Your presence is required.

[Amadine]

Talina glared at the scrap of paper in her hand. “And this arrived when, Mistress Granly?”

 

“Just last night Talina Sedai” the cowering woman said, “I did be sending my girl, Finnelle, to you right quick this morning, at first light it was Talina Sedai.”

 

Light, how that Illianer accent grated at Talina. Shoving that thought aside she turned her steely gaze to the dressmaker before her; she might be an agent of the Red Ajah, but she didn’t really understand what it meant to be affiliated with Aes Sedai.

 

Talina glared down again at the message she held,

 

“Your presence is required, Larindhra”

 

That was it! Your presence is required! Talina snorted loudly and stalked out of the seamstress’ store. Making her way back to the inn she was lodging at people seemed to jump out of her way. An ageless face like a thundercloud approaching was enough to make anyone dive for cover. She stalked through the front door of The Nine Bees and people continued to scurry out of her way.

 

Talina made her way up the staircase and into the room she had hired for her stay in Illian. She pulled her saddlebags from the wardrobe and began packing her things into them. The innkeeper peered nervously around the edge of the door frame at her. Karryd was a balding fat man, he was in his shirtsleeves and circles of sweat had long ago stained the fabric from white to a nasty dank yellow. “Talina Sedai, May I be fetching you some tea?”

 

Talina had begun packing and she looked up into the face of the nervous little man, “No thank you Master Karryd. I would ask though that you have the kitchen lasses pack some food for my journey. I will be departing as soon as I finish packing. I trust this will be enough to cover the inconvenience.” She pressed a Tar Valon gold mark into his sweaty hand. She had booked this room for a month and here she was, packing after only two days.

 

Karryd looked at the golden coin in his hand and his eyes bulged, “Ye... yes Aes Sedai, that do be more than enough. I will have to go to the moneychanger to be giving you the right coins back.”

 

“Do not bother with that,” Talina replied brusquely, “Have your stableman saddle my horse and bring him out into the stable yards.”

 

“Aye Aes Sedai, it will be as you say.” He squeaked and hurried off down the back stairs that led to the kitchens. Talina could hear him shouting orders to the kitchen lasses and heard the rear door to the stable yard slam shut and he rushed through it.

 

Once she finished packing her belongings she picked up her light dust cloak and put it on over her riding dress of red silk. She hefted the saddlebags over her shoulder and with a final check of the room Talina made her way gracefully down the rear staircase.

 

Upon reaching the kitchens Talina could see the lasses there scurrying around adding final touches to the package of food put together for her. The Cook was a lean tall woman with a sour mouth named Kirana. She smacked the bottom of the closest girl with the wooden spoon she held in her hand. “When I say to be quick Farleigh, I mean do be quick! The Aes Sedai to be wanting to leave,” catching sight of Talina entering the kitchen she continued, “see Farleigh, here do be the Aes Sedai now.”

 

The lass, of about fourteen, was rubbing her bottom with one hand and tucking a few apples into the package on the table with the other. “It do be done Mistress Kirana.” she whined.

 

“Thank you Farleigh,” Talina replied, it was obvious who had packed the bundle, and it was not the overbearing Cook, “This will serve my needs just fine.” She picked up the package off the table and tucked it into her saddlebags, and then she pressed a pair of shiny silver coins into the girl’s hand.

 

“Go on now Child, go buy yourself a new dress.” The girl looked to the cook for her permission, she nodded sourly and the child darted out the back door. Talina knew that if she had left the child here with silver Kirana would have taken it away from her the instant she left.

 

Without speaking to the sour woman Talina made her way into the stable yards. The head groomsman was bringing Calichniye out from the stable. The roan stallion whinnied at seeing her and when she reached his side Talina rubbed his nose affectionately. He was always welcoming to her when he saw her, which had given him his name; Calichniye in the Old Tongue meant welcome.

 

The groomsmen inclined his head to her and held Calichniye’s bridle while she mounted. Not that there was need for that, the warhorse would not have moved an inch. “Thank you Goodman” she told him; then turned the stallion and rode out of the yards, into the street.

