Note: The character Dirk's real name is Kye. So either appellation refers to him.

Disclaimer: All profits to RJ

Chapter 15: Guess who I met?

It had been several days since he had spoken with Seaine Sedai and Turanna Sedai at the Warder training grounds. Something had happened the night after that had disrupted everything. Dirk wasn't sure what it was and he had not pressed questions on anyone. He was all too happy to be ignored as he tried to understand his own dilemmas. But he had waited long enough, he did not want Kea to become Kea Sedai and start telling the Aes Sedai everything about him until she told him. She would tell him otherwise she would not have acted as she had. She was proving to him that she was trustworthy.

He began to make his way over towards the Novice classes. He could usually catch the eye of one as the passed and they all knew he was 'involved' somehow with the Novice that had the outlandish accent and perfect manners. She would know and come to him. They had done it before but had little to talk about on those occasions. The White Tower had segregated them. They had so little in common now they no longer travelled, ate, slept and fought together. It was a strange feeling. They had become in a strange way very close and in a very short space of time. Bonded, by a care and trust they both shared. A bond that had been forged by life and death situations they had come through together. Now the apathy of the White Tower with its rigidity and careless magnificence was stifling that bond and they were becoming mere acquaintances once more. Dirk didn't like it but till now, he had not realised how to stop it.

As he stood waiting at an open arch admiring the artwork of a fresco carved into the opposing stonework a man surrounded by three Aes Sedai emerged and walked past him. The man was no Warder. These Aes Sedai walked around him, not he by them. He carried himself with an air of dignity, affronted dignity, but still dignity. Without conscious thought Dirk swept his cloak back and dropped lightly onto one knee and touched the pommel of his sword. Then as if completing one graceful movement he rose again.

The man had stopped dead in his tracks. He was wearing used but well polished black boots. Into these were tucked fine leggings with golden trim. His long coat was fine and fastened smartly though the day was warm. The collar of the coat was distinctively high and the face it framed was one Dirk thought that would be hard to forget. It was a kindly face, though right now it was stretched in surprise.

"Well, that do be some sight for my eyes, a Companion!" the older man exclaimed.

"My Lord?" Dirk returned, not really knowing why he had done the bowing and knealing motion. It had just seemed… right. Often, you learnt most by just staying quiet and so he said no more. He was not disappointed.

"Mattin Stepaneos, this man is a Warder in training… hardly a companion for you, besides which you have companions enough!" The Aes Sedai wearing her red –fringed shawl like a shield glared at Dirk as if he was causing her a real grievance.

"Foo… you do not understand Cariandre. You Aes Sedai are careful not to place me withone it seems from my home in Illian."

"I am Dirk Steadysteel, my lord. I think I lived in Illian once," Dirk cut in. Once again he chose to quickly return to silence.

"I am the lawful king of Illian, my boy. Well no boy for you do be a man. Cariandre look here," Mattin Stepaneos beckoned Dirk forward. "I will give you a little education."

Dirk obeyed the man without really thinking of what he was being asked to do. He was an Illianer and this man, (for the Aes Sedai had not gainsaid his claim) was his king!

"The Illianer Companions are our best troops. Here on the pommel of this Warder-in-training's sword the Nine Bees of Illian. He is a Compaion or at least he has the sword of one."

"I might have been," agreed Dirk warily. Mattin Stepaneos looked at him shrewdly over his clean cut lip and white beard. The King of Illian was no fool; he seemed to see that Dirk was speaking in a kind of code. That meant Dirk did not want the Aes Sedai to know something. This meant that his evasive answers were not due to him, Mattin but to the Red Ajah Aes Sedai around him. That he could understand, and Dirk saw that understanding dawn there.

"Well did you ever have cause to be writing on your sword?" he asked.

"I did," replied Dirk and he drew it out of its scabbard halfway.

The king of Illian looked over and drifted over the first two names nodding as if he recognised them but he paused on the last word etched into the fine steel. "Soremaine" he whispered his voice almost reverential.

"Do you know my man, that Pedron Nial is dead? I was sorry to hear it but it is so. I am grateful to have outlived him."

