The price of a ballroom.
Even as they neared Egwene's study, Sheriam could see the commotion. Several sisters were milling around, talking together in the hallway, clearing waiting for them. What was it this time?
"Mother!" Celestin looked more nervous than any full sister should. "There has been another murder!"
"Who?" Egwene asked.
"Enora, Mother," Celestin replied. "She must have been killed early this morning, but she was only missed when she was supposed to teach a novice class and did not show up."
Sheriam started. If she had ever seriously considered the possibility of Alviarin and those who fled with her being responsible for the murders -perhaps they still tried to create chaos and diversity within the Tower, might be acting on such orders from one of the other Chosen- that was now even more unlikely. Enora had been Black Ajah.
She glanced around. Several of the Yellow -Enora's assumed Ajah- a small group of novices -probably those who should have been in her class- and a few others who had no doubt heard the commotion. And Tiana, well she would have to wait.
"She was killed in her quarters?" Egwene asked.
Celestin nodded. "Yes, Mother."
"Lead the way," Egwene said, and Celestin started down the hall.
The entire throng started to follow. That wouldn't do. Sheriam knew very little about the investigation of a murder, and they would not be able to speak freely until they were back in Egwene's study, but she was certain a large group of spectators would be more hindrance than help.
"Wait," she said, stopping and turning to those who followed. "Who actually has seen anything relevant, who found her?"
One novice, a young girl who had joined them in Salidar, held up a hand.
"Me, Sheriam Sedai." The girl shook like a leaf, she tried to curtsy but almost lost her balance. Well, she could count herself lucky if she didn't see worse things before the month was over.
"No one else?" Sheriam cast her eye over the group.
"No," Celestin replied. "Those who responded to Dayse's cries are still in Enora's room, I believe."
"Then stop gawking. Tiana, take the other novices to Sylviana and return to my anteroom when you've done that, the Amyrlin still wants to talk to you. Everyone else, go about your business," she ordered.
Reluctantly, the sisters backed off, only Celestin and the novice -Dayse- remaining. And Gawyn, who nodded approval at her order.
Celestin led them to Enora's rooms quickly, at the very end of the hallway in the Yellow's quarters, a place that could not be reached without walking past many other doors, and had only one escape route if the assassin had been caught in the act. Was the assassin getting bolder, or were the three sisters targeted for some reason they did not know?
Dagdara was in the hall before Enora's rooms, and Talva, as well as Therva, Salita and Musarin. A group of guardsmen held everyone else back but stepped aside for Egwene and her. Akkarin and Nisain came out, together with Chubain, as they heard Dagdara greet the Amyrlin.
Egwene walked past them, Sheriam followed. Enora's body lay next to the bed, but she was fully dressed, and her hair brush lay on the floor beside her. Enora was an early riser, Sheriam knew.
Egwene called Dayse, who shakily came forward, then quickly looked away.
"Did you find her like this?" Egwene asked.
"Yes, Mother," the girl said. "I didn't.. I didn't dare touch her or anything."
The girl sounded apologetic, but there was no need. The amount of blood made it clear Enora must have been dead when she was found, or at least beyond the help of a novice. There seemed to have been a bit of a struggle also, a glass and candlestick on the small table beside the bed were knocked over, the bedclothes dragged partway onto the floor.
"When was that?"
"About half an hour before Dinner, Mother. She should have taught us class an hour before, she's never late but after the Dragon's visit and all, well, we thought maybe something had come up to make her forget. Only it kept nagging at us and finally we decided to go look for her, well I went, I knew which room was hers since I had helped her carry some items when we came to the Tower. I knocked on the door, heard nothing, and when I knocked a little harder the door just opened, it had not been closed all the way."
"The door hadn't been closed all the way?" Gawyn echo'd.
"No, Lord, it mustn't have been, I didn't turn the knob. I wouldn't dare try to open the door without permission," the girl replied quickly.
"And then?" Egwene prompted.
"Well, since the door was open anyway, I did step in, and then.., " she faltered briefly. "And then I saw her. I just stared, then turned and ran, I must've screamed because next I knew Dagdara Sedai and Talva Sedai and Salita Sedai were there and more."
"We were here in an instant, Mother, but she had been dead some time, and even if we had been here sooner it's doubtful we could have done anything. She has been stabbed repeatedly," Dagdara took over. "I alerted Nisain and Akkarin, and sent Celestin to find you, but you were still in the meeting of the Hall."
"It's the same as the others, Mother," Nisain said. "No residue, the assassin does not use the One Power. No signs of Travel or anything suspicious in the hallways or common areas of the floor."
"No one suspicious has entered or left the Tower, either," Chubain reported. "Of course there are many people coming and going all day long, servants and merchants making deliveries and visitors seeking Healing or advise, but everyone has been looked over closely for the past days, even if it does make some of them grumble about the wait. Either the assassin has nerves of steel walking in and out repeatedly using a cover, or it is someone within the Tower grounds."
"Could the killer have entered or left during the commotion when the Dragon was here?" Gawyn asked.
Chubain shook his head, scowled. "No more than at any other time," he replied. "These aren't times to leave the gates unwatched, no matter what the reason."
Sheriam wasn't so sure, she had felt how the Dragon had affected even her, and the guardsmen couldn't channel, hadn't had the protection of the Great Lord. But the Dragon hadn't been here to visit either of the previous two times. Somehow, she didn't think the assassin would be caught at the gates.
"A Black sister would know the Tower, would be able to walk out and Travel from some place further away from her victim's rooms," Salita remarked.
"All undetected?" Dagdara asked. "That would be a ridiculous risk to take, when she could just Travel into the room directly, kill her victim, and leave the same way. Simply Traveling to a nearby place and weaving multiple gateways there makes it impossible to follow, as was done at the camp."
Akkarin and Nisain nodded. "And there is no reason to kill with a dagger," Akkarin said. "Even when we do find residue to read, we can not read who wove the flows, nor can we follow their trail like a Sniffer."
"Who else would dare come into the very Tower, except for a Black?" Therva wondered.
