Seonid continued, speaking of trade and food resources in Cairhien. Perrin found himself thinking about that strange violet wall he'd seen in the wolf dream. Idiot, he told himself sternly. Keep listening. Light! He really was a bad ruler. He'd had no trouble running at the front of the wolves when they'd let him hunt. Why couldn't he do the same for his own people?
'Tear is rallying troops,' Seonid said. 'Rumors say the Lord Dragon commanded King Darlin to gather men for war. There is apparently a king in Tear now, by the way. A curious event. Some say that Darlin will march for Arad Doman, though others say it must be for the Last Battle. Still others insist that al'Thor intends to defeat the Seanchan first. All three options seem plausible, and I can't give more without a trip to Tear myself.' She eyed Perrin, smelling hopeful.
'No,' Perrin said. 'Not yet. Rand isn't in Cairhien, but Andor seems stable. It makes the most sense for me to head there and talk to Elayne. She'll have information for us.'
Faile smelled worried.
'Lord Aybara,' Seonid said, 'do you think the Queen will welcome you? With the flag of Manetheren, and your self-endowed title of Lord… Perrin scowled. 'Both of those fool banners are down now, and Elayne will see things right, once I explain them to her.'
'And my soldiers?' Alliandre said. 'You will probably want to ask before moving foreign troops onto Andoran soil.'
'You won't be coming,' Perrin said. 'I've said it before, Alliandre. You'll be in Jehannah. We'll get you there as soon as we deal with the Whitecloaks.'
'Has a decision been made about them, then?' Arganda asked, leaning forward, eager and excited.
'They've demanded a battle,' Perrin said. 'And they ignore my requests for further parley. I've a mind to give them a fight.' They began talking of that, though it soon became a discussion of what it meant to have a king in Tear. Eventually, Seonid cleared her throat and steered the conversation back to her report.
'The Seanchan are a matter of great discussion in Cairhien,' Seonid said 'The invaders seem to be focusing on securing their lands, including Altara. They are still expanding in the west, however, and there are pitched battles on Almoth Plain.'
'Expanding toward Arad Doman,' Arganda said. 'There is a battle brewing there.'
'Most likely,' Seonid said.
'If the Last Battle comes,' Annoura said, 'then it would be advantageous to have an alliance with the Seanchan.' She seemed thoughtful, legs crossed as she sat on her embroidered blue and yellow silk pillow.
'They have chained Wise Ones,' Edarra said, her too-young face growing dark. She smelled dangerous. Angry but cold, like the smell before a person planned to kill. 'Not just Shaido, who deserve their fate. If there is an alliance with the Seanchan, it will end as soon as the Car'a'carn's work is finished. Already, many of my people speak of a blood feud with these invaders.'
'I doubt Rand wants a war between you,' Perrin said.
'A year and a day,' Edarra said simply. 'Wise Ones cannot be taken gai'shain, but perhaps the Seanchan ways are different. Regardless, we will give them a year and a day. If they do not release their captives when we demand them after that time, they will know our spears. The Car'a'carn cannot demand any more from us.'
The pavilion grew still.
'Anyway,' Seonid said, clearing her throat. 'Once finished with Cairhien, we met up with those who had gone to Andor to check on rumors there.'
'Wait,' Perrin said. 'Andor?'
'The Wise Ones decided to send Maidens there.'
'That wasn't the plan,' Perrin growled, looking at the Wise Ones.
'You don't control us, Perrin Aybara,' Edarra said calmly. 'We needed to know if there were still Aiel in the city or not, and if the Car'a'carn was there. Your Asha'man complied when we asked them for the gateway.'
The Maidens could have been seen,' he grumbled. Well, he had told Grady to do the gateways as the Aiel asked him, though he'd been referring to the timing of the departure and the return. He should have been more precise.
'Well, they weren't seen,' Seonid sounded exasperated, like one talking with a foolish child. 'At least not by anyone they didn't intend to speak with.' Light! Was it him, or was she beginning to seem a lot like a Wise One? Was that what Seonid and the others were doing in the Aiel camp? Learning to become more stubborn? Light help them all.
'Regardless,' Seonid continued, 'it was wise of us to visit Caemlyn. Rumor cannot be trusted, particularly not when one of the Forsaken was said to be operating in the area.'
'One of the Forsaken?' Gallenne asked. 'In Andor?'
Perrin nodded, waving for another cup of warmed tea. 'Rand said it was Rahvin, though I was in the Two Rivers when the battle happened.' The colors swirled in Perrin's head. 'Rahvin was impersonating one of the local noblemen, a man named Gabral or Gabil or some such. He used the Queen—made her fall in love with him, or something—and then killed her.'
A serving tray hit the ground with a muted peal.
Porcelain cups shattered, tea spraying into the air. Perrin spun, cursing, and several of the Maidens leaped to their feet, clutching belt knives.
Maighdin stood, looking stunned, arms at her sides. The fallen tray lay on the ground before her.
'Maighdin!' Faile said. 'Are you all right?'
The sun-haired serving woman turned to Perrin, looking dazed. 'If you please, my Lord, will you repeat what you said?'
'What?' Perrin asked. 'Woman, what's wrong?'
'You said one of the Forsaken had taken up residence in Andor,' Maighdin said, voice calm. She gave him as sharp a look as he'd gotten from any Aes Sedai. 'Are you certain of what you heard?'
Perrin settled back on his cushion, scratching his chin. 'Sure as I can be. It's been some time, now, but I know Rand was convinced. He fought someone with the One Power in the Andoran palace.'
'His name was Gaebril,' Sulin said. 'I was there. Lightning struck from an open sky, and there was no doubt it was the One Power. It was one of the Forsaken.'
'There were some in Andor who claimed the Car'a'carn spoke of this, Edarra added. 'He said that this Gaebril had been using forbidden weaves on wetlanders in the palace, twisting their minds, making them think and do as he wished.'
'Maighdin, what's wrong?' Perrin asked. 'Light, woman, he's dead now! You needn't fear.'
'I must be excused,' Maighdin said. She walked from the pavilion, leaving the tray and broken porcelain, bone white, scattered on the ground.
'I will see to her later,' Faile said, embarrassed. 'She is distraught to find that she'd lived so close to one of the Forsaken. She's from Caemlyn, you know.'
The others nodded, and other servants moved forward to clean up the mess. Perrin realized he wasn't going to be getting any more tea. Fool man, he thought. You lived most your life without being able to order tea on command. You won't die now that you can't get a refill by waving your hand.
'Let's move on,' he said, settling on his cushions. He could never quite get comfortable on the blasted things.
'My report is finished,' Seonid said, pointedly ignoring the servant who was cleaning up porcelain shards in front of her.
'I stand by my earlier decision,' Perrin said. 'Dealing with the Whitecloaks is important. After that we'll go to Andor, and I'll talk to Elayne. Grady, how are you managing?'
The weathered Asha'man looked up from where he sat in his black coat. 'I'm fully recovered from my sickness, my Lord, and Neald almost is as well.'
'You still look tired,' Perrin said.
'I am,' Grady said, 'but burn me, I'm better than I was many a day in the field before I went to the Black Tower.'
'It's time to start sending some of these refugees where they belong,' Perrin said. 'With those circles, you can keep a gateway open longer?'
'I'm not right sure. Being in a circle is still tiring. Maybe more so. But I can make much larger gateways with
