Wheel of Anime:  Book 2 – The Hunt Is On
Chapter 1:  The Fal Dara Blues  

By John Biles

http://www.thekeep.org/~wombat/Stories/Jordan/


**********


Excerpt from the Prophecies of the Ronin, written by 
Moemi Sedai in AB 200.

By Seven Signs Shall the Ronin be Known
By Seven Deeds Will She Proclaim Her Glory
By Seven Deeds Will He Destroy His Foes
By Seven Signs, She Will Be Marked

The Staff Which Is a Key Waits For Him, On the Day the 
Stone Falls
The Key Unlocks Treasures Long Forgotten
He Will Play Snakes and Foxes and Win the Secret of 
Salvation
Twin Rulers Open The Door That Cannot Be Opened
The Unstained Tower Kneels to the Ancient Sign
The Eye of God Opens at His Command
The Horn Sounds in Illian to Call Her Hosts
Then He Rides Forth to the Last Battle

 
Excerpt from Commentaries on the Prophecies of the 
Ronin, written by Kirsten Sedai, of the Brown Ajah in 456 
NE.

 	The White Tower kneels to no one, especially not to a 
man, ever!  The Stone has never fallen, not even to 
treachery.  Nor can any living being touch the Key-Staff, 
let alone use it.  The Eye of God is lost, as is the Horn of 
Valere.  It is impossible to win at Snakes and Foxes.  All 
the wisdom of the Tower has been unable to open the Door 
Which Cannot Be Opened.   This seems a listing of 
impossibilities, as if the Ronin would do five impossible 
things before breakfast, like Elsbet, the Queen of All.  
Another sign of Moemi Sedai's tendency to drink and 
prophesy.


**********	

	"You will need to choose before we arrive back at Fal 
Dara," Setsuna said to Ranma.

	"Why?" he asked stubbornly.

	"If you wish to go to the Tower, then you will need to 
start getting used to living as a woman," Setsuna said.  "If 
you do not, then you can return as a man."

	Ranma frowned.  "I don't want to go to the Tower, but 
I need training, if I want to live and...dammit."

 	Setsuna nodded.  "You need not decide immediately," 
Setsuna said.  "But you'll need to decide very soon.  We 
will reach the Shienarian border soon."

	Ranma sighed.  "I know, I know.  I'll think about it."

**********

	"I'd rather have you as a boy, Ranchan," Ukyou said.  
"But I think it's safer for you to be a girl.  You need to learn 
to channel the right way so you don't die.  And you 
can't...do that as a man."

	"I hate it," he said.  "I don't want to channel at all.  Or 
turn into a woman.  Stupid springs."

	"Well, being a woman isn't all bad," she said.

	"Name something good about it."

	She frowned at him.  "Superior pain resistance."

	"Hey, I can handle..."  

	She whacked him upside the head with her spatula.

	"Owww!"

	"See?"

	"Hrmph."  He kicked a rock.  "I wouldn't have to do 
this if Pop hadn't been such an idiot."

	"You'd be stuck channeling as a man, doomed to go 
mad," Ukyou said softly.  "Just give it a chance.  I bet being 
Aes Sedai will be lots of fun."

	"I call dibs on Ryouga as a warder."

	"You are NOT sticking me with Kurz," Ukyou said.  
"He'd probably gamble our horses away and blow us both 
up playing with fireworks."

	"Hah!  I called dibs.  TOO LATE," Ranma gloated.

	"On the other hand, Kurz outsmarted Balthamel."  
Ukyou shuddered.  "I can't believe two of the Forsaken are 
free."

	"I've got a theory, see," Ranma said.  "Remember how 
the Red Man said one of the seals broke that morning?"

	"Uh huh?" Ukyou asked.

	"See, I bet each seal trapped two of them.  And I got 
out of Setsuna that there were seven of them.  So I bet two 
Forsaken escape with each seal.  The last seal lets out the 
last one and the Dark One.  So, until the rest of them break, 
we're fine."

	Ukyou gave a sigh of relief.  "That makes sense."  
Then she paused.  "Wait, if they all have to break for the 
Dark One to get free...what did we fight?  And who was 
that woman, anyway?"

	Ranma frowned.  "I'm not sure," he said.  "I suppose 
we should ask Setsuna Sedai."

********

	"Graendal, it sounds like," Setsuna said.  "As for her 
companion...a tricky question."

	"What makes it tricky?"

	"A man answering to that name appeared during the 
Fanboy Wars, leading the Grateful Deadlords, then 
vanished around the same time that Prince Dios vanished.  
Many thought he and Dios slew each other.  He claimed to 
be the Dark One, and was killed many times, always 
returning to life.  Until he stopped showing up.  Perhaps he 
may be a mask for someone else.  Graendal was known to 
sometimes work with Demandred or Sammael, so perhaps 
they disguised themselves."

	Ukyou frowned.  "Do you think the Forsaken are 
free?"

	"Perhaps.  They were not bound so deeply as the Dark 
One.  But only one seal is broken, so far as is known, so 
perhaps only a few are free."

	Ranma looked around nervously.

	"But we must cross that bridge when we come to it," 
Setsuna said.  "For now, we will go to the Tower, and the 
Horn will be taken to Illian, until it can be used to sound 
the call for the Last Battle."
 
	"I will go to the Tower," Ranma said softly.  "I don't 
want to, but I don't see a way around it."

	"Alright," Setsuna said.  "Your training will begin 
tomorrow, when we pass into Shienar."

	He nodded.  "Alright."  Doom begins tomorrow, he 
thought.

*******

	The party on their return to Shienar dwarfed anything 
the Two Rivers folk had ever seen.  It went on for days.  
Ryouga was not too happy about the roast boar on the 
second day, but he largely had a good time, as did Kurz, 
who found some women willing to do more with him than 
kick him in the groin.  Ranma-chan tended to alternate 
between being subdued and getting into the spirit of the 
festivities.  Even Soun smiled more than usual.

	After several days of relaxation, things settled down 
into a steady routine.  (Somewhat to Ranma's surprise, as 
she wasn't sure why they hadn't left yet, but didn't want to 
remind Setsuna of it.)  Ranma-chan spent half her time with 
Setsuna studying channeling and the other half with Soun, 
practicing with the sword.  She wanted to be worthy of her 
father's blade.

	Soun was relentless, pressing her hard, and she 
struggled to keep up.  Trying to memorize the sword forms 
was incredibly hard, and some days, she got very frustrated.  
And no matter how many she learned, there were always 
more.

	It didn't help that Umino, Kurz, and Ryouga liked to 
hang out and watch her, making 'helpful' comments.  Well, 
Umino never mocked her, but the other two got pretty 
annoying at times.  A lot of other people came and stared at 
her; Shienarian women usually had some sword skill, but 
they typically practiced with other women, not with men.

	It was easier when Ukyou came and sparred with her.  
Soun would teach them both, and Ukyou didn't always 
whip him like a red-headed stepchild.  Which, possibly, he 
was, given what her father had said so long ago, the night 
they'd fled their farm.  

	Delirious, Genma had babbled about finding a baby at 
some sort of battlefield and adopting him.  Ranma-chan had 
almost forgotten about it all, until now.  Now she had time 
to think, more than she wanted.

	Ranma-chan tried to execute Acorn Falls On Their 
Head, but Ukyou dodged left and brought her spatula up in 
Got Your Chin and parried it, then while Ranma-chan was 
trying to fall back into a defensive stance, she twirled it 
around to strike Ranma-chan's left side with Uncle Urkel 
Falls Down the Stairs.  Ranma-chan went sprawling.

	Kurz began to laugh.  "Good thing you're not going to 
be a Warder, Ranma.  You may have to ask Ukyou to be 
YOUR warder."

	"Hah!  You think you're tough?  Let's see you take 
me!" Ranma-chan said.

	Kurz got his staff and ambled over.  "Let's throw 
down."

	Ranma-chan moved into Ready For Whoopass and 
awaited Kurz's assault.  He moved in, aiming a blow for her 
legs.  She jumped over the blow, kicked him in the chest, 
then brought her wooden practice sword around to strike 
him in the right arm, using Chopping A Tree With a 
Herring.

	Kurz staggered, then got serious with her.

	Serious wasn't enough, as he found her parrying his 
every blow with tremendous strength, the same unnatural 
strength Ukyou had long had.  He was driven back across 
the courtyard, and finally, his staff went flying out of his 
hands.  "Well, damn," he said.

	"Hah!" Ranma-chan said, then paused.  "Man, I've 
gotten stronger."  He paused again.  "Hmm, why am I 
getting stronger?"

	"It could be a Channeling Talent," Soun said.  
"Warders become much stronger when bonded, and some 
Aes Sedai develop great strength, which only works if they 
are free to channel.  If you enter a stedding or travel to Far 
Madding, you will lose that strength.  Most Aes Sedai do 
not develop that strength; I am not sure why."

	"Avenge me, Ryouga," Kurz said from the ground.

	"No thanks, I don't like beatings," Ryouga said.  
"Though I might spar with you a bit if you want, Kurz.  We 
could probably both use some lessons."

	"Yes, you could," Soun said flatly.

	"Alright, alright, teach us already," Kurz said.  

******

	A few days later, as they were having morning 
practice in the courtyard, the trumpets sounded and 
sounded and sounded some more.  Then, for variety, drums 
and flutes played very loudly, and then there were more 
trumpets.

	Soun's head lifted.  "The Amyrlin Seat."

	"You haven't taught us that one yet," Kurz said.

	"The Amyrlin Seat is the leader of the Aes Sedai, 
Nabiki Sanche, formerly of the Silver Ajah.  She has come 
to Fal Dara."

	"..."

	Ranma-chan stared.  "She has?  Why would she come 
all the way here?"

	"She did not think to send me a message explaining 
her logic, sheepherder," Soun said.  "It seems likely, 
however, that Shienar's plea for help reached her and she 
came as soon as she could."

	"Too late," Ryouga said.  

	"Only because there was victory," Soun said.  "Aes 
Sedai cannot travel across the world in an instant.  I know 
she would not leave Shienar to be destroyed without giving 
it aid."

	"Let's go see her," Kurz said.

