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The
Making
of
Sylottrin
Fashayn,
Part
III Lottie
looked
up
from
her
book,
and
smiled
at
Jorin.
The
tall
boy
had
just
grown
into
his
height,
with
his
lean,
muscular
frame
and
impish
smile
finally
at
peace
with
his
handsome
face.
They
had
been
friends
for
almost
three
years
now,
hitting
it
off
as
soon
as
Lottie
started
attending
school.
It
had
been
a
shock
when
Corint
finally
told
her
she
could
attend.
Gretin
had
died
two
weeks
before,
and
Corint
said
it
would
give
her
something
to
take
her
mind
off
of
her
grief.
Much
to
Corint's
dismay,
however,
her
questionings
about
their
lifestyle
became
more
frequent
and
desparate
in
nature,
as
things
she
was
taught
in
school
began
to
chop
away
at
the
supports
and
excuses
given
for
assassination
as
a
career.
But,
as
she
watched
Jorin,
she
could
push
the
faces
of
her
last
victims
out
of
her
mind.
Jorin
was
the
only
reason
she
smiled
anymore.
The
boy
was
practicing
sword
forms
with
his
older
brother,
Kain.
Today,
Jorin
had
celebrated
his
16th
nameday,
and
Lottie
was
looking
forward
to
her
own
in
about
two
weeks
time.
She'd
been
surprised
to
get
an
invitation
to
his
nameday
celebration.
Jorin's
family
had
never
been
fond
of
her.
Probably
because
they
couldn't
figure
out
just
WHAT
her
father
did
to
keep
her
in
such
a
prestigeous
school
with
the
rest
of
the
children
from
wealthy
families.
Jorin
readily
accepted
her
stories
about
a
father
who
enjoyed
a
little
secret
smuggling
for
members
of
the
noble
families,
believing
it
to
be
a
somewhat
romantic
career,
while
his
parents
were
sceptical,
since
THEY
had
never
heard
of
such
a
man,
or
at
least
not
Corint
Masighn.
With
Kain
being
seventh
in
line
for
the
Murandan
throne,
they
considered
themselves
among
the
noblest
of
nobles.
Finally,
Jorin
and
Kain
bowed
to
each
other
and
tossed
their
practice
swords
in
the
direction
of
the
weapons
shed.
Jorin
nodded
at
Kain,
and
trotted
over,
sinking
to
the
ground
next
to
Lottie.
He
grinned
self-conciously
at
her,
and
pull
one
knee
to
his
chest.
"Lottie.
I've
decided
to
go
with
Kain
tomorrow.
To
Tar
Valon."
Lottie
glanced
up
from
her
book,
smiling,
"Oh?
How
long
will
you
be
away?
Tar
Valon
is
a
long
journey
from
here."
Jorin
took
a
deep
breath,
and
blurted,
"I'm
going
to
become
a
Warder."
Lottie
blinked
several
times,
and
burst
into
tears.
Jorin,
used
to
a
Lottie
with
more
emotional
control
than
he,
always
strong
and
independent,
was
shocked.
He'd
have
been
amazed
to
learn
that
Lottie
was
more
shocked
than
he.
"You
can't
go!
I...I
will
go
with
you,"
she
sobbed.
Lottie
felt
the
one
hold
she
had
left
on
sanity
beginning
to
slip
away.
Jorin
shook
his
head
in
denial,
"You
can't
do
that.
You've
only
got
one
more
year
of
school
left.
Besides...they're
liable
to
send
me
home
within
a
week
anyway.
I
just...just
need
to
get
away,
and
see
the
world.
I'm
not
real
smart,
but
I'm
good
with
my
sword.
Who
knows,
maybe
you'll
end
up
following
me
to
become
Aes
Sedai,
and
you
can
bond
me
as
your
Warder."
The
last
was
spoken
half
in
jest,
but
it
only
made
Lottie
cry
harder,
and
he
gathered
the
young
woman
to
him,
and
stroked
her
hair
gently.
!br
Corint
coughed,
and
grunted
as
another
pain
shot
through
the
left
side
of
his
body.
He
wondered
if
tonight
would
be
the
night
he
left
Lottie
on
her
own.
The
only
reason
he
hadn't
already
allowed
himself
to
die
was
Lottie.
Her
presence
seemed
to
soothe
him,
despite
their
arguments,
and
he
was
enjoying
watching
her
grow
into
a
beautiful
woman.
Before
Gretin
died,
she'd
confessed
all
she'd
told
the
girl,
and
about
giving
her
the
ring.
Corint
had
noticed
the
small,
ring
shaped
pendant
the
girl
alway
wore,
but
it
had
been
wrapped
tightly
in
black
and
white
strips
of
cloth,
so
he
hadn't
known
it
for
what
it
was.
