The Gathering Storm

Bryne stood with Siuan at the mouth of the alleyway, checking the street outside. Gawyn joined them, hand on his sword. The streets were empty. The people no doubt hid in their homes, likely praying that the raid would soon pass.

The soldiers gathered in the alley. Bryne quietly ordered a squad of ten to guard the boats. Then the rest opened the soft-looking brown packages that Gawyn had noticed earlier and removed folded white tabards. They pulled these over their heads, tying them at the waist. Each was marked with the flame of Tar Valon.

Gawyn whistled softly, though Siuan stood with arms akimbo, looking indignant. "Where did you get those?"

"I had the women in the outer camp make them," Bryne said. "It's always a good idea to have a few copies of your enemy's uniform."

"It's not proper," Siuan said, folding her arms. "Serving on the Tower Guard is a sacred duty. They—"

"They're your enemy, Siuan," Bryne said sternly. "For now, at least. You're not Amyrlin anymore."

She eyed him, but held her tongue. Bryne looked over the soldiers, then nodded in approval. "This won't fool anyone up close, but from a distance, it will serve. Out onto the streets and fall into ranks. Hustle toward the Tower, as if you're rushing to help with the battle. Siuan, a globe of light or two would help with the disguise—if those who see us also see an Aes Sedai at our head, they'll be more likely to assume what we want them to."

She sniffed, but did as requested, creating two globes of light, then setting them to float in the air beside her head. Bryne gave the command, and the entire group spilled out of the alley and formed ranks. Gawyn, Siuan and Bryne took up positions at the front—Gawyn and the general walking just ahead of Siuan, as if they were Warders—and they double-timed forward down the street.

All in all, the illusion was very good. On first glance, Gawyn himself would have bought the disguise. What would be more natural to see than a squadron of Tower Guard marching to the scene of the attack, guided by an Aes Sedai and her Warders? It was certainly better than trying to sneak a hundred men through the city in alleyways, unseen.

As they approached the Tower grounds they entered the nightmare. The billowing smoke reflected red firelight, enveloping the Tower in a menacing crimson haze. Holes and gashes broke the walls of the once-majestic building; fires blazed within several of them. Raken commanded the air, swooping and spinning about the Tower like gulls circling a dead whale in the waves. Screams and shouts permeated the air, and the thick, acrid smoke made Gawyn's throat itch.

Bryne's soldiers slowed as they approached. There seemed to be two points of combat in the raid. The base of the Tower, with its two flanking wings, showed flashes of light. The grounds were littered with the dead and the wounded. And up above, near the middle of the Tower, several gashes were spewing fireballs and lightning back out at the invaders. The rest of the Tower seemed silent and dead, though surely fighting was going on in the corridors.

The group pulled to a halt outside the Tower grounds' iron gates. Those gates were open and completely unguarded. That seemed ominous. "Now what?" Gawyn whispered.

"We find Egwene," Siuan answered. "We start at the base, then head down to the basement floors. She was locked down there somewhere earlier today, and it's probably the first place we should look."

A spray of stone chips fell from the ceiling and rained down on the table as the White Tower shook from yet another blast. Saerin cursed to herself, wiping the chips away, then unrolled a wide piece of parchment, weighting the sides with some broken chunks of tile.

Around her, the room was in virtual chaos. They were on the ground floor, in the forward gathering room, a large square chamber situated where the eastern wing met the Tower proper. Members of the Tower Guard pulled tables out of the way to make room for the groups passing through. Aes Sedai warily glanced out the windows, watching the skies. Warders stalked like caged animals. What were they to do about flying beasts? Their best place was here, guarding the center of operations. Such as it was. Saerin had only just arrived.

A sister in green swept up to her. Moradri was a long-limbed Mayener with dark skin, and she was trailed by two handsome Warders, both also Mayener. Rumors said that they were her brothers, come to the White Tower to defend their sister, though Moradri didn't speak of the matter.

Saerin demanded, "How many?"

"The ground floor has at least forty-seven sisters," Moradri said. "Spread across the Ajahs. That's the best count I could gather, as they're fighting in small groups. I told them we were organizing a formal command center here. Most seemed to think that was a good idea, though many were too tired, too shocked or too dazed to respond with much else besides a nod."

"Mark their locations on the map here," Saerin said. "Did you find Elaida?"

Moradri shook her head.

"Blast," Saerin muttered as the Tower shook again. "What of any Green Sitters?"

"I didn't find any," Moradri said, glancing over her shoulder, obviously eager to get back to the fighting.

"A pity," Saerin said. "They like to call themselves the Battle Ajah, after all. Well, that leaves me to organize the fighting."

Moradri shrugged. "I suppose." She glanced over her shoulder again.

Saerin eyed the Green sister, then tapped the map. "Mark the locations, Moradri. You can be back to the fighting soon enough, but your knowledge is more important right now."