	They soon found themselves up on the battlements, 
looking down at the procession as it marched through the 
city.   Dozens of women formed a rainbow of color, riding 
in two lines behind a short, dark-haired woman who wore a 
rainbow-striped shawl.  Soun pointed at her.  "That is 
Nabiki Sanche, the Amyrlin Seat." 

	"She doesn't look very impressive," Ranma-chan said.

	"I dunno, I'd say she's got a good figure, though the 
haircut is kind of ugly," Kurz said.

	"Wow, she glows," Ukyou said softly.

	"Who's the woman riding with her?" Ryouga asked.

	"Kasumi, her Keeper of the Chronicles," Soun said.  
"She is the Amyrlin's chief lieutenant."

	"I never realized there were so many Aes Sedai," 
Ryouga said.

	"This is only perhaps a tenth of their numbers," Soun 
said.  

	"Wow," Ryouga said, staring and obviously trying to 
count them all now.
 
	"Why are so many of them here?" Ranma-chan asked.

	"They probably have come to investigate the reports 
about the Eye of God."

	Ranma-chan's eyes widened.  "That could be..."  She 
frowned.

	"We shall have to see,"  Soun said.  "And we will, 
soon."

*********
	
	The feast was huge; the Two Rivers folks found they'd 
been moved down from guests of honor to 'those people 
who sit in the back and like it'.  The Amyrlin Seat, her 
Keeper, and nine other Aes Sedai sat at the table of honor 
with Lord Parn and Lady Deedlit.  Fifteen more tables were 
full of Aes Sedai and Warders, pushing everyone else out 
to the edges of the room or even to the courtyard.  Ukyou 
noticed that each of the tables of Aes Sedai, all of the 
women wore the same colored shawl, leading her to guess 
that they had grouped themselves by Ajah, although there 
seemed to be one from each Ajah at the high table.  She 
also noticed there were more Reds than any other single 
Ajah present, although a lot of Greens and Silvers had 
come as well.

	Umino sat with Ranma-chan, Hinako, Kurz, Ryouga, 
and Ukyou, along with several people they didn't know, 
though they did recognize Sasame at least.  Umino was 
scribbling notes with one hand and eating with the other.  
Kurz asked, "What are you writing about?"

	"I'm listening for names," Umino said.  "So I will have 
a record of who was present."

	"But there's dozens of them," Ranma-chan said.

	"My hearing and memory are good," Umino said.  
"Maybe too good."

	"Eh?" Ryouga asked.

	"I can hear various discussions that they probably 
don't realize can be overheard," he said.  "The Reds are 
discussing the hunt for Gendo Taim, the False Ronin in 
Saldea.  And many of them are arguing over how the Eye 
of God was activated and if that was really the Eye of 
God."

	Ranma-chan shivered.  "They're here to hunt for men 
who channel?"

	"They do that job well," Sasame said.  "Few escape 
them."

	Nanami rubbed her eyes.  "That's strange."

	"What's strange?" Umino asked.  

	"One of the serving women is blue-skinned."

	Sasame's eyes widened and he turned and looked.  
"Blue-skinned?  Where?"

	She pointed at someone.  Ranma-chan looked and the 
woman looked perfectly normal to her.  "Looks normal to 
me," Ranma-chan said.

	"And she's got some guys dressed all in black with 
her," Nanami said.  "Hiding their features."

	"I don't see nothin'," Ranma-chan said.  "You sure you 
haven't had too much wine?"

	Umino's ears twitched.  "Kabuki men!  And the 
woman must be Phantom Tribe!"

	"Phantom Tribe?" Nanami asked, worried.

	"They can disguise themselves with illusions and have 
other illusion powers as well.  And Kabuki men are 
assassins who you can't see until they attack."  Umino 
blinked.  "How are you seeing them?"

	"If we leap up, we'll alert them," Sasame said.  "And 
possibly cause a panic."

	Nanami wondered why Lady Deedlit couldn't see 
them, then realized she had her back to them.  "Kurz, if I 
tell you where to throw a knife, do you think you can hit 
it?"

	"I can try, but if I throw a knife in here..."

	"We'll have to sound the alarm and take our chances," 
Hinako said.

	Nanami stood up in her chair and pointed.  "Lord 
Parn!  Lady Deedlit!  There's a Phantom Tribeswoman and 
three Kabuki Men behind you!  Kurz, right there!"

	As everyone began to turn, Kurz jumped up in his 
chair, whipped out a knife and threw it where Nanami 
pointed.  One of the Kabuki men took a knife in his right 
shoulder and yelped in pain.  

	And then Ranma-chan felt a massive surge of the 
Power as a hundred Aes Sedai all seized the Source at once.  
She did so herself, fumblingly, and felt Ukyou do it as well.  
Hinako was charging across the room, slipping easily 
between crowded tables in child form.  

	The Kabuki Men and the Phantom Tribeswoman 
lunged forward.  Parn drew his sword and knocked the 
Phantom's blade aside, while fire and lightning now rained 
down on the Kabuki Men, leaving only smoldering boots 
behind.  Parn quickly disarmed his foe, who the Aes Sedai 
then bound with flows of Air.  

	The entire room then turned and stared at Nanami and 
Kurz.  Kurz grinned and flashed a V-sign, while Nanami 
blushed a little and sat down.

	Hinako sighed and came back to the table, and order 
was soon restored.

*********

	Ukyou sat nervously, waiting in the room Setsuna had 
told them to go to.  "Shouldn't she be here already?" she 
asked.

	Hinako said, "Aes Sedai seem to think everyone else 
should wait on them."  She didn't sound happy about it.  
"Are you alright, Ranma?  You're vibrating."

	Ranma-chan tried to stop her twitching.  "Dammit."

	The doors opened, and Nabiki Sedai walked in, 
followed by Kasumi, Setsuna, and several women that 
Ukyou didn't know by name, though she could tell by 
shawl colors that one was a Brown, two were Green, one 
was Yellow, and one was of the White Ajah.

	For a moment, seven Aes Sedai swept cool gazes 
across the three waiting women.  The eighth woman, a 
Brown, was too busy reading a book to sweep her gaze 
across anything.  In fact, she walked into one of the Greens 
from behind, then dropped her book.  The red-haired green 
turned and glared at her.  "Yomiko, PAY ATTENTION," 
she shouted.

	Yomiko Sedai wilted under the gaze.  "Sorry, Shayla.  
Are we there yet?"

	"Yes!" Shayla snapped, folding her arms under her 
breasts.

	"Calm, daughters," Nabiki said coolly.  "Save it for 
when the accounting is done."

	"Your assessment was correct, Setsuna," the White, a 
thin woman in blue with short wavy black hair said.  "To 
think, three wilders of such surpassing strength, all from a 
single small town.  And one of them so surpassing young."

	"I am the eldest," Hinako said stiffly.  "I am twenty six 
years of age, thank you."

	"I know we take on an ageless look as we channel, but 
this is ridiculous," Shayla said.  "You cannot possibly be 
twenty six."

	"She is, Sedai," Ukyou said.  

	Ranma-chan nodded.

	"Her child-body cannot channel," Setsuna said.  "She 
must absorb life force or the Power in order to grow to an 
adult and channel."

	"Is that possible?" the black-haired Yellow sister 
asked, leaning on her staff.  "To change age like this?"  

	"Yes, it is, Hotaru," Setsuna said.  "Strange and hard 
to believe."

	"I'd have to see it to believe it," the White said.

	Hinako stood up and fished out a coin.  "I'll show 
you!"  She paused and looked at Nabiki.  "With your 
permission," she said reluctantly.

	"Best we see with our own eyes," Nabiki said, perhaps 
smiling just a tiny bit.  "Afura, brace yourself."

	"DELINQUENT PUNISHING ATTACK!" Hinako 
shouted and sucked the chi right out of Afura, who 
collapsed.  She now grew to adult size and pocketed the 
coin as various Aes Sedai stared.

	"Hinako is especially talented at healing and making 
people need healing," Setsuna said.

	Hinako snorted.

	"Fascinating," Yomiko Sedai said.  "How long does a 
charge last?"

	"The less channeling, the longer," Hinako said.  "We 
haven't timed it precisely."

	Hotaru Sedai knelt by Afura and wiped her fatigue 
away with the Power, enabling her to stand up.  "An 
interesting Wilder block.  What about the others?"

	"I have begun Ranma and Ukyou's training in time so 
that they have not developed a block," Setsuna said.

	"Where are their companions?," asked a Green, clad in 
blue.  Her light purple hair was short and very wavy.

	"The boys?" Setsuna asked.  "They and Nanami are 
off with Lord Parn, I believe, Miz."

	Miz nodded thoughtfully.  "Well, they should make 
fine Kohai, even if Hinako is a little..."  She paused.  "A 
little old for it."

	Hinako preened just a little bit at that.

	"If she can satisfy me with her ability to channel when 
adult, I will make her a Sempai as soon as she can be put 
through the testing ter'angreal," Nabiki said.  "Hotaru and 
Setsuna, if you will come with Hinako and Kasumi and I, 
we can see about testing her immediately."

	They nodded and followed her out of the room, 
leaving her with Afura, Shayla, Miz, and Yomiko.  "I 
suppose Setsuna has told you all about the Ajahs?" Yomiko 
asked.

	Ranma-chan nodded.  "Yes, she did.  The Purples 
sound kind of interesting, and I've done so much fighting 
lately, that I can see some appeal in the Green Ajah too."  
The two Greens present preened.  "Being able to blow 
things up really well would have been handy a lot of 
times."

	"Just keep the oaths in mind," Miz said.  "We only use 
the power as a weapon against Shadowspawn and 
Darkfriends, or in defense of ourselves, our warders, and 
our fellow Aes Sedai.  It is best not to get into the habit of 
using it too much."

	"That's why I've been sword training," Ranma-chan 
said.  "For times when I can't channel."

	They all seemed a little surprised by that.

	Ukyou said, "I've been training too.  I'm not sure 
which Ajah would be best for me, since none of them have 
that much to do with cooking."

	"Hmm, a few of the Silvers get into cooking, I think," 
Yomiko said.  "And the Browns have the best recipe 
collection in the world."

	"Well, there is no immediate rush," Afura said.  "Most 
people spend years as a Kohai, more years as a Sempai.  
You only choose an Ajah when you become a full sister, 
although most people know which way they will choose by 
the time they become a Sempai."