His
hatred
for
Aes
Sedai
had
faded
with
passage
of
time
and
the
seeds
of
love
Lottie
had
planted
in
his
blackened
heart.
As
if
thoughts
of
her
conjured
the
young
woman,
she
burst
into
the
room,
a
disgusted
look
on
her
face.
The
only
time
Corint
had
ever
noticed
that
look
before
was
three
years
ago,
when
she'd
missed
a
target
because
of
circumstances
she
wouldn't
discuss.
She'd
returned
the
night
after
and
finished
the
job,
however.
Tonight,
if
seemed,
was
almost
as
bad.
"The
Light
blasted
house
caught
on
fire!
Right
as
he
walked
out
the
door
into
the
courtyard,
the
whole
upper
story
burst
into
flames!
By
the
time
I
got
out
of
there,
the
entire
city
watch
was
there
with
a
bucket
brigade."
Corint
wheezed
a
bit,
and
then
chuckled,
"Some
assignments
can
turn
out
to
be
amusing."
Lottie
stared
at
him.
Her
eyes
were
bright
and
her
face
flushed,
"Or
a
sign
from
the
Light."
At
those
words,
her
legs
wobbled,
and
she
caught
the
edge
of
the
polished
table.
"I'm
not
feeling
well...and...I
must
think.
Goodnight,
Corint."
With
those
words,
she
walked
slowly
from
the
room.
Corint
only
sighed
again,
and
steeled
himself
against
the
constant
pain.
Yes...tonight,
he
would
leave
her
to
deal
with
her
confused
thoughts
and
emotions
on
her
own.
Standing,
he
too
stumbled
to
his
bed,
closed
his
eyes,
and
gave
in
to
the
oblivion
of
darkness.
!br
She
followed
a
woman,
tonight.
A
tall,
dark
haired
woman
with
an
air
of
supreme
nobility
about
her,
and
a
serpent
ring
on
her
finger.
That
in
itself
made
her
take
pause.
It
matched
the
ring
she
had
hidden
beneath
layers
of
cloth,
that
hung
beneath
her
black
tunic
on
a
black
leather
cord.
Her
knife
disappeared
into
her
sleeve,
as
she
made
a
concious
decision
NOT
to
kill
this
woman
until
she'd
found
out
about
her
past...if
she
killed
her.
She'd
begun
to
hate
herself
a
little
more
with
every
throat
she
slit,
or
heart
she
stopped.
She'd
become
a
master
of
killing
quickly,
and
as
painlessly
as
possible,
so
those
lifeless
faces
wouldn't
reflect
horror
or
disgust.
She'd
given
her
word,
however,
and
she'd
never
broken
her
word.
The
soft
sigh
of
the
wind
could
have
been
her
own,
but
she
didn't
believe
it.
She
never
made
a
single
sound
when
she
was
shadowing
a
target.
Putting
it
from
her
mind
momentarily,
she
slipped
into
a
darkened
building
after
the
woman.
In
two
seconds
flat,
she
found
her
back
against
a
dingy
wall,
wrenching
pain
in
her
shoulder,
pinned
to
the
wall
by
a
sword.
She
shallowed,
and
beat
the
waves
of
pain
and
blackness
back.
She
looked
into
the
cold
gray
eyes
of
a
man.
He
was
tall,
fair
haired,
and
rather
handsome.
The
most
important
thing
she
noticed,
however,
was
his
cloak.
Her
eyes
wanted
to
slide
past
its
color
shifting
hues.
A
Warder.
Slowly,
things
began
to
slip
into
place.
During
the
past
hour,
Lottie
had
watched
the
lady
she
was
following
do
a
couple
of
strange
things.
For
instance,
she
had
lit
a
torch
from
thin
air,
left
two
common
cutpurses
bound
and
gagged
in
an
alley
with
no
bindings,
and
other
odd
things.
This
woman
was
an
Aes
Sedai.
She
could
channel.
She
had
a
Warder
bonded
to
her,
who,
it
was
said,
would
kill
anyone
wishing
to
harm
his
protectee.
The
ring
she
wore,
a
Great
Serpent
Ring.
Lottie
had
never
associated
her
mother's
ring
with
the
often
talked
about
Great
Serpent
Ring
of
Aes
Sedai,
but
now
she
did,
and
she
trembled.
!br
"You
will
go
to
the
White
Tower,
and
you
will
become
Aes
Sedai.
If
you
do
not,
you
shall
be
no
better
than
Trolloc
fodder
when
I
am
done
with
you."
Sylottrin Fashayn vowed to do just that. Her life depended on it.
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