A/N: Welcome to my story about how the Fourth Age continued. There will be peace and strife, hope and despair, beautiful and ugly things. I will write two other stories once this one is finished, the second set a hundred years after the events of AMoL and the second some five hundred years after the said events. Enjoy!

The First Flames

Anastasya Norin held her dead Warder's head, crying her heart out. The rest of his body lay incinerated beneath a heap of dead Trollocs and she had yet not been able to summon the strength to dig him out. His blood stained her blue dress, turning the green slashes sickly brown. She had once had long black hair decked with green ribbons and golden bells but the Sharan attacks had burned most of it off, leaving but a few curls that framed her oval face, blotched and dirty. Her blue eyes were red and puffy from crying which was not going stop anytime soon. All in all, she did not feel like an Aes Sedai at all. Her other Warder, Kiril, held his huge hand on her shoulder, mourning with her if not crying. Anton and he had been brothers, and over the years they had pulled her bacon off the skillet countless times. There had been many close calls but never, not once had they thought that it would be Anton who died first. He had always been the careful one while Kiril had always charged ahead, causing grey hairs to Anastasya. But the Sharans did not choose their victims based on recklessness. They just killed whoever they could. Such was the way of war.

"Maybe we should take you to Mayene," Kiril said, still using the plural form he and Anton had always used. "The Yellows, they'll help you. The Amyrlin is there as well..."

Anastasya drew a trembling breath, sniffling. She needed a handkerchief.

"I... I need to keep fighting, Kiril. My Sisters, they are out there. They need me."

She looked up at Kiril who looked grim. It was a scary expression on him, for he, like his brother had been, was a muscular man over eight feet tall with wide shoulders. He had black hair, blue eyes and an oval face like Anastasya. She was their grandmother's great-aunt and like their father and his father, they had chosen to serve the White Tower.

"When Seylana Sedai's Rosken died, she did not keep fighting, she gave herself a break. I think you need one too."

Anastanya sniffled some more, hugging her Warder's head. Kiril slowly pried it out of her arms and laid it down on the ground. Not much remained of Anton's face. Sharan channelers had burned him crisp.

"Now, will we carry you to the Grey Sisters or will you walk yourself?"

Anastasya sighed, wiping tears off her cheeks. More replaced them. She was not certain that she could stand up, much less walk.

"I think you should carry me."

Kiril nodded and lifted her gently onto his shoulder on which she fit easily. She was not even five feet tall and she hardly had any excess flesh on her. He started walking back towards their reinforcements as they were, avoiding open areas. Anastasya tried to keep her eyes open and scan the landscape while saidar kept eluding her. If she saw any Trollocs or enemy channelers, she would not able to do a thing, probably not even shout a warning. Though Kiril was tough, he was not tough enough to take on a horde of Trollocs or even a single channeler on his own, at least without the advantage of a surprise attack. Anastasya tried to reclaim some resemblance of Aes Sedai calm, not succeeding very well. The last time she had lost a Warder, Kiril's and Anton's father, well over fifteen years ago, she had been a wreck for several months and the grief had started to lessen only after three years of crying herself to sleep at night. But the Last Battle was raging everywhere around them and she could not miss it. That would betray the purpose of her Ajah. But if she could not channel at all, she would not be of use. She felt overwhelmingly disappointed and angry at that.

"Kiril, I think I can walk on my own, now," she muttered when they found the Greys' hiding place or command post as they called it. Kiril let her down, placing her on the ground like a porcelain doll. Anastasya took a few wobbling steps, making sure that she had not been kidding herself and began striding towards women who were keeping the battlefield connected to Mayene. Some of them turned to regard Anastasya suspiciously as she approached. It was a good time to be paranoid. Anastasya herself still found it hard to believe that the Black Ajah had existed and that some of her acquaintances had been its members. The Amyrlin had purged the White Tower but suspicion still remained.

Kiril remained close to her, trying to keep an eye on everything. Sounds of distant explosions reminded Anastasya that she needed to get back to the battle as soon as she could find saidar again.

"I need to go to Mayene", she said to the Grey Sister in charge, Sienna Vayrin. Sienna had been an Aes Sedai when Anastasya came to the White Tower and she was somewhat stronger, yet there on the battlefield even weak Green Sisters were allowed to demand assistance when they needed it. Anastasya almost considered demanding the Grey Sisters to form a circle with her, just to see what would happen, but right then her grief started to make a full return, her anger and frustration slowly ebbing away. She stifled a sob and turned away from the Greys, trying to appear to be screening her surroundings. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sienna make an uncharacteristic shrug and then channel to open a Gateway to the First's Palace in Mayene. Anastasya hurried through, Kiril at her heels, almost succeeding at keeping her face impassive and Aes Sedai-like. She did not turn to look at the Grey Sisters again. Their silence spoke in volumes. They knew that she had lost a Warder. They did not challenge her but rather let her have her way. So very kind of them, she thought sarcastically.

When the Gateway snapped shut behind Anastasya, she fell on her knees and began crying like a child with a broken heart.

She was well aware of hushed voices around her, muffled cries of pain and sorrow. Kiril picked her up, holding her close to his chest and carried her out of the Travelling room.

Anastasya saw Rosil through her tears, asking Kiril about what had happened. For a moment Anastasya felt a terrible stab of jealously. How dare Rosil talk to her Warder without her say-so? She crushed the feeling angrily, knowing it was irrational. Anton's death was like an inflamed wound in her mind. She sobbed again, feeling angry at herself. She should have been there to stop the fireball that set him on fire and distracted him long enough for the Trollocs to kill him.

"Anastasya Sedai says she needs rest," Kiril was saying, sounding grave. His feelings were strangely orderly but then, that was his coping mechanism. Whenever Anastasya had been wounded in the past, Kiril and Anton had swapped personalities, Kiril becoming orderly and calm, Anton worrying and chewing his fingernails. Never again. Anton was gone.

Anastasya felt Rosil's gentle hands touch her face, wiping tears away. Delving sank into her body, making her shiver a little.

"She's in a bad shape, though not as bad as some I have seen. I have no free rooms left but perhaps the Amyrlin will put up with some company. This way, Kiril."

Anastasya did not open her eyes before she was laid down on a soft mattress. Rosil was standing beside her bed, looking tired and sad. Kiril knelt on the other side, holding her hand. Anastasya felt her lips tremble. She felt so ashamed and weak. She looked around and saw Mother lying on a wide bed on the other side of the room. She looked so old and worn to be so young. Her face had been cleaned but dirt blotched her arms and tears had made streaks on her pale cheeks. Silviana was standing in the doorway, clearly waiting for Rosil.

"Is she alright? What happened to her?" Anastasya whispered. Word had come that the Amyrlin had retreated to Mayene though no explanation had been given.

"Her Warder died, Anastasya. Young Gawyn got himself killed and probably robbed the battlefield of one of the most capable fighters," Silviana answered, anger in her voice.

Rosil let out a tiny sigh and offered Anastasya a cup of strong brandy. It smelled spiced.

"As you know, it is going to be difficult. You won't be able to channel for some time unless you can overwhelm your emotions with something stronger. I suggest that you stay in bed for a while, let your body rest and try to find something that will get you back to the battlefield. Your Warder will stay here with you unless you order him to go back to fighting. Drink that brandy. It will make you forget for a while."

