Ripple Four: The Messenger
written by Beatrise (NPC), Negrath Devir, Leanna Lisette Damodred, Caden Ives, and Neilan Davram

Beatrise Sedai strode confidently across the stone ramp that was her Skim. This was a Talent she had trained well in, one of the few distinctive features that set Grey Tower Aes Sedai apart from those in the traditional White Tower. Below the depths were not known, and she dared never test them. At least, not after her first attempt. That was the experience that had taught her to fear heights. An experience she did not wish to repeat . . .

"Do not look down." She advised the two Trainees her Lady, Amora Sedai, had assigned to her, Negrath and Neilan Drin'far'ji , who were close enough to hear. "Some things are better left unseen." The Blue intoned. Behind them marched eight Tower Guard in anticipation of the danger they would find the Gaidin Captain in. The men were the most uneasy of all, having never crossed through a world that was between threads of the Pattern. Theirs was a mundane duty protecting the Battlements, not crossing through boundaries only legends spoke of.

Beatrise prayed to the Creator that the approximate location of Caden Ives Gaidin, drawn by the elder Aes Sedai, had been accurate and that Beatrise could recall it well. Otherwise, they were hounds chasing a red herring. According to the eldest Blue Sister, the Captain had been felled in the passageway between the Old and New Tower. That there was such a secret passageway had surprised Beatrise, who had thought she had explored all of the nooks and crannies of the "New" Tower. But the elder Sister had not only drawn the maps and diagrams, she has also founded that Old Tower. It would not due to question her knowledge of that, even if Beatrise was staking her life on her faith. A Skim into bedrock was just as deadly as a gateway into the sea. And even if she did manage to find the passageway, who could know how far they would walk before discovering the Captain and the mountain of rock he lay by? Would he still be alive?

When they reached the other side of the ramp, Beatrise Sedai stole a deep breath. They did not know whether The Dawn of Blood still lurked on the other side. The Guard unsheathed their swords, and she heard the Trainees prepare. Beatrise wanted to grip the scroll her Lady had given her to deliver, but she knew it must be preserved at all costs. It was her proof that they stood in the Light, and not in the Shadow. She continued to hold saidar as she led them through . . .

*****

On the other side, Beatrise was first struck by the dank smell of stale water and even the faint scent of burning flesh. He must have been close then. Or else, a great deal was burned from him. Beatrise first regretted not asking for a torch before Skiming, for everywhere was pitch blackness. She felt the cool drips of water tap her shoulder, and similar sounds echoed through the chamber. Immediately she formed a small ball of light that hovered above her palm, a novice's first weave of soft glow of yellow-white light that permiated the space.

For all she could perceive, the passage was long and straight, absant of any curves, nooks, or corners. The floor was decorated with mosaic tial, a pattern she was not familiar with. Idly she wondered who had constructed it. The Ancients of the Old Tower under Daimor Asha'man? Those who rebuilt when it fell, such as Melabrid Daleb? Only the Browns would know. Immediately to her right the ceiling had caved in tremendously under the weight of the mountain. How many years had it been since the Indigo Ajah had journeyed down to mantain this place? Too long. She clicked her tongue. Moss grew like hands and fingers over the boulders that could only be moved with linked Aes Sedai and Asha'man . . .

"Aes Sedai," Liutenant Wilhielm intoned as if he had been waiting for her next order, and Beatrise's attention was snapped back into the present. With her nod he coughed and continued, "the moss has been scraped away there, and there . . ." he gestured to the stones immediately visible in her light, "someone, or someones, have passed over the rubble to the other side. By your leave, Aes Sedai, we could follow their path."

"Make it so." She agreed, and then took her sapphire skirts into her free hand. The Liutenant marked the path ahead, just before the light-bearing Aes Sedai. With her half-filled hand she reached out for Negrath's aid traversing the mountain. Higher and higher they climbed. It was not once but several times the Blue Sister almost slipped back down the mountain upon the wet moss that covered everything. And each time her whole body tensed with the fear of falling. Instead she tried to concentrate thinking. Was this the path the Trainees under the Captain had made through to collapse the tunnel? Was the Dawn of Blood still on the other side? She rehearsed the few battleweaves she had learned as an Accepted of Miahala Sedai, but held dim hope that she could suceed in such a battle. These were matters Beatrise Sedai concentrated on, ignoring the musky chill air and the sweat that was spreading across her back unwilled. And more importantly, the ever increasing height.

At the crest of the crumbled mountain, Beatrise Sedai calmly observed the view. The passageway did indeed continue into the vanishing point for quite a stretch. But worse than she had anticipated, there were fissures in the north wall that allowed chill mountain spring to fill the floor of the passageway. Dark waters reflected some of the light she cast. But not enough to see further. Her mind spun at the space between her and those depths and she leaned back. Only to jump involuntarily when her weight shifted her under an arm of moss. The surprise set her off balence and she flailed to find something, or someone to hold on to . . .

