Note: Gonna be going a bit off canon from this point on.
Note: This is the first chapter where I get to show off the truth of what Hadrian is. He has already lived through one war, and circumstances seem fit to place him in the middle of another. He knows the necessity of getting the job done, and he isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty to do it. Also… he has no patience for people that act like Dumbledore…. which most aes sedai do. We saw that a bit with his early interactions with Moiraine.
Note: Yes, I know the siege of Tar Valon took a lot longer in the books. To that I say…. it was way too long! Damn but that storyline was dragged out. Also, in the books a lot of the town had already been abandoned after the coup and they still had ships coming in to supply them because Egwene wouldn't sack up and do what was necessary to win. I refuse to believe that a packed city, that does not have fields of its own, and that is not expecting an attack or siege would last that long on their basic food stores. Furthermore I don't believe the aes sedai would have a large stockpile of food to begin with. After all, who in their right minds would 'ever' attack Tar Valon? (sarcasm intended).
Note: Fiendfyre is pretty much the most broken thing in the Harry Potter universe and I never see it used to its utmost potential. I'm going to be attempting a new use for it here.
Part Six - The White Tower
The White Tower. Looking down from the great hill across the river from its massive bulk and the city that surrounded it, Hadrian could see why so many held it in awe. It soared high into the air, spread out in ways that to his mind should not have been structurally possible, and cast an imposing shadow on the landscape and bridges that made their way to it.
Behind stood a camp stretching back into the distance encompassing the full army of Ghealdan. Its king had been less than thrilled by the revelation that Logain was not in fact the Dragon Reborn, as he had cast his lot pretty heavily in his corner. But he had been assuaged by four important facts. First, he and his people were not fond of aes sedai in the first place, so getting the chance to wage war against them if only for a while had been a rather large morale boost. Apparently taking the fight to them had made him more popular than ever with his lords. Second, he was no longer sworn to follow a madman. Hadrian himself had taken the ruler into Logain's mind to show him the distinct lack of corruption. Third, was the chance recently provided to spit in the tower's face. Like all rulers in the land, he too had been publicly shamed by the emissaries of the Amyrlin Seat when he hadn't jumped to follow her directives and orders. It had bred a lot of resentment and he prided himself on taking this opportunity to be the first ruler since Artur Hawkwing to get his own back from the witches. Fourth was the blacksmith. At Moiraine's insistence he had given the ruler a vast display of the power at his hands, proving without doubt that he was far beyond the abilities of Logain or any aes sedai he had ever seen, and failed to deny he was in fact the dragon reborn.
That last one had been a bit of an argument on his part, but the sister of the blue adjuh had convinced him by providing two very compelling reasons. First, even if he never outright said he was the dragon, the prestige provided by the simple assumption could aid him in all manor of negotiations. Second if people assumed it was him, then their eyes would not wander to the three boys from Emonds Field that it actually could be. In this way he could work further to protect his people.
He was broken from his silent meditation by the arrival of Moiraine an Nynaeve. The two had been having private discussions since leaving the red ajah's camp, but he'd been too busy planning what came next to worry about it.
Moiraine spoke first. "Have you decided what to do?"
He nodded. The only issue with his plan was weather or not he could be shielded from his magic as men were from Saidin, but the blue sister had tried to hold him and none of her weaves had latched on even once. "Look over there." He gestured to one of the far bridges where a rather bedraggled group of people were stumbling into view. They kind of had to because the Ghealdanans had taken all of their horses and carts. "That would be Liandrin's group. No doubt the first thing she is going to do is go before your Hall of Sitters and proclaim me a male channeler and you a traitor for aiding in Logain's escape."
The women both nodded and Nynaeve said, "Yes, do you have a plan for that then, husband?"
"I do. From what stories I've heard, and what I've been able to learn from our friend here," he reached out to take Moiraine's hand in his own with a warm smile as Nynaeve took his other out of habit, "this 'White Tower' acts a lot like the Catholic Church of my old world. They don't have a standing military, but their perceived 'higher' authority gives them the right to go into any land they choose and exact their will on the people that rule and live there. In their minds they are working to lead the world to a better future, but such actions can cause an overinflated sense of righteousness."
