Snuffing a Spark

[Alira Asuwan]

Jadin al’Vyron was dead, and that was a problem.

The study in the Red Ajah section of the Tower was full of women, Red Sisters one and all, though not yet so crowded as to be claustrophobic. They spoke in hushed tones to one another while waiting, the chatter blending together into a wordless buzz. The Highest, Alira Asuwan, sat alone in a high backed chair near the fireplace, studying the flickering of light and shadow intently. A bubble of space existed around her as though her sisters were kept at a distance by her frosty expression. Maybe they were. She didn’t frown, exactly, but those who had known her since she’d become Highest knew enough to recognize displeasure.

Alira would never shed a tear for the M’Hael. For any of the Asha’man, for that matter, dangerous as they were. Al’Vyron had been quite adept in the role from all indications, and honestly in other circumstances she might have acknowledged his death with wine and quiet satisfaction. This was not, unfortunately, other circumstances, because Jadin hadn’t just died; the fool had managed to be assassinated just days before Bonding the Amyrlin Seat and Alira didn’t have the faintest idea of who was responsible.

That had been months ago, and winter was upon them all. It hadn’t taken long for rumors to begin swirling. More than one set of eyes had turned to the Red Ajah, and despite attempts at placating the Black Tower their credibility was at issue. The bigger problem, to Alira’s mind, was that she wasn’t certain if there was any truth to those rumors. In the aftermath, Alira had ensured that Red Sisters met with their counterparts in the Fire Legion to disavow any knowledge of the assassination. Tensions remained high, and Alira’s life had devolved into putting out the fires started by al’Vyron’s senseless death.

She looked out into the crowd of Red Sisters, her face not betraying these concerns. They were young and old, strong and weak, vehement in their anger toward the Black Tower and even those who maintained discrete ties to the Asha’man.

It came down to those she could trust, and those she could not. These last two groups did not separate cleanly into those in opposition to or in support of the Black Tower, as some might expect. Trust was something to precious to assign to people...it was more a matter of predictability. Some women she could trust to reach out to an Asha’man despite the injunction. Others she could trust to support her agenda without question. Both were preferable to one who might act unpredictably. The women assembled here were known quantities, those she could trust, as much as she could trust anyone.

She shifted slightly in her chair, straightening the sleek dress she wore. The gray was slashed with red along the skirts, a somber reflection of her Ajah, but not quite in mourning. It seemed appropriate. Those closest to her stilled and silence rippled away from her through the study until all was quiet. Even the sound outside of the study was muffled, thanks to the wards place around the room. This was for Red ears alone.

Alira stood and felt the weight of her sisters eyes on her. It wasn’t often that she regretted her role as Highest, but speaking publicly always stirred faint memories. The woman she had been, once, had never been comfortable in front of crowds. Alira pulled the ice around her and began to talk.

“Thank you for coming, Sisters. You may return to your conversations momentarily, but before we begin I must address some of the rumors I’m sure you all have heard in the Tower and elsewhere.”

She didn’t raise her voice, but it carried throughout the study anyway. One hand idly toyed with the hilt of the dagger at her side as she spoke.

“I have no reason to believe there is truth to those concerning the Red Ajah, and as discussed the Red Ajah will continue to cooperate with both the Amyrlin Seat and the Black Tower as investigations continue.”

Her tone was calm and steady. She wasn’t angry at the incident or the fallout from it, as anger was no longer part of her life. She was irritated, however. This was a major blow to her plans, one that would have to be managed carefully. The Black Tower was a wild dog, dangerous and uncontrolled. Attempting to stamp them out was impossible given the support they’d received from the Amyrlin Seat and elsewhere, and even in the earliest days as Highest she’d discarded the possibility. She’d meant to contain them, or failing that leash them. The bonding had been a setback initially, but having a tie to the M’Hael would have been a breakthrough in bringing the Asha’man to heel. That was ruined, now, and suspicion of the Red in particular was rampant. Moving subtly would be difficult.

“I don’t think this needs to be said, but in case some of the Red need a reminder: our job is to recruit new Novices, safeguard the White Tower, and defend the world against the threat posed by rogue channelers.”

In mixed company, the obvious implication, that the Asha’man were rogue channelers, was left unstated.

“This has made our duty much more difficult.”