	"Years?" Ranma-chan asked.  "No one said _years_!"  

	"Perhaps not quite so long for you two, since you 
already can touch the Source reliably, Setsuna tells us," 
Afura said.  "But yes, you are in for the long haul."

	Ranma-chan frowned.  Ukyou put a hand on her 
shoulder.  "We'll have everyone with us, Ranma.  It'll be 
just like home."

	"I guess," she said, sighing.  

	"It is not easy to be Aes Sedai," Afura said.  "We will 
make you work, and work hard.  But the rewards are great, 
and we will make you something greater than you are.  

	Miz nodded.  "You two and your friend have the 
potential to be among the greatest Aes Sedai in hundreds of 
years.  It will not be easy, but hard work is rewarded in the 
Tower."

	"Sometimes with more hard work," Yomiko pointed 
out.

	"True.  Just work hard and be patient and you'll do 
fine," Miz said.

	"And we'll kick your ass when you don't," Shayla said.

	Ukyou did not find that tremendously reassuring.

********

	"But for me to heal someone, that would require me to 
have someone injured," Hinako said.  She was charged up, 
and ready to use the Power, at least.

	"Easily fixed," Hotaru said, taking out a knife and 
stabbing her left hand.

	Hinako's eyes widened.  "You could get an infection 
like that!"  She immediately took Hotaru's hand and began 
concentrating as Setsuna had taught her.  The Power flowed 
into Hotaru's hand and wiped away the cut as if it had never 
been.

	"Impressive," Hotaru said.  "You seem to be able to 
easily channel as an adult."

	"Yes.  But not at all when I'm stuck a child," Hinako 
said.

	"Her ability to channel is quite adequate," Hotaru said.  
"Except normally, we require the breaking of your block 
before you become a Sempai."

	"This is not a normal block," Setsuna said.  "She could 
be stuck waiting years, maybe decades, to find some sort of 
cure for this."

	Kasumi nodded.  "I think making her a Sempai is 
reasonable."

	Hotaru frowned, then nodded.  "Yes, I can see that.  
This isn't a behavioral block, more of a physical condition."  
She frowned thoughtfully.  "Alright, I'll approve it."

	"You will still need to pass the ter'angreal test," Nabiki 
said to Hinako.  "But I will approve you trying it, if you 
feel ready, once we return to the Tower."

	"Alright," Hinako said.  "What is it?"

	"You must face your fears and hopes and overcome 
them," Nabiki said.  "Only when you have mastered 
yourself can you learn to be in authority over others."  She 
turned to Kasumi.  "Please enter her in the list of 
candidates.  Hotaru, please take Hinako back to her 
friends."

	They both nodded and left.  

	Once they were gone, Nabiki wove a ward against 
eavesdropping and locked the doors.  "Setsuna."

	"Yes, Mother?"

	"You need to remind me why I am not beating you to 
death."

	"Mother?"  Setsuna's voice was cool, with a hint of 
surprise.

	Nabiki began to pace around the room.  "You have 
been sloppy.  Someone is going to be asking themselves 
why you went into the Blight with two women who could 
channel and three boys and returned with three women who 
could channel and two boys."

	Setsuna frowned, leaning on her staff.  "I did not 
realize it would become an issue so quickly."

	"You should have been more careful.  Fortunately, no 
one SEEMS to have noticed.  But if they do, we will 
become a liability and will likely be liquidated.  If the Hall 
realizes we have the Ronin in the Tower, in female form, 
and haven't told them..."

	"We can't tell them," Setsuna said.  "They would never 
understand.  They would crush him, make a puppet of him, 
render him useless."

	"I know," Nabiki said.  "But if he's left to run wild, he 
may well put himself too far into the red to ever balance his 
account."

	"I think some time spent in the Tower training as an 
Aes Sedai will help with that," Setsuna said.

	"And risk discovery.  If he is found...we will go so far 
into the red, our ancestors will be in debt."

	Setsuna sighed.  "Do you see another course of 
action?"

	"No.  So long as those wards last and are not 
detected...let us pray they will not be.  How much time do 
we have?"

	"The first seal is broken," Setsuna said, passing the 
remains to Nabiki.  "At least a few Forsaken escaped, 
though we killed two of them.  We have months, maybe a 
few years, at best."

	"Well, sit down, and tell me everything, and we'll 
decide how we can avoid disaster."

	Setsuna sat down and began her tale.
	
******

	"Kurz, where is Ryouga?" Nanami asked.

	"He was right behind me," Kurz said, frowning.  "He's 
lost again."

	"Well, you two are the ones I most needed to speak 
with," Lord Parn said.  "I've decided the best reward I can 
give you for helping to save myself and my wife and the 
Amyrlin Seat is to knight you both."

	Kurz's eyes widened.  "Cool."

	"That's a great honor," Nanami said.  "Does it come 
with a salary?"

	Lord Parn laughed.  "I'm afraid not, though you will 
always be welcome here.  We will knight you tomorrow."

	Nanami said, "Wow, my aunts will be amazed when I 
write them about this."

	"Pa's going to think I made it all up," Kurz said.

	"We will have the ceremony tomorrow, and then you 
will be on your way, I think.  Peace favor you on your 
journey."

	"And you as well," Kurz said.

	"We shall have as close to peace as we ever come for 
a time.  Whatever exactly happened, we have won a great 
victory," Lord Parn said.  "You have given us new hope."

	Kurz smiled.  "All in all, things have been looking up 
for me since getting out of Caemlyn."

	"Well, I expect Nuriko will be at the Tower by the 
time we get there," Nanami said.

	"What?"

	"Nuriko's going to the Tower with Usagi and Sousuke, 
I'm pretty sure."

	"AAAAAAHHH!!!!!!"

********

	Ryouga frowned, trying to figure out where he was.  
There were a lot of pigs nearby, he could tell that, anyway.  
He wasn't quite sure how he could tell, but it seemed like 
he was sensing all sorts of things he couldn't sense before.  
One of them was pigs.  He could talk to them too, even at a 
distance.  'Where am I?' he asked.

	'On a ridge', one of them replied.

	'Nearby.'

	'Over there.'

	He'd also learned that being able to talk to pigs didn't 
mean they had much to say.  

	'Are there any humans nearby?' he asked.

	'Riding us,' one of them replied.

	He hoofed it up the ridge he was on the lee side of, 
and reaching the top, he saw several dozen men and women 
(mostly men) riding war-pigs down a road in the next 
valley.  He waved to one of them, and one of them shouted 
something he couldn't hear.

	He ran down the ridge, shouting, "What was that?"

	"Have you seen Princess Himeko?" one of them 
shouted.

	"I'm afraid not.  Is she missing?" he shouted back.

	"She seems to have run away from home, so we're 
looking for her," the man shouted back.

	"Sorry, I'm lost myself," Ryouga shouted.  "Where am 
I?"

	"You're in Saldea," the man shouted.

	"Which way to Shienar?"

	"That way," the man pointed.

	"Thank you!"  Ryouga took off.

*********
	
	"When do we leave?" Hinako asked Soun.

	"When the Amyrlin is ready to leave.  I expect it will 
take a few days to finish interviewing witnesses, to ride out 
to Fallintothe Gap and study the residues, and so on.  So we 
have a while, I expect," Soun said.  

	"Good," she said.  "We can go to see Lodoss, now that 
the Blight has retreated."

	He stiffened.  "You want to what?"

	"I already cleared it with Setsuna," she said.  "I want 
to see the Seven Towers with you, close up, and I want to 
know what happened."

	"It is not something I easily speak of," he said softly.

	"Well, I could try to get it out of other people, but 
they'd probably tell me how you destroyed entire armies of 
Fanboys with the fire from your eyes while still in the 
cradle.  Again."

	Soun winced.  "Alright, you win."

	She grinned.  "I always win."

	"Then let me find out how long we have, and then we 
will ride."

******** 
	
	"I'm afraid I must say no," Nabiki said to Shayla.

	"But it would be the perfect training opportunity for 
them!"

	"'Blowing shit up in the Blight' is best reserved for full 
sisters, not something you take Kohai to," Nabiki said.

	"This is the perfect chance to show them what Green 
Sisters do!" Shayla protested.

	"I will not put Kohai in danger unless it is 
unavoidable," Nabiki said firmly.  "I would be happy to see 
you begin their instruction, but you will not take them to 
the Blight."

	"Damn."

**********

	Ranma-chan and Ukyou sat expectantly, watching 
Yomiko read.  Her warder, a tall, short-haired blond named 
Drake, had set himself up a pottery wheel and was busy 
working on making a vase, while she sat in a chair and 
read.  Given she was supposed to be giving them today's 
lessons, they weren't sure what they were supposed to be 
doing.  

	"Yomiko," Drake finally said as he was finishing off 
his vase.

	"Hmm, what?" Yomiko asked.

	"Aren't you supposed to be teaching them?"

	Yomiko started, blinked, put her book down, saw 
Ranma-chan and Ukyou, then started again.  "When did 
you get here?" she asked.

	"..."

	"They've been patiently watching you read for an 
hour," Drake said.

	"Oh, well, patience is good," Yomiko said.  She 
carefully bookmarked her book and tucked it into a jacket 
pocket.  "We need some paper, Drake."

	"Left bottom pocket," Drake said.

	Yomiko reached into her left bottom pocket and 
extracted a sheaf of paper.  "That's convenient."

	"Yes," Drake said, with the tone of a man used to 
dealing with children.  "You put it there this morning for 
the lesson."

	"Oh, right."  She passed sheets of paper to Ranma-
chan and Ukyou.  "Alright.  You both know how to write, 
right?"

	"Yes," Ranma-chan said.

	"We're literate," Ukyou said, a little offended she'd 
asked.

	"Good, good.  Today, we're going to learn how to 
write and erase using the Power.  And possibly how to bind 
paper together if we get that far.  And maybe copying 
books if you're really lucky."

	"Why not just use pen and ink to write?" Ukyou 
asked.  

	"Because trying to carry pen and ink everywhere tends 
to stain your jacket pockets," Yomiko said.  "Alright, open 
yourself to the Source."

	They did so.  

