Fanfic:Ripples in the Thread

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Ripples in the Thread
Author(s)
  • James (II)
  • Kristen
  • Nadine
Character(s)
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"Do you want another miss?"

The voice was like an echo in the mind of Sulinn Ailyana as the tall Accepted looked up from her third empty glass of oosquai and into the beautiful face of the barmaid. This particular barmaid was soft, plush and busty with a cherubic face that seemed to light up the whole room as she smiled. Sulinn thought her beauty to be false, though it was more hope than fact that guided her opinion.

"Yes," she said softly as the woman grabbed her empty mug and waltzed away.

The bar she was in was a small one, and was notably less busy than the band of brothers, which of course attracted a very specific clientele. Unlike the band of brothers which was typically full of members of the Grey Tower, this particular bar housed a very seedy group of men who seemed to look at the unusual woman with accentuated hunger. She was certain at least one table full of the greasy men were darkfriends, but it did her little good to worry now. In walking into the bar she had marked herself, she simply had to take care to keep a handle on her drunkenness... Despite how much she might try to remain unnoticed a tall Aiel carrying a sword in a white dress would not go ignored for long, she might as well bide her time and observe in silence.

It wasn't like she could go to the Band of Brothers again anytime soon anyways, her little punishment had been difficult... And apparently more than one man remembered the way she looked and felt in that little silver cabaret dress! Had she wanted, or needed, she probably could have made a good little bit of income by dancing there, of course, that only worked if she liked dancing with drunk men. For all her addictions to endorphin releases of passion, she simply did not enjoy being fumbled around with by multiple men.

Sulinn sighed heavily as she leaned against the back of her chair, still hating the feel of the hard wood against her buttocks. When Sulinn had first come to the tower her skin had been sun-dark, but as she saw less of the sun's rays, her skin had slowly faded from brown to gold. She was not as pale as a pure Aiel would be, seeing as her father was Altaran, but the slight hint of Gold set off her Aiel eyes - pale silvery-blue. Slowly she crossed one leg over the other, leaving her tan butter soft leather boots open to view. Aside from the bands of color on her hem and sleeves there was only one other source of color on the woman, the rich hilt of her father's ancestral sword that glittered silver, gold and emerald. Other than that, leather was the only accent, thick straps crossing between her breasts to hold the scabbard tight to her back and two inky bracers strapped tight over her golden forearms. Out of habit she reached over one strong shoulder to grab her thick braid and play with the leather thong that tied it. The thick raven locks glimmered purple and blue under the lamplight, and despite how tight the braid was wound it never failed that a few small pieces would work their way free. Leaving slight tendrils of black to accent high cheekbones and her sharp jaw line. Closing her eyelids firmly, her thick dark lashes brushing against her rosy cheeks, she took a deep breath to still the panic that surged inside of her.

This was not a safe place... She should not be here.

The sound of drunken footsteps filled her ears as she opened her eyes, looking straight into the haggard face of a massive man. Very slowly Sulinn dragged her eyes down his body, spotting a heavy bulk that was both fat and muscle and an old iron broadsword at his side. She slowly pursed her lips together as she tilted her head, illuminating her neck as her thick braid slowly slid over her shoulder and across her black scabbard. He had two hands on the chair before her, gripped so tight that his knuckles were pure white, before he slid down into the chair with an exaggerated slump. Sulinn's features fell into her native Aiel coldness, rock-hard, as she cleared her throat pointedly. Slowly she lifted her arm in his direction before she swung it, one finger pointed in the direction of the table he had formerly inhabited.

"If you have an ounce of sense in that skull, you will leave me alone." She said her face still frozen and cold. "I did not come here for company."

The man mumbled something under his breath as he stormed away, leaving her just in time for the perky barmaid to slide another over-full glass of oosquai onto the sticky table. Reaching into the small leather purse at her side she pulled out one silver coin, the last of her earnings for the week, and slid it onto the table before the girl. It would be more than enough to cover her drinks for that night, with a little leftover for the perky maid's service.

"Thanks," she mumbled as she took a hearty gulp of the muddy brown alcohol.

She was distracted in her glass, staring down at the murky depths as she slowly emptied her fourth glass. That familiar warmth surged through her, making her mind fuzz and her lips grow tingly with numbness. This would have to be her last drink, she thought a moment, and she couldn't risk having the Black Ajah get a hold of her again. Unbidden, memory of her abduction surged and she paled, her blue eyes flicking around nervously. OF course, her paranoia served only to distract her from the man who stepped up across from her and grabbed once more onto the chair.

"If you treat me well," his deep voice echoed in her head, making her start visibly in her chair. She stared up at him with wide eyes, her lower lip trembling as she fought to keep down the nausea that came along with her fear. "Then I promise I will treat you well."

Sulinn slid one hand down her calf, grabbing the seven banded hem between deft fingers and pulling it up. The drunken man hummed appreciatively as she lifted the dress higher and higher - though his humming stopped as she slid the bone hilted dagger out of her laced boots. Though he was not trained with them she knew, sometimes, that the appearance of confidence could be just as deadly as actual confidence. She simply could not let the man know that she had no talent with that specific weapon. Worst comes to worse, Sulinn thought with a crooked smile - a single dimple dancing in her cheek - a well aimed kick could serve just as well.

Her fingertips ran over the smooth silver edge of the blade, twisting it in her hands as she tilted her head once more at the man. This time she took the dagger and pointed at the chair that the man gripped tightly. "Go ahead" she said softly, setting the dagger on the table in front of her - though her hands hovered dangerously close - "Try it you bloody lummox. Go ahead and sit down... See what I do."


The nights seemed like they would never end. The days would prolong themselves for eternity. Life had extended itself for no reason. He should have been dead years ago. Alas, he was still walking around the Tower grounds and the surrounding city. Sometimes he had to wonder to himself the reason of which he continued to stay in this place. After the fall of his friend he had lost much interest in the Tower. He served as the Head of his Ajah and the Master of Soldiers. Even at those times he seemed bored with the place. He just wanted to have some fun. Torture some people that he could get something useful out of.

The Band of Brothers had been the place that Deek had gone to for many years. It was at the place that his cover was almost given away. A Darkfriend had made a scene and tried to pull him into it. That person had no idea who Deek was during other hours. He was just the random person that was selected. Tact had made sure that he was rid of that situation and the Darkfriend. Permanently.

This time Deek chose a place where he knew that Darkfriends would be. At the same time, he knew that none of them would know him. No one that worked for him had ever seen his face. The only one that did was the female that delivered all of his orders to the middle men before they delivered it to the workers.

His first steps in the door are what made him stay. His sight had become so much better at first glance. He noticed the two in the corner that were talking. Talking at first, though, it soon changed to her pointing him away from her table.

A slight smile crossed his lips exposing his pearl white teeth. He loved to see people get shot down like that. His glance around the room, with his bright greens eyes, showed that she was the only great looking female in here. That would explain the man's interest in her. That would also cause some problems with this kind of crowd. Deek would have to watch his back and her back if anything started that was not right, even by his code.

Deek walked up to the main bar table and ordered his normal drink. The hardest drink they could server him. He started that after his friend had passed. He would continue that long after everyone else he knew was gone. It had not affected him as much as it used to. So many nights of drink as many as he could change his tolerance.

He drank the first one fast and quickly ordered another. That was his normal way. Start it fast and steady out for the rest of the evening until morning came and then go home.

He white hair fell into his face accenting his cheek bones and smooth skin as his head turned to the sound of movement behind him. His green eyes came to the sight of another man at the woman's table. Though he had never met her before he had the active feeling that she was not the type to be taken by that sort of a man. His ego seemed too high for how she was feeling. Maybe if he had waited longer to approach her then he might have been doing better. But, to Deek, it seemed that she was not going to be staying much longer. It was the glow of her eyes that showed how she felt about this place.

Being taller than most men had always given Deek an edge over them. His build also left some to wonder how good he was in a fight. Though he always carried himself as if he could not fight, he did have a lot of training in most aspects. He preferred to have everyone think he could not fight rather than to have them know that he could. That made his chances of walking out of it that much better.

His black coat and black breaches seemed to not even move as he seemingly glided over being the man. His drink was still in his right hand as he placed his left hand on the man's shoulder. He peered down at the woman across the table and then back to the man.

His voice was a soft whisper, though it was more than loud enough for the man to hear it. "I am sorry about this but you cannot take that seat for that is mine. This lovely lady was just having a couple of drinks while waiting for me to arrive."

His gaze shifted to the female, which he had never met before. "Sorry that I am late I did not mean to keep you waiting."

Again he shifted his gaze to the guy that seemed to be getting aggravated at Deek's attempt to get him to leave the woman alone. "I am not sure if you noticed the other man that sat her. He was asked to leave just as he was able to sit down. Now, I realize that you are not that drunk. But, you are not welcome at this table. I thought that maybe the blade might have warded you off. Since it has not maybe I shall ward you off back into your little hole that you crawled out of. And, with that I think it is in your best interest to take your leave of her sights."

The smile on Deek's face left the man wondering where he got off telling him to take his leave like that. The man peered over at the woman and then back to Deek before he just turned and walked away. His actions left Deek with more than enough humor for the night.

He turned back to the woman and peered into her eyes with his green eyes before he spoke again. He made sure that he had her attention just by looking at her. "Now I leave this choice up to you. I have no issues with just walking away to another table and drinking by myself. It would also seem that you have no issues drinking alone and, if I am right, leaving alone as you were about to do. So I leave it up to you. I can either have some drinks with you and talk or I can go on my way. Either way I am not effect in a bad way."


Sulinn had not really been the type for a knight in shining armor, she typically prefer-ed to take care of herself. However, in the last three years there had been two separate occasions she had been saved and both were by the same bloody man. It seemed that the tall Aiel had grown accustomed to putting herself in harm's way only to be pulled out yet again by a man.

However, at this moment in time, it would definitely seem like harm had just grown more intense.

Of course, she was not aware that the man before her was evil to the core - nor that behind his emerald eyes glittered a malice and hatred so deep she could never hope to touch it. What she saw, at that moment, was another man who felt it in his prevue to save her. While a part of her desired nothing more than to slam that dagger hilt deep into the bastard who cowered over her table the other half was curious about this ageless man before her.

Curious about why he would chose to save that particular Accepted in a tower filled with dark-friends and greasy men.

Sulinn's eyes widened as she looked into the face of her savior, one perfectly arched black eyebrow lifting a fingers breadth as the massive man stood fixated by the chair. Her ears barely registered his words, her lips opening twice as she stared at him before she finally stuttered.

"Uh, yes" she said softly, lifting her new cup of oosquai. "I've been waiting here all night."

She turned her face to him and stared at him with silver-blue eyes, her tongue running over her thick lower lip before she sat back once more. "You are late," Sulinn finally started to adopt her persona and her cold face shifted into something akin to anger. "Quite late, in fact, you know I do not enjoy being kept waiting."

But the brute of a man's face turned red with anger, his hands tightening on the chair before he stood straight. The big brute turned to Deek as his hand slid to the broadsword at his side, making Sulinn's face freeze. Her right hand hovered above her shoulder, fingers close to the katana's hilt, though she did not yet draw. Drawing her sword in the tavern would mean an all out battle, and she did not quite think that this situation had escalated to this level. The large man's teeth bared before Deek's words settled on him, and for a second, the man simply looked between the Accepted and the man who was meeting her.

It took him all of a few seconds to put two and two together - the ageless face, the rich clothes..... This man was Asha'man.

"Good night," Sulinn called after him cheerily, her eyes dancing with hatred despite the false tone of voice.

Finally her hands moved to the dagger on the table, grasping it firmly in her hand and sliding it under the table. She would be a fool not to appreciate this man's handsome face, nor the power that lined his strong shoulders, but it was the unknown factor that made her afraid. Something about his voice was soothing, as was the drink that sat gently in his hands, but she still did not know him.

He had saved her though, she thought as she lowered her hand to her boots - sliding the dagger back in. That must count for something.

"Sit," she said softly as she looked into his face. "It would hardly be polite to turn away ones savior after all." She said to him, a smirk settling on her features that said she knew as well as he that she likely did not need saving. Had she wanted to, a very well placed kick in the groin could have incapacitated the man.

Of course, his broadsword was an additional factor she could not easily forget.

As the man sat before her Sulinn smiled, her thick lips crossing over straight ivory teeth. The gesture was almost more like a bearing of teeth than a true grin, the smile not reaching her eyes, but there was a softness in her shoulders that he had not yet seen. A softness only accentuated when his hands were placed empty on the table before her.

Even if he was Asha'man, she did not think him foolish enough to try to kill her in the open.

"I only regret I have not the coin to purchase you another drink, Asha'man?" She said questioningly, knowing by his ageless face he was of the tower. "I am Sulinn Ailyana, Accepted and aspiring to the green Ajah."

She forced a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders enough that she no longer felt tension through her arms, before she tilted her head at the man before her. "If you do not mind me asking," she said softly, leaning over the table to lessen the distance between them. "Why did you come to my rescue? Are you not supposed to teach me lessons?"


He pulled the chair out a bit so that he could sit in it. The man that was there before him had moved it a bit when Deek had placed his hand on the Lad's shoulder. The high back of the chair was enough to let him set more comfortable, even though it was a hard chair it was better than sitting on stone.

After taking his seat he set his cup on the table and stared across at the beautiful young woman. His right hand lifted the cup to his lips to take a drink and then replaced the cup upon the table. There was not a time in the whole process that Deek had removed his eyes from hers. He reached under the table to the purse inside his coat to produce a coin.

Turning towards the bar he caught the maid's attention and gave her the coin. "This should cover the rest of the drinks for me and this lovely lady for the rest of the evening. Afterwards you may keep what is left." His voice retained its soft whisper like tone. This time, though, it seemed that it had more of a lusting nature to it. That nature was aimed specifically at the young lady across that table.

He turned his gaze back to the young woman who said her name was Sulinn Ailyana. If she really was going to aspire to the Green Ajah then this would either become very interesting or this could potentially get bad. Either way it would give Deek a new goal in life. One that might spark his mind back into play once more.

