The Fall of Pride and Wrath

[Sam]

Dull, silver light illuminated the ancient wood, contorted and swollen with age.  Talon stood amidst the rotten crates, the endless dripping of water echoing; rebounding. The air was heavy with decay, but even decades of disuse could disguise the stench of fear. She had chosen to run, like all the others, believing themselves capable of fooling the hunter, and now they were dead. Soon Tessa would follow.

 

Aventari had fallen. The guild had failed him, the cowardly remnants of his legacy; his own brother! None had sought the vengeance rightfully owed. The hierarchy of the rogues was in turmoil, many trying their luck in a bid to flee the city. Talon had stopped them all. With Aventari dead it was the end of an age, and Talon felt a summons for bloodshed.   Talon did not feel grief, nor did the fingers of sorrow mark his flesh. All that existed within his heart were the cold whispers of murder.

 

He breathed deeply of the rot; the ambience of so much death—soothing. Tessa had squirreled herself inside a crate, and Talon even knew precisely which one. There was no sense of urgency; the dart that had pierced her skin was naturally more than it first appeared. His "guest" would not arrive in time to save her, of that the assassin was certain, and to that end had he laid his plans and set his snares.

 

Talon lifted her pale body from the crate and laid her reverently upon a bier of damp wood. His hand strayed across the softness of her face, her luxurious black hair. He could feel the welling of desire and snatched his hand away as though burned. Perhaps it was her fragility that so enticed him ... or perhaps some part of him responded to the fast-approaching death he saw deep in her eyes.

 

Aran would arrive soon, and he would witness her end. That beautiful moment when the thread of her life was cut free from the wheel, and then he would join her. Talon would be the cleansing fire, the last vestige of Aventari's wrath. Through him would be claimed the fractures and guilty splinters of the Guild. Through him there would be payment in full.

 

 

 

The streets of Cairhien, once soaked by the blood of Cairhienin and Aiel alike, were the paths that Aran walked as he sought a single warehouse amongst many in the Dock's District.  Only a cloak to conceal his blades and his leather armour, to shelter him from the rain that hammered upon him from the heavens above, during the night they served to keep him hidden from prying eyes as he sought his prey with a singlemindedness that bordered on madness.

 

Talon.

 

Since the Day of Black Veils as it had been named, since the day Aran had confronted the Aiel Clan Chief before the throne of the Sun Palace, Talon had become the shadowfiend Aran had always suspected him to be.  With his brother's death, the only leash that had kept the darkfriend in line and loyal was gone.  Not even a week had passed and Aran's brothers and sisters fell to the traitor's blades and traps without fail.  He knew all of them, yet they did not know him, he had never been their concern and now that lack of foresight was proving their undoing.  It was ironic that Aventari's teachings that had once helped to bind them were now to undo them in the form of his darkfriend pet.

 

There it was, not truly distinguishable from any other warehouse in the district, yet Aran knew that it was the one.  Freeing his long knives from their belt sheathes, Aran didn't bother with the subtle here.  Talon had wanted him to find him, it was the only way that Aran had been able to find him so easily, Talon would want to say something first.  He needed to prove something, it was the reason he was doing all this, prove that he had been Aventari's best student, his favourite.

 

Kicking in the door, Aran strode in to step dead in his tracks.

 

Tessa!

 

 

 

Talon remained motionless in the half light—watching—as Jester entered the warehouse. It would take his guest a few moments to adjust to the dim light, and the pale form of Tessa would occupy his attention.   The assassin hoped Aran perceptive enough to notice the shallow rise and fall of her breast; the brief stirrings of life still within her. She was beyond feeling, he had made certain of it, and her end would be painless ... Aran's would not.

 

Talon savoured the pain in Aran's expression, revelled in it as the brother of Aventari walked closer, cautiously as though he were afraid of shattering Tessa's porcelain skin.  Talon had always considered her beautiful, but she had never appeared more beautiful to him than the moment she did her unwitting part to tie up the loose ends. His hand reached out to trace a line across her cheek, and he heard Aran draw a surprised breath. Talon smiled to the darkness.

