The Wheel of Time belongs to Robert Jordan, I just play here.
Chapter 7
After an hour Sheriam looked composed as they went back to the Amyrlin's tent. All the others were already present, and someone had placed a couple full pitchers of wine and water on a tray in the corner. Siuan looked at her thoughtfully, but not accusingly. Of course she would have been told everything by now but she did not judge people easily, thank the Light. Sheriam sat down, but Jahar remained standing.
"If you would assume the shield and web again," the Amyrlin asked him.
"Yes Mother," Jahar answered.
Sheriam could not see him channel, of course, but she did feel his brief concentration as he used the weaves he had just learned this morning. Then Jahar nodded to Janya and the shield Sheriam could see winked out.
The Amyrlin started to question Delana -who she knew, what she had done, how long she had been with the Black. Often Siuan would ask a question as well, but Sheriam just observed. Most of the answers were useless, or only of academic interest, and Delana seemed to know very little. Sheriam was certain she was not holding back; the woman fell all over herself to answer and she almost cried when she felt her answer was not satisfactory. This was just sick, Sheriam thought after listening for a while to Delana's over- zealous answers. The woman had done this, and worse, to her, but Light! She still felt uneasy about doing it herself. Compulsion was a filthy thing, even when necessary.
Suddenly she thought of something. "Delana, did you have any others... like me?" she asked.
Delana shook her head. "I did not. Halima did," she said.
The Amyrlin looked startled, Siuan annoyed at not having thought of that question before. "Who?" Siuan shot back before anyone else could.
"I only know one by name. A soldier under Lord Bryne from Shienar, Ragan. She had others I think, all in the soldier's camp, but that is the only name I know."
"Would he be released now she is dead?" the Amyrlin asked.
"I don't think so, the weaves are tied," Delana said. "I doubt they would dissipate over time, not Halima's."
The Amyrlin frowned. "Kwamesa, go find Ragan and get him in here."
Kwamesa nodded, got up and left.
"Could Jahar undo the Lock?" she asked Delana next.
"Maybe. It is hard to see once it is woven. Maybe Halima did not hide her weaves so well with no male channeler around. I will explain how it works as well as I can," the Black replied.
The Amyrlin looked at Jahar questioningly, but he shrugged. "I won't know until I see him."
"Yes, of course," the Amyrlin said.
"I will have to be able to concentrate," Jahar said. "If Janya would take over the shield again? If I tie the other web, it will remain in place long enough before it dissipates."
The Amyrlin gave a brief nod toward Janya. "Do it," she said, and Janya channeled Saidar around the Black sister.
Soon after, Kwamesa entered with Ragan, who looked absolutely terrified. "You wanted to see me, Mother?" he asked. Sheriam could imagine the man's terror; no doubt he knew exactly why he was here, or had a good notion, but he just could not say or do anything about it. "We know about Halima and we know you can not talk about it. We will not make you. Jahar here will try to undo this Lock, as we call it."
Ragan looked from her to Jahar and back again. "He will?" he started. Of course, many still were uneasy about a man channeling. "But," he tried, and choked as of course he could not say anything else.
Jahar stepped over in front of him. "Do not try to speak of it. Just hold still and I will do everything that is needed." He looked over his shoulder at Delana.
"Look for something like a string, a circlet, with three knots in it. From what I understand it looks like that because of the anatomy of the subject, so it should look similar when woven with Saidin," Delana explained.
Jahar probed carefully with flows of Spirit. Twice he went over the man from head to toe, but he did not see any weaves, string, knots or anything else for that matter. Then, finally, one of his probes touched something. But however he tried, he still could not see the weaves. He was sure it was Saidin, but. Light, she must have inverted the weaves! He had unravelled inverted weaves once before, in the Stone when he had retrieved Callandor, but you had to know exactly at what point the weaves were held when the inverting was done to reverse it. Or at least, that was how he had done it that time, with precise instructions from the Lord Dragon. Jahar was not sure how to make the weaves visible again without first knowing how or where they had been tied.
"The flows are inverted, where do I hold them to undo that?" he asked.
Delana shook her head. "I don't know, Halima never taught me that."
"We take a hold of the weave and kind of flip a flow of Air around it, inside out, then when we have to undo it there is a little tag left we can search for," the Amyrlin explained. "But I do not know if it is the same for you."
"You know how to invert weaves?" Janya asked incredulously, looking at the Amyrlin.
The Amyrlin wove her hand in dismissal. "Later," she told Janya, without looking at her. "Is that any help?"
