Chapter 9 Chapter 4 Bidding
"What did we find?" A stern female voice rang out.Fei'er raised her head and was stunned for a moment, the hot tea slipped out of her consciousness temporarily.Two Aiel women stepped out from the swirling snowflakes, followed by a gai'ai who was much shorter.The Aiel women dug their calves into the thick snow with every step they took, but they still took powerful strides.The gai yi fell step by step and struggled to follow. An Aiel woman grabbed her shoulder with one hand to keep her from being left behind.Any one of these three would have been enough to surprise Faile.The woman in white kept her head bowed docilely, her hands were tucked into the wide sleeves, she was no different from any gai, but her white robe shone with the brilliance of silk.Feudalists were forbidden to wear any ornaments, but a fine gold belt inlaid with fire drop stones was around her waist, and a collar of the same style protruded from her hood, almost completely wrapping around her neck.Apart from the royal family, very few people wear such expensive jewelry.But Mayfair's gaze simply glanced at the gaiwa, and it was the two Aiel women who made her feel even more weird.She could tell that they were wise men, and that they had the majesty in their gestures that only those who were used to giving orders would have, and it was their appearance that surprised Mayfair the most.The woman pulling the gaiwa was like a hawk, with piercing blue eyes and a dark gray shawl around her head.Like most Aiel, she was well over six feet tall, and her companions were at least half a fist taller than Perrin!But she was not at all muscular, and her sandy hair fell from her head to her waist and was tied back with a wide black handkerchief.She draped a brown shawl over her shoulders, and her white shirt was open on her chest, revealing a large part of her breasts.Dressed so revealingly in this weather, how could she not be frozen?Those heavy ivory and gold necklaces around her neck must have been as cold as ice!
When they came to the prisoner kneeling on the ground, the eagle-faced woman frowned disapprovingly at the Shaido who captured them, and then made a dismissal gesture.For some reason, her other hand was still clutching the gaiter's shoulder.The three Maidens immediately turned around and ran towards the Shadu people's group.A Shadu man also ran away, but Lu Lan and the others exchanged another cold look before leaving.Maybe there's something to it, maybe it's meaningless.Mayfair suddenly understood what it must be like for a person caught in a whirlpool to desperately grasp at the last straw.
"We're just letting Sevanna get more Ghats." The woman, who was much taller than normal, said in a tone of interest.Some people may think that her strong face is quite beautiful, and compared with other wise men, she is indeed gentle. "Sevanna will never be satisfied until the whole world becomes her gaiga. But I have no objection to that, Selev." She finished with another laugh.
The eagle-eyed sage didn't smile at all, her face was hard as stone, and so was her voice: "Sevanna has too many gaijin already, Summerlin, we shouldn't be bringing so many gaibu .Now we should be sprinting at full speed, but they make us crawl." She said, scanning the kneeling captives with a needle-like gaze.
When that gaze fell on Mayfair, she shivered and hurriedly buried her face in the cup.She had never met Sailavi before, but just seeing Sailavi's gaze made her understand that this person will spare no effort to completely smash all challenges against her, and she can see anyone who dares to challenge her at a glance .Even if such a person is just a stupid nobleman in the court, it is already quite difficult to deal with.What Mayfair is most afraid of now is that this Sailaiwei has any interest in her, which will make her escape even more difficult.Faile peeked at Selevy out of the corner of her eye, as if she were watching a spotted adder, coiled up and standing high in front of her, its scales gleaming brightly in the sun.
Be tame, Faile thought, here I am on my knees docilely, with nothing on my mind but my tea.Don't look at me again, you ice-eyed witch.She wants other partners to be like her.
Alliandre shattered her hope. She tried to stand up on her swollen feet, staggered, and then knelt down on the blanket trembling. beginning.A red-striped blanket wrapped her naked body like a silk sash around her stately gown, and despite her bare legs and long hair disheveled, she displayed a rather haughty air.
"I am Alliandre Merissa Kigarin, Queen of Haydan," she announced aloud, as if a queen were scolding scoundrels, "you must treat me and my companions with courtesy. , and punish severely those who have treated us badly, it is wise. You can get a ransom from us, which will be far greater than you can imagine. We can forgive your crimes. My lord and I demand good hospitality, board and lodging, and to arrange for us to return as soon as possible. Of course, her maids are also to be entertained. They don't have to be treated like us, but they can't do any harm, even if you treat my lord I will never pay a gold coin as a ransom for the slightest mistreatment of the servant."
Faile almost groaned.Did this idiot think their captors were just bandits?But she had no time to moan.
