A New Player in the Game

by Teebs6

Taija Kosola was one of millions forced to fight the Shadow when the War of Power erupted around the world. The Age of Legends was coming to an end and she should have died with it, but what if instead the Forsaken found they weren't the only people who remembered the Age of Legends. Culture clash, battles with the One Power, misunderstandings and sheer loneliness.

169. Little Sister

As usual all speech in italics is in the Old Tongue

Chapter CXXX - Little Sister

A few days after Taija's… interesting meeting with Aleksi and Alucia she was approached by an aspirant holding an envelope. He gave her a low bow and handed it to her. "A message from Rand sedai Taija sedai. He told me to put it straight into your hands and no one else's."

"Thank you," she muttered, already breaking the seal on the envelope. Taija quickly scanned the contents, her brow furrowing in puzzlement at what she saw. It was odd. He wanted a private meeting tomorrow, but in particular he didn't want to see Tel. It was doubly odd, because he was very clear in the letter that Tel hadn't done anything to trigger that kind of reaction and that he wasn't in trouble, there were just 'reasons'. Very weird, as far as she knew they got on fine.

Still, she trusted Rand, if he wanted to meet her alone then she'd do him the courtesy. She was still going to tell Tel what she was doing though. Not because she was particularly worried, but because she didn't like hiding things from him. If she asked him to keep away he'd keep away. Taija had the feeling that whatever Rand had to say she wasn't going to like it too, so she wanted Tel to be on standby for comforting duties afterwards.

Her mind went to what sort of horrible things Rand might say that he wouldn't want anyone else to hear. Could it be something about the Last Battle? She'd been thinking about that, trying to work out what he could do there. She'd read the prophecies, of course she had. She'd also read some of the interpretations of them. Everyone seemed pretty clear that they meant Rand would need to die to defeat the Dark One. Well fuck that. Firstly it was completely useless for telling him how to actually beat the Dark One. Secondly, she couldn't care less for prophecies or how they were interpreted. Whatever happened, people would say that they'd been fulfilled. Worst case he could just cut himself so he bled a little on Shayol Ghul or something. He'd better not be summoning her so he could tell her how he planned to commit suicide for the world.

With a start Taija realised she'd just been standing there inventing a conversation she was going to have with Rand when she'd got no idea what he actually wanted to talk about. After a quick guilty look around to see if anyone was watching her, she hurried off to the class she was meant to be teaching.

=====

"I've done as you asked, so, are you going to be less disagreeable? More helpful?" Rand wasn't sure why he muttered the words out loud. Lews Therin seemed to be able to hear his thoughts perfectly well. He winced at that, the last thing he wanted to do was to start having these conversations out loud in front of Cadsuane, or possible worse, Min.

Well your girl is no Ilyena.

Lews Therin sounded smug and then suddenly horrified at his own words.

Light damn me, I deserve every bit of suffering the Creator has seen fit to inflict on me.

So, Lews Therin was already breaking their bargain. Hardly a surprise. Rand wished he could say he hadn't expected it. He half thought the man was still mad. He'd have to find some excuse for why he'd summoned Taija since he wasn't going to allow Lews Therin to behave like that.

No, no. My apologies. I will… It is difficult. The memories, everything I have done, being stuck in your head. Not that there is anything wrong with your head.

Lews Therin sounded almost panicked. Perhaps he might actually try to be useful after all.

Yes. The Forsaken. What do you know of them? What has Taija Kosola told you? Which of my memories have you stolen. We will discuss them and then we shall talk of how you will unite the rest of the world. But not Sammael, I do not want to talk about Sammael, I have nothing to say about him.

=======

Taija was lying in bed with Tel, snuggled against his chest when she gave voice to her musings about the rest of the world. "You know I've been asking about Shara and the Land of Madmen?"

"Mmmm?" Had he fallen asleep?

"So I was thinking that maybe we should send someone to each of them to have a look. Just to see if there's any point in trying to form alliances with them. The Dark One must be affecting them too, right?"

"Mmmm." He was definitely half asleep.

"I thought maybe I'd send Egwene and Jaer to the Land of Madmen. They make such a sweet couple and he's hard as nails and she's pretty tricksy, but can put on a good face. She can do the diplomacy and he can make sure she survives."

