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

Chapter L - Aiel Humour

Frustrating as it was, it was still kind of nice to be forced to stay in bed for a couple of days by Nynaeve. She really needed to work on her bedside manner, Taija didn't appreciate being threatened with being tied down if she tried to get up, but it was the thought that counted. Anyway it was an empty threat, it wasn't like Nynaeve could actually stop her if Taija decided to fight.

Ultimately she'd been working far too hard and with the tiredness that came from being healed she spent a fair part of those two days sleeping. Despite that, Taija still managed to get quite a few things done, especially with the number of people that seemed to want to come and see her.

One of the first was Amys who looked down at her with an amused smile. "Perhaps when our apprentices are the ones daring to tell us it is time to stop and rest we should listen?"

Taija muttered something about lack of respect from the young and Amy's smile widened. "You remind me of a friend who was so stubborn, if you told her the day was hot, she would sit all day under the Sun to prove it was merely warm."

Taija raised her eyebrows. "You, of course, no one would every have called stubborn?"

Amys chuckled. "You would make an excellent wise one, study under me for a year and you could join us."

Immediately Taija responded with a laugh of her own, "that's funny, I was thinking you'd make an excellent aes sedai. Give me a year and I'd have you ready to serve."

"Truly the Dedicated are fortunate to have you as an example to us." Amy's tone was wry and with a smile she leant forward. "Now, stubbornness is important, of course, but it can be taken too far. Sometimes it is better to bend before adversity. Let me tell you a story. A Stone Dog and a Maiden of the Spear are hunting together when they come across a lion. 'Run', says the Maiden and begins to flee, but the Stone Dog dismisses her and says, 'I do not run from anything'. He raises his spear and kills the lion where it stands."

Amys paused as Taija wondered where she was going with her story. "The Maiden stops and turns to the Stone Dog, 'you are a terrible, terrible hunter,' she says. With a shake of his head the Stone Dog denies it, 'why, I am a great hunter, I have killed this lion.' The Maiden shakes her head in turn. 'It is five miles back to the camp. You can haul the lion yourself."

It took Taija a moment to process and then a smile grew on her face and she started to giggle, Amys laughing along with her. "Alright, that's actually quite funny. I get the message too." She stopped for a second to think, "I've got one for you."

It took her a moment to adapt the joke for the Dedicated. "An apprentice stands in the Waste searching until she sees a wise one walking rapidly by. The apprentice asks, 'is it a long way to Rhuidean?' The wise one replies, 'not too far.' So the apprentice joins the wise one. After a day of silently walking beside her the apprentice asks again, 'is it a long way to Rhuidean?' The wise one replies, 'now it is a long way'."

Amys broke out into an unladylike guffaw and Taija joined her in her laughter. She'd been a little worried Amys might be annoyed by making wise ones the butt of the joke, but she seemed to appreciate it. So much better than these days' aes sedai!

They exchanged a few more jokes and Taija found she could really appreciate the Dedicated sense of humour. It was sideways and mostly based around sarcasm and social embarrassment with a bit of darkness added in. Perfect. Of course some concepts just didn't quite carry over. Her joke about corruption on the Grand Council was met with a blank face, and she was fairly sure she'd missed some of the nuances of honour and obligation in Amys' jokes. Still, it was fun.

After a while Taija remembered there'd been something important she wanted to talk to Amys about. Traveling was spreading around the world and these Dedicated had effectively pledged themselves to Rand. They were also, Bennae aside, the first properly adult channelers that she'd met that she actually liked.

Taija was quite sure the aes sedai would keep their secrets from the Dedicated, even if it was really her secret, and the girls wouldn't teach them anything like that without her permission.

Ultimately, she felt teaching Traveling to Amys was the correct thing to do and just a nice gesture. There were too many secrets in the world and anyway, if the Forsaken wanted to teach their minions to Travel, they wouldn't need her help.

"Amys, I want to share something with you. You've seen the aes sedai spinning gateways, I'd like to teach you too. First though, we have to have a bit of a talk about proper safety procedures…"

===========

Another visitor was Taric the blacksmith, who diffidently came to Taija's room. "I see you Taija sedai. I hope I am not bothering you."

