As usual all speech in italics is in the Old Tongue.

Chapter XCVIII- The Unstained Tower, Broken (Part II)

Taija felt the corridor she was in shiver and dust rained down from the ceiling. She hoped Rand was giving them hell. Whoever did the wards was certainly giving her hell. She could tell that Tel was getting worried, she could practically feel his tension behind her. Well she was doing her best. She wasn't a specialist at this kind of thing and they were serious wards.

=========

As Erinea worked her way up the Tower she became tenser and tenser. The way the whole Tower had shuddered earlier was frightening. At least there weren't many people around.

A moment later she wished she had not tempted fate with that thought when an aes sedai, one of the turned, came hurrying round the corner.

"Oh Erinea, do you know what is going on?" She sounded worried. "I think the Tower is under attack."

Oh Light, she did not know that Erinea had... Of course! They could not know everything. Erinea chose her words carefully. "Yes Tower must be under attack, I do not know what is happening though.

"Is that Logain? Why has he…" Erinea chose that moment to strike, a simple blade of air and her former sister's head fell away from her shoulders. She stopped for a second and swallowed convulsively. She wanted to be sick, it was only the second person she had ever killed. The second person today as well. Another blameless victim of the Black Ajah. She glanced back at Logain, who somehow looked mildly impressed beneath his overwhelming sense of depression, and had to swallow hard again.

=======

Elaida leant round the corner, just a quick glance. She had been right. There was a group in the hallway. Three aes sedai and several soldiers. At least one warder. This would be difficult, perhaps impossible, but she was not sure she had any other option. There was no other way down in a reasonable time.

She gestured the boys close. "There is a group ahead, I shall deal with the aes sedai, you will need to take the men. We will be outnumbered, we shall have to take them by surprise." Both boys gave her grim nods and she held up her hand, three fingers outstretched, counting down with them.

As she closed her fist she stepped out already weaving air, water and fire at the closest of the aes sedai. With a crunch the woman's body twisted. One down. The other two spun to meet her. Pevara and Seaine, her heart sunk. She was going to die. Alone she could match or beat either of them, if not by much, but not together. Not like this. The boys leapt past her with shouts of "for the Tower!" Immediately two soldiers fell at their blades, but the warder moved like a snake launching into a duel with Galad while Gawyn danced through the Tower guards, deflecting their blades as he slashed at them. It appeared they really were as good as they thought they were.

Then Elaida had no attention left to give the boys as she frantically sliced and deflected the weaves from the two aes sedai. Both impressive, loyal women of the Tower. Now turned to the Shadow against their wills. She threw herself to the side to dodge a bar of fire, wincing at the heat from its passing and saw her own retaliatory weaves vanish before they came close to the two women. A shield beat at her connection to the Power, she sliced it only for Pevara to use the distraction to fling Gawyn into the wall with air.

So this was how she would die. Killed amidst the ruins of an institution she had helped destroy. She wove air, water and fire to send lightning spiraling down the corridor only for it to be deflected off a barrier of air.

The Tower guard were closing in on Gawyn as he painfully levered himself to his feet. With a smooth flourish Galad removed the warder's hands and then took his head with the back stroke, before seeming to instantly accelerate to a sprint in aid of his brother. Too far though, he would be too late.

Suddenly Pevara erupted into shrieking flame and another man threw himself among the Tower guard, sword flashing. Elaida did not wait to look a gift horse in the mouth, she was already redoubling her attacks on Seaine. With her attention split between two assailants it took only seconds before she missed a weave and crumpled to the ground, almost cut in half.

"Mother!" Elaida relaxed slightly. It was Erinea. Erinea had saved her. Perhaps she would survive a little longer after all. Then there was the swordsman, was that… Logain? Her heart skipped a beat. What was he doing here? With a sword? Staring at her with hate painted across his face?

"Logain." There was a warning note in Erinea's voice and suddenly he seemed to pull back, dull emptiness replacing the hate in his eyes.

He must have helped Erinea. He was a false dragon, a male channeler. That did not mean he was a darkfriend. Elaida forced herself to be reasonable, there was no time for strife. "Master Ablar, you have no reason to love me, nor I you. However, we both serve the Light. Let us put everything aside other than defeating this infestation of the Shadow. Any issues can be dealt with later, if we survive."

