat smiled when he saw the pair. Rand had on nothing but his breeches, while Egwene had on nothing but Rand's shirt. Even worse, she had unbraided her long brown hair. He and Perrin both turned towards the Wisdom of Emond's Field at the same time. Watching someone else get into trouble was the best kind of entertainment.
"Egwene!" Nynaeve yelled. "You were raised to be a proper woman, not a foolish lightskirt parading around half-naked in public!"
Perrin whistled quietly, and Mat understood his reaction. A lightskirt. He had once called Calle Coplin that name a few years back, and when his Da found out he got a switching that left his arse sore for a week.
Egwene didn't take it any better. She walked over to Nynaeve and slapped her in the face. And it wasn't a gentle slap either. It was brutal: the kind that set your face on fire, and left you with stars in your eyes.
"What Rand and I do in private is none of your concern. Not anymore."
Of course Nynaeve didn't listen. "You two fools should be married."
That earned her another slap to the face, even worse than the first. "Aes Sedai can not lie, so we know that Min's viewing will come to pass. Rand and I are destined to die in the Last Battle, and if that is what the Pattern wills, then so be it. But I will not die as any man's wife, not even Rand's. I will die as Egwene al'Vere. People will know who I was, and they will know what I did in service of the Light. Do not speak of this subject again Nynaeve, or I will make you regret it. I swear I will."
O-O-O
Not surprisingly, they packed in silence.
Mat was about to make another wagon construct to ride in—because why not?—when Sage suggested he try a horse instead. [ You have been studying them your entire life. ]
Riding all day in a child's wagon was kind of pathetic. He tried to remember everything his Da taught him about horseflesh over the years. He closed his eyes, and gave it a shot. When he opened his eyes he saw that the Power Ring came through: there was a horse standing there. Thankfully the green color was so dark it looked black and was barely transparent at all.
Min hadn't saddled up yet, and she walked over to inspect the new construct. "It looks so real," she said while running her hands over the fake hair and fake muscle. "I love horses, but I…"
"... hate mucking out the stables," Mat finished. Min gave him another one of those odd looks, and his eyes went to the knife on her belt.
"That ring—can you take it off your finger?"
"Not until the last embrace of the Mother welcomes me home."
"So you're stuck with the ghost as company for the rest of your life. How do you feel about that?" Min asked.
"He isn't so bad once you get to know him."
[ You are too kind, ] Sage said as he appeared on a green horse of his own. [ We need to head north through the Hills of Absher. ]
"Why?" Moiraine asked. "Traveling through the wilderness will be slow and difficult. Taking the Caemlyn Road will get us to Tar Valon much quicker."
[ We need to make a brief stop at Shadar Logoth before proceeding east across the Caralain Grass. ]
"Does dying make a ghost go insane?!" Min shouted. "Every single person who goes to that accursed city dies. Every single one."
"Very true," Moiraine added. "During the Trolloc wars, the people of Shadar Logoth became so consumed with suspicion and hatred that they destroyed themselves. All they left behind was the Mashader, a vile force that fills the entire city and kills intruders with a single touch. I will not risk the Dragon Reborn to satisfy your odd sense of curiosity."
[ It is not your decision to make. ]
"Are you claiming to be our leader now?"
[ No, I simply advise my Green Lantern, who in turn advises Rand al'Thor and Egwene al'Vere. To win the Last Battle against the Dark One, we need them. They do not need us. Or more specifically you. That simply fact makes them our leaders. ]
"They are children," Moiraine hissed. "They have no idea what dangers we will face in the future. They must be guided by my experience."
[ What experience do you have in war? ]
"I have been preparing to fight the Last Battle my entire life."
