Hi!

Sorry it took so long to update, but here it is!

yay!

*Sammy-Jo*

Chapter 3: Plots Discovered

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Sammy nearly slumped in her saddle on the way to Tar Valon. They had finally left Salidar and were constantly on the move. Minor lords and ladies swore allegiance to her along the way and brought soldiers, but Sammy couldn't help wondering if that would be enough. Rumor had it that Elaida had received news of them, and had doubled the Tower guard. Sammy wanted no bloodshed, but she feared there would be some. Stifling a sigh, it came out as almost a groan. Siuan eyed her sideways, but she seemed to have been the only one to notice. She had been one of the few to know about "Karigan", and the first to know about her escape. She wondered why Kasey had come back, and often looked at Sammy quizzically when Siuan thought she wasn't looking.

Sammy already had too much on her mind, the Forsaken among the top. Tonight she was to take Grendael down from the wall. Sammy could not bear to put on Grendael's a'dam, because the woman was in such excruciating pain that Sammy had never felt before. She had thought she was turning into a monster. No, monsters were better than she. Perhaps the other Forsaken would learn from the others' examples and obey her. She wished she could require less of them, but anything less and they would take advantage of her. For some reason, that reminded her of Samael. She had made sure nothing showed on her face, but the man was handsome. But she would not—could not—think of one of the Forsaken in that way. She grimaced in disgust at the thought.

"Mother," Siuan asked softly. "If I may ask, are you alright?"

Sammy looked up. Siuan never talked like that. She must have been displaying more emotion than she had thought. The woman had reason to speak softly, though. She could not give away Sammy's weaknesses.

"I thank you for your concern, daughter, but I am fine." Sammy sighed. "Just fine."

Siuan nodded, but continued to look at Sammy with concern. She sat up as Lord Bryne galloped toward her. Sammy smiled inwardly. The woman was undoubtedly in love with the man. He made as much of a bow from his saddle as was possible.

"Mother," he was almost panting, most out of the ordinary for him. "My scouts have come back, Mother. They have reports of gigantic bird-like creatures in the sky. I believe they are the raken of the Seanchan."

Oh, Light, no. Not the Seanchan. She couldn't deal with them right now. It was an effort not to finger her neck, where the collar from an a'dam had rested not too long ago.

"Ready your men and the other troops, Lord Bryne. I do not want to rush head on into battle, but if the Seanchan have taken Ebou Dar, there may be no way to avoid it. And be careful. They have…damane…with them."

"A wise decision, Mother. We will try to avoid them at all costs."

A scout galloped up to Lord Bryne, panting. "We may have help, my Lord. The Dragon Reborn is the King of Illian. He is Traveling with his…" the man gulped, "his Asha'man from the Black Tower.. We will need him as an ally, because the Asha'man appear to be our only defense against the damane." As if the sisters were helpless!

"The King of Illian, did you say?" Sammy spoke in cool, clear tones, but she was full of disbelief. The man gave a start. Sammy felt a pang of irritation. The man had not even realized she was there!

"Yes, Mother. We are certain." He spoke quite uncertainly.

"We need him as an ally, Mother. These damane are worse than a pool of live silverpike, and we could use some who can wield the Power without…without being attacked first." Siuan had reason to falter. She herself had been released from the Three Oaths when stilled, and since Nynaeve had Healed her, she had not resworn the Oaths. The other sisters did not know this, and Siuan's story of the Reds setting up Logain would be questioned.

"He will listen to me," Sammy stated bluntly. She was not certain, but she thought he would. If he could look past her title to the girl he grew up with. "After all, we were born in the same village," more to convince herself than the others. Lord Bryne nodded, and he and the scout saluted and galloped to give orders to the soldiers.

Sammy sighed. It had to be done. "Bring me the Sitters, Siuan. I will inform them, and give the instructions to organize the Circles of Thirteen." Siuan nodded and went to summon them.