 

Her temper had abated a little, well until she thought again of the simple message Larindhra had sent. Snorting in anger she put those thoughts aside and put her mind to the task at hand. First she would need to find a ship heading towards Tear. From there she could board a riverboat and bully the captain into travelling all the way up the Erinin to Tar Valon. Three weeks at best she thought. The riverboat would probably have to be under oars all the way to Tar Valon, this was going to be expensive.

 

Riding through the streets of Illian, Talina sniffed at the women in their low necked dresses, she inwardly rolled her eyes at a woman purchasing fruit from a stall, she was leaning forward and her bosom was barely contained. It was slow progress through the city streets down to the docks, people did move out of her way, but only once they looked up and saw the ageless face sitting upon the roan stallion.

 

When she reached the docks Talina made her way to the dock master’s office and enquired on which ship was the first leaving for Tear. Leading Calichniye by his reins, Talina made her way over to the ship that the dock master had pointed out. The Sea Spirit was a large hulking thing, made for carrying cargo not passengers, well like it or not the Captain of the Sea Spirit was to have a passenger today.

 

The Captain was a thick set man standing on the dock alongside the ship shouting orders in that thick Illianer accent that grated her nerves so much. He eyes her askance as she approached. “I will be taking passage on your ship to Tear today Captain. We will also be taking my horse. You will have him lifted over onto the deck.”

 

“There do be no horses on the Spirit Aes Sedai.” He said sullenly, surely the man knew he would not win this argument, but he was counting on getting the best price for passage he could.

 

“Well, there do be today.” Talina replied slightly mocking his accent and then she went on in a normal tone, “The faster you get my horse onto your ship and the faster you get us to Tear, the better your pay will be.” She flipped a golden coin to the Captain and said “There’s more where that came from but you had best be hurrying Captain.”

 

The Captain’s eyes widened at the glint of gold as her caught the coin and began calling for his men to rig up the hoist and have a horse cradle found. Talina removed her saddlebags from Calichniye and made her way onto the ship. Climbing down the ladder she looked into each of the cabins and found, much to her surprise there was a passenger cabin and it was small but quite adequate for her needs. Placing her bags upon the bed she set a small ward that would burn the fingers of anyone who attempted to rifle through her belongings. They should know better than to trifle with an Aes Sedai, but Talina always said it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

The trip to Tear was uneventful, after only one display of what she was capable of, the sailors had since stepped lightly around her. Talina ensured that Calichniye was the first article unloaded at the docks of Tear, paid the Captain a generous sum and again sought out the dock master.

 

Aes Sedai were tolerated and feared in Tear. Their reputation preceded them to the extent that Channelling was forbidden in the country. Aes Sedai were tolerated on the understanding that they would respect the laws of Tear and not channel, but all knew that those laws were only abided to if the Aes Sedai in question saw no need break them.

 

The dock master directed her to a small man who was the Captain or the riverboat The Silver Fox, with a name like that Talina wondered just how legal the cargo he carried was. “Captain Narima, I will take passage on your ship to Tar Valon.” She said firmly. Her tone allowed for no nonsense.

 

“The Fox be only going so far as Aringill Aes Sedai.” The Captain began, then he wisely reconsidered, “but for the right price I could take her up to Tar Valon. You and your horse I do suppose.”

 

Talina could almost hear the gold clinking within his mind. She pulled her purse out from the pocket sewn into her skirt and poured a handful of mostly gold coins into her hand and showed it to Captain. “Captain Narima, the faster you get me to Tar Valon, the more you will be paid. Take too long and you will receive basic passage only for myself and nothing extra for the horse.”

 

The Captain’s look moved from outrage to shrewdness, “There is no faster ship than the Fox, Aes Sedai. I will have you there in twenty days.”

 

Talina nodded, “Then if it takes twenty-one days you get basic passage only. Remember Captain the sooner we arrive in Tar Valon, the more money you will be paid.”

 

The Captain saw to having Calichniye hoisted onto the deck and sheltered under a small awning with hitch posts, she guessed this was not the first time he had carried horses by the experienced manner with which he had directed the activity. Once the stallion was safely on deck the Captain showed Talina Sedai to the best cabin available. It was quite plainly decorated but clean and not at all musty smelling. With a lurch Talina felt the boat moving away from the docks and out onto the river.

 

They reached Aringill only eight days later and the Fox tied up at the docks to unload cargo and replenish supplies. They remained there half a day while the Captain found cargo to go north to Tar Valon. Talina went into the town and made some purchases of her own before reboarding the ship and they set off again for Tar Valon.

