Dancing against the Shadow -Isalia-

[Rymara Orelaev]

The shadows danced across the cold stone of Rymara’s sparse chambers as she perched upon the edge of her seat studying the reports scattered across her desk. Every document painted an even bleaker picture than the last as the situation within the Blight seemed to be getting worse day by day. More and more whispers of Fades kept reaching her, let alone the number of Trollocs that the Kandori patrols kept encountering. Every day seemed to be growing bleaker and bleaker, like the Dark One’s touch was returning to the world somehow despite the seal upon the bore by the last Dragon, a seal that many believed could not be broken and yet the Blight was still growing. Even as she brushed her hair back into the high knot above her head she could not shake the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, the only comfort came from her bond with Baz. She clung to that small sliver of security as she prepared for the next steps, first she had to meet with one of her oldest and only remaining friends which she hoped would be fruitful if for no other reason than being able to help Isalia and bring some good into the world. Then she would have to face these reports, which would inevitably mean meetings with the Sitters and perhaps even the heads of the Ajahs if they took the threat seriously.



She turned from her desk, the whisper of the almost translucent silk dress against her skin and the crackling of a burning log filling the silent, empty chamber.



For a moment she stood, wrapped up in her own thoughts, before she crossed the bedroom and out into the furnished antechamber where she received all of her visitors in an effort to project some level of comfort. Tar Valon did not feel like home to her at all and her bed chamber reflected that, spartan and cold with little to no furnishings but the antechamber while far smaller copied that of many older sisters with cushions and seats scattered in a precise array, few would ever get to see beyond. She made her way to one of the high backed chairs ladened with cushions and settled into it, pulling one of her ledgers from the arm rest and flicking through the pages as she waited for Isalia. Even as she waited she began to throw up weaves against eavesdropping by various means, tying off the waves a little clumsily due to lack of practice but all the same it would serve to prevent prying ears like Accepted and Novices from bothering them. Soon it would be time, when the bells tolled midday she hoped that her friend would arrive as per the message which Rymara had sent her because then Baz would be busy training with the other warders and she had no other duties to perform for a few hours at least. They could meet, catch up and use their privacy to put their heads together.



And they had access to every single ledger she had kept from her time in the borderlands, ranging from food shipments to trade, troop distributions according to her spies and of course, the movements of the Shadow. Perhaps they might find something of use, some clue that would help them in their pursuits. When she heard a soft knock at the door Rymara rose, gracefully, and crossed the room with the tail of her dress trailing over the fur rugs in her wake, swinging the door open with a warm smile lighting up her face...

[Isalia Nereth]

Isalia looked uneasily around the hallway she was walking down, already feeling vaguely out of place. She was in her own Ajah's quarters, with tiles in varying shades of blue beneath her feet and similarly colored hangings decorating the walls. It should have felt like home to her, but instead, all the Blue sister felt was disdain for the unnecessary ornamentation. She longed for the tiny room in Salidar that had been allotted to her since she'd taken up residence there, but Isalia knew she couldn't go back, not until she'd dealt with the problem that had forced her back to the White Tower.

She carried a stack of leather folders under one arm, detailing the food shipments that were supposed to be arriving in Salidar on a regular basis, and yet had not been in recent months, not with any sort of regularity. It was a serious problem, one which the Blue sister tried yet again to work through in her own thoughts as she moved towards her destination. Isalia had first assumed that the disappearances and delays were the result of interference by the supposed nobility of Altara, and had spent weeks tracing dead end after dead end and learning absolutely nothing.

It was Isalia's opinion that someone within the nobility knew more than they were choosing to share. People like that, with everything handed to them and no care for anyone else, never bothered with anything that wouldn't benefit them. That suspicion remained within the back of her mind, but the need to investigate other potential causes had driven her back to the Tower, seeking the assistance of her friend Rymara.

The other Blue possessed a much larger network than Isalia had yet managed to cultivate for herself, and as a result, would have access to more information from a much wider variety of sources. It was Isalia's hope that with Rymara's help, the two of them would be able to restore the food shipments to Salidar before the situation grew any worse. As she finished her mental review of her problems, Isalia came to a stop before Rymara's door.

