Towers of Midnight

  Both figures twisted suddenly, striking in tandem at Celark. The man barely had time to curse before a sword took him in the neck, and bright blood spurted out. Gawyn yelled again, falling into Lizard in the Thornbush, striking at the backs of the assassins.

  Again, his attacks missed. It seemed he was off by only a few hairs. Celark stumbled to the floor with a gurgle, his blood reflecting lanternlight, and Gawyn couldn't step forward to defend him. Not without exposing Egwene.

  One of the assassins turned back to Gawyn while the other beheaded Celark, with a slash that despite the shadows looked a lot like The River Undercuts the Bank. Gawyn stepped back, trying to keep his eyes off the fallen man. Defend. He only had to defend until help came! He edged to the side.

  The Seanchan were wary; they knew he'd fought one of them off before.

  But they had such a strong advantage. Gawyn wasn't certain he could stand against two of them.

  Yes you will, he told himself sternly. If you fall, Egwene dies.

  Was that a flicker of movement from the other room? Could help have come? Gawyn felt a surge of hope, and edged to the side. From there, he could see Mazone's body on the floor, bleeding.

  A third shadowed figure glided into the room and shut the door behind, locking it. That was why the other two had been hesitating. They'd wanted to wait until their ally arrived.

  The three of them attacked together.

  Perrin let the wolf free.

  For once, he didn't worry about what it would do to him. He let himself be, and as he fought, the world seemed to become right around him.

  Perhaps that was because it bent to his will.

  Young Bull leaped from a rooftop in Tar Valon, powerful hind legs springing him into the air, ter'angreal pouch fastened to his back. He soared over a street and landed on a white marble roof with groups of statues on its edges. He rolled, coming up as a man ter'angreal tied at his waist with hammer swinging.

  Slayer vanished right before the hammer hit, then appeared beside Perrin. Perrin vanished as Slayer swung, then appeared just to the left. Back and forth they went, spinning around one another, each disappearing then appearing again, sttuggling to land a blow.

  Perrin threw himself out of the cycle, sending himself to a place beside one of the roof s large statues, a pompous-looking general. He swung, smashing his hammer into it, magnifying the power of the blow. Chunks of statue exploded toward Slayer. The wolf-killer appeared, expecting to find Perrin beside him. Instead, a storm of stone and dust crashed into him.

  Slayer bellowed, stone chips slicing his skin. His cloak immediately became as strong as steel, reflecting chunks of stone. He whipped it back and the entire building started to shake. Perrin cursed and leaped free as the roof fell in.

  Perrin soared, becoming a wolf before landing on a nearby rooftop. Slayer appeared in front of him, bow drawn. Young Bull growled, imagining the wind blowing, but Slayer didn't fire. He just stood there, as if-

  As if he were just a statue.

  Perrin cursed, spinning as an arrow shot past him, narrowly missing

  him at the waist. The real Slayer stood a short distance off; he vanished, leaving the remarkably detailed statue he'd created to distract Perrin.

  Perrin took a deep breath and made the sweat leave his brow. Slayer could come at him from any direction. He put a wall at his back and stood carefully, scanning the rooftop. The dome shook overhead. He'd grown used to that it moved with him.

  But he wasn't moving.

  He looked down with a panic. The pouch was gone the arrow Slayer had fired at his waist had sliced it free. Perrin dashed forward to the edge of the roof. Below, Slayer ran through the street, the pouch in his hand.

  A wolf leaped from an alley, crashing into Slayer, tossing him to the ground. Hopper.

  Perrin was there in a moment, attacking. Slayer cursed, vanishing from underneath Hopper and appearing at the end of the street. He began to flee, leaving a blur behind him.

  Perrin followed, Hopper joining him. How did you find me? Perrin sent.

  You are two foolish cubs, Hopper sent. Very loud. Like snarling cats. Easy to find.

  He'd deliberately not shown Hopper where he was. After seeing Oak Dancer die . . . well, this was Perrin's fight. Now that the ter'angreal was away from Ghealdan and his people were escaping, he didn't want to risk the lives of other wolves.

  Not that Hopper would go if he told him to. Growling again, Perrin barreled after Slayer, wolf at his side.

