The Grey Tower

Taesh looked up from his reading, and gave Derren a genuine smile. "I am still not used to that" the neo-Grey said, disbelief still playing in his tone. "Maybe in a few decades, if it pleases the Light, but it is till fresh as a wind on the waves."

It had not been so long since Taesh had been Tested, and found worthy to wear the Cord of the Asha'man. In the eyes of those who mattered within the Grey Tower, he was a fully fledged channeler, needing no supervision to wield saidin, and able to come an go as he pleased. He had thought that when he first got the privilege of freedom, he would return to the Star Song for a while, and reconnect with family. As it turned out the Atha'an Miere had little desire to return to the ship, but instead to continue his studies. Being an Asha'man, at least for him, did not mean a cease to learning, but only that he could finally learn completely on his own schedule. Though, he would no admit to many, the night after he received the Cord and choose the Grey as his Ajah, he had opened a gateway to a not so distant shore and swam himself to exhaustion. He had also lost everything but his black coat,pins and Cord that night, his clothes lost somewhere on that beach.

"You may intrude on me anytime" he told Derren. "As many times as I disturbed you in this very place, you have free reign to do the same."

Taesh was referring to the times that, as a Soldier and Dedicated, he had sought the advice of Derren Asha'man. To learn more of the Ajah of mediators and peace makers, and their roles within the outside world. Taesh had all but chosen his intended Ajah before he had even become Dedicated, and he often sought Derren to gain a Grey's perspective on things.

"To what do I owe the pleasure? Don't tell me I've broken some Grey law already, I bet myself it would at least take three months. If it is about the beach and clothes..." Taesh trailed off, still smiling brightly.

There were very few times that Taesh could remember that he was without words. The first to come to recollection was when he had been told by the Brown Asha'man that he could channel saidin. The revelation what Derren had delivered though to topped that by no small leap. The new Asha'man knew something of the Ajah Heads. They were the leaders, the captains of the Ajahs. Setting the course of the ship, making major decisions, the power behind the scenes almost. The Grey Ajah was a little different, the Head Clerk, as the leader was referred, was elected by consensus from within the Ajah. Taesh could not fathom, could not understand what someone so new to the Ajah and role of Asha'man would be elected to that position, and he tried to say so.

"I...what is....but....why?" was all that he was able to articulate in that moment.

The Atha'an Miere's heart was racing, the sound almost deafening in his ears as he looked at his Grey mentor. He was not used to leading, not the way an Ajah head, even one that still had to negotiate their power, did. Especially when many of those he would be leading had been Aes Sedai and Asha'man long before the newest of their rank had been born. Some of them had probably been in the Tower before even his parents were born or the Star Song had been built. Yet Taesh also had to admit, the blood was rushing through his veins also do to a bit of excitement.

"Why...why me?" he asked a little more coherently.

Taesh leaned back in his chair, his studies and tome all but forgotten as he thought about the reasons that Derren had given. The offer had completely caught the Atha'an Miere Asha'man off guard. He might have been recently fully Raised but he had not thought about becoming the leader of the Ajah. The thought had not crossed his mind, it had never even been a day dream or fancy. Yet, here it was, the opportunity to take the lead of the helm. There was something exciting about that prospect, the chance to increase the influence of the Grey both within and outside of the Tower.

The newest member of the Ajah had noticed, as a Soldier and Dedicated, that it seemed the Ajahs that were perceived as having a more active role in the events of the world garnered more respect. Namely the Greens and Blues, but also the Yellows and Reds. Taesh had a desire, one that had been growing for some time, to show the other Ajahs as well as the nations that the Grey Ajah was just as active and influential. His mind was already working on ways in which that might happen. The Blues and their causes, how many of those could be settle right if one of use was their to mediate and negotiate? he thought to himself briefly, before realizing that he had yet to give a response to Derren.

The Atha'an Miere shook his head quickly, a physical motion to remove an errant thought, an action carried over from his childhood. Then, he looked the other Asha'man square in the face, his eyes searching for a moment before he spoke.

"I must know Derren, what would be my responsibilities, the expectations, my authority and limitations? I cannot captain a ship that I have no knowledge of." Taesh asked with all seriousness.

He had read accounts of puppet lords and royalty. He had even seen it happen among his own people, a Wavemistress who was put into place with no real authority, only to be pushed and pulled like a skiff trapped in a strong current, by the Sailmistress' who elected her. Someone who the blame could be placed on but never given any glory. Taesh did not think that Derren would ask him to be in a position like that, but he had to be sure.

Taesh leaned back in his chair. From the words of Derren, he would not be a figure-head of the Ajah, the true power and authority wrapped around those who pulled the strings behind a curtain. Derren was speaking of true authority, as much as one could hold sway over those who found the art of negotiation and mediation their greatest tool. The younger Asha'man looked up at the ceiling, though his eyes were focused on nothing in particular as his mind roved the not too distant past.

"When I first came here" he began, "I was excited but scared. I had never been away from family and clan for so long, never been on land for longer than it takes the moon to change its face. I thought I would never fit in here, but I wanted to be here. Fish out of water is what I should've been, but somehow this fish learned to walk."

Taesh's mind was reliving the moments of his beginning months at the Tower. How some had treated him, either like some new and exciting object, or with disdain for something that was unknown. He remembered that first exhilarating moment of learning to touch saidin and the world that it had opened to him.

"As I began to find my place here, the one thing I could not envision was my future."

Taesh turned sat straight in the chair again and turned to look Derren directly in the eyes.

"You should know, there was a bargain struck with an Asha'man, that is how I came to be here. But I do not know what the terms are, but something must have been promised, involving me."

Taesh remembered the vision he saw in the Arches.

"I have decided, long before now, that if my parents, or any of the Atha'an Miere come and ask me to return to the sea, I will refuse. I know not what kind of storm that will give rise to, but that is my decision. And I have also decided, that I will accept this assignment to be the head of our Ajah, to the best of my ability, I will captain this ship."