"Is this true? Galina, she is the queen of the wetlanders?" Another woman rode out from behind the captive, and the tall black gelding under her crotch was walking lightly on the snow. Son thought she must be an Aiel, but couldn't be sure.It's hard to judge height on horseback, but she definitely doesn't look shorter than Faile, and she has green eyes and a suntanned face, but... her baggy black dress looks like it at first glance It was an Aiel-style dress, cut and parted for riding, and apparently made of silk.Her cream frock, also of silk, showed red boots below; her long fair hair was tied back with a piece of red brocade, and a gold headband the size of a thumb, studded with fire-drop stones.Contrary to Summerlin, who exposed a large breast, her chest was almost covered with a necklace of large pearls, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies, and her bracelets were worn almost from the wrists to the elbows, and were more luxurious than those of the two wise men much.Aiel were not supposed to wear rings, but she had gemstones on every finger.There was no dark shawl on her shoulders, but a bright red cloak, with a large number of intricate patterns embroidered with gold thread on the edge of the cloak, inlaid with white fur, fluttering behind her in the wind.She was as awkward on horseback, though, as any Aiel. "And this Queen has another..." Her tongue stumbled, "Monarch? That is to say, there is a person who has been sworn by the Queen? That is really a powerful person. Answer me, Galina!"
The gaiter in the silk robe shrugged his shoulders and began to answer with a flattering smile: "If one can get the oath of fealty from the queen, she must be very powerful, Sevanna, I have never heard of such But I believe she is indeed Alliandre, I met her many years ago, when she was a girl, and now, she has been crowned Queen of Haidan. I don't know why she came to Amadisia If those white-cloaked people or the King of Rhodes and Lan find her, they will definitely catch her immediately—"
"Enough, Lina," Selevy said sternly, her hand on Galina's shoulder visibly tightened, "You know I hate your nagging."
The Fengyi trembled, as if he had been punched hard, and his voice disappeared immediately.Her face was contorted, and she gave Selevy a flattering smile again, which was even more pitiful than when she answered Sevana just now.The light of gold flickered between her hands as she twisted them, and fear shone in her dark eyes.She was certainly not an Aiel.Selavi didn't care about her flattery at all, as if she was a dog who would naturally run over when her master called her.The wise man's attention was all on Sevanna.Summerlin glanced at the gaiwa, the corner of her mouth twitched contemptuously, then covered her chest with a shawl, and turned her gaze to Sevanna.There was never much expression on the Aiel's face, but she clearly didn't like Sevanna, and she was very wary of this woman.
Faile still had the rim of the cup dangling from her lips, but her eyes followed the Aiel on horseback.She felt as if she was looking at Logan or Marim.Sevanna, like them, imprinted her name on the sky with blood and fire, and it will take Cairhien many years to recover from the disaster she caused, and the disaster has affected Andor, Tyr and further afield.Perrin blamed the catastrophe on a man named Culledin, but Faile had long heard that it was this woman who was behind the scenes, and no one could deny that the massacre at Dumai's well was She made it all by herself.Palin nearly died there.So there is still a layer of personal hatred between her and Sevanna, if she can avenge it, it doesn't matter if she leaves Lu Lan's ear on his head.
The jeweled woman spurred her steed and ambled up to the line of kneeling captives, her unblinking green eyes almost as cold as Selev's.The sound of the black horseshoes smashing the snow seemed to suddenly become very loud. "Which of you is the maid?" What a strange question.Mai Ding hesitated for a moment before reaching out a hand from under the blanket.Sevanna nodded thoughtfully: "So... what about the monarch?"
Faile thought about concealing her identity, but no matter what method she used, Sevanna would know what she wanted to know.She finally raised her hand reluctantly, and shivered, not because of the cold.Selavi looked at everything in front of her with those cold eyes. She was monitoring Sevana and the people who were pointed out by Sevana.
Faile thought it impossible that anyone would remain indifferent to that irritating stare, but Sevanna turned her horse's head calmly and walked behind the captive.After a while, she said: "It's impossible for them to walk on foot like this, and I don't see any reason why they can ride with the children. Galina, treat them."
Fei'er was stunned for a moment, the cup in her hand almost fell to the ground, she pushed the cup towards the Yiyi, and tried her best not to make any other actions.After all, the glass is already empty.The gai with the scar on his face calmly poured tea into the cup again.treat?Surely she doesn't mean...
"Okay," Selavi said, pushing the Ghatti in her hand, causing her to stagger, "Hurry up, little Lina, I know, you won't let me down."