"Mmmm, yes. Egwene n Jaer." Taija resisted the urge to poke him. He'd been working too hard and needed his rest. So did she really, but she wanted to get this idea off her chest.

"They're good together. I really didn't see that coming, but it's just so funny when she tries to take charge and then he just decides he's not doing it for some Dedicated reason. I wonder if they'll last."

"Mmmm."

"Anyway they'll do for the Land of Madmen. We might have to get help from the Sea Folk to get them there though, I'm not sure how good the maps are. As for Shara, well, perhaps Jahar and Elayne could go."

Tel jerked violently. "No absolutely not, it's far too dangerous!"

"Oh, you're awake after all, I thought you were asleep." Taija propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at him just in time to get one of his more unimpressed looks. "You're cute when you do that." She planted a kiss on his forehead and then laid her head back on him. "I know you said they're hostile to outsiders, but frankly the Dedicated and Sea Folk are weird, so it's not surprising. Surely we can send a couple of strong aes sedai and they'll be able to handle themselves to see whether the stories are true or not."

He sighed. "Look, Taija, I know that you can't believe everything people in this time say, but in this case it's true. Shara is hostile and it's dangerous. It was part of what they told me in the…" She knew what he didn't want to mention and she didn't really want him to either. "The Sharans are actually run by their channelers. I'm not totally sure on the system, but if there's anywhere where they could overwhelm two strong aes sedai it's there and everything I've heard says that they'd never even get the chance to say their piece."

He really did sound serious. Light she hated this time, why couldn't this be a conversation about whether to go on holiday to M'Jinn or not. "Fine. No Shara. I still want to find out about the Land of Madmen though."

======

Aleksi stared Alucia in the eyes, distinctly unimpressed. "For someone who insists that she didn't seduce me to get her way, you seem determined to do your best to distract me whenever we're talking about the proposals."

She gave him a completely unperturbed smile and leant back so that her cleavage was no longer exposed. "Do try to stop thinking with your manhood and start thinking with your brain. We have a lot to do today."

Aleksi resisted the urge to growl with frustration, strong as it was. "Fine. So, as I was saying, if we want this to be successful, we need to limit the range of actions that will be taken. We don't want to be seen as interfering with local laws or for the Tower or Hall to be treading on each other's own rules."

"Indeed, so murder, compulsion, attempts at taking over nations. Those seem like the obvious starting points."

Aleksi nodded. "I think compulsion especially is something where we can show the value of our idea."

=======

Rand had a slight tremble in his hands as he looked at Min's beautiful, concerned face. One thing had been clear to him, whatever Lew Therin had to say on the matter. He couldn't tell Taija about the voice in his head without telling the woman he loved first.

"Min, we need to talk, there's something I need to tell you." A frown marred her forehead at that. At least Lews Therin generally vanished whenever Min was around. Rand suspected it reminded the man too much of what he'd done to his own love. "It's something I should have told you a while ago, but it's… it's just difficult."

Min put her hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze. "More difficult than being the Dragon Reborn?"

"Ha!" Rand barked a quickly cut-off laugh. "No, maybe. I don't know. Before the taint was cleansed, I'd started having bursts of knowledge and behaviour that weren't… me. Knowing things I shouldn't. I didn't know for sure, but obviously I assumed it was the madness."

"But the taint's gone!"

"I know. Believe me, I know. Anyway Nynaeve's checked me, more than once, she thinks she can detect the madness and I'm not mad. But…" Rand's heart wrenched at the worry on Min's face. At least it wasn't disgust, not that he'd ever expect that from Min of all people. "… I've been hearing a voice in my head. More and more over time. It talks to me, comments on what's going on and it knows things. Things I could never know." He took a breath and continued. "I'm almost entirely sure it's Lews Therin."

Min looked at him for a second. "You think you have Lews Therin's voice in your head, but you're not mad?"

Rand nodded.

"Blood and bloody ashes, why didn't you tell me before you wool-headed lunk?!" She punched his arm, hard.