Then the old man stepped forward and Dirk realised that he was stockier and broader than he himself. If he suddenly charged him, in these close quarters, Dirk would struggle to defend himself unarmed. He laid his right hand on Dirk's right shoulder. "May you be sheltered in the hand of the Creator, Dirk Steadysteel. May the Light watch over you and keep you, as it did at Soremaine."

Then he had left without a further word. The Aes Sedai, called Cariandre, had her mouth open probably to demand the conversation end or that he explain himself but was left looking foolish and slow. When the little group finally had their backs to him, Dirk knelt. "May the Creator shelter you in his hand your majesty King Mattin Stepaneos of Illian, King under the Light; just as he did us at Soremaine."

"What?" asked Kea.

Dirk span around, he had been certain no one was around. Trying to quickly recover himself, he flashed her, what he hoped was a winning smile. "You will never guess who I just met!"

"Mattin Stepaneos, whoever he is!" she replied impishly.

"Good guess!" he replied with a laugh. "You do know I be from Illian? He saw my sword and he do think I be an Illianer Companion, one of the elite soldiers in the army. We do be the ones who do protect the King in battle."

"We? Sounds like he is not the only one who thinks so," remarked Kea. Her voice retained its playful air and Dirk relaxed pleased that they still seemed to be friends. He had hoped for this.

"I do think so. I did not recognise him and yet I bowed and knelt to him. When he read the word Soremaine on my sword it meant something to me. I did not recognise his name or his face. I don't know what Illian looks like or what the Nine Bees stand for but somehow… somehow I know that I care about those things."

"You do," Kea agreed quietly.

Dirk's eyes snapped up. "You saw?"

"When I read your sword I saw a man, I think this same man you have spoken to today. You fought for him and by his side. You killed people for this Illian."

"Like you killed for the Seanchan?" shot Dirk his tone defensive

"Damane just kill. You could say for the Empress, or The Blood, or our sul'dam, but mostly we just kill on command. We do not the bless people who own and command us. We are weapons, not companions."

"You are not one," Dirk reminded her. "Not anymore."

"No," she agreed but her smile was gone and her tone was leaden and quiet.

"We not be here to argue, tell me about your day? Have the Aes Sedai questioned you about Reading the Roots? They did ask me about it. I do not think they thought much of it but they do now."

"No not really. But, Guess who I met today?" her smile flew back into place and her eyes lit with excitement.

"Who?" prompted Dirk. He had no idea but he wouldn't have guessed anyway she obviously wanted to reveal her surprise.

"Egwene al'Vere. She…" she paused and glanced around so as to ensure they were not being overheard. "She is the rebel Amyrlin Seat. They captured her, a couple of days ago. She turned the harbour chain into Cuendillar, heartstone, and she got caught doing it."

"Only fools risk their general in the front line!" remarked Dirk shaking his head.

"Maybe she was the only one strong enough to do it. Don't you know what Cuendillar is? No, of course you don't, I didn't till I was taught in a lesson here. It's a kind of stone that absorbs any force used on it. You hit it and instead of breaking it gets stronger. Even the Power strengthens it!"

"She blocked the harbour?" Dirk asked aghast?

"One side is completely blocked I heard," confided Kea her voice lowered. "The other they didn't manage to finish."

"The other? They did both?"

"Yes, the other Aes Sedai is imprisoned in the open cells, even I know because lots of the Sisters are going to speak to her every night. But Egwene was not a full Aes Sedai when she left the Tower and so they knocked her right back to Novice as punishment. But that's not why I was so excited to tell you."

"Why were you so excited then?"

"Because of what she is like! Oh she is amazing! She does not accept that she is a Novice she still considers herself the Amyrlin Seat, imprisoned maybe but not reduced. She does not cast her eyes down to anyone! So of course she is upsetting everything in the Tower and they send her for punishment and she accepts it and continues. I never saw anyone do that for long but it has been days now and she is still doing it!"

"What does she do?" asked Dirk interested now despite himself.

"Well she won't curtsy and be all respectful to the right people. She will not obey immediately when asked to do things by Accepted and Sisters. She…" Kea openly laughed for the first time. "She shows off!"

"Shows off?"