The tiny woman who answered her knock was quite a contrast to the taller, darker Altaran woman. Isalia stood before the door in one of her many nearly identical navy blue dresses, her hair tied at the base of her neck with a thin ribbon in the same color. They didn't look like a pair who might have been friends, yet she and Rymara had been close since their days as novices. Isalia favored her friend with a bright smile despite the serious nature of her reason for being there.

"It's good to see you again, Rymara," she said. It was true, even though it was the need for help that had brought her here, and not just a desire for an old friend's company.

[Rymara Orelaev]

”And you, old friend,” Rymara said softly as she stepped aside to let her friend into the room, she hated the ostentatious nature of the quarters within the White Tower for the Aes Sedai. It smacked of arrogance and entitlement yet it also played a role in their power, for they could reach out and make many nobles dance with just their words so it made sense even if she did not like it. She sighed softly as she gestured for Isalia to make herself comfortable and made her way to the long shelf where several decanters rested filled with various beverages ”I am never going to get used to all of this, I had them fill my antechamber with all of this plush furniture should I ever need it to lend the weight of the White Tower to my words yet I still wish I could sleep on the hard bed rolls of the Borderlands,” and she could not hide the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. She poured herself a glass of spirits from Manetheren, pouring a second glass for her friend and sister which she placed upon the small table beside Isalia’s chair.

”Now, as I recall your note said that you were having issues with supply shipments in Salidar was it? It seems that you are not the only one facing this exact problem and well, I would certainly like to find out what is happening,” if a nation so far south, surrounded by some of the most powerful members of the Dragon’s Compact, could be plagued by such concerns it did not bode well for the Borderlands who lacked the same infrastructure and trade in most cases, instead boasting unparalleled military might from their generations long struggle against the Dark One. Even if Isalia were not such a good friend Rymara would have offered her aid, perhaps even the assistance of one of her Warders if not her own hand in the matter, for anything that led to suffering was an open door to corruption ”Why don’t we start with what you know and then we can try to solve the issue, then we root out the cause and cut it out. Root and stem. If worst comes to worst, blood and ashes I hope it does not, then I may travel south with you via Whitebridge to take more direct action but let us hope it does not come to that, I do not want to leave the Borderlands in the lurch for too long as they are struggling. When did all of this start?”

She wanted to get the business over with quickly, that way they might indulge in some time together without the weight of duty upon their shoulders. If it freed them to speak freely and laugh easily then she would always put business before pleasure, the unfortunate burden that came with their power. She could feel the determination of Baz through the bond, which meant that he was training most likely, and a strange cocktail of emotions from Raife who still felt unfamiliar to her despite being a part of her. Both bonds were so new but the directness of Baz’s nature made him far easier to understand. She valued them both and would consult them on matters later, after all they both had a lot to offer and perhaps they might offer insights the two Aes Sedai missed.

[Isalia Nereth]

Isalia took precisely one sip from the glass Rymara had poured for her before leaving it on the table to be ignored. She would need a clear head for this conversation, and alcohol did tend to interfere with that. The Blue sister looked into Rymara's eyes, disturbed to learn from her that the problems she'd encountered in Salidar were being seen in other parts of the world. It suggested something larger than she'd thought, which did not make Isalia a happy woman. Like any Aes Sedai, she did not display that emotion openly, but the brown eyes did narrow just a little before she looked down at the folders in her lap.

"Honestly, Rymara, I don't know very much despite that I've been trying to solve this for as long as it's been going on, and it began almost half a year ago. It started slowly, with only one or two shipments failing to arrive on time. Since we could still manage, most of our sisters weren't alarmed at first, but I thought we should at least keep a record of what was missing." She shook her head, then took the pillow that was behind her back and laid it on the floor. Rymara's rooms were what one would expect of an Aes Sedai within the Tower, just as the other Blue had said earlier, but Isalia was entirely unused to such luxury and was not at all comfortable with it. Settling against the back of her chair, she went on.

