Under Guard

[Jay Carpenter]

 

Asha'man Kojima & M'Hael Larnair

The Black Tower

Their leader liked punishments to be as public as possible.  Really, it was a fantastic policy.  Reminded everyone of their limits.  Which was easy to forget. 

Turns out, Black Tower command wasn't sitting around waiting on Jai Kojima to show up.  Much to Jai's surprise.  So he milled about with nothing serious to do the rest of the day while his information passed through the trenches.  Until now, when he summoned front and center in the M'Hael's audience hall. 

He stood quiet, surrounded by the ranks.  Leadership also liked to set examples for the younger generation when it could.  Another wise policy.  Very educational.  Gets the lads off on the right foot.  Jai sighed and studied the empty dias ahead of him.  Most of the faces were unfamiliar anyway. 

When the gallery off to the side parted and a group made way, they took places of attention on floor level at either side of the dais.  He returned the few nods his fellow Asha'man gave him, but nobody was kidding themselves.  They were watching him as much as he did in return-- Then he froze.  Jolted into dumbfounded recognition.  He knew one of them.  From Caemlyn's Inner City: that yoked guard at the Bank.  The one that'd taken his sword that first day, dressed as a civilian, and studied him closely the second, donned in the same uniform he wore now.  He stood at calm, uncaring attention now.  And looked off to the side for the M'Hael's approach.  Jai, meanwhile, settled into his stance and studied the other faces a bit more closely. 

When the M'Hael followed and ascended the dais, Jai dropped immediately to one knee.  One hand balanced the hilt of his sword out of the way and the other went fisted against the floor.  The man was worth the show of respect whether the platform was technically royal or not.  Maybe his discomfort with the wrongness of breaking this man's expectations sent him to his knee.  Either way, it was the closest thing to a ruler Jai recognized although he was not quite sure what he'd do if he ever found himself standing in front of the Lord Dragon.  Nor what he'd do if the Lord of the Morning looked at him with the same grim disappointment as what currently plastered his second in command's expression.  But for now the M'Hael held a tough seat with his thumb on the pulse of what was arguably as difficult a group of men as could be dumped into one spot.  Not to mention he was one of the most brilliant channelers alive.  He deserved his mens' respect, and held it successfully.  Foremost of all, Jai's.

Despite returning to his feet when indicated to rise, Jai did not relax his posture.  He stood straight, ignoring the fellow from Caemlyn meanwhile, eyes forward and feet steadied solid beneath him.  Much as he had the last time he'd been in this position.  He pushed that memory from his head.  No point digging up those buried bones.

His fingers itched to move, so he clasped both hands stiffly behind his back.  Looking up at their leader's cool composition, thoughts of the defense he'd built for himself all day were erased.  He didn't want this man's sympathy.  Just to bloody get this over with. 

The Dragon's swordarm was a wall of incomparable composure.  And with his first words, he shattered Jai's: "Your conduct in Caemlyn was a disaster, Asha'man."

Jai went numb.  Caemlyn?  Between his chest caving in and the sudden spike in pulse, his mechanical response took some effort to cut the emotion constricting his throat.  "Yes, sir."
  Clear and cut to be heard by everyone, but he couldn't smother the sounds of questions behind his reaction.

"Yes you fool."
  Now draped into his seat, the M'Hael indicated their surroundings a moment then lifted his voice for all to hear. "This might come as a surprise for some, but we are in Andor."
  He spread his arms.  A few chuckles murmured around the hall, "And some Andorans are not very pleased by the prospect of harboring a pit of vipers a day's march from their seat of power." 


'Not that we need a day to march' Someone called out.

If the M'Hael heard, he made no correction.  Instead he turned his attentions back to the man of the hour.  "Now we have a prominent Lord spreading tales we are planting crimes against the Noble Houses, seizing power for ourselves, and intent on carving out more of the realm from under them.  By all the infinite powers at our disposal to undermine their domain."
  There was a potential beneath the absurdity pounding the walls, as though the threat stung too close for comfort to the heart of truth.

Jai checked on the fellow from Caemlyn while attempting to work out how this happened.  He'd expected command to have men positioned close to sources of power, but why station one at Lynn House?  Unless someone there was being tracked.  And so far no mention of Arad Doman?  Was all this about Caemlyn?  Had Daryen covered for him?  He quickly ran through everything from the last few days.  Whether his name was on the documents or not, he'd made a scene using the executives to file charges against Winthel. One stroke of evidence.  He knew leaving that little twit of a nobleman with his tongue was a bad idea.  Two strokes.  At least Ellis was long gone, assuming Zakar did what he did best.  Then there was Tashir's killer left behind.  But he suddenly wondered if he'd made a mistake.

Worry crumbled, and another emotion took its place.  Jai went to Caemlyn, yes.  He'd smeared a known murderer's skull on the ground, sure; though unintentionally, it was better than the guy deserved.  In one day his hands undid fifteen years of fraud, but none of his conduct was so abusive of power as what was alleged against him.  If this was entirely about Winthel, it was all lies.  He knows the financial evidence against him is solid, which explains his motives, but if that bloody nobleman wins enough sympathy from the other Houses, the case against him might be dropped altogether.  There were plenty of people who witnessed Asha'man Kojima's visit.  His name may not own the paperwork, but Jai tightened his jaw anyway.  He'd not gone to all that work just to see a politician loophole and maneuver his way out of justice.

As the M'Hael watched Jai's reaction, he thought he saw a moment of consideration break the rigidity stamped across the man's face.  If so, it didn't reflect his subsequent decree, "An example!  Of the damage one man can do!"
  Jai's frown deepened as the speech engorging the crowd was redirected back to him individually, "Mark me, Asha'man the other Houses will listen to him.  And rebuilding the feeble faith we won from the Andorans will be costly."


