Chapter 27 Chapter 23 Beyond the Stone

Egwene staggered, put her arms around Misty's neck, and tried to stand firm on the sloping ground.All around her, the Aiel were trying to hold together the neighing and slipping mules.It was only then that Ai Wen discovered that the place they were on was a steep rocky hillside with no grass growing.The heat that had been seen in Tel'aran Rhiod bombarded her body, the air twisted before her eyes, and the ground burned her feet through the soles of her shoes.In the first period of time, the skin was as painful as pinpricks, and soon the sweat gushed out from every pore, and the clothes just got wet, and the sweat seemed to evaporate into the air.

The struggling mules and tall Aiel almost blocked everything around her, but through the gaps between her figures, she still saw some of the surrounding environment sporadically.Less than three steps away from her, a thick gray stone pillar protruded from the ground. The gravel carried by the strong wind had already smoothed it, making it impossible for Egwene to see if it was the same as the teleportation stone from Tyr. exactly the same.The mountain range, like a rough slate, seems to be the work of a crazy giant with a big axe.In the cloudless sky, the sun shone brightly, scorching the barren land.Far below their feet, in the center of the long, dead valley, hung a thick mist, rolling like a cloud.The hot sun should have dried such a cloud in a moment, but the fog seemed unaffected by the sun.On top of the rolling gray mist, many tall towers protrude, some of which have pointed tops, while others have only half of the tower body, as if the craftsmen have not yet finished it.

"He was right," murmured Egwene, "a city in the clouds." Mat grabbed the reins of his horse and looked around with wide eyes. "We did it!" He smiled at Egwene. "We did it, Egwene, and there is no... burn me, we do It's here!" He pulled the shirt tie around his neck, "Light! It's so hot here, it's really going to burn me to death!" Egwene suddenly found that Rand was kneeling on his knees, with his head bowed and one hand propped on the ground.Egwene grabbed her mare and pushed her way through the chaotic Aiel crowd to Rand's side.At this time, Lan just helped him to stand up, and Mo Rui came to him and was examining him carefully.The Aes Sedai's face was as calm as water, and the corners of her mouth were slightly closed, showing that she wanted to slap Rand.

"I did it." Panting, Rand looked around, the support of the guardian was the only support for him to stand up.His face was covered with sweat, without a trace of blood, like a dying person. "You almost failed." Moiraine said coldly, very coldly. "That magic weapon is not enough to complete this task. You must never do it again. If you must take risks, you must think rationally and do so. For the sake of important goals, it must be so." "I'm not taking any chances, Moiraine. Mat is the one who always takes risks." Rand forced himself to open his right hand, and the magic weapon—the fat little man—had thrust its sword point into Rand's mouth. De's flesh and blood is in that heron scar. "Maybe you're right, maybe I need a stronger one, a little more powerful, maybe..." He laughed angrily, "It works, Moiraine, this is Importantly, I left them all behind, and it worked."

"This is the key." Lan said and nodded.Egwene clicked angrily.man!One man nearly kills himself and then makes a joke of it; another man says he did the right thing.Will they never grow up? "The fatigue caused by channeling is not the same as other fatigue," Mo Rui said, "especially the power you channeled just now reached the limit of your ability, I can't completely eliminate it for you, but I will do my best, maybe leave The discomfort in your body will remind you to be more cautious in the future." She was angry, but the satisfaction was evident in her voice.

The Aes Sedai held Rand's head in her hands, a halo of saidath surrounding her body.Rand let out a shaky gasp, shivering involuntarily.He jerked his body backwards, freeing himself from Moiraine's hands and from Lan's support. "Please ask me first next time, Moiraine." Rand said coldly, stuffing the magic weapon into his waist pocket, "Before you do anything to me, please get my permission first, I am not you My pet dog can let you do whatever you want." He put his hands together and wiped away the tiny bloodstains on his palms. Egwene made that annoyed sound again.Childish and utterly ungrateful.Now, he can stand upright on his own, although there is still a tired look in his eyes.Egwene didn't have to look at his palm to be sure that the little wound was gone, as if it had never been there.I am so thankful.Surprisingly, Lan didn't berate him for his behavior, asking him to apologize to Moiraine.

At this time, Egwene suddenly realized that the Aiel had completely quieted down, and the mules had all been gathered together by them.They stared outside vigilantly, but none of them took a look at the fog-shrouded city in the valley, which was obviously Rudion.The Aiel focused their attention on two camps about half a mile to either side of them. Each camp had dozens of low tents with open sides, and one camp was twice as large as the other. Big.They cling to the hillside, and if you don't look closely, you might miss them, but the taupe Aiel in the camp are clearly visible.They carried short spears and buckled hornbows, and some of them had veiled their faces, others were putting them on, and they seemed ready to attack.

"Peace for Rudion!" A female voice came from the hillside above, and Egwene could feel the tension disappearing from the Aiel around her.Those Aiel in the camp also began to remove their veils, though they still watched the situation cautiously. Only then did Egwene see a third, much smaller camp on a hillside farther above, with only a few low tents standing on a flat field.Four women were coming towards them from the camp, calm and dignified in their large dark skirts and white blouses.Although the hot weather made Egwene feel a little dizzy, they still wore brown or gray shawls around their shoulders, and many ivory and gold necklaces and bracelets adorned their necks and wrists.Two of the women already had white hair, and the other had sun-blond hair. Their hair hung down to their waists, and a folded square scarf was tied on their foreheads so that the hair would not fall on their faces. superior.

Egwene recognized one of the white-haired women: Amis, the wise man she had met in Tel'aran Rhiod.Again, she was struck by the contrast between Amis's tanned skin and white hair, a wise man who didn't look as old as her white hair suggested.The second white-haired woman had the wrinkled face of an old grandmother; the other looked almost as old as herself, with gray streaks in her dark hair.Egwene was sure all four of them were wise men, and it was likely that they had written the letter to Moiraine. Ten steps away from the crowd around the teleportation stone, four Aiel women stood still.The old grandmother-like woman opened her arms and said in an old but powerful voice: "The peace of Rudion is up to you. Anyone who comes to Chandale can return to their homeland in peace. This land should not Shed blood." With these words, the Aiel from Tire began to disperse their ranks, quickly distributing the animals and their loads, and now they were not divided into groups of warriors.Egwene saw the Maidens disperse into several groups, some of which immediately circled the mountain, avoiding contact with other groups and camps despite Rudian's order to keep the peace.The other teams walked separately to the two camps, where all the people put down their weapons.