 

Docking in Tar Valon only nine days after leaving Aringill, Talina made good on her promise and paid the Captain passage for herself and her horse four times over. The Captain thanked her gratefully and told her if she ever required passage along the Erinin again to look him up.

 

Talina climbed into Calichniye’s saddle and rode up into the city. Larindhra had best have a good explanation for her summons. Talina had not been intending on returning to the Tower for at least another ten years. She had only been here last two years before hand. Making her way through the city Talina rode around to the stables where Aes Sedai’s horses were stabled and told the groom to give Calichniye a good brush down and some oats. She hitched her saddlebags up over her shoulder and made her way up into the Tower proper.

 

Talina only saw three Novices and one Accepted as her strode through the Tower towards the Red Ajah Halls. Shaking her head she wondered if Larindhra had done as they discussed and convinced the Hall to accept older Novices yet. She hoped so; they had been discussing this for years.

 

She reached her suite of rooms in the Red Halls and a quick lick of Saidar removed all traces of dust from within her quarters. Dropping her saddlebags on the bed she rummaged through them and found the note she had received back in Illian.

 

“Your presence is required, Larindhra”

 

Talina felt the anger burning to the surface again as she read the short summons. This had best be important. Leaving her rooms Talina climbed the stairs to the next level where Larindhra’s suite of rooms was. She pushed the door open without knocking and found Larindhra there with a Novice taking notes.

 

Talina pointed at the blonde child “You lass, out.” The girl’s eyes bulged; then she squeaked and ran from the room.

 

“Now Larindhra,” Talina began sharply, “what is the meaning of this note? Your presence is required? What could possibly be so urgent that no explanation could be included?”

 

Talina Odile Bolaine

The (Cranky) Old Biddy

 

 

[Elgee]

Larindhra delivered her lecture on the effects of the Taint on male channellers with only half a mind. Where was Talina? She’d sent her missive over a month ago, to as many Red agents as she thought prudent in the south east of the land. From the last letter she had received from her old friend, that was where she should have been. Drat the flaming woman. Couldn’t she stay still for more than a week at a time? Larindhra wiped the hovering frown from her face as the blonde child in front of her wavered in her reply. “Your reply is correct, Tula, though a bit incomplete. You left out the part where their flesh starts rotting … “

 

 

 

She trailed off as the girl turned a decidedly alarming shade of green. Hastily she poured a cup of punch and thrust it into the girl’s shaking hands. “Drink this child. That’s right – all of it.” Strictly speaking, novices weren’t supposed to drink alcohol, but she didn’t want her passing out. Best redirect her mind to something more positive till she recovered. “Think about the ways one could use the Power to prevent that happening. And write it down for me.” She could read it later, and in the mean time use the blessed silence to think.

 

 

 

She stared at the novice as the girl studiously bent over her notebook. So few novices! This girl would probably reach the shawl one day, but not for many years to come. Too many years, and too few girls, and flaming false Dragons popping up like flame lilies after a wildfire. Tarmon Gai’don was approaching, and they were going to be stuck with a few hundred women to face the mighty horde of the Dark One. All her machinations had so far resulted in a big fat … zero. These flaming women running the White Tower were too flaming hide-bound to see that they had to get more aspirants, and time was running out! Where was Talina?!

 

 

 

Larindhra almost dropped her own glass of punch as her door banged open without so much as a knock, thank you very much, and Talina strode into the room. For a moment she thought her wits had finally deserted her, causing her to see apparitions brought on by wishful thinking. As Talina dismissed the novice without bothering to ask her permission, then started to harangue her, she remembered why sometimes their friendship survived due to their long separations, not despite them.

 

 

 

Rising, she stared down her nose at Talina. “What could possibly be so urgent? Have you taken no notice of what is happening in the world? While you’ve been off … adventuring, I’ve been stuck in this flaming place trying to persuade these flaming women to see what’s in front of their flaming noses.” She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “And exactly how many words do you expect me to fit onto a pigeon message? Especially since I had to send nearly a hundred of the fl … things.”

 

 

 

“Bah … two seconds in your company, and I act like a farm girl with a burr in her stocking. Sit down and have some punch, Talina.”

