As usual all speech in italics is in the Old Tongue.
Chapter LX - A Binding Oath
When Taija Traveled back to Caemlyn for her meeting with Rand and the others she took Aleksi with her. He had a stake in it too after all and she'd no doubt Moiraine would bring Lan.
The two of them were quickly escorted through to what seemed to be becoming Rand's audience chamber. There were already large numbers of workers around the palace, clearing up rubble and debris and starting work on basic restorations of the less destroyed parts. Taija was no expert, but she thought it would probably take years to finish the job. Particularly without the help of channelers.
She was shown into the chamber without ceremony, which was just how she liked it, and nodded politely to the others there. Most of them anyway, Rand, Cadsuane, Moiraine, Lan, Amys. Tel was there too, of course, and Taija just glanced his way before looking away, while Aleksi exchanged an unreadable look with him. She was planning to take a seat as far away from Tel as she could anyway. She didn't want to think about him more than she had to. Then she gave him a second look. What the fuck. The scar was gone! That must have been what Nynaeve had meant. Taija wasn't sure whether she should feel betrayed or pleased that Nynaeve did it.
After a long moment Taija realised she was staring and hurried to a seat. He looked just like he did before… No! She needed to stop thinking about it.
Fortunately with her arrival Rand seemed ready to begin. Sound vanished from the room as he presumably spun a ward against eavesdropping. Then he smiled and paused, dragging the moment out for dramatic effect.
"Taija sedai has worked a miracle. She's come up with not one, but three ways to deal with the taint, admittedly some of more practical use than others. Because of her I've been able to feel saidin the way it should be, clean and untainted, even if it was only a small quantity. Of course she's had help from some of the most skilled channelers of our time," he nodded to Moiraine and Cadsuane. He really was laying it on thick. It felt a bit unnecessary, but Taija did like being called a miracle worker.
"As you know, the problem now is simply one of power. There is a huge amount of taint and we simply don't have the ability to channel the amount of saidin or saidar needed to cleanse it unaided. Taija sedai has suggested using Callandor and raiding the White Tower for their sa'angreal. As a final resort, we would do that, but I have something better."
An illusion suddenly formed, hovering over the table. A pair of statuettes, one of a man and one of a woman, both holding globes in the air. Moiraine, Cadsuane and Tel all seemed to be staring at them in fascination, but not surprise, Taija on the other hand had no idea what they were. Perhaps sa'angreal?
"So you do have the access keys," Tel breathed.
That didn't sound like sa'angreal. However, Taija really didn't want to admit that she didn't know what they were. She gave Aleksi a discrete kick under the table and thankfully he got the message and spoke up.
"Rand, this sounds great, but what exactly are those?"
Rand gave him an amused smile, "these are access keys for the Choedan Kal." At the continuing blank looks from Aleksi, Taija and Amys he continued, "they were the most powerful sa'angreal made during the Age of Legends." She really needed to teach him not to call it that. Taija noticed her look of distaste mirrored on Tel's face and immediately smoothed out her features.
She was going to have to say something, no one was asking the questions that she wanted answered. "Ok… but I've never heard of the Choedan Kal, when were they made? How do you know they're so powerful? Why do they need access keys?"
Rand glanced over at Tel. For fuck's sake, couldn't he just answer. At least Tel had the decency to look embarrassed. "They were only finished after your… 'death'", he shouldn't have been looking so sad! It wasn't fair! "They were a top secret project, the Light's secret weapon, but their power… Well if Callandor is a light bulb, they'd be a blast furnace. I'm fairly sure that misused they could crack the planet in half. That's why they need access keys, effectively they're ter'angreal that act as a buffer against the amount of saidar or saidin the Choedan Kal would let you channel."
"Thank you Tel." Rand nodded to him. Taija looked at the other women in the room, at least none of them seemed to be pleased to be hearing from Tel either. "So, with these we should have enough strength to cleanse saidin."
That made sense. Actually it was fantastic! Enough to stop thinking about Tel. However, Taija still had far too many questions. "So if these sa'angreal are so strong, why didn't the Light win the War? Shouldn't they have been used to wipe out anything and everything the Shadow threw at us?"
Of course Tel answered again, but she'd known that would happen. "Just after they were finished, while testing was still going on, the Shadow managed to capture the territory where the access keys were being made." He looked particularly awkward. So he should! "They were successfully hidden, until now it seems, but they were never used." He looked away from Taija to Rand. "I hope you have them well hidden, any of the Forsaken would do almost anything to get their hands on them." Taija suppressed a shudder. No. He'd proven himself enough. She did believe his intentions were sincere damn him. That didn't mean she was ok with him and what he did. Absolutely not, but she couldn't let her anger and bitterness take over. That was the route he'd taken.
Rand just nodded, "they're well hidden."
Of course Tel's words were a major fly in the ointment from Taija's perspective. "Wait, so you're saying we're going to need to use untested ter'angreal connected to untested, experimental sa'angreal that were built under wartime conditions?"
Rand nodded, he seemed far too relaxed about that. "Unless you have a better way?" Taija wasn't sure he got how stupidly dangerous that was.