Deek you are playing games that you know nothing about. If this young woman is really going Green then that means that you need to get some distance from her. She will cause us nothing but trouble in the coming days. Greens are the ones that always give us the most trouble. Go play with another Yellow or something. But for my sake stay away from these Greens. It had been all too long since Caneo had said a single word to Deek. All it would take was for him to get into the Green's head and it would start up his thoughts all over again. Maybe it would be for the better.

He eyes never even let on that things were going in his head. During the whole time of Caneo talking to him he kept his eyes transfixed on the beauty that sat before him.

His voice still held its soft whisper. It also retained the lusty nature that it had when the bar maid was there. "Why would I not save you? On one hand it is not in your lesson plans to get out of that situation. On the other I am not your teacher. I believe that to teach a lesson you must have something there that is at a state of confusion. Seeing as how you were handling it very well there was nothing to teach. Now if he had taken you to a back alley and tried to do something then it might be different. He would either be dead or in the Tower Guards cells. That is another decision that I shall leave up to you. Seeing as he is still eying you I would ask that you do not leave her alone. If it comes to it then I can walk you back to your section of the Tower." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Or there are other places that you could stay." A glisten of light flashed across his eyes. But only for a brief second. If she was not watching close she would not have seen it.

He took another drink from his glass to finish off the other half that was left in it. After sliding the glass to the side of the table, to let the bar maid know that it was empty, he returned to the conversation. "My name is Deek Mythis. As you have guessed I am an Asha'man. I also used to hold positions high in the Tower before I had business that pulled me away. Now that I have returned I find that it is better to save people than to do the Tower's work. I ask that you call me Deek. Nothing more and nothing less." He paused for a moment at that part as well. "At the moment." He had to add in that last part to see how she would react to it. He had learned to watch her eyes rather than to see how her skin moved. Just from the encounter with the man he saw that much.


Sulinn's long legs stayed fixated upon the ground, feet flat and muscles tense. She kept one eye fixated upon the white haired man before her and another on the brute at his table. His beady black eyes stared at the Accepted and the Asha'man with bated interest, though the constant proximity of his hand near his blade and the loud voices at their table continued to make Sulinn nervous. She never made her observations of him clear, most likely even the Asha'man would not know, but she was still extremely focused.

She would not be caught off guard again.

Her thick lips remained soft, despite the tension she felt hammering behind her forehead. The constant pain of a silver tipped dagger that throbbed methodically inside of her skull, stress related headaches - the yellows had told her - but none had been able to relieve it. Their healing was only temporary and not worth the exhaustion that followed, so she lived with it - the near constant pain - with only that dull fading echo in deep silver blue eyes to illustrate it to those who cared to see.

The barmaid came towards them hesitantly, her cheery face overtly forward as she sidled up to the Asha'man. She was almost cherubic, with pristine golden features and baby blue eyes, but it appeared the man paid her no heed. The barmaid had been thwarted, though Sulinn fully expected her to try it again. She looked towards Sulinn with a raised brow and the Accepted lifted her cup of oosquai, making the maid nod and bounce off to grab another.

"Thank you," she said softly as she looked down at her cup.

Sulinn's eyes looked up from behind thick dark lashes as the man stared at her, her skin crawled under his gaze and a violent shiver spammed up her back. She tensed her jaw a moment before drinking back the rest of her muddy brown alcohol, the drink causing her eyesight to swarm and fuzz - though she still felt safe enough to remain in the bar. She had grown used to looks during her time at the tower - looks that ranged from lustful to apologetic, angry to jealous, love to hatred. She had never been able to blend in amongst the other Accepted - for she stood well taller than all of them - and instead she chose to do her best to embrace her differences.

She would never be average, and so she must do her best to stand out in the most positive possible light... That is not to say she succeeded, but she did have the best intentions.

She slowly leaned back on the table as the barmaid returned with their drinks, her forward smiles and adjustment of her cleavage earning only a roll of the eyes from the Aiel. "If you do not mind," she said coolly to the girl who frowned over her shoulder at Sulinn. "We are in a conversation."

It was not entirely truth, but not a full lie either. As it was, the girl scowled and walked away, clearly thinking of how to distract Deek next from the tall girl before him.

Sulinn's eyes shifted to the man before her, boring deep into his emerald ones, as she listened to his voice. The deep rumble of Deek made her soul purr in delight, though she was careful to remain cold on her face, her eye showed something akin to softness in the pale blue depths. It had been a long time since she had been near a man outside of the training grounds, Garren refused her until she was raised and Kain.... Kain had all but disappeared. Tristan was gone, fading into the shadows he had so grown to love - leaving just Sulinn and her shadows. The horrid memory of Danyk, the loss of memory with Sarkaska and the cold man named Caddoc.

She had a thing for attracting distant men, the screw ups seemed to gravitate towards her. They provided a night of comfort, an hour of pleasure to hide from the panic and anxiety, but afterwards the guilt weighed on her like a load of iron upon her chest. Each day her shoulders grew heavier and the shadows more pronounced under her pale eyes.

She was slowly killing herself in an effort to hide from the pain.

"Indeed" she said in response to his words, her eyes flashing with something akin to amusement. "I do believe I probably could have taken one drunk man, though I do believe the aftermath may have been more than I can handle. His friends do look somewhat imposing, and I am hardly skilled enough to handle three or four on my own." His next words were the first to elicit a facial response from her, just the slight raising of one perfectly arched brow and a hint of a smirk on the right side of her lips. A deep shadow formed in her golden cheeks as a dimple danced, though she said nothing. "I see," she said softly as she looked down at her cup - missing the flash of desire that crossed over his face. "Well, I will most likely take you up on your offer of an escort."

She notably left the where to in the air; she had not yet decided what she thought of the man before her... Or of her own mental state.

The man downed his glasses with fervor, alcohol sliding down his throat with the ease of plain water. Sulinn herself took a few more hearty gulps of her oosquai but refused to guzzle, in her nervousness with a man she did not trust; drinking would put herself at quite the disadvantage. She could not risk becoming so inebriated that she once more woke up without remembering, like she did with Sarkaska, for that haunted her every breath.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Deek," she said softly with no visible reaction to his second half of his speech - though her pale blue eyes glittered with amusement. "What Ajah are you of?" She asked, wondering idly to herself what she imagined he would be. Perhaps a blue?

The men at the table still stood nearby, but far enough away as to pose no overt threat. Sulinn turned her head to the side to look at the brute, and saw that he stared back at her. She clenched her jaw and ran her tongue over her teeth in thought, before facing the Asha'man before her. "Do not look now Deek," she said softly. "But I do believe we may yet be tested this night, perhaps we should slow up on the drinking - yes?"

The man still made no move but his entire table had stopped drinking and now sat in relative silence, making the young Accepted's forehead crease with an unusual mixture of concern and excitement. She Had not yet had the opportunity to test her new skills on a man, and she found herself strangely excited to do so. Tensing up her shoulders she leaned back, lifting her cup but not actually drinking as she turned back to the Asha'man before her.

"Why have I not yet seen you in the tower, Deek." she said, hesitating to speak his first name and not the respectful address of Asha'man. "Where have you been these last three years?"


Caneo thought that the barmaid was a good one to look at. Even when she was trying to get his attention from the beauty that sat before him. Deek, on the other hand, was not even slightly interested in the barmaid and was glad that the woman sitting with him had made her leave in that manner. A thought told him that it could have been done with a little bit more tact than what she had used. Nevertheless, it was done all the same.

A part of him could feel the presence of eyes on the back of his head. He had the strange feeling that it would be the guy that he had words with just a moment ago. It could also be his group of friends that were still at his table. That was the moment that little hairs started to tingle on the back of his neck. He knew that there was something bad about to happen and a part of him wondered if there would be any way to stop the events that might be unfolding.

The voice inside his head was back again and this time it was there to stay. You know what you have to do here Deek. You have no choice in the matter. If you do not do something they will take you and the girl and neither of you will be seen for a long time, if at all. They will most likely kill you and maybe even kill her. That is, after they have had their fun with her.

Those words did not sit well with Deek and he knew that he had to do something to stop these events. It was either he talks them down from what they were about to do or he should do something to them before they get a chance to do anything to him. The Oaths, that everyone still thought he was bound by, would keep him from doing anything out right towards them. All though, there was a way around doing anything directly to them. He was known for being rather skilled with the weaves of Wards and that such. He could make a Ward to keep them from getting to close and that would give him more than enough time to do anything that he would need before they caused harm.

The weaves formed themselves before Deek even put any thought into it. The Ward was in place between the group of men and the two of them. If anything really did happen it would hold them off long enough for these two to get any kind of idea about what they would do. He was not sure how good her skill was in the dagger that she had on the table earlier. Alas he had no idea how her skill was in the Katana on her back either. Though he doubted that she would wear either without the expert, or at least a bit, of training in them.

Signaling for the barmaid again he leaned into her ear and whisper her some words. After he was done she moved off to the kitchen to get a pale of water. She then moved back into the common room and handed the pale to the men that were around the table.

Deek stood up from his chair and turned towards them. He had made sure that none of them could see that he had slid his dagger down his sleeve into his hand faced away from their sights. His voice echoed through the room and vibrated itself off of the walls. It was no longer the soft whisper that it was before. "I realize that there are more of you than there are of us. But take this into thought before you make fools of yourselves. You have been here drinking for several hours and have been sitting. So when you go to strike your attacks will be slow and not have the power behind them that they would in your normal state. That is if you can even lift those weapons with arms as small as yours. I bet that this young woman behind me could life your sword and swing it with more skill than all of you put together. So I give you this task. Get to me with your sword drawn and try to hit me before she cuts all of you down like the pathetic little men you are."

The smile on his face showed that he was happy with his words and knew that it would invoke them to attack him and try to take her with them. A part of him already knew that there would be no way that they could complete their goal. They had no idea the force that stood in front of them. Him and the girl behind him.

His voice returned to its soft whisper that he normally maintained. "Oh, and that pale is for you all to get rid of your drunken state before you try to make your mistakes." A began to laugh after that last statement. Time would only tell what would happen from this point but he already knew that the outcome would be in his favor.


Sulinn felt this situation falling fast by the wayside, she should have known better than to come alone to this tavern. She should have known better than to come alone to any tavern, but her honor know required that she stay with this man - he had saved her once after all... If her savior he could indeed be deemed, but knows she found herself caught behind his own hot temper while she struggled with her own.

Explosive.

She pursued her lips as the man before her stood and turned round to face the table of drunken warriors, three of the four carrying broadswords by their side - the fourth notably free of any weapon she could outwardly see. Her hand clenched by her side as she watched them, tilting her chin downwards a moment as she swung her feet to the side of the table. She made no move to stand, no move to grab her sword, and merely watched with detached interest. Her golden features carefully calm even has her blue eyes burned with nervous anxiety.

She could not let them see her fear; she would not let them see her fear.

With her left hand she slowly tightened the lacing on her black bracers, cinching it tight round her forearm in preparation for what she felt positive would soon occur. As the massive pail of water sloshed all over the men's table they all recoiled in disgust, fury and anger written in their faces. The man with the brown beard, the first one to have accosted her, jumped to his feet with a sneer and withdrew the thick broadsword from his side.

To fight or to channel. Sulinn thought a moment as she closed her eyes, deep practiced breathing withdrawing her into the void. The peace was shaky about her - ounces of feeling and nervousness permeating the bounds of the oneness - before she withdrew into Saidar. The power flared up in her like a bright light, the sheer Ecstasy of it making her smile - dimples dancing under the lamplight - before she pulled out just enough to do what she needed. In order for Sulinn to be able to channel she had to be perfectly relaxed, completely relaxed, and so it took a deep amount of focus to remain fixated only upon the sheer thrill of channeling.

She could not think of the prospect of pain and abduction.

Setting her jaw firmly she weaved a thick band of air - much like a rope - which she tied around the ankles of the brown bearded man. The rope tightened and tightened before she used it to swiftly yank his feet out from beneath him. Both man and sword crashed into the ground with a dull thud and all three of the other men stared down at him with something akin to surprise and nervousness.

As the three men stared idly Sulinn came to her feet, her long muscular legs unfurling beneath her as she stretched herself to her full six foot two height. She stood two inches taller than the Asha'man beside her, and at equal height with the tallest of the other men.

"I do not think my sword is their biggest concern," Sulinn lied as her grip on saidar fizzled and faded, leaving her empty and possessed by nervousness.

"What do you think you are doing?" A large booming voice sounded and Sulinn's head whipped over her shoulder - braid slapping against her back - as the owner came striding through the gathered masses. All the bar seemed excited to see a fight, but this man had no desire to see them destroy his livelihood. Not that Sulinn could blame him, exactly, for she would likely feel the same way. "All of you," he said as he pointed out the doorway. "Get out."

Sulinn looked to the Asha'man at her side with a curt nod, making it clear she had no intention to stay if she was undesired no matter what he may think. She bent over the table and grabbed the thick black cloak that she had worn there that night but was careful to not tie it up over her shoulders. The four men, clearly all friends of the owner, stalked out of the bar ahead of them laughing and smiling.

Inside, Sulinn seethed.

In her anger she knew there would be no hope of embracing Saidar again, so instead she resigned herself to the beats of the dance. Her breathing was deep and practiced, purposely ignoring anything anyone might say to her on her way out the bar. The oosquai will have no doubt dulled her reflexes, but as she drew into the darkened streets she saw nothing. Her head darted from side to side looking down the empty streets, she knew they likely hid in some dark corner waiting to pounce but she could not see them.

Where was your bloody woflkin when you needed him? She thought to herself with a wrinkle of her nose, leaving her hands in a loose fist by her side.

"What now Asha'man," she said, forgetting to call him Deek as he had earlier asked her. "Do you see them?"


He let the weaves the held up the Ward fall as to not leave them there for someone else to walk in to unexpectedly. Taking it down was a bit harder than it was to put it up. That was one thing he was never taught. He knew most of the Wards that there were, though he was never taught any that he already did not know, the class that he took never taught him to take down his versions. The different weaves that he learned, being a member of the Black Ajah, allowed him to alter his Wards and make use of them in ways not intended upon creation.

Deek folded his hands behind his back as he moved towards the door. From a first glanced it almost seemed that he did not walk. His grace was such that he seemed to be floating above the ground, though; his legs did carry him out of the common room and back into the streets.

