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wore it for dealing with the merchants and for festivals； feastdays； and weddings。 He had it on a day early now； but that night was Winternight； the night before Bel Tine； when everyone would visit back and forth almost the whole night long； exchanging small gifts； having a bite to eat and a touch to drink at every house。 After the winter； Rand thought； he probably considers Winternight excuse enough not to wait until tomorrow。
〃Tam；〃 the Mayor shouted as he hurried toward them。 〃The Light shine on me； it's good to see you at last。 And you； Rand。 How are you； my boy？〃
〃Fine； Master al'Vere；〃 Rand said。 〃And you； sir？〃 But Bran's attention was already back on Tam。
〃I was almost beginning to think you wouldn't be bringing your brandy this year。 You've never waited so late before。〃
〃I've no liking for leaving the farm these days； Bran；〃 Tam replied。 〃Not with the wolves the way they are。 And the weather。〃
Bran harrumphed。 〃I could wish somebody wanted to talk about something besides the weather。 Everyone plains about it； and folk who should know better expect me to set it right。 I've just spent twenty minutes explaining to Mistress al'Donel that I can do nothing about the storks。 Though what she expected me to do 。。。 〃 He shook his head。
〃An ill omen；〃 a scratchy voice announced； 〃no storks nesting on the rooftops at Bel Tine。〃 Cenn Buie； as gnarled and dark as an old root； marched up to Tam and Bran and leaned on his walking staff； near as tall as he was and just as gnarled。 He tried to fix both men at once with a beady eye。 〃There's worse to e； you mark my words。〃
〃Have you bee a soothsayer； then； interpreting omens？〃 Tam asked dryly。 〃Or do you listen to the wind； like a Wisdom？ There's certainly enough of it。 Some originating not far from here。〃
〃Mock if you will；〃 Cenn muttered； 〃but if it doesn't warm enough for crops to sprout soon； more than one root cellar will e up empty before there's a harvest。 By next winter there may be nothing left alive in the Two Rivers but wolves and ravens。 If it is next winter at all。 Maybe it will still be this winter。〃
〃Now what is that supposed to mean？〃 Bran said sharply。
Cenn gave them a sour look。 〃I've not much good to say about Nynaeve al'Meara。 You know that。 For one thing； she's too young to … No matter。 The Women's Circle seems to object to the Village Council even talking about their business； though they interfere in ours whenever they want to； which is most of the time； or so it seems to … 〃
〃Cenn；〃 Tam broke in； 〃is there a point to this？〃
〃This is the point； al'Thor。 Ask the Wisdom when the winter will end； and she walks away。 Maybe she doesn't want to tell us what she hears on the wind。 Maybe what she hears is that the winter won't end。 Maybe it's just going to go on being winter until the Wheel turns and the Age ends。 There's your point。〃
〃Maybe sheep will fly；〃 Tam retorted； and Bran threw up his hands。 〃The Light protect me from fools。 You sitting on the Village Council； Cenn； and now you're spreading that Coplin talk。 Well； you listen to me。 We have enough problems without 。。。〃
A quick tug at Rand's sleeve and a voice pitched low； for his ear alone； distracted him from the older men's talk。 〃e on； Rand； while they're arguing。 Before they put you to work。〃
Rand glanced down； and had to grin。 Mat Cauthon crouched beside the cart so Tam and Bran and Cenn could not see him； his wiry body contorted like a stork trying to bend itself double。
Mat's brown eyes twinkled with mischief； as usual。 〃Dav and I caught a big old badger； all grouchy at being pulled out of his den。 We're going to let it loose on the Green and watch the girls run。 〃
Rand's smile broadened； it did not sound as much like fun to him as it would have a year or two back； but Mat never seemed to grow up。 He took a quick look at his father … the men had their heads together still； all three talking at once … then lowered his own voice。 〃I promised to unload the cider。 I can meet you later； though。 〃
