Laman's Legacy - Prologue

[Wayfarer]

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend.  Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.  In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in a place known in the Westlands as the Aiel Waste, to those of the Blight as Djevik K’Shar and to those who call it home the Threefold Land.  The wind was not the beginning.  There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time.  But it was a beginning.

 

Born of the dunes that have seen the blood of man and of trolloc and myrddraal, the wind blew west.  Howling through the Jangai Pass that once saw the passage of many travelers, it was now as dead as the town of Selean it threaded its way through, razed to the ground and its people enslaved by the Shaido.  Brushing Kinslayer’s Dagger the wind swept to the south and the west, passing through the tents of the Aiel that made camp before what was once known as Al’cair’rahienallen or the Hill of the Golden Dawn.  Cresting the walls of Cairhien, the wind threaded its way through the ruins of what had once been known as the Topless Towers of Cairhien.

 

Ascending the last piece of scaffolding, Aran felt a cold shiver run down his spine as the winds whipped about him.  This high above the city, the winds were strong like up in the mountains or coming off the sea.  Lacking a cloak also conspired to put a chill in him, but he had felt it would be safer not to have the cloak pulling him towards his doom far below.  After all he had been through, it would certainly be a more ignominious way to die.

 

Feeling a hand grab his, Aran looked up and smiled as he was hauled up the last couple of feet onto solid stone and into an embrace.  Hugging back tightly, it was a few moments before Aventari, his brother, stepped clear of him.  “It has been too long my little Jester, how has Tar Valon been treating you?”

 

Aran smiled as he looked over his brother in his bright red shirt and green breeches.  He fit in well enough with the commons with such clothing.  “Well enough brother, well enough.  I received your message and came as quickly as I could.”

 

“Good.  I have something to show you.”  Beginning to turn, Aventari turned back and examined Aran more closely.  Little wonder, his hair had been dyed blond and his clothing was Andoran cut.  “Who did you pose as?”

 

Aran looked down and grinned.  “Raymond Calwell, gleeman whose only home is the road and his true love being wine, women and song.”

 

Snorting, Aventari shook his head.  “You’re going to need to change now that you’re here.  We’ll fix your hair and cut it short, put you in some of that flashy Tarabon gear and you can be the young Ryas Alfaesa, a Gleeman of more distant lands.”

 

“As you wish.”  The unfinished Tower they were standing upon was the beginning of a new level so the floor was done, but the walls only came to their chests.  Nothing was to be seen lying about.  “Brother, I thought you brought me here to see something yet I don’t see anything here.”

 

“That’s because it isn’t here.  Come.”  Letting his brother take on of his arms, Aran allowed himself to be guided to the west.  His brother gestured to the city below them as he spoke.

 

“I want you to look down, look over the city.” 

 

Doing as he was commanded, Aran had to admit that it was quite a view from where they were.  Houses, manors, even the Sun Palace seemed small from the height they were at.  There was something else he noticed though, there weren’t many people out on the streets, not as many as there should have been.  It was late afternoon but the city was busy well into the night usually.  “I took the quieter streets and alleys when I came for you, yet even the main streets are empty compared to what they once were.  And what of those ships at the docks?”

 

Aventari leaned on the wall as he spoke.  “Grain from Tear, the Dragon ordered it sent.  Unfortunately, while the Dragon brings us grain, his Aiel patrol the streets, you saw them?”

 

Nodding, Aran pointed to the northern gate.  “There were men with Cairhienin livery there, but after the first couple of streets I ran into a patrol.  They looked me over fairly carefully before continuing on.”

 

Aventari grunted.  “They have had control of the streets since they have been here.  The council has wanted to try and ignore the invaders and continue with business as usual, but things have escalated.  The families that controlled the Eastern Quarters have been rooted out and their heads killed, they kill lawbreakers on the streets.  Imagine that, them serving justice to us.  Our own lords in the meantime sit aside.  Some of them fight over the table scraps they are given and think themselves to have gained advantage when they achieve nothing.”

 

“Some?”

 

“Perceptive.”  Aventari smiled slightly.  “There are others who would act but they do not know how.  We have lost in open battle to the Aiel in two wars now, and while they have better fighters it also has to do with their numbers.  I want you to go look to the south and especially the east where they have made their camps beyond the walls.”

