As she sat in her office, watching her clock, Sapphira wondered whether time had ever before moved so slowly. She had sent word to Rialt, Xaria and Lucius that they would meet that day when High sounded. She knew she should be finishing up her tasks for the morning, but her mind was stuck on one topic: the strangers from the PortalStone world. There was still about ten minutes to go, but already Sapphira was a little nervous. With Rialt as M'hael now, he no longer even had to pretend to respect her, although since his raising, he had been much less antagonistic. Zekieal still showed now sign of himself, but now that he was no longer M'hael no one seemed to care. Except Sapphira. She missed her old friend, and wanted to know where he was, why he had disappeared. But there were other things to be done today, more important than puzzling over an unsolvable mystery. It was more convenient to have Rialt as M'hael, Sapphira had to admit. She did not have to worry about him going missing, he was much more responsible than that, and his decisions were generally sound. The man was a born leader, she could not deny that, but that did not keep her from loathing him, just as Sapphira's ability to lead did not keep him from hating her. And Rialt was here now, that was most important. Of course, were he still Mahdi, he would still have made the decision about these strangers, it just carried more traditional weight coming from M'hael instead.

She glanced at the clock, eight minutes to High, had it really only been two minutes? Well, the Towers were big enough that Sapphira supposed she should leave then so that she could be a little early. She stood from her desk and adjusted her stole, she had to look every inch the Amyrlin today, she would be determining the fate of the Amyrlin of another world, after all, and had to be prepared if Xaria did not like it. She and Rialt had met over the past few days to make sure they knew what they would give these strangers. The two of them had agreed on a surprising number of things; it would be unfair to ask full Aes Sedai, Asha'man and Gaidin to become initiates again, likely they would just leave instead. At the same time, both she and Rialt wanted to be certain that they could trust these people, so initiating them directly into their full ranks was out of the question. There had been much discussion beyond that, though, trying to decide where to place them. They took it for granted that these people wanted to stay in the Towers- why come if they did not?- but Sapphira knew they could simply all choose to leave. She could not imagine how difficult this must be for Xaria, the thought of deferring to another Amyrlin was part of her motivation for unswearing the Red Oath. Truthfully, Sapphira would be surprised if the woman chose to stay in the Towers. Although Sapphira had pity for the woman, she could not treat her any differently than the others.

She walked through the halls, her head filled with thoughts of what was to come. She sincerely hoped that Xaria and Lucius would be agreeable, but prepared herself for the worst. They were fighting for the last of their people, after all, they were bound to be protective of them. Sapphira barely noticed where her feet took her, she knew the Towers inside and out, and was sure she could find the room she was after with her eyes closed if she wanted to. She suppressed a sigh, this day had been ordinary so far, but she knew that the next few hours could either go very well or very badly. She prayed that it would go well, it would be much easier to integrate these people into the Towers if this meeting went well. If the leaders were on good terms, then it would be much easier for those following them to get along as well. Sapphira pushed open the door to a smallish room, big enough for the four to be comfortable, but small enough that it was not intimidating for visitors. She was the first one there, as she had expected, and looked around. The room was set up exactly as she asked, four ornate chairs surrounded a heavy wooden table. Two of these chairs were conciderably, if tastefully, more decorated. Sapphira hoped that giving everyone an obviously expensive chair would put Xaria and Lucius at ease, but at the same time prayed that the obvious difference would serve to remind the newcomers that Rialt and Sapphira really did outrank them now. Hopefully it would make them more agreeable and humble, although she was sure it would not be easy for two people who had been the most powerful in their world. Sapphira crossed the room and took one of the two grander chairs, and settled herself to wait for the arrival of three more leaders.

Lucius paced in the small room he had been given. Since he was, or rather, had been the M'hael, he had been allotted the small room by himself at least. Still it was small enough that his long legs could only take three paces before he had to turn about. Three paces turn, three paces turn. As he moved, his mind raced. Today was the day of truth. He supposed that Sapphira and the new M'hael Rialt could easily just order them arrested or something. The problem was, Rialt had not been M'hael the first time they had met, since then he had been raised. Which to the war-weary man mad in odd sort of sense, but then again he was something like the seventh M'hael in his lifetime. An odd occurrence to be sure. Lucius got the impression such things did not happen so often here.

He had heard passing rumors about a lack-a-dasial M'hael, who could never be found, and was always into trouble. Something about the Amrylin's partner. It really did not make sense to him at all. Then again, he had been, or was bonded to the former Amyrlin of his world, which had been a scandal in and of itself. His tiny room had no clock, nor a window to gauge the sun by. However, the old campaigner knew what the hour he waited for felt like. Noon as he called it or "High" or whatever it was called here had a unique feel to his internal clock.

It was fast approaching, and a knock on his door confirmed his suspicion. A young Soldier waited hesitantly at the door.

"They will see you now sir." Lucius gestured for the boy to lead on.

As they wandered through halls oddly familiar and yet not, Lucius glanced down at his clothes one last time, making certain they were presentable. He wore a plain Asha'man coat and slacks, with his world's pins glistening proudly from the lapels. He had left his M'hael coat in his rooms as a sign of peace. He had made the mistake of getting into a fight with Rialt last time, so now he was making amends. He fully expected Xaria to show up in he striped stole. He smiled fondly. He could feel her distantly, and knew she was coming, but when and how? He wasn't sure.

"Here we are sir." The boy opened the oaken door and ushered him in before closing the door hurriedly.

The room's only occupant was Sapphira, looking regally beautiful in her Amyrlin stole and dress. She sat like a queen in a throne her ornately carved chair looking like a good excuse for one actually. The chair next to her was similarly carved, the two across from her, on the far side of the table were...less ornate. Lucius felt a half smile twist his lips. He was a man of war that was where his genius lied. Xaria was the politics connoisseur. But he knew enough to guess which chair was his.