  Egwene crouched beside the wall of the hallway, panting, sweat dripping from her brow. Across from her, molten drops of rock cooled from a blast of fire.

  The Tower hallway fell still. A few lamps flickered on the wall. Through a window, she could see the purple sky above, between the Tower and the dark clouds. She'd been fighting for what seemed like hours, though it had probably been only fifteen minutes. She'd lost track of the Wise Ones.

  She began to creep forward, using the anti-eavesdropping weave to make her footfalls silent until she reached a corner and peered around it. Darkness in both directions. Egwene crept forward, moving carefully, resolutely. The Tower was her domain. She felt invaded, as surely as when the Seanchan had come. However, this fight was proving very different

  from fighting off the Seanchan. There, the enemy had been bold, easy to spot.

  Faint light appeared under a doorway ahead. She shifted herself into the room, preparing weaves. Two women were there, speaking in whispers, one holding a globe of light. Evanellein and Mestra, two of the Black sisters who had fled the White Tower.

  Egwene let loose with a ball of fire that destroyed Mestra in an inferno. Evanellein yelped, and Egwene used a trick Nynaeve had taught her she imagined Evanellein being stupid, unable to think, unable to react.

  The woman's eyes glazed over, and her mouth opened. Thought was faster than weaves. Egwene hesitated. Now what? Kill her, while defenseless? Her stomach turned at that thought. I could take her captive. Go and

  Someone appeared in the room with her. The newcomer wore black, a magnificent gown with silver trim. Darkness swirled about her, made of spinning ribbons of cloth, her skirt rippling. The effect was unnatural and impressive; possible only here in Tel'aran'rhiod.

  Egwene looked into the woman's eyes. Large and blue, set in an angular face with chin-length black hair. There was a power to those eyes, and Egwene immediately knew what she was facing. Why fight? She couldn't-

  Egwene felt her mind change, become accepting. She fought it with a burst of panic, and in a moment of clarity, she sent herself away.

  Egwene appeared in her rooms, then raised her hand to her head, sitting down on the bed. Light, but that woman had been strong.

  Something sounded behind her; someone appearing in the room. Egwene leaped to her feet, preparing weaves. Nynaeve stood there, eyes wide with fury. The woman thrust her hands forward, weaves forming, but she froze.

  "To the gardens," Egwene said, not trusting her quarters. She shouldn't have come here; Mesaana would know this place.

  Nynaeve nodded, and Egwene vanished, appearing in the lower Tower garden. The strange violet dome extended above. What was that, and how had Mesaana brought it here? Nynaeve appeared a moment later.

  "They're still up there," Nynaeve whispered. "I just saw Alviarin."

  "I saw Mesaana," Egwene said. "She nearly took me."

  "Light! Are you all right?"

  Egwene nodded. "Mestra is dead. I saw Evanellein, too."

  "It's black as a tomb up there," Nynaeve whispered. "I think they made it that way. Siuan and Leane are all right; I saw them a little bit ago, sticking together. Just before that, I managed to hit Notori with a blast of fire. She's dead."

  "Good. The Black Ajah stole nineteen ter'angreal. That might give us an estimate of how many Black Ajah we have to contend with." She, Siuan, Nynaeve, Leane and the three Wise Ones were outnumbered but the Black Ajah didn't seem to have much experience with Tel'aran'rhiod.

  "Have you seen the
Wise Ones?"

  "They're up there." Nynaeve grimaced. "They seem to be enjoying this."

  "They would," Egwene said. "I want you and me to go together. We will appear in intersections, back to back, and quickly scan for light or people. If you see a Black, strike. If someone sees you, say 'Go' and we'll jump back here."

  Nynaeve nodded.

  "First intersection is the one outside my room," Egwene said. "Hallway on the south side. I'll flood it with light; you be ready. From there, we'll jump down one hallway, by the door into the servants' ramp. Then on down the line."

  Nynaeve nodded sharply.

  The world winked around Egwene. She appeared in the hallway, and immediately thought of the place lit, imposing her will upon it. Light flooded the entire space. A round-faced woman crouched near the side of the wall, wearing white. Sedore, one of the Black sisters.

