A Bond of Redemption (attn. Myrrhi Aes Sedai)

[Elessar]

.. Poetry found in Shadows  ..

►▼◄

 

Once, a long time ago, a young Elessar had found an old, strange document in a cave in the hill-country of northern Kandor. It had been buried in a steel-like box and only by chance had the young Kandori boy come across it as he had dug for ‘hidden treasures’ like most boys at that age. Excitedly he had shown the box to his father, who had remained at the opening of the cave - having first, of course, checked that the cave was not the home of any dangerous animals - and his father had managed to force open the box by using a knife he carried.

 

Hoping for a treasure of some sort - perhaps some gold crowns! - the young boy had been mightily disappointed when the box had only contained a small dark stone with an almost illegible inscription and an old, bound parchment. His father, however, had looked carefully at the stone, and in even more detail at the parchment, noticing its old age, speculating on its content, and had pocketed them, without a word, for later study. Only later that day, as they had headed back south toward their estate, had Elessar noticed a strange, dark, uncompromising look on his father’s face but as young boys were want to, his thoughts had drifted, distracted by all the exciting countryside they were riding through, and he had thought no more about it.

 

●

 

That evening, however, a day’s journey or so north of the Telcontar Estate, in their makeshift camp in the lee of a hillside, his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Seeing his father sleeping soundly beneath his blankets a few paces away, Elessar had crawled, making as little sound as possible, across to their belongings and to his father’s travelling cloak. Checking carefully in one of the cloak pockets, he had felt the stone and the parchment beneath his fingers. He had disregarded the stone. The parchment, however, had been of more interest to him. Taking it out, carefully removing the soft binding, barely able to read the front of the parchment by the light from their camp fire, he had read: “Glory to the Shadow’.

 

Finding it a strange and exotic - more than frightening - title, his curiosity had grown. Opening the parchment, glancing back at times to make sure his father was still sleeping, he had started reading. His eyes had grown wider and wider as each verse had registered in his mind, but it was only later, much later, when he had admitted to his father having read the unsigned Dark Poem in secret and had been chastised for it, that he had understood, at least to some extent, what a rare - and despicable - document he had found in that cave that day.

 

●

 

►▼◄

 

‘Glory to the Shadow’

 

Glory to the Shadow! Our day is Near!

When Darkness will cover the Land in Fear

To you, we Pray, to ignite the Spark

Arise, our Master, Great Lord of the Dark!

 

Glory to the Night! We will Hunt in Strength

Covering the World, in its Breadth and Length

Destroying the Lightfools, wherever they Be

Drawing their Blood, on the Land and the Sea

 

Glory to the Darkness! Our Great Lord’s Return!

For Victory, Immortality - Let the whole world Burn

Oh, Lord of the Grave - we Salute you, we Obey!

Your Triumph we await! On that Final Day!

 

►▲◄

 

●

 

Elessar would never forget those Dark words and that ‘filthy Poem of the Shadow’ as his father had called it, before handing the document over to the local authorities, spitting the words in great distaste.

 

Only years later, as his own interest in history, poetry and stories had grown, had Elessar truly understood what a very rare find they had made in those northern Kandori hills. Poems praising the Dark One, or the ‘Great Lord’ as worshipping Darkfriends termed him - poetry of the Shadow - were really rare (at least outside Darkfriend circles) and very rarely spoken of, if at all. The Warder had often privately speculated that the White Tower probably kept some historic documents of the Shadow hidden in their secret vaults, be they Dark poems, stories, proclamations or even, perhaps, prophecies of a sort, but he had never shared his suspicions with his Aes Sedais, knowing they would very probably never reveal any such secrets, if they existed, even to their Bondmates.

 

The Shadow was hated in the Borderlands; too many wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters had been lost to trolloc-attacks and Darkfriend insurgencies over the years, as his father had told him on numerous occasions. To find signs of followers of the Shadow in the Borderlands was a knife-thrust in the heart of every good and decent Light-loving man and woman there, though, as Elessar thought of it later, it should not have come as such a surprise since the Shadow found its way into people’s hearts everywhere and everywhen.

 

●

 

Staring into the dark, evil eyes of this despicable minion of the Shadow, Elessar was reminded of his hatred for all Darkfiends and enemies of the Light, a hatred nurtured by his upbringing in the Borderlands and, perhaps also, by some specific moments in his life, like finding that Dark Poem many years before.

 

●

 

The Cairhienin brute only laughed at Elessar’s questions and demands though there was a touch of ‘forced laughter’ there as well, the Warder thought, though the Darkfriend was trying to hide it well. There was no doubt, however, that this was a dangerous man - and a man that would not be easily broken. Despite his hatred of the Shadow, Elessar could control his emotions and would not sink to the level of pure torture to get what information they could from this man. He knew his Aes Sedai would not approve either. But the Darkfriend did not know that, and the Warder knew it was something he must make use of. He exchanged another knowing glance with his Bondholder, hoping she would understand what he was up to. Then he turned back to the assassin.

 

With hard eyes and a dark grin he threatened the assassin if he did not talk, brushing his knife dangerously across the man’s skin and throat, staring with dead-cold eyes into those of his enemy. The Cairhienin resisted everything, though a few pearls of sweat came upon his brow. Giving him a harsh, disgusted look, Elessar half-turned away but then with great speed smashed the knife into the woodwork of the wall behind him, within an inch of the Darkfriend’s face! The man’s eyes widened in near-shock, a grimace upon his face, and the Gaidin grinned darkly.

 

Stepping aside from the Cairhienin leader, he exchanged a final glance with Myrrhi. She nodded at him, approval coming through the Bond, and then faced the Darkfriend herself.

 

●

 

"Very well," she said at last. "You don't want to tell us a thing,  no matter how we ask...."

 

She added, using a new tactic, asking him what he thought would happen if they started telling that he had helped them out? That he had told them about this attack and everything they would find out about it? She ended by saying that she did not think his Great Lord would be happy with him.

 

His Great Lord of the Dark did not take betrayal lightly.

 

She let the words sink in and once again Elessar thought he saw a small reaction of unease.. if not fear.. in the man’s eyes at the mention of his Great Lord’s probable displeasure.

  

"I can make promises that will bind me”, Myrrhi then added. “You should take advantage of it for yourself, or your family," she said, nodding towards the man’s wedding band.

 

●

 

“You cannot intimidate me, Aes Sedai!”, the Cairhienin Darkfriend spat with scorn in his voice.

 

 “Soon”, he added elatedly, “all you Lightfools will bow before the Great Lord, begging for mercy.”

 

He chuckled, giving them a very dark grin. “The streets will be bathed in blood.” A fanatic streak had come into his voice now. “You will scream and scream.. and then, in the end, you will embrace the Darkness.. because there will be nothing else for you.” There was evil glee in his eyes and he looked defiantly at them both, daring them to gainsay him.

 

Elessar wondered for a split seccond if he should take a step toward the assassin and then suddenly.. ‘slip’.. and accidentally slit his throat.. He let it be with the tempting thought. They still needed information from this piece of filth.

 

Exchanging a knowing glance with Myrrhi he imagined she might have sensed his thinking through the Bond, or had similar thoughts herself, because she gave him a very lopsided grin.

 

Then she faced the Darkfriend again.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Frustration was filling her heart. Myrrhi had really believed that she could have used the Darkfriend's family to get something out of him. But she hadn't thought far enough. The man sitting in front of her was human just like her but she was so different from him and not only because of the power she wielded. She shouldn't try what would worked on her. It would probably not work with him.

 

Taking a deep breath, she imagined a reverse situation. She would do anything to protect her sisters or her Warder... almost anything, she added.

 

She looked at her Warder and her eyes met his. He was exploring so many ways to make the Darkfriend talk in his head. She could feel it through the bond and, somehow, it frustrated her. She would have liked to know what he thought about, what were the possibilities opened to them. But nothing came to her mind. She never had classes about how to handle this kind of situation in the Tower. Once again she bit her lower lip. I am worthless...

 

The fear of failure had made her do the impossible as an initiate. She had broken so many rules to study on her own, even as a Novice. She had stolen books, hunted for quiet places where she would channel unattended and dared to interrogate fully raised Aes Sedai about the most complex weaves.

 

The memory of that night with Jagen Sedai sprang back in her head. Hidden behind thick hedges near the Warders Courtyard, she had practiced some difficult weaves. She knew she shouldn't be there, she knew she shouldn't channel without an Accepted or a Sister to guide her, but she didn't care. She wanted to be the first one in her class.

 

It had taken her a while to master these weaves - the sky had become as dark as pitch - but it was with a big smile on her face that she decided to return to the dormitories. Before she had the time to get back on her feet, she heard the leaves around her moving and a red shape materialized in front of her. Jagen Sedai... The Red Sister had punished her very harshly that night...

 

Her efforts had paid well, she had been raised as an Accepted very quickly. Then, some of her fire had disappeared. She had become a gentle lamb who never crossed a line. Her only purpose had been to please her seniors hoping it would get her a shawl as fast as possible. Everything she had done had been to get some kind of approval, and having people happy with what she did was still something she cared about.

 

She saw herself as an Accepted, repairing corsets and dresses in the Green Sitting room. One of the Greens Aes Sedai looked at her with a small smile on her face - at the time Myrrhi hadn't known her name.

"Can you ride?" the woman asked out of the blue.

Myrrhi blushed. She had tried to ride in the past, and she had hated it. She couldn't ride and didn't want to learn. She didn't like to rely on others, and here an animal, to move. Also, she didn't want to look ridiculous .... which she definitely would.

Still she had taken those riding lessons the Green sent her to, hoping it would impress the Aes Sedai and give her more chances to be raised. The lessons had been hard, but again she had fought, not wanting to fail.

 

And that day, she was failing. She didn't know how to make a man talk. What would her Warder think of her?

 

Should she try to hurt the man? But pain could make people do anything, they needed information they could trust.

 

Should she try to delve in the man's mind? That could lead to more damages than expected.

 

But she was certain of one thing, the darkfriend couldn't know what was happening inside her head. If he knew how she felt, he would know that he had already won a battle.

 

 

[Elessar]

.. The Question of an Eye for an Eye  ..

►▼◄

 

Looking at Myrrhi’s smooth Aes Sedai face one could not know of her uncertainty.

 

For Elessar was sure that was exactly what he felt through the Bond.

 

Uncertainty.

 

And he thought he knew why.

 

She is frustrated, he thought. She knows that torturing this despicable human will not guarrantee any answers. And she does not have it in her to torture him in any case.

 

He was pretty certain of this. And he was glad of it. Had she been a person with no qualm about torturing people for information, if necessary, he would have been deeply concerned.

 

Even when it came to evil subjects, like this Darkfriend with many crimes on his conscience.

 

Darkfriends may be tried according to White Tower law or killed in combat, but hard torture was one step too far.

 

Of course, it was a fine line between torture and ‘causing great fear’ in the subject. Warders sometimes saw the need to ‘push the limit’ a little in extreme situations where the life of their Sedai was in danger. Some Aes Sedai, hard women, did not either always follow the conventions, if they deemed it necessary. It was a bit like Bonding a person without the person’s approval. The White Tower frowned upon the practice, but it seldom took action against the Sister in question. None of his Sedais had been inclined to such transgressions, something he was very glad of.

 

With my experience and training, this will be a bit easier for me, he thought as he prepared himself to intervene.

 

He did not intend for Myrrhi to try and break this Darkfriend, at the price of her own soul.

 

●

 

Making sure that the assassin did not feel the growing frustration filling her heart, Myrrhi looked at him confidently and sternly and repeated her words, that they could let it be known that he had betrayed the Shadow and had informed them of this planned ambush.

 

There was a little unease in the man’s eyes, she thought, but on the whole he did not appear disturbed by the threat, staring back at her scornfully. She sighed inside, considering again her options.

 

Elessar, help me. She thought, as she exchanged a glance with her Warder.

 

As if he had read her thoughts, he nodded and walked a few steps toward the assassin.

 

“You are a stubborn man”, he said with a loud sigh. “A very stubborn man.” Stopping before the prisoner, he brushed his knife another time across the man’s face and skin, drawing blood.

 

“I am sure you will not mind a few more scars in your pretty face.”

 

A wide, dangerous grin came upon his face as the Warder stared hard into the assassin’s eyes. His knife caught the man’s left ear, not too gently, causing a bleeding rift, and the Darkfriend cried out in pain, cursing. Elessar laughed hard, an uncompromising laugh, and Myrrhi, watching from behind, had to admit that her Warder’s ‘act’, if she could call it that, was very convincing.

 

“Now then”, the Gaidin said as he pointed the knife at the Darkfriend’s eyes, almost touching the eyeballs. “Tell me, which eye would you like to keep?”

 

Myrrhi stirred behind him, but he only focused on the assassin prisoner.

 

●

 

Elessar knew from experience that the fear of an action could produce just as good results as the action itself. Even the hardest and sturdiest of men would be hard pushed not to display some kind of fear if threatened hard enough. And though the assassin stared back defiantly at the Warder, more pearls of sweat came upon his brow.

 

Elessar detested the necessity of this, but he saw no other way to get the information they needed. Perhaps information that would keep his Bondholder alive.

 

Desperate times require Desperate measures, he thought silently, as he shook his head angrily at the unresponsive prisoner.

 

“Well, you certainly are resilient, I will give you that”, said the Gaidin as a dark lethal grin came upon his lips. “I will help you choose then”, he added with feigned dark relish in his voice. His knife pointed at the man’s right eye, then the left, then the right and finally the left again.