He bowed slightly, almost deferentially to Sapphira. "Good afternoon Mother." He said softly. Then he took the chair across from her. Talking was not really his thing, and if Xaria came in on him chatting with Sapphira, well...it could certainly damage the repairs he had made on their relationship. At least he thought so. With women, especially

Ooc - I always like to stick little sub-plots at the beginning of my bigger posts.. :P so enjoy the randomness I hope.

Lord Dennil, a man who had just gained his title recently, after the death of his father, followed Rialt’s fast paced footsteps easily, but kept slightly back from him. He was a 26 year old nobody, a man who had inherited his money and his title from the greatness of his father, a long ally of the Tower. Usually Tar Valon’s nobility was a nuisance, a left over attribute to the days when Aes Sedai and Asha’man did not hold sway over the city, nor even when Aes Sedai did so on their own. They held no power, controlled small forces, and mostly, their presence was tolerated by the Towers. But for Rialt’s mind at least, he did not understand the necessity. The Tower Guard patrolled the city and kept order. Of the dozen’s of nobility that held residence in Tar Valon, only one regularly used his small force to help the guard and keep order when needed. Rialt had that man’s gratitude and friendship, but the others? No, their loyalties were to themselves alone, and Rialt could only imagine that the young Lord Dennil’s visit was for his own personal gain.

“Do you intend on voicing your grievances son, or did you request my company to discuss the particulars of the weather?” Rialt’s voice was flat, his footsteps echoing lightly as he made his way to his scheduled meeting with Sapphira, Lucius, and Xaria. He had little time to grant audiences, but did so to advertise his availability and willingness to work with the people, not merely within the Tower and for the Tower. He would flay his Mahdi alive after the meeting today. The man was himself from nobility, and so when nobility requested audience, he sent the nobility ahead of common folk. Most people did not know that Rialt himself had once been a common man, and then a soldier. Even so many years spent in the tower could not take the humbling qualities he gained when living in Caemlyn from him. He intended to remind his Mahdi of that fact.

“My Lord-“

“I am, the last I checked, not a Lord, Dennil.” Rialt stated matter of factly. He intended to remind everyone of who he was now, and not because he desired the attention his position offered.

“Of course, Father. As you know, the House of-“

“Feneq, no doubt. Your father often spoke ill of them also. I would hope that the prejudices of the father have not passed on to the son.” Dennil stared at him blankly.

“No, of course not Father. Well, I have information, witness’ that can attest to the going-on’s of illicit activity on the piers that belong to the Feneq family, and I assure you, I would not be bringing this information up if it did not hold” a vested interest for yourself? “importance to the Asha’man and Aes Sedai. They are not only stealing my business with this illegal trade, they are also hindering your personal merchants. The goods that the House of Feneq receives from these…these, pirates.. is being sold a quarter of the price cheaper than anyone in the city can match without loosing profit. I assure you Father, this is not a plight to harm a rival House, my family’s well being is at stake here.”

“You mean of course, my young Lord Dennil, that your family’s wealth is at risk here, and you wish for me to kill two birds with one stone for you. Not only would my interference violate the Tower’s policy on the game of Houses, because, even as much as you deny it, It is, it would also line your pockets with even more profit than you had been receiving before.” The man before him seemed baffled, and his two attendants looked smug. He had not been wrong in his assumption that Dennil had been doing the name of nobility no more justice than a criminal did. “I will though, remind you that this is a matter for the Guard. Tell the Guard, do not bring every trifling matter before me, because if it comes to a day when you require an audience with me, I may deny it.”

They stopped before the doors to Rialt’s meeting, and a soldier prematurely opened them to give Rialt entrance. Sapphria and Lucius it seemed, were already in attendance, but Rialt had to deal with Dennil.

“Father, I have been to the Guard, but they spend too much time these days philandering about and ignoring their duties, that I felt I had no choice but to come directly to a man who could effect the change needed.” Rialt sighed slightly, letting his annoyance shine through. Impatience would have been a better word.

“I will send a man of the Tower to investigate further your claims Dennil, and I hope for your sake, that you are not wasting my time.”

Dennil bowed low, and Rialt watched him silently. The 26 year old could perhaps be made to be an ally in the future, but perhaps not so much as his father had been. Rialt had aspirations of reigning in the nobility of Tar Valon for his and the Towers service. So much more would be accomplished if both parties were able to co-exist equilaterally. “Thank you Father.”

Rialt nodded and just as the man was walked away, “Be sure that you remember this favor my Lord Dennil, I do not respond kindly to those who take my favors with a grain of salt.” He shrunk back visibly, and hurriedly left Rialt’s side. He would send an Asha’man…a Dieb Cha would be fitting, to investigate the charge. Rialt summoned the soldier who held the door, “Soldier, I wish for you to bring a message to the Mahdi for me.” The Seekers punishment would be chastisement by the soldier, and then perhaps he would realize his mistake.

Walking inside the spacious room, Rialt noted the placement (and quality) of the chairs. Four, facing eachother and two, quite more ornately carved and gilded than the other…which would have also been a prize heirloom in any noble family. Sapphira held the stole gracefully over her shoulders and sat with ease in the chair. They knew the matters and issues which would be brought up in this meeting. Rialt had stressed the importance of allowing the otherworldly guests the right to assimilate into a different life-style and world for that matter, before they were pressed back into the service of either Tower. It was not out of the question, but their loyalty was, therefore they had deviced a special plan to accommodate all parties involved until loyalties were confirmed or betrayed.

