A Bond of Redemption (attn. Myrrhi Aes Sedai)

[Elessar]

.. Theft, a Serving girl & new Intrigue ..

►▼◄

 

With a huge leap, Elessar threw himself at the serving girl and brought her crashing to the wooden floor.

 

She gasped in surprise and also some pain as he rolled atop her and locked her arm behind her back.

 

“Theft of White Tower property is a serious matter, my young girl!” said the Warder in a harsh tone of voice as he held her hard to the floor. “Now.. we are going to get to the bottom of this.”

 

●

 

When he had sensed tension and concern through the Bond from Myrrhi as she had finished her bath, he had jumped out of the bed where he had been reading and had headed for the door. Seconds later he had heard feet running down the corridor and past his door. Sensing and hearing his Bondholder back in her room next door, he had rushed out into the corridor just as he had heard her voice shouting to him through the door that someone had stolen her bags and posessions. He had walked up to her door and asked if she was allright which she had confirmed that she was.

 

Guessing she was probably not fully dressed after her bath, he waited outside as she quickly explained that her daggers and pouches were also gone from where she had placed them in the bathroom. It could be the serving girl, she muttered loudly. He told her to stay where she was and he would go find the serving girl and reclaim her things. With a very determined look upon his face, the Gaidin rushed down the corridor to the stairs and to the floor below. He soon found the serving girl down another corridor, outside a room with an open door, as she was rummaging through some of Myrrhi’s things that she had stolen..

 

●

 

Pushing her now not so gently against the wall, his strong hands pressing her back, he asked her in a no-nonsense voice:

 

“What is your name?”

 

She replied, stuttering, that it was Alvinha.

 

“Now then, Alvinha”, the Gaidin said emphatically, “tell me ­- are you just a simple thief? Or did someone put you up to this?”

 

“I have done nothing”, screamed the young Andoran woman. She had long blond hair in a ponytail, blue eyes and a pale complexion. Her face was flushed as her chin pressed against the wall.

 

 

Elessar held her there for some moments, then turned her around to face him, grabbing her shoulders in a hard squeeze. She gasped in some pain and then he let go of her, certain that the intent of his words had not escaped her.

 

 

“If you try to flee, I will catch you in moments.” He said matter-of-factly. “And if you speak lies, my Aes Sedai will know.” He added, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

 

She stared back at him, her eyes slightly wide, but said nothing. She remained where she was, probably understanding that getting away from this imposing Warder would be futile. Either that or she was considering her options.

 

The silence lengthened.

 

“You have done nothing, you say?” He prompted and his gaze went to Myrrhi’s daggers now laying on the floor behind them. “Tell the truth. Why did you take Myrrhi Aes Sedai’s things?”

 

●

 

The young woman stared back almost defiantly for a moment, but then lowered her eyes. She knew that she would not be believed if she said she had simply taken the things for safekeeping or any similar lame excuse. She had to come clean, though she was afraid to tell the whole truth. So she decided to tell him a version of events. Hopefully he would believe her.

 

“I am sorry..” Alvinha began in a halting voice. “I only..” She stuttered. “I.. took them.. because.. I have never seen such nice things from an Aes Sedai before..”

 

That was true, though not the main reason why she had done it. Would he believe her? Her pulse quickened as she waited for his response.

 

His stare hardened, knowing she was not telling the whole truth. She saw it in his eyes and so she elaborated.

 

“And..” she added after a few moments, her face even more flushed, “I thought I could perhaps sell some things.. like those daggers..” She said, pointing to the daggers on the floor.”I.. I needed the money.”

 

 

The last came out almost in a gasp.. and she swallowed hard, the half-truth on her lips, as his hard Warder’s eyes bored into her.

 

 

“I see..” Elessar said as he stared at the young woman, trying to gauge whether she was telling the truth.

 

It could be the truth, he thought.. but it could also be a perfectly good lie.

 

It was important for them to find out if this young woman in any way was connected to the Darkfriends hunting them. This could, of course, be a separate coincidental incident.. but Elessar did not believe in coincidences.

 

Something in her voice made him disbelieve her.

 

“Now tell me the rest.” He said firmly as her eyes widened anew. “Yes, I know there is more.” He added in a no-nonsense tone. “Somebody told you to steal these things. I want to know who.”

 

●

 

His eyes were cold now and she shivered a little as she considered her response. She did not want to betray a trust.. she had sworn to keep this all secret.. but she understood that this dangerous man of the White Tower would not let her go unless he was satisfied that she were telling the truth.

 

“I.. can’t..” Alvinha began and gasped as he moved toward her and took hold of her arm in a firm grip.

 

“Yes, you can.. and you will”, the Warder said harshly as he pushed her into the room beyond, grabbing the daggers and other things laying on the floor.

 

Entering the room which was sparsely furnished and empty of other people but with Myrrhi’s things laying about, he closed the door behind him and stepped toward the frightened young woman.

 

“If you don’t tell me..”, he added with another hard look, “I will get my Aes Sedai to come down and have a talk with you.. it will not be something you will enjoy.”

 

There was a coldness in his voice which reminded him of the foul  interrogation in Cairhien, but it could not be helped. It was important to come to the bottom of this matter. He needed to know if there was any danger here.

 

●

 

The young Andoran serving girl stared back at him.. his threat of the Aes Sedai getting to her.. and slowly her final resolve broke. She started sobbing, her hands going to her face, as he waited in silence. As he and Myrrhi both knew, sometimes silence was stronger than words when it came to getting a captive to speak.

 

Finally, Alvinha muttered that she had been told to steal those things from the Aes Sedai. By a man she knew, though not well. He had not told her why, just that she was to obtain them quickly and deliver them to him.

 

“He threatened..” She began but could not continue as sobs overtook her.

 

When Elessar after some moments asked who this man was, she refused to answer but her glistening, frightened eyes spoke volumes. It was clear that this unknown man had some power over her.

 

 

“Speak his name”, Elessar spoke in a cold voice, necessity getting priority over empathy, “and where we can find him.”

 

 

“For your sake..”, he added, “it would be wise to avoid any lies.”

 

Then he said, speaking perhaps an untruth, “Or we may drag you all the way back to the White Tower.. for questioning. White Tower justice can be hard.”

 

Her eyes widened even further at that.. and she continued sobbing.

 

He squeezed her arm even harder, bringing pain from her lips, and in the end she nodded, unable any longer to withstand. She was afraid of the man who had ordered her to do what she had done, but this dangerous Warder scared her just as much. She was not a strong person and she could bear it no longer.

 

●

 

“Allright..” Alvinha whispered at last, and he let go of her arm but remained standing just in front of her. She rubbed her sore arm before answering. Raising her eyes to meet his, she muttered in an unsteady voice:

 

“His name is Selvith.” She said unhappily. “He is not from around here.”

 

Elessar nodded silently, waiting for the rest.

 

“He..” Alvinha the serving girl, added in a tearful whisper, her eyes lowering, “works down.. down at the docks.”

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

The change of clothes that the serving girl had brought was highly ridiculous but Myrrhi didn't have any other choice than to wear what had been brought to her. She had nothing else... for now. Indeed, what she felt through the Bond was reassuring. Elessar had caught the thief and was interrogating the man - or the woman.

 

Let's see what this is all about, the Green told to herself as she left the bathroom for the second time that day. She tugged at the skirts of her dress and brushed her sleeves as if the hand could sweep away the dark stains that ornated them from shoulder to wrist.

 

Like before, the corridor was strangely empty. Myrrhi shivered hoping that the other customers had not been killed in their sleep or poisoned at their tables. What could she expect from an establishment that stole from its patrons? That stole from an Aes Sedai and her Warder? Could they be Darkfriends, she wondered.

 

The young woman walked slowly towards the room where her Warder was. She could almost taste his anger, sign that the culprit was not giving him enough information.

 

"If you don't tell me... I will get my Aes Sedai to come down and have a talk with you... it will not be something you will enjoy," she heard him say through the door. It made her smile. Between the two of them he was probably the scariest - at least that what she thought - but he had used her as a threat. Am I that scary? She silently asked to herself. It made her chuckle. She did wield fantastic powers, powers she wouldn't have dreamed of as a child, but she couldn't use them freely. The three Oaths prevented her from using them to torture the prisoners she wanted to question, at least as long as they weren't able to do any harm.

 

Well, I hope I am impressive enough to scare that poor fool,...

 

She waited, focused on what was happening on the other side of the door. Taking a deep breath, she decided it would be better for her not to appear too soon.

 

And indeed, it appeared to be the right choice as a few seconds later, she heard someone sobbing.

 

***

 

Elessar had done an awesome job. He had managed to get everything they needed from the girl. Alvinha was her name. And she had been working for a Selvith who was working at the docks. The directions she had given would help them to find the mysterious man in no time.

 

Not wanting to show herself to the prisoner, she left her eavesdropping spot  to as soon as she heard her Warder moving towards the door. With nimble feet, she crossed the corridor. It only took her a fraction of a second to push the door of the Gaidin's room and to rush inside.

 

She quickly reviewed the possible choices of action and decided that their priority was to recover everything that had been stolen. Then as soon as she was sure that everything had been returned, she would use the One Power to protect their possessions. The next step would be to do to the docks...

 

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. An Interrogation of a Kind -of- a Thief of a Kind ..

►▼◄

 

Elessar continued to stare hard at the young Andoran woman who had stolen Myrrhi’s things, as he considered what she had told him.

 

The man who had coerced or forced her to steal the things, if she were to be believed, was apparently working down at the docks.

 

“Describe him to me”. The Gaidin added in a firm voice. “What does he look like.”

 

Her sobs had quieted somewhat but her voice was still unsteady as she described the man in question. He was in his mid-thirties, with short dark hair, dark piercing eyes, a scar on his left cheek and with a heavy build. He spoke strangely, she thought.. but did not elaborate any further.

 

Elessar nodded, then asked: “Does he carry any weapons?”

 

She replied that she had seen him carrying a knife in his sleeve, but she did not know if he did so all the time.

 

“He scares me..” said the serving girl and her voice shook.

 

●

 

The Warder did not doubt that this was the truth. Her reaction seemed real and not faked.

 

Elessar asked her for directions, where specifically this Selvith could be found at the docks, and noted what she said. They should be able to find this stranger in no time, he thought, unless he had disappeared somehow.

 

He told the young woman to seat herself on the bed and she did so in silence, staring back at him with anxious eyes.

 

The Warder had felt through the Bond that his Aes Sedai had been coming closer but his face had revealed nothing as he had continued his ‘interrogation’ of the serving girl and thief. For some time now Myrrhi had waited outside the room listening, Elessar knew, and would have heard their conversation. He presumed that she was happy to remain out of sight since he had managed to get all the answers they needed out of the girl.

 

His earlier threat that the young woman would not enjoy facing the Aes Sedai had been a tactical move on his part; though Myrrhi could be strong and forceful if needed, he guessed that he was probably the harder, ‘scarier’ of the two in many ways. This serving girl did not know that, however. Even if she were not very afraid of Aes Sedai with their One Power as many people were, he guessed she would be more than wary of what a Sister of the White Tower might do to her. A perceived threat was sometimes just as effective as a real threat.

 

“Tell me”, he spoke in a level voice, “how did you get into contact with this man to begin with?”

 

●

 

The serving girl lowered her eyes, a flush coming to her cheeks. She waited a moment before speaking, as if she were considering her words carefully. Finally she spoke.

 

“He.. he was in the Common Room one day and he smiled at me and.. and..  asked me to dance.. and.. you know..”

 

Her cheeks became a deeper red, and Elessar nodded to himself, understanding her meaning.

 

“Afterwards.. in my room.. he.. he told me that there was a small favour I could do for him.”

 

Her eyes closed for a moment and the Warder stared at her in silence from where he stood some paces away from the bed. At last she opened her eyes again.. and her voice shook sllightly as she continued.

 

“I asked him what..  what it was, curious to know what he had in mind.” She said. “He.. he said I had to steal something for him from the inn, something he needed..something important..”

 

Her fist clenched and she started sobbing again. Elessar felt for the young woman.. this Selvith had obviously ‘played’ her, threatened her and made her do exactly what he had wanted. Everything pointed to that. But this was no time for empathy. They needed to get Myrrhi’s things back and to ascertain whether this stranger was any threat or had anything to do with the Darkfriends probably hunting them.

 

“He.. ..he had a knife.. and he pressed it against my throat, saying that.. that it was very important that I did what he asked… or.. or..” She could not continue as her sobs increased.

 

●

 

“Allright”, the Gaidin said after a while, as the young woman’s tears gradually stopped flowing down her cheeks.

 

“I believe you.”

 

He said this to reassure her, but also because he did believe her. His instinct told him so and he had come to trust his instincts. They were an important part of a Warder’s life and survival.

 

“A final question”, he said. “When were you to deliver these stolen things to him?”

 

Her eyes rose to meet his. There was still anxiety in those eyes, but in a somewhat steadier voice she replied that Selvith had told her to bring the things to the docks.. at midnight that day.

 

Elessar nodded and remained silent for a long time, as he added up in his mind all the bits and pieces of information he had received.

 

One question remained: what were they now to do with the girl?

 

Well, first he would take her back to Myrrhi and discuss with her the next move.

 

“Come with me”, he finally said as he moved towards the door. “And bring those things you stole.”

 

●

 

He felt Myrrhi moving away down the corridor, taking it to mean that his Bondholder wanted to remain unseen for the moment. Alvinha looked anxiously at the Warder but said nothing as she got up from where she had been seated on the bed, collected the daggers and pouches and other belongings from the room, and then approached him. He took hold of her arm and made sure it was a firm grip as he opened the door with his other hand and led her into the corridor.

 

He could feel Myrrhi further away now and he presumed she was returning to their rooms. As the frightened serving girl stepped into the corridor, he considered again their plan of action. They could not take the girl with them but neither could they let her go. At least not yet. Though she appeared innocent, there was no certainty that she had told the whole truth and would not warn this Selvith. So they needed to put her somewhere safe.. for now.

 

●

 

Pushing the anxious serving girl ahead of him, they headed slowly down the corridor. It was empty but for them which was for the good, the Warder thought. The fewer that saw them, the better. It did not take long before they approached Elessar and Myrrhi’s rooms. When they came up to his room, he felt Myrrhi there inside. He stopped before the door and the serving girl stopped in front of him, her eyes still wide and tearful. He knocked once and it opened of its own volition which made the young woman’s eyes widen even further. Inside by the far wall stood the Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah, her face smooth and her eyes fastened on the female thief. Pushing the serving girl inside without a word, the Warder closed the door behind him and then ordered her to place all the stolen things on the bed. She did so without a word, then turned to face them. Elessar nodded respectfully at his Bondholder, noting her unusual clothes, and then they both stared long and hard at the young woman who lowered her eyes shamefully and stared silently at the floor, struggling to hold back tears.

 

Finally Myrrhi spoke to the serving girl, her voice firm but not overly harsh.

 

“Well, what do we have here..”

 

The Aes Sedai’s voice made the serving girl cringe.

 

“This is your thief, Aes Sedai.” Her Gaidin said in even tones. “And there is a story to tell.”

 

She nodded knowingly.

 

●

 

He faced the Sister of the White Tower and began speaking. The serving girl could see his mouth moving but could not hear his voice. She implicitly understood that it had to mean that the One Power was being used by the Aes Sedai - what else could it be? -  and it increased her anxiety. She had never been so near a Sister before though she had seen an Aes Sedai and her Warder in the street once. Being so close to one of those women almost made her skin crawl. She knew all the stories.. and had always been frightened of anything to do with the White Tower. Only Selvith’s sinister threats had made her even attempt what she had done. And now.. now she just wanted to be away from them all, away from this frightening awful mess she had entangled herself in.

 

Myrrhi had seen Elessar’s look and his slight nod of the head toward their captive when he had ended his sentence, to indicate that they should talk in private, and so she had used Saidar, encasing them, to ensure the serving girl would not hear what they were saying.

 

“I felt you outside the door when I was ‘interrogating’ her”, the Warder began with a small smile. “So you may have heard most of what she said.”

 

She nodded, returning his small smile.

 

●

 

“I believe her”, said the Warder. “I think this Selvith ‘played’ her, seduced her and then used her for his own purposes. Even so, we can’t take her with us. I think we should gag her and bind her to the bed with a thick rope and leave her here in this room, well tied up, when we head toward the docks at midnight. “

 

“I agree”, she said, nodding her head.

