Chapter LXX - Time for Change

Taija was growing more and more confused about what the Tower sedai's game was. She apparently wasn't a prisoner, but there was still an aes sedai hanging around outside her door. They must have known that a single Tower aes sedai wouldn't even slow her down though, so it couldn't have been to keep her there. Well, they wouldn't even slow her down if she could actually channel at the moment.

The number of aes sedai following Tel around when he'd come to see her suggested they weren't quite as comfortable with him, which was understandable. He'd better get healed though, she was absolutely not going to put up with him walking around with yet another fucking hideous scar. What was wrong with the man? Apart from the obvious.

Taija was distracted from her musings by a servant bringing her breakfast. A big tray covered in food that she somehow managed to demolish despite it looking far larger than anything she could reasonably manage.

Someone had also washed and dried her clothes while she was sleeping. Taija didn't know how long she'd been asleep for, but presumably they'd used the Power to do it fast enough given the time of year. Still, it was a relief to see that they weren't trying to stick her in a dress. With the way the Tower sedai could be, she'd only be a bit surprised if she found they wanted her in novice white or something. What a disturbing thought, but even at their worst they wouldn't be that stupid. Surely.

Siuan was a sensible woman at least. When she could see past her prejudices anyway.

After slowly and painfully dressing Taija laid back down on the bed, just for a little bit of rest. She could just close her eyes and maybe the headache would go away.

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Taija wasn't sure how long she was asleep for, lying there fully dressed on the bed, but she was woken up by someone knocking on the door. Her headache had subsided a little, but it was still there. She was feeling more alert though. More able to engage with the world. Mierin was dead!

When she didn't answer, Aleksi opened it a crack and slipped in coming over to her bed. "Ah you're awake, good. The Amyrlin and Hall have asked for you." He didn't look entirely happy about it.

"Oh." A thought occurred to Taija. "The access keys?"

"They're safe."

She nodded, she wasn't going to ask where they were, not while she was there. If Aleksi said they were safe then they were safe. Then Taija realised, she hadn't asked the really important question. Was he still doomed? "Aleksi, wait!" She grabbed at his arm and missed. She'd better recover fast, she really didn't like being this slow and weak. "Did it work? Is it clean?"

Aleksi looked at Taija like she was an idiot for a second and then his face split into a wide grin. "What, you didn't know? Yes! Of course it's bloody clean. You did it! You and Rand did what no one else has managed in 3,000 years."

"Ah. Good. That's good." Taija really wanted to go back to sleep, her brain was still very foggy and she was ever so tired.

Aleksi looked down at her with concern. "I think I should tell the Amyrlin you need longer to recover. She can wait."

Taija groaned to herself, "no, she can't. These aes sedai can never wait." After a moment she levered herself onto her feet. "I'll manage, we can go."

Taija started to totter towards the door and Aleksi reached out to steady her. "No! Thank you, but no. I can't show weakness here. Who knows what they want." She ran through some beginner exercises for composure and forced herself to walk a bit more normally. She didn't need to look like she was bouncing with energy, they knew what she'd just done, but they did need to think she wasn't half dead on her feet and vulnerable.

A pair of aes sedai were waiting when Taija came out of the room and nodded when they saw her. "Taija sedai, it is good to see you are recovering. If you would follow us we will take you to the Hall."

"Alright, lead on." She started to follow them. It seemed like an alright sign. Two aes sedai was presumably meant to be an honour without any implied threat. Unless they had angreal, or realised that she couldn't channel at that moment. Taija's habit of always concealing her channeling might actually be particularly helpful now.

As Taija left the building, doing her best not to look like she could barely walk, a thought occurred to her. "What about the others? Are they coming too?"

"Everyone is in their proper place."

Well that was a non-answer. "What about Rand?"

"The Lord Dragon is also being escorted to the Hall." The aes sedai's face twisted, "as is Tel Janin. The wise ones have been made comfortable as honoured guests."