[ So you have no experience. If you did, you would know how difficult finding your enemy in the first place can be. How demoralizing. The Shadowspawn and Darkfriends think we are headed east to Whitebridge, then to Caemyln, and then to the White Tower. They will be forced to expend their limited resources searching for us in all of those locations. It is logical for us to avoid them by crossing the Caralain Grass. ]
"How many battles have you seen with your ghostly eyes?" Lan asked, and for once the gruff Warder sounded genuinely curious.
[ Major ones like the forthcoming Last Battle? Tens of thousands. ]
"Moiraine, we're following Sage's advice and that's final," Rand said. "Egwene and Nynaeve need more teaching in the One Power than the little you've given them so far. Your company would be appreciated."
"Listen to me: the ghost may seem friendly, but you have no idea what its true motivations are. It is not a human being. It is not of this world."
"I know Sage helped save the lives of our families," Perrin said. "And I know you were ready to let them die. That's enough for me."
"Do you agree with this madness?" Moiraine asked Nynaeve.
"No, but four of them are all stubborn mules. They will follow the ghost no matter what I say. All I can do is go along and try to protect them as best as I can."
"I'm going too," Min added. "All my life I've hated my viewings. Maybe if I share them with the Dragon Reborn and his traveling circus they can finally be of some use to the world."
Moiraine looked furious, so Sage gave her a warning. [ Using the One Power to intimidate these people would not be the actions of an innocent individual. ]
"I have not been innocent in a very long time."
"All the more reason for us not to accept you as your leader," Egwene said.
When the Aes Sedai tried to stare down the younger woman, she failed completely. In less than a day, Mat realized, Egwene had aged years.
O-O-O
They sent off to the north, and Mat soon learned about the dangers of using a Power Ring construct as a means of transportation. His mind wandered, as it always did when he got bored, and the horse vanished. That left him with a quick drop of about five feet. It didn't sound bad, but a fall from that height to the ground below hurts if you land at the wrong angle. And he did—several times, to the amusement of his fellow travelers.
{ Is there something I'm missing? } Mat asked silently. He was embarrassed enough already without the others hearing him ask Sage for help.
[ Each Green Lantern has their own unique method of maintaining a construct over long periods of time. You must find your method through a process of trial and error, just like your fellow Lanterns did. ]
{ That's going to involve a lot of pain, isn't it? }
[ Yes. ]
Nothing seemed to work that day, and by late evening he was covered with bruises and utterly exhausted. Sage didn't care. [ Make a pit latrine. It should be downwind and far away from the water source Lan found. ]
"I want to go to sleep. Can't I do it tomorrow?" Mat said aloud, not caring who heard him whine like a little child.
Sage responded by creating that buzzing noise in his ears again.
Exhausted though he was, Mat trudged downwind and away the small creek were the horses were drinking. "I need a shovel," he thought as he pointed his Power Ring at the ground.
[ You plan on digging a ten foot hole with a regular shovel? I thought you wanted to go to sleep at some point? ]
"What would you suggest?"
[ Something bigger. ]
That struck a chord with Mat's prankish nature, but a huge shovel would create the wrong kind of hole. It would be too wide and dangerous to use as a latrine, especially in the middle of the night. What he needed to do…
"Sage, you just grabbed all that buried treasure from under the ground back in the Mountains of Mist. Does that means I can grab plain dirt too?"
[ Is that a question? ]
"Goat-kissing slave-driver," Mat muttered. In his mind he pictured a round hole in the ground ten feet deep and three feet wide. A thin line reached out from his Power Ring to the ground. He stood there for a minute, wondering what to do next.
[ You might try picking it up. ]
Picking it up? That sounded reasonable, and slowly a ten foot column of dirt and rocks rose into the air with barely a sound. But what to do with it now? Mat figured some privacy might be nice, so he dumped the dirt and rocks between the new latrine and the camp upwind.
[ You need a safety cover for that pit. There is a boulder over there. ]
The boulder was huge. "What good will that do me?"
[ Cut out a four foot wide circle with a smaller hole in the middle. ]
"Can I cut up a boulder?"