Having noticed almost at once that something was off with the patch of moss made visible by the conjured ball of light, Negrath almost slapped himself as the lieutenant pointed it out; of course. He still had a ways to go, it seemed.
*Not only that somethings is 'off', but how, why, and if needed whom.* he told himself sternly, then chased those concerns from his mind as they started for the other side.
Ever seeking to be of help to those one of whom he'd one day serve specifically, he was pleased to find that his greater experience in such 'terrain' proved him able to provide the neccesarry support for the one in whose mission they were all here.
He feared she might take offense to him keeping ready to steady her even when it was not neccesarry, but she seemed not to notice; from what he could tell, she had some reluctance to proceed, but even greater reluctance to go back down the way they'd come.
Thinking better of letting her know her weakness had been noticed by trying to assure her, he simply stayed near, only idly making sure he himself kept steady.
Coming to a halt at the crest of the stonepile, he took a chance in surveying the surroundings...few as they were.
Sudden movement at the corner of his eyes had him cursing himself and gritting his teeth even before he reached out to catch the woman.
Only belatedly ensuring his own balance, he found himself manouvering to fall under her, feet down to stop their descent. Shoes slipping, he threw out a hand to grasp at a protruding chip of stone, hoping it would not slip out to fall with them. It held.
Slowly and carefully directing her to it, he climed carefully to his feet, then helped her up and returned them to the others...

Beatrise lost all Aes Sedai calm when her feet slid out from under her and her weight began to plumit from the mountain of rock that was the cavein. Fear gripped her consciousness. It was only a split second, but a fraction that felt like ages. She saw the world move in a slow blur, and yet there was no time to think. No time to think of her impending reaquaintance with the ground . . .

. . . and then, she felt the impact of another body and one free arm catching her around the waist. Her arms still flailed as her slippers continued to slide across the slick stone beneith them. Beatrise latched onto the man's arm with her left hand as if to assure herself that he was really there. Her eyes were still wide with shock. Is this the Blood Dawn?? Her right palm (which the ball of soft yellow light still hovered above) swung closer to illuminate his face.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was not the shadowsworn. Negrath Drin'far'ji . . . she thought with a sudden recovered sigh that returned her good senses.

"Negrath Drin'far'ji . . ." she repeated her thought aloud, ". . . I trust this was an educational experience for you?" Beatrise offered an ironic smile and then followed his gesture to the outcrop that held their weight; she grasped it too. What else do the Gaidin teach their apprentices? She wondered, surprised that he had manuvered fast enough to catch her a body-length down the stones.

Beatrise accepted his guidance then ascending back up the cliff of granit. She reached up for his and the Leutenant's offered hands to pull back up to surer footing. At the peak once again, she backed away from the edge and breathed deeply. "My thanks, Drin'far'ji., she nodded with full Aes Sedai composure and proceeded to brush down her skirts like a cat licking her wounds. Her pride was the worst for ware. It was then when she realized that the backs of her legs had been scraped painfully against the sharp cliff. But it was not something she intended to worry the Trainees and Guard about, especially considering how she could not heal herself. Their faces were already pale, and although Beatrise wondered at first why they had been afeared she realized why: they had nearly lost their lone source of light, guide and transport to complete their mission, and safe way back. The Blue sent them a reassuring smile. "Shall we?" her gesture was directed toward a safer side of the cave-in. Following that experience, she made her self more approachable. In their decent she leaned more on Negrath's arm than before, and with full awareness of the closing space between them and the watery floor. I shall remember to endorse Negrath to Sister Saphire for promotion to Sa'ji, if we should survive this day . .

When they reached the foot of the mountain, Beatrise felt a great deal more sure of her footing, yet she took the Trainees' hands in aid jumping from the last boulder. Balencing on two precarious stones amidst knee-deep water, she recovered the scroll that had nearly slipped into the oblivion from the fall. Rising, she waved the ball of light back and forth, searching for something, anything, that would show them where the Captain lay. She almost believed he had fled, when a glint shimmered in the depths at the edge of her pool of light. "What is that?" she looked to the men who had accompanied her.

And Jaun was the Guard who stepped forward, always the impulsive one of their unit. "Aye aye, Aes Sedai." He knuckled his brow and sheathed his sword. The young man had only recently been assigned to the unit, and was eager to demonstrate his quality. He glanced over his shoulder and observed how the Warder saplings centered around the Aes Sedai, as if the water would betray them. Jaun turned back to the depths and shook his head, The Guard march where Aes Sedai point, yet it is the Warders who earn the glory.

He gasped sharply as the icy mountain water surrounded his knees. With arms waving to and froe with exaggerated force, he managed to slosh through the numbing water farther and faster than was otherwise possible. His large puppy eyes scanned the mosaic tile that rippled under the murky water for the object Beatrise Sedai had pointed towards. Twice he looked back to follow her gaze, and then angled towards the edge of her light. At first he could not see what she had gestured at, and then his attention focused on the boundary of shadow and light, where it had slid over a patch of algae. There . . .

He reached into depths of the dank water and pulled it free. The hairs all along his arm and neck pricked at the chill of ice. Streams of translucent water dripped from the dagger, and Juan turned back to the Aes Sedai, raising the token high. "The Captain's dagger, Aes Sedai!"

"Then we draw near, fore the Captain would not have forgotten his blade." Beatrise Sedai answered, "Meet us at the bank, soldier." Juan nodded absently, his gaze focused on the workmanship of the fine blade as he meandered back toward the cave-in.

It was not long after recovering the Gaidin Captain's dagger when the yellow-white light that hovered above Beatrise's hand revealed him in turn.

Oh Captain, my Captain . . Beatrise thought with remorse, although her composure was just as calm as she had trained herself to be. Her attention was focused on the man who still bore the remains of a sad melted fancloak. He lay without consciousness akin to a crucified man upon a ledge at the foot of the mountain of stone. One foot remained in the icy water.

"Is he dead, Aes Sedai?" Juan asked, with no little concern in his voice. The others mirrored the feeling in their looks.

