Respite & Resolve

[Natalie Grey]

 
Talin & Kaori

Arikan’s attention waned, but if he had wanted specifics, he should have been specific, and Talin felt no remorse for continuing at great length, despite his obscenely rude expression of boredom. “Well I’d have thought it quite obvious from that insufferable speech. Only a Green would be quite so passionate.” She said it with genuine scathe. Despite what Talin knew of Nythadri’s reasons, and most of that deduction did not in fact come from the woman herself, she had always thought the Blues would prevail in the end. Not because of loyalty, but because it would have been the logical and most efficient choice for Nythadri to make for herself whatever her feelings on the matter. Talin chose Yellow purely because of skill, not because of any sense of like-mindedness with her Ajah sisters. Had Nythadri done so, it also would have offered the kinds of resources that Talin would have found immeasurably useful in an ally. Certainly, it didn’t seem that Arikan had political scope. At least not of the recent variety. Granted he’d been hunched on death’s door for some significant time. But still.

He was aware of Daryen Daimon, but if the rolling of his eyes was any indication, had not considered the ramifications of this peace treaty. If he was even aware of it. Talin saw no reason to offer enlightenment. Arad Doman was something neither of them could do much about in the present moment. When the dust from the Tower’s upheaval settled, then they would see what challenges arose. That might be weeks or months away yet, but it would be a problem to address sooner or later. Talin fled what she perceived to be a weakened institution, and she was not sentimental, but it hardly gladdened her to witness. War with Seanchan would be an inconvenient obstacle. She was certain it was coming, and she meant to push Arikan hard before then. The Last Battle must be summoned first, but before then the path for the Dragon must be clear.

“Light,” she corrected offhandedly. “You mean for Light’s sake. The Dark One’s blight. It isn’t hard.”

She did not glance up at Kaori when he was addressed. The comfort of her warder was not of much concern to her.

“I will stand,” the man answered, though he did stiffly incline his head. That was Northern sensibility for you. Talin did not precisely know where Arikan might have been from originally, but she did not think he could have been from the Borderlands, and Kaori’s honour was probably as foreign to him as it was to her.

“Malkier became a martyr kingdom. Is it any wonder?” She refrained from tipping her shoulder into a shrug, though she was clearly blase in her estimations about a dead country to which she had no connection or use for.

Kaori’s brow lowered for the question. “Because the Malkieri claim is on account of her mother, and that is the Kandori way. She was raised on the Blightborder, by Faider and his men.” The way her Warder said it, tight-jawed with respect, the name meant something to him. Talin did not know the minutiae of Borderland heroes, but she understood the significance by the way Kaori felt then. Idly, she wondered what the man might have felt if either Nythadri or Eleanore had refused the solution of the bond – if he had been forced to cross blades with this woman he so admired. The speculation did not last long; there was little to be gained in dwelling on past possibilities. If Eleanore became a problem in the future, it would not be Kaori who would need to deal with her. “She was one of Captain Miyakawa’s Scouts before she led an Aes Sedai through the Blight and came to the Tower.”

The edges of his voice were all rough. He did not like this talk of expendability, though Talin imagined his glowing and somewhat defensive testimony to fall on utterly deaf ears. One only had to look at the scars on the gaidar’s face to realise she was some considerable veteran, and this information was only detail to what was obvious. She couldn't fathom a reason Arikan would care. Talin’s lips twitched into a frown, aware that Kaori was himself prickly upon the subject he began to stray towards. Curiosity had taken Talin to Shienar after the Lady Armendariz arrived at the Tower begging for aid that was ultimately refused to her. The Tower claimed the Blight was as quiet as it had ever been in fifty years, but Kaori said it was not so. Such was the circumstance upon which they had first met.

Arikan’s laughter interrupted. It sent shivers right the way down Talin’s spine. “Oh,” she said. “Is that a joke?” How uncomfortable. She discovered amusement from a dreadlord was quite horrendous. Fledgling conscience or fledgling humour; she was not sure which was worse.

[[I don’t have Elly’s bio. But just for context: Faider was her uncle. His band were infamous skirmishes on the blightborder, and he was killed in the last few months or years. Elly did work for Akari, but I have no idea why she left the Scouts, I can only find reference to the fact she did. And then escorted the Aes Sedai through the Blight and home to Tar Valon.]]