He shrugged. For Callandor, the weaves had been mostly Spirit and Fire, not Air. Once again the difference between Saidar and Saidin was too great. He carefully probed the knot, found the tendril that formed the string, and the next knot. The weaves were easy enough to feel once you knew they were there, but there was nothing that felt familiar. He went over the whole circle again, but no luck. Hm, wait a minute. who said he would have to see the weaves to untie them? It was quite possible to untie knots on a saddlebag or other rope in the dark, just by touch. Sure, it was easier when you could see what you were doing, but it was possible. He would have to try a similar thing here. He probed the first knot again, carefully, weaving Saidin in thin strands that poked at the invisible knot. He closed his eyes and moved his hands as if he really were feeling for rope in the dark. Of course, he knew none of that was necessary, but it seemed easier that way. There, at one point it the knot felt different. He pushed the strand of Spirit into the invisible weaves and wiggled it a little. The knot seemed to give. Slowly, he worked a little more flows in the opening he had made. The knot loosened further, and suddenly it came loose easily. One down, two to go. He followed the invisible strand to the next.
Without warning, Ragan turned and tried to run. Jahar grabbed him by the arm, but the man was strong. He did not think he could divide his flows right now. The next instant Ragan stopped fighting him.
"Got him," Sheriam said. "I'm sorry, I should have expected something like that from a man who did not know what was going to happen to him."
"I still have the flows," Jahar replied, then went on picking at the knots.
Now he had the first one untied, the others were easier. A little easier. He could follow the long tendril in and work from there. Soon he had the second one untied, and the third. He stepped back and let go of Saidin.
"Done," he announced. He stepped back, and Sheriam came forward.
"You can talk now. We know what Halima did and you are not the only one. We do not blame you for what you could not help. But we do want to know how she got to you, and if there are any others you know about. Do you think you can sit down and answer our questions?"
Ragan still looked ready to run, but he answered "Yes Aes Sedai." Sheriam released him and he sat down heavily on the nearest chair.
"It was back in Salidar, during the festivities after the Amyrlin was raised. She danced with everyone but when I invited her to my tent she accepted immediately," he started with trembling voice. "Light, I did make it easy for her. She just smiled and did something -she must have channeled, and suddenly I was telling her all kinds of things about Uno, the strength of the army, I just could not help it. Then when she finally left I tried to run to Uno to tell him and I found I could not do that, either."
"We know she had others, do you know who?" the Amyrlin asked him next.
"Yes Mother," Ragan said. "She mentioned Edo and Mertyn often enough, I think she enjoyed telling me she had others like me."
"Edo the quarter master?" Siuan asked. "And Mertyn, he is the Yellow Sitter's servant?"
Ragan nodded. "That is them."
"Go get them," the Amyrlin ordered. Kwamesa had already stood up as Ragan mentioned the names and left immediately. "Can you handle two more?" she asked Jahar.
"Yes, Mother," he replied. Truth to tell he was getting a little tired. He had been channeling most of the day, and difficult weaves at that. He was glad he had channeled frequently again for the past week. He would manage a little more.
"Janya, you go with Ragan and find out what else he knows," the Amyrlin said. She looked at Delana. "I will take her shield. We should get more out of her too, but it is getting late. Siuan, would you get Myrelle and Nisao in here? We will give her over to Myrelle and Kwamesa for further questioning and I guess Kwamesa will want Varilin to be involved in that as well, and Nisao can take care of Mertyn."
Siuan grabbed her cloak and went out, and Janya left with Ragan. "There is one man who will not fall for a pretty wench for a long time," the Amyrlin said as they had gone. "How did she get you?" she asked Sheriam.
Jahar tensed and started to object, but Sheriam stopped him. "It is all right, Jahar. She has a right to know."
"I went to all the Sitters to talk about the meeting with the Andoran nobles as we had agreed on," Sheriam started. "As I came to her tent, she was with Halima. She actually looked surprised, I wonder if she had been looking for an opportunity to catch me alone. " She glanced at the Black who nodded. "Well, I made that easy for you," Sheriam snapped, then continued. "I saw her grab the Power of course, but I had no idea what she intended and before I knew it she shielded me and held me in flows of Air. Then she started to weave this Lock. I did not know what it was at the time, but she was having a hard time with it. She almost let the shield slip but she noticed it just before I could break through. Halima just watched. I guess she would have caught me even if I had been able to break though Delana's shield. She then compelled me to tell what I knew of you, and instructed me to report to her regularly about your plans. When she let me go I found I could not tell you or anyone else. I tried to leave as many duties as I could to Siuan, what I did not know I could not give away." She shuddered. "Then Delana thought I was holding back, as if her compulsion left me any choice but to tell everything I could not avoid hearing. She tried to beat the information out of me."