Lucius sat blankly, but with an air of superiority. It was natural for him though, Rialt knew, and did not take it as a challenge as he first had upon meeting this former M’Hael. Such differences they had between them, a life and world completely estranged… Rialt could only begin to imagine. Subtle differences must have been common place for both Lucius and Xaria now, like the smell of the Tower, or faces mistaken with that of a different personality altogether. Indeed it had been a shock for Rialt to discover that his face was also that of a notorious Shadowsworn in this other world. It was another world though, and he had to remind himself after much thought on the subject, that the transgressions of another man who shared the same face, were not his own. The Creator surely knew this as well as he, and he dismissed it from his mind. Since then, Rialt had made a peace with himself and with the man who now sat before the table, across from Sapphira. He wanted to be helpful and accommodating to this man and his situation, it was not an impossibility at all. But much of that depended on Lucius and Xaria.

“Sapphira.” He stated as a cordial greeting to the Amyrlin, and took his place beside her. She seemed to look askance at him for the scene with Dennil, but he implied silently that he would tell her later. “Lucius, I trust that your accommodations have been sufficient?” They were not, of course, anywhere near to what he had probably been used to in his own world…but they were private. He was, after all, no longer the M’Hael. And as far as Rialt was concerned, he was, no longer an Asha’man until he had proven himself. It would not be an easy thing, he had decided before the meeting, for him to now give up his power in place of another..and therefore, it would not be easy for Lucius to do the same. He sat back easily in his chair, and waited for the arrival of Xaria.

Xaria sat in a room with three of her daughters, talking quietly with them. She had been doing nothing but meeting and discussing since they arrived in this world, it amazed her somewhat that a score and a half of people could require so much constant attention. They all wanted to have themselves heard and have their opinion known about the situation they were currently in. So far, she had had to convince more than one person that going back to their world was not an option, both because they really did not know how, and because their world was, most likely, now completely run by the Dark One. That thought made her shudder, her home, her Tower, now in the hands of the Shadow. It was a sickening thought, and she had not had nearly enough time to get used to that idea, or to convince herself that it no longer mattered. What was important was keeping the people here safe, she knew that, but still her entire world was different now. She had to be strong for those following her, even if she was not the Amyrlin anymore, those who had come through the PortalStone still looked to her as a leader. Xaria was still trying to convince a few of them not to call her Mother anymore, as she was sure that would be taken as a threat and a slight to Sapphira's position. Some of the members of the other world wanted to leave this Tower altogether, to start their own lives anew somewhere else, somewhere where they could make their own rules rather than trying to learn the guidelines of life here. Xaria could not say she disagreed, she certainly saw the appeal of such a decision, but she was not sure it was what she wanted. Some wanted to stay here, to assimilate into the ranks of Aes Sedai, Asha'man, Gaidin and Gaidar, which Xaria could also understand. No matter what they did, their lives would certainly be interesting, at least for a little while.

Xaria glanced at a clock on a shelf, part of the reason she had chosen this room was so that she could keep an eye on the time. She had to wrap up this meeting, she had a far more important one to get to in very little time. "Dau-ladies," she corrected herself, if they could not call her Mother she could not call them Daughter either, no matter how hard the habit was to break, "I am afraid I must be going. I have a meeting with Lucius, as well as the Mother and Father, hopefully when we're done we'll have a much better idea of how our futures are going to turn out." With that she stood, and watched as the three women resisted the natural reaction of standing and curtsying for their exiting leader. She gave them a comforting smile, knowing that they would see through it, she was not worried about this meeting really, but neither was she ever one for a smile. They all knew it was only for their benefit, but none of them said anything. Xaria stepped out of the room and found a novice with her hand raised to knock. She gave a small start before composing herself. "Excuse me," she said, still slightly unnerved, "I was sent to escort you to a meeting." She gave a small curtsy, as if she did not really know exactly how to treat Xaria, was she on the same level as Aes Sedai or not? Xaria would liked to have known that as well, truth be told, but she simply followed the novice through the hallways. As she went, she thought about what was about to happen. She and Lucius had spoken, and each knew what they most wanted to get out of this meeting, their goals for the group were slightly different, but they both looked for safety and contentment, if both could be achieved. Since arriving here, they had both agreed that for safetey's sake, they would unmask the bond, it seemed logical to have a stronger connection to each other, as the leaders, and with the benefit of the bond they could hopefully form a more united front toward Sapphira and Rialt. She could feel Lucius moving through the Towers as well, most likely also on his way to this meeting. He did not seem worried, in fact something seemed to be amusing him, though she could not imagine what it would be.

Xaria realized on the way to the meeting that her simple white dress might be taken as a sign of deference, since the novice dresses were plain white. Xaria's was by no means a novice dress of course, and she had chosen it only because white was the color she had most often worn before becoming Amyrlin, it being the color of her Ajah after all. She had thought about that a bit recently, if she was no longer Amyrlin, was she a White again? Was she even Aes Sedai anymore? Of coruse she was, she had sworn the Oaths and taken the test, even if they did not recognize it here they could not take that away from her, being Aes Sedai was something on the inside, much more than a simple title. She did not have to follow the novice long, they turned down a hallway and as they did, Xaria saw a soldier walking away from a room, looking thoughtful. She did not know what that was about, but the novice she was following soon stopped at the very same room. The girl opened the door for her and gave another awkward half curtsy as Xaria glided regally into the room. Immediately she noted the furnishings. A sturdy table was set between four beautiful chairs. The chairs were what struck her most, they were a tasteful but plain statement that Lucius and Xaria were no longer in charge. The chairs provided for them were beautiful, they would have been worth an entire farm she was sure, but they paled in comparison to the two opposite them. Three of the room's four chairs were occupied, leaving only one open, next to Lucius and across from Rialt. The three sat quietly, apparently content to wait for Xaria. She gave a curtsy for Rialt and Sapphira, and took her chair without breaking the silence. She was the visitor here, and that meant that she was going to let one of the hosts begin the discussion, it was their right and their duty after all. Lucius was still not worried, but she knew that this was not his area of expertise, most likely she would be the one doing most of the talking, unless they came to a point on which Lucius had a very strong opinion. She settled herself into her chair, doing her best not to notice her stole on the shoulders of another woman, and as a White, thankfully she was not doing a bad job of it.