She thought for a few seconds before admitting, "no I don't have a better way, but do you have any idea how dangerous using them would be?"
"I'm sure you'll tell me." He didn't have to sound so sardonic when he said that! Just because she seemed to be the only person alive who thought safety wasn't a dirty word.
She'd ignore his cheek for now. "Well what's the plan?"
"I think that's more of a question for you. It's your web, you'll probably have to be the one spinning it?"
Oh Light, he was right. For some reason she hadn't really imagined that. Right… "Well umm… Yes you're right, it probably needs to be me. Nynaeve might be able to as well, but she doesn't have my strength quite yet and I don't think she'll be able to make as efficient a web."
"Does efficiency matter so much?" He shouldn't interrupt her when she was thinking!
"Yes it does. Two reasons, one is the better spun the web is, the less saidar is needed relative to the amount of saidin or taint and the other is that the web gives off light and heat as a side effect and the less efficiently it's spun the more of that there'll be."
"How much light and heat are we talking about?"
Taija shrugged, "it depends how powerful the Choedan Kal are, but even a small amount of taint turned sand to glass when I was testing it, so quite a lot. Give me a week to improve the web and I'll reduce the side effects, but we're risking melting straight through the planet's crust and killing ourselves in the process."
"Could we spin barriers all around it to keep the heat in and from affecting us?" Tel injected.
"Sure, if you want to recreate improvised nuclear fusion as part of the cleansing." For such an intelligent man Tel could have learnt a bit more science.
"Common Tongue please Taija. What were you saying to Tel?" Oops.
"Sorry Rand!" Taija took a moment to try to translate. "If you heat something up enough and also compress it in place then you can start a reaction where the tiny bits that make up the world start sticking together and releasing energy while they do it. This would risk making a very very big explosion." There, she could break these things down to make them understandable.
"Alright, so no enclosing it. What if we did it by the sea?"
Taija blinked, "that's actually a very good idea. Seawater for cooling would probably do the job. We'd maybe want to create some kind of barrier for the steam, because believe me there would be a lot of steam and it would create a localised ecological disaster," worth it though, "but that would work."
"Excellent. So how do we do it? This kind of power is… not something to be trusted lightly to anyone. I'm very reluctant to allow anyone else to touch the Choedan Kal." He paused for what looked like a brief internal battle. "I trust you though." It was nice that he did, but he'd bloody well better after everything she'd done for him.
"I think it has to be you and me in a link." Taija tried not to squirm, she really hated linking. "I'll have to lead if I'm to be spinning the cleansing web, I don't think it's something I can teach you in a reasonable timeframe." Rand nodded along as she spoke. It didn't need to be said, but neither of them would be happy handing over one of these access keys to Tel.
Tel spoke up, "let's assume cleansing the taint is going to take hours," he looked at Taija for confirmation and she nodded, hours at best. "The Forsaken will be attacking us with everything they have as soon as we start. We're going to need to be ready for that."
Taija reluctantly agreed along with the others. It was Rand that replied though. "So we're going to have to think about how to defend ourselves."
"Yep, we have a lot of firepower here, but I don't think it's anything like enough to hold off all of the surviving Forsaken." Taija looked over at Amys. "What about the strongest wise ones, could they be brought in to help fight during the cleansing, particularly If we taught them how to link?"
She looked a bit troubled, "the wise ones do not involve themselves in battle. However, to fight the Shadow, for something so momentous, traditions can change. You will have support from the wise ones."
That was a relief. She looked at Cadsuane and Moiraine next. "What about the aes sedai? Siuan must have a decent number with her. The more channelers we have on our side the better, although we'd need to be careful about the Black Ajah."
Normally Cadsuane took the lead, but this time it was Moiraine who soke. "I think that they could be persuaded. However, aes sedai are conservative by nature," she didn't look happy when she admitted that, "and it may be difficult to convince them it would be viable. I would suggest that I speak to Siuan about it. However she may need more convincing. Obviously we cannot send Rand there, but Siuan trusts you Taija sedai," that was a surprise, "so it may be helpful for you to come afterwards to speak to her."
"Fine, I can do that. If we can add even a few more aes sedai then that will be very helpful." The last thing Taija wanted to do was to go and have to talk to this times' aes sedai, but duty was a mountain and all that.
Cadsuane chose to intervene at that moment. "If we are worried about the Forsaken intervening in the cleansing, why do we not lure them in and then obliterate them? Use the Choedan Kal as a beacon by channeling through them and then when the Forsaken arrive, use that power to obliterate them. Or if your method would allow you to stop in the middle, why not just wait until they are engaged and then join the battle."
Taija gave her a slow, considering nod. "These are good ideas, but… I don't think they're viable here. None of us know how powerful these Choedan Kal really are, but they're essentially untested experiments, built in desperation during a war." Tel was nodding along with her and she resisted the urge to scowl at him. "If this wasn't so important I wouldn't touch the things without a good year of proper testing, the risk of them simply exploding, possibly taking the user with them is far too high. My big worry would be that we have one shot at using them and then they'll be a slagged pile of melted rock. If we stop or use them for something else there may be no second chance."
