OOC: I'm sorry, but I feel, due to a few reviews (not necessarily in this story) to reinforce the fact that ONLY Lavenda (in this case) is mine, and only her point of view is written by me. This is merely a documentation of an ongoing RPG.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Jacquelynn waited patiently for her Gaidar to return. Through the bond, she could feel slight tension and awareness, although the latter had been present ever since the younger woman had woken up. It was strange to feel another sharing her mind again after so many years. How many must it be? Over a hundred years perhaps...? The thought shocked her slightly and Jacquelynn found herself surprised at how she had let the years slip away from her. There was something comforting and somehow "right" about having someone share her mind again, even though there was always the fear of letting them stray into danger. Like now. Lavenda can take care of herself just fine without me worrying about her like a fussy hen!
And sure enough, the Aiel woman returned after only few moments, moving so silently that the Violet Sister was only aware of her approach because of the bond. Her father had once taught her to track and move quietly in the countryside around Tallan, but never anything like the complete silence that Lavenda managed to move with. Jacqui shook her head slightly, wondering how Warders did it!
She listened attentively as the Gaidar told her of what she had seen and frowned pensively. What would such a motley group be doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Her curiosity rose hopelessly, however hard she tried to suppress it. It was all but a requirement of the Violet Ajah, but it could certainly be irritating at times like these.
"You say one of them was wearing cadin'sor? Were they Aiel? One of your clansmen? Did they look on good terms with each other?" she asked rather quickly, then shook her head slightly and smiled, "Forgive me, Lavenda. I always have too many questions.
"The important one, I suppose, is whether they had anything to do with the raid of three days ago. I find it difficult to believe that they would have seen nothing if they have been travelling in these parts. Trollocs hardly move as silently as Warders. I do want to know why we were attacked. Trollocs will fight anything they feel like, but Mydraal are normally more picky. They don't attack without a reason..."
For a moment, she paused in her thoughts. The Shadow must have had some reason to attack them, but was it she or Lavenda or Mentiri that they were after? That question was one she would never be content to leave unanswered. It was simply too dangerous.
"As my Warder, I ask you, Lavenda, do you think it would be safe to approach these people?"
xxxx
A tickling itched at the back of Lavenda's mind, a sensation familiar to her despite such a long time without it. Curiosity… So similar to her, is my new Aes Sedai. My new friend. A barrage of questions quickly stilled her thoughts, and she held back a smile. Violets were almost as curious as Browns, in some ways.
"They don't attack without a reason…" But the reason was me, she thought. At least if Mentiri is to be believed. And I think he is, though wether what he thinks is right or not I may never know. It was a good question, though. This Sister had a good head on her shoulders. She ought to, for she didn't seem one new to the shawl. The group would at least have heard the Trollocs… maybe even done battle with them. A few had seemed to have bandages, but skirmishes were normal for bandits. If that's indeed what they are…
"Safe…" she mused. "As a group- no. They may not be practised bandits, but something has driven them to it- or something like it. My suggestion would to get one alone, out of earshot of the others if possible. One alone is more likely to speak of his fellows than a group bent on looting and plunder.
"In answer to your earlier questions, though," she said, her light eyes twinkling, "I don't know if they are Aiel, or if they were my clansmen." Though even if I had seen their face I wouldn't have known, she thought without bitterness, surprising herself. "A few look like they have alliances, but temporary ones; all seem wary of the rest.
"One alone would most definitely talk," she said, nodding and finalizing her decision.Unless that one really was Aiel. They would not talk, then. I'll just have to make sure I don't catch that one… Her body tensed, ready to leap into action at a word.
xxxx
"One alone will talk..." she murmured half to herself, aware of very little but her own thoughts. That always had been a flaw of hers. Once her mind caught track of something, she scarcely even noticed her surroundings. All the more reason to have a good Warder around. she thought with a slight smile as she watched Lavenda.
Her feet itched for Rhuidean and the ter'angreal that still remained there - Although who knows if the Aiel will let me take them ore not. - but she wanted to know why they had been attacked, and her good sense told her that this was a wise thing to investigate.
