The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose under the Dragonmount. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

I had been working with a weaponsmith in the camp of the White Tower, making 1 mark a day. This wasn't bad at all, considering that Della and Linnea lost all their money when they came to the tower and I was the only one with an income now. I made enough in this time that when I sold my old armor and tools I could afford the best weaponsmith's tools that money could buy. Of course, I still had those old books in my cloak pockets, but I wasn't quite sure what to do with them and was wary of trying to sell them to an Aes Sedai. All this while, the girls learned new tricks of the One Power and grew more and more like Aes Sedai. I also found out during this time that although there were over a thousand Novices, Della was one of only about 20 Accepted. The rest they had had to raise without the Oath Rod...and without the arches they couldn't test anyone for Accepted.

One night those girls approached me and told me that they were going to the Black Tower the next day, and they might see Blue Eyes again and might just need someone with my skills. So I agreed to come...and bring paper so Blue Eyes could write down what he was trying to say if we met him.

The next morning, on the other side of the gateway, we all saw a young Asha'man soldier who introduced himself as Davian. "I've been told to take you to Master Taim." Of course, I knew that "you" didn't include me so I waited outside while they met with the man.

After a while, Della and Linnea came out of the place without Berandra Sedai. Blue Eyes came up to us and showed us to our rooms and we fumbled with our luggage for a while (they more than I because I'm stronger) and I helped with Berandra Sedai's luggage. Linnea and Della shared a room while Berandra and I had our own I guess I smelled to bad to share a room with or something...I'm always hearing something to that effect. The girls asked Blue Eyes for the fireball rod, but he just looked at them questioningly. I handed him the paper but he just laughed.

"Linnea, maybe you can flirt with him," piped up Della.

"Yeah right, I will not lower myself to that," remarked Linnea coldly.

Blue Eyes charaded that he had to go to a class, bowed, and left us. Linnea was probably just relieved to see him go before we teased her any more about him.

Night fell and Berandra Sedai had still not returned. Not that it mattered to me as much as it did Della or Linnea, but I certainly noticed how long it had been. I was sitting around with Della and Linnea the whole while. Finally Berandra came and, unsurprisingly, asked me to leave. I later found out from Della and Linnea just what was being discussed, but in the meantime I had gone to the stables to visit with the horses...they were the only creatures in this place that didn't make me feel in the least uneasy. People are complicated...people who channel are even more complicated to deal with and tricky too...but animals are simple enough to understand and get along with.

Della and Linnea came out to the stables after a while and found me. They told me what had been said. That Berandra Sedai had told them that the Black Tower was divided, that alliances were being formed with Mazrim Taim or with Logain Ablar and that soon enough it would come to bloodshed. They told me that Berandra was firm in supporting Taim while Logain and his Aes Sedai Wardresses (imagine my surprise...before I had gone to the camp of the White Tower I hadn't even known it was possible to bond a woman as Warder!) had visited them all and as good as said Taim was a Darkfriend. They asked my opinion and told me that they were thinking of looking for Blue eyes and asking his opinion on the matter. So I told them that I would go with them (with pen, ink, and paper of course) to find him because his opinion would certainly be needed.

We searched the Tower itself and found no sign of him.

"Do ya think he's on the roof?" Linnea suggested. He wasn't there.

I checked the fringes of the forest to see if he was out collecting stones like he used to with us. I didn't see him. I didn't even hear him.

We snuck over to a worker and asked if he'd seen Blue Eyes (using a description of course because we still don't know his name). He told us, "A blue-eyed Aiel, where there is the one that's always throwing rocks in the forest....I don't know where he is now, but he usually hangs out in the cafeteria when he isn't throwing rocks"

So we went to the mess hall and saw at least a hundred Asha'man there. We went in there under the pretense of eating and saw him in the back corner, appearing to be in conversation with several other Asha'man.

"Blood and Bloody ashes he can talk!" Linnea shrieked. But, it turned out that he' wasn't talking after all.

Linnea sauntered up to him and I stalked along behind her. He waved...I'm not sure whether it was to Linnea or all of us in general...and Linnea asked if we could speak with him in private. He nodded yes. The four of us then stepped outside together.

"Are you willing to talk to us now?" queried Della.

He just stood there and looked at her funny.

"Will you write things down?" I inquired, bringing out my paper and ink, staying far enough away from him that he wouldn't get the notion to turning my pen into a grenade while it was still in my hand.

He took the paper and pen from me and licked the pen.

"Look....we're here to begin a treaty....we think its very important. We've been approached by both Taim and Logain. Do you think you trust one more?" Linnea asked. At the mention of Taim, he had cringed, but as she mentioned Logain, he had a look of respect on his face.

I slapped him and took my pen back when it was clear that he wasn't going to use it any time soon.