Just a hint of venom entered Alira’s voice. She wanted the women assembled here to remember her words and demeanor and spread that around both Towers. Her name would not be attached to it, of course, but she wanted it well known that the Red Ajah was not pleased with the assassination. Rumors of her private displeasure would do more than any amount of denial from Red Sitters.

“And, in case any of you had a different impression: if I find that any Red Sister played any part in the assassination of the M’Hael, I personally guarantee she will be stilled and spend the rest of her very, very long life performing manual labor.”

Silence followed, and Alira looked around the room without expression. There were a few sisters among the assembled group who might remember Alira as she was before the War with the Black Tower. She had been a woman who’d worn her emotions on her sleeve, who had fought and laughed and loved with her Sisters. Now, she simply stood, watched, and nodded to herself once satisfied that the message had been received.

“Excellent. We are here today to plan next steps to ensure we can continue to fulfill our duties. You all know what must be done.”

She sat down in front of the fire once more as the conversation slowly resumed. Some would approach her to receive input, while others would discuss and decide a course of action among themselves. Realistically, most of the Red Ajah had already decided on a course of action. Despite the Red’s strict hierarchy that placed the Highest above all, Alira had always found sisters of the Red Ajah to be independent unless it was necessary to be otherwise. They would do what they thought best, and Alira would be sure that whatever they did served the interests of the Red Ajah.

[Aviva al'Saar]

From her chosen seat in the middle of the room, Aviva surveyed the gathered women. Being Aes Sedai, few of them betrayed any sign of their feelings about the meeting or the woman who had called it. Aviva herself was no exception to this. She sat straight-backed and poised, wearing deep red slashed with a brighter shade, the occasional flash of irritation in her dark eyes the sole indication of the annoyance she felt. This meeting is a waste of our time, she thought with some frustration of the pile of paperwork awaiting her at her desk. The stacks of reports to be read and addressed and correspondence requiring a response had only grown since the death of the M'Hael, and as long as she sat here, she would make no progress with any of it! Aviva longed to be back in her room, carrying out her duty to the Ajah, instead of tolerating idle talk in place of action.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting on the Highest to begin, the woman finally spoke, and Aviva listened to her with a growing sense of impatience. At one time, years ago, she'd gotten along just fine with Alira. The women who was now Highest however, was very different from the woman she'd known when they were much younger, and while Aviva could admit to a grudging sort of respect for her, Alira's attitude and the biased policies she'd set never failed to provoke Aviva's temper.

She inhaled deeply through her nose to stay calm, wondering what made the Highest bother to even acknowledge the rumors. She'd heard them too, and been infuriated by them, but Aviva could think of a number of problems that were much more important. Her annoyance was not improved by Alira's description of the calling of their Ajah, with its blatant omission of their responsibility to maintain ties to the Black Tower.

You forgot something, she thought to herself. She would refrain from actually making that comment, which did not mean she would stay silent while the woman supposedly in charge of them tried her best to drag the Red Ajah down a path to total ruin.The words she spoke of cooperation with the Amyrlin, of the punishment awaiting any Red sister found to be involved in the M'Hael's death, were to Aviva simply not enough when every policy she put into place seemed meant to foster division instead of cooperation.

Once she stopped talking and directed them to begin discussing plans, Aviva stayed in her seat. The quiet chatter of the friends she'd sat with faded as she imagined a red rosebud opening to sunlight, a novice exercise that always seemed to bring her peace even when she didn't embrace saidar. Then Aviva rose from her chair, moving with quick, determined steps. The brown braid falling down her back swung slowly behind her even after she stopped before the Highest, holding her head high as she awaited permission to speak.

[Alira Asuwan]

Alira settled before the fire, expression pensive. The delay that this meeting introduced was a necessary one, and she did not have the capacity to rage or gnash her teeth as she might once have. Defusing suspicion against the Red Ajah was the first step, and spreading the word to all the eyes and ears within and without the Tower about how the Highest herself condemned the assassination was the best way Alira could do that without tipping her hand. Her mind was already traveling the ways this could be spun, and which directions to offer to the Sitters. Perhaps the Red could be positioned as a party occupying a reasonable middle ground between the Black Tower and its violent opponents? Such a presentation would be playacting and would doubtlessly fool few in either Tower, but this might be a chance to sway the nations of the world. It was paramount that the memory of Rahlin triumphed over any temporary sympathy for al’Vyron’s death. Chipping away at support in the Borderlands was dangerous, even Alira had to recognize their usefulness in the fight giants the Shadow, but elsewhere...well. She had options.