"I can not say, yet." Beatrise answered almost without thought as she approached the Captain, only to turn away in revulsion.

The right side of his face and neck were horribly burnt, like badly roasted venison. Black and white blisters bulged . . all . . . over, like overgrown bumps on a naked turkey. His ear was almost completely melted away on that side of his face, like boiled ceiling wax. The remains of one green eye was only a lidless socket filled with sticky fluid, it stared empty into the darkness. Worse, his chin had been seared away to such an extent, that she had seen the Captain's teeth through a gaping hole! A bared and blackened cheekbone gleamed at her with fluids oozing from his skin.

She retched on the far side of the nearest boulder. I was not prepared . . . for this! Dimly as the Aes Sedai recovered her stomach she realized why the Lady Amora Sedai had not described this mission in more detail. And the Yellow Sisters thought I could be one of them. Beatrise rose and rounded the corner once again, now firmly resolved to look at the Captain's face as little as was humanly possible.

Beatrise tore her eyes away from the body, and the wreck of Caden Ives, although it was morbidly hard to resist staring. Instead she studied the curiously scaled black armor that had protected his torso, and she kneeled before him.

His dagger.
For truth he had to be near, Negrath had caught on to that much in his time here.
As the second discover was made, Negrath was glad that he had the presence of mind to first make sure the Aes Sedai pulled through the initial shock. Weavers or not, nobody should even pretend to consider such sights irrelevant.
Then again, that might just be his Trainee-mindset, still not fully 'transformed' to that of a true Warder.
Shrugging off such thoughts, he stared transfixed at that face, only belatedly realizing Beatrise had moved forward.
Moving up to stand behind her and to the left, he halted an impulse to put a hand on her shoulder, but was unable to stop his voice from issuing the worried query; "Will you not try, Aes Sedai?"
A corner of his mind breaking out in crazed laughter at the unintentional rhyme, he clapped his imperfect void down around himself to prevent it influencing his face.

Beatrise continued to kneel before Captain Caden Ives. Look at anything but his face., she coaxed her impulse to remain at bay. Her sky blue eyes focused on the ways in which the scales of Captain's armor linked together. It reminded her of the Fade armor she had read of, protective but flexible as snake skin. Perhaps he was still alive, perhaps there was a chance he would not die of shock from the pain, or the exhaustion.

"I will try." She answered Negrath in the near-silence of the dripping passageway.

It was the virtuous thing to do. The only thing she could do. Yet she swallowed. If the Captain was near death, it would tax the very extent of her abilities to revive him. She prayed to the Creator that she would have enough strength to see them home. Could they afford to wait for her to recover? How many were dieing without the knowledge she had been sent to spread?

But this was the only noble thing to do. Beatrise could not deny her duty. As soon as she willed it, her hands were splayed above that sleek scaled armor. Her wide gaping eyes closed. Dimly, for a moment, she understood why her Sisters valued the mere presence of Warders. Negrath was behind her shoulder as surely as a Gaidin would be. And then, she retreated into that space where only the rose bud lay. She became it. Opening herself to the light of saidar. That warmth filled her in the darkest of days such as this. And then she Delved. It was as reflexive as pulling up her stockings before slippering her feet.

"Yes . . his heart still beats." She smiled with the warmth of hope. Her words echoed in the void that was neither her nor the Light. She did not even hear the mens' collective sigh of relief.

Then, the Healing weave came to her almost as naturally as Skiming. It hovered over Captain Ives for a moment like a softly threaded blanket. It glowed warmly to her. And then she willed it down, down . . .

. . . Something is wrong!!

It was their punishment for a single act of kindness.

Without so much as a thought, Beatrise sprung backwards, straight alongside a boulder. Then she blessedly sensed one of the Trainees. Yet what remained . .

Pain. Horrible mind-numbing pain!

Beatrise felt it first along her arms and shins, and then immediately following the lower half of her face. Her right arm shielded her eyes luckily, but there was fear. Always fear. She did not see it, but a cloud of foam rose from water that filled the passageway. On the other side of the Captain, rocks and rubble rained sparks and moss along the trail of the Deathspray weave. She was still too close, too close, and there was nothing but stone behind her. There was no time to think on why she had not instantly died there, that close to the weave. Only shock and so much she could not see.

Negrath jumped back, tumbling further than he thought becuase the hand intended to pull the Aes Sedai with him remained empty - she had retreated the splitsecond before.
Coming to his senses a bit further away from the carnage than her, he got to his feet, nerves complaining loudly all the while as he stepped back toward her, only to spot his fellow weaver-servant come running from the other side of the boulder, sweep her up into his arms hardly without pause, and rush off toward a collection of large stones further away.
'Covering' the exit despite having no idea what to do should the phenomena follow them, Negrath joins him (and a select few other guards) behind the makeshift wall.
Beatrise put down with care against the largest and presumably most solid of them, guards instructed to watch out for approaching danger(unneccessarily, sure, but hey, warder traditions...:P), the two collegues are currently on one knee on either side of her, anxiously awaiting her commands...

The sound of a series of tiny explosions ceased just then.

Beatrise lowered her bloodied arms, and realized they had all moved. Her attention swirved right and left, taking in the scene. Her halo of braided golden hair was somewhat unwoven and her look was startled before resuming the usual cool mask. They were blocked by a cluster of boulders and there was deathly silence . . .