Anastasya nodded at Rosil's words, tearing up once again.

"Thank you, Rosil," she managed to say and took the brandy. Kiril had to help her to hold the cup as her hands were shaking badly. She downed the whole cup, welcoming the haze that followed it. She saw Mother get up and heard her talk to Silviana and Rosil but could not really comprehend the words. Such a strong woman. Losing a Warder could make you completely useless for days, sometimes for weeks, but Mother was already up and about. Anastasya let out a sigh that turned into a hiccoughed sob. Kiril held her hand as she cried herself to sleep.

It was dark when she woke up again. Kiril wasn't nowhere to be seen but she could feel him nearby. She got up slowly, rubbing her eyes that felt grainy. Her head ached and she felt angry. That was better compared to being full of tears and sorrow. She reached for saidar tentatively, keeping her anger icy. When an Aes Sedai lost her Warder for the first time, she usually could not master her feelings for months. But then, Anton was her fifth dead Warder and Anastasya had once been a wilder who could only channel when she was already strangling people.

Saidar filled her after a while. She drew in everything she could, more than usual. She was stronger in anger than in calm, and a noticeable amount at that. She would have to find someone to send her back to the battlefield. Weaving a Gateway took a lot out of her for some reason, though the Greys said she was just getting used to the new weave, whatever that meant. She had not had difficulties with weaves before.

Anastasya left the room looking for Kiril, who immediately started coming closer. He sensed that she was awake and about, ready to go berserk. She had to avenge Anton. Bloodlust made her smile in a creepy way.

Rosil met her in the hallway, Delved her and sent her to the Travelling grounds with a stern warning not to overwork herself. Anastasya almost gave her a piece of her mind but decided against it. Better save her fire for the Trollocs. Still, Rosil looked almost visibly upset at how Anastasya looked at her, probably like a savage lion glances at a pigeon passing by.

Kiril came to her once Rosil was out of sight, squeezed Anastasya's hand hard and followed her to the Travelling grounds where a young Grey Sister opened a Gateway right in the middle of the battlefield. Anastasya stepped through, readying Fire. It was dark, the time was just before the dawn. She could feel someone channeling a huge amount of saidar somewhere in the Polov Heights to her left. Now that she thought of it, it was probably the Amyrlin Seat who had Vora's sa'angreal with her. Sounds of battle echoed all around her and she followed the nearest source, stoking her rage and hatred towards the monsters and Darkfriends that had killed her Anton. She did not hear herself start screaming in anger nor did she notice when Kiril joined her. She saw Trollocs slaughtering human soldiers, their pleasure obvious, and she saw a few Sharan channelers and soldiers fighting alongside them. Perhaps it would have been more wise to find other Greens and fights with them but Anastasya wanted blood. Her face contorted into a rictus and she started flinging Fire and Earth around, crushing people and monsters alike, nearly not caring if her weaves became friendly fire. Together with Kiril she ripped apart every enemy they could find, howling like crazed beasts, the luck of madmen following them wherever they went.

Later, when her strength started to wane and foes became increasingly hard to find within walking distance, Anastasya allowed her anger to grow less but not become completely extinguished. That way lay grief. Kiril glanced at her, cleaned his sword with a rag and sheathed in with a smooth motion.

"Should we return, Anastasya Sedai?" he asked, looking around restlessly, still good to fight even after several hours. He knew that she did not have much juice left but still he wanted to go on. Once the beast was released, it would rage and rampage until every enemy was destroyed. Kiril had always been the reckless one.

Anastasya wiped blood and ashes off her face, looking around. They had come quite far from the place where the Grey had dropped them. Perhaps they should find their way back and rest. The battle was not done yet.

Just when Anastasya was about to agree to retreat, the constant huge beacon of saidar that had raged in the Polov Heights suddenly reached impossible heights. She whirled around to look into that direction and saw a vast, silent explosion of light about a mile away. It was gone within a few blinks of an eye and so was the beacon. With a sudden chill, Anastasya realised how unlikely it was for a woman to survive such a surge of the One Power. The Amyrlin Seat was dead.

"What was that, Anastasya Sedai?" Kiril asked, sensing her fear.

"It was Mother," Anastasya said, proud of her calm voice, "she did something that I hope was necessary. She is most likely dead."

Kiril's face paled just a little. The Greens knew that even though the Amyrlin was headstrong and did not show them much favour, she was one of the best fighters the White Tower had. Losing her was a disaster in several ways.

"We have to find the other Sisters," Anastasya said, her fatigue forgotten, "I have to know if we are going to lose or not. If we are going to lose, it's time to find a place for our last stand. However, if Mother's sacrifice was not in vain, it's time to regroup."

Kiril nodded, looking determined. Though Anton's death burned in Anastasya's mind, it had become secondary for the time being. In some ways, the Amyrlin Seat was the White Tower. Without the Amyrlin Seat, the White Tower would not survive for long.

"Well, there might be some in the ruins where the Caemlyn refugees are," Anastasya said. "We are quite a lot closer to them anyway. I don't fancy walking through a horde of Trollocs and Sharan channelers just to find a surviving Sister or two out there."

Kiril shrugged, almost smiling. He would have walked through the Dark One himself if Anastasya wanted him to. Anton had always been the careful one.

Kiril in her tow, Anastasya set out to find a way across the River Mora. It was flowing again, wild, muddy water rushing past the riverbanks. Trying to swim across was a stupid idea but walking far enough downstream to find the ford would waste their precious time. Something told Anastasya that they did not have an abundance of it.

"Making a raft would also waste our time, Anastasya Sedai," Kiril said as if reading her thoughts. "If you want to get across without getting wet or drowned, you have to Travel."

Anastasya grimaced. Travelling was her weak point. But then, whatever was necessary...

"Very well. Get ready to catch me if I faint. Last time didn't go so well, remember?"

Kiril made a rude noise with his tongue. Last time Anastasya had had to Travel, he and Anton had both failed to catch her when she got dizzy. As a result, she had fallen over straight into some horse's droppings. The memory made her smile sadly. They had both almost swallowed their tongues out of trying to not laugh while helping her up and apologising. Good times.

Anastasya drew a deep breath and carefully opened herself to saidar. Her weariness became a bit more pronounced when she did it and channeling when tired was dangerous business. Even more so when one was doing something that one was not so good at.

"Ready, now. I'll open the Gateway on the riverbank. Get us through before I lose saidar."

Kiril nodded and hoisted Anastasya onto his shoulder. Anastasya channeled most carefully and with as much precision as she could yet still the weave almost collapsed before forming. It wobbled and resisted her attempts to stabilise it until snapping to completion for a few brief moments. Kiril ran through swiftly before Anastasya had to let go of the weave. It snapped shut behind his heels.

"Well, that was unnecessarily action-packed," Kiril said, letting Anastasya down. Her knees shook a bit and her head felt cloudy. She released saidar and let our the breath that she had been holding. She nodded at Kiril's words.

"I agree completely. The Dark One's touch has made this weave nearly impossible, at least for me. It was bad before but now it actually scared me."

She shuddered visibly, wringing her hands and making a face.

Kiril was about to smile when they both heard Trolloc grunts not very far off.

They exchanged a look. Whatever the beasts were doing there, it was not good.