"Too many, I fear," Gawyn said. "Someone sent by the Whitecloaks, a Darkfriend among the servants or even the townsfolk. They normally would not, but with the Last Battle this close, men are driven to extremes, and perhaps the recent Seanchan attack showed them the Tower is not invulnerable."
Egwene frowned. "I wonder if it could be a Grey Man?" she ventured
Sheriam nodded. That was a definite possibility, although the question remained who would have sent it. Would any of the other Chosen interfere where Mesaana ruled? She hadn't asked and Mesaana had not even mentioned the first two murders, but she would ask now.
"Could a Grey Man come past the wards?" Gawyn asked.
"Probably, unless she had specific or very strong wards up," Sheriam said. She warded her room stronger than usual since the Grey Man, or Grey Woman, had been found dead in her bed, but she also knew most Aes Sedai did not, warded only against Shadowspawn and often not that within the Tower itself. A Grey Man was human, or at least sort of human, would not set off those wards.
"Just the standard door wards discouraging entry, nothing particularly strong," Nisain said.
"We had full wards on the entrance to the Yellow quarters during the night," Dagdara mentioned. They were probably still up by the time Enora was killed, if my estimate of when she was killed is correct, although it is very difficult to pinpoint such a thing exactly."
Which to Sheriam meant the hallway wards had been up, Dagdara knew far more about death than those who were Yellow Ajah only, and her estimate of the time of death would be accurate.
"I suggest we keep up the wards and the checks at the gates, warn sisters to not let any servants they do not know into their quarters, and set up patrols of Aes Sedai and Warders in the halls at night. What do you think?" Egwene asked.
Sheriam considered. She knew it was a suggestion in truth, one word from her and Egwene would reconsider. The security measures would be annoying while they were trying to take more sisters. But it had to be done, if no measures were taken, it would be a clear sign something else was wrong. And the patrols could be Black, or turned.
"I will set up a schedule," Sheriam said. There would be those who would volunteer, who would wonder at being passed over if this lasted too long, but she could make a roster for the first two or three nights before even taking any names, if she was quick. Thank the Great Lord there were so many of them, and she now knew them all!
"We should ask the servants if any of them have seen anything," Gawyn put in. "Especially if it did happen early in the morning, the servants are the first ones up."
Sheriam glanced at the young man, frowned. He rarely spoke up, but now he had done so several times. Gawyn noticed her look.
"Excuse me, Aes Sedai. I have been thinking about the murders since Lennah Sedai was killed, I can't help but think more should be done to find the assassin." He turned to Egwene. "Mother, may I have your permission to join the investigation?"
Egwene glanced at her again, the decision would be hers. Sheriam hoped they weren't too obvious about it, Egwene was not known as an Amyrlin who asked a lot of advise. But then this was not a standard situation either. She thought it over quickly. She didn't want any more people nosing around the Tower, but she did want the murders stopped. Both for the victims' sake and so the security measures could be decreased again to a level safer for her own plans. And Gawyn would come to Egwene with anything he found, more so than Chubain, who might well voice his concerns to a Sitter or another Aes Sedai if he or his men found anything out of sorts.
She gave a small, cautious shrug, as if the decision was Egwene's to make. The girl should realize that this meant a yes, if it'd been a no she would have been more definite.
"Alright," Egwene said. "See what you can do."
Sheriam glanced at the three residue readers. She expected Therva would want to join the investigations as well, now a Yellow sister was killed. And the residue readers were high on the list of those to be taken anyhow. Three sisters now, but all very weak in the Power. Most, though not all, who could read residue were weak, although she had no idea why this was the case. She turned to Dagdara.
"Work with the sisters investigating. Let them know if you or any of the Yellow remember anything they may have seen or heard this morning, no matter how small or insignificant," she instructed.
Dagdara nodded. She would understand, Sheriam had little doubt the three sisters would be turned by that evening.
Egwene took one more long look at Enora's body, then stepped back.
"I want this assassin found and stopped," she said decisively. Then she turned on her heel and strode out. Sheriam followed, and for once Gawyn remained behind. At least this would get him off their back for a while, at the Amyrlin's rooms.
Returning to her anteroom, only Tiana and Dawn were waiting for her. Good, the others had listened to her orders to go elsewhere. Sheriam wove the usual wards even as Egwene went on into her study. She told Dawn to wait outside, while she questioned Tiana.
"What was it you gave to al'Thor?" she asked without preamble.
Tiana curtsied. "A letter from Verin, Sheriam. I do not know what was in it."
Sheriam started, a gasp escaping her. "Verin?" Surely she couldn't have given al'Thor any information about the Black! "How thick a letter was it, and what were the instructions when she gave it to you?" she demanded.
"It can't have been more than one, maybe two pages. And she didn't give any hint as to the contents, merely handing it to me in the halls near the kitchen, and what she said was 'give this to the Lord Dragon when he comes to see the Amyrlin'," Tiana said. The Grey was clearly startled by her reaction. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have delivered it."
Sheriam shook her head. "You couldn't have known, and you had no reason not to until just now. What is done is done, if you truly know nothing else, go. Keep yourself available to Margory and any others for the circles."
Tiana nodded, relieved. "Thank you." The Grey curtsied deep as she took her leave.
Sheriam stared after her and bit her lip, trying to calm herself. Surely Verin wouldn't have sent information about the Black to the Dragon? Should she call Mesaana? The Chosen would be busy arranging for the location she mentioned, might not like being disturbed, and if the letter did have any info about the Black, there was no way to stop al'Thor from reading it. But they would need all time possible to prepare, if that was the case.
She was saved the decision by Mesaana's arrival. In her guise as Accepted, the Chosen walked in even as Sheriam was still wondering what to do.
"I have a location. The former ballroom in one of the Seven Towers, I will show you where. The Seven Towers are Moghedien's and Cyndane's, but they agreed to let me use it in trade for Siuan and Leane. Oh, and an angreal." She added the last as if it were only an afterthought.
Sheriam started, ignoring her own concerns momentarily in her puzzlement. "What, why?"