Barely holding her own, Galina struggled toward the captive, the snow up to her knees, her robes trailing in the snow, but she just focused on her goal.On her round face, in a pair of wide-open eyes, fear and loathing were mixed together, and that complex expression also revealed... eager emotions?Either way, that expression was downright disgusting.
Sevanna walked around the captive, came back into Faile's sight, and reined in before the two wise men.Her full lips were drawn tight, and the cold wind blew her cloak and snowflakes fell on top of her head, but she didn't seem to notice. "I just got a message, Selev." Her voice was calm, but her eyes were as fierce as lightning. "Tonight, we will camp with Joanning."
"The fifth clan," Selavi said calmly. To her, the wind and snow seemed to be completely non-existent. "Five clans, and there are seventy-eight scattered in the cold wind. You should Remember the oath to reunite the Shaido, Sevanna, we won't wait forever."
Now Sevanna's eyes no longer shot lightning, but instead became two green active volcanoes. "I always do what I say, Selavi, you'd better remember this. You should also remember the advice you gave me. I am the spokesperson of the tribal leader."
She turned the gelding on her lap and stamped her heels on the horse's flanks, trying to gallop off toward the flowing Aiel caravan, but no horse could run in this deep snow.The dark horse struggled to take bigger strides than its usual walk, but with little success.Selev and Summerlin watched the people disappear into the mist of snowflakes without any expression on their faces.
For Mayfair at least, this is an important change.She knew that the tension between these Aiel was like the strings of a harp, that they hated each other, and perhaps this was a weakness that could be exploited, but she did not yet know how.It seems that most of the Shadu people are not here, and Fei'er has not seen the tail of this army until now.Galina finally walked in front of her, and all the messy thoughts flew out of Mayfair's mind immediately.
Galina managed to show a calm look, and held Faile's head with both hands without saying a word.Faile felt as if she took a sharp breath, but she couldn't be sure.The whole world started spinning.She twitched as if trying to stand up.Time flies by, or maybe the heartbeat slows to a crawl.The woman in the white robe stepped back, and Faile collapsed on the blanket, gasping for air against the thick woolen blanket.Her feet were no longer sore, but the Power's healing always made one hungry.She hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday, and anything that can fit on the plate will be stuffed into her stomach immediately.She was no longer tired, but her muscles had changed from frozen pudding to melted water.Barely propping herself up on her arms, she shivered and wrapped herself in the gray striped blanket again.She was amazed by the healing that Galina performed, but equally astonished by Galina's hands.She carefully let the scar-faced man lift the steaming mug to her mouth because she wasn't sure her fingers had enough strength to hold it.
Galina wasted no time, and soon Alliandre also began to stagger up from the blanket.The striped blanket slipped off her body without her noticing, and of course, the wound on her body disappeared.Mai Ding lay flat on the ground, the blanket covered her body, and her limbs protruded straight out from under the blanket.When Ziad was held by Galina, he jumped up and waved his arms, and the sound of heavy breathing could be heard clearly in Mayfair's ears.The yellow bump on her face disappeared before Faile's eyes.When Galina let go of her and turned to heal Baine, she fell to the ground again like a felled tree trunk, but stood up almost immediately.
Mayfair sipped her tea, her mind spinning rapidly.Galina does have a giant serpent ring on her finger, and if it wasn't for Galina's healing spells, she wouldn't even notice it.Galina was an Aes Sedai, absolutely right, but what were Aes Sedai doing here?Why is she wearing the white robes of the gaiga?Why is she flattering Sevanna so much?And to Selev, she is even like a dog eager to lick her master's toes!And yet she turned out to be an Aes Sedai!
Galina was now at the end of the line of captives, and Ariela collapsed in front of her.Due to the excessive application of healing in a short period of time, Galina was already breathing a little bit. She looked at Selev as if she was expecting a compliment, but the two wise men were already walking towards the Shadu brigade, talking in low voices from time to time. Two sentences, without even looking at her.After a while, the Aes Sedai frowned, lifted the hem of her robes, and ran after the two Wise Men desperately, but she kept glancing back at the group of captives.When the snow curtain completely covered her figure, Mayfair even felt that she was still looking back at them.