 

 

 

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

 

The Other Cranky Old Biddy

[Amadine]

Talina watched Larindhra stand and draw herself up to her full height. She has half a head taller than Talina. So when she peered down her nose at Talina she pulled the off the disparaging look very well.

 

“What could possibly be so urgent? Have you taken no notice of what is happening in the world? While you’ve been off … adventuring, I’ve been stuck in this flaming place trying to persuade these flaming women to see what’s in front of their flaming noses.” Larindhra inhaled deeply. “And exactly how many words do you expect me to fit onto a pigeon message? Especially since I had to send nearly a hundred of the fl … things.”

 

Talina stood calmly against the onslaught, merely raising one eyebrow.

 

“Bah … two seconds in your company, and I act like a farm girl with a burr in her stocking. Sit down and have some punch, Talina.”

 

“That was quite a performance Larindhra,” Talina snorted, but then smiled, “How have you been?”

 

She sat in the armchair and took the punch Larindhra offered, it was quite refreshing and she was feeling travel-weary.

 

“I left Illian within the hour when I received your message and considering the distance, two and a half weeks was quite a speedy trip. Light though, I was glad to be away from there. That accursed accent!”

 

She drank deeply from the glass of punch and then leaned over and refilled it. “So why have you been trying to persuade the Hall, Larindhra? Why have you not just told those children what to do?”

 

Talina Odile Bolaine

The (Cranky) Old Biddy

[Elgee]

“Tell the children what to do?!” Larindhra gaped at Talina, then threw her hands up in the air. “Dealings in the Hall are a matter of extreme delicacy! I can’t just tell other Sitters what to do! Honestly, woman – do you have no idea how things work?”

 

She jumped up from her chair and started to pace, rose coloured silk skirts sweeping the floor and rustling as she gestured in agitation. “I suppose you don’t, since you hardly ever spend any time in the Tower.” She paused to glare accusingly at her fellow Red, then drew a deep breath to calm herself, and instinctively took on a lecturing tone.

 

“One wouldn’t even talk directly to other Sitters about intended proposals. One mentions things to sisters who might be amenable to one’s cause. And not directly, either – approaching the matter obliquely is the best method. People will argue for a cause more vigorously if they believe the idea was their own. Those sisters then approach others, and once they feel assured that their cause has enough supporters, negotiations will begin to decide who are the best candidates to approach the Sitters or Heads.“

 

Larindhra paused to take a sip from the cup of punch she had placed on the little table next to her chair, then continued her lecture. “And then there is the matter of Ajah alliances. Obviously I can’t speak directly to any of the Blues, but neither can I restrict myself to just the Grays and Greens. Should any proposal come from only the Reds, Grays and Greens, the Blues, Browns and Yellows will automatically oppose it. I’ve had some success with the Whites, but unfortunately hardly anyone listens to them.”

 

She whirled around to face Talina, trying to keep hold of her patience. “Do you see now how complicated this is, and why the matter is probably still months, if not years, from even being proposed in the Hall? Do you see why I need you to be here, helping me convince people, instead of traipsing all over the world?” A very indelicate snort had her fisting her hand on her hips and thrusting out her chin. “What? Do you think you could have done any better?”

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

The Other Cranky Old Biddy

[Amadine]

Talina watched calmly as Larindhra paced the floor while lecturing her on the finer points of Tower politics. Her old friend did tend to get a tad worked up about these things. 'Approaching obliquely', what rubbish.

 

“Do you see now how complicated this is, and why the matter is probably still months, if not years, from even being proposed in the Hall? Do you see why I need you to be here, helping me convince people, instead of traipsing all over the world?”

 

Larindhra seemed to wait for a reply from Talina, so she deliberately and theatrically rolled her eyes. That small gesture had the desired effect, Larindhra glared at her with her hands on her hips and snorted in a very un-Aes Sedai type manner. “What? Do you think you could have done any better?”

 

This was her opening. How Larindhra continued to coddle the children calling themselves Sitter of the Hall amazed Talina. The oldest of those Sitters had more than likely been nothing more than a babe in swaddling clothes when Talina was raised to Aes Sedai, if not a gleam in their father’s eyes.

 

“Obviously Larindhra, your Daes Dae’mar,” she began sarcastically then mediated her tone, “has not had the desired effect. Two years since I last left the Tower and you still have not managed to convince the Hall that in order to survive and triumph at Tarmon Gai’din the White Tower must be a strong and vast force.”