 

“We need to find out whether this Selvith guy is a danger to us and our mission”. Elessar added. “Whether or not he works in collusion with those Darkfriends.. or if he has other sinister plans.”

 

He met her eyes squarely.

 

“It could, of course, be that he is simply another thief.. but I doubt it. It would take a foolhardy, some might say very foolish, person to deliberately steal from Aes Sedai.”

 

  ▀▄

 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi heard someone knocking on the door. That someone was her Warder, she was certain of it. The bond had told her as much. Immediately she got up and brushed the skirts of her strange dress. She straightened her back and pulled her nose as high as she could, turning herself in a perfect Aes Sedai... The Mistress of the Novices, were she here, would have been proud of her. At the same time, she opened herself to Saidar and channeled a small thread of Air to open the door. Behind it stood her Warder, a scowl on his face, and the wide eyed serving girl. The poor thing looked very scared. 

 

So, you don't like the One Power it seems, the young Green thought, making a mental note to use it at least one more time before the end of her conversation with the thief.

 

Elessar pointed towards the bed. " You will place everything you have stolen, right here!". His voice sounded very much like a growl. It made the thief jump.

 

The serving girl followed her new orders as fast as she could. She placed everything she had stolen on the spot indicated by the Gaidin. Myrrhi's eyes were on her, and on her possessions hoping that everything would be returned to her. Every missing item would be like a failure.

 

 

 

***

 

Elessar shook his head.  "The girl is scared," he told Myrrhi.

 

The Green took a deep breath. "It doesn't mean she's innocent..."

 

She thought back about what she had heard so far. Selvith, the man they would have to look for didn't seem to be very dangerous. If he was carrying a weapon up his sleeve to defend himself, there were good chances he was not a channeler. Indeed, if the tales about the Black Tower were true, these Ashaman were so proud of what they could do with the power that they would never arm themselves that way. They would prance with a sword at their side, but hidden knives ... nah, it wouldn't be their style. Now, the man could be one of these Darkfriends. He could have resources or people protecting him, but the town was so small that Myrrhi doubted that it would be easy for him to call for reinforcement or anything alike.

 

They went on talking for a while, aware of the girl standing next to them. Myrrhi had woven a thread against eavesdropping so thick that no one would be able to listen to what her and her Warder had to say.

 

Eventually she nodded, sign that she would let go of the ward. "Let's mask the girls' eyes," she said. "And work on our plan. There's a small chance she can read on lips... and I think it's better to take some precautions."

 

***

 

It was a little bit before midnight when Myrrhi and Elessar set themselves on the road to the docks. The Green had recovered a good dress that was thick enough to make her feel comfortable even with the icy breeze that came from the North. Thanks to the serving girls directions - provided that she had told the truth - they knew exactly where to go. The young woman placed a had on the dagger she hand at her belt. It would be a bad idea to open herself to Saidar too soon ... Some trap could be waiting for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. A Confrontation in the Night ..

►▼◄

 

“Excuse me”, Elessar bellowed to the crouching figure by the corner of a warehouse down at the docks.

 

The man almost jumped at the voice and imposing figure coming toward him. Uncertainty crept into his hard eyes.

 

“Yes, you!” the Warder added as he neared the man.

 

The dark haired, heavy built man straightened from his crouching position by the building and came slowly out of the shadow and into the slight light from the midnight moon.

 

“Could you help me with something?” Elessar asked as he approached the figure. He was now only ten paces or so away.

 

He could almost see the stranger’s ambivalent, questioning stare through the darkness.

 

Coming up to within five paces of the man, the Gaidin stopped.

 

“I was wondering..” he said in a deceptively soft voice, “would you by any chance know of anyone around here foolish enough to steal from Aes Sedai.. and thinking they could get away with it?”

 

●

 

The Warder’s grin became as dark as the night.

 

The man’s eyes widened and then he reacted lightning-quick, surprisingly so for his heavy build, leaping to the side and running down the docks.

 

He was not quick enough, though.

 

Elessar had anticipated his move, and only moments later caught up with him and crashed into him like a heavy boulder, bringing them both hard to the ground. The man gasped in pain and tried to fight back but the Warder soon had him pinned down. Cursing, the man tried to wriggle free but to no avail. Taking no chances, Elessar punched him hard in the face and the stranger’s face became slack as his head rolled to the side, effectively knocked out.

 

“All in a day’s work”, the Gaidin spoke with a lopsided grin over his shoulder to the figure coming up behind him. “Let me present: Selvith, the foolish thief.. Myrrhi Aes Sedai.”

 

The young Sister of the Green Ajah smiled darkly as her eyes fastened on the shadowy figure on the ground.

 

●

 

A little while earlier, Elessar and Myrrhi had set off for the docks. They had bound and gagged the serving girl in his room as they had agreed upon, the girl’s anxiety having risen even further when she was also deprived of her sight for a while, and Myrrhi had changed into another dress, recovered and now belted with a dagger, which she was more comfortable in. They had agreed on a plan.

 

A cold, icy breeze had come in from the North and they had felt its touch on their faces as they had moved down the street toward the dock area. The street had been almost empty at that late hour which had suited them well. Once there, they had stopped and waited by some buildings, watching the area for any danger. When they had seen nothing to indicate the man had allies waiting, or a trap of some kind, they had moved - Elessar in the lead, Myrrhi a few steps behind, ready with the One Power if necessary - toward one of the larger warehouse-buildings which the serving girl had indicated, and, where the Gaidin for a moment had thought he had seen some movement. Coming closer, he had seen that his eyesight had not betrayed him despite the darkness, a crouching figure had lain in wait.

 

The frightened young Andoran serving girl had spoken the truth. This had to be their man. Warder and Aes Sedai had exchanged a knowing glance in the darkness, and had prepared as midnight had been approaching.

 

●

 

When the man finally opened his eyes, taking a few moments to get his bearings there he lay on the ground, he shook his head as he stared balefully up into the hard stare of a Warder. Selvith cursed inside at having been caught so easily. That damn serving girl had betrayed him. She had bungled the job. He could not see any other explanation. He had considered carrying out the task himself, but using the naïve young woman had seemed riskfree and simpler. Obviously a bad call in hindsight.

 

His eyes moved in the near-dark and fastened on the figure of a woman who stared back at him just as hard. He did not have to be told to understand that this was the Aes Sedai witch. With her Darkfriend Warder. He almost spat in disgust.

 

Well, he would tell them nothing, he swore to himself.

 

They would never learn that he was part of the Children of the Light’s network of spies which reported back to their Lord Captain Commander on a regular basis, and that he had been ordered to gain some posessions from this specific Aes Sedai witch.

 

●

 

The Gaidin stared long and hard at the man they had captured, this Selvith that the serving girl claimed had made her steal Myrrhi’s posessions. Was he a simple, though perhaps devious, thief? Or a Darkfriend? Was he a threat to them?

 

Leaning down, he grabbed the heavily built man by the shoulders and pushed him not too gently to his feet. He then shoved the man’s arm behind his back and told him in a no-nonsense voice to walk toward the nearest building and not to even consider escape. The man grunted his disapproval but stumbled along with the Warder and Aes Sedai just behind him. When they came up to the warehouse Elessar pushed him against the wall and withdrew a dagger from his side. He placed it under the stranger’s chin and told him coldly that theft of White Tower property was a serious offence. They knew it all, he said, the serving girl had told them everything, so there ws no use protesting.

 

“What we do want to know, however”, he added in measured tones, “is why you would be foolish enough to steal from Aes Sedai - and if someone put you up to it.”

 

Their captive - a Southerner, Elessar thought - stared obstinately back at them and remained silent. There was an arrogant look in his eyes, as if he would enjoy not telling them anything. He did not seem to mind the knife near his throat, something the Gaidin took note of.

 

Elessar exchanged a quick glance with Myrrhi and then turned back to the man. He shook his head.

 

“I see you continue being foolish”, he said. “Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way, means you tell us what we want to know. If you are just a simple thief, we may let you off with a warning, a slap on the wrist as it were.”

 

●

 

Selvith betrayed no reaction, so it was impossible to know if he believed the Warder’s words or thought them a lie.

 

“The White Tower has more important things to do than to pursue proper justice from simple thieves.”

 

“But”, he added, “if you are more than a simple thief.. say.. a Darkfriend” - this statement did bring a reaction from the man, though he seemed to take the accusation more as an affront than as dislike that he had been found out - “then this becomes a much more serious matter.”

 

Still, the man remained silent, a stubborn look to his features.

 

It seemed puzzling to Selvith that this Darkfriend Warder should speak as if he would be deeply concerned if he, Selvith, was a Darkfriend too. It was probably just an attempt to confuse him, Selvith thought to himself, as he watched his White Tower captors with hate in his eyes.

 

Myrrhi faced the man now, wondering whether he simply was a thief.. or what he was hiding.

 

●

 

“Your name is Selvith..?” She asked, carefully studying his face for a reaction. He did not answer but she saw his eyes widen slightly when she uttered his name and knew this was him.

 

“As my Warder told you, Selvith”, she added, “it would really be best for you if you are honest with us.”

 

His mouth remained shut, but he showed signs of discomfort at her proximity. Myrrhi took it to mean that this man also was not comfortable around the One Power. She would make use of that, just as she had with the serving girl.

 

For a long moment, Selvith stared back at her with baleful eyes, then finally he spat out:

 

“I will tell you nothing.. Aes Sedai.”

 

He spoke her title with scorn, sneer obvious in his tone, spitting out the words in distaste.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Once again Myrrhi found herself listening to her Warder. Elessar was a few steps away from her. He had caught Selvith and was asking him if he knew someone foolish enough to steal from an Aes Sedai. The Gaidin's words made her smile. She pictured Selvith's face. He must have looked pretty surprised.

 

But surprise didn't paralyze the man. On the contrary, he reacted almost immediately. Fast as lightning, he tried to leap to the side and to run away from the Warder.

 

Unfortunately for him, he had not moved quickly enough. Elessar managed to catch up with him in no time.

 

***

 

The Green joined her Warder as soon as she saw his prisoner laying on the ground. Again she was impressed by the Gaidin's skills. She would never have been able to stop the man without the One Power... at least in a dress such as the one she was wearing.

 

"Well, well," she said arriving at Elessar's side. "What have we here?"

 

The man was laying on the ground. His eyes were closed, probably the shock had been worse than anticipated. Myrrhi used Saidar to thread a delving weave, hoping that the man wasn't dead. By chance, he wasn't. The Green sighed and looked towards her Warder. "I really hope this one will cooperate..."

 

It took Selvith some time before opening his eyes. He took a couple of seconds to get back his bearings then cursed clearly unhappy to have been caught.

 

***

 

Myrrhi didn't know exactly when she got the idea that the man must have been in league with the White Cloaks. Maybe it was his apparent hate for Darkfriends or the one for Aes Sedai that told her as much, she couldn't tell. One thing was certain, the man meant danger.

 

Even if she was tempted to use the ward against eavesdropping once more that day she decided against it. The idea to channel in front of a Children of the Light or a man sold to them made her feel uncomfortable. On other hand, she didn't know how to share her suspicions to her Warder.

 

Maybe he's come to the same conclusion as me? she wondered. After all, he's more experienced than I am ... Quickly she met his eyes and saw him make a very small nod of the head.

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Dealing with a Child of a Different Sort  ..

►▼◄

 

Something in their captive’s reaction made Elessar wonder who this mean really was.

 

His reaction to Myrrhi, to an Aes Sedai, was strong.. but in a different way than their previous captives’ reactions had been. Elessar was thinking back to their encounters with the Darkfriends in Cairhien. They had been angry at having been found out and interrogated.. a natural reaction in the circumstances.. but they had not reacted with the scorn and hate for an Aes Sedai that this Selvith appeared to have. It was not just his words of spite but just as much the hateful looks he gave Myrrhi, as if he were disgusted to be in her presence.

 

When he came to think of it, that was a reaction more common in.. certain other people.

 

He kept his suspicions to himself for the time being, but when his Aes Sedai met his eyes her glance seemed to say that she too had some suspicions. He made a very small nod of the head to her, as if to affirm that he too saw that there was something.. odd.. here and would follow that train of thought to its inevitable conclusion.

 

●

 

Facing their prisoner again, the Warder spoke. His voice was firm but controlled. Selvith was staring with unabashed hatred at the Sister of the White Tower and it made Elessar more certain that his guess was correct. It would, however, not be easy to get an admission from this man, he thought. He could see it in his eyes. Well, it was time to probe.. and see what answers they could get.

 

“I see you staring intently at Myrrhi Aes Sedai”, he said, his voice taking on a wicked note. “Do you fancy her?”

 

He received just the reaction he had hoped for. Selvith almost bristled, cursed under his breath and hissed at him, the knife drawing some blood under his chin.

 

“Blood and ashes”, the man said in a spiteful voice, “I would rather sleep with a gutter-whore than to let such a God-cursed despicable Darkfriend woman touch me!”

 

Elessar saw that their captive’s eyes were wide in disgust and it was clearly not an act. He passed over the foolishness of such a belief that Aes Sedai in general were Darkfriends.. it was a well-known sentiment shared by a certain group of individuals that the Warder had little or no respect for and certainly no patience for. It was not proof that this man was one of them.. but the Gaidin’s suspicions grew.

 

“Relax, my friend”, he said with mock-empathy, “she does not either go for your kind.”

 

●

 

Myrrhi raised an eyebrow at her Warder’s comment though she understood the ‘game’ he was playing. She kept silent. Elessar seemed more experienced at this kind of thing and was doing well and so she let him take the lead.

 

“So tell us again”, the Gaidin said in a harder voice, “why did you want to steal Myrrhi Aes Sedai’s things?” He pressed the knife slightly harder against the Southerner’s skin. “To bring them to your superiors, Darkfriend?”

 

Elessar expected another fierce reaction from the man on calling him a Darkfriend, a deliberate attempt to cement his theory on who this was, and he got the result he wanted. Selvith cursed again, a wild look in his eyes, as he pushed against the Warder, uncaring that the knife bit into his flesh. The Warder pushed him back with force and held him against the wall, taking the knife momentarily away from the man’s chin.

 

“Try that again”, he threatened in a cold voice, “and this knife will be buried deep in your bowels.”

 

The Southerner quieted, seemingly believing the Gaidin might just do that, and stopped struggling, held as he was onto the wall by the Warder’s strong arms.

 

Elessar was certain now to which group this Selvith’s allegiance was. Whether the man would admit as much, was another question, however. If pushed hard enough, perhaps he would say who his superiors were. Or, thought the Gaidin, perhaps he could be tricked into revealing it. There were, as always, no guarantees but it was worth a try.

 

●

 

He was tempted to ask Myrrhi to use Saidar and make a ward against eavesdropping, like she had done at the inn with the serving girl, so they could discuss his suspicions, but something in his Aes Sedai’s eyes made him not ask. He could not tell how he knew but somehow he got the impression that she was uncomfortable with such a course. Perhaps it was an emotion that came through the Bond. Perhaps it was his imagination. At any rate, he chose not to ask her and focused instead on how to make this prisoner talk.

 

“We know you are a Darkfriend”, he said wryly with a dark grin, “so there is no use pretending you are not.”

 

It was another deliberate barb meant to provoke and the Southerner could not stop himself as he cursed again and spat in disgust.

 

“Yes, your Darkfriend superiors wanted you to steal these White Tower things.” The Gaidin added, provoking him further.

 

“Why!?”

 

●

 

“I am no God-cursed Darkfriend, I said..”

“Why did you steal them? Who is your Darkfriend superior?”

“Damn you, I said I am no..”

“Stop pretending! We know the truth.. were you taking the things to the Blight?”

“I am not..”

“Stop with your lies! The Shadow has your heart. I can hear it in your voice..”

“Damn you, I am not like you Darkfriends..”

“No more lies, filthy Darkfriend! You sold your soul to the Shadow..”

“I am no God-cursed Darkfriend.. it’s you and your filthy Aes Sedai witch who are the Darkfriends..”

 

●

 

There, thought the Gaidin, he said it.

 

Witch.

 

It was not proof of his allegiances; there were those outside the Children of the Light who also called Aes Sedai witches, but it was a term mostly used by Whitecloaks. And Elessar was now certain that this man either was a Child of the Light or at least strongly connected to them.

