The Grey Tower

The Master of Training peered at himself in a small mirror, opening another button on his shirt. He was still getting used to the idea of being a distraction, and of Kaia Sedai's subtle hints that he had a body worth admiring. Rav wasn't too sure, although the shirts that his bondmate had provided for him did do a good job of showing off his muscles. And he definitely drew eyes, although the only eyes he cared about was Sinead's. He grinned despite himself. He knew he walked on a knife's edge when it came to Sinead, but he couldn't pull away. The sooner she was raised to the shawl, the sooner this dangerous secret of theirs could be over.

Stepping into his main office, Ravak stared down at the white furball that had pushed aside his chair, and settled herself down lazily in front of the roaring fireplace. Snowflake opened her eyes, tongue lolling, as she looked up at her master innocently. "I can't sit at my desk whilst you're lying their, Snowflake." The Shienaran husky didn't give the slightest care, lowering her head back to the floor. Rav chuckled.

He returned through to his private study, leaving the door open in case anyone came to see him. Snowflake's presence, alongside her sisters Tai'shar and Daishar, could be seen along the claw and bite marks at the bottom of each chair's leg. A teapot or two had been broken as well, but thankful none of the dogs liked his books. He had filled out the bookcases in his study, and had little room left in his office. Rav still thought he would have made a good Brown Asha'man, if he had the spark. There was time yet to be a Brown's Warder, though, if nothing else.

Time passed by slowly, as he read over a treatise from one of Hawkwing's generals, as transcribed and copied down by some attendant to said general many years after his death. Rav looked over the words with a healthy scepticism. At some point, Snowflake had grown bored of being heated, and came over for attention. With one hand idly playing with the husky, he held his book in the other as he rose, and took back his normal position behind his desk, the fireplace crackling behind him.

A knock at the door made the red-haired Shienaran look up, and Snowflake moved back into the study. She would never be an attack hound, but she was as dutiful as her master. "Come," he cried at the door, just as Snowflake pushed the study door closed.

The woman who entered was an expectant visitor, unless he missed his mark. She was Arafellin, a fellow Borderlander, of about his sister's height. Rav took in the odd fans casually, alongside the rest of her attire. Nani Gaidar. He knew next to nothing about the woman, but in Amayani's absence, this returning Gaidar was somehow his concern. Producing a dagger from his sleeve, Rav slotted it into the book as a marker, and placed it into one of his desk's drawers.

"Master Darrow, you asked to see me?" Definitely Arafellin with that accent. Rav smiled, which was a rare sight on the Shienaran. He wore his hard visage when it came to the Drin'far'ji and the Ji, but to a fellow Warder he wanted to be less abrasive.

"Please, take a seat." Compared to his own, tall and leather-backed, the other chair was simple and unfurnished. Still, he had at least put out a seat - his trainees all had to stand in the centre of his Taraboner rug instead. "I would offer you tea, but the water has turned cold." He sounded a little apologetic at that. "So, Nani Gaidar? You've been gone some time from the Tower, saying I've gone from Drin'far'ji to Master of Training in your absence. Would you mind illuminating me on where you've been, and what you've been up to? I'm glad to see you've returned, but the circumstances of your absence needs to be resolved." Rav leaned back, making himself comfortable. There was little point in attempting to bully any answers out of the woman, as they had the same training. She could be honest or dishonest, but it would still be his word that Riahana took as truth at the end of the day.

He smiled at her, which told her that there was no trouble to be had for the moment. Her body moved with the grace of a dancer, and she sat in the chair across from his desk, crossing her legs and folding her hands over her right knee. What little she knew of the man were mere rumors, she could tell. That this man was the same hard task master on the training yards as the smiling man in front of her sounded plausible. After all, she recognized his accent, just like she was sure he recognized hers. Shienaran she was sure.

His offer that tea was cold was a small gesture, but one she appreciated none the less. He was putting her at ease, as equals. That was a nice thing for him to do. But then he started asking the questions about where she had been. There had to be a good explanation for where she had been. Her face had been smiling back at him, and now she started to frown. "Has it really been that long that I've been....gone?" She asked softly, tapping her chin softly as she thought back. He was right, she had been gone and in seclusion for that long. "To properly explain it all, I will have to go back a little further then when I left."