Not everyone was fully confident in Rudion's peace, and Lan let go of the hilt of his sword, and Egwene didn't even see when he put his hand on the hilt.Mat hastily slipped a pair of daggers back into his sleeves.Rand's hands were still in his waist pockets, but there was already a relaxed expression in his eyes. Egwene was looking for Aviendha, and she wanted to ask Avienda a few questions before approaching Amys. Her Aiel friends must know more about these wise men, after all, they lived in the same land.She found the Maiden of the Spears, Aviendha clutching a big jingling jute sack and carrying two wall hangings on her shoulders, walking quickly towards a large camp.

"You must stay, Aviendha," said the gray-haired wise man loudly.Aviendha stopped in her tracks, not looking at anyone. Egwene was about to walk towards her, but she heard Moiraine whispering, "It's best not to disturb them, I doubt if she wants your sympathy, or something." Egwene nodded despite her reluctance. Aviendha did look like she wanted to be alone.What does the wise man want her to do?Did she violate a certain rule, or a certain law?If it were Egwene, she would never mind having a companion by her side.In fact, now that there were no Aiel around her, and exposed to the surveillance of many eyes in the two camps, Egwene felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.The Aiel in the Rock of Tyr had been polite, if not friendly, to her, but these were different.Egwen wanted to embrace the shade, but seeing that Moiraine's sweaty face was still as calm and calm as usual, and Lan was as calm as the rocks beside him, she finally gave up the idea.If there was danger, the two of them would naturally be able to detect it, and as long as they accepted the situation, she could accept it too.But Egwene still hoped that these Aiel people would not stare at her like this. Rulak walked up the slope with a smile: "I'm back, Amis, although I can bet that I'm definitely not coming back in the way you expected." "I know you'll be here today, the shade of my heart." Amis reached out to touch Rurak's cheek, letting her brown shawl fall over her arm, "My sister's wife asked me to bring you her heart. " "That's what you call dream divination," Egwene whispered to Moiraine, and Lan was the only one who could hear them, "so you're willing to let Rand bring us here by the Portal Stone, which they know, And told you in the letter. No, no, if they mentioned the teleportation stone, you wouldn't try to stop him, but they still know we will appear here." Moiraine nodded, her eyes still looking at those wise men: "They wrote in their letters that they would meet us here, in Chandel, the time is today, I thought...unlikely...until Rand mentioned the teleportation stone .When he was convinced—so convinced that I couldn't dissuade—that there was a Portal Stone here, too. . . . let me just say, then it struck me that there was a good chance we'd reach Chandel today." Egwene took a deep breath of the scorching air, which meant that a dreamer could do such a thing, and she couldn't wait to start learning.She wanted to keep up with Rulak, introduce herself to Amis, re-introduce herself, but Rurak and Amis were staring at each other as if oblivious to everything around them. A man came out of each of the two camps, one of them was tall and burly, with fiery red hair, and he looked less than middle-aged; the other was older, with darker complexion, not shorter than the previous one, but thinner than him.They stopped a few paces to either side of Rurak and the Wise One.The older, rough-skinned man carried no weapon but a large dagger at his belt; but the other, with a spear and a round leather shield, held his head held high and his brows furrowed, staring with apparent arrogance. Rulaq. Rulak didn't look at him, but turned his head to the older man: "I saw you, Hein, do some clan leaders think I'm dead? Is someone trying to take my place?" "I saw you, Rulaq, and none of the Tadades entered Rudion, nor did they intend to. Amis said she would see you here today, and the other wise men came with her. I Bring these people from the Jindo clan to protect them and come here safely." Rurak nodded solemnly. Egwene felt that they had just said something important, or hinted at it.The wise men, Rulak, and Hein didn't look at the fiery red-haired man from the beginning to the end, but judging from the guy's flushed cheeks, it was as if they were all staring at him. Egwene glanced at Moiraine, who shook her head slightly at her, and the Aes Sedai also