There was one good advantage to being in the Black Ajah. If there were Darkfriends about he could sense them. That was something that he was always happy about. It was because of that aspect that he knew what those men were about to do. One of them was a Darkfriend, possibly all of them. He could not be sure who it was that was a Darkfriend, but he knew that the person was still close by. He did not get a good feeling about how this might play out.

In the past he would have asked that she meet him in the Gardens or something of that sort. During that time he would have taken care of all of them. Taken care of them the way that his Master would take care of someone that knew too much. Deek was not his Master anymore and he would not become what his Master was. The Black Ajah was not about killing to him. It was about a means to an end. He needed the Black Ajah to track down and find his mother to get answers on why she had done what she did to his family.

A means to an end.

The dagger was still in his hand from when the men wanted to attack him and his companion. He would not put it away just yet. He knew that they would return this night. When they did he would be more than ready to handle them quickly and quietly. There would be no way that he would let them get to her. There was something about this woman that made him almost want to take the same Oaths that he had taken before to the Shadow. This time those Oaths would only bind him to that one person instead of a way of life.

He turned his gaze to her and maintained his soft whisper of a voice. Even the natural lusting of a tone was present, though, only when he spoke to her. He dropped to a knee and offered her a vow that only he could offer, and in a way that only he could offer. "I will give you the full pledge later but, if my guess is right, we are to have company soon enough. I give you this pledge, which will have to suffice for now. No matter what occurs here tonight I vow that I will, no and for the rest of my living breath, protect you from harm. If these men show up I want that you escape from them and try to find some help. They have sobered up a bit and are more of a threat now than they would have been in the bar. Do not argue with me about how you can fight these men off. Just please do as I ask. I give you the pledge of my life. I will make sure that you make it home safe tonight."

The little smile of his lips showed that he was actually happy about what he had done. As far as she knew he could not tell a lie. To her this would be the truest thing that he could ever say, even though he could tell a lie to her face. He knew that he could, though, that was not what this was. He was true with his words. He would have to prove that to her.

He was happy with his words and his choice. Never before had he vowed to protect someone. Not even his sister, though, it would seem that he had already failed that one before he got started. He would not fail this woman. He knew that he could take all of them. He may not be the same after he was finished, but he could take them.

He rose from his kneel and took her hand in his. He then pressed his lips to the top of her hand while gazing into her eyes. His voice was still the same. "My promise will always hold true. That is the one thing that I hope you will never forget."

With that he stood in front of her. In the distance he could see the men walk out of an alleyway. He knew that the battle for her life was about to begin. It might even be the battle for his life. But he would let his fall in the defense of hers. He would not let them have her. He already could tell that she had seen too much pain to have to deal with what they would do to her.

He pressed his hand that did not have the dagger against her stomach and pushed her away from him. He wanted her as far away from them as he could manage. "Please get out of here." His voice was more of a whisper this time than it ever was before.


The foreboding silence that permeated the cool air of night made her heart thud madly in her chest, that wild vibrant staccato beat that she could not ignore. She nibbled lightly on her lower lip in thought, knowing full well that these men likely had more skill with her sword than she. She may be gifted in her own way, but without Garren or Kain beside her she felt naked and weak. The truth was, despite herself, she only trusted this man about as far as she could throw him.

She could not risk him being Black Ajah, she could not be lulled into a false sense of security.

Her forehead knitted together as she turned her head to the side, looking at the white haired ageless man with a sense of nervousness she could not quite place. He had been in the right place at the right time, but he was so certain of himself. Too certain, almost, for her to feel safe leaving him alone with his confidence. There were four men, four very strong men, and she knew that they hid in the shadow waiting.

What he did next, however, was not something she expected and the tall Aiel recoiled. He grabbed at her hand and dropped to a knee and her heart fell to the pit of her stomach. Three men, three vows of death.

And the death strong gonged in her head as the beats of the dance once more awoke within her, her hand quaked lightly in his and her voice - for the first time that night - completely failed her. For an Asha'man, one sworn to full truth, to swear such a thing was beyond her understanding. That was no oath to make lightly, and certainly not to a woman who he had only known for minutes... But for some weird reason Sulinn seemed to inspire this reaction in men - three separate men - all of whom swore themselves to her within twenty four hours of their first meeting.

Garren, Kain and now Deek?

Her face darkened a shade as he spoke to her, insistence that she could handle herself started to spring to her lips before she paused. She, too, had made a pledge. She had sworn to keep herself safe from harm so she could save the life of a man she loved - to rescue Garren from the horror of his so-called failure. She needed to save him, before he died a slow and painful death, and in order to do that she - too - had to stay alive.

Her golden features froze into their stone-cold hardness and she nodded her head, just once, at the Asha'man. His lips pressed against the back of her hand and she stared at it, dumbly, before she yanked it back to her side. He was almost treating her as if she was some form of a queen - but she was nothing of the sort. She was just a girl, a stupid light damned lummox of a girl, and a girl with a penchant for trouble.

"Be safe." She said softly as she unraveled her thick black woolen cloak from her arms. Slowly she slid it over her shoulder and pulled the hood over her head, shadowing her face and hiding all but the tip of her Katana's hilt from view.

What else could she say?

She turned on her heel and started to walk away from the white haired Asha'man and into the darkest alleyway, her Aiel eyesight was strong but not as strong as Garren's. Pausing, at the edge of the alleyway, she turned her head back just once to see the Asha'man. Waiting just long enough to hear the excited chatter of two of the brutish men coming clear of the next street before she slid into the darkness of the shadow.

Her long legs stretched across the ground, fighting the urge to break into a run. She knew if she could get on flat ground not a single one of these men would catch her, Aiel speed far outpaced even most of the Wetlander's horses and certainly their foot speed. However within these streets she was lost - her only guiding light being the dull glow from the Grey Tower. She had two choices, return to the tower to ask for help or hide in the shadows and wait.

Despite how she longed to stay and help she had sworn to run, and she had sworn to keep herself safe. She had to go, she had to leave, and turning back now would only affect her honor.

The crunch of boots behind her made her heart leap into her throat as she turned her head to the side, feeling - but not seeing - the eyes of a man upon her.


He could no longer feel her presence around him. That was how he knew that she was no longer near him. He knew that she had taken his advice to run, though, he had kind of hoped that she would stay nearby so that he could watch out for her. With her out of the area he had no idea what would happen to her now. It was strange that his only thoughts were about her safety. He already knew that he would make it through this. He just wanted to make sure that she would.

A feeling started to stir in his mind that moved down to his stomach. A feeling that he would take control of. He would not let this take control of him. The Power coursed through his veins now. He let the Power fill his body up to give him the max energy. For the males it was a fight for control. He knew that he could easily loose to it if he was to get distracted from his objective. He would be destroyed if he let it take control over him.

His first weave was a simple one but effective. He raised his hand as he finished making the weave. As the dagger left his fingers the flash of light came. His eyes were closed before the flash came. He was ready for it and he knew that none of them were. He had already marked his target and knew right where to release the dagger for it to strike true. That was exactly what the dagger did.

After he released the brief flash he opened his eyes to see that one of them was lying on the ground. The others had their hands covering their eyes. For a brief point of time they would be blind and not be able to do anything against his attacks. He would only kill one of them. That one was already dead.

When the dagger had left his hand the blade sped through the air and sunk itself into the throat of the man that had started these events. Deek's training had made sure that he was ready for something like this. He had not let his skill fall short for more than a week. Practice was something he always did. That was the reason for the true strike. That was the reason that one of them lay dead on the ground with a large puddle of blood soaking his clothes.

It was training in stalking that made this next part easy. With a burst of speed he moved towards them, though, his feet made no sound. It was also the use of a ward that kept the silence around this entire area. There was no noise to be heard outside the Warded area, which only occupied the space just outside of them. He had to make sure that no one could hear these things taking place.

His training in Unarmed combat gave him the skill for the next moves that he used. Right as the men removed their hands he was in front of one of them. His leg moved up and down in a quick motion and disabled the man's knee, maybe forever. That brought that man to the ground while he clenched his hands together over his knee. At a glance you would think that he had no voice, but it was the Ward that kept things silent.

Neither of the other two men had been able to draw their weapons yet. That gave Deek the advantage that he needed. His fist clenched and went right where he was headed. The man had already moved his hand in motion to draw his sword from his back. That was his first mistake. The fist would fit perfectly under the arm. That hit had disabled the man's arm for a moment of time that would give Deek another advantage over any of them.

With a turn of his head he noticed that the other guy was about to pull his sword out. Deek knew that there was no way that he could get turned around and hit the guy before he had his sword out and swung it. Deek used Air to through the man back against the wall. He then tied it off to keep the man from going anywhere until he wanted him to. That man was pinned to the wall at the same time that the other man had finally fallen to his knees in an attempt to brace his arm.

His green eyes took in the man on his knees. His leg moved up, bringing his knee to his own chest. With a thrust of strength he kicked the man in the face knocking him out and sending him sliding across the ground.

In a sense of the Oaths, Deek had not used the Power to harm anyone at all. It was only in defense of his life. He used it to hinder others but not to hurt. It was not his fault that they did not close their eyes fast enough. It was also not his fault that the man tried to pull out his sword.

Deek looked around to see if there was anyone else around that could harm him in any way. His eyes saw nothing. That was when the thoughts had come back to him. He had forgotten about Sulinn for too long. He needed to try and find her. He could not remember if there were four of five me total. All he knew was that these men were taken care of and she was his next objective. With that thought he turned to run away and leave the scene.

A thought crossed his mind. He had forgotten about the man against the wall, still heald by his air weave. He returned his gaze to the man and noticed that he was not awake. The impact of the push had knocked him out. That was the luck that Deek was having today. Everything seemed to be taking care of itself. He released the air weave and let the man fall to the ground. His face was the first thing to hit. That woke him up.

His head looked around to see that one of his friends was dead. There was one still holding his knee and trying to yell. There was the third one lying on his back with blood running out of his nose and mouth. Even through the blood it still looked as if the man was alive. His eyes darted around trying to find the man that had caused all of this. However, there was no trace of him left. That was when the man screaming began to have a voice again. The screams were loud and painful to the ears.

Deek let the buildings and shadows go past him without and thought to look into them for the young woman. He figured that she had headed back towards the Tower. She may have headed to a place that had a bit more light. He tried to use his training in stalking to help him out, though it would do him no good. She had too much of a head start and this was a place that mirrored a maze. The only saving grace that he would get was the fact that he always came walking through these areas. That may give him the ability to find her.

Rounding a corner he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks. There was a lone person in the distance. That figure was just standing there. Too far away for Deek to see anything but a small shadow. He did not know who or what it might be. Only him getting there with haste would help. With that he sped off towards the shadow to get a better look. He did not care if it saw him. He needed to know who it was. He needed to find her.

He needed to find her...


Her feet slowed as she caught sight of the face over her shoulders. The most slender trickle of light cascading through the rooftops and into the alleyway to illuminate a man that was most definitely not Deek Asha'man. The cloak still hid her face thankfully, but as the man accelerated forward she felt her heart increase in beat with it. There was no way she could embrace saidar, there was simply no time. Sulinn's mind raced, her eyes shifting through the shadow. She could get her sword, but that would lock her into a lengthy battle with a man she did not think was exactly helpless with his weapon.

But then again, what was to say he knew anything about it either.

Sulinn wrinkled her nose as the figure reached towards her, one large hand grasping her shoulder firmly and whirling her around so hard that the hood fell straight off her face. Instantly his eyes darkened with unknowable hunger and she seethed before him.

"There you are," he said with a smile as he drew his hand back and crossed his arms over his chest. "You owe me, you know, that Asha'man of yours nearly killed my men."

Nearly? She thought with a raised eyebrow but she said nothing. However, this time as his hand came forward she was prepared. She lifted her arms and used the braced forearm of her left to push his away, giving her just enough time to do something very stupid.

She made one well aimed kick in the place she knew she would hurt him most.

Aiel honor demanded that she kill this man before her, especially as he reached forward with one hand to grab firmly around her throat. There was no greater toh then that of touching an enemy in battle without death, and Sulinn had no desire to earn yet moretoh. As the man grabbed her throat and pushed her against the wall Sulinn twisted to the side and slammed her elbow down into the crook of his - effectively breaking his grip. The man stumbled backwards in shock as she kicked at him sideways, her long legs connecting with his chest and pushing him up against the opposite side of the wall.

Garren had taught her well

She walked up beside him then as he tried to lunge towards her, this time however her elbow drove into his face just as her right fist connected with his ear in a roundhouse punch. With each hit the man seemed to weaken, but yet he too placed a few upon her. He was clumsy, clearly not trained without his massive sword, and as she too yanked that clear of its scabbard and threw it deep into the dark alleyway the man seemed to realize that he was had.

She had him right where she wanted him.

The Aiel grinned as she parried his punch, the tip of his knuckles driving into her shoulder as she brought her knee up into his chest. Slowly she dipped into a kneel and pulled out the stabbing dagger she held within the laces of her boots. She was not good with the dagger, but as the man before her stumbled from side to side she knew that only one or two hits would be likely to drive him to the ground. Unconscious, or even debilitated, the weakest of dagger bearers could likely land a deathly blow.

She caught a wayward punch in the gut as the man stumbled around, the punch robbed her of breath but she still maintained enough to land a powerful kick in the chest of the man. This kick knocked him against the opposite end of the alleyway, and with an exaggerated slump he slid down the wall before her. Sulinn wandered in front of him and kneeled, her hand grasping the thick brown beard at the base of his throat as she slid the dagger against the tender flesh. Blood spilled forth and stained both her and him in its mahogany warmth.

Even then, the hunger did not seem to fade.

she wiped the blade of her dagger against his shirt as she stood, her arms and the black bracers coated in red up to the base of her elbows. Inside, Sulinn felt an unusual form of peace permeated her. She wiped her hands against the man's clothes, pulling out her leather bracers and wiping even those against the black cloak on his back. She was not exactly clean, but she no longer screamed murderer to any who happened to catch sight of her.

The man dead in the alleyway, and most likely a scene of destruction in her wake.

She paused as she stood, hearing the sound of gravel crunching underfoot - this time she drew the katana from her back and stood facing the man in middle guard. All it would take was someone chancing across this man and she would be sent for hanging. Wetlander principals of honor were, after all, very different then her own.

