As usual all speech in italics is in the Old Tongue.

Chapter XLVII - Cold Rocks Hold

For the next few days Taija rode high on the pleasure of finally having some progress with the taint. No one else really seemed to understand the significance of it though, which was a bit depressing. Aleksi had been enthusiastic of course, but she was fairly sure he was just pretending to make her happy.

Of course, simply being able to detect the taint was just a start, but she spent her time refining the webs and getting better and better information on it. Taija might not understand why it did what it did yet, that was the kind of question that might take a multi-disciplinary team years, but she was making progress at working out what it was and therefore how to affect it. Actually it was fascinating, she could have happily devoted years of her career to studying it. But while her research always leaned more towards the theoretical, she'd never ascended too far into her ivory tower. She was well aware that what mattered was practical solutions rather than true understanding.

Taija had been in (or at least near) Rhuidean for a bit more than two weeks when Amys told her that the group would be leaving soon. It seemed that the delay was to allow the Shaido, one of the Dedicated tribes, no that was wrong… clans, to send another candidate for clan chief into Rhuidean.

Now that he'd failed too, i.e. died because of using dangerous ter'angreal, they would need to send another potential chief. However, whoever that was wasn't there and the wise ones didn't want to wait for them to arrive.

It seemed that the plan was now to go somewhere named Cold Rocks Hold and then on to another place named the Golden Bowl. The various clan chiefs had been summoned to the Golden Bowl, hopefully for Rand to be acclaimed as their Chief of Chiefs. It all sounded very political.

Cold Rocks Hold would just be a stopping point, giving time for other clans to get to the Golden Bowl and was apparently a much more pleasant place to wait and rest than Rhuidean. It was also Amys and Rhuarc's home and Taija suspected that heavily influenced their choice of resting place.

Amys had actually been a relative breath of fresh air for this Age. Despite being a powerful channeler, by local standards anyway, and clearly a highly respected wise one, Taija had found she got on with her quite well. Unlike the aes sedai, Amys felt like a real person. She showed her emotions, was willing to have a laugh and actually told Taija what she thought rather than obfuscating about everything.

Even the way the Dedicated went on about honour and obligation all the time kind of made sense once it was explained to her properly by Amys. They seemed a bit obsessed with it and made it all far too explicit in Taija's opinion, but on a fundamental level it made sense. In her own time social status, even being able to call oneself aes sedai, depended heavily on one's actions both positive and negative and what one could do for society and she could feel the similarities.

It certainly made more sense as a system than the hereditary nobility that seemed to be favoured by most people in this time. Or strength in the Power like 'modern' aes sedai used. Not that they ever seemed to apply that one to Taija, which was even more annoying.

As a result Taija found she was looking forward to seeing Cold Rocks Hold. The Dedicated were even more technologically backwards than most nations she'd seen in this time and she found their warrior culture deeply odd, but at the same time there were enough similarities in the way they thought and behaved to what she was used to that sometimes she felt oddly at home around them.

Speaking of home, the chocolate buns had kept on turning up intermittently. Not every morning, but enough to be a treat she could look forward to. Taija still thought it was rather odd, but she was too busy to put much thought into it and anyway, why look a gift horse in the mouth? Especially when she could put it in her own mouth.

Her best guess was that Rand found some bakery in another nation and occasionally Traveled there to buy them. Or maybe sent Edram, the man must be able to Travel. As for the recipe being oddly familiar, well it wasn't like there were all that many ways to bake a chocolate bun. She didn't get suspicious when someone made a stew that reminded her of home after all.

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They didn't Travel directly to Cold Rocks Hold. Instead Rand opened an impressively large gateway to somewhere an hour or so's walk from there. Apparently it would have been rude to turn up unannounced. Taija supposed it made sense, especially when the people there weren't used to Traveling.

Actually she needed to think about whether or not to teach Amys, and by extension the other wise ones, how to Travel. As far as she could tell Egwene hadn't, which was sensible of her, and she'd be stunned if Moiraine or Cadsuane would share their secrets. It was something to consider when she reached this Cold Rocks Hold.

It wasn't long before Cold Rocks Hold came into sight. Apparently. All Taija could see was more rock formations, but Amys pointed out a fissure in the rocks to her. Then everything seemed to get a bit chaotic. Most of the Dedicated uncovered their heads and started running towards the Hold, hollering and shrieking as they went. Amys sped off with them, but left the other wise ones behind, walking at a more sedate pace.