"One of your predecessors, Kain Thresher, found a ter'angreal that could be used by non-channelers. It was a pair of rings, they looked like wedding bands, so I can only assume that ages ago they were made for an important pair of nobles, or royalty for a gift from the White Tower. How he found them I have no idea, nor do I have mine any longer. But if two non channelers were to wear them, they would feel emotions in a mimic of the bond between an Aes Sedai or Asha'man and their Warder. As far as I could tell, there was no additional effects. Or so I thought. A couple years ago during the ceremony that raised Riven Trimak to M'Hael, the Tower was beset by bubbles of Evil." She paused taking a steadying breath. Even after having gone to see her mother, she was still raw over the loss.

"He was wearing his ring, and I had just put mine back on after taking my Gaidar test that I passed and obtained my cloak. I had just returned from the Citadel, and ran into Calder Selm, who was delirious and incoherent. He dragged me to the Garden used by Ji'dar Elisha for her herb growing. There Kain met us, and the Bubble appeared, directly on top of him. The rings mimicked the bond in the way that if a bond is severed by death. I went crazy, trying to reach him, and the ring burned my ring finger on my left hand, unhealably." She said as she took off her glove, and showed the blackened skin around her ring finger on her left hand. It didn't hinder her movements with the hand, she just couldn't feel pain in that area any longer.

Here she was faced with a choice. Tell him what had happened with Calder, or lie, and say nothing. Did she wish to keep Calders secret, or be free of a bond she did not want. "Calder was coherent by this point, and did something he had no right to, to save me from being consumed by the bubble myself. He flung the ring into the bubble, and bonded me." She said, having made her decision. "We kept it that way during the fight for the Tower, and then I cowardly hid in my grief once the danger was over. He would come check on me occasionally, but we did not talk often. It went on like that for a year, and I did not know that he could have the bond dissolved until just recently. I admit my own lack of knowledge in the subject, but I always thought that my bond would be one that I chose on mutual agreement with a Channeler I had things in common with."

She rotated her shoulders and leaned back in her chair. "Just recently, in an attempt to get away from him, I went to visit my family in Cartwright. I was travelling nearly a month, to and from. And now here we are. I want his bond gone, but he refuses, stating he does not know how, or that he is afraid of destroying my mind." She finished her story as she watched the Master of Training. She was done hiding, telling lies. She was all truth from now on. Her short cropped auburn hair was shaken out, and left to fall however it would. Her story was so strange, that there was no way that it wasn't going to be believed. And if he didn't, she would plead her case, or ask to see Amayani, who was an old friend.

Once it was clear Nani had a long story to tell, Rav dipped his iridescent quill into his inkwell, and started to write down notes in his scrawling handwriting. There were too many names he didn't recognise; Kain Thresher, Riven Trimak, Calder Selm. Durent had always been the M'Hael, and the oldest Mistress of Training he recalled was Ubriel. The rest was interesting, even if the agents were unknown to him. The ter'angreal he would see about inquiring into, out of his own personal interest.

What stood out most amongst the rest was this bond. A forced bond. Inwardly, Rav shuddered, even as he focused on the knot in his mind that was Kaia. He felt something akin to recognition in return, like two friends waving at each other across a courtyard. Of course, Kaia wasn't a courtyard away, but in her offices near the top of the Grey Tower.

"Mmhm." It was an underwhelming response to an impressive story. He didn't quite feel empathy for Nani, having known her all of a few moments, but he held an understanding of her plight. He'd worried plenty about the abuses of the bond. All before bonding with Kaia, of course. She was anything but a harsh taskmaster.

Rav tapped the top end of his quill against the inkwell. "We shall sort out this business of your bond as soon as we are done here." There was only one Asha'man that Ravak Darrow trusted, and even that was out of their mutual interest and concern for Kaia Sedai. Plus, as Keeper of the Archives, Jaryd had to be one of the most learned Asha'man in the Tower, Rav assumed.

"Cartwright? In Arafel?" He didn't know the town, but then he wasn't widely travelled. "I can't fault anyone for wishing to visit their family." But you never have, a goading voice in his mind murmured. He pushed his own feelings aside. "This Calder, what Ajah is this Asha'man with? I assume he's here at the Tower, or shall I have to track him down?" Not that the Master of Training had any idea what or whom Jaryd would need to sort out this debacle, but having both bondmates just seemed logical.

Nani appreciated his listening, and thought he was likely to go back through the records to find the names she had said. It didn't bother her, in fact it made her feel more trusting of the man, since he wasn't just going to take her word for this. While his response to her story was a bit lacklustre, she hadn't been expecting an immediate reaction. But a small "Mmhm." seemed a little like he didn't believe her. Her body relaxed when he stated that they would sort out the bond when they were done with their interview. Leaning back in the chair, feeling more relaxed then she had in ages, she switched how her legs were crossed as she watched him.