 

The silence as broken by the sparking of tinder; Talon's face appeared a ghoulish visage illumed by flickering orange light. So illuminated too, was the funeral bier he had constructed, Tessa's soft body surrounded by kindling and lamp oil. For a fleeting moment the assassin longed to see her once more wreathed in shadow, but he cast his whim aside and stabbed the tinder into the kindling.

 

Tinder and kindling birthed fire, and from fire spread a multitude of flames, each struggling to find sustenance. With the same speed displayed by the swarming flames, Jester began closing the distance between himself and the other assassin. Talon had expected the move, but not the speed at which it took place, stepping back plunged his arm into the kindling, burning his hand as he threw into Jester's face.

 

There were no words, no gestures; no contemplations. As Jester's hands whipped upward to protect his face, Talon drove forward with a powerful leg strike to the stomach. His trailing leg followed with a knee, connecting solidly against ribs. A powerful fist to the face—but Jester was ready. He blocked the strike with his forearms, then caught Talon along the side of his face as the assassin tried to avoid the counter. 

 

Jester drove forward with an attack of his own, leading jabs to set up a devastating combination, Talon had witnessed such tactics by Aventari. Rather than attempt to block or defend he allowed the jabs to strike, they were painful, but little more than inconvenient. Jester repositioned his feet, placing his weight forward for a serious offensive. Talon waited.

 

Jester struck with speed, but Talon's defence was even quicker. A blur of motion ended with Jester's arms locked in place and Talon spun him about to drive his face into the burning embers. The heat was intense as he pressed his attack, but the brother of Aventari had thrown his hands down into the fire and his forearms strained as he tried to free himself. Imagining the pain his opponent would be feeling, Talon was content to hold him in place.

 

From somewhere within him Jester drew the strength to rebuff Talon's assault. With a roar bordering on the primitive he shoved backwards knocking Talon down and freeing himself from his grasp. Talon acknowledged respect for the man's courage, but his arms were now useless, and they both knew it.

 

Jester was the quicker of the two and the first on the offensive once more. He wrapped his arms around Talon's head and clasped his hands together at the base of his neck. With an effort Talon could feel through the tension in his opponent's arms, Jester drove his knee viciously into his stomach, causing him to be momentarily winded. Sensing the momentary shift in control, Jester repeated the procedure, alternating knees and striking at any body part he could reach.

 

Talon remained calm, despite the bruising blows. Losing his objectivity would be lethal, but pain was fleeting. The sudden shift in weight was his only warning as Jester exploded into a leaping knee, designed to break whatever it hit. Talon thought quickly and grabbed at his opponent's wrists, twisting the burn mangled arms outward. The knee clubbed him in the chest, rather than its initial target—his face—and on top of that, the pain dropped Jester to his knees. Talon responded in like kind, his knee clashing with a cheekbone. Jester was momentarily stunned, and defenceless.

 

Talon grabbed Jester with both hands, and in a rare display of raw power, lifted the lighter man into the air, only to send him crashing through a nearby crate.   He could see that Jester had landed badly, slightly twisted and all slumped.  It was possible various splinters had made their way into his burned arms ... which would prematurely end his fun. No. Jester moved, and it made Talon smile.

 

A quick fist to the spine dropped the brother of Aventari back to the ground. Talon kicked him in the ribs purely out of spite, before dragging him to his feet, only to knock him back down with a brutal succession of elbow strikes to the face and neck—Jester, barely conscious, was finished: Talon was not.

 

He crouched beside the fallen animal, a predator savouring the kill. "Jester, Jester. Wake up." His voice was not so much one of coldness or anger, but controlled emptiness.  Flat; unreadable.  Jester's eyes focused on his for a moment and Talon smiled warmly. Reaching into his clothing he produced a small hipflask, "A toast, Jester, to the reunion of your family." With those words, he doused the flask of surprisingly strong alcohol over Jester's body, paying special attention his already burned arms.

 

The pain must have bee excruciating, for the brother of Aventari's eyes rolled back in his head, and he lost consciousness, which saved him from experiencing what happened next. Talon could not afford to let him escape, he was the penultimate and only one remained now—Rakel, who had proven adept at avoiding his snares—and so he found himself a heavy piece of what looked like iron amongst the ruins of the warehouse and set about striking Jester's legs repeatedly until he heard very satisfying pops.