(erk is it my post?)

ooc i think it could be you or sapphira at this point.

Sapphira did not have long to wait before the door opened and admitted Lucius into the room. He performed a slight bow and bid her good afternoon, which she returned with a nod and a small smile. "Good day, Lucius," she said as he took his seat. He sat silently, apparently quite willing to wait in silence, for which Sapphira was glad. Years of working with people had given her some practiced skill in the area, but she still thought it would be easier not to have to make small talk right now. The Light knew she had enough on her mind, and he most likely did as well, without both of them having to worry about being cordial and slightly entertaining for each other. Before long, the door opened again and Rialt stepped into the room. Sapphira was not sure how she felt about seeing the man. She was glad that she would not have to wait on him, but that had never been an issue before, and so had not worried her today. However, at the same time, she still did not like being in this man's presence. It should have been Zekieal here to deal with this, but the man had disappeared. Sapphira had made her peace with the fact that someone new had to be elected, the Black Tower could not be without a M'hael, largely for public purposes, the Light knew that either tower could run itself well enough without their leader most of the time. Rialt said a simple hello, which Sapphira returned with a nod before he spoke to Lucius, asking whether his accomadations had been sufficient. Sufficient was probably the best word, as doubtless a former M'hael would have been used to something much grander than what was given to visiting nobility, which was what Lucius most likely received.

Light but it was strange to think that she was looking at a man that, a few days ago, had been the M'hael. The M'hael at that time had been Zekieal, and then Rialt, she had never seen this man before in her life. How strange it was that there were hundreds more of the same, people who were as powerful as she, but who she would, most likely, never meet. It was, in a way, a humbling thought. Sapphira thought of herself as the most powerful person in the world, with only Rialt as her equal. That was true enough, but she had never before concidered that only a PortalStone away were hundreds of people who thought the same. She did not let herself get distracted by that though, because at that moment, the door opened for the third time since she had arrived and Xaria, a former Amyrlin herself, entered. She curtsied perfectly, the exact amount expected from a noble vistor, or perhaps a low sister, toward the Amyrlin. She sat silently, apparently waiting for someone else to begin. Sapphira allowed a few seconds of silence, but no more, too much and it would make for an uncomfortable beginning to this discussion. "Welcome Lucius, Xaria, I hope you have found our Towers and those in it to be hospitable and welcoming," she said warmly. She had no idea what Ajah Xaria had been of before her raising to the Staff and Stole, but surely no matter which she would appreciate a warm welcome.

"I see no point in pointless words, if you have anything you think we should know, please feel free to let us know, but for right now, I think we should discuss what we've all been thinking about for a little while. Rialt and I know the basics of how you came to be here, but unfortunately since your arrival, we have had little opportunity to learn anything new. So, before we get to deciding exactly what we should do, I would very much like to hear the full story, if you're willing to share?" She made it a question, and truly meant that if they did not want to discuss it they did not have to, but at the same time she expected that they would. No one denied the Amyrlin's requests, they both knew that quite well she was sure, and certainly they would want to make it clear that they did not concider themselves equal to Rialt and Sapphira. It was not really a test though, Sapphira really did want to know what had happened, in full, from rested and refreshed people, and without an audience of worried followers. She settled more comfortably into her seat and waited for either Xaria or Lucius to begin. Sapphira had no idea how this meeting was going to go. She knew quite well that both herself and Rialt could handle the discussions, both of them were good enough at this, and doubtless they would both do their fair share of the speaking today. However, she had no idea about these two, were they also fairly even when it came to this sort of thing? From what she knew about Lucius he was a bit more like Zekieal, combat minded, he was good at that, but perhaps not as good at the discussion part, as he showed when he accused Rialt of being a Forsaken. However, that could have simply been because of fatigue, worry, or any numbef of other things, she could not make that decision yet. If their world was anything like this one, certainly Xaria would have to be fairly practiced in this sort of thing, this was what Sapphira spent much of her time at, but again, that was simply an assumption and Sapphira was going to wait until she had seen a bit more before she decided about these two.

“Lucius, I trust that your accommodations have been sufficient?” The former M’Hael nodded and tried to smile pleasantly.

“Indeed they were. I am most grateful for the care you have shown to me and my people.” A moment of silence passed, and then Xaria entered the room, she glided to the chair next to him, and he had to restrain a smile as he felt her flash of irritation at the chairs.

It was Sapphira who began the conversation: “I see no point in pointless words, if you have anything you think we should know, please feel free to let us know, but for right now, I think we should discuss what we've all been thinking about for a little while. Rialt and I know the basics of how you came to be here, but unfortunately since your arrival, we have had little opportunity to learn anything new. So, before we get to deciding exactly what we should do, I would very much like to hear the full story, if you're willing to share?"

It was politely worded as a question, but Lucius was familiar with the questions made by authorities. It was an imperative that was given to him. Very well. He settled back into his seat with a sigh, and began to speak.

“Before I go into depths of the problem, I would first have you understand the turmoil that our world was in. I say this only so you will understand some of the choices that I made, and why I made them.”

“I once read a Book called Scrying the Depths It was written by a Brown Aes Sedai in my world. She said that all the Portal Worlds were essentially the same but that there was some Cataclysmic event that separated them down their separate paths. I do not know if she was right, but I cannot disprove her.”

“In my world The Dragon once led an assault to the Bore, and sealed the Dark One in a prison. The Dark One responded by Tainting Saidin, and it drove all those who could channel insane. Thousands of years later, the Dragon was Reborn. He led a group of men, who took the name Asha’man to clean the Source of Saidin. And so the men rose up again to match the Aes Sedai. The Dragon Reborn again desired to attack the Bore, and finish what he had started eons ago. The Aes Sedai again did not come to our aid, and the Dragon was killed.”