	"Now, watch this," she said, weaving Fire and Water 
and Earth together, then lightly touching a piece of paper 
with it.

	Ranma and Ukyou nodded and tried to do the same 
thing.  It was easy for Ukyou, while Ranma-chan fumbled 
with it.  Ukyou looked over at Ranma-chan's paper.  "Your 
magical handwriting is even worse than your REAL 
handwriting."

	"Hmph," she said.  

	"Well, the fact that you got it at all on the first time is 
very good," Yomiko said.  "Now, let's try the erasing 
weave."

	She carefully wove Fire, Water, and Earth together, 
applying it to the paper she held, wiping away the ink.  
"Now, you two try it."

	Ukyou wove the weave, then erased the writing on her 
paper, although a few smears were left behind.  Ranma-
chan frowned and concentrated on putting more power into 
her weave this time.  Unfortunately, she put too much 
power into it, and the paper ripped apart into shreds under 
the impact of the weave.

	Yomiko shook her head.  "Let's try again."

	Ranma-chan finally managed to master erasing things.  
They then worked their way through a set of weaves for 
copying the contents of sheets of paper.  She then put them 
to work doing it over and over and over, until finally they 
ran out of paper.  She then demonstrated weaves for 
binding loose sheets into books.  Exhausted, they finally 
stumbled off to sleep.

	Drake looked over from etching a picture into one of 
his vases.  "I was wondering if you were ever going to get 
around to copying those books for Nene Sedai."

	Yomiko said, "I almost forgot."  She smiled.  "They 
did a very good job, those two."

	Drake said, "They've got a lot of potential."

	"I think they'll go far."

	"Possibly flung by an explosion."

	"Quite possible."

**********

	The procession moved through the streets of Tar 
Valon, crowds cheering the Aes Sedai and hissing at the 
False Ronin, Mamoru.  The twenty seven Aes Sedai 
marching with him preened just a little; it was rare for them 
to get such public adulation, so they took it when they 
could.  While not theoretically in charge, Kanrinin Sedai 
led the pack, riding her strange metal ter'angreal steed 
which had not been seen in Tar Valon in many years.  It 
drew as many stares at the False Dragon did.

	Shortly behind her rode Nephrenia Sedai, one of the 
three Sitters for the Red, who frowned, probably because 
Kanrinin Sedai was showboating again.  Fatora and Allielle 
Sedai both rode just behind her, and the remaining sisters 
were fanned out along the line of soldiers, though it was 
obvious to any with eyes to see that the bulk of the sisters 
were Red.  Surrounded by guards, Usagi and Sousuke and 
Nuriko rode near the rear of the long line, staring at 
everything, for Tar Valon dwarfed even Caemlyn, their 
home.

	The Tower rose before them, a great stone spire 
reaching high into the sky, perhaps the tallest building in 
the world, although the Stone competed for that honor at its 
highest.  Gleaming white marble shone brightly, unstained 
and spotless despite the passage of millennia, carved with 
all the art which the Ogier and the One Power could 
muster.  A great wall surrounded the grounds, and the long 
line made for the gates.  

	Nine women stood at the gates to meet them, though 
dozens more Aes Sedai lurked a little further back.  One 
Sitter from each Ajah, from the short, flamboyant Sitter for 
the Blues, Amelia Wil Tesla Sailoon, to the tall and elegant 
Sakura, Sitter for the Yellows.  Several women they would 
have expected to see were quite absent, however, especially 
the Amyrlin Seat.  

	Nephrenia stared in disbelief.  Why would the 
Amyrlin not come forth for such an event as this?  Nabiki 
Sanche had put her, a Sitter for the Reds, in charge of this 
expedition precisely because it was a grave crisis, grave 
enough to even allow a political enemy to take command, 
simply to see that things be done correctly.  Mamoru hadn't 
proven another Belegcu or Turin Turambar, but he was the 
most potent False Ronin in living memory.  And this...it 
had to be a snub.  Nephrenia had to restrain the urge to 
growl at the thought.

	Asuka Langely, Sitter for the Reds, stepped forward 
and offered the formal welcome which would normally 
have fallen to the Keeper of the Chronicles.  She stood 
proudly and gave Nephrenia a warm smile.  While they 
were not close, the two of them had always been friendly.  
Nephrenia found Asuka to be hopelessly naive, but she 
hoped it might be possible to remedy that before it was too 
late.  She had potential.

	Nephrenia mouthed formalities back at her, and then 
the nine Sitters lead the group into the courtyard.  As the 
eldest White present, Maya, Sitter for the White, stepped 
forward and took custody of Mamoru.  Nephrenia detailed 
a circle of Reds to go with Mamoru and keep him shielded 
in the dungeons.  As she did so, she could see Fatora 
looking about angrily.  Nephrenia sighed.  No patience at 
all, she thought.  Save your anger for your foes when it is 
time to destroy them, Nephrenia thought.  Too many Reds 
never learned this.

	Amelia Wil Tesla Sailoon ambled off with Maya to 
take Mamoru to the dungeons, rambling on about justice in 
her usual inane manner.  Nephrenia dismissed her, then 
looked around to see what sort of stupidity Kanrinin Sedai 
was getting up to, but she seemed content to talk quietly 
with Mahoro, Sitter for the Green, a short woman with long 
dark hair who looked very innocent, but who Nephrenia 
knew had a great capacity and talent for violence.  
Potentially useful if channeled correctly, Nephrenia was 
sure.  Unfortunately, it looked like Kanrinin Sedai was 
going to be doing the channeling.

	As the various Sitters directed the expedition off to 
various parts of the Tower and the sisters began to scatter 
to talk to their friends, she noticed Fatora now going to take 
the new novice, Usagi, to Belldandy, the Mistress of 
Novices.  That girl had a lot of potential as well, and she 
was still young enough to be shaped.  It looked as if Fatora 
had completely botched the job of shaping that potential; 
Usagi was powerful, but Nephrenia had concluded she was 
a giggly idiot.  Her sister and brother bore watching, 
though.  Neither of them looked very bright, but they could 
fight and they had an ironclad loyalty to their sister over 
anything else, maybe even over Andor itself.  Such people 
could be dangerous.  Or useful pawns.

	Nephrenia shook her head, then asked Asuka, "Where 
is the Amyrlin?"

	"She's taken a hundred Sisters to the Borderlands to 
investigate..."  Asuka looked around, then said softly, 
"Channeling we could feel HERE.  From there.  Possibly 
male and female."

	The Great Lord comes, Nephrenia thought.  The Day 
of Return must finally be at hand.  "That sounds 
dangerous," she said.

	"It is," Asuka said.  "Now that you're here, we should 
call a meeting of the Reds."

	"That is Althena's prerogative," Nephrenia said softly, 
very softly.

	"She and Misato have gone north.  It falls to us in their 
absence."

	Nephrenia nodded.  "Best we be prepared, just in 
case."

	Asuka watched Usagi be lead off by Belldandy.  "So 
what do you make of her?"

	"She inherited neither her mother's strength nor her 
father's intellect.  Sousuke got all of the former and Nuriko 
all of the latter, I think.  But she has great power, unlike her 
mother."  Nephrenia contemplated whether to be 
diplomatic.  "She may eventually make something of 
herself, but I expect it will take a lot of work."

	"Any hope she will join us?" Asuka asked.

	"It is not impossible.  I may also discover how to fly 
using my hair, too," Nephrenia said.

	Asuka sighed.  "Who will take her, then?"

	"Probably the Greens.  She is used to men fawning 
over her."

	"We have to try."

	"We will try.  Better you than me, I fear I would flay 
her alive again."

	Asuka raised an eyebrow.

	"With my tongue.  You know what I mean."

	"Just making sure," Asuka said, slightly teasingly.  "I 
will see you this evening then."

	Time to check in with Ryoko, Nephrenia thought.  
There will be more than one meeting tonight.  

*********

	Kurz stared at his cards.  The Aes Sedai of Stones, the 
Six, Seven, and Eight of Flames, and the King of Stones.  
He could discard the three Flames or the two Stones...but 
which?  He looked warily at Nanami, who was staring off 
into space.  She'd better not be predicting what hand I have 
again, he thought.

	Nanami just grinned at him with that smile of hers, the 
one which usually meant she knew everyone's hands and 
was about to destroy everyone.  

	Time to take a risk, he thought.  He discarded the three 
Flames.  "Three, please."

	Woodchuck, a somewhat handsome and roguish 
Shienarian, passed him three cards, since he was currently 
dealer.  Kurz studied what he'd gotten: the Queen, Warder, 
and Ten of Stones.  Not quite the best possible hand, but 
very close.  She can't possibly beat this, he thought.  "I bet 
eight crowns."  

	Sasame looked at his hand.  "Three cards."  Once he 
got them, he frowned.  "Fold.  I can't possibly win with 
this."

	"Give me three cards," Nanami said.  She got three, 
then grinned.  "See your eight crowns and raise you ten."

	"Two cards," Etoh said.  He took the cards, then 
looked thoughtfully at Kurz and Nanami.  "I match and 
raise by one."  He was another Shienarian, short and 
chubby and dark haired.

	"Two for me," the short and muscular Gim said.  He 
got two cards and frowned at them.  "Fold."

	"And three cards for me," Woodchuck said, then 
frowned at his cards.  "I fold."

	Going to have to try to bluff her out, Kurz thought, 
studying his cards.  "I raise you by twelve crowns," he said, 
throwing the coins in.

	"You're bluffing," Sasame said.  "Or foolish, to go 
against an oracle like that."

	"I control my own future," Kurz said.

	"Nothing escapes the weave and weft of the Pattern," 
Etoh said solemnly.  He was a religious man, even more so 
than many in the Borderlands.  "Even a ta'veren such as 
yourself can only move the threads if you move with the 
flow of the Pattern."

	"All I know is that my visions always come true," 
Nanami said.  "Always.  Which is why I see you and raise 
you eight more."  She dropped her coins in the middle.

	Etoh frowned.  "I must regretfully fold."

	Gim studied his cards, looked at Kurz, then at Nanami, 
stroked his beard.  "In my own experience, it's best not to 
worry about what the Pattern does or doesn't want, and just 
do the right thing.  But then, I've never been very important 
to it."  He sighed.  "And I think the right thing is for me to 
fold."

