A Meeting (attn Marla)

[Alianora]

Accepted Liaran

Liaran wished she felt less nervous as she closed the door to the classroom where she had just been teaching. With the class over, the next item on her schedule was to meet with one of the Red Asha'man to learn more about the Red Ajah. She had been curious about it since her return, and it had taken her quite a while to find a member of the Ajah who was both within the Tower and willing to take time to talk to an Accepted. Liaran thought she should have been more pleased with herself, or at least looking forward to the meeting, but as she climbed the steps all the Accepted felt were her nerves.

On the way to the classroom, Liaran tried to remember what she knew about the Red, which took her very little time as she knew almost nothing about it. She recalled being told when she'd asked that the Red dealt with those who abused any sort of power. She hadn't understood what that meant at the time, and she didn't understand it now. To Liaran, that still sounded as if it would be a task for the Green, or perhaps one of the causes of the Blue. It made her feel rather stupid that she still didn't understand even though she had been an Accepted for years by now. Reaching the top of the staircase, Liaran walked down a hall of classrooms nearly identical to the one she'd just left. Her destination was at the end of the hallway, and as she headed there Liaran straightened her back and pulled her white sleeves down to cover her hands. She still felt nervous, but she had learned that if she acted as if she were not, she could deal with her nerves more easily. She held her head high as she opened the door and curtsied, hoping that she appeared far more confident than she felt.

[Sunny]

Jaryd

Jaryd sat on the window ledge in a classroom beneath the new Red Ajah quarters. The window itself was open, and he had his back planted against one side, one foot drawn up to his chest and the other dangling on the outside of the Tower. He contemplated the distance to the ground; it was a decent fall, though certainly no match to the long drop from the M’Hael’s balcony. Compared to that, the 10 spans to the ground seemed barely worthy of notice. It was, however, fantastic distraction from the task ahead of him.

It had been Kaia’s task to speak to those Dedicated and Accepted who showed interest in the Red Ajah. Kaia who had interviewed them, answered their questions, and guided them to their final choice. After Kaia- he cut his thoughts off, desperate to avoid the gnawing hole within him. All that mattered was that Astoria had handled the task for a time, a disastrous choice indeed for an already small and unwelcome Ajah.

Jaryd grumbled irritably, running long, scarred fingers through curly black hair as he looked at the door. Almost as if his gaze summoned the woman he thought of, someone knocked and immediately entered, striped skirts swept out in a graceful curtsy.

The Asha’man tilted his head to the side, studying the Accepted who had asked to speak to him. After his dealings with the Rossaine Clan, Jaryd would recognize the Atha’an Miere no matter how far from the sea they might travel. Beyond that, he knew very little about the woman in front of him. She knew him, however; everyone knew a former M’Hael, even if only by name.

“Light shine on you,” he said simply, gesturing for Liaran to take a seat. He did not budge from the window, though he did focus his full attention on his guest. “Can you tell me a little about yourself?” He asked simply. “And perhaps tell me which questions are most pressing, so we might begin there. ”

---
OOC: Even Liaran would know of Jaryd as the M'Hael who was removed because he went insane after his bondmate died (and he is currently the only Red Asha’man), thus allowing us to skip awkward introductions!

[Alianora]

Liaran

Liaran didn't exactly know the Asha'man sitting in the window, but she knew of him. The gossip that flowed through the Accepted halls said that he was dangerous, perhaps not entirely sane, and although Liaran wasn't one to believe every rumor she heard, they did make her a little nervous. Jaryd Asha'man had perched himself rather strangely in the window and had not even left it when she entered, forcing Liaran to find a seat near enough to the windows that would allow them to hear each other. Her own seat was a much more conventional chair at a desk, though after some consideration she turned it around so that she would be facing the Asha'man.