 

Doing as he was told, Aran walked to the other end of the tower and then swore.  The camps were of a size with the city, and if they were all warriors then that was a lot of Aiel present.  “How many?”

 

Aventari threw his hands in the air.  “More than we can count.  There were more here but the northern camp left for Andor under the Dragon as far as we know.  While a good deal of the people out there aren’t warriors, there are easily more than enough there to destroy this city if they chose to.  The retainers of all the Lords and Ladies of Cairhien would not be enough to dislodge them.”

 

“Burn me.  So, why did you call me then if the situation is so hopeless?”

 

“Exactly because it is hopeless.”  Aventari walked over to stand beside Aran.  “We cannot fight an open war and we cannot avoid them.  Their patrols are slowly killing off our people one after the other and while the council wishes to ignore it, they are getting desperate.  Enough so that a shove will bring them around.”

 

Aran looked to his brother as he frowned.  “You know something they don’t?  And what needs to be done?”

 

It was a shrug that answered first.  “I know that they are on the brink.  As to what needs to be done?  The Dragon wants this city intact, he won’t allow the Aiel to go too far, they call him their Car’a’carn.”

 

“Chief of Chiefs?”

 

“You still remember your old tongue.  Yes, he is their leader, they don’t recognise his status as the Dragon Reborn.”

 

“How do you know this?”

 

“Our eyes and ears in the Sun Palace.  But, what must be done?  He has imposed limits on them, and we shall use those limits against them.  We’ll bleed them every time they enter the city, this is our home and we know our own streets and rooftops far better than they could ever hope to.  If they come in force, we simply slip away and wait for our next opportunity.  Then we force the matter.”

 

“Force it how?”

 

Patting Aran on the shoulder, Aventari smiled at him.  “Leave that to me.”

 

Aran eyed his brother.  “Why do this?  This cannot end well, look at their numbers out there.  The Ai-“

 

“The Aiel are savages.”

 

“Deadly ones, they wi-“

 

“Brother, listen to me very carefully.”  It was rare when his brother’s tone went flat with him.  “This is my home, and the home of many others.  You may have been content to abandon all of this for your witches, but here is where we grew up.  We saw what the Aiel did to our people, those they didn’t spit on their spears they pushed into the flames.  They gutted this city once due to Laman’s pride, and now they are killing it slowly under their Car’a’carn.  Father would never have sat idle while the Aiel walked our streets, and neither shall I.  Do you understand me?”

 

Straightening, Aran nodded.  “I understand, and that is why I am here.  I might have left Cairhien for Tar Valon, but if you think I have abandoned my home then you are wrong.”

 

“Good.”  Aventari gestured to the scaffolding.  “We need to get going, the council shall be meeting soon and I want you there.  We’ll need you cleaned up before that.”

 

Nodding, Aran turned towards the scaffolding and began to descend down the first of many ladders…

[Wayfarer]

“Be seated.”

 

There were creaks and groans as chairs were pulled in by those who were standing about the table as they took their ease. Normally thirteen sat, but today a fourteenth member had been added to the gathering. The highest of the guild, while there were assassins at the table, so too were there thugs, prostitutes, smugglers, thieves and even a dreamseller. All of them responsible for various parts of the city and directing activities in their districts. All of them were responsible to the man who sat at the head of the table, Aventari, yet the man who sat next to him technically should not have been there, a man known to them as Jester.

 

Aventari forestalled questions, raising a hand to indicate silence before he spoke. “Jester has been lost to us for sometime now but he has returned to us in our hour of need. There is no reason to protest his presence, he is only here to observe. We are here to discuss a matter that we have now been speaking of increasingly over the past couple of months. The Aiel are increasingly encroaching upon us. You all know the current situation, I open the table to anyone who wishes to speak.”

 

“This has gone on for far too long.” Kestrel was a dainty man, some would have called him a fop with the court attire that he was wearing, but with a dagger or rapier he was a match for men that underestimated him and a few more besides. “Their numbers are greater but they cannot match us in our own home. They are here to occupy now, not to destroy, let us swallow them in the darkness of the night and leave them to be discovered in the dawn.”

 

Celia was the next to speak, while she could have been described as lush and her clothes minimalist, her voice carried a hard edge to it that spoke of a life began in the gutter that she had never entirely escaped. “All well and good for you to say, but we cannot fight them. I’ve already spoken here of how many girls I lost during the fires, and while we’ve sent some away there are plenty more who are just doing their business and will get killed in the fighting. All you’re thinking of is satisfying revenge, what about the consequences.”