Conversation around her stilled, drawing her attention back to the present and away from the fire. Aviva al’Saar stood nearby, head high and waiting to approach. Alira’s expression didn’t falter, but her eyes seemed to darken just a shade. She nodded slightly at the Two Rivers woman and gestured to the empty chair beside her. Aviva al’Saar was as stubborn a woman as the Two Rivers had ever produced, by Alira’s estimation, and one who had never been shy about sharing her opinion. Alira wasn’t sure why the other woman’s stubborn refusal to see the need for a leash on the Asha’man irritated her as much as it did. A part of her, a small part of her, thought perhaps it was a sense of betrayal. They had both lost things in the War, yet Aviva seemed content to forget those harsh lessons. There was a sound, faint to Alira but inaudible to everyone else, that rose at the thought, but the Highest stifled it with a force of will. She turned her gaze on Aviva, eyes clear and mentally prepared to deal with whatever objection was raised and that would be the end of it. Irritating or not, Aviva was one of the Aes Sedai that would send word to the Black Tower regarding this meeting. The Aes Sedai nearby were quiet in their own discussions, no doubt curious to listen in on this conversation. They would both be constrained by their audience, which was probably for the best for all.

[Aviva al'Saar]

Aviva had to force herself to stand still, not shifting her feet or looking around. It greatly irritated her to have to wait for permission to speak as if she were still no more than a novice. It felt to her as if Alira was taking her time to respond just to provoke her further. Finally, the woman bothered to acknowledge her, and she moved towards the indicated chair. She sat up straight, feet flat on the floor and hands folded in her lap in a practiced display of outward serenity. Her appearance was about as far from her actual emotions as it was possible to be. With a deep breath, Aviva turned to the Highest, settling her piercing dark gaze on the other woman.

Before speaking, she reminded herself of what she meant to accomplish with this conversation. There was no point in attempting to convince Alira of just how wrong she was. The woman had long since proven to Aviva that she was incapable of even listening to opinions that did not perfectly mirror her own. Her words would be spoken to the Highest, but in reality, Aviva was addressing the entire room of women, some of whom might be more reasonable than Alira. Which would not be difficult, since she is completely unreasonable, Aviva thought to herself with annoyance.

She blinked once and lifted her head, never once taking her eyes off the other woman. "If we are speaking of our duty as an Ajah, simply denying any truth to the rumors may not be enough to convince others that we had no part in the assassination." There was little expression in her words, but even thinking about those rumors angered Aviva. "As long as even a little suspicion of our Ajah remains, decreasing others' ability to trust us, it will remain difficult for all of us to do what we must."

Leaning forward slightly, Aviva continued, "To rid ourselves of that suspicion, more than words will be needed. While Red sisters are cooperating with the investigation, it would also benefit us if we were seen to be working with the men of the Black Tower in those areas we have in common. We can hardly be thought to be responsible for the M'Hael's assassination if we are also seen carrying out shared duties together." Her voice was low and passionate, the dark brown eyes hardly even blinking. They narrowed slightly as Aviva watched the Highest, well aware that Alira's response, while likely to be polite in a crowd such as this one, would almost certainly be negative.

[Alira Asuwan]

"If we are speaking of our duty as an Ajah, simply denying any truth to the rumors may not be enough to convince others that we had no part in the assassination. As long as even a little suspicion of our Ajah remains, decreasing others' ability to trust us, it will remain difficult for all of us to do what we must."

Alira met Aviva’s gaze, face passive as she started to speak. Alira knew what the thrust of the argument would be. It was the same as it had been quite nearly every year for over thirty years, from Aviva and people like her. Red Sisters who survived Rahlin’s Madness, few as they were, fell in two camps: those who clung to the hope that the Black Tower would be safe to trust, this time, and those who’d been burned and realized the risks. Aviva fell into the former camp.

