The Gathering Storm

She smiled broadly, stepping up to a shelf and sliding a fluted white wand as long as her forearm off the top shelf. She'd found it! She held it reverently for a moment, then reached and pulled the One Power through it. An awesome, almost overpowering, torrent of power flooded through her.

Yeteri gasped audibly at sensing it. Few women had ever held such power. It surged into Egwene, like a deep breath drawn in. It made her long to roar. She looked at the three novices, smiling broadly. 'Now we're ready,' she announced.

Let the sul'dam try and shield her while she was wielding one of the most powerful sa'angreal that the Aes Sedai possessed. The White Tower would not fall while she was Amyrlin! Not without a fight to rival the Last Battle itself.

Siuan found Gawyn's tent illuminated, shadows playing on the walls as the man moved about inside. His tent was suspiciously close to the guard post; he was allowed to stay within the palisade, perhaps so that Bryne— and the watching guards—could keep an eye on him.

Bryne, being the stubborn devilfish he was, had not gone to his guard post as she'd instructed. He'd followed behind her, cursing and calling for his attendants to come find him, rather than meet him at the post.

Even as she stopped at young Gawyn's tent, Bryne stepped up beside her, hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He eyed her with dissatisfaction. Well. She wouldn't let him be the judge of her honor! She would do what she pleased.

Although it was likely to make Egwene very, very annoyed with her. She'll be thankful in the end, Siuan thought. 'Gawyn!' she barked.

The handsome youth burst out of his tent, hopping as he stomped on his left boot. He had his sheathed sword in hand, sword belt half on around his waist. 'What?' he asked, scanning the camp. 'I heard shouts. Are we being attacked?'

'No,' Siuan said, glancing at Bryne. 'But Tar Valon might be.'

'Egwene!' Gawyn cried, hurriedly doing the last loops on his belt. Light, but the boy was single-minded.

'Boy,' Siuan said, folding her arms. 'I owe you a debt for getting me out of Tar Valon. Will you take my help getting you in to Tar Valon as repayment?'

'Gladly!' Gawyn said eagerly, sliding his sword in place. 'Repayment and then some!'

She nodded. 'Go get us some horses, then. It might just be the two of us.'

'I'll risk it,' Gawyn said. 'Finally!'

'You won't be taking my horses for this fool's errand,' Bryne said sternly.

'There are mounts in his stables owned by the Aes Sedai, Gawyn,' Siuan said, ignoring Bryne. 'Get one of them for me. A mild one, mind you. Very, very mild.'

Gawyn nodded and ran away into the night. Siuan followed him at a more careful pace, plotting. This would all be so much easier if she could create a gateway, but she didn't have enough strength in the Power for that. She had before her stilling, but wishing for things to be different was about as useful as wishing the silverpike you'd caught was a fangfish instead. You sold what you had and were happy for any kind of catch at all.

'Siuan,' Bryne said softly, walking beside her. Couldn't he just let her be! 'Listen to me. This is insanity! How are you going to get in?'

Siuan glanced at him. 'Shemerin got out.'

'That was before there was a siege, Siuan.' Bryne sounded exasperated. 'The place is much tighter now.'

Siuan shook her head. 'Shemerin was being watched closely. She got out through a Watergate; it's unwatched I'll bet, even now. I'd never heard of it, and I was Amyrlin. I have a map to its location.'

Bryne hesitated. Then his face hardened. 'It doesn't matter. The two of you still have no chance on your own.'

'Then come with us,' Siuan said.

'I will not be party to you breaking your oath again.'

'Egwene said we could do something if it looked like she was in danger of execution,' Siuan said. 'She told me she'd let us rescue her then! Well, the way she vanished from the meeting with me tonight, I'm inclined to think she's in danger.'

'It isn't Elaida who put her there, but the Seanchan!'

'We don't know for certain.'

'Ignorance is not an excuse,' Bryne said sternly, stepping closer to her. 'You have made oathbreaking far too convenient, Siuan, and I don't want it to become a habit for you. Aes Sedai or not, former Amyrlin or not, people must have rules and boundaries. To say nothing of the fact that you're likely to get yourself killed attempting this!'

'And will you stop me?' She was still holding the source. 'Do you think you could manage it?'

He ground his teeth. But he said nothing. Siuan turned and walked away from him, straight toward the fires at the palisade gate.

'Blasted woman,' Bryne said from behind. 'You'll be the death of me.'

She turned, raising an eyebrow.

'I'll come,' he said, hand gripping the hilt of his sheathed sword. He cut an imposing figure in the night, the straight lines of his coat matching the set cast of his face. 'But there are two conditions.'

'Name them,' she said.

'The first is that you bond me as your Warder.'

Siuan started. He wanted. . . . Light! Bryne wanted to be her Warder? She felt a surge of excitement.

But she hadn't considered taking a Warder, not since Alric's death. Losing him had been a terrible experience. Did she want to risk that again?

Did she dare pass the opportunity to have this man bonded to her, to feel his emotions, have him by her side? After all that she had dreamed and all that she had wished?

Feeling reverent, she stepped back up to Bryne, then laid a hand against his chest and wove the required weaves of Spirit and laid them over him. He breathed in sharply as new awareness blossomed inside of both of them, a new connection. She could feel his emotions, could sense his concern for her, which was shockingly powerful. It was ahead of his worry for Egwene and concern for his soldiers! Oh, Gareth, she thought, feeling herself smile at the sweetness of his love for her.

'I always wondered what that would feel like,' Bryne said, raising his hand and making a fist a few times in the torchlight. He sounded amazed. 'Would that I could give this to each man in my army!'

Siuan sniffed. 'I highly doubt that their wives and families would approve of that.'

'They would if it kept the soldiers alive,' Bryne said. 'I could run a thousand leagues and never want for breath. I could stand against a hundred foes at once and laugh at them all.'

She rolled her eyes. Men! She had given him a deeply personal and emotional connection to another person —the likes of which even husbands and wives would never know—and all he could think about was how much better he might have become at swordplay!

'Siuan!' a voice called. 'Siuan Sanche!'

She turned. Gawyn, riding a black gelding, approached. Another horse trotted behind him—a shaggy brown mare. 'Bela!' Siuan exclaimed.

'Is she suitable?' Gawyn said, sounding slightly out of breath. 'Bela was once Egwene's horse, I recall, and the stablemaster said she was the most placid he had.'

'She'll do just fine,' Siuan said, turning back to Bryne. 'You said you had two requirements?'

'I'll tell you the second at a later time.' Bryne still sounded a little breathless.

'That's rather ambiguous.' Siuan folded her arms. 'I don't like giving an open promise.'

'Well, you'll have to do it anyway,' Bryne said, meeting her eyes.

'Fine, but it had better not be indecent, Gareth Bryne.'

He frowned.

'What?'

'It's odd,' he said, smiling. 'I can sense your emotions now. For instance I could tell. . . .' He cut off, and she could sense him growing just faintly embarrassed.

He can tell that I half want him to demand something indecent of me! Siuan realized, aghast. Bloody ashes! She felt herself blushing. This was going to be very