"They are most likely targeting the refugees," Kiril muttered, scanning their surroundings. "Very usual Shadow tactic, that. Hurting the civilians, forcing the soldiers to come to their defence. Nasty and dishonourable."

Anastasya frowned darkly, concentrating. She could feel channeling in the direction of the ruins.

"They have help, it would seem," she muttered back. Trollocs had keen ears and she was not in the shape to fling fire at them. "But more help against Shadow's creatures is always welcome. Let's hurry."

They arrived almost too late. The Trollocs were overwhelming the refugees, murdering them with glee. Children, old men, women, it made no difference to them. Seeing that drove Anastasya almost mad with desire to rip them apart. Not caring that she was too tired to channel safely, she indulged the desire immediately, using Fire and Earth to slaughter the beasts. She could feel Gateways forming nearby and saw a few Sisters step through, accompanied by Asha'man. She did not let that distract her, however. Trollocs were the enemy. They had killed her Anton. Blood called for blood. It was not before the beasts started dropping like flies under weaves that she could not see that she realised that her Ability was about to become spent unless she stopped using it for a few hours. Reluctantly she let go and sank on her knees. Kiril was there in a second, though Anastasya thought he was Anton for a few seconds. Her head swam and she could see white spots dancing in her eyes.

"It's time to go, Kiril, Ant-... Kiril. I cannot go on."

"You don't have to, Anastasya Sedai," Kiril said, helping her up and propping her on his shoulder. "The Asha'man and the Aes Sedai with them are taking care of this."

Anastay blinked, looking around. The Trollocs were dead and the refugees were pouring out. They were gathering around one man whom she recognised. Logain Ablar, the leader of the Asha'man. Beside him stood Gabrelle. He said something to them, but whatever that was, Anastasya did not know. Light bathed everything.

She and Kiril looked up. A beam of light pierced the sky in the northern horizon. She could not feel any channeling but the way the Asha'man looked towards the beam told her that it had to be massive.

"So it ends," Anastasya said, wonder in her voice. She saw Logain take three discs out of his pocket. Half white, half black, divided by a sinuous line. He broke them unceremoniously and dropped the pieces to the ground.

"Light shelter us", Kiril muttered, a fervent prayer that Anastasya shared. For a moment, she was afraid.

The beam of light faded slowly and with it the clouds began to disperse, revealing the sun directly above them. Anastasya shaded her eyes with her hand, smiling.

The Last Battle was over. The Dragon Reborn had won.

People began to cheer. Anastasya sat on Kiril's shoulder, observing. People gathered around the Asha'man and Aes Sedai offered teary-eyed praises, thanking Light for them and everything. Anastasya allowed herself a short moment of pride.

"I think we should go ask Lord Ablar if he knows whether there are any Trollocs or Sharans left," she said after the moment.

As it turned out, some pockets of resistance still remained but were being hunted down by the Seanchan soldiers, sul'dam and damane. The way Logain said the last part made it clear that he hated some Seanchan practices just as much as every Aes Sedai.

"Yet the Last Battle is over. We won. We are safe now," he said, satisfaction is his voice. Still, he eyed her suspiciously. He was probably wondering why an Aes Sedai was sitting on her Warder's shoulder and why would she not come down to talk to him. Maybe he thought that she wanted to loom over him. That probably seemed very offensive to him.

"Asha'man are truly among the heroes of this new Age, Sealbreaker," Anastasya said. Logain's eyebrows shot up at the unexpected praise. Anastasya inclined her head like a queen on her throne to a respected quest from an influential foreign country. Logain seemed to understand the meaning, for he relaxed and almost smiled. Cabrelle nodded appreciatively and aimed a tiny smile at Anastasya. Gabrelle was a Brown but that did not mean that she did not know anything about men, their egos and how to soothe them, especially when they really were important.

"I will take my leave now, if you please, Sealbreaker," Anastasya said, looking Logain straight into the eye, trying to show that though she found him worthy, he should not challenge her. Logain just smiled and nodded. What a strange man. He obviously had his issues, especially with the Aes Sedai which was no wonder, and yet he seemed the crave their respect.

"Good new Age to you, ladies, gents," Anastasya said with a smile. Kiril took this as his cue and started walking away, swaying like a giant tree in a storm.

Anastasya let her smile fade. The battle was over. It was time to grieve.

"Let's go find Anton," she said quietly, letting sorrow enter her voice. A bundle of emotions in her head that were Kiril told her that he was finally letting himself mourn openly.

Anastasya wandered among the soldiers and refugees that were celebrating the Victory. Grass was turning green and flowers were budding everywhere. After a long time of darkness a summer of plenty had finally come. The sun would set soon but the celebration and mourning all mixed together would not cease for several weeks.

Word had come that the Dragon Reborn was dying.

She and Kiril had found Anton's body and head, burned them and scattered the ashes as was proper.

She did not feel like celebrating. Kiril had found some other surviving Green Warders and was drinking with them around a large table. They had poured a cup for every dead Warder they knew of, mourning in their own way.

She walked on, observing. Men and women celebrated in the same way, dancing, drinking and eating but mourned differently. Children laughed and ran, playing. They did not mourn, they just celebrated life. Everyone was being taken care of. The Dark One's touch was gone and everything was growing fast. There was plenty of food for the survivors.

That thought turned the corners of her mouth down. Thirty-one Sisters remained of the Green Ajah. Thirty-one out of what had once been almost two hundred. So few.

She was deep in glum thoughts when someone tugged at her sleeve. She took a few moments to register it but when she did, she turned around and was met by a weary-looking Cairhienin woman in rags. Though she looked quite hopeful, she also looked like she had barely survived starvation and had not had a good night's sleep in months. Which was very likely. Curiously, the woman had a tiny Ability, not enough to be raised to Accepted but still there.

"Aes Sedai," she said, curtsying clumsily, "I beg you to come to see my sister's daughter. Something happened and... well, you'll see. If you come? Please."

Anastasya considered for a moment. She was not much of a Healer but she could at least take the child to a Yellow. She nodded and let the woman lead her to a tent that had been patched many times over and actually looked like it had no original fabric left. The woman kept thanking her over and over again until Anastasya asked her to stop, saying that it was the woman's right to ask for an Aes Sedai's help. The woman looked flabbergasted for a moment but stayed quiet, smiling like a little girl who had been given a puppy.

Inside the tent it was hardly dark, the roof was open and there were two candles to give light, relatively luxurious considering the circumstances. In a corner sat a girl in rags. She was tall for her apparent age of about ten years, with long black hair kept in a braid and blue eyes, the structure of her face hinting at great beauty in the future. She was reading a thick book, and was so completely engrossed by it that she did not notice when Anastasya entered the tent.

Anastasya stood in the tent's doorway for a moment, looking at the child. Whatever was wrong with the girl, it was not obvious. Perhaps a broken leg? No. A head trauma? Perhaps. But then she would not be reading, she would be lying down and possibly crying. It took several moments of looking and wondering before Anastasya realised what she was looking at.

A young Sparker.

She almost laughed out loud, incredulous. The girl's Ability, naturally, was very tiny and just discovered. But, beneath it was her potential which was vast, beyond everything Anastasya had ever seen, even that of Sharina's.

"Hello, child," she finally said. The girl looked up sharply, blinked and got on her feet to curtsy clumsily. She even closed the book and put it down quickly. Perhaps it was Anastasya's dress which made the common people want to do that. "What is your name and how old are you?"