Mat rolled his eyes skyward。 〃Toting barrels！ Burn me； I'd rather play stones with my baby sister。 Well； I know of better things than a badger。 We have strangers in the Two Rivers。 Last evening … 〃
For an instant Rand stopped breathing。 〃A man on horseback？〃 he asked intently。 〃A man in a black cloak； on a black horse？ And his cloak doesn't move in the wind？〃
Mat swallowed his grin； and his voice dropped to an even hoarser whisper。 〃You saw him； too？ I thought I was the only one。 Don't laugh； Rand； but he scared me。〃
〃I'm not laughing。 He scared me； too。 I could swear he hated me； that he wanted to kill me。〃 Rand shivered。 Until that day he had never thought of anyone wanting to kill him； really wanting to kill him。 That sort of thing just did not happen in the Two Rivers。 A fistfight； maybe； or a wrestling match； but not killing。
〃I don't know about hating； Rand； but he was scary enough anyway。 All he did was sit on his horse looking at me； just outside the village； but I've never been so frightened in my life。 Well； I looked away； just for a moment … it wasn't easy； mind you … then when I looked back he'd vanished。 Blood and ashes！ Three days； it's been； and I can hardly stop thinking about him。 I keep looking over my shoulder。〃 Mat attempted a laugh that came out as a croak。 〃Funny how being scared takes you。 You think strange things。 I actually thought … just for a minute； mind … it might be the Dark One。 〃 He tried another laugh； but no sound at all came out this time。
Rand took a deep breath。 As much to remind himself as for any other reason； he said by rote； 〃The Dark One and all of the Forsaken are bound in Shayol Ghul； beyond the Great Blight； bound by the Creator at the moment of Creation； bound until the end of time。 The hand of the Creator shelters the world； and the Light shines on us all。〃 He drew another breath and went on。 〃Besides； if he was free； what would the Shepherd of the Night be doing in the Two Rivers watching farm boys？〃
〃I don't know。 But I do know that rider was 。。。 evil。 Don't laugh。 I'll take oath on it。 Maybe it was the Dragon。〃
〃You're just full of cheerful thoughts； aren't you？〃 Rand muttered。 〃You sound worse than Cenn。 〃
〃My mother always said the Forsaken would e for me if I didn't mend my ways。 If I ever saw anybody who looked like Ishamael； or Aginor； it was him。 〃
〃Everybody's mother scared them with the Forsaken；〃 Rand said dryly； 〃but most grow out of it。 Why not the Shadowman； while you're about it？〃
Mat glared at him。 〃I haven't been so scared since 。。。 No； I've never been that scared； and I don't mind admitting it。〃
〃Me； either。 My father thinks I was jumping at shadows under the trees。〃
Mat nodded glumly and leaned back against the cart wheel。 〃So does my da。 I told Dav； and Elam Dowtry。 They've been watching like hawks ever since； but they haven't seen anything。 Now Elam thinks I was trying to trick him。 Dav thinks he's down from Taren Ferry … a sheepstealer； or a chickenthief。 A chickenthief！〃 He lapsed into affronted silence。
〃It's probably all foolishness anyway；〃 Rand said finally。 〃Maybe he is just a sheepstealer。〃 He tried to picture it； but it was like picturing a wolf taking the cat's place in front of a mouse hole。
〃Well； I didn't like the way he looked at me。 And neither did you； not if how you jumped at me is any guide。 We ought to tell someone。〃
〃We already have； Mat； both of us； and we weren't believed。 Can you imagine trying to convince Master al'Vere about this fellow； without him seeing him？ He'd send us off to Nynaeve to see if we were sick。〃
〃There are two of us； now。 Nobody could believe we both imagined it。〃
Rand rubbed the top of his head briskly； wondering what to say。 Mat was something of a byword around the village。 Few people had escaped his pranks。 Now his name came up whenever a washline dropped the laundry in the dirt or a loose saddle girth deposited a farmer in the road。 Mat did not even have to be anywhere around。 His support might be worse than none。
