This story takes place after Winter's Heart. Although the story centers, at
least for these first chapters, on other characters, it is still a sequel
to 'Asha'man Warder' and 'Bonded'. If you don't read those first, don't
complain if you're lost!
The Wheel of Time belongs to Robert Jordan, I just play here.
Chapter 1.
Gabrelle carried the tray with the pitcher of wine and the worked, silver goblets through the short halls. Whatever Taim called it, it was still a large farm house and the halls were not near as wide as those in a real palace would be, nor the rooms as large. Of course, the rich furnishings made up for a lot, she had no idea where Taim got some of the more elaborate pieces.
She had been at this undercover job for the better part of a week, and with little success. Taim really was suspicious, not of her in particular but of everyone, even his servants. A few days ago she had tried to get a look at his desk, remarking there were rings on it that would damage the wood if left alone -there had been rings, of course, she had made sure the goblets had been slightly wet when she had put them down earlier. But he had gathered up everything on the desk and cleaned it off before telling her to wax the whole thing. Another time she'd tried to take his coat away from him to have it cleaned, but he had quickly told her she could take it in the morning. Of course, there had not been as much as a scrap of paper in the pockets then. His room was clean of anything that held any information, and he never let her alone in his workroom.
Now, he had called for spiced wine and cups for two, and Gabrelle hoped the visitor he was expecting would be of use in her quest. She went into Taim's workroom, and put the tray down. A man she did not know was with Taim, a short man with an arrogant look, wearing enough lace for three men. He was certainly not one of the Asha'man, but he looked too sure of himself in this place to be a noble. For some reason, the man made her skin crawl. She knew she had to find out who he was.
Taim and his visitor had been speaking but they had broken off when she came in. She poured the wine for both of them and handed them their goblets, then tried to dally flicking at some dust on the fireplace. Not that there was a lot of dust there or anywhere, she'd been over this room at every opportunity and it would be hard to find a cleaner place in the Black Tower. Taim dismissed her impatiently. The visitor had ignored her, starting to speak again as soon as he had his wine, then throwing Taim an irritated look when he halted him. Gabrelle knew it was even more important to learn his identity, no one looked at the M'Hael that way, not where he could see. She bobbed a curtsy and left quickly.
Gabrelle went into the next room where she had set up some things for a situation like this. She pushed a heavy chair up against the door so no one could surprise her, threw a rag and a tin of floor wax down so she could explain the chair, and quickly, very quickly, made three swipes across the wood so she had indeed been waxing the floor -the Oaths really could be a pain sometimes. Then she crouched down close to the wall adjoining Taim's workroom. There was a knothole underneath the desk, just a couple hands above floor level. As she pressed her ear up against it she could not hear a thing, as she had expected Taim had warded the room.
For one moment she hesitated. A ward worked both ways, unless there was a specific need to make it one-way, and what she needed required only a very small amount of Saidar, but there were many Asha'man in the palace. If one of the stronger ones came through the hallway just then, would he be able to feel her? It was a risk, but not even an Asha'man would be unlikely to disturb Taim at this time, and she knew this visitor was important. Carefully she channeled the smallest tendril of Saidar, piercing the ward.
".the same numbers," a voice that was not Taim's said. "You promised me an army of dreadlords."
"It has been difficult since the Taint is gone," Taim's voice replied. "The protection the Great Lord provided was a powerful tool in getting and keeping a hold of them."
Gabrelle's breath caught. She had him, and she knew she should leave right then, but she was frozen in place, and continued listening.
"In my day we had many who were willing to serve the Great Lord for the power alone, it should still be enough in these days," the first voice said sharply.
"Of course, my Lord," Taim's voice answered quickly. "There will be no more delays."
"See that there are not," the first voice came back. "There will be a place among the Chosen only for those who do not fail. Next time I visit I expect at least twice the number."
"As my Lord commands," Taim's voice replied.
Gabrelle could hear from their tone they were about to break up. Light, what was she thinking? She should've been out of here as soon as she heard Taim name the Great Lord. She let go of Saidar and scooted away from the wall and the knothole. She grabbed the floor wax and rag in one hand, replaced the chair in one motion, then took a deep breath and tried to appear calm before going out into the hall. She left the room and had taken just a few steps when she suddenly heard Taim call out.
"Aby!"
She jumped, knowing at the same time that would give her away. For a moment she considered making a run for it, but the corner of the hall was too far away, she would never make it. She would have to talk her way out, or face what would come. At least Logain would know if anything happened to her. She turned.
"I am sorry my Lord, I had not heard you," she said, her face smooth again.
"Take the tray and cups with you. I do not need them anymore," Taim ordered.
"Yes, Lord," she managed, curtsying. She returned on her steps, picked up the tray, and took it away, all the time expecting to be stopped, shielded, wrapped in Air or far worse. Nothing happened. She took the tray to the kitchen and then sneaked out the back door.
Taim waited only until she had left his workroom before he called Valen. The Soldier entered immediately.
"That woman who just left, Aby, she's a spy. Follow her, she will go either to the village or to Caemlyn. As soon as you know which, kill her. Whatever happens, make sure she does not get to her destination," Taim told him.
Valen saluted, turned on his heel and left. He did not ask questions and Taim did not expect him to.
As the Soldier was gone, a moment of doubt took Taim. Should he have taken the woman right here? No, he had enemies in more than one place and he wanted to know who had sent her, this was quicker and easier than making her talk. He also rather would have her killed away from the palace. Valen had been a thief and a mercenary, he would easily be able to handle the woman.