"Yes sir. It's not a big town, but one of the Blight roads runs towards it, and so we produce some very hearty warriors, men and women alike. It was nice to see my family again, even if it was brief." She replied, before she felt panic in her bond. She was allowing him to feel everything she was feeling so that he would know that he was in deep trouble. He had never felt her this calm, or smug before, and Calder was not a stupid man. He would know that she was turning him in. The Gaidar gave a small snort of disdain. "I wish he was an Asha'man. No, he's a mere dedicated, aspiring green. And he's here in this Tower currently." She responded, her head held high. She was not proud, she just refused to hide any more. A coward, she was not.

"You're from Shienar if I'm not mistaken?" She inquired, with a small smile to her lips. He sounded like a Borderlander, just like her. It was always nice to be with her own kind. The Borderlands really knew the threat of the Blight, and the torment that came from waiting for family members to come home from excursions into the Blasted Lands.

A sudden fire flared in the Gaidin's mind as his fellow Warder stated "I wish he was an Asha'man. No, he's a mere Dedicated." Ravak had borne first-hand witness to the madness that a bond between a Gaidin and an Accepted had wrought. If anything akin to that was afflicting Nani, he had to act as quickly and decisively. After Nani had asked her question, Rav rose from his chair, lifting up the sword-breaker that sat hidden behind his desk, and slid it smoothly into one of the two scabbards by his waist.

"Shienaran, yes," he said absent-mindedly, "Please, come with me." The red-haired mind was whirling ahead. What is the punishment for force bonding? Or bonding whilst still a part of the learning ranks? Is it stilling or gentling? Light, I haven't seen Katrie since... or wait, even Dax. Rav's damaged hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword as concerns far apart from Nani's consumed him.

As they descended the staircase into the foyer, Rav remembered himself enough to answer properly. "Sorry, yes, I am Shienaran. Don't let the looks fool you, however. My father was Andoran, and I came off looking like him. My sister, for her sins, is very much our mother's daughter." Aside from the red hair and accents, there was nothing to indicate that Elia and Ravak had any familial ties. Although at this point, everyone and their Warder likely knew that the beautiful Accepted was related to the grumpy Master of Training.

They stepped out into bright sunlight, and Rav rose a hand to shade his eyes from the glare. "Obviously either of us has the power to remove a bond, so I'm taking us to the one man I feel I can trust on this matter. Do you know Jaryd Asha'man, the Keeper of the Archives? I'm not sure how long he's been in office compared to how long you've been from the Tower. We share the same bondmate, so I know he's an honest man, and will help if able."

Her eyebrow rose as he looked rather...distracted. Nani's hands went immeidately to her fans when he drew his sword-breaker from behind his desk, and while she relaxed partially, her hands didn't stray far from the fans at her lower back. He answered her question off handiedly, but he was heading out of his office, and without another thought, the woman's lithe body rose from the chair and followed him out of the room, closing the door behind her.

It was strange. He barely knew her, but was so intent now that he knew it was dedicated who held her bond that it seemed a bit out of character for her short knowledge of him. She gave a small smile as he expanded more on where he was from. Unlike her, he was a more mixed Borderlander. It was an interesting mix, Andor and Shienar. Those two countries didn't get too much interaction on a regular basis. Her mind made a mental note to find out who his sister was, merely for her information.

Her hand rose up in mirror of Ravak's to shield her eyes from the sun. "I have heard of him. Though I have to admit that my interactions with him were minimal if not non-existent. I vaguely recall Dakson talking about him once, but beyond that I have no idea who he is." She replied, though a memory from when she had been a new Gaidar tickled behind in her memory. Something about a Jaryd Asha'man who had been M'Hael, but she couldn't remember it well, as she had been wallowing in grief and anger then.

The Shienaran's nose wrinkled at the mention of Dakson Torellion. "I'm assuming you don't mean that you've seen Dax Gaidin recently? He disappeared some time back." The particulars of Dax's and Katrie's relationship was exactly how he knew what to do in this situation, and that he had to act. Dax had disappeared from the Tower at the same time as Katrie had. A runaway Accepted is one thing; a bonded Accepted and Gaidin running away... But what Dax did was not his problem, it was Amayani's. And Katrie was Mirin's problem. The Creator see to it that Kaia doesn't want to go looking for her daughter, Rav prayed silently.

