Chapter 8 Confrontations
Chapter 8 Confrontations
The assignment was set on her servant and Lanfear found some time for herself. No downtime or hair combing or long baths. No time as she had a plan to consider further and as she lit a small candle next to the chair, she waited for the soft light to grow as the wick got warmer. A sudden noise disturbed her thoughts over the flame that made shadows on the wall and she looked up wondering. Rising from her seat, ready to kill whoever it was that interfered her she realized something that stopped her move. Hovering over the chair, she touched the weaves that she had placed around the room and found that they were all still in place. Someone was here, someone who did not want her wards to go off unless he chose to. There were few who had the ability, they were men channeling Saidin and they were strong and experienced but moreover, they were still alive. Lanfear took a step forward and waited until the door opened, showing someone she could have expected sooner seeing as she had visited his little pet. Yes, Lillen had not taken long to warn her protector that the Daughter of the Moon was walking into her web, perhaps he had his bells up there too. Lanfear waited as Bel’al, Duram Laddel Cham stepped in, clad in a dark brown cloak which moved only for an inch revealing the hilt of his broadsword. His hand moved over the hilt calmly, not searching but approving.
“Mierin, I hear you’ve been looking up our old friends, why did you not look me up?” She smiled, “I was not planning on leaving you out, Duram – you know me better than that.” He nodded and placed himself in one of her chairs, then said, “I hear you want to know what drove us to join the pact.” She only nodded in reply, “Don’t.” He paused and then continued, “You are one of us, nothing can change that, not your hunt passed all of us, not the torture of the weaklings or the manipulation of the stronger,” Lanfear shook her head. “That is how you see it, my view is different. I need to know what happened and why we made the decision to follow him.” Duram nodded, “I understand, but remember that the Great Lord has not lost, he has merely retreated and he has his prize as you well know,” this stung Lanfear even more than the knowledge of what she had done. He had his prize with him, ripped away from the world, from her reaching hands. “Lews Therin is no more,” Duram said and then rose from his chair, “Deal with it and stop looking up old friends as if they are your enemies,” he nodded and left the room before Lanfear could speak in return. She walked after him and found that he was already ripping a thread in the air to step through, “I did not torture Lillen,” she said and found him stopping in his pace, without turning he replied, “I know.” Lanfear continued, “It was not you, it was not that I feared your retaliation if I had,” he turned on his heel and nodded, “I know,” she smiled and this time the smile found her eyes. “Goodbye Mierin,” and with that he took a step and was gone as if he had never been there.
Settling slowly back into the chair, the conversation played back in her head and she thought about what he had given her. He had not given a direct answer to her questions, but he had shown that he still cared for Lillen despite her running off like the coward she was. He had a weakness and had shown that, yet was there a way she could use it? She could not step into his dreams and show how he would trample on the little spider, he would ward his dreams and stop her even nearing him. Besides, what did she gain aside from a very strong adversary? She did not need him to be her enemy, she did not want him as her ally. For now, she would leave him be, allow him to enjoy his time with the little one and ward his dreams for her revenge. She had other things to deal with, more friends to visit and speak with. Perhaps it was worth another talk with a possibly ally, Lanfear considered the thought of seeking out Kamarille and reconsidering the alliance. Perhaps if the other woman would listen to her reason and help her to ask the questions that needed to be asked, she would find the way to her real nemesis. And truthfully, she could not face him alone, she would need the others and form a circle.
“The circle is complete, we stand here together as one and none can say that our strength was not tested today…”the memory was short but vivid and painful. Lanfear sat back down in the chair and let it wash over her, the faces of the others as they stood there, determined and afraid, sure that this was their end as much as it was for the rest of the world. A single tear found it’s way out of the corner of her eye, the sacrifice had been great and the memory made her relive that loss as if she was part of that circle again, channeling an incredible amount of Saidar to help complete the weave. Her ward sounded and her hand moved a twitch, a sound of something falling and a gurgling of someone choking. It was not difficult to demand from your servants to leave you in peace, it was not difficult to set off a ward that cleared the hallway of air and sucked out the life from the young man who found it necessary to enter, he stood there pale and choking in the door opening when she released the weave. That was difficult.
“What?” she asked and he fell to his knees, “A letter My Lady,” he said and coughed hard. She allowed him to learn from his mistake as her curiosity was spiked by the news of a letter, perhaps this was the information she had been waiting for. Would Carmen have news this quick? Had another found a lead she had asked for? But when she found the seal under her fingertips, Lanfear knew that the letter was not from one of her servants. It came from Graendal as the seal showed, the letter would have to be treated before she could read it. As Lanfear broke the weave that would incinerate the parchment in the hand of a curious servant taking a peek, she wondered what was so important it required a young man to feel the icy stare of death on him. Graendal had just spoken to her a few days ago and her offer of alliance had been turned down by Lanfear, why did she need to send a letter now? What was there left to say? “Leave, do not return,” she said to the bringer of the message and waited until she was alone to read the words. It was a declaration, a lot like Duram’s words it was an immediate request not to search anymore. Only this was an attempt of manipulation and a very sorely hidden one at best. The woman had not lost her tricks, but she could have lost her mind. The letter was brief and showed that Graendal feared Lanfear and her search for answers. She feared what Lanfear could find out when she looked further and searched deeper. This letter drew her near, it opened a door that was closed before and her next move was planned. Lanfear readied herself for a reply, a personal reply that showed the Alliance was further from her mind than ever before. It was time to prepare for a trip. Graendal would have company over her cup of tea, Lanfear’s company.