Beatrise listened, counted to ten, and announced, "The Deathspray trap is concluded. But I dare not try to heal the Captain again." She glanced with sky-blue eyes at the two Trainees who had managed to bring them out of harm's way. "My thanks." was her only reply. It was beginning to sound all too familiar.

In an instant a bubble shimmered around them. "We shall be protected now, on the chance that another trap has sprung." And from then on, to the end of her days, Beatrise would live by her vow to ward herself before healing even the faintest scratch. Gently she eased herself into a crouch. "Does anyone who still breathes have skill with first aid or herbs?" She asked gently, examining the surface damage done to her legs, arms, and lower face tenatively with her fingers. All hurt painfully. Beatrise did not doubt others were injured as well, but she would fatique long before she could heal all and return them safely home. It was important to lick their wounds from a safe distance before returning to the Captain's side.

Neilan Drin'far'ji stepped up proudly on the platform Beatrise Sedai made as they Skimmed with Negrath and the Tower Guard. His heart pounded heavily, while his fingers gripped his sword hilt. He felt as if he had aged ten or more years since these events had begun to unfold themselves. Fear, anger and anxiety swirled around in his mind, clouding his thoughts and judgements.

He could think of nothing but Caden Ives as they made their journey and crossed to the other side. Walking along the slippery stones, he wrinkled his nose at the stank that floated along. The Tower guard pointed at the disturbed moss, and he nodded numbly. He could almost hear Caden Ives instructive voice, teaching him such things. Caden Ives had been most important to Neilan. He was the closest thing to a father he had.

When the Aes Sedai slipped, he jumped, nearly slipping himself. Yet, Negrath reacted instinctively, saving her. Neilan felt his cheeks glow red, and he felt guilty for neglecting his job to protect the Aes Sedai. His mind was too focused on Caden Ives. He bit his lip, and trudged after them, and manuevered himself closer to the Aes Sedai as they went along.

They came to water, and Neilan sucked in a deep breath as the Tower guard pulled out the blade that belonged to Caden Ives. His muscles tensed, and he froze. He could not will himself to move, even if trollocs had been after them. He simply stared, as they all moved along.

It was when they found Caden that Neilan's muscles began to move again. Now, they moved with a mind of their own. He splashed through the water, pushing to get closer and gasped when his blue eyes fell upon his face. Burnt. Hollow. Melted skin. Bones gleaming.

Beatrise Sedai turned and retched, and Neilan did exactly the same, while tears formed and stung at his eyes. Memories flooded through him, and his thoughts ran from his mother to Caden and back again. His mother had been so happy. Now, Caden was dead! Surely he was! He slipped to his knees in the water, grinding his teeth in an attempt to prevent the tears from falling. He was a man. Yet, he was about to weep.

When Beatrise Sedai said she would try, he whirled around, watching anxiously. Hope elated him, and he stopped breathing while he waited.

He had no idea what happened next. Tower guards were running, diving in the water. He too was running, diving for cover. The world slowed and he saw Beatrise Sedai rushing backwards and someone sweeping her up in their arms and he saw Negrath covering the retreat of them all, and he too turned for cover.

Then it was all over. He was breathing heavily, and covered with water from head to toe. His dark black curls dripped droplets and his eyes focused on the wounds they all had taken.

"The Deathspray trap is concluded. But I dare not try to heal the Captain again."

"NO!" he found himself shouting. "You have to Heal him! You have to!" His blue eyes narrowed darkly, as if the Aes Sedai herself was letting the Gaidin Captain die.

After the briefest moment, he hung his head shamefully. She looked to be in a great deal of pain. Yet, he felt like a little boy again. Helpless.

Soldiers, both on-duty and not, glanced with wary curiousity at each other; many had the skills, but little that were of use without the plants in question, or a different variety of damage.
"Cold water." One suggested, and they looked toward the small lake that had formed on this side of the pile of stone.
Another digging a bowl from the pack of a third, he then stalked hurriedly down to fill it with the somewhat dubious water, well away from any obvious 'contaminants'.
Returning, careful not to spill, he went to her knees before her, evidently at a loss for how to use it.
Looking to the 'cloakfriends', he offered; "It's for the damaged areas. For surely they qualify as burns?"
Neither seeing why it wouldn't, they both nodded, Neilan taking the bowl to gently start trickling the contents over her wounds.

Beatrise blinked at the son of the Amyrlin Seat's outburst. The boy had remained silent throughout their entire journey, but now howled with rage. Perhaps Caden had been a father to the child, in a way. The Blue Sister could understand that, but the mission was of upmost priority. Justice must be served.

She smiled tightly as the murky water washed over her wounds. It will do . . for now. But I must ask a healer to delve for infection too. Beatrise accepted the binds of cloth Negrath offered to clot the bleeding. In the process of wraping these white makeshift bandages around her extremeties she answered the objection of the Amyrlin Seat's son.

"Fear not, Neilan." Beatrise ventured, uncertain how to treat the boy so closely related to the Mother, but so far below her own rank. "I believe what I managed to do for him will sustain his life." But in what state . . . that is questionable. Her sky blue eyes danced with regret, and then she turned them back towards her wounds and tied the knots. She held one spare scrap of white Drin'far'ji cloth to her face and winced. "I will be spent if I attempt more healing, and then we shall fail in our mission. We may die if I can not return us by Skiming. That is, if that trap around the Captain would not use its second chance to smite us all." She shared her regret with the boys with one slip of the mask, before returning to cool certainty. "The best way we can help the Captain, is by pursuading him to come with us. At the conclusion of our mission, we shall see Elisabet Sedai. Her healing powers can aid us all." She hoped that Captain Ives would see reason and do what was best for him, although not the most brave.