 

And if so, Elessar thought with an inward sigh and rising concern, this cannot be a coincidence.

 

They know we are coming.

 

He turned and met Myrrhi’s eyes and he could see that she was probably thinking the same thing.

 

●

 

Facing their prisoner again, he said “Witch, you say.. an interesting choice of words.”

 

Selvith remained silent, cursing his slip. Now they would perhaps guess at his connections. He closed his eyes in anger over his own stupidity.

 

“Darkfriends don’t usually use the term ‘witch’ to describe Aes Sedai”, he said in measured tones. “Lightfools is, I believe, the term they often use to describe Sisters of the White Tower. And Warders for that matter.”

 

Selvith opened his eyes, staring back at them balefully, and muttered under his breath. Again this Darkfriend Warder was pretending not to be a servant of the Shadow, just to confuse him, he thought. Just to make him tell all his secrets.

 

“In fact”, the Gaidin added darkly, “I do know of one group of people who do call Aes Sedai ‘witches’.. they are as a matter of fact very eager, very passionate, in their use of the word.”

 

 

He pressed the knife harder against the Southerner’s skin which produced a grunt of pain.

 

 

“The group I am speaking of is, of course, the infamous enlightened fighters for Good, the Children of the Light.”

 

Elessar’s voice was the one filled with scorn and disgust now, heavy with sarcasm, leaving no doubt as to what he thought of the Whitecloaks.

 

”But then you know that well”, he added, his voice turning cold again, “don’t you.. Child of the Light..!”

 

The man did not utter a sound but his body tensed as his secret was revealed and Elessar, who had been watching carefully for just such a reaction, nodded pleased.

 

Myrrhi moved towards them and met Elessar’s eyes. She nodded, as if she also had gotten her suspicions confirmed.

 

●

 

“So”, she said, “you are not a Darkfriend after all.. you are one of the Whitecloaks..”

 

It was not a question, rather she was speaking aloud her thoughts.

 

As she was speaking, she was thinking:

 

How did the Whitecloaks know they were coming South? This could not be a coincidence. Somehow the Children of the Light had intercepted the White Tower order for her to head to Amadicia to rescue the lost Sister. Or was there a White Tower spy or traitor? And why in any case steal her posessions? Was it to use later to incriminate her or the White Tower somehow? Was their next step to try and eliminate her and her Warder?

 

All these thoughts went through her head as she considered her next words to the silent prisoner.

 

“Now, what would a Whitecloak.. want with my posessions?”

 

Her voice was firmer now and she stared the Southerner in the face, waiting for his answer, as Elessar held the knife against his skin and his other arm hard against the man’s shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

 

Selvith stared back at her, hate in his eyes. He cursed inside another time for being caught. He would pay dearly for this slip-up, he felt sure of it.

 

“I will tell you nothing more.. witch”, spat the Child of the Light.

 

He gave her a wicked grin. If nothing else, he could at least take some pleasure in defying this evil woman who pretended she was something she was not. He knew their kind..the accursed Aes Sedai. They had all through history lied about everything.. above all, about how they were guilty of betraying the Light. They served their Great Lord of the Dark, pretending to be good ‘Servants of All’. Selvith knew the truth. He had always known. The Children would destroy all evil come the Day, including the White Tower. And they, the Defenders against evil, the Children, they would Glory in the Light!

 

●

 

No matter how much they pressed him, the Southerner said nothing more. They could not torture him to get the answers they needed, this ‘interrogation’ was as far as they could go with him, and Myrrhi could not use the One Power on him since he had not harmed them putting them in direct danger. In the end Elessar unceremoniously knocked him out with a hard swing of his left hand smashing into the Whitecloak’s face. He went down like a stone and lay unmoving at their feet.

 

Elessar spoke the words that they were both thinking. “He is definitely a Whitecloak”, he said and she nodded in response. “Even if he has not admitted it, there is no longer any doubt.”

 

She agreed and shared her suspicion that she had guessed at the Southerner’s allegiances just like he had. He nodded in return, pleased that they had arrived at the same conclusion based on intuition and hints and circumstance. It was a sign of a good functioning Warder-Sedai team.

 

“It means, however”, Myrrhi said as she nodded to herself, “that they somehow know we are coming. This cannot just be a coincidence.” Elessar agreed and said he had had the exact same thought.

 

●

 

They discussed for a few minutes how the Whitecloaks could have gotten word of their mission and the frightening possibility that there could be spies or traitors in the White Tower. If so, what other spies or traitors could walk the streets of Tar Valon? It was an uncomfortable thought, but they quickly surmised it was all speculation anyhow and would not help them in their current situation.

 

“All we know is that they wanted your posessions stolen”, Elessar said finally, “for reasons of their own. Either, I would guess, to discredit you or the White Tower in some way”, he added, “or perhaps as a first step in capturing you and us.”

 

“They failed, however, and I believe we should continue our mission South.” Elessar said, meeting her eyes. “That they know we are coming is, of course not ideal, but we can’t let that stop us. We must take all precautions but do our duty.”

 

Myrrhi listened to everything her Warder said and nodded.

 

“I agree”, she said in a level voice. “We have a mission to complete. A Sister to rescue.”

 

Looking down at the knocked-out Whitecloak, she added, “But what do we do about this one?”

 

●

 

They carried the unconcious Whitecloak into the shadows behind one of the smaller warehouses on the dock. Then they discussed what to do about him. They could obviously not kill him in cold blood, nor could they let him walk free. It would be helpful for their mission if this Child of the Light did not report back to his superiors any time soon. Any delay in his relaying information back would be for the good. But how could they achieve this? At one point Elessar jokingly asked Myrrhi if she could perhaps use the One Power on their unconcious prisoner and make him sleep for a week.. and she gave him such a look in return that he could do nothing but chuckle. She was not amused. After much discussion and considering their options they finally agreed to place the man in a crate and send him upriver on a boat. That way it would take several days before he was discovered and it would delay any relay of information back to his Whitecloak superiors.

 

The next morning Elessar saw to it that a crate with ‘spices’ written in paint all over it was loaded onto a riverboat, the ‘Southern Lass”, which was going north toward Cairhien that same early afternoon. Inside the crate, bound and gagged, lay an unconcious Selvith of the Whitecloaks. Tiny holes had been drilled into the crate so he would get enough air to survive. The Warder had knocked him out again that morning, having had him gagged in their rooms all night, and they had given the man some liquid, which Myrrhi had produced though he did not know from where, which she said would prolong his state of unconciousness and afterwards make him sleep for a good while. They had informed the boat’s captain that the crate must be included - Tower business, they had said without going into any detail - and he had been paid for his trouble.

 

It was the best they could do in the situation, they agreed, and as the riverboat drifted away from the quay and headed north along the River Erinin, Elessar and Myrrhi prepared to continue their journey south. It had taken some persuasion, and a decent bribe, to get their captain to delay his departure until late afternoon, but in the end he had acquiesced, giving them his customary gruff look and reply. They had left an anxious serving girl untied in Elessar’s room at the inn, telling her in no uncertain terms that she was never again to have anything to do with Selvith should he ever return or make contact with her anew. They were letting her go this time, with a stern warning to never even think of stealing from the White Tower again. She promised she would not, and the way her eyes widened and her voice quivered at even the sight of Myrrhi made Elessar believe she would keep her word.

 

●

 

As the ‘River Princess’ finally left the port town of Aringill behind, under a late afternoon ocean-blue Andoran sky, on course for the South and Tear, the Warder and Aes Sedai stood on deck by the rails staring at the flowing waters of the river passing by. Both thought of the journey ahead and of what awaited them down in Amadicia, home of the Children of the Light.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

The young woman almost strangled herself on her own spit when she heard Elessar's words.

 

Fancy me? What would you ask something like that? She wondered. She didn't dare to voice her question though. So much was at stake. Fortunately for her Selvith had not seen her reaction. His eyes were intensely fixated on the Warder, as if his glare would manage to drill holes through the Gaidin's skull.

 

The prisoner hissed as a cat ready to jump at his prey. He cursed and moved, pushing his throat against the Warder's blade. Blood trickled.

 

Myrrhi didn't like his answer. "I would rather sleep with a gutter-whore that to let such a God-cursed despicable Darkfriend touch me!" Selvith said in a spiteful voice. Again, the Green tried not to react. I shouldn't give worth to this man's words. I am sure he's a flaming Whitecloak...

 

Still, what he had said had hurt her. I am not a whore, she protested. I have never been one ... even if...

 

The night when her mother had tried to sell her to a future husband flashed through her mind. She saw herself once more in the too tight dress, her nose powdered and her hair made as if she was going to a ball. She had been covered with cheap perfume and not enough fabric to really feel at ease.

 

It took all her willpower to push the memories away. I need to focus! She urged herself before looking once again towards Selvith.

 

Her Warder had told him something she had not caught. She hoped it  was nothing of importance. How could their prisoner feel her if he knew she was day-dreaming... or more exactly reliving nightmares, she corrected herself.

 

Elessar turned towards her. Trying to guess what he had just said, she raised an eyebrow. There were chances that he was waiting for some kind of green light to go forward with his questioning.

 

The Warder's provocations were more effective than the young woman would have guessed. Her companion kept on calling the prisoner a Darkfriend. It clearly made the man's blood boil, enough for him to say one little word that confirmed his identity. Witch. He had called her Witch.

 

They know we are coming, Myrrhi thought. The Bond told her that Elessar was thinking the exact same thing.

 

***

 

"So," she said at last "you are not a Darkfriend after all ... you are one of the Whitecloaks." She looked at the prisoner with disgust in her eyes, relieved that she had been right from the start. "Now, what would a Whitecloak want with my possessions?" she asked.

 

Selvith resisted. The blade was still on his neck but it didn't matter to him. He refused to tell her more than he had already said, a grin on his face. It made the young woman shiver. She knew what the people who called themselves the Children of the Light would be capable of. She asked him the question one more time, then let her Warder take the lead. But the prisoner kept his mouth shut. This time the Green would have loved to see Elessar threatening the man just like he had threatened some of the Darkfriends they had encountered in the past. She wanted to see him suffer for his painful words... A small nod of her Warder head convinced her that it would be a very bad idea. They didn't need more hate from the Whitecloaks at the moment.

 

Instead, the Gaidin knocked Selvith out with a big smash of his left hand. The prisoner went down like a stone, and hit the floor head first.

 

Before leaving they discussed their options. The fact that the prisoner knew about Myrrhi proved that spies or traitors had infiltrated Tar Valon or maybe even the Tower itself. They would have to be careful. And one of the precaution they could take would be to hide Selvith. Or to take him out of the equation for a while. First they carried his still unconscious body to one of the small warehouses on the dock.

 

"What should we do with him?" Myrrhi asked scratching her head in a very un-Aes Sedai like way.

 

"Maybe you could use Saidar and make this wretched fool sleep for a week?" her Warder answered, raising one eyebrow.

 

"Are you crazy? He'd need to drink and eat.. no one can..."

 

Elessar started to chuckle.

 

"This is not funny!" the Green answered with a glare. "I thought you were serious..." Her Warder's grin was contagious though, and she ended up smiling as she rolled her eyes.

 

After considering different realistic options, they finally agreed to send the man upriver, in boat, locked up in a crate. This would delay any contact between the man and his superiors.

 

***

 

Selvith was not the only person they had to take care of before resuming their journey. Myrrhi made sure to spend enough time with the serving girl to prevent her from doing anything against the members of the White Tower again. Not only did they have a little chat but the Green also made her promise enough oaths to make her part of the Greens eyes and ears network. Of course Myrrhi wouldn't enlist her straight away. Candidates always needed to be tested, but if the girl was crazy enough to steal from an Aes Sedai she could surely have interesting uses.

 

As Myrrhi set foot on the River Princess she found herself smiling. She didn't like what was waiting for her in Amadicia but she would manage to get through it all. She took Elessar's arm and let him lead her towards the rail wondering when trouble would meet them again.

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Caught up in the ‘Winds of the Trolloc Wars’  ..

►▼◄

 

On a cloudy and somewhat windy afternoon, many days later, Elessar and Myrrhi left the ‘River Princess’ in northern Tear.

 

The riverboat drifted slowly toward the western riverbank, a field with some surrounding trees and brush in the near distance and the beginning of hills further away, and one of the young sailors jumped onto land to fasten the boat to a pole. It was no dock or quay, just a small pier that boats sometimes used if there was necessity to go ashore there between the river-villages of the region. The Warder and Aes Sedai walked their mounts slowly across the gangway and soon had their feet on solid ground. Myrrhi looked back at the boat with a somewhat wistful gaze, she was going to miss the boatride, while Elessar looked more forward to the ride ahead across country.

 

They shouted a farewell-greeting to the sailors and their gruff captain who waved back at them at the same time as steering the boat out onto the river again. Soon after the ‘River Princess’ glided southwards along the flowing waters of the Erinin in the direction of the Capital of Tear. Elessar and Myrrhi watched until the boat was nearly out of sight before mounting their horses, the ever valiant Stormbreaker and Tempest, and beginning the long ride westwards.

 

●

 

They rode into Lugard, the Capital city of Murandy, under a warm midday sun in a sapphire-blue sky. They had been travelling for what seemed an Age and some, days and nights flowing into each other and it seemed to the Warder difficult to judge how much time had in fact passed - weeks? - since they had left the ‘River Princess’, and they were both very weary. They rode silently through the broad but unpaved, busy city streets, past gray-stoned colourful-rooftiled shops and vendors, market places and monuments, locals and foreigners. Lugard was just as he remembered it: a dirty city, dusty and noisy, its gray outer walls in a state of disrepair and its inner stone walls in worse shape. Finally they arrived at their destination in this city: the ‘Voluptious Wench’ inn. A painted sign of a wicked-looking young woman above the entrance door stared down at them as they dismounted in front of the gray-stoned dusty building.

 

The Warder took their weary horses to the stable at the back while the Aes Sedai waited with their belongings. Soon Elessar was back, saying that a Lugardian stableboy had promised to take good care of their horses, and then they entered the establishment, the Gaidin one step behind his Aes Sedai. He carried their packs and put them down by a staircase, waiting while Myrrhi spoke to the innkeeper. Quickly they got two adjoining rooms and headed up the stairs, exchanging a few words as they walked. Not long after they were settled in their rooms, both looking forward to a nice long bath and some rest. Myrrhi could not wait to get the dust out of her hair and to get properly clean again.

 

They had ridden fast across country ever since leaving the River Erinin, past the forests near Far Madding and through parts of the hill-country in northern Illian, stopping only when absolutely necessary. They knew that the longer they delayed, the greater the chance that they would arrive too late in Amadicia to be able to help the lost Green Sister. That they may be too late already was something they tried not to think of as they sped ever westwards. They had stayed in few inns along the way, mostly sleeping in makeshift camps in the woods, riding almost until darkness each day and continuing the journey at daybreak. Their horses were exhausted now and so they had no choice but to rest a couple of days in Lugard before heading in the south-westerly direction of Amadicia. On the positive side, there had been no incidents during the journey, no trouble or signs of danger - be they of Darkfriend or Children of the Light kind. Elessar had not either seen any signs of the black bird of prey from before in the skies, gazing up at intervals to keep up his vigilance, and took that as a good sign. He remained vigilant though, as always, keeping in mind that dangers sometimes crept up on you when you least expected it.

 

●

 

After a lovely bath and several hours’ rest in their rooms, Elessar and Myrrhi met up downstairs in the inn’s Common Room for a meal and some entertainment. They chit-chatted while waiting for their food to arrive. The Common Room, in its typial Lugardian bawdy style, was almost full and bustling with activity. The Gaidin recognized locals by their complexion and attire and saw several foreigners too; some Altarans, a few Illianer men and also a couple of Northerners, Saldaeans by the look of them. As always in inns, some were rowdy and loud-spoken, others quiet and contemplating their lives in their half-full beer-glasses; some were tipsy, some drunk, some much drunker, and some silent, sober and just enjoying the night out and some fun entertainment. Bawdy women, local serving girls in very short skirts with a wicked grin and a mischievous glint in the eye, rushed about serving the guests as the innkeeper, another fat man with piercing eyes and a false grin, watched everything with a keen gaze.

 

His eyes turning back to Myrrhi, Elessar asked her if she had enjoyed her bath, to which she smiled broadly.

 

When the food arrived, it smelled of spices and delicious sauces. It was a local dish consisting of meat and potatoes, some vegetables, a lovely sauce and some spices that Elessar was unable to identify. After many, many days on the road with simple food this was a meal to be thoroughly enjoyed. They tucked in and ate in silence, savouring the food and the moment. When they were about half-way through, a gleeman entered the stage at the end of the Common Room and placed a flute at his feet. He bowed to the guests, to some applause, flourishing his cloak of many colourful patches, typical of his profession. He was a middle-aged man with short brown hair, a lean look and a short beard. His eyes lit up an otherwise ordinary-looking face and he seemed enthusiastic as he began to play his flute.

 

He was quite good, the listening Warder thought, as he continued eating and sipped from his ale. Not the best performer he had seen, not by a long way, but certainly not the worst either. The gleeman’s performance seemed to please the gathered crowd and he went straight into another melody, this one a jaunty tune that the locals seemed to recognize and appreciate. Several banged their tables to the rhythm and a few also danced, somewhat drunkenly, around the room. Much applause followed and it took some time before the crowd quieted down. When he had their full attention again, the gleeman set aside his instrument and started to sing. It was, not unexpectedly, a very bawdy tune, about a young cheeky maiden playing games of hide and seek with three love-struck young noblemen, and laughter and shouts of approval soon filled the Common Room as everyone enjoyed the performance.

 

●

 

A couple more songs in the same style followed, before the gleeman took a break and left the stage to get himself a drink. Myrrhi and Elessar chit-chatted about the decent - but decidedly bawdy -performance as they sipped their drinks, recalling well from before the city’s well-earned reputation for licentiousness and lewdness. The Warder wondered if the gleeman had other kinds of songs on his repertoire as well, more historically-oriented stories which he always enjoyed the most, and he soon got the answer to his question.

 

When the gleeman returned, bowing once again to the crowd of guests, he smiled an excited smile as he told those gathered that he would now give them a story.. out of history. Elessar grinned to himself, wondering which poem or story the man was going to tell. When the gleeman revealed it, the Gaidin nodded in satisfaction. ‘The Winds of the Trolloc Wars’ was a story out of history or myth.. perhaps it was a bit of both.. with unknown author, but believed to have been composed by a Borderlander some time in the past. It was another of Elessar’s many favourites.. and he looked forward to this new performance of the story.

 

Facing his eager audience, the gleeman spoke a few words in dramatic fashion, building the anticipation as he prepared to sing. Then his voice rose - he was a tenor, medium-high scaled - and soon everyone assembled were caught up in the story of Darkness and Light, of War and Sacrifice, transported back in Time and History to the dramatic stage of the Trolloc Wars by the gleeman’s accomplished and evocative voice..

 

●

 

►▼◄

 

‘The Winds of the Trolloc Wars’

 

In an Age of Darkness and battling Light

A Time of Conflict, a hardened Fight

The Shadowmight came from Northern Shores

It was a Time called the Trolloc Wars

 

Spawn of Darkness, coming from the Blight

Brought their evil, marching through the Night

Poured in masses into Southern Lands

Slaughtered the people and killing the Clans

 

Trollocs, Myrddraal, Draghkar, they All

Conquered in force for the Nations to Fall

Joined in mission by Darkfriends so Cruel

And also by Dreadlords with great lust to Rule

 

Opposed by the valiant Forces of Light

In Jaramide and Aramaelle, the erupting Fight

Was great and bloody, as Barsine Fell

Under the yoke of the Shadow’s Spell

 

The Ten Nations bravely tried to Defend

With Aes Sedai, the breaches to Mend

But could not contain the poisonous Spread

As men and women and children lay Dead

 

The city of Mafal Dadaranell was Lost

An Ogier-fortress, destroyed at high Cost

The Shadow turned south, toward kingdoms Great

Attacked Coremanda and Aridhol Straight

 

Major assaults on Tar Valon Occurred

The White Tower fought back and onward Spurred

Developing new tactics, encircling the Dark

Battling with strategy, lighting a Spark

 

The Fall of Manetheren and Aridhol as Well

Were heavy defeats for the Light, so they Tell

Eharon’s capital, Londaren Cor Overrun

Barashta destroyed, in the Light of the Sun

 

From the Embers of Defeat, the Light rallied Strong

The Shadow’s Forces confused, their judgment Wrong

Were taken aback, by the new Amyrlin’s Attack

Rashima Kerenmosa, fought the Darkness, pushed it Back

 

A great Battlefield commander, she the Aes Sedai Lead

To victory at the Shining Walls, assaulting army, Dead

For ten years she campaigned, the many lands to Free

From evil and oppression, until Maighande’s Battle Be

 

The Battle-Defeat weakened Shadowmight for Sure

But remnants fought on, using forcefulness and Lure

As time went by, their dreams of Power drowned in Vain

As the Darkfriend-forces and the Dreadlords were Slain

 

In the end the Shadowthreath was vanquished for Man

The Conflicts were ended, and Peacetime Began

All that was left of the Shadow’s Northern Shores

Was the echo of the Winds of the Trolloc Wars

 

►▲◄

 

  ▀▄

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi looked back at the River Princess and smiled. She didn’t want sadness to overcome her heart. She was grateful for everything she had learned and hoped that she’d be able to use it all in a near future.

 

She waved at the boat’s Captain and made her adieu, mimicking her Warder. She noted that it happened more and more often. When she didn’t know how to behave or if she wanted to impress, she took a look at Elessar. The man was so confident and impressive that he had become a source of inspiration for her.

 

Slowly, the River Princess disappeared. Myrrhi and her Warder waiting for it to be nearly out of sight before mounting heir horses.

 

"Let's go," Elessar told her with a grin on his face.

The Green nodded. "It's time for us to be on our way," she laughed. "That mission is not going to be done by itself!'

 

The ground was muddy. The hooves of her mare stuck to the mix of earth and water that led them to the main road. The place had had no quay, nor docks to welcome the travelers. It looked sad and shabby. The young woman started to feel anxious. Wouldn't this be the perfect place for an ambush or something similar? 

 

As usual, Elessar took the lead. With his eyes on the road and what laid ahead, Myrrhi convinced herself that she shouldn't worry.

 

***

 

It took them quite some time to reach Lugard, another city that Myrrhi had never visited before.  The young Green felt exhausted and the sight was definitely not enough to give her energy. The streets where unpaved and the buildings were mostly made of gray stone. Most were in a worrying state of disrepair. Their roofs might have been colorful, but it wasn't enough for the place to look welcoming.  It was dirty and very noisy.

 

The inn where they stopped had a strange name. The Voluptuous Wench it was called.

 

"Are you sure we should stop here?" Myrrhi asked her Warder as she dismounted.

 

Biting her lower lip, she looked around as Elessar tried to reassure her.

 

"Well, I'll trust you on this one... like on every other one," she said laughing. Her companion shook his head a smile on his face.

 

***

 

"Alright," Myrrhi said at last as she took another sip of ale. "You were right, this inn is very nice."

 

The bath had been perfect and the food to her taste. The gleeman were skilled even if their repertoire was quite bawdy.

 

The Aes Sedai and her Warder chatted for a while, until the gleeman announced something quite different. A poem, about the Trolloc Wars. It caught their attention. Elessar nodded in satisfaction as her heard the title. The story was one of his favorites. Eager to hear it, Myrrhi settled herself comfortably in her chair.

 

***

 

"I was quite surprised,'' the young Green said as she walked towards her room. "This gleeman can do much better than these bawdy songs we heard earlier."

 

Of course, seeing the name of the inn the audience might disagree with a different repertoire. She hadn't mind his first performance even if some parts of it had made her blush - it seemed to her that there was a lot she didn't know in some areas when it come to male-female relationships - but the tunes had been catchy and the atmosphere relaxing.

 

She and her Warder exchanged a couple more words before retiring for the night, each in their own bedroom. They were both very tired.

 

It took Myrrhi all her strength to get out of her dress and to glide between the covers of her bed. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched her pillow.

[Elessar]

.. Passing the River Manetherendrelle on the way West  ..

►▼◄

 

She is still young and innocent in the ways of the world, Elessar thought to himself with an inward grin, when he saw Myrrhi blush at parts of the bawdy songs the gleeman performed.

 

Most of her Green Sisters had more.. experience.. in such worldly matters as it were.. much more so in many cases, the Warder thought wryly. The Battle Ajah was not exactly known for the shyness and reservedness of its members. Elessar refrained from saying any such thing to his young Bondholder though, not wanting to embarrass her.

 

When Myrrhi commented on the bawdy songs the gleeman had sung, as they walked up toward their rooms, Elessar held her gaze as he said, “The guests here expected no less.”

 

He added with an open grin that had the Gleeman refrained from including any lewd songs, he would probably have been hounded out of there.

 

“Here in Lugard bawdiness is a way of life”, he said. “I have not quite encountered the like anywhere else in the lands.”

 

Shaking his head and chuckling under his breath, he added that Lugardian women were every bit as ‘saucy’, he winked at her playfully when he used the word, as those depicted in the gleeman’s songs. She only shook her head, keeping another blush off her cheeks, thinking that there was indeed much she didn't know in some areas when it came to male-female relationships.

 

They exchanged a couple more words before retiring for the night, each in their own bedroom. They were both very tired.

 

●

 

As he closed the door to his room behind him, the Gaidin wondered for a moment why he did not miss sharing the bed of his Aes Sedal, like many Warders to Green Sisters did. She was certainly attractive enough. It was partly because she was quite young for an Aes Sedai, he thought as he pulled off his shirt and pants, and innocent-seeming in the ways of men. But mostly it was because of his values as a Warder. Already in his Warder-training days he had been one of those men who had believed in a Warder-Sedai partnership that worked best if they remained friends but nothing more intimate. He had from early on feared that closer, more intimate relations and emotions between Warder and Aes Sedai would come in the way of duty and effective work for the White Tower, easily clouding judgment on a mission if love became an important factor in a life-death situation.

 

Other Warder-trainees wanting to Bond Green Aes Sedai women had disagreed, arguing instead that a ‘love bond’ as they called it, perhaps even going as far as marrying each other in some cases, could bring a Warder and Sedai even closer together, making them the perfect couple and weapon to fight the Shadow. The older Warder teachers had listened with interest to both arguments and had said that there were no definite answers to this question, it would depend on the individuals and personal characteristics. They cautioned, however, that duty must always come first for a Warder and an Aes Sedai.

 

Elessar had not changed his view when he had Bonded his first Sister, the Green Leandreen. She had told him from early on that she shared his views on this matter, she wanted a good friendship but wanted no intimate relations or love with her Warders, but that there were other Sisters of her Battle Ajah who decidedly disagreed, she had added with a wry grin and a chuckle. Kathleen also of the Green had seemed to be of the same view, and his Yellow Bondholders had, as expected, taken it for granted. Many Warders found regular.. amusement elsewhere, but that had never been Elessar’s way. His passion was primarily his duty, his partnership and friendship with his Aes Sedai. It took up all his time.

 

It was his life.

 

●

 

After a good night’s sleep, they met up for breakfast down in the Common Room. They chatted as they ate, speaking of how they would spend the day in Lugard. Their horses needed the day’s rest before their continuing journey westwards and Elessar had to buy some more provisions. 

 

“Want us to have a look around?” He asked, as he sipped some water.

 

Myrrhi nodded, wondering inside if there were any sights worth seeing in this dusty, noisy city. Elessar explained that there were some places worth visiting in Lugard and soon after they left the ‘Voluptious Wench’ inn and headed into the busy city streets. Carriages pulled by horses rushed by as the two made their way down the street. Shopkeepers and vendors of all kinds cried out their wares as they walked by.

 

In one shop they passed, an antiques shop it seemed to be, a large sign from inside the window read: 

 

‘Lugarder saying: "Trust no one but your self, and yourself not too much.”’

 

It was difficult to tell whether it was meant seriously or as humour, or both. Elessar, who had heard this saying before, believed there was much truth in it, in this city of thievery and licentiousness. He enjoyed the local irony, intended or unintended, of the sentence, while Myrrhi just looked puzzled as she read the saying, wondering what kind of people these Lugardians really were.

 

●

 

They passed people of all kinds, Murandians and folk from far-away lands, taverns, a few smithies, more shops, a few monuments and several inns. Elessar bought the provisions they needed for themselves and their mounts, and they stopped at a tavern to eat some lunch, before continuing seeing the sights of the Capital. Later that day, beneath a sunny blue sky, they headed back to their inn and, after looking in on their horses, enjoyed another long bath and some rest before an evening meal in the Common Room.

 

The next day they rose early, ate a quick breakfast, retrieved all their belongings and then departed the city for the next leg of their journey. The weather had changed during the night and light rain fell on the Capital of Murandy as they made their way through the awakening city streets. Elessar and Myrrhi both hoped it would not pour down in the coming hours, but bad weather or no, they needed to be on their way.

 

“Let’s hope the weather clears further west”, Elessar spoke to Myrrhi, echoing her thoughts, as he led the way out of the city, her mare a few feet behind and to the side.

 

“On we go.” The Gaidin said as he spurred Stormbreaker onwards. “Time is not on our side.”

 

Myrrhi nodded knowingly, and then focused her stare on the road ahead, thinking on what awaited them down in Amadicia.

 

●

 

They rode westwards on the main road beetwen Lugard and Jehannah, the Capital of Ghealdan. It was a busy road with many travellers, at least for part of the way. Horses and carriages rushed along as well as travellers on foot who walked wearily, making sure to avoid the galloping horses heading their way. Myrrhi and Elessar also saw several carts slowly pulled by cattle, local farmers for the most part, on their way to and fro the Capital. Many leagues later, under a partially clouded sky, they passed the Manetherendrelle River, crossing a small bridge onto land on the other side.

 

Elessar knew much about the River Manetherendrelle. Geography was one of the areas Warders needed to have knowledge in, and already in Warder training it had been part of his studies. This river was one of the primary waterways of the continent. Together with its major tributary, the Arinelle, it dominated much of the central-western region from the Borderlands down to the furthest South and kept those lands fertile.

 

The Manetherendrelle itself rises in the Mountains of Mist at the extreme south-western tip of the Two Rivers district of Andor, the Gaidin thought to himself as he watched the swirling waters. The Tarendrelle joins the Manetherendrelle further east before it is also joined by the Arinelle some distance south of Whitebridge. The river then turns south and flows for several hundred miles through Altara, here along the border of Murandy and through Illian before meeting the Sea of Storms at the City of Illian.

 

A major waterway indeed, Elessar nodded to himself as they crossed the river and soon left the nation of Murandy behind.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Elessar]

.. Crossing the Border into the Nation of Amadicia  ..

►▼◄

 

They continued westward through northern Altara, making speed as much as they could, stopping only to rest and water their horses and to make night camp in woodlands. They did not speak much as they travelled, each intent on the road ahead and on what awaited them at the end of that road. They had decided to travel via Jehannah instead of cutting across country further south in Ghealdan. The roads were better between the capitals and they needed some new provisions which were easier to get hold of in Jehannah. Myrrhi also had a matter to take care of there. It would perhaps extend their journey by a couple of days but they agreed it was worth it.

 

There were no signs of Whitecloaks or Darkfriends and Elessar began to wonder if they would make it all the way to Amadicia before they encountered the infamous Children of the Light. The fear grew in him that it could be they would be too late to save that Green Sister, and sometimes when he met Myrrhi’s eyes he thought he read in them a similar doubt, but neither spoke of their potential misgivings, focusing instead on getting to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

Dusk was setting in, day moving toward night, as they rode into the Ghealdan Capital of Jehannah. Ghealdan was a land of mountains and foothills in the west, the rocky lands along the ridge in the east, and large swathes of forest in between, such as the Dhallin Forest. They had passed through regions of woods, hills and ridges, a partial change from their earlier paths across the continent, and found Jehannah to be a smaller Capital with less dust and noise than had been the case in Lugard. Riding along the city streets, they passed the royal residence, the Jheda Palace, as they headed for the inn where they would stay the night. Elessar had only been in Jehannah once during his many years as a Warder but he remembered the inn where he had stayed, a pleasant establishment centrally located.