"From there, we began to notice more shipments missing, in no pattern that I've been able to work out. It might be peppers from Saldaea one day, and fish from Tear a few days later. It's not limited by the type of food being sent in, or by country....and none of the noble families seem to be involved either, as far as I can tell," she muttered, as close to a grumble as an Aes Sedai could allow herself. Isalia still wasn't convinced that some supposed noble or other wasn't behind the problem, but she had followed every lead she could and had learned nothing.

She sat straight in her chair, eyes watching her friend. "By now, we're down to receiving about half of what we actually need, and while we've managed to make do......well, truthfully, Salidar cannot continue that for very long and still serve everyone who arrives looking for aid." She would pour her own personal income into Salidar's funds before she allowed that to happen, but even that was no permanent solution. "You mentioned you'd seen this elsewhere, have any of them managed to learn more?"

[Rymara Orelaev]

It seemed that things were dire in Salidar which concerned her greatly, not only was Altara of strategic importance to the White Tower but it meant a great deal to the Sisters of the Blue Ajah as well for it was spiritually the seat of their power as they reached out to help those in need be they unshackled Damane or a starving commoner. She could not stomach the journey south nor the close proximity of the Seanchan, after all the Borderlands were locked in an eternal struggle and so few of her Blue Sisters would ever make the journey north to help. After all, why should they as the Greens claimed to have the matter well in hand and who should ever doubt the Sister of the Battle Ajah?

She wanted to help and for a moment she considered her options, her face a mask of concern quite unlike the serenity of her sisters as she mulled over the problem at hand which would continue to vex her for days to come, Salidar simply could not be allowed to languish in their supply woes ”Well, it certainly sounds more severe than the logistical issues I encountered along the border with the Blight. Supply issues are not commonplace there as I am sure you understand, their supply lines are well established but we have seen an uptick in caravans which are going missing. Of course, they can just replace the supplies in short order due to their military might,” and she took a sip of her drink pausing before continuing with the thought carefully ”And we cannot let Salidar stagnate or suffer, thus I think a solution to the immediate problem is perhaps the biggest concern. I may be able to requisition some supplies from the Tower itself or perhaps from my allies in Saldea or Sheinar. I could also requisition some additional guards from Manetheren, if we can secure the coin to pay them, after all it would benefit them to protect the trade routes. What have the nobles said about that matter? Anything of substance?” and she let the question hang in the air between them as she reached under her chair, pulling out one of her many ledgers.

She set the thick leather bound file upon her lap and unwound the cover, both literally and with the One Power, stripping away her wards carefully. She let the pages fall open with a thoughtful expression as she skimmed the pages, listening to her friend quite openly and with her concern painted over her face. She was unlike her sisters in many ways, especially those of the Blue, but one of the most notable differences was her lack of emotional regulation. She wore her heart on her sleeve and her emotions on her face, rarely able to adopt the same semblance of serenity the Aes Sedai were known for.

[Isalia Nereth]

Isalia looked down at the closed pile of folders on her lap as she thought. For all that she respected Rymara, she wasn't sure she agreed with her friend's assessment of the situation. I've already petitioned for more aid from the Hall; they aren't likely to approve any further requests. And Rymara's allies..even if they can offer more, that won't last for long if we don't find the source of the disappearances. She looked back up, meeting Rymara's eyes.

"I've already petitioned the Hall for additional funds, which were approved, but I don't think they'd be as willing to add more if asked again. As for your allies..." she shrugged. "You would know better than I what they might agree to, but the problem I see is that Salidar relies on contributions from many nations. I don't feel right asking one to give more than other and expecting that to continue while supplies continue to go missing."

She looked around the room, tapping her fingers against the edges of her folders. "I could probably cover the cost of a few more guards from my personal account, but not for more than one or two months. That won't help much unless we can figure out what is stopping the shipments to Salidar. Without knowing that....any other source of income to make up for what is missing will just be a temporary fix, and do nothing to address the larger problem, which is whatever is interfering with the shipments arriving."

The Aes Sedai looked away from Rymara to answer her friend's last question. "And the nobles? Rymara, they simply do not care. There is so much corruption in Altara that honestly, if the supplies disappearing weren't the most basic of items, I might think one or more of the families were intercepting the shipments for themselves. Light, but it's still not impossible! Unlikely, yes....but not impossible." Isalia's eyes flashed as she turned her head back to meet Rymara's eyes again.

