Timeless Conversation [Attn: Craig]

[Andy]

There had been signs, omens if he thought of them that way, that were suggesting to him that his time as a Ji was coming to a close. Or rather that he may perhaps be given the chance to make the first of three potential decisions in the near future. Fancloak or no Fancloak he would still be a Ji at heart. He was not sure that wearing the cloak made you feel like a true Gaidin. Either way he had been quite deliberately pushed in certain directions and pulled by others. It almost felt like he was one of the fancy puppets you saw children of wealthy families with. Gradually he was being pulled away from his easier chores and having it replaced with more practical concerns, for example. How many times have I been asked to escort an Aes Seda of Asha'man for the day? Or instead of teaching Drin getting beaten around by a few Gaidin until my sword forms improve, even if only ever so slightly? And the lectures! Endless lectures on tactics, battles and ceremony! When to bow, when to ask questions, how to talk to channellers like a Warder... the thoughts were whipping through his mind as he dragged his tired body up the steps. He had even lost track of events so busy had he been. Forgotten was his family grief, it had faded with his tasks. He had not even known Ravak was the new Master of Arms until a few days previously. Friends found him sleeping or even not at all depending on what he was doing. That he was sorrowful over this was clear but what could he do? He was being moulded, shaped, the last trimmings of fat snipped away daily. What they saw underneath his surface he wasn't sure of but it seemed to satisfy them enough to make the effort. He supposed he should be grateful about that. "And what is your purpose here Ji?" a passing Indigo Asha'man asked him as he turned the corner to go into their Halls. "I seek Elia Sedai, I was told she could help me understand both the Bond and of ter'angreal" he bowed respectfully though he wished he could just collapse upon the floor. The man appraised him sternly and then gave a small smile and a nod of acceptance, telling him the way and wishing Alrim well. He was not sure why he would do that, perhaps he thought he was considering joining the Indigo. He wasn't but then the Ajahs seemed to ever wish to increase their numbers and good Warders were not in endless supply. He made his way down the corridors, raking his fingers through his hair to the jingling and trying to make it as presentable as possible. His uniform was neat, clean and pressed - for once. His boots shone. Appearance, he had been told, was of great importance for a Warder. The Accepted at the entrance to Elia Sedai's chambers bid him wait as she went in to see if she would have time or desire to meet him. Alrim tried not to slouch against the wall tiredly as he waited, wondering if the trip would merely have been a waste of time.

[Craig]

Elia Sedai

A long white dress, not too dissimilar from those worn by novices and Accepted, hung over the First Seeker loosely. She both felt and looked tired, although she was presentable. Her energy towards such things as her appearance had waned. The only mark of embellishment was her Oathsworn pin, attached up near her left collarbone.

The doors to her chambers opened. From the other end of the room, Elia watched as the Accepted approached. She smiled wanly in acknowledgement, appreciative that someone had assigned her permanent help for this last month of torture.

"Ji'val Alrim Farshera wishes to speak with you, Aes Sedai." The Accepted delivered the message with a slight bow.

Elia made a one shoulder shrug. "I will see him, but first, if you could." She gestured towards the teapot sitting in the centre of the table. The Accepted nodded before a nimbus of light surrounded her. Elia watched in silent anguish as the younger woman boiled the water within the teapot. Light send this is over soon. The First Seeker was not doing well with her newfound inability to channel.

When steam rose out from the sprout, Elia flashed another weak smile and gestured towards the exit. Elia watched as the door opened. The Accepted's presence was exchanged for a Ji'val's. Elia listened to the bells in his hair as he made his way towards her side of the room.

"Take a seat." With her good arm, the First Seeker gestured towards one of the empty chairs around the table. A few were caught in the sunlight flowing through the windows to her quarters. She liked being beside the window, able to look down towards the Great Serpent and its many students. She missed being the Mistress of Novices, not that she could have managed it in her current state. It was tricky enough to attend all of the meetings in the Hall, which was almost the only time she left her quarters as of late.