More gai yi came from the other direction, a mixture of men and women, there were about a dozen of them.Only one of them was Aiel, a thin man with red hair and a thin white scar running from his hairline to his chin.Faile could recognize the small, fair-skinned men in the group as Cairhienians, and the others, who were taller and darker, thought to her to be Amadicians or Atlaians.There was even a bronze-skinned Aladoman, and that Aladoman and another woman wore a gleaming gold sashes around their waists and wide collars around their necks.Mayfair found out that there was another man wearing this kind of jewelry!Either way, it doesn't seem to matter that gaijin wear jewelry, though it's odd.What interested Mayfair most now was the food and clothes they carried.They brought baskets of bread, yellow cheese, and dried beef, and the gyogi, who were tending to the captives, continued to offer tea to the captives.Mayfair focused on stuffing all kinds of food into her mouth as fast as she could, and didn't stop chewing even when she was getting dressed.Decentness is not important, speed is important, and the others are no different from her.Faile was amazed at how warm the gaiter's white hooded robes and two-layered coat were.She was also comfortable in thick woolen stockings and knee-high moccasin boots—these boots for the ghats were bleached, too!But these can't fill Mayfair's empty belly.Aiel jerky was as hard as bootskin, cheese as stone, and bread not much softer, but they were more delicious to Faile than any delicacy!Even though her mouth was full of food, she was still drooling with hunger.
Swallowing her mouthful of cheese, she tied her bootlaces, stood up, and smoothed her robes.But as she reached for the bread, the fat woman with the gold belt produced a gold chain belt from a cloth bag on her shoulder.Swallowing hastily, Faile stepped back, looked into the woman's weary eyes and said, "Thanks, I don't want that." She had a terrible feeling that these ornaments were not unimportant.
"Your thoughts are meaningless," the fat woman's voice was as tired as her eyes, and her accent and demeanor suggested that she was an Amadeian, "Now, you will serve Sevanna Master, put on all the clothes you are given, and obey all orders, or you will be punished until you understand your mistake."
A few steps away, Mai Ding was also resisting the Aladoman, refusing to put on the collar she was holding.Alliandre backed away step by step in front of the man wearing the gold chain. She put her hands on her chest with a disgusted expression on her face; and the man also had a gold belt in his hand.But Mai Ding and Alliandre were all looking at Faile, which made Faile feel lucky, maybe the whip in the forest was indeed useful.
Faile sighed heavily, nodded to them, and let the fat gaiter fasten her sash around her.Seeing her reaction, the other two also gave up resistance. It seemed that this blow was beyond Alliandre's ability to bear it.When she was belted and collared, she just stood there blankly, staring into the distance.Mai Ding seemed to drill a hole in that slender Aladoman with his eyes.Faile tried to encourage them with a smile, but smiling was too difficult.To her, the sound of the collar tightening around her neck was like the sound of a cell door being shut.Belts and collars can be easily removed, but all gaishi who serve "Master Sevanna" are sure to be kept under strict watch.Disasters always follow disasters, but things are bound to get better and have to get better.
Faile soon found herself walking on wobbly legs through the snow, with a staggering, glassy-eyed Alliandre and a scowling Maidine at her side, surrounded by a group of people holding hands. The gaigi of the livestock, which, laden with covered baskets, pull laden vehicles on wooden sledges.The wheels of these carts were taken off and put into the carts.The Shaido may not be familiar with snow, but they have quickly learned some tricks to navigate it.Faile, Maidin, and Alliandre had no weight on them, but the fat Amadeian woman had made it clear that they would be carrying a heavy burden tomorrow, and they would never be able to let it go again.Mayfair didn't know how many Shadu people were in this team, she just felt that this team was like a moving city, or even a small country.Teenagers can ride in the car, but everyone else must walk.All Shaido men wear kadinser, and most Shaido women wear dresses, blouses and shawls like wise men; there are also some Shaido men who do not wear kadinser and carry only a spear in their hands , or did not carry a weapon.They are also milder than those heavily armed Shaido, just as sandstone is softer than granite.
When the fat Amadeian woman left, she didn't tell Faile her name, and she didn't reveal any more information except for punishment and obedience.Only then did Mayfair realize that she could no longer see the shadows of Baine and the others in the heavy snow.No one ordered her to stay in a fixed position, so Faile began to search back and forth in the Shaido team, with Alliandre and Maidin always by her side.Faile had to tuck her hands into her sleeves to keep some warmth, making walking in the snow even more difficult.The bitter cold wind forced them to wrap their heads and faces tightly with hoods.The gaigi and Shaido who passed by them would only glance at the golden belts that marked their identification, and never look at them again.Although Mayfair shuttled through this team more than a dozen times, her efforts proved to be a complete failure in the end.There were people in white robes everywhere, deep hoods hiding all faces.
"We can only go to them again tonight." Mai Ding finally said.She had been stalking awkwardly through the deep snow, looking fiercely out of her hood from her blue eyes.She clutched the thick gold chain around her neck tightly with one hand, as if trying to break it with force. "As it is now, if others take one step, we have to take ten or twenty steps. If we continue to search like this, there will be no results. And when we arrive at the campsite, we will definitely be too tired to move."