[Rymara Orelaev]

Biting the inside of her bottom lip Rymara frowned thoughtfully, measuring her words carefully and weighing her thoughts, the logistics of the matter. If they could solve the immediate issue first then it would buy them time to find out where the supplies were going and who should be tried for crimes against the people if it came to that. She let her friend speak and say all that she had to say, tilting her head as she listened and skimmed over the ledgers in her lap ”I understand, I do, but my concern is thus: If we cannot solve the immediate issues then we will have no time to find out the truth,” and she tapped her thumb lightly against the leather. Her allies were not necessarily going to want to help but the nobles among them would certainly understand her concerns and they would understand that their pleas would not go unanswered, whether they agreed to help or not. She could also, perhaps, move a few of her more loyal agents to the region for a while in an effort to uncover the causes but she feared for their safety and had little faith it would yield anything of value, especially not in a reasonable time frame.

”I shall ask if nothing else the worst that my allies can do is say no, but it does sound like solving the immediate issue of supplies reaching those in need will buy us time. Time is of great value especially with no obvious culprit,” and she smiled lightly, always trying to be a reassuring presence even in the most dire of situations. If they could bring their minds together they would eventually solve the matter, the resources which they shared between them would be more than enough. It was just a matter of time as ever ”I offer you everything I can, all of my resources and my efforts are yours. We will get to the bottom of this and we will help the people but I confess I cannot think of any immediate solution. Worst comes to worst I am sure I can travel with one of the convoys and offer some protection without the use of precious resources. I only wish that I could offer allies within the Tower but… well as it turns out many of our Sisters believe I am hasty, hot-headed and of course many see anyone under 100 as a child,” and she shrugged, sipping her drink. Age could be blinding both in youth and maturity, she often viewed her elders with despair and frustration due to their inaction, they viewed her as impatient and hot-headed so it all came full circle one way or another.


”I do find myself wondering who our allies are in the region, really, because from what you have said it is a hive of scum and villainy, corrupted to it’s very core… could we, with permission obviously, reach out to the Kin? See if they know anything? I don’t know I have never met a member of the Kin nor paid them much mind given where I have been,”

[Isalia Nereth]

Her friend had always impressed Isalia as being a woman of action, full of not only ideas but with the willingness to act upon them herself when she was needed. With the dire need in Salidar, Isalia appreciated that tendency in Rymara more than she could say. She managed a smile for the other woman, a small one that soon faded due to the urgency of the problem they faced. "I know you do, Rymara," she said. With a sigh, Isalia continued, "It just...seems that if we focus on meeting the immediate need, the shipments will continue to go missing and it will only get worse. And yet, if we try too hard to figure out where they're going, the need in Salidar will go unmet." That was something Isalia could not allow to happen, but the Blue sister was having considerable difficulty seeing a solution.

She raised a hand, allowing her head to drop forward and rest against her palm. "Truly, I don't see that we have allies in the region except for ourselves. The nobility there, if you can call them that, are worse than useless." She frowned for a brief moment as the rest of Rymara's words sank in, then lifted her head and let her hand fall back down onto her leg. "The Kin...contacting them had not occurred to me." Isalia knew this was likely because she didn't maintain the personal network that so many of her Blue sisters, including Rymara, did.

To her friend, Isalia admitted this. "To be honest with you, I'm not sure if there are any Kinswomen in the area. When I'm in Salidar....I need to be with the common people. Whatever information I gather comes from them. I simply don't have the time to invest in getting to know people who might be helpful in the future, and in Altara, there aren't many of those." She sighed, knowing that some Blues, especially the older ones, would view this as a failing of hers. Isalia mostly disagreed with this, believing that her duty to those in need came above anything else, but at the moment, she could understand why it might benefit her to be more attentive.

She looked up at Rymara. Thank the Light for good friends....and one who understands the importance of this. Isalia observed to herself. It seemed that Rymara knew as little of the Kin as she did, but Isalia suspected that the other Blue had access to far more people she could reach out to if she needed to know more.