"Do you think Taim has sinister intentions". Linnea asked. He looked disgusted at the name and gave us a 'well, duh' kind of nod and shrugged.

"Do you think you could talk to Berandra and help us get her to help Logain. She is very steadfast in her support of Logain."

He looked undecided and then shook his head no.

"Can you lead us to anybody else who could help?" queried Della.

He took us into the Asha'man quarters, and led us to a door. It opened to show an unimpressive shortish, balding man and an Aes Sedai wearing yellow. The man answered, "Can I help you?" and we all introduced ourselves, myself included though I doubt it meant much. Upon introduction, Corelle Sedai asked "What are an Accepted and a Novice doing wandering by themselves in the Black Tower?"

"We think our Aes Sedai is making a big mistake, and we are trying to find somebody who will help us change her decision" said Della before informing her of the situation.

Damer and Corelle Sedai went into a corner of the room to talk quietly amongst themselves. When they came back Damer said "I never trusted Taim. Logain has shown nothing but loyalty to the Dragon. If this goes where it seems to be going, I am siding with Logain."

Corelle followed, "I will assist you in convincing Berandra of the situation"

"Do you want to go tonight, or should we wait?" asked Linnea.

"We should do it tonight, under the cover of darkness"

So we snuck over to Berrandra's door with Corelle Sedai. Corelle knocked, and Berrandra greeted her. She invited the lot of us in, apparently not aware that I was part of the group at first. Della apologized for my presence and explained that I knew a lot about Aes Sedai...if only they knew how much! But not even Della knew then.

Since I obviously knew what was going on, Berandra Sedai let me stay, though she seemed none too pleased with Della and Linnea for my involvement in the matter. "I'll deal with you two later!" she said to them both. "Come, let's talk. I have been approached by Logain as well. I don't trust anybody who has been bonded by an Ashaman because he can Compel them. But you Corelle, I don't understand as is, but you have bonded the Ashaman yourself. I believe you still have your wits about you. Do you truly feel Taim is a Darkfriend?" Berandra addressed Corelle Sedai.

Corelle replied, "I don't know, but we do know that he is power hungry and overly ambitious. These three came to me and told me what Logain told them. And if Taim indeed does know, then the battle is imminent. The Black Tower will be torn apart. I don't know how long we have"

Berrandra asked Linnea and Della "And what do you two think?"

Della answered "Well, I have always felt suspicions against Taim, and several people that I trust here at the Tower have told me of their suspicions, so were it my place I would trust Logain."

"I don't know how many people you know at this Black Tower, the fact that you know any is disturbing. But if you do trust them, and I know of your diplomatic skills, which is why I brought you...I suppose I should think it over. And the novice."

"Well I must admit that I am biased against Taim because I fully remember the devastation he wrought against my people," Linnea responded.

"Logain too was a False Dragon, you know." Berandra Sedai reminded her, as though anyone in the Westlands could forget.

"I know," Linnea said simply.

"He stilled a sister," said Berandra gravely.

"I believe Taim would, had he the chance. Taim killed Aes Sedai," said Linnea sadly.

"Your impressions of Taim?" Berandra asked, not so respectfully as she had of Della.

"It may be my associations, but he turns my stomach." Linnea said coldly.

"And you, Della?" Berandra continued.

"He turns my stomach," Della reaffirmed.

"Very well, I shall think this over. You are dismissed," Berandra said at last. Taking little notice of me.

Corelle said finally, "I think we did well, Berrandra will come to her senses. I must go."

The girls thanked her and asked if we could have further help. "Yes, you are always welcome to ask for my assistance," she said.

The girls went to bed after that, but I certainly wasn't tired...I was never tired anymore these days.

I decided to walk by the mess hall and see if Blue Eyes was still there. He was still eating and listening to a couple of Asha'man in what seemed like a heated debate. I never did find out what they were saying as they quieted down as I approached. I just waved to Blue Eyes and went to go get some food...as though I really needed it.

I asked Blue Eyes if I could sit with him. He only shrugged in an "okay" type of manner. I was glad that he didn't nod no because I have a hard enough time with strangers, let alone strangers who can rip me apart with the One Power on a whim! Diplomatic immunity didn't exactly extend to me, even if hospitality did. I sat down and ate, trying to justify my presence as best i could. Blue Eye's companions were a bit unfriendly to me so I tried to at least make them indifferent since there wasn't much hope of making them or anyone else like me...of course, their attitudes towards me remained unchanged. I noticed that they were both Dedicated from their collar pins.

So I minded my own business and ate. As I approached the end of the meal, Blue Eyes tapped me on the shoulder and gestured for me to follow him. The Dedicated resumed their debating when I left.