The girl fidgeted a little, looking past Anastasya and trying to avoid her eyes.

"I am Rishy and I am eight."

Anastasya could tell the girl was lying. She was really bad at it, too. Yet, somehow, her lying did not seem genuine. Odd.

"No, child. That's not correct. Your real name and age now, thank you."

The girl flinched and looked like she was about to bolt. Anastasya stepped closer, trying to smile in a kindly way but probably only succeeded looking predatory.

The girl sniffled a little and shrank to her chair. The book she had been reading was written in the Old Tongue. Anastasya did not allow her eyebrows raise at that, it would have ruined the impression. Still, a child this young reading Old Tongue? Curious.

"I am Erinshane Meloridred and I have just turned thirteen," the girl finally said, sounding truthful if reluctant. "Aunt Miera put you to this, didn't she? You are an Aes Sedai."

"Now what makes you think of that, Erinshane? Why did you lie? And why do you think your aunt asked me to take a look at you?"

Anastasya summoned her sternest look that had always intimidated even Kiril and Anton.

Erinshane wilted beneath that gaze and sniffled again. She looked very scared and young. Almost exceedingly so, making Anastasya wonder if the girl was only feigning it. Surely not.

"You wear the Great Serpent ring. I read about it in a book. Only Aes Sedai and Accepted wear the ring but an Accepted wouldn't be wearing a dress like that."

The girl grew silent and glanced about, like a rabbit looking for an escape route.

"Answer the questions, Erinshane," Anastasya growled, slowly growing annoyed. She was not very good with children. This one would probably be traumatised by this encounter. Luckily there were many Yellows who knew how to treat children.

Erinshane let out a little terrified squeak.

"I lied because I didn't want to give you such information. You can use it against me. Aunt Miera saw me do a... thing... and she immediately thought that I need to be taken to the White Tower. But I don't. I know how to train myself. I don't want to be an Aes Sedai. They are not like normal people."

That last remark was a bit offensive in Anastasya's opinion but she decided to let it slide.

"What was this thing you did?"

Erinshane was quiet for a moment, her young face growing solemn.

"When Trollocs attacked the ruins, I was there with my father and mother. My parents are... were... scholars. Father did not have a left leg so he couldn't fight. Mother did not want to leave him behind. The Trollocs came and they... I saw one of them rip my mother's head off and scrape her brains out. The Trolloc looked like it was having the best feast in a long time. My father was just ripped to pieces. I remember that I screamed... and that I wanted the Trollocs to die. Aunt Miera was carrying me away. She was crying and telling me not to look. But I looked. I suddenly felt like the sun was inside me and I did something. I know I did. The Trollocs, they started to die. Their noses and ears and eyes started to bleed. Some just toppled over, thrashing like in horrible pain. Aunt Miera got away and so did many other people. But she knew somehow that it had been me. She asked me about it but I pretended I did not understand. But of course she couldn't leave it at that. She had to go and find an Aes Sedai."

The girl was crying when she stopped talking. Anastasya understood very well why. Seeing one's parents being killed by Trollocs was a really good source of grief and terror. What she did not understand why the girl did not want to come to the White Tower.

"Just how do you think you are going to train yourself, Erinshane?"

Erinshane wiped her nose with her sleeve and lifted her chin proudly.

"I have books that can tell me all about channelling. I don't need Aes Sedai for that."

Anastasya stifled a derisive laughter. She was supposed to express worry, not stoop to the girl's level.

"That is a really, really bad idea, Erinshane," she said. "You are very likely going to die if you try that. Your chances of survival are less than one in four, even if you try it knowingly. Even if you manage to avoid most of the pitfalls, you will one day do something that will either kill you, kill someone else or set the whole place on fire and kill everyone. There are no books that can give you such information that an experienced channeler of your own gender can. You need a teacher. The White Tower can give you one. Put aside your childishness."

Erinshane lifted her chin even higher, looking like she was trying to imitate the Queen of Andor.

"The Aes Sedai did not save my aunt, I did! I don't want to have anything to do with your kind, you just manipulate people and think that you know what is good for everyone! Who was it that thought that it was a great idea to hide the refugees from Caemlyn in those ruins? Probably an Aes Sedai or somebody influenced by one. Aes Sedai say that they don't lie but still they try to mislead people with their words all the time! Aes Sedai walk like they are the Queens of the world even though their purpose is in their name. They should serve everyone, not just themselves. I don't want to be one. I want to train myself, set up my own group of channelers and really help the world."

Anastasya prided herself in restraint when it came to dealing with people. Still, the girl had managed to annoy her, just a little bit.

"The Aes Sedai fought in the Last Battle. Before that, the White Tower helped the world to get prepared for the Last Battle. The White Tower made sure that the world remembered that there would be the Last Battle eventually. An Aes Sedai made sure that the Dragon Reborn was listened to and his wishes were respected. Several Aes Sedai accompanied him to Shayol Ghul. So, I'd say that the Aes Sedai as a whole have been very good servants to everyone. I don't know what some individual Sister has done to you so that you'd hold grudge against every Aes Sedai who ever lived. The thing is, the White Tower really doesn't need you but you need the White Tower. Unless you fancy dying in a gruesome manner, you'll now ask me nicely if I'd take you to our Mistress of Novices. Otherwise, I'll tie you up, put you in a sack and take you to her anyway."

All that she delivered in a flat, calm voice that sounded much more threatening than shouting and screaming ever could. Except for the last part. That came out in a snarl.

The girl bolted and tried to run outside. Anastasya channeled briefly and dragged the girl back inside, a single thread of Air wrapped around the girl's leg.

Anastasya tried to make herself less exasperated but found it very difficult.

"I see that you have chosen the second option. If you have any relatives you'd like to say goodbye to, you should name them now. If you have any possessions that you really must take with you to the White Tower, name them as well. While you contemplate these things, I'll ask your aunt for a nice sack. I'm certain that she will give me one once I have explained this to her."

Miera was still nearby, looking quite aghast. She sighed resignedly when Anastasya asked for a sack large enough for a girl of Erinshane's size but she still went to get one. Meanwhile, despite the girl's protestations, Anastasya collected her books and other items and put them in a smaller sack.

When Miera returned with the sack, Erinshane was sitting on the ground, looking very sulky, weepy and scared at the same time.

"I think she'll do just fine in the White Tower," Miera said after a while. Erinshane shot a nasty glare at the woman, who just smoothed the girl's hair. "Rin has her issues, some of which are unusual for a girl of her age. She's brilliant, though, a genius even. My sister, her mother, used to call her a prodigy."

Anastasya found the situation every moment more absurd. The girl had seen things that could drive a grown woman insane and she was just raging at the Aes Sedai? She knew that she could channel but refused to get an Aes Sedai teacher because an Aes Sedai wasn't there to save her parents? Maybe it was the shock. Maybe it was just human to try to blame someone or something for your loss. Maybe Anastasya was just a convenient target for the girl's grief and rage.

"Now, here's the thing, Erinshane. I really cannot force you come to the White Tower. It's not wise. You'd probably just run away. The White Tower would just retrieve you, of course, and it would be very unpleasant, but they cannot force you to become an Aes Sedai. Not really. You can come in and learn enough to survive on your own. After that, you can leave if you really want. How does that sound?"

