((Here is what a lot of you were obviously waiting for and wondering about. The Reason why the Tower did not gentle Zarkot. I don't care if you people do not like the fact that he can channel or not.he can.))

Sierin Vayu looked up as the Keeper said, "Lyrenna Sedai to see you, Mother."

"Thank you," Sierin said. "You may leave us." The woman's face twisted, she hated leaving the Amyrlin alone, but she did as she bid. "So Lyrenna," Sierin said, looking down at the paper. "What is it this time?"

"The Reds are pestering me about Zarkot again," Lyrenna said, her green eyes angry. "They are trying to gentle him again! That is the fifth time in two years! You must do something about it."

Sierin's dark eyes went wide and she looked up. "This is not good," she said. "For sixteen years we have managed to keep him here and they have argued but have not tried to interfere. Now the Reds are. What do we do?"

Lyrenna's eyes were still angry when she said, "Is there any other choice, Mother?"

Sierin's eyes went even wider. "You want to actually tell them?" she demanded. "What do you wish to happen? They will not understand."

"Not all of them," Lyrenna said. "That would be absolute madness. Only one Sitter for each Ajah should be told."

Sierin sighed and passed a hand over her eyes. "Fine then Lyrenna," she said. "The Sitters will be called together and we will tell them why Zarkot cannot be gentled. We will tell them of it within the hour. Go and inform them."

Lyrenna bowed and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

An hour later Sierin walked into her room to see the faces of each main Sitter of each Ajah. Blue, Red, Green, Brown, White, Yellow and Red. Lyrenna was there as well, making two Greens.

Sierin said, "Lyrenna has told you why you were called here. To discuss this young man." She waved her hand and the image of Zarkot appeared in the center of them. "A man who can channel. I know many of you fear this and stay as far from him as possible. Several of you probably wish more then anything that he was gentled."

"Why don't we gentle him, mother?" the Red Sitter, Oein, asked. "He is a male who can channel. He will go mad from touching saidin. I am surprised he is not already."

"He will not go mad anytime soon," Lyrenna said firmly. "Zarkot's mind is as sane as yours. His case is special, he has been channeling since the age of ten, along with his sister, Jeriana."

"That is unusual in itself," the Brown Sitter, Aglen, said. "I have been trying to determine exactly why those two were able to channel at such a young age, along with that other girl, Liandrin. It is most unusual."

"We should never have allowed Zarkot to learn here," Oein said hotly. "A male who can channel is a danger to us all."

"Zarkot lived here since he was a babe," Silin, the Yellow Sitter, said, "Putting him out of the Tower would have been indecent of us. Besides, what harm has he done to us? I have felt his mind many times and there is not even a bit of madness there."

"Why don't we allow the Amyrlin to tell us why exactly he is here?" suggested Meria, the White Sitter, coolly. "I am sure she will tell us all that she believes we need to know."

Sierin nodded gratefully to Meria. "Zarkot cannot be gentled because he is a very important thread in the Pattern. He and his sister are both ta'veren."

There was a collective silence. Then Oein said, "You cannot possibly believe that this boy is... The Dragon Reborn?"

"No," Sierin said, shaking her head. "Zarkot is most definitely not the Dragon Reborn. But he is a descendant of none other then Lews Therin Telamon."

Opposite of a moment before the room broke into loud yells as people expressed their opinions on that. "Impossible." "Outrageous!" "How can that be?" Were a few of the things flying around.

Sierin held up her hand and after a few minutes quiet resumed. "I know that it is hard to believe, daughters. But it is true. One small child, Jamina Telamon, escaped the wrath of her father. We believe that her aunt shielded her body. The aunt died, but Jamina survived. She had the Talent called truth seeing. She trained at the White Tower and became Yellow Ajah. Jeriana is the exact replica of Jamina, down to her hair changing from snow- white to silver-gold. The eyes are the same shade of lilac and she has the same Talent. They are the descendants of Lews Therin Telamon, and their ability to channel is essential."

Aglen looked thoughtful. "That is an interesting subject to study," she said. "Two descendants of Lews Therin. Does this truth-seeing Talent come up often?"

"This is no time to worry about Talents," Oein snapped. "What we have to worry about is what to do with Zarkot, and with Jeriana."

"Jeriana is no danger at all," Silin protested. "The girl has a Talent for Healing that I have never seen, Chesmal doesn't even have as much of a passion for it."

"Neither child is a threat!" Lyrenna said. "They are both very strong in the One Power. Each has a special Talent as well. Zarkot is a tree-speaker and Jeriana is a truth-seer. We should just let them rise to Accepted and then Aes Sedai when they are ready."

"We came together," the Blue Sitter, Beyel, said. "To discuss whether or not to gentle the boy, Zarkot. I believe that if we put it to a vote we can discuss the other issues. We should just get it out of the way."

Sierin smiled at Beyel. "That is a very good idea, Beyel. Now, raise your hands if you believe that Zarkot should be gentled."

Looking around the room Sierin and Lyrenna were both shocked, but pleased, to note that not a single hand was in the air. Oein looked grumpy about her decision but kept her hands tucked firmly in her sleeves.

"Well that is settled," Sierin said, standing up. The others stood with her. "Now I do not want to hear another word of complaint about Zarkot. And tell no one, none of your Ajah or otherwise, what has passed between us today. If I find out that you have..." Her gray eyes could have frozen boiling water. "You will wish you never heard of the Tower."

They all stood and filed out. Except for Silin, Lyrenna, and Aglen. Silin asked, "May I preside over Jeriana's raising to Accepted, mother? I would be greatly honored to do so."

Sierin nodded. "You may preside over her raising Silin. Now go get ready for it. She will be taking it in just over an hour." Silin bowed and hurried out the door. "I suppose you wish to preside over Zarkot's raising?" Sierin asked Lyrenna, who nodded. "You may do that as well. Go get ready, he will be going directly after Jeriana."

Lyrenna bowed and left. "And what would you like Aglen?"

Aglen bowed and said, "Permission to take time to study Jeriana's unique Talent. I have never heard of truth seeing, except for in one book. And that book vanished the same day that Jeriana came. It was about a Yellow called Jamina now that I think of it."

Sierin thought for a moment then said, "You may work with her for two hours four days a week. No more, as an Accepted she has many classes to take. You are dismissed."

Aglen bowed and said, "Thank you, mother." She left, leaving Sierin alone to await the young novices who would soon be Accepted to come.