A little bit of tension that Rand hadn't even realised was there left him at those words. "I… It's not something that's easy to talk about. I wasn't even sure it was real, or that it wasn't just the madness. Then, being who I am, what I am, would you really want to tell anyone? It's taken me a long time to even accept that the voice is real and that it actually is Lew Therin."

"Can you hear it, him, now?"

"No." Rand shook his head. "He vanishes whenever you're around, I think love reminds him of what he did, why he's called the Kinslayer. He's… Well he's not mad, I don't think so anyway, but he's an unpleasant, broken man. I suppose any of us would be after all that, sometimes he's helpful, but mostly he's just insulting or critical."

"Oh Rand." Min enveloped him in a long hug. Eventually she pulled away. "So you're going to be speaking to Taija about this?"

Rand jumped. "How did you know?"

That got him a raised eyebrow. "You'd best keep it in mind that I'm no fool. Something had to trigger you coming to tell me now and who's better to speak to about the voice from the Age of Legends in your head than the woman from that time? Am I right?"

"Yes, you're right. You're far too clever."

Min gave him a smug look and then seriousness returned to her face. "Next time though, just tell me!"

"I know, I should have. It was just…"

"I know. Nothing's easy when you're you."

"Ha, no. You really don't mind that I'm going to talk to Taija?"

"No, it's fine. She makes me uncomfortable, but I know it's not rational. I just feel wrong with the way there are no visions at all around her, but that's my stupid power, not my thinking mind. Normally I'd rather not be seeing visions! Anyway, she cares about you, there aren't many other people who won't try to use you, but I know she's one." Min took a deep breath. "Do you want me to come with you when you speak to her?"

Rand quickly shook his head. "No. Thank you, but I can manage this by myself and Lews Therin might not even appear if you're there."

He didn't miss the way Min relaxed slightly at that. "Alright, but don't be stupid about it, if you want me, I'm there. Now what are you going to say to her?"

=======

Taija stepped out of her gateway outside Caemlyn and headed into the city. The guards on the gates glanced at her and then looked away, she got little more attention from most of the people milling through the streets. The fact that she was wearing trousers instead of a dress probably drew more attention than anything else. No one recognised the small, unassuming looking woman as the head of the Hall of Servants. Just how she liked it really.

It took her a little while to reach the palace Rand had taken over. Some witty aspirant at the Hall had called it the Dragon's Den and that was the name that had stuck, at least among members of the Hall. There she was definitely recognised. The Dedicated at the gates welcomed her in, given everything she'd seen in the ter'angreal in Rhuidean, Taija still thought the level of respect they gave her as an aes sedai was ridiculous. The aes sedai who gave the Dedicated their orders should have been on their knees begging them for forgiveness, but that wasn't something she had time to worry about right then. The aspirants backing up the Dedicated as guards gave her a low bow and then hit her with a slicing web. Once she was past them Taija quickly reapplied the webs concealing her channeling. Then it was on to Rand, led by a slightly nervous servant.

She was taken to a small, but luxurious reception room and shown in. As she entered Rand got up from his chair. "Taija, it's good to see you. It's been too long."

"Rand," Taija smiled and went over to give him a hug. He felt tense but still returned it. It was another reminder that this wasn't the boy she'd spent hours talking to about the world, identity and his future.

"Please, have a seat."

That seemed to exhaust Rand's desire for conversation, instead once she'd sat down there was just an awkward silence extending longer and longer. He was really uncomfortable about something. That much was more than clear.

Eventually Taija broke the silence. "Is everything alright Rand?"

He hesitated and then let out a long sigh. "There's no way to say this easily. I've got Lews Therin's voice in my head."

"What?"

"I said…"

"Yes, I heard what you said, I'm just..." Taija embraced saidar, drawing as much as she could. Was Nynaeve busy? How fast could she get her over here? She could send one of the aspirants while she kept an eye on Rand. Taija chose her words carefully, keeping her voice gentle. "What exactly makes you think you're hearing Lews Therin's voice?"

She could feel his annoyance despite your attempt at keeping disbelief out of her tone. she needed to be very careful what she said. Rand was hardly imperceptive these days. He was far more powerful than her and she knew he had a stronger angreal too. "You don't believe me. Of course you don't. Why would you? It's madness. I'm only telling you this because he's insisting on it!"

