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| The Three Oaths; Attn: Juhon | |
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| Topic Started: Nov 6 2009, 08:47 PM (42 Views) | |
| Brietta Laetre | Nov 6 2009, 08:47 PM Post #1 |
Head of the White Ajah/Shadow
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In the last week, Brietta had been busy. She had gotten her hands on the Ebony Rod- not a terribly difficult process, but they did not exactly leave it lying around for anyone to use -and put everything in order to swear a newcomer into the ranks of those who followed the Great Lord. Finally, today, it was all going to come into fruition. If Brietta was the type of person to get excited, she would have been. She was not, but even so it was not as if this was just any general day. Brietta had sent word to Juhon earlier this afternoon that tonight at midnight he should meet her just outside the soldier dormitories. It was nearly time for her to go meet him and hopefully the boy was not fool enough to get caught. Brietta was confident in her own ability to get to the soldier dormitories without getting caught, but she knew the weave for Folded Light- not a Talent of hers, but she could manage it well enough to get her through areas that might look suspicious -and Inverting was one of her Talents- the most useful, in her opinion. And beyond that, she was well practiced in moving without being noticed, one did not spend nearly one hundred fifty years in the Black Ajah without acquiring that particular skill. Brietta glanced at the clock on her mantle, it was time. She stood and stepped into her dressing room and at the back of her wardrobe found the black rod that she had, so many years ago, used to swear her oaths to the Great Lord. It was a proud memory for Brietta, but not a pleasant one. The Ebony Rod was extremely painful to swear on, it was one of the few times Brietta had unintentionally let someone see a weakness without feeling shame. It was painful. It was a taste of what one might endure in the service of the Great Lord. After that, anything could be endured. Brietta thought it was the same principle as the test for Aes Sedai, after that it was easy to keep calm in most situations- for most sisters, anyway. She tucked the Ebony Rod into a pocket in her skirts made specifically for that reason and stepped out of her room. Tonight it was Juhon's turn. He would swear his Oaths and become an official follower of the Great Lord. Brietta had kept a close eye on him over the last week, and as far as her informants could tell, he had shown no inclination to tell anyone news of his meeting with Brietta. A good sign. Brietta had hopes for Juhon. From what she knew, it would be illogical to hope he might come to wield power in the Shadow, but her hopes were not for his sake. By his own admission, Juhon always followed orders without question. That would be a wonderful tool to make use of, and Brietta had no intention to share. Juhon, she hoped, would become something of a tool for her in the Towers, assuming he was allowed to remain. Asha'man followed her orders already, but to have one who answered to her before anyone else, who did her bidding exclusively, that was an opportunity Brietta could hardly pass up. It would be years before that happened, but that just gave Brietta the opportunity to teach Juhon what he needed to know and ensure his loyalty to her above all others- excepting of course the Great Lord. Before she stepped out of her room, Brietta embraced saidar, feeling its pure joy flow into her, savoring for a moment the feeling of the Power that drove the Wheel of Time flow through her. Only for a moment though, there were important things to be done tonight. She wove Folded Light and wrapped it around herself, making herself invisible to anyone who did not channel saidar. It took a few moments, this was not one of her Talents, and likely if not for the necessity the Shadow presented she would have never taken an interest in the weave beyond novice classes. As it was, she had stretched herself over the years until she was able to cover herself from prying eyes, but it was not easy. Finally finished, she used Inverted the weave, making herself invisible to every other person in the world. The first time Brietta had achieved it, it had been a strange realization, now it was almost a matter of course. Invisible, she slipped carefully out of her room and made her way through the darkened White Ajah halls. Oh there were still lights, but by night only every third one was lit, to conserve oil. Out in the Tower proper it was the same, and Brietta made her way quickly, she knew exactly where she was going. She reached the soldier dormitories and saw a dark shape standing in the shadows. She approved, if she had not been looking for him- and especially if she had been trying to avoid notice herself -she might not have noticed him there. As it was, she had to let go of her Folded Light weave, she did not have enough skill to cover both of them. Another person might not have bothered with it at all since she had to abandon it, but Brietta did not mind the extra effort if it meant extra security as well. "Follow me," she said simply to the soldier who had been waiting for her. She made her way into the Black Tower and to the nearest entrance to the basements that she knew. She led the soldier down to the deepest basements of the Tower- no one would hear him scream down here- and scream he surely would, when he felt the Ebony Rod's Oaths sink into him. Brietta did not know why Oaths on this Rod were painful where ones sworn on the Towers' Oath Rod simply caused