DisclaimerI do not own Bleach, Wheel of Time, or any of the creations from the great minds of Tite Kubo and Robert Jordan. I am merely a humble fan, molding their ideas into creations of my own in hopes of entertaining others. While I do own my OC's and ideas, I'm not making any money off them. So please, enjoy the story but don't sue me. XD


Right-o, so here's chapter Nine. Sorry (again) for being such a space cadet.
It's been a rough year, what can I say?

Thanks to everyone who left a review for the last chapter! Every last
one of them brought a smile to my face.

Special thanks to oOLadyLuckOo/WannaBeNinja for reading and rereading
this chapter every time I made a change. And especially for that last
analyzation of Nelisande and Kamavon's feelings. Much obliged.

:D


Chapter 9 – Balance

Making her way back to her rooms while maintaining outward calm was draining. The week's worth of work had finally paid off but Light if it hadn't been a heated dance from the start! If she had more time, things would have gone much smoother. Nelisande had not liked some of the things she'd done to achieve her goals, but the ever turning Wheel of Time had not given her a real choice. Perhaps that was why she still felt a heavy tension floating around her instead of relief. Guilt. She would have much preferred to ask the man right out for permission to bond him but she knew that she'd have only been laughed at for her trouble. Or killed on the spot. The man was absolutely repulsed by her and her kind. They were only humans to him, after all.

When Retsu Unohana had come to meet him earlier in the week under the guise of having tea, Nelisande sensed an opportunity and seized it. Something strange was going on, and she felt Retsu was the key to it. Curious, she'd laid out a weave of air with just a hint of fire, using a gemstone as a conduit, and directed it at the two as they sat in the garden while she remained hidden from view. Although heavily discouraged, nearly every Aes Sedai knew a weave for eavesdropping and made good use of it. Nelisande was no exception.

Once, one of the servants had nearly come across her, forcing her to move or explain why two disembodied voices were floating around her. That meant being seen by the very man she was spying on, but she'd counted on him assuming she was too far away to matter. Apparently, he did just that.

Sniffing in disapproval, she twitched her skirts much like an angry cat did their tail. For a moment that guilt lessened considerably. The fool's mistake was thinking she did not matter. By and large, women were underestimated as opponents in battle; literal or otherwise. He'd learned today just how grave a mistake he'd made in thinking her too insignificant to be of note. Today, he'd been bested by a human woman. That had unnerved him more than anything.

Upon reaching the room in which her companions waited, the door slid open and her other Warder came bursting out. He'd been increasingly agitated during her visit with Byakuya, and at one point she thought surely he had decided to ignore her order and was coming to "save" her. His impatience had been continuously rising even as she made her way back, too. At least he waited until she was just outside the door before rushing out. Without even a word of greeting, he began inspecting her neck, frowning as if he could already see the bruises. There might well be some, eventually. Not enough time had passed for them to show against her skin yet. He'd felt Byakuya's hand on her throat clearly; felt it crushing her as if it had been his throat in a vice instead. In a way, it had been. Thank the Light he trusted her enough to obey her command to wait.

Zhai stuck her head out after him, her expression harried until she laid eyes on Nelisande. Those dark eyes lit up with what could only have been relief. When she spoke, her voice confirmed it. "Thank the Light," she half whispered. "I almost didn't believe him when he said you were here. It could have just been a ruse to get me to let him go."

Now that sounded interesting. Let him go? Looking the big man in the eye, Nelisande watched him wilt ever so slightly under her gaze. So much for trust.

"He was going to kill you, Nelisande! I could not just sit by while–!"

Cutting him off with a glare and a pointed finger, she directed them both back into the sitting room. They were not going to discuss this in the hallway where anyone could hear. Kamavon already had a stubborn look in his eyes by the time he was ushered in. The man wasn't going to back down. Zhai exchanged a look of sympathy with her. Only a few days with a Warder and already she understood how trying they could be at times.