As the man stepped into the thin stream of light Sulinn relaxed - seeing familiar white hair and an ageless face. She slid the Katana back into its scabbard carefully, looking over her shoulder to make certain it was housed the way it was meant to be before she faced the man before her. With a hurry she darted towards him and grabbed his arm firmly in her hand, pulling him down the alleyway. "We need to get clear of this mess," she said with a nose wrinkle as she spotted the scene of bloodied chaos Deek had left behind. "Last thing we need is someone chancing across this."


It hadn't been a bad day. Laela had taken a rare moment to just enjoy a bit of a stroll this day. She had come as prepared as always, the ter'angreal kesiera across her forehead that she always wore, a few rings of her own crafting that provided minor protection and heightened senses. She wore a plain blue silk dress, divided for riding, and designed to allow freedom of movement. The sword belt she wore carried the Katana she'd brought with her to the tower when she was a Novice, and now that she was finally allowed to carry it again, it hardly left her side. A small pouch on the opposite side of her belt carried a few odds and ends that she couldn't wear on her person.

It was a strange mixture to any that gazed upon her. The abundant jewelry she wore, and the elegant fabric of her clothes gave her an appearance of luxury and nobility (which was true, in part). While her short hair, tied back in a ponytail with a single leather thong, her sword and if one noticed the cut of the dress... she looked like she meant business. One glance at her didn't scream Aes Sedai quite yet... having only been raised a year, perhaps two prior. She still looked rather young, though the ageless look was beginning to set itself in.

She dressed this way because she was on a self assigned patrol of one of the seedier areas of Hama Valon. Criminals and darkfriends seemed to frequent the pubs and inns in this region... such a sad feature for an otherwise great new city. Something she hoped would someday rival Tar Valon in grandeur.

Her hand rested upon the hilt of her sword idly, sending a message to any that even thought of accosting the rather small woman. The sword she carried was nearly as long as she was! She was used to the idea of having to look more fearsome that she really was when in a public place. If one was all smiles here in the city, they were liable to get their throats cut.

Still, she kept an eye open. She'd heard rumors of crime cartels in the area, her eyes scanning every possible dark ally, and her ears ever watchful.

It was a sudden distant yell that caught her attention. A terrible scream. Following the source she weaves into the streets, a few curious eyes peer in the direction if the screams but wisely keep their distance. Laela was rarely accused of her wisdom, and known more for diving headfirst into problems with the hope that she may help.

She finally arrived at the grisly scene... one man dead... the rest all looking rather injured. Her eyes darted from man to man, she was uncertain why this had happened but from what she could gather some sort of fight had occurred. What Laela thought was unusual was the manner in which she'd heard the scream... it was as though it was finally allowed to be heard... but she hadn't sensed any channeling. She had her suspicions.

Not sure what she should do at this point she elected to try to pursue whomever had done it... the issue being that they were gone... but she could see recently disturbed soil that seemed to indicate the direction somebody had taken off from and so she immediately headed off in that direction, drawing her sword and following the small signs she could see... she hoped that it was done by the one she was looking for... he would have much to answer.

Finally, she comes across another disturbing scene and brandishes her sword in front of her, just than catching the barest glimpse of somebody darting into an alleyway and she gives quick chase... she can already see that the man is dead. Whom has been doing this? Is there a reason?

Rounding the corner quickly, holding her sword before her she realizes she recognizes her quarry. She shouts after them in a fierce no nonsense tone.

"Deek! Sulinn! Light burn you and don't make me chase you!" she shouts, her normal calm expression replaced by one of intensity. She wants answers and she wants them now.

"Anybody care to explain what is happening over here?" she demands.


The voice behind him was something that he had not thought was going to come. His thoughts made him wonder if it was even really there. Maybe he was hearing things. It would not be the first time. Maybe it was not what he thought it was going to be. It might be the man that he had left alive. It might even be nothing at all. There was a tiny part of him that told him that there really was a girl behind him.

He could not shake the fact that he knew that voice. It had been way to long since he last heard it though. There was just the factor that he could not place the voice with a person that would come to mind. His mind kept searching in all the wrong places. Never would he have guessed that it was the Accepted from the Gardens that day after his time at the Farms. That thought would never have come to mind had he not turned around.

Even as he saw her his gaze did not fall to her. His gaze fell to the man right behind her. The same man that he had let go. The man that he pinned against the wall and then released after he was finished making sure that his point got across. The very man that should just be happy that he is still alive. Him and his other two friends that were still lying on the ground back there.

His thoughts did not even get the chance to process before he began to act. He took control of the Power. Let it fill him to the point he needed and then acted for the safety of the young girl next to him. The safety of this unexpected one was not his concern. Neither was the safety of himself, for that matter. His feelings still held him to the vow that he gave her before these events unfolded outside of the bar.

The Power was released in a quick fashion that he did not even know he could do. All he saw was the flash of light before the man stopped. A bolt of lightning had erupted into the man's chest, though it did not stop there. The bolt went right through the man, almost cutting him in half. It was at that moment that Deek saw what was in his hands. The crossbow fell to the ground with no bolt held in it. It seemed rather strange that he would have one without the bolt inside and ready to fire.

The sharp pain in his chest was what drained everything from him. The Power had left him. The energy that was running through his body was now all gone. It almost felt as if his life was being drained from him at the same time. That was the other thing that was strange about the timing of this man. Deek had more than enough time to release him and get to Sul and even get away. So why was the man just catching up to them? Had he poisoned the bolt before setting it in the crossbow?

As the man behind Laela fell to his knees his lungs let go of one last breath. That breath had words in it that had deep meaning for one of the three of them. Seeing as how only two of them had any interaction with this man earlier, it could only mean that Laela was not who it was intended for.

"The Dark One will consume your soul for what you have done to us. Mark my words."

With that his body lay face down on the ground with a hole through the middle. The body did not even twitch. After the body made it's thud a small vile rolled out of his coat pocket and touched Laela's feet.

All Deek could do was turn towards Sul as he fell to his knees. His voice was no longer it's soft whisper. More of a rasp, the way that it had been when he first joined the Tower. The way that it was before he pledged his soul to the blackness known as the Black Ajah. The way it had been before Deek and Caneo became one in the same.

"I tried to keep my promise. It seems that you are still alive. I only wish that I could have seen those eyes a bit longer before my time had come. There were some many things that you needed to know. Things that I never told anyone. Maybe someday in the future you will get those things that you deserve. I regret that this will not be the day."

The bolt had entered his left lung. If he was lucky it did not touch his heart. His luck, on the other hand, had been something left to be desired as of late.

Unlike others that he had seen fall after being shot with a bolt, he fell backwards over his legs onto his back. He still gasped for breath, though however faint it was. He was not sure how much longer he could hold on. The poison was spreading faster than he thought it would. It was draining all of his strength. To the touch his skin was ice cold.

His eyes blinked in amazement at the fact that it was a low life that had brought him to this state.


Sulinn needed to get the blood off her hands.

Even though she had rubbed off most of it she still felt the stain that accosted her fingernails, she could feel its hardness grow as the moisture was sucked clear out of it. The coppery scent filled the air and made her stomach churn - this was blood she had spilled - the first kill.

Her first kill.

That thought alone would likely have been enough to stop her dead in her tracks had she not heard the voice of a woman behind her. A familiar voice, and a voice that was not at all welcomed given the circumstances. The Aiel's long muscular back tensed as tight as a strung bow as she turned her head over her shoulder. Her cold blue-grey eyes fixated upon the form of Laela Sedai, taking in the sword that hung by her side with a silent sneer. All she wanted, at that moment, was to get as far away from this place as she could.

But it seemed all she could do was be forced back and back - deeper into the pit of despair.

Sulinn opened her thick lips to speak, finally turning round to face Laela with square shoulders and a tense jaw, but she found herself shocked to be face to face with yet another of the men. She lifted her hand, uselessly trying to shield herself, but was amazed to find nothing. There had been no poison, no arrow, no pain... Simply a blinding flash of light and death.

More death.

The man's words however sent a violent shiver through Sulinn, her face paling in violent shades until she had to fight the urge to bend over and clear her stomach of all she had within her. She likely would have, too, had it not been for the sudden raspy breathing of the man beside her. She knew the sounds of that breathing, she had heard it before - that was the sound as blood filled the lungs. Blood bubbled onto the lips of Deek Mythis as he struggled to speak and Sulinn - with eyes wide of fear - grabbed hold of his shoulders to guide him to the ground.

"Relax," she said softly as she grabbed the arrow between two hands to break off the end. He had been lucky that the bolt had gone clear through his shoulder - for she would not have to push it through herself. She tossed the fletched edge of the arrow into the alleyway before she pointed to Laela. "Hold him like this," she said softly - not even bothering to ask the blue sister if she had a talent with healing.

Time was of the essence.

Sulinn's heart raced wildly in her chest as she pulled the other end of the arrow clear of his shoulder, pushing one hand firmly against his back to do her best to stop the bleeding. "Deek," She said as she placed her hands on either side of his face to tilt his head up to her. "You need to embrace saidin okay? This is going to be cold."

Then the real fight began.

Sulinn closed her eyes against the horror and chaos that fell before her, shutting out everything - including the man who bled before her. She would not let him die she thought determinedly as she struggled to fight away all emotion and feeling, as she fought for the oneness - to feel the void around her. The dreams, those horrid dreams, foretold that those who swore themselves to me would die. But they are just a probability - they are not truth.

"They are [u]not truth" she whispered to herself as she finally fell into the oneness. Nothing embraced her, no feeling - no pain - just nothing. Here the peace permeated her skin and, with determination, she slowly withdrew. Reality slowly embraced her and, in her relaxation, she grasped at saidar with as much strength as she could handle. She would not burn herself out that day, not for this man, but she would do whatever it took to heal him short of that.

The ecstasy burned inside of her as she shivered at the sudden coldness of the real world, even the cloak which still hung around her shoulders could not shield her as she reached out with one hand to press atop the bleeding hole in the man's chest. Blood bubbled forth from his lips and the arrow's hole, and even though it was not required to touch him she felt - somehow - that the anchor to the real world would be what he needed.

She had wasted so much time.

Just as she had been taught by Resindre Sedai so long ago, she created the familiar weaves - still not strong enough to embrace the five elements - threads of spirit, air and water which she braided and then circled. With her gift, with the one power, it became an endless circle of strength. With finality and a deep breath, she pushed the weave into the man.

She only prayed he held onto Saidin still, for if he did not, she doubted that anything but death would find him that day.

The weave passed through his body and healed everything in its wake including the gaping hole left by the arrow, but the strength had sapped her. Slowly she sagged before him, her hand heavy atop his chest before she found enough strength to pull it back in. All she had left was enough to speak, soft whispers, before she closed her eyes to take hold of what little strength she had left.

"It is done."


"Child? This is a rather dire situation and you aren't ready for this, I can stabilize him!" she shouts as she tries to get the child to stop moving over him. She's too close for her to push out of the way.

"If you would move, I can keep the poison from spreading any further and I can than move him to a proper healer. What are you doing?"

Laela is getting increasingly agitated now by the girl whom had the audacity to bark an order at her... a sitter! In all her years at the tower she'd never encountered such... curtness. After everything she'd gone through she would continue to ignore her in such ways?

She wanted answers, and now this man lied dead behind her, and what of his final words... what had that meant? This man may yet survive, and if so he would have a lot to answer for. She noticed his near hesitation at the start when she'd called his name... why did he think to run from her, what he could be trying to hide. If he were Asha'man he should have been able to face her calmly, or he'd simply not remembered her voice, she certainly recognized him. The dedicated that had been forced into an Accepted dress... something she'd still wondered about on occasion.

The girl would have to do all the moving herself. If she would not listen to a word that Laela said, she would not assist her. Besides, she didn't need Laela's help to do what she was doing and her protests were falling on deaf ears, the girl won't listen and she points at an Aes Sedai and barks orders as though she were a dog awaiting her command?

Laela's eyes narrowed, who did this girl think she was? She raised her voice considerably. "Stop this now child, you do not have the training, you could seriously injure him!" she said firmly, but the girl didn't listen still.

She bent down and picked up the vial and looked at it closely. She couldn't quite identify the substance, but poisons weren't her specialty. This young child... there was no way that she could possibly purge the poison from him all at once like this.

"It is done," she finally said and Laela glided over to where he had lain and she quickly did a brief delving, and while it wasn't something she was particularly skilled at, she could tell he was at least stable, though she wasn't sure how long it would be until he regained consciousness. It could be hours, days, seconds, or possibly never.

"Done, child? This is just beginning. You are going to explain everything to me, Child. Why I just found 4 dead bodies, and witnessed the creation of a fifth, what it was that he," she points to the dead man behind them. "Was talking about."

Her normal smile was gone, replaced by one of fierce determination. The katana was still clasped within her hand and she was still brandishing it in a rather threatening manner, her knuckles white from the intensity of her grip.

"First question is will there be more looking for him?" she asked, her eyes still cold and angry. "If they are all dead, or too wounded to fight, we will stay here until I am satisfied with your answers."

Of course she hadn't ruled out that the dying mans words were simply to place doubt in the mind of a woman that had just arrived on the scene... he could have been a darkfriend himself. Of course... this didn't get any of those that stand... or lay... before her off the hook quite yet. She had trusted Deek... but that would just mean he was good at hiding it... and Sulinn certainly seems the type that COULD wind up joining... but she also doubted it.

She let go of her personal feelings and after she was satisfied nobody else would come looking for them, she directed Sulinn to sit down upon a box, as she embraced saidar and wove a simple eavesdropping ward in between the two of them. She hoped that Deek woke up soon or this would be rather difficult... but she would have to make certain that their stories matched up. Even if they both saw the same things, it could still reveal things they didn't know they had, especially when separated from the person they'd shared the experience with.

"Now, stay there within the ward, and tell me in your own words exactly what led to this sequence of events."


Even with the bolt out of his shoulder and the wound healed up, as best as could be managed, the ice cold feeling that his skin had still lingered. It was uncertain how long it would hold within his body, though, the healing would help to slow the pace of the poison through his veins.

This is what happens when you do not do as I tell you to. I told you how this was going to end up and yet again you did not believe my words nor heed them as you should have. I hope that you now realize how important it is that you listen to me from time to time. If we are going to live through the next couple of years then you must first listen to my words when I protest to your actions. That is the reason that I am here. To guide you through this part of your life.