On the other side of Faile, Alliandre, who was almost numb, only raised one eyebrow at Mai Ding's unquestionable words.Faile looked at her maid, but her gaze was enough to make the maid blushed and couldn't open her mouth.What is this woman thinking?Faile had never expected a maid to speak like that, but she knew well that Maiden would be a steadfast companion in her escape plan.It would be great if she could channel, Mayfair once had great hopes for this, until she realized that Mai Ding's ability in this area was almost equal to zero.
"It must be tonight, Mai Ding." Fei'er agreed with Mai Ding's suggestion.No matter how many nights it took, she must find them, but she didn't express the thought in her heart.She took a quick glance at the crowd around her to make sure no one could overhear their conversation.Those Shaido just trudge through the falling snow intently, and urge the whole team towards the unknown goal.Besides them, the righteous believers, whether they were persecuted or completely submissive, seemed to have their own concerns. "The Shadu people are still very lenient towards us now," Faier said again, "Maybe you can find an opportunity, walk to the side of the team, and slip away quietly. As long as you don't do this under the nose of the Shadu people, you may succeed .Sneak out and don't miss the chance. The white robes will help you hide in the snow. Once you find the village, the gold that the Shaido gave us will help you get back to my husband. He will come after him. "She wants Palin to not be too fast, at least not too close to this team.This was an army of the Shaido, perhaps not a very large army, but definitely larger than Perrin's.
A determined look appeared on Alliandre's face. "I will not leave you," her voice was soft but very firm, "I will not take my oath lightly, master, I will run away with you, I will never leave!"
"Her words are also what I want to say." Mai Ding said. "Maybe I'm just a maid," when she said this, there was a hint of reluctance and contempt in her voice, "but I won't leave anyone to these... these robbers!" Her tone was not only firm, It also contains an absolutely irrefutable meaning.Fei'er made up her mind, after this matter is over, she must let Lini have a good talk with her, so that she can understand her position!
Phil opened his mouth, wanting to refute, no, to issue orders to those who swore allegiance to her and her servants, but she didn't say a word.
A black figure came out from the Shaido team, and a group of Aiel women with shawls covering their heads and faces appeared in the snow curtain. They were led by Selev, who was still talking while walking.The others slowed down and followed her, following her all the way to Mayfair.Now, Mayfair has walked side by side with them.Selevy's gaze seemed to freeze Mai Ding's enthusiasm; in fact, she just glanced at them.They were not of great value to her.
"You are trying to escape." Sailaiwei said.They didn't answer.The wise man continued: "Don't try to deny this!" The wise man's voice was full of contempt.
"We will do our best to serve you, wise man." Mayfair replied cautiously.She kept her head down cautiously, shielding the wise man from her eyes with her hood.
"It seems that you know a little about us," Selevy said with surprise in his voice, but the emotion quickly disappeared, "Very well, but if you think I will believe your superficial obedience, then you It was wrong. I saw the determination of the three of you. For the people of the wetlands, you are considered strong. Some people of the wetlands will never have the idea of running away. But so far, only the dead can escape our control, And all the living people who escaped were arrested, without exception."
"I will remember your words, wise man." Faile said humbly.Never without exception?There are exceptions to everything. "We'll all do it."
"Very good." Sailev murmured, "If it is a blind man like Sevanna, maybe he will really believe you. But you know, the gai, the wetlanders are different from other people in white robes. Man only needs to serve for a year and a day, but you have to serve until you are too old to work. And I am your only hope to avoid this fate."
Faile staggered in the snow, and if it hadn't been for Alliandre and Maidin who grabbed her arms, maybe she would have fallen to the ground.Selavi gestured impatiently for them to move on.Faile felt dizzy.Will Selev help them escape?Ziad and Baine said that the Aiel knew nothing about the game of thrones and scorned the tricks of the wetlanders, but Faile could clearly feel the undercurrent around her.If she takes one wrong step, all three of them will be sucked into a terrible vortex from which they will never be able to escape.
"I don't understand, wise man." She suddenly wished her voice wasn't so husky.
But maybe it was this hoarse voice that made Selevy trust her a little more. Many people believed that fear was the most reliable restraint.Anyway, there was a smile on the corner of Selevy's mouth, and although it was not a warm smile, a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth at least showed that she was satisfied. "When you three serve Sevanna, you must carefully monitor her every move. Every day, a wise man will gather information from you. You must repeat every word Sevanna has said, and report everyone who talks to her. , even her dream talk must not be missed. If you can satisfy me, I will give you a chance to leave. "
Faile didn't want to take part in the Aiel rivalry at all, but she couldn't choose to say no, or the three of them wouldn't survive tonight.It is impossible for Daxue to hide their figures quickly, and even if Sailavi wants to slit their throats now, no one will object.Except for them and these wise men, everyone else was focused on their journey, and no one cared about their lives.