had no idea what the Aiel were doing.Lan bowed slightly to them, and whispered, "A wise man can safely walk all over the desert and enter any settlement of any tribe. I don't think even a blood feud will involve a wise man. This Hein is from Protect Rurak, because the men in the camp across the way will attack him, but that's not something honorable enough to say." Moiraine raised one eyebrow a little, and Lan said again, "I don't know much about them, but I fought them a lot before I met you. You just never asked me about them." "I'll find out about these things," said the Aes Sedai flatly.Egwene turned her gaze back to the Wise Man and the three men, and the act alone made her feel dizzy. Lan put an uncorked leather water bladder into her hand, and Egwene lifted her head, taking a grateful gulp of water.The water in the leather bag was slightly lukewarm, with a smell of leather, but in this hot weather, it was as sweet and delicious as a spring spring.She handed the half-empty water bag to Moiraine, and Moiraine took a few sips before handing the water bag back to Egwene.Egwene happily drank the water in the bag and closed her eyes.Suddenly there was a stream of water pouring over her head, Ai Wen hurriedly opened her eyes, and saw that Lan was pouring a whole water bag on her head, and water droplets were already falling from Mouri's hair. "If you don't use this method, the high heat here will kill you." While explaining, the guardian took out two long white linen towels from his coat and wet them.Following his instructions, Egwene and Moiraine wrapped the two soaked cloths around their foreheads, and Rand and Mat did the same.Lan still held his forehead unprotected to the sun, nothing seemed to overwhelm the man. The silence between Rurak and the two Aiel men lasted for a long time, and finally, Tadade's clan leader turned to the fiery red-haired man: "Is there no clan leader in Shaido, Kuledin?" "Suradik is dead," the man replied. "Moradin entered Rudion, and if he fails, I will." "You didn't make a request, Kuledin," said the grandmotherly wise man in a thin but powerful voice. "If Moradin fails, you make a request. There are four of us, enough to decide whether you can or cannot. " "It's my right, Burr," said Culedin angrily, the sort of man who wasn't used to being hindered. "Your right is to ask," Burr replied. "Our right is to answer. Whatever happened to Moradin, I don't think you'll be allowed into Rudion. You're flawed, Culledin." She lifted the gray shawl and rewrapped it around her bony shoulders, as if to tell her that she had said too much, more than she thought necessary. The fiery red-haired man's complexion turned purple, "My chief brother will return with the imprint of the tribal leader, and we will lead the Shadu tribe to great glory! We want to..." He suddenly closed his mouth, and at the same time his body There was almost a noticeable trembling. Egwene thought she should keep an eye on this man, he reminded her of the Congars and the Coplins back home, they were always talking and making trouble, she had never seen any Aiel with such a bad attitude manner. Amis didn't seem to have noticed that Culledin at all. "You brought someone, Rurak," she said.Egwene thought the woman was talking about her, but Amis' eyes were on Rand.Obviously, Moiraine was not surprised, and now Egwene wanted to know what else the Aes Sedai had not revealed in the letter from the four wise men to Moiraine. Rand looked like he wanted to retreat, hesitated for a while, and finally walked up the hillside and stood beside Rurak, meeting the eyes of the wise man.Sweat soaked his white shirt, left dark stains on his breeches, and a strip of cloth was wrapped around the top of his head. He was clearly not as solemn as he had been in the Great Hall of Hearts of Stone.He bowed in a strange posture, took a step forward with his left foot, put his left hand on his left knee, and stretched out his right hand, palm up. "By the right of blood," he said, "I ask permission to enter Rudion, for the glory and memory of our forefathers." Amis blinked in obvious surprise.Burr murmured, "An old form, but the request has been made, and my answer is yes." "I'll say yes, too, Burr," said Amis. "Sinna?" "He's not an Aiel," Kuledin interjected angrily, and Egwene guessed he was always angry. "He's a dead end in this land! Why did Rurak bring him here? ?why?" "Do you want to be a wise man, Culedin?" Bell asked, frowning to make the wrinkles on her face appear deeper and denser, "Then you can come to me in a