Ash to kindle the flame

[Elaira Taravin]

Elaira's eyes were locked on the dreadlord's. The woman flashed through several emotions as Elaira spoke, all of which Elaira could see clearly. Behind her, Cirus let out a sound that veered between strangled shock and a gasp of alarm. Elaira was shocked at herself as well; she had not intended to offer anything to this woman beyond scorn. But as she watched the dreadlord shift rapidly between shock, anger, fear, doubt, and regret Elaira felt her own doubts disappear. This was the right approach. Elaira didn't know what sort of crimes this woman had committed, what awful things she'd done. They were, undoubtedly, beyond Elaira's ability to comprehend; the dreadlord had traveled with an army of Trollocs and attacked a city in service to the Dark One...but she could atone, or at least make the attempt. It wouldn't be an easy road, and Elaira wasn't sure what exactly could be done for her even if she cooperated fully, but it was worth the attempt.

From regret, the woman's gaze hardened into doubt. It etched itself into her face, making apparent wrinkles that had not been immediately visible. Her mouth wrinkled into a grimace, and she looked away.

"Is this another one of their tests?"

She looked back up, over Elaira's shoulder at Cirus.

"You're one of them, aren't you, come to kill me. I've sworn my oaths, I won't share your secrets."

Elaira blinked. That was not the sort of response she'd anticipated. She glanced over her shoulder at Cirus again, bewildered...but then her mind began to piece it together. When she turned back around, the dreadlord's eyes had widened and she'd flinched back against the far wall in fear.

"You're...you're not? Oh, no, Great Lord no...."

The dreadlord had thought Elaira a Darkfriend. And there was only one name given to Aes Sedai who had forsaken their oaths to join with the Dark One.

"Black Ajah. You thought I was Black Ajah. Why."

But there was only one answer that would satisfy the other questions raised by the futile raid on Alirycas. None of it had made sense to Elaira but if this door led to the only possibility that Elaira could think of, well...things had suddenly become much more dire.

[Cirus]

Another test? What could this woman be going on about? Cirus didn’t know what kind of test a dreadlord would see in being asked for their redemption.

When the woman looked back at Cirus he did his best to remain stone faced and unmoving. He was no hardened warrior but the black coat did carry some significance. He drew on the flame and the void, focusing his emotion into it. He ignored the call of Saidin as he did so, not an easy thing as it stuck there like a torch hanging just out of the corner of his eye. He did his best to ignore it, there was nothing to be gained by reaching out. He couldn’t see his face, but he sensed his nerves starting to settle as his grip on the room became firmer.

The damp smell that was somehow unique to the room became clearer, a mix of sweat and what little dampness there was. The hint of dust lying over the boxes that were scattered around the small room. The darkness that shrouded the room was pushed back slightly as he focused, he could see the storeroom that stood around the prison. It was not a place that one expected to hold a prisoner, but then again holding a woman like this in the regular jail cells might be dangerous to those who were responsible for guarding her, or perhaps for the woman herself. Cirus knew that he himself was more than ready to simply execute her for her crimes, how many of the citizens of the town might feel the same way?

The woman's demeanor changed as she looked from Cirus back to Elaira. She mentioned something about not talking. What secrets would Cirus or Elaira have that this woman could possibly care about? Was she delusional? No… she was far to calm. This was expecting to get off. There was something that was definitely not right here.

Black Ajah? The way that Elaira said it made Cirus feel ignorant. What was it? Should he raise his question? He thought he’d learned most of the Ajah’s in learning about the legions, most of the brothers equated their own roles to those the Aes Sedai worked. Yet…. black? What would the black possibly be?

Cirus decided to remain silent and observe. He suspected that he would learn more if Elaira forgot, even for a moment, that he was here.

[Elaira Taravin]

The silence was heavy, almost suffocating, for several tense seconds. Elaira was dimly aware of Cirus' presence behind her, but her attention was focused entirely on the woman in front of her. The dreadlord's face had gone slack with fear, the resistance and anger that she'd shown earlier completely absent. The sudden shift made Elaira focus intently on her, a vague sense of alarm sharpened to a razor edge. This was only one explanation that made sense, but Elaira needed to hear it from the source.

