08-03-2022, 05:20 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-26-2022, 11:30 PM by Adrian Kane.)
“Allow let me enlighten you in a few of the ways a Darkfriend would act. While you worry about wasting skills healing a man you’ve already treated, one of your Black Sisters would poison a man just to see if she could practice her healing arts anew. Or she might poison him to see how much he can swallow before being brought to the brink of death. She may mix new concoctions to see what was the least detectable combination that inflicted the greatest pain, then heal her volunteer only to continue trying again. You know what I did? I used to add poison to my target’s cup simply to have an excuse to hide the fact they were killed by a Dreardlord. But when I had the time to spare, and I tried to make sure that was in the plan, I enjoyed watching their demise. Have you ever seen someone poisoned to death? It’s not for the weak stomach, but the gory end isn’t the best part,” he said, following with a slim smile. “The best is the begging,” he said, eyes shining with delight, but there was a moment's pause almost too subtle to notice. When he continued, his voice was tighter. Defensive, even. “I am very old, Talin. I haven’t lived this long by being trusting.”
He left the refreshments alone. “But please, you two go ahead and enjoy your tea.” Waving a hand and waited for them to get settled before continuing.
“Would you like a similar education in how to kidnap little girls? Because if you want to escort me to the White Tower, I will grab her and Travel my way out again. Maybe you could take me to your quarters first? Hmm? I can show you the subtler arts of abduction. Maybe demonstrate how to tie someone up, yes?” he asked, gaze falling to Talin’s slender wrists. The Shienaran caught the suggestion, and Arikan’s innuendo elicited the most satisfying cringe of disgust from the warder.
Talin’s cold stare was admirable, and her resolve was what sealed their accord in the first place. He had been on the verge of death himself, desperate to recover his old life. She was his only choice. That or rot a slow death. He was patient enough to play by the rules of others when it was necessary. So when it was clear that there would be no escort to nor delivery of Elsae, he had to reconsider his position - temporary though it was. Their deal was in progress, but this young Sister was a poor substitute for the mind he truly sought. It was a gesture of faith, however foolish. He grumbled in frustration and opted that he had no reason to be on guard from his feet. He took up one of the chairs as if it were his throne, leaned back comfortably into the cushions with one leg crossed over the other. Of the room, he was clearly the most relaxed, if not the angriest, and Arikan had a great deal to be angry about.
He turned his attention to the sister that scorned his fall from grace. He wouldn't say he was all alone given his talents, but he didn’t raise his voice or so much as move more than an expressive wave of his hands as he spoke. There was a reason he played the nobleman so naturally for all those years.
“Don’t worry, Sister. I’ve never needed to tie up my women - not unless they ask for it, and that's a mere twist of suggestion with Spirit. Simple enough once I figured it out. Rahvin frequently used a similar trick, or so I’m told, with Queens and Aes Sedai and anyone that caught his eye. Of course, the fun ones don’t require any coaxing suggestion at all. They are true gems.”
With the way the new one was staring so intently at him, so satisfyingly afraid, Arikan doubted he would get another cringe out of the ice-faced sister, but he may find some entertainment out of the warder’s reaction. His gaze flicked to the female warrior, daring her to come to her Sister’s honorable defense. She had the look of one who may have done the knotting once or twice in her past.
But he was growing weary of this duel of words. It was clear that they wanted a reason for his request. A strange justification for breaking tower law, but they were already in league with the devil, what were a few petty rules in comparison? And what did he have to hide? His quest for revenge was quite plain.
“Your Sister may not be Black Ajah, but she is a darkfriend so deeply in ways that even impresses me. You want me to clear the field, Talin? You clearly don’t think like a darkfriend, poisoning examples being my case in point. I will need a creative ally,” his gaze finally settled on Elsae’s friend. Did she know that her beloved Sister was a darkfriend capable of heinous acts? While she picked through the pieces of her memory for any hint of evidence to the fact, Arikan added an amused yearning. Almost as if he said it to himself: “Let’s just say that I have dreamed of this for a long time.”
He left the refreshments alone. “But please, you two go ahead and enjoy your tea.” Waving a hand and waited for them to get settled before continuing.
“Would you like a similar education in how to kidnap little girls? Because if you want to escort me to the White Tower, I will grab her and Travel my way out again. Maybe you could take me to your quarters first? Hmm? I can show you the subtler arts of abduction. Maybe demonstrate how to tie someone up, yes?” he asked, gaze falling to Talin’s slender wrists. The Shienaran caught the suggestion, and Arikan’s innuendo elicited the most satisfying cringe of disgust from the warder.
Talin’s cold stare was admirable, and her resolve was what sealed their accord in the first place. He had been on the verge of death himself, desperate to recover his old life. She was his only choice. That or rot a slow death. He was patient enough to play by the rules of others when it was necessary. So when it was clear that there would be no escort to nor delivery of Elsae, he had to reconsider his position - temporary though it was. Their deal was in progress, but this young Sister was a poor substitute for the mind he truly sought. It was a gesture of faith, however foolish. He grumbled in frustration and opted that he had no reason to be on guard from his feet. He took up one of the chairs as if it were his throne, leaned back comfortably into the cushions with one leg crossed over the other. Of the room, he was clearly the most relaxed, if not the angriest, and Arikan had a great deal to be angry about.
He turned his attention to the sister that scorned his fall from grace. He wouldn't say he was all alone given his talents, but he didn’t raise his voice or so much as move more than an expressive wave of his hands as he spoke. There was a reason he played the nobleman so naturally for all those years.
“Don’t worry, Sister. I’ve never needed to tie up my women - not unless they ask for it, and that's a mere twist of suggestion with Spirit. Simple enough once I figured it out. Rahvin frequently used a similar trick, or so I’m told, with Queens and Aes Sedai and anyone that caught his eye. Of course, the fun ones don’t require any coaxing suggestion at all. They are true gems.”
With the way the new one was staring so intently at him, so satisfyingly afraid, Arikan doubted he would get another cringe out of the ice-faced sister, but he may find some entertainment out of the warder’s reaction. His gaze flicked to the female warrior, daring her to come to her Sister’s honorable defense. She had the look of one who may have done the knotting once or twice in her past.
But he was growing weary of this duel of words. It was clear that they wanted a reason for his request. A strange justification for breaking tower law, but they were already in league with the devil, what were a few petty rules in comparison? And what did he have to hide? His quest for revenge was quite plain.
“Your Sister may not be Black Ajah, but she is a darkfriend so deeply in ways that even impresses me. You want me to clear the field, Talin? You clearly don’t think like a darkfriend, poisoning examples being my case in point. I will need a creative ally,” his gaze finally settled on Elsae’s friend. Did she know that her beloved Sister was a darkfriend capable of heinous acts? While she picked through the pieces of her memory for any hint of evidence to the fact, Arikan added an amused yearning. Almost as if he said it to himself: “Let’s just say that I have dreamed of this for a long time.”