Carefully Beatrise rose to standing, balencing with her free hand against the stone. "Come. Let us revive the Captain. Time is running short." She did not tell all them just yet that she sensed a Fade some distance off under the Old Tower. One faction of the Light was in danger there too, and she prayed they could hold their own.

Moments later Beatrise, Neilan, Negrath, and six Tower Guard had circled around the Gaidin Captain. His face was a little bit better by the moment of Healing it had managed to recieve, the hole in the cheek was gone and the pale smooth orb of an eye had risen in the cavity of his eye-socket - but nothing more than that.

Lightly, Beatrise dabbed the fair side his face with a damp scrap of cloth. "Captain Ives . . ." she cooed gently, ". . . Captain Ives . . . wake now. Amora Sedai has sent you aid. There is much to tell you. Are you well enough to speak?" Beatrise waited for his answer.

"I can not heal you further Captain. There is a visious trap woven about you with saidin." She did not indicate the injuries to her face and body inflicted by it, for they were obvious. "But if you come with us, I can take you to one who may be able to. Before you decide whither to join us, please listen . . . " she then repeated all she knew, all she had heard this day, except the last part which remained a mystery. She broke Amora Sedai's seal and unrolling the scroll.

"This is the Dawn of Blood, the man who casts this trecherous Shadow across the Tower. In the future you will stand before an unlit hearth in your study." She did not tell the Captain how Amora Sedai had known it was the future, for Beatrise had not known herself when she was instructed, and only now understood. The Captain's face would permanently scar, a brand of this day. "Behind you, the Dawn of Blood will stand, and you will turn to face him." Beatrise had been careful to memorize this vision of Amora Sedai's, for it was the only part that did not yet hold meaning, and she feared misleading Captain Ives. "And you will say, 'You made a mistake. In the letter Luantar cen Thaal wrote, he said his banes were already waiting for him when he reached the botton of the Tower. How could they have known if you had not told them?' And then the Dawn of Blood will say, 'Wrong. I did not tell them. But one of the other two did,'"

Her tone was grim, for she knew the Captain would not know now what he would not know in the future. "You will not know who those 'other two' are. But think, Captain. Who could the 'other two' be? What could they be?" She looked between the Trainees and then back to the Captain. They were lost for an answer. "We can not stay, there is shadowspawn under the Old Tower and there will be a battle at the Claw Stone. We must spread what is known such that the mystery behind the Dawn of Blood will unwravel. Remember this prophecy, Captain, and come with us." The last was more a request than anything else. Her sky blue eyes were almost pleading. If anything she had learned this day, they were stronger in larger numbers.

Huddled in the corner of the room, Leanna watched, helplessly, as a young man fought with her captor. His eyes frightened her, a rage boiling with hatred. When the room began to shake, she screamed, attempting to shield her head with her arms as the stones began to crack and fall from the walls and ceilings. The boy was channeling and Leanna feared he would bring the entire room down on them. The resounding crack of the stones hitting the floor around her made her flash back to the Breaking of the Tower.

Their heads were bent together, whispering when it began. Her Warder wasn't far behind them. The ground shook. Their balance was lost as they were thrust about from side to side. Stones crumbled and fell. The very floor beneath them was giving away . . .

Leanna shook herself out of the memory. The forkroot was still in her system and channeling was simply out of the question. As the shaking stopped, she started to make her way towards the door, when her captor was suddenly flung against the wall in front of her. She fell back, startled. Leanna's blue eyes flashed from the woman to the man, and she desparately wished the forkroot would wear off. She had never felt so helpless before.

When her captor returned to her feet, and the two continued fighting, Leanna hurried her pace, and got through the door. Then everything hit her. The pain that seared through the bond made her fall to her knees. Pain was shooting through Caden's chest and extending into his limbs.

Pulling herself to her feet, she staggered on. Determination was building inside of her. Caden was in serious trouble. She had to reach him! The corridors seemed to extend forever as she forced her limbs to move despite the forkroot numbing her system. The bond told her just where he was, and she followed it diligently.

She winced, tears building in her blue eyes at every pain that flew through the bond. Flash of air on his thigh. A lash across the mid-riff. Her mind could only see her beloved Warder, whom she had nearly lost once already. She ignored the Novices, Soldiers, Accepted, Dedicated, Servants, Aes Sedai, Asha'man and Gaidin that she pushed through. They didn't seem to see her either. His face was imprinted in front of her. His golden locks of hair. His amazingly green eyes.

Finding herself alone on a stairwell, she worked her way down, leaning heavily on the railing for support. How much forkroot had her captor forced down? Heat. Leanna stumbled and she gripped the railing to keep herself from falling. Instinctively, she raised a hand to her face. Burning! She gasped, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. What was happening to her Warder? Her resolve grew, and she headed toward her Warder with grim endurance.

****

Neilan's face contorted into expressions of hurt and anxiety, yet Beatrise Sedai's voice had calmed him. He sucked in a deep breath, his eyes staring at Caden's body. He couldn't look him in the face, the gleaming bone made his flesh crawl. He stared instead, at the man's chest, eager to see if it would rise and fall, indicating life. Worry was written all over his face.

As Beatrise Sedai bent over him, attempting to wake him, he heard the hollow echo of footsteps down the corridor. He drew his sword, turning around to meet the oncoming intruder and gasped when the light revealed . . . his mother!

