A/N: Uh, I know I said there was one more chapter, but it was getting ridiculously long (besides taking ridiculously long, too) and so I decided to chop it and post the first part already. Meaning that there's one more chapter to come. Talk about projects getting out of hands... *rolls eyes*

Taim listened to the report in silence. There was no need to ask clarifying questions; Charl Gedwyn knew what was relevant and what was not and how to present the relevant information in a clear and concise manner. The young man seemed to have aged several years in the past two weeks; his face was drawn and the look in his grey eyes even harder than Taim remembered. Even his second-in-command, Manel Rochaid, seemed to have lost his perpetual smirk and wore a haunted expression as he listened to Gedwyn relate the details of their mission. That made Taim wonder; they had both been at Dumai's Wells. Could the operation against the Seanchan have been that much worse? Of course, it had gone on for longer.

"The prisoners," he said when Gedwyn was finished. "Where are they now?" Al'Thor had sent over thirty Seanchan women back with Gedwyn, Rochaid and the rest of the Asha'man - twenty-nine of those who called themselves sul'dam and five damane, the leashed channellers. Except that the sul'dam were currently leashed as well, of course.

"One of the new barracks that wasn't yet occupied," Gedwyn replied. "We thought it better to get them out of sight. I left Torval, Kisman and a bunch of Dedicated guarding them…" He hesitated before adding, "Kajima showed up as we were taking the women there, with an Asha'man I didn't know. Big fellow, authoritative, called himself Logain..?"

Taim schooled his face into expressionlessness. "It is Logain," he said. "Did he have something to say about the arrangement?"

"Nothing specific," Gedwyn said with a slight frown. "He wanted to make sure the prisoners weren't being… mistreated is the word he used." There was contempt in his voice as he uttered the word, and this finally elicited a smirk from his second-in-command. "He stayed with Torval and Kisman when we left to make our report, but… To the best of my knowledge both myself and Rochaid outrank him and could have told him to mind his own bloody business if he had tried to make trouble." There was the slightest hint of a question in that last part; the young officer clearly didn't know what to make of Logain Ablar.

In theory, the man was right, of course. Whether telling Logain to mind his own bloody business would have had the desired effect was another matter entirely. Taim was glad Logain hadn't given them an excuse to try their luck. "Let the Seanchan stay where they are for now," he said at length. "Get Coteren to arrange sufficient guard. And," he added as if an afterthought, "send Logain to me."

Gedwyn saluted and marched out, Rochaid at his heels like a shadow. Taim wondered briefly whether he should assign one of their rooms to someone else; all Asha'man save Logain had their own quarters in the Palace, but he doubted these two ever slept apart.

It didn't take long before the Dedicated standing guard outside - Mishraile again? - announced Logain, who didn't wait for permission to enter. The tall man pushed past Mishraile, who stared at him for a second with such righteous fury that it would have been amusing had the situation not been so potentially volatile. Still ignored by Logain, the Dedicated seized saidin, but before he could do anything, Taim spoke. "That will be enough, Mishraile."

The young man froze, first going pale, then red with either anger or embarrassment, likely both. "Yes, M'Hael," he breathed and, with a precise salute, backed out of the room. The door closed behind him with somewhat more force than necessary.

Dismissing Mishraile from his mind, Taim looked up at Logain. The Asha'man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, seemingly at ease, looking back at Taim with a carefully blank expression. Taim noted that he had taken to wearing a sword at his belt. Somehow that, even more than the near-open hostility the man had displayed since the Dolan incident, made Taim realise that he could no longer afford to see Logain as a potential ally. He wondered if there had ever been any chance of that. No matter. Another thing he couldn't afford was regret. He had chosen his course.

"I've been given to understand that you're concerned with the welfare of the Seanchan prisoners," Taim said when it became apparent that Logain was not going to speak first.

"They're women, Taim," Logain said flatly. "Guarded by men, many of whom haven't seen a woman in months. I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the risks there."

Taim arched an eyebrow. "You think so little of my men's discipline?" he asked, dry as dust.

"Do I need to answer that?" Logain made no effort at hiding his contempt, whether it was aimed at the Asha'man in question or Taim himself.