dress, and I will see if you can accept it Train, but until then, don't interrupt the wise man!" "My mother was an Aiel," Rand said nervously, and Egwene stared at him.Carrie Arthur had died when Egwene had just left the cradle, but if Tam's wife had been an Aiel, Egwene would have heard of it.She glanced at Moiraine again. The Aes Sedai was just watching the people, his face calm and expressionless.Rand did look like an Aiel, with the same height, gray-blue eyes, and red hair, but that was ridiculous. "Not your mother," said Amys slowly, "but your father." Egwene kept shaking her head.This is crazy. Rand opened his mouth, but Amis didn't give him a chance to speak, "Sinna, what do you say?" "Yes." The gray-haired woman said, "Mailan?" The last Wise One was a handsome woman with bright red-gold hair who looked only ten or fifteen years older than Egwene.She hesitated. "It must be done," she finally said with some reluctance, "I answer yes." "You've got your answer," Amis said to Rand, "you can go into Rudion and..." She broke off. At this time, Matt crawled to Rand's side, imitating his posture just now, and bowed clumsily, "I also want to enter Rudion." He said tremblingly. The four wise men stared at him in unison, and Rand turned to look at him in surprise. Egwene thought no one could be more surprised than herself, but Culledin proved her wrong.Howling, the Aiel raised a sharp spear and thrust it into Mat's chest. The halo of Yin power surrounded Amis and Mylan, and the force of the wind rolled up the fiery red-haired man, throwing him a dozen steps downhill. Egwene's eyes widened in surprise.They can channel, at least two of them can.Suddenly, Amys's youthful and radiant face against the white hair came into Egwene's eyes, which was very similar to the ageless face of an Aes Sedai.Moiraine remained motionless, but Egwene could almost hear the thought in her mind, a thought that shocked the Aes Sedai as much as she did. Kulaidin got up and squatted on the hillside. "You accept this alien as you accept us," he howled, pointing at Rand with the spear that once attacked Mat, "if you say so, so be it! He's still just a weak wetland Man, Rudion will kill him." The point of the spear turned again to Mat, who was slipping a dagger into his sleeve now. "But he...he deserves to die when he comes here, and his proposal to enter Rudion is a complete blasphemy. Only those with blood can enter, and no one else is allowed!" "Go back to your tent, Kuledin," Mylan said coldly, "and you, Hein. You too, Rulaq. This is the business of the wise, and all men, except those who ask Everyone, leave!" Rulak and Hein nodded and walked towards the smaller camp, talking in low voices along the way.Culledin glared at Rand and Mat, then at the wise man, then turned around abruptly and walked towards the big camp. The Wise Ones exchanged glances that, Egwene believed, were embarrassing glances, though they were almost as good at controlling expressions as Aes Sedai. "It's not allowed," said Amys at last. "Young man, you don't know what you've just done. Go back to the others!" Her eyes swept over Egwene, Moiraine, and Lan.Now, only the three of them and their mounts were standing beside the sand-polished teleportation stone, and it seemed to Egwene that Amys didn't recognize her at all. "I can't." Matt's voice was hopeless. "I'm already here, but that's nothing, is it? I have to go to Rudion." "This is not allowed." Mylan said sharply, her long golden-red hair swaying back and forth as she shook her head, "You don't have Aiel's blood." Rand has been watching Matt. "He is walking with me," he said suddenly, "you have allowed me, he can walk with me, no matter whether you say he can or not." He looked at the wise man, there was no confrontation in his eyes, only a decision, no hesitation decision.Egwene knew him, and no matter what they said, he would not change. "This is not allowed." Mylan said firmly, she looked at her sisters, and at the same time pulled up the shawl to cover her head, "The law is very clear, no woman can enter Rudion more than twice, No man can enter Rudion more than once, and no man can enter except one who has the blood of Aiel." Xin Na was also shaking his head: "Many have changed, Mylan, the old way..." "If he's the man," Burr said, "the moment of change has come before us. Aes Sedai standing in Chandel, next to Anelon in his color-changing cloak, can we still stick to the old ways? Knowing that there will be How many times have you changed, and still persisted?" "We can't hold on," said