The New and Old Guard [attn. Miahala]

[Silas]

Silas had accomplished a lot in the many years he'd been at the Grey Tower- Captain-General of the Green Ajah, the most powerful Earth Singer the Grey Tower had ever seen, married to the Mistress of Novices with a child on the way... so far, it had been a banner decade or so. And yet, for all his success, for all his ability, and all his prestige, Silas was still pacing his office like some scared, nervous Soldier waiting to be reprimanded. All of which had to do with the woman who was on her way to see him.

Miahala Ives. A former Captain-General herself. The same one who had convinced him to join the Green Ajah in the first place. And also the wife of the man who spent several months beating Silas into a coarse red paste in the pursuit of teaching Silas not to get beaten into a coarse red paste.

So... there were some conflicting emotions about seeing the woman again.

He wasn't sure where the Aes Sedai had been in the intervening years since he'd taken the helm of his Ajah, but a number of horror scenarios flitted through his head as he paced. Did she want her position back? Was he doing something wrong? He was pretty sure with the way his subordinates looked up to him, he couldn't be doing too horribly. He sighed, heading for his cabinet, and therefore, his stash of oosquai. It was too early to decide whether or not to worry, she hadn't even arrived yet. He just hoped he didn't need too much alcohol following this meeting.

[Bella]

For Miahala, this was not the first time she had been to see a Captain General who was not herself. Although, admittedly, it was the first time it had happened since she had died and been resurrected, returning to the tower after two decades...

It was going to be interesting.

When she had joined the Tower, well over a century ago, she had been raised to Aes Sedai immediately after the Breaking when the rebuilding began. She ascended to Sitter quickly, and Head not long after that. She had spent many of her years as Captain General, and quite her share as Mistress of Novices. Married three times. Bore five children. Encountered seemingly endless streams of Shadowspawn and Black Ajah, within the Tower and without.

Yes, it had been a full life, but one she was proud of. She had thought that the Wheel was done with her, but apparently not, and so here she was. Approaching the door of the current Captain General, a young man she could recall. She remembered everything, eventually, but digging through her mind could be like hunting through a large tome of history.

Finding the door open, anticipating her arrival, she stepped into the frame and paused respectfully at the threshold. She saw the man and politely cleared her throat. A decently tall woman, statuesque some might say, she stood with her hands folded before her. Her grey-streaked auburn hair tied back and her impassive expression accenting her fully ageless features, she looked every inch the Aes Sedai that she was. Not cold, but revealing nothing.

"Captain General," she greeted when she had his attention, although she did not enter the room yet, politely awaiting his invitation. She bowed her head in respect, although her Saldean-slanted, blue-green eyes remained on his.

[Silas]

Silas jumped at the voice at his door, nearly jostling the bottle of oosquai off of its shelf. He recovered quickly though, closing the cabinet and facing the woman that he'd been expecting.

"Miahala Sedai. A pleasure to see you again, after all these years. You can come in." He sat down at his desk, inviting Miahala to do the same. She hadn't changed much. Or at all. Not just in a physical way, either, that much he expected. Even now, when the positions were reversed- even when he was the superior, and she was the subordinate, he still felt like the same Soldier who'd come here seeking advice from her. She had the same bearing as before- almost regal, but lacking the arrogance of what the word implied. She didn't so much demand respect as make you want to give it to her. Which was what, ultimately, made this such an awkward conversation.

He couldn't even talk to her as an equal. How in the Light was he supposed to talk to her or treat her as a superior?

He took a deep breath, then continued on, meeting the Aes Sedai's gaze steadily. He hoped.

"So... I'm curious, now. What is it you wanted to see me for, Aes Sedai?"

[Bella]

Miahala strode in, her confidence never dimmed but she gave respectful deference to his position as she took the seat with a quietly spoken "thank you." She thought he seemed...uncertain, though she tried not to assume her observations about someone's emotional state were always true until she had evidence. She offered a shadow of a smile as she tilted her head slightly.

"You are Captain-General and I am a Green Sister returned to the fold after...unique circumstances. It seemed improper to not at least come to see you and offer my greetings, and wishes that I will be once again accepted into the Ajah I have been so long a part of," she offered simply, not bitterness and no edge. It was simply the truth, not just because the Oaths demanded it but because her sense of justice and propriety did.

[Silas]

Silas felt a great deal of tension bleed from his body as Miahala explained her reasons for wanting to call this meeting to order. He probably should have suspected as much in the first place- he didn't think there was much precedence for someone just up and usurping someone's position or whatever other nightmare scenarios he'd conjured before she'd arrived. It was just... difficult, to keep his composure, as of late. What with certain developments, and all.

...He was getting off the subject.