a tightening sensation, it was just a fact. Brietta paused briefly as they reached the lowest basement and channeled a bridge of air to keep them from making footprints in the dust. Easier to not make footprints than to put all the dust back later, in her opinion. She made her way down the hall and into an old, empty storeroom. Once inside, she turned to face Juhon. "You have been brought here to take your first step in following the Great Lord of the Dark. After this day, you will be considered a member of the Black Shen and will answer to those who stand above you in the Shadow. You will swear three things on the Ebony Rod. The first is to pledge your soul to the Great Lord of the Dark, and to wait and work for the Day of Returning. The second is to hold the Shadow's secrets fast, and never betray your companions nor plots to the Light. The third is to obey those the Shadow has put above you without question, and not to contermand their orders in any way. Swear this on your life, your soul, and in the Shadow." Carefully, she pulled the Ebony Rod from her skirts and handed it to Juhon. Once more, she embraced saidar, this time channeling a thick strand of Spirit into the end of the Rod. |
 Talents: Milking Tears, Listening to the Wind, Inverting Avatar Art by Nene Thomas | |
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| Juhon Baior | Nov 7 2009, 09:17 AM Post #2 |
Dedicated
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Juhon had felt uncharacteristically excited as he had read the note. He had went on as if nothing had happened, attending classes, studying hard, talking to fellow Soldiers, joking and laughing, doing chores diligently, even flirting a bit. As if he had not heard Asha'man Garrion talking about torturing a Dedicated, although he had since talked to the Dedicated and realized that he had not been in the Infirmary at all. As if an Aes Sedai of the Black Ajah had not invited him to join the Shadow. As if he was not waiting for a summons to swear the Oaths that would make him a Shadowsworn. And now it was time. Juhon was strecthed on his bed under the covers, hiding from his roommates that he was fully clothed. He only had two roommates at the moment, both snoring now, tired after a particularly hard day of studies and chores. Juhon had made sure that the two indeed would have chores; he had challenged them, saying that the Aes Sedai were all cold as fish and probably rubbish in bed, knowing quite well that the Aes Sedai of the Yellow Ajah advancing on them would hear when the two offered their own remarks of agreement. Juhon had put on a suitably shocked face at their words and had avoided punishment himself. He would pay for it later in the form of some prank or another, and then they would all be friends again. But for now, they had refused to talk to him when they had entered and were fast asleep now. Juhon rose, adjusted the pillows so that with a quick glance someone could see a form under the covers that could be mistaking as him, and sneaked out of the room. The corridor was empty, and that was a blessing. Juhon was not an expert at sneaking around. At least, not yet. He wasn't sure what he would do if someone entered the dorms and saw him. He'd probably turn around if he heard footsteps and pretend that he was going to his rooms. That shouldn't raise questions, just a Soldier going to bed after some late evening chores, unless the person knew that Juhon didn't have any. If he didn't have time to turn... Well, he would think of some excuse. He would have to. He walked quietly to the entrance and found himself a suitable spot in the shadows. With his black uniform, his hands in his pockets and his face turned so that his dark hair showed instead of his pale face, he would have a reasonable chance of being unseen. And he waited. Perhaps he had come a little early; he didn't expect Brietta Sedai to be late. She was of the White Ajah as well as the Black and he assumed that she appreciated punctuality. It was dangerous to assume anything now, he realized. He would be fine if he just obeyed to the letter and without question. That was his best bet, and he would do so anyway, it was in his nature. He had come to realize and accept that after his meeting with Brietta Sedai. He would do whatever he was told. He was compelled to do so, by himself. Now he could put it to good use. He would have a Master, or Mistress. And he would obey him or her before all others. Otherwise, he would do as the Master of Soldiers or other Asha'man told him to, and now he would know the order of importance for sure. Suddenly Brietta Sedai appeared before him. Juhon blinked. "Follow me," she said before he had time to bow or anything, so he didn't, and followed. As they walked, he contemplated his future. What would it be like, to serve the Great Lord? Painful, probably, if he failed, and rewarding if he didn't. He would learn things that normal Asha'man did not. That was... exciting. He wasn't the most emotional person, he had come to learn, but he was curious. He wanted to learn. They walked down to the basements, deep, deep down. For a moment, Brietta Sedai paused, but they moved on and soon stopped. They were inside a storeroom. The shelves were empty, so the room was in no use, which was reasonable, considering its location. Brietta Sedai finally spoke, giving him instructions and the Oaths he would swear. Then she pulled a dark rod from her skirts and handed it to him. Juhon looked at it curiously, but didn't waste time studying it. After this, he would be a member of the Black Shen. "I, Juhon Baior, swear on my life, my soul and in the Shadow, to pledge my soul