Moiraine huffed beside him but did not remove her hand from his. "Excuse me, but would you like to rephrase that?"
"I would not." He replied while nodding to the army behind him. "Look at King Johanin. He has told me of no less than five occasions where sisters of the tower came into his castle unannounced, demanded he do or stop something, and then publicly shamed him in his hall when he maintained he was the ruler of his lands and not them. Look at the anger that has wrought. Face it Moiraine, your sisters cannot conceive of a world where they are not on top. So of course their preconceptions 'must' be correct and people 'must' do as they are told by them."
The blue sister was troubled at what she was hearing, but not for the reasons most would assume. Once again this man was forcing her to look at aspects of the White Tower that she had been forced, by necessity and practice, to overlook. But his words had caused her to think back to some of the other things she had seen and heard over the years, including one such instance in Caemlyn. Queen Morgase had been encroaching on her neighbors territory with her army. As a ruler she sought to increase her borders, but the Amyrlin Seat had thought such an action would be too devastating to the region to be allowed to continue. Siuan had sent a strongly worded letter to her castle, and it was promptly ignored. So the woman herself had followed it. From what Moiraine had heard of that event, Siuan had paddled the queen's commander with the one power in front of her entire court until she agreed to cease her hostile actions.
She shuddered, hating when the man beside her had a point. "That still doesn't answer why we are camped outside with an army, or what we are going to do about our current situation."
Hadrian's eyes grew distant as he swept through Voldemort's memories for the right combination of spells. Across the field the last of Liandrin's number had made it to the halfway point of one of the bridges, and the daily traveler's seemed to have thinned out to nothing, most likely they were all packed away eating lunch or something of the like.
"Yes, it does Moiraine." He finally spoke. "I mentioned the tower is a bit like the Catholic church of my world. Do you know what happened when they got too high and mighty in the middle ages there?"
"How could I?" The black haired woman replied.
In answer, the blacksmith released the hands of the women at his sides and raised both of his arms to the sky as all around them the previously blue heaven's filled with grey clouds and the crackle of thunder. "Kings, emperors, warlords, all men of power and ability reminded them that there is always an animal bigger than them in the wild." His eyes shot wide with arcane light and he slammed his hands onto the ground.
The thunder and lightening that had been building screeched to life and slammed into the earth with him. All around the city of Tar Valon the earth exploded with light, energy and sound, and where the lightning hit, green, angry looking flames rose in its place. For five whole minutes the onslaught of pure chaos continued until finally, mercifully, it stopped. The lightning ended, the clouds dispersed, and when all was said and done a vast wall of emerald flame encircled the famous city, stretching even over the water and canals.
"Hadrian, what-" Moiraine tried to question the man she'd tied her fate to, but he moved at at a rapid pace to stand before the waiting king Johanin.
He bowed and said, "What is your will, Lord Dragon."
Clearly cringing at the term of address, Hadrian nevertheless gestured to the few roads branching off of the connecting brides to the island city. "I've begun the first stage, post your men along the paths leading up to those bridges. No one will be able enter or leave the city, but I don't want any of the residents getting a morale boost by seeing people coming to their aid. For that matter, make sure your men also keep a distance from the city in case the aes sedai start launching fire balls over the barrier. They shouldn't make it past the fires but it's better to be safe than sorry."
The ruler slammed his fist to his armored chest and proclaimed, "Your will shall be done." before marching off. Logain walked up to them in his place, nodding to the departing man's back.
"You handled him well, Lord Hadrian. I always found him quite lenient and agreeable once he knew I had no designs on his land. As long as you don't tell him how to rule Ghealdan he will follow you unto the ends of the earth."
The blacksmith acknowledged that advice with a nod before turning once more to Moiraine. "Have you started to figure out what I've done?"