He smiled at Miahala, already visibly more comfortable. "Well, I'm sure I don't need to tell you, Miahala Sedai, but you have been and always will be welcome in the Green Ajah. Without you, there's a fair few Greens who wouldn't even be here, myself included. You've been quite the inspiration, and it's good to have you back.

"Now then... was there anything else you wanted to know? You have been gone for quite some time, and I'm more than willing to answer any questions you might have."

[Bella]

In truth, she really hadn't expected any other response. At least, she hadn't expected him to say that she wasn't welcome and had to live shunned or find another Ajah...but still, the words were good to hear. And flattering, although she wasn't a woman of false modesty and so she had no compunction to argue with him about the Greens who were so because of her. She had worked hard in her time as Captain General to encourage the growth of her Ajah, and she never tried to make it seem otherwise.

"Thank you," she said with a slight bow of her head, holding his eyes. "It is good to be back." She paused, letting her thoughts continue to collect themselves and reflect on her life now. On her life. On her living...

Did she have any questions? A thousand. Did she have any questions for him? Perhaps. "I'm sure much of it will be learned as I proceed to settle back into the Tower," she began thoughtfully, "but has much changed for our Ajah in the time passed? Is there anything that you believe I should be aware of as I continue the process of re-acclimating myself?"

[Silas]

Silas pondered her question for a moment before he answered. "Well... as you may have noticed, our halls are rather empty, at the moment, the Green Ajah somewhat in particular. Seems like when I first joined the Tower, everyone was Green, or near-about everyone, anyway. And you couldn't swing a cat without hitting a channeler, Green or otherwise. And now, here we are. I suppose I shouldn't really complain, though- the members we do have are all dedicated to the cause, and for us in particular in the Battle Ajah, our relations with the Warders and their trainees have never been stronger, a development I'm glad I could be part of facilitating.

"In short, Miahala Sedai, this is still much the same Tower you left, despite there being less of us. And many of our members remember you fondly, I'm sure. You should have no problem re-acclimating yourself to the standard procedure."

He smiled, then suddenly frowned slightly, as something seemed to occur to him. "Well... there is one thing, as I'm sure you've noticed. While we may be less in straight-up numbers than before, we have gained, in some places. Tell me, Miahala, what do you already know- and what do you wish to know- about the Red Ajah?"

[Bella]

It had seemed to her that the halls were a little less full than they had been in her day, but she knew that the numbers of all the Ajahs tended to wax and wane over time. She was sure their numbers would rebound in time.

Ah, yes, Mia thought upon his next topic. She did not smile, but a faint pointed look flashed through her expression. "I have heard of its present existence," she said carefully. "That Amyrlin and the M'hael were both raised from it as well." She paused, thinking through what she had heard. "I would be interested in anything you should wish to tell me about it." Spoken like a true Aes Sedai, of course.

[Silas]

Silas nodded. "It is true, our current leaders have been elected from the Red- the Amyrlin, in fact, was the one who founded the Ajah. Right at her Raising, in fact. A tad unprecedented, to put it lightly, and quite a shock, but she had the weight of a... very clear Foretelling behind it. I didn't see much sense in arguing the point after that, honestly, though not everyone agrees with me on that.

"But I digress," he said, shaking his head. "The Red Ajah is... similar, in some ways, to our own, with perhaps a sprinkling of Blue in there somewhere, as well. They're more focused than either, however- the Ajah has dedicated itself to finding channelers who have or are currently abusing the One Power, and bringing them to justice. My... former countrymen might categorize them as 'witch-hunters,'" said Silas, the twist of his mouth making clear he wasn't fond of the designation. But the expression was brief, and he shrugged casually.

"Personally, I have nothing against the Ajah or anyone who aspires to it. In fact, I have been trying to show my support for it, since it is still rather new, and unsteady on its feet. There are those who seem content to let our Amyrlin's 'pet project,' as they call it, wither and die, but I can't in good conscience allow that to happen."

He looked closely at Miahala, trying to gauge her reactions to his words. "That's the extent of my knowledge thus far. Perhaps soon I might know more, but... do you have any comments on what I've just told you? Concerns?"

[Bella]

If he sought to interpret her feelings, he was to be disappointed. Nothing escaped her when she did not wish it, and on this topic, she kept herself most closely guarded. The knowledge that it was formed from a Foretelling was something she had not heard, and important (she thought) to be known. It added a layer to the whole matter, although not enough to yet sway her uncertainty.

She didn't answer for several moments, letting his words roll through her mind and be well considered. When she did answer, her words were spoken evenly but with obvious care. "I trust that you will not find my question impertinent, for no impertinence is intended, but if you will allow me to ask: what brings you to support this new Red Ajah and not wish to see it fade? How does its fate rest upon your conscience?"

Again, the words so level and bland, but a hint of curiosity--not offended or upset, but pure curiosity--was let free in her sharp gaze.