"Alright Rand, but why do you think it's Lews Therin's voice?" Taija glanced at the door. How fast could she reach it? Probably not fast enough.

"Because it is!" He seemed distracted for a second. "Alright, fine. Maybe I can convince you. Let me see…" He looked away for a moment and then when he spoke again his voice was different. "Maybe this will help convince you little sister. The first time we met was at a reception at the Hall of Servants, you had just received your first name. You stammered when you introduced yourself and then ended up spilling your drink."

What? "Rand? You don't know that. You can't know that." Taija's voice was weak. Then her outrage caught up. "Also, what the fuck. Little sister? Fuck right off whether you're Lews Therin or Rand!" She was absolutely not going to accept that affectionate diminutive here. she might have been able to call Egwene or Elayne that in her time, given their close relationship and relative seniority, but whether it was from a 20 year old she'd mentored or an older, senior aes sedai she barely know it was completely inappropriate now.

Rand gave himself a shake and returned to his own language. "I was repeating what Lews Therin said. I know it sounds mad, but how could I have known that? You know I can't speak the Old Tongue like that."

Taija stared at him for a second before getting herself back under control. "That was a perfect Paraan Disen accent it's true. You don't speak the Old Tongue that well, no one from this time does." Probably her least favourite accent too, unless it was Tel speaking, he was allowed. "Did Tel tell you about that?" She must have told him that story at some point.

Something passed over Rand's face at Tel's name. "Please don't mention Tel, it… upsets Lews Therin, but no he didn't tell me anything. This is how I know it's actually Lews Therin. He just knows things that there's no way I could possibly know."

"Hmm if you say so." Taija struggled to keep the scepticism out of her voice, although at that point it was hardly the strangest thing to have ever happened. "Fine. Jal Damagin was removed from the Grand Council about one year into the War. Why?"

"His name was not Jal Damagin, it was Bal Marangin. The public reason for his removal was that he was found to be in possession of indecent images of children. The real reason for his removal was that he was on the verge of defecting to the Shadow and we planted the images on his computer's hard drive."

Shock ran through Taija. There was no way Rand could have known that. She didn't think he even knew what a hard drive was. Tel could have told him she supposed, but the chances that they ever discussed an obscure political scandal were zero. Then her mind caught up with the second part of what Rand had said. "Wait, you framed him? For child pornorgraphy?! What the actual fuck?!"

Rand somehow managed to convey Lews Therin's dismissive tone while fluently speaking a language he hardly knew. "It was that or have yet another of the 'Chosen' to deal with. Some of us had to actually make sacrifices during the War you know."

Rage shot through Taija, but she beat it down. She wasn't going to be provoked. "Is he always like this?" She switched back to Rand's language, restraining her urge to say something deeply intemperate. "Also, how are you even doing this? Can you understand him?"

Rand grimaced. "I understand him fine and yes, he seems to insist on being unpleasant." He hesitated, "he says if we'd suffered what he had and were stuck in someone's head we'd be unpleasant too. I've told him if he can't be civil to you then I'm not going to speak for him."

"So it's you speaking, not him?"

"Yes." Rand still looked uncomfortable. "I can sort of repeat what he's saying, but it's still me, I can stop or change it, although I'd struggle with the Old Tongue, even if I do understand what you're both saying."

It was interesting that he could understand, unless he'd been doing a lot more studying he should have been struggling to follow. "And Lews Therin doesn't have any control over this?" It was a shock, but Taija realised she was accepting that this actually was Lews Therin.

"No. Or I don't think so… He's complained about it before, but I think I'd have to decide to let him have control and there's no way I'm doing that."

Well that was a relief. She wasn't letting go of saidar regardless, not that she thought she'd have the slightest chance against Lews Therin if he did somehow take control. In hindsight she should have brought a sa'angreal with her. Maybe she should just carry one as a matter of course, but then that would leave the Hall less well defended. "Alright… You said you were telling me because Lews Therin was insisting on it. So, what does he want?"

"I wanted to speak to you about how the War ended." Rand shuddered, whether it was carrying over Lews Therin's feelings or simply in sympathy Taija couldn't tell. "Are you aware of what happened?"