"It might be worth asking them, if we can, but I have no idea how we'd go about locating one. They may not have to hide like they used to, but they're not all that visible either."

[Rymara Orelaev]

The complexities of the matter in Salidar concerned Rymara, they could solve the immediate problem and make matters far worse in the long run. They would first need to solve the matter of feeding the hungry, of medical supplies, and then they would need to strengthen the supply lines, deepen the bond between the Aes Sedai and the people then they would need to cut the rot out by blade or burn it from the stem, let the flames ride to root and flower alike as it were. The Kin would present another challenge but perhaps one worth facing, after all they were as much of the people as of the Tower if not more so the people. They would benefit greatly from helping the Aes Sedai and perhaps earn the respect of her Sisters who otherwise offered too little respect to them, viewing the Kin as a tool even. Neither of them could change that but perhaps in seeing them as equals they could develop a relationship with some members of the Kin ”I fear that finding the Kin will not be the challenge but asking for the help will be the challenge, so many of our Sisters treat them as lesser and view them as tools and they know it,” and she slowly rose from her seat, ledger in hand, and crossed the room placing it upon the desk before her ”We should, I think, endeavour to befriend a few of the Kin and show that we are not the same as the ones who… mistreat them while we ensure that the people you care for have the supplies they need in the immediate future,”

That would just be the first step in a long term plan if all went well, a plan with contingencies and one which would help them establish a strengthened network within the south or so she hoped ”If we can give them the food and care that they need it will buy us time but… I worry that even then we will need to be decisive especially if the nobility are as corrupt as you say they are, I defer to you upon the matter given that I have not spent any real time in Salidar… my eye has been much, much further north,” though she knew that she could rely upon her allies in the borderlands, men and women who would help should she ask as she had helped them before they needed to ask ”And we need not ask for the help of the nations, at least not yet, for there are those in the Borderlands with the influence to act outside their respective nations without the permission of their lords, merchants and warriors who I shall call upon if you wish that might help us, it might also be wise for us to journey to Andor and Manetheren for they will be predisposed to helping us given that Talana is a just, wise queen and Manetheren is my home. Both have a vested interest, I think, in keeping Salidar open to their agents,” and she gestured for her friend to join her at the desk, smiling warmly ”I have missed you, you know. There are not many I can truly call friend in the Borderlands though I love them dearly. We stand apart so it is good to be in the company of a Sister, especially one I care for and one I know I can trust. I hope that we can… put this matter to rest and spend time together without such concerns,” and she pulled another ledger from the desk, placing it upon the lacquered wood carefully.

[Isalia Nereth]

While Isalia had a great deal of respect for her friend, that did not mean she always agree with the other Blue. Most of Rymara's ideas were perfectly reasonable, but as soon as she brought up the thought of approaching the Queen of Andor, Isalia shook her head. "I would rather not involve Andor's monarchy in this except as an absolute last resort," she said firmly. She won't care, and that won't help anyone. While Isalia was well aware that the Queen called herself a Blue Sister, it was her opinion that one couldn't possibly rule a country and actually carry out the work of an Aes Sedai. That Rymara didn't understand that was something that Isalia found irritating, though she kept every hint of that emotion from showing in her expression.

She gazed calmly at Rymara and said, "If you really think your contacts in the Borderlands would help, it might be useful for you to at least get in touch and find out if any of them are actually willing." Isalia wasn't convinced, but certainly she felt their chances were better with the ordinary men and women of the Borderlands than with Queen Talana. Looking away, she paused to think on the rest of what Rymara had said.

"As for the Kin....we might be able to work on gaining the trust of any Kinswomen we're lucky enough to meet, but we may also want to find out whether any of our Blue Sisters have retired into the Kin in recent years. If we can reach former Sisters of our Ajah, I think we'll have much less difficulty convincing them to talk to us."

Isalia sighed, and she turned her head to follow Rymara with her eyes as her friend rose from her place and walked towards her desk. Once Rymara motioned for Isalia to join her, she stood and walked over to stand beside the other woman, holding her stack of folders under her arm. She placed them on the edge of the desk, bent her head, and turned to see what Rymara held. "I've missed you too," she said, allowing just a little sadness to tinge her words. "But we both know where our duty lies, and I would not choose to trade mine for a life bound to the Tower and its politics. With a smile, Isalia added, "I doubt that you would either."