	Nanami grinned at Kurz.  "So, what's it going to be?"

	"I think you're bluffing," Kurz said.  "Because most 
hands, you don't get a vision of the cards.  So I'm going to 
raise you six."

	"I see and raise you four," she said.

	He frowned thoughtfully.  "I see and raise you three."

	They continued to raise each other's bids by small 
amounts for another four iterations.  Finally, Nanami said, 
"Call."

	"Royal Flush of Stones," he said, grinning.

	"Royal Flush of Flames," she said, grinning, then 
paused.  "Wait, who wins if we both have a Royal Flush?  I 
remember Winds beat Stones and Waves beat Flames, 
but..."

	"Souls beats Winds beats Stones beats Waves beats 
Flames," Etoh said.  "So Kurz wins."

	Kurz raked in his winnings.  My luck has been hot 
lately, he thought.  "So much for predicting the future."

	"I was bluffing," she said, sighing.  "Your luck is just 
too good."

	"So how long are you staying here?" Gim asked.

	"I don't know," Kurz said.  "However long it takes the 
Amyrlin to complete her investigation, I guess.  I can use 
some time to kick back and relax after all the danger we've 
been in."

	"Ahh, there you are," Lady Deedlit said.  "Since you 
two have been knighted, it's time for your etiquette 
lessons."

	"Etiquette lessons?"

	"Knights must learn to behave with proper manners, of 
course," she said, taking each of them by the arm.  "Instead 
of cavorting about, gambling."

	"Hey, Tairen nobles gamble all the time, I hear!"   
Kurz protested.

	"Good thing we're not nobles," Woodchuck said.  
"Another hand, anyway?"

	"Bye!" Etoh waved to them as Deedlit dragged Kurz 
and Nanami away.

**********
	
	Ryouga trudged up over the hill.  I'm ready to find 
myself back at the castle, he told himself.  Instead, he 
spotted a pleasant two-story house with a nice garden and 
some extensive fields for cultivation being worked by two 
old men who looked like pretty tough customers to Ryouga.

	He patted the haft of his umbrella nervously for a 
moment, then approached the house.  "Excuse me!" he said.  
"I'm lost!"

	One of the two men, a short, muscular man with black 
hair turning gray, looked up.  "Hello, there.  You're in 
western Shienar, near Gal Haran.  It's about five miles 
southwest of us."

	The other man, a still handsome blond with also 
graying hair nodded.  "Just follow that stream over there."  
He pointed across the fields.

	"Thank you," Ryouga said, heading towards a nearby 
clump of trees.

	"THAT way," the blond repeated.

	"Right, right."  Ryouga managed to force himself 
down the right path.

	"Are you okay?" the dark-haired man asked.  "You 
keep zigzagging."

	Ryouga frowned.  "I get lost easily.  Very easily."

	"Hmm," the dark-haired man said.  "Why don't you 
come inside and have some tea, and perhaps Misaki or 
Negiri can take a look at you."

	"Even Setsuna Sedai couldn't help me," Ryouga said, 
"But I could do with some tea."

	The dark-haired man blinked.  "You know Setsuna 
Sedai?"

	"I've traveled with her some, recently," Ryouga said.

	He started to the house, the paused as he heard 
flapping noises.  "Do you hear that?" he asked.

	"Hear what?" the blond asked.

	"This really loud..."  He homed in on it in the sky.  
"There it is."

	"There wha..."  The warder looked at the approaching 
creature.  "Damnation," he said, running for the house.  
"Inside!  Get inside."  He shouted.  "THERE'S A MIKADO 
COMING!"

	"A what?" Ryouga asked as he started running.

	He could see the creature more clearly.  It didn't look 
dangerous; as it resembled a very handsome man with large 
white fluffy wings.  But he was willing to take their word 
for it as to the danger.

	As they reached the porch, two old women and 
Setsuna Sedai came out.  One of the women had black hair 
which had mostly turned gray; the other had obviously 
dyed blonde hair.  Despite the agelessness of their features, 
the rest of their bodies made it obvious they had lived a 
very long time.  Both wore Great Serpent rings.

	"Plug your ears," the blonde said.  Everyone stuck 
their fingers in their ears as the approaching being began to 
sing.  Ryouga couldn't quite make out the song, but it 
sounded really nice.  Until a lance of fire from the blonde's 
outstretched finger set the flying creature on fire.  It rained 
down in flaming bits onto one of the fields.  "Very sloppy," 
she said.  "Staging a Mikado attack in full daylight.  What a 
waste of resources.  No wonder the Dark One's never 
broken out of his prison in an infinite number of attempts."

	"Well, technically speaking, it only approaches 
infinity," the dark-haired woman said.  

	"We can split hairs and discuss how many Heroes of 
the Horn can dance on the head of a pin later," the blonde 
said.  "Either we're just unlucky today, or that was 
supposed to distract us from something."

	"Ryouga, what are you doing here?" Setsuna asked.

	"I got lost," he said.

	She sighed.  "Ryouga, this is Misaki Sedai of the 
Brown Ajah," she pointed to the brunette, "and Negiri 
Sedai of the Silver Ajah," now pointing to the blonde.  
"And their Warders, Futaba and Futana Shimeru."

	"Two sets of siblings," Futana said, grinning.  

	"And this is Ryouga Ayabara, everyone," Setsuna 
continued.  "He has been a travelling companion of mine of 
late, though I thought he was still in Fal Dara."

	"I was, I got lost," Ryouga said, sighing.  

	"Well, we'd best take a look around," Negiri said.  
"Someone's probably boobytrapped the stables again."

	Futaba sighed.  "Not more dead horses."

	"Maybe I should just blow up the stable just to save 
time," Misaki said.

	"I can blow it up better than you can," Negiri said.  

	"Does this happen often?" Ryouga asked.

	"Often enough," Futana said.  "How about if Misaki 
whistles out the horses, then we blow up the stable?"

	Setsuna concentrated.  "I'm not sensing any 
Shadowspawn inside the stable."

	"That's what they WANT us to think," Negiri insisted.  
"Whistle the horses, then I'll blow it up."

	Misaki began to whistle and all the horses came out of 
the stable.  Then Negiri set it on fire and used Air to whip it 
up into a miniature firestorm.

	"Are you sure this is necessary?" Ryouga asked.

	"We needed a new stable anyway," Negiri said.  "And 
we can use the remains to cook dinner tonight."

	"We probably should make the next stable out of 
glass, so we can just look inside and see if anything evil is 
lurking inside to kill someone," Futaba said.

	"Would anyone like some cookies?" Misaki asked.  "I 
think they should be ready."

	"Sure," Ryouga said.

	The cookies turned out to taste horrible; Ryouga 
noticed that Futaba and Futana carefully palmed and 
concealed theirs instead of actually eating them, while 
Negiri stared at hers very intently before eating it.  The tea 
was quite good, however.

	"Well, to return to our previous conversation," Misaki 
said, "I finally managed to figure out how to reconcile the 
various prophecies relating to the Stone."

	Setsuna's eyes widened slightly.  "You did?"

	She nodded.  "Obvious, really.  The prophecies, in 
brief state that the Stone cannot fall until someone takes the 
Key-Staff.  And that the Stone will fall to whoever holds 
the Key-Staff.  Yet, no one can touch the Key-Staff and it is 
inside an invulnerable fortress, so how could the Ronin take 
it, anyway?  The key was in Hallani's interpretations of the 
Prophecies, published in Jaramide around 670 AB.  I 
finally got a copy from this delightful little book shop.  I 
could hardly believe my luck."

	"Misaki, you are beginning to ramble," Negiri said.
	
	"Anyway, Hallani pointed out something which 
should have been obvious.  While the Stone has always 
repelled armies, it has not always repelled thieves.  There's 
nothing stopping the Ronin sneaking into the Stone and 
laying his hands on the Key-Staff while not yet in control 
of the fortress.  If the Key-Staff is as potent as the records 
indicate, he likely could take control of the Stone using it 
once he has it.  None of the prophecies definitively say 
there's any external assault at all."

	"But how can he touch it?" Setsuna asked.  "Even the 
Amyrlin Serenity III couldn't manage to break the wards on 
it, and she had a full circle of the strongest Aes Sedai the 
Tower had on her side, along with multiple sa'angreals."

	"Obviously, it's a keyed ward," Misaki said.  "If you'll 
pardon my pun.  Keyed to the Ronin."

	Setsuna frowned.  "Is that even possible?  I suppose it 
must be, but..."

	"The Ronin is unique in being a specific soul 
prophesied to be reborn at a specific time.  If our 
understanding of how keyed wards work is correct, reborn 
souls should still unlock wards keyed to their previous 
lives.  It seems obvious to me now that the wards on the 
Key-Staff are tied into the Key-Staff itself, which is why 
they are so potent."

	"And the Door That Cannot Be Opened?" Setsuna 
asked.

	"Another keyed ward, though trickier, as the 
prophecies seem clear that it probably is not keyed to the 
Ronin."

	Ryouga listened quietly, trying to follow the 
conversation, but not understanding a lot of it.

	"Any idea what the Key-Staff unlocks?"

	"I had long thought it must unlock the Door That 
Cannot Be Opened, but it hardly counts as a 'Twin Ruler'."

	Ryouga felt himself slowly sliding off into sleep as he 
listened to them argue abstruse points of prophecy.  Finally, 
deep, restful sleep took him.

*********
	
	 "Now, you drink tea with this hand stance," Lady 
Deedlit said, demonstrating.

	"What if you're left-handed?" Kurz asked.

	"Then you use it in reverse with the other hand," she 
said.

	"Like this?" he asked, picking up the cup with his 
other hand, just so.

	"Yes, exactly," she said.  "Are you left handed?"

	"No, but it's best to train to do things with both hands, 
if you can," Kurz said.

	"You're just trying to show off in front of a woman," 
Nanami said.

	"Hey, I know she's married!" he protested.

	Lady Deedlit laughed.  "Very happily so.  It's a little 
flattering, though.  Just watch my hands, not my breasts."

	"Right."

***********

	Ukyou groaned.  "Do we have to?  I'm pretty worn out 
from Althena working us so hard today."