 

●

 

Passing buildings of all sizes along the way and a fair bustle of people around despite the time of day, they finally arrived at a stone building with a sign telling all visitors that this was the ‘Western Blade’ inn. Nodding to Myrrhi, he dismounted quickly and watched her do likewise. She had become a fairly good rider during their travels and mounting and dismounting smoothly which was never easy for a beginner was now almost second-nature to her. He smiled to himself, thinking how far she had come in more ways than one. Taking their weary horses to the stable at the back, the Gaidin spoke a few words to the stableboy - a lanky Lugardian boy in his mid-teens - before returning to the front of the inn. They walked inside, Elessar carrying their belongings, and were greeted by a smiling landlord and innkeeper who welcomed them warmly to his humble inn.

 

They met up downstairs for a quick evening meal a short while later, before enjoying a bath upstairs and then heading off to bed. They were both exhausted, having ridden with haste almost all the way from Murandy, and no sooner did they rest their heads on their pillow than they were fast asleep.

 

●

 

Elessar did not have extensive knowledge of Jehannah, but he knew from books that the Capital  was built on the site of the ancient city of Shanaine, formerly a part of the famous nation of Manetheren, one of the Ten Nations of history. Jehannah was situated on the River Boern, a river that flows through Ghealdan. It flows out of the Mountains of Mist and passes through Jehannah on its way to Boannda, where it joins the River Eldar.

 

Sitting outside the inn late that morning, he could see the river in the distance. It looked small from afar but he knew it was of some size and strength. Turning his head at a sound, he saw Myrrhi come up to his table and sit down. From what she had told him, she had contacted the local agent of the Green’s ‘Eyes and Ears’, their spy-network, to get an update on the situation down in Amadicia and to report back. Seated opposite him now, she told him the little she knew. The Green Sister was still missing, by some feared already dead, but her superiors had ordered her to proceed with the mission and head as quickly as possible to Amadicia in case there was still a chance the Green Sister could be found and rescued.

 

●

 

Elessar nodded, thinking again deep inside that the chances of finding this Aes Sedai alive and well diminished every day, but he did not speak his thoughts aloud. They would do their utmost to find and rescue her, if it were possible. There was nothing more to it. They shared a knowing smile, then left the inn and went to get some more provisions. In late afternoon that same day they collected their horses, partially rested and ready for another trek, and said goodbye to their innkeeper. Riding slowly out of the Ghealdan Capital, embraced by the warmth of the the sun in an ocean-blue sky above, they set course directly south toward Amadicia.

 

They travelled across ridges and hills and then through a forested region, Elessar keeping up his vigilance, and along both well-travelled and less travelled paths. The closer they got to the nation of the Whitecloaks the surer he was that they would soon come upon some of their kind. And several leagues further south, on a rain-filled early evening, they did almost encounter a band of Children of the Light.

 

●

 

They were still in Ghealdan but only a day’s ride or so from the border, the Gaidin estimated. The band, riding in columns military style, 4 men abreast and with their white cloaks flapping in the southerly wind, rode down the main road as if they owned it, the characteristic all-knowing arrogance of the Children in their faces. Watching from their hidden place in the nearby woods, Elessar kept his eye vigilantly on the band until they were out of sight.

 

●

 

“Look at the light almost shining out of their eyes”, the Warder whispered at one point in a critical voice.

 

Even from a distance the passing white-cloaked soldiers’ faces seemed to glow.

 

Myrrhi nodded beside him, understanding what he meant.

 

“They burn with the so-called Truth”, he added, “which they and no one else knows.”

 

Elessar considered the Whitecloaks misguided zealots at best, arrogant extremist fools in general, who saw the Shadow behind every corner.

 

●

 

“Worst of the lot are the Questioners”, he almost spat out but keeping his voice so low that it would not carry. Myrrhi saw his eyes harden dangerously. “They are nothing but fanatical torturers, who ‘put you to the Question’ with the sole purpose of making you confess your sins whether real or imagined.”

 

Myrrhi did not respond but when his eyes met hers he could see from her facial expression that she did not either hold these Children, be they soldiers or Questioners, in high regard. Not at all. They watched in silence after that, as the columns of Whitecloaks rode on down the road.

 

●

 

Elessar had discovered the Whitecloaks on one of his regular ‘rideouts’ to see if there were any danger before them or behind, and they had had time to hide themselves from inquiring eyes. This was not the time to face the Whitecloaks and risk difficult questions, he had argued, and Myrrhi had agreed. They needed to get into Amadicia and somehow locate the missing Sister, provided she was still alive, before taking on these Children of the Light.

 

Waiting several minutes to ensure they were all gone, the Gaidin finally raised himself from his crouching position behind an oak and walked the distance to the main road. Gazing both ways, he watched and listened for some moments, finally deemed it safe and waved for Myrrhi to join him and bring their horses. She soon stood beside him and they shared another knowing look before mounting their horses and continuing their journey. Only dust remained in their wake.

 

●

 

On a partially cloudy and rather dismal late afternoon, with a strong, stinging northerly breeze at their backs, their horses galloping friskily along the dusty southern roads, Elessar Telcontar Gaidin and Myrrhi Morrigen Aes Sedai of the Battle Ajah finally crossed the border into the nation of Amadicia.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi didn't know what to think about Lugard. It had made her feel young, very young and inexperienced about life. A feeling that had annoyed her for the best part of their stay. Wasn't she supposed to be an Aes Sedai? A well of knowledge and power? The more she thought about it the more she felt ashamed. Not wanting her Warder to know about what busied her mind, she had done her best to focus on their surroundings. And the city had been complex enough to attract her full attention during the days she had spent there. It was far from pretty but it housed people of all sort, actors of a multitude of scenarios. Her eyes flashing from one of these to the other barely managed to keep track of everything that was happening around them. Andor, which was definitely a bigger city, was as calm as a pond compared to the streets she had crossed. The same could be said of Tar valon where the citizens rarely dared to commit even the smallest crimes. The city that housed the White Tower was known not to tolerate any step out of the line.

 

Feeling nostalgic about the two places where she had spent most of her life she was happy to find herself on the road again for the next part of their journey which would lead them to the West, through the northern part of Altara. The new landscapes and the fresh air lightened her heart. She took the time to look around. There weren't many travelers nor animals to watch but the flora was a nice change of scenery after the dirt of the Lugardian alleys. She found herself smiling again but only for a while. Her dark thoughts and the shame she had felt on Lugard crept back every know and then pushing her to stay silent. 

 

Strangely nothing of interest happened during their trip to the city of Jehannah, the capital of Ghealdan. They encountered no Whitecloaks, nor Darkfriends or brigands.

 

It even made her wonder whether or not they were on the right road. A quick look at Elessar's determined face convinced her that her doubts had no reason to be. The man knew where he was going. Like before it seemed that he had studied all the existing maps in the World, not only could be comment on the nearby villages but he was also a mine of useful information about the places where they could stop for the night. The Young Green decided to commit everything he said to her memory, hoping that one day she'd be able to impress him - or someone else - with her knowledge of Altara or Ghealdan.

 

Time passed, though. and she started to fear for her Green Sister. Would the emptiness of the road mean that the woman was in trouble? That she was surrounded by all these Whitecloaks that would usually patrol the area?

 

She expressed her fears to her Warder who shared some of them. Together they decided to increase their traveling speed.

 

***

 

Following her orders, Myrrhi walked up early to make contact with the Green's eyes and ears. Not knowing what to expect she dressed simply. With a plain dress and a braid, no one would recognize her as an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah especially since she hid her serpent ring. It safely hung on a cord under her shift.

 

Peeking through the bond, she felt that Elessar was still asleep. Good, she thought with a grin. It made her feel happy to do something completely on her own. Her Warder's company was something she enjoyed a lot but she needed to act alone every now and then. It was a a way for her to prove to herself that she could do things.

 

By chance, she didn't have to go far to find the person she had to meet. The Green eyes and ears was one of the city guards. An Officer. And when Myrrhi set her eyes on him, she understood why the Greens had picked him. The man had definitely an unforgettable face.

 

***

 

"Good day, Warder" Myrrhi said as she joined Elessar. She grinned as she sat opposite him.

"I have some information," she went on but before going further she turned to meet the innkeeper's eyes. The man came to their table at once, and took her order. It is only when he came back with a cup of strong tea that she explained to the Warder what she had learned in the morning.

 

Ayntheo had not been able to tell her much but the information he had given her were enough to give them some idea of what to do next. The Green Sister was still missing and some feared she was already dead. Still, Myrrhi and her Warder had for orders to go forward with the mission. They would need to go as quickly as they could to Amadicia.

 

As she gulped the last drops of her drink, Elessar divided the tasks they would need to perform before leaving the city. They needed provisions, as their bags were almost empty, and the young Aes Sedai would need a new change of clothes. She would have to leave her beautiful green dresses behind since they were a clear sign of her station. They left the inn as soon as they could each on their way and only returned in the late afternoon. Both had been successful in gathering their supplies, which allowed them to leave immediately.

 

The horses looked partially rested. The best would have been to leave them in a stable for at least 24 more hours, to make sure they completely recovered from their previous journey but Myrrhi and ELessar knew that it was not possible. A whole day of delay could mean the death of the Green Sister. They offered a fresh apple to each of the mounts before setting themselves on the road, hoping it would give some extra strength to the poor animals.

 

They rode slowly out of the city, under the rays of a warm sun.

 

***

It didn't take long for them to encounter a band of Children of the Light. The band rode in columns of 4 men abreast, their White cloaks flapping in the wind. By chance, they had not noticed Myrrhi nor her Warder.

 

The Aes Sedai's heart tightened. She crossed her fingers hoping that none would decide to come their way.

 

"Look at the light almost shining our of their eyes," the Warder whispered.

 

Myrrhi nodded. "It is almost the same kind of light that shines in the eyes of the Darkfriends,' she said sadly. "They are all fanatics...." She sighed.

 

Elessar replied that these faces where burning with a so-called truth that they and no one else knew. It could make them even more dangerous that the agents of the dark that they had earlier met. He explained to her that the worst were the questioners. The way he spat out they name made Myrrhi wonder whether he had already encountered some of them. She looked at him and saw his eyes harden dangerously. He talked some more about them and what he said made her shiver. What would she do would she be caught by one of them ?

 

It was only once the column and several minutes had passed that the Warder left their hiding spot. He slowly moved towards the main road to check whether or not it was cleared, which it was. After gazing both ways and listening for some time to the surrounding noises, he made a sign for Myrrhi to join him with the horses. The young Aes Sedai nodded and came to him, focused on the way the Whitecloaks had gone. Only dust remained in their wake but she didn't feel reassured.

 

***

 

Cold sweat glided down Myrrhi's back as she crossed the border of Amadicia. Her eyes met Elessar's.

 

"So, what is our story?" she asked him. She knew they had already covered the topic but fear prevented her from thinking straight. "What should we say if we meet Whitecloaks?"

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Caught up in the History of the Children of the Light  ..

►▼◄

 

"So, what is our story?" Myrrhi asked Elessar, as they came to a stop, not long after having crossed the border into Amadicia.

 

Sitting atop his black warhorse Stormbreaker, the Warder looked across at his young Aes Sedai. She sat seemingly at ease on her mare’s back, the reigns held loosely in her hand. Her stare looked steady though he felt a little apprehension coming trough the Bond. No wonder, they were in ‘enemy country’ as it were and the danger would rise as they made their way southwards toward their destination, where they believed the Green Sister had been captured.

 

They had spoken of what they were to attempt, covered the topic well, but he guessed she wanted some reassurance that their plan was a good one.

 

"What should we say if we meet Whitecloaks?" She added, as he considered his response.

 

He patted his frisky black stallion on the back, speaking soothingly to the horse to calm him, and the valiant beast gradually calmed down. He then met Myrrhi’s eyes squarely as he spoke.

 

“The plan we agreed upon is the best I can come up with”. He said. “It’s not the greatest of plans, I admit, but it should get us into town without too much suspicion incited and then we can get on with our business.”

 

●

 

The plan was simple: they were masquerading as an Andoran Noble woman - of a minor Andoran House named Renshar - with her guard, travelling to Amadicia, and the town of Mardecin, on House business. Accordingly they had changed into more neutral looking travelling clothes and Myrrhi had removed all signs of her being Aes Sedai. Elessar had put away his warder’s fan-cloak but kept his sword at his side as befitted a guard or protector of a Noble lady. It was wise to hide their identities for as long as possible. In Amadicia being even associated with the White Tower spelled trouble, so the longer they could stay hidden in that regard the better the chance of success in their mission.

 

A simple plan, but simple plans were often the best.

 

“Should we come upon Whitecloaks”, he added, “we just play our part. They could, of course, be on the lookout for a couple of travellers like us, if that Whitecloak up north sent word, but if we are prudent and careful I think we shall manage.”

 

“One way or another we will get past them”, Elessar whispered almost to himself as he nudged his horse in the side and made him carry him forwards.

 

He was not sure if Myrrhi had heard, but the quick glance she gave him as she caught up with him after two dozen steps or so, as well as a feeling of determination that came through the Bond, made him certain she had indeed heard his whisper. He guessed that she still was somewhat on edge, but he got the impression that his words had made her a little more confident. As they faced forwards, their mounts now galloping down the dusty southern roads, the Warder thought of the danger that awaited them further south and of ways to deal with that danger.

 

●

 

That evening they made camp in a forested area some way off the main road. Elessar scouted the woods for any danger while Myrrhi made a small campfire and prepared some food. As they sat opposite each other, their eyes meeting above the flames, eating some dried meat and drinking from their water flasks, Elessar told her some of what he knew of the History of the Children of the Light.

 

“According to historians”, he began as he chewed on a strip of meat, “the Children of the Light were founded in FY 1021 during the War of the Hundred Years by Lothair Mantelar. They were originally preachers working to expose Darkfriends, using Mantelar's book ‘The Way of the Light’ as their guide.”

 

Elessar stared into the Light of the Fire, as if looking for truth in the words of History he spoke.

 

“At first it is said”, he continued, “they only defended themselves against the Shadow, but by FY 1111 they had become a fully militarized force. The Children's power and prestige was initially limited, but over the succeeding one thousand years, as the influence of the Aes Sedai began to ebb due to their declining numbers and failure to prevent the War of the Hundred Years and many subsequent conflicts, they became more popular and powerful.”

 

Myrrhi listened in silence to her Warder’s voice. She had always thought he was a good storyteller, impressed with his excellent memory for detail, and she enjoyed listening to him speak, even now when the topic was the vile Whitecloaks.

 

●

 

“In the 930s NE”, Elessar added, “they reached an accord with the king of Amadicia, who agreed to let them establish a permanent base of operations, the Fortress of the Light, in the capital city of Amador. However, according to historians the power of the Children within Amadicia rapidly outstripped that of the king, and within a few years the royal Serenda Palace had been removed to outside the capital and the Amadician army reduced to an auxiliary force under the Children.”

 

“The Children, it is believed, entered a period of rapid growth under young, successful military commanders such as Pedron Niall, and in 957 NE, they launched an ambitious attempt to bring the much larger and more divided neighbouring kingdom of Altara under their rule in what became known as the Whitecloak War. The kingdoms of Illian and Murandy intervened in the conflict and the Children were forced to abandon the attempt, despite significant military gains and successes.”

 

The Warder took a long sip from his flask and then put it aside. He met Myrrhi’s eyes above the flames, the darkness pushing in from all sides, and stayed silent for a long while.

 

Finally he said, “There is more to the story, but we’ll save that for another night.”

 

●

 

She nodded to him and thanked him for the story so far of the Children of the Light, keeping her inner thoughts of the Whitecloaks - and their rise to power - to herself.

 

They soon finished their small meal and lay down in their blankets, under a black starry sky, to get some much needed sleep.

 

Elessar’s last thoughts that night before he entered a light sleep, were of white-cloaked, heavily armed zealots, on their burning crusade throughout the lands.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Masquerading as Lady Renshar, Myrrhi rode with her nose high up in the air. Minor nobles were nobles after all. They liked to act as if they were at the top of the society, as long as none of their betters were around. She closed her eyes for a while, and pictured what would happen would they be arrested by White Cloaks.

 

I am Lady Renshar, she would tell them. And I need to be on my way.

No, she corrected herself. I should add something about the Light...

 

I am Lady Renshar. The Light shines upon you... upon us...

No, this is too nice.

 

I am ...

 

Time passed and the sun slowly disappeared from the sky. Myrrhi knew that her Warder had felt her frustration. To prove that he didn't have to worry she pushed her mare at his horse's side. Immediately, the man turned his head towards her.

 

"I guess you'll do the talking. Or at least you'll be the one who'd talk first if we are arrested?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh, so that's what you were thinking about." her Warder replied with mirth in his eyes.

With a few words he convinced her that she shouldn't concentrate all her energy of a speech that she would probably not have to give. There were other things to focus on, the missing sister among them.

"Alright, I"ll try not to think about it..." she shook her head and smiled. "You should know what they tell about the Whitecloaks back in the White Tower. Some of it made me have nightmares for months."

 

As the young Green told her Warder about the scary tales the Accepted told to each other about the Children of the Light, the two companions made their way through a forested area that bordered the road. They needed to find a good camping spot before the sunset. And they found one without too much trouble. Like usual they divided the chores. Elessar left the small camp to scout the area while Myrrhi would light a fire and prepare some food.

 

***

 

As they ate, the Warder told Myrrhi some of what he knew about the Children of the Light. It was clearly different from what she had heard so far. Of course, she had read a couple of books about them but had never managed to feel the need to know more about these annoying idiots. As a student of the One Power there had been other topics that had attracted much more of her attention.

 

"Thank you", she said at last, nodding to Elessar. I will definitely keep this in mind, and try to forget about these silly tales about fangs and such ...

 

They silently finished their meals, before readying themselves for the night. The sky was black but filled with stars. The young Green could see some of them between the branches of the trees that surrounded her.

 

As she laid her head on her arms, she made the wish that no one would wake her up in the middle of the night.

 

***

 

As if the stars had listened to her wish, Myrrhi only woke on the next morning after a good night of rest. She had probably had dreams but she couldn't remember any.

 

Yawning in a very un-Aes Sedai fashion, she turned her head towards the fire. It had not lasted the night. Quickly, she opened herself to Saidar and used a thread of fire to lighten it again. She didn't really need its warmth to feel comfortable but she liked to have a lit campfire next to her. It made her feel safer. Indeed, since she was quite weak with Fire, having one nearby could improve her chances at succeeding some of the hardest combat weaves.

 

" Good morning," she said to her Warder. She didn't have to look at him to know that he was awake. The man had such a light sleep that the slightest change in his surroundings would be enough to wake him up.

 

[Elessar]

.. Surrounded by Embers of Questions  ..

►▼◄

 

“Good Morning”, Myrrhi said.

 

Elessar had been awake for some time, lost in thoughts of past and present, but had remained in his blankets as his Aes Sedai had awakened and stirred a few feet away. His sleep in the way of Warders was often light, a useful - some would say vital - trait learned by Gaidin early on, so he was in some way aware of the world around him even while in a light sleep.

 

“Good Morning”, he replied with a smile as he moved out of his blankets, noticing that their small campfire was burning.

 

“Another beautiful day in Whitecloak country”, he added with a lopsided grin to which she raised an eyebrow and then returned his grin.

 

Walking off to the side a ways, he threw some water on his face from a water flask brought for that purpose and wondered if it was going to be a beautiful day or if they were going to come face to face with some of those fanatic Children of the Light. Drying himself off with a small towel he turned to face Myrrhi who by then was up and about, making them a decent breakfast.

 

“Ah, food.” He said, eying hungrily the strips of dried beef she had placed on two plates.

 

She added some bread and mushrooms and a few spices.

 

“Though it must be said”, he added jokingly, “your cooking-skills leave a LOT to be desired.. Lady Renshar.”

 

●

 

She stuck her tongue out at him, in a very un-(Noble)Lady like fashion, and almost threw her frying-pan at him in mock-anger. His grin widened though he tactfully turned away from her so she would not hear his slight chuckle. In fact he much enjoyed the food she dished out on their travels, though he was careful not to praise her food openly. He did not want her to get a too big opinion of herself after all. When their eyes met again, the wry look she gave him almost made him believe she could read his mind.

 

“Since my cooking is apparently NOT up to your standards”, she then said with a wide evil grin, “I will enjoy this breakfast while you can.. chew on that delicious root over there.”

 

She pointed at a wizened brown root that she had pulled out of the ground a little earlier.

 

He looked in the direction she pointed, seeing the object in question.

 

“Can I have some salt to go with that?” The Gaidin finally said mock-seriously, as he picked up the withered root and looked at it lovingly.

 

There was a moment’s silence, and then they both burst into laughter at the dark, comical hilarity of it all.

 

●

 

They broke camp a little later as a warm sun was rising in the sky and rode on along the broad paths that would lead them even closer to their final destination.

 

He did not know much about Mardecin. He knew that it was a small town in western Amadicia and that there was a garrison of the Children of the Light in the town. He had never been there before - his previous visits to the region had been to the Capital Amador - but what little he had read about the place it seemed very similar to countless other somewhat worn small towns in the South that had fallen on hard times. Under normal circumstances they would reach the town in four or five days, but in many ways these were not normal times. It was too much to hope for that they would avoid Whitecloak patrols for that whole stretch.

 

It was not a question of if they would meet the Children of the Light, rather of when.

 

●

 

Two days later, under the Light, in a small village called ‘Venidar’ further south in Amadicia, they got their answer.

 

“You two.. what is your business here!?”

 

The brown-haired man in his mid-twenties, an arrogant grin on his smooth-shaven, somewhat gaunt face, looked with piercing dark eyes harshly down from atop his warhorse at the finely dressed woman and her guard. His white cloak flapped in the wind, the sun glinting off his polished sword at his side, his voice filled with all-knowing authority.

 

Elessar and Myrrhi - or rather ‘guard Sym Derevni’ and ‘Lady Sylvase Renshar’ - stood calmly before the horse, their faces smooth though inside both felt their hearts make an extra beat. The Whitecloak had appeared out of nowhere, halting his mount before the two strangers, and it was important now that they play their part as they had planned.

 

Do they know who we are? They both wondered silently. Have we been discovered?

 

●

 

They had stopped in the village earlier that day, in part to get some provisions but also to rest their tired horses. The plan had been to rent a room at the local inn and continue their journey the next day. The village had been sparsely crowded and the local villagers had barely spared them a look as they had wandered about, getting their business done and stretching their legs. There had been no sign of Whitecloaks anywhere.. until now.

 

They had agreed that Elessar was to be the one to speak unless Myrrhi was asked a specific question. He had more experience in such matters. He considered his words and knew that it would be prudent to try and avoid antagonizing this soldier of the Children. They were still a few days from their destination and if a confrontation could be avoided now that would be for the best.

 

“Sir”, Elessar began with proper humility, keeping his voice steady, “this is the Lady Renshar of Andor.. who is on important House business here in Amadicia. I am her guard and protector on this journey. Derevni is my name.”

 

The Child looked closely at the two, doubt evident in his shining eyes.

 

“A Noblewoman?” He sneered, taking in her clothes and bearing. It was obvious that he did not have a very high opinion of nobility.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Elessar answered humbly. “And it is good to see the Children patrolling the region. It makes it safer for us all to travel”, he added steadily as he inadvertantly sized up the three other Whitecloaks who had come to a sudden stop beside their leader, holding tightly on to their horses’ reins.

 

The patrol leader grunted. “Only those who walk in Shadow have anything to fear.”

 

●

 

Looking even more closely at the supposed guard, he asked, “You are certainly not Andoran.. how come you are guard and protector for this noble lady?”

 

The way he pronounced ‘noble’ made it clear it was meant as an insult. It reinforced Elessar’s first impression that this soldier not only disliked nobles but rather despised them.

 

“You are right”, Elessar replied, letting none of his disgust for this despicable character shine through in his voice. “I am from the Borderlands. I travelled south many years ago looking for work and ended up in Andor. Took up work as a guard for hire, and later in the service of a noble house. I stayed, and have been there ever since.”

 

The patrol leader listened impatiently for the explanation, and his face showed that he was weighing every word in his mind. The Gaidin, meanwhile, felt some relief inside that it seemed they had not been recognized by the Whitecloaks. Perhaps they could get out of this situation without the need for steel.

 

“The Borderlands..”, the Whitecloak leader muttered almost to himself. “Close to the tain of the Shadow..”

 

●

 

Focusing again on the guard before him, also taking in his sword, he asked with glowing passion in his voice: “Do you walk in the Light, Borderlander?”

 

“I do, Sir. “ Elessar’s voice had unknowingly taken on a slight arrogant streak as he looked up at the mounted rider. “We all walk in the Light.”

 

The patrol leader’s mouth twisted at hearing the guard’s words.

 

“The Shadow lurks everywhere, Borderlander..” He said with spite in his voice. “In many places, and in many hearts, that you would not believe.”

 

His eyes lit up in zeal.

 

“That is why we Children must hunt and expose all evil across the lands..uncover the Darkfriends and their minions.. and bring them to justice.. to the Light!”

 

●

 

His fanatic face mirrored those of his fellow soldiers who listened quietly from atop their horses, nodding now and again to their leader’s passionate words.

 

Elessar was truly disgusted by these dangerous zealots, but kept his face smooth as he waited for this particular zealot’s next question. For he would surely have more. They always did.

 

Staring down at the guard and the noblewoman, the patrol leader’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Lady”, he said, this time facing Myrrhi. There was undisguised scorn in his voice.”Lady Renshar.”

 

Don’t let him provoke you, Elessar thought inside as the Whitecloak’s attention shifted to.. ‘Lady Renshar’.

 

Some apprehension came through the Bond from his Aes Sedai, and he hoped she recalled the advice he had given her in preparation. Even so, preparation was one thing; the real experience something different.

 

The Whitecloak looked her up and down for a long while, his eyes finally fastening on hers.

 

He nodded to himself, as if he had seen a self-evident truth.

 

His eyes burned with a passionate Light.

 

“My Lady.. I see the Shadow in you.”

 

●

 

Far above, there was a shrill cry in the skies as a dark bird of prey passed the village, floating on dangerous winds, its gaze fixed on the tense scene below.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

“You two.. what is your business here!?”

 

Myrrhi froze. She tried not to look towards her Warder. I am Lady Renshar, she told herself. I shouldn't look at my Warder as soon as something out of the ordinary happens ...

 

Taking a deep breath, she turned and stared haughtily at the brown hair man in front of her. He was in his mid-twenties, barely looking older than her. Even if she was in her thirties already, the One Power had already slowed the aging. But it would take a couple of decades before she would get the ageless face that most of her Sisters shared.

 

 

The newcomer grinned. He looked so arrogant, the perfect image of a Whitecloak.

 

Elessar allowed his mount to turn towards him. As agreed upon he made the introductions, careful to keep enough humility in his voice. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that his act worked on the young man.

 

"A Noblewoman?" he said with a sneer. Eyeing Myrrhi from head to toe, he showed enough dislike to make her cringe.

 

“Yes, Sir. And it is good to see the Children patrolling the region. It makes it safer for us all to travel," said the Warder.

 

The young Green smiled to show her appreciation as the man replied that only those who walk in Shadow had anything to fear. Before she had the time to react, he nodded. His eyes flashed to Myrrhi's Warder, whom he flooded with questions. Fortunately Elessar managed to answer each of them. Again, he was the perfect actor. Smiling when he had to, sighing when it made sense. His calm was contagious and the Aes Sedai really thought them to be out of suspicions ... until...

 

“My Lady.. I see the Shadow in you,” the man said, his eyes burning with faith in his cause.

 

"You do?" she simply asked, trying to keep her brow as smooth as the calmest sea.

 

Many plans passed through her mind. But she had to admit that most of them could lead her to a gruesome questioning, something she would prefer to avoid.

 

"Yes, my lady," the man replied making a step towards her. "Have you had dealings with the White Tower?" His eyes slowly glided on her hands, as if he wanted to check whether or not she was wearing a Serpent ring. Half satisfied with its absence, he brushed his hair with one of his hands.

 

"Who doesn't?" she replied. "Those witches are everywhere..."

 

"Yes, they are..."

 

The Whitecloak looked around as if he was undecided about what to do next. Something told the Green that he wanted to find some reasons to cause them trouble.

Edited August 6, 2017 by Chaelca

[Elessar]

.. The Complexities of a spoken Confrontation  ..

►▼◄

 

"Yes, they are..."

 

There was clear conviction in the Whitecloak patrol leader’s voice, even as he looked around as if he were somewhat undecided about what to do next. Not that he really needed justification to take these two suspicious characters in for proper questioning if he deemed it necessary, but his superior had become a little short-tempered lately with the patrol leader’s overeagerness, as he called it, in bringing in ‘suspected Darkfriends’ so he was a little more careful now. It would be tactically wise of him to have some justification before arresting this possible noblewoman and her guardsman.

 

He felt there was something.. odd.. perhaps even wrong with the woman, some instinct inside him cried beware.. but he could not pin-point what exactly it was. She was not an Aes Sedai witch - despite his fairly young age he had during his travels seen enough ageless faces to know one when he saw one, and she was not wearing the ring - but she could be affiliated with the White Tower he supposed. But if so she would be foolish to travel alone, except for one protector, here in lands governed - in practice - by the Children.

 

The White Tower witches and those who worked for them were all Darkfriends, in the manner of devious minions of the Dark One pretending to be serving the Light - of that he had no doubt - but they were not fools who made stupid mistakes. No, it could be that this Andoran woman was telling the truth, that she was a noblewoman here on business. But he wanted to see her reaction to his accusation - reactions often spoke volumes in his experience - and so he had spoken the words.

 

●

 

His eyes returned to the woman again now and they narrowed. She had responded in a way expected of nobility: with confidence and a touch of clever masqueraded arrogance, answering his question with a question. She had used the word witches about those women.. showing her true allegiance to the Light.. unless she were lying..

 

He was about to make his mind up what to do with these two strangers when the man, the Borderlander guard, suddenly spoke up.

 

“The Lady Renshar walks in the Light.” His voice tensed and became harder. “To suggest otherwise is an insult.” Elessar’s eyes hardened as he looked up at the Whitecloak patrol leader.

 

Having made his point, he added, more smoothly but with a veiled challenge, “I am sure you were suggesting no such thing, Sir. Were you?”

 

Elessar was ‘walking a thin line’ with his words. It would be expected of nobility to protest any claim of Darkfriend-association, but at the same time he did not want to provoke the Whitecloak into arresting them and taking them in for questioning. Myrrhi had in her own clever way showed mild defiance at the accusation and now he was adding to that on her behalf. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, however, he wondered if he had overstepped himself. He waited for the patrol leader’s reaction as he felt some consternation coming through the Bond.

 

The Whitecloak’s eyes widened with displeasure at the guard’s arrogant words, but then he calmed himself, though his burning eyes now fastened on the Borderlander. It was not surprising, after all, that the man was protecting his noble-lady’s honour. Such an accusation as he had uttered would be seen as untolerable by most.

 

“As I said before”, he began in his zealous voice, “the Shadow walks in many guises.. both among the High and the Low.. it is our task to uncover all evil. We can make no exceptions in our sacred.. mission.”

 

●

 

His eyes returned to the woman who stared back at him confidently.

 

His mouth twisted at his hatred of arrogant nobility. They always thought they were better than everybody else. They used their power and riches selfishly to ensure their own success in life, a corruption that only benefitted themselves. He remembered well the nobility in their fanciful horse-driven carriages passing by the worn old house he and his poor family had lived in in Amador, uncaring of the poverty and hard lives of those less well off in society. His hatred for the upper classes had begun then and had never lost its grip on his heart.

 

The Children, however, worked diligently for all Mankind, for the rich and the poor, for the successful and the struggling, for the lost and the found, ridding the world of evil. They worked for the common good, selfless in their sacred service to the Light.

 

Though proud of his achievements for the Light and the long way he had come from his meager beginnings, he felt his anger building inside him again as he met the woman’s eyes and had to forcibly calm himself to remain in control. His warhorse beneath him became restless, probably sensing his master’s great unease, and he had to use his legs and the horses’ reins to steady the beast.

 

●

 

“So, Lady Renshar”, the patrol leader finally said with a sneer. “You walk in the Light.. or so your protector tells us.” He met the Borderlander’s eyes squarely, but directed his question at the noblewoman.

 

“Have you encountered anything.. suspicious.. in your travels lately, lady?” He asked. “Anything you want to.. share with the Children?”

 

The scorn in his voice was ever-present.

 

We are not out of these dire straits yet, thought the Borderlander ‘guard’ to himself as he waited for his Andoran ‘noblewoman’ to reply.

 

Meeting the eyes of one of the other mounted Whitecloak soldiers, he saw steel mirrored there.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi's heart jumped when her Warder reacted to the Whitecloak leader's comments.

 

"The Lady Renshar walks in the Light. To suggest otherwise is an insult," he had said. "I am sure you were suggesting no such thing, Sir. Were you?"

 

She couldn't help but think it a gamble. Challenging a Children of the Light could have very different outcomes depending on the men involved and the context. Surprised at first, she still decided to have faith in her Warder's skills and backed him up by summoning a very defiant face.

 

Indeed, she told herself. No sane Aes Sedai would dare to go that far with a Whitecloak... At least, that must be what these man should be thinking...

 

"As I said before," the man replied, "the Shadow walks in many guises... both among the High and the Low... it is our task to uncover all evil. We can make no exceptions in our sacred ... mission."

 

As he ended his sentence, his eyes returned on the young Green who reciprocated his stare. I dare you, she tried to tell him by the slight raise of her eyebrows.

 

It took the Whitecloak Leader a while before he opened his mouth again. Disappointed that the woman in front of him had not lowered her eyes, he started, "So, Lady Renshar. You walk in the Light... or so your protector tells us... Have you ever encountered anything ... suspicious... in your travels lately, lady? Anything you want to ... share with the Children."

 

"I walk in the Light as my guard told you," Myrrhi started wanting to talk for herself as well.

 

She resisted the urge to take a deep breath.

 

"We are far from having your expertise, and it is hard for us to identify what is a good cause of suspicions. Darkness may lay everywhere and take the guise of what is good and righteous." She shook her head sadly.

 

"I regretfully have to admit that my untrained eyes have noticed nothing I can report to help your noble endeavor." It felt strange, to repeat the words used by the Whitecloak to describe concepts she didn't believe in. However, it seemed to her that it was the only way to play with the three oaths. "But be assured that if I had seen something of interest, I wouldn't have hesitated to do what is right about it!"

 

She had to pay attention to use the "I" as any noble woman would do instead of the "we" she would have used as an Aes Sedai. It had become so natural to include her Warder in her speech, but that day it would have played against them.

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Balancing different Versions of the Truth  ..

►▼◄

 

Elessar listened carefully as Myrrhi replied to the Whitecloaks’s questions.

 

He knew that she as Aes Sedai had to keep to the three oaths and therefore in situations like this needed to word her reply carefully. Aes Sedai became very good at it with years of experience, out of necessity for their work for the White Tower, but the Warder thought his young Bondholder was capable also in that regard.

 

There was a saying, in some circles (never, of course, uttered with an Aes Sedai present):

 

"An Aes Sedai never lies, but the truth she speaks may not be the truth you think you hear."

 

There was indeed some truth in that, Elessar thought to himself as he watched the Children of the Light react to Myrrhi’s - ‘Lady Renshar’s’ - words.

 

●

 

She replied that they were far from having his expertise, and that it were hard for them to identify what was a good cause for suspicions. Darkness might lay everywhere and take the guise of what was good and righteous. She added that she regretfully had to admit that her untrained eyes had noticed nothing that she could report to help his noble endeavour. But he could be assured that if she had seen something of interest, she would not have hesitated to do what was right about it.

 

The Warder smiled inwardly at Myrrhi’s last sentence.

 

It was all true.

 

Just not in the way the Whitecloak would understand it.

 

The patrol leader’s eyes narrowed as he listened to her account, trying to gauge whether or not she was telling the truth. The woman spoke with confidence but that was as expected of nobility. He could not find any flaws in her words, however much he looked. When she finished speaking, he nodded to himself as he considered the next step. He stared hard at the woman and then shifted his gaze to her guard.

 

There was still.. something about these two that did not sit right with him.. but, though he never would have admitted it to anyone, it could well be his overly suspicious nature. One did not rise in the Children of the Light without that trait.

 

●

 

He met the eyes of his two men. They stared silently back at him from atop their horses, an indication that they would go along with whatever decision he made. He was used to it; they seldom voiced their opinions, and never when a matter was in doubt. It was the case with many underlings in many armies. He did not hold it against them; he had expected it. Shifting his gaze back to the noblewoman and her Borderlander guard, he finally spoke.

 

“I am glad to hear it”, the Whitecloak patrol leader replied to Lady Renshar. There was no gladness in his voice, however. It was as ever filled with undisguised scorn. “It is the responsibility of all who walk in the Light to report on anything suspicious.. anything at all..”

 

The two other Children nodded as one. Elessar wondered if they would topple off their horses, in perfect synchronization, if their leader did. He would not put it past them.

 

“Lady Renshar..” the patrol leader said then, his piercing eyes fastened on the noblewoman’s face, “you mentioned that the witches are everywhere.. have you, by any chance, happened upon any on your long journey from Andor?”

 

“We are”, he added, “looking for a.. Sister “- he spat the word - “who may be coming this way, you see. ”

 

●

 

His gaze burned with an intensity when he thought of the witch they had been told to be on the lookout for. She and her Darkfriend Warder were heading this way, or so at least his superiors had told him, but he knew little else. Only that she was supposedly Green Ajah, not that that meant anything to him.

 

Personally he found it dubious that a Tar Valon witch and her Warder would voluntarily come to Amadicia, knowing that every Light-abiding soul here would turn them in at the earliest opportunity, but he had long ago seen the wisdom in just following orders without complaint.

 

Most of the time he followed those orders as well.

 

Elessar, meanwhile, tried to hide the sudden concern he felt at the patrol leader’s final words. He felt renewed consternation coming through the Bond from Myrrhi, though her face appeared as smooth and confident as ever.

 

They are looking for us.. or at least an Aes Sedai, thought the Borderlander Gaidin warily. It is very likely us. It has to be. They have been informed by the Whitecloak up North..

 

●

 

It was not unexpected, but could potentially make it more difficult for the two of them to succeed.

 

He hoped Myrrhi would remain calm in her reply and not give anything away.

 

Had the Whitecloaks truly suspected that she was Aes Sedai, he was sure they would have been arrested and brought in for questioning already. The probe earlier about ‘having dealings with the White Tower’ had probably been a feint. He therefore thought that they must be in doubt, perhaps having been given very vague descriptions of the two of them, since they had taken no further action, though being their usual suspicious self these Children would inquire and inquire to their heart’s desire.

 

Letting none of his feelings show on his face, he stared squarely at the Whitecloak patrol leader, keeping, without seeming to, a vigilant eye also on the two other white-cloaked soldiers, as he waited for ‘Lady Renshar’ to respond.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Choosing not to answer to the patrol leader's first question  - knowing it would lead her into trouble - she concentrated on the second matter of interest.

 

"What does she looks like?" she asked faking interest in the Whitecloak's mission. She listened to the the description and tried to match it with the women she had met so far on the road. It helped her to formulate her answer. "I can't claim to have a perfect memory but I think we saw a couple of women who looked like the one you are looking for...."

 

The young Green gave directions to find the women she remembered. She also took the time to describe the people she had seen them with. By chance, none of these woman were accompanied by people who could be taken for Warders. On top of it, they were quite far away from the place the Children were currently patrolling, and so she thought they would be out of immediate danger.

 

Shaking her head, she invited the patrol leader to ask her guard whether he had anything to add. "Isn't a guard's job to keep his eyes on the road and to notice every source of danger? ... Isn't that what they are paid for?"

 

The man turned towards Elessar, ready to hear what he would have to say. As he did so, Myrrhi took a small breath. It was hard for her to assess the situation correctly. She was supposed to be a noble woman, and in some kind of hurry. But she didn't know how patient she should be with the people she had in front of her.

 

Should I press them? Or should I be even more helpful? Choices ... choices.

 

The Warder answered to the patrol leader's questions in a very professional way. He confirmed everything she had said earlier, adding here and there a couple more details, just like a real guard would.

 

The patrol leader didn't look satisfied with the information he received but he didn't look angry either. His jaw was moving from left to right as if he was chewing on something. He waited for Elessar to be done with his answers, then advanced towards the nearest of his soldiers. They exchanged a couple of words, before the leader turned to face Myrrhi once more.

 

The fact that he started to rub on his chin made her guess that he was taking the time to think about the newcomers had just told him, probably trying to set a new course for his patrol. She was convinced that the man was not planning to arrest them. Otherwise, the soldier he had talked to would have left to get reinforcements.

 

"Is there anything else we can do for you?" the Green asked keeping her tone neutral.

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. Coming to a Resolution in the Light  ..

►▼◄

 

Elessar listened to Myrrhi as she replied to the Whitecloak patrol leader. She elegantly evaded answering his first question about whether she had seen any Aes Sedai, an answer which could be troublesome, and instead focused on the second matter: the Green Sister the Children were on the lookout for.

 

The Warder was impressed with the way she smoothly turned the conversation in a direction she more easily could handle - and control. He smiled inwardly at her tact. When she mentioned the women she had seen on the road who she claimed looked like the Sister in question, Elessar nodded almost imperceptibly to himself. He remembered the women and they did look a bit like the somewhat vague description the Whitecloak had given. ‘Lady Renshar’ gave a good description and also directions which were quite far away from the place the Children were currently patrolling and thereby lessening the danger to the two from the White Tower.

 

Shaking her head, she invited the patrol leader to ask her guard whether he had anything to add. She said that, after all, it was a guard’s job to keep his eyes on the road and to notice every source of danger. It was what they were paid for, wasn’t it?

 

She sounded quite convincing to Elessar and it must have sounded plausible to the patrol leader as well because he turned toward the Borderlander and asked if he could add any important information.

 

●

 

Listening to the guard add a few details, answering his questions in a very professional way, the Child of the Light wondered at the truth of what he was being told. The Borderlander confirmed everything the noblewoman had said, and again it sounded very plausible, but.. something made him question the story. Once again he could not pin-point what exactly.. it was a gut-feeling.. and he had come to trust those.

 

When the guard had finished his explanation, the patrol leader stared at him for a long moment before turning away. He was unaware of it, but his jaw had been moving from left to right as if he were chewing on something. It was a bad habit his soldiers had noticed (but of course not commented on) before: it meant their Lieutenant - for a Lieutenant in the Children of the Light he was - was deep in concentration making a final decision on an important matter.

 

Elessar looked at the patrol leader and noticed the way he seemed to ponder very deeply on something. He did not look angry, though somewhat displeased, there atop his horse, as if he were busy weighing difficult options in his head. Finally he led his horse towards the nearest mount bearing one of his white-cloaked soldiers and exchanged a few words with him. The Warder could not hear the whispers but saw the other man nodding to whatever his superior way saying. Then the patrol leader turned his warhorse around and faced Myrrhi anew.

 

●

 

Deep in thought, he stared at the noblewoman, considering his choices. Without being aware of it, he started to rub his chin with one hand while holding tightly onto the reins with the other. He was debating with himself whether to take these two in for questioning.. or to send his patrol after those women that the noblewoman had spoken of. It would be quite inconvenient to do so since they already had orders to head further south, not northwards where these supposed women would be, but then again if one of those women was the one they were looking for.. the Tar Valon witch..

 

He did not want to think of the trouble he might be in if it turned out he had not acted on such information and their quarry had gotten away.

 

The noblewoman stared back at him squarely and then spoke. She asked him, rather boldly Elessar thought, but keeping her tone neutral, if there was anything else they could do for him, the patrol leader?

 

The Whitecloak sneered, his mouth twisting, his eyes burning anew with the Light of Truth. Though her tone had not been overly flippant, that was how the Whitecloak interpreted it. Nobility or no, he would not take that from anyone. He was in charge here. He decided when they were finished. He and no one else.

 

“You are finished here when I say you are finished, Lady Renshar”, he replied in harsh, spiteful tones. “There are still questions to be answered. We are not done yet!”

 

Elessar’s eyes tightened at the Whitecloak’s harder voice and though Myrrhi - in the guise of Lady Renshar - stared smoothly and neutrally back at the patrol leader, her Gaidin felt her emotions rise through the Bond. She kept silent though, wisely Elessar thought with some concern. They did not want to provoke the man into some foolish action.

 

●

 

The patrol leader looked suspiciously down at the two strangers, his piercing, zealous eyes hard.

 

The Child of the Light met Myrrhi’s eyes, and said disdainfully, “For instance, this woman you say you saw a while back.. how can you be cert..”

 

He was interrupted at that moment by the sound of several horses approaching at a full gallop, and a moment later a dozen or so armed Whitecloaks came to a sudden stop before the patrol leader.

 

One of the white-cloaked men, a middle-aged man with a worn, scarred face and a bald head, saluted his officer and said in a rush, “Lieutenant Selfield, we have been ordered to return to camp.”

 

He and his men had waited just outside the village, as ordered by their superior, when a messenger from their camp headquarters some miles further north-east had arrived.

 

●

 

“What..!? By whose orders?” inquired the patrol leader impatiently, irritated by the interruption,  while sweeping his gaze over all those gathered.

 

“Orders from Captain Stonewell, Sir”, the Whitecloak soldier said.  “He said to return at once!”

 

The patrol leader’s face showed his displeasure, as he turned from the soldier who had spoken and stared back at the two strangers. Should he take them back for questioning, or should he let them go? He ‘chewed’ on the dilemma for long moments as the newly arrived Whitecloak soldiers’ horses paced restlessly, feeling their riders’ impatience. He surely had his suspicions but he did not in truth have much to go on. The Captain would have his hide if he again brought in ‘supposed Darkfriends’ for questioning which turned out to be no such thing and a waste of valuable time.

 

Outsiders often thought that all ‘prisoners’ of the Children were found guilty no matter what.. but reality was a little more complicated, not as clear-cut, as the Lieutenant knew well. There were politics involved as well, though he had to admit that the Questioners - or Hand of the Light as they were officially called - cared little for such considerations. He also wanted to be on the good side of his Captain and so had to use ‘good judgment’ as his superior had reproachfully called it after his last ‘mistake’. Also, they now had the information about the possible Green witch to follow up on, presuming it was true of course. Above all, he was needed back at camp urgently, which probably meant something very important was about to happen.

 

All these thoughts went through the patrol leader’s mind as he weighed his options.

 

●

 

Finally he made up his mind. It became a question of priorities.

 

“I have important business to take care of”, he said to the noblewoman and guard.

 

His voice implied that their ‘talk’ had not been of much importance in comparison, despite all the questions.

 

“You may go”, he said with finality, his voice ringing out. “Walk in the Light!”

 

The patrol leader’s voice was still filled with scorn - it was almost an innate trait, some might have said - as he gave them a last hard, dark stare, but then he waved at his men and uttered a command and soon all the Children of the Light stormed out of the village, their shining white cloaks flapping behind them in the soft breeze, their horses galloping down the dusty roads, leaving only the sound of the horses’ hooves in their wake.

 

●

 

“They are gone”, Elessar said in relieved tones as he watched the last of the white-cloaked soldiers disappear from sight. Meeting Myrrhi’s eyes, he saw honest relief there too.

 

It was always good to avoid a fight whenever possible. The time for fighting would come later.

 

They quickly agreed to head out swiftly, not taking any chances that the Whitecloaks might return.

 

And so not long after, having swiftly reprovisioned and collected their belongings and their valiant mounts, Elessar and Myrrhi - or rather ‘Lady Renshar’ and her Borderlander guard - rode out of the small village, heading in the direction of the town of Mardecin further west.

 

The Whitecloak-encounter was in the back of their minds, swirling with their implications, as they rode, and they spoke very little as they hurried onwards toward their destination.

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi bit her lip. Of course, the description the patrol leader had given her was not very detailed. But she matched it. She hoped the man wouldn't ask her what she thought of this coincidence, as she wasn't sure that the three Oaths would offer her an easy way out of that one.

 

She allowed her eyes to sweep her surroundings. The man's eyes were still on her. He hadn't liked her last question and the Green hoped she had not made a mistake when she had asked him whether or not there was anything else they could do for him. It had be a polite thing to say but the men like the patrol leader were unpredictable. They could misinterpret the slightest word and turn a peaceful sentence in a declaration of war.

 

"For instance,' he started with disdain in his voice, "this woman you say you saw a while back... how can you be cert..."

 

The Whitecloak turned his head at the sound of horses approaching and anger flashed in his eyes. He didn't like to be interrupted. And the fact that the men who had stopped him mid-sentence were also Children of the Light didn't lighten the dark aura that now surrounded him.

 

We need to leave as soon as possible, Myrrhi thought. This one is getting more and more dangerous...

 

As a Sister of the Green Ajah she had learned to read the body language of potential opponents. Until then it had mostly been a theoretical knowledge for her... But here, she could recognize in the patrol leader most of the signs that could betray the desire to hurt.

 

Hiding the fear that was crushing her stomach, Myrrhi straightened her back. She quickly looked towards her Warder, hoping he wouldn't signal her that they would need run at once. To try to escape from such a group would be suicide. Thankfully, Elessar didn't so such a thing. He simply nodded, inviting her to be patient.

 

One of the Whitecloaks had detached himself from the new group, he saluted the patrol leader and told him that he had been ordered to return to camp.

 

The patrol leader didn't look very happy about it. HIs face reddened in such a way that Myrrhi thought it would explode. 

 

The orders came from a Captain... so someone who outranks him, Myrrhi thought as she summoned the whole hierarchy of the Children of the Light in her mind. There were still small players but they weren't grunts... it was better to be careful.

 

Not wanting to offer any sign of eavesdropping she pushed her mare one step back, and lowered her head. She started to play with her reins, hoping that was what the patrol leader would expect of a gentle lady. He didn't look like the kind of men who appreciated to be shamed in front of an audience.. .even if it was a very small one.

 

She felt him moving and hesitating. He wanted someone to pay for his bad day and she prayed that that someone wouldn't be her nor Elessar.

 

"I have important business to take care of," he said at last. He sighed then went on. "You may go... Walk in the Light."

 

Myrrhi and Elessar answered to the best of their abilities and watched the soldiers leave to their camp. It was only when the last cloak was out of sight that the young Green allowed herself to relax.

 

***

 

It took Myrrhi some time to be her usual self. Her heart still raced when she heard horses approaching them, but she managed to smile ... at last.

 

Bending towards her Warder, she asked him what he thought of the encounter. A couple days had passed, and she felt the need to talk about it. It was important for her to know how well she had done and where the areas of improvement were, now that her mind was clear. Mardecin was a couple of miles away and the road was empty. There were no better time nor places to talk about such a topic, or so she thought. Indeed, she couldn't picture herself discussing the ways to escape the White Cloaks in the inn that would be her next stop.

 

Still, not wanting to throw away all caution, she kept her voice low during the whole conversation.

 

 

 

 

[Elessar]

.. In the Presence of the ‘Soldiers of the Light’  ..

►▼◄

 

“Frankly”, Elessar said with a dark glint in his eyes, “I am just pleased that vile Whitecloak either was unaware that young Aes Sedai don’t yet have the ageless face, or that he overlooked it.”

 

He nodded to himself and his eyes narrowed.

 

“Had he looked closely at you and been in the right frame of mind”, he added to Myrrhi, “I am sure that he would have seen the resemblance to the Green Sister he had been told to be on the lookout for, however vague the description.”

 

Myrrhi nodded silently, having had the exact same thoughts herself.

 

They were talking about the encounter with the Children of the Light in the village a few days earlier, having stopped at the side of the road, the road almost empty of travellers and Mardecin a couple of miles away. Elessar knew Myrrhi well enough to understand that she was indirectly asking for an assessment of her ‘performance’ in the guise of Lady Renshar. It had been an intense encounter with the Whitecloaks, so some evaluation was prudent and valuable, the Warder thought.

 

●

 

He told her, honestly, that he thought they had handled the situation as well as could be expected.

 

“You handled it well, Myrrhi Morrigen Aes Sedai”, he added truthfully and a little mock-seriously, but with a grin and a wink.

 

“I think you must have at least 300 years of Aes Sedai experience behind you, despite your rather youthful looks.”

 

She raised her eyebrow in a very Aes Sedai-like manner, tapping her foot as she let the moment stretch, but then shared his grin and joined in the friendly banter, telling him that it was not polite for a man to discuss a woman’s age in that manner. Not polite at all. Especially for such a Borderlander youth as himself.

 

They both chuckled and then shared some laughter, a well needed respite for them both.

 

●

 

They talked some more, both keeping their voices low during the conversation (remembering caution in case their voices carried, though they were almost alone on the road), discussing their actions and words made in the company of the Whitecloaks in some detail, pin-pointing the strengths and finding elements that needed improving so they would be even better prepared the next time.

 

For there would definitely be a next time.

 

When they finally continued the journey towards Mardecin, they both felt that it had been good to have the talk.

 

As they galloped down the road toward the town, Stormbreaker and Tempest at their full stride, the early afternoon sun at their backs, Elessar’s mind was already on what they could expect there - and on the poor Green Sister who might or might not be alive somewhere in this region.

 

●

 

The small Amadician town of Mardecin was just as Elessar had imagined it. Slightly bigger than a village, it was dusty and worn and it was clear that it had fallen on hard times. Many buildings were in disrepair, gardens unkept. The townsfolk looked glum and tired as they walked about the narrow streets, intent on their own business and hardly looking at visitors. The Gaidin stared at the glum faces as he rode by, Myrrhi slightly behind and to his right, recognizing the look of people who have almost given up. Rough times indeed, he thought as he gazed forwards, seeing the inn they were heading towards in the near distance. Looking about he saw no Whitecloaks though he knew there was a garrison of the Children of the Light in the town. Privately he wondered if that was the place where they were keeping the Green Aes Sedai, if she were still alive, but he was going to consider the matter some more before sharing his suspicions with his Bondholder.

 

Stopping before the two-storey inn building, which had a worn sign above the entrance that proclaimed it to be the ‘Shining Light’ inn (an appropriate name around these parts, Elessar thought), the Gaidin quickly dismounted and saw Myrrhi do the same. He caught the reins of both horses, spoke a few words to them to which they snorted in response, and led them to the stables at the back while Myrrhi waited for him to return. He was soon back and carried their belongings inside, a respectful step behind the Andoran noblewoman, ‘Lady Renshar’. She walked confidently, with that arrogant swagger that nobility seem born with, up to the innkeeper, a middle-aged overweight dark-haired man with a seemingly friendly smile, presented herself and very soon she had a decent room on the second floor with a slightly smaller room adjoining for her ‘guard’. They settled in quickly, each looking forward to a pleasant bath and some rest before a shared supper in the Common Room.

 

●

 

In early evening, they met up downstairs and found an available table off to the side in the room. The Common Room was half-full, Elessar saw as he gazed around to get an idea of the guests and customers present. He saw no white cloaks though he expected some soldiers of the Children to come later. With a garrison in town it would be surprising if this inn - which was one of only three in town - was not visited by a good number of Whitecloaks off duty. Seeing several locals and also some foreigners - he recognized the faces and clothes of a few Altarans, Arad Domani and also a few travellers from further north - he nodded to himself, ordering an ale for himself and something to drink for ‘Lady Renshar’.

 

When the local serving girl - a somewhat voluptious young blond with long legs and a teasing smile - came with their drinks, Myrrhi asked for the menu and after studying it for a little while they ordered supper, a meal consisting of meat, potatoes, some vegetables and a ‘country-style’ thick gravy. While they waited for the meal to arrive, they chit-chatted and enjoyed some light conversation, while Elessar subtly - in the way of Warders - kept a vigilant eye on the entrance door and the people gathered. Finally plates of steaming food were set before them and they tucked in, enjoying the meal and the evening.

 

●

 

They were about three-quarters through their meal when the gleeman arrived. He was a tall, brown-haired man with a slender build, his face handsome but with a small scar running down one chin, with friendly eyes that pulled you in. He smiled to the crowd as he walked up to the stage at one end and put down the instrument he was carrying. Several of the guests shouted out some requests as he prepared to begin. He bowed extravagantly to those present, his cloak of many colourful patches swirling around him, and then picked up his flute and started to play. It was a jaunty little tune which pleased the crowd, many of whom by now were far from sober. They sang along, their enthusiasm outshining their singing ability, and a few even started dancing among the tables. Many cheered and the applause was huge, including banging on tables, when he finished.

 

As the gleeman started on a second tune, quite similar to the first, Elessar noticed the entrance door open and a dozen or so Whitecloaks entered the establishment. Even from a distance the Gaidin could see their shining, all-knowing inquisitive eyes sweeping over the crowd. He nudged Myrrhi’s arm and nodded behind him to make her aware that soldiers of the Children of the Light had arrived. She looked in the direction and immediately spotted the men. She met his eyes for a moment and nodded, both thinking that caution was necessary in this situation. There should be no problem - it was very likely that these Whitecloaks had come for the entertainment and nothing else - but it was prudent to be ready to act if these soldiers recognized the Green Sister they were looking for. Keeping an eye on them, while silently berating himself for the risk taken, and seemingly focusing on the performance, Elessar saw that they seated themselves at tables near the entrance that had suddenly been vacated and were now readily available. It was clear that the Children were the authority in town.

 

●

 

The gleeman finished playing, to more applause, and then he started singing. His voice was deeper than that of most gleemen Elessar had listened to, but accomplished and, in truth, a pleasure to listen to. The Warder listened to several songs which he had never heard before, local tunes he guessed that the crowd loved, sipping to his ale and waiting expectantly to see if the gleeman had some epic historic ‘poetry of song’ in his repertoire. The gleeman bowed to the crowd again, obviously very pleased with the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction, and his smile widened as the applause and cheering continued. Finally the guests quieted down somewhat, except for a few drunkards who kept on complaining of something or other, and Elessar saw the gleeman cast a long glance at the Whitecloaks at the back. He seemed to nod to himself, then said in a loud voice, accompanied by a dramatic gesture with his hands, that he would now tell the ‘tale of the Children of the Light’.. in their Honour..

 

He gave a small bow of respect to the Whitecloaks present and they nodded pleased back at him, one soldier also raising his glass in salute, appreciating the gesture and the song they knew was coming. Elessar too looked forward to this performance for he had never seen this ‘poem made into song’ performed before, he had only heard about it. Rumours were that the poem had been written by one of the Children, a soldier of the Whitecloak military, many years before, but it had never been substantiated as far as Elessar knew. It was meant to be a tribute, an homage to the Whitecloaks and their history, and the Borderlander Warder from Kandor tried to put his many misgivings for this zealous military force, and the possible risk that they may be recognized by them this night, out of his mind as he prepared to listen to - and enjoy - this performance.

 

Soon after, the deep voice of the accomplished gleeman and entertainer resonated in the Common Room, as he sang the story of the Children of the Light, the history of this famed military institution, captivating all those present with his unmistakable talent..

 

 

●

 

►▼◄

 

‘Soldiers of the Light’

 

Bringing Light and Truth, for All

Marching forwards, is their Call

White Cloaks shining, what a Sight!

They are Soldiers of the Light!

 

Golden sunburst, glowing True

Cloak adorned, and gleaming Through

Breastplate solid, helm and More

Swords a-sparkling, fighting For

 

Founded they were by Mantelar

Long ago, beneath sky and Star

Preachers working to expose the Dark

Mission hard, and surroundings Stark

 

Faith they found in what was Right

Guided by ‘The Way of the Light’

Defending against the Shadow’s Source

Soon they were a militarized Force

 

First their power and prestige was Weak

In time, however, just as we Speak

They grew in influence and might in Truth

Gaining the ear of the old and the Youth

 

They reached an accord with the Amadician King

Who let them establish a permanent Ring

Of power, it was the Fortress of the Light

In the Capital of Amador, still burning Bright

 

Soon the power of the Children Increased

Outstripping that of the King, it Appeased

And the royal Serenda Palace was Moved

Outside the Capital, Amadician army Proved

 

A period of rapid growth came Next

Under military commanders, quoting war and Text

Pedron Niall was one such, as was Told

A supreme commander, tactful and Bold

 

Ambition was clear in the years that Came

To broaden territories, to conquer the Same

The Altara-conflict, known as the Whitecloak War

Was lost, but included successes and More

 

In following years, the Soldiers stood Fast

Always defending the Light that was Cast

In Shadows, where minions of Darkness Abide

Among Faces that hide the truth and one’s Side

 

These soldiers hunt for Darkfriends Around

With authority, wherever the Light be Found

Proud, hard warriors fighting for what’s Right

They are our Brothers, The Children of the Light

 

►▲◄

 

  ▀▄ 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Elessar

[Guest]

Myrrhi looked around her, fighting not to pout. She was surprised by the state of the town. With a name like Mardecin she would have thought that the place would be pretty or at least homely. It was everything but. Most of the buildings needed to be repaired and most of the gardens some serious work. The townspeople walked on the dusty and narrow streets with a dark look on their faces. But it was all, even the sounds seemed to be muted. She didn't hear the customary barks of dogs nor the laughter of children like in so many other towns she had visited. The sad scenery made her feel on edge. Something is wrong here... she thought pushing her mare closer to Elessar's horse.

 

The Gaidin had told her that the town housed a garrison of the Children of the Light, and it made the young Green wonder whether they were the cause of this gloominess. Still, there was not a white cloak around, they didn't encounter any on their way to the inn.

 

"The Shining Light," Myrrhi read aloud. That sign wears a very fitting name, she told herself shaking her head. Let's just hope that the inn is now crawling with fanatics...

 

She followed the Gaidin to the stables, that laid on the side of the building, then quickly dismounted. She gave Elessar her reins with a haughty stare, resuming her impersonation of Lady Renshar. She pulled her nose high up in the air and waited for him to take care of the horses. As soon as he reappeared, she started for the inn's entrance.

 

***

 

Myrrhi spent some time in her room, she needed some time for herself... to be herself. It was a very interesting to act as someone completely different but it was also very tiring. She took advantage of the services offered by the inn to ask for a bath. It helped her relax and prepare herself for what was to come.

 

She met Elessar in the common room as the afternoon was at an end. They found a table on the side, hoping it would offer them some privacy. Even if no soldier nor whitecloak were around they still needed to be careful. If the Gaidin ordered ale for himself, Myrrhi decided to ask for wine. She would probably drink no more than a glass, but she didn't want to raise suspicions by having tea, especially since no one in the room was having something of the sort. By chance, the meal they ordered what filling enough to prevent the wine to have any embarrassing after effect.

 

"They have gleemen?" the young Green asked with a grin as a man with a parched cloak appeared on a small makeshift scene. "Do you think he will sing about the Light? Maybe he will sing something like .... Oh Light, you aaaaaare gloooorious...." she went on with a low voice, then started to laugh.

 

***

 

The Gleeman had not sung about the light. His first tune had been a nice one and Myrrhi was looking forward to the second. Unfortunately, as he was ready to go move on to the next song, Myrrhi felt the door of the inn had opened and what she felt through the Bond was enough to tell her that the newcomers where Whitecloaks. Fighting not to turn, she looked towards her warder. He nudged her arm and nodded behind her, confirming what her guess. "Alright," she said as she grabbed her glass of wine. She moved as if she wanted to check why the gleeman  has stopped singing and spotted the white cloaks.

 

She brought the glass to her lips. Her eyes and Elessar's met again and they both nodded. They needed to be cautious.

 

***

 

To keep on eating and on having a very light conversation was not easy in these circumstances but somehow they managed. Myrrhi concentrated on the voice of the gleeman and tried to push the whitecloaks away from her mind... even if they were quite noisy. But noisy was a good sign - or so she thought - it was the sign that they were having fun. And the more they would enjoy their evening the less they would think about hunting witches.

 

When the Gleeman started to sing about the Children of the Light, Myrrhi grinned. She was happy that the men where behind. "So," she whispered. "We won't have a song about the Light but about its Children. It is the next best thing, I guess."

 

She suggested, louder this time, that they would stay until the Gleeman was done with this special tune because she didn't want to miss a part of it. Indeed, what would the Whitecloaks think of any person who would decide to leave the common room as an ode was offered in their honor?

 

The song was surprisingly the first one of a series of three. The Aes Sedai and her Warder didn't dare to move from their seats before the end of the series. They ordered more ale and waited for the gleeman to be done. It was only then that they went upstairs, for a short night of sleep.