"I had the women in the outer camp make them," Bryne said. "It's always a good idea to have a few copies of your enemy's uniform."
"It's not proper," Siuan said, folding her arms. "Serving on the Tower Guard is a sacred duty. They—"
"They're your
She eyed him, but held her tongue. Bryne looked over the soldiers, then nodded in approval. "This won't fool anyone up close, but from a distance, it will serve. Out onto the streets and fall into ranks. Hustle toward the Tower, as if you're rushing to help with the battle. Siuan, a globe of light or two would help with the disguise—if those who see us also see an Aes Sedai at our head, they'll be more likely to assume what we want them to."
She sniffed, but did as requested, creating two globes of light, then setting them to float in the air beside her head. Bryne gave the command, and the entire group spilled out of the alley and formed ranks. Gawyn, Siuan and Bryne took up positions at the front—Gawyn and the general walking just ahead of Siuan, as if they were Warders—and they double-timed forward down the street.
All in all, the illusion was very good. On first glance, Gawyn himself would have bought the disguise. What would be more natural to see than a squadron of Tower Guard marching to the scene of the attack, guided by an Aes Sedai and her Warders? It was certainly better than trying to sneak a hundred men through the city in alleyways, unseen.
As they approached the Tower grounds they entered the nightmare. The billowing smoke reflected red firelight, enveloping the Tower in a menacing crimson haze. Holes and gashes broke the walls of the once-majestic building; fires blazed within several of them.
Bryne's soldiers slowed as they approached. There seemed to be two points of combat in the raid. The base of the Tower, with its two flanking wings, showed flashes of light. The grounds were littered with the dead and the wounded. And up above, near the middle of the Tower, several gashes were spewing fireballs and lightning back out at the invaders. The rest of the Tower seemed silent and dead, though surely fighting was going on in the corridors.
The group pulled to a halt outside the Tower grounds' iron gates. Those gates were open and completely unguarded. That seemed ominous. "Now what?" Gawyn whispered.
"We find Egwene," Siuan answered. "We start at the base, then head down to the basement floors. She was locked down there somewhere earlier today, and it's probably the first place we should look."
* *
A spray of stone chips fell from the ceiling and rained down on the table as the White Tower shook from yet another blast. Saerin cursed to herself, wiping the chips away, then unrolled a wide piece of parchment, weighting the sides with some broken chunks of tile.
Around her, the room was in virtual chaos. They were on the ground floor, in the forward gathering room, a large square chamber situated where the eastern wing met the Tower proper. Members of the Tower Guard pulled tables out of the way to make room for the groups passing through. Aes Sedai warily glanced out the windows, watching the skies. Warders stalked like caged animals. What were they to do about flying beasts? Their best place was here, guarding the center of operations. Such as it was. Saerin had only just arrived.
A sister in green swept up to her. Moradri was a long-limbed Mayener with dark skin, and she was trailed by two handsome Warders, both also Mayener. Rumors said that they were her brothers, come to the White Tower to defend their sister, though Moradri didn't speak of the matter.
Saerin demanded, "How many?"
"The ground floor has at least forty-seven sisters," Moradri said. "Spread across the Ajahs. That's the best count I could gather, as they're fighting in small groups. I told them we were organizing a formal command center here. Most seemed to think that was a good idea, though many were too tired, too shocked or too dazed to respond with much else besides a nod."
"Mark their locations on the map here," Saerin said. "Did you find Elaida?"
Moradri shook her head.
"Blast," Saerin muttered as the Tower shook again. "What of any Green Sitters?"
"I didn't find any," Moradri said, glancing over her shoulder, obviously eager to get back to the fighting.
"A pity," Saerin said. "They like to call themselves the Battle Ajah, after all. Well, that leaves me to organize the fighting."
Moradri shrugged. "I suppose." She glanced over her shoulder again.
Saerin eyed the Green sister, then tapped the map. "Mark the locations, Moradri. You can be back to the fighting soon enough, but your knowledge is more important right now."
