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sed； her chest stirred against him slowly。 Her head lay on his arm； snuggled against his chest。 If she had not felt like winter itself； she could have been sleeping。 So peaceful； not angry at all。 So beautiful。 Stop thinking。 It was a sharp mand outside the emptiness surrounding him。 Talk。
He tried talking of the first thing that came to mind； Elayne and the confusion her two letters brought； but that soon had thoughts of golden…haired Elayne drifting across the Void； of kissing her in secluded spots in the Stone。 Don't think of kissing； fool！ He shifted to Min。 He had never thought about Min that way。 Well； a few dreams could not count。 Min would have slapped his face if he had ever tried to kiss her； or else laughed and called him a wool…head。 Only it seemed that speaking of any woman reminded him that he had his arms around a woman who had no clothes on。 Filled with the Power； he could smell the scent of her； feel every inch of her as clearly as if he were running his hands。。。 The Void trembled。 Light； you're only trying to warm her！ Keep your mind out of the pigsty； man！
Trying to drive thought away； he talked of his hopes for Cairhien； to bring peace and an end to the famine； to bring the nations behind him without any more bloodshed。 But that had its own life； too； its own inevitable path； to Shayol Ghul； where he must face the Dark One and die； if the Prophecies were true。 It seemed cowardly to say that he hoped he might live through that somehow。 Aiel did not know cowardice； the worst of them was brave as a lion。 〃The Breaking of the World killed the weak；〃 he had heard Bad say； 〃and the Three…fold Land killed the cowards。〃
He began speaking of where they might be； where she had brought them with her wild senseless flight。 Somewhere far and strange； to have snow at this time of year。 It had been worse than a senseless flight。 Mad。 Yet he knew that she had fled from him。 Fled from him。 How she must hate him； if she had to flee as far as she could rather than just tell him to leave her to her bath in privacy。
〃I should have knocked。〃 At his own bedroom door？ 〃I know you do not want to be around me。 You don't have to be。 Whatever the Wise Ones want； whatever they say； you are going back to their tents。 You will not have to e near me again。 In fact； if you do； I。。。 I'll send you away。〃 Why hesitate on that？ She gave him anger； coldness； bitterness when she was awake； and asleep。。。 〃It was a crazy thing to do。 You could have killed yourself。〃 He was stroking her hair again； he could not seem to stop。 〃If you ever do anything half so crazy again； I'll break your neck。 Do you have any idea how I will miss hearing you breathe at night？〃 Miss it？ She drove him crazy with it！ He was the one who was mad。 He had to stop this。 〃You are going away； and that's that； if I have to send you back to Rhuidean。 The Wise Ones can't stop me if I speak as Car'a'carn。 You won't have to run away from me again。〃
The hand that he could not stop from stroking her hair froze as she stirred。 She was warm； he realized。 Very warm。 He should be wrapping one of the blankets about himself decently and moving away。 Her eyes opened； clear and deep green； staring at him seriously from not a foot away。 She did not seem surprised to see him； and she did not pull back。
He took his arms from around her； started to slither away； and she seized a handful of his hair in a painful grip。 If he moved； he would have a bald patch。 She gave him no chance to explain anything。 〃I promised my near…sister to watch you。〃 She seemed to be speaking to herself as much as to him； in a low； almost expressionless voice。 〃I ran from you as hard as I could； to shield my honor。 And you followed me even here。 The rings do not lie； and I can run no more。〃 Her tone firmed decisively。 〃I will run no more。〃
Rand tried to ask her what she meant while attempting to untangle her fingers from his hair； but she clutched another handful on the other side and pulled his mouth to hers。 That was the end of rational thought； the Void shattered； and saidin fled。 He did not think he could have stopped himself had he wanted to； only he could not think of wanting to； and she certainly did not seem to want him to。 In fact； the last thought he had of any coherency for a very long time was that he did not think he could have stopped her。
Some considerable time later … two hours； maybe three； he could hardly be sure … he lay atop the rugs with the blankets over him and his hands behind his head； watching Aviendha examine the slick white walls。 They had held a surprising amount of the warmth； there was no need to latch on to saidin again； either to shut out cold or to try warming the air。 She had done no more than rake her fingers through her hair on rising； and she moved pletely unashamed at her nakedness。 Of course； it was a bit late to be ashamed of something as small as having no clothes on。 He had been worried about hurting her when dragging her out of the water； but she showed fewer scrapes than he did； and somehow they did not seem to mar her beauty at all。
〃What is this？〃 she asked。
〃Snow。〃 He explained what snow was as best he could； but she only shook her head； partly in wonderment； partly disbelief。 For someone who had grown up in the Waste； frozen water falling from the sky must seem as impossible as flying。 According to the records； the only time it had ever even rained in the Waste was the time he had made it。
He could not stop a sigh of regret when she began pulling her shift over her head。 〃The Wise Ones can marry us as soon as we get back。〃 He could still feel his weave holding her gateway open。
Aviendha's dark reddish head popped through the neck of the shift； and she stared at him flatly。 Not unfriendly； but。 not friendly； either。 Determined； though。 〃What makes you think a man has the right to ask me that？ Besides； you belong to Elayne。〃
After a moment he managed to close his mouth。 〃Aviendha； we just。。。 The two of us。。。 Light； we have to marry now。 Not that I'm doing it because I have to；〃 he added hastily。 〃I want to。〃 He was not sure of that at all； really。 He thought he might love her； but he thought he might love Elayne； too。 And for some reason； Min kept creeping in。 You're as big a lecher as Mat。 But for once he could do what was right because it was right。
She sniffed at him and felt her stockings to be sure they were dry； then sat down to don them。 〃Egwene has spoken to me of your Two Rivers marriage customs。〃
〃You want to wait a year？〃 he asked incredulously。
〃The year。 Yes； that is what I meant。〃 He had never realized before how much leg a woman showed pulling on a stocking； odd that that could seem so thrilling after he had seen her naked and sweating and。。。 He concentrated on listening to her。 〃Egwene said she thought of asking her mother's permission for you； but before she mentioned it her mother told her she had to wait another year even if she did have her hair in a braid。〃 Aviendha frowned； one knee almost under her chin。 〃Is that right？ She said a girl was not allowed to braid her hair until she was old enough to marry。 Do you understand what I am