The aes sedai looked back at their conversation and the actions he had taken. "Between the wall of flame and posting your new army along the roads I'd guess you're starting a siege."
"Spot on."
The noblewoman frowned however. "What's to stop the sisters from dousing the fire? For that matter how long can your troops stay here? The city has enough supplies at any given moment to feed the populace for months."
"With the supplies they took from Liandrin's camp added to their own the Ghealdanans can last for about three months before needing to return to Ghealdan or start ranging the countryside. As for dousing the flames… remember what I told you about fiendfyre?"
She gasped in realization. "It consumes everything!"
"Yes. Trying to douse it will only make the flames grow taller, and you've already confirmed that they can't fly. Additionally, any weaves they cast will also feed into them. As for the food stores in the city, well, not all of that lightning was external. I hit their granaries, warehouses, and supply depots. Luckily those were only regular lightning otherwise the entire city would be burning. Regardless, all Tar Valon now has is what the civilian population had in their homes, and whatever the tower has managed to stock up on. With as many people living there as I imagine, they'll start running out within a couple of weeks. Three at the most."
Moiraine didn't know weather to be thrilled at the creativity and planning of her new partner, or horrified that he'd so easily entrapped and laid siege to her home. "What is it exactly that you hope to gain from this action? Our companions could be inside the city and they will be suffering the fate of the other residents."
"Yes, but the sisters will not know that. Think about it, did you really want to be in there when Liandrin spilled the beans about me and you? Our people will just need to tough it out for a little while until we get things settled. At least they'll know exactly where we are. What do I hope to gain? I am going to force them to concede that the Dragon Reborn is outside of their control and jurisdiction as well as men who can channel. They are mine." Silence fell at his proclamation. A heavy, dark silence that was suddenly broken as he added, "Oh, and your freedom as well, Moiraine. I would't want you gentled by the tower after just really getting to know you."
A week and a half. That was how long it took representatives of the tower to come meet them. They spent that time clearly trying to escape their entrapment with all manor of water, dousing agents, and weaves of Saidar. True to the blacksmith's predictions, all of those actions only served to grow the fiendfyre higher. One aes sedai even tried throwing a rock over the flames to see what would happen and the hungry defense rose to devour it.
Hadrian, Nyneave, Moiraine, and Logain arrived at the same bridge every day up to that point, walked up to the fire and just looked in for an hour before leaving. The tower had tried to send ravens to request aid of course, but between the Ghealdanan archers and the wizard's wards not a single one escaped. When a trio of sisters came to see them on the other side of the bridge Hadrian waved them off, told them to bring the Amyrlin, and walked away. This continued on for another week, each day seeing the sisters looking more and more bedraggled. Until finally, their demands were met.
On the eighteenth day the quartet arrived at the bridge to find what appeared to be the entirety of the hall waiting on the bridge, a statuesque dark skinned woman in a white dress and rainbow stole over her shoulders leading them.
Hadrian smiled through the flames. Their flickering nature allowing him to see the pissed off visages of the powerful women while staying completely safe on the other side. He quickly conjured four chairs and his grin grew wider at their flabbergasted expressions. Moiraine herself had informed him that aes sedai could not create objects from nothing, and had insinuated it would be a good power play to start off negotiations with the act.
Instead of saying anything the Amyrlin gestured to one of the other women who ran off and promptly returned with a chair. Where she got it was anyone's guess, but the leader of the White Tower sat upon it was if it were a throne, and she gazing down at lesser mortals beneath her heels.
"I take it that you are the monster that has trapped us." Her voice could have chipped through ice, and the blacksmith of Emonds Field was having none of it.
He stood and when the others followed him he banished their chairs. "We'll be back tomorrow. I suggest a better attitude then."
"Now see here! I am not done with y-" Siuan Sanche's voice cut off as Hadrian hit her with a silencing charm.
