Ripple Two: A Written Order
written by Sagone (NPC), Tan’qui al’Taya and Ranno al’Din (NPC)

A message was slipped underneath the door of Tan'qui's small quarters. The small yellow parchment was folded neatly twice with a blank wax sigil. When opened it read;

Tan'qui waited for the door to Sagone Asha'mans study as the man told him to wait outside till called for. First he left me a note which says I should come to him before anything else, and now he's keeping me on hold? A quick thought ran through his mind. He got up with a sore head from too much fun that night. He smiled when he thought of Drelle again. Light, she's so great!

After getting himself dressed and washed, he hurried himself, walking as fast as possible without having an Aes Sedai or Asha'man telling him to slow down, to the quarters of the Master of Soldiers. Luckily enough, the Asha'man was in his chambers, so Tan'qui got it all fixed pretty quick.
And then, after asking the way to Sagone chambers three times, he found it, and was told to wait outside! One day, he promised himself, I'll get that ...

Sagone Asha'mans voice interrupted him, probably preventing him from foolish promises, and called him in. Curious what the man wanted, Tan'qui opened the door.

Watching Eya Sedai leave his study, Sagone smiled ruefully when her hips swayed towards the door. She was catlike in her movements and she was obviously aware of the effect she caused upon the minds of men. Before she reached the door, it opened before the Soldier he had summoned. Either if the young man bowed or not, the Aes Sedai would not have noticed as she walked right passed him. It appeared she did not even spare him a glance.

Yet when she passed him she threw an eye over her shoulder. The hem of her deep green dress flourished as she swept of in the corridor. Sagone had seen her glance, and knew the reason. The Green Ajah woman had a liking for men, and tall blonde ones in particular. He surpressed his smile before the Solder met his eyes.

"Good morning, Soldier Tan'qui. How does your training fare? I hear you are making progress."

"I guess you could say I am. But there's still so much to learn. I wonder how one can remember it all." Tan'qui said, walking up to the man behind the desk. For some reason the man seemed smaller. When they met, the man looked much taller and broader then he did now. Now he was just ordinary, a little bit smaller than Tan'qui, somewhat broader in the shoulders, but not as muscled as most of the warders the young Soldier had seen. Tan'qui pushed a lock of his blonde hair back from his eyes.

With that short black hair of him he never has to worry about such things. Black? Last time it was brown. He wanted to say something about it, but held himself back when he saw the Asha'mans face. The man always had a stone-face, which should be quite funny with his big nose, but in fact it wasn't, but this time it seemed more... tight. Like the man was controlling some emotions. The dark blue eyes were mirrors, they didn't show any thought. Looking at them, Tan'qui remembered his reason for coming here, and mad a quick bowe.

"You wanted to see me, Sagone Asha'man?" Tan'qui made very sure his face was plain, so it wouldn't show his curiosity. Most Asha'man (and Aes Sedai, for that matter) didn't like Soldiers questifying their motives.

Sagone regarded Tan'qui a moment beofrehe spoke up. "Indeed I did," he said and sat down behind his desk. "I have a task for you which might seem a bit... easy. I'm in need of a Warder. Either a Gaidin or a Gaidar, it does not matter. I have not been to the Yards for some months now, being stuck up here with reports from my eyes and ears. And my duties keep me from going down there and seek out a suitable Bondmate. In a few weeks, I leave for Ilian and the situation there with the Seanchan makes me regret i have have not taken the tiem to find one yet."

Leaning back in his chair, Sagone folded his hands before his face, resting his elbows on the arms of the high-backed chair. "Now, I need you to spend the day in the Yards and report all you can find out about the Unbonded Warders there. Tell me who you deem to be the most fitting. Use your own judgement here. Think about who you'd want to Bond. Do you have any questions about the task?"

Sagone sat silent, awaiting the young man's response. His eyes did not look away for an instant. He trummed his fingers against the knuckles of his other hand. He judged his instructions would be enough but the Solder could ask away, as long as he was going to comply. This was more like a favour asked, but he could make it an order if needed be.

Tan'qui looked at the Asha'man in absolute surprise. "I don't mean to upset you, Sagone Asha'man, but how would I be able to find you a warder? I don't know that much about you, and I now absolutely nothing about any of the Warders. I don't think I am suited for that task."

Tan'qui could do nothing but turn around and do as the Asha'man has asked, or better, told, him to do. So he walked out the office, unaware of the Asha'mans smile behind his back. He walked on to the Warder Yards and meanwhile prepared himself for a boring day, just watching Warders spar and making notes. Notes! He hurried back to his room to grab some papers and a pen, and then hurried back to the Warder Yards. If only Drelle could be with him. But she probably had classes and such, keeping her away.

