Hi all… AS far as timing for this story goes, I've decided to set it approximately a century or so before Moiraine enters the Tower as a novice, as this will mean I don't have to include any of the books' characters, and worry about writing them doing things completely out of character, etc. Just so's ya know. Please R&R
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Shaken and Stirred
Jaydan Tamoya was so wrapped up in his own day dreams that he hardly noticed the woman who he jostled as he wandered the corridors of the White Tower in the general direction of his room in the quarters set aside for trainee-warders until a disgusted sniff made him glance up. Horrified, his eyes came to rest on the blue fringed shawl the woman was wearing.
Bowing hurriedly and deeply, he blurted, "Forgive me, Aes Sedai! I did not notice you. I was taking a quicker route back to the Warders quarters, or I never would have been in this part of the Tower at all. Please for-"
"It is of no matter, Jaydan. Tell me, will you be seeing your sister at some point this evening?"
The question threw Jaydan off somewhat. He had been expecting a lecture about respect for Aes Sedai, or being in an area of the Tower where he was not strictly supposed to be, although he did not think there was any written rule prohibiting him from being there. It was just unusual for any one not Aes Sedai or one of there pupils to enter the novice quarters. Pausing to consider whether or not he really wanted to face Jemma- come to think of it, how did the woman know who he was?- and her jibes about Shana that evening, and whether or not she might actually be there in the flesh, he very nearly drifted of into his own head again, before the woman still standing in front of him with barely disguised impatience cleared her throat expectantly, jerking the picture of Shana's face clean out is mind
"Um… I could, Aes Sedai. If you would like. May I ask wh-"
"Please ask her to come to my study directly after breakfast tomorrow morning. It will save me remembering to send anther novice with the message later. Make sure she realizes it is most urgent. Yes. Most urgent." The last was almost inaudible as her voice faded away, and she strode away down the corridor almost before Jaydan had a chance to reply that it would be his pleasure. Sighing, he continued walking, turning right after a few steps in the direction of his sister's small room.
He felt a strange mix of dread at the thought of possibly running into Shana and making an ass out of himself, and hope that she would be with Jemma, so that he could just see her. Firmly resolving that if she was there, he would just say hello, deliver his message, and be gone, commanding his cheeks not to blush, he realized that while lost in thought, he had walked straight past his sister's door. Excellent start.
A girl clad in novice white came out of the room next to Jemma's, and Jaydan nearly turned around and walked away again, the girl noticed him, and with a poorly hidden squeak of surprise and pleasure, she walked up to him, staring straight into his eyes with a pretty smile lighting up her coppery-skinned face. Giggling, the Domani girl placed a hand lightly on his shoulder, before drawing away and opening her mouth to speak. Thankfully, before she could get any words out- he had felt that accursed blush creeping up his face- is sister's voice said from behind him, "Go away, Girona"
All semblance of that smile fading instantly, Girona glared around him at his sister, saying "I think you'll find I'm perfectly within my rights to talk to someone out side my room, Jemma."
"Yes. I suppose you are." Jemma shot back, a contemptuous stare on her face as she looked at the girl on the other side of Jaydan with utter loathing. "Come on, Jay"
With that, she calmly opened the door to her room, and while she stood at the door, Jaydan strode gratefully inside. Jemma followed him, leaving the Domani girl standing with an equal mix of shock and hatred on her face.
Closing the door behind her Light-blinded fool of a brother, she looked at him with the glare she usually reserved for the backs of Aes Sedai who were setting her punishments.
"What in the Pit of Doom do you think you are doing talking to Girona?" she nearly bellowed, only keeping her voice down enough to make sure it did not carry through the walls to next door. She did not want the Domani cow to know she had annoyed her. "You are meant to be in love with my best friend. If you don't bloody realize that, I will have to tell her myself, so that she can act as she sees fit."
Wincing, Jaydan looked at her reproachfully- she rolled her eyes, he had no backbone for a proper argument- he opened his mouth and said "Please don't swear, Jem. You're getting a mouth like a sailor. I just came to tell you that Reylina Sedai wants you in her office first thing after breakfast. She didn't say what for, but she said it was urgent."
Gasping, Jemma sat down hard on her bed. Had Girona over heard her and Shana at dinner? Had she told Reylina? Blood and ashes, she'll kill us both! Trying to recover some calm, she asked "Did she say if she wanted to see Shana as well? Ar you sure she didn't say what it was about? Oh Light."
Raising his eyebrows at her- he could be as infuriating as Nelle in his own way- he replied "I'm sure, Jem. Light, what have you down to get you in such a state?"
"Oh… it doesn't matter." She lied, hopefully more convincingly than she felt it had been, "Go away now Jay. And if I hear so much of a rumour of you thinking of going any where near Girona, I will show you what you can do with the flat of that sword you're always carrying about with you. I Think you'll find it can be just as… useful… as the blade"
Eyebrows raised again, this time in mild alarm, he got up of the bed and walked out without another word. She waited five minutes to make sure he didn't see her leave, and set of for Shana's room, to see if she too had received a summons.
Irlana was in a towering rage, nearly shouting at the two women seated calmly in front of her. Reylina and Tamika Devrin, supposedly a Yellow like herself, had listened calmly to the news of Shayol Ghul's refusal to send Myrddraal, and now seemed to be waitng for her to have fully vented her rage before speaking. She could not understand for the life of her why they were not more upset by the news. Unless they already had a plan. Yes…
"Well?" she asked.
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Tamika, who could be so cold sometimes as to make Irlana wonder why she had not chosen the White, said, "Well what?"
"What are we to do!" screeched Irlana, loudly enough to make Reylina wince- it was her study they were in, any noise would arouse questions about her, not the other two. "We cannot allow those three go to waste."
"Have you considered the possibility of taking the girls to Shayol Ghul? If the Halfmen won't come to you…" asked Reylina. "We will just have to think of a way to… motivate them to leave the city we should be able to deal with getting them thorough the Waygate. They can be held at the Mountain until such time as we can gather enough sisters to perform the act. If I alter the purpose of my visit with Jemma Tamoya tomorrow morning to trying to find out what will get them agitated enough to leave the Tower, it should be perfectly simple to give them the last push out of the Tower gates. Kerinelle might be tricky, I can imagine her being too frightened to leave the Tower, however much she hates it, but I'm sure we can manage it" She finished calmly, eyeing Irlana as if weighing the possible reactions.
Irlana sighed. The plan could very feasibly work, and it was certainly the only thing we had to go on. "Yes," she said, after a brief pause to make the other two women think she was considering the plan from a superior's point of view rather than that of a woman desperate for a suggestion- she was not sure it worked. "Tamika, sit in on the meeting with the Tamoya girl tomorrow, in case you pick up something Relina misses. Be careful, she is intelligent, and could resist if she thinks something is amiss."
"And what will you be doing, if you don't mind me asking?" questioned Tamika.
"Sending word to Shayol Ghul of the new plan. Now go." She waited for them to reach the door before adding "And ladies. If this does not work I shall be most… displeased." They left with suitable looks of apprehension on their faces, although they had to realize that that had been an empty threat. Reylina was nearly as powerful as she was, and Tamika not to far behind. If they linked, they would be able to defeat her easily. But still. They needed to be reminded that she was in charge. Sinking into her chair, she began considering all the angles of how to get the three girls out of the Tower, and into Shayol Ghul.