 

“She’s right.” Turag was next to speak. Some people actually believed that was his name but those who were close to him knew him as Jean, the name had been an invention when he had taken the lead of his first crew when he was fourteen. Arms and shoulders that seemed out of proportion with the rest of his body, he was the sort of man who looked like he could crack rocks with his prematurely bald scalp. “Things are bad but we can wait it out. They’ll move on like before, the Dragon will take them elsewhere. If we draw attention to ourselves we’ll only make things worse.”

 

“Faugh!” A weedy little man by the name of Jacques threw his hands in the air as he spoke. “My boys and girls are being killed on the street trying to ply the trade. Cut a purse and it can change hands a few times and the Aiel will sometimes retrieve it and they’ll kill anyone who helps in the process. Half of my people are dead, and if we don’t do anything the other half will die as well. We sit here and do nothing! These are our people dying and we don’t even strike back for them? Maybe if we bloody them enough they’ll leave us be. If we just do nothing then nothing will change!”

 

“You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” The voice was deadpan as Raymond Silverlock leaned forward in his seat. “If you’d tried fighting them before you’d know better. Some of you were alive during the first war but I fought in it.” Lifting up his left arm, the lower arm had been amputated after it had been mangled so badly during the defence of Cairhien in the initial onslaught that it had been the only recourse left to save him. “If we went pound for pound against them we’d lose. They have enough men to flood our city and lock it down. The Dragon might give them permission to do so, do you really want to risk that? Aiel on every corner?”

 

“I haven’t been here long.” Aran began as everyone turned to him. “And at first I thought it was madness to oppose the Aiel, better to lay quiet. But from what I’ve heard and been shown, if this guild is to survive we have two choices left. Either the city can be abandoned, we go to one of the other chapterhouses and we make that our new base, or we try and take this city back. The Dragon is spreading, he took the Stone and he took our city and at the moment he is taking the Lion Throne of Andor. Wherever we run, the Aiel will come for us. This is the Guild’s home, this is where it was born and if it is to die, then it should be here. We can choose to do that either with a blade in hand or with a spear in our backs.”

 

“Brave words.” Yolanda’s face turned ugly as she sneered at the Jester. “You abandoned us for Tar Valon. Set yourself up with all sorts of women there and living the easy life. While you’ve been there lounging about, we’ve been here dealing with the nightmare. Those are pretty words of yours, but I don’t feel like dying and definitely not on some black veiled bastard’s spear. Save your rhetoric, you’re not even one of us anymore anyway.”

 

“Her tongue only becomes harsher with age.” It was a whimsical smile that sat on Kiel’s face as he looked to the Jester. “Unlike our lovely Yolanda, I agree with you. Something does have to be done or we will die, but maybe would it perhaps be best if we did die? This guild worked in times of peace, but in war I question our ability to fight. Not only that, but whether we should fight, this is the Dragon Reborn we are speaking of. He took the Stone and he’s got the prophecy going for him. That means Tarmon Gaidon is coming, and if it is we have other things we should think about.”

 

Celia laughed. “And you’d ride with the Dragon then to Shayol Ghul? Nevermind that its all nonsense, we’re not talking about fighting the Dragon. If it wasn’t for the Aiel I’d say he was better than the pretender we had on the throne before he came. He’s brought us grain from Tear, people aren’t starving in the streets anymore.”

 

“Yes he’s brought us grain, but since he’s come there haven’t been nearly as many mouths to feed either.” Jacques sarcasm caused a couple of chuckles but even those were grim in tone, fear and anger were both present in the room, it was just a matter of what each person felt more of. “We will fight the Aiel but we will not oppose the Dragon’s rule but them we can drive out of our city at least. Its that or die and I have no intention of going to the Dark One anytime soon. Unless you think a petition on behalf of all the thieves, whores, cutthroats and worse will convince his mightiness to get off his flabby backside and tell the Aiel to get out?”

 

“You sho-“

 

Aran looked away from Turag who had been speaking when the door to the room opened. In came a young woman that Aran barely recognised, Karli, she’d been a thief when he’d last been and she didn’t seem to have picked up whoring yet. Dangerous life either way, but that was her choice to make and truth be told she made a good enough thief with light steps and lighter fingers. Her face was red and she was breathing heavily as if she’d been run all the way from the eastern gate to the docks, and labouring as she was she made her way over to Aventari and whispered something indiscernible into his ear.