to the Great Lord of the Dark and to wait and work for the Day of Returning." He nearly dropped the rod in shock as the pain came. It was a wave, a crushing wave of pain, smothering him, raging on his skin as well as inside him. He gasped and dropped to his knees, trying to curl up to shield him from the pain. But he held on to the rod. He had to finish it. He supported himself with his left hand and clutched the rod with his right. "I swear," he continued, his voice wavering with the pain, "on my life, my soul and in the Shadow, to hold the Shadow's secrets fast and never betray my companions nor plots to the Light." A surprised gasp escaped him as the pain grew worse. How could something so painful get worse? It surrounded him and he felt like he would drown in it. It pushed all the thoughts from his mind and invaded his body as well. He hit the floor on his side as his hand betrayed him and he curled again, but the pain would not go away. His mouth opened for an involuntary scream of agony. But he still held the rod. "I swear..." he began, his voice barely more than a whisper, determined to finish, even if it meant more pain... No more pain! No! Stop it! "on my life, my soul and in the Shadow..." No more... "to obey those the Shadow has put above me without question and not to contermand their orders in anyway." The last word stretched into a scream and the rod finally dropped from his hand as his limbs straghtened in a spasm. The pain enveloped everything and he was close to unconsciousness, unable to think of anything but the pain, feel nothing put the pain, unaware of his body tossing and turning, unaware of the Aes Sedai near him. |
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Juhon Baior Servant of the Shadow Talents: Inverting Weaves, Folding the Light, Mind Sealing Artwork by M.Luisa Giliberti. | |
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| Brietta Laetre | Nov 7 2009, 09:41 PM Post #3 |
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Head of the White Ajah/Shadow
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Brietta waited while Juhon swore his oaths, expressionless. She had expected this, but seeing it was always both boon and bane. It reminded her of her own oath-swearing, which was not something she ever desired to contemplate, she knew the pain Juhon was enduring and respected him for it. At the same time, the boy went through with it. After the first Oath, once one knew what to expect, it was hard, very hard, to continue. But he did, and Brietta respected him more for that. Not that he had much choice in the matter, but that he continued without protest, without question, that was something. Finally, the young man dropped the Ebony Rod and spasmed on the floor. Brietta carefully bent down and picked up the Rod, returning it to her skirts. She had no idea exactly how fragile the thing was, but she saw no reason to expose it to unnecessary danger. She waited patiently for Juhon's pain to subside enough to allow him lucidity- it would not be gone completely for some time, but thankfully the worst of it abated fairly quickly. Brietta was not bound by the Towers' Oath Rod- that unswearing was as painful as this -but she understood that it took nearly a full year for the skin-tightening to abate completely. The Ebony Rod did not take that long, but long enough, certainly. When the man seemed to be calming, Brietta spoke again. Juhon may not get all the details now, but what he did not remember could be refreshed later, there were only a few important points she needed to get to now. "Within the Black Ajah and Shen, each person belongs to a heart. Your heart will consist of Asha'man Garrion and Erran, the two you overheard in the library last week. Each person also knows one other person outside of their heart. For you, I will be that person. You will not tell anyone that I am your one extra." She did not have to give the command force, the man had just sworn a binding Oath to obey those above him in the Shadow. He would not betray her. "You will meet with Garrion for lessons. You will receive word of when and where to meet him, I am leaving it up to him. There, you will learn what you need to know about the Shadow, both within the Towers and without, and you will be taught the weaves you'll need to know." Brietta had nothing else to say, after what Juhon had just endured, it was unlikely that he would be able to take in much information, so Brietta kept it to a minimum. All those things would likely be refreshed with Garrion, he could tell him that Erran was the other member of their heart, but he could not remind Juhon who his one extra was. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Juhon to recover enough to return to his room. He had to not only be able to make the walk, but to do it without attracting the attention of anyone else who might be out in the Towers and without waking his roommates when he got back to his room. |
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Talents: Milking Tears, Listening to the Wind, Inverting Avatar Art by Nene Thomas | |
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| Juhon Baior | Nov 8 2009, 06:28 AM Post #4 |
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Dedicated