Lucius smiled faintly. “Enter myself. I was a simple Warder when the Dragon was Reborn. A Warder to a then Aes Sedai of the White Ajah.” He indicated Xaria with his head. “When I discovered I could channel, she promptly dismissed me from her service. And so I wandered for several months alone and destitute. Then the men of the Black Tower found me, they took me and molded me. They gave me a purpose. That purpose was to destroy.

“The Aes Sedai were taught all sorts of cultural training, politics, manners, and the like. We were taught to channel as much as we could and every different way to destroy something with the One Power. By the time we marched to Shayol Ghul, I was a full Asha’man. The Aes Sedai were to meet us at the Dark One’s lair, and together we would finish his evil.”

Lucius hesitated.

“The Aes Sedai never came. Asha’man and soldiers poured from Gateways expecting support, they were torn to shreds by Dreadlords and Trollocs. We retreated, but not swiftly enough The Dragon perished on the plains of Death, and all our efforts were in vain.”

“Imagine if you will, a couple hundred men who have been trained to be ferocious attack-dogs, who are seemingly betrayed, horrendously wounded, and then kill of their leaders. The result is not pretty. At least half the Asha’man disappeared on the grounds of the White Tower, and I’m quite certain how they ended up.”

“The rest of us retreated to lick our wounds, but the Shadow followed us to our base, we fled this time to a great Fortress known as the Stone of Tear. There we defended the Fortress, and repelled our attackers. We used the One Power to remold the Tower into something that was unassailable, and we began restructuring our leadership.”

“We went through several M’Haels before I rose to that vaunted rank.” He grimaced. “By this time there was open war between the Towers, and most nations had sided with the Aes Sedai. No one would trade with us, and we were starving. We were forced to take that which we would happily trade for. Cairhien sought to open trade with the Aes Sedai, and we courted them for their foodstuffs. They rejected us, so we burned the city to the ground.” Something hard flashed through Lucius’ eyes. “We warned the populace before we did so, only the fools who did not believe us perished. At this point in my world’s history there were few who did not believe us capable of following through with our threat.”

“Finally after decades of fighting, the last seal began to fracture. Forced into an alliance, we began to make plans to stop the Dark One, but time was not our ally. We were attacked by hordes. Millions upon Millions of Shadowspawn marched down upon us, and we retreated to a port city called Falme. Then a people called the Seanchan, descendants of a Great King came over the sea, and our army was trapped between two undefeatable hordes.”

“In our desperation, we used Balefire, and any other Forbidden weave we could to stay the onslaught of the Shadow. But it was not enough. Our forces were dieing by the hundreds, and just when hope died, our world faded, and we appeared here, broken and bloody.”

Lucius’ voice trailed off and a tear formed in his eye. “That is essentially our story. Are there any points you need clarification on?”

ooc -- srry for the long wait, I just needed a bit of time to think on how I was goin to respond. hope it doesnt suck!


After Rialt had taken his place at the table with Sapphira and Lucius, they all sat in silence. He couldn’t really come to a conclusion about whether or not it was an awkward silence, but he finally decided, there was a little tension involved. This whole meeting was going to be full of tension and emotion he was sure, if not apparent, then later in private. If Xaria and Lucius were not pleased with the accommodations Sapphira and he had agreed upon, he no doubt assumed that the entire contingent of Asha’man and Aes Sedai who had shown up with them would hear all about the meeting.

If Rialt had it his way, they would quietly accept the decisions and leave him to go about life. He held no mind for matters so intricately complicated. How does one even begin to deal with the issues associated with assimilating two extremely powerful leaders back into some kind of mold. For all he knew they would ask he and Sapphira for help getting back to their world…if it had been he, he would have taken his own life by now. The shame of allowing the Dark One even a foot’s inch because of petty reasonings ( at least that’s what it had seemed to him) was unthinkable. He had sacrificed everything in opposition to the Dark One…why did they not do the same when there was still time to save their world?

They probably had no idea Rialt, you are being too critical of a problem you don’t know half the details of. He had a problem with drawing too many conclusions too quickly. Most times he turned out to be right, but every now and then he miscalculated greatly. He hoped that this was one of those times.

Not so long after he had sat with his two counterparts, Xaria made her way into the room, and the squeamish novice chosen to bring her scurried off to some pointless chore or another. He nodded to her, just as he had done for the others when he arrived and patiently waited for her to take her seat. After a few moments of silence, Sapphira took it upon herself to begin the conversation. It was probably better that she be the one to speak anyway, Rialt, while he often tried to be objective and fair, sometimes came off in completely the wrong way. It was his rough exterior he knew. Being in such a position required an unbelievable amount of emotional control, but it often trickled into his normal behavior as well. The last thing he wanted, and Sapphira he was sure, was for Xaria and Lucius to think he did not care about their situation. He did, it was merely a complicated matter.

She began by asking them about their journey, and Rialt silently applauded her for giving them the floor. This needed to be done. Lucius responded, but with a sort of air of repressed sadness. At least that’s what Rialt wagered from his words and the manner in which he described things. He was chilled at listening to the stream of occurrences that led to the death of this man’s world. Aes Sedai made no effort to aid the Dragon, and because of it, he was killed. He was killed and the world began to fall into madness. He found himself attached to the story like a child, but managed to retain his dignity physically. He was both fascinated and somewhat taken aback when Lucius described the burning of Cairhein, and he was rightly disturbed when, after a forced alliance, they were defeated by Shadowsworn and the Seanchan. It was an unbelievable story in such a serene and false environment. The room seemed to echo with the voices and memories of thousands of people he never met, and never would… People whose memories where lost to evil.