Taim chose to ignore the the tone - for now. "The Lord Dragon has… strong opinions about mistreating women. The men know better than to mistreat the Lord Dragon's prisoners. Any other pressing concerns?"

"Androl Genhald," Logain said.

Genhald. The Taraboner who could barely channel a trickle and initially only while holding a piece of leather; of all the ridiculous blocks Taim had ever heard of, that had to be one of the strangest. "What about him?" he asked.

Logain seemed to know that he was pushing his luck, but went on anyway. "He deserves to be promoted to Dedicated," he said. "He's been here quite a while and has made great progress with his channelling."

"You mean he can actually light a candle now?" Taim asked, not bothering to moderate his tone. "The man is useless for anything but transportation. The Asha'man are weapons, Logain. He'll never reach the strength required of the Dedicated."

"So raw strength is all that matters?" Logain countered, raising his voice slightly, probably unaware that he was doing so. "Certainly explains why Coteren got promoted, I don't think that one ever had two thoughts to call his own."

Taim made himself release saidin - he wasn't entirely sure when he had seized it - and let the half-formed weaves of Spirit and Fire dissolve. He couldn't afford to let himself be provoked like that. "Coteren is not your problem," he said curtly. "And neither is Genhald. This conversation is over. Get out."

Logain went.

"How many?" Taim asked.

"My scouts have located over forty," Logain replied, and Canler nodded in confirmation. "Could be as many as fifty or sixty. They're riding spread out in small groups." There were snorts and even chuckles at that; Rochaid's ever-present smirk widened momentarily into a grin and even the stone-faced Gedwyn shook his head in amazement. The White Tower would send fifty or sixty Aes Sedai to deal with the Black Tower? The idea was laughable.

"What do you want us to do, M'Hael?" Marle asked. His smile was cruel and his eyes shone with an eager light.

"Disposing of fifty Aes Sedai will be quick enough," Coteren added, earning a contemptuous sneer from Marle. Killing the Aes Sedai was not what Marle had had in mind at all.

Logain and Gedwyn both opened their mouths to speak, but Taim raised his hand, silencing both, although Logain looked like he might argue anyway. "The Lord Dragon wants the Aes Sedai taken alive," he said. "Anyone who kills an Aes Sedai will end up in the Traitor's Tree. He has made that clear enough." Marle's expression brightened at that and the smirk he directed at Coteren was triumphant.

"Take them alive and then what?" Logain asked. "It will require a lot of manpower to keep sixty Aes Sedai under sufficient guard for any longer period of time."

Taim had to admit that Logain had a point. Nonetheless, killing half a hundred Aes Sedai wouldn't remain secret, and Taim couldn't afford to draw al'Thor's attention with something like that, not yet. The Great Lord's orders had been to sow chaos, however… "The Lord Dragon wants them alive. Bond them, if you must." At least that invention could be useful for something.

"Bond-?" Logain looked scandalised, and even Gedwyn and Marle seemed somewhat startled. Coteren scowled, but the expression was almost thoughtful rather than dissatisfied.

Taim shrugged. "It's hardly ideal," he admitted. "But the Lord Dragon's orders are very specific. No Aes Sedai is to die."

"If the Lord Dragon wants them alive, I'll assume he also wants them unharmed," Logain said. Taim had the feeling that the words were aimed at Marle. "Very well. I'll find fifty men who can be trusted with the responsibility." He wasn't asking for permission, a fact that didn't sit well with some of the men present. Gedwyn looked like he was going to argue, glanced at Taim, decided to hold his peace.

Taim, however, simply nodded. "Be my guest." This way, perhaps, any repercussions would fall on Logain and his favourites - Taim didn't imagine al'Thor would be particularly pleased with the Asha'man forcefully bonding Aes Sedai, either, even if it was preferable to killing them. However, the fact that Logain thought he could find fifty men he considered trustworthy might be the beginning of a problem. He gestured for Gedwyn and Rochaid to stay when the others left.

"Have Logain watched," he ordered. "Discreetly. Who reports to him, who takes orders from him." He fixed the pair with a hard stare and repeated, "Discreetly."

