Okay, I have this fanfic mostly written, and will be attempting to put one new bit out every week. This fanfiction is set in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time world setting. The setting and any characters that are not original characters are fully the property of Robert Jordan, his widow (Harriet Rigby), his estate, his posthumous co-author/successor (Brandon Sanderson), and his publishers. At the end of each chapter I will post a guide as to how to pronounce terms and names appearing throughout, along with brief definitions. At the end of the story will be an appendix compiling all of these together.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose across the waters of the River Erinin, speeding across Tar Valon and toward the home of the Aes Sedai, the White Tower rising from the center of the city. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time.

But it was -a-beginning...

The Violet Ajah
by Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Teaser

* * * * * * *

Sylantia Naltorr sat in the chair and wished for a book to read as the wind fluttered the rainbow striped hem of her white dress. She watched the gate as diligently as a Novice, but as an Accepted her mind tended to wander toward the pursuits she wanted to follow if (when!) she were raised to the shawl. It was no secret that she favored the Brown Ajah, and she didn't mind that nearly everyone in the Tower knew it. So she was finding ways to make the task interesting by making a game of counting the stones in the wall by the gate, when the boy limped through it. He fixed his eyes on her, as a thirsty man in the desert would fix his eyes on an oasis, and steadfastly walked toward her.

Out of respect for his struggle, she stood but remained by her chair. When he got to her, he lifted a stone cylinder.

"Message. Moiraine Sedai," he said, as though that was everything that needed said.

And really... it was. Sylantia nodded to him and gently guided the weary boy to her chair. He shuddered as he sat.

"I will take the message to Moiraine Sedai, you sit and rest," she gently told him.

His reaction was not quite what she expected.

He threw back his head and laughed, then snorted at her and held the stone cylinder out to her. She reached out to take it and had to turn away and be violently ill.

Spitting out the foul remains of what had once been lunch, she looked askance at him.

He shrugged, and said, "You can't take it, I can't let it go."

She frowned but had an idea. She trotted over to where she could see the Warders-in-training practicing. Then she saw Moiraine Sedai's Lan there instructing them, so instead of asking one of the men to watch the gate while she fetched Moiraine Sedai, she cast a quick glance at the -- now sleeping -- boy and jogged over to the edge of the training circle, waiting to get his attention.

After a few moments, he caught her "subtle" tries to get his attention and stepped over toward her.

"Yes?"

The girl swallowed hard. She would never get used to this gruff man. "A... a message,"she began, "for Moiraine Sedai."

"I shall take it to her," replied Lan Mandragoran. However, the meek girl's response startled him -- though you'd never have known that from looking at him.

"No."

He turned to look at her now.

"It... it must be given directly to Moiraine Sedai. I already tried to take it to deliver and regretted it," she explained with a grimace of distaste.

Lan nodded. If it were to be given to Moiraine, it would be given to Moiraine. Why was this girl telling him?

"I cannot leave the gate unattended, and I thought..." she said, refusing to let herself stare at the ground while talking to the man.

Ah.

"I will inform Moiraine, Accepted Sylantia," he responded and turned back to the training.

It was her turn to be startled. He knew her name? But she was just another Accepted! Unless... unless the stories of how protective he was were true. Stories of how he not only knew everyone in Tar Valon on sight, but knew their history and how likely they were to try to harm Moiraine Sedai so he could stop any such thing from happening. She felt sick again, and it had nothing to do with touching the tube. She went back and rather than make the poor boy get back up, she stood behind her chair and continued her vigil.

* * * * * * *

Moiraine had given the exhausted messenger boy a silver and sent him off to an inn to rest, but she would be summoning him back that evening to find out if he knew more about the situation. Which, of course, depended on the message she had yet to read. It turns out that the cylinder was a message tube -- and a ter'angreal -- of that she was certain. It even made Lan ill when he touched it, and the boy couldn't let it go until Moiraine herself touched it. She hadn't as yet given much thought to the message that must lie inside, as she had been trying to study the tube. She picked up the tube once again and turned it over in her hands. Surely she needn't break it open to get the message out? As soon as the thought occurred to her, the tube seemed to slide apart, one end out of the other smoothly. A light blue scrap of parchment wafted to the floor as she looked on startled, holding the two pieces of the message ter'angreal. She set the halves into a hidden niche below her bed, and retrieved the message.

Moiraine,

as you've no doubt realized by now, I've finally used my marker. There is a situation here that I cannot describe as anything but dire, and it needs to be kept more secret than anything any Aes Sedai has ever held in a darkened corner of her soul. I would not call you to me with such a favor if there were any other choice, but I am convinced that only you, and Siuan perhaps, will know who can handle this situation carefully enough to avoid exposing a secret that could destroy the White Tower. My guess is that you will know as soon as you arrive and are appraised of the situation who to call upon. Yes, even with this ter'angreal guarding my message, I dare not reveal it unless absolutely certain that no possibility of this information being allowed into the wrong ears exists. Please come as soon as possible... If this works out the way I envision, you could have some new Novices to take back to the Tower with you.

Aranessa

She folded the message neatly and slid it under her bodice next to her hip. She ran through the centering exercises that had become habit since her long ago days as a Tower Novice, then forced herself to walk sedately to the window and sit instead of simply dashing over and curling up as she wanted to do. She stared out the window of her room and thought about the contents of the message. Thought hard.

* * * * * * *

At the Sailor's Rest, purported by the innkeeper to have the softest beds in Tar Valon, Saren politely refused a meal and collapsed into one of those beds. Truthfully, though, he wouldn't have been able to tell you how soft they were. From the moment he came in contact with the down-stuffed mattress he slept a dreamless sleep. When he awoke, he felt better than he had since Lady Aranessa had given him the tube...

"Please, Saren," she had said, "forgive me. This will be a hardship on you, but it must be done this way. Take that tube to Tar Valon. Release it only into the hands of Moiraine Sedai, as it contains a confidential message."

"Don't worry, 'Nessa," he had answered so cheerfully, "I'm strong enough to make it all the way to Tar Valon, don't grief yourself on my account."

She smiled wanly and kissed him on the top of his head before sending him on his way with another murmured apology. It wasn't until hours later when he had wearily stopped to rest that he discovered that to let go of the odd cylinder was to have the world spin around him and shift back and forth under him as though on the deck of a ship on rough seas. He had to keep a firm grip on it at all times to avoid the feeling. So for the entire long journey from Cairhein to Tar Valon, he had avoided inns and houses, anywhere that anyone might see the tube and try to take it from him. He hadn't slept until he was so exhausted he had no choice for the entire trip. The first he had slept was under an overhanging rock three days after he had left Cairhein in the distance. He had collapsed and the sharp rocks digging mercilessly into his legs and back hadn't mattered as he had drifted into sleep.

He hadn't any idea when he woke of the amount of time he had slept in his own pool of vomit and bile, but it was not a pleasant way to come awake. after shaking off as much of the ichor as possible, he noticed that the shadows hadn't really lengthened all that much, but he moved onward anyway. He didn't even want to think about the encounter near the Dragonmount. And then he was there. He vaguely remembered the girl in the white dress giving him a chair, and then the lady in blue was there, and said she was Moiraine Sedai. It must have been true, because she was able to take the tube -- which she called a ter'angreal. She had seemed happy about the blighted thing, well, as happy as any Aes Sedai ever does, anyway.

She had handed him a silver and told him where to go, and to not leave Tar Valon until she had been able to "interview" him. If the Aes Sedai wanted to pay for him to recover in a fancy inn instead of a root cellar at the local stables, he wasn't going to complain. When he woke up, he stretched, then winced at the pain in his weary-sore muscles. He dressed and then slowly went down the hall, down the stairs, and into the common room to see if there were still anything to fill his belly. The Innkeeper's wife gave him a bowl of quite tasty stew -- better than anything Lerie could make, anywhat. He was scraping the bottom of his second bowl when a large man in a cloak you couldn't quite look at walked into the common room. Saren had a tickle in the back of his memory of this man being there when he gave the tube to Moiraine Sedai.

