Are you going to deny the saviour ... Att Red Sitters & Keeper

[Elgee]

Continued from

 

 

In a world beyond controlling

Are you going to deny the saviour

In front of your eyes

 

Zarinen concentrated on projecting absolute confidence and assurance in her own power. She had dressed in her richest clothes, the red silk of her dress clinging to every curve. Rubies dangled from her ears and nestled in her mostly exposed cleavage, whilst more rubies and pearls were arranged artfully through her long black curls. Her usual smile was fixed on her face, but her eyes glowed with her determination to bend the Sitters to her will. It was a gamble to include the Keeper in this meeting, but her reasoning was twofold: the Sitters might be less likely to disagree openly with her, with the Keeper present, and here in the office of the Highest, the Keeper might see herself as just another Red sister. That was what she hoped, at least; it could easily go the other way, if she wasn’t careful.

 

She must have succeeded with the Accepted attending to her, as the girl fairly squeaked when she saw Zarinen’s face, visibly trembling as she readied the tea tray. Zarinen could not afford to break her concentration enough to sooth the girl. Besides, even though only an Accepted, her obvious fear would serve as caution to the Sitters and Keeper that the Highest was in no mood to be trifled with.

 

When the first knock sounded on the door, Zarinen seated herself in the ornate, throne-like chair she had bought for occasions like this. She had not seen them again after having left them to speak to the Amyrlin the day before, preferring to send them each a note politely requesting their presence at this meeting. As the sisters entered, she motioned them to the four smaller chairs arranged in a half-circle opposite her. She sat silently staring into the distance as the increasingly nervous Accepted handed out tea and small biscuits. Once that was done, she barked a dismissal at the girl, then turned the full force of her attention on the women before her.

 

 

Zarinen Rafaliva

Highest of the Red Ajah

 

 

OOC: Please read this before posting a reply.

[Jagen Sedai]

Jagen had spent some time meditating in her rooms before getting ready for this meeting. It would be the first time really seeing Zarinen, and perhaps the others too. She had spent most of her time outside the Tower, especially in the last thirty years. Since the ter'angreal viewing among the Ajah, she hadn't been back until now. She did not really know them or they her, except for what they would have heard about each other.

 

She stood and lit a few candles with the Power before letting saidar go. She was newly elected to the Hall. Just the other day she had met Zarinen but the meeting had been rather formal and Jagen had not said a word. Instead, she listened. She was not one to speak very quickly when new ideas were proposed to her. But she did learn a bit about Zarinen in that meeting. Between that and what she knew of the Highest after talking with Larindhra, she knew that disagreements were going to ensue. Everyone was trying to move forward to deal with their new problem. Jagen on the other hand was still trying to come to terms with the condition of the Red Ajah, in face of the Dragon and the Black Tower. Again she let out a deep breath.

 

Wanting to make another good impression, Jagen chose her best Taraboner dress. It was mostly dark red with black lace, though the underskirt and high collar sported white embroidery on the silk. The corset she wore over the main dress was white with black lace. She wore no jewelry except the red beads in her long braided hair and the serpent ring on her finger. A silk veil of the highest quality finished her look. Although she had a doll-like face, her constant absence of a smile made her look less pretty and more like a person no one wanted to mess with. Slipping into some soft velvet slippers, Jagen tucked a small flute into her corset and glided out of the room. She played a few different instruments, liking the arts, but it also relaxed her too and helped her think.

 

She followed behind the older Sitters into the room. She was glad Larindhra was there but did not show it. She was pretty good at keeping her face neutral, like other Aes Sedai, but Jagen had always been cool. Many thought she had been going to chose White in her younger years. But like now, no one really knew her. The Taraboner dipped a curtsy to the Highest, just enough to be proper and polite, before taking a seat. Her gaze went over Zarinen, not even glancing at the Accepted who nearly bounded out of the room. She was going to watch this woman carefully and make her moves accordingly.

[Tigara]

Jasmyne fidgitted with her skirts in her room. She was nervous and that was a rare thing. She only got nervous around people with more authority than she, which right now numbered less than a half dozen. The bad part, 3 of them were at this meeting.

 

Calming herself, she began to get ready. Her dress was a very traditional Cairheinin high court style, minus the strips, in a very rich red. The embroidery was of course thread-of-gold and plenty of it. Then she gathered up her train of hair and braided it all, then coiled it up into a large bun on the back of her head and held there with a pair of jeweled sticks. To top it off, she added large firedrop earings, several jeweled rings, and a ruby necklace to her appearal. And to top it off, she wove a diamond kesiera into her hair and it dangled just above her eyebrows. Jasmyne loved extravagence.