"Yes, M'Hael," Gedwyn replied, his words echoed by Rochaid. The latter couldn't quite hide his curiosity, but the former showed nothing. As the pair took their leave, Taim couldn't help but compare their unquestioning obedience to Logain's behaviour. People like Gedwyn and Rochaid were… convenient. Logain, however, would have been a formidable ally - and would be an equally formidable enemy. And that Taim would have preferred him as an ally had absolutely no relevance to the reality.

The sword on Logain's belt looked like it belonged there. The tall Asha'man carried the mundane weapon with the casual grace of someone who has been doing so for half his life, and instead of making Logain seem ordinary it somehow seemed to add to his impressive stature. Taim disliked swords - he hadn't been exaggerating much when he told al'Thor that he could barely avoid stabbing himself with one, and he didn't see mundane weapons as necessary for someone able to use the Power as a weapon. And for an Asha'man, who was a weapon, to carry a sword was little short of degrading. It was like bringing them down to the level of ordinary soldiers.

Logain, however, defied this as he seemed to defy so many other rules simply by existing. There was nothing ordinary or mundane about Logain Ablar or the way he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, not as if he was planning on using it but simply as if he knew how, should the situation arise. The relaxed stance, so at odds with the sharp look in his eyes, almost felt like a challenge.

He handed over the document without a word. Taim accepted it and quickly skimmed through the list - the names of fifty-one Aes Sedai and the men who held their bonds. Not all of them were among the names Gedwyn had been able to gather so far, but Taim was sure they would be taking orders from Logain soon enough if they weren't already. Soldiers and Dedicated, not a single full-ranked Asha'man in the lot, although if he was completely honest, in some cases it was not a matter of competence. Not a single full-ranked Asha'man in the lot, except for… Taim frowned and looked up at Logain. "You bonded two," he said flatly, not really a question.

"I did," Logain replied.

Taim stared. Why would anyone choose to form that kind of a connection with anyone, especially an enemy? Surely Logain could have had someone bond those - he glanced down at the list - Toveine and Gabrelle. Was this a statement, like the sword? Statement of what, though? That Logain would go out of his way to ensure the safety of an Aes Sedai? Taim wasn't sure if he should have been surprised; Logain did seem to have an honourable streak despite everything. "Very well," Taim said and folded the parchment. "I trust I don't need to tell you that the Aes Sedai are to be kept out of sight. I don't want outsiders spreading rumours that we're holding Aes Sedai captive. At least not before the matter is cleared with the Lord Dragon."

"I could take the Aes Sedai to him right now if you'll tell me where to find him," Logain said, not quite managing to sound casual.

"No," Taim said sharply. "I'll deal with that when I make my report to the Lord Dragon. You just keep the Aes Sedai out of trouble." He couldn't let Logain run to al'Thor, not yet at least. The time would come when he would have to let Logain go; Logain wasn't the type to stand aside and watch quietly when he didn't agree with how things were run, and Taim's authority over him was tenuous at best. But for now that authority still held, and much of it came from the fact that Logain thought his actions sanctioned, if not even ordered, by the Lord Dragon himself.

Logain didn't look entirely convinced, but didn't press the matter. For now. "Out of trouble," he repeated with a grimace. "You do realise they're physically unable to disobey a direct order? If they get into trouble, it's because the trouble couldn't keep away from them." His voice took on a dangerous edge. "It doesn't help that the men holding the bonds are soldiers and Dedicated, and the trouble more often than not bears the Dragon pin and can pull rank on them."

Taim carefully kept his expression neutral, bordering on indifference. The Aes Sedai had been in the Black Tower for two days and their presence was already causing complications? He should have got rid of them when he had the chance; the attack was justification enough. "Does trouble have a name?" he asked when it became clear that Logain wasn't going to offer the information out of his own initiative. It dawned on him, somewhat belatedly, that Logain likely wouldn't have brought the subject up at all if not for his order to keep the Aes Sedai out of trouble. Logain no longer expected him to take action against the troublemakers.