He led me to a cellar and lit a light. All I could really see were a few crates and boxes of odd sizes lined up along the walls and stacked up in the middle of the room almost haphazardly. He led me to a corner and showed me a small box hidden in a crevice in the wall. I don't know why I abandoned caution just then, but I did and pulled the box out, and upon opening it, I saw a dark, cracked sphere. Of course, I suppose I could be justified for just reaching in there and grabbing it. After all, that was what Blue Eyes seemed to want me to do. Blue Eyes then gestured for me to be quiet and take it. I asked him quietly what it was as I was putting it away and he only shrugged. So I quickly pocketed it in one of the many hidden pockets of my cloak. He then led me out of the cellar, replacing the box as we went, turned out the light and left.

I, of course, had no idea what the black ball was. I'd never seen or heard about the like of it but I had my suspicions and thought that Della would know if anyone I knew and trusted these days did. So I snuck very quietly to Della and Linnea's room. Linnea was closest to the door so I woke her first and told her what had passed. "I met Blue Eyes" I whispered.

"Did he tell you anything." Linnea whispered half-yawning.

So I pulled out the sphere to show her and then put it back in my pocket. Then we tried to wake up Della together. "Della! Della! Ryah is here," Linnea whispered excitedly.

"I saw Blue Eyes...he gave me this," I said simply once Della appeared to be awake.

"Saidar emanates from the cracks. Should I try to channel something through it?" Della asked drowsily.

"Just a little bit...I don't want Berrandra to sense it," Linnea replied.

"And you better move across the room in case something happens," I cautioned.

Della started channeling through it then and gave herself a headache with whatever she was doing. Linnea healed her easily with some herbs while Della muttered "Remind me not to channel through this again..."

"Just leave that thing be for awhile. Don't still yourself out," Linnea said.

"Should I take it to Corelle?" I ventured, thinking that Corelle Sedai might be able to at least tell me what it was, if not figure it out.

"No, don't show it to an Aes Sedai. Can you ask Blue Eyes?" "He didn't know what to do?" They chorused.

Della decided to try again and got another headache but this time she saw glowing lines on the sphere.

She channeled through it again and it opened with parts of it sliding back into itself as if by magic, and we saw an empty space within it. She tried channeling more strongly through the sphere but nothing happened.

"Can you close it manually?" Linnea asked.

"No...maybe I should close it with a little Spirit" Della said. Her spirit was successful apparently since the ball closed again.

Della kept opening and closing it and trying new things on the ball until she wound up feeling bruised, burned, and achy in the head "No more!" she exclaimed.

Linnea dosed her with some herbs before they went to bed again. I decided to sleep on the floor in case I was needed. Besides, I didn't exactly feel comfortable being in a town full of men who could channel alone in my own room and practically defenseless against them.

We all went to sleep including myself though I was not tired. I was still feeling uneasy about not eating and sleeping like normal folk even though I had figured out by now that it certainly didn't hurt me in any obvious way to go for a week without eating or sleeping more than once. In the morning, Della felt as though nothing had happened the night before "I don't really want to cast anything much stronger through it, unless it's spirit." she said simply.

There was a harsh knock at the door just then, at the crack of dawn, as we were waking. I took the black ball and pocketed it again. The door opened and Berrandra ran in, looked at me, said nothing to me but said to the girls "Come with me!"

They went with her and I followed a few yards behind, trying not to seem obvious about it. As I got outside I noticed that there were two squadrons of 40 Asha'man each, on opposite sides of the farm facing each other in readiness for battle. Logain was the head of one, and Taim the head of the other. I didn't see Blue Eyes at first on either side.

I lost sight of the girls and Berandra as they ran towards the back of Logain's side. They just disappeared by some trick or other of the One Power. I found Blue Eyes, however and stood near him, Damer Flinn and Corelle Sedai as the battle began.

The battle began, as far as I could tell, when I shot Davian, who was standing directly to Taim's right, with my shortbow, nearly rendering him unconscious. I then dashed behind Flinn and Corelle. Linnea moved out of whatever it was that hid her and I saw her as I quickly glanced back while reloading my bow.

Logain cast lightning directly at Taim, I was certain that it was Logain because only he would have been so bold. The lighting hit him...and injured everyone within 50 feet including four of our own men who died instantly. Davian died as well, along with 22 of Taim's followers. Twelve more of Taim's were injured and Taim stood still...though he was certainly injured.

Damer wove a false wall, which sprung up before us, protecting the entire side of the battlefield that I was on. He must have tied off the weave because it stayed so long and so well for how little attention he seemed to be paying it.

Blue Eyes moved up to the far edge of the wall, and made a fireball using his fireball rod ter'angreal. Eight more died.

