Finally, Alilisa was able to wonder out into the city by herself! The Amyrlin had given everyone a free day, so Alilisa was off to see if she could find any adventures. Alilisa was eyeing all the pretty dresses in the windows, and she wished she could wear different colored dresses, instead of the white drab one she had to wear becasue she was a novice. She looked about the streets to see if she could spot any of her fellow novices, or even a handsome Recruit. There were so many people in the city, and she had a hard time making her way through the crowds. Vendors were shouting and trying to sell their goods, the smell of baked bread hung in the hair. Alilisa wished she had some money, but it was forbidden for her to have any.

Someone bumped into Alilisa and almost knocked her over, he didn't even apolozize, he seemed in a hurry. Alilisa was finally able to squeeze through the crowds, and came to a quite spot near an ally way. She knew she had dare not go into the ally, there were some weird people about. For some strange reason the necklace on her neck seemed to be pulling on her neck. She tucked it into the neck of her dress, and turned around. A figure with the hood of his cloak covering his face stood there. Alilisa felt the same chills as that one night, when her family was visited by those strangers. He, or it grabbed her by the arm. He seemed to be sniffing at her, as if looking for something. Alilisa remembered what her father had said about the necklace, and tried to pull away. "Give it to me!" The Myrddraal hissed, his voice like leaves crumbling. Alilisa couldn't find her voice to scream, it drug her in the ally and threw her down. It tried to claw at her, to get the necklace, Alilisa didn't know what to do. Who would rescue her?

It was Freeday; A day of joy and celebration; a day of freedom, where the low can consort with the high and the high consort with the low.

Mishael wanted none of it.

Mishael had always found such days, rare as they were, to be a waste of time and energy. But they did provide decent cover for him to meet with his eyes and ears, few as they were inside the city proper. Mishael was walking down a street, hardly noticing the faces of the people he passed. He was still wearing his uniform, he kept forgetting to Travel back to the Black Tower and change, and most people stepped out of his way. He was walking through the steets when he caught it's scent, a Neverborn! Light, what is a neverborn doing in the heart of Tar Valon?

Mishael really didn't care about the answer to his question, the scent seemed to make all thought flee, faster than if he had tried to assume the Void. He was walking by an inn named 'The Alabaster Scroll' when he caught sight of the neverborn. It was looming over a young girl, near the mouth of an alley. Before Mishael could take 2 steps, the neverborn was dragging the girl into the alley. Mishael rushed into the alley as quickly as he could, drawing his sword in the same action.

When Mishael entered the alley, the neverborn was trying to grasp at something around the girl's neck. Mishael didn't really care if it was trying to waltz with her, it was a neverborn. Mishael seized Saidin and spin three different webs, one to pull the neverborn off the girl, another to cleve it's head off, and a third to shield the girl from the rain of black blood the came from the neverborn's neck. after tossing the still struggling corpse aside, Mishael knelt next to the girl, and Delved into her. Mishael had no real talent for Delving, but he was still able to see if she had any physicl injuries. Which, thankfully, she didn't.

Mishael prpped her into a sitting position and took a good look at her face. It was Alilisa, Nanaia's mentee. That was a bit of a shock, but Mishael didn't let it show. She suddenly came to, gasping for the necklace that was still resting there, like most people would do, but the relief that showed on her face when she felt it was considerably more than if it were just a bauble. She then noticed Mishael, and he could planely see the fear in her eyes, as well as smell it eminating from every pore. Mishael spoke, but in a soothing voice, one he rarely used. "it's alright, Alilisa, the neverborn is gone. My name is Mishael, you may have heard of me from you mentor, Nanaia. I won't harm you any more than you would me." Mishael hoped that he had not scared this novice too.

Alilisa was still shaking from fright. She hid the necklace back into the neckline of her white dress. Mishael seemed friendly, and she had seen him on occasion talking to Nanaia. She hoped she wouldn't get into trouble. If she did, she would never understand why she would get into trouble. It wasn't her fault she was being chased after. Alilisa knew she should have never gone into the city. But in her carefree attitude, nothing had mattered. She had forgotten about the important necklace, and the shadowspawn that were seeking it. Why had her father given her such a burden? It wasn't fair! Tears began to stream down her face, she couldn't help it anymore. Alilisa began to sob. Now she would have to tell everyone about the necklace, they might even send her away. Who would want to train a novice that was so dangerous.

She looked up at Mishael, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, I should have never gone into the city!

Mishael buddled her under his arm, and they made their way back to the White Tower. How was she ever going to explain this? What would they do to her? She hoped they did not ask questions, cause she was afraid to answer them. Alilisa was still pretty clueless herself on what was going on.

"I'm so sorry, I should have never gone into the city! " She said. Mishael could do nothing but try to comphort her and take her back to the White Tower. "It's okay, you are allowed in the city; it is free day after all. Why don't you tell me all you know about that necklace of your's. "


The girl was still sobbing, but it gradually subsided. As the tears subsided, a new thread of fear began to work it's way into her scent, that seemed to be caused by his words. Mishael wanted to know everything about an item that would cause a Neverborn to enter any city, let alone Tar Valon itself, but he was very tired of making every novice he ran into run for the hills with fear. "you don't have to tell me, it just might be easier to prepare against another attack, Light forbid one ever happens". He hoped she would answer him, and hopefully wouldn't feel like he was digging into her pesonal history.

Alilisa wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. She knew that he would ask that question. What should she tell him? Alilisa thought it over a bit. He was right, if he knew what it was, perhaps more attacks could be prevented. But would the necklace be taken away? And if it was taken away would it be all for the better.

Alilisa took a deep breath. "I'm not sure what it is, but my father gave it to me to safeguard." She swallowed. "He said it was a dark ter'angreal that the shadow was after, and that they must never have it." Would Mishael yell at her for not saying something to anyone? She hoped he would not be angry with her. Alilisa at the time had no idea how important the necklace was to the shadow. She thought that they'd just leave her alone, and that she'd be safe withing the White Tower walls.

Mishael didn't seem angry at the moment. Alilisa did not want to make him so, she did not know him well enough to know what he did when he was angry.