 

“Left eye.”

 

As his knife ever so slowly moved toward the assassin’s right eyeball, the man started mumbling incoherently, his facial features tightening, his eyes slowly widening in an impression of fear.

 

Just before losing Half the Light in the World, the assassin screamed for the Warder to stop.

 

Elessar only stared back at him, his eyes as hard as stone.

 

●

 

Elessar and Myrrhi walked quickly back to the ‘Cunning Fox inn’, leaving the rough neighbourhood and avoiding any side streets. They spoke little, each deep in thought after what had happened, and when they reached the inn Elessar checked carefully both outside and inside that there were no Darkfriends lying in wait. Once he was satisfied that it was safe, for the moment, he bade Myrrhi join him inside and they swiftly got their things in their rooms, paid the innkeeper for their stay and collected their horses in the stables.

 

Soon they left the inn behind and rode through the streets of Cairhien, the Warder keeping a very vigilant eye on everything they passed, be it buildings, shops, monuments or people. The streets were less busy at night than during the day but there were still some folk about, locals and foreigners alike, and Elessar stared hard at them all as he rode past, looking for danger at any corner. At the City Gate the soldiers were surprised to see anyone wanting to leave the city at this time of day, but one hard look from the Warder, and an accompanying no nonsense glance from the Aes Sedai, made them swallow any words they had and they waved them quickly through.

 

Elessar Gaidin and Myrrhi Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah rode swiftly down the road leading away from the Capital, in the direction of the village of Jurene by the River Erinin.

 

●

 

They had left the Darkfriends behind in that dark alleyway, alive but unconcious. It had been a risk, but Myrrhi had assured him that they would stay unconcious for many hours. Neither of the two would accept killing the prisoners, no matter their crimes and the possibility that they might hunt them again, and dragging them all off to justice in the White Tower was simply too difficult and impractical as matters stood. So they left them behind, incapacitated, knowing also that the Darkfriends would likely not go unpunished by their Darkfriend circle leaders, or perhaps even their Great Lord, for their failure in dealing with the Aes Sedai and her Warder.

 

Elessar knew that he had ‘pushed the limit’ with his threat of taking the Darkfriend’s eye, though he had, of course, never had any intention to do so. It had, however, been necessary as he saw it and though Myrrhi had not mentioned it afterwards, he thought he saw conflicting emotions in her face and guessed that she might have words with him about it later. So be it. The assassin had kept his eye, to his relief, but despite his apparent fear and seeming willingness to talk he had not given them much information. This could be because he in fact knew very little, or more probably because he, despite the pressure being applied, was a sly and devious individual who had given his soul to the Shadow.

 

●

 

What little he had said, though, was what had them heading in this direction.

 

It could, of course, be lies, ‘truths’ admitted under duress - for fear of torture - but somehow Elessar did not think so. Not that Darkfriends were particularly trustworthy, far from it, but looking deep into the assassin’s eyes at that moment, the man’s words had had a ring of truth about them, Elessar had thought. Not all the truth, of course, but all they would probably get without resorting to hard torture. Myrrhi had agreed when he had mentioned it to her afterwards. Anyways, it was all they had to go on.

 

The Darkfriend assassin had almost croaked the words:

 

 

House Annallin

Secrets

Jurene

 

 

Speeding through the Darkness beneath a Black horizon and a canopy of Stars, their mounts pushing onwards and dust thrown up in their wake, Elessar wondered at this turn of events and what it would all lead to.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

“I am sure you will not mind a few more scars in your pretty face.”

 

Elessar's words surprised Myrrhi as much as the dangerous grin that appeared on his face. The young Green peered into the bond to check what her Warder was feeling but before she had the time to find anything useful he saw him using his knife on the Darkfriend's ear.

 

Wha... she had to fight to keep her smooth Aes Sedai face. Their prisoner couldn't know how stunned she was feeling. For him, she had to look like she was in complete control of the situation.

 

Her eyes moved from the Darkfriend to Elessar who had started to laugh. She hoped for his sake and hers that he was acting, because he sounded completely mad.

 

“Now then”, the Gaidin said as he pointed the knife at the Darkfriend’s eyes, almost touching the eyeballs. “Tell me, which eye would you like to keep?”

 

Myrrhi almost chocked on her own saliva. She didn't recognize her Warder in these words. Is he serious? She wondered. She didn't hear what he said next, lost in her thoughts. It was only thanks to what she felt through the bond that she didn't lose more of her composure.

 

Elessar what are you doing? You can't go that far!

 

She only came back to reality when, the Darkfriend started screaming. He begged Elessar to stop.

 

"I will tell you EVERYTHING! Please, DON'T ! No!"

 

The Warder stopped moving as asked, and told the Darkfriend that he was ready to listen. The man didn't say much though. He stuttered three words that he repeated again and again.

 

House Annallin

Secrets

Jurene

 

Not able to stand it further, Myrrhi channeled a club of air that she directed towards the prisoner's head, knocking him out cold.

 

The man had scared her. For a time, she had even thought that his three words had been a kind of dark summoning and the only thing she had wanted was for him to shut up. Now that he was not a threat to her and her Warder, she allowed herself to think about these words. Jurene? Was it the place where they should go next?

 

"There's nothing we can do about them, right?" she asked her Warder still shaken. She nodded towards their attackers. "I don't think so", Elessar replied placing his hand on her arm as a way to show some support. Their eyes met, and Myrrhi let her Warder understand that they would have to talk about what had happened... not right there, but later. The two companions agreed that they would have to leave the Darkfriends where they were. They didn't want - couldn't even - kill their prisoners, nor send them to the White Tower for  a trial. Jurene needed their immediate attention.

 

***

 

Elessar and Myrrhi walked as quickly as an Aes Sedai and her Warder could to the ‘Cunning Fox inn’. They barely talked, both of them thinking about what had happened and what was to come. When they arrived in front of the inn, they separated. Myrrhi stayed a few paces from the main door while Elessar checked the building immediate surrounding and common room. It is only when he was sure that the inn didn't house any kind of threat that the Warder invited Myrrhi to follow him inside.

 

They went to their rooms, prepared their bags and went to reclaim their horses. Elessar's stallion and Myrrhi's mare were nicely rested and ready to take the road again.

 

***

 

Minutes then hours passed. Myrrhi was riding behind Elessar waiting for the road to empty, then for herself to gather enough courage to talk. She didn't know how she should approach the subject of the Darfriend's questioning until at last, her Warder spoke up.

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. The Calm before a possible Storm ..

►▼◄

 

The horses slowed their gait after a hard run and Elessar waved for Myrrhi to stop. They were several leagues away from the Capital, the road empty now of travellers. The Darkness now made it almost impossible to travel further, the moon and starlight giving a little light but soon everything would be swallowed by the night. It was time to find an apt site for a makeshift camp in the woods to the side of the road, but first there was another matter to take care of.

 

Bringing his warhorse Stormbreaker to a halt by the side of the dark dusty road, he faced his Bondholder. His eyes were fiery though his voice was fairly calm.

 

“Okay, speak your mind”, the Warder said, meeting her eyes squarely.

 

●

 

“You are unhappy with how I handled that Darkfriend. I can feel it through the Bond. I can see it in your face.”

 

His voice was no longer quite as calm, he had to admit.

 

He gradually felt his irritation at her, at himself, at the necessity of what he had had to do, come to the fore.

 

Will she understand?

 

“Speak your mind”, he added, “and let’s be done with it!”

 

He knew his tone, though not particularly harsh, was a touch disrespectful perhaps, but he ignored it. He wanted this matter laid to rest.

 

Myrrhi stared back at him silently, for a moment, from atop her mare a few paces away - and he waited for a possible outburst!

 

●

 

He had, in fact, been frustrated at himself ever since the episode with the Darkfriends in the alleyway, and had started double-guessing himself.

 

Could he have handled it differently?

Could he have gotten the information from the assassin without using harsh scare-tactics?

Was he no better than those Darkfriends, resorting to almost a type of near-torture?

What did Myrrhi think of him? Was she frightened of him now? Losing faith in him?

 

All these thoughts rumbled in his mind as they headed back to the inn, got their belongings, and left the Capital behind.

 

Did she not understand that it was all pretence? He wondered. That he never would have taken that Darkfriend’s eye?

 

He had been certain at first that she would understand, that she trusted him well enough to know that he would never overstep a certain line when it came to questioning a prisoner, but seeing her face afterwards and the mixture of emotions coming through the Bond then, he was no longer so certain.

 

This frustrated him to no end - but it also made him angry.

 

If she did not trust him, what the hell was it all for?

 

●

 

As time passed, he became more and more certain that he had done the right thing.

 

Because there had been no alternative.

 

It had been the only way to make that evil brute talk.

 

However much he detested having had to do it, it had been necessary.

 

And I would do it again, ten times if necessary, he thought with bitter determination, if it makes you safe, my Aes Sedai.

 

Grumbling inside, he felt his irritation build as they rode down the Cairhienin roads, an irritation and frustration also tinged with a bad conscience for doubting Myrrhi even when he did not truly know how she felt (a very human reaction, an observing, analyzing Yellow Sister would have termed it), though some discontent did seem to come through the Bond. A few curses escaped his lips and his eyes tightened as he pushed his warhorse onwards into the Darkness.

 

●

 

Years before, a young, newly-Bonded - and more temperamental - Elessar had been chastised, castigated, severly by his then Bondholder Leandreen Aes Sedai for using an ‘undue amount of force’, as she had called it, when questioning a minion of the Shadow during a mission to the Borderlands. Then also his Sedai’s life had been under threat.

 

He had disagreed strongly, furious at her harsh words, too inexperienced, and lacking the wisdom, to know when to keep silent, telling her in no uncertain terms that he would do it again, if it meant saving her life!

 

“I regret nothing!” The young Warder had shouted angrily as he had stormed off into the woods. “Now I just wish I had throttled the evil bastard!”

 

His words of fury, spoken in anger at her severe reprimand, had left an echo in the Darkness and a stunned, open-mouthed Sister of the Green Ajah in its wake.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

“Speak your mind”, he added, “and let’s be done with it!”

 

Easier said than done, Myrrhi thought, not really happy to hear Elessar's tone. Of course, he could only have an idea of what she felt. It was impossible for him to know towards whom she directed those feelings. Still, it didn't excuse the harshness of his voice. It had even made the young Green looking around, to be sure that no one was around. An Aes Sedai was supposed to be in control. She couldn't let her Warder talk like this to her, at least when they were not alone.

 

 

When she was sure that indeed, there was no one else on the road, she turned her face towards Elessar once more. She stared at him, trying to decide what to do.

 

So, what is it exactly that I want to say? She asked herself.

 

She had to admit that they had needed the information that the Darkfriend gave. She had tried everything she could, and her ways had brought them nothing. She also had to admit that she had fought a couple of minutes before their prisoner's questioning. And during the battle, she had been ready to kill her opponents.

 

However the torture was something completely different. The prisoner had presented no immediate threat. What would have happened if he had not talked? It was hard to imagine Elessar taking away the eyes of a defenseless man.

 

The longer she thought, the more she could feel that something was boiling inside her Warder. It was time for her to say something.

 

"I don't know what to think about what happened," she said, accompanying her words with a shrug.

 

"I have never followed a class or learned what we should do when facing a prisoner. This was usually something for the Accepted who wanted to go to the Blue Ajah."

 

She made a break. It wasn't easy for her to find the right words. She didn't want to anger Elessar.

 

"What you did surprised me," she went on.  "I didn't think that you... we... would go that far. The only thing I know is that the Shadows can't change us. We have to fight against it. The bond is not enough for me to know what you were thinking back there and it would reassure me to hear that you hesitated. That it wasn't easy for you."

 

Something was pushing her to add that she was still a newly raised Aes Sedai and that she had a lot to learn but she decided to wait before taking that path. As much as she was inexperienced, she was supposed to be Elessar's equal. She had been through so much to gain the right to wear her shawl. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Trust, Necessity & the Harshness of Battling the Shadow ..

►▼◄

 

It took some time before Myrrhi actually replied and as he waited Elessar felt an impatient anger build inside him. He had to focus his thoughts in the Flame and the Void to keep it under control, but even so it was smoldering under the surface.

 

Finally she spoke. The outburst the Warder had thought might come, had almost expected, did not appear. She spoke in even tones and Elessar was reminded that though she shared some of Leandreen’s inner fire and passion, qualities of many Greens, she did not share her fiery temper.

 

Myrrhi said that she did not know what to think about about what had happened and that she had never followed a class or learned what to do when facing a prisoner. What he had done had surprised her and she had not thought he would go that far with his questioning. She added words that to him bespoke of taking care not to become like the Shadow, wanting reassurance that what he had done had not been easy for him.

 

●

 

It was an honest admittance and for an objective observer it would have been sobering to hear that all Aes Sedai were not rutheless, super-confident, omnipotent and all-knowing in all matters. It was, in a way, a courageous statement also, because who knew how a Warder would react to perceived weakness in his Bondholder.

 

And it also confirmed one of Elessar’s growing fears; that she had not known that the ‘eye taking threat’ had been an ‘act’ to get the information they needed, a threat but never to be implemented.

 

His immediate reaction was one of disappointment and anger, that she did not trust him by now, trust him enough to know that he would not participate in hard torture even when it came to evil Darkfriends.

 

For a moment he got a flashback to a partially similar scene many years before with Leandreen when she had castigated him for ‘going too far’ in questioning a minion of the Shadow and he had shouted back, young and temperamental as he had been, storming off into the woods, curses in his wake.