Sitting up against the wall, Zhai's Gaidin appeared surprisingly peaceful by contrast. In fact, it almost looked as though he were napping. Only the tiny smile that graced his features when his Aes Sedai drew near said otherwise. Perhaps Zhai was doing a better job managing him than she predicted. He certainly seemed completely at ease with her. At least one of them had an obedient Warder!

Taking hold of Saidar once again, she prepared to spin a ward against eavesdropping and stopped. It had been days since Zhai had last known the sweet ecstasy that was the One Power. On the first day after her recovery, she couldn't have embraced the Source if she'd tried. Nelisande had made certain she did not that day, or those that followed. Not until she deemed her well enough to do so. Looking to her friend now, she quietly asked for her to ward the room. Delight flashed across the other woman's face for a brief moment before she schooled her features properly. Nelisande let that pass. They were in private, after all. However, if the woman let herself go often enough in private, she'd soon start slipping in public and that would never do.

Once they were assured privacy, Zhai tied the weave off and reluctantly released Saidar. Her reluctance was nearly as obvious as her excitement at being granted permission to touch it once again. It was a tantalizing thing, Saidar. Always it beckoned, crooning to each and every sister who knew its joys. Saidar was life amplified, pleasure defined. In merely embracing it, a woman was rewarded with a heightened awareness like no other. Colors became brighter; images sharper; sounds clearer. Everything was just so crisp. All else paled beside the pleasure Saidar could bring. Letting go of it was often a daunting task, one that required immense willpower. That is why only the strongest women actually became Aes Sedai, as their training and testing was an extreme test of their capabilities.

The price every Aes Sedai stood to pay if they were not strong enough to know their limits was steep. So steep that while every sister knew it, few spoke of it. Just thinking of it was enough to twist even a steel-clad stomach into knots. Death, which was entirely possible, would be a blessing when compared to a life without being able to touch Saidar. If one drew too deeply on the Source it was liable to sever them from it, if it did not kill them outright. When that happened by accident, it was called being burned out. Women who were unfortunate enough to experience this tended to vanish from the Tower completely and the White Tower made no effort to keep up with them. It was well known that few survived the trauma, and those that did lasted but a few miserable years. The Light send that never happen to her. Nelisande would rather open her own veins than try to live without Saidar. She had little doubt most other sisters felt the same way. Saidar was life.

The room had descended into silence as she mused, which she finally noticed thanks to another spike in Kamavon's patience levels. Covering her moment of absentmindedness by clearing her throat, she inclined her head to Zhai as thanks before she actually spoke.

"I believe our host has learned his lesson," she began, sending Kamavon a significant look that suggested Byakuya might not be the only man learning a lesson today. "He will aid us in escaping, if grudgingly. Byakuya Kuchiki may be a pompous mule of a man, but he has sense enough to know when the odds are against him."

Renji's eyes had snapped open when she spoke, his jaw hanging until she finished. She was surprised he waited that long. The boy lacked patience and respect, and had often interrupted her in previous conversations. Yes, Zhai must be have him well in hand now.

"You mean...Captain Kuchiki? He is going to help us? How did you manage that? Shit, what if he finds out–?"

Forestalling him with an upraised hand, Nelisande gave them all a brief recap of what had just occurred. If Zhai's Warder had been surprised at hearing of his Captain's aid, he was shocked to his toes to learn that the man had been bonded. Letting out a low whistle, he shook his head after a moment.

"Knowing the Captain, I'm surprised he didn't kill you anyway. With the way he acts, he would probably rather be dead than be under the thumb of some..."

His words trailed off when he realized just what he was going to say. Every eye in the room was on him, and every one flattened in disapproval. His mouth opened, shut, then opened again. The boy looked much like a fish, wide-eyed and gaping. A very red fish, as his face had turned a deep shade of crimson to match that fiery red hair of his.

"Uh, well... I mean, you know how he is already. That guy thinks everyone is beneath him."