Jahar had heard it all before, that morning after Delana had undone the Lock. But he still snarled softly and glared at the Black sister, who tried to shrink back but was still held by the flows of Air.
The Amyrlin flinched in sympathy, and she glared at Delana as well. "Light, her and Halima really had their dirty hands on all of us." She looked as if she wanted to say more, but broke off as Kwamesa entered with the two men she had been sent to get.
This time, Sheriam held the two of them right from the start. It was a little easier to untie the invisible weaves now that he had done so before, but it still took Jahar some time to work the knots loose. He first undid the Lock on Edo, the quartermaster, and the Amyrlin sent him off with Siuan, who had by that time returned to the tent. Myrelle and Nisao were loudly demanding to know what was happening, and the Amyrlin and Kwamesa were explaining, but he paid little attention at what was going on around him as he removed the Lock from Mertyn. When he was done, Nisao took the man with her. He let go of Saidin thankfully. Those last two had been a strain, and he leaned on a chair in front of him.
Myrelle stood next to Delana, Kwamesa behind her. "If he," she gestured to Jahar, "holds the compulsion on her, then he should come with us for her interrogation."
"Not tonight," Sheriam told her. "The web is tied off and she is still quite responsive. If it does dissipate, you will just have to use other methods until tomorrow."
Jahar almost started to say he could check the weaves before they left, but he was not sure he could do even that. He tried not to show how tired he was, especially in front of Myrelle, but Sheriam of course knew. "And you are going to get some rest," she told him. She laid her hands on him and he felt a brief tingle through his body, erasing the small strains in his arms and hands from the brief struggles he had had, but the weariness did not go away. "It does not do much for the weariness caused by channeling," she said. "Go now." He inclined his head and left.
Several hours later, Sheriam woke him with food. "You feel almost as tired as I am," he remarked.
"I am," Sheriam said. "But it is not from channeling, I can keep going."
Jahar frowned. "I should learn that thing you did earlier," he said. Sheriam blinked in surprise, she clearly had not thought of that. "It is no substitute for sleep, but yes, that would be a good idea. Later," she added firmly, as if he could possibly have tried a new weave at this time.
Chapter 7
After an hour Sheriam looked composed as they went back to the Amyrlin's tent. All the others were already present, and someone had placed a couple full pitchers of wine and water on a tray in the corner. Siuan looked at her thoughtfully, but not accusingly. Of course she would have been told everything by now but she did not judge people easily, thank the Light. Sheriam sat down, but Jahar remained standing.
"If you would assume the shield and web again," the Amyrlin asked him.
"Yes Mother," Jahar answered.
Sheriam could not see him channel, of course, but she did feel his brief concentration as he used the weaves he had just learned this morning. Then Jahar nodded to Janya and the shield Sheriam could see winked out.
The Amyrlin started to question Delana -who she knew, what she had done, how long she had been with the Black. Often Siuan would ask a question as well, but Sheriam just observed. Most of the answers were useless, or only of academic interest, and Delana seemed to know very little. Sheriam was certain she was not holding back; the woman fell all over herself to answer and she almost cried when she felt her answer was not satisfactory. This was just sick, Sheriam thought after listening for a while to Delana's over- zealous answers. The woman had done this, and worse, to her, but Light! She still felt uneasy about doing it herself. Compulsion was a filthy thing, even when necessary.
Suddenly she thought of something. "Delana, did you have any others... like me?" she asked.
Delana shook her head. "I did not. Halima did," she said.
The Amyrlin looked startled, Siuan annoyed at not having thought of that question before. "Who?" Siuan shot back before anyone else could.
"I only know one by name. A soldier under Lord Bryne from Shienar, Ragan. She had others I think, all in the soldier's camp, but that is the only name I know."
"Would he be released now she is dead?" the Amyrlin asked.
"I don't think so, the weaves are tied," Delana said. "I doubt they would dissipate over time, not Halima's."
The Amyrlin frowned. "Kwamesa, go find Ragan and get him in here."
Kwamesa nodded, got up and left.
"Could Jahar undo the Lock?" she asked Delana next.
"Maybe. It is hard to see once it is woven. Maybe Halima did not hide her weaves so well with no male channeler around. I will explain how it works as well as I can," the Black replied.
The Amyrlin looked at Jahar questioningly, but he shrugged. "I won't know until I see him."
"Yes, of course," the Amyrlin said.