"So that's not viable then." Rand looked disappointed, but unsurprised. "So we'd better start planning how we can do this, I for one have no intention of sitting there waiting to die while the Forsaken run rampant."
Tel leant back and smiled cruelly. "Well it's lucky that you've got the best general of the War of Power to help you with this."
Rand glanced at Taija and she pulled a face, "he was pretty well respected, not sure about the best."
To her annoyance Tel laughed at that, he was far too excited about this. "You should be glad you've got Taija too. If you want to think of nasty things to do to people, she's beyond anything I could ever come up with."
She didn't need his compliments thank you very much. Nevertheless she couldn't help but feel a little pleased. At least someone in this time appreciated her.
=========
After the meeting Taija waited for Tel and Rand to leave and then waved over Cadsuane and Moiraine. "Do you mind if I take a minute of your time? I was hoping to get your help with something. In private."
Once she was safely alone with them, out of sight and behind wards, Cadsuane asked, "what can we do for you Taija sedai?"
"I wanted to talk about the… Oath Rod." Taija spun a web and an image of it appeared in the air. "I think Tel is probably telling the truth, but when you have someone like him, probably isn't good enough. I was hoping to get some additional assurances, just for my peace of mind and your help would be very useful for this if you're willing to give it. We may need to be away for a day or two though."
"Of course Taija sedai, let us discuss what we can do."
========
A couple of days later Taija visited Tel in his new room in Camelyn, with Moiraine and Cadsuane following in her wake. There was no need for Rand to know about this, he seemed to trust Tel by then and Taija wasn't sure how happy he'd be with what she was about to do. Fortunately there were advantages to Moiraine and Cadsuane being the unpleasantly cynical women that they were.
If she could be more certain that Tel had been 100% truthful then that did open up tactical and strategic options for her and for Rand.
Taija knocked on the door and at Tel's 'enter' opened it and went in.
Tel's face briefly lit up when he saw her and Taija's stomach clenched at the sight, she shouldn't have gone on about the scar to him. Now that it was gone it just made it that much harder to look at him. So many happy memories, those rare uncontrolled smiles…
No, she needed to keep her mind on track. Anyway he went back to his usual guarded self when he saw the two aes sedai behind her. "Can I help you aes sedai?"
Taija hated the polite distance in his tone. She hated that she hated it. Still she had a task there. Taija glanced at Cadsuane and she spoke, playing her role. "We have been speaking with Taija sedai about how you might be able to truly show your remorse."
Moiraine followed on. "There are ways to use the Power that can ensure a person's behaviour."
And that was Taija's cue. "I'm sure you know, the White Tower has a binding rod. It's surprisingly poorly guarded, particularly when you can invert webs and have a couple of the Tower's aes sedai to help you obtain it."
Cadsuane smiled in a predatory way, "no doubt Elaida would be most surprised to learn it was gone." Tel's eyes widened as Cadsuane took a silk wrapped bundle out of her bag and almost reverently unwrapped it.
Taija smiled too, showing a flash of teeth. "I want you to bind yourself. In three ways. First to serve the Light fully and honestly, second not to attempt to deceive me or Rand in any way and third never to unbind yourself without me or Rand's freely given permission without any form of compulsion." She very deliberately hadn't shielded Tel. She wanted him to think that he had other options than binding himself, she was confident he wouldn't hurt her, much anyway, and frankly he should know Moiraine and Cadsuane made worthless hostages against her so his only real option would be running.
For a long moment Tel stared at the ivory rod in Cadsuane's hand. "You do realise if I do this it will cut my life short by centuries? Mark me as a criminal to anyone who knows?"
Taija nodded. "I do." After a long pause she added, "if you serve loyally and we both survive the Last Battle then I'll release you."
"Hmm." Emotions flickered across his face, too fast for her to read them and then he grimaced, reaching for the rod. "Fine! I'll bind myself. It's no more than I deserve."
Taija could tell he was keeping himself under rigid control, but his hand was trembling just a little as he took it from Cadsuane and she wanted to sag in relief. At the same time she felt sick, making him think she was doing this to him. He'd certainly earnt it, but at that point she didn't want to hurt him, she never did really, she just wanted him to be somewhere else, away from her.
He looked at the three of them expectantly. "Well, tell me when you're ready. I assume you don't trust me to provide the Power myself."
Taija gently reached out to take the rod back. "It's ok Tel, I just wanted to see whether you were willing." This time he sagged with relief.
"You mean I don't have to…?" He looked at her face. "Oh Light, it was fake wasn't it?" Taija tried to keep her face as blank as Moiraine and Cadsuane's as red bloomed in his cheeks and anger in his eyes. "That was… That was very cruel!"
Taija shook her head, "not cruel. Necessary. I needed to know how sincere you are. I can't trust my own judgment after…" She didn't want to say it out loud.
She could see he was still angry, but he pushed it down. "Alright. Fair enough. I deserved that. Hopefully I've just earnt a little bit more trust." Taija had to suppress her own spike of guilt, why couldn't he be more of a dick about this?