Surprising herself, Nelisande spared him further embarrassment by agreeing with him on that count. He flushed again at that, and once more when Zhai reached out to pat him on the knee. The red flooding his cheeks was almost outdoing the vibrance of his hair. The boy did speak sense. Byakuya Kuchiki was by far the most arrogant man she'd ever met. After pitting herself against him as she did, then bonding him and truly experiencing his power, she could see why. Reveling in his overwhelming strength was what kept her from slumping all the way back to her rooms. It was almost as exhilarating as Saidar. Power on that level, coupled with his high birth made arrogance an almost inevitable trait. When you really were better than everyone else –in those aspects, at least– it would be difficult not to fall into the habit of staring down your nose at others.

"Be that as it may, he is no fool. Despite some minor difficulties–"

"Minor? Peace! The man strangled you, Nelisande. How can you call that minor? Had I been there, as I should have been, he wouldn't have dared to lay a hand on you."

This time she ignored the interruption. Her hand itched to touch her throat, to soothe the ache Byakuya's firm grasp had left. Instead, she straightened her skirts needlessly and decided it was time to have a little talk with Kamavon. Later in the day would have to do, since they had company for the moment. Had the lummox been there, he would have ruined everything. A bruised neck and a few moments of dizziness were reasonable price to pay, considering what had been bought.

"Despite some minor difficulties," she began again. "The man has been successfully leashed. As much as a lion can be, of course. Tread lightly around him, leash or no. He was none too pleased with me, and hopes to find some way to chew through that leash. He'll not find one, but in trying he may bring suffering to more than just himself."

Zhai chuckled before reciting a familiar quote. " A man is the easiest animal to put on a leash, and the hardest to keep leashed."

"Hey!" Renji protested. "Who're you callin' an animal?"

The look she gave him in return appeared to be Aes Sedai coolness on the surface, but a tiny hint of mischief lay just beneath it. Kamavon expressed his thoughts on the matter by way of a sour grunt. Peace! The man was becoming downright petulant.

"How very fitting, although leashing him wasn't what I would consider easy," Nelisande murmured. "Right now he feels like a bear with a sore tooth. It still pains him to have lost to one such as I," she said, adding mock emphasis to her words. "So he is brooding. I should hope that brooding was related to our planned departure but it's too soon for that. I shall have to remind him on the morrow. That should give him plenty of time to recover. He is a strong man, at least."

She could not keep the pride out of her voice. Kamavon could dislike the man all he wanted but he would come to respect that strength eventually. It would keep them alive. She was sure of it. After all, it wasn't as though she'd given him much of a choice. Save them all or suffer the same consequences as they. Which, according to Renji, was an untimely death.

They spent the following hours discussing the route they would take back to the Traveling stones and possible hinderances along the way. Nelisande kept her own tabs on the bundle of sensations that was Byakuya, feeling him grow more focused by the hour. The Light send his focus be on the same thing and not worrying over his own escape. She'd bless him out if he was wasting time on such foolishness as that!


-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-


Zhai and her Warder departed not long after their midday meal, which she still ate with enthusiasm. Renji no longer seemed surprised by her appetite. A touch amused, but he was growing used to it. The two of them both grumbled over the excess of spice used in the food –neither sharing a particular fondness for it– yet they ate it all the same. Both Nelisande and Kamavon had spent a summer in Arad Doman in their childhood, so they were more than accustomed to the piquant flavors. Even the unusual utensils they were expected to eat with. Here they were called chopsticks, though she knew them as sursa. Domani had a flair for the dramatic, striving to be different in every way even down to bloody utensils. Despite knowing how they were used, Nelisande still felt clumsy maneuvering them. Fool things, they were.

