05-07-2023, 09:06 PM
Nythadri had no power here, but she watched Arikan silently nonetheless as he examined the situation. Jai was harder to look upon, hunched over the desk, smudged dark with ink and shadows, relentless still in concentration. Meanwhile Arikan’s questions were met with a stubborn silence. Jai’s name sounding from a dreadlord’s tongue would only inflame his paranoia, and the possibility of him suspecting she had betrayed him stilled her cold. It was only when explanation followed that she parted her lips to speak; not in fact to answer, but to snap that he should have just asked that in the first place.
But then Jai finally unfurled.
It was the first time she looked at him properly since her gate closed on Illian. The chasm of it hit her again. Arikan followed the gaze between them, but she said nothing.
Then Jai entered the vault and Arikan followed. Nythadri could guess why, but did not want to observe the theft. Instead she stooped finally by the crumpled Dedicated. He was breathing shallow, still out cold, but Jai had done nothing he would not recover from. She had little gift for healing, but the flows she did impart would ease the headache when he woke. By the time Jai emerged with the dreadlord on his heels, she had straightened again. She remained a silent witness as she followed.
Frustration grew as time marched past, yet Nythadri had no recourse but to allow it. Their parade upwards was sparsely remarked upon at this hour, but poorly thought, and her calculated thoughts drew inwards from the things she could not control. If Arikan was going to act, if he even could, then he would have by now. Yet if he perceived no gain for himself at all, he would not still be here. She prepared herself for what it meant.
When they reached Larnair’s quarters, everything happened fast. The explosions of saidin that must have been erupting right then would not be ignored for long. It descended to arms before Arikan forced the two men apart.
Jai’s look at her pierced; it struck a painful blow, but Arikan’s words claimed her attention. Nothing showed in her expression, but it was a forced mask.
“You think it was one of the Forsaken,” she said in answer. Blunt with what she gleaned, as was he in turn. She did not need confirmation. The cut of her pale eyes hardened. Resolve buried conscience deep. Whatever he expected to witness in her reaction, it would not be fragility. “The one who did this will answer for it.”
As for the rest, her heart was beating hard, stomach roiling sick beneath her composure. She half stepped forward. Jai wouldn’t weather committing the act; it would be too much for him to bear, whatever Compulsions had been laid across his mind. But the oaths Talin had offered to free her from still bound her from acting herself. With saidar at least. She didn’t know if she could kill a man in cold blood; even the one who commanded Jai’s punishment, something she failed to forgive, whatever the reasons. But she wouldn’t allow Jai to damn his soul. She couldn’t.
It was Arikan who stepped forward.
Nythadri couldn’t stop it. But she didn’t try either. The light in her soul shaded in that moment of willingness to trade one man’s life for another when that man was Jai. Lanair raged. He spat defiance.
She didn’t flinch, but her eyes flared wide when the blood began to pour.
Arikan’s confessions did not go unnoticed. But for now shock rippled a trembling inside, and her mind sharpened only to necessity. When she moved it was to Jai. His howl cleaved her soul in its pain. When it had been Tashir’s body in her own hands, little had stirred her from the horrified rush of grief. She didn’t remember being forcibly removed. Her hands cupped his face, grappling softly for his attention.
“Jai,” she said, quiet and earnest. “Jai, this was not you. I have much to explain. But we cannot stay here.”
She understood the ramifications in a terrible second. Everything she had tried to protect him from crashed over them, and she would not let him drown.
Arikan lingered somewhere behind them. She did not want to see whatever amused expression he wore now. Saidar infused even as she knelt still. She reached for Jai’s bloody hands. She would make the gate. She only had to get him through it.
But then Jai finally unfurled.
It was the first time she looked at him properly since her gate closed on Illian. The chasm of it hit her again. Arikan followed the gaze between them, but she said nothing.
Then Jai entered the vault and Arikan followed. Nythadri could guess why, but did not want to observe the theft. Instead she stooped finally by the crumpled Dedicated. He was breathing shallow, still out cold, but Jai had done nothing he would not recover from. She had little gift for healing, but the flows she did impart would ease the headache when he woke. By the time Jai emerged with the dreadlord on his heels, she had straightened again. She remained a silent witness as she followed.
Frustration grew as time marched past, yet Nythadri had no recourse but to allow it. Their parade upwards was sparsely remarked upon at this hour, but poorly thought, and her calculated thoughts drew inwards from the things she could not control. If Arikan was going to act, if he even could, then he would have by now. Yet if he perceived no gain for himself at all, he would not still be here. She prepared herself for what it meant.
When they reached Larnair’s quarters, everything happened fast. The explosions of saidin that must have been erupting right then would not be ignored for long. It descended to arms before Arikan forced the two men apart.
Jai’s look at her pierced; it struck a painful blow, but Arikan’s words claimed her attention. Nothing showed in her expression, but it was a forced mask.
“You think it was one of the Forsaken,” she said in answer. Blunt with what she gleaned, as was he in turn. She did not need confirmation. The cut of her pale eyes hardened. Resolve buried conscience deep. Whatever he expected to witness in her reaction, it would not be fragility. “The one who did this will answer for it.”
As for the rest, her heart was beating hard, stomach roiling sick beneath her composure. She half stepped forward. Jai wouldn’t weather committing the act; it would be too much for him to bear, whatever Compulsions had been laid across his mind. But the oaths Talin had offered to free her from still bound her from acting herself. With saidar at least. She didn’t know if she could kill a man in cold blood; even the one who commanded Jai’s punishment, something she failed to forgive, whatever the reasons. But she wouldn’t allow Jai to damn his soul. She couldn’t.
It was Arikan who stepped forward.
Nythadri couldn’t stop it. But she didn’t try either. The light in her soul shaded in that moment of willingness to trade one man’s life for another when that man was Jai. Lanair raged. He spat defiance.
She didn’t flinch, but her eyes flared wide when the blood began to pour.
Arikan’s confessions did not go unnoticed. But for now shock rippled a trembling inside, and her mind sharpened only to necessity. When she moved it was to Jai. His howl cleaved her soul in its pain. When it had been Tashir’s body in her own hands, little had stirred her from the horrified rush of grief. She didn’t remember being forcibly removed. Her hands cupped his face, grappling softly for his attention.
“Jai,” she said, quiet and earnest. “Jai, this was not you. I have much to explain. But we cannot stay here.”
She understood the ramifications in a terrible second. Everything she had tried to protect him from crashed over them, and she would not let him drown.
Arikan lingered somewhere behind them. She did not want to see whatever amused expression he wore now. Saidar infused even as she knelt still. She reached for Jai’s bloody hands. She would make the gate. She only had to get him through it.