Amys. "Everything is on the brink of change now, Mylan?" The blond woman sighed and nodded as she gazed at the mountains around them and the city shrouded in thick fog below. "That's it," said Amis, turning to Rand and Mat. "You," she paused, "what's your name?" "Rand Arthur." "Matt, Matt Cawthorne." Amys nodded: "You, Rand Arthur, must enter Rudion's core, go to the very center. If you are willing to join him, Matt Cawthorne, we will not object, but you must know , Most of the men who entered Rudian's core never came back, and those who came back have fallen into madness. You can't bring food and water, this is to commemorate our painful wandering after the world collapsed. You can't Enter Rudion with arms, all you have are your hands and your hearts, this is in honor of Jayne. If you have weapons on your body, put them on the ground before us, and when you return, They will still be there, if you can come back." Rand unfastened the dagger from his waist and placed it at Amis' feet. After a while, he took out the small green stone statue and put it with the dagger. "That's all," he said. Mat drew the dagger from his belt, pocket knives from the sleeves and under his coat, and even a knife from the back of his neck.The knives were piled up in a pile on the ground, and the number of them impressed the wise men.Then, he stopped moving, looked at the Aiel woman in front of him, and then took out two small knives from the waist of his boots: "I forgot about them." He shrugged with a smile.The wise man looked at him without blinking, and the smile on his face disappeared instantly. "They have sworn to Rudion." Amis said solemnly, her gaze passed Rand and Mat, and the other three wise men said as if echoing her, "Rudion belongs to the dead." "They shall not talk to the living until they come back," Amis chanted. Again, the three wise men responded: "The dead do not talk to the living." "We will not see them until they stand among the living again." Amis shielded her eyes with her shawl, and the other three wise men did the same one by one. They hid their faces behind their shawls, and they said together: "Depart from the living, and haunt us not with the memory of the lost, and speak not of what the dead have seen." There was silence on the hillside, and the wise men stood, holding their hands. Looking at their shawls, waiting. Rand and Mat looked at each other, and Egwene wanted to be with them, to talk to them—their faces were so hard, the way men are when they feel uneasy and afraid, but don't want others to know.But Egwene was afraid that her rash actions would interrupt the ceremony. Finally, Matt broke the silence with a dry laugh: "Okay! I believe that at least the dead can talk to each other. I really doubt if it's worth it... Nothing, do you think we can ride horses?" "I don't think so," Rand said. "I think we'll have to walk in." "Oh, burn my aching feet! But we'd better go on, and it'll take half an afternoon to walk from here, if we're lucky." As they walked towards the valley below, Rand gave Egwene a comforting smile, as if to tell her that there would be no danger or difficulty there.Mat grinned at her, too, the same way he did when he was about to do something stupid, and Egwene couldn't help but think of him dancing on the roof as a child. "You don't want to do...crazy...things, do you?" Mat said. "I'd love to come back alive." "I would, too," Rand replied, "I would, too." They gradually descended into the valley, their voices and figures became smaller and smaller, until they were so small that they could not be distinguished, the wise men put down the shawls in their hands. Egwene smoothed her skirt, wishing she hadn't sweated so much.She led Mist and climbed up the hillside: "Amys? I'm Egwene Ewell, you said I should—" Amis raised a hand to stop Egwene from continuing, she looked up at Lan who was standing behind Moiraine and Atib, holding Manta, Nut and Jeddin. "Now, there are only women's affairs here, Anelun, you must leave, go to the tent! Rulak will provide you with clean water and shade." Lan waited until Moiraine nodded slightly to him, then bowed and turned to Lulak. Lark walked in the direction he left just now. The color-changing cloak on his body made him look as if he had only one head and one arm holding three horses suspended in mid-air. "Why do you call him that?" Moiraine asked after making sure Lan wouldn't hear them. "A man, do you know him?" "We know him, Aes Sedai." Amys said the title in an equal tone, "The last of Magill. Although his country has been