  Sedore spun, looking angry, weaves springing up around her. Egwene worked faster, creating a column of fire right before Sedore would have released her own. No weaves on Egwene's part. Just the fire.

  Egwene saw the Black's eyes open wider as the fire roared around her. Sedore screeched, but that cut off as the heat consumed her. Her burned corpse collapsed to the floor, smoldering.

  Egwene let out a relieved breath. "Anyone on your side?"

  "No," Nynaeve said. "Who was that you hit?"

  "Sedore."

  "Really?" Nynaeve said, turning. She had been a Sitter for the Yellow. Egwene smiled. "Next hallway."

  They jumped, and repeated their strategy, flooding the hallway with light. There was nobody there, so they moved on. The next two hallways were empty. Egwene was about to leave when a voice hissed, "Foolish child! Your pattern is obvious."

  Egwene spun. "Where . . ."

  She cut off as she saw Bair. The aged Wise One had changed her clothing and even her skin itself to match the white walls and floor tiles. She was practically invisible, crouching in an alcove.

  "You shouldn't " Bair began.

  A wall beside them exploded outward, throwing up chunks of rock. Six women stood beyond, and they released weaves of Fire. It appeared that the time for sneaking had ended.

  Perrin crested the wall surrounding the White Tower grounds, coming down with a thump. The strangeness of the wolf dream continued; he now not only smelled odd scents, but heard odd sounds as well. Rumblings from inside the Tower.

  He leaped after Slayer, who crossed the grounds, then ran up the outside of the Tower itself. Perrin followed, running up into the air. Slayer stayed just ahead, ter'angreal pouch tied at his waist.

  Perrin created a longbow. He pulled it back, freezing in place, standing on the side of the Tower. He loosed, but the wolf-killer leaped up, then fell into the Tower through a window. The arrow passed overhead.

  Perrin leaped to the window, then ducked inside, Hopper leaping in after him, leaving a blur behind. They entered a bedroom hung with brocades of blue. The door slammed, and Perrin charged after Slayer. He didn't bother to open the door; he smashed it with his hammer.

  Slayer charged down a hallway.

  Follow, Perrin sent to Hopper. I’ll cut him off.

  The wolf raced forward, after Slayer. Perrin ran to the right, then cut down a hallway. He moved quickly, the walls speeding past.

  He passed a hallway that appeared to be full of people. He was so surprised that he froze, the hall lurching around him.

  They were Aes Sedai, and they were fighting. The hallway was alight, trails of fire flying from one end to the other. The sounds he'd heard before hadn't been phantoms. And, he thought, yes . . .

  "Egwene?" Perrin asked.

  She stood pressed against the wall nearby, intently looking down the hallway. When he spoke, she spun on him, hands going up. He felt something grab him. His mind instantly reacted, however, pushing the air away.

  Egwene started as she failed to snatch him.

  He stepped forward. "Egwene, you shouldn't be here. This place is dangerous."

  "Perrin?"

  "I don't know how you got here," Perrin said. "But you need to go. Please."

  "How did you stop me?" she demanded. "What are you doing here? Have you been with Rand? Tell me where he is."

  She spoke with such authority now. She almost seemed a different person, decades older than the girl he'd known. Perrin opened his mouth to reply, but Egwene cut him off.

  "I don't have time for this," she said. "I'm sorry, Perrin. I'll be back for you." She raised a hand, and he felt things change around him. Ropes appeared, binding him.

  He looked down, amused. The ropes slipped free the moment he thought of them being too loose.

  Egwene blinked, watching them drop to the ground. "How "

  Someone burst out of a room nearby, a tall, slender-necked woman with raven hair, wearing a sleek white dress. She smiled, raising her hands, and a light appeared before her.

  Perrin didn't need to know what she was doing. He was a wolf; he was the ruler of this place. Weaves were meaningless. He imagined the woman's attack missing him; he knew it would be so.

  A bar of white-hot light shot from the woman. Perrin raised a hand before himself and Egwene. The light vanished, as if stopped by his palm.