 

Tessa's death had been painless, but Talon only hoped Jester would regain consciousness long enough to experience the agony of his.

 

 

Aran/Jester & Talon

 

[TaeaDawn]

She hated rainy nights.  As a girl she had once loved to play in the rain, to dance in the puddles and watch the drops falling into rippling patterns in the pools it created.  As a young woman she had begun to hate the rain for the ominous feeling it always gave her.  Tonight was no different as she walked through the empty rooms.  The noise of the servants sometimes drifted up but she paid it no mind.  The house was free of any comfort and though she was now safe, she had to suppress the fear that kept gripping her heart every time she heard a loud noise.  Light, she wished her Grand Aunt was here to help her.  It was the memory of her that always seemed to make her feel better.  Her Grand Aunt believed she could make her way through the Great Game in Cairhien.  Who was she to let something like this stop her?

 

She was Raina Dulcinea, a simple girl who was playing at being more. Wasn't that just what she'd proved when the Aiel had bust into their secret meeting and had captured her?  She took a deep breath and suppressed the memories, pushing further into her home as she did so.  She took a deep breath, trying to let the sound of the rain sooth her as it once had as a child.  It didn't help, but she was making an effort and in that at least she was overcoming her fears. 

 

She was half way into her bed chambers when she realized someone was already there, sitting across from her bed.  She gave a start and took a step back, knowing even as she did so that there was no escape for her tonight.  She took a breath to steady her voice before speaking.  "Who are you and what are you doing in here?" She demanded.

 

She had been waiting quite awhile in the Lady Dulcie's room, knowing even as she did so that time was slipping away.  But it had to be done carefully, and Rakel knew that the Lady was her best chance of success.  Even if she was taking forever to show up, it was better than going to one of the more obvious options that would call the attention of Talon upon her.  Not being fond of the idea of dying at the Darkfriend's hands like the rest of her siblings, she exercised discipline and waited with a patience that was tested as every minute passed.

 

Sneaking into the Townhouse had not been difficult, it would have been for most by Rakel had been a good student, even though she'd had Aiel blood.  Well, she wasn't completely certain about that, she wasn't as tall as them but she was taller than the average Cairhienin woman, and red hair didn't help her cause.  But that hadn't mattered to her family, all of whom were now dead except one that she had taken to safety, one who was the very reason that she was here now.

 

Looking up as the door opened, Rakel waited for the other woman to notice her which she did with a shock.  Frowning at the obvious questions thrown her way, she stood as she spoke.  "We don't have time for that.  I am here to collect a debt that you owe.  You were held prisoner once, until a relative of yours and her companion set you free.  Her companion was attacked, he is badly injured and you are his only real chance at surviving this city.  He needs to be taken to Tar Valon, and you are required to take him."

 

It was the most ludicrous thing she could think of to happen on a night like tonight, but then again her Grand Aunt had warned her that once she began, the Great Game would take a life of it's own, her's as well if she wasn't careful.  The Aiel were barely out of the city and this woman expected her to leave?  It was insanity.  Who really trusted that the barbarians had truly left?  She didn't want to find herself out of the city with no help and only the mercy of the Aiel to save her.  She understood only too well what sort of mercy they gave.

 

At the same time, she couldn't deny the woman's need.  She had been in a bad place once and her Grand Aunt had come for her.  She had seen her Grand Aunt talking heatedly with her companion back then and had come to the understanding that he was no mere Tower Guard, but someone close to her.  Beyond that he had rescued her when she had been held and whether her Grand Aunt was involved or not, Raina couldn't deny the debt. 

 

"You expect me to leave, taking him with me all the way to Tar Valon on my own?" She asked, letting a hint of the incredulous touch her voice.  "Perhaps for your kind it might be safe, but I am as like to get us killed on the road alone with him, especially if he is so sick that he needs Aes Sedai healing.  I owe him a debt, but getting us both killed would not settle it."

