Rand had better stay safe so I can tell him what I think of him, she thought as Bashere approached in quiet conversation with Birgitte. Bashere was a bowlegged man with a thick mustache. He didn’t talk to Elayne the way a man should a queen . . . but then, the Queen of Saldaea was his niece, so perhaps he was just very comfortable around royalty.
He is first in line for the throne, Elayne reminded herself. Working with him would offer opportunities to further secure her ties to Saldaea. She still liked the idea of seeing one of her children on that throne. She lowered a hand to her stomach. The babes kicked and elbowed frequently now. Nobody had told her it would feel so much like . . . well, indigestion. Unfortunately, Melfane had, against all expectation, found some goat’s milk.
"What word?" Elayne asked as Birgitte and Bashere arrived, Talmanes moving his horse aside to make room.
"Scout reports of the city are in", Bashere said.
"Bashere was right", Birgitte said. "The Trollocs have been reined in, and the burning has mostly died out. A good half of the city still stands. Much of that smoke you see is from cook fires, not buildings".
"Trollocs are stupid", Bashere said, "but Halfmen are not. The Trollocs would have gleefully ransacked the city and lit fires all across it, but that would have threatened to let the fires get away from them. Either way, the truth is we don’t know what the Shadow is planning here, but they at least have the option of trying to hold the city for a time, should they desire".
"Will they try that?" Elayne asked.
"I can’t say, honestly", Bashere replied. "We don’t know their goals. Was this attack on Caemlyn intended to sow chaos and bring fear to our armies, or is it intended to take a stronghold and hold it long-term as a base from which to harry our forces? Back during the Trolloc Wars, the Fades did hold cities for that purpose".
Elayne nodded.
"Pardon, Your Majesty?" a voice said. She turned to see one of the Two Rivers men stepping up. One of their leaders, Tam’s second-in-command. Dannil, she thought, that's his name.
"Your Majesty", Dannil repeated. He fumbled a little, but actually spoke with some polish. "Lord Goldeneyes has his men set up in the forest".
"Lord Talmanes, do you have your dragons in position?"
"Almost", Talmanes said. "Pardon, Your Majesty, but I’m not certain the bows will be needed once those weapons fire. Are you certain you don’t want to lead with the dragons?"
"We need to goad the Trollocs into battle", Elayne said. "The placement I outlined will work best. Bashere, what of my plan for the city itself?"
"I think everything is almost ready, but I’ll want to check", Bashere said, knuckling his mustache in thought. "Those women of yours made gateways well enough, and Mayene gave us the oil. You’re sure you want to go through with something so drastic?"
"Yes".
Bashere waited for more of a response, perhaps an explanation. When she didn’t give one, he moved off, issuing the last orders. Elayne turned Moonshadow to ride down the ranks of soldiers here at the front lines, where they’d set up near the forests. There wasn’t much she could do now, in these last moments as her commanders gave orders, but she could be seen riding with confidence. Where she passed, the men raised their pikes higher, lifted their chins.
Elayne kept her own eyes on that smoldering city. She would not look away, and she would not let anger control her. She would use the anger.
Bashere returned to her a short time later. "It’s done. The basements of many buildings that are still standing have been filled with oil. Talmanes and the others are in place. Once your Warder returns with word that the Kinswomen are prepared to open another round of gateways, we can proceed".
Elayne nodded, and then removed her hand from her belly as Bashere glanced at it. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding it again. "What do you think of me going to battle while pregnant? Is it a mistake?"
He shook his head. "No. It proves just how desperate our situation is. It will make the soldiers think. Make them more serious. Besides . . .
"What?"
Bashere shrugged. "Perhaps it will remind them that not everything in this world is dying".
Elayne turned back, looking at the distant city. Farmers burned their fields in the spring to prepare them for new life. Maybe that was what Andor was suffering now.
"Tell me", Bashere said. "Are you going to tell the men that you’re carrying the Lord Dragon’s child?"
Children, Elayne corrected in her head. "You presume to know something that may or may not be true, Lord Bashere".
"I have a wife, and a daughter. I recognize the look in your eyes when you see the Lord Dragon. No woman with child touches her hand to her womb so reverently when looking on a man who is not the father".
Elayne drew her lips into a line.
"Why do you hide it?" Bashere asked. "I’ve heard what some of the men think. They talk of some other man, a Darkfriend named Mellar, once Captain of your Guardswomen. I can see that the rumors are false, but others are not so wise. You could kill those rumors if you wished".
"Rand’s children will be targets", she said.
"Ah . . ". he replied. He knuckled his mustache for a moment.
"If you disagree with the reasoning, Bashere, speak your mind. I will not suffer a toady".
"I’m no toady, woman", he said with a huff. "But regardless, I hardly doubt your child could be a greater target than he or she already is. You’re high commander of the armies of the Light! I think your men deserve to know what exactly they’re fighting for".
"It is not your business to know", Elayne said, "nor is it theirs".