destroyed by the shadows, this man will not give up the war against the shadows, He has many honors. I know from my dream that if you come, Annelen will almost certainly come too, but I don't know he will obey you." "He's my Warder," said Moiraine.The Aes Sedai's voice was calm, but Egwene felt troubled in her emotions, and Egwene knew why.Lan was almost certain to come with Moiraine?Lan always followed Moiraine, and he would follow her into the abyss of doom without blinking an eye.Also of interest to Egwene was the phrase "if you come", could the Wise Ones really be sure they would come?Perhaps the interpretation of dream divination was not as simple as she had hoped. Just when she was about to ask, Burr said: "Avienda? Come here." Avienda squatted on the side sullenly, with her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the ground.She stood up slowly, if Egwene hadn't understood Aviendha's boldness, she would have thought that the girl was afraid.Aviendha shuffled up to where the wise man was standing, and put the sack in her hand and the tapestry on her shoulders under her feet. "It's time." Burr's voice was not harsh, but there was no compromise in her light blue eyes, "You've run long enough with a spear, longer than you should have." Avienda raised her head like a challenge: "I am the Maiden of Guns, I don't want to be a wise man, I don't want to!" The face of the wise man became serious, and Ai Wen remembered that the women's council in her hometown was facing a foolish and obsessed as a girl. "You could not have been treated so kindly in my time," said Amis in a rocky voice. "I refused when I was called. My gun sister broke my gun before me. Spear, they bound me hand and foot, and took me naked to Burr and Cordeline." "And a nice little rag doll under your arm," Burr said flatly, "to remind you how childish you are. I remember you ran away nine times in the first month." Second-rate." Amys nodded coldly: "At that time, every time I escaped, I cried like a child after I was caught. In the second month, I only escaped five times. I think I have reached the point where I am strong and tenacious. The limit of a woman. However, I am not smart enough. It took me half a year to understand that you are stronger and more tenacious than I was back then, Berr. Finally, I understood my responsibility, my obligation to the people, and you also It must be so, Aviendha, because you and I have the same obligations. You are no longer a child, and it is time to leave your dolls and spears behind and become what you should be." Suddenly, Egwene understood why she felt so close to Aviendha from the beginning, and why Amys and others asked Aviendha to be wise.Aviendha could channel, like herself, like Elayne and Nynaeve, like Moiraine.Moreover, Aviendha is also like them, belonging to that extremely rare type, she can not only acquire channeling ability through training, but also has channeling ability innately, so whether she understands it or not, sooner or later she will touch the real source. Moiraine's expression remained unchanged, but Egwene saw confirmation in the Aes Sedai's eyes, which the Aes Sedai must have known the first time she approached the Aiel girl.Egwene found that she could feel the same kindness from Amis and Mylan that she didn't feel from Bell and Sina.She believed that only Amys and Mylan could channel, and now she found the same feeling from Moiraine.This is the first time she has made such a discovery.The Aes Sedai was a woman who kept her distance from everyone. The wise man obviously saw more information from Moiraine's face. "You intend to take her to your White Tower," Burr said, "to make her one of your own, but she is an Aiel, an Aes Sedai." "If trained rightly, she will be very strong," Moiraine replied, "as strong as Egwene will be. In the White Tower, she can grow like that." "We can teach her too, Aes Sedai," Mylan said quietly, but her unwavering green eyes were stained with disdain, "and it works better. I talked to A Se Sedai once. But you're just coddling women in your White Tower. The Land of the Three Dead is not a place to coddle, where Aviendha can learn what she can do, and you'll just let her continue her game." Egwene gave Aviendha a concerned look.The Aiel girl was staring at her toes, her defiant look gone.If they thought the training in the White Tower was just coddling... Egwene's junior year in the White Tower was the most difficult and demanding time of her life.She developed a kind of sympathy for the Aiel girl. Amis held out her hand, and Aviendha reluctantly placed her spear and buckler in Amis's hand.The wise man dropped the weapons on the ground, and the clang made Aviendha shiver.