"He isn't sick, he's near dead."  Narrowing her eyes at Raina, Rakel ploughed ahead.  "He's been burnt, he's been beaten badly and both his legs are broken.  He nearly perished in a fire that claimed one of our sisters, and I don't care what you think, you're getting him to Tar Valon.  You're the only person 'he' isn't watching, therefore you're his only hope of getting out that I can trust.  You'll need a wagon to keep him in, it'll be about ten days worth of travel but you'll make it easily enough.  He needs you Raina, you owe him, thats the end of the matter.  You were smart enough to organise the Sons of Cairhien, you can do this simple thing."

 

It was the truth, all of it.  She owed him this and she could do it.  In fact she already knew that she would, but she had hoped, even knowing it was foolish, that there would be someone else to go with her.  It was her fear of the Aiel that dominated her thinking, that made her hesitate.  She took a deep breath.  Fear had almost made her leave Cairhein once before.  She had defied it then and she would make her Grand Aunt proud today.  She would defy it again.  "Is it safe enough to tell my fiancé that I will be taking leave to visit Tar Valon?"

 

There were few who knew her connection to Aramina sur Dulciena, but there was a trail if you chose to look for it.  If you knew to look.  But since there was no trail from her Aunt's companion straight to her she hoped.  It would be most unkind to leave them with no word.  She would if she must and hope they would accept her apologies after the fact.  "Or shall I leave a mystery of my whereabouts?"

 

"It'd be better if they knew you were going to Tar Valon and had a reason for it.  If 'he' became curious as to your sudden disappearance, a legitimate reason would maybe slow him down."  Looking thoughtful for a moment, Rakel shook her head.  "I'm sure you'll come up with something, but for now you're going to have to get your warmest cloak and sneak out with me because we're going to have to go and retrieve Aran because he's in no fit state to move himself and no one save yourself and whoever travels with you must know of him.  Word slips out and he will be after you and there won't be anything I can do, I'm taking more than enough risk as it is."

 

She listened with increasing unease but there was nothing for it.  She was committed to this.  Only one thing remained to question though.  "Who is this 'he' that will be coming after us if he finds out?" She asked, giving herself a small pat on the back for how serene her voice sounded.

 

Pausing, Rakel decided it would be better if Raina were aware of the danger.  "I think you remember your brief time amongst the Aiel vividly enough.  You remember the trio that came to rescue you?  One was our elder brother, Aventari, the leader of our now broken Guild.  The second was Aran, the man who you can thank for finding you when you were lost.  The last was Talon, the one who has been destroying our family since Aran walked free of the Sun Palace.  He has murdered every single member of our family save myself and Aran who I pulled from the flames tonight that would have consumed him as surely as they did Tessa.  That is who 'he' is." The last was almost spat.

 

Raina listened in disgust.  She had little enough knowledge of the world, it was true, but she was intelligent and caring.  There was nothing she could think of that would ever make her betray the people she knew in such a way.  And to think that the man that had rescued her both times... she took a deep breath.  Well, now she knew and there was only one thing to do about it.  "I suppose we should go find him then.  Is he near by?" She asked.

 

"No, I could only move him so far without making his injuries worse.  Wait a minute or two then leave the townhouse, I'll meet you along the way."  Walking to the door, Rakel opened it slightly and peered through to see if anyone was there before slipping away with the same stealth she had used to enter the place to begin with.

 

Raina nodded her understanding without speaking.  Her mind was already turned to the many things she'd need to get to make the trip.  She could stop along the way to get anything, true enough, but she wasn't hiding where she was going or when, just that she would be having some company along the way.  Perhaps a covered wagon, and an explanation of her fear that the Aiel hadn't gone far enough away and might see her.  Yes, that might keep anyone from wondering about a covered wagon and might at least keep her companion secret for a short time.  She'd heard enough rumors on the street already to justify fear to anyone who didn't know the truth.  She shook her head of the thought, then grabbed her cloak, slipping out the door after she had waited the allotted time.  She didn't know where she was headed, but she had no fear that the strange woman from her home would soon be at her side, guiding her to her traveling companion.

 

Rakel & Lady Raina Dulcei

[TaeaDawn]

Creator help her, she thought as she took a deep breath, the carriage coming to as slow a stop as the driver could manage.  There had been a time when the fear of the Aiel seemed like the worst thing she would ever have to overcome, but she knew different now.  In Cairhein she had helped to organize a rebellion against the Aiel and had been a part of the people that had won her people's freedom back.  She had shared in the responsibility and the concern about each person that fought for them, but it had never been this personal.  There was nothing grand in what she was doing, but it was as important to her and far more fearful to have a single person's life in your hands.