Erinshane, whose lower lip had been trembling for a while, just nodded.

Anastasya almost let out a relieved sigh. This has turned out to be a lot more trouble than she had expected.

"If I let you go, will you try to run?"

Erinshane shook her head.

Anastasya let her flow of Air dissipate. Erinshane got up and started dusting her clothes.

"Can I... can I have a moment with aunt Miera?" she finally asked, sounding choked. Anastasya nodded and walked out of the tent.

Outside, the sun had set. Stars were coming out. Anastasya breathed in air that felt fresh and even tasty. She had not noticed it but during the last few months before the Last Battle the air had started to stagnate.

So, she had found a new novice for the White Tower. This novice would eventually be strong enough to make Sharina's eyes pop.

Anastasya smiled thinly. All of her adult life her purpose had been to be ready for the Last Battle. During the Last Battle, it had been to kill as many enemies as possible and to survive. Now, however...

The Green Ajah was not going to have to change as much as the Red Ajah but change was still ahead. What was she going to do with her remaining years?

She could become a wanderer.

The idea was sudden and clear. She would travel between villages, searching for girls with the Ability, teaching people and sharing wisdom. It was not ideal. Nothing could compare to the Last Battle. It was something, however. Useful, at least.

After a few minutes Erinshane came out, carrying her books and other items in the small sack.

"I am ready to go, Aes Sedai. I'm sorry for throwing a tantrum in there. I promise I'll be good."

Anastasya nodded graciously and took the girl's hand.

"We are going to Mayene. Don't worry, it's going to be a short walk."

The girl looked at her wide-eyed which satisfied Anastasya greatly. The girl thought she knew a lot about channelling when she did not. Now that Anastasya noticed it, the girl was actually a head and shoulders taller than she was. That was quite unusual for a Cairhienin.

Anastasya performed a short novice exercise before opening herself to saidar and channeling the weave for Skimming. To her surprise, it worked as it was supposed to, though still taking more out of her than it should. Erinshane gasped when the Gateway opened. They stepped through it onto a wide stone platform. The Gateway snapped shut behind them though only Erinshane turned to look. Anastasya kept her patient silence. Better impress the girl now than later.

They stood in silence for several moments, all of them a bit awkward. Anastasya wondered if she should have asked Kiril to come along but the man was getting too drunk to think straight and was probably dancing on the table already. Better not trouble him.

The platform stopped and Anastasya channeled the Gateway open. The First's Palace in Mayene was as pleasant as ever, full of the stench of blood, moaning of the wounded and cries of grief. Though a great battle was done, the world was not done with battle.

"Where is Rosil?" Anastasya asked from the first person she could find. It was a young novice who looked very tired. The novice wobbled a bit when she curtseyed and directed Anastasya to the First's personal room.

Rosil looked haggard. She actually had dark circles under her eyes. She was busy writing reports and gathering strength for more Healing. She did not even look up when Anastasya entered.

"Rosil, I have brought you a new novice. Erinshane, go to introduce yourself. I'll take my leave."

With that, Anastasya slipped out of the room before Rosil or Erinshane could react. She sighed, stretched her back and muttered some unkind things about children in general. She needed a stiff drink. Maybe Kiril and his friends would offer her some.

Afterwards when she was drinking some good ale with Kiril, a couple of Blues and Browns and their Warders, Anastasya wondered for a moment if she had been too mean to the child. It was fairly possible. A battle-hardered soldier often forgot that not everyone had seen enough death to accept it. Her own parents, sisters, brothers, their children, their grandchildren and many of her friends were long dead. She had mourned them but continued her life. The girl had enough strength in her to do the same. Of that, she was certain.

A small girl slunk in the shadows, avoiding attention. She had dirty dark hair that hid most of her face, dark brown eyes that betrayed no emotion and pale skin that was mostly covered in dried blood and mud. She was a Cairhienin street urchin, born in the twisting alleys of a gatetown outside of the City. Her name was Meira Desandred, she was almost fifteen years old and very hungry.

Bread was to be found inside the City but it went to the citizens and those who could fight for it. The new Queen on the Throne had brought food but it was not enough. The weak were dying.

Luckily for Meira, she was not weak. She only appeared to be.

In the underworld, it was useful to appear weak, especially for a small girl who looked much younger than she was. The Queen of the Streets said that harming children was bad for the Game.

Meira found her way to a place where she knew bread and soup was being distributed to the people of the City. She found the soup kitchen's back door, slipped inside, froze for a moment when one of the volunteers glanced in her direction and only moved when his confused gaze slid past her and snatched two cups of chunky chicken soup and a couple of warm, meat-filled breads. She crept out of the kitchen, still unseen.

Meira was Lucky. Her Luck made people's eyes miss her. They could hear her if she made enough noise but never see her. She hadn't always been Lucky, though. It had come to her about two years ago when her need for it had been dire. The Aiel had come, set the gatetowns on fire, killed everyone they could find and then set out to starve the rest. Luck had saved her back then. The Aiel checked her hiding place but apparently saw no one. She was able to pass by them unseen and get into the City. Since that day, she had always been Lucky.

Meira hurried back to her base, a stack of hay at end of a narrow alley. The place smelled of urine and blood. She hadn't had time to drag away the bodies of two young men who had tried to steal her food the night before. They hadn't had anything valuable on them and by the look of their wasted frames, they had been starving. Meira pitied their fate but she and her friend had to survive.

Her friend was waiting in the shadows, noticeable to Meira only who knew where to look.

It was a young woman of the same age, a Tairen with black, curly hair that only came to her ears and bright blue eyes that missed nothing.

"I got the food, Siuan," Meira said cheerfully. Siuan came out of her hiding place, smiling eagerly. Meira didn't want her Luck to affect Siuan. She was special. Meira gave her a cup of soup and a bread and together they sat down to eat.

They were an unlikely pair. Meira had been born in a gatetown and grown up there, Siuan Ansadiz had come from the Tairen countryside among the refugees. They met each other one day after the Aiel came. Both knew that survival was nearly impossible alone and decided to trust each other for the time being. Almost two years and several dangerous situations later they had got out of many troubles together and owed their lives to each other many times over. Meira had stopped worrying about Siuan betraying her. There had been several times when it would have been far better for the other girl to just run than to stay and help Meira.

Back when they had met for the first time, Meira had suddenly known that Siuan was Lucky. She hadn't called it that back then, of course, but that didn't matter. She just knew that the other girl had something special.

Meira had waited for several weeks before asking Siuan about it. The other girl had confessed after a few days that she could do some weird things like climbing up walls that were completely smooth and even leaned outward a bit, seeing in the dark and hearing people talking even when they were several walls away from Siuan.

Meira had confessed in return that people couldn't see her unless she wanted them to.

They didn't believe each other before they saw proof. Siuan really could climb up anything. When Meira had wished that Siuan couldn't see her, the other girl had gasped out loud and exclaimed that she really couldn't see Meira anymore. They had called each other lucky and the name had stuck. They were known as the Lucky Girls in the underworld though not many knew who they really were.

Meira liked it that way. The Queen of Streets used everyone and she'd love to use someone like Meira or Siuan.

Meira wolfed down her food. The Queen on the Throne brought food to the City and that was good. Everything else was dangerous to eat. A piece of bread might look alright but take one bite and it would suddenly rot in your hands or turn into flesh-devouring weevils. It wasn't the weirdest thing, however. Everything had turned from bad to worse during the last few months.