She bit her bottom lip, the later stages of the War were really not something she liked thinking about. The bits she'd lived through were bad enough. This might be important though, if it wasn't the tortured fantasies of a madman. "I know the gist of it. You went with a group of men and tried to seal the Bore. You succeeded, creating seven seals, most of which are now broken, but somehow the Dark One tainted saidin in the process and the rest is history."

"Close enough little sister…"

Taija cut him off. "Are you trying to provoke me? Should I insist on formal titles? Or did you just bring me here to patronise me?"

He ignored her words. "Do you know about Latra Posae and the disagreement between the men and women?"

Taija decided to let his disrespect go. "The Fateful Concord?" She'd at least done her reading. "Maybe? I don't really trust the records from this time." It wasn't something she'd discussed with Tel either, that period was not a topic of conversation that either of them wants to open up.

"Surprisingly wise of you." He hadn't been this much of a prick in her time, had he? Tel knew him much better than her, but even Tel's occasional rants had never mentioned anything like this kind of rudeness. "It was not called that in our time, but there is much truth to the matter. Latra Posae convinced the female aes sedai not to assist with sealing the Bore. She no doubt thought she had her reasons, but you know what the end result was. Typical of the woman, so conservative that she would have supported cryogenically freezing ourselves to avoid anything ever changing. Without saidar involved, the Dark One tainted saidin and here we are."

Well Latra Posae seemed to be one person where Lews Therin, Taija and Tel all had similar opinions. "Alright, hearing about the death of everything I loved isn't particularly appealing, but you must have a reason for this beyond patronising me."

"Indeed. Do you know what Latra Posae's plan for winning the War was?"

"No idea." That wasn't really true, but she wanted to hear Lews Therin's view.

"The Choedan Kal. They were meant to be the ultimate super weapon, but the access keys were lost. Although of course young Rand has them now." Rand twitched at being called young.

"Well great, he can reenact Latra Posae's plan instead, it can't be any worse than yours after all."

"Did having Sammael's…" Rand stopped talking a furious expression on his face. "I'm sorry Taija, I'm not repeating what he just said. Absolutely not. I think this was a mistake."

At that name Taija's face had lost all expression. "No, I want to hear what Lews Therin was going to say. He clearly has something he wants to get out there. He would never have been so rude or patronising to me in our time."

Rand shook his head. "Taija, really I don't want to."

"Please Rand, I want to get this over with and then we can figure a way to get him out of your head." He shook his head again so she pinned him with her harshest stare. "I know it's not you Rand. Just say it."

After a moment he sighed. "He said. I knew you were at best one step removed from being a traitor, but did having Sammael's prick thrust into you also crowd out what little common sense you possessed. I'm sorry."

Taija sat in stunned silence for a moment and then her bubbling anger exploded. "You know what Lews Therin. Fuck you. You're in no position to judge me. You led the Light's forces to defeat, you broke the world. I've been stuck here in this shitty time clearing up the mess that you left behind. They call you the Kinslayer because your legacy is the broken bodies of Ilyena and your children. Only that's the least of what you did. You sit there, smugly insulting me over things that you weren't there for. Contrary to what you seem to think, I'm not an idiot. I'm just already sick of your bullshit within a couple of minutes of speaking to you. Now if you can't say something productive, then you can go die on a scree slope. You're not the leader of the Light anymore, you're just a sad, pathetic voice in a real leader's head. A voice that jerks off to his little fantasies of relevance while insulting the people who are actually trying to improve the world. So you'd better come out with something useful in the next few seconds or else I'm going to find a way to get you out of Rand's head even if I have to fucking well hunt down Graendal and compel her to do it."

Rand blinks, took a step back from Taija's vehement outburst. "Very well little sister…"

She cut Lews Therin off. "If you call me that one more time this conversation is over. I am the First Among Servants, rebuilding the organisation that was destroyed because of you, you can treat me with respect or not at all."

"Very well Taija Kosola. You have made your position clear." He wasn't even apologising, bastard. "My point was going to be that had Latra Posae's plan been followed the outcome would have been the same. Using the Choedan Kal would not have prevented the taint from touching saidin."