[Rymara Orelaev]

”I hate politicking and jostling for position let alone the ego stroking that seems to permeate these very halls yet here we are, we need this place and they need us for their schemes so we have to manage that strange symbiotic relationship,” Rymara replied softly with an almost melancholic smile. She tapped the file upon the desk thoughtfully and pushed it in front of her friend properly ”Now the reason I am confident that the Borderlands might be willing to help us is the same reason you were confident that I would help, bonds run deep between the lords of the Border fortresses and the Tower especially the Aes Sedai who stand shoulder to shoulder with them. If they can help us invariably we will then be able to help them, much the same as the Queen of Andor or even the Black Tower though that would be… challenging to arrange,” and she pointed to a specific section of the ledger detailing supplies she moved from the White Tower to the fortresses of Sheinar in particular ”If nothing else they might be able to provide us with some fresh recruits to help protect and track the caravans,” and she tapped another line with a roguish smile.

”I will let you look over these ledgers in your own time, of course, so do not feel that you have to rush. I do have one question though, one thing that I confess I do not quite understand which is why Salidar? Why did you choose to focus your efforts there of all the places you might go as an Aes Sedai? Especially given what is happening now and what this could lead to?”

[Isalia Nereth]

Dark eyes scanned the ledger in front of her as Isalia attempted to make sense of it. It wasn't that she didn't understand the record of supplies sent to the Borderland countries, but that she didn't see its relevance to her current problem in Salidar. At least someone is getting their supply needs met, she observed to herself. When she was finished, the Blue sister raised her head and looked at Rymara. "I'm glad you're willing to share these with me, but what use do you see for them?" she asked. "It's good to know that the Borderlands continue to well provided for, as they should be, but I don't see what this has to do with the sudden lack of assistance to Salidar."

Isalia bent her head over the sheet of paper again and frowned down at it, pretending to be rereading the information while she considered the question her friend had asked her. It had taken her quite by surprise and she really didn't know how to respond. She knew her reasoning, of course, but she didn't dare admit even to Rymara the shame and guilt she still bore from her over privileged childhood. Her need to serve the Altaran people, who her family had been using for years, had driven her first to the Blue and from there to the settlement in Salidar.Unwilling to confess this, Isalia bit her lip and stared blankly at the paper while she tried to find an acceptable answer that the Oaths would allow her to speak.

She wasn't much interested in the word twisting and near lies other Aes Sedai were accomplished in speaking, and in Salidar, would have had no reason to attempt it. That knowledge made the Blue sister wish she were back there now regardless of the problem she needed to solve. Isalia closed her eyes for a minutes, opened them again, then looked up.

"I come from Altara, so when I was looking for a place to serve the people, it made sense to me that I should return to the country of my birth," she said carefully. The admission to her nationality was about as much information as anyone got, friend or no, about her life before coming to the White Tower. She smiled at her friend and said, "We can't all be warriors like you, you know. I could never deny the importance of your work in the Borderlands, but I don't believe I would be of much use there, and I need to be where I feel I can do the most good." After all, there was much in her past for which Isalia felt a need to atone.

[Rymara Orelaev]

Chuckling Rymara bobbed her head as if conceding the point, not every Aes Sedai could march into the Borderlands and return alive let alone return with two warders, allies and a purpose that was true. The fact that Isalia was an Altaran surprised her a little but it made sense, if Manetheren were in need like Altara then she too would focus upon her homeland and use all of the resources available to her to do it ”I would not call myself a warrior Isalia but yes, you are right not everyone wants to fight battles but I would certainly prefer to see my enemy,” and she idly organised the skirts of her dress as she thought about the best way to approach her ledgers. After a moment she placed one slender finger tip upon the page beneath a notation regarding the excess supplies provided by a Sheinaran lord and by a Manethereni trader ”Now, the ledgers… the Border lords and the Tower alike have built redundancies into the supply chain which often take the form of cured meats and other preserved foods which can last for many, many months meaning that they are often buried in the cooling chambers to be retrieved should anything go wrong with a delivery. I helped build in the secondary redundancy which travels from, blood and ashes where is that map,” and she trailed off for a moment muttering about the missing map.

