In this RP, Telcia has just been freed of her oaths and is coming to warn Arette of impending danger for her own children.  She fears the wrath of the Creator, however, as she prepares to break the most dire oath a person can even make… even if that oath was given to a servant of the Shadow, Rasputin. 

The silver thread cut through the air again, but this time creating a doorway from Tar Valon, not to it. The doorway was created in an location that was designated some time ago for such things. Safely far away from any homes or businesses where it was very unlikely anyone would be hurt by the weave that literally cut a hole through reality for the Channeler to walk through.

The door was smaller than she normally made, mostly because she was still tired and hungry and emotionally shaken. The foretelling had been a lot on it’s own, being assulted by a woman in the presence of the Amyrlin, that had been another thing entirely. Of course that was to say nothing of the many other emotions that came to her any time she saw … no, not home… the White Tower. Home was somewhere else now and forever.

Even though Telcia hadn’t worn her shawl in years, today she felt the lack of it’s weight. Perhaps it was the lightness of her skin and less silvered hair, she could not be sure… but it’s absence was noted and keenly. She wanted to cry, in some ways, and dance in others. The mix of emotions was confusing enough to stop most grown men and make them sit down a while, but Telcia kept moving because lives were on the line and finally she could warn her dearest friend of that fact before going home to make up her deceptions to her own husband.

Waving her hand to the guard in the distance who had taken notice of her, Telcia picked up her skirts and made her way down the very cold and empty street towards the Stavros household. Silently she hoped Arette would have tea on the boil already waiting for her.

“Telcia Dyfelle,” She stated her name to the guard who looked at her as if he’d never seen her before. “I’m here to see Lord and Lady Stavros, are they inside?”

We used this RP to let our characters discuss recent events in Ebou Dar since we last rp’d together.  A few laughs along the way…

Her heart beat in every part of her as his hand slid across her back and she came up from beneath the blankets. As expected her husband bore a satisfied and wool-headed grin in appreciation of her ministrations.

She’d been careful to listen to her new friends on what ways would keep your husband interested no matter how much you‘d been fighting only moments prior (in fact they insisted that, much to Telcia‘s lack of understanding & utter shock, this was the BEST time to engage in such acts!)

Ebou Dari women surely must have had the most interesting ideas of tickling a man’s fancies of any culture in the known world. Where she had, as a Domani woman, learned the subtle arts of smiles, touches, and hints of flesh beneath innocent areas of the gown… these Ebou Dari women must have studied the most lude acts of animals and assassins (what with their fascination of knives and threatening to cut their husbands all the time) and then duplicated them just to see which were the most effective on dulling men’s awareness of anything but their carnal demands of their wives bodies. Oddly, it seemed just like the sort of thing some browns she knew, might do and call research.

That thought made Telcia smile and almost laugh as she snuggled into the bridge between Iussi’s shoulder and chest. Draping her arm across him she held out her hand for the glass which came to her bidding thanks to a thick thread of air. Drinking deeply to wash away everything but the memory of her act, she wondered if her husband would sleep now (as he often did when they finished their marital acts) or if he would, as he sometimes managed to do, become more awake because of them.

Sending the glass back to the table she unwove the silence weave she’d tied off when they’d began. Sure, the children were snug in their beds and sleeping but after the first time Jelene came toddling in on them during their married rites, she didn’t want a repeat performance. Livia, the very next day, had helped her to put in a bell that would ring in their room from a rope outside the door if they were needed. This way, the bell was inside her silence weave and the children wouldn’t be awakened by Iussi’s … well… sometimes over enthusiasm. Sometimes, Telcia thought silently, her husband just lacked all sense of the world around him… rather like his children. Of course, burn her, that was what she liked about him.

Running her fingers across his bear chest she kissed the point where her fingers last touched when she lifted her hand away to sit up. She knew, as he always did, he’d try to keep her in the bed so this time she moved quickly to her robe and tossed it around her .

“I must drink my tea, husband…” She said in a teasing voice. “I’ll get you something as well.” With that she prepared the herbs that Livia secured for her each month and put a small pot over the fire in their room so that it could come to boil. For Iussi she had something sweeter in mind though.

“I have another gift for you.” She whispered. That was what she’d called tonight’s act… a gift for his foolishness in getting into yet another duel and winning. Of course she’d said gift with a tone that left him wondering if she’d cut him or drag him to their bed. Telcia was sure he was pleased it was the latter. What she didn’t tell him was that, despite her protests (which she felt she had to make in part of her children’s welfare) she actually adored that Iussi won so many duels. Her husband was gaining a name for himself and often in her honor and to her mind, it seemed there was no greater thing. Ebou Dar had no shortage of men who now had cuts from Iussi’s blades that had her name attached to them.

In a way, strangely, it was as if she was cutting each man foolish enough to suggest she was a shameless hussy simply because she was good at her chosen career. And while she could not paddle these men senseless with the one power (as she had done to foolish novices in her day) her husband could cut them bone deep and make them appologize for their stupidity and THAT counted for something. Iussi, contrary to what many might have believed of him, was an accomplished fighter… politician (though Ebou Dari politics for men was NO WHERE near the Tower’s idea of politics) … husband & father. He was a man she was proud to be married to… well, now that he’d gotten out of her way in the family business that is.

Reaching into a bag which she often carried with her when she wore brown dresses, she pulled out an old bottle of fine liquor. “Seafolk Merchants had this and when I saw it… I thought of nothing but giving it to you. Of course,” she put on a mock disappointed face. “maybe it will at least serve the purpose of dulling the pain of that eye; Light but I can’t imagine what the other gentleman must look like!”

She sighed gruffly and crossed the room to the bed where she uncorked the fine drink and poured her husband a glass offering it to him.

This really was the heaven on earth and Iussi Dyfelle couldn’t have been more satisfied. Well, maybe if they had had done it the normal way but this novelty had certainly been unexpected and quite pleasent. He had just had to make sure that Telcia got her pleasure too. They would have to start quarreling more often if it had results like this. Not that he really wanted to argue with his wife, or make her upset, but the different ideas they had of politics and how the society worked caused problems sometimes. Even after all her years in the Tower, Telcia was still used to how things were in Arad Doman and how Domani relationships worked. But they were in Ebou Dar now and even though Iussi was willing to compromise in what came to their marriage, he was expected to live and act like an Ebou Dari man. And that included dueling.

He grinned with pleasure when she cuddled against him and watched with wonder as she summoned a glass of water to her with Saidar. Soon he might be doing tricks like that with Saidin too. As committed as he might be to seeing it happen, the thought made his skin crawl, and he wanted nothing to spoil their wonderful moment. His whole body felt pleasently langourous and now when the activity had seized and the desire had calmed down to embers, sleep didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Well, not unless he wanted to get stabbed. But that was just wishful thinking since Telcia hadn’t embraced that aspect of Altaran culture quite yet.

At least this time there had been no patter of little feet. Light, that time he had been so enwrapped into what they were doing that he hadn’t even realized that Jelene was there until Telcia had noticed her. But there was the bell and the nifty tricks with Saidar that spared them from worrying about noises. Not that his wife had complained him biting her shoulder to keep quiet until he had fully accepted that voices were no problem. Another grin came when he remembered how she had sounded like just a moment before.

Maybe Telcia had seen his expression and thought that he would want a round two, he certainly was tempted with the way she stroke him. But she was a quick one and slipped off the bed before he could grab her. He got to admire a beautiful round behind and planes of perfect back far too short time as she covered herself.

The herbs, what herbs? Oh yes, the concoction that kept her from getting pregnant. He certainly had mixed feelings about that. They had already two lovely children who were more than enough. And Telcia had almost died delivering them, just like his own mother. So he certainly never wanted to experience that worry again. But still, a third child would have been quite wonderful… The time just wasn’t right and never might be again. Not when he was going to the Black Tower. A husband and father had to be there for his family and Light only knew how well he would last with Saidin back. Maybe that was why a little boy or a girl had been on his mind. Everyone wanted to leave a legacy and he certainly hadn’t achieved so much in life, save for Jelene and Jamal and somehow capturing their mother.

The promise of another gift certainly perked him up from the brooding. He arched an eyebrow at Telcia, half fearful and half expectant. Her tone wasn’t a clear indication of whether he would like it or not. Women could go to bed with you and be all sweet one moment, but they never fully forgave you, even if they let themselves to forget for a moment. Not that he was a huge expert on any other women but his wife and she was still about as uncomprehendable sometimes as the Wheel’s weaving.

The liquor bottle was certainly unexpected and he beamed at her and reached eagerly for the glass she was pouring. “If you were really that worried about the eye, you could just Heal me. But yes, I know. The little pain is a good reminder the next time I feel the urge to duel.” A cool smile rose on his lips when he thought the comments the Blue faction bastard had made of Telcia. “All pain in the world wouldn’t have kept me from this duel, though. He had it coming.” That was what worried him, what would happen when he wasn’t here to take care of situations like this. Of course Telcia could handle herself, she was an Aes Sedai and accustomed to the Great Game much more than he. But things were done a bit differently in Altara than in Cairhien. Would she hear all the rumours and deal with them in the upfront way the Ebou Dari expected.

The smile softened when Telcia offered him the glass and he took a hold of her wrist and kissed the veins under the pale skin before he accepted the glass. “It is a wonderful gift, dear. I will savour it and think you every time I taste it. And every time I think of you, I can taste you. A wonderful mix of sweet and salt. Mmm. Want to give me another banquet after you have finished your tea?” He nibbled her fingers half expecting a thwap.

“Don’t make me cut you…” she taunted and then she twapped him gently. “I was hoping maybe we could talk a bit. There have been things going on here you should know about and … well… I’d like to hear how things are going with Con.” She knew the topic was a sore one. She herself felt bad enough about it. She DID want him to keep his word but the other part of her that knew he’d leave her and the children, didn’t.

She sighed. She’d given her word not to tell even her husband about the Kin without their consent and Livia still thought of Iussi as a small boy with no control on his lips. Until the Council considered him less of a liability she couldn’t explain to Iussi that every step he took towards the Black Tower was another away from her… sadly, again, she had a duty to something other than her family. The Farm needed her.

“Oh don’t look at me like that Iussi Dyfelle… it’s not as though you’ve missed the whole of the children’s lives today while you were off training.” She resented the fact that he did this only for her. She hated that he didn’t want it for himself and didn’t understand the important role he’d play in the future of the world as an Aes Sedai. He was as bad as any novice ever was, worse in so many ways.

“It’s just, well, you know I took the children to the palace for weekly tea today…” Oh, yes, today had been quite a circus. She would have been utterly embarressed if her new friends hadn’t found the whole thing humorus beyond words. “I was sitting with the ladies discussing next week’s raceday outting and one of the nursemaids came running into the room looking as if she’d been through she’d been attacked by a dozen cats. I swear she looked like a chicken fresh from the butcher’s hands.” Telcia rolled her eyes at the memory of the spectical.

“She’s ranting on about the children, something about a riot and a duel!” Riot, indeed. Silently Telcia hoped the Queen had the woman flogged for letting things get so out of hand. “Of course we all leapt up and went to the play area where the children were all chanting ‘fight’ loudly and screaming in … well… perhaps as much glee as horror and at the center of it all I found our child involved in a duel of all things! Light only five Iussi!” She shook her head. “A knife Iussi, albiet a butter knife but well… someone might have been killed!”

“I think it’s time to have a talk with them…” she sighed, this wasn’t the first time she’d had to force Iussi to talk to their daughter over her errant behavior. “again.” 

An eager grin was a response to the threat of cutting but Iussi knew that Telcia wasn’t going to actually carry through with it. Le sigh. Talking was good too. The topic just could have been better. He wanted to hear about their children and not talk about his own frustrating day. He just wasn’t progressing as he hoped with the Flame and Void. But it was difficult to unlearn something that you had relied on for almost a decade.

Then his wife begun to tell him of their day. It was a bit unsettling still that his wife was meeting the Queen and various noble ladies frequently. That certainly was above their station as a merchant family but then an Aes Sedai belonged to the upper echelons of the society. The hilarious image Telcia painted of the nurse made Iussi chuckle and he leaned eagerly forward to hear the rest of the story.

Ahh, true Ebou Dari blood. The future of the country was in good hands when the children learned the fighting spirit so early on. And hearing that their child had been involved, that Jamal had finally gathered his courage and become bolder made his heart nearly burst with pride.

“That is awesome, Telcia. I have been worried about Jamal as he was so sedate. Jelane must have affected him positively. But we mustn’t make a too big issue out of it, or he will think that we didn’t accept him like he was. So wonderful. Maybe he would like to learn some basic moves from his father. And a knife, we have to give him a real knife now. His very first duel.”

As Telcia watched her husband become more excited she began to prepare a good scathing lecture on his duties as a father and responsibility. Light help her she even grabbed her marriage knife! Now THAT was a first for her. Perhaps she had been in this city for far too long.

However, as she saw his pride growing she lost all heart to be angry. His mistakenly placed pride was overwhelming and his statement of fear for Jamal crushed Telcia utterly. Of course, she was concerned that Jelene might never settle down and learn the arts of the proper lady but still… that didn’t mean her little Jamal wasn’t going to grow into a fine young man.

She swallowed hard as he came to a pause point in his praise and plans for his son’s first knife … a point of pride for all Ebou Dari men. Telcia sighed. “Iussi… pumpkin…” She lost her words. Two lifetimes of speaking in front of the world’s most impressive political body and she failed to have the proper words now with her husband. It was humiliating for the Domani woman.

“He… well he did get his due in but it wasn’t Jamal with the knife. Actually, as the story goes Jamal was being teased for reading a book and it was stolen out of his hands. It was Jelene who took a butter knife from a near-by snack tray and challenged the boy to a duel for her family’s honor.” Telcia touched Iussi’s arm reassuringly.

“Jamal wasn’t going to get involved it seemed… but the boy got the knife from Jelene and nicked her favorite dress as we came in. Of course, perhaps this is what you could take solace in I suppose… Jamal wouldn’t have that and so he slugged the young man making his nose bleed.” Telcia shook her head regretfully. She hated that she’d scolded Jamal now for having done that, but his & his sister’s behavior had caused her to apologize to a terribly arrogant woman who deserved a bloody nose of her own to match her son’s.

“Do you think I was too harsh in putting them to bed without pudding tonight? Its the mildest thing a mistress of novices might have done to two fighting novices… I didn’t birch them or anything so … barbaric. The truth is that I was more angry that I had to make nice to that brutish hussy of a woman Meredith.” Telcia let out a scoffing noise at having even said her name in her own bed chambers. 

In this rp, Telcia is summoned from her home in Ebou Dar to the Amyrlin Seat in order to discuss her discovery of the Three Arches secret usage & to confirm she is not of the Black Ajah.  Telcia doesn’t know this, however, and what happen is not only shocking but reveals a bit of the future ( Foretelling )

A cold wind raced down from the blight, through the borderlands and further south than such a chill breeze should have gone this time of year. Swooping up a small spray of snow the breeze crossed the plains of Altara and kissed the already wind burned cheeks of Telcia Dyfelle.

The wind was not the beginning of a story for this woman of so many titles, winds are neither beginnings nor ends in the great Wheel of Time, but this wind was certainly A new beginning.

For years now, peace surrounded the heart of the mother and merchant who once wore a Crimson shawl. The previously troubled soul whose heart was locked away for almost two lifetimes in a cold tower of ivory on a far away island to the northeast, had found a renewed sense of purpose and place in the world. Despite the ever looming threat of the shadow and the many issues that had plagued her life in the past, this was the happiest Telcia had been since her youngest years in novice white. Years all but forgotten with the newest words to her daily language: Advisor, Kin, … wife.