"Answer."

Elaira didn't particularly know how to make her voice harsh; it had never been necessary before in her life. She settled, instead, for cold and insistent, driven by Elaira's own fear. The answer, the only answer, was horrific. The dreadlord licked her lips, eyes darting. For a moment, Elaira thought she would say nothing.

"I can't, I can't say. My life would be forfeit. My very soul."

Elaira's heart wrenched at the fear evident in those words. There were pinpricks of moisture, actual tears forming in the corner of the dreadlord's eyes. But she remembered the battle at the walls. People had fought and died because of this woman, and Elaira tried to keep that in the forefront of her mind.

"I said you weren't so far gone that you couldn't return to the Light. That starts here. The Black Ajah was burnt out in the aftermath of Tarmon Gai'don, brush and root. Why did you think I was Black Ajah?"

Elaira's voice sounded oddly distant to her own ears, hardly her own at all. The dreadlord stopped her movements, frozen, eyes locked on Elaira's before she responded.

The response was everything Elaira had feared.

"I was sent here by one of the Black Ajah. She never told me her name, but I saw the ring. She came to me with a Myrddraal, and told me where to find the Trollocs. We were supposed to take Alirycas and burn it; I'm already dead if she finds out I failed, I suppose." The dreadlord's bitter, defeated laughter was the only sound in the cell.

[Cirus]

The woman’s fear was clear, and it was a fear that Cirus recognized all too well. A fear that there was nothing you could do to change your fate. A fear that no matter what happened, you would be held accountable. Possibly not even for your own failings, simply because someone was angry you would suffer the consequences. Never mind that things had been out of your control, that the person who had given you the task hadn’t given you enough in time or resources. For a moment he was struck with a sense of pity, to know that no matter what action you took would result in you being held responsible was not a fun place to be.

Cirus felt words start to form on his tongue, but he caught himself before he said anything. There was always another choice, it was just a matter of making that choice. The woman had chosen to run to the shadow, had chosen to attack the settlement of Alirycas, and her choices had caused the deaths of many. How many soldiers had died in the defense of the city before she and her companion had been forced to surrender? How many families had lost fathers or mothers? How many had lost a child or a sibling to the raid? As these thoughts went through his mind he felt his heart harden at the thoughts of mercy. He tried to push these aside as well, there could be no vengeance in what they did. The Asha’man were guardians, defenders of the Dragons Peace. They were not judges, they were not executioners. Their actions must be to ensure peace, not promote vengeance, even against one as foul as the creature that cringed before him.

The cackling laugh was all he needed to affirm his own thoughts on the matter. It was the laugh of the dead, he’d heard it once or twice in his life. Usually when he had tried to pickpocket crowds gathering for executions. It was the doomed laugh of one who had nothing to lose, no reason to lie, no reason to attempt anything other than clearing any guilt they felt from their own conscience. The laugh of the damned. It was a chilling thing to hear, especially in the small confines of that space. He wondered if this is what the jailors of those condemned had listened to before the doomed men and women were dragged before the gallows.

Cirus couldn’t help but wonder what his brothers in the Tower would think if they heard of this. It was never spoken of, but there was a hanging suspicion over their own organization. His own mother had been convinced that all channelers were the tools of the Dark One. The Black Tower always warned of the temptations of power, that they must constantly be on their guard. The stories of the false dragon Tiam were one of the few lessons that everyone learned their first week there. Even he, weak as he was, had been forced to all but memorize the story of the first M’Hael who had been a puppet of the Dark One. His mind was cast back to the rumors that had circled among the Black Tower from after the delegation to the White Tower. Rumors that there had been those among the Aes Sedai who had demanded all men be tested for some sort of taint. How ironic that Aes Sedai, who were always portraying themselves as the epitome of the light, could now be confirmed to be tainted by Darkfriends. The Black Ajah, those who had infiltrated the White Tower to sow chaos among their ranks for the Dark One’s purposes. Only a fool would outright deny the possible existence of such a thing, and only the king of fools would dare to bring it up to the face of any Aes Sedai.