Answering his question about herself should have been a simple task, but it wasn't easy for Liaran, who did not like to talk about her past. After some thought, the Accepted decided that the Asha'man did not really need more than the barest facts about her. She forced herself to sit straight in her chair and look at the Asha'man while she talked. "I come from the Atha'an Miere, and have served as Windfinder," she explained. "I came to the Grey Tower beause I wished to learn more about the Power than I could aboard the ships." Liaran was rather pleased with that answer, every word essentially true without mentioning anything she did not want to share. "I'm not sure where to start with my questions about the Red. I know next to nothing about it. I've been told that the Red hunts people who abuse their power, but I don't understand how that isn't part of the Blue Ajah's work, or possibly the Green. I suppose the main question I have is how the Red is different from any of the others."

[Sunny]

Jaryd

Jaryd kept his face still, but the Accepted’s vague response did not escape him. Curious. If she showed any interest in the Red, he would need to do a great deal more inquiring into her background. Thoughts for another day, however; for now he had questions to answer.

“That is one of the more popular questions asked of us,” he commented with a humorless smile. “Why not Blue? Why not Green? Why not Grey? I nearly joined the Grey Ajah myself, you know, and there are still those who find that fact rather perplexing.” Most did not realize that his studies of law and politics had not ceased upon choosing Red; those who skirted the edge of the law had best know every nuance of its wording, after all.

“All of the Ajahs have a purpose specifically designed to assist with opposing the Shadow,” he continued. “The Green Ajah fights the Shadow. Openly, blatantly, that is their purpose. They lead the charge and they are proud of that fact. The Blue Ajah addresses the problem of the Shadow, each in their own way. One might devote herself to finding the Dragon Reborn; another may devote her entire life to the purpose of ensuring no child in Hama Valon goes hungry. Their causes are as varied as the men and women who grace their halls.” He paused, but Liaran did not seem to have much to say. He shrugged and continued. “The Grey Ajah focuses on law and negotiation, to minimize division in our lands so we might present a coherent front to the Shadow when Tarmon Gai’don when the time comes.”

He sat forward a little. “The Red Ajah of the White Tower was created to fight the Shadow by removing its taint from the land. This meant hunting down men who could channel before their madness could destroy the world and ease the Dark One’s passage. Our purpose at the Grey Tower is actually quite similar: We seek to remove the Shadow’s taint in an effort to lessen his grip on the world when he breaks free of his prison. We are not, however, restricted to hunting male channelers. His taint takes many forms after all. It distorts and corrupts even the finest of cities- you need only read on the fate of Aridhol to know I speak truth.”

He took a breath, feeling light headed. “Our work can certainly be quite grandiose, but the majority of it is actually focused on small day to day interventions. For example- in a recent excursion, I found myself faced with a languid noblewoman and her complement of guards. The guards were bullying a child for touching their lady’s dress. I was one man, unarmed, against eight; I didn’t stand a chance. However...the noblewoman was the real power in that situation. One word from her, and the guards would stop. Therefore I ignored the guards and went straight for her. It worked- they stopped.” He spread his hands.

“Because of our size and the nature of our work, we are a tight-knit group. If you seek privacy, you won’t find it in our halls- something that seems to surprise those who do not know us.” He gave her a quizzical look. “What new questions has my lecture given you?”

[Alianora]

Liaran

Liaran still wasn't sure she understood, something that made the Accepted rather irritated with herself. She had no idea what Aridhol was, or what it had to do with the Shadow, and had no intention of displaying her ignorance by asking about it. As for the encounter Jaryd Asha'man described to her as an example of the work of the Red, that sounded to her as if it had been something the man had seen and intervened in solely by chance, not the sort of task she would have thought would occupy an entire Ajah. Liaran had difficulty imagining that Reds spent their entire days walking the streets looking for problems to deal with, especially since she did not think many of them spent much time in the Tower or Hama Valon itself. The Accepted frowned slightly as she considered how best to ask about what else the Red did with their days, afraid that the Asha'man would take a poorly worded question as an insult.