Now that he was standing closer, something about him struck her as familiar. She dismissed the notion after a few moments. Chances were that she had merely seem him somewhere before around Hama Valon.

"I don't often receive Ji'val as visitors," Elia stated lightly. "Is this a personal visit or were you sent by my--" She cut off with a bemused smile. "Or were you sent by the Master of Arms?"

[Andy]

“Elia Sedai will see you now” the Accepted told him curtly, something in her tone telling him to not upset her. He was confused about that part, after all how could he ever hope to truly upset an Aes Sedai of such standing? That was, until he saw her and the past briefly warred with the present. She was unmistakably the woman who had snapped at him so imperiously when he had taken Zarayne to the infirmary. Yet she appeared more weary now and the cause was quite obvious to him. Simple clothing over a rounded belly, an expectant mother. Yet still powerful, not someone to treat as a flower. Though some kindness might not be too far he told himself as she indicated a seat opposite her. His eyes took in the steaming teapot and cups as he crossed the space to the other side of the room, then flicked to either side to take in the opulent quarters by his standards. He wondered if he could look forwards to such living spaces one day in the future. He doubted it but it was a nice thing to think of having – his own space for his own items and interests. Settling himself he heard the slight slip of words and connected the dots – she was Ravak’s sister, or that was most likely given her apparent age. A cousin, perhaps. Looking at her the resemblance was there, if muted due to her feminine features. “Thank you for seeing me Elia Sedai, it was most kind,” he began slowly, trying to remember that she was the First Seeker and that he couldn’t let himself be wholly himself out of respect, or perhaps fear, “I was sent by no one, though if you wanted me to take a message to Ra- the Master of Arms, I would be happy to be of assistance” the silent question was there, just in case she wished for it. He fell silent for a few moments as he wondered how to begin to state the reasons he was there. She was correct in her unstated words that it was rare for a Ji to seek out specific channellers for tuition. Then again he was not the average Ji and he was usually too curious for his own good. Adding that to the fact that he would be expected to protect someone one day – which he took very seriously despite his outward attitude – and that no one had really told him what the Bond was about, not physically at least, he had felt the need to ask questions. Angreal and ter’angreal fascinated him in particular, they had since Fiona had produced one in front of him n that trip. He tilted his head to the sound of jingling and smiled slightly. “A personal visit, though not just for my sake. I realised that I knew very little about objects of the One Power and that I would be ill equipped to protect someone or even know what to do if I encountered them. Whether they can be recognized, how dangerous…” he let the list trail off, she knew them better than he after all, “so in the interest of being a good Warder one day, who better to ask than the best?” “As for the part that is for my own sake…well…everyone tells me that a Bond is my final fulfilment as a Gaidin, in one way or another. But they haven’t told me anything actually about it, what it does, if it hurts, how it works….” he trailed off again with a soft smile. “You probably get this all of the time but I always like learning things and…would you like some tea, Elia Sedai?” he asked, offering to pour for her and giving him a reason to be quiet before he babbled on further.

[Craig]

Elia

Elia found herself smiling as she listened to the Ji'val. Not smiling in a way that implied an overt sense of companionship with the Arafellin. She was just pleased to be having a normal conversation. Elia also appreciated his proper use of decorum.

"If you would, thank you." She watched as he poured the tea into two of the cups arranged on the silver tray, considering his inquiries, wondering how to approach the topic with a non-channeller. "Are you thinking of joining the Indigo Ajah?" she teased lightly. "Or maybe you've found a potential bondmate, mm?" She waved her good hand dismissively before he had an opportunity to answer. For once, Elia wasn't interested in prying out secrets.

"I am confident that even the Warder Yards are capable of teaching you about objects of the One Power, but I can go over them again briefly and answer any further questions you have. There are three broad categories: Power-wrought objects, angreal and sa'angreal, and then ter'angreal.