The look in Logain's eyes was so cold Taim was almost surprised he didn't feel a drop in the room temperature. "Coteren. Dolan. Marle." The Asha'man made no attempt to disguise the contempt in his voice. "Please don't tell me you're surprised."

Coteren and Dolan were not surprising, Marle somewhat more so, but then again it probably made sense for Marle to be where there was conflict. Taim ignored the remark. "And in what way have they been troubling your prisoners?"

"Make a wild guess," Logain snapped. "Aes Sedai or not, Taim, this is no way to treat women!"

"Those women were prepared to kill us - or worse," Taim countered, barely noticing that he had raised his voice as well. "They gentled you once, Logain. Have you forgotten?" He saw his words take effect; Logain's hands clenched into fists and his expression turned to stone. Taim continued, "That is what they were planning to do to us all. And you're trying to tell me they deserve to be treated with respect?"

"There's a difference between respect and simple human decency!" Logain was shouting by now but he didn't seem to care.

A knock on the door interrupted Taim from replying to that. He wove the weaves to penetrate through the wards against eavesdropping and called for the intruder to enter. Instead of the Dedicated on guard duty, Charl Gedwyn himself entered, for once without his ever-present shadow Rochaid. The officer saluted and eyed Logain warily - Logain returned the gaze coolly but made no move to exit the scene without a clear dismissal - then seemed to decide that his news wasn't classified.

"A message from Caemlyn, M'Hael," he said. "Elayne Trakand has arrived in the city and announced her claim to the Lion Throne." He hesitated for a second, and when he continued, there was a slight hint of a question in his voice. "She has taken down the Dragon Banners."

"Elayne Trakand?" Logain repeated with a sharp look at Gedwyn. "Morgase's girl?"

The shorter man glared back before pointedly ignoring him again. "Do you wish a message sent to the Lord Dragon, M'Hael?" he asked. "I could send Rochaid, or go myself-"

Taim silenced him with a gesture. "I'll make my report to the Lord Dragon in person," he said. "First, however, bring Coteren, Dolan and Marle to me…"

"Yes, M'Hael!"

Once Gedwyn was gone, Logain turned to Taim again with a hard stare. "You're actually going to do something about it," the Asha'man said. He made no effort to hide his mistrust, indeed, the guarded look was little short of openly hostile. He was not going to believe that Taim was punishing the offenders in the name of justice.

Taim gave him a razor-thin almost-smile. "It is inconvenient that my disciplinary expert is among the ones to be disciplined," he said wryly. Then he made an impatient gesture towards the door. "You may go. Unless you wish to assist..?"

Logain's expression turned to that of disgust. "I have better things to do." He turned around and stalked to the door, where he turned again and added, "I don't want to find any single one of those three anywhere near the Aes Sedai again." Then he was gone.

Taim watched the door slam shut behind Logain, the almost-smile turning into a grimace. Logain didn't trust him, never would and probably never had, and while it might make things easier, it wasn't necessary as long as Logain obeyed regardless. He would have to deal with Logain sooner or later, and while it would be easier if he could despise Logain like he despised the vast majority of mankind… It wasn't necessary. If Logain became an obstacle, Logain would die, and things like regret just didn't enter the picture.

Taim stepped through the gateway into the hallway outside the Lord Dragon's quarters in the Sun Palace, Coteren and Mishraile following close behind. He would have preferred to bring someone else instead of Coteren to let the Asha'man know that he was still out of favour, but he suspected that leaving him in the Black Tower unsupervised would not have been a good idea. A brief interrogation had revealed that Coteren had been the main culprit in the incident with Logain the previous day; Dolan had simply followed like the mindless sheep he was and Marle hadn't really been involved, anyway. As for Mishraile, he was there because maybe the presence of another person would be enough to stop Coteren from doing anything stupid while Taim was meeting with al'Thor. Hopefully.

The six Aiel women guarding the door to Lord Dragon's apartment didn't so much jump at the sight of the three men as simply shifted into battle stance in a quick, smooth motion. All but one had veiled themselves, and the remaining one looked like she might do so at any moment. The unveiled one, a pale-eyed monster of a woman easily as tall as Taim himself, blocked their way to the door without ever seeming to move. Mishraile or Coteren seized saidin, but Taim held up his hand in a warning gesture and he - whichever idiot it had been - released it again.

