The Orders of Ryanne [Retro - Closed]

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Chamber of Thorns

 

     "Maegan?"

 

[All it takes is an honest mistake]

 

Maegan turned a head from where she sat in the far corners of the room. A woman unexpected but welcome looked down at her. Dressed in the uncharacteristic white with a red ribbon woven into her braid Mevine vir'Elle Sedai stood just next to the empty seat beside her.

 

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" Maegan shook her head and turned to face forward. Still hesitant the woman took a seat, smoothing out her skirts carefully and then to sit straight. She also looked ahead stoically.

 

They were both Aes Sedai. Both of the Red Ajah. They did not show emotions. Not to anyone but each other. Although not could here them where they sat there were eyes watching them still. Eyes that weighed and measured them carefully and without any show of pity. Maegan had no doubt that they did not wish for them to be there. In the Chamber of the Rose. But she had been invited there by Aldrin Niges Weyn, the new Headmaster of the Academy.

 

[No I find you here, You’ve been here before]

 

"How are you doing, Sister?"

 

Maegan was getting a little tired of hearing that question posed to her. It had been bad enough to awake and panic at not only being alive but unable to channel. After swift soothing that she was neither shield not stilled, Maegan still felt the embarrassment for her actions. No more, Maegan could no longer afford such shows of weakness. Weakness or dependability for people around her killed. It was easier to be betrayed when he trusted someone.

 

Melvine Sedai turned to look at her with quizzical eyes, but her face did not move, at Maegan's lack of responce.

 

"I have been worse." Maegan stated. Melvine turned back to face the front of the room. "I will be fine."

 

"Many of us say that, Sister."

 

There was a small quirk to Maegan's lips but her tone showed no amusement. "Did you know?"

 

"I suspected, but I did not know."

 

"You still came with her."

 

"She was obsessed with you."

 

"Obvious?"

 

"Only if you were around her." There was a bit of envy in Melvine's voice.

 

"She was your Mentor, too?"

 

"When I was a Novice. She was an Accepted at the time."

 

That was a surprise. Melvine did not look nor feel that old, not like Kathrina did. Kathrina must have been well over 200 years old. Maybe even 300. Melvine was barely considered Venerable by her peers. her surprise must have shown as Melvine cracked a small smile. Maegan pooled her features back to the serene expression it had previously worn.

 

"My mother aged well. She barely looked a day over 40 when she was nearing her 70th birthday. Call it genetics, but it worked well for her. It seems that it has done me well as well despite the agelessness."

 

"You look very good for your age."

 

"Thank you." The both grew silent for a moment, letting the pause draw it's own little link between them and away from the rest of the world.

 

[You tripped up over your shadow]

 

"I'm sorry about your loss, though."

 

"There was no loss." Maegan said, her voice was cold.

 

"I mean about Reque Damodred."

 

"His death means nothing. I would wish you didn't bring it up again."

 

Maegan felt broken over his betrayal. After it was all said in done, his part in this whole horrid play had been the worst to take. Kathrina had played cold hearted and just like an Aes Sedai. years and years of manipulation only brought forward feelings of pity towards the woman. But Reque Damodred..

 

[Why did you run, When I’m right here]

 

A week had passed since the night of her kidnapping and the showdown against Kathrina. Reque Damodred died in a fight outside the doorway to the Chamber of Thorns and Keton seriously injured. Headmaster Weyn and Mevine Sedai (at Master Weyns frantic demands) had been the one to find it all. Melvine had burst into the room just after Kathrina was shielded. Leaning over Maegan's body with a knife Melvine Sedai wove the woman away from Maegan. Knowing she had lost, Kathrina had killed herself with her own knife the moment she realized that she could not longer channel and no longer had a chance to gain any headway in the situation. She had died before Melvine could heal her wound.

 

Maegan felt no amount of loss over her death anymore than anouther that had betrayed her. Part of her wished that she had done it herself. But in the end knowing that she took away Kathrina's ability to channel on her own was enough to alleviate that feeling. It was only after they removed her body that Maegan had found the little silver Angreal that Kathrina had given her. It was no surprise that the woman had removed the Angreal to put it back in her own use. It was one of few ways for her to not only remove an Angreal from the Tower without the blame, but to steal it back would have place Maegan on dangerous grounds with the Brown Ajah as well as the rest of her tower. Her credibility in her own Ajah was fickle enough without the rumours of her reckless care of a Tower Angreal.

 

[Late September, all I remember is you dear]

 

"I think you do need to know, Maegan Sedai." Melvine Sedai was persistent, however, and not giving her a moment of piece. Maegan could not seem to brush her off no matter how many times she tried to prush off the subject.

