Weakness

Disclaimer: I don't own the Wheel of Time

Absently, Flavilla ran her fingertips up the other woman's stomach. Tamra Ospenya choked as Flavilla traced a scar on her ribcage with one finger, extracting obvious enjoyment. The older woman's body was surprisingly lean for her age, any fat being sinewy muscle and Flavilla inhaled sharply, smiling as a familiar near-ache aroused in her crotch.

"Shush, now, Mother," Flavilla murmured softly. She began to let her fingers trail along the Amyrlin's neck. The Amyrlin's eyes where wide and fearful. There was not a hint of anger. She was too frightened for that.

"I did not select you so that you could enjoy yourself, Flavilla," A harsh, grating voice interrupted her thoughts. Flavilla hid her irritation. One did not get irritated with an Aes Sedai in the Heart of the Black Ajah. Flavilla smiled at her, with a horribly honeyed smile – a smile that the woman obviously found very frustrating as she clicked her tongue audibly.

Flavilla did not even know the woman's name. She was cloaked and spoke rarely and took care to mask her voice. Yet she knew that she was a member of the Heart. She hadn't told Flavilla that either...yet it was obvious from her stance, her demeanour, her expectant aura that said she was to be obeyed. And besides...it was not every night that Flavilla opened her door to be confronted with a dark figure that demanded if she still held her oath to the Dark One. For a moment, Flavilla had wondered if this was some sort of darkfriend-hating vigilante, yet quickly shirked that thought. No one thought Flavilla was a darkfriend. So she had answered: "Of course,"

Flavilla had been ordered to dress quickly and had complied, moving quietly so as not to wake Kareena, who still lay on her side in bed. The woman had followed her to her bedroom and Flavilla thought it was to make sure she didn't try to run. Run where? She thought sardonically. Down the side of the Tower?

She had been uncomfortable, as the woman had eyed the room, including Kareena, whose body was exposed to the waist. Flavilla had pretended to pull up the blankets absentmindedly, though the woman had laughed, a low, callous sound.

And then she realised i the woman wanted her.

The sight of Tamra Ospenya, shielded, naked, bound and gagged, was shocking. Flavilla had gasped when she had seen her.

"We want information. Why has the Amyrlin been calling so many Aes Sedai to her of late," The woman had said, and then stepped to the side of the room out of the way. The room was so far under the Tower that Flavilla's breath had misted before her. Flavilla did not know her...specialities...where so widely known. She had worked hard to conceal it. Kareena knew, of course, but Kareena enjoyed it. Kareena screamed in pain as often as she screamed in pleasure.

Slowly, Flavilla had pushed back her hood and stepped up beside Tamra, who was chained on the wall.

"There's no need for such fear...we only want information..." Flavilla marvelled at herself. Her voice had dropped a couple of octaves. Her voice was low and seductive. iMy thoughts are so crowded with death and it draws so oddly on the sexual that I am confusedi, she mused silently, as her fingertips traced Tamra's lips, iconfused to be attracted by, in effect, my own annihilationi. It was not an uncommon thought.

Her fingers lingered on Tamra's cheek. "Such a pretty face," Flavilla's own grandmother had said that to her on numerous occasions.

"Will you use the Power?" The cloaked-woman asked.

iOnly to shut you upi, Flavilla retorted acidly, but in silence. She answered aloud: "Soon...there are certain advantages starting with the physical..." She leaned in close to Tamra, her lips brushing Tamra's cheek. She lowered her voice so the only she could hear. "You are unlucky that she makes me think like Semhirage,"

Tamra made a strange sound in her throat. Flavilla stared at the tears trickling silently down her face. "Come now...I don't like tears,"

Tamra hung her head and let long, gasping sobs shake her body. Flavilla raised one eyebrow. "What do you want? Pity?"

Tamra didn't answer.

"You'll receive none; you know...you might as well tell us what we want to know, hadn't you? If you do, we might even let you out alive,"

Slowly, Flavilla reached for her belt knife. The dagger she removed was a good bit more elaborate than anything you would commonly find in a belt. It had a gilded hilt, with a dark blue stone embedded in it. Tamra stared at it. "You'd might as well start screaming now...for your mother, father, lover – that was Gitara, wasn't it? – whoever you wish,"

Tamra swallowed hard as Flavilla chose a part of her body to give her attention to. Absently, she began to trace the skin around Tamra's navel. "One last chance,"

Tamra said nothing.

"Very well,"

With painful slowness, Flavilla drew the dagger an inch across Tamra's stomach. Tamra's face hardened. Blood trickled down her lower stomach, to her crotch, and eventually dribbled down her leg. Flavilla rubbed her hand along Tamra's leg, painting her fingers red during the process. "This reminds you of another time you bleed, doesn't it?" She smiled dryly.