 

Older, more experienced and better able to hold his temper, Elessar still felt some of the anger now that he had felt then at having his Aes Sedai ‘doubt his judgement’, as he had seen it. Still, this was different in some ways. Firstly, Myrrhi had not chastised him, though her tone bespoke of concern and some discontent that he had gone so far in questioning the Darkfriend. Secondly, though he would not say so aloud, she was young and inexperienced as a Sedai and needed - in Elessar’s view - time and experience to learn the harshness and often brutality of dealing with the Shadow.

 

●

 

All these thoughts went through the Gaidin’s mind as he considered his response.

 

Staring into Myrrhi’s blue eyes, concerned eyes that did not sparkle at the moment, he thought of the ‘innocence’ and kindness he saw there. Yes, she had gone through hard White Tower training, that many would not survive, to gain the Shawl, and there was definitely steel in her, he had seen it, but only life experience, years as an Aes Sedai, would harden her further. She has a good heart, he thought, and thank the Light she appears to have no cruelness in her, but she needs my ‘steel’ to complete her in her role, function and mission.

 

Assembling his thoughts, he slowly felt the smoldering anger within him lessen, but even so it was important for him to let her know how he felt, for her to understand. There must be no doubt between them.

 

When he spoke, his voice was level, without the hard edge it had had before. His tone was serious even so, to ensure she caught the importance he placed in his words.

 

“A Warder will never resort to hard torture when questioning a Darkfriend”, he began. “We may push the limits sometimes, when our Sedais are in danger, but we are not cruel and we never overstep a certain line.” He paused before continuing, letting his words sink in.

 

“I never would have taken that Darkfriend’s eye”, he added. “But I needed the threat, I had to make him believe I would. It was the only way to get the information we needed from such a hardened, blackened soul.”

 

Meeting her eyes squarely, he said, “And, yes, I detested having to do it. It was not easy at all, but it was necessary.”

 

Myrrhi listened to his words in silence and it was difficult to sense through the Bond what her thoughts were, though he thought he felt some relief coming through the Bond at his admission that he had hated what he had been doing.

 

●

 

“It is important that you trust me, that you trust my judgement”, he said, and from his tone it was evident that this was vital to him. “We must trust one another.”

 

A short pause followed. A soft breeze was brewing and it made his travelling cloak flap behind him. He patted Stormbreaker affectionately on the side, weighing his next words.

 

“I must admit I thought you would understand, see through my ‘act’, but I sometimes forget that I can be quite convincing in situations like this”, he then added with some dark mirth, “and that we have only known each other for so long. It sometimes feels as if we have been Bonded for an Age.”

 

 

His warhorse was now becoming a little restless beneath him and he had to quiet him with some soothing words. Gradually Stormbreaker calmed down and Elessar met Myrrhi’s eyes again.

 

 

“I have fought the Shadow most of my life”, he ended, and there was pride and a steely determination in his voice now. “And I will keep fighting it to the end of my days.”

 

“It is a horrific battle sometimes, fought on battlefields but also in meadows, in woods, in villages and in alleyways, and we must at times use harsh, distasteful tactics to survive and prevail, but we never forget who we are.”

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi listened to Elessar's words. She drank them in, like a nobleman would drink his wine. She paid attention to every single words, to her Gaidin's tone of voice and to the bond. She felt that the way she had reacted had not pleased the man. But she didn't feel sorry. She had told the truth, as her Oath commanded, and had chosen against playing Aes Sedai tricks. For a second, she wondered what would have happened if she had tried to sweeten her speech.

 

Maybe I wouldn't feel that disappointment in you, my Warder, she thought. Or maybe I would ... You must be used to Aes Sedai "half-truths" by now.

 

Still, she was pleased by what she heard. Elessar had hated to do what he had done. That was the only thing that really mattered to her.

 

"It is important that you trust me, that you trust my judgement. We must trust one another," he told her, before making a break to pat his horse and maybe to gather his thoughts.

 

To trust someone, that was something completely new to the young Green. Thinking about her past, she noticed that she had never given her complete trust to anyone. Her father had abandoned her. Her mother had seen her as a tool. Her sisters had been too young... And the same could be said about the people she had met in the Tower. It was as a Novice that she had made her first friends but the girls with whom she had spent time as an Initiate had all disappeared from her life. The Green Sisters had welcomed her as a second rate Aes Sedai after her raising, making her work almost as hard as an Accepted. Of course, they had explained why she had to receive an extra training (and some part of her understood) ... but it all had left a bitter taste in her mouth for months.

 

"I must admit I thought you would understand, see through my act, but I sometimes forget that I can be quite convincing in situations like this ... and we have only known each other for so long. It sometimes feels as if we have been Bonded for an Age."

 

Myrrhi smiled. Sometimes she too forgot that they had only been bonded for a couple of months. And indeed, Elessar had been convincing. His whole face had changed while he had been talking to the Darkfriend.

 

She went on listening, not wanting to interrupt the Gaidin and not daring to say half of what was passing through her mind. Talking about her past would show even more weaknesses. Elessar could even see it as her trying to find excuses for what she had said. So, she waited, analyzed, thought, until time came for her to talk.

 

She took a step towards her Warder. He was so tall compared to her, that it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. She decided to hold her ground though. She placed a hand on Elessar's arm.

 

"I am sorry," she said. The words were out of her mouth before she noticed it. "I won't doubt you again."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Arriving at the river-village of Jurene ..

►▼◄

 

"I am sorry... I won't doubt you again."

 

Myrrhi’s words whispered in his mind, echoing similar words spoken by another Green, many years before.

 

●

 

“Sorry for doubting you, El.” Leandreen’s voice is soft as she gazes at her Warder’s back. “But you were so eager with that Darkfriend, so hard, you sounded so convincing, I almost thought..” She stops in mid-sentence as he turns around, anger still in his face. “I am sorry”, she ends and walks forward to touch his arm, lending weight to her apology..

 

●

 

Laying in his blankets in the makeshift camp in the Cairhienin woods, his eyes open and focused on the darkness of the night, as Myrrhi slept a few paces away, he wondered at the similarity of the situations and the clear parallells. Back then with Leandreen, he had apologized also, once the anger had left him, and had told her he was sorry for overstepping himself, for his disrespectful behaviour towards her, his Aes Bonded Aes Sedai.

 

To Myrrhi too he had replied that he shared some of the blame, they needed time to get used to one another, the rest of his anger disippating at his words, and it had seemed to him that she was pleased with how they thereby had resolved the situation. They had let it be with that and had continued riding a little ways before taking a side path into the woods to find a place to camp for the night.

 

Elessar had scouted the area in his regular Warder-fashion but had found no threats anywhere, neither any signs that the Darkfriends were in pursuit. Satisfied, he had returned to the camp and had eaten a quick evening meal with Myrrhi, the small campfire lighting up the Darkness.

 

●

 

Early the next morning, after a quick breakfast, they broke camp and set off towards Jurene. The sun was rising in the sky and only a few intermittent clouds marred the blue horizon. They travelled swiftly, galloping down the dusty roads, wanting to reach their destination as quickly as possible. From atop Stormbreaker’s back Elessar kept a vigilant look at their surroundings, at times riding back a ways so see if they were being followed, but there were still no signs of pursuit. His mind was also on what awaited them ahead in Jurene.

 

Would they finally find the answers to their questions: who was after Myrrhi, and why?

 

The Warder was not certain. But they had to try and find this threat and eliminate it.

 

Elessar knew fairly little about this village of Jurene. He had passed through it some years before and from what little he could remember it was a small village, right by the river Erinin, with wooden houses and thatched rooftops much like any other. None of the buildings were more than one story high, he recalled. The village had a single stone dock that catered to the river traffic. Elessar and his Sedai had boarded a boat at that dock, a boat that had taken them southwards on their journey.

 

It seemed an unlikely place for Dark Daes Dae’mar intrigue, but then again the desire for power and glory arose in small places just like in large.  

 

All this went through the Gaidin’s head as he rode like the wind, his Aes Sedai beside him, along the Cairhienin roads.

 

●

 

Many leagues later, under a late afternoon sun, they finally arrived in the village of Jurene.

 

A small village, they rode among the wooden houses with their thatched rooftops and passed the villagers who went about their daily business. The river flowed not far away and the Warder and Aes Sedai followed the main road into the centre of the village where they found the village’s one and only inn: the ‘River Maiden’. It was a large wooden building, one story high but of great length and width, catering for all visitors to the village, and Elessar soon had their horses delivered to a young stableboy at the back and then carried their belongings into the establishment as he followed Myrrhi inside.

 

Soon they had their rooms, at the back of one wing, and were able to relax a little after their long ride that day.

 

As he lay on the bed in his room staring up at the ceiling, the Warder wondered at the secrets that the Darkfriend in the Capital had spoken of and how this House Annallin was involved in this Dark filthy business.

 

He also pondered long and hard on what their next step would be.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

"I have never been to Jurene before," Myrrhi said frowning. "Do you know the place?"

 

Elessar admitted he knew fairly little about the village. He told her that he had passed through it some years before before giving her a brief description of the place. She tried to picture it in her mind, its wooden houses and thatched rooftops. It made her want to know more about it, especially since it looked like a very unlikely place to house Darkfriends.

 

She imagined housewives and farmers, fat merchants, children running in the streets and smiled.

 

It took them some time to reach their destination. The sun was already quite low in the sky and the young Green felt thirsty. She crossed her fingers hoping she could be able to get a cup of tea in the inn where they would stay for the night.

 

Once again, it was Elessar who took the lead. As soon as they passed the first house, Myrrhi slowed her mare to drop behind the Gaidin. Together they advanced to center of the village where they found the "River Maiden", Jurene's only inn.

 

The building was large but not that tall. It only had one story, under its beautiful thatched roof. The innkeeper, a fat man with a wide grin on his face, showed them to their rooms and inquired about how long they wanted to stay in his humble establishment.

 

"It is hard to tell," Myrrhi replied concentrating on her Aes Sedai face. "Do you need us to free the rooms for a certain time?"

 

"Of, course not!" the innkeeper replied, his eyes as wide as saucers. "I would never dare to ask such things to an Aes Sedai and her Warder!"

 

Deciding again giving any other information, the young Aes Sedai ordered some tea. "Would it be possible to have it served in my room?"

 

"Yes, Aes Sedai. I will send for a serving girl with tea and biscuits."

 

 

***

 

Myrrhi took advantage of the young serving girl arrival in her room to ask for a tub and warm water. She waited for everything to be ready before drinking her tea, that she reheated with a thread of Fire.

 

Seating comfortably in her bath, she lost herself in her thoughts. Why would people be after her? Was another Green in danger?

 

The name Annallin didn't ring a bell, and she wondered if this was not just a ridiculous trap.

 

As she finished her tea, her mind jump on her family. She used to drink tea with her little sisters late at night. But it was not her siblings that occupied her thoughts. It was her father, he had abandoned when she wasn't older than one or two years old. He was a noble from Cairhien. From what she had gathered her mother had hoped to trick him into marrying her by getting pregnant but it hadn't worked. The man had ran away, ... 

 

Time for me to go to sleep, she thought. I shouldn't focus on my past. There are more urgent matters.

 

 

[Elessar]

.. In a Battle of Death, Tears and Sadness ..

►▼◄

 

Lightning flashed across the heavens..

 

.. and thunder crashed ..

 

.. shaking the world in its inner folds, as the mounts bearing Oceans of Green Ajah Sisters to War, their green cloaks streaming behind them, and a hundred Warders or more at their side, thundered across the barren lands of the Blight.

 

Before them awaited a Battlefield of Death, but they rode on proudly, strongly, unyieldingly, the vanguard of the main White Tower Forces, their Battle Ajah banners held high, ready to fight for the Light and destroy the Shadow in this long prophesized Last Battle!

 

Tarmon Gai'don!

 

Opposing forces of Dreadlords, Darkfriends, Trollocs and Myhrdraal in uncountable numbers met them head on, like an avalanche of Darkness, and the Power unleashed as swords clashed with swords and fires of the One Power crashed in the skies above made the earth tremble in its heart.

 

This was what they had trained for.. what they had lived for.. what the Green Ajah, of all the various Ajahs of the White Tower, had always stood in readiness for.. and for Myrrhi and Elessar too, amid the Green Aes Sedai horde, this was the culmination of their existence.

 

Elessar’s blade was raised high as he screamed proud and fierce battle cries of Kandor, his nation of origin, and Myrrhi’s blue eyes sparkled as never before, her whole face elated and so filled with determination and steely purpose that it almost shone. Finally the time had come!

 

Finally!!

 

●

 

Galloping into the horde of Evil, the Kandori Warder’s sword sliced into a trolloc as he passed and almost removed it’s arm. His warhorse, trained for battle, stormed into the melee and trampled a Darkfriend in the passing as Elessar’s blade struck out at more foes, left and right. Balls of fire streamed across the skies, Dreadlords hurling them at the Aes Sedai who deflected them using various combat weaves and who retaliated with deadly lightning bolts that struck down amid the Forces of the Shadow.

 

Several trollocs exploded before him, blood and guts and bodyparts raining down on him as he rushed by, his sword moving in another arc to behead a brute of a Darkfriend who tried to thrust his sword into Stormbreaker’s side. The evil minion managed to duck just in time, the Warder’s sword cutting the air above him, but then he was destroyed by a Green Sister’s deadly weave of the One Power.

