Meeting the Council [Manetheren RP]

[Muirenn]

Adine cursed silently as she stumbled over a dead branch, and was steadied by Leila's helping hand.  She would never have been this ungainly under normal circumstances, years of training in elocution to make her seem less a farmgirl at the White Tower had seen to that.  But with her round and plain face, all the grace in the world still made her seem perhaps a village wisdom at best.  None of that mattered at the moment.  What mattered was that she was blindfolded and being led to meet a group of...what had Leila called them?  Wolfkind?  Kin.  Wolfkin, that was it.  And she was more than a little nervous about it.  Not the meeting itself, for which she had been assured that she would be allowed the use of her eyes, but for the fact it was in a Stedding.  Which meant that she could not use the One Power.  That was what had made her stumble, excuses about loose branches aside.  She had felt that cold chill of entering a Stedding, and the loss of saidar.  Not as though she were shielded, but as though the One Power simply did not exist for her.  She felt a wave of reassurance tinged with worry through the bond, and clasped Daishell's hand tightly, as much for comfort as to reassure him.  Outwardly, she tried to remain serene.  They had been assured safe passage, and she had agreed to this mad scheme, against her Warder's wishes.  Blindfolded and in a Stedding!  What could she have been thinking!  She kicked herself mentally for it again.

 

But then, she knew what she had been thinking, had hoped.  Still hoped.  She needed allies now, more than ever.  And this group of Wolfkin had somehow escaped the Tower's notice up to this point.  It would be something if she could return to the Tower with such allies.  If she ever returned to the Tower.  If such would even be possible now.  Lanfir has stopped answering her pigeons weeks ago and Adine had no way to know how things fared in the rest of the Tower while she was cut off from her Ajah.  What was intended to merely look like a complete seperation from the Tower had become one in truth.

 

Adine broke off from her thoughts as she suddenly heard others nearby.  Very near from the sound of it.  They were not loud, and without saidar she could hear only soft murmurs, not able to detect words.  And then Leila stopped her suddenly, telling her to wait.  She strained to hear the other woman but heard nothing for several seconds.  Then it was only the lull of Leila's voice, she recognized the timbre even if she could not make out the words.  Another voice answered, male, she thought.  And then moments later the blindfold was removed and Adine was left blinking, trying to allow her eyes to adjust to the brightness.

 

"I am Adine Sedai," she said with a slight nod of her head, "I am honored that you have invited me to your home."  She tried not to be unnerved when several pairs of yellow eyes turned to face her.  There were no other coversations now.  Yellow eyes.  Each and every one of them had yellow eyes.

 

-Adine Thorfin

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

[Wayfarer]

Anton wasn't sure how he felt about the meeting with the Aes Sedai. Unlike the others, at least as far as he knew, he was the only one who had known Aes Sedai before coming to the stedding. His travels had led him to coming across a few and he had visited Tar Valon before. His meetings with them had been rather varied, some he had gotten along with, but then there were snobs and more than anything needed a good needling to humble them. After all, in the end they were women, people, much like anyone else they had their faults. But it wasn't their faults that made them problematic, it was the power that they wielded that made them an issue. If their suspicions and fear got the better of them, the stedding would be ruined as a safehaven.

 

Perhaps they could have met elsewhere, but the stedding did provide them with some protection against a single Aes Sedai at least. It tilted things in their favour for the meeting if nothing else, and if Owen and Jon were right there was more to this one than say... the ones he had accompanied with Lyv Tylin and Lonrick Myrddin from Caemlyn to Tar Valon. It would be interesting to see how she handled them, whether it would be the Aes Sedai reserve or whether she would abandon it in order to appeal to them. Then again, did Aes Sedai appeal to anyone? They commanded, but if they ever implored then they had done so beyond Anton's hearing.

 

So, now they stood and waited while the full moon hung above, shining on the small clearing they had decided upon. Leila was bringing the Aes Sedai and her warder to them, leaving himself along with Owen to wait for their arrival. Thankfully they did not have to wait long, Leila had made a quick yet forgiving pace for her blindfolded charges to follow. They had kept an idle conversation going as they had already discussed the Aes Sedai and her charge when they had agreed to the meeting. But Leila came to make sure that they were ready, for which Owen gave his assent.

 

The Aes Sedai and her warder brought before them, Anton took the opportunity to study the woman as she was freed from her blindfold along with her warder. Between the full moon and his improved eyesight, he was able to study her easily enough. She was a full four inches taller than him, a fair complexion under the light and her braid of mahogany hung low to the small of her back. The eyes were a little more difficult to make out but the brown was noticeable all the same. She was formal as she spoke though, her choice of words polite. He could sense different feelings from his fellow council members even as they could feel his own. His own feelings were wary, but there was also a certain amount of amusement and curiosity.