 

She smiled at Arden, the young stable hand who had been lifted from his bed and pushed into the carriage before he could fully awake.  Quite literally, she had packed his bags for him herself.  Their wagon had been provisioned quickly and she and Arden had taken their ailing companion from Cairhein before anyone in the house could be the wiser. 

 

"Do you need anything Mistress?" he asked as he helped her down from the front of the carriage.  A bit off for her to be in the front if they were seen, but it freed up the room in back.  She shook her head, her mind already racing over her cargo.

 

 

She took a deep breath stepping up into the carriage, trying to make as little movement as she could.  She heard some moans and cursed herself for not being better at this.  Light, why couldn't she there have been a Yellow Sister in Cairhein to take care of him, instead of her having to work her way to Tar Valon like this?  She put on a smile though and forced it to stay there as she looked at her companion.  "Aran?"  She said his name lightly in case he were truly asleep.  She needed to check on him again and it would wake him one way or another,if only for a moment before he blacked out.

 

 

"Raina."

 

Muttering the name, it was about all that Aran could manage as he restrained himself from writhing about.  It was the natural instinct, as if shifting his position would ease the pain, but it would do little except satisfy his instinct and even that only temporarily.  It had been days since they had left Cairhien, though he could not tell how many.  He'd gained his strength slowly, but Talon had well and truly done a number on him, he knew that now.  He had stumbled into the occasion blindly and he had not known his opponent, he had not even thought or deigned to study him when he'd had the opportunity, simply assumed that he would kill the man and that would be that.

 

Then Talon had almost slain him for his mistake, and he had failed his kin as well.  Of the all, only Rakel was alive and that was only as far as they knew.  Raina had told him little of Rakel except that she had left Raina with Aran to care for, and that was all she would be able to tell as Rakel would not have said more.  It was frustrating not to know more, frustrating and fearful to know that Rakel would have to take care of herself.  But, she would manage, she was the only one of them who had managed to elude Talon, she would continue to do so.  As he had underestimated Talon, he would surely underestimate her.

 

Hearing Raina shuffle closer, Aran reached around blindly until he felt her hand around his.  How it pained him to be in such a pitiful position, broken and beaten.  He had thrown down Ghaul before her, and now he was thrown down before her in turn.  Not knowing who she would tell of this was worse, but that was something that had to simply be borne.  He had to get to Tar Valon and he needed healing.  He needed that and more, but there was something else he needed immediately.  "Where are we?"

 

She remembered him as someone so different that she had to fight tears when she heard her name.  He was getting more and more lucid with each day which was a blessing she supposed, except that it made the trip far more painful for him.  She wished she was comfortable giving him something to help him sleep, but with his weakened state she wasn't schooled enough in something like that to risk it.

 

She smiled at him when he took her hand, the strange feeling of the a greater pattern setting over her.  He had been her savior once and it was her turn now.  If he hadn't helper her Grand Aunt, she would have been killed that night.  And if that had happened, who knows what would have happened to the Sons of Cairhein.  She doubted anyone else would have been able to get House Alneau's backing, let alone getting his genius to work for them.  She thought about Luc and hoped that he would understand her leaving.  Her note had been terse in case someone

else intercepted it but he would understand.  She hoped.  His grandfather would read enough between the lines to know she would explain better when she returned.

 

And now it was her chance to prove her metal to both him and her Grand Aunt.  She had a lot to tell them woman, but she doubted her arrival would be heralded with partied and introductions.  Shaking her head of

such thoughts she turned her mind to Aran's question.  "We've reached Dumai Wells." She said, trying to keep her voice soft and easy.

 

"Dumai Wells?" Dumai Wells, they were at the edge of the Cairhienin border then.  If they were at the edge of the Cairhienin border, that meant they must have at least been a few days travel, over half a week in a wagon and certainly so with him riding it.  He doubted that Raina would have pushed the pace, if that were the case then they had taken too long.  It explained why he was lucid, if he was lucid that meant he was healing too well.  He couldn't risk healing badly, one bad healing and he would be ruined and Raina wouldn't have had the craft to set it right.  As it was, he knew his splints were loose, just enough to hold him together.