 

She scurried off to the metting room and went in just before Jagen, the other new Sitter. She took a seat and avoided direct eye contact with the Highest. Frankly, she thought the woman mad, but then again, she served the Dark one. Who was she to judge madness?

 

Jasmyne Ceres

Sitter

[Kara_J]

Raslyn glided down the corridors towards the Red's quarters, a small frown marring her face. She had dozens of things to see to and most had to have been done yesterday at the very least so the last thing she wanted to do was attend a meeting with the Highest, especially since, by rights, she was no longer an active part of the Red Ajah. What reason, other than political manoeuvring, would the Highest want with the Keeper?

 

She sighed heavily as she pushed open one of the doors in the Red Halls. She had, in truth, been about to decline Zarinen's politely worded request, when Shevara had noticed the note and suggested she should attend. The 'suggestion' had some hidden weight in it which had peaked Raslyn's curiosity so much so that she had changed her declining note into an accepting one, and was now heartily regretting it. Six things had already cropped up this morning that required her urgent attention and several more things were likely to land on her desk in the interim.

 

Finally she reached the room and pushed open the door, apologising for her tardiness as she did so. Once inside the room, she registered the layout and raised a mental eyebrow before taking one of the empty seats. This seems serious. Now what did Shevara know that made her try and change my mind? Something in this whole situation was setting her nerves on edge. It wouldn't be good, she was sure of that.

 

Raslyn Altearin,

Keeper of the Chronicles

[Elgee]

Larindhra eyed the note from Zarinen with trepidation. Ever since the Highest had left them to see the Mother the day before, she had been trying to puzzle out what exactly the unpredictable woman was scheming. She hoped her suspicions were unfounded, or if not, that she could be steered away from something potentially catastrophic to the Red Ajah.

 

Well, standing around here surely won’t help me find out any faster. With a last pat to her bun and adjustment to shawl, she squared her shoulders and headed towards the Highest’s quarters.

 

She was surprised to see the Keeper occupying one of the four chairs arranged in a semi-circle. Surprised, and not best pleased. Oh, she liked Raslyn well enough, but what on earth was that dratted woman planning, that needed the Keeper there? She quickly dipped a curtsy to the Highest, hoping it would hide the frown on her face. Nodding to the Keeper and other Sitters, she took the last empty seat, calmness once again ruling her expression.

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

Red Sitter

 

[Elgee]

Zarinen nodded silently to each of the Sitters and the Keeper as they entered one by one and seated themselves. Inside, she was a tangle of emotions and a bundle of nerves. She twice had to perform the rosebud exercise before she trusted her voice enough to speak. Calm at last, she turned her gaze from its unfocussed contemplation of the wall behind them, and fastened it on the women before her.

 

“We must deal with the Black Tower. We must deal with them, and not as we wish they were, but as we now find them. We can no longer afford the luxury of denying this. The time has come for Reds to show true courage. I have spoken to the Mother, and she has agreed. I will tell you what I told her: It has always been the Red Ajah’s purpose to deal with men who can channel, but not one of you can deny that we can no longer gentle them.” She eyed each sister with her burning gaze.

 

“By tradition, Reds have not bonded Warders. Since we can no longer help or control these men by gentling them, we must do so by Bonding them.”

 

 

Zarinen Rafaliva

Highest of the Red Ajah

 

[Jagen Sedai]

No, we cannot gentle them. But what solution...? Jagen began to wonder. And then Zarinen answered the question for her.

 

“By tradition, Reds have not bonded Warders. Since we can no longer help or control these men by gentling them, we must do so by Bonding them.”

 

The traditional Taraboner blinked in surprise, eyes going a bit wide. Bond them? Why in the name of the Light...? Admittedly Jagen knew close to nothing about bonding. She had never been interested it, and so didn't even really know how it worked. She came to understand Warders could be controlled through the bond, but only to an extent, and that was all she knew of the subject.

 

Now in her surprise she couldn't help but bark a laugh. Zarinen's gaze suddenly on her did not phase the Taraboner though. "Are you that insane?" she actually asked. Jagen figured she might want to take that back, knowing she would regret it later. Maybe. But then, she was caught up in the moment. Her mind was spinning with questions, and she spit half of them out in quick succession. She only thought halfway before ever speaking, and she was rather bold in speaking whatever was on her mind.