 

"I do not want to know." Her octive dropped as anger laced her voice.

 

"He Loved you Maegan."

 

She whiped her head around and glared at Melvine Sedai. At least the woman had the decency to shrink back at the harsh look that Maegan shot her.

 

"You will _never_ say that to me again. Do you understand?" Cold anger laced her voice. "He betrayed me. No love brings betrayel, Melvine. Nothing changes what he did."

 

"How do you know that he be.."

 

"My father is dead because of him. Because of his greed."

 

"That was before. Don't you see?"

 

"I see only an Aes Sedai that does not know how to keep silent."

 

"You are not my senior, Maegan Sedai." Melvine Sedai's voice grew harsh. Maegan did not care.

 

"In here neither of us are."

 

[With the falling leaves I get back on my knees to surrender]

 

Movement within the Chamber of Thorns stirred as HeadMaster Aldrin Weyn entered the chambers through a secondary set of doors. Eyes turned to him as he walked to the center of the room.

 

"My Brothers and Sisters,, Scholars, Masters and Initiates.." He started.

 

Melvine leaned over and hissed. "I think you should listen to me, for but a moment, Maegan."

 

"Why?" Maegan shot back, here eyes still looking forward through her spectacles. "Why should I listen to you."

 

"Because you deserve to know the truth!"

 

"I know the Truth."

 

"Not all of it." Melvine Sedai whispered. "It was Keton that set you up, not Damodred. Damodred was the one that sent Aldrin to get me."

 

Maegan sat silently.

 

"He had been forced by Kathrina, compulsions." The word had been bitter on her tongue. "I wasn't sure Kathrina had that ability, or even if the weave existed, but it did."

 

"It changes nothing." Stubborn.

 

"You are the fool then, Maegan." Melvine Sedai said, leaning back with a resigned tone. "He saved you. Only he knew to go for me. Only he knew how to get himself out of an impossible situation."

 

"No, Melvine. He could have told me."

 

"Told you that he was a darkfriend? Sold his soul to the highest bidder and was in the control of the Highest? Our Highest?" Even to Maegan that sounded ridiculous. "No, Maegan. He could not have told you. You would have listened to him as easily as you have to me this past week."

 

Hating to admit it, the woman was right. Burn her...

 

[it’s all gonna be the same, When you get there]

 

".. Do you, the jury and the judge of the Academy find Caim Keton Guilty?"

 

Hands around the room echoed as they beated to gether back and forth. The room revierating. Neither Maegan nor Melvine Sedai joined. Aes Sedai did not clap. Aes Sedai did not pass judgement.

 

Maegan nearly burst out laughing.

 

She had just weighted and passed judgement on a man that no longer lived based on the evidence that she thought she knew. Although she would be the last to admit any feeling towards the man, Melvine Sedai's words rung too deeply, too harshly in her ears. It, in turned, placed a judgement on her. The fool that she was. A hypocrite of the worst kind.

 

Standing. "Excuse me."

 

"But.. "

 

"Just make sure you see the man dead. Tell me later. I have lost my appetite for this."

 

Melvine Sedai just looked at Maegan for a moment and then moved her legs to allow Maegan to pass in front of her. There was nothing she needed to say, but the simple movement was enough. Tightening her Red Shawl around her shoulders, the Crimson Shawl that she had barely worn in over 40 years, Maegan brushed passed Melvine Sedai and walked out of the room. Not a head turned her way as the door closed behind her.

 

[Now that we see the signs]

 

All this time..

 

[Now that we know ITS TIME]

 

Why had she not know? How could she have let it slip away? Sinking into her fathers chair Maegan sat there staring ahead. Nothing, She simply felt nothing.

 

Was it even worth it? Was any of this worth it anymore?

 

[This is the day we come to say

All of the pain has come and gone away

This is the ONE WING DOVE

Today we come TOGETHER]

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~8~@

 

To Be Continued..

 

 

Stats:

 

54 000 Words  (53821 By my word counter, but it's inaccurate to the one on the NaNoWriMo website.)

 

Songs Quoted:

 

- 190 Words Credited to “Heart - These Dreams”

- 115 Words Credited to “Together - The Kin”

 

Done in the 28th. 4 days of no additions, so 24 days.

 

Special Thanks to:

 

Arette - For allowing me to include Annais and for pestering you every day for more. :D

bcxanth & Ghaul - Your the best distractions ever. :P

James - For making me work on the Academy months and months ago. It 'really' helped. :)

 

 

Achievement:

 

Largest file of writing on my computer to date. w00t. 8)

 

 

Comments and Questions welcome!