"I have won again, Lews Therin."
A shift.
The stole settled around her neck. Six stripes ran down its length, ending in a brilliant teardrop made of pure emerald. The Staff, used only on this occasion, was handed to her.
Egwene al'Vere smiled at Siuan
"How are you doing? Are you certain that…" Siuan paused, biting her lip. It would have been bleeding right now if the Keeper hadn't healed her before. "After all that we did, to turn on him like this…"
Egwene turned on her. Murder flashed in her eyes, and Siuan backed down, the Siuan that had only pretended to be subservient before she had seen this…girl… rip out Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan's heart for refusing to surrender the Tower. This was the Amyrlin who was responsible for nearly fifty sisters dying!…but she ruled them all. Now, more than ever, the Tower needed someone like Egwene.
"Is the Tower assembled?"
"Yes, Mother. I've doubled the guards at the gates of the City. We've drawn in every sister we can." Siuan paused, feeling for a way to say what needed to be said. "If the reports are true, Trollocs gather at Tarwin's Gap. We should consider sending out sisters to aid the Borderland armies…or what's let of them."
Egwene simply stared at her, and behind the murder and anger, a trace of fear appeared.
"I understand, Mother. Not until he is finished."
The Tower shuddered on its foundations. Dragonmount strained against the earth, trying vainly to erupt. Aes Sedai deep within the Tower looked around, hoping that the Wards would hold. It had begun that night, the night that fire had streaked the sky and…
No one talked about it, of course. The Amyrlin fiercely prohibited the discussion, even the mention of the subject. Better to mention the riots in Tear and Cairhein than Dragonmount.
A crowd gathered slowly, hesitantly. Crowding around the main street to the Tower, they were held back not by the Guard, but rather by wards that had been established the week before. Straining to the front, a gradual murmur worked through the crowd. Faintly, then as a rising tide people began to scream and shout.
"The Dragon! We're doomed!"
"The Aes Sedai have saved us!"
"He is trapped? He cannot channel?"
More dark rumblings came. All of a sudden, the crowd erupted into a thing of violence, with most of the citizens taking up a new chant and throwing objects against the wards.
"Free him! Free the Dragon! Let the Lord of Morning rule!"
At the gesture of a hooded figure, Tower Guards dispersed the crowd. And at the center of the street, a man chained and bound threw back his head and laughed.
"Mother! Do not do this, I beg you! It can only end in…"
Siuan cut herself short. Before them, the doors to the Tower opened. No less than fifteen Aes Sedai stood in the space. A full circle of thirteen bound the man in their midst, and still strain showed on their faces. The other two slowly brought him forward, wrapped in flows of air so that he appeared to be almost bowing before the Amyrlin.
Siuan, caught between conflicting emotions, turned and ran. Egwene let her go.
"Face him towards me." The women hurriedly obeyed. "How do you enjoy it, Kinslayer? Did it make you feel good to do it?" A scarlet flush filled her face. "How could you? Blood and ashes, stupid sheepfucker!"
The Aes Sedai looked at each other in terror. When Siuan had cursed, you knew she was venting rage. They said that Egwene built herself into even greater rages with obscenity than Elaida ever had. Slowly, one of them spoke. "He hasn't spoken for a week now. I…we…he needs to be force fed."
Slowly, the head raised on its own accord. The Aes Sedai around him drew upon their angreal. The face had a death-heads grin upon it. Spitting on the ground, he spoke.
"I loved it."
Egwene's face palled. All the emotion drained from her face. Slowly, she settled the stole and hit the floor with the Staff.
"Take him to the cell. The full thirteen around him at all times, and twenty guards right outside the cell. Don't give him anything more solid than gruel." She paused, hurt on her face. "Is…she here?"
The Aes Sedai glanced behind them. "Yes, although… she will not be within a hundred feet of him."
"Very well. The Tower is trying a man who may channel. Seal the Gates!"
Ponderously, the massive gates of Tar Valon swung shut, and inside the antechamber a man began a mad laugh.
"I do so love the scent of my town burning, Aes Sedai. I hope you loved the feeling of ten arrows hitting you in the back. Please do so visit us again, and bring some friends. Oh, too difficult?"
A bitter crew of Defenders crowded around the body of the woman unfortunate enough to have been assigned to reordering Tear. Each spat on the body as they passed. One casually ripped the clothes of the barely alive woman and raped her in front of the others. Finally, they piled wood around the body and light the pyre. The one who had raped her peered down at his member.
"I wonder what it'll cost to get it purified by a Wise Woman."
Siuan raced frantically down after the women guiding the prisoner. Coming up through them, she dodged questions and hands as if they were not there. Skidding to halt before the floating body, she began to weep.
"Rand, why, how… what went wrong?"
Rand simply smiled as they put him into the cell. Then the light was snuffed out by a whiff of Air.
Screams shook the Tower as Dragonmount shook. The Dragon was alone again.