Tamra merely looked at her.

"So stoic," Flavilla touched Tamra's lips with her bloodied fingers. Tamra flinched back, but Flavilla persisted and forced her finger into Tamra's mouth. "Have you ever tasted blood before? Your own off someone else's fingers?"

Flavilla felt Tamra's tongue half-heartedly touch her finger. "Or maybe you're enjoying this?" Flavilla's small smile widened. "Is that why you're not giving up information? You i this to continue?"

Tamra spluttered indignantly. Flavilla stretched upwards and kissed Tamra chastely. Tamra did not return the kiss – not that Flavilla expected her to. "I have always wanted to seduce someone in power," Flavilla mused. "But these are not quite the circumstances I imagined,"

"This is not seduction," Flavilla's eyes snapped up to stare into Tamra's. This was the first time the Flame of Tar Valon had spoken. "This is sadism,"

"But doesn't death draw so powerfully on the sexual?" Flavilla asked, voicing her earlier thought. She tapped the blade of her dagger against the palm of her hand.

"Not always," Tamra rasped.

"Oh...but isn't this death better than the bedside-confession-between-the- sheets-may-the-light-bless-you fallacy? Give me a young woman's death any time," Flavilla smiled.

Tamra sighed. "You poor woman,"

Flavilla's eyes tightened. She did not like being pitied by those she was torturing. "What right do you have to pity me, Tamra?" Flavilla demanded softly. "After this, I will return to the White Ajah quarters, go back to normality, back to my lover and my work, back to my life. This is merely a distraction for me. Tomorrow, I will be lying in bed with my lover and you'll be dead,"

"Does your lover know you tried to seduce me?" Tamra smiled thickly, using Flavilla's word play against her.

"As you said; that was not seduction, that was sadism,"

"Does she even know you're Black Ajah?"

"Of course not. We all have our little secrets," Flavilla embraced saidar and the small, superior smile that had graced Tamra's face fell away. "Shall we do this the hard way? Will you tell me your little secret or shall I force it out of you?"

Tamra stared defiantly at her.

"Very well,"

Tamra started screaming as soon as Flavilla touched her with a weave of fire. Sweat prickled on her face. She was so warm; it was as if she had stepped into a fireplace. Flavilla stepped back, crossing her arms contently. She would have liked to continue with the physical side of torturing, but she could sense the cloaked woman was becoming impatient.

Her heels drummed against the wall and she went rigid, screaming as loud and as long as she could without pausing for breath. Flavilla watched her impassively. Her screams continued until she was limp and exhausted; only sobbing now. Flavilla quickly slashed her own weave. There was utter silence apart from the Amyrlin Seat's soft cries. Silently, Flavilla touched the woman's sweat-beaded forehead, gently wiping away the perspiration. The Amyrlin's eyes slid shut.

And then sprang open again, her body wracked again with convulsions. Flavilla quickly silenced her, leaving her vocal cords straining silently. Tamra's eyes bulged and darted wildly. Flavilla intensified the pain. It was a simple weave, really. It merely stimulated a part of the brain to produce these convulsions. Flavilla really wasn't doing anything more than that...apart from enjoying it immensely.

"Now Tamra," Flavilla asked softly. "What will you tell me?"

The Amyrlin strained silently, vehemently shaking her head. "Still nothing?"

The Amyrlin writhed against the wall. Flavilla licked her lips.

"Well?"

The Amyrlin collapsed, head hanging down on her chest, as she strained to breath. Finally, she nodded bleakly. Flavilla released her vocal cords.

"The...Dragon Reborn..." Tamra choked.

Flavilla felt her stomach freeze. She stared dimly at Tamra, hardly aware of the woman continuing. "Those women that you saw...my hunters..."

The cloaked woman was suddenly at her side. "Kill her,"

"But...she's...the Amyrlin Seat..." Flavilla protested despondently, shocked at the suggestion.

"And what? We send her back and she immediately decides to still us all? Do you know what would happen? We'd be torn to ribbons before we were tried...Aes Sedai are not above that, you know..." Her hood fell away from her face and Flavilla found herself looking into the eyes of Sierin Vayu.

"I...I see, sister," Flavilla responded.

Flavilla turned back to Tamra. Slowly, she touched the Amyrlin Seat with a weave of spirit and snapped a pathway in her brain. The Amyrlin choked and then went limp in the shackles, dead.

Flavilla glanced around at Sierin, who was breathing heavily. "Go. Go. Leave,"

Flavilla paused briefly. Then curtseyed and turned.

The End