Lelianna Lisette Damodred, Amyrlin Seat, came crashing into their light. Her face was haggard, and the sleeves on her dress were torn, dried blood sticking against the grey silk. Her dark curls were frizzed out, and her eyes were fixed directly onto Caden Ives.

Neilan drew back, hanging his head. He stared at his feet, hoping his mother would not notice him right away. Also hoping she wouldn't see his en'Damier livery. She had enough shock and pain as it was, without finding out her son had pledged service to Amora Sedai. He bowed instinctively.

*****

The soft glow of light was welcome, yet painful to her eyes that adjusted so well to the darkness in which she had come from. Leanna squinted, barely seeing those around. She could pinpoint Caden by the bond, despite the glare of the glowing light that yet hid him from her. She stumbled forward, barely keeping her balance on the rocks.

She sloshed into the water, oblivious to the fact that she was ruining one of her best dresses. She had no need to push her way through, the others made room for her. When her eyes landed on his burnt and disfigured face, she fell. The water splashed violently, and her whole body shook with rage. She was on her knees, supporting herself on her hands as well. Tears streamed down her cheeks steadily.

"Caden, Caden," she repeated over and over again. Crawling through the water, she came closer to Caden, reaching her hands out and grabbing his. He seemed so lifeless.

She rounded on the Aes Sedai there, her blue eyes glowing with anger. "Do something, Daughter!" she demanded. She rubbed his cold hands in hers, her heart praying to the Creator that Caden would open his eyes. Yet, she feared just that. He looked awful. His ear was melted and his hair burnt away. She gagged, turning away briefly. She forced herself to look, to see the damage done. "Do something!" she choked.

"Mother!" Beatrise Sedai bowed her honey haloed head after having just concluded her words to Caden Ives. The white Flame of the Grey Tower appeared as if she had seen through her own battles, frazzled and torn as she was. Yet despite the tattered state of their leader, Beatrise was relieved and heartened to see she had survived. Beatrise could not curtsey already kneeling in stone before the Captain. Instead her eyes were turned down to the Gaidin Captain's armor, shying from his face and that of his Aes Sedai. The Amyrlin Seat's frantic voice broke through the silence and Beatrise's ears, driving her wide gaping eyes to the brink of tears.

"Caden, Caden . . . Do something, Daughter! Do something!"

It was then when Beatrise stole a glance, blinking away harsh tears. She raised her roughly bandaged forarms as if she needed proof. "Mother, I have already tried . . " Beatrise bowed her head again in shame. She was a loyal Sister, true to Justice and duty. But there was only so much she could do.

Beatrise stole some resolve into her voice. "He lives. He should be able to walk with bandages. But I could not do more than this . . as soon as I used what meager Talents I have to heal him, a trap was sprung. We've already lost two Guard, and I will be spent or perish if I attempt it again. And then all would be lost. Mother . . " Her sky blue eyes begged her forgiveness and offered a solution. " . . . I have been sent to aid all of our forces where I can with information. To draw our fractured pieces together. So many are ignorant of what the others are doing and what the Darkness has planned. I can Skim far better than Heal, and have asked the Captain to come with us. When we return to the Tower . . " she did not mention Amora Sedai. Everyone knew of the animosity between the Ancient Sister and the Amyrlin Seat " . . . we will meet with a true Yellow Sister who can aid the Captain far better than I ever could. We could find someone who could unweave the perilous ward wraped around him. But we are in grave danger remaming here, Mother. A fade . . " she pointed to the darkness beyond the icy water " . . . lurks near. We cannot simply stay here.

"Please, Mother, come with us! We are far stronger this way. Allow me serve you and your Warder by bringing you to safety and healers."

The Amyrlin Seat...here? Now? And in that condition?
Quite evidently, far more had happened than Negrath even now dared contemplate. He wondered idly if there would be a Tower to speak of after this...
Watching the goings-on in silence, he is about to support Beatrise when she speaks up for herself. Considering for a bit, he realizes anything else likely would have worsened his chances rather than improve them.
The mention of a Fade nearby, almost had him whip his blade out in an instant...but he sufficed with putting hand to hilt in preparation, more than half his attention directed in the assigned direction.
Nevertheless, he found he had to speak as 'their' Aes Sedai concluded; "My blade and my life to that goal." he offered, voice even and sincere.

Standing in white light, Caden Ives was an insubstantial wight in the world of the dead.

There were neither past nor present in that place, that, he had learned. However, he had memories, and those memories granted him his own past... a time which glided away from him by every passing minute. The silence was so tranquil, peaceful and real to him that he could hear his thoughts shouting at the hall with no walls. "What am I doing here?" The thought did not echo, as if there were walls within arms reach.

"You wait, Captain Ives," came a reply, and then a familiar young man took shape out of the whiteness. It was the young man he had accepted into the Yards a few months past; Luantar cen Thaal. "You wait for your death. You have one foot in the world of the living, and another here. It seems you are indecisive. Or could it be that you should be dead, yet you are clinging to life like a ship-wrecked man to an oar."

"I don't know," he replied, and like the young man, he did not use his mouth to speak his words. He felt that he was lying, and corrected himself. "No, I do know. If I do not return, all that which I held dear might fall to the Shadow. I need to return. If not for a long time, enough to make sure things are taken care of. Luantar," he hesitated, "it was a brave thing you did. However, it was uncalled for. I read your letter. Had you wakened me, that unfaithful night when you were sent to kill me, I would have helped you if you entrusted yourself to the Light again."