After a moment's hesitation Taija accelerated to a jog, catching up with Amys who unlike the others wasn't shouting. Amys glanced at her and took in her confused look. "It is custom. You must enter a Hold with your head bare and make noise so that they know you approach. Although of course they will have seen us long ago."

"I see." Taija shrugged and pulled off her headscarf, no point in offending anyone. "You're not making any noise though?"

"The others are doing it for me." Amys smiled slightly, "also I am a wise one." That seemed to be sufficient explanation for her. After a moment Taija decided that was a good enough excuse for her not to have to shout either.

It didn't take long to reach the stone wall and Rhuarc and Rand led the way into the largest fissure, which extended more than ten metres across. It was a strange feeling suddenly plunging into dark, cool shade and without thinking Taija spun a ball of light above her.

After a few minutes of walking the fissure opened into a huge, straight canyon and she was greeted by shrill cries from hundreds of voices. A huge crowd of Dedicated, men and women shouting, banging on pots or making noise any other way they could. It was pandemonium, a horrible assault on her senses, and Taija had to resist the urge to spin webs of air around her ears.

Still, the canyon itself was impressive. Its walls were practically green with gardens, hanging vines and houses climbing its sides in steep terraces. It was completely different to any of the other towns and cities she'd seen in this time, or her own, but quite lovely in its own quaint way.

Amys suddenly sped off ahead of everyone and Taija was left trailing after Rhuarc and Rand feeling a little out of place.

When she came to the end of the canyon Taija saw Amys stood with another woman on a large boulder which seemed to have been shaped into a platform. She briefly studied the woman beside Amys. She was similarly dressed, looking like she'd reached the end of middle-aged and wearing quite a lot of gold and ivory. She must have been someone important, judging by the jewelery and the way she was standing.

Thankfully the noise from the crowd of Dedicated died away as Rhuarc stepped forward. "I ask leave to enter your hold roofmistress." His tone was loud and carried his voice across the canyon. He called her roofmistress, so she must be Lian.

"You have my leave, clan chief." Her reply was formal, but then she smiled and added in a warmer tone, "shade of my heart, you will always have my leave."

Rhuarc's reply was similarly affectionate. Wasn't he married to Amys? She seemed to be standing there next to Lian quite happily.

Next Heirn stepped forward, presumably he had to ask separately because he wasn't from Rhuarc's clan? Taija hoped not everyone was going to be asking, it would take forever. He asked leave to come beneath Lian's roof and was granted permission.

Then it was Rand's turn and he bowed before also asking leave. Taija was half tuned out by this point so she missed his exact wording, but her attention was wrenched back to it when whispers broke out among the Dedicated.

Lian seemed to be staring for Rand for a while and then she praised his modesty before curtsying awkwardly. Taija could sympathise with that, whoever decided that women in this time should curtsy deserved a good kicking. Why they couldn't just bow politely like she'd learnt growing up and avoid the awkwardness she didn't know. Bows were so much simpler and yet you could put far more nuance into them.

Following Rand were the other three wise ones. Bair seemed to speak for them. "Roofmistress, we request water and shade in your hold." Her tone and words carried none of the implications of submission from the men's requests. As far as Taija could tell, wise ones went wherever they wanted whenever they wanted in the Dedicated lands, so that made sense she supposed.

Lian gave them welcoming smiles too. "There is always water and shade for a wise one in my hold."

Somehow Moiraine and Cadsuane seemed to have worked their way in front of Taija while she was grumbling to herself about curtsies and they presented themselves in front of Lian next. Taija stifled a curse, that meant she was going to have to say something too. She'd hoped she could just come under the wise ones' umbrella or something, but she wouldn't accept putting herself in an inferior position to the other two aes sedai.

Cadsuane certainly didn't bow or curtsy either. "Roofmistress we request water and shade in your hold." Her tone was faultlessly polite, but she matched the wise ones' words.

There were whispers among the Dedicated again and Lian responded with another awkward curtsy. "You do me much honour aes sedai, you have my leave."

With a sigh and a gesture for the girls and Aleksi to follow her Taija stepped forward next. Cadsuane's attitude reminded her, yet again, of how much she disliked the arrogance of people who called themselves aes sedai in this time. She'd at least show the girls and Aleksi how an aes sedai should behave.

Taija gave Lian a low bow, appropriate for an honoured elder. She'd match Heirn's words, he seemed to be the only one who wasn't some kind of chief. "Roofmistress I ask leave to come beneath your roof for me, my warder and my apprentices."