Jai had a good idea where the man would begin with his example-making.  He'd seen enough of it before.  But he didn't react beyond a subtle shift in his posture.  Men ruthlessly beaten to the brink of death before the final swing lopped off a new ornament for the Grounds: run-aways, usually.  Examples of another kind.  Pretty bad, but darkfriends fared worse.  Their howls chilled a man within earshot to his bones.  Darkfriends were worse than something to be hunted: they were something to eradicate.  With this, though.  Abuse of power, obstruction, murder.. Bloody axe a pink-cheeked damane whisp of a girl and its duty.  Bash in a murder's face and its criminal.  He'd find out how far it'd go soon enough.  He had a better chance aiming up a face in a mile of fog than clawing the answer from that man's mask. 

Hopefully they'd hold back a little.  He really had been looking forward to rounding up that Lennox fellow for a match.  One of them might be at a bit of a disadvantage if Jai was maimed before then.  Might even out the odds, though; Dex's pocketbook would appreciate that.  Daryen sticking out his neck to protect him was interesting.  He was a good guy, not that Jai planned on letting him know, but right now, Jai braced as though the ceiling were about to cave in.  He was rather fond of the simple things in life.  Like walking. 

The M'Hael was not oblivious to the shift in the man before him.  It was all over Jai's expression: he'd done none of the things Winthel was alleging, but their leader could not deviate from his previous course despite one man's perception of innocence.  Percpetion didn't matter anyway.  Not when there was a larger picture than what one man could see.
"To make sure the lesson sinks in.  For you and everyone else.  You agree to these terms, Kojima?"
  He continued the baiting and Jai's hands returned to fierce clasping behind his back.  Forcing him to consent to his own punishment: it was a good twist.  The crowd fell quiet, but their anticipation crackled the air.  The men facing him turned apathetic: his answer had little impact on the outcome and for the first time he felt worlds apart from them all. 

He disregarded them.  All but the M'Hael.  Toward him, Jai directed his thin reply.  It distantly resemebled the humility he was earlier motivated to demonstrate: "Yes, sir."
  He knew the law, and marched straight against it anyway.  Though he'd never imagined clearing his own name would spark such international controversy.  At least the Vanditera's were immune from the rising fires: sheltered by the sandstorm of anonymity.  Hopefully.

"Not as though you had a choice, but good to know you'll comply,"
the M'Hael radiated with the immense latitude of his authority.  More laughs.

Right.  Jai felt dark comprehension settle in the back of his mind, but he held himself from reacting.  If anyone started digging into Chairman Ellis' donation..  "-And who will be our volunteer to lead?"
  ..or sudden resignation..  The link to the Vanditera's coming inheritance..  That Aes Sedai at the Archives.  He could still feel her bony wrist clamped in his grip. 

Maybe find out how much Fate knew.  Unless the Brown thought their encounter too mundane to share with a Sitter.  He couldn't keep thinking about it.  It wasn't everyday they were allowed this kind of practice on one another, and there were more than one pair of eyes burning with a bit too much eagerness.  Saidin changed men, and not always for the better.  He certainly understood that.  And not all the men around him were the heroes of valor they were made out to be.  He had no intention to see which voice among the surge of volunteers was selected for the job. 

So he turned his attentions to unbuckling the swordbelt from his waist.  Dex, whom he hadn't realized was there, pushed his way forward about then, thankfully.  To him Jai gave the sword for safekeeping.  Knowing his own tendencies, Jai didn't want it within reach the next however-long this was going to last.  If he reached for it out of instinct against a mass of channelers, it'd only make things worse.  There was no point escalating their attentions beyond what he was prepared to handle.

Dex began to turn, "Hold up,"
  Jai called, "take this too."
  His fingers flicked apart the orderly row of buttons and he slid from the new coat, clean and pressed for the day.  It was too expensive to ruin without good reason, a guarantee if he kept it on, and he couldn't imagine he'd want to be mending it all night after this.

He was half way out of the underlying shirt as well when the M'Hael called forth the name of his choice.  Jai's reformed Oneness cracked by the identity of his selection: "Lennox Orander."
  He swiveled immediately to look.

The man who stepped forward was undoubtedly the Councilman's brother.  Near the same height and coloring, but with a harder, leaner build than Jai recalled Kent bearing.  At least compared to the Councilman's frame these last few years.  Lennox was darker too, as though he'd seen a good deal of Domani sun in recent days; not unlike Jai, but again outstripping him in tan.  His hair was tied smoothly back and he wore a heavy sword.  The scabbard was belted so high the hilt nearly reached the guy's shoulder.  It didn't seem to weigh him down any though.  They met one another's gaze briefly, but his simple approach to the front of the dais next to Jai was as fluid as any master.  Bloody.  Fantastic.   

Lennox was half a hand shorter, but Jai didn't think it'd save him anything.  He suspected some link between physical strength and command over saidin for a while now, but where Jai walked around all these years thinking he had a decent run of it, he instinctively hoped that was the case.  Maybe it'd save him something.  Otherwise it'd take a head to head clash to sort the differences between them despite Dex's earlier estimation.  Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards today.

Blood and ashes.  Dex gave him an affirming nod then took the shirt and fell back.  Jai pivoted forward, the thumb-wide pucker of colorless skin tracing from where it disappeared under his waistline, up and over to the other ribcage, stood out clear as day against the surrounding shade of flesh.  He now stood side by side with the man whose name floated around like a constant whisp of smoke all day. 

Odd enough, the M'Hael noted where into the crowd Dex fell back.  An unceremonial moment later and it started.  "Make sure he doesn't forget it."