The large man looked right at him, as though he had known where in the room that Saren would be sitting and merely nodded. Saren somehow knew that this meant that the Aes Sedai, Moiraine Sedai, was summoning him for his "interview" now. He drained the last of the water from the mug sitting next to his now-empty bowl, nodded to the Innkeeper's wife and slid off his stool and went to join Lan.

* * * * * * *

"Aranessa?" asked Siuan, "After all these years? This is important, then."

Moiraine watched while her old friend stood and began to pace sedately back and forth, thinking of the implications this brought. She paused and smiled slightly, paced back and forth a few more times, and then stopped as she began to form a weave that was both recognizeable and strange to Moiraine. Once finished, five small threads broke off and flew for an arm's length before vanishing. Siuan Sanche looked up to the face of her bemused old friend.

"We thought a lot of those short-message weaves we learned as Novices would be useless once we were raised, remember? Hah. I use them more as Amyrlin Seat than both of us combined ever used them as Novice and Accepted together!"

With a chuckle, Moiraine simply waited. It wasn't but a moment more when Leane Sharif gracefully entered the chamber. Her blue stole marked her as Keeper of the Chronicles raised from the Blue Ajah, but her smile at seeing the two within marked her as being their friend.

"We are waiting on four others. They will go with you, Moiraine. They have earned my full trust, and three of them will be accompanying you. Since the message mentions Novices, I've also summoned Sheriam."

The other two nodded and Leane situated herself standing behind Siuan's chair, as the Amyrlin re-seated herself. It was only a short time before the other four women arrived one after the other, with Sheriam being the last in the Chamber.

Moiraine surveyed the three that would be traveling with her. She subtly measured herself against them, and knew they would be deferring to her. With that, she smiled warmly at all of them and nodded each time Siuan looked to her to verify the story about the message as she knew.

When the meeting was done, there were three in the Tower that knew where the other four were going when they left the next morning. Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat; Leane Sharif, the Keeper of Chronicles, and Sheriam Bayanar, the Mistress of Novices. Traveling to Cairhein would be Moiraine Damodred of the Blue Ajah and her Warder Lan, Ramene Embrall of the Gray Ajah and her Warder Yorn, Adeleas Namelle of the Brown Ajah, and Vandene Namelle of the Green Ajah and her Warder Jaem. Of interest to note were that Adeleas Sedai and Vandene Sedai were twin sisters.

* * * * * * *

Saren felt much better with food in his belly and having slept some. The large man had to be a Warder, likely Moiraine Sedai's. He never had understood what a Warder really did, though.

"Are you Moiraine Sedai's Warder?"

"Yes."

"Are you Moiraine Sedai's husband?"

"No."

"My name is Saren, what's yours?"

"Lan."

"Are you Moiraine Sedai's servant?"

"No."

"Is it true a Warder will die for the Aes Sedai he protects?"

"Yes."

"You're taking me to her now, right?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever had to --"

"Enough. You will hold your tongue until you are asked questions."

He hadn't said it gruff, or even loud. He had, in fact, answered the questions in an even tone that seemed neither interested nor bored. But there was something about how Lan said that last, despite lack of anything Saren could identify, that made him certain that the best course was to follow that... well, order.

* * * * * * *

The boy hadn't really known anything about the situtation that prompted the message from Aranessa, but had insight into the ter'angreal that had been used as a message tube. Not a pleasant device, but effective to guarantee that a messenger would fight not to be compromised. Moiraine decided as she dismissed the boy that she would have to get Aranessa to show her how to use the ter'angreal. She spent the remainder of the evening packing appropriately for a trip to Cairhein, and included the ter'angreal in her chest.

The next morning, the four Aes Sedai and the three Warders set out for Cairhein on horseback. Moiraine had given Saren enough silver to stay in Tar Valon for another three days, and have enough left to hire passage back to Cairhein. He would be leaving for Cairhein about the time they arrived there. She was puzzled about what was going on, but knew better than to attempt to discern before finding out facts.

---

Pronunciation Guide (Arranged Alphabetically)

* * * * * * *

	Adeleas Namelle		ahd-eh-LAY-uhs   nah-MEHL		Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah, twin sister of Vandene. She has no Warder.
	Aes Sedai		EYE   seh-DYE		The female users of the One Power, who tap into the feminine half Saidar to "weave" magic into spells.
	Aiel		aye-EEL		Desert dwelling people considered by most to be savages.
	Ajah		ah-ZHAH		The different schools of thought of application of use of the One Power by the Aes Sedai are grouped into Ajahs, who identify themselves by a color, and are represented among other Aes Sedai by wearing a shawl of the color of the Ajah to which one belongs.
	Alric		AHL-rihk		The Warder of Siuan Sanche.
	Amyrlin (Seat)		AHM-ehr-lihn		The leader of the Aes Sedai, ostensibly the most powerful, either in use of the One Power, or politically.
	Angreal		AHN-gree-ahl		Objects which allow those who can channel to draw more of the One Power than they normally could without harming themselves. While all angreal offer this benefit, they do vary considerably in strength (the amount of additional Power that they provide access to).
	Aranessa		ahr-ah-NESS-uh		An old friend of Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche from Cairhein.
	Cairhein		kye-REE-ihn		A country and with a capitol city of the same name in the northeast, bordering on the Aiel Wastes.
	(River) Erinin		AIR-ee-nin		The river that runs north to south between Cairhein and the Black Hills, which widens at one point and has the island city of Tar Valon situated within it, with the river continuing on either side (east and west) of the island.
	Jaem		JAYM		The Warder of Vandene Namelle.
	Lan Mandragoran		LAN   man-drah-gor-ANN		The Warder of Moiraine Damodred.
	Leane Sharif		lee-ANN   shuh-REEF		Keeper of the Chronicles under Siuan Sanche as Amyrlin Seat. She has no Warder.
	Moiraine Damodred		mwah-RAIN   dah-MOH-drehd		An Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, and one of the major characters of both the series and this story. She has one Warder, Lan Mandragoran.
	Ramene Embrall		rah-MEE-neh   im-BRAHL		Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah. She has one Warder, Yorn Harika.
	Sa'angreal		sah-AHN-gree-ahl		Like angreal, but much more powerful. All known angreal and sa'angreal are aligned for use by either a man or a woman, never both. Most angreal and sa'angreal are constructed with a buffer to protect the user from drawing too much of the Power. Angreal are rare; sa'angreal are extremely rare.
	Saidar		sye-DAHR		The feminine half of the One Power.
	Saidin		sye-DIHN		The masculine half of the One Power.
	Saren		SAIR-ihn		The boy that travelled from Cairhein to Tar Valon with the Message ter'angreal for Moiraine from Aranessa.
	Sedai		seh-DYE		Term of respect appended to the name of an Aes Sedai.
	Sheriam Bayanar		shuh-RYE-uhm   BYE-uh-nahr		Mistress of Novices under Siuan Sanche as Amyrlin Seat. She has no Warder.
	Siuan Sanche		suh-WAHN   SAN-chay		The Amyrlin Seat of the Aes Sedai. She has one Warder, Alric.
	Sylantia Naltorr		sye-LAN-tee-ah   NAHL-tor		An Accepted at the White Tower.
	Tar Valon		TAR   vah-LON		Island city that has within its borders, the White Tower which is the home to the Aes Sedai.
	Ter'angreal		tuhr-AHN-gree-ahl		Objects that use the One Power to perform specific functions. Some ter'angreal do not require the One Power to be used for their activation. While not as rare as angreal or sa'angreal, the method of making them was believed to be lost for thousands of years, until recently.
	Vandene Namelle		van-DEEN   nah-MEHL		Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah, twin sister of Adeleas. She has one Warder, Jaem.
	Yorn Harika		YORN   haw-REE-kah		The Warder of Ramene Embrall.