Half muttering to herself over it even after the meal, she left Kamavon in the sitting room watching the servants who'd begun clearing away plates. She hardly expected Byakuya to sneak in an assassin among them now, but the cool-eyed Warder would not take that chance. It was his duty to look for and expect danger at every turn. Gaidin were rarely seen at their ease. 'A lion on his hill and a Warder at his ease'; a saying she'd heard once before, although no one seemed to know what the remainder of it was. Not that it was really necessary.

Kneeling in front of a small table simply carved of a dark wood she did not recognize, Nelisande picked up an ivory backed mirror and gave her neck a close study. As she suspected, a dark mass of bruises shaped to fit those almost delicate hands of Byakuya's had imprinted themselves on her skin. She could have asked Zhai to Heal them away –the Sea Folk woman's skill in Healing was minimal at best, scrapes and bruising being about her limit– but she kept them as a private penance. Aes Sedai occasionally set themselves such punishments to help maintain balance. They were expected not to need discipline, as their arduous training should have ironed out any such problems. The Amyrlin and the Hall dispensed punishment typically in the event of a severe crime. Then, you could expect birching at best, stilling at worst. Neither of which was pleasant. Private penance would have to do for the little things.

She assigned herself this penance to try and balance the wrong she had done to him. It was not truly wrong, just not the way things should be done. Her motives were not as pure as they should have been, either. Part of her wanted him simply for the additional leverage it would give them. If it came down to it, she could use that bond to compel him to obey. She'd add another penance to herself if it came to that; the Light send it did not.

Power was another obvious reason. Every Aes Sedai wanted to be sure the men they selected as Warders were actually capable of wearing that mantle. They were not called Gaidin without reason. If a man could barely keep from stabbing his own foot with a sword, you could hardly count on him to be your Brother to Battles.

It wasn't that she had only wanted to be certain of Byakuya and his strengths. Her eyes were sharp and her intuition keen. She'd watched him like a hawk from the moment she'd laid eyes on him. Him, and every person he interacted with. How others treated him spoke volumes. His rank did as well. What tainted the power motive, was that she had learned what he truly was. She believed Renji now, despite wishing he'd been making it all up at the time. Among men, they were gods. She'd seen their power with her own eyes, now. What Aes Sedai would pass the opportunity to have a god on a leash? A faithful hound that could outshine even the sister he was bonded to. She certainly would not miss the chance of a lifetime. In fact, if she had her way, she would not stop at Byakuya.

In both cases, she was using him. But then, isn't that what the Gaidin were for? If their Aes Sedai did not make use of them, they would serve as nothing more than companions. That thought, as well as their current predicament kept her from setting a harsher penance for herself. It would not do if she denied herself Saidar for a month when they might have need of it today.

She had to wonder what would happen when they returned to Tar Valon. What would the Amyrlin think of these godlike Gaidin? The current Amyrlin had been raised from the Blue, not the Green, but Nelisande had to wonder if even she would be tempted to send sisters back here hunting for more. An alliance between this Gotei Thirteen and the White Tower would make even the Dark One tremble. Already, she was making a mental list of what sisters would make excellent candidates for such a mission, and how many. Mostly Green, of course. No other Ajah would bond more than one man and the Red wouldn't even do that much. Grays, as their skill in negotiation would be an absolute must. The Browns would be beside themselves over an entire new race to study. The Amyrlin would certainly want some of the Blue to be included, and the Yellows would be curious to learn of the Healing techniques in this world. Perhaps a White or two, to prevent them from feeling slighted.

Movement reflected in the mirror caught her attention. As well she'd been staring straight at it, or she wouldn't have noticed Kamavon entering until he was on top of her. Perhaps if she'd been paying attention, the bond would have alerted her, but her mind couldn't have been further off. For a moment, she kept up the facade, pretending she had not noticed him yet while using that time to study him. His face was blank but his mind was a jumbled mass of emotion. Concern, anger, resentment, frustration and... She slapped the mirror back on the table as she muddled out that last sentiment. Burn him! It would snow in Tear before she acknowledged the last, though it did answer a few questions that had been floating in her mind. It was growing harder and harder to ignore that feeling.