He was not really sure what to make of the words that the voice in his head let out. His thoughts did not seem to be his own at this point. Regardless of the fact, he was not even sure if he was still himself at this point. For all he knew his life could be forfeit and he could be just hanging on the pattern until he was reborn. He was not even sure if he was still in the same place that he fell.

A part of him always wanted to die in some battle in some distant land against forces unknown. A part of him wanted to die in the defense of a female that he had loved. A part of him wanted to grow old and see out the days of everyone else. None of these things seemed to be coming true at all. He was not in some distant land fighting a battle. He was not dying in the defense of a woman that he loved. Yet again, he was not old and watching everyone else around him die. He may never get the things that he wanted.

There was no reason to the things that he had done. If this battle had taken place a year or more ago then he would have not had a second thought about killing all four of them out right. As it was, things were different for him now. He was not the same person. He had changed. He no longer killed for the fun of it. A part of him felt as if he had betrayed his Oath to Lucan. Another part of him told him that there was nothing wrong with not killing for sport. It was a natural state of any person to kill in regards to their own safety. That was how he had killed that man. The other three had not caused him any harm, but neither did the first man. He had only killed him for the reason that he showed no respect towards his company.

In the back of his mind he wondered if being in the Black Ajah was really the path that he needed to take. Maybe he could have went to the Green Ajah and asked them for help in finding his mother and bringing her to justice. Maybe even the Blue Ajah, seeing as how that was what they did. Nevertheless he had chosen his path and he would not live with regrets. Though, that was not the truth either. He had told Sulinn that he regretted not having told her the full truth before his last breath.

If time had permitted itself then maybe he would have told her everything. As it was, there may be no way for him to ever tell her the truth about his secrets and the double life that he was leading. Some might say that he had his own Ajah within the Black Ajah. Caneo had managed to create his own section of the Black Ajah that did not have any contact with the others. None of the people that worked for him had ever seen him, not a single shred of his existence was known to any of them. Nothing save the words that his mistress had told them.

Was Sulinn going to be the next Aiko Navoo? Was he going to have to do the same things to this female that he had to do to that girl? Was he willing to put her through the pain of having part of herself lost for the rest of her life? He knew that a part of Aiko still held on to the past that they had, though, he knew that she could not remember much of it. He had to face the fact that there would be one day that she would remember the events and then hunt him until she knew that he was dead.

A faint feeling entered his body. The One Power returned to him. Though it was not he that had channeled. Caneo had pulled in the Source and placed a Ward over the body to minimize some of the outside effects that could hasten the poison in his veins. That was the moment that Deek knew that he was still alive. Nothing would ever be the same for him from this point on. He was not going to be the person that he was headed towards. He would not become Lucan's old Master. He knew what that man was like and it was something that Deek would never let himself turn into.

From an on looker the rise and fall of his chest seemed normal. The rasp of his breath only indicated that the poison was still there. If someone was not very good with how healing and poisons worked then they would say that he was as good as dead by this point. Regardless of the fact his eyes opened.

The rasp was still there since his lungs still had a bit of blood in them. "Sulinn. Sulinn? Hello? Is anyone still here? Where am I at? What is going on? Please, somebody help me?" His voice was not even as much as a whisper. A person would have to be almost on top of him to hear the words.

suddenly something snapped in him. That was the first moment that he could remember not having control of his emotions in so many years. His voice suddenly filled all the alley ways and most of the streets. Anyone within a mile could hear his voice as if he was right next to them. "SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? MY EYES? WHY CAN I NOT SEE OUT OF MY EYES? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?"

Never before had he freaked out in such a way. Then again, he had never been without his eyes in this manner. Normally there was always some hit of sight there for him to go off of. This time there was nothing. Just the blackness of being blind.


Sulinn felt like she was in a complete daze, she had sufficiently ignored - or not heard - the words of the angry sitter. She had healed Deek, she had stripped the poison from him and filled the hole in his chest with flesh.. The effort had taken nearly enough of saidar to destroy her, but she had been careful.

She had been so careful.

She stared dully down at her hands, Deek's blood heavy and moist upon them, as the woman shoved her down onto a small wooden bench. The bench was cold through her dress as she lifted her eyes to Laela, cold blue fixated upon the Sitter's face, before she spoke.

"I am so sorry," she said hesitantly, not quite knowing how to finish it. "I am sorry I did not listen to you, but I am a trained healer. It was what they had taught me in the infirmary, I knew he would not last long enough for you to get to the tower and back. AS it was he lost so much blood." She turned her head to look past the woman at Deek's body, still breathing, but otherwise unmoving. "I should have listened but, I am sorry, I simply could not."

Slowly she turned her face towards the woman's hand which held her sword so tight her knuckles were completely white and her hand virtually shaking on the sword's hilt. Sulinn's own katana shifted on her back as her face grew cold and unmoving, blue eyes suddenly hard with the threat. Her own hand quivered up to her shoulder where she pointed at her sword, she did not know how good Laela was, but she felt fairly confident that she couldn't be that much better than Sulinn herself.

"If you will," Sulinn said in a voice hard. "Please remove your hand from your blade and I shall tell you everything you wish to know."

She then took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and started a story she would not soon forget. "I was in the bar, just through the alleyway there, where I was sitting alone to have some peace and quiet. I cannot go to the Band of Brothers," She looked up through one eye at the woman before she shut it. IF the woman did not know of her punishment, there was definitely no need to tell her. "So I went here instead, I was not drunk, I only had a couple glasses of oosquai but a man came up to me very rude and forward. I asked him to leave fairly politely," leaving out, of course, the threat of her dagger in his throat. "And he did. However, a few minutes later his friend came forward and started to become very threatening with me. That was when Deek Asha'man came to my rescue and asked the man to leave. He did, but soon it became apparent that he had no desire to leave me alone. The group of them attacked us in the bar and, though the owner came to our rescue, we had to leave eventually." IT was only a mild lie, mostly truth, but she stared blankly into the face of the woman before her regardless.

"Then we left and we knew that they were going to come for us, so Deek Asha'man told me to run, he said he would protect me. So I left him to come to the tower and get help, but a man found me in the alleyway and tried to kill me." Her hands fluttered up to her throat where his fingers had bruised the tender flesh, the outline of his hand growing a deeper blue as the night went on. Her voice was still lightly raspy from the man's hands, but she paid it little attention. It would do no good now, at that point in time, to think more on what had happened. "Anyways, he will bother us no more and - so it seems - neither will any of the others. I do not believe there are more than five, Laela Sedai, though I truthfully do not know for certain."

She looked deep into Laela's eyes, her own silvery blue ones unflinching though fear and paranoia had permeated its depths. Her hands shook in her lap from both adrenaline and nervousness as she opened her mouth to speak once more, that familiar surge of nausea pushing up inside of her stomach and prompting her - once more - to clear her gut of all she had consumed that evening.

But Deek.

Her face turned an unusual shade of green before she heard him scream, and she flinched, slowly sliding sideways off the bench and standing. "I-uh," she said as she pointed at the man on the ground. "I am going to go, and, uhm... Delve.... Into him." She said softly, she knew that the other woman had delved as well but without the ability to delve with all five powers it could sometimes be a hopeless cause. "So, uh, yeah."

Sulinn hesitated for one more brief moment before she moved beside Deek, one hand gently pressing onto his face as she looked down into his eyes. "Deek," she said softly as she closed her own eyes to absorb saidar once more. "Please calm down, I'm going to delve into you... To see if anything is wrong. Please," she pleaded as she fell once more into the void - feeling the nothing permeate her - before she withdrew into the one power. She was exhausted, physically tired, but she took in enough to delve into the man with all five powers.

But she felt nothing overtly wrong.

She opened her eyes and knit her eyebrows together to look into the face of Laela Sedai "I can't feel anything," she said curiously as she waved her hand in front of Deek's face. "It must be a residue of the poison, when I had been poisoned by the Black Ajah it did take quite a while for the effects to dissipate despite the healing."

She looked down onto his face and sighed, shrugging her strong shoulders uselessly. "I do not believe I screwed anything up Laela Sedai, I was strong enough to heal what I had to, it has exhausted me... But I feel nothing left within him, he should be better."

She looked once more down at Deek's face and gently grasped his hand in her own. "We should probably go to the tower Deek, to let a yellow sister look you over, I must have... I must have..." She sighed softly, "I must have screwed something up."


She listened quietly to the girl's story, and it all seemed likely enough. For the moment she would have no choice but to believe her... and any that could testify against her were already dead, unless there were other witnesses to the scene. She had mentioned a bartender that may recognize them... perhaps he could enlighten her more as to what was going on?

She didn't, however have time to pursue that line of inquiry. The screams of Deek had startled her so that she had taken her sword within her hand again, but she realized that it was simply the shouts of the man lying not far from them. The ward she'd woven around themselves would have kept him from hearing their conversation and so he must have been terrified... but couldn't he see them?

She watched quietly as the girl delved into him and had told her nothing was wrong... but she must be mistaken. The scream she'd heard had told her everything she needed to know. She kneeled beside him and waved her fingers before his eyes which simply stared blankly.

"Please Deek, if you can... follow my fingers..." she tried it again and still brought no reaction. With a sigh she patted her knees atop her dress. "He's been blinded by the poison..." she said quietly. "I do not know if this is... Deek? Can you hear me?"

She was quite worried for the man, whom until this moment had seemed so calm and laid back. In fact... watching him react as quickly and as deadly as he had... it had made her wonder about something. He wasn't simply acting in defense of his life... he was acting on a complete offensive just then... so what if...? No... she's being paranoid now. Deek was just a Dedicated she'd met that had a tendency to get into mischief.

The thing that worried her was that a man that had portrayed himself in such a calm demeanor hadn't even given pause to end the man's life behind her. While it could have been seen in his mind as defense of his own life... it certainly looked like his life may even still be in danger... there was something about it that disturbed her. He had some unanswered questions...

No. Of course not. She was just being paranoid.


He could hear the voices of two women around him, though he could not remember hearing them when he first called for the women. He knew that they had to still be there. He could not seem them. Had they just stayed quiet and waited for him to be awake again? Or had they left and managed to return right as he started yelling for them? He would have to wait until he had calmed down before he could ask any question to them.

One of the voices clicked in his head, he had heard it before. It was the voice that had come from behind him right as he had seen the man. It was Laela Sedai. She was the one that was chasing them before, the same one that he had tried to avoid by running faster until they were far enough away to avoid anything of this sort. Maybe if he had taken more time to get rid of the men then he could have avoided this whole chain of events that, eventually, led to the loss of his sight. As it was, there was nothing that he could do to change anything now.

He could feel the void inside of him with his hold on the Power. He knew that he had taken back control of the things that mattered to him. Maybe he could take back control of the things that he had lost when he fell. His mind was broken, the Black Ajah had broken it. First his mother killing his sister, then Lucan being killed in the depths of the Tower. Now, these men trying to kill someone that, strangely enough, he found himself taking a liking to. Maybe this was his sign to leave the Black Ajah where it was and let go of the hatred that he had towards his mother. That was the issue that got him to this place originally. Things were different now.

He lowered his voice and suddenly it returned to his calm, soft whisper of a tone that he always held on to. "I am sorry about my yelling. I am confused as to why my sight is gone. I should not be surprised that people in a place like this would use something that only Darkfriends would use. After all my study of the dark side of things you would think that I would have taken better care of events than I had. I apologize to the both of you for my actions on this night. Please help me to my feet and I will do my best to inform you both of whatever you are not sure of."

He let them moved him to a place that he could sit up at. Once he was placed he then held his head in both hands as he began to listen to the questions directed towards him. He knew that they both would have some questions for him. He was sure that Sul would have some for him later when they were alone, if they would ever get that chance. Laela on the other had been a surprise for him to see on this night. If he did not watch his tongue with her then he was sure that he might not walk out of this ally with his body still together.

A flash of light shone in his mind. It was something that he had never seen before. With the Void he could block out everything that had come to him, this time was different. The Void was still there but so was that flash. Suddenly his sight went from all black to all white. He was not sure what this was going to in tale but he knew that it could either be really good or really bad. Either way, he had no choice but to deal with it. He did not even let on that something about his sights had changed. He would not let them know unless it was something important that he could not deal with. It seemed that his sight was something that none of them could deal with, though it did not surprise him.

He waited for them to finish their questions while he thought to himself. He then lifted his head up and began to give them their answers...


Sulinn had to fight the sudden urge to smack Laela across the face with her sarcastic and very obvious comments. Of course his blindness was because of the poison, there was truly no other logical reason for it. But instead of turning towards Laela she fixed her attention on the man that lay beneath her.

Vulnerable.

She had never actually held a vulnerable man before, neither Garren nor Kain had ever given her that opportunity. Tristan had, she supposed, but that was more nervousness than true affection. This man, the man beneath her, had tried to save her needlessly. He had paid, and would continue to pay, for the rest of his life.

Sulinn sighed as her hand caressed his cheek, fingertips gently probing his soft smooth flesh before her forefinger ran down the length of his scar. It was strangely smooth beneath her fingers, nearly as slick as wet metal, and equally as frictionless. The woman waved her hands in front of Deek's face and elicited a hardened facial response for Sulinn, her eyes turned to the side just once - for a flicker of a moment - and showed a depth of irritation she could not even hope to speak.

Thank goodness her features were still as hard as rock, and she looked away well before Laela could even see her face.

But finally Deek saw sense, and she smiled down at him as he spoke. "Good," she said softly and wrapped one strong arm beneath his. Her muscles tensed under his as her strong legs tensed, half pulling half pushing him to his full height. She fixed her eyes upon Laela, more than a hint of blame evident in the silvery-blue depths, before she walked with him over to the side of the alleyway. "Here," she said as she grabbed his hand in her own and pressed it against the wall behind them. She then helped to guide him slowly down so he was seated propped up, before she turned to sit on the ground beside him. She reached down and grabbed his hand in hers for a moment to give it a squeeze, about as close to any kind of display of affection she would offer, before she pushed herself once more to her feet.

Her long legs unfurled beneath her as she stood beside Laela, carefully avoiding looking at the woman lest she yell once more. "Its not your fault," she said softly to the man beneath her.