"Power-wrought objects are miscellany that seldom have any practical use beyond the mundane. For instance, any item made of heartstone - cuendillar - is a power-wrought object. There is also a talent that some channellers possess called Aligning the Matrix. This can strengthen metal beyond its normal properties, although it has seldom been used in the manufacture of weaponry since the Age of Legends.

"Angreal and sa'angreal both allow a channeller to channel more of the One Power than they could normally do alone. It's possible you've seen the use of angreal already, likely to aid when it comes to Healing several injuries. Sa'angreal are more powerful than angreal, allowing one to do feats that may otherwise require an entire circle to perform. They have the potential to make the weakest novice into a force that an Aes Sedai may have troubles reckoning with.

"Lastly there are ter'angreal, my personal area of interest. Ter'angreal are objects created by the One Power, generally with a specific purpose in mind. You've heard of the Oath Rod I assume? That is an example of a ter'angreal. Another example is all around you." Elia gestured towards the windows of her room. "All of the glass panes covering the Grey Tower are actually ter'angreal as well."

Taking up her cup with her good arm, she sipped on the hot drink before continuing. "You look young enough... I assume you've been through the so-called Test of Honour? The archway you crossed into was also a ter'angreal, one that I actually had a hand in making for the Grey Tower." Her smile turned apologetic. "Maybe that fact more than anything else I've said informs you how dangerous objects of the One Power can be."

She ran a nail along the brim of her teacup as she waiting for some of what she had told the Ji'val to become absorbed. How in-depth their education was with regards to the One Power was not knowledge she possessed, but the information about the Test of Honour had to be new information at the very least.

"You asked if they can be recognised?" she continued. "Well, cuendillar can, but all you're going to find are cuendillar cups or cuendillar plates; nothing to threaten you nor your bondmate. As for the angreal, they can look like almost anything. Angreal and sa'angreal will generally be small enough to be carried in a belt pouch, but ter'angreal can be as large as a pane of glass, or as small as a stone."

"You've been in my brother's office?" she inquired. "Then you've seen his quill and inkwell? That too is a ter'angreal."

Taking up the cup again, and feeling thirsty (Light, she couldn't recall the last time she'd said so much uninterrupted), she supped away slowly, letting the Ji'val process everything.

When the teacup was half-empty, she lowered it to the tabletop. Still smiling, she asked: "I can see you have questions. Do ask."

[Andy]

He poured the tea slowly as she talked, teaching him even if he knew it was a fraction of what she clearly knew in total. Still he was grateful for any knowledge he could muster and if he were to do more than play the part of Gaidin, actually be one, then he would need such things. He did smile at her words about the Indigo and a Bondmate, catching himself before he burst out in laughter, just. He was lucky if he could get a Green interested. She did have a way about her that seemed warm, something he had not heard about her. And she wasn't last time we met. Then again, it had been a bad situation. And rumour is rarely fully true he told himself as he passed her the cup for her to drink from. "If I may ask, why do we not make weapons using this...ability. This Aligning the Matrix? Surely it would give us an advantage over our enemies. Or...save lives if it were used on armour. Is there a reason it hasn't been done since the Age of Legends?" "And I have heard that Cuendillar is unbreakable. Is that true" he flicked a bell from his face with a frown. The words upon angreal and sa'angreal made his own experiences make more sense. Fiona had said she was a weak channeler and needed an angreal. That tied in with what Elia was saying about increasing strength or ability. He filed such information away for the future. It was possible he might one day come across an enemy, this Black Ajah it was whispered as, who would have one. Getting it off of them might save his life, and the lives of others. Most importantly though it made him think about whether such items were somehow protect-able, track-able. He shrugged internally and continued to listen. "I have taken the Test, I should have guessed," he said neutrally, pushing back the images and wishing he had never been made to do it, some things were too cruel, "it was certainly...difficult. Dangerous, yes. I have been told what happens is not true but..." he shook his head, "perhaps one day I will thank you for it" he tried not to let a bitter look cross his face, he wasn't there to visit past trials. "Still.....there is no way to recognise them then. The dangerous ones at least. So no real way to guard from them," he spoke slowly, softly, turning it around in his head, "these angreal and sa'angreal. I presume that an Aes Sedai or Asha'man would know them for what they are if they found them?" he asked. "I have heard of the Seanchan but never met them. Is it true that they use leashes? Are these such constructs too? If so, can such objects be destroyed by conventional means if necessary? And does the same go for other items of the One Power?"

