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"Mmmmm," Lan took another bite of the meat. His eyes glazed in satisfaction.
"It's not that good, surely." Siuan sniffed at the enormous platter between them.
"Trust me." He dished another heaping plate and reached for the bread roll.
Siuan sampled a bite and shrugged. "Typical tavern fare, if you ask me."
"Exactly!" He grinned as he buttered the roll. "You have no idea how much I missed it."
Siuan planted her elbows on the table, and leaned forward for good measure.
"And where is she, exactly?" She watched in fascination as Lan demolished the second roasted chicken.
He grabbed another drumstick and waived it in the air, small droplets of sauce landing on the table in a delicate pattern. "Ghrmhn shgrmmm."
"What?" Siuan poured herself an ale from the pitcher.
"Dress shopping."
"Again?" She peered into her ale before lifting it to her lips. “She had a new riding dress made up two weeks ago.”
The Warder’s shrug seemed all too casual.
"And why, Lan Gaidin, does she need a new dress?" That was her Amyrlin voice. The one that commanded armies.
He gnawed leisurely on the drumstick, Siuan's heart filling with dread.
"I will ask you. One. More. Time."
Reaching slowly for the napkin, he wiped his lips before returning her gaze.
"It may have gotten slightly singed."
"Singed?"
"And torn. Slightly."
"Lan. Blood and ashes!"
"She is fine."
"Oh she better be fine, or I'll have you gutted for bait!"
"It was only a small forest."
"Oh really? How small, exactly?"
He sighed. "A few dozen acres. Probably."
"Probably?"
She lifted a hand to rub her right temple in anticipation of a headache that was surely coming.
"The river proved to be useful. She is excellent at dropping a river's worth of water on a problem."
Siuan fixed Lan with a stare. "And that was?"
"The fire, of course."
"Did she start it?" She knew it. She bloody knew it.
He reached for another drumstick, but Siuan yanked the platter out of his reach.
"Of course not. I set it myself. It was a proper job."
"Yes?"
“She is improving. Significantly.” He eyed the buttered turnips hungrily. "But it is fine. The forest, the river, all of it is fine."
Siuan made a slow hand gesture for him to continue.
“It was nearly edible, I’m sure. She managed to keep things more containable than last time.” Lan pulled the platter back and cut into the fourth chicken. "Balefire put it all back. Just the thing for taking care of cooking accidents."
"Impossible." Siuan felt all blood draining from her face. "That... it doesn't exist."
Lan swallowed hard.
"Are you telling me she discovered..." Siuan raked her fingers through her hair. "That's a myth. Legend."
Lan looked her straight in the eyes and sighed. At least he had the grace to look somewhat chastised.
Siuan's mind started working, evaluating and discarding possibilities. No. It had to be a mistake.
She needed another ale.
Suddenly, she felt a small hand briefly rest on her shoulder before Moiraine plopped on the bench beside her.
"So?" Moiraine asked cheerfully, looking between them. "What did I miss?"