 

Something he just had to give voice to as he slouched onto his stave indolently. "She's a bit short for an Aes Sedai isn't she? And my blood hasn't frozen over yet, you did bring the the right pair didn't you, Leila?" An easy smile on his face, while there was a certain amount of bait to test the Aes Sedai's response there was also a warmth instead of animosity. After all, the tension needed to be eased a little and since he was the newest addition to their council, he could fumble a little.

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[WhiteWolf]

Owen had been standing, unseen, in the shadows behind Anton and Leila but after hearing Anton’s comments, Owen silently emerged and cuffed the new leader of the trackers around the head. “Keep a civil tongue in your mouth Anton, otherwise you will feel the rope around your neck that I promised you.” No threat, no malice, just a statement of intent, one that Anton would be wise to heed as Owen had still not forgiven him for stealing, and damaging, his flute. Anton had claimed that it had all been a prank, but no one else had come forward top confirm his story, and Owen thought there was a lingering stench around Anton, one that hinted at mistrust.

 

“Good evening Adine, it is good of you to accept our offer and I would apologise for the use of the blindfold, but there is still much about you that we need to come to an understanding about. If it pleases you, then accompany us to our Inn and we will start this meeting. Unfortunately, what we have to say is for your ears only, but we have made arrangements for your companion. He will not be far from you, but I cannot allow him to hear our discussions until all of the Council is satisfied that we can trust you.”

 

Owen did not like calling into doubt her honour, and had explained to her when they had set this meeting up that he and John felt they could trust her, but the rest of the Council may feel different. Adine had said she understood their concerns, but it was one thing to say you understood them in the comfort of your own home, but another to face the reality of them when you were defenceless.

 

Owen lead the small group through the trees, skirting any habited area of the Stedding, until they finally emerged by the lake. Passing Wolflover’s long abandoned home, Owen led them along the lakeside path, in the distance the lights of their destination could be seen gleaming on the surface of the lake. Opening the door, Owen stepped aside and let Adine and her Warder enter first. The Inn was a thing of wonder, it’s construction so cunningly wrought that the building actually looked like it had grown out of the forest. The interior matched the exterior in its natural appearance and both Adine and her Warder gasped at the sight of the Inn. “Yes it does have that effect on people who have not seen it before. Wall here is our Innkeeper and will ensure that our meeting is not disturbed, if you would accompany us we have a room set aside for our purpose.” With that Owen gently guided Adine towards the rear of the Inn, her Warder made to follow, but Wall’s impressive size soon disabused him of that notion.

 

When Adine entered the room, Miryana, the leader of the Sages was already in attendance, having arrived earlier. Owen introduced the two women and then asked everyone to make themselves comfortable. The table was set with refreshments and once everyone had helped themselves Owen called the meeting to order.

 

“Miryana, Leila and Anton, you have heard John and I speak about Adine from our encounters with her, but if we are to proceed with our plan we need a unanimous decision here tonight. To that end I would ask that you listen to what she has to say, and put aside any prejudices you might have as I have done with mine. Tonight we either help to create something that will benefit more people than just those who reside in the Stedding, or we let this opportunity slip through our fingers. Please consider what Adine says with this in mind, Adine.”

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

[Andular]

The soft glow of candle light and the crackle of wood in fire place filled the room as Miryana waited for the Council and their guest to arrive. Placing a hand on her mouth the Sage leader stifled a yawn. Sending Wall off to bed she had set the table herself and placed refreshments and snacks within easy reach for all.

 

Her long red hair had been left down tonight and flowed down the green Domani dress she wore to the meeting. As she sat waiting her thoughts drifted to what lay ahead. Being the caring, motherly person she was Mirayan was not pleased about this meeting and had made it known.

 

She alone had the responsibility of seeing the new Wanderers as they were brought into the stedding. Many had been persecuted by any manner of people an she for one was not about to let the White Tower study her children. So they were not really her children but in a way each wolfkin’s life she touched made them hers. Aes Sedai or not the woman would have to deal with her before any of her family was studied for White Tower curiosity.

 

Her Domani blood was still boiling when Owen came through the door with Leila, Anton and their guest in tow. Standing Miryana nodded as she was introduced but remained silent. Sitting back down and crossing her arms she listened to Owen and had to fight the desire for frown. Instead she nodded her head and waited for what she was sure was to be an Aes Sedai scheme against them.