Bashere raised an eyebrow at her. "The heir to the realm", he said flatly, "is not the business of its subjects?"
"I believe you are overstepping your bounds, General".
"Perhaps I am", he said. "Maybe spending so much time with the Lord Dragon has warped the way I do things. That man . . . you could never tell what he was thinking. Half of the time, he wanted to hear my mind, as raw as I could lay it out. The other half of the time, it seemed like he’d break me in two just for commenting that the sky looked a little dark". Bashere shook his head. "Just give it some thought, Your Majesty. You remind me of my daughter. She might have done something similar, and this is the advice I’d give her. Your men will fight more bravely if they know that you carry the Dragon Reborns heir".
Men, Elayne thought. The young ones try to impress me with every stunt that comes into their fool heads. The old ones assume every young woman is in need of a lecture.
She turned her eyes toward the city again as Birgitte rode up and gave her a nod. The basements were filled with oil and pitch.
"Burn it", Elayne said loudly.
Birgitte waved a hand. The Kinswomen opened their round of gateways, and men hurled lit torches through into the basements of Caemlyn. It didn’t take long for the smoke rising above the city to grow darker, more ominous.
"They won’t soon put that out", Birgitte said softly. "Not with the dry weather we’ve been having. The entire city will go up like a haystack".
The army gathered to stare at the city, particularly the members of the Queen’s Guard and the Andoran military. A few of them saluted, as one might salute the pyre of a fallen hero.
Elayne ground her teeth, then said, "Birgitte, make it known among the Guards. The children I carry were fathered by the Dragon Reborn".
Bashere’s smile deepened. Insufferable man! Birgitte was smiling as she went to spread the word. She was insufferable, too.
The men of Andor seemed to stand taller, prouder, as they watched their capital burn. Trollocs started pouring from the gates, driven by the fires. Elayne made sure the Trollocs saw her army, then announced, "Northward!" She turned Moonshadow. "Caemlyn is dead. We take to the forests; let the Shadowspawn follow!"
Androl awoke with dirt in his mouth. He groaned, trying to roll over, but found himself bound in some way. He spat, licked his lips and blinked crusty eyes.
He lay with Jonneth and Emarin against an earthen wall, tied by ropes. He remembered . . . Light! The roof had fallen in.
Pevara? he sent. Incredible how natural that method of communication was beginning to feel.
He was rewarded with a groggy sensation from her. The bond let him know that she was nearby, probably tied up as well. The One Power was also lost to him; he clawed at it, but ran up against a shield. His bonds were tied to some kind of hook in the ground behind him, hindering his movement.
Androl shoved panic down with some effort. He couldn’t see Nalaam. Was he here? The group of them lay tied in a large chamber, and the air smelled of damp earth. They were still underground in a part of Taim’s secret complex.
If the roof fell in, Androl thought, the cells were probably destroyed. That explained why he and the others were tied up, but not locked away.
Someone was sobbing.
He strained around and found Evin tied nearby. The younger man wept, shaking.
"It’s all right, Evin", Androl whispered. "We’ll find a way out of this".
Evin glanced at him, shocked. The youth was tied in a different way, in a seated position, hands behind his back. "Androl? Androl, I’m sorry".
Androl felt a twisting emotion. "For what, Evin?"
"They came right after the rest of you left. They wanted Emarin, I think. To Turn him. When he wasn’t there, they began asking questions, demands. They broke me, Androl. I broke so easily. I’m sorry . . ".
So Taim hadn’t discovered the fallen guards. "It’s not your fault, Evin".
Footsteps sounded on the ground nearby. Androl feigned unconsciousness, but someone kicked him. "I saw you talking, pageboy", Mishraile said, leaning down his golden-haired head. "I’m going to enjoy killing you for what you did to Coteren".
Androl opened his eyes and saw Logain sagging in the grip of Mezar and Welyn. They dragged him near and dropped him roughly to the ground. Logain stirred and groaned as they tied him up. They stood, and one spat on Androl before moving over to Emarin.
"No", Taim said from somewhere near. "The youth is next. The Great Lord demands results. Logain is taking too long".
Evin’s sobs grew louder as Mezar and Welyn moved over to seize him under the arms.
"No!" Androl said, twisting. "No! Taim, burn you! Leave him alone! Take me!"
Taim stood nearby, hands clasped behind his back, in a sharp black uniform that resembled those of the Asha’man, but trimmed with silver. He wore no pins at his neck. He turned toward Androl, then sneered. "Take you? I am to present to the Great Lord a man who couldn’t channel enough to break a pebble? I should have culled you long ago".
Taim followed the other two, who were dragging away the frantic Evin. Androl screamed at them, yelling until he was hoarse. They took Evin somewhere on the other side of the chamber—it was very large—and Androl could not see them because of the angle at which he was tied. Androl dropped his head back against the floor, closing his eyes. That didn’t prevent him from hearing poor Evin’s screams of terror.