"I could wrap them all up in air, I suppose." Jacquelynn said softly, "That probably wouldn't make them particularly talkative, though, and I would rather not be on their wrong side unless we have no choice."
She smiled slightly to herself. Once, it had been thought that the Ghealdanin woman would make a good Grey Sister with her love of peace and ability to smooth over conflicts. It had quickly become apparent to the mediators of the Tower that Jacquelynn wasn't nearly forceful enough for their liking!
"If you could get one of the bandits on their own, or perhaps the man with the heron-mark sword, then we might be able to find out what they know. I doubt anyone wearing the attire of the Children of the Light would desire to converse with an Aes Sedai and her Warder, and I know all too well that an Aiel would be unlikely to talk, even if pushed."
She paused for a moment, considering. "I am sorry to ask so much of you, Lavenda, but I feel this is something too important to ignore. Besides, they might pose a threat to Mentiri, although I am sure he is still well enough to keep himself out of harm's way. Is there anything I can do that would help? A distraction or somesuch? Or would you simply prefer that I stay out of the way?"
xxxx
As quickly as she had tensed, Lavenda relaxed, or what passed for relaxation among her people. Few others would consider it so. She is not so high-strung as you, girl, she told herself sternly. Perhaps she'll succeed in calming you down! Some thinking aloud, a small smile… there, she had reached a decision.
"A distraction…" the Aiel woman mused, colouring slightly at the thought of Mentiri. "Yes, that would be most useful…. Especially if that one was really an Aiel. Those brought up in the Waste itself seem to have the senses of a fox." She smiled to herself. She had learned that part the hard way; no matter her own natural abilities, people from the Three Fold Land itself were always ahead. Except not anymore, she thought to herself, able to almost hear Jacquelynn's heartbeat.
"Would it be possible to do something to their campfire… a lot of rather thick smoke, perhaps, and a loud bang? Something like that," she pondered aloud. "At just the right moment… as soon as one leaves the fire and is out of site will be ideal. I'll take care of the rest," she finished. Raising an eyebrow, she shot a suspicious glance in the Aes Sedai's direction. "And not from too close either; any one of those men may be able to sense you if you're within ten spans," she said. Look at me, already an over-protective housewife…
Nodding to somewhere in Jacquelynn's direction, her eyes already glazed with the thrill of battle, she stalked silently into the brush, intent on her prey. The blademaster would be simple enough to get alone; people with that much 'power' were usually full of their own pride, ignorant of any real danger. A few noises from behind him would ensure he volunteered to check it out. She grinned wolfishly, and crept the last few paces to the screen of brush. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," she whispered into the air, and scuffed the dirt gently, watching the man closest to her swivel his head. Licking her lips, Lavenda moved back slightly, cracking a branch with her hands. Another swipe at a bush…
The man with the heron-marked sword spoke softly, and stood. Whirling around to face her, he strode off purposefully. Crawling back from the camp, Lavenda kept her eyes fixed on him, making a few small noises now and then to keep him coming until she couldn't see the camp. Any second now…
xxxx
Lavenda vanished into the bushes; it was only a handful of seconds before Jacquelynn could no longer see the Gaidar, although she felt her presence clearly through the bond. The Aiel woman always felt ready and aleart, but now the crackling tension in her was tangible, almost like a long bow drawn to within a hair of breaking point. The Violet Sister also sensed an undercurrent in her Warder...a sense of excitement. She shook her head slightly at that, a smile of astonishment on her lips. These Warders!
Quietly, she dismounted and tied her bay to a sturdy tree branch. Fortunately the gelding seemed like a sensible animal and she left him in full confidence that he wouldn't do anything silly while she was away.
In her mind, Jacquelynn tried to picture herself back at home, playing those childish games of hiding and seeking each out. She could still remember the static atmosphere as her siblings crept around on silent feet, trying not to alert each other to their individual presences. Perhaps I ought to think of something a little more serious....still, it's as close as I've ever been to moving with subtlety!