 

A little further ahead a trolloc with its animal snout suddenly stepped into the horses’ path and swung its huge battle-axe in an arc and smashed in the face of an oncoming Warder, but was then engulfed in flames from a furious, screaming Aes Sedai who threw lightning bolts at the trolloc until it was utterly destroyed. The Aes Sedai, a tall, regal woman with flowing hair the colour of flame, threw herself into a cluster of nearby Shadowspawn, leaving Death in her wake.

 

●

 

Across the Battlefield there was Death and Screams.

 

Flames ablaze.

 

Also Sisters of the White Tower and Warders were slain, mostly by Dreadlord attacks but also by Myhrdraal and trollocs when they were simply overwhelmed by numbers.

 

Blood filled the barren slopes of the Blight.

 

A Sea of Blood.

 

An Ocean of Death.

 

●

 

Myrrhi, in the middle of the Chaos, hurled Flames of Saidar at an oncoming Myhrdraal and it’s black flowing cloak came afire with deadly shrieks. She deflected weaves hurled at her by Dreadlords some way off, shielding herself and her Warder, and used all her learned combat weaves to fight the Shadow.

 

Another Green Sister, a blond-haired aged Andoran woman with a short temper, threw a fireball towards a cluster of trollocs and Myhrdraal and saw to her great satisfaction that they screamed and howled in death. Her three Borderlander Warders raised their fists high in the air, crying out in celebration of their Aes Sedai’s successful strike, then swung their swords at the attacking trollocs.

 

The earth then exploded off to the left, several paces away from Myrrhi and Elessar, and an Aes Sedai, a dark-haired Sister unknown to her, fell screaming to the ground while her Warder threw himself from his galloping horse, rolled and came to a sudden stop beside her. She lay still on the ground, her life force quickly pouring out of the huge hole in the middle of her chest. Her Warder held her close, his eyes wide..

 

.. and soon, very soon, those Warder’s eyes were filled with death.. and wrath..unending wrath..

 

Death!! I will destroy them all!!

 

He slowly closed his Bondholder’s dead eyes, kissed her forehead a final goodbye, brushed his silent tears away, then turned and with fury and almost madness in his eyes and a feral scream escaping his lips he almost decapitated the oncoming Darkfriend before throwing himself into the nearest cluster of trollocs, uncaring of his own life, his soul crying out for vengeance, for death.. for oblivion.. his blade swinging in deadly arcs time and again, becoming the deadliest Shadow among Shadows..

 

●

 

Elessar, his side bloodied but not lethally, fought the Shadowspawn from atop his warhorse, his sword rising and falling with deadly precision, but the path of Death swerved away from his Bondholder and.. suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Elessar saw - almost as if in slow motion, time slowing down - Myrrhi scream and fall out of her saddle some way off to his side.

 

It happened so quickly that he barely had time to react - was it a lethal weave aimed at her? - as he shouted in her direction and then turned Stormbreaker sharply toward her. A few moments later - but it felt like an eternity - he was beside her, dismounting hurriedly and throwing himself to the ground beside her. The battle crashed on around them, the skies filled with fire and lightning, but for Elessar it was if the whole world was gone. All that was left was Myrrhi. She was all that mattered to him right then.

 

Shouting worriedly to her if she was allright, looking for any signs of injury though she lay on her side and it was difficult for him to tell, he took her in his arms and cradled her to his chest. She looked paralyzed, her body limp, her pulse slowing.. and she only stared up into his dark brown eyes, a solitary tear running down her cheek.. then another.. her eyes sad.. oh so sad..

 

She tried to speak.. a whisper to him.. but no words came forth..

 

Oh Myrrhi! Elessar thought, his soul dying.

 

His heart bled tears.

 

He held her close.

 

In the Storm of Death around him, he was alone.

 

Oh, my Myrrhi..

 

●

 

Elessar crashed out of the Dream with sudden abruptness, his eyes wide and hurting, his heart beating hard and his pulse racing, sitting quickly upright in bed, as he tried to get his bearings.

 

Wha..!?

 

It was dark all around and through the small bedroom window to the side on the wall he could see that it was still night outside.

 

It had been a dream, he understood, as he tried to gather his thoughts. He was in the ‘River Maiden’ inn in the village of Jurene. There was no battle and no war. And Myrrhi was.. safe.

 

No Tarmon Gai'don

 

Of course not.

 

But it had been so real! So incredibly real!

 

So vivid in every little detail.. in smell, sight, colour, sound and touch.. more so, perhaps, than almost any dream he had had before.

 

His breathing gradually slowed as he gained control of himself, and he lay back with his head on the pillow, closing his eyes for a long moment.

 

Myrrhi

 

He felt her in the next room, partially awake, or so it seemed to him through the Bond. He guessed she might have been awakened by him. Emotions went both ways in the Warder Bond. Perhaps she was worried for him, he thought, and hoped she would feel his growing calm now and would relax and return to sleep.

 

●

 

Breathing more easily, he nevertheless felt cold sweat on his back as he recalled the ‘visions’ of his dream..

 

..the Glory of Battle for the Light.. intermingled with Death, Screams and Sadness..

 

..and for some time he had trouble gaining the Flame and the Void.

 

As moments stretched into minutes he found, however, that he could not shake the feeling that this might have been a premonition of some kind, a sign of things to come.

 

An Omen perhaps.

 

It took him a Long time indeed to fall asleep again, and this time his slumber was restless and uneasy, echoes of Myrrhi’ eternal, sad and lost blue eyes remaining in his mind.

 

  ▀▄ 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi woke up at once. She didn't know why, she didn't even remember her dreams but something felt wrong. With her mind still half asleep, she channeled a thread of Fire to light the nearby candles, then looked around. The young Green didn't see anything that would call for her attention; no enemies, no dangerous animals nor monsters. Her room was exactly like it had been the day before, when she had fallen asleep.

 

Elessar!

 

She jumped out of her bed, as she fought to focus on the Bond. It wasn't easy, tiredness prevented her to have a clear idea of what her companion was feeling. It took her a couple of seconds before she managed to get the information she needed. It seemed to her that the Gaidin had fought a terrible battle ... that had just ended.

 

Should I go to him? She wondered. The danger seemed to be past - if there had been any - and Elessar seemed to be calm again. Maybe it was only a nightmare? She tried to reassure herself.

 

In her early days in the Tower, she had had to go through a fair share of horrible dreams. Some had included her maiming herself because she couldn't master her own channeling, her being tortured by creatures of the Dark and (maybe what would have been the worst for her at the time) her mother kidnapping her to bring her back to Andor. Fortunately, she had had a roommate with whom she could talk. It had often helped her to shake away the last remnants of what had scared her.

 

Even if it was a nightmare, maybe I can still be of help? She hesitated, chewing on her lower lip. Everything she felt indicated that the inn was safe and, she couldn't forget that she was Aes Sedai. She couldn't cross inn corridors in her shift to check if the man sworn to protect her was feeling alright after a bad dream. The events with the Darkfriend's questioning passed through her mind once more. Would Elessar be angry if she showed up? Would he believe that she didn't trust him or that she thought he wasn't strong enough to fight against his own nightmares?

 

Seconds then minutes passed and the young woman went back to her bed still concentrating on her Gaidin. Slowly sleep crept on her and before she knew it she felt asleep.

 

***

 

She woke up as the sun rose. Her first reflex was to peer through the Bond. According to what she felt, her Warder was still asleep. But once again, he didn't seem to enjoy his dreams.

 

Well! she thought as she put on her dress. If you are angry because I decided to come to you, I'll tell you that you prevented me from having a good night of rest!

 

She freshened up her face and braided her hair, then and only then, she went downstairs where she met one of the serving girls. Luckily for her people in inns woke up early. She ordered strong tea that the young girl was supposed to bring upstairs in about a quarter of a hour.

 

"Of course, Aes Sedai" the girl said, before making a deep curtsy.

 

Myrrhi smiled and glided back upstairs. She took a deep breath, hoping her Warder would not react too badly to her initiative, then knocked on the door.

[Elessar]

.. Questions and Reflection by the River Erinin ..

►▼◄

 

There was a knock on his door and Elessar, still half-asleep and wrestling with dream-memories, crawled dizzily out of his bed and quickly put on a shirt and some pants. He felt through the Bond that Myrrhi stood outside and prepared himself to face her. Her sad, lost eyes from his dream still echoed in his mind and he sighed involuntarily before opening the door. He smoothed his face, however, and gave a smile to his Bondholder who waited outside.

 

“Good morning”, he said politely, and though she greeted him back with a smile he thought he recognized a touch of concern in her eyes.

 

The feeling was mirrored in the Bond and he guessed that she had indeed felt some of his emotions during the very intense dream in the night and may have been a litte concerned. He appreciated her gesture and emptahy.

 

●

 

“Sleep well?” He asked with a friendly smile.

 

She smiled back, deciding because of his positive reaction not to tell him that he had prevented her from having a good night of rest, and before she could say anything, he added, smoothly - to put her mind at ease - that he had had some troubled sleep, not the best of nights in truth, but that he was fine now.

 

He deliberately did not speak about his dream, nor about his suspicions that it could have been some kind of premonition - it was, after all, probably nothing, rather a result of the danger they seemed to be in and, perhaps, an overactive imagination - but although she accepted his words with another smile, he had the impression that she understood that he was not telling her the whole truth. She did not seem to mind though and they chit-chatted for a good while, talking about inconsequential matters, then Elessar finished dressing and was finished just as a serving girl came up to their rooms with a pot of strong tea.

 

●

 

They then shared a tasteful breakfast in the Common Room, seated at one of the tables at one end. Many tables were empty but the Warder recognized several other guests by their attire and appearance. Three were Borderlanders, from Shienar by the look of them, while several others were Southerners. A couple were Andorans from their complexion and hair-colour, and the remaining bunch seemed to be Cairhienin, locals and friends.

 

Elessar studied them all, obliquely of course, not too obviously, never forgetting that the enemy could be among them here. He did not see anything suspicious but kept his vigilant gaze on every person who entered and left the inn during their meal.

 

A little later they left the ‘River Maiden’ behind and walked out into the road that passed for a ‘main street’ in this small village. A soft breeze was coming up from the south, whirling dust-particles around and making their cloaks flap in the wind, but otherwise it was a beautiful day, with a rising golden sun in a blue Cairhienin sky, by the River Erinin. The water flowed by without a care in the world, a liquid stream of blue-green going north and south, and upon the river a family of white swans glided by, elegant as ever, as Elessar and Myrrhi stood watching, waiting for the right moment to speak.

 

●

 

Finally, Elessar turned toward his Aes Sedai with a smile and spoke.

 

“What do we do now then?” He asked, almost rhetorically. “We are here. But what is our next move?”

 

He had been thinking of this, in fact, ever since arriving in this small river-village. And though he had some vague ideas, he wanted to hear her opinion and thoughts on the matter.

 

The Shadow resides in Jurene, or so we are led to believe, thought the Gaidin to himself, as he turned for a moment to stare at the wooden houses and thatched rooftops lining the street, waiting for Myrrhi to reply.

 

.. House Annallin .., he mused, what is your involvement in this whole Dark, dangerous mess?

 

  ▀▄ 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Elessar's question didn't surprise the young Green. She had asked it to herself many times that day.

 

Her Warder was looking away, towards the thatched roof of some houses on the side. She waited for him to turn his head towards her. When their eyes met, she smiled.

 

"We have already agreed on the fact that we should return to Tar Valon as soon as possible, but this new threat can't be left unanswered. We need to know if and how this House Annalin is connected to the Darkfriends we met.

I don't see us knocking on their door..." she said.

 

She had to admit that the idea would be interesting, though. Who would guess that this would be their first move? They could visit the Lord and Lady, and use the Great Game to make their hosts imagine the worst. But, so many things could go wrong. House Annalin surely had servants and soldiers at their service, and maybe even channelers  - if they were Darkfriends.

 

Myrrhi bit her lower lip.

 

"But, we can't send spies. Who can we trust in Jurene?" she went on.

 

She turned her head to look at the people nearby. A merchant, children, farmers, a beggar, none could be sent in the wolves' lair.

 

"And you, Elessar Gaidin. What do you think we should do?"

 

She was happy to see that her Warder was feeling better. Since he had decided not to tell her about his nightmares she had acted as if they both had had a good night of sleep. In the beginning she had still sensed some kind of "darkness" - for the lack of a better word - around the Gaidin but hours had passed and things seemed to be back to normal.

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Suggestions to solving a difficult Problem ..

►▼◄

 

The moment lingered, then Elessar met Myrrhi’s eyes again as she began to speak.

 

She said that although they had already agreed on the fact that they should return to Tar Valon as soon as possible, this new threat they were faced with could not be left unanswered. They needed to know if and how this House Annallin was connected to the Darkfriends they had met.

 

“I don't see us knocking on their door..." she said, and he too thought, with some dark humour, that idea would be very interesting indeed.

 

●

 

To play the Game of Houses with an unknown player in an unknown place, a House they knew nothing of, and one that was suspected to be in league with the Shadow, was dangerous indeed. He guessed Myrrhi was thinking the same from the speculative look in her eyes.

 

"But, we can't send spies. Who can we trust in Jurene?" she went on.

 

He considered her words as she turned her head to look at the people nearby. Locals and others passed by and the Warder looked carefully at one and all. Then she turned back to him.

 

"And you, Elessar Gaidin.” She added with a smile. “What do you think we should do?"

