Lazaruss : " Before this chapter, I want you to ask yourselves : Why don't the Forsaken MAKE some angreal, sa'angreal or ter'angreal for themselves ? Surely they know how to make them, but instead, they hunt for old storerooms and stasis boxes. Soooo… why don't they ? Here's why… "
Prologue 1.g ; Peaces
The ride back to the traveling ground had passed swiftly in Elayne's mind as she tried to focus on the upcoming test she had been preparing. For now, everything seemed to be running smoothly, except for some loose ends. Like these captured Aes Sedai. But that at least did not have to be her concern ; with the Tower united, all she had to do was inform Egwene and the Hall of Taim's prisoners and let them make the rescue attempt. With Kin filling their ranks, the number of Aes Sedai had swelled up more than it ever had in thousands of years. They were more than capable to handle the matter ; with so many being called away from the Black Tower, Taim didn't have the manpower to counteract them. And she would have her hands clean in the matter and ready for making the alliance with the Asha'man. That was at least one less problem for her to worry about.
Well, not everything went as smooth as she hoped. Since Aviendha's discovery of that glass ter'angreal figurine, Caemlyn's granary was finally clean of pests and grain was rationally distributed throughout the city. But it also made the number of people in Caemlyn rise to a barely tolerable level. If she could only work out how to manufacture such items and place them in all the granaries throughout Andor… Throughout the world. People would once more have food to eat. The inability to figure it out irked her to no end. Of course, that was not the only thing which irked her ; the Sea Folk had demanded another square mile of Andor because of their involvement in her rescue, as if they haven't been given enough already. Honestly, those people had the Bowl of the Winds in their possession, and Aes Sedai teachers – which they were treating like ragtag deck hands – and palace comfort, and an agreement with Tar Valon and… Blood and Ashes, enough was enough. She had told them that, stating that despite her gratitude, no bargain, past or present warranted such payment for their efforts. Chanelle was especially displeased. Elayne imagined Zaida would have a few choice words for her once she hears of that.
Repairing the damage Arimilla's forces have caused to the city was fading away but the construction was taking longer than it should have. Bubbles of evil which were boiling through the fading barriers of the Dark One's prison managed to kill some workers, and frighten most of the rest. Kinswomen had to be present and ready to fight those off at any time. The reports of those occurrences were still piling in, each one more fiendish than the next, yet even so Elayne made herself read each one. Some were harmless enough, despite their sinister nature, but the number of such was dwindling next to the ones which had actually cost lives. The biggest event of that kind took place a few days ago when the final layer of wall mortar was being molded into place. The sturdy wooden scaffold supporting the workers broke apart into a million splinters causing dozens of men to tumble down into their deaths. Many had been spooked by that and a considerable effort had to be made in order to convince the masons to complete their work.
Still, apart from that, everything was going as smoothly as it could ; the people supported her, the garrison had been replenished by new recruits, and the other houses slowly started to throw in their support with her. Mistress Harfor and Master Norray did an excellent job in managing the bills, calculating costs of the city's defenses during the siege and the resulting figure was fortunately below Andor's coffers' limit. Still a lot, but not as much as they had feared. The Black Ajah sisters have been sent to Tar Valon as soon as word reached her of Egwene's triumph, and as for Daved Hanlon, he was waiting in his cell for a trial. She wished she could just send him off to the block, but she had to be fair to all of her subjects. In any case, the man was no longer a problem. She had also asked a few Aes Sedai to be sent from Tar Valon and help in her efforts, as well as to provide education for the resident Windfinders, a task for which no one was particularly eager. And a number of the Seanchan sul'dam had finally confessed that they could channel and were sent back to Ebou Dar. As for the damane, they were almost completely broken off from the leash and were walking around the palace freely. And on top of all that she had managed to avoid her today's ration of goat's milk. Hating the stuff was reaching whole new levels in her book.
Casting back a short glance, she observed young Kannly who was listening intently to Fengar's hushed whispers. The two of them were riding a bit further away from her and the Kinswomen but not too far so they could still be a part of the column. No doubt the elderly Asha'man was instructing him on how to behave, what to say and what to keep hidden, all accord Taim's wishes. Threats were no doubt involved as the young fellow seemed to shrink in his saddle a bit. Turning back she sighed sadly ; she wished she could do something about the harsh treatment that their initiates were receiving. Perhaps once the bargain with her Black Tower was done, she would be able to enforce a few changes… It would be difficult and Taim will make trouble but if all goes according to plan, he will be hard pressed to decline.
No one had attempted what she had planned for today since the Breaking, and there was no telling if saidin was still tainted or not, but she hoped that an hour of such a link would be safe. She feared to afford herself more. If the taint was still there, than linking with a man would make her susceptible to it as he himself was. And there were her babies to consider. An hour was the most she dared to afford for this experiment. Yet even so, the risk was worth the gain ; if it succeeds, not only that she'll be able to create the first angreal in three thousand years, but she will also forge a firm link between herself an the Black Tower. Channelers from all over the World will be flocking to Caemlyn because of her. If she succeeds, that is.
