The Gathering Storm

She was gone. Byrne felt a spike of shock, followed by one of terror. Where was she? If that woman had gotten herself killed. . . .

But no. He could sense her inside the Tower. She wasn't hurt. This bond was such a wondrous thing, but he was too unaccustomed to it. He should have noticed that she was gone! He scanned his line of soldiers. The Seanchan had fought well, but they were visibly routed now. Their line was breaking, scattering in all directions, and Bryne barked the order for his men not to follow.

"First and second squads, gather the wounded quickly," he called. "Carry them to the side of the courtyard. Those who can walk should head directly for the boats." He grimaced. "Those who can't walk will need to wait for Aes Sedai to Heal them." The soldiers nodded. The badly wounded would be abandoned into enemy hands, but they had been warned of that possibility before coming on this mission. Recovering the Amyrlin outweighed all other concerns.

Some men would die from their wounds while they waited. There was nothing he could do about that. Hopefully, most would be Healed by the White Tower Aes Sedai. That healing would be followed by imprisonment, but there was no other choice. The team of soldiers had to keep moving quickly, and there was no time for litters to carry the wounded.

"Third and fourth squads," he began, urgent. He stopped as a familiar form in a blue dress strode out of the Tower, towing a girl in white. Of course, Siuan herself looked only faintly older than the girl, now. At times, he had difficulty connecting her to the stern woman he had met years ago.

Feeling a surge of relief, he confronted Siuan as she approached. "Who is thai?" he demanded. "Where did you go?"

She clicked her tongue, telling the novice to wait, then pulling Bryne away to speak to him in a low voice. "Your soldiers were busy, and I decided it would be a good time to gather some information. And, I might note, we're going to have to work on your attitude, Gareth Bryne. That's not the proper way for a Warder to speak to his Aes Sedai."

"I'll start worrying about that when you start acting like you have two bits of sense in your head, woman. What if you'd run into Seanchan?"

"Then I would have been in danger," she said, hands on hips. "It wouldn't be the first time. I couldn't risk being seen by other Aes Sedai with you or your soldiers. Such simple disguises won't fool a sister."

"And if you'd been recognized?" he demanded. "Siuan, these people tried to execute you!"

She sniffed. "Moiraine herself wouldn't recognize me with this face. The women in the Tower will just see a young Aes Sedai who looks faintly familiar. Besides, I didn't run into any of them. Just this child."

She glanced at the novice; the girl had a short bob of black hair and stared, terrified, at the battle in the sky above. "Hashala, come here," Siuan called.

The novice scurried over.

"Tell this man what you told me," Siuan commanded.

"Yes, Aes Sedai," the novice said with an anxious curtsy. Bryne's soldiers made an honor guard around Siuan, and Gawyn stepped up beside Bryne. The young man's eyes kept nicking toward the deadly sky.

"The Amyrlin, Egwene al'Vere," the novice said in a quivering voice. "She was released from the cells earlier today and allowed to return to the novices' quarters. I was down in the lower kitchens when the attack came, so I don't know what has happened to her. But she's probably up on the twenty-first or twenty-second level somewhere. That's where the novices' quarters are now." She grimaced. "The inside of the Tower is a mess, these days. Nothing is where it should be."

Siuan met Bryne's eyes. "Egwene's been given forkroot in heavy doses. She'll barely be able to channel."

"We've got to reach her!" Gawyn said.

"Obviously," Bryne said, rubbing his chin. "That's why we're here. I guess we go up instead of down, then."

"You're here to rescue her, aren't you?" The novice sounded eager.

Bryne eyed the girl. Child, I wish you hadn't made that connection. He hated the thought of leaving a mere novice tied up in the middle of this mess. But they couldn't have her running to give warning to the White Tower Aes Sedai.

"I want to go with you," the novice said fervently. "I'm loyal to the Amyrlin. The real Amyrlin. Most of us are."

Bryne raised an eyebrow, glancing at Siuan.

"Let her come," the Aes Sedai said. "It's the easier option anyway." She moved over to begin asking the girl a few more questions.

Bryne glanced to the side as one of his captains, a man named Vestas, approached. "My Lord," Vestas said urgently, his voice a deep whisper. "The wounded are sorted. We lost twelve men. Another fifteen are wounded but can walk and are heading for the boats. Six are wounded too badly to go with them." Vestas hesitated. "Three men won't last the hour, my Lord."

Bryne gritted his teeth. "We move on."

"I feel that pain, Bryne," Siuan said, turning around and eyeing him. "What is it?"

"We don't have time. The Amyrlin—"

"Can wait another moment. What is it?"

"Three men," he said. "I have to leave three of my men to die."