She held her breath for a second as he did not react, then he slowly nodded. "Yes," his voice was hoarse. "For now." It was good enough.

=========

Rand spun saidin, two full circles faced him now, he was fairly sure. A shield was sliced and then with earth he simply heaved a section of the Tower's walls onto some of the aes sedai before Traveling once again. He'd lost count of how many aes sedai he'd killed today. They had no idea what they were doing, no idea how to fight when they couldn't pin him down and take him by surprise. He spun another gateway and sent a blazing beam of fire through it, carving through another two. Still, the numbers were becoming overwhelming. He couldn't let himself be captured. These weren't more of Elaida's idiots, these were direct servants of the Shadow. Taija must surely be nearly done.

=========

Taija heard a rolling series of explosions down the corridor behind her and blinked. She must have gotten so distracted by the wards that she hadn't even realised Tel was fighting again. She suppressed a little spark of worry, it was going much slower than she'd hoped. Even Tel could be overwhelmed.

He'd be fine. He was strong and if he needed her he could get her attention. She redoubled her efforts with the wards.

A minute later Taija was vaguely aware of Tel back behind her, a smell of smoke around him. She resisted the urge to look, suppressed her worry, she was nearly there. Nearly… She forced all of her strength through her webs and the wards flickered. A blast of fire shot towards her from the door and she neatly deflected it. Oops. Then they were gone, the room was unprotected.

Taija scrambled to her feet, immediately turning to check Tel over. Ok his clothes were scorched, but he looked fine. Nothing serious. No new scars.

She turned back to the door and smashed it away like the first. Inside were display cabinets, five of them. One was empty, the others… Ohhh yes.

Taija spun a gateway and flung them through on webs of air in a crash of wood and glass. She was already turning away as the gateway rotated closed behind her.

She met Tel's eyes, stress over the wards forgotten. She was grinning now, excitement shining in her eyes. "Shall we try for the ter'angreal?"

He was more serious, "no, come on, we set ourselves a time limit. There's no way we can do another room before it's up."

Taija wanted to argue, but he was right. She shouldn't let herself get over excited. "Ok. Fine. Spoilsport. You can spin the gateway since you're no fun." She pouted at him.

He ignored her with long-suffering practice and a gateway rotated open. "After you."

=========

Rand lashed out with a whip of fire and the group of aes sedai threw themselves down. One unlucky one was too slow and the top half of her body vanished. He Traveled, sprinting through a gateway, spinning a blossom of fire behind him.

As he emerged he neatly sidestepped a fireball, crushing his attacker in air and then dived into a roll under a blade of something.

He could feel himself starting to flag. There must have been nearly thirty aes sedai fighting him at this point, not counting the tens he'd already killed. It was too many really. If they started coordinating properly he'd be in real trouble. That meant it was time to leave. He was about to spin a gateway to somewhere far away when he saw more explosions near the base of the Tower.

=========

Elaida emerged from the Tower into what must be the largest channeling battle she had ever seen. Yet there was something not quite right. Her eyes took it in at a glance. There were bodies everywhere, dead sisters, Tower guard and warders strewn across the ground, but fighting them… There seemed to be just one man. How was that even possible? She shook her head to clear the disorientation from the constant noise and explosions and for a moment the smoke cleared. Then she saw him, a familiar looking, tall, young, red-haired man. He dived through a hole in the air, no a gateway, and emerged flinging fire.

For a few long seconds she just watched. How powerful was he? How skilled was he?! A huge weave of saidar flew at him, so much power that it must have been from a full circle, razor sharp spirit to gentle or shield. At the same time more weaker weaves came at him from other angles. He wouldn't be able to see them, he couldn't. Yet the shield vanished, presumably sliced, other weaves he just stifled, sliced or simply danced around. At the same time lightning struck around the aes sedai, explosions rippling out. He looked to his left and a sister simply vanished in fire. How could he be so fast? The weaves seemed to converge on him and then he simply moved, straight through a gateway, already attacking. She remembered that meeting back in Caemlyn. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon, it had to be. Maybe there was some hope left today.

Her wide eyed staring nearly got her killed. She barely had time to deflect a weave of air and spirit that would have torn her apart as one of the aes sedai spotted her. Then she was fighting for her life and there was no time to think.

