Towers of Midnight (The Wheel of Time #13)

The men who had been eating stood up, each holding the Source as well. There were twice as many of them as there were of Androl’s friends. Coteren smirked.

Androl eyed Canler and the others. “Now lads,” he said, raising a hand, “Asha’man Coteren was just doing what the M’Hael ordered him. He’s trying to make me mad so I’ll push myself.”

The two groups hesitated. The intensity of their locked gazes rivaled that of the Power within them. Then Jonneth released the Source. This caused Nalaam to do likewise, and finally gruff Canler turned away. Coteren laughed.

“I don’t like this,” Canler muttered as the group of them walked off. He shot a glance over his shoulder. “Don’t like it at all. Why’d you stop us, Androl?”

“Because they’d have made rubble of us faster than you can curse, Canler,” Androl snapped. “Light, man! I can barely channel worth a bean, and Emarin hasn’t been here a month yet. Jonneth’s learning fast, but we all know he’s never actually fought with the Power before, and half of Coteren’s men saw battle beneath the Lord Dragon! You really think you and Nalaam could handle ten men, virtually on your own?”

Canler continued to bristle, muttering, but let the argument drop.

“Makashak Na famalashten morkase,” Nalaam mumbled, “delf takaksaki mere!” He laughed to himself, eyes wild. It wasn’t a language Androl knew—it wasn’t the Old Tongue, that was for certain. It probably wasn’t even a language at all.

None of the others said anything. Nalaam occasionally cackled to himself in gibberish. If asked about it, he’d claim he’d spoken in plain ordinary words. The outburst seemed to discomfit Emarin and Jonneth a great deal. They hadn’t ever seen friends go mad and kill those around them. Light send that they’d never have to see it, now. Whatever else Androl thought of the Lord Dragon for leaving them alone, the cleansing earned al’Thor redemption. Channeling was safe now.

Or, at least, it was safer. Channeling would never be safe, particularly now with Taim pushing them.

“More and more people are taking those burning personal lessons from Taim,” Nalaam muttered as they walked to the shade of the trees. “Nensen’s success has the men eager. We’ve lost a good dozen to Taim’s side in the last few weeks. Soon there won’t be anyone left besides us here. I’m afraid to talk to half the men I used to trust.”

“Norley is trustworthy,” Canler said. “Evin Hardlin, too.”

“That’s a small list,” Nalaam said. “Too small.”

“The Two Rivers men are with us,” Jonneth said. “To a man.”

“Still a small list,” Nalaam said. “And not a full Asha’man among us.”

They all looked to Androl. He glanced back at Taim’s lackeys, laughing among themselves again.

“What, Androl?” Nalaam asked. “Not going to chastise us for talking like that?”

“Like what?” Androl asked, looking back at them.

“Like it’s us against them.”

“I didn’t want you lads to get yourselves killed or imprisoned, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see a problem.” He glanced back at them. “Aye, there’s trouble here, brewing like a storm.”

“The men who take Taim’s private lessons learn too quickly,” Nalaam said. “Nensen was barely powerful enough to be considered for Dedicated just a short time ago. Now he’s full Asha’man. Something very strange is going on. And those Aes Sedai. Why did Taim agree to let them bond us? You know he’s protected all of his favorites by stopping the Aes Sedai from choosing any man with the Dragon pin. Burn me, but I don’t know what I’ll do if one chooses me. I’m not going to be put on some Aes Sedai’s string.”

There were several mutters about that.

“Taim’s men spread rumors among the newcomers,” Jonneth said softly. “They talk about the Lord Dragon, and how he drove good men to turn traitor. They say he’s abandoned us, and that he’s gone mad. The M’Hael doesn’t want those rumors pointing back to him, but burn me if he isn’t the source of them all.”

“Maybe he’s right,” Canler said. The others looked at him sharply, and the leathery man scowled. “I’m not saying that I’m going to go jump into Taim’s camp. But the Lord Dragon? What has he done for us? Seems like he’s forgotten about this place. Maybe he is mad.”

“He’s not,” Emarin said, shaking his head. “I met him just before I came here.”

The others looked at him, surprised.

“He impressed me,” Emarin said. “Young, but with a powerful will. I trust him. Light! I barely spoke with him a half-dozen times, but I trust him.”

The others slowly nodded.

“Burn me,” Canler said, “I suppose that’s good enough for me. But I wish he’d listen! I heard Logain cursing that the Lord Dragon won’t hear him when he gives warnings about Taim.”

“And if we gave him evidence?” Jonneth asked. “What if we could find something that proves that Taim is up to no good?”

“Something is strange about Nensen,” Nalaam repeated. “And that Kash. Where did he even come from, and how did he grow so powerful so quickly? What if, when Logain returned, we had information for him. Or if we could take it to the Lord Dragon directly…”

The group turned to Androl. Why did they look to him, the weakest of them? All he could do was create gateways. That was where Coteren’s nickname for Androl had come from. Pageboy. The only thing he was good for was delivering messages, taking people places.

But the others looked to him. For one reason or another, they looked to him.

“All right,” Androl said. “Let’s see what we can find. Bring Evin, Hardlin and Norley into this but don’t tell anyone else, not even the other Two Rivers lads. Don’t rile Taim or his men…but if you do find something, bring it to me. And I’ll see if I can find a way to contact Logain, or at least find where he went.”

Each man nodded, somber. Light help us if we’re wrong, Androl thought, looking back at Taim’s favorites. And Light help us more if we’re right.

Chapter 47

A Teaching Chamber

Faile sat impatiently atop Daylight, trying to keep herself from twitching as the gateway split the air. A browning meadow lay on the other side; Gaul and the Maidens immediately