The Accepted looked down at the desk beside her, hoping that if she didn't look up, she might just have a chance at hiding her confusion from the Asha'man. Several more moments passed before Liaran thought she had found a way to ask her question that wouldn't cause the Red to take offense. "You said that Reds hunt down the Shadow's taint," Liaran repeated, wanting to be sure she'd understood at least that much correctly. "The situation you mentioned with the noblewoman sounds like something you just happened upon by chance, because you saw it happening. How do members of the Ajah know about things they need to intervene in, if it's not something one of them has actually seen?" If her question didn't sound offensive, Liaran wasn't sure it didn't make her sound as ignorant as she felt. The Accepted forced herself to stop looking at the desk and return her gaze to the Asha'man, but Liaran found the Red completely unreadable and had no idea what sort of response to expect.

[Sunny]

Jaryd

"How do members of the Ajah know about things they need to intervene in, if it's not something one of them has actually seen?”The Red took his time responding, his youthful face expressionless and distant. All too frequently people had come to speak to Kaia with odd assumptions and opinions based on misinterpretations. He had been prepared for that; Liaran’s inquiry took him by surprise.

“The same way the other Ajahs pursue their purpose- we listen to what’s happening in the world.” He said, shifting to face her so both his legs hung off the ledge, forearms resting on his knees and his hands clasped before him. “We listen to gossip and rumors; if something abnormal catches our attention, we inquire with our Eyes and Ears for more direct information about an area -assuming we don’t have it already. We research, and improving our personal education is an ongoing effort. Much can be learned from history, law, and studies of human behavior, and that information can be used to interpret events or unravel a situation so we might find the heart of it. If something is particularly troublesome or threatening, we go see for ourselves what is happening. We also train our bodies and our Talents for battle, and we sharpen our instincts to a razor’s edge.”

He shrugged. “Sometimes we’re wrong. We are only human after all, and bad information leads to bad decisions. Most of the time, however, with all of that information, we are able to discover a troubling circumstance, pierce through to the center problem, and resolve it.”

He paused, considering. “We do try to avoid collateral damage at all costs,” he finished finally. “We are not Blues- we cannot simply say ‘the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills,’ and let the common people suffer because we are too busy looking at a bigger picture. It can lead to difficult decisions, but I think that aspect of our philosophy is why both Carra and myself have served in the Triumvirate.” The Asha’man spread his hands, scarred fingers splaying. “Does that help?”

OOC: Sorry for long delay, it's been crazycakes in my part of the world.

[Alianora]

Liaran

Listening carefully to the Asha'man's explanation, Liaran thought the life of a Red sounded both interesting and useful, though she still was not sure whether that life would suit her. His mention of training for battle particularly concerned her, as it was something Liaran had never bothered to learn. The Accepted shifted in her chair, trying to keep herself focused on the rest of Jaryd's explanation. The research work he mentioned was more familiar to her, given the amount of time Liaran spent in the library, but she already knew that she did not want to be confined to the Grey Tower doing that sort of work all the time. Traveling to investigate problems sounded far more interesting to her, and Liaran wished she had a way to tell whether she would actually be capable of doing that sort of work.

The Accepted nodded when the Asha'man finished speaking and asked if he'd helped. She thought she understood the Ajah better, though she remained uncertain if she was fit for it, or if she wanted to be. "Are all Reds required to learn how to fight?" Liaran asked, hoping the answer would be no. She wasn't opposed to learning, and thought she understood why the ability would be needed, but there were only so many hours in a day, and the Accepted could not imagine where she might fit yet more lessons. Even just considering adding something else to her schedule made her feel a bit tired.

[Sunny]

Jaryd

Jaryd tilted his head thoughtfully, his mind tracing back over the decades. In all the time since Carra had been raised to the Shawl, only four people had chosen the Red Ajah, and one of those had already been a Red from Tar Valon. All of them fought, in one way or another. Even Kaia, lady-like and fierce, had known how to use a dagger to defend herself. That thought made his heart ache, but he gritted his teeth and pushed the feeling away.