"If she knows..." Fei'er swallowed.Selev was ordering them up a crumbling cliff.Would the Aiel kill spies?She had never asked Bane and Ziad that question, or even thought about it. "Will you protect us, wise man?"
The hard-faced woman lifted Faile's chin with strong fingers, forcing her to stop and tiptoe.Looking at Selev's cold eyes, Mayfair felt her mouth dry.The wise man's gaze was already hurting her. "If she knows about it, I will boil you with my own hands, so please don't let her know. You will serve her in her tent tonight. She has been served by more than One hundred, so you won't have any manual labor, and nothing will interfere with your obtaining important information."
Selavi looked at the three of them carefully again, then nodded with satisfaction.She saw three weak wetlanders who could do nothing but obey orders.She let go of Mayfair, turned and left without saying another word.Before long, she and the other wise men were engulfed by the snowstorm.
For a moment, the three people who were left behind just continued to rush on in silence.Mayfair didn't say anything about running away alone, and she didn't give any orders. She believed that even if she did, the other two people would definitely not obey.And, after what happened with Selev, it was even more unlikely that they would agree to run away alone.Mayfair was well aware of the personalities of these two men, who would rather die than admit that Salevy frightened them.In fact, Selev has already scared Mayfair.And even if I were to swallow my tongue, I wouldn't admit it, Mayfair thought coldly.
"I'd like to know what she means...cooked," Alliandre said at last. "I've heard that the judges of the white robes sometimes put prisoners on spits and roast them in the fire." .” Mai Ding folded her arms and shivered.Alliandre stretched out a hand from her sleeve, patted Mai Ding on the shoulder, and quickly withdrew her hand. "Don't worry, if Sevanna had a hundred servants, we might not have a chance to get close to her and hear what she had to say. We can also choose what to report so Sevanna won't find us."
Mai Ding gave a wry smile in the white hood: "You think we still have a choice, but we don't. You need to learn to recognize when there is no choice. That woman didn't pick us to do this because we were strong-minded .” When she said this, she almost spat. "I bet Selevy said the same thing to all of Sevanna's servants. If we kept a word from her, she would know."