 

●

 

“As you say, who can we trust here in Jurene?” He began. “Possibly no one, except ourselves.”

 

Unless there were eyes-and-ears of the Green Ajah close by, he thought, but if there were, he expected Myrrhi to know and mention it. In his many years as Leandreen’s Warder she had indicated that the Battle Ajah had a fair spy network across the nations, though apparently the Blue Ajah had the most extensive one. Most of this information was for Ajah ears alone though, so Leandreen had spoken little of it and had always contacted the Green eyes-and-ears alone.

 

He considered his next words carefully. “I too have been considering this question.. and I think we must set a trap.”

 

It was difficult to deduce from Myrrhi’s smooth features what she thought of the idea, but he thought he sensed interest through the Bond, perhaps mixed with some concern. It was hard to tell these feelings that echoed through the Bond to a Warder. Perhaps it was easier the other way around, Elessar did not know.

 

“The question is, of course,” he added, “how and where.”

 

He turned to face the wooden buildings again, his face taking on a pensive look as he pondered long and hard on this question. Myrrhi did not speak, but waited to see what her Warder would come up with.

 

Moments turned into minutes and still Elessar did not turn around.

 

●

 

Finally he nodded to himself, as if he had come to a conclusion, and turned to face his Bondholder.

 

“How would you like to.. infiltrate, so as to speak, House Annallin, my dear?” He said, with a dark smile upon his lips.

 

“It is a dangerous game”, he added, “but I can’t see that we have any other choice.”

 

Myrrhi waited for him to explain what he had in mind, though she now seemed unsettled through the Bond.

 

When he mentioned, in a matter-of-fact way, that she would be playing an Aes Sedai with.. shall we say, dubious, darker allegiances.. her eyes almost popped out of her head!

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

"You want me to play an Aes Sedai of the B..." Myrrhi quickly closed her mouth. Some things couldn't be said out loud.

 

The idea wasn't bad. It was brilliant even. As she had said a moment before there was no one they could trust in Jurene. The Greens did have a network of eyes and ears, but Myrrhi was a newly raised Aes Sedai. She didn't have access to the list of the Green spies yet. If she had stayed in Tar Valon, she would probably have received it by now. But she had chosen to leave the island as soon as she had finished her training, to join Elessar...

 

And, there was no time for them to try to hire someone from another town. They couldn't afford to get away to come back later. The threat needed to be taken care of as soon as possible.

 

So, they could only count on themselves.

 

Before talking further, the young Green looked around. There were too many people nearby for her to feel completely comfortable to discuss her Warder's plan. So with a nod of her head she invited Elessar to walk. She didn't have to tell him anything. He immediately understood what she had in mind. They launched themselves into a conversation about one of their favourite topic - history - and as they did so they passed a couple of houses and shops, crossed a small square and kept on walking until they arrived on a road leading out of Jurene. For any people who would look at them, they looked like they were so focused talking to each other that they weren't really pay attention to where they were going.

 

It is only when Myrrhi was sure that they wouldn't be overheard that she told her Warder what she thought about the plan and the fears she had about messing up. What annoyed her the most was her Oath about not lying. She would have to pay attention to every single word that would pass through her mouth. Something she was not sure she could do. Elessar seemed to be confident about her abilities, thought. What she felt through the bond somehow managed to convince her that she could do what was necessary.

 

***

 

"Alright," Myrrhi said. "Let's get this started then."

 

She took a deep breath. One of the serving girl had braided her hair and sold her some black pins to arrange them in a wide bun at the nape of her head. The young woman didn't know if this would help her pass for an Aes Sedai of the Black Ajah, but she knew that a lot of Aes Sedai gave a lot of importance to colors. Maybe it is the same with the Black ones, she hoped.

 

She looked one last time into the mirror. Her hair had been set in a way that she looked a bit older than she actually was. This added to the make up she had borrowed had really transformed her into someone else.

 

"What do you think?" she had asked her Warder.

 

The man had been kind enough not to reply. He had grinned, making her smile in return.

 

***

 

The manor where House Annallin had it seat was nothing out of the ordinary. The building was in a sad state of disrepair. It was hard to imagine that the people living in it would be powerful Darkfriends.

 

"I don't understand people like these," Myrrhi whispered to Elessar as they advanced towards the manor's entrance. " Why would they bother staying in a big house like this, if they don't have the money to take care of it?"

 

She shook her head.

 

Talking was helping her focusing on something else that the butterflies who were fighting against each other in her stomach. In a couple of seconds, she would have to start her act. And she didn't feel ready for it.

[Elessar]

.. Taking hard Initiative in the Face of Shadows ..

►▼◄

 

Myrrhi’s reaction was not unexpected. And when she nodded her head to invite him to walk, he joined her without a word, sensing that she wisely wanted them to consider his suggestion or plan in a place less open to unfriendly ears.

 

As they walked they launched themselves into a conversation about one of their favourite topics - history - and as they did so they passed a couple of houses and shops, crossed a small square and kept on walking until they arrived on a road leading out of Jurene.

 

It was only when Myrrhi was sure that they wouldn't be overheard that she told her Warder what she thought about the plan - a very good one, she thought! - but also about the fears she had about messing up.

 

It was an honest statement and with his knowledge of Aes Sedai he also knew she was thinking about the Oath about not lying. She would need to pay attention to everything she said, and though Aes Sedai were infamous for phrasing sentences so as to lead the listener to conclusions the speaker desired without saying anything false or untrue, Myrrhi was young at this game and less experienced. Elessar tried to project some confidence through the Bond to her, to help her a little, but he did not know if it worked. He hoped it did though.

 

●

 

As they headed in the direction of the Manor House, having been given directions earlier by their innkeeper at the ‘River Maiden’, the Warder studied his Bondholder. She looked somewhat different, he noted. Her hair had been set in a way that made her look a bit older than she actually was, and added to some new make up she had used it almost transformed her into someone else.

 

Aliahna Sedai, the Gadin thought with approval.

 

When she had asked him a little earlier what he thought of her ‘new’ appearance, he had not replied but had grinned at her, impressed by the change, making her smile in return.

 

The manor where House Annallin had its seat was, surprisingly, nothing out of the ordinary. The building was in a sad state of disrepair, they noted. In a way it was hard to imagine that the people living in it would be powerful Darkfriends.

 

"I don't understand people like these," Myrrhi whispered to Elessar as they advanced towards the manor's entrance. "Why would they bother staying in a big house like this, if they don't have the money to take care of it?"

 

Elessar wondered too, but - as he replied to Myrrhi - he thought it could be a front, another puzzle in the Game of Houses to perhaps make people believe this House was less affluent than rumoured. Even so, it seemed a little strange to him too. He wondered, speculatively, if the place looked better on the inside, where prying eyes could not see.

 

●

 

Standing in front the Manor House now, the abode of House Annallin, they paused for a moment. Elessar felt the nervous, unsettled emotions coming through the Bond from Myrrhi but that was to be expected. Her face was taking on the smooth Aes Sedai look, however, and teamed with a harder edge than usual, added to her partially changed appearance, she was gradually ‘turning’ into Aliahna Sedai, ready for the ‘act’ at hand.

 

“Okay, we shall do as planned”, he said. “Remember, we must be arrogant, firm, direct in the way we act, to make our roles believable and to catch them off-guard, take them by surprise. Let us use all the arrogance and power of the White Tower against them. Follow my lead.”

 

His face projected confidence and determination, and Myrrhi felt it gave her a little more confidence as well even though the butterflies continued to flutter in her stomach.

 

“Allright then!”, Elessar echoed her previous words, his Borderlander face taking on a harder edge as well, his eyes darkening in tune with the harder-than-usual role he was now going to play.

 

A Game, in many ways, of Life and Death.

 

●

 

There was, accordingly, an unusual arrogance in his step as he walked up to the entrance to the Manor House, Myrrhi one step behind. Knocking on the very unimpressive front door, with a worn sigil of House Annallin carved in the middle of the woodwork, he waited the moments it took for a servant to open.

 

“Are you expected?” A middle-aged Cairhienin man in house-uniform asked squarely as he peered outside, looking them up and down. “Do you have an appointment?”

 

Elessar gave him his deadliest look, a look that impressed Myrrhi with its feriocity, and also put his hand on the blade at his side, which actually made the man take a step back.

 

“We need no appointment.” He said matter-of-factly, as he pushed the door open. “The White Tower waits on no man or woman.”

 

The servant stepped quickly aside, wide-eyed, with a belated bow, as he understood this was an Aes Sedai with her Warder, and Elessar took the lead down a carpeted corridor with statues and paintings lining the aisle that ended at a pair of huge double-doors. The Gaidin saw that he had been right in his guess that for whatever reason the inside of this manor might very well be far more affluent than the outside. Now he focused on the double-doors before them. The servant took a step forwards as if to knock on the double-doors but Elessar pushed him back. From inside they could hear voices, it sounded like a man and a woman in some kind of heated argument, and the Gaidin presumed this was their destination in the manor. With certain steps he walked up to the doors, recognizing the House sigil carved with some expense into these inner doors, and stopped. He and Myrrhi shared a steady look and then Elessar nodded once.

 

●

 

The Warder threw open the double-doors with a crash, at which point the conversation inside stopped in mid-sentence, and stepped confidently into what looked like a large office chamber. There were shelves on the walls with books and maps and decorative figurines, and historical paintings as well. The chamber was decorated in Cairhienin high-class style and indeed gave an impression of wealth and power. Myrrhi came in just behind him, her Aes Sedai face smooth and imposing.

 

A regal-looking, noblewoman, with long dark hair, piercing eyes and a haughty chin, wearing a formal dress with narrow horizontal slashes of House Annallin colours, raised herself from a chair behind a huge table, surprise and outrage evident on her pretty Cairhienin face. At the same time an older nobleman, short in stature and of rather pale complexion with grey hair and a beard, dressed in his finest attire, who had stood on the other side of the table, stepped towards Elessar with anger in his eyes. One hard stare from  the Warder, however, in his imposing Warder’s cloak and with his deadly sword at his side, made the older man hesitate and finally stop in his tracks.

 

“You are in the presence of Aliahna Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah”, Elessar’s voice boomed out. The lie came easily to his lips. The ‘play’ had started. “Kneel in respect!”

 

His hard, imperious command made an instant impression because the noblewoman, obviously the Lady Serin of House Annallin, not a weak woman by any account considering her Dark allegiances, paled and immediately knelt beside the large table, bowing deeply to the Sister of the White Tower. The old Cairhienin nobleman also performed a deep bow, keeping his eyes humbly on the exquisite carpet that filled the room.

 

The young Green stared hard at the Lady and the nobleman - and the moment stretched.

 

Finally, the Aes Sedai bade them rise.

 

Her tone of voice was firmer than Elessar knew it ordinarily to be, just like his had been. A firm hand, take the initiative and those present would respect and perhaps also fear you a little, too stressed to think clearly, all to the good in this situation., the Warder thought to himself.

 

●

 

With a wave of her hand, Myrrhi dismissed the nobleman from her presence. The old Cairhienin threw a stare at the Lady of the House as if waiting for her command, but seeing his hesitation, in a split moment Elessar was beside him and lead him forcefully, not too gently toward the door and out into the corridor behind.

 

“You have been dismissed.” He said harshly, as he gave the nobleman a hard no-nonsense look. “Don’t come back.”

 

He closed the door decisively behind him and turned to nod respectfully at his Aes Sedai, and then his hard eyes fastened once again on Lady Serin of House Annallin.

 

There was uncertainty in the Lady’s face, the Warder thought, she appeared flustered and there was also perhaps a touch of fear in her features, though she tried to hide it.

 

“Lady.. you have made a mess of this business with the young Green!”, Myrrhi said to her in firm tones meeting her eye.

 

Her voice was hard and she considered each phrase carefully.

 

It was the truth, in so far that everything pointed toward the fact that the city-Darkfriends they had encountered were connected to this Noble House.

 

She thought again how inconvenient it was in situations like this to be unable to lie, but she might as well wish she could fly. She had to make the best of it.

 

●

 

“I am here to get to the bottom of things!” She spoke in hard tones. “That you can be certain of.”

 

That was also true, though not in the way, perhaps, that the Lady thought.

 

Elessar had to admit she sounded very convincing and he was proud of his Aes Sedai and the ‘act’ she was performing, also considering she was keeping to the truth in her every word.

 

He knew playing this Dark ‘role’ was a challenge for Myrrhi, something she would find difficult and unpleasant in the best of circumstance, since it was contrary to her own beliefs, ways and mannerisms, but he also thought she might learn something from this. An Aes Sedai sometimes needed to be hard, to be respected, to be in command, to get results. The White Tower expected no less. She had to take it a step further here, naturally, but Elessar hoped it would build confidence in her.

 

“I am sure there are certain.. parties.. who will feel that no more failures will be tolerated.” She added with a firm stare.

 

There was ice in her voice now and despite herself, the Lady of House Annallin almost cringed. Her hands twitched and she waited nervously for Aliahna Sedai’s next words.

 

“The penalty for failure”, Myrrhi ended icily, “I would guess, might very well be.. Death.”

 

●

 

To Myrrhi herself it almost sounded as if the words she spoke came from another person, but Lady Serin of House Annallin  paled even further, without doubt frightened by the Aes Sedai’s message.

 

Even Darkfriends can know fear, thought the Warder as he watched the noblewoman. Especially when they have failed, something their Dark Masters will not forgive.

 

With a dark, dangerous grin upon his face, Elessar deliberately touched the blade at his side at that moment, making sure the Lady took notice of the gesture.