"I am here to see the Lord Dragon," Taim said.

The Aiel didn't speak, nor did they lower their veils. The eyes watching Taim and his companions above those veils were a study in hostility, cold and hard as steel. The unveiled one, never taking her eyes off Taim, made a minuscule gesture with one hand and, still without speaking, one of the others entered the Lord Dragon's apartment, silent as a shadow. She returned mere moments later and announced, "The car'a'carn will see Mazrim Taim."

Mishraile made a move to follow but Taim held up his hand again, and the young man took a step back to stand in line with Coteren. Taim entered the room.

Rand al'Thor was lounging on the monstrous thing people called the Dragon Throne, the Laurel Crown of Illian upon his head, the strange Dragon Sceptre across his knees. The blue-grey eyes fixed on Taim with a look that made granite look soft. Fedwin Morr stood at attention next to the door and, across the room, the woman Min Farshaw sat with a thick book in her lap but her attention alternating between al'Thor and Taim.

"My Lord Dragon," Taim began with a minuscule bow.

"Why are you here, Taim?" al'Thor asked curtly, his voice deceptively mild.

Taim clasped his hands behind his back and schooled his face into an impassive mask. "News from Caemlyn, my Lord Dragon," he said. "Elayne Trakand has arrived in the city and stated her claim to the Lion Throne."

A startled expression flashed across the Dragon's face. "Elayne?" Then he frowned. "Her claim to the throne? I thought I made it clear enough that the throne was to be hers! Besides, she's the lawful Queen of Andor by birth!"

Taim gave a small shrug. "She has also taken down the Dragon Banners in Caemlyn." He watched warily as al'Thor's expression turned to stone again. "That cannot be but a calculated slight," he continued when no further reaction seemed forthcoming. "Shall I… rectify the matter?"

"No!" al'Thor snapped. His hands clenched on the gilded armrests of the Dragon Throne and his eyes glared murder. "You will not go anywhere near Elayne Trakand!"

Taim arched an eyebrow. "And if she decides to have a problem with the Black Tower practically at her doorstep, once her hold of Caemlyn is secure?" he asked, trying to keep most of the contempt from his voice. He wasn't sure he succeeded. The way al'Thor's expression darkened suggested he'd failed.

"You just stay away from her, Taim!" the Dragon replied. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Absolutely."

"Was there something else?"

For a moment Taim considered whether he should tell him about Logain but decided against it. The captured Aes Sedai - he knew better than to make a mention of them. "No," he said. "Nothing else." He made a small bow and moved towards the door, but al'Thor's voice stopped him.

"Taim."

Taim froze; for one, absurd moment he feared al'Thor had somehow figured out that he was working with the Forsaken - who knew exactly what the Dragon Reborn could be capable of? - but he turned to face the young man calmly. "Yes, my Lord Dragon?"

"Send the sul'dam and damane to Caemlyn," al'Thor said. "Elayne will have Aes Sedai with her. They can take care of them."

"The Asha'man are perfectly capable of keeping prisoners," Taim replied, somewhat stiffly. Al'Thor would have him hand over the prisoners to the White Tower? After what the White Tower had done to him? "You would trust the Aes Sedai-"

Al'Thor cut him off. "Just do as I say, Taim, and let me worry about the Aes Sedai."

Yes, because that worked so well last time, didn't it? But he didn't say that out loud - as much as al'Thor infuriated him, he knew that an open confrontation had to be avoided at all costs. "As my Lord Dragon wishes," he muttered. "By your leave?" Barely waiting for the dismissal he turned again and strode out.

Mishraile and Coteren were exactly where he'd left them, thank the Light. The latter was scowling at the Aiel women and the former was looking anywhere but at them, looking slightly flustered. Taim arched an eyebrow at the young man, who blushed more deeply but otherwise kept his expression blank. The Aiel were as expressionless as ever, but Taim thought some of them still managed to appear… amused. "Is there a problem?" he asked, of nobody in particular.

"No, M'Hael," Coteren replied. Mishraile shook his head.