Despite the crack of the two objects colliding, the man did not feel startled. Likely he had not believed she was that absorbed in her study to begin with. Either way, he took the action as permission to venture further into her room.

Growing up in Shienar, men were not allowed in the women's quarters unless summoned. Some of the older serving women would actually stand guard at the entrance in the event of some fool man deciding he did not want to wait for a message to be delivered and returned. Men could be such impatient creatures at times. It had taken Kamavon little time at all to adjust to the arrangements they'd begun since she'd bonded him. A Warder needed to be close at hand in case his Aes Sedai had need of him, so his rooms now connected to hers no matter where they went. It had emboldened the man, to an extent. He hardly knocked before entering these days.

"I noticed you did not ask Zhai to Heal you."

"You always did have keen eyes," she replied acerbically, keeping her back to him. Peace if her tongue hadn't grown sharper since arriving here. She should not be snapping at him so, even if he deserved it.

But since when had he wasted time stating the obvious? Was the man just trying to dance around the real topic? There was little doubt what that would be, of course. He'd been both angry and frustrated with her since being made privy to her plans. She'd not predicted being injured in the process but since she had, he seemed to be taking the stance that she should have listened to him and taken him along.

"That would not have happened had you allowed me to go. A Warder's place is at his Aes Sedai's side! How can I protect you if you do not let me?"

"If I had allowed you to go, you'd have likely attacked the man and gotten yourself killed in the process. A Warder's place is wherever his Sister tells him it is, yet you still question me? You cannot protect me from the grave, Kamavon. Have you already forgotten observing the man training the other day? I could not keep up with his movements. They are unnatural. If you raised your sword against that man, you would be dead before you even knew it."

Resentment coalesced in the bond, fine skeins of anger threading in with envy to form one massive ball of hatred. He was making no effort to disguise his feelings in the least. The man purely despised Byakuya, that much was obvious. What shone through the most, however, was his jealousy. It didn't feel as though it stemmed from Byakuya's physical prowess, either, and it was more than just a feeling of neglect. Why, it almost felt as though he resented no longer being her only couldn't be certain, but it minded her much of the heartache she'd felt all those years ago when she learned she was being sent to the White Tower. Not sorrow for going to Tar Valon, but for leaving behind the life she'd intended on leading. With Kamavon. The feeling radiating from him was so powerful she could nearly taste it! Standing, she turned to face him, shock barely kept from her expression.

"Are we not in enough danger already, Nelisande? Now you have gone an angered one of these Light-forsaken creatures. Do you really think you can control him? Do you?"

Taking in deep, concentrated breaths one at a time to calm her racing heart, Nelisande struggled to speak. To say something. Never before had she felt any emotion from him so strongly. She felt as though she'd been hit square between the eyes. Had the man always been masking his emotions? Keeping them muted so she would not have to deal with them? Or at least, so that she could feign ignorance of them. It was as if he'd flung wide a sluicegate in these last moments, releasing a flood of emotions down on her. It was impossible to ignore something you were drowning in.

"Well?"

"What I did needed to be done to ensure our safety," she finally replied, amazed at how steady her voice was. "He had been coerced by Mistress Unohana just to keep us here, and he was growing impatient. Maybe I can control him, maybe I cannot but he will think twice before sentencing us to death when his head hangs in the balance!"

Her fingers twitched irritably the moment the words were out of her mouth. The last thing she'd intended to do was admit how fragile her position was. Shifting her stance, she pushed her shoulders back to stand strong and defiant, despite how paralyzed she felt. He would not intimidate her, he would not! Of course, that is precisely what he did. Of course. Moving to stand directly in front of her, he reached over and took her by the chin, lifting her head he forced her to look directly into his eyes. That, or drop her gaze, which she could not bring herself to do. Those frigid eyes held her tightly. Perhaps more so than his hand's gentle grasp. It was shaming to realize that is all it took for him to knock her off balance.