The Violet Ajah
by Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Author's Foreword
* * *

This is a novel-length fanfiction set in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time setting. The setting and any characters that are not original characters are fully the property of Robert Jordan, his widow (Harriet Rigby), his estate, his posthumous co-author/successor (Brandon Sanderson), and his publishers.

At the end of each chapter will be posted a guide to how to pronounce terms and names, and again at the end of the work as a whole there will be a guide compiling all the smaller ones.

I originally planned on release and posting of one piece per week, on Fridays, and gave a table with a schedule... I offer now instead, a checklist, so you can tell at a glance which pieces of the thing are done:

Violet Ajah Release Checklist!
	Teaser
	Author's Foreword	- - -	Chapter 11	- - -	Chapter 23	- - -	Chapter 35	- - -	Chapter 47	- - -	Chapter 59
	Prologue	- - -	Chapter 12	- - -	Chapter 24	- - -	Chapter 36	- - -	Chapter 48	- - -	Chapter 60
	Chapter 1	- - -	Chapter 13	- - -	Chapter 25	- - -	Chapter 37	- - -	Chapter 49	- - -	Chapter 61
- - -	Chapter 2	- - -	Chapter 14	- - -	Chapter 26	- - -	Chapter 38	- - -	Chapter 50	- - -	Chapter 62
- - -	Chapter 3	- - -	Chapter 15	- - -	Chapter 27	- - -	Chapter 39	- - -	Chapter 51	- - -	Chapter 63
- - -	Chapter 4	- - -	Chapter 16	- - -	Chapter 28	- - -	Chapter 40	- - -	Chapter 52	- - -	Chapter 64
- - -	Chapter 5	- - -	Chapter 17	- - -	Chapter 29	- - -	Chapter 41	- - -	Chapter 53	- - -	Epilogue
- - -	Chapter 6	- - -	Chapter 18	- - -	Chapter 30	- - -	Chapter 42	- - -	Chapter 54	- - -	Glossary of Terms
- - -	Chapter 7	- - -	Chapter 19	- - -	Chapter 31	- - -	Chapter 43	- - -	Chapter 55	- - -	Author's Afterword
- - -	Chapter 8	- - -	Chapter 20	- - -	Chapter 32	- - -	Chapter 44	- - -	Chapter 56	- - -	Q & A
- - -	Chapter 9	- - -	Chapter 21	- - -	Chapter 33	- - -	Chapter 45	- - -	Chapter 57	- - -	Saidar & Saidin
- - -	Chapter 10	- - -	Chapter 22	- - -	Chapter 34	- - -	Chapter 46	- - -	Chapter 58	- - -	The White Tower

The release did not happen due to various and sundry issues and problems I have had along the way. However, as of now, I plan to continue releases throughout 2011. Keep an eye on my blog and back at this page for updates!

The Q & A mentioned will be held at various times throughout, and will be cleaned up and posted at the given date. This post is also to give folks somewhere to ask questions so that I don't tread the same water twice! Use the comments on this particular post to ask any questions about the story!

Enjoy!
Edeyn Hannah Blackeney

This is a fanfic set in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time setting. The setting and any characters that are not original characters are fully the property of Robert Jordan, his widow (Harriet Rigby), his estate, his posthumous co-author/successor (Brandon Sanderson), and his publishers. At the end of each chapter will be posted a guide to how to pronounce terms and names.

The Violet Ajah
by Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Prologue

The Prince was not truly bothered by the weight upon him, it simply was not all that difficult for him to handle. No, anyone that saw him could tell he enjoyed the comparative life of leisure he led. After all, he spent more than half of his time in the stables, and while they were not the grand stables that were at the palace in the city center there were many of the beggars of Cairhien that would have gladly lifted each mouthful of food to his lips for him just for the chance to stand in those stables for a short while. He walked along the familiar road, this time taking along with him the Lady of the House. She seemed to enjoy the unaccustomed outing, as well.

His head held high and drawing each breath of crisp morning air easily into his powerful lungs and her relaxed manner as they moved along the road, would cause any observers to assume these two together every such morning. Not true, however, as he had made the monthly trip both directions on the road at least 100 times since she last accompanied him.

There was no talking, the two traveled in as near silence as possible. Footfalls accompanied by the morning sounds of insects, birds, and small animals in the grasslands around them. She smiled to herself, even allowing herself to close her eyes along the straight portions of the road. She decided that she simply MUST get out more often in the future, whether this trip turned out to be successful or not. She wondered not for the first time -- or even just the hundredth time during the trip -- why she did not travel more often.

The city was looming before them after an uneventfully beautiful, nearly serene, trip and their pace slightly quickened as the guard waved at the pair in greeting. He looked as though he wanted to doff his cap, but realized he was wearing a helmet just in time to avoid the faux pas. Instead, an affable grin split his features as he held his hand up to stop them and do his duty to check all those entering Aringill through the North Gate.

"Ho there, Aes Sedai, what brings you to honor Aringill with a visit?" he began the semi-formal, semi-familiar formula.

She arched an eyebrow at the man, and while her face betrayed her distaste as much as it betrayed her years -- which is to say, not at all -- he realized that her gaze was never going to be friendly.

The Prince stood silently.

After a moment more, the Aes Sedai stepped to the ground and quietly murmured to the guard, "Find me a guide, a woman, and return quickly. I care not for status, only for gender."

The startled man found himself attempting a ridiculous synthesis of both saluting and bowing at the same time. Her frown deepened into a scowl as she watched the man fumble further and begin to apologize.

The Prince stood passively.

"Idiot," she interrupted him, "go now. Find my guide."

As he turned and fled, nearly breaking into a run, she threw a sneer at the young man's back.

"That is why I don't travel more. I recall now."

She turned as she reached in a pocket hidden in the folds of her deep red traveling dress, withdrawing a small bag. A moment to slip the knotwork loose, and it opened into a flat cloth, carrying thumb-sized bits of carrot. The Prince nickered and she fed him one, smiling tenderly.

***If only human men were as obedient and silent as The Prince,*** she thought wistfully.

She continued to treat her loyal steed until the guard returned, breathless, with a girl of about eleven years following behind him.

Immediately the girl lowered herself into a curtsy, "I have been informed that you are in need of a guide, milady Aes Sedai. I would ask that honour be mine."

***That is what a greeting should be like,*** she responded within her own mind.

She replied with a gracious smile, and aloud she said, "Of course, dear, you will do nicely. We will discuss payment when we have been settled into our inn."

*       *       *
E'nalla waited patiently. Maybe the Aes Sedai was here for á†lina? Likely. She would just have to find a way to warn á†lina and the others, then. She noticed the Aes Sedai turning to her, and centered her attention on the woman.

"Now, girl, I shall be in Aringill for perhaps a week, maybe more if warranted. I am willing to pay you a silver mark per day to serve as my guide during my stay. Is that satisfactory?"

"Oh, yes, milady! That would be quite generous. Where shall I take you first?"

"Please, my name is Aranessa. As I am an Aes Sedai, you may call me Aranessa Sedai," she told the girl quite warmly, and with a smile. So polite, this child!

"Yes, Aranessa Sedai. Where shall I take you first?"

"There must be somewhere in this city that has healers, whether they be real or charlatans. Take me there after I have changed from my traveling clothes."

"Yes, Aranessa Sedai. I shall await you in the common room," was the immediate reply as the girl spun on her heel to depart.

"A moment. What is your name, child? I can hardly go about calling you 'girl' the entire week, now can I?"

"Oh, pardon my rudeness, Aranessa Sedai. My name is E'nalla Harthik, daughter of the Seamstress Ciir."