He turned cold eyes upon her and said, "You are still acting as if you are in charge of this situation. The sooner you realize that is not the case the better. I will be back tomorrow, you will be early, you will be polite. But before I go I'll leave you with a bit of free knowledge. Not a one of your ravens have escaped, no one has been seen on the roads for miles, and while your city's food stores are almost empty my men's are fit to last for a very long time yet. How long do you think fear of your Order will keep your townsfolk from rioting when they run out of food entirely and start to wonder how much is hidden within your tower's walls?"
Having said his piece, the wizard turned and walked away with his companions following.
"Hadrian?" Moiraine asked after they were suitably far enough away to ensure they weren't overheard. You aren't wrong in how the people are going to start acting soon. Are you really willing to let them riot? Many could die."
The wizard stopped and turned to her. "And how many more would die if I don't? If your sisters will not see reason and agree to my demands, and I let them out for fear of innocent deaths in the city they will just go back to what they were doing. I'll be hunted for sure, you will be gentled, and those kids from my village will be in constant danger. Do I want Tar Valon to riot, no. But will I allow it to happen to reach my goals, absolutely. Because people like them will not give me another choice."
He was silent for a moment. "How many of them attempted to shield me as if I were using Saidin?"
"All of them. Nothing stuck."
The next day they returned, and though the Amyrlin Seat was seated already, her look of superiority was… diminished. Oh she still looked pissed off, but at least Hadrian could look her in the eyes now. The quartet took their conjured seats as before, and Hadrian waved for Moiraine to start.
She nodded, and addressed the Amyrlin Seat directly. "Mother, I have returned."
Siuan raised an eyebrow at the blue thorn in her side. "I greet you daughter. Though you have returned with more guests than expected."
The blue sister winced internally. Yes, Siuan had expected her to return with one boy, perhaps a few possibilities, but an army was definitely excessive. "Many things happened on my travels." She admitted. "Things got slightly out of hand."
"Right." The Amyrlin's tone was an extremely sarcastic drawl by this point. "Then why don't you explain it to me? Get your man to lower these defenses and we can go inside and do it in private."
"I don't command Lord Hadrian. No one does."
"Yes," Siuan turned to address the new bane of her existence, "Lord Hadrian was it? I must admit to never hearing of you before the day you attacked our city."
"Hmph. I'd call it a preemptive defense. I saw your red bitch of a sister entering the city gates. She'd no doubt tell you I am a channeler of Saidin that needs to be stilled on sight and that Moiraine helped Logain to escape. I'm protecting both her and myself."
Siuan made a big show of looking from the flaming wall to Hadrian. "You say you are not a channeler of Saidin?"
Instead of answering, the wizard gestured for Moiraine again. "He is not channeling Saidin, mother. He is not a male channeler at all. He uses… something different. Untainted." The blue sister's words had the desired effect. All present had seen her swear the three oaths upon the oath rod and knew she could not tell a lie. The crowd erupted into frenzied whispers, a look of confusion spread across the Amyrlin's face, and toward the back of the crowd Liandrin's was full of outright fury.
Seeking to maintain her momentum, Moiraine gestured to her other male companion and added, "What's more, Hadrian has removed the dark one's taint form Logain Ablar. His madness is no more." Fresh whispers and exclamations of surprise followed her words until Siuan raised her hand for silence. She searched the false dragon's face for any signs of tainted madness. Any jittery movements, twitches, glances to the side as if he were hearing voices. She saw none of those things. Only a noble man staring into the faces of his enemies.
"Liar!" The shout came up from the back of the crowd and was followed up by several others as Liandrin, fed up with watching what she perceived as yet another blue sister getting away with treachery, marched up the path with several red dressed women on her heels. "Mother, I was there in the camp. I was shielding the false dragon. Moiraine purposely distracted me so the shield would fail and he could escape. Furthermore I personally saw this other man channel myself. There is only one explanation for how Moiraine is lying." She turned up her nose and addressed the rest of the sitters directly, "I do hereby accuse Moiraine Damodred of being of the black ajah. I call her darkfriend before all present. By the laws of the tower she must submit herself to questioning under the oath rod."