"No Red in her right mind would agree to what you just said. Do you realize the implications of doing that? Just what would happen if a man goes mad, then what?" She felt justified in bringing such things up, but she noted too she probably should have had a little bit more composure and control over the way she delivered her words. Jagen was always heatedly passionate, like most with red hair were deemed to be, though she usually had better control of herself. However, the subject matter was enough to reasonably upset any Red.

[Elgee]

It took all her self-control to stifle the gasp that almost escaped her. BOND them? Is the woman INSANE?? Larindhra sat frozen like a statue, unable to utter a word. Was the woman insane? She had certainly changed since her exile, become harder and even more daring than before, which is why Larindhra had steered the Ajah towards picking her as Highest in the first place, but …

 

Her eyes cut sharply towards Jagen as the young woman uttered the words she herself was thinking. Light, let Jagen not lose control now – she was supposed to guide Zarinen towards a safer solution, not put her back up completely! Time to intervene, before the Highest dug her heels in like a mule.

 

“Highest,” she addressed Zarinen in her most respectful voice, “Jagen has a point – what could we do when they go mad … “ Her voice trailed off as the Highest turned that stormy gray gaze on her. Oh Light … maybe mentioning that had not been the brightest idea, what with Zarinen’s history in that regard.

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

Red Sitter

 

[Kara_J]

Raslyn sat stunned for a moment. Did Shevara know what this fool of a woman was planning? Surely not..but yet... Raslyn stayed silent whilst the others spoke one after the other, then she rose and helped herself to some Tea, asking the others silently if they wanted some. Making tea helped her marshal her thoughts somewhat and, after she'd passed tea to the others, she regained her seat. She sat for a moment appraising Zarinen, judging the merit of what she knew of the woman and what she had said coupled with the Amyrlin's insistence of attending this meeting. Putting some authority in her voice, though not too much to overstep the bounds of propriety, she addressed the room.

 

"I think Zarinen has thought this through. Let us hear how and why she came up with idea and, indeed, how she thinks we can control a warder going mad before we start arguing points for and against." She took a sip of her tea, observing the expressions on her Sisters' faces as she did so.

Raslyn

Curious

[Tigara]

“By tradition, Reds have not bonded Warders. Since we can no longer help or control these men by gentling them, we must do so by Bonding them.”

 

Jasmyne merely raised a single eyebrow. She couldn't say she was entirely surprised. She knew Zarinen's history and believed it. The woman bonded a man who went mad and she killed him. It explains much of her behavior.

 

As for the idea itself, she wasn't phased by it. She enjoyed men, whether they could channel or not. She had nearly chosen the Green Ajah, had it not been for that Deanne. And she had been around channeling men for years, gentling the ones she had to and sending off the rest to the Blight for training. Great Lord, she had even linked with one once!

 

"I agree with you, Highest. But the only concern I have is what makes you think the Black Tower would agree to this? We have a history of disposing of men of their like and the world knows Aes Sedai weave webs and plots to make spiderwebs seem simple. If I were them, I wouldn't agree to such a thing to readily." She smiled innocently, ignoring what stares she might have earned from the other Sitters. She wanted this. The possibilites were endless...

 

Jasmyne

Not a traditional Red

[Elgee]

Zarinen noted the way Larindhra’s eyes cut towards Jagen. So that’s the way the wind is blowing, is it?  She would have to watch Larindhra. Watch her very carefully indeed. Most people thought the former Mistress of Novices a tough, but kindly woman. Very few realised exactly what a deft manipulator she really was.  Not surprisingly, really, since Larindhra pulled the strings behind the scenes. Somehow she was going to have to get Larindhra on her side, or at least outmanoeuvre her to such an extent that the woman had no option but to support her. She had a feeling quite a few other people would also fall into line, then.

 

Her suspicions were proven correct when Larindhra hastily intervened. Zarinen swung her gaze from Jagen to Larindhra, then to the Keeper. The woman gave her the perfect opening, but she lost her train of thought momentarily when Jasmyne, of all people, seemed almost eager about the idea. Strange, that, or maybe not … rumours abounded that Jasmyne had been very strongly attracted to the Green Ajah. It had been quite a surprise when the little doll of a woman chose the Red, instead.

 

At least Jagen and Raslyn had raised the necessary questions – the answer was pivotal to the new duty the Red Ajah would have to undertake.  But first, she had to deal with any ideas they might have of resisting her. She had heard the rumours about herself, and the Light help her, she often wondered herself if the death of her … bonded had affected her sanity. Don’t gloss over the matter, woman. His murder, not his death, and yours was the hand that did the black deed. Yours!