***Oh, this child knows her way around information,*** thought Aranessa, ***she knew to only give the maternal lineage. I do hope she develops the ability to Channel. She would be an asset to the Red Ajah.***

She changed out of her traveling cloak and dress, into a slightly lighter dress coupled with a gauzy wrap she had received from a Domani trader. The heat of the Summer was upon the land, after all. She made her way down the hall, and descended to ground level, where she found E'nalla waiting attentively by the fireplace. The girl stood and walked across to hold the door for Aranessa so that the Aes Sedai need not even pause to continue out to the street.

Without a word, only a glance to assure herself that her employer was watching and would follow, E'nalla turned and headed through the streets of Aringill.

There were turns and twists and to Aranessa, it seemed a fine-looking city.

Eventually, the girl stopped at a door, but hesitated before opening it. She turned and walked the few steps back to the Aes Sedai to speak.

"Aranessa Sedai. Perhaps it would be better if I were to see how many are inside, first? I would not wish you to have to chance becoming ill due to such exposure."

***How sweet of her to worry for me,*** thought Aranessa.

Aloud, she said, "That is unnecessary. I am not royalty, after all, and I must see the women of this town with the potential to become Aes Sedai."

"Oh! You wish to...? I apologize. I did not realize you were on a recruiting visit. Let me get the door for you."

The girl positively scurried over to hold open the door, and with a smile and a flourish almost worthy of a gleeman, gestured Aranessa inside.

*       *       *
"E'nalla. We have been at this searching and seeking for a solid week. I'm tired. You have more than earned your pay, so I'm staying in this afternoon. Don't worry, you will be paid anyway," she smiled to take the sting out of the words.

"Yes, Aranessa Sedai. I shall return tomorrow, then."

She waited for the girl to go, and then began a weave around herself that would essentially make her invisible. Not really, but very difficult to look directly at. It was similar to the weave on the cloth of Warders cloaks, actually.

She slipped out the door and down the stairs quickly enough to follow E'nalla out onto the street only steps behind. She had begun to suspect that her guide was hiding something from her. It was natural, but a bit upsetting, in such a promising young girl. She followed her to an area of the city they had yet to visit. Not proof, as it could still be on the agenda, but not absolution by any means, either.

This was a very... unkempt... area, actually. She followed as E'nalla slipped down an alleyway and into one of the empty areas in the middle of the organized streetfront blocks. It was a perfect 'clubhouse' for young children. She stood to the side in the shadows and listened.

"á†lina? Are you here?" asked E'nalla.

"No," came a voice from behind the crates that had been painstakingly stacked in a corner of the hidden area, "I'm in Caemlyn. Of course I'm here. What'd you find out?"

"She is really a nice woman, á†lina, you should go with her to the White Tower. I promise you, she wouldn't hurt you."

A scoff from the crates.

Aranessa allowed herself a smile of triumph. A new Novice for the Tower. Perhaps even young enough not to have too much of a resistance to removing her block. This is good news.

"Really, á†lina, I mean it. Aranessa Sedai has been nothing but nice to me, and you'd have a home... a real home for the first time since your mother tossed you out."

"Don't remind me. Adults are selfish and not trustworthy. I'm fine without any stinking White Tower. And you promised not to tell her."

***So, she's not deceiving me just to be deceiving me. She's made a promise. Can't fault the child for that.***

"I haven't! But really, I think you can trust her. She's given me enough already that mama wouldn't have to work for a month."

"But what about the others? The boys depend on me to make sure that nothing happens. I like being the one people look up to! Well. You know what I mean."

E'nalla stifled a giggle. "Look up to. Right."

"Hey, no teasing!" said á†lina, stepping from behind the crates to face E'nalla. The other girl was perhaps ten -- maybe eleven -- years old.

Before Aranessa could help herself, she gasped in shock.

***The youngest Novice I have even heard about was fifteen years! This girl hasn't even started her menses yet!***

E'nalla looked right at her, but didn't see her, due to her weave-cloak.

"What?" asked á†lina, before craning around the bigger girl to see what she was looking at.

"Too late!" she shouted the next instant, her eyes fixed on Aranessa.

Letting the weave unravel, Aranessa cursed internally at herself. The child saw her weave, and knew she was there.

"Come, á†lina, I will not allow anyone to hurt you. Life at the Tower is wond--"

á†lina quickly pulled a weave from Fire and Spirit that Aranessa had never seen and suddenly there was a bright flash. Both E'nalla and the Aes Sedai shrieked in pain even as the running feet of á†lina could be heard sprinting down one of the alleyways.

"I'm sorry, Aranessa Sedai, but she made me promise! I didn't mean to --"

"It's alright, E'nalla, but you have to help me find her! A girl that young that can Channel can become one of the greatest --"

"We won't find her."

That brought Aranessa up short.

"What?"

"We won't find her, Aranessa Sedai."

"Well, you can't be sure of that, we have to look all over, her boltholes, the places that she --"

"You don't understand. By now, she's out of the city."

"What? How do you know?"

"The direction she ran, there is a hole in the City Wall. She's by now already out in the woods."

"But this is bordering right on the Haddon Mirk. The girl would be insane to --"

"Insane or desperate. The others she looks after mean everything to her. She's younger than them all, but they do look up to her."

"Well, show me where they are. Surely she'll come back to them..."

E'nalla was already shaking her head.

"They will not come together even for me without á†lina giving the say so."

Frustrated, Aranessa scowled and stormed back up the alleyway she had come by.

"Well, come on then, we're going into the Mirk!"

---

Pronunciation Guide (Arranged Alphabetically)

	á†lina		el-EEN-ah		A very young girl that can Channel and use the One Power.
	Aes Sedai		EYE   seh-DYE		The female users of the One Power, who tap into the feminine half, Saidar, to "weave" magic into spells.
	Aiel (Wastes)		EEL		The vast desert to the east of Cairhien.
	Ajah		ah-ZHAH		The different schools of thought of application of use of the One Power by the Aes Sedai are grouped into Ajahs, who identify themselves by a color, and are represented among other Aes Sedai by wearing a shawl of the color of the Ajah to which one belongs.
	Andor		ANN-dor		Country south and west of Cairhien.
	Aranessa Fovall		ahr-ah-NESS-uh   FOH-vawl		Featured Aes Sedai of the Prologue, Red Ajah member.
	Aringill		AIR-in-gihl		A city in neither country of Cairhien nor Andor on the road between the cities of Caemlyn and Cairhien.
	Caemlyn		KAYM-lihn		Capitol City of Andor.
	Cairhein		kye-REE-ihn		A country and with a capitol city of the same name in the northeast, bordering on the Aiel Wastes.
	Ciir Harthik		kih-EER   HAW-tihk		Seamstress in Aringill, E'nalla's mother.
	E'nalla Harthik		ee-NAHL-ah   HAW-tihk		Aranessa's guide in Aringill.
	gleeman		GLEE-man		The Wheel of Time equivalent to a Bard or minstrel.
	Saidar		sye-DAHR		The feminine half of the One Power.
	Saidin		sye-DIHN		The masculine half of the One Power.
	Sedai		seh-DYE		Term of respect appended to the name of an Aes Sedai.

This is a fanfic (short for fanfiction) set in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time setting. The setting and any characters that are not original characters are fully the property of Robert Jordan, his widow (Harriet Rigby), his estate, his posthumous co-author/successor (Brandon Sanderson), and his publishers. At the end of each chapter will be posted a guide to how to pronounce terms and names -- be sure to leave a comment asking to add any term or name that was missed or that you need clarification.

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose across the waters of the River Erinin. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time.

But it was -a- beginning...

The Violet Ajah
by Edeyn Hannah Blackeney
Chapter 1

The whisper-soft touch speeding along docks and across dockworkers, where they struggled to get the morning catches off of river-fishers and the cargo from the early barges. Wending its way through the fabled city of Tar Valon and toward the legendary home of the Aes Sedai. Laundry left hanging from upper-floor windows, pies left to cool on windowsills, and even a few hammocks filled with forms topped with a hat covering a face for a nap. Children played in the streets, men spoke of the weather with the authority of such things, women chatted about everything else with amusement at the men, and almost no one looked toward the centerpiece of the city standing above all else. The White Tower rose as serenely from the center of the island city as most of the Aes Sedai that inhabited it. It glittered -- sparkled, really -- and seemed to watch over everything in the city and beyond, even onto the banks of the River Erinin and the villages there that traded with those in the city.