Corelle moved to the side so she could cast weaves around the side of the wall a man on the other side fell down screaming in anguish...she had gentled him and cut him off from the source.

I moved up behind Corelle Sedai so that I could better position myself while still guarded by the wall.

Four of ours charged forward holding fiery swords.

Someone, I think it was Della, cast a wall of flame right on top of Taim, boxing his forces in with the two walls.

Four of ours ran around the barrier of the false wall and cast blades of fire. Another of ours moved in between them and cast a fireball at a couple of Taim's followers and hit them. Two others on the other side moved around Damer's wall. One cast sever at one of Taim's Asha'man and succeeded in cutting him off from the source. He fell down and whimpered pathetically. Another man of ours cast Immolate on one of Taim's. He burst into flame. The fellow standing next to the immolator set his own hand on fire.

One of Taim's men moved, casting a fireball at some of our men with the flaming swords...they all died. A couple of Taim's moved towards Corelle, casting fire on the two men standing next to her. The fire killed the two men and severely injured Corelle. Damer winced but held the power.

Two of Taim's moved in to try to restore the power to the two severed men and managed to restore one of them.

Berrandra moved out from whatever illusion obscured her before and opened a Gateway near Corelle.

A couple of ours moved and cast fireballs towards Taim and missed. A couple more of our men repositioned themselves.

One of Taim's men moved out from behind the wall and cast a fireball at Logain. Everyone within 20 feet was affected. No one died, but Toviene fell out of consciousness and appeared to be bleeding to death. Ten of our men were severely injured in the attack.

Two of ours moved and cast Lightning against a knot of Taim's men, and the one who had just been restored the power died. Another pair of our men repositioned themselves.

Taim moved over to the side until he was in front of Corelle and tried to cast Compulsion on her but she successfully resisted.

Gabrelle cast a barrier to sight around Logain's half of the field. We couldn't see anything now, but now Taim's men couldn't see us either until we left the barrier.

One of our men left the barrier in the direction where I had last seen Taim and his men...he must have cast riven earth because when we found Taim, the severed man, and four others their remains were lying in and around a crater in the ground. The only remaining man of Taim's side surrendered immediately.

Flinn, Gabrelle, and Della dropped their barriers and walls once it was all over. Linnea tended to some healing, most significantly she healed Toveine Sedai. Flinn healed Corelle himself. The man who surrendered to our side was shielded and imprisoned. Taim's remains were hung on the Traitor Tree along with the remains of his army. Twenty of our men (in addition to Logain,Flinn, and Blue Eyes) survived the bloody battle. All of the Aes Sedai survived as well.

Logain proclaimed himself the M'Hael of the Black Tower until the return of the Dragon Reborn. Berandra and the girls went to negotiate a treaty with him and I guarded the door -- more of an honor issue than a necessity. I learned what passed inside from Linnea and Della later -- a mutual non-aggression past was agreed upon between the Black Tower and the Rebel Tower...Logain also promised that though the Black Tower would not aid in the claiming of the White Tower in Tar Valon for our faction, the Black Tower would make no alliances of any kind with Elaida's Tower. Logain also decided that three Dedicated should be sent to the tower to practice linking.

We slept the night there before leaving the next morning with the three Dedicated (Blue Eyes among them).

The night before we left, the girls decided to investigate the black ball in their little free time every night for about a week after that [for those who don't know, a week is comprised of ten days]. So every night I would come after I was done with my work for the day and they would tinker with it, with many failures along the way. I gave them a mark to try putting into the chamber that night before we left. They opened and closed the ball but my mark was still there, unchanged.

A few days later, back in the White Tower, they opened it, put in a silver penny of mine, closed the ball and opened it again to no effect.

Quite a few attempts made the lines on the ball glow. After a while though, they opened it up to reveal a small pad of some strange material the size of my palm. Della put it in her hand and sensed nothing. Channeling through it, however, she could sense that it was made with the power. She channeled through it for a while but was unable to learn anything more.

The pad made impressions. For instance, it made a mold of a mark when it was set on it. Linnea suggested that we could use it to make fake keys.

After a few more nights of tinkering with it, they found a bottle of ink, that we all (myself included) tried writing with...nothing seemed at all special about it. They channeled into it a bunch more that night and only got it to glow until a new compartment opened to reveal a small golden ring. Della said that she sensed saidar strongly on it. It amplified all of her weaves...including one that made a gust of wind bigger than she had counted on. She figured out that it was an angreal after a bit.

They also discovered that the little pad could only be flattened by the power and that the ink was seemingly unlimited.

They decided that part of the ball must be attuned to saidin and so I planned to sneak it over to Blue Eyes at first opportunity.

In the meantime, I trained a bit with the Warders and learned how to fight with two weapons or with one weapon more effectively.