"Yes, well they want her to be a Novice and so they put her in Accepted classes with us. In one they were teaching us to embrace the Source by opening ourselves like a flower bud. We all did and Egwene suddenly pulled and pulled and then she went from almost nothing to a blaze."

"She set alight?"

"No, she filled with the Power," explained Kea. "Amazing she is stronger than me and I am much stronger than the rest of these Novices, except a new one. Her name is Nicola I think, she seems strong, but she is still very young and will get stronger. Anyway Egwene put on a light display like Sky Lights in another class and now she gets only Sister-taught lessons. The Novices have not been separated from her though and they go to her for advice and kindness at night. It is amazing Dirk. She is the most inspiring woman I have ever met. She must know more about the Power than any ten of my other teachers."

"Other teachers? She do be one of your teachers now? I did think…" cut in Dirk his tone betraying his confusion.

"Not a teacher who stands at the front and lectures maybe. It is what she does and says. How she lives, that is the lesson. I was going to go and ask her about becoming an Accepted but another Novice did first and she told them they should not ask. Some things you just have to experience she said and then shut up like a clam. Oh, but she knows everything, I could follow her! She has let slip a lot of things too. This Amyrlin Seat, Elaida, she unseated the one before her and had her Stilled! Cut off from the source! She has made some huge mistakes too and now the Tower, this place is all divided. All these Ajahs seem to fear and hate each other. They say the Accepted are being rigorously courted to join each Ajah. Every single Ajah has had a Sister come and talk to me about why theirs would be best for me."

"You must be careful Kea. If they understand that you support this woman so strongly they will be extremely displeased. You could be hurt!"

"Or worse…"

"Meaning?"

"Killed! You said these Aes Sedai don't do that but I know better thanks to the Mother."

"Who?"

"Oh, Egwene of course. That's what we call her now. But don't tell, well of course you know not to do that. Anyway what is important is that there is another Ajah, not of the seven original ones. The Black Ajah. They follow the Dark One and they do not keep the Oaths, they lie and kill, using the Power!"

"You can do that," said Dirk trying to be reasonable. He got a shock as Kea's face turned white with anger and she railed at him.

"So that is what you think of me? A darkfriend, a shadowrunner?"

"No! No!" spluttered Dirk defensively. "I am only saying the ability isn't evil, just they way you can use it."

"These women use it! Not like I did under command but at will. They are evil and they have forsworn their oaths, another evil. They are in the Tower, I think the Mother intends to find them and send them to their own Tower of the Ravens." Kea's eyes seemed to glaze over as she thought of somewhere far away.

Dirk did not like where the conversation was going. Kea was going to get herself in big trouble, he had brought her here to keep her safe. For now he would have to settle for distracting her.

"Kea what did you see when you Read the Roots of my cloak?"

She turned and the implications of their previous converse seemed wiped away as if they had never been.

"I am glad you ask. You were a Warder and for many years I think. Your Aes Sedai was old to look at, with a bent back. You protected her like your cloak protects you. At the end I saw a round circle of metal. When you took off your cloak it was to put that on your head. It was no crown. A woman in a Yellow-fringed shawl put it on your head."

"What colour shawl did my Aes Sedai wear?" he asked. He could not resist, he had promised himself he would not ask many questions but he could not resist.

"I almost never saw her in one; the couple of times I did, the trim was brown."

With an effort he restrained his questions. He had a haunted feeling that he must not find out too much. "Maybe these Yellows could help me get my mind back. They are supposed to be healers; maybe the one you saw is still around."

She nodded, "Maybe,"

"Thank you Kea. You best go, before you be told off for wasting precious learning and scrubbing time shooting the wind with me."

She laughed and thanked him for wasting her time and then she skipped off happier than he had ever seen her. Hard to imagine that she was older than him and had suffered so much, killed so many and was so powerful. She seemed so carefree and he did not want to spoil that. What did his old life and memories matter? She had enough to worry about with this odd Novice/Amyrlin and now rumours of a Black Ajah!

"My memories do be nothing to such things as those," he assured himself. Slowly he made his way back to his quarters, hardly reassured about his stay in the White Tower.