=========

Rand glanced towards the explosions, it looked like some of the aes sedai were fighting each other. Were there still some left who served the Light? It was a split second decision, but he wasn't going to abandon them. He could stay a few more seconds. The Light needed every channeler it could get.

Focusing, he spun a trio of gateways, opening them behind the aes sedai attacking the newcomers, a flex of his will and fire, water and spirit enveloped them, tearing them apart before they even knew they were under attack. He was really starting to see why Taija sometimes muttered about half-trained children playing at being grown-ups. A sweeping web of fire and air to blind and burn everyone around him and he was through a gateway.

As he emerged he stumbled for the first time since he reached the Tower. Was that Elaida?! She glanced at him before sending a fireball arcing outwards. "Lord Dragon." Her voice was actually respectful.

For a second he stood there stunned and then he remembered where he was. In a flash he was spinning again, fire, air and earth to raise smoke around them and block the vision of their attackers, darts of fire rapidly shooting out and detonating past his smokescreen. Did he even want to save Elaida? He'd thought she was a darkfriend, although the evidence seemed to be against that now, he certainly still thought she was his enemy.

She seemed to read his mind. "I know you have no reason to love me, but trust me when I say this for I cannot lie. I serve the Light and I swear I shall not try to harm you. Now please, I need your help."

Rand still hesitated, then he realised who the sword wielding men with her were. Three men that he recognised. Elayne's brothers and… of all people, Logain. Along with an aes sedai he didn't recognise. That made his mind up. He could always deal with Elaida later, but he couldn't leave Gawyn and Galad to die. "Fine, but we need to get out of here now."

"No!" Elaida's vehemence was a surprise. "We can't leave Reiko!"

Rand winced as he barely deflected a gigantic fireball. He couldn't hold here for long. "Who in the Light is Reiko?"

"They're turning her now." Elaida gasped the words out, she was clearly on her last legs. "Somewhere in the basements. Thirteen myrddraal and thirteen aes sedai. We have to help her!"

Rand's stomach twisted as he realised what she was saying. A horrific fate worse than death. Shields hammered at him and he sliced them, sending a series of deathgates opening and closing back after them. The aes sedai would probably be too stupid to get out of their way. "We can't. I can't! We need to leave now!"

A group of soldiers, led by warders charged out from the smoke and before he could blow them away Logain, Galad and Gawyn were among them, swords dancing in the smoke, barely holding them off.

"No, we can't leave her. Please! I beg you!" Those could not be words Elaida said often.

Rand shook his head as he spun a gateway, "if we stay we die. We can't save her. She's gone. You can live and fight another day," if he allowed her to, "or you can stay, but I'm leaving." He didn't want to leave anyone to that fate, but he knew if he stayed he risked far too much.

He spun fire into the back of the group of soldiers pressing at the men, burning several of them to ash. Elaida hesitated, was she actually thinking of staying? Then her face went blank and she stepped through the gateway.

"Come on!" Rand yelled at the men. He couldn't see round them well enough to safely attack the growing number of soldiers, especially with the ever increasing number of webs he was having to fend off.

They glanced back and started to retreat, then Logain shouted, "go! I'll hold them off and he'll have space to help me with his channeling. The boys hesitated and then pulled back, bundling themselves through the gateway with the other aes sedai. Rand staggered as a web nearly overwhelmed his defences. Logain's sword was flashing through the air deflecting blows.

Rand carefully took a step back to the threshold of the gateway, then through it. There! He had the line of sight. Splitting his flows he obliterated the men pressing in on Logain. "Come on man! Run!" More Tower guard were coming, never mind the aes sedai.

Logain turned, met Rand's eyes, hesitated. Then smiled, a sad little smile. After a moment he turned back and launched himself forward, away from Rand, away from the gateway and towards the oncoming troops, sword held high above his head.

Rand nearly went after him, but there were too many aes sedai. Far too many now. With a grimace he let the gateway close, instantly cutting off the storm of attacks he'd been having to fend off.

He didn't know Logain, hadn't known him, but he couldn't feel anything but sorry for the man. However, there were things he needed to do. There was no time to mourn for someone he didn't know. Turning he slammed shields into place on both Elaida and the other aes sedai. "I think it's time we had a talk."

=========

As Taija waited with a crowd of the Hall's initiates and Dedicated she was starting to get a little worried. She hadn't left things right to the agreed time limit, so she'd expected to be back before Rand, but he was definitely well overdue by then. She hoped he hadn't gotten himself into trouble. She doubted that the Black Ajah would give her the chance to rescue him a second time. It was probably the stupid hero complex that so many young people had and he was just staying and fighting longer than he should have, but if he wasn't back soon she was going to have to go back there to try to save him.

Then a gateway opened and Taija breathed a sigh of relief as Rand emerged. He looked exhausted and rather battered, definitely like he'd been in a fight. Still, he was ok. Nothing Nynaeve couldn't heal. As he emerged the crowd of initiates broke into cheers. As far as they were concerned they'd made a successful raid on the Tower, exacted revenge for Eben and Noruan and killed one of the Forsaken, nothing more. Taija had sent her loot elsewhere, safely out of sight. The fewer people that knew about that the better. It was still a huge triumph. That being said, given what she'd just been doing, she was surprised to see Verin and Alanna among the cheering crowd. Although of course they weren't sullying their dignity by joining in.

The bigger question was where was Nynaeve? Rand could do with a bit of healing, maybe more than a bit. Taija scanned the crowd for her. Alanna was advancing on the three of them, all modern aes sedai smoothness and dignity, Verin hustling behind her. Somehow she managed to maneuver between people and then she was heading for Rand.

"I can heal the Lord Dragon!" The light of saidar appeared around her.

Just before she could get within arms reach of him Taija embraced saidar and slammed a shield straight through her connection to the Power. A moment later two Dedicated had politely, but firmly interposed themselves between her and Rand.

Alanna blanched, "my apologies, I thought the Lord Dragon looked like he needed healing." She raised her hands, palms open and slowly backed away. Taija wasn't sure whether she believed her, but she hadn't actually done anything and Rand did look like he needed healing. She'd have a word with Rand and the Dedicated later to make sure they knew that Alanna wasn't to be allowed anywhere him.

It wasn't long after that that Nynaeve and Aleksi emerged from another gateway to more resounding cheers. Taija joined in the applause with a little more restraint. The day ha been a huge success and the Hall was going to be celebrating that night.

=======

Once Rand had been healed he took Taija aside and told her there was something he needed to show her. He was dead serious, so she didn't try to make a joke about it and instead let him lead her through a gateway to… she thought it was somewhere in Tear. He looked halfway between grim and nervous.

"What's this all about then?"

"Oh you'll see." He opened a door and Taija suspected he'd untied some wards at the same time.

When he gestured her through, she stepped in to see the first modern aes sedai she ever met, all smooth faced calm. There were two young men there too, one of whom resembles Elayne and another aes sedai she didn't recognise. However, Taija only had eyes for Elaida, the woman who'd declared her a darkfriend across the world, whose attack on her in Caemlyn set her on the miserable path she'd traveled for so long. The woman who'd led the White Tower to the Shadow. Taija wasn't a murderer, Elaida was a prisoner, but that was the only reason she didn't smear the woman straight across the wall.

Elaida's eyes widened at the sight of Taija and she actually dropped a curtsy. "Taija sedai, ah First Among Servants, the Lord Dragon said he would be bringing you here." Taija was already probing with spirit to make sure Elaida was shielded. She was indeed. Alright. Her anger was already slightly mollified by Elaida's respectful tone. Although it didn't fit with anything she'd ever heard from or about her. What was going on?

"What's she doing here?" Taija demanded an answer from Rand, ignoring Elaida.

He looked a bit awkward. "I found her fighting the Black Ajah in the White Tower. Believe it or not, I don't think she's a darkfriend, just… an idiot." One of the boys started to protest and then subsided at a glance from Elaida. "I could have left her to die, but I thought it would be better to give her the choice about whether she came back with me or not. If we decide we want her dead, well no one who isn't in this room knows she's here. Her tragic and heroic death at the White Tower can be remembered or forgotten as needed."

One of the boys gasped and the other aes sedai whimpered. However, the second boy decided to raise his voice in protest. "How dare you speak to the Amyrlin like that?!" Taija silenced him with a web of air.

Elaida however stayed impassive. Taija was halfway between impressed and disturbed by Rand, but she could at least play along. "Mmm. You have a point." She turned to Elaida. "Everything you have done makes me think that you're a darkfriend of the worst kind. How can I trust that you're not in the face of your actions and the damage you've done? Think very carefully about your answer."

Elaida gave her a slow nod. "I admit to my failure, but I am no darkfriend. I can prove it. If I may?" She reached slowly down, hiking her skirts up to the widening eyes of the boys. As if they'd never seen a woman's legs before. Then she pulled out an ivory rod that looked rather familiar. "I have the oath rod and I will swear on it that I am telling the truth."

Taija limited her reaction to raising her eyebrows. She needed more people here. "Rand, please could you fetch Tel, Aleksi and Bennae, I need you to get Bennae to promise she won't reveal anything that happens here too. I trust her, but… I'll keep an eye on this lot while you're gone."

"Of course," he gave her a nod and headed away.

Taija turned back to the group. "So I know who Elaida is, we've met before, but who are the angry young men and who are you?" She addressed the other aes sedai.

=========

It didn't take long for Rand to return with the others. The room was getting a bit crowded at that point. Taija had already decided that Elayne's brothers would be released to her and Morgase's care. As far as she knew they hadn't committed any crimes and, who kew, it might even get Morgase to warm up to her. Erinea, the other aes sedai, could go free as long as she could show she wasn't Black Ajah, as for Elaida…

Bennae and Tel quickly agreed that Elaida's binding rod was the genuine article. Taija had thought it was, but they were both rather more familiar with the things for reasons she prefered not to think about.

It was quick enough to establish Erinea's affiliation to the Light. "Thank you, you'll be free to go once we've finished with Elaida. We can drop you off with Siuan's group or elsewhere if you'd rather."

Then, as Taija channeled a small flow of spirit into it, Elaida gripped the binding rod. "I unswear all oaths that bind me." She gritted her teeth and shuddered. "I swear to speak no word that is not true."

Elaida released her grip on the binding rod and handed it back to Taija, who just looked at her for a second. "Go on then."

"I am not a darkfriend. I support the Light."

It was almost a surprise. Had she really been that incompetent then? Still, not being a darkfriend didn't mean she hadn't committed crimes against the Hall. That was why Taija wanted Tel and Aleksi here too. If Elaida gave the wrong answer to some of Taija's questions she felt it was enough of them to reach a consensus on the consequences for her.

"Very well. Why did you name me a darkfriend?"

Elaida glanced around her. Ah now she was showing some nervousness. Had she thought that simply not being a darkfriend would be enough? "To be clear, I no longer believe you to be a darkfriend. However, at the time it was my honest belief. You had broken into the Caemlyn Royal Palace, you were associated with various disasters and my advisers had suggested it to be the case. Siuan also lied about you, or at least deceived the Sitters."

Elaida kept on explaining herself and despite herself Taija could see how she could have drawn some of her conclusions, as offensive as they are. Wrong, harmful, stupid and offensive, but not criminal. Eventually she cut her off.

"Fine, did you order the aes sedai led by Galina to kidnap Rand?"

"Yes, although only if he was unwilling to come peacefully." Not surprising.

"What about the beatings inflicted on him?"

"Beatings? I certainly did not order such a thing. It would have been difficult enough to deal with him without that."

"What about the severing of initiates of the Hall?"

"Severing? Do you mean gentling?" Taija nodded, stone faced. "I did not order that. When I sent out that group I did not even know that the Lord Dragon would have any men who could channel with him." Fuck, was she really just that much of an idiot?

"Why did you overthrow Siuan Sanche?"

"I thought she was a darkfriend. I am aware of the irony… I have had a lot of time for self-reflection since she was removed. You must understand, aes sedai were disappearing and being assaulted, an aes sedai died while with her and she lied about the cause and lied about you. Oh I am sure she had an explanation that made it technically true, but the evidence was there…"

As Elaida kept talking and Taija asked more questions, trying to catch her out, she groaned internally. Based on what Elaida was saying, Taija wasn't sure that she could actually pin anything on her other than kidnapping Rand and even there it seems like Galina had exceeded her orders. The conclusion was clear, Elaida was an idiot, not evil. What in the Light was Taija going to do with her?

The binding rod was easier. That she could give to Siuan. It would be hugely beneficial to her, while being a poison pill that Siuan wouldn't even realise the nature of. Restricting their lifespans, binding themselves with hard rules instead of morality. Foolishness.