Sammy had organized the Circles. It just so happened that the Circle she led only had 11 others besides herself. The numbers had turned out that way, but Sammy had made sure her Circle was the one that held only 12. No others in the Circle besides Siuan knew that a 13th would be joining them. Sammy had instructed Kasey to join the Circle just as the starting two would move forward. With nearly every sister in the camp channeling, with luck, no one would realize an extra was channeling. Kasey would be excellent as a 13th addiction to the Circle. Not only would she be the last added, but if it were necessary, Sammy could order her not to channel as she could do with the other Forsaken, which would break her from the Cricle. Sammy did not know what that would do to the link, as that was normally not possible, but she didn't want to think about that. As Kasey was the strongest in the camp at the time and the damane would be concentrating on the Circles, Kasey could attack without notice. From the damane, at least. And it was only a last resort. Odd to think of The Spider as useful. Casually, Sammy slipped Kasey's bracelet on, careful not to touch Grendael's. The woman seemed…content was the only word for it, lately. Content to do whatever Sammy wanted her to do, and content in her servitude. It was welcome, but Sammy couldn't help being suspicious. Unconsciously, she stroked Kasey's cour'souvra. At the sudden pangs of fear and pain from Kasey, she stopped. Whether Kasey was subdued for real or she was up to something, it was no way to treat a willing servant, if not exactly loyal.

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Kasey had been quite pleased with herself. After only one beating from the Mother, a most painful one at that—she shuddered with the memory—she had received no more. She would be obedient. She would even serve the Mother on her small food supply, though some nights she sat up and pangs of hunger shot through her stomach. Life was really not that bad. That was what she told herself, to convince herself that she was content. If the Mother thought that she was comfortable in her position, surely she would allow Kasey more allowances than the other Chosen. Surely they were giving her more trouble. Especially Grendael and her pride.

When the—army—stopped for the night, she hurried to put up her tent she shared with the Mother's maids, then help with the Mother's tent. When she was done helping, she was exhausted. Planning on curling up in the narrow space that was hers , she was startled to see the Mother there, Quickly, she went into such a curtsy that her head brushed the ground. The mother gestured, and she stood. A curtsy was all she was able to do while at the camp because it would have looked rather strange for even a servant to be kissing the floor at her mistress's entrance.

"Karigan," the Mother said. She had to call her Karigan, as Kasey's name would surely be recognized.

"Yes, Mother?" Kasey murmured with lowered eyes.

"There is a Seanchan army out there, Karigan. You remember my instructions for you?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good. I give you permission to serve when the time is right." The Mother could not give her permission to channel outright. An eavesdropping ward while talking to one of her servants would be most suspicious. Kasey was excited to channel again, though.

"I must attend to other matters now."

With that, Kasey dropped another curtsy and did not rise until the Mother was well outside the tent flap. Such actions of servitude were not required while others were around, but woe to one of the Chosen if they did not serve when the Mother snapped her fingers.

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It was not quite nightfall, but Sammy could not take it another minute. She Traveled to Grendael's room. She kept her face expressionless, but the woman was a terrible sight. She seemed to have shouted herself hoarse, and her usual neat composure was all in a disarray. Checking her weaves with the True Power, she found that the pain was still increasing. Releasing the weaves, Grendael fell into a heap on the floor. She immediately threw herself at Sammy's feet, kissing the hem of Sammy's dress incessantly. In between kisses, she cried out to her mistress.

"Please, Mistress! I live to serve you! I am the dirt beneath your feet! I am the seed, and you are the water! I am the worm, and you are the sun! I will crawl on my belly to you naked in the Waste to give you my last drop of water!"

Sammy was utterly disgusted, and nearly kicked the woman away. At the same time, having one of the Forsaken groveling at her feet was oddly…satisfying. She had to learn to obey, though. Sammy let the kisses and praise go on a few moments more, then stepped back and motioned for Grendael to stop. She stopped immediately, but did not look up from the floor.

"I trust you will obey me now." Sammy spoke in firm tones, but her insides churned.

"Yes, Mistress," Grendael murmured, still staring at the floor.

"That is good, because the next time you disobey me,-and there'd better not be any next time-the pain will last a week, constantly increasing."

Sammy snapped Grendael's bracelet on, and was confronted by a feeling of such fear, she almost threw the contraption across the room.

"This is an a'dam. Do you know what that is?" Confusion was the emotion that ran from the bracelet, but Grendael replied, "Yes, Mistress."

Sammy was furious. How dare the woman lie to her after this. She gave Grendael the same treatment she had given Kasey through the a'dam.

"This is an a'dam. I can sense all of your emotions when I wear the bracelet, though you cannot sense mine. You did not know what it is, and you lied to me. I do not tolerate lying. My punishment is usually much harsher."

"Your mercy and kindness are too good for me," Grendael replied, subdued.