 

“The time for convincing is past. It is time to call for the Hall to convene and place a Question before the Hall. We must allowed older women to train in order to increase our numbers. The number of women I have encountered and tested over the last two years who have passed the test would number greater than one hundred and fifty.”

 

Larindhra’s eyes popped in disbelief at the figure, in response Talina continued, “Larindhra, I tested any woman who wished to be tested – regardless of age. Only fifteen of those women were young enough to train in the White Tower. Of those six were too young yet.”

 

Talina watched Larindhra carefully, she knew the other woman was doing the sums in her head, her jaw dropped and Talina nodded, “That’s right Larindhra. In the last two years I have found more than one hundred and thirty women who could learn to channel yet considered too old by Tower standards. Some were as young as twenty, others into their late sixties. We are wasting this resource! We need those women to be able to stand with the White Tower at the Last Battle!”

 

Talina’s voice had become sharp and acerbic. She made an effort to calm herself, “We must bring this before the Hall Larindhra, and without delay.”

 

Talina Odile Bolaine

The Cranky Old Biddy

[Elgee]

Call the Hall to convene? Was the flaming woman not listening to a word she had said? Larindhra tried to interrupt, but Talina's next words drove the thought right out of her head. She'd found a hundred and fifty women strong enough to pass the test in just two years?

 

Wait, that meant ... she did the sums in her head, and her eyes popped as she mouthed the words silently. "A hundred and thirty" ... It was unbelievable. She'd known that the Tower was missing out on a lot of potential initiates due to the idiotic age restriction, but that much?

 

It was entirely due to her preoccupation with the shocking statistics Talina had revealed to her that Larindhra only realised much too late what the dratted woman was up to. Using her name to convene an emergency session of the Hall? The Amyrlin was going to kill her! Which would be preferable to what the Highest was likely to do. She didn't even want to begin to imagine what the other Sitters were going to have to say about this.

 

Which was how Larindhra found herself addressing the full Hall whilst trying to keep the utter fury she was feeling from showing on her face. She couldn't let the Hall know that this was not her own idea - she would lose face completely! But someone was going to pay for this ... oh yes she was. Her face was serene, but her eyes cast daggers at Talina.

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

The Other Cranky Old Biddy

[Amadine]

Talina sat in the Hall watching Larindhra speak to the gathered Sitters, she was quite proud of herself really. While Lari had been trying to work the numbers of women Talina had discovered around in her head Talina had written out the summons’ and had Larindhra sign them before having a bevy of Novices deliver them to the other Sitters.

 

So here she was, back in the Tower for only 6 hours and the Hall was convened as it should have been more than a year ago. Bloody Daes Dae’mar! Talina rolled her eyes at the thought.

 

Larindhra had bought her before the Hall to give evidence of the numbers and was now working to convince the Hall to accept the older women in an effort to prop up the Tower’s number before Tarmon Gai’din.

 

Larindhra was peeved. Talina could feel the anger rolling off the woman and she caught more than one glare in her own direction. Talina could deal with that later; as long as the Hall agreed.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Talina sat calmly in her own rooms pouring tea for herself and Larindhra. Larindhra on the other hand was still in a temper, pacing the floors and growling in Talina’s direction every now and then. Talina let the woman’s anger roll over her barely listening, and then something caught her ear, “Needs more time to think. BAH!”

 

“Calm down Larindhra,” Talina replied mildly, “The Hall will meet again and they will concede to the older women being admitted to the Tower. They have to. The argument is valid and they all know it.”

 

 

Talina Odile Bolaine

The Cranky Old Biddy

 

[Elgee]

The following evening:

 

Larindhra sat facing the Mistress of Novices' desk. Wrapped in her own thoughts, she paid no attention to the woman pacing up and down, with the occasional glare thrown her way. She experienced a vague sense of ... discomfort ... at being seated on the wrong side of the desk, so to speak, but her overwhelming emotion was one of shame. Shame that she'd used the death of woman who, whilst not exactly a bosom friend, had been a respected colleague at the very least, to further her own plans.

