Ripple Two: Captured
written by Dinan Clegine, Durent Antian, Jolartin Votashen and Negrath Devir

Dinan Clegine was led down the corridors of the Grey Tower by his captors. To where, he did not know.

The two Channelers walked behind him and the young man... who Dinan now recognized as some sort of aspirant Warder because of the light grey uniform he wore. The younger had his sword uncovered and would obviously render any attempt of escape on his part short. The assasin tried to hear what the two men behind him spoke of, but there was no sound emanating form their lips. And every time he tried to look over his shoulder to read their lips, the trainee would poke him with his sword and scold him. Aggravated at his situation, the proud man tested the invisible bounds, which crossed his wrists behind his back. He could just as well have been bounded by steel wires.

He had hope, because they had been unable to find the body of his brother Sinon. His brother would set him free somehow. He still had faith, for they had done so for each other on a few occasions before. Blood was thicker than water, and even if their employer would pay them for some other assassination inside these flaming battlements, his albino twin would come to him in the end. Sinon would not leave without him.

He mouthed a bitter course as his bandaged right hand wouldn't stop aching with pain.

Looking over to the young man with the sword... Negrath wasn't it?... he searched his eyes and gave him a mock-warm smile. "By the time I killed my first nobleman, you were still suckling on your mother teat. You should think twice before using that toothpick of yours upon me. It might end up where you don't want it."

Durent's temper had calmed since the fight in the library, and he had very quickly regained the emotionless, regal face that had taken years to master. As they walked, he had woven a small, mobile ward against sound. No one would be able to hear his and Jolartin's conversation, and Durent trusted Warder training enough to trust Negrath to know what to do with the assasin. He had already told Negrath and Jolartin where they were going: the Green Ajah Halls. He was hoping to find Miahala and Saphire there, and together he could get explanations and directions on what to do.

As he walked, he very much hoped to get an explanation from Jolartin, or at least find out what he knew. "Jolartin, I need you to tell me what you know about what happened today in the Library, for I am currently very much in the dark; a position that I greatly dislike. Do you know this man? I know what he is, and I'm assuming you were his target, but aside from that, I know nothing." Durent kept walking as he waited for the man's answer, taking frequent glances to the assasin and Negrath.

Jolartin turned to look at the Asha'man as they walked, and had three thoughts. First, since all Dedicated are supposed to act as though they have already taken the Three Oaths meant that he could not lie to the man without breaking that. Second, the Asha'man would probably know anyway. And third, the Asha'man could very well become quite upset once the explanation was given.

"Before I go any further, Asha'man, there is something you need to know. I have never broken a rule of the Tower. In fact, I would never even entertain the idea. The so-called penance I have been serving for the Father is all a ruse.

"There is a reason he never actually said I was on penance...The Three Oaths forbid it. We both knew that me spending just about all free time with him would automatically be seen as a penance, and so left it at that."

He sighed, being able to feel that Durent Asha'man was not a Darkfriend, but at the same time knowing that this might not be taken all that well.

"Just after my Raising to Dedicated, a new Talent manifested itself in me. This Talent has been labelled Darksense. I am able to feel darkness in people...I am also able to feel where those who are really dark and...

"It's something I cannot turn off. My guess about the assassins is that they were hired by Darkfriends or worse that found out what I can do."

He looked at the assassin's back for a moment. "The strange thing is, though, that neither assassin was a Darkfriend."

Durent's thoughts swirled around in his head before he forced them to a calm. Durent considered the man's last statement. "That's actually the part of this that makes sense to me. If you're assuming that they knew of your newfound Talent, and that it was the reason for your being targeted. It was a wise move for them to use someone that would be undetected by you until it was too late.

"As for your penance, the only reason I even know about it is that you're an aspiring Green, and I make it my business to know, but aside from that, I paid it no mind, knowing that it was ultimately between you and the M'Hael." He took a moment to pause and to take a few quick glances to Negrath and Dinan. "I have a few informants inside the Warder Yard, and I know a little of the troubles that have sprung up, although little being a key word. Do you believe that what just happened to us is connected to those events?"

Jolartin turned to look at Durent Asha'man for a moment, then looked back at the assassin's back.

"It very well could, but then again, it might not.

"The only reason I'm so vague, Asha'man, is that this attack on me had to have been planned out before this mornings situation.

"To be truthful, I know probably less than you about what has happened in the Warder Yards. From the information the Father has supplied, all I knew was that there was a suspected Darkfriend cell working there.

"That was part of the reason I was hunting through the Library today. It seemed to me that such a place would be almost an ideal meeting spot for such a cell."

He flexed his shoulder and looked up as they turned a corner, entering the Green Halls. Durent Asha'man did not have a Yellow's skill with Healing, but all that would remain was one more scar to add to the list.

"Asha'man, I must ask you to use discretion with what I have told you. Other than yourself, there are only three in the Tower who know of my Talent, and I would prefer to keep it that low. I understand that I may be asking for you to make sure water is wet, but I am held by my responsibility to the Father and the Tower to make the request."

Walking along as a buffer of sorts between the prisoner and the channelers, Negrath thought back to his most recent brush with death; a desperate bolt, incinerated before it ever got close. He was a little upset that he had not been allowed to deal with it himself, but knew full well that the slight hold he had of the Void would not have been enough to save him. Light, he'd barely become aware of it before it turned into a speck of fire less than two spearlengths away!
And the archer responsible had, as far as he knew, vanished. Well, he would make sure this one did no such thing...

When the impudent young man would not answer his threat, Dinan's anger began to coil. "Are you listening to me, boy? You should heed words of your bane, for they might even save you in the end."

His odds were not looking good, though he had faith in Sinon. His brother's body had not been found, and thus he was alive - if injured. Sinon would find him eventually. And then they could resume the mission. Looking briefly over his shoulder, Dinan made eye-contact with Jolartin Votashen. You are dead, though you don't know it yet. We have never failed to kill a person we were sent for. And this contract will be fulfilled like any other, he thought in malevolance. And since you injured me this day, I will make you pay for it till the morn.

"I may not understand much," Negrath muttered in return, "But I do know that you and your companion have no business being free men. It would be a pity if I should loose my life to such as you, but if my intervention could pave the way for your superiors to share your fate, I'd gladly give it...but never easy."

"You are mistaken, boy" said Dinan and smiled in a knowing way, hazel eyes glinting with a cold edge. "I have no superiors. I answer to no one. I'm a mercenary, and my loyalty is always to the contract, not the employer. Your will to sacrifice yourself for a higher cause is indeed noble. Yet in the end, you will look to save your own skin, lad. All do when things come to a head. And few will step in and save you. It all boils down to you... you and your survival. And thus, you should look after yourself first-hand, and not fool yourself with noble ideals."

Dinan Clegine knew exactly where they were. He and his brother had studied the many maps of each floor of the Grey Tower before coming there. They probably knew more about these halls than most who lived and served there. They were approaching the Green Ajah halls. To what end, he could not phantom.

A few servants and the like looked oddly at him, his hands behind his back, injured and dressed completely in black boiled leather. He still had his quivers attacked to legs, hips and back, yet he lacked both arrows and bow. That bow was priceless to me... Burn you all for this... And to what end have they decided to lead me here?

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