"Good," Taim said. "We're leaving."

The letter was waiting for him when he got back to the Black Tower. Short and not particularly courteous, it was signed by Elayne Trakand herself and contained a summons to Caemlyn to meet with her. Al'Thor's warning to stay away from her suddenly seemed all the more amusing; Taim could either disobey the Dragon Reborn or the woman who was in all likelihood the next Queen of Andor. Not that he had any particular interest in following al'Thor's restrictions on where he was or wasn't allowed to go. It was just… amusing. He read the summons again and frowned. He didn't much care for the tone of the letter, but he was curious about this woman who obviously had some significance to al'Thor - which was curious in itself because he was fairly sure the Farshaw woman was al'Thor's lover.

Another thing waiting for him was a folded note, sealed and warded. He picked it up cautiously, prodding at the ward with a delicate weave of Spirit. The best he could tell, the ward was meant to recognise the person who picked the note up and react accordingly. Taim could only assume that he was the intended recipient as it was placed on his desk - that, and the fact that it didn't burst into flames or something equally dramatic. The seal gave no indication of the sender's identity, but Taim had a good guess, if not for the exact identity then at least their affiliations. He broke the seal and unfolded the note to reveal a single sentence written inside. 'Stay on the path you have chosen.'

He arched an eyebrow at the phrasing; it was probably the best whoever had penned it had been able to come up with while including the word 'chosen'. But what was the actual message? Was it an order to keep doing what he had been doing for the past while - focusing his training on those of the students who were already Friends of the Dark and having them keep an eye out for promising candidates - or was it a prompt to start making more results? Stay on the path… He snorted softly. As if he had any other choice at this point. No, he was in too deep to have any hope of getting out alive - if there ever had been any such possibility. Al'Thor wouldn't care what happened to him and certainly wouldn't intervene if he got into trouble with the Forsaken. The same applied in reverse as well; if al'Thor found out about his betrayal, he couldn't count on getting backup from his new masters. No, he was on his own - which was nothing new, really. But he had to admit that the stakes were higher than he could have ever dreamt of.

Why weren't the Forsaken getting rid of al'Thor, anyway? If they really were so eager to bring about the new world order under the Dark One's rule, surely killing the Dragon would be the simplest way to achieve it? Then again, al'Thor had killed a number of them already, leaving the rest… afraid? That sounded absurd; the Forsaken, afraid of that boy? But the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that the only reason al'Thor still lived was because the Forsaken - the mighty Chosen - were unwilling to risk their hides by going against him and too set in their scheming, backstabbing ways to combine their strength towards that end. And before too long, it seemed clear to Taim what he must do. The boldness - the sheer insanity - of it made him want to laugh. He didn't, of course. Instead he summoned Charl Gedwyn.

Much later, Taim sat behind his desk again. He had been sitting there for a while, the light he had channelled and tied in place had faded an hour or so ago, leaving the room completely dark. Despite the darkness, he almost thought he could still see the words on the document before him. He couldn't, really, but every letter, every single precise line was committed to his memory so that he almost believed he would still see them in his mind to his dying moment. Charl Gedwyn, Manel Rochaid, Raefar Kisman, Peral Torval, Corlan Dashiva, Damer Flinn, Jahar Narishma, Eben Hopwil. The first four were a failure, one he couldn't afford. The last three, perhaps something of a victory, but not nearly enough to balance out the loss of four of his most competent men. Dashiva - Light only knew.

A small, detached part of Taim's mind wondered if he should be afraid. He had just failed an attempt to assassinate the Dragon Reborn.

Or rather four of his Asha'man had failed an attempt to assassinate the Dragon Reborn on his orders. He doubted anyone would appreciate the difference, himself least of all.

Gedwyn, Rochaid, Kisman, Torval. He'd told them to stay away from the Black Tower and await further orders somewhere out of sight - the idiots had not only failed but also managed to get seen and identified by al'Thor. He would have to cut them loose. The Traitors' List before him now bore their names, along with Dashiva's and those of the three other Asha'man who had been with al'Thor at the time. Taim wasn't sure what had happened with them, why al'Thor had sent them away - could he be insane already? Now that would be suitably ironic. Whatever the truth, at least they weren't with al'Thor anymore, and that had to count for something. Taim would just have to find a way to turn the situation to his advantage - or if there was no advantage to be gained from this, at least make sure he wasn't the one to bear the consequences. If he couldn't do that, he might not live to make another mistake.