 

There was a pause as she finished before Aventari dismissed her. Waiting until she had left, Aventari stood before speaking. “We have a problem. Lang and his people were attacked. At their safe houses.” One could have heard a pin drop during the meaningful silence. People had been caught in the streets but their safehouses had never been compromised. “There was fighting there, and chances are if they knew where to strike they’ve been taking prisoners or someone was sloppy. Either way if I was them I’d take whoever I could for questioning, they’re determined enough and I don’t fancy Lang’s chances of holding up if they take some knives to him.”

 

”This debate has gone on long enough. I want us to put the plan we’ve been speaking of in the past into action. We know their patrols, we know where they are. Lets mobilise and within the hour I want this city cleansed. I will lead the men necessary to get Lang back and any with him so we aren’t taken apart brick by brick.”

 

Frowning as he leaned onto the table with his hands, Aventari continued. “Or we leave right now. We abandon our homes, we abandon everything except what we can carry and go for boats and sail down south. But if we vote to stay and fight, then all of us do. We have very little time left, those who wish to fight, stand.”

 

Four stood immediately to join Aventari, then another three, then slowly every last member of the council stood to acquiesce. Nodding as he acknowledged what had been decided, Aventari didn’t allow the smile he felt to show. “Good. Then here is what we shall do. Silver I want you to go to…”

[Wayfarer]

A waning moon was the main source of illumination for the streets of Cairhien. Once there were many torches and lamps to be lit but few people seemed to use the streets at night anymore. The Aiel frightened most people to their homes and as thieves and such were the only ones who seemed to roam in the night at the late hour it was, anyone else who was caught it ran the risk of being presumed to be a thief and treated as such.

 

And there were Aiel on the street that night, one particular group was on its way towards the Eastern Gate. Twelve strong, the Aiel towered over the trio of prisoners they had in tow whose heads were bagged and their hands tied together. Prisoners taken from a raid on a smuggling den, they were the only three to survive the onslaught. Two had been knocked unconscious but the other one, the one whose men had called him Lang, he’d been disarmed and taken captive with difficulty. The leader of the Red Shields who had done the deed, Juin, would be glad to report the success of the raid with no dead to show for it and twice their number slain by their spears. Normally there would be no pride in such killing, but Treekillers were like the Trollocs who came to their homeland, they were there to be crushed. No mercy.

 

Entering the main road that led to the Eastern Gate, the party came to a stop. Two men stood thirty feet ahead of them, black silhouettes under the moon. The pair carrying staves, they were motionless as they confronted the party who were confused at what they were seeing. Those who were found in the middle of the night ran from them if they knew what was best, but these two men who would not even have come to the warriors soldiers were standing there, watching them with weapons in hand.

 

Even as the realisation dawned that this was no dream but a trap, the night became heavy with quarrels that came from the innumerable shadows cast by the moon above. Half their number falling, it was curious that every quarrel released had found its mark and those that had fallen were each tagged by at least two of the bolts, leaving the other six untouched. Such thoughts had no time to be processed as the pair of shadows that had stood their ground now ran forward.

 

Marksmen in the shadows could not be fought, but enemies who were foolish enough to try their spears could. Shoufa already veiling their faces, spears were raised as the Aiel sought to finish their two opponents quickly so they could hunt the marksmen down if not drive them away. Any thoughts of a quick victory were dashed as one of the shadows flicked aside the first attack with contemptuous ease and smashed the butt of his stave into his opponent’s neck. Clawing his throat as he struggled for his final breaths, the Aiel was lucid long enough to see another one of his companions have one of his kneecaps smashed inward before being smashed across the side of the temple with a sickening crunch.

 

Another was felled as the left of his chest was struck with such force that his heart stopped beating while another quickly had his nose driven into his brain by a quick thrust in just as many seconds as it had taken for the first two to fall. The pair that were left didn’t have the chance to unite. While Juin was forced away, the other man had made the mistake of using his spear to batter away the stave that was thrown at him. Unable to raise his buckler in time or bring his spear to bear as his opponent leapt at him, an elbow caught him across the jaw and knocked him onto his back. Feeling a weight land ontop of him, the last thing he saw was a fist drawn back with index and middle finger pointing towards him before they flashed down and drove straight through his eye.