Again whispers spread through the Dedicated and there was a long pause. Amys whispered something in Lian's ear and then she smiled widely and bowed equally low back to Taija. "Taija sedai it seems that the Chief of Chiefs is not the only modest one here. You need never concern yourself with asking, you have my leave now and forever."

Well that was a bit over the top as responses went, but Taija was nevertheless pleased.

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In Cold Rocks Hold her routine continued in much the same way as it had for the previous two weeks. Training with the girls and, to a lesser degree, Aleksi and working on the taint.

As she got more data on the taint she could start thinking about what to do with it. She had a few ideas and hopefully at least one of them would work.

One thing she wanted to test though was its impact on physical objects. For that Taija wanted something very specific. In her time she'd have had access to a whole range of exotic materials that could be tested to destruction, here it was a bit harder. Still, she thought she'd be able to make do if she could kludge something together. For that she'd need a blacksmith though.

Taija had asked Lian about finding one. Apparently Cold Rocks Hold was blessed with two blacksmiths, but the older of them was down with something. So Lian had told her that she'd send her to 'Taric of the Chareen Dedicated'. It seemed he was new to the Hold, having come from the Chareen, but his work was apparently as good as anybody's and she had no reservations recommending him. Given the uncomfortable weight Lian put on her status as an aes sedai, Taija had no doubt it was an honest recommendation.

After some wandering, trying to follow Lian's slightly unclear directions, Taija found herself outside an open forge where an impressively well muscled young Dedicated was hammering away at what she thought might be a spearhead. She didn't want to interrupt him, so she stood quietly at the threshold to his smithy, politely waiting for him to finish.

Eventually he stopped his hammering and picked up the metal in some tongs before dousing it in what Taija thought must be the first bucket of water she'd seen in the Waste. Job done he wiped his hands on a rag and turned to her.

"I see you… oh!" He nearly dropped the rag in his hands. "My apologies aes sedai, I had not realised who you were or I would not have kept you waiting." It was a little bit disconcerting how everyone there already seemed to recognise her.

"There's no need to apologise, I didn't want to disturb you." Taija smiled. "Are you Taric of the Chareen Dedicated? You've been very highly recommended by your roofmistress."

He smiled nervously, he really was very young. Maybe that was why he was so nervous. "I am honoured, what can I do for you aes sedai?"

"I need something forged, a pair of iron rods in the form of as perfect a cylinder as you can make them." Taija channeled and a cylinder appeared in the air between them. Taric's eyes widened, although he didn't quite recoil form the image. She should really have warned him, she always forgot how scared people were of channelers in this time. He seemed to be even more worried than normal though. Oh well. "I need something the same size and appearance as this."

He gathered himself and suddenly he was all business, looking over the three dimensional image hanging in the air before making a few unidentifiable marks on the wall with a piece of charcoal. "Of course aes sedai, it would be my pleasure."

"Thank you, I also need it to be as pure iron as possible. Definitely not steel, carbonisation will ruin it. But beyond that, no impurities to the point that that can be avoided with the tools available to you. Is that possible? I'm not sure what's required or if it can even be done without a proper blast furnace. You don't have one do you? Arc furnaces definitely don't exist in this time." She muttered the last part.

Taric gave her a slow shrug looking even more nervous. "I am not sure what a blast furnace is aes sedai. No impurities… That is difficult, but I will do my best not to fail you."

"Thank you, I can pay you, of course." Taija fumbled for her coin pouch.

Taric quickly held his hands up in front of him. "Thank you aes sedai, but that is not necessary, I would be honoured to help you and I do not wish for or need payment." He almost seemed distressed at the idea.

"Nonsense!" She wasn't going to take advantage of the Dedicated. Especially not after what she saw in Rhuidean. "I can pay and I will pay, to do anything else would dishonour me." Her talk of dishonour seemed to make him wince and gave her time to dig into her coin pouch. She took out five gold crowns and pressed them into Taric's huge hand, they were quite small coins really, but hopefully it would be enough. "Please, just let me know if you need more!"

Taric stared down at the coins, looking a little confused for just long enough for Taija to get worried, then closed his hand around them and gave her a small bow. "Thank you aes sedai, I require no payment, but what you offer is more than fair. I will have your rods ready for you in two days if it pleases you."

Taija nodded and smiled, "thank you that would be perfect. If there are any issues, just let me know." She gave him a bow of her own and headed off. She didn't want to be late for the girls' lessons, who knew what they'd come up with if she wasn't there.

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AN:

Taric is the main character of Readhead's excellent fiction Threefold and has a cameo here in honour of that.