They crossed into the path between the White and Yellow Ajahs, towards the Inner Tower. Ravak peered up at the glassy structure, sensing his bondmate's presence near the pinnacle. For a brief moment, Rav wished he had as much sense of the Keeper of the Archives as he did the Keeper of the Chronicles. It was only a reasonable assumption that Jaryd would be in his office, and/or with Kaia, and this matter needed a swift seeing to.

Rav's face softened from focused thought to something approaching warmth. "I don't know what is going to happen," he said in a soft tone, low enough for only his fellow Warder to hear, "but if you need anything, I am here." Rav used his other hand to scratch at his beard, before resting it once more on his sword's pommel. "I am not the Gaidar Captain, but my door is always open if you need some space, or for someone to talk to. I've been told I'm a good listener, in the past." He smiled at Nani, but it was a smile tinged with sympathy. He had no idea what it would be like to lose the sense of Kaia in his mind. Her reassuring presence accompanied him everywhere. Even in the dead of night, it kept the Shienaran from feeling alone, and validated all of his choices and decisions about leaving Fal Dara. To lose all of that was beyond his comprehension, but that was the feat that awaited Nani. Maybe it will be a relief, instead, not having chosen this bond.

When they reached the foot of the Inner Tower, Rav stopped to face Nani. "Jaryd should be in his offices, the office of the Keeper of the Archives. If not, Kaia Sedai, the Keeper of the Chronicles, will know where he is." Rav scratched his beard again. "Would you like me to accompany you up, or would you prefer to go alone? I don't wish to intrude upon this, if you'd like me not too."

Nani stifled a small laugh as his nose wrinkling for her mention of Dakson. But the man was a bit of an acquired taste. She was going to have to look him up after she was done here, even if he had disappeared. It was so strange to be travelling to see a Channeler about this issue, but if Ravak trusted the Keeper of the Archives, then who was she to argue with him? She just wanted this bond gone. Her eyes moved up to the glassy structure that was where the higher ups conducted business, and then glanced over at Ravak to see his face soften from anger to a sympathetic expression, and some warmth.

Her lips pursed, and she gave a small sigh. "I appreciate it. Perhaps, once this is all over, and I have my own control back, we could share a drink, preferably outside of an office." She said with a smile back at him that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her violet eyes turned back to the glass tower, and she straightened her posture, before giving him a real smile. "You support would be appreciated. This isn't something that's easy to do. I've been bonded to him for a while, and turning in a Dedicated for this kind of transgression is very...difficult." she spoke softly, before she moved towards the stairs. "Shall we?" She asked, as she led the Master of Training up the stairs to the Keeper's offices.

Her bond let her know that Clader was panicking pretty badly now, but she couldn't feel sympathy for him. This was his own damn fault. her face lost its smile and she stared forward with a hard expression on her face as she worked hard to control her anger. This forced bond was throwing her emotions out of wack, and it wasn't something that she appreciated in the slightest. Her only hope was that Calder wasn't going to get gentled. After all, with the Last Battle on its way, they needed all the Channelers they had, she knew that.

The Master of Training nodded simply, and led the way up through the Tower in muted silence. As the two Warders ascended, Rav felt Kaia's curiosity slowly pique. Up to this point, Rav had yet to visit his bondmate's offices at the top of the Tower. There was generally no need for the Master of Training to concern himself with the affairs of the Keepers. But this wasn't quite a request from the Keeper, but from Jaryd himself.

When they reached the correct level, Rav glanced down in wonder at the sight of the Tower grounds through the glass walls. He had never been this high up before, and the view made him pause for a few seconds, lost in thought. With a start, he continued on, finding Kaia's door despite not knowing the layout of this space at all.

The petite Domani was already facing the door when the Shienaran pushed it open, peering over paperwork that Rav knew Kaia hated. He made a formal bow just beyond the doorway, his hand pressed to his heart. "Kaia Sedai." A fond smile crossed the Keeper of the Chronicles' face, whilst amusement trickled through their bond. Had they been alone, Rav would have dispensed with these displays of obsequiousness. With a fellow Warder present, it was important not to give off any sign of flippancy. "I am looking for Jaryd Asha'man. There is an issue I am hoping he can help us unpick." Rav's voice may have been quiet and polite, but Kaia wouldn't be able to ignore the sense of urgency from her Warder.

Emerald green eyes twinkled as she looked through one of the walls, presumably towards where Jaryd was at this moment. "He's on his way. His desk is there." She indicated a desk opposite her, mostly identical. The papers were arranged in a different fashion, and there were marks where a knife had been dug into the wood's surface. "Take a seat."