Alira had hoped that, over time, new generations of Aes Sedai would default to the latter, ending the threat posed by the wishful thinking of a few broken old women. The situation was unfortunately more complicated than that: she’d assumed that the memory of Rahlin’s Madness would always be there, lingering like smoke after a fire. Unfortunately the more years they put between themselves and war, the more new Red Sisters were willing to entertain the questions Aviva and her ilk asked. Alira had won the war on certain things, like the prohibition against bonding members of the Black Tower, but the grounds for these arguments continued to shift and roll, making it difficult to lock things in place as they should be.

"To rid ourselves of that suspicion, more than words will be needed. While Red sisters are cooperating with the investigation, it would also benefit us if we were seen to be working with the men of the Black Tower in those areas we have in common. We can hardly be thought to be responsible for the M'Hael's assassination if we are also seen carrying out shared duties together."

Alira laced her fingers together and rested them in her lap. The suggestion that the duties the Red Ajah were entrusted with were somehow on the same level as the Black Tower’s self-interested recruiters was insulting, but Alira couldn’t rise to the bait. The suggestion of cooperation, as always, triggered a faint sound of nothing, but Alira looked away and said nothing for a few moments as she considered her approach.

“The Black Tower’s interests are not ours, nor are their duties,” Alira answered finally.

This was a recurring point of contention between factions, but as Alira was the Highest it was a settled issue. If a Red Sister wanted to work with the Black Tower to handle a male wilder, or confront a dangerous channeler, they would do so with subtlety or not at all. Alira had no intention of giving any ground on that either, it was bad enough that certain Sisters actively sought ways around the restrictions. Then, Alira did something very out of character. She smiled, nothing more than a slight twitch of the mouth at one corner but it was a smile nonetheless.

“That said, you have a point. We have a responsibility to defuse the suspicions around our Ajah before it impacts our ability to act. There are joint investigations into the assassination happening between Aes Sedai and Asha’man. If you and some of your Sisters would like to act jointly with the Asha’man, you may do so openly regarding this issue.”

[Aviva al'Saar]

The dark eyes that remained locked on Alira's blinked once, the only visible sign of Aviva's surprise. The Highest she knew was unemotional and uncomprising, and Aviva could not recall ever having seen the woman smile before. That she had now, along with offering any concession, however small, was not at all what Aviva had expected. The Red sister tilted her head, thinking about what she'd just heard, without taking her eyes off the other woman. She did not doubt that it would be good for their Ajah if members were seen to be cooperating with Asha'men as they investigated the murder of the M'Hael, but Aviva was not at all certain that she should be one of those assisting. If she did, she would be unable to continue to encourage reconciliation with the Black Tower among the sisters of her Ajah, work that was far too important for her to set aside without a great deal of thought. She lifted her head in preparation to speak again, pressing her lips together as it occurred to her that perhaps her absence from the White Tower was what Alira wanted. There was no way for her to be sure, but the suspicion remained in the back of Aviva's mind.

"I will consider it," Aviva said evenly. She meant exactly that, planning to give the investigations much more thought, when she had both the time and the solitude she would need. "It will be good for the Ajah if Red sisters are seen openly cooperating with the Black Tower. I would ask, however, what happens when the investigations end? Will any Reds present just return to the White Tower, to continue on as we have been for years?" Just speaking of that possibility irritated Aviva, though she did not allow herself to display it. Her voice remained calm as she explained, "If that is so, I am concerned that we will be seen as not making enough of an effort, which will not reflect well on the Ajah."

She took a deep breath, aware that her next words might anger Alira, but not particularly caring. Some things just had to be said, and Aviva had never been one to remain quiet when that was so. "The only solution I see is for any cooperation between Red sisters and Asha'men to be allowed to continue, and openly." Her eyes remained on the other woman, a spark of defiance within them. "You say we don't have the same duties, but I remember that there are indeed some we share, which in years past were often pursued together, to the benefit of both Towers." Speaking the truth without outright calling the Highest down as wrong had not been easy, and Aviva took pride in having managed it, if barely. She straightened her back, refusing to back down regardless of how the other woman responded to her.

[Alira Asuwan]

”I will consider it."

That Aviva did not jump at the opportunity was not surprising, though Alira did feel faintly annoyed. Having her and those like her out and about would be a neat way of shoring up the Red Ajah’s reputation while allowing Alira to ensure that no further cracks appeared in the Ajah itself. It would come at the cost of allowing some mixing between the Red and the Black Tower, but likely no more than they usually managed under the delicate balance that currently existed. The smile faded back to placid expressionless as she listened, freezing over once more. Aviva seemed to be ready to continue, which meant this conversation was not over.