Hmm that was reassuring, although Taija wasn't keen on the way the aes sedai looked when she mentioned Tel. It was understandable, but there were a lot of aes sedai here and if Taija could tolerate his continued existence then they would have to as well.

They walked a bit further and then another thought occured to Taija, she really wasn't firing on all cylinders at the moment. "What about the…" She nearly called them the girls, but just stopped herself. She couldn't give these people an inch. "Nynaeve sedai and my two apprentices." Then she remembered with a lurch, Nynaeve had her angreal!

"Nynaeve, Elayne and Egwene are being looked after too."

Another non-answer. Well they'd probably be fine for a little while, it wasn't like the aes sedai would actually hurt them. Would they? Taija's mind went back to their keenness for corporal punishment. Their general stupidity. Nynaeve was aes sedai, an adult by any measure, plus she could more than look after herself, but Taija wanted her angreal back. Want wasn't a strong enough word actually. Elayne and Egwene though, they were basically children and they were her apprentices. Even if no one touched them she couldn't just leave them to be bullied by hundred year old women who were convinced they were a small step down from the Creator.

"I'm glad to hear that." It was so useful being able to lie. "However, Nynaeve sedai," Taija emphasised the title, "has something of mine and I have a responsibility to the other two. Please take me to them."

"The Amyrlin is waiting, I am sure you will be permitted to speak to them afterwards." Oh, they really didn't want her going to the girls. Tough, it only made her more determined.

Taija stopped walking. "If the Amyrlin's already waiting, then you'd better take me to them quickly so that she doesn't have to wait much longer."

The aes sedai exchanged a glance with each other, then at Aleksi who had Callandor pushed through his belt. "Of course Taija sedai, let us go."

They took her to Nynaeve first who seemed to be in a face off with three Tower aes sedai. Taija could see Nynaeve was absolutely furious and her hot anger seemed to be matched by cold rage from the other aes sedai.

"You will give us the angreal or you will live to regret it."

"Hello Nynaeve." When Taija spoke they all whirled to face her. "What's going on?"

"Taija! These… women are insisting that I give them your angreal."

She turned her gaze to the Tower sedai. "Is that true?"

They didn't give an inch, one of them spoke. "She is a runaway from the Tower. Taija you must understand the ang…" Well Taija could see why Nynaeve was so angry.

Taija cut the aes sedai off. "It's Taija sedai to you. As it should be Nynaeve sedai unless you deny the ways of your predecessors."

The woman bristled and one of the aes sedai behind Taija quickly jumped in. "Of course Taija sedai, sometimes people can be over zealous for a good cause. The angreal is yours. You may bring Nynaeve with you to get this all settled." Still no title for Nynaeve.

Taija pointedly ignored the three aes sedai who'd been berating Nynaeve, "fine, now Egwene and Elayne." She turned to follow and Nynaeve slotted herself in beside her.

"Thank you Taija. I don't know what they thought they were going to achieve, but that was… frustrating." Nynaeve really had gotten better at controlling her temper! Taija had definitely been a good influence on her, if she kept this up Nynaeve would be as even-tempered as her before she hit 100. As Nynaeve spoke she pulled the necklace with the angreal on it over her head and handed it to Taija. Taija clenched it tightly in her fist for just a second before putting it on. "These women are…"

"Later Nynaeve, let's see what they have to say." She subsided into grumpy silence.

Egwene and Elayne seemed to have been left alone more than Nynaeve, there was no one berating them, but a pair of aes sedai were guarding their door. As if two Tower sedai could stop them. Taija's girls were strong and well trained.

Taija soon had them in tow, walking behind her and Nynaeve with Aleksi.

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It wasn't long before they were shown into a waiting room next to the inn common room that the aes sedai seemed to use as their main hall. Rand was in there too with Tel, looking as tired as Taija felt. She hoped she didn't look that bad. Tel had at least found someone to heal him, which was a relief. She was simply not going to put up with him going around with another bloody scar.