Rialt did not feel the need to acknowledge Lucius’ single tear…if it had been him, he would have a face full of tears.

He needed to begin this properly, and after a few moments he slowly spoke. “A story like yours, should never have to be told with truth behind it. It is the kind of tale that would chill the bones of any grown man, Asha’man or not. Any words of mine are futile, I realize this, as I am sure you are no doubt thinking.” He took the time to alternate eye contact between the two. He could not even begin to imagine what they were thinking.

“I do not wish to make you and your contingent of Asha’man and Aes Sedai suffer any more than you have already suffered.” The statement rang true, but he let it hold for a moment before going on. “But while you do suffer, and deal with this events as best you can, I am sure that you realize the situation Sapphira and I have been put in upon your arrival here.” He made contact with the Amyrlin quickly, and judging no protests, “So we do not wish to begrudge you whatever decisions you may have come to. After such a life, such a disaster, I tried to think of what kind of accommodations we could offer you. I thought about what I would want to do, if I had been in your situation and quite frankly, the decision came to me easily. I would want to continue on as Asha’man, in whatever way I could. Partially because of this, I do not wish to begrudge you and yours that opportunity. But I also realize this may not be what you desire, or what your subordinates my desire. In that, I am personally willing to help in any way I can.”

It was quite a long speech…and he had not said merely as much as he wished to, but Sapphira would elaborate he was certain on what they both had agreed to. He hoped that he had not stepped on her toes in any of the words he had spoken, and he certainly hoped that Xaria and Lucius were not insulted by anything he had said.

After Xaria sat, this world's Amyrlin, Sapphira, welcomed both herself and Lucius, saying that she hoped they had found the Towers hospitable and welcoming. Well, they had been hospitable enough, but Xaria had not bothered to test much of the welcoming. It had been a few days, and Xaria was still trying to sort out everything that had happened, making sure that she knew exactly what she and Lucius were working toward, and trying to rid herself of the recurring nightmares of the old world. She had left behind everyone she loved. Her very first-sister had remained on the other side of the PortalStone while she herself came here, safe, and with hope for a future. The physical presence of Arkalon in the back of her mind, comparable to but much different than the Warder bond, was now gone, and Xaria felt somewhat lost and alone without it, now that she had had a chance to feel the lack. For that reason, Xaria had kept to her rooms, talking only with her dau- sisters and the servants sent to her rooms. Sapphira asked for one of them to explain what happened in their world, and how Xaria and Lucius happened to be here, leading a group of inadvertent refugees. Lucius explained, first giving some basic history that stretched far back beyond their time, then moving to more recent events, including his own dismissal from the White Tower and even going so far as to all but say that Xaria was the one he had been bonded to. Well, there was something to be said for honesty, she supposed, if they wanted Rialt and Sapphira to trust them, a good way to do it was to include little details like that, it was common knowledge among their followers anyway, and would not have been hard to find out.

Still, as Xaria listened to Lucius recount his tale, she could not help wish she had spoken first. She was not angry, he was simply telling the truth, but it was the truth from the perspective of the Asha'man. He explained how the Aes Sedai failed to help the Asha'man in their strike against the Dark One. He did not explain the antagonism between the Towers, not that it was an excuse, nor did he elaborate on the fact that the Aes Sedai could never be entirely sure whether there was a real attack, or if it was just an attempt to get the Aes Sedai to a position where they could be attacked unawares. He left out countless details that he could not really know about, but it still rankled Xaria's pride. These people knew that she led the Aes Sedai, they did not know that she had had no part in the decision not to aid the Asha'man, and so she felt that this lack of aid reflected badly upon herself, despite the fact that she had been a sister of no rank at the time. She sat silent and listened to Lucius finish his tale, there was no point in undermining him, it would simply make it seem as though they had come unprepared and still squabbling about small details even in the face of tragedy, which was completely untrue. When Lucius finished, Rialt spoke up, saying that he had the deepest sympathy for Lucius and Xaria, wishing that such a thing had never occured. He explained that, were he in their position, he thought he would want to retain his title as Asha'man, but also said that he could not speak for anyone else, and was quite ready to listen to the wishes of the refugees. Light, but it was hard for Xaria to think of herself as a refugee. Given the choice back there, she would have stayed and fought until the very end, died with her comrades and been proud to do so. There was no choice though, she was here now, and she had to deal with what the Wheel wove for her, even if she could not understand why. Cool and emotionless as she usually was, the events of the past week were tearing a hole in Xaria's calm, one that she could not afford, it had to be mended quickly for the sake of everyone she led.

When Rialt finished speaking, Xaria glanced at Lucius, much as she had seen Rialt do with Sapphira. What Rialt had said he- they -were willing to allow was exactly what Lucius and Xaria had determined they wanted: the opportunity to remain Aes Sedai, Asha'man, Gaidin and Gaidar. She could hardly believe it was going to work out that perfectly, surely there would have to be some sort of catch. Well, she would never find that catch unless they discussed it. Lucius, she thought, had done the majority of the talking he would do today, they both knew coming into this that Xaria would do most of the negotiating. She had a stronger hold on her emotions than he, and was typically better at this sort of thing- the Aes Sedai had never destroyed an entire city just to prove a point, after all. "I am glad to hear you say that, Father," she said with a deferential nod. Father, the word sounded so strange on her tongue, as she knew Mother would when she had an opportunity to try it out. "Retaining our title is exactly what we want to do. I can tell you the name and Ajah of every sister who came with us, and Lucius can tell you the name of every Asha'man, between the two of us, we can name the Gaidin and Gaidar." Xaria was aware that the Ajahs may not be exactly the same here, but at least they had the same names, judging by the stole on Sapphira's shoulders. She also knew that the Asha'man in this world had something similar to Ajahs, called Shens as she had learned over the past few days, something that the Black Tower in their world had never seen fit to impliment, concidering themselves little more than weapons, they had never had any use for it. Xaria concidered telling Sapphira and Rialt a few of the things that she and Lucius had agreed they would concede to, but decided against it. First, she wanted to see what they expected of them, and after that, they would determine what demands they were willing to meet. Not even for these two would Xaria abase the name and stature of her daughters, no one could be allowed sully the name of Aes Sedai in any manner, not even other Aes Sedai. Xaria fell silent and waited for either Rialt or Sapphira to reply with some sort of offer of their own.