"So, you have the wolf by the ears. How long do you think you can hang on? What will happen when you finally lose your grip?"

"That will not happen."

This time, her voice was a tremulous whisper. Burn him! Why must he stand so close? There was a possessiveness in his stance, in his grip, that made her tremble more than his words could. They were just a distraction, by comparison and he bloody well knew it. She had always known he was an observant man; skilled and intelligent to boot. She just never anticipated him using those abilities against her. Why would her own feelings not stay stuffed down in the far reaches of her mind where she left them? All he had to do was crook a finger and they came right back to the surface. Burn him for it!

He must have sensed her frustration coming to a head. Who was she trying to fool? Of course he did! Whatever his thoughts or reasons, the sigh he heaved sounded resigned. He didn't step back, but he moved on to a different vein. Slightly different. His words finally matched up with his emotions, at least.

"I cannot share you, Nelisande."

"You don't flaming get a choice in the matter, do you?"

Inwardly she winced, wishing she could just saw her tongue right off. The man was playing his cards masterfully, getting under her coat and making her flounder. As if he wasn't already aware of his success, the reappearance of the crude language she'd picked up from her father's soldiers as a child was confirmation enough. It wasn't the most colorful bits she knew, but voicing them aloud was as good as telling the man he'd won. At least he could not hear the slew of epithets she continued to growl in her head. Not that it helped matters any. How was this happening? All her years training to become Aes Sedai only to find herself fumbling like a bull-goose ninny in an disagreement with her own Warder. This was a worse penance than she could have ever invented for herself. Light!

He laughed, either at her coarse language, her emotions or her expression. Maybe all three. It was a rich, beautiful sound that any other time might have made her smile. This time it only made her utter defeat that much more clear. Light it was humiliating.

"Only you would consider this a battle, Nelis. Don't look at me like that, I know you better than you know yourself. You are Aes Sedai to your bones, determined to control every aspect and manipulate everything as you see fit. Even matters of your own heart."

"This has nothing to do wi–"

Nelisande halted mid-sentence with a strangled grunt, her windpipe closing up long enough to cut off the lie that was about to leap off her tongue. Now that was the last brick on the cart that broke the axle. Summoning up every scrap of dignity she could muster, she lit into the man.

"Kamavon Shinowa Gaidin! As my Warder, your duty is to serve me as I see fit. To go where I order, to draw your sword at my command and to prevent any would-be attackers from actually doing me real harm. It is not your place to question my every decision or try to undermine them. You accept and obey. Those decisions are rarely made without a great deal of forethought and until now, you've never actually questioned my abilities. Perhaps it is that you have somehow forgotten that I am Aes Sedai and confused me with some featherbrained chit you can dandle on your knee. I can only hope you've seen the err of your ways."

The anger she felt did nothing to calm her, anymore than delivering such a sharp lecture did. It hurt him, but how could he not see that it was for the best? A clean wound heals quickest and hurts shortest, they say. Once his head was clear of those foolish notions he was harboring, he could focus on doing what he was supposed to do. And she could work on forgetting every last bit of it.

Her words certainly had the desired effect, by all appearances. There was a flash of anguish, and then all of those emotions were sucked back into the bottle he must have been storing them in all these years. Finally, he released her and stepped back a proper distance. Clinging to her dignity and anger was all that kept her shoulders from falling in relief, now.

"Forgive me, Aes Sedai," he said stiffly, holding one fist to his heart in a formal salute.

Dismissing him with orders to remain out of her sight until summoned, she was so eager to see the back of him, she nearly tossed him out of her room physically. She couldn't have made the cut any cleaner for him, but she could not help but feel a raw, jagged tear within herself. That, she banished just as quickly as she had him.


A/N: So, a much shorter chapter than the last but it felt like a good stopping point. Chapter 10 is sitting in WannaBe's inbox, awaiting her proofing, but hopefully I can have that up in the near future. Chapter 11 is still in the works. ^^

Thanks again to those who took the time out to review the last chapter.