  Egwene turned, and the wall above the woman burst, rock showering down. A chunk smashed the woman on the head brutally, knocking her to the ground. Light, she was probably dead, after a blow like that.

  Egwene smelled amazed. She spun on him. "Balefire? You stopped balefire! Nothing should be able to do that."

  "It's just a weave," Perrin said, reaching out for Hopper. Where was Slayer?

  "It's not just a weave, Perrin, it's- "

  "I'm sorry, Egwene," he said. "I will speak to you later. Be careful in this place. You probably already know that you need to be, but still. It's more dangerous than you know."

  He turned and ran, leaving Egwene sputtering. It seemed she'd managed to become an Aes Sedai. That was good; she deserved it.

  Hopper? he sent. Where are you?

  His only reply was a sudden, terrifying, sending of pain.

  Gawyn fought for his life against three living shadows of darkness and steel.

  They pressed him to the utmost of his ability, leaving him bloodied half a dozen times over on arms and legs. He used The Cyclone Rages, and it defended his vitals. Barely.

  Drops of his blood stained the gauze draping Egwene's bed. If his

  opponents had already killed Egwene, then they made a good show of continuing to threaten her.

  He was growing weak and tired. His boots left bloody prints when he stepped. He couldn't feel the pain. His parries were becoming sluggish. They'd have him in another moment or two.

  No help came, although his voice was hoarse from yelling. Fool! he thought. You need to spend more time thinking and less time running straight into danger! He should have alerted the entire Tower.

  The only reason he was alive was because the three were being careful, wearing him down. Once he fell, that sul'dam had indicated they would go on a rampage through the White Tower. It would take the Aes Sedai completely by surprise. This night could be a disaster greater than the original Seanchan strike had been.

  The three moved forward.

  No! Gawyn thought as one of them tried The River Undercuts the Bank. He leaped forward, dodging between two blades, swinging his weapon. Amazingly, he actually struck, and a voice cried out in the room. Blood sprayed across the ground, one shadowy form falling.

  The two others muttered curses, and all pretense of wearing him down vanished. They struck at him, weapons flashing amid dark mist. Exhausted, Gawyn took another hit on the shoulder, blood trickling down his arm beneath his coat.

  Shadows. How could a man be expected to fight against shadows? It was impossible!

  Where there is light, there must be shadow . . .

  A last, desperate thought occurred to him. With a cry, he leaped to the side and yanked a pillow from Egwene's bed. Blades cut the air around him as he spun
and slammed the pillow on the lantern, smothering it.

  Plunging the room into darkness. No light. No shadows.

  Equality.

  The darkness evened out everything, and in the night, you couldn't see color. He couldn't see the blood on his arms, couldn't see the black shadows of his enemies or the whiteness of Egwene's bed. But he could hear the men move.

  He raised his blade for a desperate strike, using Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose, predicting where the Bloodknives would move. He was no longer distracted by their misted figures, and his strike hit true, sinking into flesh.

  He twisted, yanking his blade free. The room fell silent save for the fall

  of the man he'd hit. Gawyn held his breath, heartbeat thumping in his ears. Where was the last assassin?

  No light came in from the room next doot; Celark had fallen beside the doorway, blocking the light underneath.

  Gawyn was feeling shaky now. He'd lost too much blood. If he had something to throw to create a distraction . . . but no. Moving would rustle clothing, would give him away.

  So, gritting his teeth, he tapped his foot and raised his blade to protect his neck, praying to the Light that the attack came low.

  It did, cutting deeply into his side. He took it with a grunt, but immediately lashed out with all he had. His sword hissed, and with a brief tug it sliced true. A thump followed; a decapitated head bouncing off the wall, followed by the noise of a corpse hitting the ground.

  Gawyn slumped against the bed, blood gushing from his side. He was blacking out, although it was hard to tell in the unlit room.

  He reached for where he remembered Egwene's hand being, but was too weak to find it.

  He hit the floor a moment later. His last thought was that he still didn't know whether or not she was dead.

  "Great Mistress," Katerine said, kneeling before Mesaana, "we cannot find the thing you describe. Half of our women search for it while the other half fight the worms who resist. But it is nowhere!"