Chapter 3

Kaiden and Saml sat at the table in the cluttered workshop for hours that day, not noticing the time pass because of the never changing warm lights that illuminated the room. The table in front of them was scattered with dozens imperfect and half-made ter'angreal beside dwindling piles of things both expensive and inexpensive.

They did notice the time, however, when the door opened to show a figure silhouetted in the dark doorway. The figure went unnoticed though until it spoke in a high, commanding voice, though it was not unkind.

"Saml and Asha'man Kaiden, I'll only bother you shortly. I'm merely interested in seeing what you've done, since it sounds very interesting indeed."
"I, oh no, I'm only a Dedicated, Elayne Sedai" Kaiden said, stammering the start of the sentence until he seized the Power to steady himself. He let go of the source at a look from Saml though, but maintained the void, attempting to ignore the glow of Saidin just out of sight and the other man's amused smile.

What Kaiden had heard of Elayne could only pale in comparison, she was every bit as Aes Sedai as a woman could be, as well as having the dignity and self-confidence of every Queen of Andor before her. Her red gold hair flowed free behind her and down her shoulders onto the stately green dress, in usual Andoran style, that she wore. She wore no jewelry other than the golden Great Serpent ring that all Aes Sedai wore on their hands, it showed her status as Aes Sedai better than her face which had yet to fully take on the ageless quality. The smile on her full red lips, certainly practiced in nature still reached to her sapphire blue eyes. He was glad that he was in the void, or else he doubted he could keep himself fully composed.

"I beg your pardon then Dedicated. What have you produced so far?" Elayne said.

"I'm ashamed to say we've made little progress today, Elayne Sedai. These are the best we've created" Saml said, gesturing to two palm sized metallic discs with differing thicknesses.

"That's a good start. What can you do with them?"

Even in the void, Kaiden was tempted to beam, but seeing how Saml looked he maintained his calm composure.

"If I may show you?" Saml waited for Elayne's nod before grabbing the two ter'angreal and handing one to Kaiden. "This one…" he turned stone faced and wove tiny flows of air which touched his shining disc, causing him to raise two finger widths off the ground like on a platform. "That's the extent of what it does, I can't move at all, if I want to stay in the air. The other on is a bit different."

Kaiden took the cue and channelled equally small flows of air into his disc. At once his feet left the ground, though there still seemed to be a solid platform underneath him as he drifted forward. He removed the flows from the disc long before he got near to Elayne, but still nearly stumbled into her, much to his embarrassment. He needed to stop flying into people.

"I'm impressed," she said, causing pride to flutter along outside the void even stronger. "It's a promising start that hints at great things to come. I'd like you to stay here, Kaiden, and work with Saml further, if your teachers will allow."

Excitement wasn't just skittering outside the void, it was invading it and he let the void go, not even trying to suppress his smile. He'd get to not just see more of the castle, but stay in it and get to work on something he was actually good at. Well, he wasn't able to make ter'angreal, but he could help and the very prospect was better than anything he could have imagined. No longer would he be forced to aimlessly create weaves making little pops, bangs or flashes of light.

"I'd be happy, or uh, honoured to stay. Or, well, if Damer allows it I'll stay Elayne Sedai."

"That's good to hear, I'll speak to Asha'man Damer and have a servant show you to your rooms. The castle should have anything you need, but if not send someone back with Asha'man Damer to get what you need," she said.

"I shouldn't need anything, Elayne Sedai, the light illumine you," he was getting better at holding his excitement in. He was sure after a few days the novelty would wear off, but for now it was still new and he couldn't get over the he was meeting almost the closest thing to the Dragon Reborn. Well, she was nothing like him, but she'd know him and it was rumoured that she'd birthed two children to him, though some attributed them to a lover she'd taken from the Queen's Guard.

The door to the unconventional workshop opened up and in stepped two figures. Kaiden attributed the goose bumps on his skin subconsciously to a breeze from the door until his conscious mind told him that there was no breeze. At least one of the two figures was a woman and they were holding the Power.