"Yes they are, Grendael, but you obviously will still disobey me, so I must take more drastic measures."

"Drastic measures, Mistress?" Grendael quivered.

"Silence! Did I give you permission to speak?" Without waiting for an answer, she strode across the room, a knife in her hand.

"Open your mouth." Grendael's mouth snapped open. Sammy scraped the knife along her tongue, gathering saliva.

"NOOOOOOO!" Grendael shrieked. Sammy seized saidar and held the woman in place. She cut Grendael's right ear with the knife, drawing blood. She then Traveled to the spot Moridin had instructed her to go to. Where the Pattern was the weakest.

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Grendael shrieked hopelessly, wailed, flung herself at the wall of Air. She had prepared herself for whatever her mistress would do. Never had she dreamed this would happen. She shrieked even louder as she felt knives of icy cold steel stabbing her brain. The cour'souvra was finished.

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Siuan called at the door of Sammy's tent. "Mother?" she called softly. "Mother! Samantha! Oh blood and bloody ashes, you can't be asleep already! I—" she stopped as she lifted the tent flap and realized she was speaking to an empty tent. She saw Sammy's pouch lying on her still-made bed. Siuan made no move to touch it. Instead, she embraced saidar and reached out with the Power, not really channeling, but searching for—there was a feeling of resonance by the Amyrlin's bed. A Gateway. Siuan drew a ragged breath. She did not have the Talent for reading weaves, but the young novice Nicola showed promise. Trotting, but not exactly running, she hurried to find the novice.

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Sammy Traveled back to her tent, unraveling the weave as Aviendha had taught her to do. She scraped long fingernails over the newly made cour'souvra, wishing she could draw blood. Tucking it under her shift along with the other two, she started as Siuan, Leane and Nicola walked into her tent. Ran, stumbling over themselves was more like it.

"Daughters?" Sammy was shocked. She turned to Nicola. "And you, child! What are you doing out of bed?" The three stared at her as if she was the bloody Jak O' the bloody Shadows. Inwardly, Sammy tried to get a hold on her temper. The Forsaken had her on edge, and she had only visited Samael and Grendael. So far.

"I-I," Siuan grabbed a hold of herself. "I apologize, Mother, but you see, I came into your tent, and you weren't here. I sensed that a Gateway had been opened, and I—"

"What goes on in here is my business. I don't care if someone has used Compulsion in here. If I'm not in the room, I'm somewhere else. Understood?"

The three were still staring at each other! "Yes, Mother," they all chimed in unison.

As soon as they were well away from the tent, Sammy let out a sigh. If Siuan had been there when she came out of that Gateway—she didn't even want to consider the possibilities.

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Mesaana slumped down on her hard bed and clutched her skirts so tight her knuckles turned white. Why had the witch not come to her yet? By the sounds of it, she had obviously visited Grendael and Samael. Perhaps the witch had visited the others and…no, it did not make sense. Mesaana would have heard something through the walls that were more like thin boards clumsily thrown into place between the rooms. She had also heard Semirhage pace her room, muttering under her breath. Why had she not come? Would she come? Mesaana shook her head. Of course she would.

What if she asks about the Black Ajah? a voice in the back of her head mused. But that was preposterous. How could she possibly know about Mesaana's connections to the Tower? No, impossible.

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Leane muttered to herself in disbelief at the reports in her hands. Her eyes and ears had been loyal to her, and she had never doubted them, but this was just…beyond belief. The reports on the…Black Tower…said there were hundreds of men who could channel, and the numbers were still growing! Those in Salidar had never been fools enough to believe as Elaida did, that there were only 2 or 3 men who could channel. Sammy's estimate had been around 50, at the most 100. But hundreds! Leane wanted to sick up everything she had eaten that day. She jumped as a woman walked into her tent. Her heart skipped a beat, then she started breathing again as she realized it was Siuan.

"Didn't you ever learn to knock?" Leane whispered irritably, then stopped as Siuan channeled saidar and wove a ward against eavesdropping.

"I don't know what Sammy is up to," she whispered hoarsely, "but we are going to do something about it."

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Hi again!

Well? Did you like it? I hope you did. I'm planning on going off from things that happened in the book. Maybe, just maybe, a few of the Asha'man will swear loyalty to the *True Amyrlin Seat*. I don't know yet though. R/R, flame if you want, but tell me why.

*Sammy-Jo*