It was only her incredibly slow pace that assured silence on the Aes Sedai's part, and even then, she followed Lavenda's warning, taking herself no closer than she had to. The moment the Sitter caught sight of smoke and the flame beneath it she stopped and pressed herself up against a tree, peering round its trunk so she could see her target. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement and sussed whoever it was had taken the Gaidar's bait. Satisfaction flowed through the bond, and Jacquelynn decided that now was evidently the right time to manage that little distraction that Lavenda required.
More quickly than she was accustomed to weave - caution was a simple neccessity among Violet Sisters - she wove fire and spirit together, focusing them on the already burning campfire the rag-tag group before her had managed to get started. With a final twist to the weaves, she detonated the weave and within the space of a second the small flames were ten feet high, flaring up with a heat so intense they were white. Weaves of air scored the clearing and smoke and fallen leaves billowed outwards in all directions. The shouts of the men reached her as they stumbled backwards away from the fire. Hopefully that will do enough for Lavenda to work her brand of magic! Jacquelynn thought, a raised eyebrow and a slight curve to her lips marring the smooth Aes Sedai expression as she slipped back into the depths of the forest.
xxxx
FWOOM! A pillar of smoke clear to her eyes bloomed back in the clearing, and she leapt forward. She had her hand on the man's sword before he even realized she was there. She tossed it aside like a venomous snake, however, and drew her own spears. The look of arrogance on his face quickly turned to one of terror at her bared steel and cadin'sor. He's not even a real blademaster, she thought with disgust, curling her upper lip behind a black veil. When did I put that on? No matter. Seizing his upper arm so he could not run, she drew him close, pressing her spear to his throat and trying not to smell the stale alcohol and sweat that he reeked of.
"If you even try to whisper for help," she hissed, masking any trace of humanity in her eyes, "You will be dead as soon as you can blink. Faster." Staring straight into his eyes until Lavenda was sure he understood her, she rose slightly, careful to make sure they were out of sight of the camp. In the confusion, it would be a long while, perhaps hours until they noticed he was gone. Longer still until they thought to look for him. "Move," she spat, and shoved him before her, making a point of keeping her steel on his neck. Speechless with fear, he did as told, and they were soon moving quickly through the trees. Cursed loud man, she thought, wincing at each snapped twig. Good thing all those idiot men are yelling.
Lavenda dragged him the last few paces, eager to know what information he held. "Easier than breathing," the Aiel told her Aes Sedai, and sat the filthy man down on the forest floor. Squatting in front of his face, she waved her weapons menacingly. "Do exactly as she- we- ask, and no harm will come to you. From us, at least…" She smiled wolfishly. "And to be perfectly honest, I think that we're the only ones you need worry about at the moment." The thief- if he was one- nodded, his eyes wide and he rolled them to look at Jacquelynn, her, and back to the Aes Sedai.
"Now," she said, sharing a satisfied smile with her Aes Sedai, "To begin with, who are you, and why are you in these woods with such a mismatched group?"
xxxx
The man cleared his throat, croaking slightly, and then said something that was so concealed by stuttering that neither Aes Sedai nor Gaidar had any hope of making out what he was trying to say. Jacquelynn shook her head slowly. Even her saidar enhanced hearing could not make his words coherant.
She exchanged a brief glance with Lavenda, the bond helping with the comprehension. The Violet Sister had no intention of asking the Aiel woman to back off or drop her guard in the slightest. They couldn't afford the risk that this man might be bluffing his fear. Oh, I'm certain some of it is real. I just can't be sure how much. The Aes Sedai smiled wryly, wondering just how terrified she would be if faced with a lethal Aiel warrior and Aes Sedai. Probably every bit as much as out friend here is!
"Come now," she said lightly, her tone the soft chiding she used for Novices who didn't seem to be trying their best or concentrating properly, "That's not such a difficult question is it? I strongly advise that you answer, my friend. It would not be...prudent to irritate my companion."