 

Gripping Raina's hand tightly caused a surge of pain, but instead of threatening to black him out it gave him clarity.  A small mercy, the oblivion would come soon enough from what would have to follow.  He just needed to convince Raina to do it, she would need to if he was going to heal right.  He'd be no use if he healed badly.  "Raina, I want you to listen to me.  Carefully.  I need you to do something for me, you aren't going to like it but it needs to be done if I'm going to be of use to anyone later.  You must not falter, you must not hesitate, and you must not leave it half done."

 

Forcing his eyes open, it hurt so much just to turn to her, but he did and his gaze was anything but crazed as he looked at her.  It wasn't desperation, it was necessity and he wanted her to know that much.  "My bones will set, they can't be allowed to.  If they do, and they do so badly, I might lose mobility.  My leg heals badly, or an arm, I'm finished.  My only hope with this much damage is a Yellow Sister, and you're going to have to ensure I don't heal badly.  Every bone that is mending must be rebroken, you have to do it.  Take a hammer, a stick, anything you need.  Strike on each point where I have a break until nothing is set."

"There has to be another way.  Something else that..." but even as she said it, she knew the words were false.  She'd seen badly healed wounds before, especially as she had made her rounds among the Sons of Cairhein.  There were plenty of stories shared there of old battles and new, old wounds and new.  The way Rakel had feared this Talon, she had no doubt that if he found out Aran still lived he would return for him.  Perhaps her Grand Aunt would be able to keep him safe?  Even thinking it though seemed wrong.  No man deserved to be kept , even

for their own safety.  Not even the Alneau's had thought to keep her away from the meetings even if they had been concerned for her safety and for the same reason.  She had a right to her own life, to her own destiny, and not that which someone else might set for her path.  If she had been willing to play it safe and take the sure path, she would still be in a small village a day's ride outside Cairhein, married to some farmer or well to do merchant and wishing she had more than a brass of babies in her ears.

 

She closed her eyes against the tears and took a few deep breaths at the thought of what he was asking.  Light... he was broken in so many places.  She let the break out, shaky though it was and nodded her understanding.  "First things first.  Let's see what all is setting before I start looking for a hammer."

 

Squeezing her hand one last time, Aran let go and gently lowered his arm to the wagon floor as gently as he could.  There was no point in him bringing more pain his way, he was already going to have a world of it coming his way when Raina started her work.  Fingers wandered over him, finding breaks that were healing and that were still floating amongst his muscle and tissue alike.  The work would not be pleasant, but she would do it, that much he was sure of.  As she located the breaks, he guided her as he mentioned those he knew of, which was nearly all of them as he felt every single one whenever the wagon was moving.  His hands that had been burned would have to wait another time, that was something he wouldn't ask of her.

 

It had been easy enough to find a hammer for use.  They had one in the carriage already in case there was a need for repairs on the road.  What supplies she had were already at hand and  the only that that was keeping her was her own nerve.  Arden was walking.  No real destination just walking until he could barely see her.  he had no

stomach for this sort of thing and had seemed grateful when she asked him to walk a large perimeter to be certain no one would interrupt.

 

Aran had been more than helpful in pointing out the many breaks that needed rebroken.  Far too many and she could only hope that with the pain he was already in, the first break would knock him out for the rest of it.

 

She felt clumsy as she prepared to start the breaks.  She decided to do the legs first, hoping that with one swing he would lose consciousness.  She took a deep breath as she leaned over to Aran.  "Alright we're going to get started now." She said, keeping her voice as even as she could.  "But don't try to fight it Aran.  When the pain comes, just let it take you for a while.  This will make it easier for us all."

 

She got the barest of nods and decided it was enough.  Tears filled her eyes and she had to wipe them away twice before she could start.  Finally, she had his leg set properly so that only one strike would work.  Saying a prayer to the Creator, she swung the hammer, re-crippling the man she'd been asked to save.

 

Aran &  Raina Dulcei