People whispered that the Last Battle was coming. Some actually shouted it. Armies were gathering and the Queen on the Throne was going to lead them to the glory and victory. Some said that the others were mistaken, that the Last Battle wasn't going to come. Yet one only had to look at the ever-overcast sky, rotting food that might try to eat you, strange visions and stranger deaths to know that the time had come.

Meira swallowed the last piece of bread, deep in thought. She didn't like the idea of the Last Battle. It sounded very difficult to survive. The City was already full of people and more came in every day. The Queen on the Throne brought in good food now but that wasn't going to last forever. The Queen on the Throne wasn't the Creator. She couldn't fight the Gamebreaker's touch for long. That was the Cairhienin underworld name for the Dark One.

"I've been thinking," Siuan said suddenly, her mouth full of bread. It was her bad habit, talking with her mouth full. "This idea, it is not very good, keep that in mind. However. Remember what they say about the Queen on the Throne? That she has special powers? That she's an... Aes Sedai?"

Meira nodded, wondering what Siuan was getting at.

"Well, what made me think was that thing about her powers being special. Wouldn't you say that our powers are special?"

Meira made a non-committal noise, worried that she had realised what Siuan was hinting at.

"So, what if our powers are just like that? What if we can be Aes Sedai? Maybe we should go find one and ask if we are like them."

Meira tried not to swallow her tongue.

Siuan lacked what was widely known as common sense. She was very good at hiding but she didn't often bother to think things through. Her Luck was a gift straight from the Creator.

"One does not simply find an Aes Sedai. Nor does one simply ask them anything," Meira managed to say, trying not to sound terrified.

Aes Sedai were creatures of myth. Meira had never seen one but she had heard stories. Some said that they had pure white wings and carried glowing swords that they used to smite evil. Others said that they all had a third eye and that eye saw through time and space. Yet others said that the Aes Sedai were all servants of the Dark One and their White Tower wasn't white at all, it was blacker than the night and sucked souls out of people.

"Well, I heard a couple of soldiers talking this morning," Siuan said, her mouth now empty, "they were saying that the King's Women are in the City and that they are going to take soldiers to the Feelds of Meerrillor. I don't know where that is but it must be far away. These King's Women, they are probably Aes Sedai. I bet that they are still in the Palace."

Meira shook her head vigourously.

"That is definitely a not very good idea, Siuan. Getting into the Palace is stupidly hard, even for you and me."

Siuan frowned, leaned close to Meira's face and started glaring her straight into the eye. Meira glared back, trying not to blink. It was their way of solving a disagreement.

"Let's do this, chirp," Siuan whispered, using her nickname for Meira, "this is our chance. A better life. Good food. Sleeping in a bed. You and me, we are up to this."

Siuan was using a dirty tactic, making the air move towards Meira's eyes and making them water. Meira fought back, buffing at her friend's eyes unabashedly.

"I'm not going to do such a stupid thing. If we get caught, the guards will probably kill us first and then ask questions."

"Only if they catch us first. If we find these King's Women and they take us under their wing, the guards cannot do anything to us. Think of the challenge, chirpy Meira, think of the reward..."

Meira blinked rapidly and cursed, she had lost the competition. Siuan got up smiling victoriously, stretched and began collecting their meagre possessions.

"Alright, Siuan, we'll try. Did the guards say when the King's Women are leaving?"

Siuan put her brush and little booklet in her pocket and turned to help Meira up.

"Tomorrow night, they said. I say that we get in today. No time like the present, chirp."

Meira sighed resignedly, took her important belongings which were a small, pretty stone that had a bluish shine and an ivory comb she had stolen from a real noblewoman a long time ago.

"Okay, let's play the Game, then."

Finding a place where to take a look at the Palace was relatively easy. The hard part was remaining unseen. The proper Cairhienin people didn't want the likes of Meira and Siuan in their pretty inner City.

But they managed to dodge every last guard that they saw, Meira by wanting not to be seen and Siuan by slinking across the rooftops. It was dark anyway, with the ever-present cloud-cover.

They sat on the rooftop of the building that was closest to the Palace. From their vantage point they could see soldiers that had gathered in the courtyard. They were passing through some sort of window that was hanging in the air and disappearing. Meira shivered. She could see three women in fine clothing standing beside the window in the air, appearing to be observing the soldiers and having an idle conversation. Like with Siuan a long time ago, she suddenly realised that they were Lucky. Well, Siuan had been right about that one, at least.

"Do you think those are the King's Women?" Meira whispered, pointing towards the women. Siuan nodded, grinning. Meira didn't see anything worth grinning over in their situation. Even if those women were Aes Sedai, getting to them through the soldiers was going to stretch their Luck. Her Luck. Siuan couldn't make herself invisible.

"So, Meira, you creep in, find a King's Woman and ask her if she's an Aes Sedai. If she is one, you ask her if you can be an Aes Sedai too. If she's not, you ask her where to find one. Simple, right? Then when you find a King's Woman who is an Aes Sedai or knows where to find one, you tell her that you have a friend who wants to come as well."

Meira swallowed and shook her head.

"That plan is stupid. How about this? I steal a couple of uniforms and we get in wearing those. Some of those soldiers are little more than boys. Nobody would notice us."

Siuan opened and closed her mouth a couple of times but no sound came out. Her eyes shone with excitement.

"That's a brilliant plan, chirp! Let's do it."

And that was how Meira found herself trying to march along with soldiers who weren't yet giving her weird looks, probably because she was keeping herself invisible from everyone else but Siuan reflexively. Siuan radiated cheeriness beneath her ill-fitting headpiece. The company they were in comprised of the freshest recruits from the City and nobody was really expecting them to know how move their legs properly. That was a relief. A group of veterans would have been really hard to infiltrate.

"Mere," Siuan whispered, using a name that sounded like it belonged to a boy, "those King's Women are looking at us and frowning. Are you keeping yourself invisible from the other people?"

Meira nodded slowly and turned to look at the women. They were frowning, alright. They were also having a heated whispered conversation. Not good.

"I think it's time to either abort our mission or just accept our fate, Shawn. Something is not right. They can see me."

Panic welled up inside Meira. Getting inside the Palace and finding an Aes Sedai had been a stupid, relatively desperate and random idea. Suddenly she remembered all of the awful stories about the Aes Sedai and didn't want to get any closer to the King's Women.

"Let's run, Siuan," she whispered, close to tears. The King's Women called out and told the company to stop. "We must, right now."

Siuan shook her head slowly, looking aghast. The gates were closing. Meira wouldn't be able to get out even if Siuan managed to escape.

"Siuan, just run. I can get out of here myself. I promise."

Siuan still shook her head. The King's Women were walking towards them, their eyes boring into Meira. Meira felt like her stomach had dropped to her knees. This was going to go wrong on so many levels.

Kinswoman Sarenna Zakura frowned at the soldiers pouring into the courtyard. Beside her were Meylin Sirowa and Ferenea Thul, Kinswomen both. They had been chosen by Queen Elayne to make sure that all of the able-bodied willing fighters in Cairhien were sent to the Fields of Merrilor. On their own they were too weak to open a proper Gateway but linked they could form one big enough to let several men pass through at once. Meylin was leading as usual.