After a while, Alliandre said, "You may be right, but you can't speak to me in this way, Maggie. Our situation is indeed very bad, but you must remember who I am."
"Before we escape," Maggie replied, "you were Sevanna's servant. If you don't keep that in mind, you're likely to climb onto the spit yourself. And because of you , and there will be places for the two of us on the spit."
Alliandre's hood hid her face, but every word Maidin uttered made her spine stiffen even more.She's smart and knows how to do what she has to do, but she can't control that queenly temper she has at times.
"We're all servants until we can go," Faile interjected before she could explode, her voice firm.Bright, the last thing she wants to see now is for these two to quarrel. "But you need to apologize, Mai Ding, apologize immediately!" Her maid turned her head and muttered something that seemed to be an apology - at least Mayfair thought so. "And you, Alliandre, I hope you can be a good servant." Alliandre also muttered something, which sounded a bit like objection, but Faile ignored her. "If we're going to create an opportunity to escape, we first have to obey orders, work hard, and draw as little attention as possible." Now they attract enough attention. “我们要将瑟瓦娜打的每一个喷嚏都告诉赛莱维。我不知道赛莱维有什么计划，但我想，我们全都知道赛莱维会怎样对待她所不喜欢的人。”这让她们立刻全都哑口无言了，她们都很清楚赛莱维会怎么做，而死亡也许只是赛莱维最仁慈的一种手段。
中午时，雪已经小了很多，黑色的乌云仍然遮挡着太阳，只是因为有人安排她们吃饭，才让菲儿知道时间已经接近正午。没有人停下脚步，只有数百名奉义徒在队伍中来回穿梭，将篮子和袋子里的面包干肉分发给所有人。她们还带着水囊，不过这次从水囊里倒出来的只有清水，而且这些水冻得菲儿牙齿打颤。奇怪的是，虽然在雪地里跋涉了很长一段时间，她却没有想象中那么饿。她曾经见过佩林被施行治疗术，那次治疗之后，佩林在随后的两天时间里食欲都好得令人吃惊，也许这只是因为菲儿的伤势比上次佩林的伤轻得多。她注意到雅莲德和麦玎吃的也不比她更多。
治疗术让她想到盖琳娜，所有关于她的问题仍然在菲儿的脑海中不停翻滚着。她一定是两仪师，但为什么一名两仪师会那么逢迎瑟瓦娜和赛莱维？实际上，她几乎对所有人都是那种谄媚的模样。一名两仪师也许能帮助她们逃跑，但为了她自己的目的，也许她会出卖她们。两仪师永远都有自己的目的，而你只能接受她们的一切所做所为，除非你是兰德·亚瑟。兰德·亚瑟是时轴，是转生真龙，而她只是一个几乎没什么资源，却面临着巨大危险的弱女子。对她来说，任何人的任何帮助都是弥足珍贵的。当菲儿开始从各方面思考关于盖琳娜的问题时，风已经停了，雪花又开始飘落，并且愈来愈大，直到她连十步以外都看不清，但她仍然不知道是否该信任盖琳娜。
突然间，她察觉到有另一个穿白袍的女人正在看着她。大雪几乎彻底遮住那个女人的身影，但菲儿还是看到了她宽阔的宝石腰带。菲儿碰碰同伴的手臂，朝那个女人点点头。那个女人正是盖琳娜。
当盖琳娜看到自己被发现时，她就走到菲儿和雅莲德中间。她在雪地里走路的姿势并不比菲儿和雅莲德好看多少，但至少她对于雪地行走要比她们习惯许多。现在，她的脸上没有任何谄媚的表情，那张藏在兜帽里的圆脸显得相当坚硬，而目光更是锐利得如同两把刀子。她不停地朝两侧转过头，查看是否有人在靠近她们，看上去，她就像是一头想要伪装成老虎的家猫。“你知道我是谁？”她的声音绝对不会传出十尺外，“你知道我的身份？”
“你似乎是一名两仪师，”菲儿谨慎地说道，“但对两仪师而言，你现在的处境却又似乎过于微妙了。”雅莲德和麦玎没有任何一点惊讶的表现，很显然，她们都已经看见盖琳娜正在紧张地拨弄着的巨蛇戒。
