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Played on 2004/09/05
As written by the hand of Be'hlarah
9th Day of Danu, 999 NE
Sleep has done me good, I awaken the next morning fully fit, Eadrica is already awake and pushing us to be moving again as soon as possible. Seeing that Eleya is still fussing over her appearance I know that have all the time in the world to get my things ready. She looks lovely, but having to do all that every morning would just drive me crazy. I enjoy a simple breakfast as I go through some simple morning meditation rituals. After all this and when Eleya is finally done we mount our horses and make ready to leave for Lord Gainor's Estate.
The day passes slowly as Sister Eadrica explains that she will let us handle the situation and watch carefully so she can decide afterwards how we have solved the situation. We arrive a short while later at a typical farm estate, in the distance we can see that there still move things there and so there must still be someone.
The estate is surrounded by a small wall and it seems a large gate is the only entrance for carts and people to enter. We will just ride three wide into the estate and convince any Whitecloaks still there to leave. They will show the proper respect that is due to Aes Sedai, even though we aren't Aes Sedai yet, but they don't know that. We did not expect that the Whitecloaks in the estate would be stupid enough to do anything more than just use words. We learned our lesson the hard way I guess. I speak too fast, let me return to the story.
I embrace the beautiful power of the Source as we ride into the yard. Two Whitecloaks were casually sitting on some chairs they probably moved there from inside. They immediately rose from their place to confront us. The older one of the two, obviously enjoying more rank than the other, easily seen from the way he walks up to us, bids us to stop and orders us to leave. I ride up to him to tower above him and explain that it is not us that should leave but them, this is not their land. The other man, standing slightly behind the first suddenly grabs a whistle and starts blowing on it. This does not bode well, help is now probably on the way. Six other Whitecloaks appear from various buildings to help their comrades.
Weaving an illusion of growth only mildly impresses the soldiers as the leader stands there without blinking an eye and says that he knows we cannot use our powers on people. I feel the power from my left as Eleya uses her powers to do something I do not quite recognize on the Whitecloaks, this only enrages them and makes them hurry forward faster, but at least they look a bit more impressed now. I choose to make the air around the leader and me grow thin to hide our presence and so to impress the soldiers, hoping to come out of this encounter without blood flowing. Alas it is already too late, the lord himself has appeared and killed a whitecloak from behind with a crooked shortsword. The leader is enraged and draws his sword and orders his fellow soldiers to kill us evil witches. This speaking out convinces somehow the other soldiers that nothing is wrong with the leader and that they should not be afraid to attack us. Only if the leader would have been quiet a bit longer, to just keep his control over his anger. But these are Whitecloaks, obviously lesser soldiers with lesser training. I admire their courage though.
Battle commences around me and I get hurt, not much I can remember of all this except seeing people die and the One Power flowing around me from my fellow sisters. I am not made to fight battles like this. I know my companions fought bravely and with the One Power as our ally and our two brave defenders with us we overcame the encounter. Kheldar almost died that day, luckily Eleya was there in time to stop the bleeding and stabilize his condition. Almost all of us were severely wounded, but we came through this as a team and we will in the future. I also remember the leader fleeing and shouting that they will return and make us pay or some other equally empty threat.
Exhausted we finally meet with Lord Gainor and are invited inside to join him for dinner that evening. I warn him that it is not wise to stay, but he convinces us that we need the rest and that it will probably be safe for now. Kheldar is moved inside on a stretcher and we get separate rooms to sleep. Lord Gainor quickly excuses himself as he has a lot to do to make the farm run properly again, little did we know he was doing quite some other things.
The wonders of a herbal bath, it just refreshes the mind and soul. Eadrica comes by after a while to ask how I am doing and if I need help to recover faster. She heals my wounds and advises me to stay in the bath a little longer for the herbs in the bath to have a proper effect. I wasn't planning on leaving the bath, so I thank her for her advise and continue on relaxing.
After a few hours we are summoned to dinner by a servant. Only then after being quite revitalised and walking slowly to the great hall I notice how richly decorated the estate is. I arrive at the great hall to see my companions already there and Lord Gainor is sitting in his chair at the end of the table. He looks quite refreshed too. Narvin is missing though, but I didn't think much of that at the time. I needed some food inside me and we just rescued the man, my sense of danger was totally lulled and I expected only kindness. Another lesson learned that day.
Lord Gainor bids us to toast with him on his freedom, I think nothing of it and gladly lift my glass to our health. After the first sip I feel a little tired, but that is quite normal after such an ordeal is it not? All kinds of ideas start to spawn in my head as I see my companions fall asleep around me though. What has Gainor done! I clumsily try to rise and demand that he explains himself, not a smart idea though. My chair falls backwards and I stumble a bit. I try to weave growth around me, but I am just to tired and only a few inches are added to my height. I get clubbered over the head by one of Lord Gainor's servants and the world turns black before my eyes.
We awake a little later to the sound of people chanting. My hands are tied up behind me and I am sitting on a chair in some dank room. Next to me are my companions already awake and looking around in confusion. I have no idea how much time has passed and if it still is the same day. Eadrica is missing though, what have they done to her? An even worse faith than us? Is that even possible? I try to calm my thoughts and look around to see what is to be seen. A dark ritual is being performed before our very eyes. Lord Gainor is encircled by four of his henchman, wearing goat masks, all chanting some insane ritual. Were the Whitecloaks right after all to be here? What have we done? Have we been misled by a child?
But Gainor isn't quite on top of the situation though, I seem to have recovered enough of my contact with the Power to weave my skills again. I hope this is the same for my fellow Sisters. He will learn that he should not mess with the sisterhood, now only to get those ropes loose behind me. First to stop this hideous ritual, hopefully to thwart the ritual or at least to confuse the chanters to make them stop, I weave a wall of silence around Gainor. This obviously makes him stop and look around confused. Suddenly I feel my bonds fall away from my hands. I look to my right and see Kheldar smiling back at me as he waves his knife at me to show what just happenned. A good and more resourceful man than I would have thought.
Suddenly a door opens at the other side of the room and Narvin enters naked and shouting to his father, he is being led to the altar, whatever is happening? But at least we now know Narvin is innocent and just another victim of this dark ritual. After this all things get confusing again as some gas envelopes us and denies view to the whole room and combat ensues again. I remember helping Tadra release Narvin from his hold and Tryane calling my name, I called back, but I am not sure she heard me as I ran through my own field of silence at about that time. It is too chaotic and my memory has holes in it.
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