 

Miryana

[Lwena]

It was at times like these that Leila was grateful – well, more than usual – for the enhanced eyesight that the Wolfkin were gifted with. Despite a full moon, it was still dark in the trees, and if she had not been able to see, Leila knew that she probably would have landed flat on her face more than once. She almost would have said that the blindfolds weren’t necessary, though almost was the operative word; Lei wasn’t the type to trust many, and she wasn’t about to take any unnecessary risks. Besides, this was what they’d always done in the past when bringing in outsiders, so it only made sense to do it once again. It was, though, a bit of a pain; she was forced to catch Adine several times, and even her Warder once – she had never thought she’d see that man stumble, yet here she was, steering him around several of the large branches that had fallen across their path. Years ago, she would never have been able to picture herself doing this – even after she’d arrived in the Stedding, as a Wanderer, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine this situation. It was just too… unexpected.

 

Yet here they were. Despite the difficulty of traveling while blindfolded and the slightly slower pace Leila took, she managed to make it to the meeting spot in good time, much to her relief – and probably much to the relief of Adine and her Warder. After telling them to wait she took a few steps forward, speaking quietly with Owen for a few brief moments before returning and lifting the blindfold. For all that she smelled surprised, the Aes Sedai did a very good job of covering her shock at seeing not one, but three pairs of golden eyes, and Lei whistled mentally, impressed. She supposed she should have realized that Adine was good at covering her emotions (she was Aes Sedai after all), particularly after their last meeting, but from the surprise she could smell…

 

At Anton’s comment, Leila couldn’t help but let her lips twitch a bit, though the look she gave the newest member of the Council was somewhere between amusement and admonishment. Owen wasn’t too pleased, but she got the feeling that Owen didn’t like Anton much, for reasons that she couldn’t fathom. He seemed decent enough to her, and she considered herself a good judge of character. On that note, though, she didn’t know him except by sight, so she was still reserving her final judgment until she had something to base it on. They quickly moved from the small clearing to the Inn, and it was with surprisingly little protest that the Warder agreed to let his Aes Sedai go to the back room without being there himself – the sight of Wall obviously had something to do with that, but Leila had him pegged for being more protective of Adine than that. No matter; it wasn’t like they were going to harm Adine, and Leila agreed with Owen’s decision. They needed to earn the Aes Sedai’s trust, not her Warder’s, and what they had to say was not for his ears. Granted, he would probably be told about it anyway, but that was besides the point. She settled quickly, with a mug of tea in one hand, and simply watched Adine almost expectantly, but expressionlessly.

 

Leila Thatcher

Snowbreeze

[Muirenn]

"And how tall should an Aes Sedai be, Master Anton?" Adine quipped. "I am tall enough to do what needs doing, be assured of that. And I am indeed Aes Sedai. You must never have met one of my sisters, for it is the ageless face that is a sure sign. Myself, I am nearly ninety years old, although I know I do not look it. And mark this day well," she continued with a sly smile, "For rare is the occasion when an Aes Sedai will admit to her full years, or speak of them at all. It is considered a great rudeness amongst us. I tell those of you here today so that you may understand some of my history, and how it is that I have come here.

 

"I was born in Taren Ferry, and grew up the daughter of a blacksmith, whose craft I tried to learn. I was married and widowed by the age of sixteen, and was discovered by Aes Sedai and bundled onto a ship to Tar Valon by seventeen. The past seventy odd years of my life have been spent in the White Tower, or in it's service. Had things been different, I would be amongst the most respected Aes Sedai in the Tower, due to my strength and skill in the One Power. Which to speak directly of is considered another rudeness amongst us. I say it now that you may understand the unease I feel at being without the comfort of the One Power within this Stedding," She smiled softly, "And my unwillingness to be seperated from my Warder, who is as a brother to me. I understand that what we speak of must be done in private, and is for my ears alone. Suffice to say that, for my part, I have made a break with the Tower, and will not be able to return until the current Head of my Ajah is no longer in power. She and I disagree on what it means to Stand Ready.

 

"For now, I am here, in the Two Rivers. I stay with a many times great-nephew, who does not know me as other than a learned traveller. I hope to form an alliance with those of you here, to our mutual benefit, and hope that you can come to trust me as Owen and John already have." She waited in silence to see how those new to her would take this statement.

 

-Adine Torfinn

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

[Wayfarer]

Smiling at the sense of humour that Adine Sedai revealed, or played along with, Anton eased himself on the back of his seat as he reached for a cup of tea. Not only refreshing but it would also be handy if the thought crossed Owen's mind to try something physical a second time. Although he'd placed himself out of reach of the man, Anton was less than amused with the leader of the Rangers. He held the grudge over a prank well beyond the point of stupidity and more to the point, he was unstable. It always put Anton a little on edge when the man was around, wary. He wouldn't quite call it a madness, the wolves would not tolerate Owen if that was the case, but there was something.

