Here's the second chapter. I edited the first a bit, and this is the next part. Enjoy! Or not, this chapter is R. Sorry!

Chapter 2:

The horse stopped abruptly outside the huge walls of the Black Tower and bent her head to nibble at the yellow grass poking out of the snowdrift.

Her rider, slumped into the mare's mane, raised her head dejectedly. She was young, about twenty or so, and very pretty, perhaps even beautiful. There was a dignity to her, or had been, but it had been broken and little remained. Long dark hair hung to her waist in soft ringlets and curls, but it was dirty and disheveled. Her dark blue silk dress was covered in tears, mud, and blood, and her cloak was barely there, hanging off one shoulder. Her dark eyes were filled with loss and pain, and had dark circles under them. Blood crusted one side of her head.

"I guess this is it, girl." The woman's voice was raspy and she swallowed painfully before continuing. "Thank you."

The mare turned to look at her rider. The woman smiled, but it didn't touch her eyes. Dismounting, she straitened her dress and patted the mare's neck, smoothing her mane. Then slapping the horse on the rump, she sent her off trotting. "Go home, girl."

Turning to face the tower, the woman began walking. She had a definite limp, and every step shot agony up her slender form.

Entering through the main gate, the woman stopped long enough to murmur that her name was Temaile, and her business was to see the Dragon Reborn so that she may serve him.

The guard, a tall man with missing teeth and a crooked nose, leered at her. "If I had a copper for every pretty young girl wanting to sleep with the Lord Dragon, missy, I'd be richer than an Aes Sedai."

The woman's head snapped up indignantly. "Excuse me? What do I look like? A whore?"

The man licked his lips. "A very pretty one, I might add. If I were you, I'd go for an Asha'man. His Lord Dragonship is most unpredictable. Or, if you like, a gate clerk."

The woman's face darkened with rage, and without another word she spun on her heel and stalked off. A queen could not have walked with more dignity, despite the limp.

"Bastard." She muttered. Stopping a young harassed-looking woman in the street, she asked where she could find the barracks.

"The barracks? That way."

"Thank you." To the obvious question in the woman's eyes, she added, "I'm looking for my......brother."

"You too? I had just been married a week when we found out that my husband could channel. Bloody nuisance. I'm almost hoping that he'll burn out and then we can go home. You get in a fight on the way here?"

Seeing that the woman was a likely source of conversation, Temaile fell into step with her. "Sort of. I was robbed. My name's Temaile. Do you need any help with that?"

The woman shifted her bundle of laundry with a sigh. " Mariah. Can't say I don't, I suppose. Where are you staying?"

"No where. I just arrived. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the Lord Dragon, though."

The woman laughed. "It's hard enough to see the M'Hael, let alone the Lord Dragon. I did see him once, though." Glancing around, she laughed softly. "He's quite the looker. If I wasn't married, I'd be after him like a bee after honey. Everyone knows he's having a little fling with that pretty girl on his arm, though. Heard him call her 'Min'. Beautiful child. And she knows it. You should see the breeches she wears, I half expect her to burst out of them. Even the M'Hael was staring."

"The M'Hael?"

"You don't know? Mazrim Taim. He's quite the looker too. Half the women in the village are following him around like moon-eyes calves. No wonder the man never comes out. Too dark-looking for me though. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could channel him, and I can't channel a spark. He swore fealty to the Lord Dragon, and he trains all the Asha'man. Rumor is, he and Logain are fighting like bloody bulls. Taim had one of Logain's group gentled yesterday, and now everyone is waiting for Logain's move."

Temaile helped Mariah set the load of laundry down near the well. Five others knelt by washtubs, up to their elbows in soapy water, scrubbing at black coats and other laundry. "Thank you, Temaile." Mariah said, straitening with a groan. "Tell you what, if you help me with this laundry, then you can stay at our place until you find your brother and see your Dragon. Deal?"

Temaile took the other woman's outstretched hand with a smile. "Deal."

"Mariah," A short woman dressed in green with her long hair tied back squealed as Temaile and Mariah sat down, "Did you hear about what some deserters -Logain's men, formerly, anyway- did to the M'Hael?"

The woman sitting beside her glanced nervously about her shoulder. "I don't think we should talk about it this openly, Realle.."

Realle sniffed. "Really. There's no one here, Derah. It'll be fine." Turning to Temaile, she continued. "He was in a fine temper this morning -screamed for hours over little things he did. Had to teach his class from his sickbed and the whole Tower heard him yelling. Some trick with the Power, I think, no human could be that loud, still have a headache, I do- and he gentled two more of Logain's group- And then the Lord Dragon came. I heard that he talked with Taim for about two hours, and one of them deserters, I can't remember his name, and his brother, can't remember his name either-both Dedicated- Traveled or something, whatever it's called, into the room, shielded the Lord Dragon and the M'Hael, and then hit Taim with the Power, and burnt a hole through his stomach, and then Taim killed them both. He was bleeding to death, but there turned out to be no major damage, after the Lord Dragon got some Yellow Aes Sedai in there, but he could only be partially Healed for some reason, even though Nynaeve Aes Sedai spent hour with him, someone said something about a weak form of balefire, and he's still confined to bed." Realle talked rapidly without pausing. Temaile wondered if the woman required oxygen like the rest of the human race.