A smile touched her lips, but for once did not get anywhere near her eyes, which hda turned to chips of tiger's eye. The man whimpered slightly, and Lavenda grinned, still perched before him with her spear points making any movement on the man's part all but impossible without doing himself some rather serious damage. Her saidar enhanced senses picked up the raw scent of his sweat and she wrinkled her nose slightly, doubting that this man had ever earned the right to even touch a heron marked sword, never mind possess one. Her smile broadened slightly; a cat to Lavenda's wolf.
"My name is Jensen Arner!" he spluttered, tripping over his tongue with every syllable.
The words seemed to release every inch of tension in his body, and Jensen slumped hopelessly, eyes flickering across the ground as though searching for some new enemy. "I am of the Dragonsworn! We are travelling north to meet the Lord Dragon!"
His coal black eyes begged her to believe him, but she was not convinced. Lavenda's thoughts echoed her own through the bond. Jacquelynn opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of pounding footsteps and ragged breathing. She looked up sharply and followed Lavenda's gaze.
Bare seconds later a man burst into the clearing, this one with a knife at his hip. The Sitter thought she recognised him from the campside. His dark hair streamed behind him, fragments of ash trapped in it. A large burn mark ran up one of his arms and his hands were over his eyes. Someone was sitting rather close to the fire. she thought, sharing a raised eyebrow with her Gaidar.
The man stumbled over a root and lay scrubbing at his eyes, still gasping for breath. She sighed and wrapped him up in air. A stifled gasp escaped his lips before she gagged him and blocked his ears.
"It will be most interesting to see if your stories match." she said with a smile, "As you were saying sir?"
xxxx
Yes. We can't let this one go. Although she was certain Jacquelynn couldn't hear her, the meaning was obviously conveyed. She wouldn't be lowering her spears any time soon. I hope this man is as weak-minded as he seemed… A smile and a few words was all it took to make him reveal his name. Pitiful. I haven't even nicked him… Nonetheless, she moved her spears closer, the metal resting lightly on his neck. There would be no lies told here. Words continued to spill forth from the wretch's mouth.
Dragonsworn? Disgusting. Only a wetlander would think of swearing themselves to someone they've never met. She looked at her Aes Sedai quickly, guiltily. Excepting a few, of course. But something about his story doesn't smell right…
Within moments, a way to check his tale presented itself. Another man now lay in the clearing, helpless and senseless. "As you were saying, sir?" Lavenda nudged the man with the tip of her spear, drawing a single drop of blood.
"Aes Sedai can smell lies, boy," she hissed, trying not to breathe through her nose, "And they don't like the smell. Don't like it in the least bit…" She drew another single drop of blood, emphasizing the point. Tears began to course down the man's cheeks, and the Aiel woman's lip curled upward in distaste. "Coward!" spat Lavenda. "Speak, or lose your tongue!"
"That's just what I've been told, I don't know if it's true! Someone offers you safety and a purpose and you don't ask questions… I swear I don't know!" His outburst over, the man slumped in his bonds, sobbing.
"Woolhead," Lavenda muttered under her breath, sharing a look with her Aes Sedai. He was gagged with air, and the other man's ears and mouth released. "What do you know, man? It had better be a more satisfying answer than your friend here's, or…" she trailed off ominously. This one, however, was either very brave or very stupid, for he just stared defiantly back at the two women. The Aiel threw her hands up to the heavens. "Light save us from stubborn, woolheaded mules of men," she breathed.
"Alright, just listen, then," she said, crouching now by the dagger-wielder. She took the knife from his pocket, fiddling with it. "I have no patience left, so for every lie I so much as think I here, you loss one body part. An eye, a finger… I want you to answer every question we have. That's it. Nothing less." Lavenda gave the equivilant of a mental wink to her Aes Sedai through the bond. She slid the blade close to his ear, slicing off a lock of hair. "Nothing less, you understand?" His eyes less hard, he nodded ever so slightly. "Good."
She looked at Jacquelynn, waiting for her to ask her questions.