After a moment Rand said； 〃Your father would believe you put me up to it； and mine 。。。 〃 He looked over the cart to where Tam and Bran and Cenn had been talking； and found himself staring his father in the eyes。 The Mayor was still lecturing Cenn； who took it now in sullen silence。
〃Good morning； Matrim；〃 Tam said brightly； hefting one of the brandy casks up onto the side of the cart。 〃I see you've e to help Rand unload the cider。 Good lad。〃
Mat leaped to his feet at the first word and began backing away。 〃Good morning to you； Master al'Thor。 And to you； Master al'Vere。 Master Buie。 May the Light shine on you。 My da sent me to … 〃
〃No doubt he did；〃 Tam said。 〃And no doubt； since you are a lad who does his chores right off； you've finished the task already。 Well； the quicker you lads get the cider into Master al'Vere's cellar； the quicker you can see the gleeman。 〃
〃Gleeman！〃 Mat exclaimed； stopping dead in his footsteps； at the same instant that Rand asked； 〃When will he get here？〃
Rand could remember only two gleemen ing into the Two Rivers in his whole life； and for one of those he had been young enough to sit on Tam's shoulders to watch。 To have one there actually during Bel Tine； with his harp and his flute and his stories and all 。。。 Emond's Field would still be talking about this Festival ten years off； even if there were not any fireworks。
〃Foolishness；〃 Cenn grumbled； but fell silent at a look from Bran that had all the weight of the Mayor's office in it。
Tam leaned against the side of the cart； using the brandy cask as a prop for his arm。 〃Yes； a gleeman； and already here。 According to Master al'Vere； he's in a room in the inn right now。 〃
〃Arrived in the dead of night； he did。〃 The innkeeper shook his head in disapproval。 〃Pounded on the front door till he woke the whole family。 If not for Festival； I'd have told him to stable his own horse and sleep in the stall with it； gleeman or not。 Imagine ing in the dark like that。〃
Rand stared wonderingly。 No one traveled beyond the village by night； not these days； certainly not alone。 The thatcher grumbled under his breath again； too low this time for Rand to understand more than a word or two。 〃Madman〃 and 〃unnatural。〃
〃He doesn't wear a black cloak； does he？〃 Mat asked suddenly。
Bran's belly shook with his chuckle。 〃Black！ His cloak is like every gleeman's cloak I've ever seen。 More patches than cloak； and more colors than you can think of。 〃
Rand startled himself by laughing out loud； a laugh of pure relief。 The menacing black…clad rider as a gleeman was a ridiculous notion； but。。。 He clapped a hand over his mouth in embarrassment。
〃You see； Tam；〃 Bran said。 〃There's been little enough laughter in this village since winter came。 Now even the gleeman's cloak brings a laugh。 That alone is worth the expense of bringing him down from Baerlon。 〃
〃Say what you will；〃 Cenn spoke up suddenly。 〃I still say it's a foolish waste of money。 And those fireworks you all insisted on sending off for。〃
〃So there are fireworks；〃 Mat said； but Cenn went right on。
〃They should have been here a month ago with the first peddler of the year； but there hasn't been a peddler； has there？ If he doesn't e by tomorrow； what are we going to do with them？ Hold another Festival just to set them off？ That's if he even brings them； of course。 〃
〃Cenn〃…Tam sighed…〃You've as much trust as a Taren Ferry man。〃
〃Where is he； then？ Tell me that； al'Thor。〃
〃Why didn't you tell us？〃 Mat demanded in an aggrieved voice。 〃The whole village would have had as much fun with the waiting as with the gleeman。 Or almost； anyway。 You can see how everybody's been over just a rumor of fireworks。〃
〃I can see；〃 Bran replied with a sidelong look at the thatcher。 〃And if I knew for sure how that rumor started 。。。 if I thought； for instance； that somebody had been plaining about how much things cost where people could hear him when the things are supposed to be secret 。。。 〃