Fresh chatter erupted at once, The red sisters all voicing their agreement to the charges and the rest of the gathered aes sedai loudly proclaiming there was no such thing as the black ajah and to say otherwise was a crime in and of itself. Hadrian just sighed before banishing his chair and turning to walk away. That was until Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin seat, arguably the most powerful woman in world called after him in a pleading tone of voice, "Lord Hadrian! Please! Let us continue our discussion!"
The blacksmith turned to face her again. "Is it a discussion? Or is this an opportunity for Liandrin to start a witch hunt against a woman I consider a friend. We came here to talk terms, not give her a platform to tear down a good woman."
Siuan actually agreed with the young man, the reds were getting more and more bold lately. She waved the red sisters off and said, "The White Tower does not acknowledge the existence of a black ajah, so any charges thus are false until proven otherwise. I would ask the other sisters that were present their interpretation of the events in question."
Alanna and Kerene stepped forward to address her. "Mother," Alanna knelt to the ground, "Moiraine sedai did not distract us. A loosed arrow cut through the walls of the tent to disrupt our focus. Liandrin was actually asking Moiraine a question without losing that focus at the time of the event. As for the man channeling…. we did see him perform acts that were not possible for a regular human."
Moiraine cut in before the red sister could burst into fresh accusations, "And did you feel anything when he did it? A sense of displacement in the air?"
The two hesitated for a moment before Kerene nodded. "There was a… feeling."
The blue sister held a triumphant look on her face as she said, "Saidin cannot be felt in any way by aes sedai. The fact that anything at all came across when he used his abilities proves then that he is not using it."
"That proves nothing!" Liandrin bellowed, "He is a man capable of using arcane powers. He cannot be trusted and if left alone he will come after us and no doubt cause untold amounts of death and chaos. Look at what he is doing now! We must break free from this prison and gentle him at once!"
"Liandrin! You will be silent!" Siuan had seen their captor turning away again and was desperate to keep him here. He hadn't been wrong about how dire their circumstances were. During the initial attack their food stores had all been destroyed and the people were clearly becoming agitated. She turned her gaze fully on the red, "Your judgment is clearly in question. Honestly with the number of complaints I've received over the last few years about your conduct and lack of respect for Tower Law it is not surprising. Begone from my sight and seek Sheriam sedai for your penance."
Liandrin's face turned as red as her dress, but she nevertheless gave a cheap mockery of a bow and turned back to disappear into the street. What worried Siuan however was how many red sisters left with her. They were making their opinion of the order, and thus her leadership, very clear.
"Now then," she turned her attention back fully to their bearded besieger, "You mentioned your terms? What are they?"
The blacksmith turned the full weight of his stare on the powerful woman, and against all odds she cringed. In his eyes she saw contempt, power, certainty of purpose, and the will to crush all those necessary beneath his heel. He would not accept anything but the full completion of his orders.
"I desire four things. Your word and that of your sitters to follow them will see the release of your city."
Siuan gulped without a sound. She would not let herself look at those behind her, such an action at this moment could be seen as a weakness, but she knew that they had to be fuming. Aes sedai hated being told what to do, and the fact that it was a man doing the telling was even more of an insult. But what else could they do? People were starving, they were getting restless, and if they turned their eyes on the tower for a source of sustenance then they were truly doomed. If sisters of the tower were directly attacked then they could defend themselves, but how long would the nations of the world continue to follow their orders when the news escaped that they'd slaughtered their own people for self preservation? That they couldn't maintain the order of their own populace? This bastard had them over the proverbial barrel.
She cleared her throat. "State them."