Lagniappe:

Sursa – Chopsticks, basically. The country of Arad Doman uses these to eat with, and the food there is known for its spiciness. I have a feeling Byakuya would be in heaven there. As far as food is concerned, at least.

Burned out – It is possible for an Aes Sedai to have her connection to Saidar severed both temporarily or permanently. A shield cuts them off for as long as it is present, but if the connection is completely severed that's it. They're no more than a plain old human at that point. That would also mean that a preexisting, Saidar based connection such as the Warder bond, would be severed as well. To the Warder, it would be the same as their Aes Sedai dying and have the same effect on them. (So, death or insanity for the Warder)

A woman can be burned out by drawing in too much of the One Power, by experimenting with it, or by experimenting with items that were made by the OP. It is also a capital punishment, but when it is done intentionally they call it stilling. (Or gentling, for male channelers)

Healing – It is considered a Talent, among Aes Sedai. Some have it, some don't. Zhai can barely Heal bruises or scrapes, whereas Nelisande was able to bring her back from the brink of death. Skill in Healing is not directly effected by how much strength in the One Power an Aes Sedai has.

Birching - Birching involves the person being stripped, stretched tight on a triangle – in the New Spring graphic novel #5 this is shown to be a pyramid - and then flogged while the initiates of the Tower watch. As a deterrent to others, a ward may be woven over the area to hold in the punished person's howls (New Spring, Changes). The Traitor's Court and the Grand Hall are two places birching takes place. Crimes for which birching may be the punishment include rebellion, running away (for novices and Accepted), gentling and/or killing a male channeler without taking him to Tar Valon for trial, Compulsion and punishing or coercing another with the Power. It often precedes exile. – taken from The Thirteenth Depository site (It was an excellent article)

WoT Timeline - For the WoT fans to give them an idea of how my OC's fit in with the timeline in Randland. ^^ This should also eliminate any questions about what my Aes Sedai may or may not know, such as the side effects of the Oath Rod. Nelisande and Zhai are unaware of them, as these things are not discovered until much later in the series.

821 NE – Tianorin Lounalt born

837 NE – Tianorin sent to White Tower, becomes a Novice

842 NE – Tianorin raised to Accepted

848 NE – Tianorin raised to Aes Sedai, joins Brown Ajah

949 NE – Tianorin bonds Tsūretsu Hogosha

957 NE – Whitecloak War

967 NE – Kamavon Shinowa born

968 NE – Travels of Jain Farstrider published

969 NE – Zhai din Eiran born

972 NE – Tigraine Mantear vanishes

973 NE – Tamra Ospenya succeeds Noane Masadim as Amyrlin Seat

975 NE – Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche raised to Accepted

976 NE – Beginning of the Aiel War; Nelisande Togita born

978 NE – King Laman killed/ End of Aiel War; Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon and Perrin Aybara born; Moiraine and Siuan raised to Aes Sedai, join Blue Ajah

979 NE – Sierin Vayu succeeds Tamra Ospenya as Amyrlin Seat

981 NE – Egwene al'Vere born; Jain Farstrider vanishes

983 NE – Zhai sent to White Tower, becomes a Novice

984 NE – Marith Jaen succeeds Sierin Vayu as Amyrlin Seat

988 NE – Siuan Sanche succeeds Marith Jaen as Amyrlin Seat

989 NE – Nelisande sent to White Tower, becomes a Novice

993 NE – Nelisande raised to Accepted

995 NE – Zhai raised to Accepted

996 NE – Nelisande raised to Aes Sedai, joins Green Ajah and bonds Kamavon Shinowa

997 NE – Logain Ablar declares himself the Dragon Reborn

998 NE – Zhai raised to Aes Sedai, joins Brown Ajah; The Eye of the World; The Great Hunt

999 NE – Nelisande and party activate Portal Stones; The Dragon Reborn