Coteren finished his report - yes, the sul'dam and damane had been taken to Caemlyn as ordered; no, they hadn't seen Elayne Trakand again - and Dolan picked up his part regarding the activities of the men who were known to take orders from Logain. Aside from reporting to Logain every morning, most of them weren't up to anything they weren't supposed to be; it seemed like Logain was content to just observe for the time being. Taim would have liked to know what exactly those men were reporting to Logain, but getting anyone within hearing range would have inevitably looked suspicious. Very well, if Logain wanted to play the vigilante, he was welcome to do so as long as intelligence gathering was all he was doing. It was not as if he was going to find out anything useful that way.

"Lady Elayne's visit tomorrow, M'Hael," Coteren said once Dolan was finished. "Will you show her around yourself or shall I take care of it?"

Taim gave him a sharp look; he didn't like the overly eager gleam in the ugly man's eyes. "I will meet with her, I suppose, but Marle and Farland can give her the tour," he said flatly. Coteren and Dolan had accompanied him to Caemlyn earlier to meet with her, and he didn't want either of them anywhere near her after the bizarre incident that had occurred in the throne room. He couldn't trust them to have the sense to withhold any crude comments their tiny brains might come up with, and the last thing Taim needed right now was to have them anger Elayne Trakand further.

"But, M'Hael-"

"Which part of what I just said was too complicated for you to understand?" Taim asked, his voice smooth like a honed blade.

Coteren directed an ugly glare somewhere in the general direction of his feet. "I was just-"

Taim's patience was at an end. The weave of Spirit and Fire formed almost as if on its own. Coteren's sentence was cut off and turned into a shriek of agony. Dolan gave an alarmed yelp and hastily sidestepped away as Coteren collapsed in a heap of twitching limbs. Taim watched, arms crossed, indifferent to the screams or Dolan's increasingly frantic expression as he looked from Coteren to Taim and back again.

It was then that the door opened and Mishraile entered - and stopped just short of stepping on Coteren. The Dedicated blinked, but other than that, his expression didn't change as he saluted. "M'Hael, Asha'man Altair has returned," he said, raising his voice to be heard over Coteren's screams.

Taim didn't release the weaves on Coteren as he nodded at Mishraile. "I will hear his report later." He turned to Dolan, who was still staring wide-eyed at Coteren. "Dolan, go inform Marle and Farland about tomorrow. Tell them to report to me in the morning, before Lady Elayne arrives."

Dolan saluted and scurried out. Mishraile remained, frowning down at Coteren. "You're killing him, M'Hael," the blond man noted. "Is that intentional?"

Taim blinked; Coteren had stopped screaming and lay on the floor, muscles spasming and twitching, eyes glazed and froth dripping from his mouth. Taim let the weave of Spirit and Fire dissolve, with no particular hurry. Coteren's death wouldn't be much of a loss and right now he wanted to murder someone - but killing someone who was mostly capable of following orders just because he wanted to would be wasteful nonetheless. He looked at Mishraile, who didn't appear at all disturbed by the scene he had walked in on. "You caught the weave I used, I trust?" he asked, making his voice as casual as he could.

"Yes, M'Hael," Mishraile replied.

"Have someone clean this up," he nodded towards Coteren, "and tell Altair that I will hear his report in one hour. And as for you…" With Gedwyn, Rochaid, Kisman and Torval gone - out of the picture if not quite dead yet - and Coteren turning out to be a fool, Taim needed to find reliable replacements. Mishraile wasn't among the list of those trainees who already served the Great Lord, somewhat to Taim's surprise, but he was certain that it wouldn't take much to convince the young man to join the winning side. "I'll see you for a lesson after I'm done with Altair."

The way the young Dedicated's eyes lit up as he saluted confirmed it; it wouldn't take much at all to convert Mishraile.