Reaching the Traveling ground, she pulled more deeply at saidar – it filled her with joy and life beyond anything she had ever known – and channeled a large Gateway that lead to the palace stables. It would have been much better, to have a slow ride through the cities streets, and give inspiration to the people, especially with the two Asha'man in tow, but she was too eager to begin. Had she been able to leave the horses in the palace's common room she would have done so. Instead, she had to wait for the guardsmen to lead the animals away, before she channeled open another gateway for inside the palace itself close to the artifacts' storeroom. Not too close though ; she was still uncertain about some of those, and it was necessary to restrict channeling near them.
The chamber she had selected was in fact close to her own living quarters, a private spot where she had taken a habit of spinning gateways. As a precaution everyone had been instructed to stay clear of that room so no one could get hurt by the silvery edge of an opening. They were sharper than the finest razor, those. It took a while, but with a little haste and shuffle, she, Birgitte, Kinswomen and the two men had finally entered the palace reception quarters. Gilded plaster covered the walls in a convolute weavings of flowers, predominated by roses. Silken curtains of many colors danced with the day's light shining from the windows across the white marble floor and a large intricately made table of dark polished rosewood with matching chairs welcomed them in the center of the room, holding refreshments ready for their return.
" Please, make yourselves comfortable. " She addressed them, curtly gesturing towards the table. " We will begin shortly, just as soon as I prepare myself. "
The two of them nodded simultaneously murmuring thanks. She saw both moving towards the table before she left the room, leaving them under the watchful eyes of the Kinswomen. On the way to her wardrobe, Birgitte once again seized the opportunity to point out that this was a bad idea, that it was dangerous to ask favors from Taim, that the taint on saidin might harm her or even her babies if she links with ether of them but Elayne managed to ignore her for the most part while slipping on a comfortable white silken dress tinged with green and embroidered with tiny scrolls on the hem. While Birgitte droned on about her safety, her own mind was preoccupied with the task at hand, trying to examine it from every angle and find a possible flaw. She thought she had accounted for everything, but it was good to re examine the thing once more. Just in case. And than she saw her reflection in the mirror. Burn her tummy. It made her look… She banished the word that came to mind, yet even so it was evident that no dress in there could hide it properly. She needed better dresses.
Despite this, it didn't take more than ten minutes before she rejoined the rest of them. This time she wasn't wearing the Rose Crown, but still had Aviendah's dagger at her belt. She hardly separated herself from it. The two black-coated men were conversing alone much like the Kinswomen were doing, the two groups occasionally casting a glance at each other, just to make sure no one was attempting any trouble. And they all failed to notice her until she cleared her throat.
" I'm sorry that I must interrupt you. " She spoke dryly. " But if you would pay attention… ?" Not that she wished to interrupt their chatter, but she had been holding the source for hours now and it was starting to become tiring. For the next few minutes she explained to them the dangers of handling ter'angreal, about how anything can trigger them to work, especially the One Power. She had stated the rules and dangers and had also added that all the items were cataloged and were being counted every day which produced a frown from both of them.
Once she was done, she swiftly lead them to her hold that stored the artifacts they had recovered neatly displaced over two large tables covered in plain satin cloth. The chamber was large and empty, except for the tables and well lit at all times so she could work here for most of her free time. After her confinement to the palace – due to her pregnancy – she had spent much of her free time here, carefully examining the artifacts. She had managed to work out how to work the ter'angreal for long distance communication that Aviendah had pointed, which had been a real shock as she had stumbled to it merely by accident. Suddenly Suymeko was able to hear her speaking from the other room. The remarkable thing was that so many different object did the same thing which had actually given her the basic idea for today ; If the function of the Item of Power had no relevance to the physical aspects of the item itself, than anything at all could be turned into an item of Power. That, and something else.
" I bid you welcome to my holding. " She spoke to the two of them, but halted them before they took the next step. " Before we begin puzzling out their secrets, I have something else in mind. Master Kannly, will you join me please ?"
Instead, she lead him to a small round table by the window, a bit further away from the large ones. It was holding a single small glass carving of a cat with its back in an arch like it was stretching it. Fengar followed a bit further behind, trying to see over their shoulders, but remained calm and silent for now. Which was good. She could not afford interruptions.
" Is this a… Does it do anything ? My queen ?" Kannly asked after examining the figuring. That beard of his really made him seem unwashed. She wagered that he had a nice chin under it.
" Not yet. " She spoke. " For now it remains an ordinary peace of glass. " He looked at her a bit puzzled before she continued. " Like so many things, the making of angral had been lost with the Breaking. There is no instruction, written or otherwise that has survived to remind us on how it is done and until now, no one believed that the knowledge would ever be uncovered. "
His eyebrows climbed up and he swallowed before he answered. " Are You… we to attempt to make this cat into an… How ?"