[Craig]

Elia

A great many questions, she mused. The Indigo was glad for the enthusiasm, even if it was from a would-be Gaidin.

"The answer to your first question is a matter of politics, not of pragmatics. Yes, in theory we could forge an arsenal of Power-wrought weapons, but that option has only recently become available to some of us."

She raised a hand to tap on her broach marking her as Oathsworn. "I cannot make any weapons however. That is one of the Three Oaths and I am proud to keep to that tradition. But that is far from the actual reason. The Grey Tower, as with the White, are afforded some protection by keeping neutral in almost all matters of statecraft. We have the Tower Guard and the Gaidin, but we have no standing army. Were we to make ourselves a strong military force, we would invite trouble from neighbouring nations. Also, those weapons would also be at risk of being stolen.

"During the Age of Legends, such things were more common. Every army would have had access to such Power-wrought items. Now, it could swing the balance of power. It is a grim thought to imagine if any agents of the Dark One were to acquire such weapons. It is worse yet to destabilise the relative peace of the nations. This isn't a land of unification like in Artur Hawkwing's time, but it is mostly without war. We are wise to leave it that way."

She drained the rest of her cup of tea, replacing the empty cup on its accompanying saucer. "And yes, cuendillar is unbreakable. Yet utilising that would be worse yet. Unbreakable swords forged by unparalleled mastery. Never needing to be sharpened, never dulling. Polearms could have hafts made of cuendillar, so you would never fear having your weapon sundered." Her tone hinted at wonder and amazement, but her look was graven. "A very attractive possibility, but again, now long until our enemies get their hands on it? When does our initial advantage creep away from us and instead becomes a boon to the Whitecloaks or the Shadow?"

There were other reasons than those she mentioned. Tradition was a large factor as well, although maybe one that was less persuasive as the years rolled along. After all, the Grey Tower was merely a couple of hundred years old. She would easily see the Tower's six hundredth anniversary, assuming nothing happened to the Tower or herself during the years in between. Maybe in a few hundred years, everyone will be using cuendillar.

Elia did not apologise for the Test of Honour. It was a marvel, regardless of its purpose. The product from months of work between some of the finest ter'angreal makers the Grey Tower possessed. It was there to strengthen the Tower. There were those who would die from it, she knew, but that was as instructed.

"Angreal and sa'angreal are normally attuned to one gender or the other. Any Aes Sedai can recognise a female sa'angreal if they were to hold one or attempt to channel through one, but they would have the faintest clue whether any male angreal were in the room with them. It's the same on the flip side. Ter'angreal are different, however. It is a Talent to identify ter'angreal and it operates differently for everyone. Some know it by touch, others by a sense of affinity with the ter'angreal. I need to actively channel to feel out a ter'angreal, but then I can quickly establish how one works."

She balled her left hand into a fist on her leg, feeling the cool metal of her Great Serpent ring touching her palm. It was good her Talent was not from touch, otherwise her ring would be frazzling her nerves every moment of every day. Her ring was still a secret known only to her. Had she come clean about it from the beginning then her punishment would have been light. At this stage, she wondered if Astoria would argue it into treason before the Hall. As if I don't have a hundred other treasonous acts hanging over my head.