Retirement suited Telcia, if it could be called that. Truth was she considered it more of a change of occupation. For two lifetimes she represented her Crimson Sisters as politician in the world’s most impressive governmental body, the Hall of the Tower. All of that changed when Iussi Dyfelle came into her life like a hurricane rising on the ocean; she took a secret husband… a husband who, through a tragic twisting of the great wheel, made her the example of why Red Sisters never bonded or kept men too close.

Now, here with her gentled husband and her children, Telcia worked with another group of channelers… women who made her feel young, women who proved another terrible truth about the place she once called home. She was Kin now, women who were more like the Aes Sedai of legend than those in the Tower ever hoped to be. Her only regret was that the Kin, in fear of the Tower, lived their lives in secrecy. So few knew of them, so few benefited from the things they were capable of doing… if only there had been some way to change their minds.

Smiling at the thought of a world full of Age of Legends style Aes Sedai, Telcia ushered her children behind her husband towards their manner house. Playing in the snow was done for the day, it simply had gotten too cold. At the same moment both Telcia and her children’s nursemaid, Lini, noticed the silver slice through the air off across their field. Such use of the One Power could not be missed by those even with the smallest spark of talent. The location was the same one used by Maegan to travel to their home, as well as Arette, but it only took an instant for Telcia to notice that it was neither trusted and beloved friend. A shawl on shoulders, two bright red cloaks of guards… blades…

“Lini, take the children inside.” Telcia quickly snapped, as much for her children’s protection as for Lini’s. She feared even Maegan, from whom she’d kept the Kin a secret, would not be able to keep the channeling capabilities of Lini secret… let alone the woman who now advanced on her home accompanied by two Tower Guards.

Beside her, her husband Iussi threw back his heavy woolen cloak exposing his sword and as she gracefully crossed the yard to meet the Sister, Iussi mimiced the walk of an experienced Warder. With pride swelling in her chest, she allowed herself to smile. Apparently, her husband had learned more in his time at the tower than he’d let on… or his dear friend Ragan had given him some lessons in the threatening glares and motions of the deadly Warders.

Standing just over five feet from each other, Telcia and this clearly younger Sister stared at one another. The guards and Iussi did much the same to one another, the tension between the two groups was terrible. The only reason Telcia didn’t embrace the source right then and there was because the younger sister had done her the kindness of letting it go before she felt the need to take it up. 

“Telcia Dyfelle?” The younger sister asked politely, finally breaking under Telcia’s icy gaze after nearly a full two minutes of silence. Telcia’s only response was a slow nod. “I am charged with delivering to you the request of the Amyrlin Seat for your immediate presence in her office. I am to await your readiness and escort you back to the White Tower through a weave…” The woman began to explain traveling but Telcia held up a hand.

“I understand the weave, Child.” She may not have been a sister any more but, she would make sure the girl knew that she was well aware which of them was stronger and older. Clearly the Amyrlin had sent her because of her social skills and because she would not be seen as a threat in the ways of the One Power. Still, it was impressive she was able to handle so much spirit. Were it not for the white shawl on her shoulders, Telcia might have taken her for a red or a yellow.

To her credit the girl didn’t give any appearance that the word bothered her at all. For a moment Telcia considered going back to Lini and giving her a message for the Kin, to say goodbye to her children, but these things would be noticed by the Sister and reported. She couldn’t appear as if there was anything was more important than the Amyrlin Seat, no one made such a woman wait, no one.

Turning to Iussi she could see, by the look in his eyes, that he was bent on coming with her even though it meant leaving the children behind. Sighing she managed to lower her voice to a whisper, despite her urge to not let the girl see her in such a private moment at all. She’d seriously considered a privacy circle but that would have been boldly rude.

“I’d never ask you to do this if it was of the utmost importance,” She swallowed hard remembering Rasputin’s words in the carriage that day about the Shadow still wanting her children. “… Iussi you have to protect the children.” Her husband opened his mouth but she kept talking, “Iussi, I don’t have time to argue this with you today, please … just trust that I wouldn’t go back to the Tower alone if I didn’t think there was truly a risk to the children being left without one of us there.”

“What risk, Telc… there’s something you aren’t telling me here?!?” Hurt and frustration filled his eyes. He knew she couldn’t lie and she’d never spoken of an existing risk to the children, not even once. Looking down at the ground in frustration, his eyes dark and for a brief moment… empty of all emotion, cold and dark. A chill touched Telcia, and it wasn’t from the cold. “You said you were done there.” His tone was bereft of all emotion, too much like Con on the battlefield. It was only in that moment that she recognized her husband using the techinique he needed to master in order to join the Dragon Reborn and his men.

In that instant, her warm heart shattered like a mirror on the unforgiving floor of the oaths that bound her not only to secrecy but an early grave. “No one,” she whispered in an equally dark tone. “… refuses the summons of the Amyrlin Seat.” She reached out her hand and touched Iussi’s cheek. “I’m so very sorry my cuebiyari.”

Iussi just nodded and turned to walk home, alone.

The scowl she gave the younger sister effected the girl in a way that her words had failed. For a moment the younger woman’s calm faltered under the scathing glare of the ancient Red Sister. “Let’s go.” She managed through her grit teeth and white knuckled grip on the sides of her dress. The white lead the way back through the shimmering silver portal and as Telcia reached the edge, she turned back only for a moment to call out to Iussi one last time.

“Alantin!” she called out the old tongue word for brother and Iussi, to her surprise, stopped and turned. “We’re a team… I *WILL* return. Mark me.” To her delight, the empty void in his eyes was gone and a smile replaced his frown. This time the oath was a boon as it gave him to know only the Dark One himself would keep her from returning. The last thing Telcia saw before entering the portal was her husband waving happily to her, as she went, in his usual jovial manner.

At least some things never changed. 

The gateway opened near the ogier grove and if Telcia had hoped the winter to be milder in Tar Valon, she was sorely mistaken. Northern winds made everything gleam with unforgiving ice and only the most necessary guards and servants were out on the grounds of the massive white structure that loomed above her.

Drawing a breath and exhaling slowly, she noticed the white waiting for her despite the fact that the two guards had rushed off to some unknown location to attend another task. “Mother didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly, if you like we can get some tea and give you a bit to freshen up before meeting her.”

“Something warm and a cloth to wash my hands would be nice…” Telcia remarked much more calmly than she felt. What she wanted was to rush to the Amyrlin and find out what the woman wanted of her so that she could get on with her life. “I don’t suppose you’d consider the Staff and Stole? It’s just off the main street, a nice quiet place where I’m sure we could find a nice private place to wash up.”

Being the one sent to retrieve Telcia Dyfelle, Lillian had to admit that the meeting was not what she had expected. She hadn’t necessarily expected something grander, but she had expected something . . . different. But, it was a lesson learned, and it wasn’t something that she was going to overly concern herself with. After all, Annais had business with Telcia, she did not, so whatever it was that needed dealing with, those two could handle it. While Lillian didn’t know what it was about, she trusted Annais enough to know that there would be a good reason for it. At least, now she did, now that they had sorted certain issues out. But her mind was wandering, Telcia wished to know whether her choice was suitable. “The Staff and Stole is agreeable.”

Heading down the street from the grove, there was little attention given to the two lone figures. No one wanted to be outside in this weather, no merchants and certainly not the poor souls in the alleyways. Telcia remembered a time she would have given coin to the poor half-frozen souls but, that was before she learned about a different kind of pride than the Tower taught… somehow thinking of Con right now didn’t relax her one bit. The man would be furious she came here without his sword and shield to protect her. Even now a Lord of another city the man still took their words to each other with the utmost seriousness, something she was glad Arette now understood and accepted.

Entering the two story building Telcia was shocked to find another woman behind the counter. “Sarah… Light is that you?” The girl hesitated only a second before dropping a curtsey first to the white and then to Telcia herself. “Telcia Sedai?” She laughed. The last time she’d seen the girl she’d barely had breasts to fill her dress and now she was a woman.

“How is your mother?” Telcia asked without thinking of the dear old woman’s age the last time she’d been in Tar Valon. The girl’s face drooped. “Dead, this past winter, though you’d think it never ended by the look of things.”

“I’m so sorry.” And she was. Her mother had been a strong supporter of the Red Ajah, a good woman. “Sarah we require a private room. Could you see to it?” Telcia reached into her waist pouch and gave a coin to the girl. Quick as you please Sarah had put them in a room off the main area where they were served tea and left to their own.

“Please, forgive my shortness earlier. I didn’t bother to even request your name, how terribly rude of me.” Telcia took up her tea and sipped it.

Listening to the exchange between Telcia and the woman identified as Sarah, Lillian was unsurprised. Many of the Red Sisters frequented the Staff and Stole, in fact it seemed like their home away from home. Every Ajah had one if you knew where to look, and this one was it. Some were more open about it, like the White Ajah with the ‘Logical Choice’, but it was good to go here. It would ensure that word spread a little more slowly, but it would also lend credence to it. It would be interesting to see what stirred as the news spread.

Shown to a private room, Lillian politely waited for the tea to be served and for the woman to depart before she took a sip of her tea. She was more than happy to let Telcia speak first, the apology and request for her name were nice but they weren’t going to stop her from making her point now that there was no one to hear it. “You saw what I was rather than who I was, despite this I did not expect the greeting I and my escort received.”

That much was certainly true, she certainly hadn’t expected Telcia’s earlier assertion of seniority. “My name is Lillian.” 
Telcia chuckled inspite of herself. “Yes, rude of me indeed… but so much more to the story than just the end of it, yes?” Telcia leaned back in her chair and tried to relax in familar surroundings. Truly not much had changed here over the years and that, if nothing else, was a comfort.

“Still, has so much changed here in these many years of my absence? Have the reign of two greens had such a positive effect on our home or… is your shock for some other reason Lillian Tremina?” Telcia watched the girl arch an eyebrow and nodded softly.

“You have your family look about you, though I would not have guessed who you were until you gave your first name. I’d dare say, between your looks… the shawl… and your surprise at my assertion of seniority, you could be none other but the author of ‘The White Tower: Past, Present and Future.’ I’m quite fond of your speculations, for an Accepted, you certainly had the right of many things that Sisters twice your current age have trouble admitting. I admire your courage in sharing it with the Tower.”

Well, the woman knew her last name, it wasn’t expected, but it wasn’t unexpected either. Unlike her mentor, she had never made a great effort to conceal her last name, she was just sparing in its use. After all, while she was one of the Tremina, she was also Aes Sedai. But, she had mentioned her work, even though it was decades past now. “I thank you, but that work was a long time ago. I wouldn’t say it was wrong, but many of the points I made during that time have been refined since then, and from our present circumstances, others have been proven and there is nothing left except to rebuild as best as can be.”

“As to your assertion of seniority, I am surprised that you felt the need to do so. From what I knew of you, I thought you were different from those you contended with, perhaps not so much as I once thought.” Blunt, but true. True strength did not need assertion, but they could move on from there. “The reign of two Green Amyrlins, I have to say I prefered the first to the second. But what is done is done, now we have an Amyrlin who I think shall do much to heal a good deal of the damage, not only by the Greens but by the Brown that preceded.”

Telcia fully laughed this time and called out to Sarah loudly enough to be heard. “Sarah, something stronger for me please… a nice wine and a bowl of ice peppers. Something stronger for you Lillian?” Lillian nodded and Telcia continued to speak.

“So here’s the meat of it then.” Taking her wine from Sarah and watching her leave again, she continued. “I’ve never been much for rank and file as you say. Since you seem to know that about me it’s also safe to assume that like a good portion of the Tower you’re aware of my exploits,”

She paused a moment. “…well at least my allegedly negative ones. Not necessarily bad, in the way of things. So know that you’re not mistaken on my point of view dear, I’m afraid all that was not factored into your equation was recent events of my life which have left me less than positive in my outlook on the Tower. I reacted defensively… even if you gave me no reason other than being from the Tower, to do so. I may have been ill-mannered, but I’ve hardly changed that much of who I am. Perhaps I only needed someone bold enough to point it out to remind me.”

Taking a pepper and then a sip of her wine she continued quickly after swallowing, “And a good thing too. I somehow doubt that the new Amyrlin Seat is eager to have me bristling like a badger after a rainstorm in her office. I have a debt to you, Sister.” 

“Perhaps, though she is rather patient.” Well, at least the words were heartfelt, it was enough to restore some of Lillian’s faith in the woman before her as she reached for the glass of ice wine and relaxed back in her seat.

She shouldn’t have been irritated as she was, but she had expected better, and now it was good to know that maybe her expectations weren’t disappointed. “As for your exploits, I am only aware to a degree. I won’t pretend to know all the details, but while the Tower may have had a problem with you, not every single sister does. If the Amyrlin was one of those sisters, I have my doubts whether she would have summoned you to begin with. How well do you know Annais Nevell?”

Telcia almost laughed and drew a breath slowly. “In my novice days I fancied myself destined for a gray shawl. Back then Liselle of the Blues was the Mistress of Novices and she and I met quite regularly… most of the time ending in my own shame but on a few occasions, my pride.”

She sipped her tea with a grin fit for a cat who’d eatten a mouse. “She despised the fact that of all the books I chose to read in my free time, it was the history of Tower Law and that I was shadow bent on finding ways to exploit every rule regarding Novices.” She laughed. “Those were good times here in Tar Valon… before the dark things began.” She sighed.

“I know her as well as I know you… that is to say, I know of her. I wish I could say more. I was there to cheer for Karana,” Telcia looked fit to spit at saying her name. “I had been a novice with Lanfir… and Sirayn, I held her at nights when she cried as a novice for her home and family. She was like a daughter to me.” She shook her head regretfully.

“All of them I felt I had advantage with… all of them, despite my vaunted skills at the great game, failed me… save one and that was only because I banked on the failure to get me what I felt was right for all.” She shrugged as she set down her wine glass. “I suppose I can’t be worse off with one I know little to nothing of, yet, perhaps you could tell me something of her …”

Silent as she listened to Telcia, Lillian wondered whether the fact that Telcia knew them all so well was exactly the reason for her ruin. She couldn’t make observations about Lanfir because she never knew the woman well, her main problem had been how the woman had come to be Amyrlin. That was a poisoned chalice for whoever had taken up the cup. But Karana had been someone she had only worked with through Arette, she hadn’t trusted her well. Sirayn, it was hard to imagine her in Telcia’s arms weeping, would Sial become like that? Lillian doubted it, there wasn’t the same meanness of spirit that Sirayn had been possessed of. Or maybe she had been different, perhaps her own dealings with the woman coloured her perception, time could change anyone.

The Great Game though, that was something Lillian understood and it was exactly why Telcia lost. Everyone lost when they played the game, even if they didn’t understand it at the time. “Annais is a good woman, she may not give you her trust easily, but if you earn it then I suspect you will fare better than you have before. I would warn you though, don’t play the game with her. Not because its a game you would lose, but simply to have more respect for her than that, and she will return that same respect.”

Sipping her wine, Lillian continued. “I do not know why she has invited you to see her, but I doubt it has something she has done lightly. Regardless of the reason, unless she has changed vastly since I was here an hour ago, she will deal with you even handedly. I suppose my question for you would be whether you will be able to do the same? Will you see her as our mother and leader, or will you see her simply as the Tower that has caused you grief in the past?” 

Telcia was quiet at the question. She couldn’t speak a lie but that was no reason to spout off an answer. Just because someone COULD say something, it didn’t mean they should. Staring down at the table she truly gave a long thoughful appearance, her mind going over the many events of the past years… the good and bad. For the time she pondered she picked up an ice pepper and toyed with it between her forefinger and thumb. It was then she realized, she didn’t have on her ring… it was packed up long ago with the shawl she never meant to wear again.

“I will call her Mother, I will kiss her ring, even as I kissed the foul hand of the woman who sealed me to the flame and sent me off into the world without letting me even explain the why of it to my Ajah Sisters. I respect the office of Amyrlin Seat, but the woman… as she will measure me, I will measure her. I will be more fair to her than I was to you, and for that I am sorry. Of all the Sisters I’ve kept tabs on from my … self-stylized retirement, you were one I wanted to start on the right foot with if we met before the Last Battle.” Eatting the pepper she let it burn a moment, before drinking wine, to remind herself that her tongue could be as powerful a killer as any sword.

“Yet,” She forced a smile. “Perhaps, you of all people best understand the benefit of a Sister who knows the worth of her humanity and has humility enough to wear her grace as well as her faults. If such can safely be called humility without in and of itself sounding prideful.” Shaking her head she chuckled. “I suppose that is only one of the many terrible things the Tower breeds into us, yes?”

Briefly she pauses before asking, with an emotion in her eyes most Aes Sedai don’t wear… ever, worry. “So, if I speak plainly you think that I will do better with her then if I try to wear one of the many masks this Tower helped me to craft then?”

Lillian smiled slightly as Telcia finished talking, it seemed better to answer the question she was posed with a question of her own. Besides, the answer that Telcia gave would be of interest to her. The woman was more of the Tower than she seemed to feel she was, but maybe this would help her better understand what Lillian was proposing. “I guess that depends on you. Will you stand before Mother with the face that you feel will serve you best? Or will you stand before Mother as you? I won’t be there to witness it so I won’t know your decision, but that is something you should decide for yourself.”

Telcia nodded slowly. “Fair.” She says softly, but her meaning isn’t quite clear. Perhaps she’d meant it was a fair enough statement, or fair she would not be there, or something else. “I cried at the feet of Karana Majin, begged for her mercy… came to her a second time with my newborn babies and again sought her kindness as a woman and nothing more.” A distant look spoke mountains of her memories of the incident and the pain it still caused her despite her and Arette’s reunion.

“Lanfir let me return to the Tower after my children had been kidnapped and feared dead, but that never undid the damage with my Sisters. Discoveries, acclaim within my ajah all in the short time I was here believing my husband dead or run off on me…” Anger burned in her eyes for a brief second but then washed away as she moved her eyes to Lillian once more.

“I haven’t been an Aes Sedai, in the terms this Tower holds that phrase, since the day I left sealed to the flame and banished. Every time I’ve returned I’ve come here as what I was… first, broken and lost… but now,” She smiled. “More whole than I’ve been since I wrote my first book… like you, as an Accepted. A starry-eyed girl who had saw that my place wasn’t with the grays but with the Browns.” She rolled her eyes with a wide grin.

“Light but, that was lifetimes ago. Tell me, does the large oak at the back western corner of the graveyard still stand?” It had been far too long since she’d seen the graves of her dear friends and she longed to stop there before leaving. 

The change in topic wasn’t one that Lillian was prepared for, nor did she know the significance of it but she simply shrugged. “I couldn’t say for certain, it has been some time since I have been there. I know of no reason why it should not still be standing though. I assume you wish to pay your respects to someone? It will have to be after the meeting. While I understand that only your Ajah sisters will be aware that we are here, as well as anyone that recognised you, I want to minimise the opportunities to be bailed up by other sisters, and I wouldn’t count the graveyard as a sanctuary.”

“No doubt, your lack of shawl and ring will prompt comment.” Lillian smiled at that thought, it most certainly would. “But when we do go to the Tower, we will not be stopping for anyone. Annais was clear that she wanted no other sisters to speak with you until she herself had first. I’d rather not have to ruffle feathers by trading barbs with another sister to shoo them away if I can avoid it.”

Telcia’s gut twisted. Had the woman learned of the Kin or their wonderous storage of Ter’Angreal? Light but she was glad she didn’t have hers with her now. Surely it would prompt much more comment than her missing ring and shawl. “When the Amyrlin summons you don’t normally stop to grab your adornments… she knows me for who I am, I’m hardly the girl of 90 who was fit to make sure all knew I was Aes Sedai. Because, if the ageless face and graying blonde didn’t tell that loudly, light alone knows what would.” Oh, now there was a topic she wanted to talk about… if there was time.

“As for the tree, yes… two someones actually Melanie and Jelene, old roomates of mine during our novice days. Melanie and I during accepted years. They both died tragically bofore reaching the shawl though your Ajah and Mother did her the honor of granting her the right to be burried with a White Shawl as she was to have been raised within the week of her death. A kindness I’ve never forgotten no matter all my frustrations over the years. Melanie would have been deeply honored to have known she was called Sister by anyone in the White Shawl.”

Letting the topic of the Amyrlin go, Lillian sensed that the conversation was definitely shifting towards this new topic now. It was a kindness that this Melanie was given the shawl of the White Ajah to wear to her grave, though it would have required the White Ajah’s agreement for it. Without a year to place Melanie’s death, she couldn’t decide which sister had been responsible for the kindness, but whoever it was had more heart than some of the sisters she had known. The question was where the conversation was leading to from there, where was the topic? “That was indeed a kindness.”

For a long while Telcia is silent, clearly thinking but unsure of what to share. Her thoughts of Melanie and Jelene were bittersweet though not nearly as troubling as they use to be, at least not in the way they once were. The Black Ajah still scared her to her very bones and it was hard not to forget that the woman before her might be one of them. Perhaps moving from the topic of her friend’s murders would be best.

“I can hardly imagine what Mother wishes to see me for, I can’t imagine she found my gift to Karana and found my insights into Tower Tradition to be enlightening. I’m certain she doesn’t require my talents for capturing some male channeler… nor for dealing with some troublesome leader of a nation. I might think it’s for my expertise in the Old Tongue, few speak it so well as I, or … they didn’t when I was last here, but surely she has expert translators who if given enough time could do the work.”

She gave a wry grin. “Perhaps she means to have me unsealed from the flame and allowed to explain all the terrible misunderstandings that have been created over the years due to politics, fear, and the secrets of my foretellings locked up in that secret library of hers.” By her laugh it was clear Telcia didn’t think that was the case.

“You have no hypothosis based on recent events then?”

The skipping of the topic of her dead friends was curious of Telcia, at least in Lillian’s eyes, but that was something that she would not pry into. Least not now with so many other things she had to deal with, perhaps she would mention it to Annais after the two had met, Annais would maybe shed more light on it. In the meantime, the topic had moved to why Annais had summoned her. Lillian didn’t know the answer to that, she had ideas about it, but they were ideas that could not be confirmed concretely. As such, she wasn’t going to venture much. “I have ideas as to why, but I wouldn’t want to prime you by leaving you thinking it is one thing when it could be something else entirely. Mother knows what she is doing, that is enough for me from this Amyrlin.”

Telcia wiped her mouth and fingers. “Well then, maybe we should not make her wait any longer. Surely she’s willing to expect me by now?” Telcia stood. “Lillian, I hope you’ll pay my house a visit in the future if you wish to discuss … well, anything really. I was a terrible hostess once and I won’t say to you that my temper never gets the better of me… but where I’ve failed at being a good Sister from time to time, I find I’ve become a very good wife and hostess. It suits me. I hope that you’ll give me a second chance to prove that to you some time soon?”

The offer to visit Telcia’s house was unexpected, but one that Lillian acquiesced to with a slight nod as she spoke. “I may take you up on that as time permits, though I wonder with the days ahead whether any of us will have any time for it. If there is one thing I would hazard, while you may not take on the ring and shawl again, I think you may have your part to play yet. I doubt you would be one to remain idle.”

Standing from her seat, Lillian gestured to the door. “After you, we go straight to the Amyrlin’s office.”

“Unending, unending,” she intoned, as if she’d said it some very long time ago or in a dream that she could barely remember. “No rest for the Servants of All upon the Great Wheel of Time.” She forced a smile and followed Lillian directly to the Amyrlin’s office without stopping for a single soul. 

It was a quick pace they set through the Tower, Lillian had no intention of stopping for anyone. There were glances that varied from shock to delight to scorn, but she wasn’t particularly worried about them save as a way to gauge those sisters so she could speak to Annais of it later. It was always good to have an idea of what other sisters were thinking, Mother had to lead for all of them and it was necessary to have that knowledge in order to do so effectively. At least no one impeded them, that would have been unfortunate for them, and her as well most likely, she didn’t want to upset any of her ties to sisters of the different Ajahs.

Ascending the Tower was time consuming, but soon they were in the upper reaches and the door to the Amyrlin’s Office was in sight. Stopping before it, Lillian held up her hand as she turned to Telcia. “Before we go in, I would just like to tell you this. I know I said the decision you make when you step through this door is your own, but I can tell you now. The best thing you can do is be true to yourself, have no fear and you will be fine. Whatever the Amyrlin asks of you, it will help you as much as it will help her. Shawl or no shawl, unity is what we need now more than ever.”

At that, Lillian stepped towards the door and knocked. Hearing Annais call for them to enter, Lillian opened the door and ushered Telcia through the portal. Beyond it was the Amyrlin Seat, Mia was sitting off to one side as was her wont since they had been bonded, no doubt she had her opinions about what was to happen, especially as Annais confided in her more than herself no doubt. But, that was the role of the Warder, there was no begrudging that, even if they might disagree.

Closing the door behind them as Telcia strode forward and gave her greetings to Annais, Lillian quietly slipped a blade from her sleeve and just as easily closed the gap between them and slipped the blade to Telcia’s throat. The woman very still, Lillian didn’t hesitate as she spoke. “I shall speak plainly, you are stronger than me in the power but if you so much as hint at embracing it, I won’t give you the chance to even light a spark. Fold your hands before you and drop to your knees. No argument, no dissent, only obedience.”

“Now.”
“As you have called Mother,” She put her lips to the Amyrlin’s ring gently. “So I have come.” Rising when it was indicated she could do so, Telcia tried to remain calm but it was never easy. Even after all these years, after all the hate, all the pain… she was still Mother.

Cold steel and harsh words and not even a twitch from the warder standing behind the Amyrlin. Panic tore through her body. She’d lied to her husband, she wasn’t ever going to see Ebou Dar, his smiling face, or her precious babies ever again. The Amyrlin Seat, the bloody Amyrlin Flaming Seat was Black Ajah & she’d simply walked in to her own death!

Telcia wanted to cry as she was instructed harshly, but she also wanted to tear the marriage dagger from around her neck violently and bury it in the black sister behind her. Light she could see Iussi kneeling before her on that ship, putting the blade to his heart and swearing his life to her… Light why hadn’t she sailed away that night and never EVER looked back? Was this how it was to end after all these years? Was she really destined to die as Jelene and Melanie had, at the hands of the Black Ajah?

Telcia’s heart pounded in her ears and her head ached in a terrible blinding way, she could feel the wetness in her eyes welling up that might have been tears or blood depending on how badly and long she was willing to fight back the sensation that she’d now identifed with her most powerful fortellings. Light help her this couldn’t happen again, not twice helpless at the feet of a Shadowsworn!

She grit her teeth as excruciating pain surged through her body. Kneeling down slowly towards the floor, her hands twitching at her side, fighting the urge to grab the dagger or to embrace the source no matter what had been told to her.

“You’ll not bend me to the Shadow, you filthly TRAITOR!” She spat the word, spoke to the black behind her but meant as much for the false Amyrlin before her. Light could this be how her Arches came to be? Would she be forced to kill the Amyrlin Seat? She would, Creator help her, she knew that not only could she if give half the chance but that she would.

“You had better bloody well hope you can kill me in one swipe of that puny blade because so help me… if you let up for one heartbeat, you shadowsworn FOOL, it will be your body on the ground I SWEAR IT!” She growled the last words as much as she spoke them, the blade having indented to her flesh so much due to her rage filled shouts that it broke the upper most layer of her flesh causing a hair thin ribbon of blood to fall like tears down her throat.

“To think … I trusted you even for a second…” She hissed under the pain that was painted across her face and in her icy blue eyes. Clearly she had been speaking of Lillian & that for some reason, beyond all sense, she HAD trusted the girl. Inside, silently, she prayed to the Light to give her strength and courage enough to not only see the window of opertunity but to take hold of it the very moment it presented itself. This much she promised herself, no matter how this ended, Telcia Dyfelle refused to die silently. 

It was incredible how you got used to everything, even being an Amyrlin Seat and making big and difficult decisions. But Annais Nevell had a clear idea of where she was steering the White Tower and unlike some of her precedessors, the Hall stood fairly united behind her. And when she made a bad judgement call, she now had a new person in her entourage to kick her tush for it: Mia.

She lifted her gaze from the papers and glanced at her side where her very first Warder sharpened her blade with a whetstone. Fondness dominated the Bond and Mia looked up with a smile. Gray and brown eyes stayed locked with mutual goodwill, and Annais was the first one to break the gaze off. Mirroring was something that she still hadn’t entirely mastered and it wouldn’t do to have the Amyrlin grin foolishly when Telcia Nalemar-Dyfelle arrived.

Light, yet another person to be secured and so many things could go wrong. What if someone noticed that the ter’angreal was missing? Annais brushed her palms to her thighs and let herself revel for a moment at the reassurance Mia was sending at her.

“I’m going for a quick smoke”, she announced and suddenly the Bond brimmed with intense disapproval. “Yes?”, Annais asked challengingly and glared at her Warder. She was still in charge here and even if she let Mia sometimes to get the upper hand, it didn’t mean a more permanent reverse of the roles. Or so she told herself at least. Thankfully the Illianer was willing to let it go this time, even though her perfectly nice cigar moment was ruined by such negativity oozing through.

The Wheel conspired against her and her slight pleasure was cut short by a knock at the door. Annais tossed the cigar over the balcony with a longing look and waved the air futilely to disperse the smoke. She just gave up and stepped inside closing the doors. Just few breaths and sitting up straighter in her fancy chair and she was ready to face her guest and be all Amyrlinly.

A quick friendly smile at Lillian became more polite and Annais stood up to face Telcia and receive the kiss of the ring. She really hadn’t wanted to go through that bit but Lillian had insisted that it was necessary to get the other woman into a right position. The White’s way would better work or Mia really would have her hide. It would have been safer to just Shield the woman but it might have caused some wondering if someone was paying attention. At least Gennie, her usual Traveling agent was still delivering messages back and forth to the various royalty, so no one would wonder why she used Lillian instead.

The reaction had been expected but Annais’ mouth thinned with displeasure at being called a Black Sister – again. She didn’t know Telcia Sedai very well, she had been in Altara for the most of the time the woman was a Sitter. This was going to be a truly rocky beginning if the woman turned out innocent like she very much hoped.

“Easy with the knife, Lillian”, she snapped when the White cut flesh and blood begun to flow down the pale skin. She backed away from the Red like Mia had demanded and let her Warder place the Oath Rod on Telcia’s hands. Annais triggered it with a slight flow of Spirit.

“You know of the Black Ajah but you were never secured, Daughter. The former Keeper trusted you so much. But I don’t trust anyone who hasn’t unsworn and resworn in front of my very eyes. You know the drill. And then you will say that you are not sworn to the Dark One… if you can.”

Telcia’s eyes bulged in their sockets as the oath rod was put into her hands, she feared the worst as the woman activated it. “Unswear…” She looked scandalized, which she was if only because it was exactly what she’d hoped the woman would let her do but she never would have dared to ask.

“Re… reswear?” Telcia was horrified at the idea. The pain would be excruiating on top of the pain she was already in. Sweat dotted her brow, something no Aes Sedai ever should have had. “I know NO such routine! This is positively…” It hit her then, this was what Arette had done to the Black Ajah Hunters. The laughter was wry but it came out of her lips none the less.

“I NEVER unswore anything and in all her foolishness it was something Arette never would have dreamed of asking me to do even in her dizziest day dreams!” The words were an accusation, the woman should feel shame at demanding this, especially in this way.

“Will you make the whole Tower kneel to you this way?” She barely shook her head, feeling Lillian having let up an ounce. “How many times will you swear and reswear Mother, to prove yourself as pure as those you demand things from… especially when you come to understand it’s cutting your life SHORT!”