Taija gave Rand a nod and settled down beside him. Of course they'd kept them waiting. It was just what these aes sedai did. The sooner she could be out of there the better though.

In the end the before they were all told that the Hall was ready to see them wasn't too bad. Taija straightened her coat and stood beside Rand to walk in, followed by the others. She was faced by all 18 sitters in their full regalia, along with Siuan and another woman Taija didn't recognise, but assumed was her new Keeper. Idly Taija wondered what happened to Sheriam. Did they execute her? Not that she really cared.

Of course there were no chairs for her group, but when Taija entered Siuan's voice rang out. "Taija Kosola Miranen, aes sedai, and the Lord Dragon, Rand al'Thor, be welcomed by the Hall of the Tower. In the last two days," had she really been asleep that long? "The world has changed. Working together with the White Tower under the Light Taija Kosola and Rand al'Thor have ended the scourge of the taint!" Some of the Sitters nodded, others looked slightly ill.

"The world has blessed by the Creator to have Taija sedai sent to us from the Age of Legends. To have someone so nobly willing to join her skills with those of the White Tower and work for the Light. The world has also been blessed by the Creator to have the Dragon Reborn with such skills and power. Together we have all done what no one could for millennia!"

Siuan was clearly trying to butter her up for something. Taija gradually tuned her out as she thought about what was going on with the girls and the Tower sedai.

Eventually Siuan brought her speech to what might have been a resounding end and Taija forced herself to pay attention again. "The Hall will show its gratitude to Taija sedai and the Dragon." After a moment all 18 aes sedai stood, some clearly more reluctant than others and dropped into a curtsy. Well that had been unexpected. After a moment's hesitation Taija gave them a respectful bow back, it seemed like the polite thing to do.

Does Siuan expect a speech from her or Rand now?

Luckily as the Sitters settled back into their chairs, Siuan went back to speaking. "The world has changed, in a deep and fundamental way. The consequences of this will reverberate through society. Our brothers will be able to join with us once again!" Some of the Sitters definitely looked ill at that. "The White Tower shall be proclaiming the cleansing of the taint to the world."

"I have spoken of change in the world, but of course change will affect us all. The White Tower is the greatest shield the world has against the Shadow. It has stood since the Breaking and uniting aes sedai in their service to all." Taija worked hard to keep her face composed. "The White Tower is permanent, it stands and will continue to stand, but that does not mean that it is unchanging. That is why from today the Book of Novices shall be open to boys as well as to girls."

Some of the Sitters nodded, others shuddered at the words. It was odd how some things seemed to break Tower sedai composure so easily. Still, that was… Radical. From everything Taija had seen about these people's prejudices, insanely so. They might tolerate Rand, they might even tolerate Aleksi because she wouldn't let them do anything else and she had the power to make it stick, but more men channeling? Also who was going to teach them?

Siuan continued. "With the cleansing of the taint, the White Tower is also ready to welcome its lost brethren back into its folds." Ah there it was, that was her game. "Taija Kosola Miranen, you are aes sedai and aes sedai need to be together under the aegis of the White Tower. You and your fellows will be admitted to the Tower as full aes sedai with all of the rights and privileges that that entails."

Wait she was offering all of them what? "Taija Kosola Miranen, Rand al'Thor, Tel Janin," Siuan hesitated and then added, "and Nynaeve al'Meara welcome home!" Before Taija could say anything, she added, "Aleksi Durcaral will of course be welcomed as a novice in the Tower," Siuan gave a benevolent smile. "Although we will need to put some thought into how that role can be combined with his status as a warder."

Siuan was presenting this as a total fait accompli. Did Rand know about this? Taija glanced sideways at him, but his face was impassive. Was he leaving this to her because she was the senior aes sedai? For fuck's sake, couldn't she have the benefit of his pattern bending to avoid this? Did Siuan think that just because it would be really awkward to turn her down that Taija was going to go along with it?

Taija cleared her throat a bit awkwardly, she really wasn't feeling up for this right now.