盖琳娜脸颊上涌起一片红晕，而她竭力要把这种表情掩饰成一种愤怒的表现，“我在这里所做的一切对白塔非常重要，孩子。”她的声音冰冷，她的表情说明她们不可能理解她在这里的原因，她明亮的目光仿佛是要刺穿面前厚厚的雪幕。“我绝不能失败，这就是你们需要知道的。”
“我们需要知道的是，我们能否信任你，”雅莲德平静地说，“你一定在白塔接受过训练，否则你不可能掌握治疗术。但有很多在白塔受训的女人都有可能只得到这枚戒指，却未能得到披肩，我不相信你是一位两仪师。”看样子，菲儿并不是唯一对盖琳娜充满怀疑的人。
盖琳娜丰满的嘴唇绷紧了，她朝雅莲德伸出一只拳头，有可能是一种威胁，有可能是在显示她的戒指，或者两者都是。“你以为他们会因为你拥有一顶王冠而对你另眼相待？只因你曾经有过一顶王冠？”现在，她肯定是生气了，因为她忘记要注意周围，而且她的语气变得激烈，唾沫也随着她的话语一同喷了出来。“你们要为瑟瓦娜奉酒，为她擦背，就和其他所有的仆人一样。她的仆人全部是贵族或富商，或者是知道该如何侍奉贵族的人们。她每天都会鞭打他们之中的五个人，以此鼓励其余的人努力工作，所以他们全都会找出各种故事来取悦她。如果你们想要逃走，第一次被抓回来，你们会被鞭打脚底，直到无法行走，然后你们会被捆得如同一根弹簧，扔在大车上，直到你们可以重新走路为止。第二次被抓回来，受到的惩罚会更可怕。第三次更会变本加厉。这里有一个曾经是白袍众的人，他前后一共逃跑了九次，那真是个刚强的家伙。但当他最后一次被抓回来时，还没等他们开始惩罚他，他就已经在哭号着乞求宽恕了。”
雅莲德并没有很在乎盖琳娜的这番话，她的脸上现出怒意。麦玎大声说道：“你现在只会说些这样的话吗？不管你是两仪师还是见习生，你都是白塔的耻辱！”
“在长辈说话的时候，不要胡言乱语，野人！”盖琳娜喝道。
光明啊，如果再这样下去，她们很快就要互相吼叫了。“如果你想帮助我们逃脱，那就直接说出来好了。”菲儿对那个穿着丝绸衣服的两仪师说道。她并不怀疑这个女人的身份，只是对她的另一些方面有所顾虑。“如果你不想帮我们，那又找我们来干什么？”
在她们前面，一辆马车出现在雪幕中，那辆车侧倾在路上，它的一片橇板松开了。这辆车的主人是一名沙度男人，从他的肩膀和手臂判断，他应该是一名铁匠。许多奉义徒正在他的指挥下将那辆马车撬起，以便修复那片橇板。菲儿一行人一言不发地从那辆车旁快步走过。
她们刚和那辆马车拉开一段距离，盖琳娜就问道：“雅莲德，她是你的君主？”她重新压低声音，但脸上仍然充满愤怒。“她到底是什么人，让你会对她宣誓效忠？”
“这个问题你可以直接问我。”菲儿冷冷地说。这些两仪师和她们该死的秘密全都应该被光明烧光！有时候，菲儿觉得两仪师甚至能够让你相信天空并不是蓝色的。“我是菲儿·德·艾巴亚女士，现在你知道这个就够了。你到底要不要帮助我们？”
盖琳娜的腿软了一下。她紧紧盯着菲儿，让菲儿不由得开始怀疑自己刚刚是不是犯了什么错。片刻之后，她知道自己的确犯了错。
那名两仪师站直身子，露出令人厌恶的微笑，她似乎已经不再愤怒了。实际上，她的表情几乎像赛莱维一样愉快，这只是让菲儿感到更加可怕。“德·艾巴亚，”她一边说，一边思考着什么，“你是沙戴亚人。而我知道一个年轻男人，佩林·艾巴亚，他是你的丈夫？是了，看样子，我正中目标。雅莲德会对你宣誓效忠也就毫不奇怪了。瑟瓦娜制订了一个宏大的计划，这个计划的目标正是一个和你的丈夫有密切关系的人——兰德·亚瑟。如果她知道你落入她手中……哦，绝对不必担心她会从我这里知道这件事。”她的目光变得严厉起来，突然间，她似乎变成一头真正的老虎，一头饥饿的老虎。“如果你们按照我说的去做，她就不会知道，我甚至还会帮助你们逃跑。”
“你想要我们做什么？”菲儿为自己坚强的语气感到惊讶。光明啊，她刚刚还在为雅莲德自曝身份的行为感到气恼，而现在，她竟然做了同样的蠢事，她做的可能还更加糟糕。我还以为隐瞒父姓就能隐瞒我的身份，她苦涩地想。
“并不是很困难的事。”盖琳娜答道，“你们注意到了赛莱维，对不对？你们当然会注意她，所有人都会注意赛莱维。她的帐篷里藏着一件东西，一根大约一尺长的白色短杖，表面非常光滑，那根短杖放在一只有黄铜提手的红箱子里。那个箱子从不会上锁。把它拿给我，我就会在离开时带上你们。”
“看样子，这件事并不难，”雅莲德犹疑地说，“但如果只是这样，你自己为什么不去拿？”
“因为我要你们去把它拿给我！”盖琳娜意识到自己在喊叫，急忙闭上嘴，又打了个哆嗦，飞快地向左右观望，看是否会有人听到她的话。周围似乎没有人多看她一眼，但她还是将声音压低到几乎是耳语的程度。“如果你们不照我说的去做，我就会把你们丢在这群艾伊尔人中间，直到你们满头灰发，皱纹堆积，而瑟瓦娜则会知道关于佩林·艾巴亚的事。”
“做这件事可能需要时间，”菲儿绝望地说，“我们不可能随心所欲地溜进赛莱维的帐篷。”光明啊，她最不想做的事情就是靠近赛莱维的帐篷，但盖琳娜说过，她会帮助她们，她也许非常卑鄙，但两仪师是不能说谎的。
“你们会得到你们所需要的一切时间，”盖琳娜答道，“你的后半生都可以用来做这件事，菲儿·德·艾巴亚女士。如果你们足够小心的话，也许就不必用上这么长的时间了，不要让我失望。”她最后瞪了菲儿一眼，然后就转过身去，费力地走进雪幕中。她一直将手臂固定在身侧，仿佛是想要用宽阔的袖子藏住腰上的宝石腰带。
菲儿一言不发地继续赶路，同伴们也都没有说一句话，现在似乎已经没有什么话好说了。雅莲德将双手藏在袖子里，仿佛陷入了沉思，她的眼睛盯着前方，好似透过这场暴风雪，看到了什么东西。麦玎重新握紧她的金项链。她们竟然同时落进三个陷阱里，三个致命的陷阱。菲儿突然很希望能得到外力的援救，但她还是将自己的理智集中在自救的方法上。她命令自己的手放开脖子下面的项链。她在暴风雪中挣扎着，计划着。