Mariah snorted. "I very much doubt that, Realle."

Derah grimaced. "It's true, Mariah. All the Asha'man are prowling around like wolves outside Taim's door, they went completely insane when he was nearly killed, you would've thought it was the Dragon they were protecting. Last I heard; he's still in a foul mood, maybe it was the herbs Nynaeve Sedai gave him."

Temaile choked. "Nynaeve Sedai?"

Mariah frowned. "You know her?"

Temaile forced a smile, cursing herself silently. "I used to. She was an old friend of mine."

Derah laughed a high musical sound. "Bet you must be proud of her, then. I heard she figured out a way to Heal stilling and gentling, Healed Logain by accident."

"Yes, I am. She was always a very smart girl." Temaile's face was bright with a sudden eagerness. "Do you think there would be any way...I....I......might be able to see her?"

"I think so." Realle said slowly. Temaile nearly fell over with shock. So the woman did have to breathe! "She's staying in Taim's palace -I don't know how you expect to get in there, though."

"Thank you!" Temaile exclaimed. Standing, she turned to Mariah. "Would you mind if I dashed off for just ten minutes? I must see Nynaeve Sedai as soon as possible!"

"Not at all." The woman gestured to the laundry. "Take you time. I won't be going anywhere for a while."

Temaile smiled. "Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can!" Without another word, she dashed off. She skidded around a corner, and smacked into a man wearing the pinless black coat of a soldier.

"Sorry," she began, but he cut her off by drawing her into a store house. Temaile stared screaming, useless sounds against the ward that enveloped them. She fought, all but useless against the flows of Air that pinned her to the ground.

Mazrim Taim stared moodily at the wall. His dark tilted eyes were filled with anger. A plate of untouched food lay beside his elbow. He was in a dark mood, and no servant wanted to be near him when he was, especially after he channeled the last one strait out the window. He wondered vaguely if he was still alive. Probably. He hadn't hit him THAT hard. Or maybe not. The man was probably a weakling, if he was; the world was a better place for his death. Mazrim could not abide fools and weaklings.

His drilling gaze shifted to his stomach. The bandages wrapped around his middle were an unnecessary nuisance. He was sure the bloody Yellow sister had just done it to annoy him. And that bloody medicine too. He saved the Lord Dragon's life, and in return the bastard makes that bloody woman Heal him!

A headache throbbed faintly behind his temples. He would have to get Cyndane to give him one of her massages, for some reason, he couldn't sleep without them.

Shaking off the pain, he got out of bed. He instantly regretted it, though, when his whole side felt like it was on fire. Closing his mind to the pain, he had a lot of practice, he seized saidin. The torrent of power raged through him, but he felt very alive. The pain became a distant, pulsing throb. Drawing as much saidin as he could hold, he savored the clean taste of it. The taint was gone.

Mazrim reluctantly released saidin, and dressed quickly. A vertical slash appeared in midair, and he was halfway through when the door banged open. Brimming with saidin, Mirishaile and another Asha'man burst into the room. Mazrim paused and very pointedly looked towards the door.

"I am still in bed, if that bloody woman should ask. Neither of you saw anything, clear?"

"Yes, M'Hael. If I may ask, sir, where are you going?"

"For a ride. I need to get away from that bloody woman and her bloody concoctions."

Mirishaile laughed. "I don't blame you, M'Hael. The Aes Sedai is an absolute terror."

Wearing amused smiles and releasing saidin, the two left the room. Mazrim watched them go. Despite what he said, he had no intention of going for a ride. He needed to check up on the Training Grounds, Logain was in charge until he healed. He was not about to let the bloody man take his place! For all he knew, Logain could be training his own little army!

Still paused, with his foot halfway through the Gateway, Mazrim paused. Maybe he should take an escort. Logain might attack him. Or maybe he should walk. Logain would never dare to try attacking him with half the Black Tower looking on. Yes, that sounded nice. He would walk. Stepping out of the Gateway, he changed the flows so he was stepped into an empty storehouse. He closed the Gateway behind him.

In a far corner, his eye caught a faint movement. Two figures, both human. At first he thought they were fighting, but then he saw where the hands were. Disgusted, he turned away. Groping each other like animals in the open! Did people have no shame?

Then he felt the weaves of saidin. They were very faint, but they were there. And they were awkward. Probably a Soldier and his whore. A ward against eavesdropping. Very clumsy and very weak. What was the man hiding with that ward?

Deftly spinning the weaves, he placed a small amount of saidin against the ward, listening very carefully. The woman was screaming for help. Pleading and crying, but the man just laughed and carried on with his work.

Rape. Mazrim felt the pit of his stomach drop out. How low did the man sink? Murder was one thing, but rape was definitely another.

He filled himself with as much saidin as he could hold, and then slammed the ward, destroying it. Fire and Air tore off the man's arms, and exploded his groin. With balefire, he formed the most powerful weave he knew, and destroyed the man. The woman lay weeping on the ground. But as far as balefire went, she would not get pregnant. She had not even been raped.

Mazrim let out the breath he had not realized he had been holding. She was safe. He turned to go, but was stopped when the woman seized his boot. "I must see the Lord Dragon!" She gasped, her eyes wide and rolling. "I must!"