 

But, these were simply acknowledgements of thoughts and feelings long since determined, things that could easily be masked by curiosity and other emotions that were easier to give free rein. All the while listening to Adine, by the time she was done he found certain questions on the tip of his tongue. Nor were all of them spoken as he decided to interrupt the silence with thoughts of his own and a smile on his face. "Well spoken my lady Aes Sedai. But, for all that..."

 

No doubt Owen wanted to say something, but Anton would ask his questions and Owen could be beggared if he thought he was going to tell his equal what to do. Could have been beggared anyway. "Owen and John have both plead your case, but even though I have heard from them I would hear from you. You say had things been different you would have been one of the most respected Aes Sedai of the Tower. Yet you have broken with the Tower due to this Head of your Ajah? A doctrinal difference? If any agreement is reached between us, how will your standing with the Tower affect ours if we make contact with the White Tower at a later date?"

 

"Also." Sipping from his tea, the same smile remained on his face as he continued. "If things were to change and your Head of the Ajah were no longer in power, where would any agreement between us stand? Would the Tower allow any agreements made to continue? If you make a commitment here, will you be willing to see it through? Not whether you would, but whether you would be willing to do so as opposed to being bound or obligated. I suppose I am asking how deep your break with the Tower truly is."

 

"Lastly, there is the matter of what you have to offer." Setting his tea aside, Anton was almost slouched as he spoke. "You aren't bargaining for the Tower, you are representing yourself and your particular skills and abilities. What do you have to offer us personally? And what do we have to offer you? Any agreement is based on give and take and I'd like to know what you think will be given and taken between us. Not what you could do and couldn't do, but what do you see yourself doing?"

 

That was about as direct as questions got, hopefully the answers given by the Aes Sedai would be just as simple as the questions asked.

[Wayfarer]

Muirenn's Post

 

Adine shrugged, "For all of that, I have made a clean break with the Tower.  I still have those few whom I consider friends and allies, but for myself, I do not plan to return.  As you say, it was a doctrinal difference, but one that more that just the Head of my Ajah shared.  As for any agreements between us," she shook her head slighty, a wry smile touching her lips, "You do not understand the nature of the First Oath, Master Anton.  Anything I commit to, I must do.  The Oaths bind and compel.  I am willing to swear not to betray this Council, its secrets, or its people if you ask it of me.  The word of an Aes Sedai will be enough to tie me to you.

 

"And what do I offer to you?  Alliance, friendship, strength.  As I said, the word of an Aes Sedai means much.  Perhaps not to you, Master Anton, but in the world outside this stedding it is known that Aes Sedai cannot speak false.  Having an Aes Sedai support your cause lends it strength and legitimacy in the eyes of the world outside.  You will need both in the days to come. 

 

"Now," she straightened subtly, her shoulder moving back almost imperceptibly, as though bracing herself for a blow, "We have talked around the issue much.  And I have put up with this questioning because I know you must be sure of me, my purpose, and my will.  Do me the same courtesy.  Tell me what it is that you have planned for me, for our alliance.  Before I can commit myself so strongly to your people, I must know to what I am committing.  Tell me plainly what it is you hope we can accomplish together."

 

-Adine Torfinn

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

[Wayfarer]

Whitewolf's Post

 

“It will require far more time than we have here to explain everything to you, that has brought us to this point in our lives. Suffice to say, we have gained knowledge about our past, about a place, a land that was our home and where we were not outcasts. We want to rebuild that land, and institute the same freedoms that our predecessors enjoyed. To that end we have formed several Alliances to help in our quest. All participants in this Alliance have agreed to send two advisors to a Council. A neutral person who will be guided by the will of the Council will head this Council. Loyalty is to be given to the council, all previous loyalties must be set aside, otherwise our quest will not reach fruition.”

 

Owen was merely repeating the same statement that Franklin had made to the Wolfkin Council. For now he would not reveal any of the Wolfkin’s knowledge of their past, not in detail anyway.

 

“We want to resurrect Manetheren and believe we need a Leader who can reflect the ideals of the old Manetheren. Are you the person to fulfil that position Adine? Can you rise above the petty rivalries that have plagued this land for more time than we can remember? If that is you, then you now know what will be expected of you. If it is not you I would have you tell us now.” Owen paused for a moment, the light from the lantern dancing over his golden eyes, seeming to twinkle almost. “We will know if you are lying, or trying to trick us with some falsehood, and you would not want us as enemies, nor our Allies.”

