1-6 qps, depending on length and quality.
Potential +1 qp: if part of a series: x (2nd part)
Total: 6 qps. One note: you mentioned the fade's eyes.
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Time: 250th birthday and close to 2023 end of Year Celebrations
Friends: Wilkerson, novice, chloro sedai grey ajah, kitiara blue ajah
(Edited for better readability)
Series Part 1
Chapter 1:
The wide-open balcony window allows light drifts of snow to enter the White Ajah Rooms, and the silk curtains rustle in the wind. A few snowflakes jump over the table and land on Alison's left hand.
She pauses with the pen in hand and examines the snowflake without moving her hand. A moment she realizes that it's 2 hours after midnight, and the bustle of the kitchens has died down somewhat. With her right hand, she pokes the lines on the snowflake, and a sigh escapes her as it melts on her hand.
She glances up, her table facing the open window, and the moonlight shining into the room. To her left is a Light ball floating above an earth, water, and air holder. It is one of her own personal tricks that she has used over the years to simulate a lantern in her rooms.
“Alison Sedai?” a voice comes from behind her, and she slowly lowers the pen in her left hand. Her nightgown of silk matches the austere nature of the room. Little to no garish colors adorn the room. Just as she likes it.
“Yes, Wilkerson?” she turns to her new gaidin. The man is a hair shorter than Detritus and by far one of the most logical gaidin she has ever met. The man can stand his ground when it comes to maths and logic.
“Did you not say you wanted to be reminded of our trip?” he moves closer to the table, his cloak making her eyes bounce off him as if he isn’t there.
Alison nods her head at his statement. She stretches her arms above her head, a small dizzy spell comes across her. How on earth are females to explain to people that 400 years being alive makes your body do things it doesn’t normally do. She rises and goes behind a curtain, and she notices a small frown from him. He probably felt the dizzy spell through the bond.
“It is nothing. Might be a spasm of the neck when the arms stretch above the head.” She talks as she dresses. A moment she pauses as she sheaths the new Ruby Sabre he gave her. This thing has seen more fights in the last week than her spear ever did.
“Should you not consult the Yellow ajah?”
“And tell them what? It is not something that is hindering my existence. It started when I was a child, stopped when I left the farm and now it's back. I will not spend idle time worrying about something trivial like this.” Her gown of silk is covered with a Snowy fur jacket lined with white leather and tintings of blue and silver. She quite likes this jacket as it was a gift from her mother before the dear died of old age.
“Ali, this is worrying. Besides, are you sure you want to go find this woman, Surelle? I doubt she is going to be open to a good talking too.” He paces up and down by the solid oak door, barely glancing at her, his hands going over his weapon and adjusting his cloak absently. His eyes have this fierce look in them that makes her wonder what the heck is going through his mind. Do gaidin always think of fights or anything related to that?
Alison steps out from the divide and pulls on her gloves. Her eyes reading the letter to Amilesa and Annika.
Those new apprentices to the White ajah have potential to breathe new life into the Ajah. At least Mierin Sedai grilled Amilesa a little. She folds the letters into envelopes and seals them with her personal seal. The white wax having a seal of the White Ajah on them depicting logic and Wisdom as mathematical forms. She beckons to the Novice who just entered the room.
“Anelia, please find Accepteds Amilesa and Annika. Hand them these letters. Make sure they are only handled by them.” She eyes the stocky Novice with a firm eye. Wilkerson steps closer, somehow thinking a Novice that is wider in girth than Alison is a threat or something?
“I will do as you ask, Aes Sedai.” She takes the letters and curtseys awkwardly.
After the novice leaves, Alison and Wilkerson make their way down to the stables. Quickly they equip their Razors and get into the saddles.
“I packed food and water for 3 days, in case you are about to ask me.” He smiles at her as she frowns down at the new panniers.
“Good thinking. I don’t think she is going to give me a moment to explain why she needs to surrender. I remember her being in the tower a few hundred years ago and stubborner than a Kandori Merchant on a Sunday. I did tell you there are two men with her?”
He leads them to the Tower Square room and the new spot where the Crier is located now. To the northern side of the area is a fenced-off area. To her surprise, a gate is open and Chloro leads her horse into it. A young Tower guard following her. Alison makes a note to herself to remind Chloro about the new mandate. The next few weeks are going to challenge the foundations of the tower.
Her eyes and ears have been abuzz with news about the new Darkfriend mandate that has been declared. Wilkerson pauses by the fence area, his eyes roaming the whole area in leaps and bounds. After a moment, it rests on Alison.
“I say we should bring more people to this fight, Ali. What if they overwhelm us?”
She shrugs, “Things happen. We will deal with it as it comes. I will gate us to Baerlon; there has been a lot of Fades In that area of late, be on your guard. It will take me a moment to then open another gate to where Surelle and her cell is.”
He nods; the expression of anger briefly fades to worry as he spots a group led by Rhys heading north. Alison briefly glances at Rhys. He is a group leader that knows the world well. The few hours she spent with him a while ago reminded her quietly that she needs to improve in her leading skills as well.
Alison dismounts her razor and enters the gate room area. Her concentration on the gate allows her mind to calm for a few moments as she weaves the complex weave. The gate slashes the air, and a blast of Baerlon Gate guards shouting wafts through the gate. Her eyes scanning through the area to see if anything will hinder them. She finds nothing and nods at Wilkerson as he leads them through.
A few hours later, Alison haggardly sits next to the Falme Well.
This village is so small that she barely remembers coming here before.
“Are you still blind?”
“Yes, it will wear off. I did not think she will have the audacity to Blind me with weaves, but she did. All I wanted to know is what does she know about this new mandate and what we can do to prepare for it.”
She wipes her eyes, her mind darting back to that lesson she gave to the novice a few weeks ago. The blind weave is not a final encompassing sight deleter weave. It is just a few minutes of uncomfortable not seeing moments. Someday she should study how the bubbling drink can remove a weave. If that is possible, like the anti-fear vial, then there must be other recipes that can undo status weaves.
She rubs her leg and feels the knife wounds that they inflicted on her.
“And?”
“She said there is a man named Patros that could be linked to Cullyn. They will have information that would give us about 2 percent of a chance against what is coming. I don’t like not knowing what is going to happen, Wilkerson.”
She senses him pacing close by. The noises are louder and more pronounced. Sonic boom removes your hearing. Blind removes your sight. I wonder if there is a weave that we don’t ever remember from the Ancient times that removed other senses. Imagine not having smell. She remembers studying Trollocs that can smell. What if there was a weave that can remove their smell… She smiles at herself. Trust her to find questions inside of comments she created by herself. Mierin will enjoy this kind of mind exercises. After a few moments, her sight returns and she sighs softly.
“What will this benefit you, Alison?”, he looks haggard as well. She knows he's more serious when he is using her full name like that.
She pauses as she debates with herself. What can this extra knowledge bring them? Simple logic dictates that the more they know the better armed they are. Her mind goes back to the Turg fade fight a few days ago. Not knowing is dangerous.
“It is my right to know what is coming. Whether it is from careful calculations or finding information that can bring us better understanding of the future. That is what it brings me, Wilkerson. Chloro sedai has given me a thirst to know more. Greys have this innate power to make you want more. Even when I was with Kitiara recently, I was reminded of how cause and effect is intertwined with the White Tower. I do this for me.”
She pauses as she looks up at him. He frowns down at her, “I understand. Emalina Sedai has that spark in her eyes as well. You should meet her.”
Alison rises smoothly, wincing at the pain shooting up her leg. This is going to take a few hours to heal before she can even think about going to interview Patros.
“Kilent told me about her. There is quite a few White Ajah sisters I have never met. Besides, she will seek me out when she is good and ready. I suggest we ride to Illian. It will take us about a week before we get there. So little time and so much to do.”
He helps her into her saddle, and she sighs deeply. As they move east toward Emond's Field, she calms her mind with random numbers, factual phrases, and analytical data. This day did not go as planned. Winter is here, Celebrations of the end of the year are upon them, and this new threat is just a symptom of the larger cancer of spawn. So much to do and this moment of peace does not last long….