艾玲达缓慢地取下了背上的弓匣，解下拴着箭囊和附鞘匕首的腰带。艾密斯一一接过这些武器，像垃圾一样将它们扔在一边。每一次，艾玲达都会微微抽搐一下，一滴泪水在她蓝绿色的眼角闪闪发光。 “你一定要这样对待她吗？”艾雯生气地问。艾密斯和其他智者将不带感情的目光转向她，但艾雯不打算接受她们的威胁。 “你对待她珍爱的东西如同废物一样。” “她一定要将它们看成是废物，”辛那说，“当她回来的时候——如果她能回来的话——她就要烧掉它们，并将灰烬撒掉。武器中的金属要交给铁匠，做成简单的物件，不能再是武器，甚至不能是一把餐刀，只能打制成给小孩子用的带扣、壶罐和玩具。打制完后，她要亲手将这些东西送给别人。” “三绝之地不是温柔的地方，两仪师。”柏尔说，“在这里，温柔就是死。” “你的凯丁瑟，艾玲达。”艾密斯指着那堆武器说，“你的新衣服在你回来的时候自然会交给你。” 艾玲达自动脱下身上的衣服，将外衣、裤子、软靴和其他所有的衣物都扔在那堆武器上。她赤身裸体地站在滚烫的山岩上，脚趾都没有扭动一下，而艾雯却觉得自己穿在鞋里的脚一定已经烫出水泡了。她还记得看着自己穿进白塔的衣服在那里是怎样被烧成一堆灰的，那代表着和以前的生活彻底断绝，但她所遭受的待遇和艾玲达的并不一样，绝没有这么苛刻。 当艾玲达要将那个麻袋和两卷壁挂也放进那一堆东西里去的时候，辛那将它们从她的手中拿走。“你可以拥有这些，如果你回来的话，如果你没有回来，它们会送到你家中作为纪念。” 艾玲达点点头，她看上去并不害怕，她的表情中有不情愿、愤怒，甚至赌气，就是没有恐惧。“在鲁迪恩，”艾密斯说，“你会找到三个环拱，它们是这个样子。”她在空中画出三条线，它们在中心处交会在一起。“走过任何一个，你都会看见你的未来，一次又一次，以不同的变化出现。它们不会给予你完全的指引，最好的情况下也只会消退到模糊不清，如同你在很久以前听过的老故事。不过你还是会记得一些事情，一些必将发生的事情，虽然往往会被忽略；一些绝不会发生的事情，虽然被热切地盼望。这是得到智能的开始。一些女人永远也不会从那些环形中走出来，也许是因为她们无法面对她们的未来。一些从环形中走出来的女人却活不过她们第二次进入鲁迪恩的旅程，下一次的目标是鲁迪恩的核心。你已经放弃了一种艰苦和危险的生活，但等待你的不是更加舒适的生活，而是另一种更加艰苦和危险的生活。” 一件特法器，艾密斯所描述的是一件特法器。这个鲁迪恩到底是什么样的地方？艾雯发现自己很想亲自去看看，去查清自己的疑问。这很愚蠢，她到这里来不是为了冒这种不必要的风险，去研究一件她一无所知的特法器。 麦兰捧起艾玲达的下巴，让女孩直视着自己。“你拥有这样的力量。”她用轻柔而确定的声音说道，“现在，坚强的意志和心灵是你的武器。你要紧握住它们，就像你曾经握住枪矛那样。记得它们，使用它们，它们会保护你度过一切危机。”艾雯很惊讶，在这四个人里，她一直以为这位太阳色头发的女子是最没有同情心的。 艾玲达点点头，甚至努力微笑了一下：“我会赢过那些前往鲁迪恩的男人，他们不能跑。” 每位智者依序轻吻了女孩两侧的脸颊，轻声对她说：“回到我们身边来。” 艾雯握住艾玲达的手，紧紧握了一下，也感到了艾玲达同样有力的响应。随后，艾伊尔女孩就跳跃着朝山下跑去，看样子，她很快就能赶上兰德和麦特了。 艾雯担忧地看着她的背影，一切都好像她成为见习生时的情景，但艾玲达还没有接受任何初阶生的训练，三次试炼之间也没有任何人会给她一点安慰。如果在她进入白塔的第一天就接受成为见习生的试炼，会有什么样的结果？艾雯觉得她一定会疯掉的。奈妮薇在进入白塔的第一天就通过了试炼，因为她拥有超凡绝伦的力量。艾雯觉得，奈妮薇对两仪师的嫌恶至少有一部分原因是来自她那时的经历。 回到我们身边来，她想道，坚定你的心志。当艾玲达离开众人的视线之后，艾雯叹了口气，回身望向智者们。她来到这里有她自己的原因，不完成她自己的目标，她就帮不了任何人。“艾密斯，在特·雅兰·瑞奥德里，你对我说，我应该到这里来向你学习，我来了。” “抓紧时间，”白发妇人说，“我们必须抓紧时间，因为艾玲达已经与她的'义'对抗了那么久，因为我们害怕沙度即使在这里也会戴上面纱，我们必须在他们反应过来之前将兰德·亚瑟送往鲁迪恩。” “你相信他们要杀死他？”艾雯问，“他是你们调兵遣将翻越龙墙要寻找的那个人，随黎明而来之人啊！” 柏尔整理了一下披肩：“也许他是，但我们先要看看他能不能活着出来。” “他有着他母亲的眼睛，”艾密斯说，“他很像他的母亲，也有着他父亲的痕迹。但库莱丁只能看见他的衣服和他的马，其他沙度部族的人也会这么看，也许塔戴得部族的人也是一样。异族人不允许踏上这片土地，现在，荒漠中却有五个异族人，不，四个，兰德·亚瑟不是异族人，无论是谁抚养他长大，他都是艾伊尔人。但我们已经允许一名异族人进入鲁迪恩，这也是被禁止的，改变如同雪崩一般到来，无论我们是否能接受。” “该来的一定会来，”柏尔说，但她的声音里并没有愉悦，“因缘以它的意愿安排我们。” “你认识兰德的父母？”艾雯小心地问。无论她们刚才是怎么说的，她仍然认为谭姆和凯丽·亚瑟是兰德的父母。 “这是他的故事，”艾密斯说，“如果他想听的话。”看着她坚毅的面容，艾雯知道，她不会再对这个话题多说一个字了。 “来吧！”柏尔说，“现在，我们不需要继续紧张了，来吧！让我们将清水和阴凉给你们。” 听到“阴凉”这个词，艾雯差点要跪了下来。那块围在前额的湿方巾差不多已经干了，她感觉头顶像是被烘烤一样，全身其他地方也好受不到哪儿去。在跟随智者们朝山上那一小片矮帐篷走去的时候，沐瑞看起来和她一样很是高兴。 一名穿着凉鞋和附兜帽的白色长袍的高个儿男子接过了她们的马缰，他的艾伊尔面孔被软兜帽的阴影遮住，显得很奇怪，艾雯能看见他低垂的眼睛。 “给牲口饮水。”柏尔在俯身钻进没有侧围的矮帐篷前这样吩咐道。那名男人向她的后背鞠了个躬，用手碰了一下额头。艾雯在那名男子牵走薄雾时犹豫了一下。他看起来很有信心，但艾伊尔人对马匹有什么样的了解？不过，她不认为他会伤害它们，而且帐篷里看上去真的比外面要阴暗许多。事实的确如此，而且与外面相比，里面非常凉快。 锥形的帐篷顶在应该是尖顶的地方开了一个洞，但即使是在那里，人们也只不过刚好能站起身而已。仿佛是要补偿艾伊尔服装单调的色彩，帐篷里散布着许多缀着金穗子的红色软垫，地上铺了一层颜色鲜艳的厚地毯，艾雯踩在上面，完全感觉不出地毯下坚硬的山岩。艾雯和沐瑞效仿智者们的动作，倒卧在柔软的地毯里，将一只臂肘支在软垫上。帐篷中所有的女子以同样的姿势围成了一个环形，彼此接近得几乎会碰触到身旁的人。 柏尔对一只小铜锣敲了一下，两名身穿白色长袍的年轻女子捧着银盘，温顺地躬身走进了帐篷，和那名帮她们照顾马匹的男子一样，她们也戴着深深的兜帽，低垂着眼睛。两名女子跪到帐篷中心，其中一人为倒卧的女人们各倒了一小杯酒，另一人则各倒了一大杯水。她们一言不发地躬身退出帐篷，只留下闪亮的银盘和表面冷凝着水珠的大水壶。 “这里有清水和阴凉，”柏尔说着，举起她的水杯，“可以随意取用，让我们之间不要有任何拘束，这里欢迎你们，就像欢迎首姐妹一样。” “愿这里不要有拘束存在。”艾密斯和另外两名智者低声附和着柏尔的祝辞。 喝过一口水之后，艾伊尔女子们向沐瑞和艾雯正式介绍了自己。柏尔——属于沙拉得艾伊尔的亥多氏族，艾密斯——属于塔戴得艾伊尔的九谷氏族，麦兰——属于高辛艾伊尔的杰海德氏族，辛那——属于纳凯艾伊尔的黑崖氏族。艾雯和沐瑞在智者之后也做了自我介绍，只是当艾雯自称为绿宗两仪师时，沐瑞抿紧了嘴唇。 分享清水和彼此介绍的过程仿佛是打破了一堵墙，帐篷中的气氛发生了明显的改变。艾伊尔女子们露出微笑，那种肃穆的气氛消失了，取而代之的是一种微妙的、令人放松的感觉。 清凉的水比酒更让艾雯感到高兴，这里也许比帐篷外面更凉爽，但仍然仅仅是呼吸就会让她感到口干舌燥。 艾密斯友善地向她打了个手势，她急切地又倒了一杯水。那些穿白袍的人让艾雯感到有些惊讶。艾雯发现，自己一直以为艾伊尔人除了智者之外，全都是像鲁拉克和艾玲达那样的战士，这种想法确实很愚蠢。当然，艾伊尔人里肯定有铁匠、裁缝和其他工匠。所以，为什么不能有仆人？只是艾玲达对提尔之岩里的仆人非常轻蔑，只要有可能，她就不会让仆人为她做任何事。这些行事谦卑的人根本不像是艾伊尔，艾雯不记得在那两座大营地里看见过任何穿白袍的人。 “只有智者拥有仆人吗？”她问。麦兰被酒呛了一下。 “仆人？”智者喘着气说，“他们是奉义徒，不是仆人。”智者的语气仿佛是已经清楚地解释了一切。 沐瑞端着酒杯，微微皱起眉：“奉义徒？这是什么意思？'在战场上发誓和平的人'？” “他们就是奉义徒，”艾密斯说。她似乎认识到她们并不明白，“原谅我，你们知道'节义'吗？” “光荣和义务，”沐瑞回答得很迅速，“或者也许是光荣和责任的意思。” “是的，是这样翻译的，但不完全是它的意思，我们依循节义而活，两仪师。” “不要想将一切都告诉她们，艾密斯，”柏尔警告道，“我曾经花了一个月的时间想向一个湿地人解释清楚什么是节义，最后，她的问题比开始的时候还要多。” 艾密斯点点头：“我会只说关键的内容，如果你想听解释的话，沐瑞。” 艾雯迫不及待地想要谈论梦卜的问题并接受相关的训练，但令她感到恼怒的是，两仪师反而说：“是的，如果你愿意的话。” 艾密斯向沐瑞点点头，开口道：“我先简单从奉义徒开始解释好了。在枪矛之舞中，最大的节——光荣，是碰触一名武装的敌人，却没有杀死他，或者是对他造成任何伤害。” “这是最大的光荣，因为这很难做到，”辛那说着，蓝灰色的眼睛带着挖苦的神情眯了起来，“很少有人能做到。” “杀戮带来的光荣最小，”艾密斯继续说道，“小孩和傻子也能杀人，在这两种行为之间是俘虏。你要明白，我这样说实际上是有所省略的，在这些行为之间分为许多等级。奉义徒是上述的那种俘虏。虽然有的时候，有些被敌人碰触的战士为了削减敌人的光荣和自己的损失，会自愿成为奉义徒。” “枪姬众和岩狗众尤其因为这种事而著称。”辛那插嘴说，被艾密斯瞪了一眼，“做解释的人是我还是你？继续说，当然，有些人不能成为奉义徒，智者、铁匠、孩子、怀孕或子女在十岁以下的女人都不行。奉义徒对俘虏他的人有义的关系，这种关系会持续一年又一天，奉义徒必须谦恭地遵从，不能接触武器，不能使用暴力。” 尽管心里还有别的事情，但艾雯确实对此有了一些兴趣。“他们不会试图逃跑吗？换成是我肯定会的。”我绝不让任何人再俘虏我！ 智者看起来很是震惊，“这样的事发生过。”辛那生硬地说，“这样的事情毫无光荣可言。逃跑的奉义徒会被他的氏族送回来，重新开始一年又一天的服役，因为这种事情而损失的光荣是如此巨大，以至于他的首兄弟或首姐妹也要成为奉义徒，才能偿还他们氏族欠下的义。