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rap of decency。 〃No； I would not say that。〃
On the driver's seat of the second wagon； fat Keille and the gleeman； Natael； were arguing again。 Natael had the reins； though he did not drive as well as the man who usually did the job。 Sometimes they looked at Rand； too； quick glances before diving back into their quarrel。 But then； everyone did。 The long column of Jindo on the other side of him； the Wise Ones beyond them； with Moiraine and Egwene and Lan。 Among the more distant； thicker line of Shaido he thought heads turned toward him； too。 It did not surprise him now any more than it ever had。 He was He Who es With the Dawn。 Everyone wanted to know what he would do。 They would find out soon enough。
〃Soft；〃 Aviendha grunted。 〃Elayne is not soft。 You belong to Elayne； you should not be caressing eyes with this milk…skinned wench。〃 She shook her head fiercely； muttering half to herself； 〃Our ways shock her。 She could not accept them。 Why should I care if she can？ I want no part of this！ It cannot be！ If I could； I would take you gai'shain and give you to Elayne！〃
〃Why should Isendre accept Aiel ways？〃
The wide…eyed look she gave him was so startled he almost laughed。 Immediately she scowled as if he had done something infuriating。 Aiel women were surely no easier to understand than any others。
〃You are certainly not soft； Aviendha。〃 She should take it for a pliment； the woman was as rough as a honing stone sometimes。 〃Explain to me about the roofmistress again。 If Rhuarc is clan chief of the Taardad and chief of Cold Rocks Hold； how is it that the hold belongs to his wife and not him？〃
She glowered at him a moment longer； lips working as she muttered under her breath； before answering。 〃Because she is roofmistress； you stone…headed wetlander。 A man cannot own a roof any more than he can own land！ Sometimes you wetlanders sound like savages。〃
〃But if Lian is roofmistress of Cold Rocks because she is Rhuarc's wife …〃
〃That is different！ Will you never understand？ A child understands！〃 Taking a deep breath； she adjusted the shawl around her face。 She was a pretty woman； except for looking at him most of the time as if he had mitted some crime against her。 What it might be； he did not know。 White…haired Bair； leathery…faced and as reluctant to speak of Rhuidean as ever； had finally； unwillingly told him that Aviendha had not visited the glass columns： she would not do that until she was ready to bee a Wise One。 So why did she hate him？ It was a mystery he would have liked an answer to。
〃I will attack it from another direction；〃 she grumbled at him。 〃When a woman is to marry； if she does not already own a roof； her family builds one for her。 On her wedding day her new husband carries her away from her family across his shoulder； with his brothers holding off her sisters； but at the door he puts her down and asks her permission to enter。 The roof is hers。 She can。。。〃
These lectures had been the most pleasant thing in the eleven days and nights since the Trolloc attack。 Not that she had been willing to talk at first； beyond one more tirade on his supposed ill…treatment of Elayne and later another embarrassing lecture meant to convince him Elayne was the perfect woman。 Not until he mentioned to Egwene in passing that if Aviendha would not even speak to him； he wished she would at least stop staring at him。 Within the hour a white…robed gai'shain man came for Aviendha。
Whatever the Wise Ones had to say to her； she returned in a quivering fury to demand … demand！ … that he let her teach him about Aiel ways and customs。 No doubt in hope he would reveal something of his plans by the questions he asked。 After the viperish subtleties of Tear； the openness of the Wise Ones' spying was refreshing。 Still； it was doubtless wise to learn what he could； and talking with Aviendha could actually be enjoyable； especially on those occasions when she seemed to forget she despised him for whatever reason。 Of course； whenever she realized they had begun to talk like two people instead of captor and captive； she did have a tendency to throw one of her white…hot outbursts； as though he had lured her into a trap。
Yet even with that their conversations were pleasurable； certainly by parison with the rest of the journey。 He was even beginning to find her tantrums amusing； though he was wise enough not to let her know。 If she saw a man she hated； at least she was too wrapped up in that to see He Who es With the Dawn； or the Dragon Reborn。 Just Rand al'Thor。 At any rate； she knew what she thought of him。 Not like Elayne； with one letter that made his ears grow hot and another written the same day that made him wonder if he had grown fangs and horns like a Trolloc。
Min was just about the only woman he had ever met who had not tangled his wits into a ball。 But she was off in the Tower … safe there； at least … and that was one place he meant to avoid。 Sometimes he thought life would be simpler if he could just forget women altogether。 Now Aviendha had started creeping into his dreams； as if Min and Elayne were not bad enough。 Women tied his emotions in knots； and he had to be clearheaded now。 Clearheaded and cold。
He realized he was looking at Isendre again。 She wriggled slender fingers at him past Kadere's ear； he was sure those full lips curved into a smile。 Oh； yes。 Dangerous。 I have to be cold and hard as steel。 Sharp steel。
Eleven days and nights into the twelfth； and nothing else had changed。 Days and nights of odd rock formations and flat…topped stone spires and buttes thrusting up from a broken； blistered land crisscrossed by mountains seemingly stuck in at random。 Days of baking sun and searing winds； nights of bone…shaking cold。 Whatever grew seemed to have thorns or spines； or else a touch itched like fury。 Some Aviendha said were poisonous； that list seemed longer than the one of those edible。 The only water was in hidden springs and tanks； though she pointed out plants that meant a deep hole would fill with slow seepage； enough to keep one or two men alive； and others that could be chewed for a sour； watery pulp。
One night lions killed two of the Shaido packhorses； roaring in the darkness as they were driven from their prey to vanish into the gullies。 A wagon driver disturbed a small brown snake as they were making camp the fourth evening。 A two…step； Aviendha called it later； and it proved its name。 The fellow screamed and tried to run for the wagons despite seeing Moiraine hurrying toward him； he fell on his face at his second stride； dead before the Aes Sedai could dismount from her white mare。 Aviendha listed venomous snakes； spiders and lizards。 Poisonous lizards！ Once she found one for him； two feet long and thick； with yellow stripes running down its bronze scales。 Casually pinning it under a soft…booted foot； she drove hey knife into the thing's wide head； then held it up where he could see the clear； oily fluid oozing over sharp bony ridges in its mouth。 A gara； she explained； could bite through a boot； it could also kill a bull。 Others were worse； of course。 The gara was slow； and not really dangerous unless you were stupi