the wheel of time · tar valon · thief · desperate · fearful · aes sedai · fantasy · survival · cautious · high stakes
The cobblestones are black mirrors under a cold, persistent rain. A figure darts through the gloom, a flash of desperate motion in the maze of Tar Valon's alleys. Behind her, the methodical, armored tread of Whitecloaks draws nearer, their spearpoints catching the dull gleam of distant lanterns. She stole something—a act of defiance or despair—and in this city, that is a sentence passed without trial. She runs, not knowing that capture does not mean a cell, but a confrontation with the Aes Sedai, whose justice is a mystery that chills the blood.