Then she found it.

She pulled the map out of the second ledger and clumsily spread it out above the ledgers pointing to a specific set of coloured lines drawn over the parchment ”Each of these lines represents a redundancy and we might… well we might be able to negotiate a diversion of one of these lines temporarily but the question is how we protect these shipments if we can get them without diverting military might or Aes Sedai, which I do not know because well the border lords solve matters rather simply. They throw more swords at the problem. That is where I am afraid I have reached the limits of my knowledge, getting one of these shipments,” and she tapped the line ”That I can do but ensuring it reaches the people, that I cannot do. So how do we protect this many crates of perishable materials from whatever is claiming your shipments?” and who should they look to for help. Who might be to blame, would they need to muster forces to handle the matter decisively, was there a permanent solution to the matter?

”I do not know what to do but I know we have allies, so I defer to you as you know the terrain,” and she looked at her companion, frustration burning in her eyes. Not having a solution infuriated her at the best of times let alone when they were facing a mystery and the price of failure would be the lives of innocent people.

[Isalia Nereth]

Once Rymara had explained the ledgers, Isalia had a much better understanding of why her friend had thought she needed to see them. She nodded absently, but frowned down at the sheets of paper before her. "If there is a way for you to get the contents of even one of these sent on to Salidar....I'd be grateful." she admitted to her friend. "Salidar isn't all that large, so the supplies might even stretch longer there than they could in any of the Borderlands."

Then it was Isalia's turn to open a ledger. It was the only one she'd brought, hidden beneath the pile of leather folders. The ledger was where she kept her own personal accounts of spending and expenditures, and Isalia ran a finger slowly down the long list of numbers that detailed the money she had personally available to her. When she was finished, she looked to Rymara to share her conclusions.

"As I mentioned earlier, I can afford a guard if you can arrange for Salidar to receive some of what the Borderlands might provide." Her fingers tapped against the edge of the desk as she thought. "I don't mind doing that, but of course I don't have access to just unlimited amounts of money. If you can get supplies sent, I can hire guards, but that isn't something I can finance more than once." The Aes Sedai sighed, and her shoulders dropped.

"It's a good solution for now, but the real problem is what to do about the future? Without knowing when, where, or why the shipments are disppearing, there isn't much to be done to solve the problem. " Isalia sighed. "The bigger problem, I think, is how to find out what is preventing the shipments we've already arranged from arrival. If we can't do that, any attempt you or I makes to fix it is almost certain to fail."

[Rymara Orelaev]

And pursing her lips Rymara tried to hide her frustration, she wanted to find answers or at the very least form a solid plan and yet they had no answers nor could they plan effectively without more information. They could pool resources, pull them south in the short term to mitigate the problems but they needed a permanent solution. Answers.

She weighed the options silently, feeling waves of concern answering her frustration through the bond she shared with her warders ”We don’t pay for guards, we act as if nothing is amiss and that nobody has noticed,” and she studied her friend carefully for a moment as she pondered the best way to phrase her plan ”My warders can follow the caravan using their cloaks, ahead and behind, while one of us waits within acting as if there is nothing amiss. We are just another member of the caravan.”

It was not a complicated idea but if they could bait the culprits into acting with an Aes Sedai and Warders to defend from threats without, should it be Darkfriends or Shadowspawn she could act directly and if not the Warders would have to handle matters decisively ”That way we can hold back resources in reserve and act decisively should they come for us, for our supplies. If we both act in this then one of us can follow in the wake of the caravan with the other resting among the traders and caravaneers, if it is the Shadow then we shall burn it out root and stem otherwise the Warders should be able to handle matters,” and she let her words hang in the air for a moment, waiting for her friend’s opinion on the matter. If they could convince more Aes Sedai to join them, perhaps sisters travelling to Salidar, then they would be even more secure.

One step at a time Rymara, she thought, frowning.