If anything, she thought with a grim face, it is my fault. It is always my fault.

Sulinn's eyes looked down towards the floor as she crossed her arms over her chest, her ample bosom holding up her elbows and the scabbard digging into her arm. She was growing rather tired of Laela's near constant threat, the way the woman's hand clung by her bloody sword like she was a blade master. Sulinn herself would not do such a thing unless she absolutely had to, and it was quite clear to Sulinn at least that she had no intent to harm Laela that day.

Of course, that did not necessarily mean it was true.

"Deek," she said softly before she crouched down before him. "What did that man mean? Do you know him at all?" Sulinn's pale blue eyes searched his unseeing ones before she inched a little closer to him, her body still low in a crouch as she sidled forward. "Deek, can you see anything at all?"

She turned her head to look up at Laela thoughtfully, seeing worry and nervousness etched into he face of the sitter before she carefully asked. "Do you two know each other or something?"


Laela was having difficulty just accepting all of this... the man was blinded... perhaps permanently. How could she be having these thoughts? Guilt ripped through her like a knife. She sighed and helped the helpless man up.

She remembered the time of their meeting so long ago, her thoughts occasionally drifted back to that day, and she knew she'd immediately liked him. He was definitely an interesting character... and the image of a dedicated in an accepted dress was one that was rather difficult to get out of her head. How had things gotten this far?

Her eyes bored into him, looking him over for a moment, such a powerful looking man reduced to such depths... she released her hold on her sword, no longer feeling quite so threatened and felt more of a sadness as she helped Sulinn lift him so that he may sit up.

Her own questions were burning and though she wanted to ask them... she was still suspicious of him! How could she even think him to be Black Ajah? Such a thought was madness... but what if? Laela tried to remain gentle, but her heart still pounded in her chest and so her questions were rather harsh.

"I want to know how you learned to kill so efficiently?" she asked quietly. "I've never before seen a shred of violence within you. I also want to know what happened and how it came to this," and she looked at Sulinn coldly.

"And if you would, please remain quiet while he relates the story. I want to hear it from his own words."

She wanted to see if he left anything out, or if he added something Sulinn had omitted. She didn't truly trust any of them quite yet, but she was sure the evil doers were those that accosted them... correct? Surely she had no reason... no no. She knew better than this. Just because she knew the suspects in question didn't mean she could ignore protocol. They could very well be the murderers this night... she didn't yet have all the evidence.

She turned curiously to Sulinn's sudden question. "Yes, I have known him since I was Accepted, though it has been many years since I've seen him... it seems as though much has changed for you, hasn't it?" She asked Deek finally.

Why did she suspect him... what did he ever do to deserve her suspicion? He was blinded by an arrow and here she is interrogating him like a common criminal... light forgive her for this...


His voice held on to his soft whisper that he always carried. He would not allow himself to seem helpless ever again. He could not let either one of these females to see him be that weak again. His voice maintained his calm nature while he spoke and thought about each event in turn.

"I arrived at the bar to get a drink. I then saw a man talking to Sul. I did not see that there was any harm being done, though I could tell that she did not seem to be interested in him in the slightest. I intervened and saved her from that one. After that it seemed that things were just going to be a night of conversation between the two of us until the men decided that they could not settle for her not going with them. The master of the tavern stepped in when that started.

"Once outside I told her to run and get help while I held them off. It was the man that was at the table with her that struck at me first. If you had examined the bodies than you would see that one of my throwing daggers is lodged deep in his throat. I did not kill anyone else until the man behind you. I injured the other two so that they could not follow me as I ran away. I had told that man to leave me and Sul alone and to never try and seek us out again. After that I knocked him out. I guess that he woke up and came after me.

"And to answer your question, I learned to kill like that around four years ago when I tried to track my mother down. Since she is Black Ajah it made it rather difficult to track her without having to kill anyone. They found out that I was after her and tried to kill me multiple times. That is how I got so good at it. I know that it might not be the best thing to know but there it is. I can understand if you have certain feelings about all this but there is nothing that either of us can do about that. Everything that was done here was done in self defense. I killed one man and wounded the others. They did not pose a real threat after that first man was dead. She killed one in defense, seeing as she still has the marks on her neck. The last guy had been warned and he had a crossbow in his hands."

His smile never showed. Normally he would have a smile after he spoke to a female but since he could not see and these were not normal situation, it did not seem right. He was doing his best to tell what he knew. There was no point in lying about anything when he had nothing to hide. There was also no point in hiding anything when he had done nothing wrong.

He lifted his hand and lightly ran his fingers down the front of Sulinn's face so that he knew how far away she was. He then placed his hand on the side of her cheek and caressed her cheek as he listened for more questions to come to him.

Another flash of light went inside his void. This time it was different. There were shapes in front of him now.


Sulinn stayed down in a kneel on the ground, one knee pressed into the soil while her other held both sharp elbows. The cloak was still strapped tight around her neck though the hood had long since fallen from her beautiful features, leaving her cold Aiel hardness open to view. She looked at the small Cairhien woman only once as she kneeled - nearly as tall as the sitter despite her crouched body - and scowled.

This woman, this cruel woman, continued to press after a blind man. Pressing, pushing, pulling...

Sulinn's hands tightened into fists by her side as Deek spoke, recounting almost an identical tale to the same one she had just told the woman. She did not blame Laela for her persistence, after all the woman was a blue, but to push so hard after such an ordeal was despicable. Despite herself, Sulinn leaned down to place one hand softly atop Deek's shinbone, not wishing to intrude but wanting him to know that he was not alone.

He was protected.

She did not look to the woman at all while he spoke but instead her own pale silvery-blue eyes stared deep into his unseeing ones. Within those depths, the unfixed point of black stared forth - his pupils unresponsive to the light of the alleyway. She longed just once to see movement, to see some sort of motion, but she saw nothing. He saw nothing.

She sighed softly and was about to stand, one hand positioned on the ground in preparation to push herself up, before she felt his hand touch her face. By instinct her body tightened, every muscle tense, and she flinched away from him. The softest of flutters as her eyes slid closed under his gentle fingertips followed by a brief hesitation. If his eyesight was truly gone, she thought as she once more looked up to his face, than touch would be all he has left to 'see' with.

So she stopped moving, allowing his fingertips to trace her face slowly as her eyes stayed fixated upon his. She was almost like an animal caught in a sudden light, unable to move though she desired to turn away. Such contact, even though it was not intimate, made her extremely uncomfortable. As his thumb gently ran across her thick lower lip she turned her eyes to the floor in discomfort, only the knowledge that Laela owed her for her secrecy kept her from moving away.

She did not know this man past that night, she had never kissed him or touched him. . . She did not know him beyond a hastily uttered oath and the shared bond of bloodied hands.

"There is another man dead," she said coolly as she turned towards Laela, unknowingly pressing her head into Deek's hand as her eyelashes brushed against his palm. Her lips gently caressed the soft nerve rich flesh of his palm as she spoke. "In that alleyway," with one strong arm she pointed from where she had come, where a man lay in a pool of his own blood. "He attacked me on my way to the Tower for help, I had no choice."

Her voice was cold, near emotionless as she spoke, but soon she felt Deek's fingers caress her cheeks and once more she had to fight the very strong urge to pull away. IT was this time, however, that she turned to face him once more, her body sliding away from the light to allow it to spill onto his scarred face. It was then, in the sudden light, that his pupils suddenly shrunk away. Sulinn's face tensed and she reached forward with two hands which she placed gently on either side of his face. "Deek," she said carefully as she leaned in, using her strong shoulders to block the light from his face and watch as his pupils slowly spread out. Not normally, they were not quite responsive, but it did seem as if there was more there than before. Before, when he was truly unseeing, his pupils were nearly nonexistent.

"Deek, can you see?" She asked and turned her face up to Laela, this time breaking off contact with his hand. "His eyes," she said hopefully as she looked at Deek once more. This time, however, her cold features broke into a smile, thick lips curving over straight ivory teeth as her dimples danced. "This is definitely a good sign, is it not Laela?" Hastily she added, "Laela Sedai, sorry."


She suddenly felt rather terrible, she had just berated a blinded man that for all she knew had just saved her life. Why was she drilling him with questions so? Now that he'd said everything to her it all made so much more sense. Everything fit just fine. She felt the sting of guilt over her own foolishness. This man was a colleague of hers and she'd questioned him like he was a darkfriend. All their stories checked out and his explanation had made sense.

She wondered about it in fact, his mother had been black Ajah? Of course in trying to track her down he would have picked up some tricks, it made perfect sense. She was quite certain that such a thing, it was such a dangerous thing to say that it couldn't possibly be anything but the truth. She still couldn't shake the guilt.

Sulinn, the child, she hadn't felt any suspicion towards her. She wasn't sure how she could be so sure, but she believed everything that she had told her, even before she had asked Deek. In fact... any inconsistencies that Deek had said would have been laid to blame at his feet. She'd no reason other than her instinct to suspect him of anything, but it would seem this was one of those cases where her instinct would be proven wrong. She knew she would have to make it up to him for treating him so. Perhaps she could help him?

It was out of the question to give him direct access to her resources, of course, but she could still use her eyes and ears and provide assistance for him to track down his mother. It would be the last she could do to help track down a murdering traitor such as any Black Ajah witch. She wondered if he would be so gracious as to accept her offer of help, after she'd questioned him like a murderer, brandished a sword at him, and had pretty much accused him of being a darkfriend, even if she hadn't said it out loud.

Than something else, he reached over to caress Sulinn, and she felt a tinge of something like... jealousy? Why should she be jealous of him? She looked at him, it had looked as though he'd seen so much in his life. She remembered when she had first met him, how she'd fancied him at that moment in the same way any young woman would fancy a handsome man. Of course she hadn't acted on any of those feelings at the time, but she hadn't realized that they would resurface after so many years. Nothing more than simple flights of fancy. It will pass again... she convinces herself.

When Sulinn speaks, explaining the dead man outside the same alleyway from before. Laela nods. "I know child. I could see the markings, and I trusted your word," she says, unable to truly say that she hadn't suspected Deek. "You are a good and noble man, and I am sorry Deek, for my apparent distrust... given the circumstances... well something seemed off. I didn't really have and suspects left and... you understand? I hope that you can forgive me for this and that we can move past it."

She takes a deep breath and prepares to make her pledge to him for her assistance. Not a promise really. She didn't wish to bind herself to anything, but she still wished to help him.

"I have access, as I am sure you know, to the Blue's network of eyes and ears. If you could allow me to assist you... I could use their resources to hopefully track down your mother, if you would allow me to be so bold. You'd never told me that part of your life before... I'd have offered my help sooner had I known." she said softly, trying to keep her jealousy out of her voice as he continued to caress her like a lost lover...

It was at that moment that he seemed to stiffen up and Sulinn examined him rather closely. What was going on? She'd said something about his eyes and so she'd taken a knee to get a closer look at him, his eyes... something had changed but... she didn't know what. She couldn't give a positive outlook but she tried to smile along with the excited Accepted.

"It could be, Sulinn." she said, pointedly using the girls name more casually, simply tired of all this needless tension. "I'm no doctor... but yes. This... could be a good sign." She didn't want to be too optimistic but there was something. Perhaps he would see again after all? She hoped to the light that he did.

"Deek? Can you stand? We should probably get you somewhere safe..." she offered lightly, uncertain if he was really ready to move, but if any guards were to see this scene it would definitely complicate a situation that was already rather complicated.l


The words that came from Laela's lips had surprised Deek, he did not expect her to say what she had. He knew that she was feeling bad about question him the way that she had, though he knew why she was doing it. He did not let it show that her words had caught him off guard. He would not allow someone to see him not at his best anymore. He needed to be the best at what he did and if he showed any weakness then it was more than he would willingly let anyone know about. He always wanted everyone to think that he was a strong person that could not, or would not, be brought to his knees.

He continued to listen to the words that Laela was saying when another flash hits his eyes. This time color started to fade in and out. His eyes still showed very little response of the sort. He kept his hand placed on the cheek of Sulinn, though he thought that he had heard a hint of jealousy in the voice of Laela. There was a time that he had wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, that was back when they were middle ranks. If he would have had more sense back then he might have tried to further the talking, though he was sure that it would have ended in her not speaking to him for a long time.

He decided to comment on the statement that she had made about the eyes and ears of the Blue Ajah. He had found the person that he needed. His eyes and ears of the Black Ajah was rather large, perhaps one of the largest. Year could do that. But the Blue Ajah, by far, had the largest he had ever heard of. With her network and his, there was no way that anything could slip past him. He could track down his mother and get the answers that he was looking for, and he could ever back draft them to find out about the death of Lucan. There had to be someone out there that knew something. He did not care what it would cost him, but he would find out who was responsible and then he would find out where they were.

"I think you for your kind words Laela. It means a lot to me that you would offer your services to me in this manner. I believe that we both could be of great use to each other. I think that we should speak more about this later on in some more detail, though I doubt that this is the place, or rather, the time to discuss such matters. I must ask a favor of the two of you. I am in need of you both to take care of the man that is standing right behind you about to kill us all." His eyes lifted to look right at the man, as he smiled. Everything had returned to him. His sight was normal, though he could not do much, the last man that he had killed had left him rather drained of strength. It was a wonder that he had managed to keep himself alive after everything that he had been through that night.

He knew the man, though the man had no idea who he was. Deek had this man working for him for about three years now. It was a shame to have to get rid of someone that was so useful at getting rid of the bodies after Caneo and his mistress was done having their "fun". There were more than a hundred female bodies that had been removed from the lower depths of the Tower where they played with their victims, and it seemed that he would have to find someone else to move them from now on.

He moved his hand from Sulinn's cheek so that she could turn towards the man behind the women. After he was sure that she could not see him anymore he quickly raised his hand to touch Laela's arm. He knew that she would take it for more than what it might seem, and that was his point. He needed to get her to fully want him and to fully give him everything that he needed from her.

Everything.


