Letters & Loyalty [attn Serena: Order of the Rose RP]

[Sirayn]

Some weeks after the fallout from Dumai’s wells a letter arrived in Cairhien by messenger. It was an unremarkable sort of letter, plain parchment marked by careful writing, and sealed in black wax; only a keen observer might have picked out the faint outline of a rose stamped in that black seal. Once opened some sheets of parchment slithered out accompanied by a heavier, more solid clink … that of a small, silver ring. It bore an emblem most familiar to all those in Cairhien. Anyone might have recognised it as a House Damodred signet ring. In a code known only to members of the Order of the Rose the letter read:

 

Serena Sedai,

 

My apologies for not sending this letter earlier. I regret to say that conditions back home are not, shall we say, conducive to open action; all affairs must be conducted in great secrecy. If the Hall of the Tower were to find out that our party even existed, much less its scale and accomplishments, everyone would suffer for it. I for one do not want my career shot down in flames for obeying the Amyrlin Seat’s order, and I should be a poor benefactor for the Order of the Rose if I let any of my agents go down so easily for following me … hence why this and all our other transactions will be encoded to protect ourselves. However, do not show this letter to anyone; giving the Aiel and the Dragon Reborn’s lackeys some credit for intelligence we must assume that they have code breakers among their staff.

 

Reports tell me that you and your fellow Dragonsworn are being held in Cairhien along with the boy’s mad troops and all the other trappings of his so called rank. I must have more information if I am to break you out of there. Unfortunately I cannot attend to these matters myself, since unforeseen circumstances oblige me to remain in Tar Valon, but rest assured I will not permit you or anyone else to languish there until the boy Dragon finds some use for you. That would scarcely give the proper impression of the White Tower; as though we would allow our finest sisters to be imprisoned and controlled in such a manner. No, you will be returning to Tar Valon shortly if I have anything to do with it, and I will need your co-operation in this.

 

Tell me everything you have observed so far in your stay in the Dragon’s camp. In what part of Cairhien is it located and where are you living? What security is there around you? I saw for myself on the field at Dumai’s Wells that the boy Dragon has channellers other than his fanatical, so called Asha’man; do they work for the Aiel? As many details as you can gain for me about their numbers, their strengths and arrangement would be useful. If there is any obvious place at which to strike I must know that as well. It is not in our best interests to wage open war against the Dragon child, sorely though he deserves it for his treatment of my Aes Sedai, but perhaps … it might not be too closely questioned if, for example, some nameless mercenaries were to make a strike there. A distraction, no more, and certainly not linked to the White Tower.

 

Have you had audience with the Dragon Reborn himself? If he has said anything of importance … if anything untoward has happened … let me know. I must know exactly which sisters are being kept as Dragonsworn and which others remain in your camp. I know which ones went missing at Dumai’s Wells, but some were scattered, some injured and some slain, and it is anyone’s guess as to which ones went over to the Dragon Reborn. The Hall of the Tower has been greatly interested in these absences. For some reason I have found it difficult to explain what happened to me and my companions without referencing at any time the rescuing party at Dumai’s Wells, which officially never happened, although regrettably the Hall has found out about the Dragonsworn.

 

You are, I trust, being properly treated? I imagine that the boy would not dare give the White Tower such direct offence, but if you are being mistreated in any way -- Light forbid that anyone should dare raise a hand to you -- only speak the word and I will have you out of there as soon as possible. No, burn them, if anyone has hurt you then I will come myself and I will get you out if I have to do it with my bare hands … damn it, hand. However, if your imprisonment should be under acceptable conditions … I am reluctant to propose this, I know that being a lackey for the Dragon Reborn is no position for any sister … then you may see this as an opportunity to gather further intelligence for the Tower. I will not instruct you to risk your life for our information: that is not my place. On the other hand, anything you could give us would be gratefully received.

 

On a side note, I see I owe you some thanks. You risked your life to save me at Dumai’s Wells. I am rather mortified that that was even necessary in the first place, the loss of a bond is no excuse, but I am properly thankful for your assistance. I have one question though … before you came to get me … there was a woman who came by briefly. A tall woman, dark haired and dark eyed, hard looking; she would have moved with a limp; I think we scarred her face once. Did you see her? Even a glimpse?

 

You are one of my finest agents. The Order of the Rose is fortunate to have you. Stay strong.

 

Under the Light,

Sirayn Símeone-Damodred

Sister of the Battle Ajah

[SerenaMorrigan]

OOC: My reply, at last! I apologize for the lateness of this reply. I really had to dig up some information on this. I'm excited to finally get it going again.