Sapphira listened as Lucius recounted what at first appeared to be a simple history of her own world. It was only similar for a few seconds though, and after that it could not have been more different. Disunity between the Towers, Aes Sedai and Asha'man squabbling like children, what a disgrace. Sapphira did not have long to dwell on that though, as Lucius quickly went on to tell a rather horrifying tale. Upon their arrival, Sapphira had worried that the world Lucius and Xaria came from was the world that the Dragon Reborn had Traveled to to fight the Last Battle, but Lucius' story quickly made it clear that that was not the case. Lucius told an awful story of his own personal loss, seemingly at the hands of Xaria and because of his own ability to channel. He went on to tell a much more terrible account of the betrayal of the Aes Sedai, the destruction of an entire city, what basically sounded like a war between the Aes Sedai and Asha'man, a last desperate attempt to defeat the Dark One and when all hope was lost against the Shadow how they continued to fight, and as if despair had not claimed them enough already, the Seanchan arrived, and unlike this world, apparently they were not loose allies across the PortalStone. Sapphira could completely understand why they had used the forbidden weaves. It was a far better reason than any Sapphira had ever come up against, and yet in her zeal and youth, she had found herself using a forbidden weave, only once in her life, but it had provided enough of a scar in her memory that she completely understood why they were forbidden. Still, in the instance that Lucius described, Sapphira could see no other option, and apparently that was what got them here in the end. A weave gone wrong, just what was needed for the PortalStone to send them here. Quite a coincidence, if Sapphira was not looking at the living proof, she was sure she would never believe it. Yet here they were, and Sapphira had no choice but to believe every word they said. Although they were the visitors, on a certain level, this world was at their mercy, if they were lying the Light only knew what the consequences would be. Sapphira pushed that skeptical, suspicious voice down, before she decided that these people were Darkfriends she had to hear them out.

When Lucius finished, Rialt immediately jumped in, saying just what was necessary, and he did it quite eloquently. Yes, Sapphira was suddenly quite glad that this man was M'hael right now rather than Zekieal. Much as she might miss her old friend, and as little liking as she may have for Rialt, there was no denying that he was far better at anything political, Zekieal was far too suspicious and quick to act to be very useful in this sort of situation. Still, his presence would have lent her strength, not like the Warder bond of course, but they had relied on each other long enough that working side by side was second nature, even after so many years of having jobs that kept them apart. She focused herself back on the meeting, there was no time for missing her old friend, and right now Xaria was replying to Rialt's offer to let them retain their titles as Aes Sedai and Asha'man. She offered to share the name and Ajah of every sister, and volunteered Lucius to name the Asha'man, and said that the two of them together could name all the Gaidin and Gaidar. That was almost a superfluous detail, Sapphira thought, either they would accept them as a group, or they would not, the odds of turning away only one or two of the refugees were incredibly slim. Names could be found later, it would not take long, right now Sapphira wanted to make sure she could trust these people.

She was very glad that she and Rialt had met before this, judging by Rialt's reaction to Lucius' tale, and how she felt about it herself, if they had not come into this prepared, they would have had very different ideas about what to do. Upon hearing what they had to say, Sapphira was filled with sympathy, she could not imagine going through what they had seen, and then having to come and beg safety and aid from the very people they had been only a few days ago. At the same time, the more reasonable side of her, the side that had chosen the Red so many years ago, was screaming for attention. Even though she was looking right at them, it was a very farfetched story, only the Dark One knew the tales he could concoct to aim a strike at the Towers. That was why they had to make sure these people were telling the truth, and would be loyal to the Towers. The first was more important, but the second was of the essence as well, if these people retained too much of their loyalty to their old home, to Lucius and to Xaria it would prove disasterous for the Towers. Doubtless there would be division if the refugees did not become as loyal to this world and these Towers as every other Aes Sedai, Asha'man and Gaidin. Not only that, but they had to learn the culture of this world, which was clearly quite different from their own. They had to learn the differences in the Towers and decide how they would spend their lives in this world. Under no circumstances could they be allowed to assimilate immediately into the ranks they claimed to have held in another world, that much was completely out of the question, and thankfully Rialt had agreed with her on that point.

"I am glad to hear that you are open to staying here," she began, "it will bring many good opportunities for us, and hopefully we will be able to help you heal from the unthinkable losses you have suffered. As Rialt said, we are quite willing to let you join the ranks of our Aes Sedai, Asha'man and Gaidin, however there are a few things we must require. It pains me that we must take such precautions, but one can never know the mind or plans of the Dark One if one does not walk in his inner circles. Therefore, to prevent an attack on our own Towers and our own people, we hope you will accept what we offer. I want nothing more than to see your followers become a part of our people, especially after hearing the tale of your loss and your bravery in the face of everything that happened to you." Sapphira paused for a moment. She hoped that by this point, she had put enough flowery words in front of what she had to say to make it more swollowable, she knew that if someone were approaching her with what she were about to offer she would be upset, but it was necessary. "We are willing to take any of your followers who wish, we will turn none aside, anyone who has been able to attain the rank of Aes Sedai, Asha'man or Gaidin in another world certainly possesses the traits that we require in this world, from what I have seen we are alike enough in that respect. However, we cannot assimilate you immediately into the ranks. There are too many cultural differences that are necessary to learn, it will be much easier to learn those without having to deal with the undercurrents of the Aes Sedai and Asha'man I'm sure."