"I will have to be able to concentrate," Jahar said. "If Janya would take over the shield again? If I tie the other web, it will remain in place long enough before it dissipates."
The Amyrlin gave a brief nod toward Janya. "Do it," she said, and Janya channeled Saidar around the Black sister.
Soon after, Kwamesa entered with Ragan, who looked absolutely terrified. "You wanted to see me, Mother?" he asked. Sheriam could imagine the man's terror; no doubt he knew exactly why he was here, or had a good notion, but he just could not say or do anything about it. "We know about Halima and we know you can not talk about it. We will not make you. Jahar here will try to undo this Lock, as we call it."
Ragan looked from her to Jahar and back again. "He will?" he started. Of course, many still were uneasy about a man channeling. "But," he tried, and choked as of course he could not say anything else.
Jahar stepped over in front of him. "Do not try to speak of it. Just hold still and I will do everything that is needed." He looked over his shoulder at Delana.
"Look for something like a string, a circlet, with three knots in it. From what I understand it looks like that because of the anatomy of the subject, so it should look similar when woven with Saidin," Delana explained.
Jahar probed carefully with flows of Spirit. Twice he went over the man from head to toe, but he did not see any weaves, string, knots or anything else for that matter. Then, finally, one of his probes touched something. But however he tried, he still could not see the weaves. He was sure it was Saidin, but. Light, she must have inverted the weaves! He had unravelled inverted weaves once before, in the Stone when he had retrieved Callandor, but you had to know exactly at what point the weaves were held when the inverting was done to reverse it. Or at least, that was how he had done it that time, with precise instructions from the Lord Dragon. Jahar was not sure how to make the weaves visible again without first knowing how or where they had been tied.
"The flows are inverted, where do I hold them to undo that?" he asked.
Delana shook her head. "I don't know, Halima never taught me that."
"We take a hold of the weave and kind of flip a flow of Air around it, inside out, then when we have to undo it there is a little tag left we can search for," the Amyrlin explained. "But I do not know if it is the same for you."
"You know how to invert weaves?" Janya asked incredulously, looking at the Amyrlin.
The Amyrlin wove her hand in dismissal. "Later," she told Janya, without looking at her. "Is that any help?"
He shrugged. For Callandor, the weaves had been mostly Spirit and Fire, not Air. Once again the difference between Saidar and Saidin was too great. He carefully probed the knot, found the tendril that formed the string, and the next knot. The weaves were easy enough to feel once you knew they were there, but there was nothing that felt familiar. He went over the whole circle again, but no luck. Hm, wait a minute. who said he would have to see the weaves to untie them? It was quite possible to untie knots on a saddlebag or other rope in the dark, just by touch. Sure, it was easier when you could see what you were doing, but it was possible. He would have to try a similar thing here. He probed the first knot again, carefully, weaving Saidin in thin strands that poked at the invisible knot. He closed his eyes and moved his hands as if he really were feeling for rope in the dark. Of course, he knew none of that was necessary, but it seemed easier that way. There, at one point it the knot felt different. He pushed the strand of Spirit into the invisible weaves and wiggled it a little. The knot seemed to give. Slowly, he worked a little more flows in the opening he had made. The knot loosened further, and suddenly it came loose easily. One down, two to go. He followed the invisible strand to the next.
Without warning, Ragan turned and tried to run. Jahar grabbed him by the arm, but the man was strong. He did not think he could divide his flows right now. The next instant Ragan stopped fighting him.
"Got him," Sheriam said. "I'm sorry, I should have expected something like that from a man who did not know what was going to happen to him."
"I still have the flows," Jahar replied, then went on picking at the knots.
Now he had the first one untied, the others were easier. A little easier. He could follow the long tendril in and work from there. Soon he had the second one untied, and the third. He stepped back and let go of Saidin.
"Done," he announced. He stepped back, and Sheriam came forward.
"You can talk now. We know what Halima did and you are not the only one. We do not blame you for what you could not help. But we do want to know how she got to you, and if there are any others you know about. Do you think you can sit down and answer our questions?"
Ragan still looked ready to run, but he answered "Yes Aes Sedai." Sheriam released him and he sat down heavily on the nearest chair.
"It was back in Salidar, during the festivities after the Amyrlin was raised. She danced with everyone but when I invited her to my tent she accepted immediately," he started with trembling voice. "Light, I did make it easy for her. She just smiled and did something -she must have channeled, and suddenly I was telling her all kinds of things about Uno, the strength of the army, I just could not help it. Then when she finally left I tried to run to Uno to tell him and I found I could not do that, either."