 

Seeing the plight of his last companion, Juin roared as he leaped forward in a desperate attack only to have his spear knocked from his hands and his legs sweeped out from under him. Trying to get back up was rewarded with a blow that put him back down and left him dazed.

 

By the time he came to, he was being held by a pair of men whose features were just as well hidden as the pair that stood before him. Trying to yell he found he had been gagged but the gesture did not go unnoticed. It was the one standing directly before him who spoke, his voice as lacking in colour as his appearance.

 

“You live only because you are of use to me. You see this?” The man held up a letter before Juin before continuing. “You will take this to your masters in your camp. You will be both our message and our messenger. Your kind are welcome here no more.”

 

Feeling the letter being stuffed down the front of his cadin’sor, the shadow looked up to those that held him and spoke words that chilled him. “Leave him his tongue so he may speak of what happened. His nose, eyes, ears, fingers and thumbs are forfeit. Take him away.”

 

Struggling as he was pulled to his feet, the darkness that surrounded them claimed Juin as a sharp blow to the back of the head rendered him limp.

[Wayfarer]

As a new day dawned on Cairhien, those who emerged from their homes were startled by the Aiel in the streets. Not so much that they were there, for the Aiel had been in the streets for months, but rather the fact that these Aiel were no longer breathing. Gathered in small piles, each one had a poster hanging above the corpses on a nearby walll. Those who were brave enough to approach were to find a message for all who called Cairhien home.

 

 

Sons and Daughters of Cairhien! For too long we have tolerated the savages from across the Dragonwall in our home! Those who used Laman’s sin as an excuse to satisfy their base bloodlust that led to the murder of thousands! Those that now walk our streets and cause us to hide in our homes, those that stole from us and now kill our own people in the streets without fear of retribution!

 

No more! For every atrocity they perform it shall be repaid in kind! The crimes they sowed in Cairhien they shall now reap until they know the misery and fear they have given to us! I am Aventari and I will not rest until this city is free of the barbarians of the waste!

 

 

These messages attracted a few, and the few then grew into gatherings and then into crowds as talk spread of what had occurred and what had been read. Such crowds were dispersed as large groups of Aiel spread through the city to reclaim their dead and ripping down the messages as they were found, but the message had been spread and the damage done.

 

In the tents of the Aiel, a gathering of chiefs, society leaders and wise ones had been called and at the centre of them all, the man they called the Car’a’carn. All was silent except for the mutterings of a man who had been found an hour ago. Juin of the Red Shield Society, he was the only survivour of the night and he spoke of quarrels from the darkness and a pair of shadows that had killed his companions and subdued him, of a letter he had been given and of the tortures that he had been subjected to before awakening to darkness to which there would be no light.

 

His story finished, Juin was led away as the Car’a’carn was presented with a letter that had already been opened, a letter that had been carried by Juin as he had stumbled blindly in the direction of the Aiel tents until a sentry had discovered him. Scanning the contents with grey eyes that had been glazed with shock, they soon sharpened into focus with rage as his hands began to shake at what he read.

 

 

I remember the first war, the screams of those perishing in the flames and upon Aiel spears, those whose only crime was that they called Cairhien their home. Now your degenerate race has returned, and you stalk our streets without fear, killing as you please, imposing your ‘justice’ upon us and doing as you will.

 

Those days have ended. For every death, for every injustice, I shall answer them upon you and yours in kind until you leave this city. It is not yours, it never was yours, and will never truly be yours. Not while I still draw breath.

 

Aventari

 

 

The silence that had settled was ended as the Car’a’carn looked up from the letter to all those assembled. “What is known of this, ‘Aventari’?”

 

It was Ismitta, the Society Leader of the Maidens, who spoke. “He is a murderer, the Treekillers from the Sun Palace tell us that he has been in the city for many years and is linked to what they call the Rogues Guild. They are responsible for most of the crime in the city. Our warriors have been hunting them down but when they hide amongst the other Treekillers we cannot find them. Juin was leading a raid on a safehouse we finally discovered, his prisoners were meant to tell us where others were to be found.”