	"My nerves are really jangling; I was afraid she'd 
catch me," Ranma-chan said.  "I could really use a good 
workout, Ucchan."

	Ukyou sighed.  "Okay, okay.  This would be more 
interesting if we actually had someone to teach us 
something new, though."

	"Man, something about that woman just gives me the 
creeps," Ranma-chan said as they headed to one of the 
courtyards.  She twirled her panda blade about in a warm-
up exercise as they walked.

	"Althena Sedai is just doing her job as one of the Red 
Ajah.  And I think she likes you," Ukyou said.  "Chloe 
Sedai's the one who makes me nervous."

	"Really?  She seemed nice and polite and kind of 
cheerful to me," Ranma-chan said.  "And daaamn, she was 
slick with those knives."

	Ukyou sighed.  "I dunno.  Just something about her.  I 
guess lots of Greens do learn to fight, but..."

	"Like me," Ranma-chan said.  "I think I will probably 
go Green, although the Purples sound kind of cool too."

	"I don't know," Ukyou said.  "No rush to decide, 
though, I suppose."

	They reached the courtyard, then began to spar.  
Gradually, they attracted an audience, as usual, a mixture of 
soldiers, knights, ladies, servants, and guests.  Ranma-chan 
unleashed Cat Sprints Across the Room, but Ukyou parried 
with Spinning Windmill, then counterattacked with Throw 
Grandma From the Train.

	Ranma-chan took a solid whack to the knees from 
that, but managed to get Ukyou on the shoulder with Kill 
the Pinata.  She bounced back, letting Ukyou work up into 
a frenzy, then ducked under the blow and swept her feet.  

	Ukyou tumbled across the ground, then got to her feet.  
She sprung up to a second story balcony, then unleashed 
Death From Above.  Unfortunately for her, Ranma-chan 
used Cat Sprints Across the Room as a defensive move to 
get out of the way.  
	
	Ranma-chan prepared to unleash a counterattack when 
she realized that Nanami was circulating in the crowd, 
taking bets on who would win.  And giving Ukyou better 
odds.  She frowned and decided it was time for something 
really impressive.  She charged all out at Ukyou, beginning 
one of Soun's really fancy moves, Mountain of Whoopass.  
She realized too late that she'd spun the wrong way on the 
fourth step and got a spatula to her butt which knocked her 
up into the air.

	Twisting in the air, she managed to come down feet 
first, so that Ukyou's follow up attack only struck the soles 
of her feet, enabling her to leap clear of Ukyou.  She landed 
in a horse trough, and emerged dripping wet.  The laughter 
of the crowd made her very angry.

	Althena and Chloe Sedai were both watching the fight 
now, Ranma-chan realized.  I have to show off, she 
thought.  She unleashed a powerful charge, then dodged 
left around Ukyou's first attack, then used Reaping the 
Wheat to nail Ukyou in the side.  Ukyou staggered.  As 
Ranma-chan prepared to attack, she noticed the Amyrlin 
talking to Nanami, who didn't seem too happy.  

	I wonder what's going on, Ranma-chan thought.  
Ukyou brought her spatula around in Chopping Down The 
Tree, and Ranma-chan went sprawling again.
	
	"If you don't pay attention to your fighting, you'll get 
clobbered in a real one," Drake said, stepping out of the 
crowd.  "If you two insist on training in things Warders do, 
then you're going to have to get one of us to teach you, so 
you don't just die."

	"Hi, Drake," Ukyou said.  "I was just going to clobber 
Ranma too easily anyway, but I'm ready to learn new 
things."

	"Hrmph," Ranma-chan said, but then continued, 
"Alright, I'm willing to learn."

	"Alright, people, show's over, go home," Drake said to 
the crowd.  

	Once it dispersed, he set about training them.

********
	
	"So, what do you think of them as fighters?" Nabiki 
asked Drake.

	"They've got a lot to learn, but it looks like their first 
few years of training weren't completely wasted."  This was 
high praise from Drake, Nabiki knew.  Drake frowned.  
"They tend to go for the flashy moves over the simple 
things which work too much, though."

	Nabiki nodded.  "So, how much money was Yomiko 
going to lose if Ukyou won?"

	"Not half as much as I was," Drake said.

	Nabiki grinned.  "You think like a Silver."

	"You flatter me, Mother," he said.  "But those two 
would likely make good Warders one day.  If, for some 
reason, things don't work out with their Aes Sedai 
training."

	"They will be Aes Sedai who make the world shake, I 
think," Nabiki said.  "Once they have been properly trained 
and gotten over the idiocy inherent in teenagers."

	"Was Soun the one who trained them?"

	"Yes," Nabiki said.

	"I thought so.  Mr. 'Look At How Tragic I Am'," 
Drake said, shaking his head.  "Can't even make a decent 
pot."  Nabiki had a few of Drake's pieces of work; they 
were quite good.  

	"Still bitter he beat you last time?" Nabiki asked.

	"Damn straight."

********

	"C'mon, Ranma, let's go take a bath," Nanami said.  

	"Right now?" Ranma-chan said.  "The baths will be 
full of people."

	"And the water will be piping hot and the wine will be 
nicely chilled and the snacks will be fresh," Nanami said.  
"Besides, I need a guinea pig to practice my bathing 
etiquette on."

	"But it'll be full of naked women," Ranma-chan said.

	"What kind of guy doesn't want to see lots of naked 
women?" Nanami asked.

	Ranma-chan just stared at her for a minute, then said, 
"One who is worried the weave will somehow break and 
he'll turn male in the middle of the women's baths and then 
everyone in Shienar will kill him.  Over and over."  Ranma-
chan shuddered at the thought.  "That's why I bathe late at 
night."

	Ukyou sighed.  "You've got to get used to it."  She 
took Ranma-chan's arm.  "Let's go, Ranchan."

	The baths were chock full of Aes Sedai, including at 
least seven Reds who Ranma-chan recognized by face, if 
not by name.  She could feel her nerves going jingle-jangle-
jingle.  

 	Especially when she saw one of the Reds was getting 
well and thoroughly hammered.  "Another brandy!" she 
shouted.  The woman was on the taller side with long black 
hair.  Mostly naked, she still wore a silver necklace with a 
pendant which was a giant version of the Great Serpent ring 
she wore on her right hand.  "And a handsome, naked, 
muscular man or two if you have any!"

	Ranma-chan stared in surprise.  "I thought the Reds all 
hated men," she mumbled.  She began stripping off her 
clothing, as did Ukyou and Nanami.  

	"That is a common misconception," Chloe Sedai said, 
as she worked on scrubbing her back.  She looked quite 
young for an Aes Sedai to Ranma-chan.  "Some Reds hate 
men, and most Aes Sedai foolishly underestimate anyone 
who cannot channel," Chloe Sedai continued.  "And those 
who hate men more than they like anything else usually 
choose Red.  But just because Reds do not take warders, it 
does not mean they hate men.  Rather, it means they are not 
so stupid as to take men into situations they cannot survive.  
A warder is not much use against a male channeler who is 
rampaging madly.  It would only pointlessly get the men 
killed."  

She somehow produced a knife, despite being mostly 
naked, and began to use it to scrape grime off her arms.    
"Misato Sedai is rather more lustful than is sensible for any 
Aes Sedai, but she is a good woman and an effective Aes 
Sedai despite that.  That's why she's one of the Sitters for 
the Red Ajah."

	Ukyou stared at Misato, who was chugging brandy 
like water, then shook her head.  "Hey, Ran-chan, scrub my 
back."

	Ranma-chan began nervously to scrub Ukyou's back, 
praying nothing would go horribly wrong.  

	Nanami asked, "Has she caught a lot of male 
channelers?"  She looked over at Ranma-chan, obviously 
not happy about something.

	"Not recently, as she's a Sitter now, but before that, 
she's caught sixteen male channelers, I think," Chloe Sedai 
said, taking a moment to wash the grime off her blade and 
put it back wherever it came from exactly.  She now began 
to lather up her hair.

	"Seventeen," Misato said, looking across the baths at 
them, suddenly seeming much more sober.  "Four more 
died in the process of us trying to take them alive, one more 
was mysteriously stabbed by a Kabuki Man just before we 
got him, and one killed himself at the last minute.  Another 
seven turned out to have been falsely accused, and an 
eighth one was using cunning tricks and fireworks to fake 
it."

	"How long have you been hunting for them?" Ranma 
asked nervously.  She finished Ukyou's back and turned 
around to let Ukyou scrub hers.  She was glad that there 
was no way for the others to tell that she was starting to get 
excited in ways which weren't wise in this context.

	"Since I was raised in 866 NE, so that would be...a 
hundred and thirty two years.  There's been an increase of 
late in the number of male channelers, but yes, before you 
ask, they are not hugely common, thank the Creator.  
Luckily, only the wilders are in danger."  Misato put down 
her brandy glass and took some cheese off a plate and 
started munching on it very loudly.

	Althena Sedai, who was mostly submerged in the hot 
water pool, shuddered.  "I hesitate to imagine the chaos if 
someone went around and began teaching all the men who 
could learn with training."

	"Who could learn with training?" Ranma-chan asked.  
She squirmed a little as Ukyou now dumped a bucket of 
water over her head and undid her braid so she could wash 
it.

	"As with women, the vast majority of men who could 
channel will never ever channel unless they are trained.  
Wilders are rare," Althena Sedai said.  "But since no one is 
stupid enough to train men, only male wilders ever start 
channeling and have to be gentled.  Unfortunately, since 
wilders tend to be stronger than those who need training, it 
means the ones who do begin to channel are the really 
dangerous ones, the sorts who Broke the World."  She 
glanced over at Chloe, who tossed her a knife.  She 
gestured to a servant, who brought her some bread, which 
she adeptly sliced with the knife.

	"Do you think..." Ranma-chan asked hesitantly, "that 
there might be some way to cleanse the Taint?  So male 
channelers don't go mad?"  She shook slightly as Ukyou's 
fingers went through her hair, smoothing out snarls, which 
meant she got yanked every so often.

	Nearby, Nanami was quickly scrubbing her own hair 
and looking a little glum.  She whistled to a servant, who 
brought her a glass of brandy.