 

IC: As the last skirts swished out of the tents, Serena had gone directly to work on her return letter to Sirayn. With her heart beating loudly in her ears, she felt as if the Wise Ones would be able to hear it and detect what she was doing. Childish and foolish, she knew; however, if they knew what she was up to, there would be severe punishment. As the candlelight flickered, Serena began to encode her letter.

 

Sirayn Sedai,

 

It is with great honour and thanks that I received your letter. Have no fear of others finding out about the Order of the Rose, or of our communication. None, even of my own Ajah, are aware of the Oaths and ties that bind us, nor will they ever. I understand the importance of keeping such secrets, and I would not wish anything untoward to happen to you or the Order. I swear to hold onto that to my death and beyond.

 

Never, even as a novice still in freshly washed white, have I ever been in such a predicament as the one I am in now. You are correct in stating that the boy Dragon has channellers on his side that are not of his lunatic regimen. They are the Aiel women, who call themselves Wise Ones. Not all can channel, and I am still figuring out how their ranks work. Non-channellers can be Wise Ones, as well, and sometimes hold authority over the channellers. That is beside the point, but I feel it is a necessary piece of information. These women watch over the Dragonsworn, and have made pacts with us that we could not deny. They have taken us on as their apprentices, and treat us with harsh vigour that hardly befits a novice.

 

I am not struggling or afraid for my life; however, there are Aes Sedai here who have been placed in the black woolen robes of what the Aiel call dat'sang, or "the Despised Ones". Sheena do'Amoren is among them. These captive Sisters are drvien to perfom all sorts of arduous and meaningless tasks. Out of all of this, I would say they have it the worst. Being an apprentice to the Wise Ones, though exhausting, has put me in a place where I can eavesdrop on what the Aiel women let out of their mouths around us. Some of these women are incredibly strong in the One Power, and some of them quite weak. I have overheard them speak of "the Dream", and I am more than positive that they speak of Tel'aran'rhiod.

 

We are held in a camp just outside of Cairhien, and some of us are often taken into the topless towers of the Sun Palace. Men in black coats stream the streets of Cairhien and corridors of the palace. The boy is much stronger than anticipated, much to my chagrin. His army of madmen is much larger and stronger, as well. It grows like the poisened vines of The Blight. These men seem to have ranks, as well. Some wear no pins on their collars, but others either have a silver sword, or a sword and dragon on the collars of their black coats. I have not had much chance to study them, or to understand their ranks. Have no fear that I will study all that I can about these men. THey may be more of a danger than we have ever thought. The madness does not seem to be about them, as I had previously thought. This is also a danger, how will I be able to tell which men are not sane if they do not show it? Not a question for you to answer, but a thought to merely put out there.

 

The women that are holed up in the tents of the Aiel Wise Ones with me are as follows: Kartos Dal'Avier(Blue Ajah), Kara Bankshee(Of your very own Green), Cerianth De'Corenn(Yellow Ajah), Sarai Decoa(Yellow Ajah) and Sheena do'Amoren (Blue Ajah). I do not doubt your expertise in the strategies of Battle, Sister; yet, the Aiel have used their One Power against us and I am not sure they will not do it again. There are so many Wise Ones here, I am not sure it would be beneficial to form a second rescue party. No more Aes Sedai blood needs to be shed, atleast until I can figure out a better way.

 

Audience with the Dragon Reborn is slim, and he hardly requests the sight of any of us. He no longer trusts Aes Sedai at all, and does not seem to want to take on any type of advisor. I fear the White Tower has made a grave mistake in trying to retrieve him, but what is done, is done.

 

I have heard nothing further of importance to anyone, especially to you. As soon as I hear anything, it will be in your hands as if I had learned to make objects Travel.

 

By the way, concerning the dark scarred woman. I believe I did see her, though I cannot be sure. Please, never apologize for anything that concerns helping you or the Order of the Rose. I merely stepped in when I thought I had to. I could not let the leader of such a strong Order, and a woman of such stature and importance to me fall into the hands of the Creator, just yet. It was not time, Sister. I swore to serve you, and I do.

 

I will have my agent return to me as soon as another letter is received. She is loyal to me, which makes her loyal to us.

 

Under the Light,

Serena Morrigan

Sister of the Blue Ajah

 

[Sirayn]

By the red light of sunset Sirayn sat alone at a window somewhere in the lower reaches of the Tower, reading a letter. Nobody disturbed her though novices scattered to and fro like starlings; no servant passing through the corridors bearing a mop and brush, nor the sisters who sometimes swept past, all serenity and looking immaculate … only the bright crimson light flooded through the open window and cast a scarlet tint across her, as though the set face and her solitary hand were etched in blood. Not that anyone should have comprehended her letter anyway, even had they been reading over her shoulder, for it looked to the unwary eyes to have been written in gibberish. Such was only necessary to protect her dealings with certain folk of whom she would not wish the Tower to hear.