" Something else has been lost in the Breaking. " She smiled encouragingly, realizing how that sounded. " Male and female Aes Sedai working together. I believe that it is the key. You've said you know how to link. Tell me what you know and we'll take it from there. "
She listened as he spoke of the link, of saidin and saidar, and she herself had to admit that there wasn't much she could say that would complete his knowledge. Pointing out once again the differences between the two powers, she felt they were finally ready to begin. Kannly prepared himself to embrace the Source and like she would do with another woman who could channel, she reached through him and grabbed a hold of…
Before this moment, she imagined saidin like a violent version of saidar but that wasn't even the first page of the book. Raging forces of fire and ice tugged at her from all sides, ripping at her, trying to beat her to the ground. A terrifying whirlpool of joy and anger compressed into a single spot, shining with all the brightness of the sun. She had to fight it, to control it. But, Light, how to fight something so vast ? In that moment saidar had almost slipped out of her grasp, but as soon as she began fighting back against this torrent, the strain was gone, and only the wonder remained. The male half of the True Source was so different that even now she found it difficult to control. Saidar was simple enough compared to this. At least she had it in her grasp now.
" I must say, you've handled that better than I would. " Kannly smiled. He too could feel her half of the Source and to him, it must seem as alien as she found saidin to be.
" Thank you. Let's just see if we can do something with this. " One thing that pleased her was that there was no stomach-wrenching sensation Rand had mentioned. The taint really did seem to be gone and she was safe. Anticipations were high as they turned their attention towards the glass figurine.
She had worked this up carefully in her head. The first step was to make a copy of her channeling in the heart of the object, kind of like an imprint of her ability to channel – to serve as something for an Aes Sedai to open herself through while reaching for the source – and than encase it in a cocoon of saidin. She managed the first bit smoothly enough, maintaining the knots, but the matrices fell apart as soon as saidin touched it.
She blinked ; the second half of the Source was supposed to hold it in place, not unravel it. Frowning a bit puzzled, she tried again. This time she made the matrices more firm, tying the knots more tightly, but again, as soon as she introduced saidin to it, the web slipped from her grasp and unraveled. The two halves seemed to be repelling each other too strongly. For a moment her disappointment almost shattered the delicate balance between struggle and surrender, but she forced it down. Great care was needed with this. She looked at Kannly who simply shrugged – Linked to her, he could see her weaving of saidar just like she could see flows of saidin. Trying again but this time from the coating to the core resulted in the same effect. The structure simply fell apart as soon as she tried to hold the matrices in place. It was enough to make her moody again.
" Perhaps we should take a break and try again later ?" Kannly spoke, but she shook her head. She had missed something. She was sure of it, but what ? Maybe if she tried from another end… Until now she had been trying to make an imprint of her spark in the core held in place by his half of the Power. Maybe that was it.
Instead of her previous routine, Elayne turned the gentle flow of saidar making a blend of all five powers and forcing them around the cat like a coating, an added layer of protection that would hold the matrices in place. She made it tightened, ready to snap shut, yet leaving an opening to slip the flows through as soon as she fastened the knots. She than turned her attention to the struggle, forcing the matrices of saidin into an imprint of his spark struggling to bind them together. It was a different imprint, so much so that she wasn't even sure it was an imprint, but she resumed. Holding those weaves firmly in place, she inserted the blend through the saidar opening and into the core of the would-be angreal. It was difficult. The knots trembled in both the coating and the matrices as the two fought against each other, repelling and pushing so strongly that the inner web began to shrink. Even the tiny cat figurine began to hum with the strain. But she held on knotting the web together and at the last moment released the flow of saidar. The coating snapped shut, severing the flows from Kannly to the core and encasing those knots firmly inside the figurine. It was done. She released the link. Done.
" Master Kannly, " She declared in a loud voice. " I think it's ready for you to try it out. " It produced a round of gasps behind her but all her focus was on him.
He slowly took the cat into his hands, turning it around a bit before taking a deep breath. And smiled. This time it was Fengar who gasped, and that was all the confirmation she needed. " It works !" Kannly declared and everyone rushed closer to inspect the first successfully made angreal in three thousand years.
" But how ?" Alice asked shocked, once the amazement died down a bit. " I saw what you did – some of it – and I figured out what you were trying to do, but, at first it wasn't working. What made it work now ?"
" Before, I was trying to make an angreal for myself. " Elayne smiled. "But I've succeeded as soon as I tried to make an angreal he could use. Don't you see ? In the Age of Legends, those who made them never intended them for themselves. They were gifts exchanged between men and women who worked together to create them. I imagine sa'angreal are the same, except that they use circles of several men and several women linked together. "
And that produced a round of admiration, from all except from Fengar who crossed his arms, maintaining a neutral face. He was beginning to realize the deeper implications of her plan ; With the making of angreal being what it was, there won't be an Asha'man hesitant to seek her out to make one of his own. There wouldn't be a way to stop them. And she in turn would ask them to repay her in kind. Before long, her collection would grow, and she would have a strong bond to every Asha'man in the Black Tower. And it was too late to do anything about it. The honey was out of the comb, as Lini used to say.
Lazaruss : " And that's why the Forsaken don't make their own angreal. Can you imagine any of them giving such a gift to another ? Jordan would have probably waited for the dispute between Taim and Logain to play out before he would introduce this, but seeing as how the next book is to come out in a few months I can't afford to hesitate. "