The Wheel of Time belongs to Robert Jordan, I just play here.
Chapter 1.
Gabrelle carried the tray with the pitcher of wine and the worked, silver goblets through the short halls. Whatever Taim called it, it was still a large farm house and the halls were not near as wide as those in a real palace would be, nor the rooms as large. Of course, the rich furnishings made up for a lot, she had no idea where Taim got some of the more elaborate pieces.
She had been at this undercover job for the better part of a week, and with little success. Taim really was suspicious, not of her in particular but of everyone, even his servants. A few days ago she had tried to get a look at his desk, remarking there were rings on it that would damage the wood if left alone -there had been rings, of course, she had made sure the goblets had been slightly wet when she had put them down earlier. But he had gathered up everything on the desk and cleaned it off before telling her to wax the whole thing. Another time she'd tried to take his coat away from him to have it cleaned, but he had quickly told her she could take it in the morning. Of course, there had not been as much as a scrap of paper in the pockets then. His room was clean of anything that held any information, and he never let her alone in his workroom.
Now, he had called for spiced wine and cups for two, and Gabrelle hoped the visitor he was expecting would be of use in her quest. She went into Taim's workroom, and put the tray down. A man she did not know was with Taim, a short man with an arrogant look, wearing enough lace for three men. He was certainly not one of the Asha'man, but he looked too sure of himself in this place to be a noble. For some reason, the man made her skin crawl. She knew she had to find out who he was.
Taim and his visitor had been speaking but they had broken off when she came in. She poured the wine for both of them and handed them their goblets, then tried to dally flicking at some dust on the fireplace. Not that there was a lot of dust there or anywhere, she'd been over this room at every opportunity and it would be hard to find a cleaner place in the Black Tower. Taim dismissed her impatiently. The visitor had ignored her, starting to speak again as soon as he had his wine, then throwing Taim an irritated look when he halted him. Gabrelle knew it was even more important to learn his identity, no one looked at the M'Hael that way, not where he could see. She bobbed a curtsy and left quickly.
Gabrelle went into the next room where she had set up some things for a situation like this. She pushed a heavy chair up against the door so no one could surprise her, threw a rag and a tin of floor wax down so she could explain the chair, and quickly, very quickly, made three swipes across the wood so she had indeed been waxing the floor -the Oaths really could be a pain sometimes. Then she crouched down close to the wall adjoining Taim's workroom. There was a knothole underneath the desk, just a couple hands above floor level. As she pressed her ear up against it she could not hear a thing, as she had expected Taim had warded the room.
For one moment she hesitated. A ward worked both ways, unless there was a specific need to make it one-way, and what she needed required only a very small amount of Saidar, but there were many Asha'man in the palace. If one of the stronger ones came through the hallway just then, would he be able to feel her? It was a risk, but not even an Asha'man would be unlikely to disturb Taim at this time, and she knew this visitor was important. Carefully she channeled the smallest tendril of Saidar, piercing the ward.
".the same numbers," a voice that was not Taim's said. "You promised me an army of dreadlords."
"It has been difficult since the Taint is gone," Taim's voice replied. "The protection the Great Lord provided was a powerful tool in getting and keeping a hold of them."
Gabrelle's breath caught. She had him, and she knew she should leave right then, but she was frozen in place, and continued listening.
"In my day we had many who were willing to serve the Great Lord for the power alone, it should still be enough in these days," the first voice said sharply.
"Of course, my Lord," Taim's voice answered quickly. "There will be no more delays."
"See that there are not," the first voice came back. "There will be a place among the Chosen only for those who do not fail. Next time I visit I expect at least twice the number."
"As my Lord commands," Taim's voice replied.
Gabrelle could hear from their tone they were about to break up. Light, what was she thinking? She should've been out of here as soon as she heard Taim name the Great Lord. She let go of Saidar and scooted away from the wall and the knothole. She grabbed the floor wax and rag in one hand, replaced the chair in one motion, then took a deep breath and tried to appear calm before going out into the hall. She left the room and had taken just a few steps when she suddenly heard Taim call out.
"Aby!"
She jumped, knowing at the same time that would give her away. For a moment she considered making a run for it, but the corner of the hall was too far away, she would never make it. She would have to talk her way out, or face what would come. At least Logain would know if anything happened to her. She turned.
"I am sorry my Lord, I had not heard you," she said, her face smooth again.
"Take the tray and cups with you. I do not need them anymore," Taim ordered.
"Yes, Lord," she managed, curtsying. She returned on her steps, picked up the tray, and took it away, all the time expecting to be stopped, shielded, wrapped in Air or far worse. Nothing happened. She took the tray to the kitchen and then sneaked out the back door.
Taim waited only until she had left his workroom before he called Valen. The Soldier entered immediately.
"That woman who just left, Aby, she's a spy. Follow her, she will go either to the village or to Caemlyn. As soon as you know which, kill her. Whatever happens, make sure she does not get to her destination," Taim told him.
Valen saluted, turned on his heel and left. He did not ask questions and Taim did not expect him to.
As the Soldier was gone, a moment of doubt took Taim. Should he have taken the woman right here? No, he had enemies in more than one place and he wanted to know who had sent her, this was quicker and easier than making her talk. He also rather would have her killed away from the palace. Valen had been a thief and a mercenary, he would easily be able to handle the woman.