 

“Yes, as you may have deduced”, Elessar ended in firm tones, staring hard into the Lady’s eyes, speaking the words of untruth that Myrrhi herself could not, “we are here to ensure this young Green, this Myrrhi Aes Sedai, is killed.”

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Lady Serin of House Annallin, what a sight.... Myrrhi thought as she look at the woman in front of her. She was in her late twenties and pretty, with her long dark hair and light blue eyes. No one could have doubted she was a noblewoman, and not only because of her outfit. There was something - like an aura - around her that made her look like a queen.

 

The young Green noted that the other woman was fighting hard to hide her emotions, but she wasn't fighting hard enough. Especially since she was facing someone who had spend sixteen years around other Aes Sedai, and who had had to lie to them to channel in secret.

 

But besides the twitching of her right eye and the way her shoulders had tensed, Lady Serin had lost an important battle as soon as her face had become pasty white when Myrrhi had pronounced the word "death".

 

***

 

I hope I'm doing fine, the Young Green mentally crossed her fingers. She needed to be convincing and to work fast. Who knew what would happen if Elessar and her stayed too long in the manor? What if real Darkfriends decided to visit? or worse ... Sisters of the Black Ajah?

 

So far, she had been using the sentences she had carefully prepared and repeated before entering the Seat of House Annallin. Seeing the effects they had on their host, Myrrhi guessed that she was on the right path when it came to her tone and her choice of words. It made her feel a bit more confident. Unfortunately, even if she still had a couple of pre-made speeches up her sleeve, she knew she would have to improvise at one point.

 

“So," Myrrhi said. "What do we need to know?"

 

Her question coming right after Elessar's words about having to kill "Myrrhi Aes Sedai" would open the way to get the information they needed. Or, at least, Myrrhi hoped so.

 

"I did what  I was asked," Lady Serin started. The woman didn't know how to react. Some part of her seemed to be outraged. She was definitely not accustomed to have to justify her acts. Another part of her was scared. But who wouldn't be? The Dark Lord didn't like failure.

 

The young Green raised an eyebrow. There was strength in silence. Maybe it would be enough to push the Darkfriend to talk further.

 

"The plan was not mine, it is why it failed," she said with a low voice, clear sign that she didn't know whose it actually was. "Let me do things my way..."

 

She made a step towards the Green, hands clasping each other.

 

"And what would be ... your way....? " Myrrhi asked as haughtily as she could.

 

 

[Elessar]

.. An Interrogation of a Kind  ..

►▼◄

 

"And what would be ... your way....?" Myrrhi asked as haughtily as she could.

 

Hands clasping each other, Lady Serin took another step toward the Green Aes Sedai.

 

“I.. I..” the noblewoman stuttered as she tried to find the words she needed.

 

She did not, in fact, have any plan, but she needed to gain some initiative in this situation.

 

“I know some people.. who can be counted on.. “ she finally said. “Dependable people. They will not fail..”

 

●

 

She took another step toward ‘Aliahna Sedai’ but this time Elessar came between them.

 

Giving her a very dark and dangerous look, he spat out, “And why should we believe you this time?” He unsheathed his sword as Lary Serin’s eyes grew wider and her face paled even further. “You put blame elsewhere”, he added icily, “but you have still not told us who ‘asked’ you to do what you did.”

 

Lady Serin bit her lip and her eyes went to his blade, then to his hard eyes, and then back to the blade again.

 

“The Great Lord of the Dark does not accept failure as you well know”, he said in a hard, almost vicious voice. Raising his blade high, he gave the Lady his deadliest stare. “Perhaps we should kill you right here, right now.. for your despicable failures.. for your lies.. and for your treachery..”

 

“Treachery!?” Lady Serin almost squeaked. Her eyes widened in puzzlement and undisguised fear. “What treach..” She stopped in mid-sentence.

 

 

Elessar pointed at her with his Warder’s blade. It was only inches away from her chest.

 

 

“Your treachery, Lady Serin of House Annallin”, the Gaidin said in hard tones of judgement.

 

The Lady’s mouth opened in denial, but Elessar did not give her time to speak.

 

“We know that you warned the Aes Sedai and her Warder.” He said. “You warned the Lightfools so they were prepared when they entered that city-alley.”

 

“No, that is a lie.. I did not..” The Lady protested, her voice rising. “It is a lie.. it is..”

 

“Admit it, Lady Serin”, ‘Aliahna Sedai’ added in a harsh voice. “Do you not think we know the truth?”

 

“Kneel!” Elessar commanded then, as if giving a final pronouncement, and the Lady dropped to her knees, her hands shaking, her face white.

 

Standing above her, like an executioner, his sword lowered to just inches above her neck, he stood ready as if to behead her.

 

●

 

Myrrhi had to admit that Elessar was very convincing.

 

They had, of course, planned this ‘act’ to, hopefully, frighten the Lady into divulging her secrets. Treachery and betrayal of the Shadow were among the worst things a Darkfriend could be accused of, and punishment would be very, very severe indeed. This method was harsh, and it left a foul taste in the Warder’s mouth, but they needed answers fast since others in the building, Darkfriends among them, could come at any minute, perhaps also warned by the old nobleman.

 

“No.. wait..” the Lady Serin pleaded. Her pulse was racing, her heart beating fast. “Wait!”

 

She was a proud and - usually - strong woman, high-born and ‘well-bred’, and she hated being on her knees before any woman, Aes Sedai or no. But she had messed up, the operation in the Capital had been a disaster and she knew she would be held to account over it. She had, however, expected to have more time, time to come up with believable excuses and to shift some blame. Now this Black Sister, for of course the Great Lord had powerful disciples also in the White Tower, had - through her Darkfriend Warder - given her a death sentence. She tried hard to keep her panic at bay, to come up with some sort of coherent reply and explanation, but she was so flustered that her mind went blank.

 

As the Gaidin’s deadly blade swung upwards in an arc and then came down again in final judgement, a soft whistle in the air proclaiming its descent, the Lady Serin of House Annalin had only a moment to think of the tragic irony that her death would be a result of something - a betrayal - she had not done.

 

With incredible self-control and skill, worthy of a near-Blademaster, Elessar stopped the blade’s descent an inch above the noblewoman’s neck - and held it there. A sigh escaped the Lady’s lips and she opened her eyes, realizing she was still alive. She did not dare move but kept kneeling in abject silence, gathering her thoughts.

 

●

 

Elessar exhanged a long glance with Myrrhi, and slowly raised his blade and sheathed it in one fluid motion. He nodded to her, then turned to look down at the still kneeling Lady.

 

“We will give you one chance to redeem yourself, Lady Serin”, ‘Aliahna Sedai’ said in icy tones. “Help us catch and eliminate this young Green, and perhaps.. perhaps the Great Lord will forgive you your sins.”

 

“I will help you”, Lady Serin said, still white-faced but feeling the blood once again flowing through her veins and enjoying being alive. “I will help.. whatever you say..” She knew there was little point in protesting her innocence.. perhaps this was her penance for failing so badly with her ‘mission’.. She would do whatever was necessary to stay alive.. and then she would have her vengeance on those parties who had accused her of treachery and betrayal.

 

“Begin then”, Elessar said, “by telling us who gave you the order to kill the young Green. That person is obviously responsible also for this mess.”

 

“It was Kelewan”. The Lady’s reply was almost a whisper, but both Warder and Aes Sedai heard clearly. “Kelewan.. is an advisor to our House. He has.. connections.” She found it easier to speak once she had begun. Now it was time to shift some of the blame. “He is the one you want. He gave the order.. I don’t know who he answers to, but he is the one you want. I know nothing more..”

 

‘Aliahna Sedai’ remained silent as she considered the Lady’s words. She let the silence stretch, to see if the Head of House Annalin was going to add anything more, but the kneeling noblewoman said no more. Finally she nodded to Elessar and bade the Lady rise to her feet. The Cairhienin woman came to her feet, a mixture of fear and shame in her face, as she stared at the Green Sister and her sinister Warder.

 

“Allright”, ‘Aliahna Sedai’ said at last as she looked sternly at the noblewoman. “Now where do we find this.. Kelewan?”

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi was fighting hard to keep a stony face as Elessar swung his blade. She knew he wouldn't kill the woman kneeling in front of him. After what had happened with the Darkfriend they had questioned, she had no doubt this was an act. But it was a very good act, good enough to make her want to look away.

 

She didn't, though. She kept her eyes on Lady Serin.

 

The Warder's move worked. He had stopped his blade just before it would touch the noblewoman's neck, convincing her of what he was ready to do. The Lady Serin had sighed, happy to be still alive and opened her eyes, clearly busy gathering her thoughts.

 

It was time for Myrrhi to take over.

 

***

 

Kelewan, the name sounded strange. It looked like a stage name, since it had no last name to accompany it. The young Green briefly wondered why a lady such a Serin would agree on following orders from a mere "advisor". She pictured Kelewan as a servant with dirt on his nose and holes in his shirt.

 

Myrrhi decided to wait before walking further. She wanted to be sure that the noblewoman had nothing else to say. It's only when she saw the Darkfriend shifting uncomfortably that she nodded to Elessar and invited Serin to rise to her feet.

 

"Alright," she said raising an eyebrow. "Now, where do we find this Kelewan?"

 

Serin took a deep breath, probably as she analyzed the different paths open to her. Kelewan would surely make an appearance at her manor, since he was supposed to be her "advisor" but she didn't want her hosts to stay with her more than necessary.

 

"He has a small house," she said "npt far from the inn. You will find him easily."

 

Myrrhi decided to let her Warder take the lead of the conversation. A Black Aes Sedai would not ask for directions.

 

***

 

The young Green smiled as darkly as she could before turning her back to leave the room.

 

Right after Elessar had gathered all the necessary information to find Kelewan, she had asked for a glass of wine and settled on one of the room's seats. She still didn't know she had done it. Some part of her had wanted to show that she was not in a hurry, another part of her had wanted to add some pressure on Serin. The beverage had warmed her stomach and helped her relax. She still had paid attention to her way to move, to her face, to the bearing of her head but it had helped her feeling more confident.

 

"We hope to see you soon," she said, before exiting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Players in a very Dark Charade ..

►▼◄

 

"He has a small house”, she said "not far from the inn. You will find him easily."

 

When the Lady did not add anything more, Elessar gave her a dark look.

 

“Don’t waste our time with half-truths.” He said. “Be specific.. where exactly?” Touching his sword, for emphasis, he added icily, “And make sure you give us all necessary details this time.. or you may find yourself without.. shall we say.. a hand.”

 

She paled at the threat, her eyes widening, and quickly gave him exact directions to her “advisor’s” house.

 

The Warder nodded softly, staring hard into Lady Serin’s eyes as if to ascertain the truth of her words. Finally he seemed satisfied with what he saw and turned toward ‘Aliahna Sedai’ with a nod.

 

The Lady of House Annallin breathed a sigh of relief, though she still felt cold sweat on her back. She cursed inwardly the incompetent men in the Capital who had put her in this despicable mess. They would pay for their incompetence, she would make sure of it!

 

●

 

Myrrhi in the form of ‘Aliahna Sedai’ nodded back at her Warder and stared coldly at the Cairhienin noblewoman before asking for a glass of wine. Shortly thereafter she settled on one of the room’s comfortable seats sipping her drink. This was not planned and Elessar was a little surprised, but he ‘played along’ as if this had been their intention all along.

 

Ordering the Lady Serin to take a seat opposite them, he watched her carefully as the minutes went by. They could not take too much time before leaving, he thought, since others might come soon, but the corridor outside seemed quiet and Myrrhi seemed to need these few moments, mayhaps also to add some pressure on Lady Serin. Perhaps the wine would do her some good as well, the Warder thought to himself. The tension in her that he had felt through the Bond seemed a bit less acute now. Acting the Black Sister was putting a strain on her, not unexpectedly. This Dark ‘act’ or ‘charade’ was not easy on either of them.

 

As the silence grew and Elessar and ‘Aliahna Sedai’’s eyes were fastened on the Lady of House Annallin, the noblewoman began to sweat more and her heart beat faster again.

 

Why would they not just leave? She thought. Why could they just not go away?

 

Finally the Aes Sedai rose from the seat where she had been sitting and faced the pale noblewoman.

 

"We hope to see you soon," she said, before exiting the room.

 

●

 

Elessar joined her, but before he closed the double-doors behind them, he turned a final time and spoke icily once again to the Cairhienin noblewoman.

 

“And remember..”, he said, “if you have lied about this Kelewan and his role in this.. affair, be certain I will be back. And this time I will take your head.” His vicious, deadly grin widened. “The Great Lord does not forgive failures.. or lies.. and neither do we.”

 

As the doors closed and the Lady of House Annallin was alone again in her office-chamber, she put her face in her hands and prayed to the Great Lord for forgiveness.

 

Tears of frustration.. and anger.. soon ran down her cheeks as she considered the awful mess she was in. She hoped Kelewan would be blamed for most of this debacle, but could not rid herself of the feeling that she would be held further to account as well.

 

The Shadow never forgives failure.

 

She knew it in her heart. She had always known. And it made her soul scream.

 

●

 

They encountered no one in the corridors - the house-servant of before was nowhere to be seen, neither the old nobleman - and quickly left the Manor House. Walking silently down the nearest street they kept going until they reached a corner where they finally stopped. Sharing a knowing glance, they both breathed a sigh of relief. This whole ordeal was a strain on them both and it was taxing to keep up the ‘act’. It had seemingly worked, however, and they were both pleased.

 

They did not, in fact, know if this Kelewan was for real, or if he had the answers they needed, but Elessar somehow doubted that the Lady Serin under great duress had lied about that part. Whether she had told them the whole truth, now that was quite another matter. As they walked back to the inn, Elessar and Myrrhi spoke about what would come next and how to go about it. First though they agreed to rest a little back in their rooms. They both needed it after the ‘foul’ work at the House Annallin and to be frank, the Warder highly doubted the Lady would warn Kelewan of their visit. It had seemed to him that she appeared eager to shift some blame to this man. Neither would she, in his estimation, risk having Elessar return to make good on his threat. So they had a little time, as he saw it. Not much, but enough.

 

●

 

In the Darkness of the Night, the Warder crashed through the front door of the house, his shoulder hitting the woodwork hard, and in a few long steps was at the bedroom door, pushing it open and confronting a bewildered, half-awake Kelewan. With a leap Elessar was beside the bed and held a knife to the man’s throat, like a black wraith come out of Shadows.

 

They had found the house where Lady Serin had said it would be, only a few streets away from the inn, a smaller detached one-story house but with a large surrounding walled garden. At that time of night they saw no guards but it was difficult to know if Kelewan was alone in the house. However, Elessar believed Lady Serin would have mentioned it if that were not the case and Myrrhi agreed. They had climbed the wall and jumped into the garden. Elessar had crept across the grassy ground and flowerbeds up to the front of the house, Myrrhi several steps behind. At the right moment he had thrown himself at the entrance door, forcing it open with a crash, and had run into the house.

 

The middle-aged, brown-haired man, who had a scar running across the left side of his face, a Southerner by the looks of him, Elessar now saw to his surprise, only had time to gasp where he lay in his bed before the Warder’s knife was at his throat. Moonlight shone into the room from a bedroom window giving a half-light and Elessar saw anger mixed with fear in the Darkfriend’s face.

 

“One word from you, my friend”, said the Gaidin in a harsh whisper, “and you will meet the Great Lord sooner than you had planned.”

 

The Southerner’s eyes widened at the statement, but he - wisely - kept his mouth shut.

 

●

 

“Good” said Elessar, as he waved Myrrhi inside.

 

She had come up behind him and now gazed with a stony face at the Darkfriend where he lay half-beneath his bedsheets.

 

There were no sounds coming from the rest of the house, strongly indicating that the Warder had been right in his assumption that Kelewan was alone here. He nodded satisfied, it made everything easier, then focused on the Darkfriend again.

 

“Now this is Aliahna Sedai”, the Warder said in a commanding voice and nodded toward her. “She has some questions for you.. regarding the debacle with the young Green in the Capital.”

 

He saw the man’s eyes widen at the mention of ‘the young Green’, proving to Elessar that they had found the right man.

 

“I would advise you to answer honestly”, he added. His eyes darkened and even in the half-light the Southerner recognized that this was a deadly man.

 

“Because if you don’t”, Elessar lied, his voice deadly, “I will cut out your tongue.”

 

The evil-sounding chuckles that escaped her Bonded Warder’s lips made her shiver inside and she thought to herself that he was almost too convincing at this ‘act’.

 

●

 

“Now then.. is your name Kelewan?” ‘Aliahna Sedai’ began. When he nodded swiftly, she continued.

 

“We have been told.. that you are responsible for the despicable mess with the young Green in Cairhien.” The way she put emphasis on ‘Cairhien’ made it obvious she meant the Capital city.

 

He opened his mouth as if to protest.. but then closed it again. His eyes took on a calculated look as if he were considering what response would be wisest in the circumstance.

 

“Answer!” Elessar ordered and drew a trickle of blood on the Darkfriend’s chin. The man bristled though his stare was wary. It produced a quick response, however.

 

“The fault was not mine..” He stuttered in his southern accent. “Those incompetent fools in the Capital bungled the.. ‘operation’. We had everything planned.. They botched it! The fault is not mine. Not mine..”

 

Pearls of sweat appeared on his forehead, a sure sign that though he might be a hardened Darkfriend, the pressure of the situation, unavoidable fear and frustration, was getting to him.

 

●

 

“We are here to make sure this young Green is killed”, Elessar said in a dark voice, echoing words he had spoken to the Lady of House Annallin. “The Great Lord will tolerate no more mistakes.”

 

The man’s face seemed to grow paler though it was not easy to tell in the half-light.

 

“Whether we leave you alive or not”, the Gaidin ended in an icy tone of voice, “depends on your co-operation in this matter.”

 

Despite himself, the Southerner felt sweat go down his back and he cursed inwardly whoever had betrayed him.. Was it that foolish Annallin woman? It did not surprise him if it was. He had never trusted her in truth, she did not seem dedicated enough to the cause in his opinion. She would pay, he would make sure of it, if he came out of these dangerous straits alive.

 

He nodded his assent to this dangerous pair, careful not to cut himself on the knife that was still held under his chin, understanding well that his life depended on what he said and did in the coming minutes.

 

He did not know if they were aware that he, Kelewan Carlan from Jeramel in Amadicia, was the leader of the secret Darkfriend cell in central Cairhien, but any power and authority he might normally have, helped him little now. There was no way he would be able to extract himself from this situation this night. He was paying the price for trusting those useless morons in the Capital, and he knew that the Shadow was never forgiving.

 

“So”, said ‘Aliahna Sedai’, her voice hard, “what do you know of this Myrrhi Aes Sedai’s current whereabouts?”

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi was happy to see that the manor's corridors were empty. She didn't know how long she'd be able to keep her act.

 

Head high and her nose up in the air, she glided toward the exit, then towards the streets that would led them to the inn. It is only when they reached a corner that the young Green allowed herself to stop. She turned towards her Warder so that her eyes could met his. Both breathed a sigh of relief.

 

"Did I do well?" she asked in a low voice.

Elessar nodded. He seemed to be pleased by what they had achieved so far.

 

The young woman didn't dare to say much more. She didn't want to drop too long out of character before having a chance to get to the bottom of things with the mysterious Darkfriend they now needed to find.

 

Who was this Kelewan and how did he fit in? Was he some kind of Darkfriend leader? Or just another minion? Was he even real? So many questions, and so little answers. Myrrhi decided to focus on the path ahead and to stop thinking about them. She needed to focus on her other persona.

 

"Are we going back to the inn or are we going to pay a visit to our dear friend?" was her next question as they neared the center of the town.

Eyes still looking right in front of her, she waited for her Warder to give his opinion.

As expected, he suggested to go to the inn first then to go to Kelewan on the morrow. It was the safest option. First, gathering some strength, preparing themselves for the ordeal to come, then only should they go to the lion's den.

 

***

 

They immediately got to Myrrhi's room where they sat down for a while. Spending too much time in the common room could be risky. They didn't want people to make a connection between Myrrhi and Aliahna Sedai.

 

The young Green was happy for the small break but she paid attention not be back to her usual self. It would be too hard to convincingly impersonate the Black Aes Sedai once again later that day, otherwise.

 

As the sun went down in the sky, they reviewed their options.

 

"The night will cover us," Elessar said as he was looking through the window. The tension in his shoulder was the proof that the Warder was focused on what was to come.

 

"Light, I hope he's alone. We are going in there blindly. There's no way to know what is waiting for us," the young Green sighed, making a mental list of useful weaves.

 

***

Elessar had gone in first. He had scouted the area and had been convinced that Kelewan was alone in the house.

 

Myrrhi didn't have to wait long before her Warder reappeared.

 

"Good," he told her and waved her inside.

 

She came behind him, a scowl on her face.

 

I am Aliahna Sedai, she said to herself. A sister of the Black Ajah....

 

Kelewan wasn't really scary. He looked just like any other Southerner was supposed to look with his brown hair and square face. He was laying beneath his bed sheets, clear sign that he had just been woken up.

 

Elessar made the introductions. "Now this is Aliahna Sedai. She has some questions for you...regarding the debacle with the young Green in the Capital," he said with a commanding voice. Elessar's words were effective. The other man's eyes widened.

 

Myrrhi waited for her Warder to be done with his threats. She was surprised at how she was getting used to them. It was becoming more and more easy to keep a stony face while listening to them.

 

"Now then," she said at last. "Is your name Kelewan?"

 

***

 

The Darkfriend was sweating profusely, sign of how scared he was. Still, Myrrhi could feel something else than fear in the man. As if he was deeply frustrated for not being treated as he should. A bit like Serin had been. But Lady Serin was a noble. Kelewan didn't seem to be one. It made the young Green wonder if the man was higher in the Darkfriends ranks than the dark haired woman.

 

But leader or not, he had no means to defend himself against a Warder and an Aes Sedai.

 

Myrrhi had not dared to check the room for hidden weapons. She needed to look confident, as if the Dark Lord protection was the only shield she needed.

 

Keeping her face as smooth as she could, she asked about Myrrhi's whereabouts hoping the man would quickly reply.

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. A List of Names, Mirrored in Darkness ..

►▼◄

 

“I don’t..” Kelewan replied uneasily to ‘Aliahna Sedai’’s question.

 

She gave him a hard stare, but he seemed reluctant to say any more, his mouth shut.

 

Elessar shared a glance with ‘Aliahna Sedai’ and took over the ‘questioning’.

 

“Speak, my friend”, Elessar said harshly, “and answer truthfully.. or you know the consequences.”

 

The Darkfriend still would not speak and looked stubbornly at the Gaidin. Elessar shook his head in feigned disappointment and pressed the knife harder against the man’s throat. Kelewan grunted in some pain and finally whispered..

 

“I can’t..”

 

●

 

“You can’t what!?” Elessar prompted.

 

“.. say where they are, my contact could not confirm..”

 

“Are you lying!?”

 

“No, I swear.. it’s the truth..”

 

“So who is this contact of yours then!?” The Warder asked.

 

He looked balefully at the Darkfriend, wondering how far they would have to go to get answers out of this piece of Shadow-infested filth.

 

Kelewan did not answer, fear evident in his eyes. Perhaps fear of revealing too much, even to these two fellow Darkfriends, Elessar thought.

 

He put some added weight on the knife against the man’s throat which again drew a little blood.

 

“I did not hear you..” He said cily. “What did you say?”

 

“I can’t..” Kelewan stuttered.

 

He was not supposed to reveal his contact’s name to anyone.. Not to Anyone! His contact was in a very delicate position and revealing his name might put in him great danger and destroy a lot of the work their successful Cairhienin Darkfriend cell had done for the Great Lord in the past year.

 

“This.. contact of yours”, Elessar pointed out, seeing the man’s great hesitation, “also shares some of the blame for this mess we are now all in. We need his name. Now!”

 

The Warder’s voice rose commandingly, with a clear unnamed threat that Kelewan could not miss.

 

●

 

Still the man did not reveal any name.

 

This is going nowhere, Elessar thought to himself as he shared another glance with ‘Aliahna Sedai’. He is a hardened Darkfriend.. and his fear of revealing this contact’s name is even greater than his fear of us.

 

Despite pushing the limits as to threats and intimidation in this foul and Dark affair, they could not resort to hard torture, no matter the potential benefits. They would need to be clever, as hard as they could be but also clever, to get the answers they needed.

 

Myrrhi was thinking the same thing.

 

She was a little surprised to find that in a way she was getting ‘used to’ Elessar’s harsh threats; they still made her shiver inside, but outwardly she ‘shielded’ herself in ‘Aliahna Sedai’’s hardness and was able to watch fairly unperturbed. Had she been the Black Ajah Sister she was pretending to be, she furthermore would not have been bound by the Three Oaths and could - and probably would - have broken this man to get to the truth. As things were, she needed to focus on her ‘act’ and see if she, with Elessar’s help, could outsmart this Darkfriend somehow.

 

Choosing her words carefully, she said: “Be reasonable now. We only need a name. If we are to succeed in our mission, we need all the information we can have.”

 

That, of course, could mean several things, but that was for her - and her Warder - to know.

 

She gave the Darkfriend a hard stare, her voice taking on an edge. “Do you not think assisting us would be to your benefit? What will your.. superiors think?”

 

Elessar listened to Myrrhi’s words, approving of her ever more advanced use of words in that deceptive or ‘manipulative’ way, making the listener believe he heard one thing while another was being said, that Aes Sedai were such masters at. It was a necessary skill to take control of a conversation and make headway without, oath-bound as they were, uttering any lies.

 

●

 

The Darkfriend seemed to pale further at her words and he seeemed to struggle with himself.

 

He knew he was in acute danger here, no matter what he said or did. Revealing his contact could have devastating consequences.. but then again, refusing to do so might be even worse. He saw in the Aes Sedai’s resolute eyes a determination to get to the truth no mater what and the Gaidin was ready to kill him, if necessary.

 

How do I extract myself from this awful mess? He wondered silently, as he considered what to do.

 

Finally he met ‘Aliahna Sedai’’s eyes and muttered, “I cannot.. revealing his name and position could jeopardize vital work for the Great Lord here in Cairhien..” Especially if these two decided to remove his contact.. permanently. “I am sure you understand..”

 

Neither Aes Sedai nor Warder stared back at him with anything close to understanding in their eyes.

 

Panic began to build within him, and it shamed him. He had to give them.. something.. if he were to live through this night, that he felt sure of.

 

In the end, self-preservation made him reveal a secret he would never have told otherwise. He needed to stay alive.. and this secret would not jeopardize things in the same way, he thought. It could very well be that these two, who obviously stood high in Darkfriend circles by all appearances, knew this already, and if so he would not be betraying anyone or anything.