 

Looking at the letter again, the Car’a’carn threw it away angrily before speaking. “Root out this Aventari and this Guild of Rogues and let them know that any that wish to challenge the authority of the Car'a'carn will not be received lightly. An example will be made of them! I have already had a rebellion in Tear by some of the nobility, I do not want a second one here from thugs and pickpockets. With these criminals hiding behind the people, be sure of what you do and when you do it. No women, children or innocent men are to be harmed, do you hear me - no innocents! ”

 

"I will be returning to Andor to ensure the gains we have made there are secured. Ghaul, you will remain here to attend to this matter. Remember, no innocents; man, woman or child, are to be harmed and I will return to find this city intact and matters settled here." At that, the Car'a'carn turned and, creating a silver doorway from thin air, stepped through to another city in another land, leaving those who remained to determine how best to handle one who called himself Aventari, and the Rogue's Guild.

[Wayfarer]

“Why are you here?”

 

The bluntness with which the white haired Lord Reynard Alneau spoke with was an uncommon characteristic for a Cairhienin nobleman. Few things could cause a man of his standing to abandon propriety, but if Lady Raina Dulcei was offended she didn’t reveal it, more than likely because she had expected it.

 

The entire court had been made aware of Lord Alneau’s withdrawal from the court. Married twice, his first wife had given him children who had all been killed during the first Aiel war as she had. His second wife had given him three sons, all of them had died defending the city against the Aiel and once again he had outlived his children. Returning to his estates to bury his last children and to grieve, he had refused to see anyone, knowing full well that his House was going to die with him and with that hundreds of years of tradition and honour.

 

Yet he had admitted Lady Dulcei. A young woman who had gone from strength to strength since the Aiel had taken the city, pulling the strings of different nobles and bringing them together with mutual interests, such as anti-Aiel sentiment. If not for her meteoric, if hidden, rise then Lord Alneau would not have allowed her entry into his estate at all, let alone decided to meet her.

 

If he had been expecting any meekness or mincing of words from her, those thoughts were quickly dispelled as Lady Dulcei spoke. “I am here because Cairhien needs you. Aiel walk our streets and kill our own, and you hide here with your grief. There is a time for grief but not when our enemies are in our own home. I’m not here to beg Lord Alneau, I’m here to remind you of your duties.”

 

“My duties?” If she had been aiming to stir anger in him, Lord Alneau was going to disappoint as he responded. “I had six sons and a daughter, I lost all of them to the Aiel. My House is without an heir and when I die my family will cease to exist. Cairhien has fallen and we have no army to fight them with. Cairhien is finished, Lady Dulcei, there is nothing left but grief.”

 

Lady Dulcei waved her hand dismissively. “Our people are only finished when they give up. Not even the thieves and cutthroats have given up yet, the Rogues Guild has gone to war with the Aiel on the streets and has been fighting for the past week. You have heard of this haven’t you?”

 

“They’re thieves, they come out in the night and then they slink away as the dawn approaches. They can kill Aiel, but I also know how many are outside the city, they will never take them all and if they antagonise the Aiel too much, the city will be put to flames again. You are too young to remember it, but I do.” Standing, Lord Alneau walked around his seat to the window behind him so he could look into the courtyard below. “Those that didn’t die on Aiel spears died in those flames, or from worse.”

 

”You fought the Aiel during the war Lord Alneau. When Laman abandoned the city, you stayed here and you along with your men raided and harassed the Aiel, you kept the-“

 

”We did nothing!” Turning, Lord Alneau scowled. “We killed many but what did it achieve? Nothing. The Aiel are numberless, not even if we had all the swords in the Westlands do I think we could end their murderous race. I’ve fought them, unlike you, you come here speaking of duty and of Cairhien but Cairhien had its chance. After the first war we should have united, but no the game was always too important. We squandered our opportunity and that is why we are where we are now, and my family has paid the price of that. Even if I wanted to I could not win a war against the Aiel.”

 

“You don’t need to win a war.” Calm words but edged, and Lady Dulcei wasn’t done by any means. Standing, she made her way next to Lord Alneau and looked out into the courtyard where a pair of men were dueling with lathes. “The Dragon won’t let them raze the city, we can use that. If we cause enough trouble, we can force the Aiel out by the Dragon’s command. When he see’s us fighting here, he will be forced to listen to us, either he puts us all to the sword or he lets us rule our own city and have our own justice, one which isn’t found on the end of a spear.”