如果氏族觉得失去的节太多，成为奉义徒的人也就会更多。” 沐瑞看上去完全平静地接受了这一切，她一边听，一边啜饮着杯中的饮料；但艾雯能做到的只是不让自己摇头。艾伊尔人实在太疯狂了，她只能得出这样的结论，现在她的感觉似乎比刚才更糟了。 “现在一些奉义徒中出现了一种谦逊式的自大，”麦兰不以为然地说，“他们以为他们在通过奉义徒的经历赢得光荣，他们将服从和柔顺当成一种嘲笑，这种新发生的状况非常愚蠢。它与节义毫无关系。” 柏尔笑了，她的笑声与她纤细的嗓音相比之下，显得惊人地圆润。“傻瓜总会有。当我还是女孩的时候，沙拉得艾伊尔和汤曼勒艾伊尔每一晚都会彼此偷盗牛羊。晨塔是当时曼得割的顶主妇，她被一名年轻的亥多寻水众推了一把，于是她前往弯谷，要求那个男孩让她成为一名奉义徒。她不会允许那个男孩拥有因碰触她而赢得的光荣，因为，当他这么做的时候，她手里正拿着一把餐刀。一把餐刀！她声称那是一件武器，仿佛她是枪姬众。那个男孩别无选择，只能按她的要求去做，尽管这么做让他成了个大笑话。没有人能让顶主妇光着脚回到她自己的聚居地去。没有等到一年又一天的期限结束，亥多氏族和金达氏族交换了枪矛。那个男孩很快就发现，他要与晨塔的长女结婚了，这样，他的奉义徒就成了他的次母亲。他想把晨塔当成聘礼的一部分送给他的妻子，这导致了两个女人同时宣称他要剥夺她们的光荣，他差点就让自己的妻子也变成了奉义徒。为了完成那次的义，险些让亥多和金达再度互相展开袭击。”讲述这些的艾伊尔女子几乎笑倒在地上，艾密斯和麦兰也在擦着她们的眼睛。 艾雯没弄懂这个故事在讲什么，当然也不清楚它为什么好笑，但她还是礼貌地笑了笑。沐瑞将水杯放到小银酒杯旁边：“我从曾经与艾伊尔人作战的人那里了解到一些信息，但我从没有听说过这种事情，很显然，艾伊尔人不会因为被碰触到了就投降。” “这不是投降，”艾密斯专注地说，“这是节义。” “没有人会要求成为一名湿地人的奉义徒，”麦兰说，“湿地人不知道节义。”艾伊尔女子交换着目光，显得很不自在。 Why?艾雯暗自寻思，哦，对于艾伊尔，不知道节义一定就像不知道气节，或是不知道荣誉一样。 “我们之中也有明白荣誉的男人和女人，”艾雯说，“我们大多数都是这样，我们知道何为对，何为错。” “你们当然知道。”柏尔不在意地说着，仿佛她们说的根本就不是同一件事。 “你们送了一封给我的信去提尔，”沐瑞说，“在我还没有到达提尔之前，那封信已经送出了。你们提到了许多事情，其中有一些已经被证明是真实的，包括我会——我必须——在今天、在这里遇到你们。你们很像是在命令我来到这里，但你们刚才却提到'如果'我来，你们所写的那些事情里，到底有多少是你们知道会成真的？” 艾密斯叹了一口气，放下酒杯，这时，柏尔说话了：“有许多是不确定的，即使对梦行者来说，也是如此。艾密斯和麦兰是我们之中最优秀的，但即使是她们也看不到一切真相，或是一切可能。” “即使是在特·雅兰·瑞奥德里，现在也比未来更加清晰。”太阳色头发的智者说道，“正在发生和开始的事情，比将要发生和可能发生的事情更容易看到。我们根本没看见艾雯和麦特·考索恩，即使是那个自称为兰德·亚瑟的年轻人，也只是可能来到此地而已。如果他不来，他肯定会死亡，艾伊尔也是一样，但他毕竟是来了，如果他从鲁迪恩活着出来，至少会有一部分艾伊尔能幸存下来，这就是我们知道的。如果你现在还没有来，他可能已经死了，如果安奈伦没有来，你就可能已经死了。如果你没有走过那些环拱……”麦兰突然停住话音，仿佛她用力咬住了自己的舌头。 艾雯关切地向前倾过身子。沐瑞必须进入鲁迪恩？但两仪师自己似乎并没有注意到智者所说的。 辛那这时赶紧接口，以掩饰麦兰的失言：“通往未来的道路并非固定惟一，因缘让我们最精细的编织也显得像麻布一样粗糙，像缠成一团的乱线。在特·雅兰·瑞奥德，很有可能看见一些关于未来的编织模式，仅此而已。” 沐瑞啜了一口酒：“对于古语的翻译经常会有所不同。”艾雯转头盯着两仪师。为什么会提到古语？那些环拱是什么？是那件特法器？但沐瑞只是轻快地说了下去：“特·雅兰·瑞奥德的意思是梦的世界，或许也可译为看不见的世界，这两种翻译都并非十全十美，它的意思比这两个词更加复杂。安奈伦，意思是一个男人，但也可以翻译成代表整个民族的男人，另外还有两、三种其他的译法。我们习惯了常见的称谓，却从没想过它们在古语中真正的含意。护法被称为'盖丁'，意思是'战斗的兄弟'；两仪师的意思是'人众的奴仆'；还有艾伊尔，在古语里是'献身'的意思，甚至其含意比这个更强，它代表着一个写进你们骨头里的誓言。我经常在想，艾伊尔要为了什么而献身。” 智者们的面容变得像铁一般坚硬，但沐瑞还是自顾自地说着：“还有'杰恩艾伊尔'——'真正的献身'，而且含意更强，也许应该是'惟一真正的献身'，惟一真正的艾伊尔？”她带着询问的眼神望着智者们，仿佛根本没看见她们严厉的目光。 帐篷里，没有一个人说话。沐瑞在做什么？艾雯不想让两仪师毁掉她向智者学习的机会，“艾密斯，我们现在能谈谈梦卜吗？” “今晚再谈就可以了。”艾密斯说，“但……” “今晚，艾雯，你也许是两仪师，但你必须再次成为学生。你甚至在想睡的时候也不能睡，或者必须睡得很轻，好让自己能够在醒来时说出自己看见了什么。当太阳落下的时候，我会开始教导你。”艾雯低下头，从帐篷顶的下沿向外望去。从那道长长的影子判断，虽然外面的阳光仍然明亮灼热，但太阳已经开始靠近山顶了。 沐瑞突然跪坐起身，伸手到背后，开始解下自己的衣衫：“我想，我必须像艾玲达那样去一趟鲁迪恩。”她说话的语气并不像是在提问。 柏尔严厉地瞪了麦兰一眼，年轻一些的智者立刻低下了头。 辛那用一种听天由命的声音说道：“你不该知道这些的，现在，只能这样了，改变，已经有一个不具血统的人去了鲁迪恩，现在又是另外一个。” 沐瑞停了一下：“如果你们没有告诉我这些，会有什么差别吗？” “也许有巨大的差别，”柏尔不情愿的说，“也许没有。我们经常会指引别人，但我们不会明确地告知。当我们预见到你会走向环拱的时候，每一次都是你主动提出要去，虽然没有血脉，但你还是提出了这个要求。现在，是我们之中的一个人首先提到了这件事，我们所有的预见都已经发生了改变，有谁能说这些改变会带来什么样的结果？” “如果我不去，你们预见会出什么事？”柏尔满是皱纹的面孔毫无表情，但她淡蓝色的眼睛里却流露出同情的神色，“我们已经说了太多，沐瑞，梦行者见到的只是可能，而不是确定。那些对于未来知晓太多的人总是难免遭遇灭顶之灾，无论是因为他们对于未来的自满，还是因为他们想改变未来的努力。” “环拱中记忆的消退是一种慈悲，”艾密斯说，“一个女人对于未来只能知道一些事情——很少的一些；对于其他事情，她必须在事到临头的时候才能有所察觉。生命的组成就是不确定和斗争，选择和变化。一个人试图了解自已的生命如何被编入因缘，就如同一头野兽试图了解一根丝线如何被织入毛毯，两者同样疯狂。人类就是为了不确定、斗争、选择和变化而被制造出来的。” 沐瑞倾听着智者的言谈，没有一点急躁的表现，但艾雯怀疑她并不像外表显露的那么有耐心。两仪师习惯于教训别人，而不是被别人教训。在艾雯帮助她褪下衣衫时，她没有说一个字。直到她全身赤裸，蹲伏在地毯边缘向山谷中雾气环绕的城市观望的时候，她才说道：“不要让岚跟随我，如果他看见我，他一定会这样做的。” “该发生的自然会发生。”柏尔回答，声音冰冷而决绝。片刻之后，沐瑞勉强点点头，走出了帐篷，走进耀眼的阳光中，她立刻就开始奔跑，赤脚踏在滚烫的岩坡上。艾雯脸上露出苦涩的表情。兰德和麦特，艾玲达，现在是沐瑞，所有人都去了鲁迪恩。 “她会……活下来吗？如果你们梦到这个，你们就一定知道。” “特·雅兰·瑞奥德中有些地方是无法进入的。”辛那说，“鲁迪恩、巨森灵聚落，还有别的几处地方，那里发生的事情都被挡在梦行者的视线之外。”这不是回答——她们能看见沐瑞是否从鲁迪恩中走出来——但这显然是艾雯所能得到的全部解释了。 “那么，我也应该去吗？”艾雯并不是想体验那些环拱，那一定就像再次经历见习生试炼一样，但如果其他所有人都去了…… “不要犯傻。”艾密斯大声说，“我们在那里并没有看见你。” 柏尔用温和一些的声音对艾雯说：“我们根本没看见你。” “如果你提出这样的要求，我不会答应。”艾密斯接着说道，“必须有四名智者允许，而我会说不行，你要在这里学习梦行。” “既然如此，”艾雯说着，坐回到垫子中间，“教导我吧！一定有什么事情是你能在夜晚之前教给我的。” 麦兰皱起眉看着她，但柏尔干笑了两声：“她就像你决心要学习时那样热切和缺乏耐心。” 艾密斯点点头：“我希望她能保持她的热情，丢掉她的急躁，这是为了她好。听我说，艾雯，虽然这会很困难，但如果你要学习，就必须忘记你是两仪师。你必须倾听，牢记，完成吩咐你去做的事。最重要的，你绝不能再次进入特·雅兰·瑞奥德，直到我们之中有人告诉你可以。你能接受这些吗？” 要忘记两仪师的身份并不难，艾雯本来就不是两仪师，而剩下的，那种感觉就像是将要再次成为初阶生那样可怕。“我能接受。”她希望自己的声音听起来不会显得太犹豫。 “很好。”柏尔说，“现在我要向你解说关于梦行和特·雅兰·瑞奥德，以非常通俗的方式。当我说完的时候，你要向我重复我所说过的。如果你没有记下所有要点，你今晚就要代替丐珊去刷锅子。如果你的记忆力差到即使在我说过第二遍之后仍然无法重复……嗯，到时候再说吧！注意了。” “几乎每个人都能碰触特·雅兰·瑞奥德，但没有几个人能真正进入其中。在所有智者之中，只有我们四个能实现梦行，而你们白塔在将近五百年的时间里没有产生出一个梦行者。这不是至上力的问题，虽然两仪师们总是这样认为。我不能导引，辛那也不能，但我们可以像艾密斯和麦兰一样梦行。有许多人在睡梦中与梦的世界擦肩而过，因为他们只是和梦的世界轻轻擦过，所以他们偶尔在醒来时会感觉到疼痛或难过，而他们本来会因为这样的伤害而骨折或死亡的。一名梦行者要完全进入这样的梦，因此，她受到的伤害当她醒来时就会在现实世界中完全体现。对于完全进入梦境的人，无论她是不是梦行者，在那里的死亡也就是在这里的死亡。但是，过于完全地进入梦中会导致与肉体失去联系，这样会找不到回来的路，肉体也会死亡。据说，曾经出现过可以用肉体进入梦的世界的人，他们最后都从这个世界彻底消失了。这是一件邪恶的事，他们的行为是邪恶的，绝不要进行这种尝试，即使你相信这对你是可能的。因为每一次这样做，你都会失去一些让你身而为人的部分。你必须学会根据你所选择的时间和程度进入特·雅兰·瑞奥德。你必须学会找到你需要找到的，解读你所看见的；进入身边人的梦境，对他进行治疗；识别那些在梦中真实到可以伤害你的，以及……” 艾雯专心地听着，这个话题迷住了她，它里面包含着她从没有想过的可能，而且，她不想以刷锅子当成这次学习的收尾。从某种角度来看，这是很不公平的。无论兰德和麦特和其他人在鲁迪恩会遇到什么，他们都不会被派去刷锅子。而我竟然答应了！It's certainly not fair.但话说回来，她已经相信，他们从鲁迪恩那里可能得到的，绝不会比这些女子能给她的更多。