Respite & Resolve

[Adrian Kane]

To his surprise, Talin arrived with another woman who quickly revealed herself to be Aes Sedai. Was it deception or ignorance that she brought a stranger? Talin was so new to the shawl, the agelessness had yet to settle, and now there were two of them. She probably was ignorant enough to think mentioning guests were unimportant details. He forgot how frustrating it was to work with fools. Another warder followed like a dog. A woman this time. How progressive. He didn’t react not even to seize the One Power.

He just watched, motionless and curious as to the natural conclusion of their logic. Instead, it ended only with his pure amusement. He’d not realized the Aes Sedai were novices back then. It must have taken them a longer time than average to reach the shawl. It wouldn’t surprise him, neither seemed to be enough of the cool and composed type to bow and scrape for their betters or they were exceptionally weak in the One Power. In fact, Talin indicated that the sister of surprise was in fact channeling. The gooseflesh suggested as such and apparently to the edge of her limits. Probably not pathetically weak then but Arikan was not worried.

“Your sister is right, Aes Sedai. Your efforts would be fruitless. If I wanted to kill you, I’d have done it last night. I am here to talk with Talin and take what she has promised me,” he said, pointedly looking at the sister in question. The warders were tense. They should be. “The Shienaran can vouch for me. We had a nice chat about spying,” he added to the chagrin of the warder.

Unlike the women, Arikan thought about that night constantly. He replayed the events of that night over and over in his mind. That was the last time he was in a position of major command. Tens of thousands of trollocs and a fleet of Myrddraal were his to control with the snap of a finger. The world of dreams was his battleground. The shining walls were spilled with so much blood it took years to scrub them clean. He escaped with his life only to answer to the Great Lord of the Dark in Shayol Ghul itself. He should have been made an example, drawn and quartered, tortured to insanity, given to Shaidar Haran as a plaything. At the time, he had no idea why he was allowed to walk away from that punishment. Following the revelation with the Dark Rod that Lythia brought, it made sense now. Arikan was a prized possession of the Dark One nurtured from birth to rebirth to serve the dark and rivaled the Chosen in strength. He was irreplaceable. 

“Tell me Talin, it is you who owes me an explanation. Clearly this Sister is not Elsae, and you are not upholding our pact,” he said and for the first time levied the intensity of gaze upon the Yellow.

A breath of patience rumbled through his chest. “If you were indeed there as you claim, you know not to double-cross me. Where is she?”