Sapphira glanced at Rialt, much as she had explained and excused, she knew this would be difficult. "We ask that you be willing to assume a rather odd rank. I would never ask anyone who has earned the title of sister to defer to an initiate, and the same with the Asha'man. So, we would like to concider you to be in a stage that is above that of Accepted and Dedicated, but below that of Aes Sedai and Asha'man. I cannot give a definite timeframe for this stage, as I'm sure it will be different for each person, but it will not be overly long, that much I promise you. Your sisters, should you choose to accept this offer, will become known as Dar d'ma Aman- Sisters of the Dragon, Asha'man will be Alantin d'ma Aman- Brothers of the Dragon, and Gaidin will be Algai d'ma Aman- Fighters of the Dragon. Unfortunately, this will require a certain amount of deference on your part to our full ranked brothers and sisters, but this will not be abused. None of your followers will be given chores or errands to run, nor Power training to complete, we simply want you to learn about our Towers. When it is determined that the Dar d'ma Aman are ready to assimilate into the rank of Aes Sedai, we will ask them to unswear whatever Oath or Oaths you have sworn, and swear our own Oath- to speak no word that is untrue. They will then be allowed to choose whichever Ajah they wish to join, be it the same as in your world or no. The same will be true of Alantiin d'ma Aman, but instead of choosing an Ajah they will choose a Shen. Neither rank will be required to take the raising test, what you have been through is more than enough to prove your worth."

Sapphira fell silent. As much as was possible, she had avoided saying "we" or "you" in any way that made this world's channelers superior to theirs. After all, Sapphira really was hoping to achieve perfect equality, like what the Aes Sedai and Asha'man had achieved here. It was necessary that Lucius and Xaria understand that Sapphira and Rialt were in charge, and that to an extent they would have to defer to the members of these Towers. It was a delicate situation, but she sincerely hoped that as leaders they would see the necesity, there was no other way that Sapphira could see. She and Rialt had discussed this for hours, making sure that they afforded every possible freedom to these people, the simple fact was that they could do no more without jeopardizing themselves and those they led. Much as Sapphira eventually wanted these newcomers to become part of that group, right now, they were separate, and Sapphira's first priority and responsibility was to the White Tower and the safety of everyone living and training in it, novice, Accepted or Aes Sedai. She looked at the faces of each of the other three in the room, Rialt had known what was coming of course, but there was no way Lucius and Xaria could have been entirely prepared. She studied each of their faces carefully, looking for any sign of what they thought about the proposition. Likely they had come to this meeting with their own ideas of how things would work, and Sapphira would be willing to listen to what they had to say, but she could not very well justify changing much of what she and Rialt had determined, precaution was more necessary than anything else right now.

((Somehow I never knew anyone had posted since i posted last.....sorry))

Lucius tried to focus, to focus on the words of his, equals? His superiors? His...whatever they were. But somewhere in the back of his mind, the voices of the lost echoed. Like and endless dripping stalactite, with each drop a scream of eternal torment of a soul trapped in an eternal hell by the Dark One. With an effort, Lucius shut those buzzing sounds of his imagination back in the dark recesses of his head.

Rialt, the M'Hael, seemed the most affected by Lucius' words. But then he too was a M'Hael, and Lucius could only assume that he understood more of the way that true Asha'man acted. Saidin was a raging inferno of chaos and death. Compared to Saidin, Saidar was a warm spring day in an open meadow with growing golden wheat, and a picnic lunch to-boot. People who spent so much time channeling the essence of their Source began to develop tendencies of their same Source. Aes Sedai were known for their calm, quiet demeanors, and their smooth flowing actions. Asha'man were raging firestorms of death and destruction when compared to the peaceful Aes Sedai.

Thus, it seemed natural to Lucius that Rialt was more in sympathy with him than Sapphira and Xaria. They could just not understand, through no failing of their own.

Rialt's words confirmed Lucius' impression of him. He knew that given time, he would come to respect this man greatly. the very air around Rialt thrummed with an aura of command and intelligence. Lucius even let himself dream for a moment that he could be happy here, under this man one day. It would be nice, to have a second chance at redemption, at halting the Dark One, with Xaria. It would be nice too, he conceded to have some of the mantle of responsibility to be lifted from his shoulders. And while he would not shirk from his duty, he did not seek to hinder its passing.

It was Sapphira, however who would set the parameters of their new life it seemed, and so she did.She spoke at length of their co-operation, and assimilation into the greater tower. It all sounded fine and dand,y but Lucius wanted to know how it was to be done. Then, they reached the catch: ..."Your sisters, should you choose to accept this offer, will become known as Dar d'ma Aman- Sisters of the Dragon, Asha'man will be Alantin d'ma Aman- Brothers of the Dragon, and Gaidin will be Algai d'ma Aman- Fighters of the Dragon."

Part of Lucius, the part that had seen and done the terrible things in the war against the Aes Sedai instantly flared into awareness at the combination of Aes Sedai, and "Sisters of the Dragon". He struggled to keep his composure. That was an old rivalry, one that had been buried and repaired. However, it still rankled that they who abandoned the Dragon would be remembered as his "Sisters". Still, he rather liked the term "Brother of the Dragon". At least he was alive to have his likes and dislikes.

He glanced to Xaria, who gave no outward sign of dissent to him. Slowly, the big man, former M'Hael of the Black Tower, survivor of two Tarmon Gai'Don, and mostly, tired and worn man, slowly he rose from his chair. He stared intently at the two people before him, knowing he was trusting more than just his life to them. he was trusting the lives of people who had no where left to go in them.

But then again, what choice did he have?

Slowly, he bowed his head, and crossed his right arm over his chest with a fist to his heart. And with those fateful two words, he bound the Four Towers together for eternity.

"We accept."