"It will be good for the Ajah if Red sisters are seen openly cooperating with the Black Tower. I would ask, however, what happens when the investigations end? Will any Reds present just return to the White Tower, to continue on as we have been for years? If that is so, I am concerned that we will be seen as not making enough of an effort, which will not reflect well on the Ajah."

Give a woman a pace and she’ll demand a league. Alira didn’t let her impatience rise to her face, but it was time for this objection to end. Aviva, at least, seemed to disagree as she took a breath to continue. 

"The only solution I see is for any cooperation between Red sisters and Asha'men to be allowed to continue, and openly. You say we don't have the same duties, but I remember that there are indeed some we share, which in years past were often pursued together, to the benefit of both Towers."

Anger, red hot and blazing with such intensity that Alira had not felt in years burned through her at Aviva’s words. It was only from years of practice that she didn’t stand. Her face remained still, but she couldn’t control her eyes, which hardened and burned at the woman sitting beside her.

“I do not need a reminder of the way things used to be, Aviva al’Saar. And you are not a fool, so I don’t expect I need to remind you of why things stand as they do now.”

Her tone was clipped. Alira Asuwan was not a woman prone to fits or shouts, even when challenged. That said, she had no patience for those challenges. How dare this woman advocate for the Asha’man? How dare she remind Alira of that man? She had not thought of the Cairhienin directly in years. It was as though someone had called attention to the blood stump where her arm should be.

“The Fire Legion serves the Black Tower’s interests, first and foremost. The Black Tower’s interests may serve ours for a time, but they are not ours. I have no intention of allowing our Ajah to be used to legitimize them. If you are truly worried about the way we are perceived, I recommend assisting the investigation and uncovering the real culprit behind this assassination. These rumors will swirl endlessly otherwise, regardless of what we do.”

She turned her eyes back to the fire, hand tapping the hilt of the dagger worn at her side.

“We have many responsibilities to the world, but one more important than the rest. More than most of the White Tower, we are responsible for protecting the world from the damage unchecked channelers can do. I will not allow us to be compromised and prevented from fulfilling that duty as we were in the past. I expect this to be the last time this suggestion is made.”

[Aviva al'Saar]

Aviva breathed deeply, eyes glittering with suppressed anger as the pain of her broken bond flared up from that empty place in the back of her mind. The thought that she would ever forget the terrible days of the Tower War was an insult, and it took all of her years of practice to keep her eyes on the Highest and her face carefully blank. She stayed silent for several moments, letting herself be aware of not only the woman seated beside her, but of all the others in the room. It would fall to her to speak for those who felt as she did, but were unwilling to face Alira themselves.

She lifted her chin and sat up straighter in her chair, willing the ache of her loss to fade away. Aviva knew from experience that that decision would likely haunt her later in the evenings, but she resolved to handle it at that time, alone in her room. For now, she spoke quietly, a flat tone to her voice that would not convey any of her personal feelings.

"You misunderstand me," Aviva said calmly. She looked into the other woman's blue eyes as if the entire conversation did not bother her at all. "I do not care how our Ajah is perceived by those outside of it. It does not matter how anyone sees us; what does matter is how their flawed perceptions impact the work we do. However it falls to us to show that we are not what some think us to be."

"As for the Asha'men, it can only benefit us to be seen working with them," Aviva repeated, knowing she took a risk repeating that opinion, but not particularly caring. She had been through much worse than anything Alira could do, especially when they were surrounded by other Reds. "As with our Ajah, every man among them is an individual. I will grant that there are some who will....not be capable of cooperating with us." That was putting it as politely as she could; for all that she counted many Asha'men as personal friends, there were those she did not like and could not trust. In a somewhat softer voice, Aviva added, "But there are others who are willing and able to work with us once more, to do more together than we can alone. If they have their own goals, so do we; what is more important is what is shared between us."

Aviva blinked, looking around the room before settling her gaze back on the Highest. "I am not alone in my opinions. If you do not hear this again from me, you will hear it repeated by other sisters." We will not go away, no matter how you might wish it. It was a promise Aviva made to herself, one she would keep regardless of Alira's wishes.