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Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the pain started to subside. First he regained the control of his limbs and managed to stop flailing. He lay on his back, panting. And waited. Tears were running on his cheeks, but he managed to stop screaming. And he waited. Light, it seemed to take so long. It occured to him that Brietta Sedai had gone through this as well, she knew what it was like. And yet she was ready and willing to hurt him like that, knowing fully well the agony. It was a chilling thought, but he grabbed at it, glad that he could think of something else than the pain. He supposed that he would have to get used to it now. Pain. He was sure that if Brietta Sedai was willing to inflict this kind of pain on him without a thought, she, or any other Shadowsworn, would not even blink before inflicting some more pain. For nothing, surely, could be worse pain than this. But he did not feel angry or... disappointed. He had done as he had been told. He did not blame Brietta Sedai for doing it, he did not question her motives. He did not feel the need to know. Light, he endured and was glad that he had been able to finish! He blinked and realized that the tears had stopped running. He tried to calm his breath and struggled to his hands and knees. He managed to straighten uncertainly, sitting on his legs. The room swayed, he felt nausious, but he did not sick up but tried to look at Brietta Sedai. "Within the Black Ajah and Shen, each person belongs to a heart. Your heart will consist of Asha'man Garrion and Erran, the two you overheard in the library last week. Each person also knows one other person outside of their heart. For you, I will be that person. You will not tell anyone that I am your one extra." Juhon listened intently, but he had a hard time concentrating. He could not stop thinking of the pain, it tugged at his thoughts, disturbing him. But he listened, and hopefully he would be able to remember. Heart. Asha'man Garrion and Erran. One extra. Tell no one. "You will meet with Garrion for lessons. You will receive word of when and where to meet him, I am leaving it up to him. There, you will learn what you need to know about the Shadow, both within the Towers and without, and you will be taught the weaves you'll need to know." Lessons, Garrion. I will be told later. He memorized it, or tried to, hoping that he would not fail. He looked at Brietta Sedai, but she said no more. Juhon let himself fell on his hands and knees again, it seemed to help a little about the swaying. The pain was subsiding, but it had not gone yet. Juhon took deep breaths, eyes closed, tried to think of something else than the pain. His roommates. Going back to his rooms. He would have to step lightly. Slowly but surely the pain continued to subside. He no longer felt like he was being crushed by it, it was now a lingering memory of that, but still enough to strain him. He straightened again, closed his eyes until the room stopped swirling. Then he struggled to his feet. He swayed, once, twice, but managed to keep himself upright. He wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. Then he nodded, indicating that he remembered what she had said and understood. |
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Juhon Baior Servant of the Shadow Talents: Inverting Weaves, Folding the Light, Mind Sealing Artwork by M.Luisa Giliberti. | |
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| Brietta Laetre | Nov 8 2009, 11:48 AM Post #5 |
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Head of the White Ajah/Shadow
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Juhon clearly made an effort to listen to her, but it had also clearly cost him. He took several more minutes before he was able to take full control of himself. He wiped his face off and nodded, indicating that he understood what Brietta had told him. Well, the boy was not entirely inept, which was of course to the good. He still did not look entirely steady on his feet, but that was to be expected. She nodded back to him and stepped around him back out of the storeroom. Back up the weave she had already laid, at the end, she waited for Juhon to exit into the stairs where, despite their depth, footprints were much more common. She then Inverted and released the weave she had used to keep them above the dust. No point in hiding their footprints if someone happened to come down here and see the residues of Brietta's weave. Not that they would be able to trace them back to her, but better to have no one asking questions at all. Brietta made her way back up the stairs to the first floor of the Black Tower. Here she and Juhon would part ways."Return to your dormitory for the rest of the night. Be careful no one sees you. If you can think of a good excuse, you may go to the Infirmary tomorrow for Healing, but do not allow them to Delve you. It will not erase the pain, but it will make it more bearable. I would offer, but I have almost no skill in Healing and it would really be unfair to offer that little relief. During your lessons with Garrion, he may or may not be willing to Heal you occasionally, I do not know if he has the skill, and if he does, I don't know if he'll be willing." With that, Brietta turned and made her way back to her own rooms. This time, she chose not to bother with hiding herself, she was tired and it would be an exertion, besides, the feeling of saidar in the first floor of the Black Tower at this time of night might attract attention. If she met someone, she could always say she was going for a walk,or if it came to it, returning from a meeting with a lover. Better not to be seen, but Brietta always tried to be prepared for things she would rather not happen, especially when being prepared was as simple as having a lie ready. |
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Talents: Milking Tears, Listening to the Wind, Inverting Avatar Art by Nene Thomas | |
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12:33 AM Nov 23