 

Initially she had been as composed as anyone while reading her letter. Gradually however, her mouth began to twist in some suppressed feeling; her eyes narrowed; novices began to give her an even wider berth as they passed by. It satisfied her indeed that Serena had managed to provide so much useful information, another sign that her trust in the little Blue Sister had been well placed, but the news this letter brought … pleased her rather less.

 

Aiel channellers! Sisters being forced into unskilled labour like mere novices! The harsh treatment set her teeth on edge. She had already known the so-called Dragon Reborn had no respect for Aes Sedai, that was clear enough by the abandon with which he had murdered some, but to put the survivors through an extended version of torture did not improve her view of him at all. No self respecting Aes Sedai let a mere child, a mad channeller of no education or integrity whatsoever, hurt people who belonged to them … and she promised herself that some day she would get her revenge.

 

Though her accomplice warned against it in her letter, briefly Sirayn considered using force to break her Aes Sedai sisters from their captivity. Every day they remained under oath in that wretched camp, being treated like common labourers, outraged the Tower further. She could not move openly against the Dragon Reborn, not without the Hall’s backing and burn her if she would go anywhere near the Hall with this, but a Battle Ajah member did not survive as long as she if they could not move discreetly. She was half tempted to send other Order members to get them out, those she could at least trust and had their own measure of competence, but it risked too much; the Light only knew what the Dragon and his madmen might make of her people. Perhaps mercenaries as she had originally suspected … a strike under the cover of night, to permit her folk to free themselves … Aes Sedai of the proper acuity could slip an oath as easily as a collar, perhaps they might be able to flee.

 

All sounded too dangerous. If she incited the captured folk to rise up in any way she risked the possibility that the Dragon Reborn would grow tired of tormenting them and simply execute them, or worse, turn them against the Tower. Bound though the captives were to the supposed Dragon, Serena at least seemed able and willing to assist, the oaths could not be too strongly conflicting at this point. Of course, had he a particularly sadistic frame of mind, all the Dragon had to do to hurt them was to bring their oaths into conflict. No, she could not let Aes Sedai be turned against Aes Sedai. The memory of Dumai’s Wells, blood and mud and chaos under a crisp sky, convinced her of that. The Dragonsworn question troubled her for some time after she had retired to her quarters; it was only late into the night that she finally set pen to paper to create a response.

 

Serena Sedai,

 

I am greatly relieved to hear from you. I admit, I had wondered whether my letter would gain any response at all, since even if it reached you I could not assure that you would be able to reply. You may be interested to hear that I am not the only Tower agent concerned for the welfare of those trapped in the Dragon Reborn’s captivity, nor the best connected, and though I must by necessity protect the means of our communication I have passed along information as discreetly as possible where I deem it proper. I am determined that I will see you all freed in due course come hell or high water. I got you in there and I will get you out.

 

It is not necessary to make further oaths to me, I know your loyalty. You have endured danger and hardship to put this in my hands; I will not forget it. Once you return to the Tower, as you may be certain I will arrange, you will be received in all honour. Your letter is most excellent; I expected no less from you. This information is a necessary step toward achieving our goals, which is to say, extracting you and your sisters with the least amount of damage all round -- or at least on the Tower’s side, any love for the so-called Dragon I might have had has vanished by now. Nevertheless, since we will not take independent action against the Dragon without the Hall’s sanction and I would rather have a close encounter with hot coals than go before the Hall again, we will endeavour to avoid confrontation with the Dragon Reborn’s minions.

 

All in all I gather that breaking you out by force would be not only counter-productive but possibly doomed to failure. I am devoting my attention to more creative means of freeing you. One option that springs to mind -- and you must not, I repeat must not, under any circumstances mention this to anyone else -- is that any oaths you have sworn are, shall we say, more flexible than their makers intended? Any inconvenient promises binding you now may be removed just as fast as we can get you into the proximity of the Oath Rod. Therefore return to the Tower as soon as possible and we will free you from your unnatural servitude. Prevail upon the Dragon Reborn to send you back to us. Deceive him, tell him tall tales, it matters not. The boy is likely so addled by the Taint madness that he will not notice, if in his ignorance he even knows the failings of the Three Oaths.

 

Any research you can do into this option would be of the greatest use to us. Otherwise your orders remain as they always are. Observe and learn. Maintain the dignity suitable to an Aes Sedai as much as is possible under the Dragon Reborn’s constraints. If you can ensure the co-operation of your fellow captives, do so with all speed. Relay everything you hear to me and wait for further instructions.

 

Under the Light,

Sirayn Símeone-Damodred

Sister of the Battle Ajah