[ You can cut up solid neutronium. A boulder presents no difficulty. ]
Mat pictured the latrine cover Sage was describing, and his Power Ring went to work. The boulder fell apart, like a loaf of bread being cut into slices. One slice of the boulder with a roundish shape floated out of the new pile of rubbish, and without thinking Mat guided it over to the pit. Once it was in place, he cut a small hole in the center. The end result of his work wasn't as good as a real outhouse back home, but it would do in a pinch.
Mat started laughing uncontrollably. "In a pinch. Get it? It will do in a pinch if you need to pinch a loaf."
[ Are you tired or not? ]
He kept laughing all the way back. "Hey everyone, I made a latrine!"
"That's wonderful," Perrin said as he held out a bowl of cooked meat and greens. "Have some of this fine rabbit I caught while you were falling off your disappearing horse all day."
"There really is a latrine back there," he said between bites.
"I'll go and give it a try," a smirking Rand said as he lit a makeshift torch in the campfire. It was already getting dark.
He returned a few minutes later. "Matrim Cauthron, I think you have finally found your true calling in life. That is one fine latrine. All that practice in the stables has finally paid off for you in a big way."
"Your parents and sisters will be so proud," Perrin added.
Mat noticed a hint of a smile on Egwene's face, so he put up with the ribbing from his friends. Besides, he was too busy stuffing his face for any clever comebacks. As they cleaned up after dinner his eyes grew heavier, and he thought longingly of his cot.
"I like your latrine," Min said as he placed the various cooking supplies in Sage's storage dimension. "I thought going on an adventure would be great fun, but so far it has been plain awful. My clothes are dirty and I'm starting to smell ripe, so your latrine was a nice change."
"Sage, you sterilized me back at the Winespring Inn when I smelled like horse crap. Can you sterilize other people?"
[ It is a rather menial use for a Power Ring, but yes. ]
Mat turned to Min and held up his ring hand. "Would you like me to clean you and your clothes up with this?"
"Does it hurt?"
"Didn't hurt me."
She nodded and a green light immediately covered both of their bodies. In a few seconds the light was gone, and Min started sniffing her skin and random spots on her clothes. "I think it worked."
"Does anyone else want in on this?" Mat asked. "It's quicker than bathing in ice cold water, and there's no risk of freezing to death."
Perrin grinned and stepped forward. As the light covered him, Rand and Egwene shared a mischievous look. Once Perrin got out of the way, they ran over to Mat. When they were done, they ran into their tent. Their antics should've been funny, but in truth the lovestruck pair just made him sad.
The three old farts stuck up their noises at his generous offer, although Sage claimed the Aes Sedai had a [ very primitive method ] for cleaning themselves using the One Power.
Both he and Perrin were shocked a few minutes later when Min dragged her cot into their tent as they were stripping off their clothes. "I'm not spending another night with that blasted nag, but if either of you so much as breathes in my direction, I will geld you."
After that warning the boys went silent, but Min wasn't done as she sprawled out on her cot. "I was bored today, but all my books are back home. Did you wool-headed shepherds buy any before you left Baerlon?"
[ What would you like to read? ] Sage asked.
"What books do you have?"
[ Any you can name. ]
Min laughed, thinking Sage was joking. She didn't know him very well. "How about The Dance of the Hawk and the Hummingbird by Teven Aerwin. I've always wanted to read that, but my three aunts won't allow it."
In a flash, a green book appeared floating above Min's cot. Slowly she reached out and took hold of it. As she began paging through the book, her big eyes grew even bigger. "You don't need candlelight to read this, and it even has illustrations!" she squealed.
"What's it about?" Perrin asked.
"The proper behavior between lords and ladies. You want to hear some?"
Min quickly found the most dirty parts of the book and read them aloud, which was great fun. Mat had always thought nobles were fools, and if the book was anything close to accurate, the "lords and ladies" of the world were even worse than he imagined. But soon even the pleasant sound of Min's voice couldn't keep him from falling asleep.