 

Owen

 

The WhiteWolf

 

Ranger Leader

[Wayfarer]

As far as Anton was concerned, Adine Sedai's answer had been exactly what he should have expected from an Aes Sedai.  While Aes Sedai couldn't speak false, their truth could be so convoluted that one would never understand it until it was too late.  But, it wasn't that Anton didn't trust Aes Sedai, it was just that he didn't trust them.  Not that he didn't admit to himself that this one could be different, but travelling with Lyv Tylin and Lonrick Myrddin while they escorted sisters from Caemlyn to Tar Valon had been an enlightening experience for Anton.  It had even been amusing, the Aes Sedai had looked down on him as if he were some ignorant man with very little real knowledge of the world.

 

He'd chosen not to disappoint their expectations.

 

But, that was then and this was now.  Owen was speaking of what the Wolfkin wanted of Adine Sedai, though Anton could not have said that he agreed with his elder council member.  Anton did not believe that an Aes Sedai was necessary for the resurrection of Manetheren in any way at all, and giving an Aes Sedai a voice in that process worried him.  Even now if she did not wish to return to the Tower, what if one day she did?  And her words of an Aes Sedai giving a cause legitimacy, what if the legitimacy was challenged by the selfsame Tower she had made her break from?  If she was named renegade, would the Wolfkin and others be given the same status?  An enemy of the Tower?  An enemy of the Tower was an enemy of the nations, Anton wondered whether the resurrection of an old dream in favour of forging a new path was a worthwhile one.

 

The words that Owen chose to end with made Anton look.  Those were not choice words and while Anton didn't have any real desire to see this Aes Sedai raised up, he didn't like the implications of what Owen had said or rather, how the Aes Sedai might choose to construe them.  It wouldn't do to leave that tension as it was, and as the newest member he was free to blunder.  "Easy Owen, she has safe passage."  Turning from Owen to Adine Sedai, Anton spoke before Owen chose to get a word in and return the focus to Adine Sedai, though no doubt there would be words afterward.

 

"What say you?"

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Muirenn]

Adine couldn't help but show on her face the surprise that she felt.  A Queen?!  Of all the things that she thought the Wolfkin might possibly want from her, this had not even been a dim hope.  She had thought that perhaps they would want her assistance in forming their new territory, in guiding and solidifying a code of conduct, laws if needed.  But then, isn't that what a Queen does?  Adine nodded slowly, letting Owen's words sink in.  Now it made sense.  The secrecy, the quiet skirting of words, the subtle hints.  They wanted to raise Manetheren from its grave.  She looked around the room at the pairs of yellow eyes staring back.  They could do it too.  They had mentioned allies.  She didn't know who those could be, but she trusted these people.  There was something about them that invited her trust.  She nodded again, more to herself at a decision reached.  She had to speak true, and at least one of them was suspicious, at best, of Aes Sedai.  Or just of her?  No matter, she had to convince them of her sincerity.  Gracefully, she went to her knees, palms outstreched as though she held an invisible sword.  Or the Oath Rod again. she thought wryly.  Shoulders back and head held high she spoke formally.  It had to be enough; she prayed silently that it would be enough.

 

"I swear by the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth that I will serve the Council of Manetheren and its citizens faithfully and above all others as their Queen until they choose to release me from my vow, death takes me, or the world ends."

 

-Adine Torfinn

Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah

[Wayfarer]

Watching as Adine Sedai knelt, Anton was surprised by the gesture as the woman proceeded to give her oath.  To serve the Council, to serve its citizens, to act as their Queen until released from her vow or death.  It was a fairly impressive oath as far as Anton was concerned, there were only a few loopholes that he could pick out of them, but she'd made her break with the Tower by swearing to serve them first and foremost as Queen, placing Manetheren as her greater priority.  That was more than enough for Anton, at least for the moment.

 

Of course, the beautiful moment couldn't last, otherwise people were going to starting speaking the old tongue and posing dramatically.  Well, that and he didn't want to get too used to that mode of behaviour, it didn't suit him at all.  That was one of the reasons he'd become a Tracker after all, and as the Head Tracker he couldn't then suddenly renege on the very things that made him who he was.

 

Standing, Anton grinned as he looked to the others.  "Well, thats good enough for me.  Howabout we all go to the common room and drink to our new Queen?"

 

No doubt it would irk Owen, but now wasn't the time to discuss the greater matters.  They'd gotten their Queen, they could introduce her to her responsibilities and such later rather than overwhelm her now.

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw