The Gathering Storm

Rhuidean.

Aviendha met Amys' eyes, and nodded. Amys had been a second mother to her in many ways. She was rewarded by a rare smile. Then Amys turned her back to Aviendha, just as the other two had.

Aviendha took another deep breath, glancing back across the trampled grass before the manor house to where Rand spoke with the quartermasters, his expression stern, the arm missing a hand held folded behind his back, the other arm gesturing animatedly. She smiled at him, though he wasn't looking in her direction.

/ will be back for you, she thought.

Then she trotted to the Traveling ground, collected the pack and wove a gateway that would deposit her a safe distance from Cold Rocks Hold, beside a rock formation known as the Maiden's Spear, from which she could run to the hold and prepare herself. The gateway opened to the familiar, dry air of the Waste.

She ducked through the gateway, exulting—finally—in what had just happened.

Her honor had returned.

'I came out through a small Watergate, Aes Sedai,' Shemerin said, bowing her head before the others in the tent. 'In truth, it wasn't so difficult, once I left the Tower and got into the city. I didn't dare leave by one of the bridges. I couldn't let the Amyrlin know what I was doing.'

Romanda watched, arms folded. Her tent was lit by two brass lamps, flames dancing at the tips. Six women listened to the runaway's story. Lelaine was there, for all that Romanda had tried to keep her from hearing about the meeting. Romanda had hoped that the slender Blue would be too busy basking in her status in camp to bother with such a seemingly trivial event.

Beside her was Siuan. The former Amyrlin had latched herself on to Lelaine with the strength of a barnacle. Romanda was well enough pleased with the newfound ability to Heal a stilling—she was Yellow after all— but a part of her wished it hadn't happened to Siuan. As if Lelaine weren't bad enough to deal with. Romanda had not forgotten Siuan's crafty nature, even if so many others in camp seemed to have done so. Lesser strength in the Power did not mean decreased capacity for scheming.

Sheriam was there, of course. The red-haired Keeper sat beside Lelaine. Sheriam had been withdrawn lately, and barely maintained the dignity of an Aes Sedai. Foolish woman. She needed to be removed from her place; everyone could see that. If Egwene ever returned—and Romanda prayed that she did, if only because it would upset Lelaine's plans—then there would be an opportunity. A new Keeper.

The other person in the tent was Magla. Romanda and Lelaine had argued—with control, of course—over who would be first to interrogate Shemerin. They'd decided that the only fair way was to do it together. Because Shemerin was Yellow, Romanda had been able to call the meeting in her own tent. It had been a shock when Lelaine had shown up with not just Siuan but Sheriam in tow. But they'd never said how many attendants they could bring. And so Romanda was left with only Magla. The thick-shouldered woman sat beside Romanda, listening quietly to the confession. Should Romanda have sent for someone else? It would have looked very obvious, delaying the meeting for that.

It wasn't really an interrogation, however. Shemerin spoke freely, without resisting questions. She sat on a small stool before them. She'd refused a cushion for it. Romanda had rarely seen a woman as determined to punish herself as this poor child.

Not a child, Romanda thought. A full Aes Sedai, whatever she says. Burn you, Elaida, for turning one of us into this!

Shemerin had been Yellow. Burn it, she was Yellow. She'd been talking to them for the better part of an hour now, answering questions about the status of the White Tower. Siuan had been the first to ask how the woman had come to escape.

'Please forgive me for seeking work in the camp without coming to you, Aes Sedai,' Shemerin said, head bowed. 'But I have fled the Tower against the law. As an Accepted leaving without permission, I am a runaway. I knew I would be punished if discovered.

'I have stayed in this area because it is so familiar, and I cannot let it go. When your army came, I saw a chance for work, and I took it. But please, do not force me to go back. I will not be a danger. I will seek a life as a normal woman, careful not to use my abilities.'

'You are Aes Sedai,' Romanda said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. This woman's attitude lent much credence to the things Eg-wene said about Elaida's power-hungry reign in the Tower. 'No matter what Elaida says.'

'I. . . .' Shemerin just shook her head. Light! She never had been the most poised of Aes Sedai, but it was shocking to see her fallen so far.

'Tell me about this Watergate,' Siuan said, leaning forward in her chair. 'Where could we find it?'

'On the southwestern side of the city, Aes Sedai,' Shemerin said. 'About five minutes' walk eastward from where the ancient statues of Eleyan al'Landerin and her Warders stand.' She hesitated, suddenly seeming anxious. 'But it is a small gate. You couldn't take an army through it. I only know of it because I had the duty of caring for the beggars who live there.'

'I want a map anyway,' Siuan said, then she glanced at Lelaine. 'At least, I think we should have one.'

'It is a wise idea,' Lelaine said in a nauseatingly magnanimous tone.

'I do want to know more of your . . . situation,' Magla said. 'How is it Elaida could think that demoting a sister was wise? Egwene did speak of this event, and I did find it incredible then, too. What was Elaida's thought?'

'I ... cannot speak for the Amyrlin's thought,' Shemerin said. She cringed as the women in the room gave her a set of not-so-subtle glares at calling Elaida the Amyrlin. Romanda didn't join in. Something small was creeping beneath the canvas floor of the tent, moving from one corner toward the center of the room. Light! Was that a mouse? No, it was too small. Perhaps a cricket. She shifted uncomfortably.

'But surely you did do something to earn her ire,' Magla said. 'Something worthy of such treatment?'

'I. . . .' Shemerin said. She kept glancing at Siuan for some reason.

Fool woman. Romanda almost thought Elaida had made the right move. Shemerin should never have been given the shawl. Of course, demoting her to Accepted was no way to handle the situation either. The Amyrlin couldn't be given that much power.

Yes, that was definitely something under the canvas, determinedly pushing its way to the center of the tent, a tiny lump moving in jerks and starts.

'I was weak before her,' Shemerin finally said. 'We were speaking of... events in the world. I could not stomach them. I did not show poise befitting an Aes Sedai.'

'That's it?' Lelaine asked. 'You didn't plot against her? You didn't contradict her?'

Shemerin shook her head. 'I was loyal.'

'I find that hard to believe,' Lelaine said.

'I believe her,' Siuan said dryly. 'Shemerin showed well enough she was in Elaida's pocket on several occasions.'

'This do be a dangerous precedent,' Magla noted. 'Burn my soul, but it do.'

'Yes,' Romanda agreed, watching the canvas-covered whatever-it-was inch along before her. 'I suspect she used poor Shemerin as an example, acclimating the White Tower to the concept of demotion. That will let her use it on those who are actually her enemies.'

The conversation hit a lull. The Sitters who supported Egwene would likely head the list of those to be demoted, if Elaida retained her power and the Aes Sedai reconciled.

'Is that a mouse?' Siuan asked, looking down.

'It's too small,' Romanda said. 'And it's not important.'

'Small?' Lelaine said, leaning down.

Romanda frowned, glancing at the spot again. It did seem to have grown larger. In fact—

The bump jerked suddenly, pushing upward. The canvas floor split, and a thick-bodied cockroach—as wide as a fig—scrambled through. Romanda pulled back in revulsion.

The roach skittered across the canvas, antennae twitching. Siuan took off her shoe to swat it. But the bottom of the tent bubbled up near the rip, and a second cockroach climbed through. Then a third. And then a wave of them, pouring through the split like too-hot tea sprayed from a mouth. A black and brown carpet of scrambling, scratching, scurrying creatures, pushing over one another in their hurry to get out.