Another thought crossed his mind, would Elaira still allow him to share this information with his captain? It was said Aes Sedai could not lie, but there were plenty of ways to tell a half-truth.

[Elaira Taravin]

Elaira kept her eyes on the woman as the laughter peaked, then died. The cell was submerged in a dreadful silence once more, but Elaira paid it no mind. Her mind was far, far away from the cell, her gaze distant and unfocused. She wasn't looking at what was in front of her, wasn't present in any sense of the word, and the silence stretched to an uncomfortable degree. Elaira losing herself in her thoughts wasn't new, but this time she did not return with a bright smile. Instead, her voice came out soft, gentle, and dispassionate.

"Thank you. You have taken the first step in a long and unpleasant road, but it is more of a future than you had before today. Listen closely: I am an Aes Sedai of the White Tower, and my words are truth."

Elaira's voice rose, and tears of her own pricked the corners of her eyes. This was not the adventure she'd wanted. This was not the role she'd wanted. Now, after this impulsive interrogation, Elaira wanted nothing more than to run from the room, open a gate, and go home. Not to Tar Valon, not to the White Tower, but to Caemlyn and the Taravin estates. She wanted to hide in her room, safely surrounded by her brother, sister, and parents.

"When I leave, you will return with me to Tar Valon, to await trial before the Hall of the Tower. You will likely be stilled. I will stand for you and do my best to save your life. I will not let the Dark One have you again, on that you have my word."

Elaira didn't know how she would accomplish any of that. What could she tell the Hall, when she didn't dare reveal the information that she'd learned without knowing who among them could be Black Ajah? It had to be someone deep in the hierarchy of the Tower, she was certain. If that rot had returned, it would not be content with Novices alone. Besides, if the forces of the Dark One learned this woman had revealed such a secret, they would try and have her killed. Would Elaira stand against Fades and Trollocs for a Dreadlord? What choice do I have?

"You will say nothing of this to anyone. You will continue to try, desperately, to atone for what you've done. You will make this worth doing."

Anger boiled out of her with those final words, and her pitch rose even as she hissed them out in a whisper. She turned, then, wiping furiously at the tears in her eyes.

"I'm done here, Soldier Cirus. Would you accompany me a little longer? I believe we need to continue our talk."

Elaira embraced Saidar as she moved, not waiting for Cirus' response. Around the cell she wove a ward of her own, then tied it off. No one would pass without her knowing. That was something, at least. She moved out of the cell at something near a run, one hand shading her eyes from the Kin as she moved. Elaira never had been an image of Aes Sedai dispassion, but rarely had she ever felt so weak and exposed.

[Cirus]

Cirus listened intently, but his thoughts were not on the moment anymore. As he listened more and more to Elaira he heard more and more coming through. Had it come from almost anyone else in this world he may have called it weakness, a refusal to do what was necessary. Yet he couldn’t believe that. Not from her, not from one of the women who had found him and given him his life back. No, not from one who had given him a life.

I believe we need to continue our talk.

The tone left no room for debate, and for a brief moment Cirus feared he would be punished for some slight. He banished the thought quickly, Elaira was not his mother. Never once had Gareth raised a hand to him in anger, nor had he ever once made it seem like his sister or her friend would ever raise their hands to someone. It was true he had seen her show emotion here, and that emotion was not one he would have associated with a woman who had saved him from the streets.

"As you say Aes Sedai."

Elaira Sedai moved at a pace that left Cirus in little doubt that something was wrong. He didn’t ask any questions as she moved quickly, he didn’t even try to glance around to keep an eye on their surroundings. He followed her, like a little brother chasing after an older sibling he moved to keep up. He didn’t know what his face looked like, whether he showed concern or fear or anger, frankly he didn’t care. He wanted to call out, to ask what was wrong, to do anything to try to comfort her the way she’d comforted him all those years ago. He knew better of course, he said nothing, he merely followed. He would hear her out, he would comfort his friend however he could, but he would say nothing in the streets.

