Chapter Three: The Dawn of Blood
written by Jhedan Storm-foot

When they entered, the Asha'man's study lay empty and abandoned in a hurry.

Jhedan Storm-foot saw candles still burning on the wide desk, the papers in disarray. On the Atha'an Miere ships, one could never leave candles or oil-lamps like that. In the event of nasty weather, many ships throughout history had been set to flame because of forgotten flames in the cabins. On the other hand, fire was Sagone Asha'man's speciality. If anyone could claim able to handle it... he could. Isn't he supposed to attend this meeting too? Standing next to the desk, his back towards the furthest wall, Jhedan watched as Clavil Fon'Har stretched his imposing frame and leant towards the wall beside the door. Eya Grenwyne strode across the room and sat down in an armchair, whatever she was thinking not showing in her grey eyes. What are we waiting for?

The cut of her dresses never failed to draw the sa'ji'alantin's eyes. She was wearing a deep green one with two long slits along her legs, and she had removed her green-fringed shawl. It was unfair how only Ranno could relish that body, just because she approved of his appearance. It was uncommon that people of their sort would involve themselves in such a way they had. And their shorebound behavior made it even less incomprehensible to him. Why the Andoran? She must realize that, as a sea-folk man, the wind blows harder in my sails.

There was long silence, until Jhedan... hardly renowned for his patience... spoke up. "Why should we hold the meeting here, Eya?" he asked the woman he was sworn to while he began to crack his knuckles. She had probably already warded the study from eavesdroppers, so he assumed it was safe to speak. "Ranno told us to go to your study."

Eya's eyes slowly turned to his, and the blank stare she delivered froze his hands. "Because he said so," she said in without emotion, "and Ranno al'Din is dead." She delivered the news like she as saying that there had been rain yester morn. The implications of this information blew like a storm inside Jhedan's skull. He realized that his mouth was open and clicked it shut. Ranno... he thought. Maybe the woman hadn't been that close to the man then, considering the casualness she delivered the intelligence. Only then did he realize whom she had referred to in the first statement, a cold hand folding over his spine. So he is no myth after all...

Shar'rahien had come to the Grey Tower.

"Then it is true," said Clavil, his eyes hidden under his bulky forehead, though they glinted like chiselled granite when he looked up towards Eya, "he exists. Why is he here?" The Domani was a man of few words, and obviously, he thought his statement was enough.

"It was his design to have the four of us take the places of the Warder Officers. Now Ranno is dead, so he will have to find another among those who serve the Great Lord of the Dark. I know there are others, yet since we are not allowed to be aware of many others with our shared conviction... as a precaution... I cannot say for sure that he will find a decent one. Obviously there are a few behind the battlements who are submitted to our cause. There was a girl visiting me today for example. Novice Drelle Tai'Shar was her name... and she even knew of Oberon. The Dawn of Blood is the one who has conjured these plans we follow though." replied Eya. There was a long pause before she resumed. "And he ..."

"And I am most displeased with the way you have carried them out."

Jhedan spun a quarter of a circle to locate the sound of the voice. His hand was like a vice around the ivory hilt of his blade. The halcyon voice was smooth; though there was something very unnerving with the firmness each word had been shaped by. When Jhedan found the source of the voice, his eyebrows shot up. He stood before the door they all had come through, though how could he have failed to see it open and let the man in? Clavil, who stood a few feet beside him, appeared equally surprised and had backed away into the room. They both knew this man.

"You!" blurted Jhedan, his grip around the hilt lessening, "but you are..."

"Yes," he said, his hands folding behind his back, "I am." He was dressed in a plain black shirt and tunic... black like sin... and his equally dark breeches made him look like a shadow. His lustrous dark hair was combed back to frame hard angles in a face to young to suit them. He probably drew the attention of the women-folk, thought Jhedan, since if his appearance did not draw them in, the dangerous aura emanating from him would. There was a kind of... exotic... no, mysterious nature about his features, a quality no artist in the world could hope to capture. And his eyes, they had appeared hazel before, yet now they were more dark than anything Jhedan had seen. A trick, thought the Sea Folk man. His dark clothes brought out the darkness in those orbs. Yet when looking into those eyes, those black and shiny pools of coal oil were as real as the stone floor, as the fact of his body. As far as one could see, he was only wearing a sword by his side.