O-O-O
[ Get up. I have important information from last night that we should share with Moiraine Sedai, if you allow it. ]
{ Fine, so long as I don't have to cook breakfast today. }
It was too early, and Lan had no intention of letting Mat anywhere near Moiraine's tent. So he reluctantly went inside himself to wake her. After ten minutes they were finally allowed to enter her exalted presence.
[ What do you know of Tel'aran'rhiod? ] Sage asked at once.
"The Unseen World in the Old Tongue—or more commonly the World of Dreams," Moiraine replied. "Supposedly it is a parallel world where all the possibilities of the Wheel of Time come together. Some Aes Sedai had the talent of Dreamwalking, which allowed them to enter Tel'aran'rhiod as they slept, but those Sisters are all long dead. Why do you ask?"
[ Mat was attacked last night, and the attack came from this Tel'aran'rhiod. ]
"Some of the Forsaken were rumored to be skilled Dreakwalkers. Could they be behind the attack?" Moiraine asked.
[ A logical assumption. ]
"You didn't say anything about the bloody Forsaken," Mat whined.
[ I am telling you now. ]
"You repulsed the attack?" Moiraine asked.
[ Again, a logical assumption. ]
"Why didn't the rest of us face similar attacks?"
[ I automatically protected my Green Lantern during his sleep cycle. The rest of you just happened to be close enough to his Power Ring to benefit from that protection. ]
"You're welcomed," Mat added.
Moiraine lost her Aes Sedai composure for a moment, and actually rolled her eyes. "And if we were separated from young Matrim and his ring?"
[ That protection would no longer apply. ]
"I knew that the prison holding the Dark One was weakening, and it was only a matter of time before his most powerful servants could free themselves. But I never thought it would happen so soon."
[ Your training of Egwene and Nynaeve is far too slow. ]
"What do you know of training an Aes Sedai?" she asked coldly.
[ Child, I have been training Green Lanterns for millions of years. ]
That crazy statement sure put Moiraine on her back foot, Mat noticed.
[ Plus I have read every book in the White Tower Library, from the First Depository to the hidden Thirteenth. I have also read your administrative records and the private journals of your fellow Sisters, some of which were quite interesting. ]
"Anything dirty?" Mat asked.
Moiraine finally found her voice again. "If you have all that knowledge, then you should know that pushing Egwene and Nynaeve at a rapid pace could easily kill them. The White Tower spends years training its Novices and Accepted for valid reasons. Those two may be stubborn fools, but they are too valuable to waste."
[ Form a circle with them. It will allow you to teach them more quickly and it will protect them from drawing a fatal amount of the One Power. And a circle is also your best hope of surviving a direct attack by one of the Forsaken. ]
"I haven't had any success against you," Moiraine admitted. "How would a Green Lantern fare against an opponent like Ishamael or Lanfear?"
[ Unknown. During the Age of Legends they understood more about the underlying mechanics of the One Power, and that might be a problem. There is also the possible influence of the Dark One—does he aid his servants during combat? There are too many variables in play. All the more reason for you to form a circle with Egwene and Nynaeve as soon as they are able. ]
"Nynaeve has a block that prevents her from accessing the One Power most of the time. That will hinder my efforts with her."
[ The block can be broken, but it will require assistance from your Warder. ]
"What kind of assistance?" Lan asked.
[ The painful kind. ]
"Pain and I are old friends."
[ I am not speaking of the bruises and cuts you collect in a practice yard or during a street brawl. I am speaking of grievous bodily harm, and Moiraine Sedai will not be allowed to heal you. This course of action is dangerous, and death is a possibility. ]
"You plan on using the sight of my blood to manipulate Nynaeve," Lan growled.
"He just wants to help her, you idiot."
It happened so fast, Mat never saw Sage's wink or the fist that broke his jaw.