 

Not even the knowledge that it had been the woman's last wish, a fact she'd used cold-bloodedly to manipulate the Hall, could lessen her shame. For at that moment she had been driven not by an ideal, but by petty pique. She raised her eyes to the woman on the other side of the desk, then lowered them again to stare unseeing at the tea growing cold in her lap. Pique at being rail-roaded by her friend, and a childish desire to show her how effective Daes Dae'mar could be.

 

She took an absent minded sip of the tea and, grimacing at the cold mouthful, placed the cup on the desk rather more forcefully than needed. With a sigh, she looked the woman fully in the eye at last. "I'm sorry, Talina." Words failed her for a moment, but she forced herself to continue. "I'm sorry that I got you into this position, just because I was peeved at you." Her cheeks flushed. "I am especially sorry that when word of the Mistress of Novices' death reached the Hall, I used it to play the Great Game, instead of mourning her like any decent woman should have."

 

She raised her hand to stop any response and closed her eyes, murmuring a prayer for the soul of a departed sister. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she allowed herself to at last mourn the loss of a woman taken into the mother's last embrace in the prime of her life, in such a ... silly way. Choking to death on a piece of apple skin, for the Light's sake! Her hand raised to dash a tear from her cheek, then froze half way. Apple skin. Slowly the blood drained from her face, and her eyes moved till they locked with Talina's. Her body felt frozen, and she had to force her lips to move. As it was, the words came out in a strangled whisper. "She never ate the skin. Talina, she never ate the skin! She told me so herself, many years ago, when I teased her about being lazy for having someone peel her apples for her. She said she couldn't abide even touching apple skin!"

 

 

Larindhra Reyne

The Other Cranky Old Biddy

[Amadine]

Talina was furious. No; more than furious, she was livid. She stalked up and down the small space that was the Mistress of Novices’ study. Five long paces. Turn. Five paces back. Turn. The anger welled anew each time she stalked back towards where Larindhra sat.

 

The taller woman sat in a straight backed chair with little padding in front to the large desk constructed from age-darkened timber; her eyes were downcast as she focused on the teacup held in her lap.

 

Talina continued to stalk; her anger brewing within her. How had this happened? Light! But she wished that she had left the Tower last night with Larindhra finally in a position to make a difference. But no, she had stayed, been allowed to sit in the Hall on the condition she stayed silent and observe the proceedings. And that woman, she glared at Larindhra, had had to have her revenge. She had had to go and call the Hall to appoint Talina as the new Mistress of Novices.

 

The timing was incredibly unfortunate. The previous occupant of these rooms had shown herself to be one of the most vocal supporters of the admission of older woman as Novices, and overnight had choked on her food and died. And the Larindhra had had Talina appointed Mistress of Novices. Glaring at her old friend again the anger welled once more. Confined to the White Tower for the foreseeable future, no more travelling for Talina; as she turned and paced back towards Lari the woman caught her eye, "I'm sorry, Talina." Larindhra paused for a moment, appearing to collect her thoughts, "I'm sorry that I got you into this position, just because I was peeved at you. I am especially sorry that when word of the Mistress of Novices' death reached the Hall, I used it to play the Great Game, instead of mourning her like any decent woman should have."

 

“You and your bloody Daes Dae’mar,” Talina replied venomously, “have had me confined to this bloody Tower for the rest of my bloody life.” It was a measure of just how angry Talina was that she allowed herself to speak so, though if she had been in any other company she would have never done so.

 

Talina made herself look at Larindhra, really look at her. And Talina was surprised to see a tear roll down the other woman’s cheek. Such an incredibly rare show of emotion meant that Larindhra was close to the edge indeed. Lari’s hand rose to wipe away the tear and stopped, with her hand midway to her face, Larindhra’s features paled and she looked up to Talina with a horrified expression, "She never ate the skin. Talina, she never ate the skin! She told me so herself, many years ago, when I teased her about being lazy for having someone peel her apples for her. She said she couldn't abide even touching apple skin!"

 

The anger drained from Talina in an instant, replaced with repulsion. “So, she was murdered.” Talina deduced, “And you and I both know what that must mean Larindhra. We have suspected for many years, but this is overt action to keep the Tower from becoming stronger.” Bile rose in Talina’s throat as she thought the words but she forced it back down and spoke, “The Black Ajah.”

 

Talina Odile Bolaine

The Cranky Old Biddy