The Wheel of Time with a Twist

From Behind The Mask

Verin Mathwin kept her eyes ahead of her as she glided down the halls of the White Tower. Sisters gave her curious looks as they passed but said nothing. Just smile and keep moving.

Through corridors she glided and around twists and turns she went until she reached the Novices' quarters. The hallway was empty as all the novices were off doing chores. And so was Egwene. 

Verin stopped at her door, clucking at how the woman had been reduced to a novice once again. It truly was a shame. Shifting the teapot she held in one hand, she opened the door.

Egwene's room was identical to the rest. Verin positioned herself in an armchair and poured herself some tea which she warmed with a thread of Fire. For a moment, her hands froze as she brought the cup to her lips, but the hesitation did not last long. In the back of her mind, she felt her Warder's sorrow, and Verin knew he could feel hers as well. For now, though, she pushed it down and tried to be optimistic. She was a very bubbly person, after all.

"Now," she mused, "what lie shall I tell? Maybe I should do the cat one." She shook her head. "No, that would go over her head. 'I hate your guts'? No, too provoking." She chuckled. Al'Vere would just get angry instead of realizing it was a lie. 

"Oh, well, I suppose I'll just tell her her dress is something other than white." Verin grimaced at the memory of her in a novice dress. White did not suit her. "I've always thought green was a nice color. Very earthy, like brown. And she wanted to be Green Ajah anyways." Perfect.

Time to wait. And sip tea. Patiently. 

Verin could imagine it in her head. Egwene finishing up her chores and then meeting with the Red sisters that would accompany her. She'd take the fortroot and then head to her room, which would take her approximately two minutes and seventeen seconds if she was walking at her normal pace, and since she would have started one minute and fifty-three seconds ago, she should arrive very, very soon.

Twenty seconds felt like an eternity. 

Ten seconds, a shorter eternity.

5...4...3...2...1.

No Egwene came bursting through the door. Verin checked her math and mental notes. She was sure she had done the calculations correctly. Where is that blasted woman?

Exactly forty-eight seconds later, al'Vere hurried into the room, unaware of the time she had cost Verin, although, it was partly her own fault for starting to drink the tea so early.

Compose yourself and be amusing.

"Hello, Egwene," she said pleasantly. She took another sip of tea. "My! I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to break into that cell of yours in order to speak with you."

Egwene brushed her off. "I have work to be about, Verin."

And now the punchline. "Hmm, yes," she said. "I suspect that you do. By the way, that dress you are wearing is green."

Egwene looked down confusedly and then froze as she realized what had happened. She looked up slowly, horrified.

Verin smiled. "Yes, I thought that might get your attention. You should sit down. We have much to discuss and little time in which to do it."

And so she spilled the Dark One's secrets.

A/N: Hi! I'm back (I think). I've said this before, but let me know if you have any particular chapters or scenes you'd like for me to write. It would be helpful if you included the book :). In this scene Verin was a little out of character because, as I was reading it, I was just cracking up at how casual she was trying to sound that I knew she had definitely rehearsed beforehand. I hope you enjoyed it!