 

She beat the agony at the thought down with sheer will power, as she swung her gaze back to Larindhra. Even through his death he served her.  She would use the rumours of her insanity to keep them off centre. That sweet smile remained on her face, even when she lifted her now empty cup and hurled it across the intervening space. Hurled it at Jagen. The cup missed the Taraboner’s ear by a whisker, its passage stirring her braids before it crashed against the wall behind.

 

Only once the tinkle of settling porcelain had faded away did she turn her gaze to Jagen. “And exactly what do you propose we Reds do, Jagen? Quiver in our slippers and hide behind the Greens, when those men start going mad and breaking the world anew?” She pointed a finger at the woman. “Whose duty has it always been to deal with these men? To prevent another breaking? You swore when you joined the Ajah that you would devote your life to doing that. Did you mean only until the going got tough?” She infused that word with all the scorn she could muster.

 

Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes for a moment to gather her strength. This was going to be the most shocking part to them, she thought. “Jasmyne, we are reasonably attractive women. They are men, mostly young at that. If we approach them in a friendly and non-confrontational manner, I’m sure we will eventually be able to persuade them. Raslyn and Jagen have asked the most important question, though: how do we control them once they go mad. The simple answer is, we cannot.” She held up her hand to cut off the questions bursting from almost all the women. “We cannot control them, once they go mad. What we can do, is feel the onset of the madness through the Bond. We can judge when the time comes when it is no longer safe to leave them … functioning. It is our duty, sisters. Will any Red balk at doing her duty? No matter the pain to herself?”

 

 

Zarinen Rafaliva

Highest of the Red Ajah

 

[Jagen Sedai]

Jagen startled and blinked when the cup was tossed at her, the porcelain barely missing her head. She made a clicking noise with her tongue when Zarinen rounded on her, accusing her of trying to back down. Hardly! Jagen thought. Her lips tightened in anger, a sneer forming on them as she met Zarinen's gaze. She wasn't afraid of the woman, supposedly insane or not.

 

She waited. Impatiently, but she did. The Taraboner waited until Zarinen finished her little speech before standing up, tugging at the corner of her shawl. "What you propose is unneeded," she definitely stated, but even as Zarinen had spoke she saw the stated advantage of the bond. However, as she said, it wasn't needed. "All we have to do is observe. It cannot be that hard to pick out men who are going mad. And honestly, you think some of us being pretty women would factor into it at all? We are not ordinary women--we are Aes Sedai, and that is all those men will see! Especially when they learn our Ajah. They will know a Red's reputation. The only way to even get close to them is to pretend we aren't what we are, which brings me to my second point, Highest." Her tone was very close to mocking that title. "As you should have thought yourself, no man there, unless he is mad already, will agree to this proposal. He won't just think, 'Well, this Red here is going to sever saidin from me as soon as I start going mad, but that's okay.' Hardly! He will want to cling to every little drop of the One Power he can keep his greasy little hands on. So what is it you plan on doing, exactly? Going there pretending we aren't Reds? Well I am not going to hide like that."

[Kara_J]

Raslyn raised an eyebrow as first Jasmyne showed far too much eagerness for this kind of undertaking, though she acknowledged that Jasmyne had only just been raised to the Shawl and was perhaps trying to gain credit with the Highest by throwing support at her, and secondly when Zarinen threw her cup - supposedly at Jagen.

 

Raslyn sat deep in thought as Zarinen levelled accusations at Jagen. The woman certainly was living up to her reputation. Of course! Zarinen must know her reputation and thus is using it for her own ends.

 

She sat back and watched as Jagen stood, fiddling with her shawl, a sure sign of nerves and maybe for a reminder that she is Aes Sedai. It was interesting how many people resorted to that, but no matter, that wasn't the issue here. Jagen launched into an answering tirade, Raslyn was certain that was what Zarinen wanted.

 

Waiting for Jagen to finish, Raslyn spoke mildly. "Now, Jagen, I'm sure Zarinen doesn't expect us to hide who we are." she turned her gaze on Zarinen. "Do you, Zarinen? I think you have a whole stratagem in mind, why else would you summon us all here? Care to share with us your plans?"

[Elgee]

Zarinen nodded to Raslyn. Trust the Keeper to cut through all the emotional knee-jerk reactions and focus instead on the practicalities. First she had to get Jagen under control, though. A good thing the woman was standing – it made her look like a supplicant, especially fiddling with her shawl as she was. Leaning back in her chair, Zarinen rested her arms on the chair arms and stared coldly at Jagen.

 

“You are correct in your assumption that I have a plan, Raslyn. I will explain it in a moment, but first let me make something perfectly clear: the following will happen – we Reds will deal with the Black Tower. Men who can channel are our responsibility. There is no circumventing that duty, no matter how unpleasant it might become. Everyone has been blathering and bleating for months now about what to do with the Asha’man, but I have yet to hear a workable solution, other than this one. You claim we only need to observe, Jagen? How are we to do that, and observe correctly, mind you, if we are not close to them? Do not give me wishful thinking, Jagen. Our time is running out, as are our options. I have decided on this course of action, and the Mother has made it clear that she will support us. Your duties as Sitters are to present a unified front to our sisters on the matter, and to deal with any problems that might arise in the Hall over this.”

 

The time had come to gamble her career. Either they would accept her right to command them, or they would effectively cut her off at the knees. She might as well resign her position and slink off into obscurity, if they chose the latter course.

 

“Anyone who feels she is not capable of handling this as she needs to, had best resign as Sitter right now. Anyone who wishes to defy me on this, I will have birched and set a penance that will make the one I had to endure seem like a vacation in Andor. I will have you act like Reds, or I will break you. Choose. Now.”

 

She had delivered the whole in a level and calm voice, the now familiar smile on her lips, but her eyes promised pain and humiliation beyond measure, to those who chose wrongly. They had wanted a Highest who was hard – they were getting one, and judging by the looks on their faces, they might be regretting that wish. The Light help her, she hoped that her decision was the correct one, or the world would be Broken again.

 

 

Zarinen Rafaliva

Highest of the Red Ajah

 

[Jagen Sedai]

Jagen sat down slowly in her chair again, her gaze going towards Zarinen. Light, she hated this woman. How did she ever end up as Highest? Her proposal to bond was silly, in her opinion. How many Reds would actually even think about bonding? And then, who would have to go through it.

 

Zarinen was an obstacle though. It had been Jagen's dream for a long time to become a Sitter for her Ajah, to represent most of the other Reds and guide them. Of course, the Pattern had taken an unexpected turn of events. The Taraboner had mulled over different possibilities a dozen and more times for how to deal with the men at the... Black Tower. However, this maddened woman before her seemed to control more than she originally thought. Bonding men. It was preposterous. And the idea scared Jagen, deep down. For a few moments, she considered resigning her position.

 

She crossed her arms, fingers of her left hand tapping away on her right dress sleeve. She couldn't resign, not after she spent so long trying to get here, and there were several other Sisters who had come to look up to her in the years. Resigning would also show weakness, and she refused that. Her fingers stopped tapping. What could she do?

The whole idea will never work. Zarinen isn't thinking this through. No one will agree, it's that simple. The Black Tower would laugh at us for coming up with such a silly idea.

 

The young Sitter purposely stayed silent for awhile, going over this in her head. She was also giving herself time to calm down. They had no choice. Of course, in her mind, any penance would probably be better than being bonded to a man, and a channeling one at that! But Jagen was sure. They would never agree.

She took a moment to look at the other women. She didn't know what to make of Raslyn, who was probably seriously considering the idea. She was probably as mad as Zarinen. Did they not understand it was their tradition not to bond? She let herself look at Larindhra. The woman underestimated Zarinen, didn't she? Jagen certainly didn't expect this, and she was doubting the Mistress of Novices did, too. And then there was Jasmyne, whom Jagen really wanted to pull aside and knock some sense into. Was the young girl, who shouldn't have been a Sitter at all, just trying to suck up to the point of not thinking at all? What they didn't need right then was a blind sheep!

Why did her and Larindhra seem to be the only sane ones?

 

"Well." Jagen straightened and set her hands crossed on her lap. "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills, doesn't it? I'll do what I have to as a Sitter for our Ajah." That was probably a little vague, but then, she did indicate she wanted to stay a Sitter. Yet, the Black Tower was just going to laugh at them, and when that time came, Jagen would simply present her idea to the Highest on how to deal with the men.

"Should the Black Tower ever express any interest in bonding a Red, I will be the first to offer myself, Highest." She couldn't quite keep the sarcasm out of her tone, but it would never happen. Really, Zarinen was thinking about this as much as a horse would.

[Elgee]

With a wry twist to her mouth, Larindhra could only bow her head to the Highest. She was very sure the woman would carry out her threat, if pushed. Of course, Larindhra could refuse to accept it - that would cut Zarinen off right at the knees. And would inevitably lead to her own downfall, and the collapse of all her plots. Caught neatly in a cleft stick, she was!

 

She glanced sideways at Jagen. The woman did not look half as upset as she should - now why was that? Of course! The idea of the Asha'man actually falling for this ludicrous plan was slim to zero. It would make the Reds look like fools if their offer ever came to light, but if she managed to get herself a place in the delegation ... yes, that could work quite well. In fact, she could make sure the Black Tower leaders wouldn't touch the offer with a ten foot barge pole! Yes - there was no way under the Light the Black Tower would agree to this plan - not after she was done with them.

 

Raising her head, she looked Zarinen straight in the eye. "Highest, it will be as you command. Should the Black Tower accept our ... offer, I will bond as many Asha'man as are willing." It was hard to keep a straight face, but she managed. Barely.

 

Larindhra Reyne

Red Sitter

[Elgee]

Zarinen’s eyes narrowed as first Jagen, then Larindhra capitulated without too much resistance. What were those two up to now? Wanting to hold on to their Sitter positions was understandable, but the Bonding? They’d given in much too easily about that. There had to be a … of course! Neither thought that would ever come about, and they had worded their acquiescence quite carefully. The infuriating thing was, their scenario was more likely than the one she and Shevara hoped for. She had plans, but they needed much refinement, and even then she wasn’t sure they had a high possibility of succeeding. Yet they had to. Her head wanted to burst open with worry about how to pull this off.

 

Her musings were interrupted by a rap on her door, followed immediately by the entry of Ramona. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. As the head of the Red Ajah’s Eyes and Ears, Ramona had standing orders to interrupt her with any urgent news, but not having the courtesy to wait for permission to enter? That was unheard of! The look in Ramona’s eyes prevented her from blasting the woman, though. Ramona was usually unflappable, but fear chased worry across her face, only to be replaced with excitement. The Red did not even bother to curtsy, instead bursting out with her news.

 

“Forgive me, Highest, but the Mother sent me to fetch you immediately. You and whoever is with you. And you are to bring Bonwhin's Pride?” Curiosity and suspicion burned in her eyes, but she still had the good manners not to ask. The woman probably had a good idea what Zarinen had in mind, anyway. She was very good at putting puzzles together from only the vaguest of information, and Zarinen had been forced to ask her more than a few questions. “There are Asha’man in the Tower, Highest. Well, they Travelled to the Red Garden, but the Mother has requested that they be brought to her.” 

 

For a long moment everyone just stared at Ramona, then Zarinen snapped one word. “Move!” She followed her own order, almost flinging herself out of her chair towards the hidden panel that led from her quarters to the room only Reds knew about. Scrabbling to open it, she was already forming the Weave to unravel the Ward guarding the precious artefact. She wrapped it in her shawl and headed out her door at a dead run. In a group they rushed towards the doors to their Ajah Quarters, only slowing to brisk walk once through it. It would not do for anyone to see Aes Sedai running through the halls like frightened novices, but neither could they dawdle.

 

The uppermost thought in her head was that the Amyrlin could not be left alone, at the mercy of men who could possibly have gone insane. That seemed the most likely explanation – that they, in their insanity, were attempting an attack upon the Amyrlin Seat. There were several other possibilities, ones which Shevara had considered if she was asking for Bonwhin’s Pride, but Zarinen could not allow hope to outweigh caution and prudence.

 

 

Zarinen Rafaliva

Highest of the Red Ajah

 

 

OOC: Feel free to post your actions and reactions here. We will reach the Mother in the other thread, but wait for that until I give you the go ahead please  :D

 

[Jagen Sedai]

Jagen stood up almost hesitantly after Zarinen bolted out of her chair. It took her only a second to register what Ramona had said, but she had to admit she was surprised with the speed at which Zarinen was suddenly moving. The Taraboner followed her without more hesitation though. Asha'man in the Red Garden. She would have laughed at the incredulous action if it didn't suddenly seem so dire. Her heart was pounding but she tried keeping her outer self composed--while hiking her skirt up to follow the head at a run, as undigified as it was. But they had a duty to do. Once they reached the door to the Red Quarters, she debated grabbing for saidar and decided against it, at least for the moment. Her long legs strode easily with the Highest's pace, and Jagen allowed herself to carefully watch the woman's face as they made their way through the winding halls. Her hand was subconsciously gripping the front of her shawl, perhaps to hold it closed.

[Elgee]

Continued here: http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,47039.0.html