“Every Red has encountered and fought Shadowsworn or worse in the line of duty to our Ajah,” he said finally. “And we're usually alone when it happens. The One Power is our greatest asset in such confrontations, which is why we train our channeling abilities. However, that ability can be taken away with frightening ease- and when it is, how then do we defend ourselves? It is of vital -indeed, life-saving- importance that we know how to defend ourselves if that were to happen. So...to answer your question: Yes. We train and fight, because every time we win, the Shadow loses. And that's worth every wound I've received, and every drop of sweat I've lost, in the five decades since I chose my Ajah." His teeth flashed, and he fell silent.

[Alianora]

Liaran

Liaran nodded quietly, her mind beginning to race as she wondered where she could possibly fit another lesson in. The Accepted stared at her desk while she thought Maybe I could talk to Velanya Sedai about reassigning one of my novice classes. Or perhaps I could manage with less time studying, or without that boring history class. She considered the problem for several minutes, until a glance up from her desk reminded her that she was not alone in the classroom. "I'm sorry, Jaryd Asha'man," she apologized. "I was distracted trying to rearrange my classes." If the Asha'man was offended by her lack of attention, Liaran couldn't tell, so the Accepted continued with a question she had been wondering about since she'd returned.
"The fomer Mistress of Novices once told me that Red was an addition to the Ajahs." She had deliberately chosen not to identify Mirin by name, knowing that her name alone brought up memories of destruction for most who had been in the Tower then, and that such a reminder was not usually welcome. "I was taught as a novice that our Tower had chosen to replace the White Tower's Red Ajah with the Indigo. Do you know how the Red became one of the Ajahs here?" She hoped he would, as she had been curious about it for quite some time and Mirin had been rather unhelpful in her attempted explanation. She had access to similar information in the library for all the the other Ajahs, but every book she had tried had contained nothing about the Red. Liaran understood why, but still found the lack of information frustrating. She met the Asha'man's eyes and waited, still unable to tell what he thought of her.

[Sunny]

Jaryd

Jaryd stared at Liaren in silence, a turmoil of thoughts hidden behind dead black eyes and swarthy skin. How the Red became one of the Ajahs here.. He reached for his bond without thought, flinching away from the raw ache that greeted him. First Carra, now Kaia...gone, leaving him to steer a ship he had never intended to lead. He shook his head, forefingers tapping together as he considered how to respond.

“Half a century ago, give or take a few years, my friend Carraidhin Glaisne was called to her test to become Aes Sedai,” he said slowly. “I do not know the details of her testing, and couldn’t reveal them even if I did. What I do know is that after she passed, rather than choosing one of our seven existing Ajahs, she declared she would join the Red Ajah.” He chewed on his lip. “The move was unprecedented; there was no law at that time saying a man or woman could not do just that, especially since the Red Ajah has more historical legitimacy than the Indigo does.” Elia would light him on fire if she ever heard him say such a thing; the thought made his lips twitch up with momentary mirth.

“She remained the only Red for a little while. Not more than a few months, and then she was chosen to be the next Amyrlin. I was a Dedicated at the time, my eventual membership in the Grey Ajah all but set in stone, despite some of my more...troublesome...characteristics. I spoke to Carra Sedai at length about the Red Ajah in that time, but I don’t think she truly believed I would choose to join her there until I actually had.”

The Asha’man shifted again, this time simply pushing himself out of the window and leaning against the side frame, arms crossed over his chest. “When I chose the red cord I became the second member of the Red Ajah, and the first -and to this day, only- male Red in the known history of the Wheel.” His eyes crinkled. “One month later, I was raised M’Hael….and for five years, the Red Ajah stood empty while its principal members led the Tower. We ended up bonding,” that had been quite a night, “and we built the Ajah and rebuilt the Tower, side by side.” Light, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

“Eventually we realized we had done all we could in our roles and we stepped down together. She eventually asked for freedom from our bond, and took her leave of the Tower for her own purposes. I have served as First Inquisitor since that day.” He fell silent for a moment, his thoughts far away. Eventually the Accepted cleared her throat, and he shook himself back to the present.

“Our purpose as an Ajah has shifted a bit from her original interpretation, but I have worked hard to ensure the heart of it, the purpose Carra created it for, remains true.”