When talk strayed onto the Seanchan, Elia found herself cupping the side of her neck. "Leashes, yes," she said breathily. "They are ter'angreal. The Seanchan call them a'dam." She lift her cup only to find it still empty, so she gripped onto the empty vessel instead. "I can't say whether there is a way to destroy them, but if one could, you may kill those it imprisons. But you'd never get close enough to try.

"Don't try to fight a sul'dam and her damane," she warned forcefully. "You will die, quite likely compromising your bondmate in the process. And should your bondmate be captured..." Elia shook her head with an ill expression. "Live. Live for her. Don't waste your life attempting to save her. If someone else can save her then allow them to go, but do not risk yourself. Your ongoing survival will mean more to your Aes Sedai than any number of failed rescue attempts would manage."

The sound of cracking pierced the quiet of the room. Elia looked down to the cup in her white-knuckled grip. A faint line ran from the brim down all the way to the base. As her hand unclenched, the cup came away in two halves. With care, Elia laid the two pieces down on the table.

It took the Indigo a short time to compose herself before she could continue. "Power-wrought weapons and cuendillar are nothing compared to the horrors of the a'dam. Yet they are still enough to destroy people entirely..."

[Andy]

He respected Elia's decision to carry on tradition but he still found it perplexing that they were fighting the greatest enemy of all time. One day, perhaps soon, perhaps not, the Dark One would come. To trust prophecy or to fate didn't sit well with him. Even if they never revealed their existence the Grey Tower could stockpile weapons and armour that could cut through the Shadowspawn lines on the day. The other nations need never know and even if they did then what did it matter? Nations were tiny things when weighed against the survival of all. It seemed foolish but he knew better than to refute an Aes Sedai's words. "Politics is everywhere it seems. One wonders whether they will even put their differences aside for the Last Battle," he sighed, "it just seems that if we lose then everything is lost. And then it wouldn't matter anymore anyway" he leaned back and looked at her, not pushing his luck any further. Of more interest were her words on the angreal and how channelers recognised them. It gave him an idea or two, perhaps in the future. It stood to reason that you could stumble over these objects in all places. It also stood to reason that it therefore made sense to either gather them or take them from potential enemies who might use them against the Grey Tower. So, logically, he reasoned that if he were to leave the Tower it would always be best to take those who could do so just in case. Now he learned that meant both an Aes Sedai and an Asha'man - that complicated things and not just because he was supposed to protect them. Can't sense any of them myself so what do you do if you come across a male channeler whilst with an Aes Sedai? Neither can sense them. And these ter'angreal, only those like Elia can sense those. You'd need a whole group to find, assess and neutralise them. No wonder they are apparently rare he told himself privately. "So in short there is little that can be done to notice them without people of both genders and this talent present and even then it might not even work or be possible to do so quickly. I suppose I was foolish to hope for anything else" he smiled wryly and watched her as she cupped her neck, hearing her tone shift into something more distant. He said nothing over the next handful of minutes, he was not sure what to say or do but his eyebrows did raise as she placed the two halves of the cup onto the table before her. Even with her withered arm she had cracked it cleanly which told him her words were probably more personal than she meant to reveal. She had clutched her neck too, or cupped it. He wondered if he had brought up the wrong subject, if she had worn one of these a'dam - though it seemed strange she was still free to him if so. He remained silent as he poured out more tea into a different cup and took the two halves, placing them out of sight upon the tray. "I am sorry, I did not know much about them other than rumour," he stated carefully, "I shall heed your words and think upon them in the future. I..." he trailed off soflty. "In truth I know little of what bondmates experience together or how it works. I know it is supposed to make both stronger, in a way. That it will make me able to sense them, whoever it might be. Some tell me it improves fighting skill but I am not so sure. Clearly you know more about it than I, of course" He left the words there, giving the opportunity to switch subjects to, perhaps, a better one for conversation for her.

[Craig]

Elia

More was going on than she had originally perceived. Alrim's comment about the Last Battle and the nations were not lightly mentioned. Something grim sat behind the Ji'val's dark brown eyes; he was searching for something. An answer? To what question?