When she shook her head he unlimbered his backpack and pulled out the iron rods she'd ordered. He was a big man, but Taija was still mildly surprised at how effortlessly he could carry them. A quick bit of mental maths told her they should mass around 30 kilograms each.

"I hope these are to your satisfaction," he made to hand one of the rods to her and then clearly thought better of it, placing them on the ground next to her bed.

Taija propped herself up to have a better look, spinning an invisible web of earth and spirit to delve them. They weren't bad actually, much better than she'd expected from such a technologically backwards society, but still much less pure than she'd have hoped. "Thank you Taric, they're perfect. A wonderful job."

"Thank you Taija sedai." Instead of leaving he hesitated a second and then reached into a pocket and pulled out what looked like a golden broach. "This is a gift, aes sedai."

He held it out to Taija as she protested. "This isn't necessary, please!"

"It is a greater gift to me than it is to you. If I could say that I had forged the first piece of Dedicated-made jewelery to decorate an aes sedai, I would gain much honour among my fellows. So take it, please."

After a moment Taija reached out and took it, with both hands as was polite when receiving a gift. "Thank you Taric, I shall treasure it." She examined it carefully, turning it in her hands.

It looked like he'd partially melted down the gold coins she gave him and then reshaped them into the half of the aes sedai sigil that the modern women used. She could see that it was a fine piece of work, but really not her style at all. Also the associations with the White Tower... Still, it was a sweet gesture. Taija supposed she should wear it at least until she was away from Cold Rocks Hold and could safely hide it in her bags without offending him.

========

While Taija had been resting in bed her mind hadn't stopped working, chipping away at the problem of the taint. She had so many variables in her head by then, imagery of the bits making up the taint, its characteristics and its interaction with the world and more importantly with the Power.

The metal rods were no doubt going to be useful, but they weren't plan A. There were things she wanted to try that wouldn't need them. As Taija lay in bed she spun webs again and again. Predominantly spirit, but interlaced with all four other elements. Carefully threading the flows together, as finely as she could, studying each web and then letting it fade before she tried again, one characteristic or another tweaked.

Her first choice of solution was the web that shew was playing with. She thought it was going to work. To some degree anyway. She hoped it would, but regardless she needed back up plans.

========

When Taija was back on her feet she found to her considerable distress that Cadsuane had been on an adventure in her absence.

"So let me get this straight Cadsuane sedai, you went to the White Tower, fought one of the Forsaken and then battered your way out through the walls while fighting off their best efforts at stopping you?" It sounded utterly unbelievable, but she shouldn't have been able to lie.

"That is correct." Did she have to look so smug?

"And you did this so that you could kidnap an aes sedai who was unwilling to come voluntarily, because she might know something about the taint?" Cadsuane nodded and Taija exploded. "You can't just go kidnapping people who haven't done anything wrong!"

Cadsuane blinked and then smoothly replied. "I do believe I just demonstrated that I can do exactly that."

Taija let out a growl of frustration, Cadsuane was trying to wind her up, she must be. "You know exactly what I meant. Raids on enemies are one thing, but kidnapping innocent people is quite another. If you lose your own moral principles then how are you better than…" She sighed and forced herself to stop talking, she wasn't going to impress the woman with a lecture on morals, Cadsuane was probably already beyond help. "Fine. Whatever. I suppose I'd better meet her then. At least you didn't bring half the White Tower with you."

Cadsuane smiled, "yes of course. Follow me." A minute later she'd led Taija to her room where a small, white haired aes sedai sat bound by air and with a shield in place, looking utterly furious.

Taija grimaced when she saw her. "Savriti sedai, please accept my apologies for Cadsuane sedai's behaviour. I do not condone kidnapping." She glanced at Cadsuane, "please could you at least release her from the air. It's not like she's going to go anywhere in the middle of the Waste!"

For a moment Taija thought Cadsuane was going to argue, but then the bonds of air around the woman disappeared. Taija offered her a small smile. "I'm sorry about this. My name is Taija Kosola Miranen, hopefully we can…"

Savriti didn't let her finish, interrupting her with a hard and decidedly uncowed voice. "I know who you are, darkfriend. I will not aid the Shadow."

Taija sighed internally, had Cadsuane just done this as revenge?