	"Greater Aes Sedai than us tried and failed," Althena 
said.  "I think that while it may, in theory be possible, we 
lack the strength to do it."  She looked around and Miz 
Sedai held up a hand, so she tossed a slice of bread to Miz.  

	"It all depends on if it is the will of the Pattern or not," 
Chloe said.  She dumped a bucket of water over her hair 
and then refilled it and did it again.  Once that was done, 
she climbed into the hot water.

	"No one's even found a way to heal those who have 
been gentled so that they become sane again, let alone fix 
the Taint," Misato Sedai said.  "The problem, see, is that 
probably men would have to do it.  But no man can keep 
his sanity long enough to become good enough at 
channeling to figure out how to do it.  Especially not a big 
enough group to do the job."  She shook her head, then 
took another slug of Brandy.

	Ranma-chan shivered as Ukyou dumped a bucket of 
water over her, and then she turned around and began 
scrubbing Ukyou's hair.  "Couldn't the Tower, like, teach 
men the abstract theory stuff first, before they actually start 
channeling?" Ranma-chan asked.  "That way, they..."

	Althena shook her head.  "Men and women channel 
differently.  I've talked to many gentled men, and tried to 
duplicate their weaves, but it leads to disaster.  Men and 
women channel with the same five elements, but in 
different ways."

	"Eventually, the Taint will be removed," Yomiko said, 
putting aside the book she was reading.  "It has to be.  But 
that may well not happen until some very future age.  
Possibly, the Great Rain of Fire may have something to do 
with it."

 	"Great Rain of Fire?" Ukyou asked, then started as 
Ranma-chan undid one of the snarls in her hair.

	Yomiko turned to Ukyou.  "The Seventh Age ends 
with the Great Rain of Fire.  It is unclear what exactly that 
was, but it seems to have been a hugely catastrophic event, 
like the Breaking of the World, and it seems likely 
channeling was forgotten either during or before it.  Then 
later rediscovered at the start of the Second Age.  With no 
Taint, so something must have gotten rid of it."

	"There is some reason to believe it may be slowly 
wearing away, that Dubin will eventually cleanse itself," 
Miz Sedai said.

	Althena shook her head.  "Darla Sedai's conclusions 
are flawed because she fails to take into account that the 
Red Ajah catches almost all male channelers before the 
rotting disease and total madness can take them."

	"Rotting disease?" Ranma-chan asked nervously.  She 
now dumped water over Ukyou; it took two buckets for her 
long hair to get all the soap out.

	"Yes," Althena Sedai said.  "Male channelers begin to 
rot, eventually.  The Taint finally kills them if nothing else 
does."

	Ranma-chan shivered.  "That's awful."

	Nanami looked over at Ranma-chan and gestured for 
her to come over.  "Can you do my back?"

	"Sure," Ranma-chan said.  Much as she didn't like the 
topic of discussing men dying of channeling, it was 
somewhat helpful in that she couldn't really think about all 
of the naked, beautiful women around her while discussing 
it.  She hardly noticed she was now scrubbing the back of 
another such woman.

	Ukyou slid into the hot water, half-closing her eyes 
and smiling.

	"That's why it's best we catch them swiftly and gentle 
them," Althena said.  "It is for their own good.  They may 
think they can resist the madness, but it's better they live 
without channeling, healthy and sane, than that they have 
power for a few months, then go mad, kill thousands, and 
then rot to death."  

She took a sip of wine, then shook her head.  "A pity 
the N'klom project never worked out." 

	"N'klom project?" Nanami asked.  She seemed to be 
perking up a bit, Ranma-chan noticed.  

	"N'klom was one of our sisters from the Sea Folk 
centuries ago," Althena said.

	"Around 153 to 326 NE," Yomiko pointed out.

	"She tried to duplicate one of the legendary Springs of 
Jyusenkyo, which turned men into women, as a way to help 
male channelers," Althena continued.  "Unfortunately, on 
the third test, it exploded violently, taking three men, six 
warders and twelve Sisters with it.  The results turned out 
to be unstable enough when reproduced without explosion 
that the experiment was abandoned when Martha Sewer 
became Amyrlin Seat from the Silver and proceeded to cut 
everyone's budget."

	"And spend the money on obsessively cleaning the 
White Tower until it was spotless," Yomiko added.

	"Wasn't she deposed after five years?" Miz asked.

	"Yes," Althena said.  "She's the only Silver Amyrlin 
ever to be deposed.  As I understand it, when she started 
trying to scrub behind the ears of the Sitters during Hall 
meetings, they finally deposed her for insanity."  Possibly 
unconsciously, she began to scrub behind her own ears.

	"Do Amyrlins get deposed very often?" Ukyou asked.

	"It's not easy," Althena said.  "The Lesser Consensus 
can set an impeachment in motion, but it takes the Greater 
Consensus to actually depose an Amyrlin, and the Greater 
Consensus is very difficult to get."

	"What's the difference?" Ranma-chan asked.  She 
finished off Nanami's back, then got up and went over and 
got into the hot water after getting a glass of wine for 
herself.  

	"Ahh, you see," Misato said.  "Each of the Nine Ajahs 
chooses three Sitters for the Hall, which runs the Tower in 
conjunction with the Amyrlin.  Some measures require the 
Lesser Consensus, which is a two-thirds majority, or 18 
Sitters.  The Greater Consensus requires the support of all 
the Sitters.  It can even override virtually any decision by 
an Amyrlin, but it's very hard to get.  In three thousand 
years, two Amyrlins have been overthrown due to being 
giant failures, another three were deposed for being so 
tyrannical that they alienated absolutely everyone, and five 
more had to be removed due to insanity.  Many more were 
reduced basically to puppets and figureheads, but could not 
be removed for various reasons."  Misato took a slug of 
brandy.  

	"And some Amyrlins have turned the Hall into their 
dancing puppets," Yomiko pointed out.

	"True, true," Misato said.  "Most are like Nabiki, 
somewhere in between.  She's made a lot of enemies in the 
Hall, but she's also got a lot of support and she is a good 
politician.  I expect Nephrenia is going to be pissed, 
though."

	"She is?" Ranma-chan asked nervously.  "Why?"  
Unconsciously, she slid a little further away from Misato, 
bumping into Nanami.  

	"Because Nephrenia and the Amyrlin have never 
gotten along, and having been named to lead the expedition 
to capture Chiba, she's going to be mad to return 
triumphantly, only to have to sit around and wait, since 
with no Amyrlin present, we can't try and gentle Chiba.   
Nephrenia will probably think Nabiki rigged this whole 
situation JUST to snub her."  Misato rolled her eyes and 
shook her head dismissively.  

	Ranma-chan asked warily, "Try?"

	"Hasn't anyone explained anything to you about how 
False Ronins are dealt with?  And other male channelers?" 
Misato asked.  She sounded very surprised

	"No, Sedai, not really," Ranma-chan said.

	"Well...hey, someone bring the kids some good 
brandy!" Misato shouted at the servants.  "If you three are 
going to be Aes Sedai, you need to know about that."

	"I'm just a friend," Nanami said.  "I'm training to be a 
noblewoman."  She glanced at Ranma-chan.  "And maybe a 
Warder too."  She sounded hopeful.

	Ranma-chan blinked.  Nanami?  A Warder?  Well, she 
was pretty good with knives, and those visions of hers 
could be pretty handy.

	"Oh, right, you're the Oracle girl," Misato said.  
"Where's that brandy?"

	The servants brought Ukyou, Ranma-chan, and 
Nanami each a cup of brandy and refilled Misato's.

	"Much better," Misato said.  "Basically, every male 
channeler has to be brought back to the Tower alive, sane, 
and still able to channel if possible.  We then perform tests 
to determine if he is the Ronin Reborn, as we know that 
gentling the Ronin would be disastrous."

	"What...what sort of tests?" Ranma-chan asked.

	"Well, first we use the Testing Crystal to make sure 
we have an actual channeler.  You'd think it would be 
obvious, but there's been a few very embarrassing moments 
when some clever soul brought in a leper or some young, 
naive Red was tricked into taking a man who can't channel 
due to someone else's vendetta against the man."  Misato 
shook her head ruefully.  "Then we use the Birth Map to 
determine where he was born.  If he wasn't born on 
Roninmount, then he can't be the Ronin."

	Ranma-chan nodded.

	"The third step is to determine if he's fulfilled any of 
the prophecies of the Ronin, any of the signs," Misato said.  
"If not, he is gentled.  If so, then he must be the Ronin."

	"What...would you do if he was the Ronin?" Ranma-
chan asked.

	"Study him," Yomiko said.

	"Train him to be ready to fight the Dark One at the 
Last Battle," Miz said.  "While making sure he can't cause 
too much damage if he starts to go mad.  So we'd have to 
keep him shielded most of the time."

	"He would have to be taken around to fulfill any 
remaining prophecies under proper Tower supervision," 
Althena said, sipping her wine.  "And directed properly at 
the Last Battle so he can't screw things up like he did last 
time."

	Shayla shuddered.  "Let's hope he's not reborn in our 
lifetime."

	"We would take good care of him; he has to be 
protected and guided," Misato said.  "So that he can win the 
Last Battle less destructively in this age.  But then, all men 
who are gentled, we treat them well as well.  It's not their 
fault, after all."

	"They could not escape their fate," Chloe Sedai said.  
"They are no more to be blamed, even the most insane 
ones, than a knife can be blamed if used to stab someone.  
The Pattern makes and unmakes them as it wills."  Her 
voice was quite cool and steady.  

	"But what if you caught him before he fulfilled any of 
the Prophecies?" Ranma-chan asked.

	"The Prophecies must come true," Chloe said.  
"Therefore, he must fulfil at least one before we find him 
so that we do not gentle him before he can fulfil any, as that 
would render him unable to do the Will of the Pattern.  It is 
simply impossible to prevent a true prophecy coming to 
pass."

	"What if the Ronin tried to run off and hide in a cave 
or something?" Nanami asked, putting down her glass and 
getting some cheese to snack on.

	"The Pattern would force him back to the true path," 
Yomiko said.  "Or at least, it would try.  I suspect the 
Ronin is likely a ta'veren of great strength, and he might 
well be able to successfully defy the Pattern if he really set 
his mind to doing it.  But to do so, he would destroy 
himself and the world."