There was the faint recall of a dream, the unusual sense of déjà vu that plagued her as Sulinn sat before this man. Even in a crouch her massive body loomed beside Laela's - her own katana shrunken in comparison to the Sitters beside her. She felt unusual, the same instinctive dislike of Laela she had had in tel'aran'rhiod still poking into her soul. She wanted to like the woman, truth told she had no reason not to, but weak dreamers did not always understand what she felt. Alian, the Wise One who had trained her, had told Sulinn that her gift would be predominantly useless except to give warning. Some dreams she remembered but those were so vague they were more of a hint to a prophecy than a prophecy itself.

But this, this was a warning deep in her gut. If only she knew who it was for, the man beneath her or the woman beside?

Sulinn's face hardened as Laela spoke, her natural reaction - it seemed - to the woman's voice. However at these words she felt her body soften, one muscle at a time loosening behind Deek's soft fingertips. Laela, it seemed, had realized the error of her way enough to stop attacking the two of them. The young Accepted felt relaxed enough to breathe once more, but with the sudden dissipating adrenaline the only thing she was able to feel was sheer exhaustion. She sighed, a heavy breath through gaping lips, and closed her eyes a moment. It was only the touch of Deek's hand upon her face that kept her from falling over, for some weird reason she had grown used to his touch.

As the softness ran through her body it continued to be replaced with bone-weariness, a weariness so deep that she felt her eyes half-close in answer. The nerves in her face continued to fire, each touch of his thumb like a bolt of electricity racing through her body as he caressed her smooth cheeks. IT was this action, the seeming lovers' caress that made Laela's voice light up with something akin to jealousy.

Déjà vu.

"I thank you for your trust," she said to Laela though she knew the woman had no reason not to trust her word, for Sulinn had given it to her before. She had told no one of Laela's betrothed, nor of what she had seen in tel'aran'rhiod. Sulinn's word had been so binding that she had not even, as it were, told Garren.

As Sulinn's body hovered close to Deek's, one hand positioned on either side of his cheek, she had to fight the sudden urge to kiss him for the sake of sheer excitement! He could still not see, for his eyes were not quite responsive, but the yellow sisters had told her enough for her to know that it was most definitely a good sign. She barely even heard Laela's response, hidden behind a beaming smile that made her dimples dance and her eyes light up. Without thought, suppressing the panic that rose up in her gut, she pressed two fingers against her lips before she pressed than against his cheek. She did not know how much he knew of the three-fold land, nor of Aiel ways - but it was in fact the closest she ever came to public displays of affection. This was not quite a lovers response, though she had used it as such before, it was merely a failed attempt to hold in her budding excitement.

"Yes," she said vibrantly to Laela, her blue eyes glittering as she tilted her face to the side to look into Laela's own. "The yellow sisters have told me a little bit about pupillary responses when I was being trained in the infirmary, I don't know much more beyond the knowledge that good and even movement of the pupils is a good sign."

However Laela's next words awoke the exhaustion once more within Sulinn and the Accepted put out a hand onto the Sitters shoulders, she shook her head emphatically - making the world spin viciously upon her shoulders. "Even if you were tall enough, or strong enough, to take him on your own Laela Sedai, I cannot yet stand. That healing was near the brink of my abilities, if not the absolute end, and it has taken most of my strength. I cannot take both his weight and mine for more than a couple of feet, most definitely not enough to return him to Hama Valon."

It was then, after this admission of her own weakness that Deek's hand dropped away from her face. Her stomach churned, fearing in some weird way that it had been a response to this that had stilled his hand. Did he feel her weak? Did he think she was useless? Regardless, his hand slid over to Laela's own arm to place a gentle touch there, enough that Sulinn's own soul burned a bright white flame. Her jaw clenched in an effort to suppress the unusual feeling inside of her, the nervous edge that caused her to want to cry and scream simultaneously.

She had only known this man mere hours, and despite the fact he had saved her and then she had saved him she was not foolish enough to believe he truly cared for her. She told herself, quite firmly, that she cared nothing about him either.

They would return to the Grey Tower and never see each other again. Déjà Vu be damned, dreaming be damned... She was not driven by prophecy or useless talents!

Deek's words were an echo in her mind as her eyes darted over one shoulder, spotting a large man who drew the thick broadsword from his side with the ease of an expert. Her face grew hard as adrenaline surged into her body, just enough energy to give her strength for one last act that day. Her heartbeats increased tenfold in her chest, pumping blood madly throughout her muscular frame as she kicked out with one leg at the man's shin. AS he bounced back to recover she pushed herself to her feet and drew the emerald hilted sword from her back, placing two hands firmly upon the hilt.

The man came forward from the shadow, limping lightly atop the leg she had kicked, as his eyes ran over Deek. AT that moment something unusual passed over his face, something almost akin to.... Recognition? She shoved away the thought firmly, feeling the beats of the dance surround her as the man swung his thick sword at her head. The concussion rang through her shoulders with a loud clang and she felt her muscles weaken and falter under his onslaught. Her breath quickened in her chest as she parried his blows, consistently on the defensive against an opponent who was so much her better. Her legs and arms shook with the effort to maintain her position as she swung her blade, the tip of it agile and light in her hands even in her tired state. The dance was fast, beats sounding quicker in her head than she could respond.

She was going to fail.

At some point she thought she heard the sound of another sword drawn but she did not have time to respond, feeling the man's broadsword slice the outside of her arm as she failed to parry, the blade cutting deep into her skin and making her scream out in pain. She collapsed to her knees and thrust forward hastily, her own sword cutting the inside of the man's broad thighs before she drew it back into her chest. Her right arm weakened with the severed muscle and she shuddered, pressing one hand firmly against her arm and feeling the blood pulsate through her fingers. The man's enraged roar told her enough to know that her injury would weaken him, it would not be enough to finish him - she could only hope she had given Laela a stronger chance.

The tip of her sword shone a brilliant red under the light as she waited for Laela to finish the man, her other hand still bound tight against her arm. She barely had strength enough to push herself to her feet after the man had fallen, her body shaking wearily as she wiped her blade off on the sleeve of her dress to place it once more in her scabbard. With a soft breath she tore the sleeve off of her dress and wrapped it tight around her injured bicep, hugging the arm tight to her chest in an effort to still the pain. She would not bleed to death from her wound, but in her already exhausted state it was more dangerous than it should have been.

She stumbled back to Deek, her legs growing heavier by the minute, before she fell to her knees beside him. The combination of healing to the extent of her abilities and the last surge of adrenaline had sapped her of her last reserve and, with finality, she leaned against the wall beside Deek. The length of her uninjured arm pressing against his as her head leaned against the wall. Her breath was light in her chest, near enough to hyperventilation, as her hand vibrated by her side. er.

I came too close, she thought as she opened one eye to look at the blue Sitter and give her a thankful nod. I nearly gave up everything to save this one bloody man.

"I cannot make it to the tower this night, we either need a yellow sister now or to rest the evening. This..." She said weakly, her voice airy and near breathless. "This has taken all I have and then some."


Laela had immediately stood and turned around, instinctively grabbing onto the hilt of her Katana. She was slowed however when Deek had reached out to touch her arm... this gesture... what did he mean? What was he trying to tell her? Oh light don't do this now... she needed her concentration! Shaking this feeling she dares for only the barest of moments to turn her head and give him a crooked smile, and with that, she turned her facing and her expression changed into that of a predator. Her eyes grew fierce and her stance dropped low. She removed her sword from its hilt and prepared herself just as she realized that Sulinn had already moved in.

Unable to do much more than watch, as she was directly in Laela's path, she simply tried to position herself so that she wouldn't find Sulinn at the other end of her sword. She watched helplessly as Sulinn took a hit to her upper arm, and was sorry she couldn't do anything more. After Sulinn managed to get one last desperate stab in she pulled back and Laela found herself smiling crookedly. Now the game truly begins.

She took a mid guard position and made the first strike as he limped back towards her, his attention shifting to her once again. It seemed as though his shoulder was already injured... Deek's work perhaps? She knew that although he was more skilled than she, his injuries would get the best of him, and she had one thing that he did not.

Embracing the saidar, she channeled thick flows of earth and air into the ground before him. The combination of earth and wind caused him to stagger backwards and lift his blade to cover his face, and with that moment of weakness Laela struck with a forwards jab, but the man's blade remained true, deflecting her strike harmlessly to the ground, she had only moments to back away before he sent a large strike towards her left, and she'd only barely managed to get her attention focused enough to parry his shot with her sword.

Still holding onto saidar, she gathered up a small weave of fire and sprayed it at his feet, though without the time to concentrate she hardly had the time to form the weaves properly, but some of the balls of flame found their home and he had to stagger backwards once again. This time her strikes were quickly paced, never giving him more than enough of a chance to simply block and she'd had him backing away, but even with an injured shoulder, he was still meeting her blow for blow and she couldn't keep her pace up forever.

She had an idea and started a small trap, he would not be able to see the weaves as she prepared them, and she stopped her assault on him and took a defensive stance. She knew he was better than she was, and her life was in danger, and so there was nothing stopping her at this point. The bars of air she created were laid low to the ground, and she'd tied them off just as she needed all of her concentration to keep him from striking her. She began a slow retreat from the man, each strike taking her one more step closer to the bar of air.

She stepped daintily over the bar, only a hand or two high. It looked so natural nobody would have suspected anything, but just as he thought he'd had her, and taken one large step forward he stumbled over the unseen obstacle. She took his momentary lapse of balance and violently knocked his sword aside, and then took one large sweeping step forward and with one full stab her sword landed directly within his stomach, and poked out of his back. His eyes opened in surprise and she could hear the clatter of the sword as it hit the ground beside her.

She leaned in closer, pushing the sword deeper within him, though it would make little difference at this point. He seemed unable to make a sound other than a deep gurgling in the back of his throat, he finally looked at her, his eyes meeting the eyes of his killer for his final moments. As she gazed upon him, she smiled coldly.

"Had you left well enough alone, you would have escaped with your life today. Your persistence was your undoing," she smiled up to him.

He struggled with his lips, he smiled a cold smile, though his eyes betrayed the fear that he had in his last moments. Having put her part in, she gave the blade a twist, so that the sharpened end faced upwards, he gave a grunt, and blood that had been kept at bay finally forced itself out in a dark red gush, staining the front of her dress as the unpleasant warm liquid ran down her chest. She pulled the sword out in an upwards slice, the sharp blade cutting through his stomach, through his ribs and into his heart.

His innards spilled out into the cold air as his eyes gave one last surprised gaze into the cold night as his their flame was extinguish and his limp, lifeless body collapsed onto the ground before her, where she stood still, katana raised with the momentum of her final strike. She stood breathing heavily before she bent over and wiped the sword on his clothing, what wasn't covered with blood anyway. She sheathed her sword and turned to face the others.

"It will take a week to get this flaming stain out of my dress... the smell too. I liked the flaming thing..." she said as though noticing the stain for the first time, her demeanor immediately slipping back to her normal warmth.

She looked at them and sighed. "Should I carry you two than back to the tower?" she asked with a smile, finally feeling more comfortable as the adrenaline rush died down.


A smile slipped through his lips with the way that she had killed the man, he had not thought that she would have that in her to take a life in the manner that she did. It started to make him wonder if she was in the right mind to be one of his followers as well, though he had to cast that thought off as soon as it came. He knew her as someone that would never side with his like, and she was less likely to try to do anything that would make it seem as if she was. He already had the edge over her that he needed. All his pieces were beginning to fall into place, one by one.

He lifted his hand and placed it on Sulinn's shoulder. He knew that she would be no good to either of them in her condition, which was why he was happy that some of his strength was come back. He was not sure how but, it seemed that something about the two of them brought his strength back in a rapid session rather than a slow trickle.

He looked back at the man that was now lying on the ground, and he remembered why he had hired him in full detail. That man was going to be facing some charges for raping and murdering very young women, much younger than Deek would even think about going for. That was why he had no problem taking him in and making use of his skills to dispose of the bodies for him.

His eyes met Laela's as she turned back and let her words flow. He was sure that she had done that before, as calm as she was. That was something that you don't just do, it was something that had to be learned over time. He could still remember his first kill, not something he was proud of at the time.

"I am fine to walk now. My strength is beginning to return to me. I can assist you in taking her to the Yellow Halls. We need to make haste though, for she is losing more blood than she needs to be. If you would like, you could run ahead and get some more help while I carry her towards that direction." His voice was more steady than it had been in sometime. He was back to his usual self, as if nothing had changed in him. Even though there was a change, something that would affect him forever.

He looked into Laela's eyes as he waited for the answer, his hand still sat steadily upon Sulinn's shoulder. He kept it there more for a comfort state rather than anything else. He hoped that she was receiving the same feelings from it that he was trying to send to her.


She knew the man was dead, she had waited for his death before she retreated. She did not know if she was going to be forced to attempt something stupid - to channel or fight and die. She had sworn to stay alive for Garren, but in defense of her own life she had no choice. She knew not of the battle hardened self Laela presented, nor of her deft weaves of air that had both incapacitated and nearly killed the man who had injured her. All she knew, as she stumbled beside Deek, was that she had to stay awake.

As she leaned her head against the wall a deep shudder coursed through her body, a violent shiver that resulted from the increasing torrent of blood that poured down her arm despite her hastily contrived bandage. She knew not of herbal lore, nor did she know basic first aid, all she knew was that pressure helped.

But it was nowhere near enough.

As her body tried to adjust to the exhaustion her heartbeat increased, adrenaline still coursing through her even though blood poured out of her arm in increasing amounts. This wound should not be bleeding so much, she thought faintly as her mind grew more hazed by the second. Unless they used some kind of herbal poison to stop clotting?

She wouldn't put it past a darkfriend.

As she leaned against the wall, her breath hardly reaching her stomach, she closed her eyelids firmly against pale blue orbs. She struggled not to sag against Deek as she leaned against the wall, her head resting against firm bricks as she grew farther away from reality. Only once in her life had she been this useless and it was something that still terrified her. Her abduction, she remembered with a violent shake and a chatter of her teeth, when the poison had rendered her flaccid and entirely useless.

She could do nothing, she could hardly even breathe.

The Asha'man's arm wrapped about her shoulders and - despite herself - she slumped against him until her head was pressed carefully against his chest with one ear listening to his beating heart. IT was ridiculous to think that one simple healing had taken so much out of her, excessive even... She would have been surprised to hear someone make that claim had she not seen the man beneath her hands, had she not felt his blood and the touch of poison in her mind. She did not want to admit to herself why, nor did Deek, though it was simple. It was because he had been so near death.