The Green sister sighed, but quickly began to make notations on the map. As she worked, Saerin was pleased to note Captain Chubain entering. The man looked youthful for his forty-some winters, without a speck of gray in his black hair. Some men were inclined to disparage his abilities because of his too-pretty face; Saerin had heard of the humiliation those men had received by his sword in return for the insults.

"Ah, good," she said. "Finally something is going well. Captain, over here if you will."

He limped over, favoring his left leg. His white tabard, hanging over mail, was scorched; his face was smudged with soot. "Saerin Sedai," he said, bowing.

"You are wounded."

"An inconsequential wound, Aes Sedai, in the glory of a fight such as this."

"See yourself Healed anyway," she ordered. "It would be ridiculous for our captain of the guard to risk death because of an 'inconsequential' wound. If it makes you stumble for a moment we could lose you."

The man stepped closer, speaking in a low voice. "Saerin Sedai, the Tower Guard is all but useless in this fight. With the Seanchan using those . . . monstrous women, we can barely reach them before being ripped to pieces or blasted to ashes."

"You need to change your tactics, then, Captain," Saerin said firmly. Light, what a mess! "Tell the men to switch to bows. Do not risk closing on the enemy's channelers. Shoot from a distance. A single arrow could turn the battle to our side; we have their soldiers grossly outnumbered."

"Yes, Aes Sedai."

"As a White might say, it's simple logic," she said. "Captain, our most important task is to form a center of operations. Aes Sedai and soldiers alike are scrambling about independently, acting like rats faced by wolves. We need to stand together."

What she didn't mention was how embarrassed she was. The Aes Sedai had spent centuries guiding kings and influencing wars, but now—with their sanctuary assaulted—they had proven woefully inadequate in defending it. Egwene was right, she thought. Not just in predicting this attack, but in berating us for being divided. Saerin didn't need reports from Moradri or scouts to know that the Ajahs were each fighting this battle independently.

"Captain," she said. "Moradri Sedai is marking pockets of fighters on the map. Ask her which Ajah is represented in each group; she has an excellent memory, and will be able to tell you specifics. Send runners in my authority to any group of Yellow or Brown sisters. Tell them to report here, to this chamber.

"Next, send runners to the other groups and tell them that we are going to send one Brown or Yellow sister to them for Healing purposes. There will also be a group of sisters here providing Healing. Anyone wounded is to report here immediately."

He saluted.

"Oh," she added. "And send someone to the outer grounds to spot the main breaches above. We need to know where the invasion is deepest."

"Aes Sedai, . . ." he said. "The outer grounds are dangerous. Those flying above fire on anyone they see moving."

"Then send men who are good at concealing themselves," she growled.

"Yes, Aes Sedai. We—"

"This is a disaster!" an angry voice shouted.

Saerin turned to find four Red sisters entering the room. Notasha was wearing a white dress bloodied up the left side, though if the blood was her own, she'd been Healed. Katerine's mass of long black hair was frazzled and tangled with chips of stone. The other two women wore ripped dresses, faces soiled with ash.

"How dare they strike here!" Katerine continued, crossing the room. Soldiers ducked out of her way, and several less-influential sisters who had gathered at Saerin's order suddenly found things to do at the corners of the room. Distant booms sounded, like the noises of an Illuminator's display.

"They dare because they have the means and the desire, obviously," Saerin replied, shoving down her annoyance and maintaining her calm. With difficulty. "So far, the strike has proven remarkably effective."

"Well, I'm assuming command here," Katerine growled. "We need to scour the Tower and eliminate each of them!"

"You will not take command," Saerin said firmly. Insufferable woman! Calm, remain calm. "Nor will we go on the offensive."

"And you will dare stop me?" Katerine snarled, the glow of saidar a burning light around her. "A Brown?"

Saerin raised an eyebrow. "Since when did the Mistress of Novices outrank a Sitter in the Hall, Katerine?"

"Egwene al'Vere predicted this," Saerin said, grimacing. "We can assume, therefore, that the other things she told us about the Seanchan are true. The Seanchan seize women who can channel and use them as weapons. They have brought no ground force; it would be near impossible to march them this far through hostile territory anyway. That means this is a raid, intended to seize as many sisters as possible.

"The battle has already stretched long for a raid, perhaps because we've done such a poor job of resisting that they feel they can take their time. Either way, we need to form a unified front and hold our ground. Once the battle goes more roughly for them, they will withdraw. We are in no position whatsoever to 'scour the Tower' and force them out."

Katerine hesitated, considering that. Another boom sounded outside.

"Where do those keep coming from?" Saerin asked in annoyance. "Haven't they made enough holes?"

"That wasn't directed at the Tower, Saerin Sedai!" called one of the soldiers at the room's doorway, standing just outside in the garden.

He's right, Saerin realized. The Tower didn't shake. It didn't the time before, either. "What are they firing on? People down below?"