Eya Grenwyne was the only one between the three that appeared unaffected by his mysterious entrance. She stood and made a deep, if a little hesitant, curtsy. She probably didn't do it often. "Hail to the Shar'rahien. Hail to the Dawn of Blood."

And when those eyes found his, Jhedan was compelled to follow in the Aes Sedai's wake and bowed. "Hail to the Dawn of Blood." Why was his voice uncertain? The revelation of who his liege was still unnerved him.

"Hail to the Dawn of Blood," Clavil repeated, his bow jerky, as he just had found his manners too late. When he straightened, his eyes looked haggard.

There was a pause filled with the contempt emanating from the man. His scowl contradicted the ease of his voice, "You have failed. For naught, I have planned this day from its morn to its dusk. You have rended my weeks of preparations, spying and plotting asunder. You have chopped off my legs underneath me because of your stupidity. The only reason why I let you live is that you are not the worst to blame. It seems our late friend Sagone Ordon went ahead of himself and executed his part of the plan prematurely."

The cheeks of Eya visibly paled, "What?"

The Dawn turned to the source of the statement. "Is your hearing at fault, bastard daughter of Faeuron? Yes, he took his chosen men and struck at the Executive Council. I ask then, where were you? Were you mating with your late cousin again? Didn't it occur to you to aid poor, dead Sagone?`

Now Eya was angry, her brows were lowered and her face obviously flushed. Her Aes Sedai bearing was thorn to shreds by the sharp words. "How dare you..."

"Oh, I dare. You have no comprehension of my daring. I dare even goat out your eyes and lock this door before your two puny men here react. I might even have hamstringed them before they have their swords out. I dare lock this door when I leave, and let the authorities of this school come here and find you. For they will come here." He took a step forward, and Jhedan found himself taking one back, his hand going for the hilt. His brow was beaded with sweat, his gaunt features strained to keep his face.

Though the Dawn stopped to continue, "You realize that they will come here within the hour? Sagone had managed to put the whole Warder Halls to flame and kill two Officers before the Representative used what they call ?Balefire' on him. A pity, for his accomplishments were then eradicated. And here we are, without our dear pyromancher and with the united Tower against us. Within the hour, actions will be taken to locate the three of you and have you dead, dead and dead."

Jhedan wasn't sure his heart was beating anymore. His mouth was dry as paper. They know...

"The veil has been thorn. You are exposed and bare to Tower Law. You realize you have no alternative paths now?" The Dawn's glare was like fangs embedded in your head, gnawing at your skull. "Where you would have been in the clear and able to remain here, you now have to smite your way out."

Silence came then, for none spoke while the Dawn waited for their reply. Eya looked dumbfolded. Clavil looked like he was going to vomit on Sagone's Aiel rug. Jhedan wasn't too sure he could keep his footing much longer. One thought returned to him over and over, like waves rolling to shore. They know. They know. They know. Suddenly feeling very claustrophobic, he wanted to get out of the dim study. Air, lots of air. He wanted the vast sky of the ocean like never before.

"You know the plan. You know what to do. I want so dearly to make you pay for what you have done. Though I know, the chance is great that the Tower will take the toll in my place. If you want to survive, you had better start preparing right away. Whilst the three of you are damned, you should die and know that you were not alone in the Great Lord's service to go undetected all these years inside the battlements. The day is far from over yet. I bid you farewell, for I have the distinct feeling we won't be meeting again."

Then the man turned and left. For a moment, he thought that the Dawn would lock the door behind him. However, to the relief of the three remaining, the click never came. Eya was the first to find herself again. She stood abruptly. "We must make haste," she said, but her voice did not bear fully. "we must."

They left. And commenced.

Chapter Three: The Dawn of Blood
~Ripple One: Alive
~Ripple Two: Captured
~Ripple Three: Trapped
~Ripple Four: Questions
~Ripple Five: Your Mission
~Ripple Six: Task Presented
~Ripple Seven: Vengeful Assassain
~Ripple Eight: Echoes

Return to the Ripples Intro