The dampness it bore was a cooling influence, and all who felt it would sigh a bit and smile before going back to whatever business each happened to be engaged in at the moment. Sylantia Naltorr sat in the chair and wished for a book to read as the wind fluttered the rainbow striped hem of her white dress. She watched the gate as diligently as a Novice, but as an Accepted her mind tended to wander toward the pursuits she wanted to follow if (when!) she were raised to the shawl. It was no secret that she favored the Brown Ajah, and she didn't mind that nearly everyone in the Tower knew it. So she was finding ways to make the task interesting by making a game of counting the stones in the wall by the gate, when the boy limped through it. He fixed his eyes on her, as a thirsty man in the desert would fix his eyes on an oasis, and steadfastly walked toward her.

Out of respect for his struggle, she stood but remained by her chair. When he got to her, he lifted a stone cylinder.

"Message. Moiraine Sedai," he said, as though that was everything that needed said.

And really... it was. Sylantia nodded to him and gently guided the weary boy to her chair. He shuddered as he sat.

"I will take the message to Moiraine Sedai, you sit and rest," she gently told him.

His reaction was not quite what she expected.

He threw back his head and laughed, then snorted at her and held the stone cylinder out to her. She reached out to take it and had to turn away and be violently ill.

Spitting out the foul remains of what had once been lunch, she looked askance at him.

He shrugged, and said, "You can't take it, I can't let it go."

She frowned but had an idea. She trotted over to where she could see the Warders-in-training practicing. Then she saw Moiraine Sedai's Lan there instructing them, so instead of asking one of the men to watch the gate while she fetched Moiraine Sedai, she cast a quick glance at the -- now sleeping -- boy and jogged over to the edge of the training circle, waiting to get his attention.

After a few moments, he caught her "subtle" tries to get his attention and stepped over toward her.

"Yes?"

The girl swallowed hard. She would never get used to this gruff man. "A... a message,"she began, "for Moiraine Sedai."

"I shall take it to her," replied Lan Mandragoran. However, the meek girl's response startled him -- though you'd never have known that from looking at him.

"No."

He turned to look at her now.

"It... it must be given directly to Moiraine Sedai. I already tried to take it to deliver and regretted it," she explained with a grimace of distaste.

Lan nodded. If it were to be given to Moiraine, it would be given to Moiraine. Why was this girl telling him?

"I cannot leave the gate unattended, and I thought..." she said, refusing to let herself stare at the ground while talking to the man.

Ah.

"I will inform Moiraine, Accepted Sylantia," he responded and turned back to the training.

It was her turn to be startled. He knew her name? But she was just another Accepted! Unless... unless the stories of how protective he was were true. Stories of how he not only knew everyone in Tar Valon on sight, but knew their history and how likely they were to try to harm Moiraine Sedai so he could stop any such thing from happening. She felt sick again, and it had nothing to do with touching the tube. She went back and rather than make the poor boy get back up, she stood behind her chair and continued her vigil.

* * * * * * *
Moiraine had given the exhausted messenger boy a silver and sent him off to an inn to rest, but she would be summoning him back that evening to find out if he knew more about the situation. Which, of course, depended on the message she had yet to read. It turns out that the cylinder was a message tube -- and a ter'angreal -- of that she was certain. It even made Lan ill when he touched it, and the boy couldn't let it go until Moiraine herself touched it. She hadn't as yet given much thought to the message that must lie inside, as she had been trying to study the tube. She picked up the tube once again and turned it over in her hands. Surely she needn't break it open to get the message out? As soon as the thought occurred to her, the tube seemed to slide apart, one end out of the other smoothly. A light blue scrap of parchment wafted to the floor as she looked on startled, holding the two pieces of the message ter'angreal. She set the halves into a hidden niche below her bed, and retrieved the message.

Moiraine, as you've no doubt realized by now, I've finally used my marker. There is a situation here that I cannot describe as anything but dire, and it needs to be kept more secret than anything any Aes Sedai has ever held in a darkened corner of her soul. I would not call you to me with such a favor if there were any other choice, but I am convinced that only you, and Siuan perhaps, will know who can handle this situation carefully enough to avoid exposing a secret that could destroy the White Tower. My guess is that you will know as soon as you arrive and are appraised of the situation who to call upon. Yes, even with this ter'angreal guarding my message, I dare not reveal it unless absolutely certain that no possibility of this information being allowed into the wrong ears exists. Please come as soon as possible... If this works out the way I envision, you could have some new Novices to take back to the Tower with you. Aranessa

She folded the message neatly and slid it under her bodice next to her hip. She ran through the centering exercises that had become habit since her long ago days as a Tower Novice, then forced herself to walk sedately to the window and sit instead of simply dashing over and curling up as she wanted to do. She stared out the window of her room and thought about the contents of the message. Thought hard.

* * * * * * *
At the Sailor's Rest, purported by the innkeeper to have the softest beds in Tar Valon, Saren politely refused a meal and collapsed into one of those beds. Truthfully, though, he wouldn't have been able to tell you how soft they were. From the moment he came in contact with the down-stuffed mattress he slept a dreamless sleep. When he awoke, he felt better than he had since Lady Aranessa had given him the tube...

"Please, Saren," she had said, "forgive me. This will be a hardship on you, but it must be done this way. Take that tube to Tar Valon. Release it only into the hands of Moiraine Sedai, as it contains a confidential message."

"Don't worry, 'Nessa," he had answered so cheerfully, "I'm strong enough to make it all the way to Tar Valon, don't grief yourself on my account."

She smiled wanly and kissed him on the top of his head before sending him on his way with another murmured apology. It wasn't until hours later when he had wearily stopped to rest that he discovered that to let go of the odd cylinder was to have the world spin around him and shift back and forth under him as though on the deck of a ship on rough seas. He had to keep a firm grip on it at all times to avoid the feeling. So for the entire long journey from Cairhein to Tar Valon, he had avoided inns and houses, anywhere that anyone might see the tube and try to take it from him. He hadn't slept until he was so exhausted he had no choice for the entire trip. The first he had slept was under an overhanging rock three days after he had left Cairhein in the distance. He had collapsed and the sharp rocks digging mercilessly into his legs and back hadn't mattered as he had drifted into sleep.

He hadn't any idea, when he woke, of the amount of time he had slept in his own pool of vomit and bile, but it was not a pleasant way to come awake. After shaking off as much of the ichor as possible, he noticed that the shadows hadn't really lengthened all that much, but he moved onward anyway. The stolen boat he used to cross the Erinin, the trip north to Darein and into Tar Valon. He didn't even want to think about the encounter near the Dragonmount.

Of course, as soon as that occurred to him, his mind inexorably replayed the scene.

He had stayed off the road for a few hours, so he hadn't seen anyone. He was so tired, he wanted a quiet place to rest and maybe curl up around the tube so he couldn't drop it. Heading toward a small copse of trees, his weariness caused him to not be as alert as he really should have been.

That's when they circled him.

"Wh-what do you w-want?" his fear made his stutter return.

"What do you have there, son?" asked the one with the beard.

"It's a message for an Aes Sedai, you'd better let me go! If they find out you stopped a message, you'll have to deal with them!" he had cried out.

"I think," said the small one, "that you're right."

The last of the three looked at the small one like he had gone insane, his mouth dropping open in shock.

The bearded one paused in his advance, too.

"That is," smirked the small one, "that if they find out there'll be a price we have to pay. So, boys, we'd better make sure that they Aes Sedai never find out!"

The three came at him, then, and he'd been too frightened to hear what they were saying then. He clutched the tube tightly to his chest and tried to run away, but they easily blocked his way.