"I don't know, but she did ask for Egwene and Nynaeve first. I will ask Egwene what made her so interested in them, but first send for one of the Black to turn Leane. We will hear what Egwene has to say while we wait for her to be brought in. And send someone down to the store rooms for that angreal, there is a copper brooch set with emerald that is the right strength."
"Yes, High Mistress," Sheriam replied quickly. She didn't allow herself to question the way the Chosen had decided to hand over the two people she had considered her friends, not now. She opened her door to flag down a novice, saw Dawn, decided that Malind would have to wait just a little while. She told Dawn to take Leane, instead, and also relayed the orders concerning the angreal.
She went back inside, and now addressed what had worried her.
"High Mistress, about Tiana's letter, it might be urgent. She had received it from Verin. Tiana did not know what it contained, but..," she trailed off.
Mesaana looked up, surprised, then she shook her head.
"No, it won't be that. Shaidar Haran is very thorough, if Verin had left any letters containing information about the Black Ajah elsewhere, I would know about it," she said, sounding definite.
Sheriam sighed in relief.
"I still would like to know what she wrote, unfortunately, I am hardly in a position to ask." Mesaana shuddered, then continued. "Although perhaps with the Tower secured and the information about al'Thor's plans, he might tell me. I suppose I must share the information about al'Thor at some time or other."
Sheriam looked at the Chosen with new respect. She knew Mesaana had been punished harshly for her earlier failures, and rightly feared the wrath of the Great Lord and Shaidar Haran. Even if things were going well now, it would still take considerable courage to face them again. For something that may not even directly affect them.
"There's more," Mesaana noted. "The meeting?"
"It went pretty much as expected," Sheriam reported. "Andara and Lelaine will be turned, probably are by now. Malind also insisted on taking quick action and should be taken today, and the rest of the Hall will have to follow soon, before they expect any reports from those three. I was about to arrange for Malind's turning but there has been another murder."
That seemed to cause Mesaana more concern than Verin's letter. She frowned, tapped her lip, as she listened to Sheriam's report.
"It could be anyone," she said eventually, "but it is a possibility the assassin is sent by one of the other Chosen. I would have thought it unlikely for Graendal to have the audacity to move against me here in the Tower, but using assassins is her kind of style."
Sheriam nodded. She would inform the sisters investigating the murder of the possibility, as soon as she heard back from Dagdara and knew they were safely turned. She wondered if she should warn Chubain and Gawyn as well, and how she would explain getting this information if she did. Then she decided not to risk it. The men had already considered the possibility of it being a Grey Man, whom it was sent by would make little difference.
"If that's all, we will ask Egwene about Moghedien," Mesaana said, moving toward the inner door.
All? Mesaana had only been gone for a few hours, and plenty had happened. But then, Sheriam suspected things would move fast from now on, with the Last Battle only a month off.
Egwene was seated at her desk, but she stood, knelt, as soon as she saw it was just the two of them. Mesaana looked down on her with an approving nod, then sat down in one of the visitors chairs. Sheriam took the other one.
"Rise," Mesaana told Egwene as they were both seated.
Egwene rose, and Mesaana waited calmly until she was seated again.
"So. About Moghedien," she said then.
The blood drained from Egwene's face. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. She swallowed and tried again.
"We held her as a prisoner," she began. "Nynaeve captured her back in Salidar. Moghedien had come there in disguise, had placed herself in Salidar itself, but the confrontation took place in Tel'aran'rhiod."
"In Tel'aran'rhiod?" Mesaana asked sharply.
Egwene nodded, clearly surprised by the tone of Mesaana's voice, but Sheriam understood. She alone knew how close Mesaana had come to challenging Egwene there.
"Yes," Egwene continued. "Moghedien almost caught her, had her shielded at one point, but Birgitte arrived to distract her, Nynaeve managed to get close pretending she was begging for release, and then thought up an a'dam, leashing her instead. She forced Moghedien to release the shield.
"Nynaeve interrogated Moghedien, and she told her that Rand and Rahvin were fighting in Caemlyn. Nynaeve went there, taking Moghedien along. They found Rahvin and Rand, who were in the World of Dreams in the flesh. They helped Rand, although I believe they came quite close to being killed themselves. Nynaeve was reluctant to tell every detail about that fight.
"But however close it was, Rand killed Rahvin with balefire, and left Tel'aran'rhiod, leaving Nynaeve and Moghedien behind. Nynaeve had by then realized Moghedien was in Salidar in the real world as well, from some of the things she had said and couldn't have known otherwise. She drugged Moghedien with forkroot, then returned to her body and woke up. Elayne made an a'dam, one that worked without a physical leash, and they leashed Moghedien in the real world before she woke up."
Something dawned on Sheriam. The silver necklace that had seemed too grand for a woman of Marigan's presumed background, Egwene's irritation which had been excessive for a servant who had ran off.
"Moghedien had been a refugee woman named Marigan," Egwene confirmed her thoughts. "They told no one but Siuan and Leane -this was before I was summoned to Salidar- and rather than turning her in, which would certainly have meant her execution and death, together they decided to use the a'dam to force her to teach them weaves from the Age of Legends."
"So that's where all those discoveries came from," Sheriam said. She had known it was too much for the three of them to come up with unaided, but she had not been able to discover their source. Something or someone in the World of Dreams had seemed more likely -the Wise Ones who might not want the Aes Sedai to know what they knew, or a forgotten library. It was difficult to read anything in full in that place, but they might still have been able to read some bits and pieces.
Egwene nodded. "Yes. She tried to hold back, still held back plenty I am sure, but she taught some weaves, others she hinted at and we figured out from there. We, because when I came to Salidar, Nynaeve and Elayne told me about her, and I wore the bracelet some of the time as well. So did Siuan and Leane, after they had been Healed. It didn't work for them before then."