His gaze did not waver. "First, all testimony by Liandrin is to be dismissed. Moiraine is to face no consequences or censures for what occurred back in the camp. Second, both Logain and myself are to be granted full immunity from the White Tower. No sister, Amyrlin, or agent of your employ will ever have the authority to take an action against us. Third, all matters related to the coming of the Dragon Reborn are henceforth lost to you. You will not seek him, approach him, or do anything else in regards to him. I will handle him when the time comes. Fourth, the red ajah is to immediately cease their attempts to hunt down men who can channel. I've seen first hand what they do with them and it is sickening. Bad enough they raise false dragons themselves only to tear them down publicly, but they treat them as less than dirt. As shown with Logain I can cure the dark one's taint, so again, that will be my responsibility."
"You lie!" A solitary red sister shouted from the gathered sitters. "The red ajah has done no such thing!"
Hadrian leveled his stare on the crowd. "Who is lying is not in question here. I am simply providing you with my demands. It is up to you to accept them. It goes without saying that these promises will be made in perpetuity. Whoever holds your seat after you will not be able to take them back."
Siuan was aghast. The first demand, while troubling politically for how the red ajah would react, was doable. Even the second could be allowed for the reasons of ending this siege. But the third and fourth? No Amyrlin in the history of the tower had ceded such control to anyone, especially a man. By the light, the tower was created to protect the world from another breaking, something that the Dragon Reborn was literally prophesied the bring! And if she took away the hunting of Saidin tainted men, the very thing the red ajah was created to do, then she would have an entire ajah of pissed off sisters in her tower. Who knew what they would get up to?
Getting a hold of herself she asked in a voice that despite her self-control came across as a whisper, "You can't expect us to agree to that? You ask too much."
The cold stare returned with a vengeance. "I am confidant that you will agree, and let me tell you why. By now your food is almost gone. Soon the people will start to fight each other for what little they have. When they have finished there they will look to you. Sure, you'll defeat them, but then you will be the only ones remaining in your once pristine city. You'll be living alone in a ghost town. It won't matter much though as you'll all starve as well soon after. You think I am asking too much, but I am offering you more. I am offering you the chance to make sure your tower continues."
He turned away with the others, and though Siuan called for him to come back so they could negotiate, he did not listen.
The next three days were harrowing for those of the White Tower. They stayed secluded behind their walls, watching as the strange man's predictions came true. Things in the city went from bad to worse as supplies lessened, and their own along with them. Every day their contingent went back to the bridge, but they were only met with a stoic Logain declaring that his lord would return when he thought they had learned to be more agreeable.
During that time Siuan was visited by the seven ajah heads, a dynamic event to say the least as typically their names were kept secret. As one they had told her that they couldn't give into their captor's demands, but when she asked what they would have her do instead… they had no answer. They'd spoken, argued, planned, and thrown out every possibility they could think of. Except for one. It was honestly the first time Siuan could remember that all of the ajahs were actually working together. Siuan had also made a point not to mention the man's accusations toward the reds to their head. Now was not the time open that particular barrel.
On the fourth day Hadrian sat waiting with the others in their usual spot on the bridge, a long document waiting in his hands. "Are you ready to admit your defeat?"
Mustering what little dignity remained to her, Siuan Sanche tilted her chin in acknowledgment. This act galled her more than any other she had yet taken in her life, but they were out of time, and he knew it. Many of her sisters had reported seeing the cleaning staff in the tower looking longingly at their food cupboards.
Looking stealthily to the ajah heads amongst the other sitters for any last objections and finding none, the head of the tower said, "We are willing to agree to everything you demand, with a couple of stipulations."
Hadrian frowned, "I made my demands clear." He stood from his chair to leave, but Moiraine stopped him with a gentle hand to his arm.
"Please, Hadrian." Her voice was pleading as she looked back to the bedraggled forms of her sisters. She understood why the blacksmith was doing this, she really did, but it still pained her to be partially responsible for their pain. "At least listen. For me."
The big man sighed as he sat back in his seat. Damn but he hated seeing those he cared about getting upset. "Fine." He waved across the flames once more. "Carry on."
Seizing the chance being offered, Siuan said, "You, Logain, and Moiraine will all have your amnesty and immunity. As for authority in regards to the Dragon Reborn…" She looked once more to the ajah heads and and at their subtle nods she continued, "we are willing to share authority with you."