"Give us the tube, boy," said the bearded one.

"I-I can't!"

That's when the small one had reached in to grab the tube, and had Saren not had such a grasp on it, would have deftly plucked it from his fingers. The sudden explosive retching from both Saren and their man at the same time had made the other two step back.

"You okay, Mel--"

"Vraauugh! No names you, Vraauugh! Idiot!" was the reply, followed by enough vomiting that he let go of the tube. Saren's nausea and dry heaving stopped immediately and he again turned to run away, only to be grabbed this time by the bearded one.

"What did you do to him, boy?"

"N-N-Nothing! It w-was the m-m-m-message! It m-made m-me sick, too, w-when he tou-touched it! Let m-me go, p-p-please!"

The man squinted at Saren as he thought and then very deliberately reached a hand slowly toward the tube. Of course Saren tried to keep it away from the man's touch.

"N-No!"

With a snarl, the bearded man dropped Saren, and grabbed one end of the tube at the same time. Again, the twin gouts of regurgitation exploded. The first man was still retching, though it wasn't the message tube making him, now.

The bearded man turned his head to coat poor Saren, as he still struggled with the tube, finally giving up when his grip slipped due to the slimy mess.

Saren, again freed from the necessity to attempt to empty his stomach ran again. This time, however, the three men let him go. When he saw how close he was to Tar Valon, by the sight of the White Tower rising in the distance, he kept running. Vowing not to stop until he was there. Of course, he didn't realize the distance and ended up slowing to a plod along the road he now found himself on. The stink of the bandits' induced nausea kept any other travellers on the road away from his immediate proximity. In fact, they were giving him a wide berth. The guard at the bridge across the Erinin into the city wouldn't even let him cross until he rinsed himself in the waters.

And then he was there. He vaguely remembered the girl in the white dress giving him a chair, and then the lady in blue was there, and said she was Moiraine Sedai. It must have been true, because she was able to take the tube -- which she called a ter'angreal. She had seemed happy about the blighted thing, well, as happy as any Aes Sedai ever does, anyway.

She had handed him a silver and told him where to go, and to not leave Tar Valon until she had been able to "interview" him. If the Aes Sedai wanted to pay for him to recover in a fancy inn instead of a root cellar at the local stables, he wasn't going to complain. When he woke up, he stretched, then winced at the pain in his weary-sore muscles. He dressed and then slowly went down the hall, down the stairs, and into the common room to see if there were still anything to fill his belly. The Innkeeper's wife gave him a bowl of quite tasty stew -- better than anything Lerie could make, anywhat. He was scraping the bottom of his second bowl when a large man in a cloak you couldn't quite look at walked into the common room. Saren had a tickle in the back of his memory of this man being there when he gave the tube to Moiraine Sedai.

The large man looked right at him, as though he had known where in the room that Saren would be sitting and merely nodded. Saren somehow knew that this meant that the Aes Sedai, Moiraine Sedai, was summoning him for his "interview" now. He drained the last of the water from the mug sitting next to his now-empty bowl, nodded to the Innkeeper's wife and slid off his stool and went to join Lan.

* * * * * * *
"Aranessa?" asked Siuan, "After all these years? This is important, then."

Moiraine watched while her old friend stood and began to pace sedately back and forth, thinking of the implications this message brought with it. She paused and smiled slightly, paced back and forth a few more times, and then stopped as she began to form a weave that was both recognizeable and strange to Moiraine. Once finished, five small threads broke off and flew for an arm's length before vanishing. Siuan Sanche looked up to the face of her bemused old friend.

"We thought a lot of those short-message weaves we learned as Novices would be useless once we were raised, remember? Hah. I use them more as Amyrlin Seat than both of us combined ever used them as Novice and Accepted together!"

With a chuckle, Moiraine simply waited. It wasn't but a moment more when Leane Sharif gracefully entered the chamber. Her blue stole marked her as Keeper of the Chronicles raised from the Blue Ajah, but her smile at seeing the two within marked her as being their friend.

"We are waiting on four others. They will go with you, Moiraine. They have earned my full trust, and three of them will be accompanying you. Since the message mentions Novices, I've also summoned Sheriam."

The other two nodded and Leane situated herself standing behind Siuan's chair, as the Amyrlin re-seated herself. It was only a short time before the other four women arrived one after the other, with Sheriam being the last in the Chamber.

Moiraine surveyed the three that would be travelling with her. She subtlely measured herself against them, and knew they would be deferring to her. With that, she smiled warmly at all of them and nodded each time Siuan looked to her to verify as the Amyrlin was relating the story about the message as she knew it.

When the meeting was done, there were three in the Tower that knew where the other four were going when they left the next morning. Siuan Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat; Leane Sharif, the Keeper of Chronicles, and Sheriam Bayanar, the Mistress of Novices. Travelling to Cairhein would be Moiraine Damodred of the Blue Ajah and her Warder Lan Mandragoran, Ramene Embrall of the Gray Ajah and her Warder Yorn Harika, Adeleas Namelle of the Brown Ajah, and Vandene Namelle of the Green Ajah and her Warder Jaem. Of interest to note were that Adeleas Sedai and Vandene Sedai were twin sisters.

* * * * * * *
Saren felt much better with food in his belly and having slept some, but the best of all was that he didn't have the tube anymore. The large man had to be a Warder, likely Moiraine Sedai's. He never had understood what a Warder really did, though.

"Are you Moiraine Sedai's Warder?"

"Yes."

"Are you Moiraine Sedai's husband?"

"No."

"My name is Saren, what's yours?"

"Lan."

"Are you Moiraine Sedai's servant?"

"No."

"Is it true a Warder will die for the Aes Sedai he protects?"

"Yes."

"You're taking me to her now, right?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever had to --"

"Enough. You will hold your tongue until you are asked questions."

He hadn't said it gruff, or even loud. He had, in fact, answered the questions in an even tone that seemed neither interested nor bored. But there was something about how Lan said that last, despite lack of anything Saren could identify, that made him certain that the best course was to follow that... well, order.

* * * * * * *
The boy hadn't really known anything about the situtation that prompted the message from Aranessa, but had insight into the ter'angreal that had been used as a message tube. Not a pleasant device in any definition, but effective to guarantee that a messenger would fight his hardest not to be compromised. Moiraine decided as she dismissed the boy -- Saren -- that she would have to get Aranessa to show her how to use the ter'angreal. She had spent the remainder of the evening packing appropriately for a trip to Cairhein, including packing for perhaps detours or further destinations, and included the ter'angreal in her chest among her other small treasures. She set out a dress for travelling, shades of blue, of course, and appropriate jewelry for her station. She would have a hot bath tonight, so that she could simply rise and dress in the morning, since her packing was finished. Lan would see to it that the horses were ready for all seven of them.

The other three women going along had less idea of what they were supposed to pack.

This was the first trip outside the Tower that Adeleas had made since being raised to the shawl. Not that she was new to being a full Aes Sedai, she simply found more interest in studying that which was already here. However, there was plenty outside the Tower to learn, and she was not going to be resentful of an opportunity to travel abroad. Besides, it was fun to tease Vandene, even now that they were "grown ups" and Aes Sedai at that! Travel clothes, a book, and a notebook and an inkpot, maybe? She chewed on the end of her honey-colored braid, in the same habit she had been trying to break since she and Vandene were children in Maradon. Making a noise of frustration, she dropped the braid and looked in her mirror. She was perhaps a trifle heavier than her sister now, but by no means any less attractive. They both had the nose that turned up slightly at the tip, right above a well-formed and full mouth. Their eyes were the same blue crystal color, and they were of a height. The only over difference to someone who didn't know them would be her sister's new habit of working her hair with the dyes she makes from plants, so that her hair was no longer the honey color they had shared their whole lives, but a deep red so dark it seemed to be between black and purple in the right light. And Vandene made certain she stood in the right light. As often as possible.