 

“Nothing will change. Nothing except the fact that my family shall cease to exist. You propose to use the people as shields for our soldiers as well. What happens if that doesn’t work? What happens if the Aiel just decide to not listen to the Dragon? That’s a lot of blood to have on your hands, and to be honest I wonder whether you even have the stomach for it.” Lord Alneau decided not to beat around the bush.

 

“Maybe.” Lady Dulcei didn’t hesitate as she answered. “But that’s why I need you. You know how to fight a war the way the Rogues Guild is. You know not only how to fight but to keep your fighters alive, other groups have tried to form but they have failed. I do not want my own gathering to die on the outset.”

 

“Your group?” Lord Alneau frowned at her. “What group?”

 

“The Sons of Cairhien, named to honour those who have fallen and those who shall fall to buy our freedom. Some have lost their sons, others their husbands, others still lost their betrothed.” There was no hint of emotion as she spoke but it was known that Lady Dulcei’s fiancé had fallen in the defence of the city. “It is also because we want a future for our city’s sons. Not one under the yoke of barbarians, but a free future for our own people.”

 

“Who are those men you are watching?”

 

“Two members of my household, one is my Swordmaster. The other…” Lord Alneau lapsed into a silence, though when Lady Dulcei looked to his face she saw there was something going on there, something proven right when Lord Alneau spoke again. “You want my service, one that you can’t get from any other. You want to give Cairhien back its future. Did I mention that all of my children were killed by the Aiel? I had six sons and a daughter, my sons were all soldiers. My daughter died within the first year of the Aiel occupation.”

 

A pin could have dropped and been clearly audible as Lady Dulcei blinked then quickly looked outside again. The Swordmaster seemed normal enough but now that she examined the other more closely, everything slid into place. Very tall, blond hair, not a single person she had asked for information about Lord Alneau had even hinted at such a possibility. "I am sorry for your loss." She said after a moment. "The Aiel have done unspeakable things and sometimes it is the innocent who have paid the price."

 

“Yes, they have, and the innocent pay still.” Turning from the window to Lady Dulcei, Lord Alneau was firm as he continued. “Here is my offer. Marry my grandson, legitimise him and therefore allow him to inherit my House when I die. You’ll marry into my family as you aren’t the Head of your house nor will be, and this house shall pass to your children in turn. Normally I would speak to your Guardian of this, but considering your loss, this is something you should decide for yourself I think.”

 

It was but the space of ten heartbeats before Lady Dulcei turned away from the window and made her way back to her seat. Of all the things she had expected when coming to the Alneau estate, a marriage proposal had not been it. Unfortunately, Lord Alneau had her and she knew it, she needed his leadership and what retainers he had left. But marriage? Light, the mourning period had not even finished yet and she had loved Jenad dearly. “I am still in mourning Lord Alneau, and you would give me a husband that is not of my own choosing?"

 

Returning to his seat as Lady Dulcei finished, Lord Alneau focused his gaze now upon the woman sitting opposite him. “You want my leadership, I want my house to survive after I am dust. I do not have many retainers left, but those that have survived are more than capable. More importantly I know what to do. You gain these things and a husband who inherits this house when I die. Unlike some other matches you could be given, he is gentle and he will treat you with respect. There are some who cannot make that claim.”

 

That much was true, Lady Dulcei conceded in silence as she thought over it. She did not want to marry some faceless man, half Aiel at that. But Lord Alneau was right, the match would benefit her and not just for his leadership and his retainers, House Alneau may have suffered but it was still a great House in its own right. "You understand I would need to meet your Grandson before I would completely agree to something like this. And I would need to allow the proper grieving time before announcing this to the public."

 

Nodding, Lord Alneau got to his feet. He had her agreement and there was no need to rush her. After all, it would only matter if they survived the reclaiming of Cairhien. A pessimistic thought, but for the first time since the city had fallen there was a glimmer of hope in his heart. “Of course and if you need time after that to grieve then you shall have it. But, if you would come with me I will conduct you to my grandson so that you may become acquainted with him at least. After that, we will have a great deal to talk about. Such as the guild and how to co-ordinate our efforts with them if they will allow us.”

 

Standing as Lord Alneau finished, Lady Dulcei took his arm as it was offered. Even as she replied, she was thinking about the Rogues Guild and how to contact it, who she could give information to and how and everything else that still needed to be done. "Thank you Lord Alneau. I think perhaps this arrangement will work out quite well for us all."