Keep In Line (Elia)

[Chris]

Elia kept pace, for which Murdock was thankful. Now that the initial danger had passed, he wasn't sure how well he would be able to sympathise and soothe her. What was her issue with the dead anyway? Aes Sedai and Asha'man had to kill, Greens and Reds especially. They were trained to do whatever was necessary and yes, that applied to all of the Ajahs. Black... were simply a little more free in their ability to dispense such tactics, that was all.

Ignoring her sickly sweet offer to help (he wasn't blind, just limpy thank you very much), Murdock scanned the old buildings for the sign he was looking for. It was a simple symbol, an upside down vase with a dark stripe sitting in a window, but it would be ignored by nearly everyone in Hama Valon. Not Murdock though. This was the sign he was looking for, and without explaining anything to Elia he paused in front of the house, nodding with satisfaction. "We're here," he said. That was all Elia really needed to know, but he did explain more for the sake of getting this right. "I know there are ways to make people forget faces. This guy can remember us visiting, but not our names or anything like that. If you can do that for me then that's great. If not, then he needs to be treated like that man who ruined your ribbon." He tried to make it sound light and mocking, but instead Murdock was giving a low growl to his tone at the idea of anyone else harming Elia. What in the Light is wrong with you? She deserves what she has coming, for all of her meddling!

In order to distract himself from such thoughts, Murdock rapped on the door with his stick. Sadly, being overly tall and using a stick were two rather good indicators as to who was visiting this man, so Elia's Compulsion had better be good. If not, then there would be another missing person nobody would notice the absence of this night.

The man who answered the door was Shienaran, based on his topknot anyway. He was considerably shorter than Murdock but stocky enough to make up for it, and he looked up at the man with a frown on his face. "Yeah?"

"I'm here about the mice," Murdock said. The words washed over the man and he gave a small nod of realisation, a subtle gesture an Aes Sedai would notice but nobody less observant than that.

"Better take a look then, they're in the back." He stepped aside so Murdock could enter, and he gestured for Elia to follow. The house was as dilapidated as its exterior, but the back room the man with no name led them to was clearly where he spent all of his time, and was of a better quality than everywhere else. Candles lit the place well, and the bed actually looked rather comfortable. The stocky man brushed past and entered the room first, making his way to a box and kneeling down to fiddle with the lock. "Sit yourself down," he offered.

Murdock took a seat on the slightly more sturdy looking of the chairs, stretching out his leg gratefully. He gave Elia a searching look to see how she was faring, but she seemed to have a bit more of her spunk back now. Haughty Aes Sedai attitudes were common to all women. We'll see how long that lasts. "I hope you weren't waiting long," he said to the man.

"Too bloody long. You've got to be one of those Blacks, there's no way you would have cared two figs, leaving it until this late. Lying Black bastard." The man snorted, then returned to his rummaging. Murdock let the comment go over his head, shrugging. There really wasn't any arguing with that...

"I've soundproofed the room," he told Elia instead, and the jerk of the man's shoulders as he tensed was enough to make Murdock chuckle lightly. He had seized Saidin long enough to tie a ward against anyone overhearing them, but that was standard practice. Did this man think every visitor was going to kill him?

But then, if Murdock was his first visitor, and he did indeed die, then his chance of dying per visitor was 100%. A fair reason to be tense.

"Here," the man straightened up with a small box, and he handed it to Murdock as if it was burning his hands. Inside there was a small slip of paper, with instructions for where to leave it. The Black Ajah did so love to leave secret notes everywhere. "That's my work done. We're good now?"

"Almost," Murdock said with a toothy grin. "Elia, if you would?" And if she wouldn't or couldn't, Murdock would in her stead. One could almost hope she would let him, because it would be fascinating to know how long the organs could last before they gave way. Even burning they ought to still be fairly functional, or so the man reasoned, and there was only one way to find out.

[Craig]

Elia Darrow

Elia didn't like this, not one bit. Murdock was in command, and she wanted to rip that self-righteous air of authority out of him. Who was he to order her around? Were they not both being tested by the Black Ajah? Even if he was the Keeper, and she a mere Sitter, within the Ajah that meant nothing. The mental image of trussing him up in a knot of Air and scarring his face with her fingernails sent a thrill through her. Maybe one day she could correct all of the wrongs that Murdock had done to her. Light burn the man, we have a pact! But it seemed very much that Murdock bloody Mather did as he and the Shadow willed. If only he wasn't so cushy in his office by the M'hael...