 

“I cannot..” he reiterated, “I just cannot..” He paused for a moment. “But.. I can tell you something else about this young Green.” ‘Aliahna Sedai’ and Elessar stared back at him in the same hard way, not revealing the interest that built inside them at his words.

 

“I was informed..”, Kelewan began, “by parties that shall remain.. unnamed..”, he added, “that this Myrrhi Aes Sedai’s name was on a.. ‘Kill-List’.. of Sisters to be terminated.”

 

●

 

Myrrhi, in the form of Black ‘Aliahna Sedai’, tried to keep the excitement - and horror - of this new piece of information, another piece of the puzzle, from her face. Elessar felt the mixed emotions of horror and excitement coming through the Bond but was pleased to see his Bondholder’s face as smooth and hard as ever. She was indeed playing her Dark ‘role’ well, however tough it was.

 

Pretending that this was not new information to her, ‘Aliahna Sedai’ replied smoothly: “We know who she is.” Her eyes darkened. “Tell us something we don’t know.” When the Darkfriend added that as far as he knew there were 20 names on that list, she only nodded, though inwardly she wondered which Sisters’ names were on the list.

 

“We shall need that list of names.. to compare with our list..”, Elessar interjected smoothly, speaking untruth. He spoke in hard tones, making certain that Kelewan understood the importance of this. “We don’t want any more mistakes made. Once this Myrrhi Aes Sedai is eliminated, we will make sure those other Sisters still alive are dealt with as well. As the Great Lord wishes.”

 

Kelewan was reluctant at first but finally, after harsh threats and tough treatment by the Warder - ‘pushing the limits’ because of necessity, as Elessar saw it - , he admitted to knowing the names of all those Aes Sedai in question and agreed to write them a full list.

 

When she received the piece of paper, ‘Aliahna Sedai’ glanced quickly down the list of names - Myrrhi’s name was 7^th from the top - before pocketing it silently, her face masking the emotions she felt.

 

●

 

“There are still questions to be answered”, Elessar said in a stone-cold voice, looking at the Darkfriend with a deadly gaze.

 

Kelewan sat by a table in his living room, a despondent figure in his nightshirt, still holding the pen that he had used to write the list. He felt anger and shame.. and, though he hated to admit it, great fear. There was more to pay for his role in this terrible debacle, he felt sure of it. Cold sweat ran down his back. The Warder and Aes Sedai stared at him coldly from their standing position at the other side of the table.

 

Would they leave him alive? He wondered. Would other Darkfriend assassins come and finish the job? Would he pay the ultimate price for his failures?

 

He cursed inside for the twentieth time, vowing to himself once again that he would make sure they paid dearly, those who had betrayed him.

 

“The whereabouts of this young Green, for a start.” The Warder continued. “Your mysterious contact, for another. Perhaps also.. other reasons for this mess you have all brought us into.” He touched his sword, making sure Kelewan saw the gesture. His eyes darkened further. “Think closely on these matters, my friend. Your life depends on it.”

 

Kelewan saw the finality in the Darkfriend Gaidin’s hard eyes and knew this was no idle threat.

 

●

 

“We will see you again”, ‘Aliahna Sedai’ said, in a voice of steel. “Remember.. that mistakes can be very costly indeed.”

 

With those final words she turned and with an ‘aura of Shadow’ about her walked resolutely out of the house, into the Cairhienin night, her Warder at her side.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

This is going nowhere, Myrrhi thought. Elessar glanced in her direction. She was sure he was thinking the same.

 

What can we do ? She wondered. The man would not break under torture. He'd probably say something in the end, but it would be useless. His fear of what would happen to him, would he tell his secrets, was too great.

 

"Be reasonable," she tried, before asking one last time for a name. Her questions were carefully formulated. She paid attention to every little detail that could help convince the man without saying a word untrue. It was hard but what she felt through the Bond helped her go forward. Deep down, a little voice was telling her how much she didn't like what she was doing. To be on a real battlefield seemed so much easier than toying with her words. 

 

Surprisingly the Darkfriend paled.

 

Would this be enough? She fought not to bit her lower lip

 

 “I cannot.. revealing his name and position could jeopardize vital work for the Great Lord here in Cairhien...” he said at last. “I am sure you understand..”

 

The young Green raised an eyebrow, to show that she didn't understand what the man was saying. She did understand however. The man didn't want to die.

 

“I cannot..” he reiterated, “I just cannot..” He paused for a moment. “But.. I can tell you something else about this young Green.... “I was informed.. by parties that shall remain.. unnamed..that this Myrrhi Aes Sedai’s name was on a.. ‘Kill-List’.. of Sisters to be terminated.”

 

Myrrhi almost chocked.

 

How can I be on a Kill List? It's impossible! I have never done anything that would attract this much attention.

 

It took all her strength to keep on her Aes Sedai face. So much was depending on her and her acting skills.

 

***

 

The list was strange. It contained names of old and younger Aes Sedai. They were mainly of the Green Ajah but not only. A couple where Blues and one was Grey. It didn't make sense.

 

What do we have in common? We have never worked together... 

 

Myrrhi took a small breath, to focus on the name written on the parchment she still held and thanked her good memory skills . They had helped her as a Novice and as an Accepted, and she had not imagined  they would also come in handy after her raising. But that day, they would save lives. 

 

***

 

Myrrhi and Elessar silently walked  back to the inn, the darkness of a cloudy night sky still covering them. There was so many things to say about what was to come, but they couldn't afford to do it in the middle of the street.

 

The common room was empty at this late hour, except for a serving girl who was cleaning some of the tables. She was tired and seemed to be in a hurry to finish her shift. She didn't even raised her head when the young Green and her Warder passed the door. Not wanting to appear as if they were in a hurry, the two companions walked slowly towards the stairs then to Elessar's room.

 

It was only when the door was closed that Myrrhi channeled a ward against eavesdropping.

 

"What do you make of this?" she asked.

Edited May 9, 2017 by Chaelca

[Elessar]

.. Reflections, Decisions & Arrival in Tremonsien ..

►▼◄

 

"What do you make of this?" she asked, as they finally arrived in Elessar’s room at the ‘River Maiden’ inn, after their silent walk from the house of the Darkfriend Kelewan, and shut the door behind them.

 

Elessar could feel the great tension in Myrrhi through the Bond, a tension he was sure she also felt from him; a tension that was the result of the emotionally taxing and wearisome ‘act’ they had played as supposed Agents of the Shadow. He also presumed she felt some strain finding her name on that 'death list'. To relieve some of this tension, something he felt they both needed very much, he grinned darkly at his Bondholder, and said:

 

“Well, I see you needed no ‘acting’, playing ‘Aliahna Sedai’ to perfection.” He spoke with feigned seriousness in his voice. “So, when were you going to tell me, that you have been Black Ajah all the time?”

 

●

 

Myrrhi gaped at him for a moment.. a stunned silence followed as she struggled to find the words.. but then she noticed the grin mirrored in his eyes as his dark grin widened and, after giving him a baleful look and a playful shove, as if to say 'how could you..', she joined him as first chuckles, then roaring laughter tumbled out of them both. She appreciated that he had given them a moment of much needed relief, a momentary respite, from recent events and their Dark, despicable but very necessary ‘act’ to get the information they needed, and she told him so.

 

They felt a little better afterwards, better prepared to analyze and reflect on the Dark business at hand. Elessar considered her question for a long moment before answering. He sat down on his bed and fetched a chair from the corner for Myrrhi. Once she was settled, he met her eyes squarely.

 

“First let me say”, he began, “I hope this filthy business is done with for us both.”

 

He shivered inside as he thought back on the near-torture he had needed to perform as this supposed Darkfriend Warder to a Black Sister.

 

“I am sure you can’t wait either to rid yourself of the ‘evil Aliahna’ and her dark ways.”

 

Myrrhi nodded in agreement, and he could see from her reaction that she too wanted this filthy business over with.

 

 

“To be honest, I don’t think we should pursue this path any further.” His eyes tightened. “We have done what we could, found that List which will, hopefully, save the lives of several Sisters, and it is time to move on.”

 

Myrrhi nodded again, in silence. He felt approval through the Bond.

 

“Neither of us has any clue why your name is on that List”, he added, “and it could be a misunderstanding, but no matter what, I don’t think we will make any further progress by ourselves.”

 

“I think the wise and prudent thing do”, Elessar said, “is to get that List to the White Tower as soon as possible, where they can warn the Sisters in question and consider possible action(s), and to take the necessary precautions when it comes to your safety.”

 

●

 

“I agree”, Myrrhi replied with a nod. “As I mentioned, I have no idea why the Shadow should be after me, it sounds preposterous to tell the truth, but for whatever reason I think we have done what we can with this business.”

 

She met his eyes squarely, feeling it important to add,

 

“Danger is part of our lives as Aes Sedai of the Green. We manage.”

 

Elessar could not feel any other emotion than determination coming through the Bond from Myrrhi, but if she also had other feelings she hid them well.

 

He was proud of her and gave her a smile which she returned.

 

 

They then talked about what they would do next and agreed to leave the village of Jurene the following morning and head in the direction of Tar Valon. Along the way, a little further north in Cairhien, was the town of Tremonsien where they would make a stop. Myrrhi explained that there was a trusted courier-service there for the White Tower that she had heard of, which also had use of carrier-pigeons, that could take the List - rewritten on thin light paper and rolled into a small tube attached to the bird's leg - , and deliver it quickly to the Aes Sedai authorities. Time was of the essence in this case and this way the White Tower would be warned much sooner.

 

“Sleep well.. ‘Aliahna’..”, Elessar said with a wink, when they had finished their talk, as she opened the door to leave.

 

Myrrhi grinned back and then stuck her tongue out at him, in a very un-Sedai like fashion, before closing the door behind her. The Warder chuckled to himself, glad that they were, hopefully, putting all this despicable affair behind them and would return to Tar Valon at last.

 

●

 

In mid-morning the next day, under a cloud-ridden sky and with a south-westerly wind blowing strongly, Myrrhi Aes Sedai and Elessar Gaidin rode slowly out of the village of Jurene, heading in a roughly north-western direction toward the town of Tremonsien. Their travelling cloaks flapped in the heavy breeze and their valiant mounts carried them along the dusty roads with sure steps, eager to be on the road again.

 

The Warder had gathered some provisions after a quick breakfast in the Common Room and Myrrhi had spoken to the innkeeper before leaving. Elessar’s stallion Stormbreaker and Myrrhi’s loyal, strong mare - did she have a name? Elessar could not recall - had been very pleased to see them and had been given an apple each to enjoy. The Warder had thrown a copper-coin to the stableboy as a thanks for taking good care of their horses and the somewhat rough-looking, lanky Cairhienin lad had grinned widely in appreciaton. Heading out of the village, Elessar had wondered for a moment what would be the fate of the Lady of House Annallin and the Darkfriend Kelewan.

 

●

 

The weather changed as they rode northwards and improved by late afternoon. They made a quick stop in a woodland area, rested their horses and had a quick meal consisting of dried beef and some bread before continuing on. Many leagues onward, a few days later in early afternoon, they arrived in Tremonsien. It was a small Cairhienin town, far smaller of course than the Capital but larger than the village of Jurene, their last stop. Elessar had never been here before and studied all the houses and rooftops and people they passed vigilantly.

 

Tremonsien covered the top of a hill, like many local villages and towns, but like the farms they had passed on the road, this hill had been sculpted into terraces with stone retaining walls. Square stone houses - all houses that he could see where of stone - sat on precise plots of land, with exact gardens behind, along a few straight streets that crossed each other at right angles. They passed several locals, short men and women with dark eyes and pale, narrow faces, almost all dressed in dark. A few inbetween wore slashes of colour across the chest. Smells of spiced cooking filled the air, and the sound of voices in eager conversation and vendors selling their wares that always were found in towns and large villages.

 

There was an inn at the very top of the hill, but Elessar chose an other, ‘the Eastern Shield’, which was situated farther down but in a central and practical location. They dismounted outside the stone building, which was plainly marked by a painted sign hanging over the doors, and handed their horses to a stableboy - a tall, blond-haired lad this time, who looked more Andoran than Cairhienin - and then entered the inn. The innkeeper, a fat brown-haired Cairhienin man with an infectious grin wearing a big white apron, welcomed them to his humble inn and soon had them quartered in two adjoining rooms; the best room in the inn for the Aes Sedai, he fawned excessively, and an adjacent room for her Warder.

 

As soon as they were settled in their rooms, Myrrhi gave a message to the innkeeper, and not long after a man arrived. He was middle-aged, stocky and looked like any other local in the town, but Elessar understood he was the courier. The man spoke to the Aes Sedai for a while. Elessar saw her give him the ‘Kill-List’ and the man pocketed it quickly, gave a bow to the Sister and left without a word. The Warder nodded to himself, pleased that that List of Names would soon be in the hands of White Tower authorities.

 

●

 

The Gaidin spent the next few hours relaxing in his room. He enjoyed a bath, always a pleasure after days on the road, and afterwards read a little in the small book of poetry that he carried among his belongings. Later he would join Myrrhi downstairs in the Common Room for a meal, but for now he could rest a little and reflect. His mood brightened as he considered the ‘storm’ they had faced - and conquered.

 

A quote he had read once, came to mind then. A very sobering thought.

 

“Stay awake, friend - for the Shadow never sleeps”

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar