Towers of Midnight (The Wheel of Time 13)

"I serve the Dragon Reborn," Ituralde said. "Tarmon Gai'don comes, and all previous allegiances, boundaries, and laws are subject to the Dragon's will."

Vram clicked his tongue. "Dragonsworn. I had reports, of course and those men you employ seemed an obvious hint. But it is still so strange to hear. Do you not realize how utterly foolish you sound?"

Ituralde met the man's eyes. He hadn't considered himself Dragonsworn, but there was no use calling a horse a rock and expecting everyone else to agree. "Don't you care about the invading Trollocs?"

"There have been Trollocs before," Vram said. "There have always been Trollocs."

"The Queen " Yoeli said.

"The Queen," Vram interrupted, "will soon return from her expedition to unmask and capture this false Dragon. Once that happens, she will see you executed, traitor. You, Rodel Ituralde, will likely be spared because of your station, but I should not like to be your family when they receive the ransom demand. I hope that you have wealth to accompany your reputation. Otherwise, you shall likely spend many of the next years as a general to nothing more than the rats of your cell."

"I see," Ituralde said. "When did you turn to the Shadow?"

Vram's eyes opened wide, and he stood. "You dare name me Dark-friend ?"

"I've known some Saldaeans in my time," Ituralde said. "I've called some friends; I've fought against others. But never have I known one who would watch men fight Shadowspawn and not offer to help."

"If I had a sword . . ." Vram said.

"May you burn, Vram Torkumen," Ituralde said. "I came here to tell you that that, on behalf of the men I lost."

The man seemed shocked as Ituralde turned to go. Yoeli joined him, pulling the door closed.

"You disagree with my accusation?" Ituralde asked, joining the traitor as they returned to the stairs.

"I honestly can't decide if he's a fool or a Darkfriend," Yoeli said. "He'd have to be one or the other to not put together the truth from the winter, those clouds and the rumors that al'Thor has conquered half the world."

"Then you have nothing to fear," Ituralde said. "You won't be executed."

"I killed my countrymen," Yoeli said, "staged a revolt against my Queen's appointed leader, and seized command of the city, though I've not a drop of noble blood."

"That'll change the moment Tenobia returns, I warrant," Ituralde said. "You've earned yourself a title for certain."

Yoeli stopped in the dark stairwell, lit only from above and below. "I see that you do not understand. I have betrayed my oaths and killed friends. I will demand execution, as is my right."

Ituralde felt a chill. Bloody Borderlanders, he thought. "Swear yourself to the Dragon. He supersedes all oaths. Do not waste your life. Fight beside me at the Last Battle."

"I will not hide behind excuses, Lord Ituralde," the man said, continuing down the steps. "No more than I could watch your men die. Come. Let us see to the housing of those Asha'man. I would like very much to see these 'gateways' you speak of. If we could use them to send messages out and bring supplies in, this could be a very interesting siege indeed."

Ituralde sighed, but followed. They didn't speak of fleeing by way of the gateways. Yoeli wouldn't abandon his city. And, he realized, Ituralde wouldn't abandon Yoeli and his men. Not after what they'd gone through to rescue him.

This was as good a place as any to make a stand. Better than many a situation he'd been in lately, that was for certain.

Perrin entered their tent to find Faile brushing her hair. She

was beautiful. Each day, he still felt a sense of wonder that she was really back.

She turned to him and smiled in satisfaction. She was using the new silver comb he'd left on her pillow something he'd traded for from Gaul, who had found it in Maiden. If this shanna'har was important to her, then Perrin intended to treat it the same way.

"The messengers have returned," Perrin said, closing the flaps to the tent. "The Whitecloaks have chosen a battlefield. Light, Faile. They're going to force me to wipe them out."

"I don't see the trouble with that," she said. "We'll win."

"Probably," Perrin said, sitting down on the pillows beside their sleeping pallet. "But despite the Asha'man doing most of the work at first, we'll have to move in to fight. That means we'll lose people. Good men we need at the Last Battle." He forced himself to relax the fists that he'd clenched. "The Light burn those Whitecloaks for what they've done, and for what they're doing."

"Then it's a welcome opportunity to defeat them."

Perrin grunted a reply, and didn't explain the depth of frustration he felt. He would lose that fight against the Whitecloaks, no matter what happened. Men would die on both sides. Men they needed.