A Shienaran answered Murdock's knocking. The topknot marked him as a soldier, although his fighting days were long behind. He wouldn't have looked out of place amongst the lancers, although he was a little rotund for the armour soldiers wore. Some nonsense about mice was exchanged between the two men, before the Brown gestured for her to follow. She embraced saidar, holding onto the sweet sense of life and wonder, letting it improve her vision and hearing. Only now did the possibility of a trap spring into her thoughts, although the thief from before... Better not to think of such things. She lifted her skirts slightly, keeping them from brushing along the ground. Had this house's resident ever heard of dusting?

The room at the back was in better repair and cleanliness, but only by comparison. Candlelight from all around made dancing shadows against the walls and ceiling. The nameless man and Murdock entered with some eagerness. Elia merely cast a cool gaze around. The Black Ajah had promised power and dominion. If that required having to put up with such a hovel, she wasn't sure how patient she could be. Let the day of return come, and have this filth be over with. There was next to no passion in that. Elia Darrow, in spite of her pledge to the Dark One and the Three Dark Oaths, was not a Darkfriend by choice. But by the same token, there was no return back to the Light that didn't result in her immediate death. And I do like living.

"Too bloody long," the man barked in reply to something Elia had missed. "You've got to be one of those Blacks." It stunned the Indigo for a moment how open the man was. Asha'man and Aes Sedai alike would be so brazen even alone in the sanctity of their own apartments, and this man-

"I've soundproofed the room," Murdock said as if in answer to her thoughts. She nodded approvingly - she had to start warding places by rote in the future. Especially when it came to surly Shienarans. Lips curled into a wicked smile. Ravak fell into that camp. Maybe I do too, she thought casting a glance at Murdock. Why can't you be a touch more personable?

The nameless man straightened from his search of this room, holding something gingerly in both hands. He practically thrust it at Murdock. "Here! That's my work done. We're good now?" Murdock inspected the contents of the box, but at an angle that revealed nothing to the Aes Sedai. She sniffed pointedly.

Murdock grinned. His face became more unsettling when he flashed teeth. "Elia, if you would?" Again the expectation of obedience. Her jaw clicked together a touch sharpish. I'm not your hound, she grumbled soundlessly. Still, she did obey. A silver web of saidar formed not that far from the Darkfriend's head. To her eyes alone, it resolved into a whip-like cord, floating without tether in the air.

Elia crossed the room towards the other Borderlander, stalking slowly towards him. Little did she know how beautiful and predatory she appeared, setting the man's heart racing. He felt like a lion being approached by a lioness, uncertain whether he was about to have claws digging into him in pain or pleasure. In a way, it was both.

Delicate tendrils of saidar brushed through the man's mind, and a change came over him. His eyes seemed to dull, his focus somewhere off in the distance. Elia raised a hand up towards her chin, considering. Saidar reached into his mind, looking for evidence of other weaves. Have you been claimed already my friend? The Aes Sedai was now close enough to smell the odour of him. It was sour, but with the One Power surging through her veins it resolved into... wicked thoughts.

She struck him, pinpricks of silver across his mind. There were minute changes in his expression, only visible because of their proximity. She traced the back of a nail along salt-and-pepper stubble. "You will forget our faces. You will forget what sort of people visited you. Whether we were tall or short, young or old, beautiful or ugly." His eyes dilated and shrunk as new memories settled into place. "You were visited upon, and you did your duty." She tied off the subtle touch of Compulsion, but Elia wasn't done yet. Once more she used the One Power on the man, forming a weave she had devised but never attempted before. There were dangers with this, but potentially no more than if the man was found out to be a Darkfriend through other means. Spirit crisscrossed with the lightest touch of Air and Water, encircling and enveloping the man's mind. With a twist and a knot, she tied off this second weave. Elia moved in towards the man's ear, so that only he could hear. "What is your name?"

His reply was just as soft, only audible thanks to saidar. "Shouta Inoue, mistress."

Elia turned towards the lounging Murdock as she released Shouta from her grasp. His eyes refocused on the room and he popped back into animation. However, he didn't even flinch as Elia put an arm over his shoulders, resting a hand indolently on his chest. The Sitter gave Murdock the most pleased and satisfied smile. "We can safely leave now."

[Chris]

When it came to Elia using her Compulsion, Murdock watched with a stony expression. He could only feel the tingle along his arms as she embraced Saidar, and the intricate weaves she used were lost on him. He didn't care overmuch, he was not interested in manipulating people into doing what he wanted. It smacked of self entitled bratty tendencies, and Elia did ever such a good job of filling that role he wasn't going to invade her territory. Elia moved forwards in a way Murdock supposed to be enticing, at least the view from behind was pleasant enough, but considering that he hadn't been interested in anyone since Giselle, that was as far as any admiration went. Their contact seemed a lot more interested, at least until he wore that glassy unfocussed gaze that said Elia was doing her thing.

This had better work, he thought to himself. If it didn't there would be no small number of problems. Killing the man would have been much easier and it was still an option, but death wasn't always the answer and his own studies would have to wait. Violence for the sake of violence seemed a little excessive to the Far Madding man, unless the person really deserved it....

He didn't know what Elia whispered to the man, and he didn't like that he couldn't hear the response either. He wasn't generally a paranoid man but with Elia, he had to be careful. She could have convinced the man to stab Murdock in his sleep, for all he knew, but he was going to have to follow his skewed instincts and trust Elia. He wanted to, and it came naturally, which was exactly why he couldn't be complacent. His expression remained stern as he looked at her, arm around the man as if she had claimed him as a special prize. Maybe she had. There seemed to be unfathomable depths to the woman's depravity, and the shiver along Murdock's spine wasn't from Saidar. The way she draped herself on the darkfriend was unsettling, and a sore reminder that Murdock had been a victim to her manipulation before. In a way he still was, burn it all.

"Good, let's get out of here." He didn't want to see Elia sprawled all over some strange man, after all, and there was nothing else for them to accomplish here. It was a success. Murdock wasn't going to be relieved or pleased until they were safely back at the Grey Tower and the note he had in the box was deposited in the appropriate place. removing the note from the box he stuffed it into his pocket, and a lick of Fire burned the box to ashes in a blaze of brief but bright light.

The question of what had happened remained on the man's mind as they returned to the dank streets. He looked down at the Aes Sedai with a bemused face, but his tone wasn't accusatory when he spoke. "What did you do to him? I heard what you told him but after that." The tall man's voice was low as he added, "we can't afford to mess this up. To mess anything up really." Hopefully Elia recognised that when she wasn't throwing herself at anyone who gave her positive attention.

[Craig]

Elia

Elia cast a sidelong look at her fellow Darkfriend. For a wonder, Murdock was acting almost human, asking questions politely instead of insinuating things. Despite her annoyance for what the Keeper had done to her, not all so long ago in her mind, it was more agreeable not to be flinging acidic remarks back and forth. Her lips curled into a small smile, lighting up the rest of her heart-shaped face. "Do not fret, I did as you asked. He will remember our coming and going, but not our names or faces." She raised a finger to her lips, tapping thoughtfully. What she had done to the fellow, Shouta, was bind him softly to her will. The weave was not enough to make him a mindless puppet. Elia understood that Graendal used Compulsion in such a way, if she understood the rumours and subtext of reports and missives correctly. The Shienaran had no use for automatons. She wanted eyes and ears, desperately so now she was a Keeper. That said, Shouta would not be serving her as a member of the Indigo Ajah, but who knew what interesting facts could come out of the city, or from her fellow Darkfriends that visited upon him.

Malachite eyes watched Murdock carefully. What to tell him? The truth was out of the question. Even if the Asha'man couldn't use Compulsion himself, his other... Talents were strong enough to break Shouta's will, and there was no benefit to having a contact that served two masters. No, she had to conceal the truth of Shouta's purpose. Thus the idle lounging of her arm over the warrior's shoulders. That had been a little touch of Graendal there, intentionally placed. Who wouldn't expect a woman with her powers not to abuse them a little for some carnal pleasure? Especially with one of her countrymen, where service to their country meant so much. A pleased purr of satisfaction was initially internalised, but a small snippet creeped out. "He is attractive," was all she said. To lay it on any thicker would make the subterfuge apparent. And Murdock already thought she was depraved in some way. His own presumptions would bury Shouta's real purpose.

It was a pity that Murdock was a man beyond trusting. Not just with Shouta, but in general. They had their little accord, or arrangement as the Brown had put it. That had been blackmail, pure and simple, yet it may serve some benefit. It had tonight. And tonight, well, that was the other bind between them, two children no longer serving under the Light. And that still rankled with her. No, not rankled. It was like a festering wound that grew more and more painful, yet to excise it would be an even worse fate. Trapped between being an unwilling Darkfriend, or to be stilled if not executed. She shivered visibly, nothing to do with the night air. That truth was wearing her down very day, and having no-one to speak to about it made it worse. A perfect, mental prison, she thought without amusement.

The gentle percussion of footfalls and a stick tapping against the ground had been harmonious, but her internal reverie faded away. But not before offering Murdock another smile. He was, the Light preserve her, the closest thing she had to a confidante. He knew more of the truth already than anyone. Still, he wasn't quite a friend. "Are you going to tell me what was on the note?" There was a touch of seductive Arad Doman in her accent - Murdock was a man after all. She would use any little trick to wrestle the information from him. "Or on who's initials we were directed on this little outing?"

[Chris]

Murdock wasn’t sure what answer he was looking for but the one that he received was brief and yet at the same time, had numerous implications that made him shiver. Those green eyes and that pretty smile were disarming, he could see how one could get caught up in what this woman had to offer. But it wasn’t her looks which were charming people, it was Compulsion. She really was the worst of the worst.

“Really, Elia? Do you have any relationships which aren’t forged by Compulsion?” he asked in a low growl. “You don’t need to use the Power to make a man sleep with you. You don’t need to use it to make friends. You should just be yourself, or are you always going to take the lazy route? It’s not the same, you know. It’s not genuine. Just because my head- because their head thinks it is, doesn’t make it so. It’s cheating. It’s wrong.” Murdock was done with his little tirade for the time being, though he had never raised his voice any higher than his grumbly growl and it was clear he wasn’t looking for an answer. He looked ahead instead, walking stubbornly onwards.

“I’m not telling you anything.” His answer was brusque and to the point, shortened perhaps because of his irritation with the woman and her ways. “Discretion is the better part of valour and I know better than to listen to the buzzing in my head that’s telling me to trust you. Because it’s not real.” The clicking of his walking stick was the only sound he offered after that, sufficiently done with discussion for now. Their duty was done and really, it was naive of Elia to expect him to part with such information. The last thing they needed was to get into trouble for sharing things that ought to not be shared. Why, what would Elia do with such information? Find out who was orchestrating such notes? Go and visit them in their room and... bloody Compulsion users. It was a dangerous game, a game Elia needed to stop before she even started. But the woman couldn’t mind her own bloody business, Murdock knew. Sigh.

The seductive tone she used hadn’t been lost on him. Murdock could only assume that this was another aspect of her Compulsion making him find her tone desirable, or some such false thing. It was truly sickening what this woman would do to get her own way. With a married man, no less. Shouta was one thing, but Murdock? He had his principles. Light... er, Shadow... willing, he wouldn’t have to deal with Elia any more than absolutely necessary after this. But part of him had the rather accurate suspicion that whoever had set them up together on this particular mission was not going to stop there. People only knew of so many others in the Black Ajah for obvious reasons, so it stood to reason that they would work with one another more. Wonderful.

[Craig]

Elia

"Do you have any relationships which aren't forged by Compulsion?"

Aes Sedai serenity faltered; two hands actually clasped over her heart. That actually stung her pride. Did he actually think that, in all truth? She wanted to believe it was a lie - he was capable of lying, after all - but... She wrinkled her nose in disdain. That had to be a lie. Had to be! The words "you don't need to use it to make friends" slipped into her awareness. Of course I don't need to make friends! During her formative years, she always had friends, confidantes, and lovers. Strings of all of them. She was still the same person as back then, but all of that socialising had to placed on hold until she was trained as Aes Sedai. Now she had the freedom, and arguably the necessity, to build up a network of friends again. She hadn't needed Compulsion in the past; she didn't need it in the future either.

"What was that about your head?" Something about cheating? What was he talking about? Murdock was looking straight ahead, pointedly ignoring her. She was getting nothing out of him. She knew that from the way he had squared his shoulders and adopted a briskness that was uniquely his.

"I'm not telling you anything," he stated as if directed. "I know better than to listen to the buzzing in my head that's telling me to trust you." Buzzing? What under the Light was the Keeper on about?

Then it hit her. Their second meeting, the one in his rooms. She had used Compulsion on Murdock, and not just the 'simple' (not that any of it was straightforward) weaves. She had made him... what? Opening herself to saidar once again, and ignoring the changes in Murdock as he reacted to the knowledge of her channelling, she wove a twisted cord of Air, Water and Spirit. Spinning the cord into an unending circle, it settled over Murdock's head. The weave of Delving sunk in, and filigrees of silver threads returned to her, relying back his injuries.