[Elaira Taravin]

Elaira moved, heedless of direction, surroundings, or whether Cirus had listened to her request. Light burn that woman and burn me as well. She felt angry, foolish, and desperately in over her head. Who could she possibly tell about this? Certainly, very few in the White Tower could be trusted. And who would believe her in the first place, on the word of a woman sworn to the Dark? But Elaira knew what the woman had said was the truth. The Black Ajah was active once more.

Elaira thought as she walked, as was her habit. She itched to reach for her notebook, to write and sketch until things made sense...but some things could not be committed to paper. Ishara would believe her, but Ishara had heavy enough responsibilities on her own. The Amyrlin Seat? Elaira did not think Katreine din Ziago could be Black Ajah, but how could she tell? The Highest, Alira Asuwan, was if anything a likelier candidate for the Black that the Amyrlin Seat. There were some Sisters she could trust, but what could be done?

Elaira, lost in thought, wasn't certain how long she walked. They passed out from Alirycas' keep quickly, though, and between her corralling her fears and the sudden resurgence of daylight and fresh air, Elaira slowed her pace to a walk. Eventually, though, Elaira found herself atop the wall, staring North toward the Blight. She was suddenly back in the moment, staring out toward Shayol Ghul, and her jaw set almost involuntarily. She turned, and to her surprise Cirus was still there, and her heart ached at the sight. He hadn't fled, or turned away in scorn, for which Elaira was grateful beyond words...but he was so young and had already lived a life full of challenges. How could she burden him further?

Her eyes had dried during their walk, and Elaira resisted the urge to rub at them further. She hopefully didn't look as much a mess as she felt. She forced a smile at Cirus, a gentle, brittle thing that came from only the slightest twist up of her lips.

"I'm sure you have questions."

How could he not? Elaira wasn't certain if the Black Tower had any more to say about the Black Ajah than did the White. How could anyone contemplate the idea of Aes Sedai sworn to the Dark One calmly? Elaira crossed her arms, trying very hard to look like she wasn't wrapping them around herself as if against a sudden chill.

"I will answer a little, if I'm able. I'm afraid there may be things I won't be able to share with you, but I'll try."

She looked away, then, torn. This was a hard request.

"But I must ask that you not share the things we just heard. Not with anyone. Those things she said..."

Elaira trailed off, eyes searching into the distance again.

"They may be almost more dangerous than the woman herself, unshielded. No.... They are certainly more dangerous."

[Cirus]

Cirus continued to follow Elaira as best he could. He didn’t know where she was going at first, he wasn’t sure she knew as she moved with a quicker than usual pace. He was cast back to his own time at the Black Tower when he would move like this. Could she be lost? Confused? Just trying to think? It certainly made sense. During his early months, he had often just wandered the grounds, thinking about everything under the sun until he could get his head straight. Once it was straight he often found his voice, he could only hope the same was true for her.

His prediction seemed to come true, as soon they found themselves on the site of the fierce battle yesterday. He couldn’t see any scars from the battle itself, it seemed the corpses and blood had been cleaned rather thoroughly after yesterday’s battle, even the burn marks from the wall seemed to be gone. Strange how quickly something could be forgotten, scrubbed from existence. He had to wonder if that was really a good thing, or if maybe it would have been smarter to leave a few marks on the wall as a reminder. Then again, these people didn’t need a reminder.

"I'm sure you have questions."

Her comment brought his mind back to where he was, why he had come all this way. He looked back at her, her eyes were dry but something about them seemed off. Had she been crying as they moved? Did Aes Sedai cry? He realized he didn’t know, the few times he’d been around them they had appeared almost emotionless. His mind was cast back to his mother's tales of women with hearts of ice who killed men for looking at them the wrong way. If they showed so little emotion, maybe that was what brought it about. People seldom understood that which was secretive, and they feared it as a result. Light knows he was all too aware of what fear could cause a person to do.

"I will answer a little if I'm able. I'm afraid there may be things I won't be able to share with you, but I'll try. But I must ask that you not share the things we just heard. Not with anyone. Those things she said..."

Cirus took a deep breath, he wasn’t sure where to even begin. What would he ask? How could he possibly even begin to wrack his head around what he had heard? The White Tower, a place that was supposed to be forged for the rebuilding and preservation of the world, was once again infiltrated by the Shadow. And yet…. Was it so strange to consider? The shadow was known to lurk everywhere, to say they were absent from one part of the world was either arrogance or folly of the highest order.

"They may be almost more dangerous than the woman herself, unshielded. No.... They are certainly more dangerous."

I am not so certain…

He tried to voice his words, but he could not. He could not fathom how such a blow could rend apart what had only been so recently mended. Instead, he swallowed his words and thought for a moment. He couldn’t agree to what she was requesting, of that he was certain. As of now only three of them knew of this threat to the world, should something happen to them…. He did not like to think of what could happen. The captain would certainly need to know, as would other senior brothers at the Tower, but he would not spread the word farther than necessary… and yet…. How did he share this without breaking their friendship?

“My mother….”

He practically spat the word out with venom, and took a breath before continuing, holding the flame in his mind this time as he did so. His words came far calmer this time around, much more how he wanted them to be shared.

“My mother… for all her faults, did show me one truth. Secrets kept only cause distress for all involved. If something were to happen to you, or me, or her, then what would come of this secret? Lives will be lost and the enemy will move in shadow still. There are some things that cannot be kept, and while I can not share this secret with everyone I cannot simply keep it to myself.”

He had said his piece and found himself rather calm in his response. He knew this was not what she wanted to hear, but secrets such as this had broken the tower in the past, kept a civil war that could have been avoided fuming, and if some brothers were correct, it was also somehow responsible for the fate of some of their own.

“This threat is bigger than the White Tower, and its implications reach far deeper as well. If your tower is susceptible, who is not? Could it be such people like her lurk within my own home? I… I am sorry, but I cannot keep this secret.”

Emotion had seeped into his voice once more as he spoke, fear, sadness, pain. He could hear her already, a calm rejection. The breaking of friendship, all over a secret that was bigger and more dangerous than either of them.

[Elaira Taravin]

Cirus stood silent, for a moment, allowing Elaira to examine the young man framed against the city and sky. His black coat fit him in a way that Elaira had never expected when they found him in that alley. She was struck by a sudden urge to sketch him and record the moment.


“My mother….”

The anger in those words surprised her, though she didn’t react. It was the first strong emotion she’d seen from him, and Cirus quickly buried it again.

“My mother… for all her faults, did show me one truth. Secrets kept only cause distress for all involved. If something were to happen to you, or me, or her, then what would come of this secret? Lives will be lost and the enemy will move in shadow still. There are some things that cannot be kept, and while I can not share this secret with everyone I cannot simply keep it to myself.”

Elaira’s smile slowly faded as Cirus laid out his objection. It was well thought out, as far as it went. She lowered her arms and cocked her head, studying him.

“This threat is bigger than the White Tower, and its implications reach far deeper as well. If your tower is susceptible, who is not? Could it be such people like her lurk within my own home? I… I am sorry, but I cannot keep this secret.”

The moment stretched as they stood apart from one another, Elaira still studying him closely. Slowly, she broke into a dazzling smile. It was far from the broken attempt she’d managed earlier, her eyes sparkled and she had to resist the urge to hug Cirus as ferociously as she could manage. This one moment stood alone against all the horrifying, terrible revelations of the past hour and nearly eclipsed them all. Elaira was so proud of Cirus! She didn’t want to embarrass the Soldier, but he had come so far since they had first met. Not only was he able to stand against foe’s on the battlefield, he was willing to stand up to a friend for what he believed to be right. Maybe her pride was misplaced; she had done little for him, this was the work of the training he’d received, but she was in spite of that. Even if he disagreed with her, even if she believed him to be mistaken and dangerously wrong about this, she was happy to see him grow. She began to speak, still smiling, trying to marshal her own arguments.

“I understand your position, Soldier Cirus. I hope that you’ll reconsider: the risks we face will only increase if word of what happened here spreads. For now, the...”

She hesitated, smile faltering as she forced the words out.

“Black Ajah has no reason to believe they’ve been revealed. There may be eyes and ears within both Towers; every person told increases the chance that they will know they’ve been discovered. There are few people I can trust absolutely, knowing what I know now. I must speak with them and....”

She trailed off, unsure of what was next. Elaira was decidedly not one of the heroes of the Last Battle who had helped root out the Black Ajah. She was no Elayne Trakand or el’Nynaeve ti al’Meara Mandragoran or Egwene al’Vere or any of the other Aes Sedai who had held firm against the Dark One. She was simply Elaira Taravin, horribly in over her head.

“Discover just how deeply they have managed to worm their way into the Tower.”

Elaira hoped she sounded certain, because this was the only thing she could do. After a moment’s consideration, she continued.

“If you still feel you must share this knowledge, I ask that you wait for word from me to do so. If you cannot, please tell only those you trust absolutely and without question. I trust you to know best who that would be in the Black Tower.”

She smiled again, spreading her hands.

“Now. I believe I promised you answers, if I could give them. That has not changed.”

[Cirus]

Cirus expected a berating, a threat, maybe even cold silence. He was already hardening his heart for the threats he was going to hear. He didn’t think he could hold himself back from crying, but he wasn’t going to let his dignity slide away from him without a fight. He would walk away a Soldier of the Black Tower, not a boy broken because he couldn’t keep his friend. He swallowed one last time as he refocused to look at her.

A smile… There wasn’t a scowl or anger, there was a smile on her face. What’s more she said she understood. He was left stunned, he wasn’t expecting this. A fight, an argument, a subtle but stern warning against saying anything to anyone. Instead she said she understood, but simply urged him to reconsider his plan. It wasn’t the thing he was expecting, it was probably the one thing he wasn’t expecting.

Elaira’s logic was sound, the more that knew the secret the more likely it could get into the wrong ears. He sat and listened as she laid out the rest of her argument, only those who he could trust completely. Who could he trust completely? Gareth certainly but did he dare endanger him? Did he dare to tell him what was going on with this?No… No he couldn’t threaten Gareth with this. He certainly wouldn’t tell anyone, but if it got out that he knew… well the man was already a target for assassination, carrying the dragons bloodline.


“I… the captain…”

Her request wasn’t unreasonable, wait for word to act. Yet the captain would likely ask. Cirus couldn’t lie to him. At best it would see him working through cleaning latrines again until he was Terron’s age. At worst he would be seen as a collaborator and probably executed on the spot for refusal to follow orders. He had to tell him, if for no other reason than at least that would free him from responsibility of telling anyone at the Black Tower about what was going on. She also promised answers, and while he didn’t have many, there were two that weighed clearly on his mind.

“The captain will ask what I learned, I cannot lie to him. Yet, should he fail to take it seriously… who should be told? And what is our next move?”

Even getting the questions off his heart was a weight lifted. He had been trained to attack, find a problem and destroy it outright, not hide and wait. Hearing himself ask the questions out loud got his own mind going. There were things that would need to be done, but he was not the one to tackle this, not yet. When he was stronger, when he had more battle experience he could plan an attack, now… now he needed to be given an order.

[Elaira Taravin]

Cirus was hard to read, but Elaira thought he might be pleased when he looked up at her, then sat and listened to her request. What she truly needed was time to think and to plan, but the task before her seemed enormous. Overwhelming.

“I… the captain…. The captain will ask what I learned, I cannot lie to him. Yet, should he fail to take it seriously… who should be told? And what is our next move?”

Elaira suppressed a shudder at that, her smile fading at the memory of the black-coated Captain. She kept her face still only through her Aes Sedai training. Of all the men in the world to tell about a possible Black Ajah resurgence, Terron Aravell was perhaps last on the list. Light, she still remembered his lecture on the walls.... But there was nothing to be done about it, if Cirus was committed to telling his commander there was little Elaira could do to stop it.

"I'd rather you not tell Terron Aravell."

Elaira's voice was dry, but her eyes glittered.

"I understand, however. I'm not certain I'd be able to mislead him, either."

Elaira crossed her arms and leaned back against the battlements, eyes gazing in toward Alirycas rather than at any one fixed point. Her cloak would be dirty, later, but she was more concerned with puzzling out the rest of his question than cleanliness. In a way, it helped; the question gave her direction, something to focus on, and she was glad for it.

"As for who else...I don't know much about the Black Tower, I'm afraid. I'm not sure who I would ask you to trust."

That was, perhaps, a slight misdirection, albeit a mostly unconscious one, though a fond smile tugged at her lips as Elaira's memories brushed against the person she would trust most in the Black Tower. But any Asha'man who discovered this information might be tied to the Dark themselves, and even if they were not, it could still bring harm to the White Tower. Who to tell?

"Perhaps the M'Hael."

The words were musing, Elaira's gaze still distant. The new M'Hael had pushed for reconciliation between the Towers, she knew, which would culminate in a joint bond with the Amyrlin Seat in the near future. Perhaps he could be trusted to hold the interests of both the White and the Black Towers in mind? She turned her eyes to Cirus, nodding slowly.

"Yes, perhaps the M'Hael. I'm afraid I can think of few other options for you, Soldier Cirus. If there are any you trust completely from your personal experience, I would start with them. But the M'Hael has acted in ways I don't believe the Shadow would, so he would be my best guess."

She pushed herself away from the battlement, turning her eyes back the way they'd come, to the dungeon and the cell within.

"As for next...I came here to meet with the Kin, and I cannot leave now without drawing suspicion. I will do what I came here to do, and when I leave I will bring her to Tar Valon with me to be tried. The Bonding Ceremony will be shortly thereafter, then.... Then I will find those who can be trusted in the White Tower, and give this into their hands. There is still the chance she is lying, or mistaken, or was tricked; Light let it be so. When I've found something, I will send word to you."

[Cirus]

"I'd rather you not tell Terron Aravell."

Cirus pulse quickened for a moment at the thought of trying to hide this from Captain Aravell. The man had done so much to push Cirus to be better, despite his flaws Cirus did look up to him as a leader. He was a strong leader, and despite what others may think of him Cirus wanted to believe his heart was in the right place. Keeping this from him… if he couldn’t trust Captain Aravell who could he trust?

"I understand, however. I'm not certain I'd be able to mislead him, either."

Cirus let out a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding. If the captain asked he would not have to hide the secret of what he found. If the captain did not ask what he’d been up to then he could tell him the truth, though he wasn’t sure just how safe that would be. He doubted the captain would do anything with the information that he shouldn’t but he might also not be as diplomatic or secretive about sharing it. If the White Tower denounced this as a rumor he could see it trickling back, it would be far more politically expedient to punish a Soldier than a Captain of a legion.

“The M’Hael…”

He was the most logical choice of who to inform of this, but could Cirus be certain he could reach that high up without upsetting the chain of command? Doubtful, but if he had to share this information then the M’hael would have to be told. If nothing else, at least that way it would be unable to be said it was started as a malicious rumor if the M’hael heard it straight from the source, or at least as close to the source as he would be able to get. Cirus nodded as he thought about it, there really was no one else he could trust.

“Right… right. I had better report back to the captain then, I believe our mission is close to complete, or whatever business we have in Alirycas certainly is.”

Cirus got up to leave, pausing before he did. The shock and weight of the secret he had been asked to hold had left him without his manners, and before he left he turned back and bowed. Elaira might not be a member of the Black Tower, and while he was not officially beholden to her, it would not do to simply walk off, especially from one of his old friends.

“I will await your word, Aes Sedai. Until then I shall do my best to keep this secret from whomever I must.”

[Jenaroni]

This thread is now closed.