Sarenna was a short woman like her companions. She had long, golden hair that was more trouble than it was worth, always getting in her way, and dark brown eyes that had some green in them. Meylin had black hair and grey eyes. Her arms were covered in thin scars that Sarenna suspected were self-inflicted. Meylin had always had anxiety issues though she was bossy enough to hide them. Ferenea had a very dark skin and several piercings. She had cut her hair short, muttering something about being a soldier first, a woman second. Sarenna had not bothered to find out more.

Sarenna turned her attention back to the newest patch of soldiers. Most of them were too young but the Queen needed all the soldiers she could get. If they lost the Last Battle, these youths would die anyway. That was if they were lucky. The Dark One would probably chew on their souls for several millennia.

Something was bugging her. It was like a buzz in her ear, an irritating fly that just wouldn't take the hint and die. She associated that feeling with several things, most of them hints from the reality, Creator or whatever that something interesting was about to happen and she had better pay attention to it. It was her Talent.

What was about to happen?

"Sarenna," Meylin hissed, "one of the soldiers is channeling. I cannot see her well but I know where she is. She is wearing one the most impressive weaves of Folded Light I have ever seen. Action?"

Once Meylin said it, Sarenna realised that she could indeed sense weak channeling among the soldiers that were marching past her. She searched the crowd, trying to pinpoint the source of it. Her gaze passed over a small Cairhienin girl twice before she could focus on her. Being able to channel saidar herself, she could see through the weave just fine but still she had difficulties with noticing it. Impressive indeed.

"What should we do? Is that an assassin?" Ferenea muttered, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"I'll shield her," Meylin said, "you two make sure she doesn't escape. It's very likely that she isn't one of the Black Ajah since she's too young and amateurish but that doesn't mean she cannot be a Darkfriend. With me, ladies."

Sarenna followed Meylin who was calling the soldiers to stop. They stopped, many wearing puzzled looks, quickly moving out of the way. Meylin took lead as usual, walking briskly towards the girl. The soldiers out of the way, Sarenna noticed that the girl had a companion, an equally small Tairen girl. Both of them were staring at her, Meylin and Ferenea, looking terrified. The girl's glow of saidar suddenly winked out when Meylin flung a thick Shield on her. The girl flinched and staggered but the other girl caught her before she could fall over. Meylin wove another Shield and placed it on the other girl, just in case. The girl started biting her lower lip and sniffling.

"You there," Meylin said loudly, using her most commanding tone which she had learned in the White Tower as an Accepted, "come here."

The girls glanced at each other, both white as sheets, and slowly closed the distance between them and the Kinswomen. Once they were within eight feet, Sarenna could sense the ability in both of them. They weren't strong but maybe they would be eventually.

"You two come with us, now," Meylin said, still commandingly. The girls nodded, probably realising that they had no choice. Meylin nodded in satisfaction. She liked it when people had some healthy respect towards channelers.

"Who are you two and what is your business here?" Meylin demanded once they were outside the crowd.

It was the Tairen girl that could open her mouth first.

"Are you Aes Sedai? Can we be Aes Sedai?" she blurted, sounding excited.

Sarenna blinked and glanced at Meylin who looked surprised.

The Cairhienin girl looked at her companion and let out a tiny, resigned sigh.

"I am Meira," she said, "an orphan from the streets. The other one is Siuan, a refugee. She had this stupid idea to come inside the Palace area and ask you if you are Aes Sedai. She thinks that she can be one as well."

Awkward silence followed.

"We are not Aes Sedai," Ferenea said finally as Meylin was blinking rapidly, trying not to start crying and hugging the girls and telling them that they certainly could become Aes Sedai. Meylin had a soft spot for little girls with stupid ideas. She had once run away from the White Tower. Only once. The Aes Sedai had brought her back.

The girls looked crestfallen.

"Do you know where to find one?" the Tairen, Siuan, asked.

Ferenea and Sarenna exchanged looks as Meylin was useless at the moment. They owed their allegiance to the Queen of Andor and Cairhien. However, Queen Elayne was an Aes Sedai. Neither of them wanted to go near the White Tower as they might not leave the place again for some while. But then again, there were several Aes Sedai in Mayene. Ferenea shrugged, letting Sarenna make the decision.

"Well, yes," Sarenna said eventually, not happy with her place. "Taking you to Mayene wouldn't be too much of trouble. Do you agree, Meylin?"

Meylin nodded curtly. She was grinning happily and her eyes were sparkling. She looked like a young woman at her first dance.

Sometimes Sarenna wondered how Meylin had managed to get even so far in the White Tower. Meylin was strong enough to easily become an Aes Sedai but apparently she lacked something that all the Sisters had. Maybe she didn't take everything seriously enough. She never talked about it. Sarenna suspected that she had failed the test for the shawl. She herself had run away from the White Tower after only a few months, unable to take the high expectations and all the pressure, and Ferenea had failed her Accepted test, nearly dying. Egwene al'Vere had declared that those who had failed their tests were welcome to return and many Kinswomen, former novices and Accepted, were going to do just that but some like Sarenna and Ferenea had become used to independence. The White Tower didn't seem as inviting as it had decades earlier.

Sarenna sighed and looked the two girls up and down. Maybe they could become Aes Sedai one day. At the moment they just looked malnourished and dirty.

"Check them, Ferenea," Meylin said, remembering where she was and who she was supposed to be.

Ferenea raised an eyebrow at Meylin but did as she said. Ferenea first Delved the girls and apparently they were healthy enough as her weaves didn't turn into her signature Healing.

"They are alright," Ferenea muttered after a while. She didn't like being told to Delve people. She always did it anyway and being told to do something so obvious galled her. Meylin definitely wasn't thinking straight but she'd already realised her mistake as she was smiling apologetically.

"That's good. Girls, if you have anything to do before you leave with us, you should do it now. We will take you to Mayene in the evening after we have finished gathering the soldiers. You can also wait here but you had better stay out of the way and not go inside the Palace. Understood?"

The girls nodded, looking obviously relieved. They probably didn't want to get any closer to the Palace guards than necessary. Sarenna could see some of them looking at the girls, distaste obvious on their faces. They hadn't shown much respect to the Kinswomen either but at least they kept the reasons to themselves and refrained from outright slurs. Queen Elayne was probably going to do something about her people's attitudes but not when the Last Battle was about to start.

It was almost midnight when the last soldiers marched through the Gateway. Meylin released the link gently. Sarenna held saidar for a few more moments before letting it go. She felt exhausted and in a dire need of a cup of wine. Channeling all day long was something she had never done before the Queen had requested the Kin's services.

"Well, that was it for today," Meylin said, making it sound like they had been doing some menial job. "Let's take the girls to Mayene and get some sleep. The Queen asked the Kin to take part to Healing services at the Palace."

Ferenea stretched, her joints making awful, loud cracks that always made Sarenna shiver in disgust.

"I think I'll join the front lines," she said after a while. "Having Healer on the field is really important."

Meylin opened her mouth to protest but then remembered that her authority didn't extend that far. Instead she just nodded.

"Sarenna, will you come with me, then?"

Sarenna looked at the girls who were sitting on the ground nearby, looking like they were almost asleep. They were still Shielded just in case though Meylin had tied the Shields off several hours ago. The area was weirdly dark.