Arriving at the Warder Yards, Tan'qui searched for and found a comfortable place in the sun, where he could see most of the training and sparring grounds, and prepared himself for a long sit.

Tan'qui barely suppressed a yawn. This must be the most boring job one could ever get. Well, at least it gave him the time to work on his article for Calliandre Sedai. That woman always gave boring assignments, but they also took a lot of time to work out.

He looked up from the paper he was working on, to have a quick look at the gaidin and gaidar on the trainingcomplex. For some reason they seemed more tensed, like there was something wrong. The feeling was all over the place, like air. He decided to ignore it. He already had the name's of three Gaidin and two Gaidar who seemed suitable for Sagone Asha'man. But the day wasn't even halfway, noon had still to come.

He put his papers aside. The sparring Gaidin and Gaidar were dancing, almost like they weren't fighting at all. Almost, because at every point during their dance they kept looking dangerous. It was thrilling and beautiful as well as scary. For a moment he dreamed of being a Warder himself, to dance with his sword. But he shook it aside. He knew his training as a channeler took to much time, he didn't have enough time to become so dedicated to his sword. Maybe when he was an Asha'man, but not for now.

Tan'qui rose up from some disturbance. Something was... unusual... around the Halls. He couldn't describe it, it was just a feeling. He walked that way, trying to find out what it was. And then he saw it. A Warder was just about to cut a young man loose from the building. A young Drin'far'ji. And he was hung.

It shocked Tan'qui to his very core. Someone was mudered! Here! In the Tower! How? Who could have done this? And why? He quickly moved forward, towards the Warder Halls. Fear filled him, rushing through his bones, freezing him from the inside.

As he reached the Halls, another Warder stopped him. "Where do you think you're going?" he said, not very friendly.
"I-I'm sorry. I-I wanted to know, what has happened. Who hung him? Why would someone do such a thing?" Panic was reaching out for him.

This was a bad morning in Ranno's reckoning. Dressed in the black, formal uniform of a sa'ji'alantin, the morning breeze luffed his light grey cloak like a sail. His hand rested upon the pommel of his longsword, and the blond man with dark grey eyes felt tempted to use it, just to express the carefully hidden anger he felt.

There Luantar hung, bloody and cold, on the front of the Warder Hall. And because of it, everything had changed. Even to breathe wrong now would be hazardous. Who had done this? Surely not Jhedan or Clavil? Not Jhedan, no, but could Clavil be that stupid? He needed to find them.

Someone ran behind him, and when he saw that it was a mere soldier rushing freely across the Yards, he brought him to a halt and asked what he was doing. It happened per reflex, the authority of his rank and the obligations the Yards had bestowed upon him taking over. Even if his vows lay elsewhere, it was good to keep the facade up. Upon hearing his answer, Ranno al'Din looked down at the young channeler he had intercepted, it seemed like he thought him a warder, his sa'ji'alantin garments probably hard to recognize as there were so few of it's rank. "No one knows, Soldier. Now leave the Yards, there is nothing more to see here," he said and half turned before he looked downto him again. And Idea had come to his mind. "Wait, you could help. I need you to find Eya Sedai of the Green Ajah. She should be in her private chambers by now. Tell her that Ranno al'Din, Clavil Fon'har and Jhedan Storm-foot request to meet her by noon in her study. Tell her it has to do with the murder. This is very important. Now be off, Soldier. And hurry."

Turning his back to the young man, he had already forgotten him. His eyes narrowed as he saw a ji'alantin ... one he remembered to be named Shyne ... reach out from a nearby window and move the body from the rope and pull it in. Most interesting? he thought, and with that he walked inconspicuously towards the Warder Hall and entered.

Maybe this could turn out to be a good morning after all.

Tan'qui felt angered for being ignored right after the being given the order, but he suppressed it. Alright, of to find that Aes Sedai, Eya Sedai was it?, and give her the message. Oh, and I have to find Sagone Asha'man and tell him all about it. He would want to know. But first comes that Aes Sedai.

And he turned, back to the Tower, off to find Eya Sedai of the Green Ajah.

Chapter One: Dawn to Murder
~Ripple One: The Sunrise
~Ripple Two: A Written Order
~Ripple Three: Where are you, Luantar?
~Ripple Four: Uncertainty
~Ripple Five: One Fine Morning
~Ripple Six: Taking Action, at Whatever the Cost

Return to the Ripples Intro