Hadrian frowned at that, and prepared to tell the woman off, but the feeling of Moiraine's pleading eyes on him stopped him cold. Instead he merely narrowed his eyes and waited for his foe to continue.
When the statuesque woman didn't seem inclined to, Moiraine got her attention and rapidly waved her hand, clearly urging her to move along.
"R-Right," the Amyrlin carried on, "Basically if you come into possession of the Dragon Reborn, or if you are said Dragon as some have come to believe, then your authority will be recognized."
"And if he is not me and you come into contact with him?" Hadrian's voice was a growl that clearly implied the answer better be favorable."
"We… will be open to your suggestions."
Moiraine immediately pulled on her partner's shirt to bring his ear to her lips. "This is the closest thing she can give you without being removed entirely from her seat. The next Amyrlin will be even less inclined to go that far. If you refuse then negotiations will go no further and the tower will die."
The blacksmith sighed and nodded his ascent. "Very well, but if he ends up here I want full access to him and at no point will you detain him against his will."
Several of the red seethed at the addition but the nods of the ajah heads told Siuan this was agreeable. "Yes, we can agree to this. As for your demand that the Red's must cease hunting men who can channel…" She took a deep breath before finishing her statement, this was going to be bad, and only the promises of support from the ajah heads gave her the courage to say it. "we cannot just agree to cease hunting them. There are many in these lands and their insanity makes them a danger to all. However, would you agree to another ajah taking up the hunting and then bringing them here, not for trial, but for holding until you can come to cure them?"
Again the Amyrlin saw Moiraine whispering in the man's ear. What kind of game was her old pillow friend playing? And just how close were they? Initially she'd thought that her presence with the stranger meant he was the Dragon Reborn, but on closer inspection he was clearly too old. That observation didn't stop her from letting the others in her circle of influence think he was however. The fact that he himself was being vague about the possibility reeked of Moiraine's political machinations.
Eventually Hadrian nodded and said, "Make it the greens and you have a deal. I'm told they are the only ones among you actively fond of men."
There was some slight grumbling about that, but it was hushed immediately by the ajah heads. An action that surprised every sister present as it meant that their secrecy was over, and that they had agreed to what was happening.
"The greens will do it."
The blacksmith smirked, waved a hand, and passed the paper he'd arrived with through a suddenly appearing small opening in the fiendfyre barrier. "This confirms everything you just agreed to. Sign it, stamp it with your seal, and have the other ajah heads do the same. I'll be back in an hour to retrieve it and once it is in my hand this barrier will come down."
He winked, and with a sudden crack of air he disappeared, an act that this time every aes sedai present felt in the air, thus proving once and for all that he was not using Saidin.
As the others stood to leave, one of the reds present addressed Moiraine directly. "Are you happy now traitor? You may have just signed the fate of the world over to that monster! As well as completely destroying the duties of the Reds!"
Moiraine groaned at the expected reaction and turned to face the assembled members of the hall directly. "Hear me sisters!" Her voice easily carried to all over the crackle of the flames. "What I have done, I have done to ensure the White Tower survives. Lord Hadrian was more than willing to let this city consume itself if it meant the Tower would no longer be a danger to him or his people. Believe it or not I talked him down from several plans more devastating than this one. You can call me a traitor all you want, but I ensured that our order will survive to meet the last battle when it comes." Without another word she too turned and strutted off the bridge, a sneering Nynaeve on her heels, and a grandly bowing Logain following.
Silence reigned at those words as every sister thought them over. None wanted to imagine what more devastating plans could have come from a man that had so easily captured and defeated them all. The ajah heads quickly approached Siuan and made it clear that they would support her decisions in this matter with the others, but all of them mentioned worries about the red sisters reactions to what had transpired. The current head of the reds, Tsutama Rath especially predicted trouble, but in the end there was nothing to do but watch them and wait. As one they retreated to the tower to add their signatures to the page.