She added nothing to the conversation about seeking out angreal or ter'angreal. He was right though about the difficulties. However, sometimes it was possible to identify an object of the Power by sight alone, but those objects were rarer than cuendillar. The Tairens had done as much as anyone to hoard every trinket associated with channelling, but the First Seeker suspected most of the items within the Stone of Tear weren't anything special at all.

After the cup broke, Elia sat quietly as Alrim replenished a new cup. She never intended to let her emotions show like that. Years living a dual life as Aes Sedai and Darkfriend, yet the wretched Seanchan was her undoing. She forced the thoughts away; there were always dark thoughts to become lost in.

"Bonding?" A thoughtful smile slowly appeared on the Shienaran's face. "Well, I can certainly answer those questions for you." Truly, the Warder Yards needs to do better in educating their trainees in such matters.

Something mischievous flickered behind the Aes Sedai's sharp green eyes. "Or I can show you."

[Andy]

He poured himself a half-cup of the tea also and sipped upon it. Her words took a few moments to register at first, so unexpected were they and as far from what they had been initially talking about as to be outlandish. He had tried to shift the talk onto something that he had some knowledge of but wanted an in-depth and expert opinion on. He hadn't expected a direct offer from her, whilst he was a Ji no less! He chocked upon the drink and coughed a few times before it settled. The surprise and shock showed upon his face quite clearly as his eyebrows rose. It was against Tower law for starters and though he wasn't much for rules in general he had to obey them. Yet she sat there, still and almost a smile turning the corners of her lips up at the edges. Her gaze reminded him of some old friends. Right before they pulled a stunt too. Burn me he told himself ruefully as he cleared his throat and wondered how to respond to her. "Show me?" he repeated her words as if they were an echo, "you make it sound like a quick visit somewhere. I assume that you are not talking about a real Bond surely? Some trick, perhaps?" he asked, it seemed the only option without doing something that everything he had been told so far contradicted. He found himself suddenly quite thirty and replenished his cup of tea and half-drank it in one go. Things had certainly not gone as he had expected them to upon entering her chambers. He didn't ask the question of whether whatever she had in mind would be permanent, it didn't need to be asked as she would know it was an answer he would need before agreeing to anything. Mostly, however, he was just confused. "Is it a One Power trick perhaps? Or one of these ter'angreal you talked of? An illusion?"

[Craig]

Elia

A younger, less self-possessed Elia Darrow would have tittered at Alrim's reaction. She enjoyed playing with men as much as any woman, but it had been a while since she'd drawn out such a startling reaction. She played it down, smiling too sweetly over the rim of her newest teacup as he regained control over his breathing. The jingling of his bells amused her further.

Elia listened to his out-loud reasoning. She didn't approve of some of his 'conclusions'.

"I don't approve of the word 'trick'," she stated with a slight frown, "it's synonymous with calling a heron mark a mere 'engraving'. Nor is it an illusion; the bond links two people more deeply than any fantastic story depicting soulmates and love at first sight." She rejected making the veiled invitation to Alrim after his response to it. What need do I have to trick a Ji'val? Can't he see I'm Aes Sedai? I'm not some foolish chit to chase around the gardens.

Elia composed herself, because one of them ought to. Her smirk had ebbed, yet so too had her frown. Blank-faced, she settled her cup down onto the tabletop and looked Alrim straight in the eye. "I am not proposing a bond, no. Aside from that being against Tower law, I ought to think that one should have more than a ten minute conversation before making such a grave decision.

"As First Seeker, I am ever watchful for new discoveries, whether those are in the form of a new Talent or a new weave or a new object of the One Power. One of my fellow sisters has been working on a new weave that simulates part of the bond for a very short time.

"Now I can just regale you of the facts and stories about bonding, or I can offer you an opportunity to tangibly experience what it is. The choice is yours."