Elia concentrated on a specific part of that feedback of sensation and information. His leg tried to push through and overwhelm her, but she focused. The mind. If there was something to be found- There! Just stray threads of Spirit, no longer resembling proper weaves. But they were evidence. Nothing that could be directly tied back to her, only that a female channeller had done something to the Keeper's mind. Elia ignored her fears, and pushed onto probing those threads. Some, most she suspected, were a part of his request to salve his mind over his wife's passing. Is there anything else? She spun another ring of saidar, mostly comprised of Spirit. Seldom did the fact she was more skilled with Delving over Healing come into play, but here it did. Elia focused again on Murdock's mind. Which threads are from his demands, and how much is my own work?

She considered that for a few minutes as they moved through the shadows of Hama Valon. Elia didn't even consider how odd a pair they would have appeared to be, especially to a fellow Aes Sedai. The Indigo's thoughts were intent on the silvery strands in Murdock's mind. She could undo some of it, but what parts? And what would be the result? A lot of time had passed since her time as Accepted, and his as Dedicated.

He came to a stop, rounding on her. "We should take different paths back to the Tower. You would do well to take your time, if you have any sense." The Keeper's voice was dry, not scolding. Just another matter-of-fact statement.

Elia's head tilted in the way some people's did when considering. She was one of those people. "Murdock," it seemed strange saying his name so tenderly, "I may be able to help with that... buzzing." That's what he had called it. "I thought that weave would have dissolved long since, but... Well, I may be able to repair some of the... damage?"

[Chris]

If Elia didn't want to answer his question then he wasn't going to push her. It only proved he was correct. Besides which, they had to get back to the Tower before they were missed. Not together of course, they weren't going to last long in the Black Ajah if they weren't careful. The pair of them walked in silence and Murdock was okay with this, not looking at the Indigo sister until he had to. It occurred to him that she might not think to go her separate way back to the Tower, so he pointed it out to her. At least one of them was being careful.

She should have just left him, taken off and let the pair of them get on with their lives - his of research and appeasing the M'Hael, hers of manipulating everyone around her to get what she wanted. But when the time came to part ways she was looking at him in that considering way, so leaving wasn't going to be that simple. Bloody typical. Murdock straightened up, leaning on his stick more as he looked down at the woman. The way she said his name sent shivers up his spine and he didn't know if they were the good or the bad kind. Probably the latter. She messed with his head so much that he didn't know what he was supposed to believe any more. No! That is a lie. You believe yourself, Murdock. That is the important thing. Rational thought. No emotions where this wretch is concerned.

"Do you not think you've done quite enough?" Murdock asked in a low voice, leaning down slightly so she could hear him. "The amount of Compulsion I've had, I ought to be someone's personal puppet by now! For all I know maybe I am and I don't realise it. Again with the Compulsion, you really can't help yourself can you? Every problem can be solved by prodding with people's minds to you. After what you've done do you think I would let you back in now, when we're alone?" Though given the oaths they had taken... it could well be that she could not hurt him. It would probably count as harming the Shadow's cause, or some such thing. In the same way, Murdock knew better than to do anything too harsh to Elia no matter how much she deserved it.

"If this is some attempt to assuage the guilt you feel then you're going to have to try harder." Murdock shrugged his slender shoulders, then gave a stiff bow. "If that is everything Elia, then I am going to take a different route back to the Tower now. I'd say it was a pleasure working with you, but we at least have to pretend we have the usual Oaths, don't we? The burdens of being Oathsworn." Murdock's grin was wry, brief and cold because of it before he straightened up. Unless the woman was going to do something to his mind, the man was going to walk away and leave her to get back alone.

[Craig]

Elia

Elia brushed needlessly at her skirts, keeping her face composed in that mask of Aes Sedai serenity. Well, if the man wants to act like a dolt and ignore a helping hand when offered, let him suffer. She'd done the right thing, extending her assistance. If he wanted to slap that away, then he could endure whatever was going on in his mind just as much as he could continue to limp along. He probably refused Healing, thinking that stick would make him more manly. Asha'man or not, Keeper or not, there was wool in the Far Maddinger's head.

A foolish part of her mind wanted to claw furrows into his face for being so obstinate, but that was a childish fancy. If anyone was actually acting the child, it was Murdock. She restricted herself to a tsk and a slight shake of her head; a mother disappointed in her son. Before he had an opportunity to up sticks, she turned away from Murdock and left down a side street, not looking back. Whatever tonight's escapade was about, the Indigo didn't know. But one thing was for certain. Elia Darrow and Murdock Mather may be Friends of the Dark, but they certainly would never be friends.