"You saved me," she whispered to him as she looked up into his face behind long eyelashes - a bone deep weariness evident in the farthest reaches of her cold blue eyes, "and I saved you. We are even now."

She smiled weakly as Laela returned to their side, hearing the two of them speak to one another as if they were leagues away instead of a pace or two. Deek's voice rumbled in his chest as her body continued to sag against him, each muscle loosening in turn until she lost almost all control. Her eyelids fought against gravity, half-closing and then opening a few times before she finally surrendered.

"I need," she said softly as her eyes closed once more, her words airy as she mumbled a second time - struggling to finish something she could not quite form in her head. "I need...."

With finality she sagged against him - eyes slamming shut hard as dark hands pulled her into the blackness. This place, this darkness within her mind, was a dreamless world. A world partway between life and death where only the injured lived. She was alone here, completely and utterly alone.

Without Garren to save her.

Oh light, she thought in her mind as she half-awoke in Deek's arms before she whispered softly under her breath. IT was words that would barely reach his ears, words she did not intend to speak out loud - but valid words nonetheless. "I nearly burned myself out for you... Why?"

Why indeed, Sulinn Ailyana. Why risk yourself for a man you do not even know. A man that is neither lover nor friend, comrade nor enemy.

A man who made her soul scream.


Laela looked at the two of them and she thought that she'd heard her mutter something about him having saved her... she didn't let the irritation show in her eyes... had she not been there they could very well have wound up on the business end of the sword of that dead brute sitting behind her. Still, she didn't have time to get upset over such trivial nonsense. She quickly approached the two of them and it was quite obvious from a single look that Sulinn was losing blood, and Deek still seemed to be in a somewhat weakened state, though it seemed he could see, however. She wondered how much time she had at this moment...

She embraced Saidar and began to weave a gateway. It took a few moments of concentration, but the jump from here to the tower wasn't a large one. She needed to remember to open it outside of the tower grounds however, since directly woven gateways were warded against. She watched as the impossibly thin line began to spread, and she finally opened it up the length of the alleyway, so that she could safely carry Sulinn through.

"There is no time to waste, and I do not think you're in the right state to carry her over yourself. You should get yourself to the yellows. I'll carry her over myself... go ahead of me I'll take just a moment to get her ready..." she hesitated and adjusted the wrapping of her arm. Laela would have to get her to help quickly or she likely wouldn't survive. "Go Deek!" she shouted as she prepared her weaves, a thick flow of air that she was spiraling around the girl, so as to comfortably support her weight. "Hurry ahead, get a yellow and have them meet me... I'll be going the way of the front gates... hopefully they'll be able to meet me halfway. Time is short!" she shouted, not really giving him an opportunity to refuse.

She gently wove the air around her, starting with her feet and slowly moving upwards caressing her entire body with the weaves, slowly supporting everything up to her head, but not so tight that she would have difficulty breathing. She still moved beneath Sulinn as though she were really carrying her, but it simply made it easier for her to perform the weaves as needed, and for her to move her across, as gently as she could.

Carrying Sulinn in and of itself wasn't difficult, but what had presented her with some difficulty was moving her with the amount of urgency that she'd felt. Laela wanted to move quickly but in order to not further agitate the injury, Laela had crossed the weave over to help support her weight better, and the much more complicated weave that she'd devised was difficult to move at a normal pace. It was all she could do to simply keep concentrating and she finally moved her through the gateway, and making sure that Deek had crossed over to the other side before closing it off.

With her mind off the gateway she could move Sulinn a bit faster. She could see she was outside of the walls of the tower, and the front gateway wasn't too far away... that wasn't far away from where she had first met Deek... all those years ago. She pushed the old memory aside and continued pressing forth, Sulinn was quiet and still, but would occasionally murmur something that she didn't quite understand. She looked for Deek... had he gone ahead like she'd asked?


His feet and legs did not want to work the way that they should have. His hands only barely caught him as he fell into the Gateway. He stood to his feet to see that the Tower gates were right in front of his sights. Once back on his feet he found that his strength had been returning. He could fully stand now and could walk with much more ease. With a small weave of air he could run fast enough to get to the gates and get help for Sulinn.

The guards were not really sure what to make of a gate being opened right there in their sights and someone running straight at them. Deek posed them no threat, though they did not know it at the time. His voice was calm when he asked them for help. They told him that there was a door off to the side that always had a Yellow Ajah member there for emergency cases that came up like this one.

He knew that the sister or brother would be mad at him for breaking the door in the way that he did, though he would not be wasting any more time with trying to find help. He could not let her die because of him. He knew that if he would have killed that man when he had the chance then things would not be as they were at that moment. She would not be bleeding out and he would not have been blind like he was.

He rushed back to where Laela was with the Yellow member at his side. He took a spot standing right next to Laela while the man worked. It had been a long time since Deek had seen healing done like this. Lucan was the best healer that he had seen in awhile and Deek was sure that this man could rival Lucan's ability with healing.

It did not take very long for the wound to begin to heal up and not look anywhere near as bad as it did when Laela put Sulinn on the ground. That was when Deek knew that she would be alright, she was going to live. For all his buster about protecting her with his life for that night, he could not let her die that way. It was a relief when the man said that she would need to be taken to the Infirmary, and seen by them there for the more intense things that could be wrong with her.

It was better than her having died in some ally way in Hama Valon. That would be a horrible death for anyone, much less a Green Ajah aspirant.


The faint yellow glow of the infirmary flickered in the halls, turning white walls goldenrod yellow. she could smell antiseptic and hear the sound of moaning that echoed through the stone walls. Slowly, painfully, she lifted one arm to cross it over her eyes and she - too - moaned.

"Blood and bloody ashes," she said softly, vague memories flitting in and out of an aching skull as she opened her eyes. Two faces hovered over her, one far shorter than the other, and Sulinn narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Memories, faint memories that caressed only the outside of her knowledge, finally started to push through to the surface. "Oh light," she said softly as she caressed her temple with two fingers. "You two again," this time she laughed weakly - a noise that brought another migraine surging forward.

She braced her forearms against the bed and slowly pushed herself upwards, her head hanging between her shoulders, before a yellow sister came forward and pushed her back down. "You lay down Sulinn," the woman said firmly as she handed her a tincture that smelled more than a little like vomit. "This will stop the headache, we have been unable to get rid of it despite a second healing. Though, I am told, this is not exactly infrequent." Sulinn winced, the sisters all knew of her every ache and pain for she came so frequently. She downed the tea cup with an overt grimace, her stomach churning in disgust, before she set the cup down.

The Aes Sedai turned to Laela and Deek with a firm face. "She will be fine, but she needs sleep. Say your farewells, you may see her again tomorrow if you so desire. This tincture will knock her out in about a quarter-glass, so do not expect to stay much longer than that." She wagged her finger at them before turning on her heel, leaving Sulinn to stare after her in amusement as her headache started to dull.

"Harsh orders," she said softly as she pulled her dark hair over her shoulder, wishing - not for the first time - that Garren was back. How she longed for his strength now....

"Thank you," she said softly though a touch of the paranoid Sulinn still haunted the corners of her blue-gray eyes. "I appreciate you taking me back so promptly, both of you."


Laela didn't know how long she had waited beside the infirmary bed. Her eyes kept on wandering, switching from Sulinn and to the mountain beside her. She wasn't sure if he noticed her sidelong glances, and truth be told, she didn't care much if he did. She played with the ring on her finger, to remind her of the promise she'd made to Lucian, but her heart still pounded a bit when she looked at him. Well... there's no rule against looking, is there? she thought to herself.

She knew better than to allow for flights of fancy to take her mind to improper places. She couldn't help but wonder if things may have been different had she acted on her feelings for Deek before... would he have returned them, or was she simply another Accepted to him? His expression was frustratingly impossible to decipher. That touch upon her arm before... what did that mean? He obviously didn't know that she was betrothed, it was a closely guarded secret that only Sulinn knew of. What of the way he was caressing Sulinn? Such an improper display of affection between and Asha'man and an Accepted... it was so scandalous!

She wouldn't say anything, however, as Sulinn had kept her secret, Laela would keep hers. She was certain that it had something to do with that Ji'e'toh or... whatever it was called. She looked at him again, feeling her longing... why? How long had it been since Lucian had held her? She shouldn't even be having these thoughts! She knew there was one thing she must do, however.

"I am sorry, for everything that I did. I questioned you like a common criminal, when I should have known immediately that you were trustworthy," she shifted her gaze upward, her blue eyes sparkling as they met his. "If I hadn't led that other man towards you... Sulinn wouldn't have burned herself out like this, you wouldn't have gotten shot, and we wouldn't be standing over Sulinn at this moment. I am in your debt, both of you."

The paused to allow him to respond, or say what he would have to and not long afterwards Sulinn finally stirred, and she woke. Laela nodded to the rather stern instructions of the Aes Sedai, but she understood the necessity. She would have to stay her goodbye to Sulinn and see her again in the morning, which Laela noted she would do. She felt as though she needed to show this girl that Laela did indeed care.

She reached forward and caressed Sulinn's hair for a moment in a gentle, and hopefully comforting way. She leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead gently, not entirely sure how she would perceive the gesture, but it was supposed to be one of admiration and a bit of concern.

"You fought bravely Sulinn. You have much to be proud of. You have done more than we ever could have asked of you, and you will bring honor to whichever Ajah you choose," she was assuming green, but did not want to jump to any conclusions, and thereby insult the girl if she had guessed wrong. "I will visit you to check on your progress tomorrow, but for now, you should rest. You've earned it."

Laela herself was quite tired, as the adrenaline rush was wearing off, and as she stepped away from Sulinn, she looked to Deek and waited to see if he had last words that he wanted to ask. She thought that she would still have some words with Deek himself when he was through. Perhaps.


Deek stood above Sulinn and watched as she was helpless. He could not understand how one night had left them both so helpless in such a short amount of time. There was something about that night that just did not make sense. It was almost that those men were ready to be fighting people that could overwhelm them. Something was terribly wrong about those men that had attacked them. Deek knew that it was really his fault. Had he not left those three men alive then he would not be standing over Sulinn right now watching her at her worst.

He placed his hand on her forehead as he spoke to her. "I am sorry about this night. I hope that things go better towards your favor next time we meet. I guess that we both will have stories that we can tell people in the future."

He looked up at Laela and gave her a response to what she had said. "It is not your fault that you questioned as you did. If I were you I would have questioned just the same and not have thought twice until I was convinced that neither person was up to something darker. I understand why you acted like you did. That is your job."

He removed his hand from Sulinn's forehead and nodded towards the sister that told them to leave. He knew how things worked here. Lucan had been the head person in this place some years ago. He turned to leave the area so that everyone could carry on with what they were doing.

His hand reached out and touched Laela's shoulder, in a manner of comfort for her feelings about the words that she had chosen. "I am sorry for the events that you had to witness this night. I hope that our next encounter, or meeting, holds better fortunes for us both. I hope that we can meet again sometime and have a real conversation of some sort. You know, the way that we did the first time that we met. Though I would rather not be coming back from a form of punishment like I was then." His voice held a very soft tone with a hint of sarcasm in it. Even with all the events that had unfolded, before the three of them on that night, he still was able to think lightly on the subject and not hold anything hard.


Laela paused when she felt the sensation of his touch against her arm. A nearly tingling sensation rushed up to greet her, and she welcomed it, despite her promise to Lucian... seeing him this night had stirred up old memories and desires, but she knew she mustn't act on any of them. She slowly turned to face him, smiling gently at him as he spoke to her. Each word carefully formed as though to counter her own doubts. It was as if Deek knew exactly what she was thinking of herself in that moment.

Her smile wasn't the normal one she bore, of joy or true happiness, but it was one of soft compassion. She was glad for how things had turned out, in fact. She felt bad about what happened, but she couldn't have hoped for anything better, after all... they were all still alive. In the grand scheme of things, sometimes, that was all that one could ask for. It was certainly something that the surviving bandits would not be able to say, though perhaps they would understand how lucky they were that they managed to escape with their lives.

Tonight hadn't been the worst night of her life... nor the most difficult to bear. The hardest part had been that she'd nearly lost a friend to her own clumsiness. It hadn't been the first time she'd ended a life, and something that frightened Laela was that each time she had to do so... it grew even easier with each passing phase, but with Deek helpless, and Sulinn injured and bleeding out... Laela stepped forward to do what she thought she must. Laela didn't like that part of her... the part of her that found joy in combat, in killing. But even when all was said and done, she felt nothing. No regrets, no sadness, not even a lingering fear. Had she been hardened so much in her short time as Aes Sedai?

She didn't wish to keep Deek hanging, and there were things that she wanted to tell him, but she wanted to choose her words carefully. Men could easily misconstrue any sign of affection from a woman, and she didn't wish to complicate things, despite how accurate such feelings may be. She reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder, though she had to reach quite far upwards to do so. Light... I wish I weren't so small.

"I am just glad that we are all still alive to see this night end. The things I've seen weren't the worst I've ever seen, although certainly not the best," she grinned up at him. "You know, I sometimes wish we'd befriended each other sooner... I had just met you and not long after I heard you were raised to Asha'man, and I was fearful that you would have rejected the offer of friendship from a mere Accepted... but I see those fears were unfounded. Your kindness still shines through, the same that I had seen all those years ago," though she couldn't deny to herself that there was something off about him that bothered her... she wished it hadn't because otherwise... she could see herself having wound up in his arms as soon as she had Lucian's. "And I would love to see you again under less dire circumstances. If you should ever be needing me... when I'm not on official business I spend a lot of time in the gardens, if you should ever happen upon me there," she looked up to him in the dim lighting, and her eyes shimmered as she thought of something that had amused her for years on end. "If you're lucky, I'll have gotten an Accepted dress for you that I would love to see you wear," she smiled with a bright tone, remembering the punishment that he'd told her about so many years ago.

She walked closer to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace... perhaps a little too tight but after the night they'd had she was glad to be able to touch another human being in such a way. After several moments she finally stepped back and gave him one last look.

"Still," she said as she prepared to leave. "This will be one crazy story to tell your children some day, won't it?" she commented, stepping slowly away. "I hope to see you again soon, Deek. Take care."