"I rather want to think that I was never a part of the Shadow, like all the others who served the three Sa'ji'alantin. Most of us did not know why we were doing the things we did, and we certainly did not want to reach the realization that we were doing the Black Ajah woman's bidding. We shied away from the truth, and dug in our resolve... afraid to face reality. It is so much easier to run, than to change," the dark haired young man looked to his feet, as if sad, "If I could have stood up and faced the blame, like I knew I should have, I could have stopped pretending. If I were to retrace every wrong turn I took, end the pain I caused and had lived with the shame... I... But now I take it with me to the grave, all alone."

There was silence for a while, as Caden peered at the Drin'far'ji. "Is that why you are here... why you have not moved on?" he asked, his voice mellow. "Can you see what is happening, in the world of the living? Do you stay so that you can see what you final sacrifice made a difference, so if the Light would succeed, you will be free from your pain, and from the shame that still lingers with you?"

The young trainee simply nodded, there was no words for such affirmation.

"Can you help us? Do you know something that could aid us?" Caden too a step forward, his heart beating a little bit quicker... if he had a heart in that place.

It was a long time of silence again, and when Luantar looked up to Caden's eyes, his voice was low. "A friend is the foe, an enemy will be an ally, and only you will know the truth. Only the true bane will remain. The Pattern has already given you the facts, you just need to remember your curse," he said, seemingly unable to speak the clearly, "Forgive the enemy, for she will grant you your life." The riddle was forced out of his mouth, instead of what he wanted to say, and he looked sad. "Fate allows me to say no more."

Caden nodded solemnly. The words meant nothing to him, but he did not force the trainee further than he was allowed to tread by the laws which upheld reality and time. "If it means anything," he said, "I do not hold your actions against you. You showed your true resolve in your dying act, you offered what you could for the preservation of others, and that is the greatest quality of our kind. You would have been a great Warder someday, yet thanks to you, you have enabled all future trainees of the Grey Tower to attain the fancloak."

Luantar cen Thaal smiled then, and bowed. "Thank you, Captain Ives. One more thing..."

Then the white hall vanished in a storm of colours, and the Gaidin Captain sank into oblivion without knowing what the trainee was to say.

"Captain Ives . . ." a voice cooed gently, ". . . Captain Ives . . . wake now. Amora Sedai has sent you aid. There is much to tell you. Are you well enough to speak?"

Caden could not even open his eyes, and his breaths came in ragged respiration. His face did not feel right, as if it was not his own. Slowly, he managed to shake his head towards the unknown voice. It felt like he needed to recognize a fact about his situation, but that fact eluded him yet... sinc ehe was still only half-coherent.

"I can not heal you further Captain. There is a visious trap woven about you with saidin. But if you come with us, I can take you to one who may be able to. Before you decide whither to join us, please listen . . . " the voice began to tell him a tale of darkfriends and Black Ajah which was worthy any gleeman's ensemble of stories. A story. This is not the time for tales. I need to hasten... his thoughts were still mixed uf, for he could not understand what kind of hurry he was in. Maybe... the tale is real.

Sound of dripping water came to him and the source of the voice must be handling some sort of parchment, for he could hear if unfolding. "This is the Dawn of Blood, the man who casts this trecherous Shadow across the Tower. In the future you will stand before an unlit hearth in your study."

The Dawn of Blood, he thought. That was important, and he made himself hold on to that. He tried to open his eyes fully, but his vision was blurred and he could not make out more than shadows and a stinging orb of light. He shut his eyes again, for the light was too much for his eyes. He might have been wrong, but it had felt like he could only see half the orb...

"Behind you, the Dawn of Blood will stand, and you will turn to face him," the voice continued, grim now. "And you will say, 'You made a mistake. In the letter Luantar cen Thaal wrote, he said his banes were already waiting for him when he reached the bottom of the Tower. How could they have known if you had not told them?' And then the Dawn of Blood will say, 'Wrong. I did not tell them. But one of the other two did'. You will not know who those 'other two' are. But think, Captain. Who could the 'other two' be? What could they be?" There was a pause. "We can not stay, there is shadowspawn under the Old Tower and there will be a battle at the Claw Stone. We must spread what is known such that the mystery behind the Dawn of Blood will unwravel. Remember this prophecy, Captain, and come with us."

Underneath the Tower. Shadowspawn. Pieces began to fall into place in his mind. Seal the tunnel, he tried to voice his memory of five trainees and himself fighting their way into the Old Tower ruins, but he could only mouth it with numb lips. There was someone else in his mind, someone who was coming closer. "Leanna," he barely whispered.

"Mother!" it was the voice again.

Sloshing sounds accompanied the approach of his Aes Sedai... and his love. "Caden, Caden," she repeated over and over again, and soon her hands held his, but his numb fingers could barely feel her. There was terror in her voice and she held on to him desperately. "Do something, Daughter!" she demanded in a heated voice. She rubbed his cold hands in hers, "Do something!" she choked.