Ramene's lean form was just packing her basics, unlike some of the others in the Gray Ajah, she saw no need to take gaudy jewels to fascinate those she was to be negotiating with for anything. They seemed to respond better to her when it was simply straightforward. Of course, if she were larger in the bust and not quite so... lanky... and maybe even had the talent with hair that some of the others seemed to have, perhaps it would be a valid tactic at the table. No idea how long they would be gone, no idea if they would remain in Cairhien or be moving on elsewhere. She wasn't the best known of the Gray in the Tower, but she was known to be competent. And since she was known to have talked Wilders into coming to the Tower without a struggle, she figured the remark about a new group of novices being a possibility seemed to be why she was asked along. Someone to negotiate with a group of Wilders. Of course, she would never say so aloud, but she privately didn't see what the problem with alternate ways to do things was. Just because it's not the standard way that Aes Sedai are taught to do something doesn't automatically make it inferior. At least, not in her opinion. Wondering what the vast majority of the others in the Tower would think if they knew she had been a Wilder, she closed her pack with a firm pull on the cinching buckle and left it on her bed as she went to find Yorn.

Watching Jaem carefully pack away everything the two of them would need in the field, Vandene let her mind wander back to the days right after she had bound him as her Warder. He had been reluctant at first, as he had been in love with Adeleas, but eventually he professed his loyalty to Vandene outweighed the misplaced fondness he had for her sister when they had all been young. She sighed a happy sigh and stood. She brushed some imagined lint off of her skirt before walking over to him and lightly caressing his face. He didn't pause in his chore, simply smiled as he continued.

The next morning, the four Aes Sedai and the three Warders set out for Cairhein on horseback, trailing a mule with a few supplies, and two mules that had bags and carry-rigs, but nothing on them. Moiraine had given Saren enough silver to stay in Tar Valon for another three days, and have enough left to hire passage back to Cairhein. He would be leaving for Cairhein about the time they arrived there. She was puzzled about what was going on, but knew better than to attempt to discern before finding out facts.

It was a chilly morning, but the group headed southeast from the Tower itself, and used the bridge into Osenrein to cross the Osendrelle Erinin. Of the villages surrounding Tar Valon, Osenrein likely saw the most traffic out of sheer convenience. It was in the direction of Cairhien from Tar Valon, so it was just the easiest.

* * * * * * *
Moving through the market in Osenrein, even the raucous calls from those wanting to sell their wares to strangers ceased as the group moved down the way. Osenrein was close enough to Tar Valon that the citizens knew a group of Aes Sedai when they saw it. They also knew Warders when they saw them, and though Lan and Yorn were large and deadly looking, they were more afraid of wiry Jaem. If the woman in green were of the Green Ajah, and he rode by her, that makes him her Warder. The skills of the Warders of the Battle Ajah were tales whispered in the dark of the taverns after those in the conversation had already had too much mead. The stories from the Trolloc War still told of many of those men doing things that just weren't possible.

The group was mostly silent, but now and then one would lean to speak to another and point. Most of the merchants would then make a gift to the Aes Sedai in question the item of her fancy.

"Aren't they foolish?" Adeleas remarked in an aside where the other three women could all hear her, but not the merchant who was falling over himself to hand to Yorn the entire smoked leg of lamb that Ramene had remarked would be perfect foundation of their meals between Tar Valon and Cairhien.

"Not so much," was Ramene's reply as she nudged her horse forward to thank the merchant.

"What does that mean?" asked the Brown.

"It means he's going to make a mound of coin when word gets around that an Aes Sedai specifically requested HIS smoked lamb, Adi," replied Vandene.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," was Adeleas' thoughtful response.

"That's why the man didn't require us to pay," remarked Moiraine in an undertone.

"Sir!"

All seven turned to the insistent voice.

"Sir!" this time, the little man with the red shoes was obviously speaking to Jaem.

"Yes?" came the voice from the smaller man, that always managed to sound as though Jaem was fighting to keep from laughing.

"I notice, sir, that you carry a quarterstaff."

"That's a keen eye you got there. Not many can identify a stick with such determination."

The man ignored the obvious sarcasm, and replied, "You are part of the reason this town exists, sir, as without you and your Mistress--"

Vandene stifled a giggle.

"-- we all, here in Osenrein, would have been overrun during the Trolloc War."

"This a history lesson? Because really, I just am not that old."

"Oh, of course you aren't, sir! How droll! No, I meant that I would like to offer you a finely crafted sword from my shop as a mark of gratitude that men such as yourself still serve in such a capacity!" he positively beamed at Jaem.

Another outfitter wanted to give Lan armor, and a third wanted to outfit the Aes Sedai themselves. They did take up the merchants and hawkers on their offers when they offered something worthwhile, though. There was even an inn that offered to give them free accomodation so that they would be rested for their journey.

This behavior continued all the way through the town. This was the reason for the two mules that weren't carrying anything. By the time they reached the far side of the little town, one was burdened fully with supplies for camping out between cities and the other carried enough food to qualify as a larder. They headed out of the small town and the road ahead opened up before them, the four women carrying on a slow conversation speculating on what they would find in Cairhein, the three men silently gesturing now and then as they kept watch for any threat. It was a mostly pleasant journey, free of any complications.

At least, until they made camp for the first night.

---

Pronunciation Guide (Arranged Alphabetically)
* * *

	Adeleas Namelle		ahd-eh-LAY-uhs   nah-MEHL		Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah, twin sister of Vandene. She has no Warder.
	Aes Sedai		EYE   seh-DYE		The female users of the One Power, who tap into Saidar to "weave" magic into spells.
	Aiel		aye-EEL		Desert dwelling people considered by most to be savages.
	Ajah		ah-ZHAH		The different schools of thought of application of use of the One Power by the Aes Sedai are grouped into Ajahs, who identify themselves by a color, and are represented among other Aes Sedai by wearing a shawl of the color of the Ajah to which one belongs.
	Alric		AHL-rihk		The Warder of Siuan Sanche.
	Amyrlin (Seat)		AHM-ehr-lihn		The leader of the Aes Sedai, ostensibly the most powerful, either in use of the One Power, or politically (or both).
	Angreal		AHN-gree-ahl		Objects which allow those who can channel to draw more of the One Power than they normally could without harming themselves. While all angreal offer this benefit, they do vary considerably in strength (the amount of additional access to the One Power that they provide). All known angreal are aligned for use by either a channeller of Saidar or Saidin, never both.
	Aranessa Fovall		ahr-ah-NESS-uh   FOH-vawl		An Aes Sedai of the Red Ajah, and apparently an old friend of Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche from Cairhein.
	Blue Ajah		BLOO   ah-ZHAH		The Blue Ajah pursues causes and justice. They are the second smallest Ajah but have great influence, due to their involvement in world events as well as the large number of Amyrlins raised from the Blue. The Blue Ajah has a long friendship with the Green Ajah, and, though they disagree on certain points, have a decent relationship with the Brown. Also despite its size, the Blue Ajah has the largest eyes-and-ears network of all Ajahs. It is headed by a woman called the First Selector. All Ajahs have certain traditions, and a number of the Blue’s have been established. These traditions include: never wearing red inside the Tower and wearing all blue on the first of each month. It is assumed that each Ajah has weaves known only to its members, two such weaves of the Blue Ajah’s are: a weave that causes insects to gather and bite as one, and one to cause fear in the viewer.
	Brown Ajah		BROWN   ah-ZHAH		The Brown Ajah is devoted to the study and collection of knowledge. Brown sisters can often be found in the Great Library of the White Tower, which they administer, searching for new knowledge and subjects to study. While abroad, Browns frequently carry note and sketchbooks in which they document nearly everything they come across. They often lose touch with the rest of the world, leading most to believe that Browns are somewhat distant and naíve. Unlike the other Ajahs, the Brown is headed not by a single woman but by a ruling council. The head of this council is known as the Head Librarian. They are also the most knowledgeable Ajah when it comes to the Tower and lore of the One Power, although they are also generally knowledgeable in many subjects. For the past few centuries the Brown Ajah have had some disagreements with the Blue, though they still share a positive working relationship.
	Cairhein		kye-REE-ihn		A country and with a capitol city of the same name in the northeast, bordering on the Aiel Wastes.
	(River) Erinin		AIR-ee-nin		The river that runs north to south between Cairhein and the Black Hills, which widens at one point and has the island city of Tar Valon situated within it, with the river continuing on either side (east and west) of the island.
	Gray Ajah		GRAY   ah-ZHAH		Little is known about the Gray Ajah. They are mediators and ambassadors, and commonly dispense justice through the law. The Gray Ajah has on a great number of occasions stopped wars and other conflicts through their skill in crafting agreements and drafting treaties. The only other important fact that is truly known about the Gray Ajah is that they are headed by a woman known as the Head Clerk. The Gray Ajah also attempted to hold together the coalition of nations that fought against the Aiel in the Aiel War, but failed. It can be assumed that the Gray Ajah is quite skilled at political maneuvering.
	Green Ajah		GREEN   ah-ZHAH		While all Aes Sedai make it their business to combat the Shadow, the Green Ajah specializes in this kind of military and combat activity. In the Trolloc Wars, they were often called the Battle Ajah, as they participated in almost every battle. They are headed by a woman known as the Captain-General. Greens are rarely without Warders, who provide an obvious benefit to any channeler in a battle zone, but even more than that members of the Green Ajah are well-known for their love of men, making them ideologically opposite to the Reds. The Green is the only Ajah to permit the bonding of more than one Warder, and there is apparently no limit to the number of bonded, though seven is the highest number shown so far. Also, Greens are generally the only Aes Sedai to marry their Warders, and those who do are usually among the few of their Ajah to have only one Warder. They have had a long-standing friendship with the Blues, and generally oppose the Reds.
	Jaem		JAYM		The Warder of Vandene Namelle, if any knows his surname, they aren't mentioning it. Known to favor the quarterstaff as a weapon.
	Lan Mandragoran		LAN   man-drah-gor-ANN		The Warder of Moiraine Damodred.
	Leane Sharif		lee-ANN   shuh-REEF		Keeper of the Chronicles under Siuan Sanche as Amyrlin Seat. She has no Warder.
	Maradon		muh-RAD-uhn		Capitol of the country of Saldea.
	Moiraine Damodred		mwah-RAIN   dah-MOH-drehd		An Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, and one of the major characters of both the series and this story. She has one Warder, Lan Mandragoran.
	Ramene Embrall		rah-MEE-neh   im-BRAHL		Aes Sedai of the Gray Ajah. She has one Warder, Yorn Harika.
	Red Ajah		REHD   ah-ZHAH		The Red Ajah is strongly dedicated to preventing another Breaking of the World. This Ajah seeks out and gentles men who can channel Saidin, generally by sensing the residue left by weavings of Saidin. Its leader is known as the Highest. Reds are rarely raised to the Amyrlin Seat; there have only been two throughout recorded history. The two Reds that became Amyrlin were both deposed, and the only two Amyrlins to have been deposed. Reds have had a long-standing feud with the Blue Ajah. This feud began when Bonwhin (BAWN-win), the last Red to have been made Amyrlin, tried to control Artur Hawkwing (AR-tur   HAWK-weeng), leading to an attempted invasion of Tar Valon and a breaking within the Tower itself. Bonwhin was replaced by a Blue sister, Deane Aryman (DEE-ann   AH-ree-man), and the two Ajahs have been at odds ever since.
	Sa'angreal		sah-AHN-gree-ahl		Like angreal, but much more powerful. As with angreal, all sa'angreal offer this benefit, but vary considerably in strength (the amount of additional access to the One Power that they provide) and are aligned for use by either a channeller of Saidar or Saidin, never both. Most angreal and sa'angreal are constructed with a buffer to protect the user from drawing too much of the Power. Angreal are rare; sa'angreal are extremely rare.
	Saidar		sye-DAHR		The feminine half of the One Power.
	Saidin		sye-DIHN		The masculine half of the One Power.
	Saldea		sahl-DAY-uh		Largest of the northern countries that border the Blight.
	Saren		SAIR-ihn		The boy that travelled from Cairhein to Tar Valon with the Message ter'angreal for Moiraine from Aranessa.
	Sedai		seh-DYE		Term of respect appended to the name of an Aes Sedai.
	Sheriam Bayanar		shuh-RYE-uhm   BYE-uh-nahr		Mistress of Novices under Siuan Sanche as Amyrlin Seat. She has no Warder.
	Siuan Sanche		suh-WAHN   SAN-chay		The Amyrlin Seat of the Aes Sedai. She has one Warder, Alric.
	Sylantia Naltorr		sye-LAN-tee-ah   NAHL-tor		An Accepted at the White Tower.
	Tar Valon		TAR   vah-LON		Island city that has within its borders, the White Tower which is the home to the Aes Sedai. There are six bridges which cross the two splits of the River Erinin (Alindrelle (ay-lihn-DRELL) Erinin to the west and Osendrelle(oh-sihn-DRELL) Erinin to the east of the island), three on each side of the island, with the harbors to the north and south ends of the island. Each of these six bridges end in a village that attaches itself to Tar Valon. On the West, from north to south is Manadon (muh-NAD-uhn), Darein (dah-REE-ihn), and Alindaer (ay-lihn-DAYR). On the East, from north to south is Lugagde (LOO-gay-dee), Daghain (dah-GAYN), and Osenrein (oh-sihn-REE-ihn).
	Ter'angreal		tuhr-AHN-gree-ahl		Objects that use the One Power to perform specific functions. Some ter'angreal do not require the One Power to be used for their activation. While not as rare as angreal or sa'angreal, the method of making them was believed to be lost for thousands of years, until recently.
	Vandene Namelle		van-DEEN   nah-MEHL		Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah, twin sister of Adeleas. She has one Warder, Jaem.
	White Ajah		WYYT   ah-ZHAH		The smallest of the Ajahs, the White Ajah concerns itself with questions of philosophy, truth and logic. Whites consider themselves beyond the social causes that drive most of the other Ajahs and believe that they have no place for the material knowledge that the Browns, and, to a lesser extent, Yellows seek. Whites are often describes as showing incredibly little emotion (coincidentally, and somewhat ironically, white is the colour of mourning in the Wheel of Time). The White Ajah was the first Ajah to make the connection between the gentling crusade of the Reds and the dwindling numbers of channelers, and suggested that gentled men should breed with Aes Sedai in the hope of producing more channelers. However, one sister suggested that, since the Whites had advocated the idea, they should therefore be the ones to bear these children. The Whites declined. In the past Whites have been friendly with Blues. In general, they opposed Reds, they are headed by a woman known as the First Reasoner.
	Yellow Ajah		YEHL-oh   ah-ZHAH		The Yellow Ajah is the only Ajah that is completely dedicated to one of the Talents, namely Healing, which not all sisters are adept with but which is considered a requirement for entering the Yellow Ajah. The Yellow Ajah has traditionally used a method of healing that utilises only Water, Air, and Spirit. This method draws on strength from the person being healed, which results in the person becoming weak and ravenous, despite being physically healthy. This method of healing also causes a kind of shock; this shock can kill the grievously injured, small children and animals before the Healing has a chance to take effect. The Yellow Ajah is headed by a woman known as the First Weaver. This Ajah also has a relatively small network of Eyes and Ears. The Yellow Ajah uses a bouquet of yellow flowers strung upside down with a yellow ribbon as an emergency signal. A Yellow identifies herself to an agent of the eyes and ears network by saying something containing the words yellow and heal.
	Yorn Harika		YORN   haw-REE-kah		The Warder of Ramene Embrall.