"Link!" Shouted Elayne.

Kaiden was flustered, he didn't know what she meant by saying link and who were the two who'd just stepped into the room. Then it clicked in his mind and he let himself be drawn into a circle, sitting on the edge of the void and then tumbling into it as he began drawing more power than he'd ever before. The furious torrent rushed through him sharpened his senses, his eyes, his ears and he could make out that the two figures were a man and a woman in leathers and silks.

Besides the familiar torrent, he felt a sweet and unfamiliar sense of life that could only be Saidar. It was amazing to experience, that such delicacy could also hold so much power. It made him want to weep tears of joy to feel the two juxtaposing powers flowing through him, but he knew it wasn't the time and schooled himself to the icy calm required to channel.

Through the circle he felt Elayne's emotions, a tangle of anticipation, surprise and for the most part, anger. Just the fraction of a second later he felt Saml slip into the circle, with emotions much like his own of confusion and anxiety. In front of them he could already see the flows of the Power sweeping and stabbing from the man and woman towards the three of them as Elayne sent back weave after complex weave at the pair who now appeared visibly sweating after just second.

"Leave with us now and we'll have no future problems," the woman said, strain obvious in her voice.

"You're in no position to be setting terms. Allow yourselves to be shielded and you may receive leniency." Elayne said, each strike of the Power becoming more and more aggressive while the flows from the pair become more and more defensive.

The two pushed out enough of the Power to momentarily send Elayne, Kaiden and Saml reeling back a few steps as Elayne formed a barrier of air in front of them to prevent a follow-up, but the two darted from the room without another attack.

Elayne hiked up her skirts, called for the two men to follower her and set out from the room at a run. Outside the room they saw the fleeing couple through a gateway, but strangely the gateway came out at the far end of the corridor. They hurried after the two at full tilt, Elayne sending fireballs in front of them, but the two jumped into yet another Gateway which opened up onto a green countryside.

Elayne let out a loud curse, a curse Kaiden was surprised, even in the moment, to think that such a Queen or Aes Sedai would know. As they approached the Gateway at the far end of the hall Elayne slowed, the Gateway looked wrong.

"Back!" She ordered, alarm and fear radiating through their bond in the circle and the two men doubled back without delay.

She channeled a door open that was about halfway back to the workshop open so they took the cue and almost fell into it, though Kaiden looked over his shoulder to see that the Gateway wasn't just turning in on itself as they usually do, but unravelling, threads of Saidin and empty patches which could only be Saidar flailing in the air.

They stood in the unfurnished room, panting and bewildered on Kaiden's and Saml's part. Kaiden felt apprehension from Elayne but as the seconds ticked past it lessened until at last she seemed to have deemed it safe to look out of the room into the hallway.

There was nothing to be seen in the hallway and after a few more moments Elayne scowled and let the circle dissolve.

"What was that? If you don't mind me asking, Elayne Sedai." Concern and worry were strong in Saml's voice, but for the most part he seemed composed on the surface.

"Velina Behar," Elayne said with disgust. "She was a sitter for the White when Elaida was Amyrlin as well as member of the Black Ajah."

"But what was wrong with the Gateway?"

"She unravelled it so that we couldn't possibly know where it leads. If she'd done it improperly half of the castle might have been blown apart or we could have been severed." Elayne didn't shiver but the implication was in her voice. Stilling might now be fixable, but it was never desirable.

Kaiden felt goose bumps again and was about to enter the void until he saw the one holding Saidar was Corele and following her was Damer, jogging, sword bouncing at hip with another dozen of the Queen's Guard.

"They're gone," Elayne said before the approaching mass had come to a full stop. "Light only knows how they got here without anyone knowing. I might have to take the Amyrlin up on her offer for a few sisters around the castle."

"I'll see to it," Corele said, leaving as soon as she'd arrived with her usual swiftness.

"Kaiden, Saml, you can go to your rooms now. Thank you for your help and work, I look forward to what you can do in the future," Elayne said, clearly a dismissal.