"Mother, I have already tried..." the voice answered in sadness, in helplessness. "He lives. He should be able to walk with bandages. But I could not do more than this . . as soon as I used what meager Talents I have to heal him, a trap was sprung. We've already lost two Guard, and I will be spent or perish if I attempt it again. And then all would be lost. Mother . . " the voice was firmer now, but it was still hesitant. " . . . I have been sent to aid all of our forces where I can with information. To draw our fractured pieces together. So many are ignorant of what the others are doing and what the Darkness has planned. I can Skim far better than Heal, and have asked the Captain to come with us. When we return to the Tower... we will meet with a true Yellow Sister who can aid the Captain far better than I ever could. We could find someone who could unweave the perilous ward wraped around him. But we are in grave danger remaming here, Mother. A fade lurks near. We cannot simply stay here. Please, Mother, come with us! We are far stronger this way. Allow me serve you and your Warder by bringing you to safety and healers."

"My blade and my life to that goal," a male voice offered, even and sincere. The voice was familiar, but his mind did not venture to recognize it. Instead it rached, picking up fragments of his former self by each moment. There was something that blocked him. He needed to come to terms with it.

When he realized what it was, his left eye flared open. Pain! His whole right face ached like he had been beaten with a flagpole. He could not open his right eye. He sucked in a breath between his teeth and ran his hands over his face, escaping Leanna's grip. His hands were so cold that he could not feel his features; they were completely numb... impotent to sense anything. Pain, searing pain. His breaths came sharply on top of each other as he waved them all away from him. He rolled of the ledge he had been lying on and staggered to his feet in knee-deep water. "Tunnel!" he rasped thickly in no pin-pointed direction. "They need... help!" His voice sounded like a trolloc's to his ears. "They must seal the tunnel! The Shadow is upon them! Where is my sabre? We must reach them before it's all... all for naught!"

He whirled and grabbed the closest person he could reach, his legs still not cooperating as they should be. He yanked the young man close to his left eye with an iron grip on his uniform. "Where is my sabre?!" When the words were out, he recognized his mentee, Negrath Devir, but it did not matter. He needed to act. And fast. "Bring it! We need to save them! We need to save us all! The Tower must stand!"

He staggered away again, clutching his right face with his hand, the other reaching out towards Leanna and the other woman by the ledge. "You said you could skim, Aes Sedai," he scraped like a worn saw upon stone, What's wrong with my voice? "Take us to the Old Tower ruins, below Late Pariah's Hall. There is no time for anything else!" burn me, how long have I been gone? How long?

His head swam with vertigo, but trough the haze, he saw Neilan Davram standing a little to the side. What is he doing here? He clutched his hands to fists and seeked the Oneness, like a man for long addicted to it.

When it came, his legs stopped shaking and he stood tall, his left eye seeking the source of a reply.

Leanna jumped back, startled when Caden's hand ripped away from hers and flung to his face. She winced, her blue eyes watching with sorrow as she felt the pain surge through their bond. She pushed herself to her feet as well, when he leaped up, and she couldn't imagine how. He was frightening to behold, and she knew he could feel her fear.

"Tunnel!" he rasped thickly in no pin-pointed direction. "They need... help!" His voice sounded like a trolloc's to his ears. "They must seal the tunnel! The Shadow is upon them! Where is my sabre? We must reach them before it's all... all for naught!"

The raspy voice that echoed in the tunnel made Leanna cringe. Her heart cried out to him. He was ready to fight, despite his horrific injuries. How could he even move? She was trembling ever so slightly as she watched him.

"You said you could skim, Aes Sedai," he scraped like a worn saw upon stone. "Take us to the Old Tower ruins, below Late Pariah's Hall. There is no time for anything else!"

"Caden Ives!" her voice carried over his grated one. Her face was emotionless for those around, but worry consumed her. She feared his death. His face paled as she watched the burnt skin on his face, and she barely kept from gagging again. She wanted to tell him no, that he must seek the Yellows immediately, but something inside her stopped it. "I will fight with you."

She surprised herself, even. She fought rarely. Her meager skill with the dagger did little good, and she wasn't fit to channel for hours yet. She must be crazy. "Take us, Daughter." she said, turning to the Blue Sister.

It was then that her eyes fell on Neilan Davram. She blinked, not recognizing him in the en'Damier livery. Her eyes narrowed and he raised his eyes to look sheepishly at her. He licked his lips nervously, then returned his stare to the ground. Anger flared up inside of her, and Leanna wanted nothing more than to have Amora Sedai right in front of her. She had quite a few choice words she wanted to say.

She refused to acknowledge him, and turned her back on him. She faced her Warder, and her eyes went to the Blue Sister. She was ready to Skim.

Still trying to understand that the man was up and moving - demanding that they follow him to fight, by the Light!- Negrath suddenly found himself at closer proximity to that badly abused face than he might have liked. Thankfully he was ignored once the order was given, and turned to search for the weapon.
As he could not spot it nearby on the rocks, he supposed it must be in the water.
Looking to where the man had lain, to use as a makeshift guide, he waded into the chill fluid, Eyes scanning what bottom he could see.
He found it soon enough, and, bending to pick it up, could not help spending a moment in admiration of it. Shaking the notion off with an irritated shake of the head, he leapt out of the water and jogged the few steps back to hand it to him, one hand on the guard and the tips of the fingers on the other clamped steadyingly about the 'rear' of the blade.

What happens next can be found towards the end of Ripple Five: Shadow.

Chapter Five: Where the Ripples End
~Ripple One: Meanings
~Ripple Two: The Hall
~Ripple Three: Decisions
~Ripple Four: The Messenger
~Ripple Five: Shadow
~Ripple Six: The Clawstone
~Riple Seven: The Claw Stone Aftermath
~The Final Ripple

Return to the Ripples Intro