Blood welled up in Telcia’s eyes, she couldn’t hold back any more. The foretelling wouldn’t wait and there was no mistaking it. If she didn’t unswear and reswear immeidately, the foretelling would be suspect. These weren’t blacks, they were just fearful women with no better ideas… Light help them.

“I, Telcia Dyfelle, renounce the three oaths of the Aes Sedai. I shall not be bound to say no untrue word, I shall not be bound to make no weapon for a man to kill another with the one power, and I shall not be bound to refrain from killing under any circumstances.”

Telcia cried out in agony, the focus required to resist the pull of the pattern was enormous and the weight upon the soul that the oath road placed, was no small thing. “It hurts so … Light… please…” she whispered in a childlike voice. Trembling she let the three oaths out in a blinding torrent ending only with the meekest request, “I am… a servant of …the Light…”

It was then her eyes began to roll up into her head. 

Telcia’s reactions certainly were quite extreme. Popping eyes and horrified face… and she was positively sweating when she mentioned reswearing. Please Light, let it not be guilt and fear. The Red knew the procedure and her precious Keeper friend had done the very same thing to thirteen Sisters who had become the first Hunters. Wasn’t it an outright lie that she knew no such routine? Well, this certainly wasn’t a common practice.

Accusations. Annais had no reason to feel any shame as she was doing the right thing, but her brow furrowed in a frown. Still, her voice was adamant when she replied. “Yes. Every Aes Sedai will got through this same eventually.” The Red’s question made her shiver. Unswearing and reswearing had been horribly painful but she would do it as many times as she would have to. And cutting her life short? What nonsense was that? Clearly the woman was making another attempt to squirm off it.

And then she begun to cry blood. Annais could only gape in disbelief and half worry. But the woman was unswearing. She bit her lip and glanced at Lillian with uncertainty when Telcia cried out in pain. Was it all act or a real thing? Could this bleeding thing be happening because they had caught a Black Sister?

Then it was over as Telcia fainted. Annais lunged toward her and had to struggle for a moment with Mia who blocked her way. Finally the Warder budged but she knelt and took a firm hold of the Red. Even Telcia’s eyes were covered so it should be perfectly safe. But Annais didn’t care anymore. She wove Delving and gasped as it was all for real. The blood vessels in Telcia’s face had bursted like could happen if you concentrate to hard or hang upsidedown too long. What in Light’s name was happening here?

Mia restraining Telcia kept her from hurting herself as she arched and flailed with the Healing. Annais sagged to sit beside her and frowned at her Warder who still hadn’t let go. “Mia Stavros, we will have a word about this. You can release her now. Telcia Sedai, how are you feeling? I am truly sorry about this but it was necessary. What just happened to you?”
As if she heard the woman, Telcia’s eyes lock on the Amyrlin Seat. Her words, while to no one that she would remember later, seem to be spoken as an urgent message to the Flame of Tar Valon.

“Faster, faster we move towards the beginning of the end and the end of a new beginning. Behold, the Kingdom by the sea shall weather a great storm of young hawks, it’s fate resting in the hands of the untested unsworn servants, the crafters of waves, the Queen of Golden Cranes & the Queen of Lions. If but one refuses to stand united, to build a city-state that will see the other side of the Great War, the winter shall NEVER end and the shadow’s foot shall be firmly placed on the throat of the Light. BEHOLD, the Dragon, as guardians balance the servants he stands to work the impossible tasks, nine in all, what is said not to be able to be, shall come to pass. A brother’s death bed plea to his sister, finally ful-filled. By my blood and soul, I Telcia Dyfelle, do foretell.”

And with that her eyes fall shut, her body shuddering from the exertion and pain. 
Light, this had to be a Foretelling. A woman who had just been Healed just couldn’t fake it. Annais repeated Telcia’s every word quietly and tried to press them to her memory. Lillian and Mia would have to remember the bits that she might forget. She didn’t even try to interpret it as the woman spoke lest even one word be missed.

When the speech ended, Telcia slumped down and Annais was torn with what to do: to write the words down immediately or to Delve the woman again? She did kind of both. “Lillian, please jot her the Foretelling down”, Annais told the younger Sister before kneeling beside Telcia. Her weave didn’t reveal any further injury, only great wariness. From what Annais had read, the Foretellers didn’t remember their own words. So it was useless to pester Telcia about it.

And she had been summoned for an entirely different topic. Annais wasn’t entirely heartless, though, so she couldn’t just start inquisitioning her right away after such an experience. “How are you feeling, Telcia? Can I make you comfortable somehow? Do you want dinner, tea or maybe something stronger?”

“Tea,” She whispered softly and blinked a bit. “Please Mother.” Telcia sits up and finally takes Mia’s appearance in for the first time. “Stavros… Con’s Sister Mia.” She smiles at the woman. “We finally meet at long last.” Her voice is hoarse but it’s clear seeing the warder puts her at ease.

Annais caught Mia’s nod before she set to preparing the tea wordlessly. A simple weave of Fire heated the water and even though the tea should have brewn for a longer time, it would have to do. She added in two spoonfuls of honey as they would do good for Telcia. Annais poured the Red a cup and handed it to her. She wished that the woman could at least drink herself.

But before they could start talking about the Arches, Lillian would have to be dismissed. She would react emotionally even when she didn’t know what the information was for. But she was bright so she would figure it out quickly and then there would be trouble. “Lillian, did you get it all down? If yes… well, you need to return the Oath Rod. And we shouldn’t be seen together too much.”

“WAIT!” Telcia cried out. “Don’t take it yet… please.” She looked to the Amyrlin pleadingly. “I … I need your help and I need that to get it.”

Nodding at Annais’ words, Lillian took the oath rod from Mia as it was offered. They had to be careful, and she couldn’t be seen around Annais too often, she had perhaps stayed overlong as it was. She was meant to be a messenger girl, fetching Telcia from one place to another, she was not meant to be privy to private councils. At least, as far as everyone else was concerned, hopefully Annais would speak to her of it later. Or so was her thought until Telcia called for her to wait, and that she needed it? Looking to Annais questioningly, she waited for instruction.

Unexpected. Annais frowned and exchanged a look with Lillian. There was only one way to find out. “What kind of help and what does it have to do with the Oath Rod?”

Telcia stood on shaking legs, taking Mia’s arm to steady herself before she even realized the warder had put it in front of her. “I… I must be released of my oaths, lives depend on it. On my life and soul I’ve promised to say nothing of why, but… I must be released.”

Frowning at the words spoken, Lillian looked down at the oath rod a moment before handing it over to Annais. She wasn’t sure of Telcia’s motives by any means, but a leap of faith might be merited after having tested her and having found her true. Or not, but she thankfully didn’t have to decide in this matter. That was Annais’ place. “It is up to you, Mother. I wouldn’t do it without knowing more, but she has passed the test.”

Nodding sharply, Annais received the Oath Rod and held it in a way that implied that she wasn’t going to hand it over. “That is good council, Lillian. What can you tell, Telcia? And do you understand what exactly you are giving up? Are you certain that you want to make that kind of a sacrifice?” 

Telcia bit her lip. “I’ve thought long and hard on what I could say and not say. The person who bound me to my words I am glad you never asked me if I’d been in the presence of… let us say that much and imply the danger as I can say no more of the man. All that I am able to do is ask of you the impossible task and hope that whatever you have brought me here for, whatever was so serious to put me through that… test of yours, is a worthy trade. I would never ask this, not in a million years if the rod were not here and you had not displayed to me that you have a head to do what is right above what is proper. Light but that whole mess was…” She shook her head, she would not tell her what should be obvious.

“But it proved your mettle, it proved where you compare to those who sealed me to the flame and exiled me to save their careers rather than save the world. I lost everything so one woman’s pride could be protected… and none of that even begins to compare to the work I’ve been doing now. Nearly two lifetimes as a Sitter, Mother… and it’s a pale comparison to what is being done in Ebou Dar.” She paused clearly thinking on what she might be able to say more.

“Do you know anything of my departure from the Tower after Lanfir, Light Bless Her, welcomed me home from Karana’s” she nearly spit the name. “so called retirement she sent me into?”

Well, Annais wasn’t certain that what Telcia was asking from her was right. It certainly wasn’t proper. But she was a pragmatic so she was willing to hear the woman out at least. “No, I do not know the details of your departure, Telcia. I was still at Altara at the time. How do they pertain to your request?”

“You asked what I could tell.” She paused to let the words sink in, to make it apparent that despite the seeming departure in the story, that they were clearly linked. “I came back and was welcomed by Lanfir only after my husband had been gentled and released to my care… but he never made it to me. He was taken somewhere else; a fact I didn’t learn until he escaped his captors who wore shawls and guards cloaks.” she let that sink in too.

“They’ll have good stories I’m sure, another farm, confusion in what the orders were… but notice the one who gave the orders, the Head of Ajah at the time, is dead sometime ago under mysterious circumstances… Perine Caral, the girl who helped me hide my pregnancy.”

“But none of that was known to me at the time, no, why I came back was because servants of the Shadow took my children Mother and I feared they were dead… but they weren’t, they just never made it to where they were going. I was lucky, unlike others… I’m not the only one to lose my children in such ways Mother.” Telcia tried to say more but the oath slammed her jaw shut so hard her teeth clicked.

“Perine Caral, one of the original hunters.” she finally managed as her jaw unlocked.

The kidnap of Telcia’s husband was the handwork of the Black Ajah. But why? Discerning a motive was difficult. “Do you have more information about what happened to your husband? Descriptions of the people involved? Did you tell anyone in the Tower? Would releasing you save more children from the Shadow? I assume yes…. hmm, it is painful but you could just unswear and reswear after you have written it down or told it to someone.” It certainly pained her to even suggest it. But it also pained her to loose a Sister forever, even if she was a retired one.

Lillian frowned as she considered Telcia then looked back at Annais. “May I speak?”

Telcia smiled at Annais. She hadn’t expect this reaction, her eyes beamed with pride. Finally, it seemed the Tower had a woman worth of the title Mother not just leader, warrior, or politician. I almost broke her heart she even had to think of leaving this behind now.

Likely it hadn’t been the best of ideas. Annais should always think a bit longer before opening her mouth and that was why she tried to have good advisors at hand. “Of course. Go ahead.”

Nodding slightly as she was given permission, Lillian ventured her opinion. “Telcia is a retired sister, while she may have been brought here for a purpose unknown to me, I think it is fair to say that she has no intention of rejoining our ranks. Assist, yes, but she has her own life with her own family now. One of our concerns was that she may have been targeted and turned while she was isolated in Altara, we now know that isn’t the case. We would be the only ones to know that she isn’t bound by oaths, others that approach her would do so on the assumption she is still bound.”

“Not only is this a possible advantage to all of us, but after everything that has occurred, perhaps it is right in itself to simply do it.” Looking at Telcia briefly, Lillian turned back to Annais as she finished. “A servant doesn’t need oaths in order to serve.”

Tears filled Telcias eyes, she wanted to hug Lilian despite her venom to her only a few minutes ago, instead she bowed her head respectfully.

It was true what Lillian said, Annais decided as she chewed her lower lip in thought. Telcia might be of use unbound and as an ally. But she was a special case, an exception. “Indeed. Servants shouldn’t need Oaths, Lillian. But we do not live in an ideal world. The Dragon Reborn may bring about change but I am not certain if the world and the Tower are ready for this kind of a change yet. It isn’t a topic I will discuss now as there is another matter on the agenda. But…” Light, she had to make the decision quickly as Lillian had to return the Oath Rod. “If you are willing to revoke your ring and Shawl and every right to the title of an Aes Sedai, you may remove your Oaths, Telcia. Are you really ready to do that?” 

Images flashed through her mind, years of training, tears, she prayed to be free of this place for so long; why was it so hard to say the words then? Jelene and Melanie were out there, she had a promise to keep… but what of her other promises, to the Tower, to her husband and to her blood? Wasn’t 200 years worth of work something easily tossed aside for them? Did she really believe the words she’d taught so many novices? It was then she found her voice again, weak at first and then more confident as she finished.

“In the age of legends, men and women channeled, but not all worked for the Hall of Servants. It took a special person to dedicate a lifetime to service, but ever, the leader of the Servants could call upon those who were trained and they would come to serve when it was required of them and the need was great. I’ve always told the young ones that was how we were meant to be… in a way, it is the wish of every Red, in her heart of hearts that we could return to that. I would have been lying for two lifetimes, to every child I taught, if I didn’t stand now with courage enough to do what must be done. I’m not a liar Mother, I am a Servant… here… or there. I know who I am, and while regretful it was rushed and in this way… I am proud to be the first and by your hand freed.”

Telcia stepped forward and in solemn voice, “I’ve never had more respect for your office, than I have in this moment.”

Annais snorted but her slight smile revealed that she wasn’t awfully upset. “Oh, it is easy to respect the Amyrlin when she is making decisions that please you. Too bad that I just can’t please all thousand Aes Sedai. When you bow to someone, you always turn your bottom to someone else. Now, get about it so that Lillian can return the ter’angreal.”

Taking the Oath Rod into her hands again, Telcia unswore her oaths with more respect the second time than the first. It felt as though a weight of a thousand years was being lifted from her skin and soul and while the first time had been so brief, the second she began to notice the changes. Her hair tightened and unless she was mad the silver seemed to melt away in the reflection of herself across the room in a mirror on the wall. But that was not the only thing slowly changing in the mirror as the oaths left her form, with a smile she realized that her wish to Arette in this self-same room had come true in part… she’d turned back time. Where the Arches had given her the sanity of her youth, the oaths going away had given her back the appearance. Would her husband even recognize her? Would her children? “Light…” she gasped.

“Well, I’ll take that as my cue to leave.” Taking the Oath Rod from Annais, Lillian inclined her head to the pair before taking her leave, slipping the oath rod within the sleeve of her dress as she did so. It would be a touch of a challenge to get the Oath Rod back into the vault, but it wasn’t as if it hadn’t been done before. That and she wasn’t suspected by the guardians, so all was well. Maybe later she would talk again with Telcia, if the woman still wanted to talk to her by then. People tended to have aversions to speaking with her after being menaced with a knife, but that was what she did.

With Lillian gone, Annais felt like she could breath easier. Not because she wanted to be rid of the White’s company but because the Oath Rod was being taken back and they would avert suspicion. That, and she could finally discuss freely the topic she had had Telcia brought here for. But first things first. She reached for her decanter and took out three glasses and eyed around questioningly. Mia would better not disapprove it or she would get a smack on her chops for being a sulky Warder. A little drink hurt no one. Sipping her brandy appreciatively, she leaned back on her chair.

“So, there was a reason why I summoned you, Telcia: the Three Arches. They used to have another purpose once, they were a tool of Healing. They could become that again if we only knew how. I know of the experiment you and the former Amyrlin and some others did. I want to hear all about it, especially the risks. Do you believe that the reliability of the method could be improved?” 

“All about it you say?” Telcia nods slowly. “Alright. Let’s sit, my legs are still tired and I’ll take some of that food now if you don’t mind. That healing … wow.” Smiling she sits and accepts a bit of fruit that is offered to her by Mia from a bowl on a nearby table.

“The arches and my understanding of them comes from 200 years of hatred and study. I’ve long advocated their being shut down as a means of testing Accepted. However… now that I see their true purpose, I think that a properly trained person could make the testing safer and more effective. I can actually see where our sisters of the past got the idea to use it from, really it is a way to wipe a girl’s mental slate clean, per say, and make her stronger for her trials to come. Misused, as we’re doing it now, it only allows the strongest to pass, sometimes breaking them in the process, and on occasion proves … unfortunate.”

“It’s my firm belief that Age of Legends healers who specialized in the ailments of the mind, used the arches as a therapy device which allowed individuals to face their darkest fears and deepest seeded issues in a safe environment. The arches actually touches upon the mind of the person entering, what occurs is as the spirit, filtered through the ter’angreal, touches the mind it creates a small realm based on the … shall we say patient’s needs. Ideally, inside the arches, the patient confronts the issue they are unable to work through on their own, and over comes it… thusly exiting stronger than when they entered. Though I sincerely believe that follow up work was done, this Ter’Angreal isn’t a cure-all, it’s a tool.”

“It occurred to us, during discussions, that for this to work, one would either have to assume the patient would naturally succeed… which we know they don’t… or somehow someone had to help them. This is where our theory-craft got stuck and we had to use the item to learn more.”

“Elyssa of the Blues joined us and together the three of us activated the Ter’Angreal, amazingly the weave on the Ter’angreal CAN be done when three women link… this leaves one person able to operate the Ter’Angreal and prevents the two inside from channeling and endangering themselves or others.”

“Sirayn, who was my first mentee, had a great deal of issues. I knew this… but, after many long years I realized I wasn’t a peach any more either. It’s no secret what some have said about me and I have to say … they were right. I was depressed, among other things, and the yellows spent years trying to help me. So, I knew we both could benefit from going into the arches… this was my first mistake.”

“The person leading a patient is MUST be stable and have few, if no, connections to the patient. The reason for this is simple, the person the arch sees as a patient, will be lost to the illusion… if both healer and patient forget the truth of where they are, both could be lost just as we lose novices in the Arches. This occurred to Sirayn and I on the third arch, happily in the first and second it our issues were so different we were able to act as healers for each other.”

“For us the first was my confronting the death of the Accepted Melanie Tarou. While my rape was always tramatic, it felt her death was my fault as I was the one who showed her how to climb onto the novice roof-top, we did it as novices together to get out of chores and see the sunshine.” Telcia smiles softly. “I was always a pain in Liselle’s bottom with my attempts to circumvent Tower Law with loop holes.” She chuckles and eats another grape.

“I watched as Melanie was pushed off the rooftop and fell after her, Sira saved my life in that arch. As soon as I accepted what she was telling me, as soon as I truly believed that Melanie’s death wasn’t my fault, the silver door appeared.”

“Our second arch was about Sira’s confrontation with a dread lady that cost her a warder and her hand. Here I discovered channeling in the arches is nothing more than an effect of the mind, which is why we can see it done in an arch but it’s dangerous to do ourselves… mostly because their channeling is an illusion of our minds and our own channeling could disrupt the Ter’Angreal. Being linked with Elyssa prevented us from doing any damage. It proved a real safety net.”

“The last arch related to both of our fears about our status in the Tower, the setting was the Last Battle and the location was Tar Valon… I was with the forces of the Tower and sadly Sira was with the Shadow.” Telcia knew this might look badly for her missing mentee but she owed this woman a great deal now.

“We captured her,” she says gravely. “And because of my past issues the Sisters tried to send me away while they tortured her for information. As I use to do, I was ready to accept what I had to instead of making a choice for myself no matter the risk… for all my fire in the Hall and my choice to marry, I’ve always been tied to this place and I knew that. I had no where to go if I’d been put out as a Novice, no future, no home… nothing. I had to face the truth of my life and decide to stand for what meant something to me and while Sira was our enemy, I rescued her. The Sisters torturing her were committing acts of the Shadow and I had to stand against that. My act, my care for sira, broke the power of the Shadow over her and it was that Sira realized the strength to resist the dark things she feared, was in her all along.”

“We spoke of this much, together, alone… but never with others. What was there, was deeply personal, as is the first time you entered yourself. It’s hard to share for us because … we didn’t leave the arch stronger, we were weakened by it. A woman who has no issue with her past has no trouble sharing it when it matters… but this tower is full of women who, to this day, shudder at the thought of what they experienced that night they were ushered into the silver archway.”

“Additionally, I fear that I must tell you that if the person going in to be healed, is a foreteller… or perhaps a dreamer, I think there could be trouble. The person’s mind is effected in all manner of ways and I know for a fact that something of foretelling can occur in the arches, you see… I’ve known the face of the Dragon Reborn since I exited my third arch where…” she hesitated and her eyes lit up as she realized that without the ring, her arch would never happen in any way at all.

“Where I was the Amyrlin Seat… you should know, the Dragon will kneel to you at some point… I saw it back then and I knew it to be as true as the sun rising. That boy’s eyes though… they chilled me. In the arch I had done what Karana did, hid the boy for many years, and when it was discovered what I did… they stood to have me stilled. I ran from that fate for many, many years… in my own ways but if I had been guided in my arches we could have benefited from the knowledge gained there.”

“In short… two must enter. They must not be close, barely know each other is best, and the person who is guiding should be a stable person whom you don’t expect should have any surprises from their past that they have yet to confront. I’d say, if I could be so bold, I or Sira going back now… to take another through, would be good for the Tower if only because the person we healed could easily be used as the healer in future attempts to help others or for Accepted testings.”

“The novice entering has a guide, they face their fears and uncertainties and exit stronger and proven worthy to advance… those who find they can not get past their fears, those who would normally be lost within, are guided out by the healer who calls up the doorway by simply imagining it to be there. It’s that simple. I’m sure you have questions though.” Sitting back Telcia waits to hear what the woman has to say. 

Telcia was hardly the only Aes Sedai who had issues with the Arches but until a viable second option was found, the testing method just couldn’t be done away with. But the knowledge that people could be brought back from the Arches and that they could be used in a more safe way opened entirely new possibilities.

Annais was no expert on Healing, especially not on the ailments of mind but she knew very well that the Arches weren’t the single cure for Estel. But it could be the starting point and she would have people helping her afterwards. Darienna had already gotten through by the time Orion had died and a relapse had occurred. There was still hope.

It was extremely dangerous thing what they had done, entering the Arch while channeling even if Elyssa had directed Saidar from the outside. And why had they chosen the Blue for the work? Why not a Yellow? It sounded very logical that the guide should be impartial or they could get tangled in the internal world of the patient too. Annais doubted that Telcia knew Estel. The Blue certainly shared the views of her most fanatical Ajah Sisters about the Red Ajah. But could that even hamper the Healing process?

She was both fascinated and slightly embarrassed by the highly personal things Telcia spoke of. She wanted to say that Telcia didn’t need to tell her unless she wanted as that was the rule about the regular Arches. But she had to know it all to be able to make a good judgement. It must have been horrible for the Red to face such old guilt. But being purged of it after two hundred years had likely relieved her of a heavy load.

The second Arch sounded very very scary, especially since they couldn’t channel. But then the Arches took place in the World of Dreams and things worked differently there. The third Arch certainly made Annais’ eyes widen. Could Sirayn have become an agent of Dark? She had been a Hunter once but the Shadow could have turned her. Her stomach churned at the thought and the knowledge that a Forsaken had his interests on her wasn’t a comforting one. Be’lal might even know what had really happened to Sirayn.

Telcia’s deed spoke of a great deal of dedication and care and Annais respected her for it. She doubted that she could have been as much help to any of her friends and what made it even more remarkable was that Telcia had been a patient herself. Maybe she should have considered the Yellow Ajah instead of the Brown, Gray and Red that had been her main options once.

Annais was one of the many women who shivered at the memory of her Arches. A century might have passed but the pain of loosing her father and whole family was still there. Duller but never ceasing. Rational mind might know that there was nothing she could have done for them but she had triggered the chain of events that had lead to their deaths. Her father and his men had made their choice of profession and maybe the Pattern had meant to lead her to the Tower, but even that didn’t dim the guilt. But she would just live with it. Entering the Arches again was far too frightening prospect… and too risky also. At least she had been able to set one of her visions to rest, her hatred of Mireina Sedai. And Mia was a proof that her stance toward Warders had changed too.

It made sense that Dreaming and Foretelling could cause issues as the ter’angreal utilized Te’Aran’Rhiod. That might also risk Telcia unnecessarily. Maybe someone else should act as the Guide after all, possibly a Yellow. And how useful the knowledge of the Dragon might have been much earlier. But Karana Majin had made her choices and it was too late to cry over spilt milk. She couldn’t agree with Telcia’s conclusions that the events would play as they had happened in her Arches, though. Too many things didn’t add up. And the Arches were formed of the woman’s own fears and hopes. Who knew how much of it was the truth and how much fabrication.

Imagining Estel Healed and helping young women to heal in turn was a pleasent though and it made Annais smile genuinely. But first she would have to get there herself. “Firstly, about the Dragon. Since you are not the Amyrlin, it is doubtful of how much of your vision is real and how much is the doing of Arches and your own mind. I have no desire to have the Dragon kneel to me. If he decides to do so, it is by his own volition and likely to respect the title as you did before when kissing my ring and nothing more. I seek alliances, not domination.”

“But the Arches… did they work for you, Telcia? Are you fully Healed of your fears and traumas? And you said that being a Foreteller might disrupt the Healing process. Do you think that the same might happen if you acted purely as the Guide? And how does one control who is the Guide and who the Patient? Can you be certain that you would not be thrust in the latter role again?”

“There is a reason why I am asking all this. Naturally I don’t want to loose even one novice to the Arches again and make it unnecessarily painful for them. But there is a Sister who is badly in need of the Healing the Arches can offer. Two in fact.” Her face darkened when she thought of Phinnaver and what she had done in her madness. “Do you think that you could lead their Healing process? Would you be impartial enough to work with Estel Liones of the Blues and Phinnaver of the Greens?”

Telcia had thought it might come to asking, after Sirayn was gone, who else but her and Elyssa would be left and Elyssa hadn’t entered. Kit, as she knew, was travelling the world with Ragan so there was no hope there either.

“I know only of each woman, I do not know them, in that I feel it would be safe. Though having Elyssa there if it is possible, since Kit is gone, might do well… or if another in the Tower has a vast knowledge of Angreal, Ter’Angreal and Sa’Angreal. Both women were possesed of the the Talent for it, as you know, and I am certain Elyssa’s eyes from the outside could alert us to a problem if it should arrise.”

“I’d suggest, in all future uses of the device, that an expert of such things is on hand. I know there isn’t a lot one can do from the outside but, it I can not say what women of such Talent might learn while watching the use of the Arches in the proper fashion. Elyssa determined a great deal on their operation… she admitted to me that with extensive study she might devine more but Mother wasn’t willing to allow that just yet. At the time there was just too many other things that needed to be known about other objects, in her estimation. I can only assume that meant objects we might use in the Last Battle, Greens often put such things first.” She nodded at her words which were clearly not an insult by their tone, after all, she herself had had a green mentor.

“As for my having been healed…” she smiles. “Oh yes, my trip into the arches has given me a new outlook on life. When I left the Tower the second time I left with confidence that I could help the world as much being out in it… as I could here. I had no idea just how right I would be.” Telcia’s eyes were lit up like a school girl.

“I’ve been helping the Queen of Altara and her faction to keep stability in Ebou Dar, there are definately a fair number of rivals to her at the moment, and … as you no doubt know there are many who have been turned away from the Tower staying in Ebou Dar. I’ve spent a lot of time with them, encouraging them to continue good works among the people. Truly they are incredible women of heart. I have given my word not to speak of them directly so I will not say more than you know, but understand I have been taken into their trust and it is among them that I’ve discovered the truth about the Oath Rod.” With a hint of pleasure she touches her soft, younger skin, in disbelief.

“But I move away from the topic at hand, and we can speak of these smaller matters later. You asked if I would be able to do this for these women and the answer is yes. I assume that if something should go wrong, not that I feel it will, that my husband in Ebou Dar will be contacted though and … while an odd request, I wish to be burried here in Tar Valon, if such a thing can occur. The arches seldom are kind enough to leave something behind when error occurs, but one must be practical in thinking of anything. There is a large oak in the back westerly corner, I made a powerful oath once to do all that I could in order to see myself put to rest beside Melanie Tarou, and Jelene… my old roomates. My husband knows this but a woman making a request of the Amyrlin Seat is far different than a man.” She managed a smile for Annais.

“More practical is that besides an expert of Angreal, you might also want to have a healer handy as with any enterance to the arches. Someone trusted. Additionally, if either have a dear friend whom can stay with them for a day or so after exiting, you might arrange for that. Even after confronting and overcoming my own issues, I found it comforting to talk to someone, dwelling on new ideas alone can cause one to come to terrible and incorrect conclusions after the fact. Both should have the opertunity open to them, if they need it. Perhaps the Yellows know more of helping the mind heal now than they did when they tried to treat me, you’d know better of such things but it is any idea to make such a person available to them… or even the Mistress of Novices, since so many still see her as a motherly figure. Sometimes after shock and pain, all a girl needs is her mother.” Telcia shrugs.

“At any case keeping many Aes Sedai around to Oggle them, might not be good, after all… we all try to act differently for our peers than when we are alone. Such pretenses for them so soon after the healing could be bad.” Telcia thinks for a moment.

“Other than a healer, terangreal expert, and someone to be with the girls after… I can think of no other thing that would be needed. I’m prepared to help in whatever way I can.” 

So Elyssa and Kit had been the other two. A piece of a puzzle clicked into place when Telcia explained that they both had been Talented with the ter’angreals. But of course. Annais should have come to think of it herself. Lillian likely would have figured it out right away. Neither Sisters were available anymore but thanks to Maegan’s confession, Annais had just the perfect replacement in mind.

Hmm, Annais would have to find out which ter’angreals Elyssa had been studying. They might actually have some military signifigance. Her thoughts strayed when Telcia mentioned Altara. She certainly should ask how things were in Altaran politics. She was in correspondence with Sarena… and Milos, but eyewitness reports were always more enlightening. When Telcia brought up the runaways in Altara, she gave the Red a look.

Telcia wouldn’t be foolish enough to endanger the secret that the Tower had known about them all long. The runaways were far too useful tool to be scared underground. And the Oath Rod again. Did this have relevance to her comment of the Rod cutting the lifetime short? Annais made a mental note to ask about it. She found it incredible that runaways who many likened to wilders would have come to any such conclusions. They tried to the use the One Power as little as possible but nonetheless Telcia could be an extremely valuable source of knowledge and insight.

Telcia’s dramatic request about her burial made Annais tsk lightly. She would not take unnecessary risks with her Sisters, not even one who had given up the right. If there was a good chance that something would go wrong, traditional methods would just have to be enough. Having a Healer around was a given and one woman immediately came to mind, her very own former mentee. All of it sounded very practical, Zalena, Maegan and Darienna and Lillian to be there for Estel afterwards. But who would be there for Phinn? Annais would find someone.

“Thank you for your offer of help. I do not know how quickly we could do this, though. If we do it. The women you would help must volunteer to become your patients. I would not expose them to anything this risky otherwise. I will also listen to the counsil of two others who have very different point of views. The other one quite wants to do this – knowledge fascinates her. especially when it relates to ter’angreals – and the other one will adamantly oppose because of past bad experiences. Their opinions and questions will provide me the needed extremes to balance my decision.”

“I can’t think of anything else to ask right now. Can you think of something to add? If not, I would be curious to hear of the Oath Rod and these runaways. As much as you can tell of course.”

“I must not say too much, but before I say anything too I will note they are far to old for the novice book, the ones who are among them who have never been written into it… unless much has changed in a very short time here, which I somehow doubt.”

“In most cases they work as wisdoms in many cities around the world… not just in Ebou Dar, others in other ways and many serve as Eyes and Ears for Sisters here in the Tower even if the Sisters don’t know them for more than ‘lucky wilders who didn’t die.”

“They take great pains not to be noticed, to follow the stictures that exist within the Tower regarding novice and accepted channeling, and expected behavior of those who claim offical membership to their ranks.”

“Oh but there is so very much more for the world they could be doing! Sadly, their respect is often displayed in fear of the Tower instead of reverence, hence why they send home runaways. They simply do not want your attention or wrath Mother. Many of them still think like novices or worse, not to say they lack intelligence but their fear of the Tower’s power can be that great.”

“But… in their time they’ve made discoveries and they teach practical things to one another, outside of the One Power so that each person who leaves the Tower can become a seamless member of society again. I’m highly impressed with their sensibility, they took great caution in deciding to approach me and it’s taken me years to gain some measure of faith among them. I’ve had to give my word that I would reveal nothing of their numbers or locations but, Mother, I have to say you’d be proud of the women… for all the set back they had in not becoming Sisters, the Tower has allowed a good thing to be in Ebou Dar & every where else that they call home.” Telcia nodded satisfied.

“The Oath Rod is a matter that I’m not sure I’d believe if I were in your position, it’s almost too much to take in but…” She hesitated, she didn’t know if this was too much to say but then again, what harm could it do if the woman was to not believe it. “The major difference between even the women who failed and were put out and you… is they never took oaths on that rod and I swear to you that I know for a fact some in Ebou Dar to be older than my Aunt Muirenn who is at least 300 if I am not a goat’s uncle!”

Quickly she added, “Of course this seems impossible and I thought so too, but they look younger than me and … well, look at me! I can only deduce that we, as we are with the Arches, may not be using the Oath Rod quite as it was intended. I have to wonder if we made a non-channeler swear on it, if they would age quickly and die before their natural time… not that I’d ever want to do such a test, but what if the device is a punishment tool much as the Chair in the basements? Imagine how one might bind a criminal to not do his foul works and add to that punishment also a shorter life. Where executions, as some countries do, are barbaric, this is a form of imprisonment that no man can escape. Why the thought of us doing that to sisters boggles the mind, doesn’t it?” 

Telcia’s attempt to protect the women from getting enrolled in the White Tower was quite telling. Her faith in the Tower had certainly taken some serious hits. It was a surprise that the runaways had members outside Ebou Dar. Could they be far more organized than the Tower had ever suspected?

Strict rules sounded very good and following novice and Accepted rules likely meant limited channeling too. It would be interesting to hear what more Telcia thought the wilders should be doing. And did they actually accept wilders among them? Maybe their help could be utilized with finding girls who could channel. But if they really feared the Tower as much as Telcia said, their usefulness might be reduced by revealing that the Tower had known about them all along.

What Telcia described certainly sounded like a spirit of a true Servant of All. Even when rejected and sent away, they continued to help people. And then the Oath Rod. It was unbelievable to imagine women older than Muirenn Alianin and many others who had long since retired. But the assumption that these exceptions were caused by the lack of Oaths was jumping into conclusions too early.

It was possible that the White Tower was using the Oath Rod in another way than it had been used in the Age of Legends but everything in Annais rebelled against the prisoner theory. She would have to think on it and discuss with Lillian. But right then she just couldn’t believe it.

“They sound remarkable women indeed. It is good that they put their talents and longer lifetime to a good use that benefits the people. How far exactly are they spread?”

“As for the Oath Rod…” her voice took a slightly disapproving tone “I wouldn’t be so certain that it is exactly the Oaths that create the age difference. How many women are we speaking of here? And how old? They might be just exceptions.” Likely age was as strong taboo among them as it was in the White Tower but Telcia needed to argument concisely if she wanted to be believed. “And the Oath Rod does not work on non-channelers. It was… tested in the early years before it was taken to use. The criminal theory is very… interesting but it all depends on the assumption that it cuts down age. The Rod might have been as well used in court sessions to make sure that all the witnesses speak truthfully. Certainly the side effects are nasty but it might have not been a finalized product.”

Telcia nodded. “Fair enough, I’d hardly call three hundred years a short life for anyone, but a waste for Servants who might have had longer to do good for the world.” She shrugs. “I brought the news of this to you for your research purposes. I don’t expect you should toss out or amend the use of every tradition in the Tower even over the course of your whole life. The arches, changes that may be made with them, is a huge step in the right direction and by far the most concerning issue in my mind.”

“As for where and how many, these things I can not betray… but more than we thought as their lives are longer than we knew. It was impossible, without knowing how long they could live, to guess at their numbers. They may be untested women but they do know what they’re about after so many long years.”

“Age isn’t taboo among them, as you might expect due to how we regard it here in the Tower, but actually a way they measure worth for leadership. Skills among them are respected, in fact they’ve taken me as an adviser, of sorts, with regards to local politics, the White Tower when it is brought up and of course the Male Channelers who have everyone so worried.”

“I hardly have all the answers to their many questions but the women are smart enough to realize there are dangers in the world that they need to protect themselves from & only with knowledge can they really do that.”

“They keep a circle of elder ones who make decisions on where women will work and what punishments they receive if they’ve done something to endanger the whole. These women also decide who must go back to the Tower and who is beyond the Tower’s concerns any more… some girls are found, as I understand it, long after they’ve run away and the Tower has ended it’s searches. For these ones, keeping them and making sure they don’t become a danger to themselves and others is the biggest concern. For those who are freshly run away, well, I think you know about those… fastest ship to Tar Valon for them.” Telcia nods slowly.

“I have to admit the one girl we sent you not too long ago, I felt badly for her but, I knew it was the right thing to do. Her talent is good enough she’ll make the shawl if she has the mettle for it. She just needed a little reassurance, we all did at that age. I hope her time on the farm is almost done so she can be about her studies as soon as possible, I think she’ll turn out to be a truly valuable member of the Tower one day, hopefully before the Last Battle.”

Telcia ate another grape. “I don’t mean to pry but… I’ve heard rumors that the Tower has made some manner of peace with those boys who follow the Dragon. If this is true, what of my … what of the Red Ajah? Has there been any…” How to say this? “Changes with them?”

She wanted to ask if they’d shown the Ter’Angreal yet, but no… not even now could she betray them in that way. 

Wryness was the foremost emotion with Annais. Just like she had said earlier, it was easy to respect the Amyrlin when she was in concordance with you. Telcia Dyfelle might have lived outside the Tower for five years but over the centuries in Tar Valon had instilled a strong sense of ‘my way’ism into her. But then she herself was guilty of it too.

Ambiguity about numbers was to be expected but at least she had tried. It was a suprise that seniority was so important to the Kin but then experience was respected in the Tower also. Sitters tended to be the eldest Sisters of their Ajah and being the Eldest Sitter carried a special significance.

They certainly sounded alot more organized than the Tower had suspected but then the Tower sadly often neglected what they thought were wilders. Annais could vaguely remember the novice, Silje, who Telcia was speaking about. She always felt sorry for the runaways as she knew what it was like. Public birching was awful and being in the Farm was no fun either. Darienna disliked physical punishment so Silje had been spared of that at least but the girl would still regret her trek.

“Silje will be an Aes Sedai one day”, Annais stated with a smile. “She is made of good stuff indeed. And as for the Black Tower, I am certain that you saw the announcement sent to the courts of the world. The wording was of course carefully thought but the message was pretty clear. The White Tower acknowledged the Black Tower. We are working on improving the relationships.” Sadly she couldn’t work on quite kind of a relationship with Brent than she would have wanted. But Mia was right, the Last Battle was more important than her personal desires and dreams.

“The Red Ajah hasn’t made any kind of public declaration so far of any changes. And I do not know what is going on inside the Ajahs. Maybe you could ask from your Sisters… former Sisters.” She certainly hadn’t mean any kind of insult but it was a fact. Telcia had chosen to give up her title as an Aes Sedai. It had to be for an important reason but the sacrifice had been made and she had to live with it.”

“So, how long could you stay in the White Tower? I will speak with few people and they will likely have more questions and then there is Estel’s own decision. But then we will know whether we will use the Arches process or not. I can understand if you want to spend the mean while at your home.”

“In theory, I am at your leisure and can remain as long as needed. In truth, I left a very worried husband at home who only now realizes I was keeping the continued danger our children are in, from him. I’ve gone to great lengths to be with my children day and night since finding out about what I had promised not to speak of. I have no loyalty to the shadow but breaking such a strong oath, even to those who must know, is something I’m not proud of. Yet, if children are saved and the shadow kept from accomplishing it’s goals, I’ll take up the breaking of my word with the Creator when I leave this world. Let us hope that bit about the soul is an extreme.” she forced a smile but it was true, Telcia did have concerns. However, when it came to her children and Arette’s… no price was too dear, even her very soul and hope of rebirth.

“I should return to the manse and explain myself to my husband. Additionally, I’m sure that the women have learned of my trip here, they are likely scared out of their wits… you must understand, what I’ve told you they would not be happy I’ve shared but Lillian is correct… we must try to prepare for the final battle and widlers and weak ones may make all the difference in the Battle. I have faith that my trust in you is not misplaced Mother, you seem to be the sort of woman Lillian said… even if my first words to you were less than kind. Years of fearing the shadow in these very walls however, is not easily washed away… especially when a knife is to your throat.”

Telcia stood smoothly. “I’ll return the instant you call upon me. Hmm, and I should say that Lord Stavros will likely wish to attend me. While tradition has kept me from bonding, his sword was sworn to my safety long ago in the battle for Arad Doman. He’s going to be furious I took this trip without him. No doubt you are aware of the somewhat legendary … shall we say… passion of the Stavros family?” she chuckles.

“I hope that he will be welcome to travel with me if it comes to me being unable to dissuade him of his notions of me not being safe here? I assure you it’s meant not as offense to you but as a matter of him keeping his word. He may not be fond of the idea of bonding but he takes his oath to protect me very seriously and whenever he finds I’ve placed myself in a dangerous spot… well, he can tend to take it personally. I can only imagine how his wife deals with him…” Telcia smirked at that thought, Arette was a stronger woman than she was to be married to that man. 

The summons had been kind of sudden so Annais could understand that Telcia wanted to go back and reassure her husband. It must have been difficult to live with the fear that her children were in danger and not be able to tell anyone. At least Annais could speak of what had happened with Be’lal with Aramina. She seriously wondered what kind of goals the Shadow had relating to the children but if Telcia needed the Tower’s help, she would ask for it.

The moral dilemma of breaking the strongest oath when it was made to a darkfriend was a tough decision. She knew what Mordea would say about it but ethics weren’t so black and white in practice.

Annais nodded when Telcia said that she should try and relieve the fears of the runaways. She wouldn’t have to tell them what all she had told but honesty was usually the best course. Of course she could outright lie now instead of just simple omission but that tended to end badly. She definately agreed that every channeler was needed in the Last Battle. And after finding out about the Black Ajah and with Be’lal’s Wards in place, she certainly was getting paranoid herself too.

Telcia’s announcement that Con Stavros was her almost Warder was certainly surprising. It likely created some interesting compromises for the man. Annais glanced briefly at Mia but the Bond remained calm and fairly light. Well, if Con would come, at least they would be reunited again. This time Annais would be more prepared and not get overwhelmed by her Warder’s giddiness. She merely smiled with amusement at the comment about Stavros temper. She had certainly witnessed it from Mia’s part but from what she had heard of Con, he was the calmer one. And well, so was Mia most of the time. When Annais wasn’t doing things that she disapproved.

It was quite strange notion that Telcia wouldn’t be safe in the White Tower but if she did tell Con everything like one would to a Warder, he likely knew about the Black Ajah. And he had been the Commander of the Tower Guard, so he likely knew something about it from those times. Hopefully his protective feelings would not cause problems with Telcia entering the Arches.

“I will do my best to be worth your trust. And I hope to see your runaways fighting on our side in Tarmon Gai’don. As for the Arches, if you could return tomorrow, that would be quite ideal. Estel really needs help and quickly and if we won’t try this, something else needs to be attempted. You are most welcomed to bring Lord Stavros with you if he insists on coming.”

“I can’t think of anything else to ask you right now. Do you wish to broach some topics with me?” She tried to make it not sound like a dismissal. She had time still and Telcia was important enough that she couldn’t be just sent off. And spending more time with the woman would give Annais more information to predict what she would do in the future.

Telcia folded her hands in front of herself and tried to remain the image of calm, “I’m use to Amyrlin’s not telling me what I just foretold,” She smirked. “…but… if you think any of it pertained to me and not you I would appriciate the warning. Most of the time I foretell something relavent to those whom I’m in the presence of, it’s why I tried to fight the pull of the pattern to force me to speak… I wanted to give nothing to anyone I thought could be black, in then end my fighting it was why I was hurt. In the many years I’ve had the talent, I’ve learned you can do that fight it for a short while when you feel it coming upon you… but always at a price, and never for long.” She looked regretfully at the floor.

“And, you should know, for Tower record… not all foretellings relate to the Light or for the good of it. I’m sorry to admit that while in the presence of the one who I can not name, I did give a foretelling that relate to the politics of the Shadow. Sadly, I regret I remember nothing and only know as much as I do based on the small amount that was said.” Telcia would leave out that somehow it involved her ownself too and how she had a personal tie to Rasputin somehow. Better safe than sorry, a lie of omission yes, but the Amyrlin was use to those by now.

“Based on what was told to me at the time, I would wager a safe bet on the fact that no other sister with my talent is of the Black. If there are any others, perhaps you might approach them first for your testings. However, other than to ask about what I said, I think maybe I should take my leave and head to Illian straight off.” Telcia was quick to add. “I know the weave, I have visited Arette and Con there often. We have arrangements for a safe travel location, please give Mae my thanks for giving you the location to travel to… Light knows if you’d come a bit closer to the house someone might have been hurt.” 

Annais kept her face steady at being told that the previous Amyrlins had not shared with Telcia what she had just said. There were no notes of her words in the private records either so they were pieces of information lost forever. Such a shame. Telcia certainly had a bad history and reason to be bitter at the White Tower. So maybe the choice of cutting all her ties to it hadn’t been so difficult. Of course some could say that she had brought it upon herself by marrying but who could know that the man would turn out a male channeler.

Which made her think Brent again. She really should find some kind of a reason to invite the Asha’man into the Tower again. It was a bit desperate but communicating with cryptic letters just wasn’t enough. She felt a twinge of guilt that Telcia had been hurt because of her suspicions of them but then she hadn’t caused her Foretelling. They had to be extremely taxing on the mouthpiece of the Pattern.

A piece of Shadow Prophecy had been discovered in Fal Dara when the ta’veren had been there but that was all the White Tower knew of them. Until that day they had been just a cause of worry but an uncertainty. It was a bad thing that Telcia had given a glimpse on the Pattern for them but it couldn’t be helped.

The Tower knew no other Foretellers than Telcia but of course there might be someone like Maegan who had kept her Talent a secret from public. Likely friends would know, but like Annais, they wouldn’t divulge the secret. It was a surprise that Telcia knew how to Travel. Annais immediately suspected Maegan of teaching her the weave as the Red had seemingly visited her. They had to be quite close since Telcia had told Mae of the Arches. But then Maegan had been her Ajah Head. Useful as that information might be, she didn’t like knowing such a secret that was meant for Ajah members and other Ajah Heads only. The women would be most displeased with Maegan if they ever found out that she had told Annais.

“I do not remember the Foretelling word from word but Lillian wrote it down. I will give you a copy tomorrow when you arrive. But I remember parts of it. Lets see. The beginning of the end and the end of new beginning is getting closer. Kingdom by the sea will face young hawks. It’s fate lies in the hands of umm… servants of some kind, makers of weaves and two Queens. Queens of Lions and Cranes.” Annais believed that she could at least identify the nations. Lions were the symbol of Andor and Crane of long lost Malkier. But Queen of Malkier? Wife of Lan al’Mandragoran? She would have to look into it.

“Something about winter never ending if something isn’t done and Shadow getting chokehold of Light. Hmmm, the Dragon doing nine impossible tasks. A brother’s plea to his sister finally fulfilled. And that is it. That is all I can remember”, Annais said with slight shame. Her memory really wasn’t as good as she hoped for. But Lillian likely remembered more.

“And I will pass your thanks to Maegan. She taught you the Traveling weave, yes?” Annais paused for a moment and finally decided to press the matter after all. “But before you go… this Darkfriend who heard your Foretelling. You could name her or him now.” Her gaze was unwavering. “But will you? What do you owe to her or him?” Not that she was any better herself, doing deals with one of the Forsaken, not just any Darkfriend. Would she betray Be’lal if his Compulsion didn’t stop her? She would calculate the risks carefully but even if it lead to her own demise and surely to his too… it was likely. As civil and likable as he had been, he was a dangerous enemy who had more blood in his hands than any ten horrible criminals.

Telcia almost hadn’t heard anything else after the mention of a brother’s plea to his sister… could it be? Light! If it was then Maegan should be warned. The red ajah would have to make plans and decide if now was finally the time to tell the tower of the Ter’angreal. It could have been anything though, foretellings were that way… but if it was, could she really hesitate? And… would this mean that healing Iussi was going to be less of a risk very soon?

The Amyrlin had kept speaking though and this time more about Rasputin. Light, if he was only a darkfriend… Her oaths didn’t bind her now. She could warn the Amyrlin about the Black Sister in her midst, his wife… but his wife had warned her in order to save her children. If not for her perhaps she would not know to watch them so closely and protect them as she did now. Could she really throw such a woman to the wolves?

“At great risk to self this servant of shadows came to tell me about the orders given to collect children of channelers, oddly because this one has children too. In that I hope there is an opertunity to grow the spark of light within and save this person who reached out to me. If only because of that slim hope, I will not betray the trust given to me. I will, however, be leaving here for Illian to warn Arette to keep a close eye on her children and anyone else whose children I know about as well. Even one innocent in danger of becoming an experiment in the hands of the Dark One is too many. I will not see my children or any others end up as the poor souls who became trollocs have…” Telcia shook her head gently, her face lined with concern.

“I hope that doesn’t lessen your opinion of my loyalties, I just…” she sighs. “I gave my word on my soul and hope of rebirth. If I go back on that lightly, I am not only an oathbreaker but a foolish one at that. I will not tempt the Creator’s wrath any more than I absolutely must and I would suggest you guard all that I’ve told you about this topic, very close. I do not know who here in the Tower knows about these orders but, I AM aware that some of those who do serve the shadow are and …that it’s they who have given away the locations of some Aes Sedai’s children. We’re fools to pretend it doesn’t happen, what chills me to my very bones is that those who are being raised in secret outside of the Tower may already be victims and their mothers are regretfully unaware and unable to act. I suppose, for them & their innocent ones, I will do what I’m able.”

Telcia hesitated but then decided it must be done, “If you do not mind I would like to pen a message to Maegan,” she added quickly the honorific she would no longer hear herself but be expected to say in proper company “…Sedai while I’m here in your office. It’s a matter of greatest importance to her Ajah and I’m sure she would not wish anyone but your most trusted to see it to her.”

Assuming that she is given a pen and paper, “I am not certain, but I suspect something I may have foretold may be of greatest interest to her. If you do not object, I think we all might benefit from her taking a look at it…”
==========================================
Mae,

I’m sorry to not bring this message of great tiddings to you personally but I suspect things will move quickly from this point onward and we will have to try very hard to make time for tea soon. Mother has the words I’ve shared recently about the coming future, please seek her out and ask her for the right to view them. The last discovery I worked on here in the Tower with you and your,”
=========================================

Telcia was careful to write “your” instead of “our” as her first instinct told her to. Light but this would be harder to deal with than she first thought!
==========================================
“…sisters may have been mentioned within it’s cryptic wording. I can not be for certain but… if it is so, I assumed it would be something you’d need immediate knowledge of. We’ll speak tomorrow briefly, I’m certain there will be questions but of any you might have please remember my words to you as an accepted before you chose the Red, concerning our truest mission & any fears you might have should be put to rest. We each walk as we must in the pattern. Mae, I am honored to stand with you for the Light and all that is right… now & always.

Tai’shar Crimson.

~Lady Dyfelle

==========================================

Folding the paper she decided not to place a weave upon it to protect who opened it. It might be seen as disrespectful to do so at this point. Handing it carefully into the Amyrlin’s care she sighed.

“I think that concludes my work here for the day. I shall leave you to you many duties Mother. Until we next meet, may the Light bless and illume upon you. I will await your summons.”

Telcia issued a deep curtsey, worthy of her days as a novice and waited to be dismissed.

In this rp Espara goes looking for a new Gaidin for Estel (see: In the Cause of Sisterhood) and finds more than she bargined for.

Together in all these memories
I see your smile
All of the memories I hold dear
Darling, you know I’ll love you
till the end of time
“Memories” by Within Temptation
~For the player of Auron, Espara’s Best Friend and Late Warder, who I wish would find us here!

Drawing breath and marching across the warder yard she absently packed tobacc into her pipe. She hadn’t been down here since the day Auron died. There was a reason why, and honestly, now that she was here she wished she hadn’t put her nose so deeply into Estel’s problems. There was something to helping others heal their wounds that always managed to remind you of your own.

Putting the stump of her corn-cob pipe into her teeth, she drew in breath and channeled a bit of fire to light it. Drawing in the deep two-rivers flavor into her lungs, the tingle she felt there mixing with the morning air, helped her stay focused. There were a lot of young, strong, men and women down here and while she never would have said this when she first found Estel, what the woman needed most now was a friend. A new Warder, a young one with no ambition to race off into the world to fight and endanger themselves, might help solidify the ground beneath her. Sadly, finding such a creature might prove more difficult than just shopping for melons.

Her breeches today were a bit more fancy than the ones she wore on a normal day. Today she had to be seen for who she was, respected, and so it was that the richly embroidered dark blue wool pants were brought out. Leaves and vines ran down either side of her pant legs on the outsides and disappeared into the top of highly polished, but well-worn, black leather riding boots. A simple white shirt rested beneath a darker blue one with gold trim on the collar and at the wrists, to match the gold buttons that went down the front. On her shoulders and across her back, for the first time in quite a while, rest her shawl. She hated wearing it here in the Tower. It made her feel like she had something to prove, like she was some newly raised girl still, though no one would dare call a Sitter such.

A few of the young boys began taking notice of her, some even paying less attention to their fighting as they should have been. Clearly the Mistress of Training would notice their short comings and they’d spend the day at some terrible work-out that would remind them not to stand around like flaming fools oogling every Sedai without a warder who happened to pass by.

Oh, she knew this would be the way of it… she’d spent all of Auron’s life running about the world fighting the Shadow and for Justice. Her & Auron’s adventures were nigh legend to recruits, it’s what many of them came here looking for… to be the sword for a woman who wasn’t afraid to go where the most danger lay. Perhaps they thought that she’d finally mourned enough, that she could simply pick up another warder as if they were horses bought at fair; or that maybe she was ready to adventure again and leave the Hall behind… but no, she was far too old for such childish notions now. Better to leave the making of legends to those who had the energy and heart for it. Espara a’Dautry’s days of adventuring were over.

The Mistress of Training was giving a boy an earful about his lack of focus and Espara found herself stopping. The woman, clearly a good age still but respected, well… she hadn’t ever bonded… had she? Espara smiled. Likely the woman was the desire of every sister without a warder but not just anyone could ask the Mistress of Training to take up the cloak of a warder for them… but maybe she, a sitter, could? It was for a good cause after all and if not her, perhaps she knew the man who would best suit her sister’s needs.

Yes, that was the answer. With that Espara marched towards the Mistress of Training considering carefully just what she’d have to say to the woman.

In this RP Espara steps in to help a fellow Blue who has lost three bondmates in a short period of time.  

Cause: Justice
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Skin Tone: Caucasian
Origins: Mindea, Murandy
Parent’s Line of Work: Father was a cobbler
Siblings: Two. Sarah (RIP) & Heasel (RIP)
Mentor: Perine Sedai (Red Ajah)
Mentee(s): Aville, Callie Redhill

—- Timeline —- (Still looking for Original Bio, may need to adjust dates)

* Espara and Alexis travel towards the white Tower for Alexis to be tested

* Espara and Alexis get trapped in Lugard

* Espara and Alexis are found by a Sister and sent to the Tower

* Espara passes the test to be a Novice & Alexis is sent home with no talent

* Espara is signed into the Novice books

* Espara meets roomate Sesily & Sarena

* Espara trains with Blues illegally for testing

* Espara befriends Amirsten & Moraine

* Espara’s pranks land her in a chore where she meets up with Sasra and the rest of “Tea Time” which later grows into a secrely allied circle of sisters

* Espara finds out about her Mother, Father, & Sister who were killed in a ‘house fire’

* Espara starts her secret job working to send money home to her brother Heasel who survived

* Espara fights Tayline & lands in the infirmary nearly dead… and then a farm

* Espara has her first menstration and meets Lanfir Sedai who helps her through it

* Espara is raised to Accepted

* Espara befriends Tayline and they discover they are cousins

* Espara begins ‘experimenting’ with Accepted Shaneaeve & discovers of her preference for women

* Espara is given Aville as a mentee

*Aville leaves the White Tower and does not become Aes Sedai (oc: player left)

*Espara, while on a prank late one night, meets Auron Decoa who tries to bust her for breaking curfew. The two spend time together talking and sharing their stories and find they’ve helped each other a great deal. Espara mentally makes note of Auron and begins to research the Decoa household in the hopes of nurturing future relations with the boy.

* Espara is raised to Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah

* Espara goes to Murandy (with friends Tayline, Shaneaeve, & Auron) to seek out those who killed her family. There Espara learns that Alexis was behind it, out of spite and jealousy, she went to the Shadow and became a darkfriend looking for power which she was denied by not being able to channel Saidar. Mindea villagers take Alexis and her band of men for a trial which quickly goes sour and becomes a lynching… Espara learns the difference between “Justice” & “Wrath”

* Espara returns to the tower and begins watching Auron seriously as possible warder material.

*Espara finds out about a young woman who is training at the Tower by the name of Selena whose family was killed in the utter devastation of her village in the borderlands. Espara, through use of tough love, takes Selena under her wing in the hopes of getting the girl raised to the Blue Ajah. For Espara this is the first true feelings of a motherly nature she’s ever had.

* Espara is given Callie as a mentee

* Espara begins adventuring and seeing the world helping in causes of Justice everywhere she goes with the help of her warder Auron until his age is caught up with him.

* Espara and Auron return to the Tower for a “short break” from their travels. Espara fears for Auron’s health (due to his age) and has already decided to make her bid for control of power in the Ajah. Auron dies peacefully inside the safety of the White Tower.

* The Dragon Declares Himself and Takes the Stone of Tear

* Karana Majin is deposed

* Lanfir Sedai is Raised to Amyrlin Seat & Sarene (first selector) is put out of the White Tower after failing to take Amyrlin Seat

* Espara is raised to Sitter for the Blue Ajah

* Espara helps to convince the Brown/Blue/White/Yellow alliance to let her be their secret rep/control to the Amyrlin Seat. Out of the hope of helping Lanfir, the Light, and the Tower… Espara agrees to the plan.

One of the single most important events of Telcia’s life was the death of her dear friend Melanie.  This bit of rp shows her death.  It’s not everything that happened but a small part.  I desperately want to find the posts that come after this emotional scene.

Small delicate fingers wrapped cautiously around the vines and pulled. With a well placed hand and a bend of her elbow Melanie thrust herself upward onto the roof of the novice quarters. She had come her many times before, the first time with her best friend Telcia who, at the moment she thought was somewhere between Camelyn and the Tower with her Sister Arie’s warder Daemon. Little did she know that Telcia had been back for two days now but had been busy teaching classes and getting into more trouble herself on this very same Tower roof.

Melanie, unknowing of their return, wished in silence that they would hurry back. It had been seemingly months now. How long can one trip take? Melanie let her eyes drift off towards the west, towards Dragonmount and Camelyn that lay off to the south of it some distance. She could almost see Telcia riding on a beautiful white horse dripping with silver bells and decoration and Daemon on a black stallion full of spirit and power.

She liked thinking about Telcia’s adventures as an Aes Sedai. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever be one too. Still Arie assured her that her time was coming and Arie would never lie even if she could. It was just hard sometimes not to want the freedom her Sisters shared. The freedom to leave this cursed Tower and the dark secrets that hid somewhere within its walls… waiting.

Sitting down she leaned back against the tall pole that in storms called lightening. She was tired. Everywhere she went these days it seemed sisters looked right through her and knew what she had heard. It was so very hard not to share with Arie the secret she kept to protect her but without anymore knowledge she was helpless. She KNEW the Black Ajah was a reality now but had no way to prove it. Nothing, not even an oath of truth to prove her words to the Amyrlin Seat… if she wasn’t black as well. Melanie shuddered as she remembered how Karana got her seat. Another Amyrlin, when she was but a young novice, died in her bed a young woman – Telcia had found her. The Yellow Ajah had said it was a heart attack but what if…

Everyone seemed to be of the Black now. No one but Arie and Telcia were out of the question. It was worse than her arches had made it seem. At least there she had the chance to fight. Here… no fight just constant terror. Melanie felt ill as she did so often these past months since Telcia left and started sending those mysterious letters in code. Arie had learned it but it took some time to teach. Perhaps older people couldn’t understand a childish simplicity such as that but to Telcia and Melanie it was their own language complete with curse words! Melanie smiled at that thought.

The sun was dipping lower in the sky now. Clouds were on the horizon. The big kind. The ones Telcia and she use to watch floating over them on picnics during free days and name them as animals. Laying back on the roof flat she began to identify each. “A horse… A bear…” Melanie yawned. “A lion…” She giggled. “A piii..g.” the darkness over took her before she realized it was even edging down upon her mind. Sleep could not be fought any more and the tiny exhausted form that was Melanie fell fast asleep.

The sky roiled red with blood. She didn’t know what it was that had woke her but she knew, somehow, she had been asleep for a VERY long time. White light hindered her vision and she felt … Saidar? No, something more, fill her to the brink. She tried to release it but it could not be pushed away. She blinked trying desperately to see the battle she heard so close by. Finally it came clear to her.

Arie stood with feet planted shoulder width apart. In one hand a sword of cuendillar and covered in blood glowed brightly and the shimmer of Saidar was a halo about her body. Dressed in what might be best considered small clothes she screamed out to men who surrounded her.

“FOR THE WHITE TOWER! FOR THE LIGHT!” The men joined her screams and rushed forward as if none of them saw her. In her deep green top and skirt that was torn clean up to her thighs on both sides and belted with a golden chain, Arie looked around long blonde hair blowing wildly in the wind. “SISTER!” she called out to someone and out of the smoke and ashes that seemed to emanate from the ground she saw a horse appear, white with silver bells and decoration. Telcia rode upon it dressed in blood red her eyes with dark circles under them from having been channeling and healed only to channel again more than she should have. Immediately behind her two men rose from the darkness, one a Shienaran and the other perhaps a man from Ebou Dar but both wore fan cloaks of Gaidin. Telcia, her short cropped blonde hair flying onto her face and near her cold blue eyes, looked down at Arie. It was now that she noticed Telcia, too, held a sword but it – unlike all the swords of the men and Arie’s – had no blood upon it.

“I am here.” Telcia’s voice was quiet but she used a weave to make herself heard.

“The Gaidin and the men are advancing. This battle… will likely be the last. Tell the Amyrlin we fight until the last has …” Arie winced in pain and grabbed her stomach. “DAEMON!!!” Arie cried out in vain. Telcia closed her eyes as the Shienaran behind her mouthed a blessing. Arie fought to pull herself out of the pain. Determination filled her eyes even with the tears that coated them. “fallen.” With Arie’s last word Telcia nodded solemnly and turned her horse. There was no sign of the emotional and kind Telcia Melanie knew at all. Part of her seemed almost… dead.

“Telcia!” Arie called after her. Telcia and her escorts paused. “I’ll see you in the next turning of the Wheel.”

“In the next turning Sister.” Telcia then spoke something in the old tongue and both her men saluted Arie and she returned the solute. Somehow Melanie understood the saying. ‘Unending, unending… no peace for the servants of the great Wheel of Time.’ With that the three disappeared into the darkness once more. With only a moment’s thought to her Sister Arie charged after her men into what seemed the Pitt of Doom itself. Aes Sedai and Men stood all around both using the One Power fighting for everything in them. Twice more she watched as Arie winced at the pain of losing a warder. Twice she jumped up to fight off a fade or worse a creature made of darkness the likes of which she’d never seen before. It was then that Melanie realized what she was seeing. It wasn’t the Pit of doom… it was the Tower and it lay in ruins! Melanie tried to scream but nothing came out. Lightening flashed and thunder shook the earth. Men and women alike cried out to the Light but nothing came to save them from the evils that ravaged them. Nothing stopped the trollocs from eating men alive, from fades having their pleasures with men and women alike until their bodies simply gave out and could not go on living… so many horrible ways to die she’d never even considered before and she was helpless to stop it. Blackness came down in inky drops onto the earth and the Sisters of the Tower wept and screamed defiance of the Shadow even as they cast their last weaves falling into the cold mud to die. The worst part of it all was watching as those Sisters, who once were allies and friends in the Tower, turn on each other in battle when they needed to be one most of all. The world was a black place and death was as air.

Telcia and her two male companions came racing in towards Arie. The men screaming out their own battle cries and fighting back to back and side to side. They were like a fine machine working in time and Telcia drew the power through the sword she held and directed the finely crafted weaves at targets all about her. Lighting flew like wildfire from her finger tips and Arie’s sword sung like the great beyond must sound. Through one body and into another until at last one flash of lightening was just too bright and…

Melanie’s eyes flew open. She was cold and wet. The dark rain pelted her hard and to her eyes it was nothing but inky blackness. She couldn’t see a thing. *Thunder*

“Oh Light NO!” the flash of white for a brief moment illuminated a figure not too far from her. Melanie scrambled to her feet and desperately took hold of Saidar pulling at weaves of air to steady herself and forming a ball of fire. The figure seemed to move towards her slowly reaching out to her. Letting the ball of fire fly from her she gripped the slick edge of the Tower roof and dropped down screaming out as she fell grasping onto the vines. Her fingers torn and blood rushed down her arm.

Not the black sisters… not now… Light I should have told! Melanie screamed again as the vine ripped out and she fell further down the tower wall. “ARIE!!!! TELCIA!!!!”

In a terrible instant it was over. Melanie was flying. She could see her mother, her real mother, above her smiling through the wretched black clouds and she seemed to be wrapping Melanie up tightly in a warmth sweeter than Saidar. Melanie reached up towards her.

“Mommy?”

“Yes Melanie. Its time to go now.” Melanie could hear faintly as if off a long, long ways away a man… one of the Gaidin perhaps? He sounded like he was trying to scream but his voice was deeper and much much slower than normal.

‘Goooo geeettt aaaa sssiiisssttter…;

“But Arie and Telcia mommy… they’re in danger. I have to help them. I can‘t leave them now.”

‘Ruuuunnnn yyyyoooouuuu foool! Bbbburrrrrnnnn yyyooouuu! Someone else was calling out for Sisters but their words were long and slow too. The man, whoever he was, she could see him looking down at her. He was saying something. He seemed so insistent but she never heard a sound he made. Everything was moving like it was under water with heavy weights except for her mother.

“Come now Melanie. Arie and Telcia will be fine. Its time for you to rest a while. In time you will return to them…. In time.” Melanie reached a hand up towards her mother and she took it. Together the two of them flew into the clouds and at long last… her fears were gone.

The Spring rain pelted down hard on the petitioner’s yard as the tiny broken body of the Accepted, Melanie, lay in a puddle of her own blood and deep black mud. High above… on the roof of the novice quarters… a single branch that had broken off from a nearby tree swung in the wind – its leaves scorched to a crisp.

The wind howled and one by one people began arriving on the scene…but Melanie was gone.

A scene where Iussi got a private Etiquette lesson, this turned into their first real date.  From here after the two were head over heels for each other.

“You may go now Master Gleeman. Your coin is waiting downstairs. I think our lesson is done for the night.” The gleeman bowed and left quickly obviously sensing another change in the atmosphere.

Lesson 1

“Daes Dae’mar, the Great Game of Houses, takes years to master. What I teach you in this class will not prepare you to go head-to-head with a seasoned player. I will, however, be providing you with the most rudimentary skills so that you might be able to identify with a social opponent or escape a dangerous situation unharmed. In our intermediate and advanced classes we will further examine the deeper ideas and philosophies of the Great Game in many of the major countries across our world. I cannot stress enough that you should not go off to play the Great Game actively with only this classes’ information under your belt, that is unless you have no other choice. Players take the Game very seriously, especially when playing with Aes Sedai and you could easily lose your life if you cross the wrong person. Now with that warning out of the way allow me to share some basic truths about the Great Game.” Telcia will take a sip of water from her desk and begin walking about the room speaking in lecturing tone.

“What is Daes Dae’mar? Some will tell you that it is simply a set of social interactions that force cause and effect in courts. Some will tell you that it is a combination of social and physical events that cause events to occur in both courts and every day life depending on the location the game is played. In truth, it is an intricate system by which one achieves one’s goals, using whatever means necessary social and otherwise on all playing fields. These goals may be long-term, such as brokering a peace treaty between nations who‘ve warred with each other for years, or they may be as immediate as simply surviving an encounter with an advisory. Within Daes Dae’mar, every act you commit, every expression on your subject’s face, even the precise shade of the color of your opponent’s dress or cloak may mean something, or nothing at all. You must look for meaning in everything, but not allow yourself to be confused by shadows. Some call this disposition ‘paranoid’ but within the Game, it is merely ‘being observant.”

“Daes Dae’mar is indeed a Game, though not always fun and while there is no finite set of rules there are certain modes of conduct that are used by nearly every Player. They are called by men and woman of philosophy the Three Arts. All of the intricacies of Daes Dae’mar can be divided into these Arts: Disguise, Misdirection, and Deception.”

There is no way to tell who is playing from who is not. As you travel, consider where you are. You may one day find yourself in Cairhien, where just about everyone plays the Game, high- and low-born alike. This is true in Illian, Arad Doman and in Tear, as well, to a certain extent, in Andor, and the Borderlands but in both of these countries the Game is not so cutthroat. Still, as you will learn as this class progresses, the only person you can truly control is yourself. If you notice that a rival is wearing a red coat, he may be sending you a challenge, or he may simply feel he looks particularly dashing in that shade, but the idea of the game is that it is better to assume he or she is sending a silent challenge, and be on your guard, than to ignore it and perhaps find a viper in your bed later.”

“I could go on like this for hours, but I will not. This is only an Introduction to Daes Dae’mar and so we will open the floor to general discussion now. Over the next few classes we will be taking an in-depth examination of the three arts of the Great Game. So, let‘s begin the discussion. Topics such as your experiences, why you‘re taking this class, or even ideas behind the Great Game are all fair game.” Telcia called on a student with their hand raised ready to speak.

Ooc: First class is a lecture based class. To pass this part you must ask a question or make a statement in the course of the conversations. Only one is required.

Lesson 2

“The Art of Disguise is perhaps the easiest of the Three Arts. True Disguise has nothing at all to do with channeling illusions. Carefully crafted Disguises, using face paint and wigs and elaborate costumes are fine, when you have the time and I won‘t touch on those too much today as they speak for themselves, but what if, for example, the City Guards are after you, and you need to lose yourself quickly? For those of you that can channel the correct weaves to disguise yourself, be reminded immediately that you may not always be able to- perhaps you will find yourself physically drained, or in a situation where channeling will give your position away to Shadowspawn. Never rely entirely on the One Power, you will be let down sooner or later. Instead, here are some Disguise tricks anyone can use.” Telcia will use a piece of chalk to mark her points on the slate board, speaking her explanations as she does so.

“1. Gait. I want each of you to consider how you walk normally. Do you walk straight and tall, or slightly hunched forward, shoulders bent in thought? Take off one shoe, and examine the wear pattern. This will give you a clue as to whether you walk more heavily on your heels, or if your toes are turned slightly inward or outward. Once you know how you walk normally, you can then change your gait at a moment’s notice. If someone is following you, you may confuse them if you merely start walking differently.

2. Hair color. An alley behind an inn can provide a quick source of hair color. Most inns will deposit the ashes and soot from their fireplaces in metal containers either behind the inn, or just inside the back door. Light-haired individuals can rub a handful of soot into their hair to darken it, whereas dark hair will appear gray when coated with light-colored ashes. Yes, this is dirty, but if ashes in the hair will prevent your head from being separated from its shoulders, then by all means, suffer a little dirt!

3. Reversible cloaks. I suggest that you each invest a little money the next time you buy a new cloak, and get one that is reversible. A change in cloak color can be invaluable when being pursued.

4. Long hair. Those of you with long hair can either tuck it up into your hat, or down into your coat or cloak collar. It can make the length appear shorter from a distance.

5. Accent. If, for some reason, there is a need to speak while in Disguise, it is always good to have a practiced accent that one can adopt immediately. Next time you are outside, listen to the vast variety of speech patterns one can hear about Tar Valon, and learn to copy at least one.” When she was finished, Telcia let the chalk fall into its tray, and dusted her hands off.

“There, some simple tricks of Daes Dae’mar that will have practical use for each of you some day. Any questions about these?” After the questions were answered Telcia made her assignment.

“For homework I would like each of you to practice one form of disguise, not necessarily one I’ve mentioned her but feel free, and use it in the city. I know it may be difficult but the only way to learn is to try in a safe environment before it becomes necessary to practice in a time of need. Then I would like you each to write a small paper explaining what you did, how well it worked, what you could have done better, and give an example of one additional way to disguise yourself beyond what I said here today. That is all. Class Dismissed.”

Lesson 3

“The Art of Misdirection. By turning your opponent’s eyes elsewhere, you can accomplish much more in pursuance to your goal. This is a vast Art, but we shall cover only two facets of it, Handwriting and Rumors.” Again, she began to write on the slate board, as she explained but this time with her off hand.

“Handwriting. To understand how powerful this is, you must each write a paragraph, five or six lines will be sufficient. Before any of you ask, I do not care what you write, I will not be checking it. You can even write about how much you hate the instructor, although I would not advise it.” Telcia winked to her students to show she was merely being silly. Telcia waited as they each wrote. When she saw that each of them had written something, she went on,

“Inspect your own writing, paying careful attention to size, neatness, and shape of the letters. Do your lines go up or down? Often, a skilled Player will send letters that appear to be written by someone else in order to misdirect the reader, but that is beyond the scope of this class. Instead, I suggest that each of you take some time to learn how to write with your opposite hand. You never know when you may need to dash off a note someday that must not appear to have come from you. By writing with your opposite hand, you can accomplish this with little difficulty.”

“Rumors. Rumors are used extensively in Daes Dae’mar. They can destroy a reputation, or even a life, or raise someone out of the gutter and into a palace. They are dangerous, and should not be attempted lightly, as they have as much power over the instigator as they do over the subject, should the source become known. Here are the two most basic methods of starting a rumor.

1. Starting rumors in person is used for less serious misdirection. The simplest way is to find a person that is a known gossip, many servants fit this bill, as do meddling nobles, and develop a relationship with that individual. That way, during a friendly discourse, you can ‘let slip’ a comment you wish to have spread, and the other individual will happily oblige. The drawback to this is that a clever opponent can, with a little patience, track the rumor down to you.

2. Another easy way to start a rumor, and one that is much more discreet, is to have a conversation within earshot of another person that enjoys gossip. This does mean that you will need a compatriot to stage the conversation with, someone who is aware of what you are trying to do, but often this is not a problem. Unless, of course, your chosen confidant is in the hire of your opponent, in which case, you may be ruined. You can choose to converse with someone who is not aware of your plans, but the difficulty here is that you may not be able to unobtrusively steer the topic where you want it to go. Are there any questions about Handwriting or Rumors?” Once Telcia had answered the questions about Rumors and Handwriting she assigned the homework for the class.

“Your homework for this class will be to write a small piece using your off hand. In it I would like you to discuss the subject of Rumors and how they could be used or how you have used them in the past to work for you. Consider if you’ve ever, in a small or large way, used this part of the great game in your every day life. Class dismissed.”

LESSON 4

“The third Art is that of Deception. Those who are not familiar with this Art vulgarly refer to it as “Lying”. Deception is so much more than speaking words that are not true. One cannot learn to lie effectively just in the course of this class, so I will not try to teach you the intricacies. Instead, turn your attention on yourselves.” She took up the piece of chalk again, and wrote his points on the board.

“Body Language: Consciously consider how you tell a lie. Does your heart rate increase? Do your palms sweat? Does your mouth go dry? Do you find it difficult to look their subject in the eye? These are all classic signs of an inefficient liar. For those of you who can out right tell lies practice lying in a mirror when you get the chance. For those of you who have to use retaining the truth, which we’ll get to in a moment, do that. It will not make you an expert, but it will help you to learn to cover some of the blatant signs. For those of you who have been in a Tavern before or around the warders yards consider the game face one keeps during a game of cards: smooth, steady, revealing nothing. Your face should remain this way during a lie.

Retaining the Truth: It is far easier to maintain the integrity of a Deception if you flavor it with as much Truth as possible. This is a common trick among rulers and diplomats and for good reason. The best Deceptions are always the ones that contain nothing but Truth, but Truth delivered in such a fashion that the subject is confused or wary of the true meaning. Aes Sedai are famous for just this sort of Deception. You have all heard the saying, “The truth you hear is not necessarily the truth an Aes Sedai means.” Most mean it as a disparagement upon the character of the Aes Sedai, but I, for one, applaud their ability. Again, this cannot be learned in a few hours, but you can think on it and in time learn to master it.

Smile: A common mistake among those not trained in Deception is that they forget to smile effectively. Astounding as it may be, the world is full of people that seem to believe that one cannot lie as long as there is a genuine smile on one’s face. Of course, there are also plenty of individuals that believe a smile is a sure way to tell that someone is lying. Either way, an effective smile can go a long way in Deception. Practice your smile in the mirror, as I told you to do while practicing your game face. It is a useful tool. Are there any questions?” Telcia will answer the questions of the class and then give the assignment.

“For today’s assignment I’d like for you to work with a partner on deception and using the tool without giving yourself away. To do this take turns telling a series of whole truths and cunning deceptions to your partner. See if they can spot which are which based on your tell tale signs. This will help you practice in noticing others signs as well as hiding your own… not to mention let you work on making deception flow smoothly into your every day language. Now, have fun.”

LESSON 5

“By now, you should be more aware of the way the world of Daes Dae’mar works. Those of you who had no prior training will no doubt still be somewhat confused, and perhaps even a little shaken by the idea that this art is used everywhere. Still, I stress that the main goal of the Great Game is to gain control, and that to become a proficient player, one must first gain control of oneself. Every action, every reaction, must be carefully planned, or else the Game may be lost. One more thing. If any of you foolishly try to practice your newfound skills on someone who actually knows what he or she is doing, you will be like lambs hurling yourselves into a wolf’s jaws, with much the same result. I would hate to see any of you on the losing end of a Game gone wrong so please use caution and choose your opponents wisely. If there are no further questions?” Telcia waited to see if there were and when she was sure there was not she continued.

“Alright then for your final, I’d like each of you to explain to the class an example of each of the three arts as you might use them in the Great Game while doing your works for the Tower.” Telcia called up the first student and sat back to listen.