Sheriam frowned at that. If this had started before Egwene had been summoned to Salidar, that meant Nynaeve and Elayne had still been Accepted. And Siuan had agreed to let them keep one of the Chosen captive? While Siuan herself was Stilled and couldn't channel at all! She had known Siuan had sent the three girls to chase the thirteen Black sisters, that had been bad enough, this was a hundred times worse. She herself had broken enough rules as a Black, but she tried not to involve novices and Accepted in her schemes, and on top of that Siuan had supposedly been on the good side! The level of hypocrisy of those who fought for the Light never ceased to amaze her. She shook her head in disgust.
Egwene glanced at her uncertainly, hesitated.
"I caught her holding back and lying to us several times," she said then.
And you punished her harshly for it, Sheriam filled in for herself. Egwene shifted uncomfortably in her place, she probably thought Sheriam's reaction was about the leashing itself, but that didn't bother her near as much. She understood Moghedien wanted revenge, but unless she was ordered to do so, she wouldn't even set a penance for Egwene, or for Nynaeve if she ever decided to show up. They had been at opposite sides at the time, and capturing or defeating your opponents was part of the battle. Even if the a'dam was a vile thing, and Egwene had more reason than anyone else to know that. Had she not said she would not wish the leash even on Elaida?
"Nynaeve and Elayne went to Ebou Dar, leaving Moghedien with me. From that point on, I held the bracelet most of the time, sometimes Siuan and Leane did, as I had little time to spend with her unobserved. Soon, just after Firstday, she was freed. It was a man who could channel, I could feel that through the bracelet, it causes a brief flash of pain. But I have no idea who it was, or where either of them went," Egwene finished.
"Well, that explains why she asked for you," Mesaana remarked calmly.
"Asked.. for me?" Egwene stuttered. She had managed to keep her voice steady so far, but now it failed her.
"You're too valuable, of course," Mesaana said dismissively. "I'm giving her Siuan and Leane."
It was hard to see how Egwene could turn more pale than she already was, but she managed. She swallowed a few times, and looked as if she was going to be sick. Then she softly asked, "Why?"
It was never a good idea to ask questions of one of the Chosen, even one as simple as this. But Mesaana was indulgent.
"She and Cyndane hold a location which is very convenient for the turning. I traded Siuan and Leane for the use of it. And an angreal of middle strength," Mesaana said.
Egwene gulped, then slowly shook her head. "No, no." she said softly, but Sheriam thought it was more an expression of dismay than a protest.
Fortunately for Egwene, Mesaana took it as such as well, ignoring it as she turned to Sheriam.
"I want you to come with me to the Seven Towers. We will pick up Siuan at the Kandori farm on the way. Siuan will have to transfer Bryne's bond, can one of the Aes Sedai who are there take him or would you suggest someone else?"
Sheriam started and tried hard to suppress a shudder. To lose the bond with Bryne would hurt Siuan very, very badly. She wouldn't say as bad as the physical pain that was to come -the Chosen knew ways of torture that were worse than the worst nightmares- but it would be close. Still Siuan must have known what risks she took when she kept Moghedien alive and hidden rather than turning her in or killing her; the risk that one day the tables would be turned. Sheriam realized she must become harder, now that the Last Battle was so near and she worked closely with Mesaana. She bit her lip and forced herself to think quickly about the matter at hand.
The weaker sisters she did not take in consideration. While no strength was required to control a Warder through the bond, it was likely Bryne would be riding into battle, four weeks from now for sure, and perhaps at other times as well. She wanted him bonded to a strong sister, who could defend or assist him as needed.
Kerryn would seem the most obvious choice, her assumed Ajah being Green, but she was one of those who held more intimate relations with her Warders and it would hurt Siuan that much more. Sheriam saw no need for that. Leesa would do well with Bryne, too. And Leesa was a member of the Council, which was convenient since they wouldn't have to let another sister in on any decisions the Council made that concerned Bryne and his men.
"Leesa can take him," she said.
"Good," Mesaana nodded, not asking for an explanation.
Not only had Mesaana asked for her advise, but she also took her decision without question. The Chosen was putting more confidence in her, more than Sheriam had ever dared hope.
Mesaana stood and looked at Egwene. Sheriam now noticed that tears leaked down Egwene's face, even though she had managed to remain quiet.
"Get a hold of yourself and clean up," Mesaana ordered. "We will both be gone for a while, and there will be no one in Sheriam's anteroom to keep people out. We can't have anyone come in and wonder why the Amyrlin is crying."
Egwene took a deep breath. "Yes, High Mistress," she managed. It came out as a sob, still, but she pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her face.
Satisfied that Egwene would manage, Mesaana motioned for Sheriam to follow and they went back into her anteroom.
An Accepted was waiting with the angreal, but Dawn had not yet returned. Sheriam took the angreal and sent the Accepted on her way.
Mesaana briefly gave her some instructions regarding the impending visit to Moghedien and Cyndane.
Then Dawn arrived with Leane, and knelt. "Forgive me for the delay, High Mistress. Another circle had just started at the inn."
"No matter," Mesaana replied. "Another, larger location will be provided by evening. Dismissed."
Dawn rose quickly and left. Leane had followed Dawn's lead and had knelt, but she had not spoken.
"Shield her," Mesaana ordered.
Sheriam wove the flows of Spirit, cutting the other woman off from the Source. She tried not to think how long it would be before Leane would be allowed to channel again, or if she ever would.
Leane looked fearful, her eyes shot from Mesaana to Sheriam and back. She would not know for certain why she was here, Sheriam had not told Dawn and thus Dawn could not have told her. She focused on Sheriam.
"Sheriam, what…?" she started.
"Get up and come with us," Mesaana interrupted her, channeling a gateway.
Leane was so startled she remained frozen for a moment, and Sheriam gestured for her to hurry up. She readied flows of Air but did not need them, Leane rose and walked through into Kandor. Sheriam followed and Mesaana let the gateway close.
The Chosen had changed her disguise into that of the blonde Aes Sedai even while she Traveled. She wove the Mirror of Mists easily, changing her appearance as casually as any other might change a cloak. The gateway had opened in a courtyard among the sprawling buildings of the large farm, and as Mesaana strode towards the main building, Sheriam realized she must have been here before.
Before they reached the front door, Oriannin and her Warder appeared. Oriannin was glowing with the Power and both looked wary, but the glow winked out as soon as the Black sister recognized them, and both knelt down.
"Rise," Mesaana ordered. "Get Siuan, Bryne and Leesa, and bring them to me."
"Yes, High Mistress," Oriannin replied. Her Taraboner braids swung as she quickly rose and rushed into the main farmhouse.
Mesaana followed, so Sheriam did too, making sure Leane also came along. The woman looked pale and frightened, but she kept up.
In the large hall, Mesaana waited, and Sheriam looked around. It was clear Jalila's family had done well, not only from the size of the farm, which was obvious outside, but it was also richly furnished. The walls were paneled with the same dark, polished wood that the wide stairs were made of, and a thick runner in deep red ran up them. Richly carved doors led off in several directions, and equally ornate chests lined the walls. A beautiful clock stood among them, showing it was only just afternoon. She felt it must be evening already, so much had happened already that day, but no doubt the clock would be accurate. And a good thing too, for more had to be done.
Suddenly a door to the left opened, and Maigan came out. She clearly did not recognize Mesaana, went straight to Sheriam and fell to her knees.
"Please, Sheriam, please Heal me, I will serve the Great Lord, just let me channel again," she pleaded.
Cherynne appeared in the doorway Maigan had come from and called her back, but Maigan did not appear to hear her.
Mesaana glanced down at the Stilled sister. "We will have a man available soon, in a week perhaps, if not before. I promise you will be Healed, and as to your allegiance, you should know from Siuan there will be no doubt about that."
Maigan started when Mesaana spoke instead of Sheriam, bent her head even deeper down. "High Mistress, I did not realise! Thank you, thank you."
Cherynne knelt, and even as she did so she kept gesturing frantically to Maigan to go back to where she came from. This time the Stilled sister got up and scrambled back through the door, still muttering thanks.
Cherynne bowed her head down deeper in turn. "I am sorry for the disturbance, High Mistress. We allow her to work in the kitchen since Annisha attacked her the first time she asked to join the Black if only she would be Healed, but I should have kept her out of your way."
"Keep her with you and instruct her as to the proper way to behave. The other sister, too. Whether she comes to us voluntarily or not makes little difference. In fact, if the other one is acting up, take them now. The actual connection with the Great Lord's essence can be made in those who never have held the Power, or one who is severed, as long as the ability is or was there. It runs parallel to the flows of Saidar, not through the same paths."
"Yes, High Mistress," Cherynne promised quickly. Then as Mesaana dismissed her, she fled back into the kitchen.
Mesaana watched her go, seemingly emotionless. The Chosen really had gotten more patient now things were going well, Sheriam thought.
Soon after, Orianin came down the wide staircase with Leesa walking next to her, Siuan and Bryne in tow. For once, Siuan showed proper respect, kneeling promptly. She showed some apprehension, but it turned to real concern only when she saw Leane and the shield Sheriam held on her.
"Siuan Sanche," Mesaana addressed her. "I have decided to give you and Leane to Moghedien. Transfer your Warder to Leesa, he will remain here."
Siuan turned even paler than Egwene had, almost lost her balance in shock, and Leane gasped in horror. She too only now heard her fate. Leesa looked surprised, but quickly a small smile spread on her lips. She looked at Bryne appreciatively.
Bryne himself instantly moved to Siuan's side, but it was clear he did not understand, and the way he moved told Sheriam that the compulsion on him was far stronger here at the farm than it had been at the Tower, when he was still unaware of what had been done to Siuan.
"Wait, what is this?" he demanded, glancing around in confusion.
"Control him," Mesaana ordered.
Siuan was beyond listening. She threw herself down flat at Mesaana's feet. "Please, no, not that, please no," she sobbed.
Sheriam shifted uncomfortably. It was hard to watch Siuan, who was normally so strong, grovel in this manner.
Mesaana struck out with a lash of Air. "Fool. You want him to feel what is going to happen to you?"
Siuan's head shot up and she started at Mesaana with an expression of utter shock. She lost even further control of Lord Bryne, who now shook his head trying to clear it even as he stepped in between Siuan and Mesaana. He wore no weapons and Mesaana seemed unconcerned, but his voice was angry.
"Leave her alone!"
Leesa channeled Spirit, putting a regular compulsion on him, even as she pulled him back physically with flows of Air.
Siuan straightened from where she knelt and glared at the Black sister. She embraced the Source, and for a moment Sheriam wondered if she might strike at her. Then Siuan channeled Spirit, transferring the Warder bond.
"I will survive this and I will be back for him," she hissed as she wove the flows.
An ambitious promise, Sheriam thought, but hope might be what would keep her alive.
As Siuan finished the weave, Mesaana shielded her, cutting her off from the Source without even bothering to command her to let go of Saidar of her own accord.
"Get up and follow," the Chosen ordered, even as she opened a gateway.
Siuan remained still for just a moment, then pushed herself up. She must know resistance would only make things worse! She looked at Bryne, then with a sob turned and almost stumbled through the gateway.
Sheriam turned back to Leane to make sure she, too, followed. Leane was white as a sheet, and walked slowly, mechanically, but she did as she was told. Sheriam stepped into the courtyard of Malkier.
Ruins rose all around her, but the rubble in the courtyard they stood in had been cleared, and the lower levels of the closest Towers looked clean, even showed patches in places where the masonry had been repaired. Clearly Moghedien and Cyndane had been here for some time, had taken the time to make the place habitable. Only here though; the courtyard gave view of a street which was lined with houses many of which had fallen down entirely, blocking the street itself with their rubble. It would have been far too much work to clean up the entire city, a sizeable place that was once the capital of Malkier, and also unnecessary. No doubt what was needed in the way of supplies was brought here by gateway rather than by the roads.
Even before she closed the gateway, Mesaana changed her appearance again, this time turning into a woman of medium height. Her hair was straight, dark and shoulder length and she had clear, blue eyes. It took a moment for Sheriam to match up the Chosen's appearance with the tales she had been told, and to realize that this was what Mesaana really looked like. Even wearing a simple brown dress with just a little scrollwork along the edges, Mesaana stood with an easy confidence and her eyes were bright and hard.
Only moments after they had Traveled, two women emerged from the nearest building. One wore a black dress, her dark hair pinned back, and eyes even darker, that had to be Moghedien. The other couldn't have been more different. She had long, loose, almost white hair and pale blue eyes, and even her dress was a light cream with white lace. While Sheriam had only heard the name a few times and the old tales did not mention her, let alone her description, this had to be Cyndane.
Siuan and Leane paled even more and threw themselves down, for all the good that would do. Sheriam curtsied deep enough to allow her knee to touch the ground, but did not remain down. As Mesaana had told her, she stood to the left and just a step behind the Chosen, but she held her head up, although her heart was beating like crazy. Never hesitate, Mesaana had told her. Take what comes, even if you make a mistake, but never show weakness. She looked at the other two Chosen and manage to appear calm.
Moghedien had smiled broadly the moment she spotted Siuan and Leane. She also seemed to take the lead, coming forward while Cyndane remained slightly back.
"These two are yours, as agreed," Mesaana said, with the slightest nod toward the two kneeling women.
Moghedien's smile got wider and her dark eyes gleamed.
"Excellent."
Moghedien channeled and wove the most intricate shield Sheriam had ever seen. She watched closely, trying to learn, but even after seeing it twice she was not sure she could duplicate it in full. Mesaana released the shield on Siuan when Moghedien tied hers off, and Sheriam followed her lead, letting her own shield on Leane wink out when the new shield was in place. Moghedien looked at her, frowned, but said nothing.
Reaching into a pouch on her belt, Moghedien took out the copper and emerald brooch and handed it to Cyndane.
Sheriam could feel the surge in the Power as Cyndane tested the angreal. She too smiled, but it was a small smile, and it did not touch her eyes. A woman who was very hard to please, Sheriam thought.
"And as agreed, the ballroom in the center Tower is yours," Moghedien said.
"Excellent," Mesaana replied. "I will be at the White Tower. If you need me, Sheriam can contact me. She is Head of the Black and my second in command."
Moghedien merely glanced at her with a slight frown, but Cyndane scoffed openly. "A barely trained child?"
"By our standards. She can hold her own among the others and she has been quite useful."
Cyndane sniffed, but Sheriam didn't flinch, either at the words of the Chosen or at their disapproving looks. She might not be a match for them in strength in the One Power, but she could show strength in other ways, like she had done after Verin's betrayal, when she had refused to flee. She met their stares calmly, refusing to look away or even blink.
Mesaana was unconcerned as she turned away and started towards the center ruin. Sheriam followed without looking back.
"That went well," Mesaana said, satisfied. "Get some of the Black over here, have them move the tables in position and see to it that those who know the turning Learn the place as soon as possible, so they can Travel back. How long will it take them?"
The inn had been near enough to the Tower itself and to the camp just outside Tar Valon, that it was not really needed to know it before Traveling that short distance. But here was another matter.
"About four, five hours, High Mistress, depending on how much we Channel," Sheriam replied.
She had thought this was always a requirement, but Mesaana's question implied that it was not. And how did Mesaana herself Travel so quickly, had she been here before today?
"How can we make it less than that?" she asked.
"It's a trick, but one that takes a long time to learn. What did you notice about this room when you entered?"
Sheriam blinked, threw a quick glance around.
"No, don't look around again," Mesaana stopped her.
"It's large even for a ballroom, has a huge, stone fireplace, there are a number of oak tables against the wall," Sheriam started, trailed off as even as she spoke she knew what she said was utterly inadequate.
Mesaana shook her head. "There are ten tables, all set flush against the wall except for the second from the rear which is just a little off on the near end. The table closest to us has a large knot in the wood on its left front leg, and stands on a floor tile noticeably darker than the ones next to it. The fireplace is sixteen stones in width, ten stones high, and just over one pace deep. There's a twisted, rusty piece of iron on the right side of the fireplace, that might have held a bracket for the fireplace tools. The ceiling has five crumbled places where the chandeliers must have hung, and it is otherwise laced with small cracks. They're hard to describe in full but there's one shaped like a rabbit head near the entrance and one shaped like a fish with a large eye right above us."
Sheriam looked around, amazed at the detail Mesaana named without so much as a second glance, and she suspected the things she had named were only a small sample. She herself hadn't even noticed the ceiling at all, had not noticed the Chosen look up either, but she must have.
"Get into the habit of being more observant, wherever you are, even if you already know the place or have no intention to Travel. Look at every detail. The tile of the floor, the stones or boards of the wall, the grain of the wood, the details of furniture and every other item in the room. It takes much practice to get really quick, when I was your age I was down to about twenty minutes, and I was taught to study my surroundings ever since I learned to channel. But even a little practice will noticeable cut down the time it takes to Learn a place, and you should be able to bring down your time to around an hour in a year or so. Progress is quicker at first."
That would be useful to learn! And of little help right now, Sheriam realized. She would have to come here later tonight and Learn the room the old way. Even though she would rarely have time to take an active part in the circles, she wanted to be able to Travel back and forth without having to rely on one of the Black sisters, or waste time skimming.
"I will start working on it," she said.
Mesaana nodded, then opened the gateway and they stepped back through to the White Tower.
-0-
Sheriam sent for the Black sisters and saw them off to Malkier. She told them to take one set of Myrddraal and keep them there in case any were needed quickly, and to otherwise concentrate on Learning the place. Then it was time to go with Egwene to the testing of Sharina.
She walked with Egwene to the lower levels of the Tower, where the ter'angreal used in the testing stood. Entering the room, she saw Margory, Talva and Carlinya sitting at the three corners of the ter'angreal. Birlen stood next to the table with the three chalices, two empty now, and the seven sisters representing each Ajah were, in fact, Black as well. Silviana oversaw it all. Red or not, Sheriam now was glad of Egwene's choice. She suspected Tiana would have more difficulty adjusting, but Silviana could as well have been a Black sister all along.
"Report," Sheriam ordered.
"The first one was safe, I'm sure. She was unsettled but no different from any other. And there is no reason why anything in her past would lead to us. The second time she seemed more wary than usual, but it is hard to say whether she saw anything that pointed to the Black or not. Almost any scenario about the present would have to do with the Last Battle in some way, and she does understand that what she sees is not real. The last, well, we will have to see. I expect her to come out before too long."
Sheriam nodded. "I wish we could take the novices and Accepted also, they do pose a risk in spite of their lack of training. Especially now we have some older women who are used to acting on their own. Unfortunately I don't see how we could do that, taking the full sisters and possibly other adult channelers in just four weeks will strain our resources far enough. I suppose at some point we will catch up and guarantee their loyalty either when they come to the Tower or when they test for Accepted, but we won't make it before the Last Battle."
There was a slight flicker from the arches, and Sheriam halted. It was pleasant to be able to speak with only Black sisters and turned, but any time now Sharina could reappear from the ter'angreal.
And a good thing too that she had fallen quiet, for while most of those who were tested had a hard time tearing themselves lose from whatever they saw inside, Sharina appeared almost instantly, bursting from the arches at a run. Only several steps from the ter'angreal she halted, looked around and shuddered.
Birlen picked up the third chalice and handed it to Egwene, who came forward while Sheriam stood back and observed. She had no task in the ceremony itself, it wasn't even required for her to accompany the Amyrlin, not here within the Tower itself, so she could easily watch Sharina's behavior. The woman was flustered, breathing hard, but that was to be expected. What was not usual was the way she started at the sight of Talva, just now rising from her place at the arches, and Larissa, who stood among the other sisters for the Yellow. The woman knelt, as she had been instructed to do, but she did not bow her head completely, and positioned herself so that she would not turn her back to either of the supposedly Yellow sisters.
Egwene poured the water from the final chalice over Sharina's head. "You are washed clean of Sharina Melloy of Shilene, You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean, in body and soul. You are Sharina Melloy, Accepted of the White Tower. You are sealed to us, now."
Egwene handed the chalice back to Birlen, and took the gold ring from her pouch. Sharina raised her left hand, and Egwene put the ring on the third finger. The Great Serpent ring fit easily on her hand, and Egwene helped the older woman to her feet.
"Welcome, Daughter," Egwene said, kissing Sharina first on one cheek, then the other. "Welcome."
"Come get yourself dried off," Silviana said, as she handed Sharina a towel.
The older woman took it, but even as she dried her hair and face, she threw another quick glance at Talva, then her eyes flicked to Larissa. Then she looked at Silviana, at Egwene, and back, seemed to hesitate.
It was custom not to speak of what had happened to them during the test, but many did seek some form of reassurance after, a confirmation that it was not a Foretelling of what was to come. If Sharina had been any other, any regular novice just off her mother's apron strings, Sheriam might still trust Silviana to talk her out of any foolish notions that what she had seen was more than a reflection of her own fears, combined with the current strong influence of the Dark One on the Pattern. But Sharina would not be so easily convinced.
"Take her," she ordered. The glow of Saidar sprang up around all the Black, and Egwene put the shield in place before Sharina had time to react. The strongest by far, Sheriam had instructed Egwene to shield her first. She then told some of the other Black to link and take the shield.
"All of you?" Sharina breathed, as she looked around, eyes flitting from one to the other. "So it can be done!"
Well, that confirmed she had seen too much.
Silviana reached for the Accepted dress, with its multi-colored bands along the hem. "Put this on. It does no harm, but it is frightening enough when you are dressed."
Sharina looked at the dress as if it were a viper about to strike, then she straightened and met Silviana's eyes defiantly.
"Why should I believe anything you say?" she asked. "Your Oaths are meaningless."
"You lived among people who weren't held by any Oaths until just a few months ago, I think you can tell I'm telling the truth quite well without them," Silviana replied calmly. "The turning does not hurt you, but there are Myrddraal used in the procedure, and I will not let you face them naked."
She held out the dress again. Sharina looked Silviana in the eye for a few, long moments, then took it and pulled it over her head without another word.
Sheriam opened the gateway to Malkier. "Silviana, I want you to Learn the turning room as well, but not now. Skim back with her when she is done, the other Accepted and the novices will start to wonder what happened if she is gone too long. The rest of you, if you can be missed, do remain. The sooner everyone can freely Travel back and forth, the better."
Acknowledging nods all around. Quite possibly they'd had other plans for the evening, but the Black sisters followed her orders quickly and without questioning them, far more so than those not of the Black, who were wont to argue even about orders that came directly from the Amyrlin. Hierarchy and discipline had always been more strict within the Black, even before Mesaana had taken charge.
On her way back to Egwene's study and her anteroom, Sheriam flagged down a passing novice and sent the woman off to find Malind, stressing that the Amyrlin wanted to see both her and her Warders. The Green had to be taken today, in spite of the hour and the fact that Sheriam hadn't had time to eat dinner yet, while it was now past Supper.
She sent another message out to the Red sisters, urging them to chose at least one Sitter for the Hall who was actually here. She wanted one of the Red chairs filled when the Dragon's envoy came, and such a decision might well take a few days to make.
It took some time for Malind to show up, and Sheriam found herself wishing she had sent for food from the kitchens. She got a little of the regular paperwork out of the way and at some point Gawyn appeared with a report about the murder investigation. A rather useless report, no one had seen or heard anything unusual, and the killer had left no clues. He tried to convince Egwene to retire for the day, and she had to get quite firm with him before he would leave. The young man was quite an annoyance.
Finally Malind arrived with her two Warders. Together with Egwene, it was easy to take the Sitter. Sheriam opened a gateway to Malkier and handed her off to the Black sisters without stepping through herself. She instructed them to hold the Sitter in Malkier until she returned, for while she needed to give Malind her new instructions, she needed food first.
She went down to the dining room for a quick meal. The place was almost empty, but Laras knew there were always some sisters who were too busy to eat at regular mealtimes and there was fresh, hot food at least until Full, if not later.
As she hurriedly ate, she thought of Laras. The woman was not a Friend of the Dark, definitely not, and Sheriam wondered if she would leave the Tower when, eventually, they did come out into the open and she found out Mesaana ruled. Or if she would try to do something stupid and desperate, although she didn't think Laras was the kind of woman for that. If only there was some way to take those who couldn't channel! Many people would think of Laras as only a cook, but Sheriam had always known that good servants for key positions were hard to find, and since she was Keeper she appreciated Laras' skills even more. In spite of the shortage of food and the general chaos in the Tower when they had arrived, the kitchens were run smoothly and the supplies purchased as well and as cheaply as anyone could expect in these times -and better. And while several maids and stableboys had either ran off or left after the Seanchan raid, not a single woman from the kitchens had gone. Compulsion wouldn't do, someone under strong compulsion wouldn't be able to function half as well. No, she hoped she would be able to convince Laras to remain, when it came to that.
She shoved the last bit of food in her mouth and left the plate on the table. The food had given her new energy, and after weaving a secure ward on her quarters, she Traveled to Malkier.
The Black sisters had by now been in the old ballroom for nearly four hours, and they were close to being able to Travel. Irna and Cheryl, who had led the circles that turned Sharina and Malind, were closest, the channeling still helped more than the studying of each detail, at least this first time they tried it.
"We've been all over looking at everything," Irna told her. "It's not so much spotting the details as remembering them that is hard. I'd study the tables and when I come to the last, I'd find I've already forgotten which leg had the knot of wood on the first. And I don't understand how it works, I can Travel from anywhere in the Tower but I have no idea how many floor tiles the entrance hall has, or how many stones there are on the hearth in the library."
"But you would notice if they were suddenly different," Margory put in. "You know exactly what everything looks like, but only subconsciously. If you notice the details consciously, it's just quicker. Eventually," she added.
"Well, keep at it, Mesaana was clear it was a very long process," Sheriam replied. She was trying to look around herself, had been anywhere she went, the room with the three arches ter'angreal, the dining room, the halls, but found it very distracting. She had so much to do already! Even now, Malind was waiting for her, and she took the woman apart in one corner of the room.
The Green Sitter was distraught but too sensible to argue. She glanced unhappily at her Warders, who stood leaning against the wall but had a far more distracted look in their eyes than the typical Warder alertness, even as she listened to the instructions Sheriam gave her.
Soon enough Sheriam saw Cheryl open a gateway.
"You can go," she told Malind. At least in Tar Valon, the compulsion on the Warders could be lighter, here it had to be strong to stop them questioning the place itself and the happenings they saw in front of them.
Malind hastily got up and gestured to her Warders. Then she stopped and turned.
"You are a Borderlander. Don't you worry what will happen?"
For a moment Sheriam hesitated. She could dismiss the woman, and just not answer at all.
"The Borderlands will get hit hard no matter what side we're on," she said then.
Malind frowned, but when Sheriam said nothing more, she turned again and left through Cheryl's gateway.
Sheriam watched her go. She did sometimes worry about her family back in Saldaea, but she had lost touch with them in the years she had spent in Tar Valon. The White Tower was her home now. And while lately it had been a harsh life, with stakes much higher, for most of the time since the Breaking the Black and the Friends of the Dark had benefited from their allegiance. Influential positions, in the Tower or elsewhere, few of those who served the Light -and even few of those who served the Great Lord- knew how extensive their network was. Those who served the Great Lord had reached their positions because of this, and those who survived would get the best pickings when all was over again. Who would survive, well, many deaths would fall on both sides, that was the risk and reality of living in the Borderlands.
She noticed Cheryl was standing nearby, waiting.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Sheriam, do you want us to start the circles immediately now we can Travel both ways?" the Black sister asked.
Sheriam considered. "Only those you are quite close to, whom you can visit at this time of the evening and take without rousing the least bit suspicion. Or other Black who haven't been secured yet. There will be frequent patrols in the halls, the sisters are all ours but there will also be Tower guard and Warders, and those not on patrol will also be more likely to notice who goes where. Also be careful not to become the assassin's next victim yourself. What we can do is take care of Corianin, Jalila and the others from the Kandori farm, and the Aringill group as well. Tell them to be available to fill the circles for the coming period, too. Tomorrow the rest of the Hall must be taken so they will not ask bothersome questions related to the Dragon's visit or for that matter anything else."
Cheryl acknowledged, and soon there were two circles set up. Sheriam led one of them herself, securing five of the weaker sisters from the farm before passing control over to Nesita, who still had to learn the weaves. Cheryl and Irna proved the channeling helped more than the studying of their surroundings, on short term at least, and she also simply wanted the pleasure of leading. Then she watched as Nesita led, and when she was sure the other woman had the weave down, she let go of the link and surveyed the others. In spite of the hour and precautions, Cheryl and Irna had managed to bring several non-Black sisters, and it was becoming harder to keep track of who was and wasn't taken.
Sheriam realized she hadn't heard back from Dagdara, had she managed to get all residue readers on the murder investigation team? They needed some code by which the Black sisters could report who was turned or secured, and she needed a safe way to write them down. Learning the names of all the Black was difficult enough in itself, without Alviarin there to tell her -she had learned several names of those who were not in the Tower, and hoped she knew all- but keeping track of every full sister while they were being taken at such a rate, that was impossible just off the top of her head.
Then she smiled as she thought of the Bookstrap. Yes, tomorrow she would ask Mesaana if she could have it, the Chosen undoubtedly had other ways of keeping the journal safely hidden. It would be the perfect tool to hide her own list, and using the traitor's ter'angreal would be particularly satisfying.
A few innocuous-sounding code phrases were quickly thought up, and by then Sheriam tried and found she could Travel. She went back to Tar Valon and her quarters, to catch what sleep she could in these hectic times.