"We know she had others, do you know who?" the Amyrlin asked him next.
"Yes Mother," Ragan said. "She mentioned Edo and Mertyn often enough, I think she enjoyed telling me she had others like me."
"Edo the quarter master?" Siuan asked. "And Mertyn, he is the Yellow Sitter's servant?"
Ragan nodded. "That is them."
"Go get them," the Amyrlin ordered. Kwamesa had already stood up as Ragan mentioned the names and left immediately. "Can you handle two more?" she asked Jahar.
"Yes, Mother," he replied. Truth to tell he was getting a little tired. He had been channeling most of the day, and difficult weaves at that. He was glad he had channeled frequently again for the past week. He would manage a little more.
"Janya, you go with Ragan and find out what else he knows," the Amyrlin said. She looked at Delana. "I will take her shield. We should get more out of her too, but it is getting late. Siuan, would you get Myrelle and Nisao in here? We will give her over to Myrelle and Kwamesa for further questioning and I guess Kwamesa will want Varilin to be involved in that as well, and Nisao can take care of Mertyn."
Siuan grabbed her cloak and went out, and Janya left with Ragan. "There is one man who will not fall for a pretty wench for a long time," the Amyrlin said as they had gone. "How did she get you?" she asked Sheriam.
Jahar tensed and started to object, but Sheriam stopped him. "It is all right, Jahar. She has a right to know."
"I went to all the Sitters to talk about the meeting with the Andoran nobles as we had agreed on," Sheriam started. "As I came to her tent, she was with Halima. She actually looked surprised, I wonder if she had been looking for an opportunity to catch me alone. " She glanced at the Black who nodded. "Well, I made that easy for you," Sheriam snapped, then continued. "I saw her grab the Power of course, but I had no idea what she intended and before I knew it she shielded me and held me in flows of Air. Then she started to weave this Lock. I did not know what it was at the time, but she was having a hard time with it. She almost let the shield slip but she noticed it just before I could break through. Halima just watched. I guess she would have caught me even if I had been able to break though Delana's shield. She then compelled me to tell what I knew of you, and instructed me to report to her regularly about your plans. When she let me go I found I could not tell you or anyone else. I tried to leave as many duties as I could to Siuan, what I did not know I could not give away." She shuddered. "Then Delana thought I was holding back, as if her compulsion left me any choice but to tell everything I could not avoid hearing. She tried to beat the information out of me."
Jahar had heard it all before, that morning after Delana had undone the Lock. But he still snarled softly and glared at the Black sister, who tried to shrink back but was still held by the flows of Air.
The Amyrlin flinched in sympathy, and she glared at Delana as well. "Light, her and Halima really had their dirty hands on all of us." She looked as if she wanted to say more, but broke off as Kwamesa entered with the two men she had been sent to get.
This time, Sheriam held the two of them right from the start. It was a little easier to untie the invisible weaves now that he had done so before, but it still took Jahar some time to work the knots loose. He first undid the Lock on Edo, the quartermaster, and the Amyrlin sent him off with Siuan, who had by that time returned to the tent. Myrelle and Nisao were loudly demanding to know what was happening, and the Amyrlin and Kwamesa were explaining, but he paid little attention at what was going on around him as he removed the Lock from Mertyn. When he was done, Nisao took the man with her. He let go of Saidin thankfully. Those last two had been a strain, and he leaned on a chair in front of him.
Myrelle stood next to Delana, Kwamesa behind her. "If he," she gestured to Jahar, "holds the compulsion on her, then he should come with us for her interrogation."
"Not tonight," Sheriam told her. "The web is tied off and she is still quite responsive. If it does dissipate, you will just have to use other methods until tomorrow."
Jahar almost started to say he could check the weaves before they left, but he was not sure he could do even that. He tried not to show how tired he was, especially in front of Myrelle, but Sheriam of course knew. "And you are going to get some rest," she told him. She laid her hands on him and he felt a brief tingle through his body, erasing the small strains in his arms and hands from the brief struggles he had had, but the weariness did not go away. "It does not do much for the weariness caused by channeling," she said. "Go now." He inclined his head and left.
Several hours later, Sheriam woke him with food. "You feel almost as tired as I am," he remarked.
"I am," Sheriam said. "But it is not from channeling, I can keep going."
Jahar frowned. "I should learn that thing you did earlier," he said. Sheriam blinked in surprise, she clearly had not thought of that. "It is no substitute for sleep, but yes, that would be a good idea. Later," she added firmly, as if he could possibly have tried a new weave at this time.