Taija forced her anger down, she could be furious later. For now she needed to engage with this. "Alright, but if you had been able to use saidar as well as saidin? What exactly was it that you did to seal the Bore?"

"I can explain in more detail. I expect I will have to. However, in summary, we used a Drimstoff Array combined with Karantian Formulae based webs with each of the seals. The men provided a pseudo-link, I believe you have seen the Seanchan using something similar for anti-Traveling wards? I adapted the webs to tailor the array myself and added a number of things, but in hindsight it was fundamentally flawed. Saidin could not touch the essence of the Dark One without being tainted."

Alright, that sort of made sense. Taija wasn't sure she could replicate a Drimstoff Array, it was deep into arcane warding webs, but she at least know roughly what one was. "And if saidar was part of it too?" She thought she already knew the answer to that question, but she had to ask it.

"It would have been tainted too."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure as a disembodied voice can be, I have had some time to think on it." Was that a joke? He could fuck off after everything else he'd said.

"Right, so the Power cannot touch the essence of the Dark One without being tainted. So what's the plan for the Last Battle?"

"Would you believe that while you have been diddl… twiddling your thumbs at your new Hall of Servants, the idiot boy's entire plan has been to try to work it out as he went along. Take the Choedan Kal and try to replicate what I did, but with saidar added in and then see what happens." Taija ignored Rand's outraged squawk.

"So the Choedan Kal are functional again?"

"Certainly in the near future."

"And Rand has no plan?"

"He is convinced he needs to die to fulfil the prophecies and that his death and the Power will reseal the Bore."

For fuck's sake! She'd thought that she'd hammered all the prophecy crap out of Rand's head. "Really?"

"Really."

Fucking teenagers. Twenty year olds. Twenty one year olds? Whatever. "Well that's absolutely not happening. Even if he believes in trying to follow prophecies, the wording isn't even clear! It just says he need to bleeds on Shayol Ghul and make some sacrifice. Nothing about dying. Fucking hell, Cadsuane had better not have been feeding him these idiotic ideas. At least he'd decided not to take Callandor instead of the Choedan Kal because of that reference to a blade of light."

Rand looked down awkwardly. "I'd been planning to ask you and Aleksi to use the Choedan Kal while I used Callandor. Then I could die at the end."

"For fuck's sake. With no plan? Just hoping you could replicate what Lews Therin did? Fuck. Alright Lews Therin, you clearly have a reason to be talking to me beyond just wanting me to be a voice of reason. So what is it?" Taija's mind was already racing, trying to work out what he might have in mind. Oh. That was it. It must be. "You want me to…"

He cut her off. "As you so aptly put it, you have been clearing up my mess. What was your greatest achievement in this time? Whatever my views on your personal choices, I do not doubt your skills as a scientist."

"You want me to adapt my taint destruction web to protect a new seal on the Bore?" Shit. Was that even possible? "I can't test it, because I can't touch the Dark One safely with saidar. I can't even go near Shayol Ghul safely. I also have no idea how to tie it into whatever you or Rand is planning to do to reseal the Bore. You do realise how difficult that would be, right?"

"I would say I have every confidence in you, but it would be an unconvincng lie. I will say that we have no other choice. Unless you want to rely on the strength of the Choedan Kal to overcome any counterstroke from the Dark One. I would hardly care, I am already dead and have no loved ones left to kill."

"Light you really are a prick." Taija muttered the words, but didn't regret them in the slightest. "Right Rand, I don't want to speak to him anymore. I don't know if you can get rid of him temporarily, but I want to talk to you, a proper heart to heart." One thing was for sure, she wasn't going to accept Rand dying to fulfill some stupid prophecy.

======

Moridin sat back in the fine leather armchair, a glass of wine in hand and saa running across his eyes. Everything was going according to plan. The Dragon would survive to face the Great Lord and then, then he would just need to make the correct choice and this could all end.

Moridin would not sully himself with the petty actions of the rest of the Chosen. He did not need to scrub around in the dirt in the vain hope of advancement. No. He would continue to watch and wait and just apply precise pressure where and when it was needed to ensure that young Rand came to the Pit of Doom at the appointed time.