"Sure, Meylin," Sarenna said slowly, suddenly feeling tense. Something was bugging her again. She looked around like a nervous animal, waiting for something unexpected to happen.

It was getting really dark. Torches had been lit, sure, but their light was slowly waning as if the darkness were gobbling it up.

"Something is wrong," she whispered, "it's one of those Bubbles."

Meylin gasped, eyes going wide. Ferenea embraced the Source immediately, weaving several balls of light. They didn't light the area like they were supposed to.

People were noticing what was happening. Sarenna could hear screams and panicked shouts coming from the Palace.

"What should we do?" Ferenea asked, aghast that her weaves weren't working properly.

Meylin embraced the Source and wove Fire. Cold flames manifested all around them, showing them visible threads of darkness that hissed when the flames touched them.

"I need that link back, right now," Meylin barked. Sarenna obeyed her reflexively. Ferenea was also brought into the link shortly.

Sarenna could barely see Meira and Siuan behind the flames and darkness. They seemed to be still sitting on the ground, unmoving. Threads of darkness were slowly covering them.

"The girls," she yelped, "help them, Meylin."

Meylin drew deeply on the Source and covered the whole courtyard in flames. Threads of darkness burned away, hissing like a nestful of angry snakes. Meylin staggered and almost fell. Sarenna felt her exhaustion through the link, mingling with her own. None of them was used to such level of channeling. Sure, they had practised channeling freely outside the White Tower but none of them had thought that one day they would have to defend themselves and innocent bystanders against the Dark One's miasma.

The flames died down and the threads of darkness started coming back.

"We cannot win here," Meylin said, trying to gather herself. Her hands were shaking visibly. "Girls, get your scrawny bottoms here this instant! We have to get out!"

Siuan and Meira ran out of the darkness, terror-stricken. Their skin was covered in red welts that had probably come from the threads of darkness. Siuan was crying quietly and hanging from Meira's arm while Meira was trying to control her own weeping and not succeeding at all. For some reason Meira's nose was bleeding.

Meylin drew in all the Power she could and wove a Gateway.

"Get in, get in, get in," she shrieked, taking the girls by the scruffs of their necks and pushing them through. Sarenna ran through behind Ferenea, letting Meilyn stay behind to hold off the darkness.

Suddenly the link vanished.

Sarenna turned around to go drag probably burned out Meylin through but Ferenea tackled her just in time before the Gateway snapped shut in front of her nose. Had she tried to go through, she probably would have died. But just before the Gateway closed, she saw Meylin falling over, her eyes closed. Threads of darkness fell on her like a school of predator fishes.

Sarenna blinked, lying on her stomach on the ground. She tried to touch saidar but it felt like trying to catch wind.

"No, no, no, Meylin, no!" Ferenea cried, lying on top of Sarenna. Sarenna pushed her off and got on her knees. Tears fell on her cheeks.

"She's not dead," Sarenna whispered, denying what she was so certain about.

"She burned herself out, Sarenna," Ferenea wailed, confirming what Sarenna had suspected, "and those things started devouring her. Can you get any deader than that?"

Sarenna shook her head, trying to wipe away tears that just wouldn't stop coming. She could hear Siuan and Meira weeping nearby, like two hurt kittens calling for their mother. She looked around, trying to gather herself. They were in the Palace of the First Lady in Mayene. Several people were coming running to meet them. All but three of them were wearing novice dresses. One of the three Sarenna recognised. It was Rosil Sedai.

"What is this?" Rosil Sedai demanded when she was close enough. "Has the Battle already started?"

She knelt down beside the girls first, Delving and Healing them.

"No, not the Last Battle," Ferenea managed to say, helping Sarenna up. Tears were still falling freely on their cheeks. "A Bubble of Evil in the Cairhien Royal Palace. A friend of ours fell."

Rosil Sedai was an exceptional Aes Sedai. She could feel compassion, after a fashion.

"I see. I'll take care of everything. You two take it easy. Surviving such an ordeal is impressive. Mourn your friend in peace."

Sarenna almost twisted her mouth in disgust. Leave it to an Aes Sedai to act like she and Ferenea were just little girls. Instead, she managed a shallow curtsy and followed Ferenea who was muttering choked curses and wishing for a drink or two or three.

"For Meylin," they said several times that night, emptying a cup of strong brandy in her honour.

Meylin opened her eyes, gasping for breath. The first thing she did was to scream. She screamed until she saw black dots and almost fainted. She breathed in and screamed again. Again and again and again.

"We aren't even doing anything to you yet," a voice said nearby. "Stop it."

Meylin tried to scream again but nothing came out. She almost choked on her own spit.

She was in a room that had rough stone-walls. Balls of light hung in the air.

"That is better. As I understand it, you accidentally severed yourself."

Meylin tried to turn her head to look at the source of the voice. It sounded like it belonged to a man. However, her head wouldn't turn.

She tried to move her arms and legs but they were just as frozen. She tried to scream again.

The man's voice tut-tutted.

"My master wishes to make you an offer. He will restore your ability."

Meylin's eyes widened. She had heard that some Aes Sedai had found out how to Heal Stilling but she hadn't really believed it. Now, she fervently wished it to be true.

But... a he? A man channeling?

The thought sent shivers down Meylin's spine.

"The thing is, it's not actually an offer. Your ability will be restored. After that you'll become my master's willing servant. His eternal chewtoy. You do know who I am talking about, right? The Great Lord of Dark. Or as your kind calls him, the Dark One."

Meilyn screamed, her eyes bulging. Nothing came out, of course, but that didn't keep her from trying. She screamed, praying for death.

Rosil closed the novice book, wearing a tiny, satisfied smile. Meira Desandred and Siuan Ansadiz were officially the newest novices of the White Tower. The girls stood in front of her desk in the White Tower, shuffling their feet and glancing about.

"Stand still, children," Rosil said with a calm, firm voice. Both of them froze.

It was good that they already were adapting to their current situation.

Both of them were exceptionally strong, almost as strong as the Mother. Their drive to channel was strong, their young age and current ability being clear evidence of that.

"As of tomorrow, you'll start attending lectures and doing chores. Today, you'll be helped by two other novices who will tell you about rules and regulations. Wait for me outside, I'll accompany you to Mayene. Don't forget to curtsy."

Meira curtsied a bit better than Siuan who wobbled most awkwardly. They left silently, creeping like two little mice under a cat's nose.

Rosil signed a few papers that she had previously written. Both the novice and Accepted wings needed to be expanded and she needed to rewrite the curriculum completely. The old one had been incomplete and inadequate for several centuries and none had thought to do anything about it before. There was such thing as useless traditions. There were so many novices that teaching all of them was going to be a full-time job for the Accepted. That was going to have to change. It was good for the Accepted to learn how to keep a group of children under control but if they didn't have time for their own studies, it was useless. She also needed to find a way to collect all the prospective female channelers to the White Tower. It wouldn't do just to wait for the girls and women to show up, they had to be found and guided. The White Tower had been in a state of decline for centuries. It infuriated Rosil to think that some of her predecessors had been more interested in personal power and gain than in the White Tower's future. The future was in the novices and Accepted.

She was so engrossed with her papers that she did not notice red liquid trickling down the wall behind her. She did not notice it even as she left the room. It pooled on the floor, forming large shivering puddles. Soon it darkened and hardened, turning into something that was indistinguishable from dried blood.