	"That is why he will need our guidance," Althena said.  
"It is quite likely the Ronin will look at the prophecies and 
try to reject his destiny, having been raised to fear himself.  
But he will be unable to avoid channeling, and so we will 
find him and bring him, and under our guidance, he will 
fulfil the prophecies."

	"So the true Ronin has nothing to fear from the 
Tower," Nanami said.  Her voice was very calm and 
controlled, except when it was wobbling.  

	"Of course not, so long as he doesn't do stupid things," 
Althena said.  "I expect it will take him a while to 
understand, since he will likely be afraid we're going to kill 
him or something, but he'll come to understand the true 
path after we've had him a while."

	Ranma-chan could feel her nerves unjangle a little, but 
she had the feeling there was some sort of something she 
wasn't getting.  It all sounded so reasonable, but she was 
still afraid to admit that she was the Ronin.  If she was.  I 
need to learn more about the prophecies, she thought.  "I 
suppose the Reds must have studied a lot about the Ronin."

	"And the Browns," Yomiko said.  "And certain Whites 
view prophesies as the ultimate logic problem."

	"Some are obvious, but many are only obvious in 
hindsight," Afura said.  "Unfortunately."

	"I have studied the Prophecies of the Ronin 
extensively," Althena said to Ranma-chan.  "If you have an 
interest in them, I can see about arranging to be one of your 
instructors in whatever spare time you have in your general 
course of novice studies."

	"Thank you," Ranma-chan said.  Why does she make 
me nervous?  It must just be that she's Red, Ranma-chan 
thought.  She seems nice enough.

	"I expect you'll be too busy to worry about such 
things, although..."  She paused.  "I understand you two 
have already learned to channel."

	"We're wilders," Ukyou said.  "We had to start, so we 
could avoid dying."

	"Isn't there a third one of you as well?"  Misato said.  
"Three wilders of such potency, all from the Three Rivers.  
Amazing, really."

	"Two Rivers," Ukyou said. 

	"Nigh unbelievable," Yomiko said.  "Undoubtedly the 
result of those two ta'veren boys both coming out of the 
Two Rivers.  The Pattern must have something great in 
mind for the five of you."

	"It may well be proof of Alielle's thesis," Yomiko said 
thoughtfully.

	"What, the culling theory?" Miz asked.

	Yomiko nodded.  "Yes."

	"Culling theory?" Ranma-chan asked.  "She thinks 
someone's been culling Aes Sedai from the population?"

	"Well, you see," Yomiko began.  "There are two 
prevailing theories with regard to why some people can 
channel.  One theory argues it is linked to the soul.  Those 
who can channel do so because it is a quality of their soul, 
and every time they are reborn, they will channel.  The 
other theory argues it is genetic, and by controlled 
breeding, the number of channelers could be increased or 
decreased."

	She took a moment to stretch, then held out her hands.  
"This group," she opened her left hand, "believe that male 
and female channeling is independent, that the trait 
descends exclusively through that sex."  She closed her 
hand and opened the other one.  "And this group believes 
that it is independent of sex and that your sex only 
determines whether you channel Dubin or Subin.  
Therefore, if a male and female channeler had children, 
they would be more likely to produce both sons and 
daughters who channel than either would be to produce 
channeling children of their own sex if they had children by 
someone who can't channel."

	"Well, that's just common sense," Ranma-chan said.  
"If you want sheep with thicker wool, you find the sheep 
with the thickest wool and you keep breeding them to each 
other, then breed the descendents to each other."

	"Well, you see, there's two problems.  One applies 
either way.  Women who become Aes Sedai rarely marry 
and have children and thus we're gradually breeding the 
trait out of population," Yomiko said.  "Secondly, we hunt 
down male channelers and effectively take them out of the 
breeding pool."

	"Yes, but they're so rare it couldn't have that much 
effect, could it?" Nanami asked.  "As you're only getting 
the wilders."

	Ranma-chan paused.  "Is this Allielle proposing that 
Aes Sedai should have children by the male channelers the 
Reds bring in?"

	Yomiko nodded.  "Yes, she thinks it is important to 
renewing the Tower's strength."

	Ranma-chan made a face.  "Ugh."

	"My thoughts exactly," Miz said.  "Who wants to have 
sex with some broken-down depressed man who is likely 
somewhat insane?  And who among us has time for 
children?"

	"My problem with it is that it means more male 
channelers as well," Althena said.  "Imagine if you had to 
gentle your own child."  She sounded horrified by the 
concept.

	"How does that relate to us exactly, though?" Ukyou 
asked.

	"Because the Two Rivers hasn't been culled.  No 
woman ever goes to the Tower and I can't remember any 
time there's been a man who Aes Sedai had to take to the 
Tower," Ranma-chan said.  "Which means that the 
channeling blood is stronger in the Two Rivers.  Which is 
why three of us showed up at once."  She sat back, grinning 
as she felt smarter than usual for figuring this out.

	"Oh," Ukyou said.  "Hmm, that makes sense."  She 
stared off thoughtfully.

	Nanami took another sip of brandy and leaned over on 
Ranma-chan.  "I think I'm starting to feel a little woozy."

	"Let's get you to bed, then," Ukyou said, getting up.  
"Come on, Ranchan."

	They got out and dried off and hauled Nanami down 
the hallway to her room.  Nanami flopped down on her bed.  
"They expect to turn the Ronin into their little dancing 
boy," she said.

	"I think they want to help him," Ukyou said.  "They 
weren't half as hostile, even the Reds, as I thought they 
would be."

	"Aes Sedai do like to make people dance," Ranma-
chan said.  "That's why I didn't confess anything."  She 
sighed.  "I dunno if this is such a good idea.  I need the 
training, but when they find out I've been in the middle of 
them, all along..."

	"Well, they may treat a Sister better than a stranger," 
Nanami said.  "And I think if you ran now, they'd track you 
down.  No way out.  Just be careful about it, Ranma."

	"I'll be watching your back," Ukyou said.  "We all 
will, Ranchan."

	"Man, Aes Sedai look pretty good naked, I have to 
say," Nanami said.

	The other two stared at her.

	"What?  They do.  So do you two," Nanami said.  

	"You're not bad looking naked either," Ranma-chan 
said, after a moment's hesitation.

	"Ranchan, you shouldn't go staring at women naked," 
Ukyou said, hands on her hips.

	"Excuse me, I tried to avoid going there and being 
exposed to them!" Ranma-chan said.  She sighed.  "This 
sort of thing alone is going to get me killed when the truth 
comes out."

	"I don't see a better solution," Nanami said.  "Did you 
know that Miz is going to sleep with a teacher?"

	"Did you see that in a vision?" Ukyou asked.

	"Yep.  And I got something that might be good news 
or maybe not."

	"What?" Ukyou asked.

	"I think Basara has to be alive."

	Ranma-chan said, "That would be good news, right?"

	"Yeah, well, I saw him in a knife-fight with Chloe 
Sedai, so that may be bad."

	Ranma-chan frowned.  "That can't be good."

	"I know," Nanami said.  "And Althena Sedai is going 
to take us into the Ways at some point."

	"Where to?"

	"No clue," Nanami said, rubbing her forehead.  
"And...you're not going to believe this."

	"What?" Ukyou asked.

	"Shayla is going to fall in love with...a male 
channeler."  She paused.  "Not you."

	Ranma-chan stared.  "She is?  But what about...him 
having to channel?"

	"I don't know," she said.  "I don't even know if he'll 
love her."  She sighed.  "But I do know he's Kandoran."

	"Well, that narrows it down, sort of," Ukyou said.  
"Any other interesting visions?"

	"Some really skanky woman in black leather is in 
Yomiko's future," Nanami said.

	"..."

	"Damn, she looks so innocent," Ranma-chan said.

	"I think she's an Aes Sedai," Nanami said.

	"Skanky Aes Sedai in Black Leather.  Sounds like a 
book Kurz would write."

	Ukyou began to laugh.  "In which a young, innocent 
warder is corrupted 'against his will' by the Black Leather 
Ajah."

	Ranma-chan began to laugh as well.  "So how are 
those etiquette lessons coming?  Has Kurz gotten himself 
beaten up yet?"

	"Lady Deedlit is very non-violent," Nanami said.  
"Luckily for Kurz.  Although he actually is starting to pick 
up on things pretty quickly."

	"Where is Ryouga, anyway?" Ranma-chan asked, 
frowning.  "He usually isn't lost this long."

	"I know.  I just hope he's okay," Ukyou said.  "I hope 
he didn't end up in the Seanchan Empire again."

	"He's probably asking directions at Streamline 
Mountain," Nanami said.

	"Probably."  Ranma-chan yawned.  "I'd better go get 
some sleep myself."

	"Well, you're welcome to stay with me," Nanami said, 
patting the bed.

	Ukyou frowned.

	Ranma-chan laughed.  "I can't afford to pay bed rent.  
See you in the morning, Nanami."

	Nanami sighed.  "See you, Ranma."

	"Bye!"  She skipped out, leaving Ukyou there, looking 
warily at Nanami.  Ukyou then followed her out.

	Nanami stared at the ceiling.  Am I just drunk or...  
She thought about what Deedlit told her and her visions and 
sighed.  The only thing that could make this worse would 
be if my brother showed up.

***********

	"Well, what do you think, Lina?" Nabiki asked her as 
Aes Sedai swarmed all around the site of the battle of 
Fallintothe Gap.

	"Damn, I wish I could have seen this," she said, 
tugging her purple headband back into place as it tried to 
slump down.  "This is even bigger than the time I blew up 
half of the Blue Springs Delving."

	Nabiki restrained her urge to slap Lina around.  
Mauling one of the Sitters for the Purple Ajah would not 
help her handle the Hall, but it was oh, so tempting.  "Yes, 
but does it seem likely..."

	"That the Eye of God caused this?  Yes," Lina said.  
"Even with the Spiral Moon Heart Rod, I don't think I 
could make a mess this big."

	"Lina, tower law forbids you even to come within a 
hundred feet of the Spiral Moon Heart Rod."

	Lina sighed.  "Make one TINY mistake, and the Hall 
never lets you forget it.  But I was speaking in theoretical 
terms.  Anyway, I think that even if you, I, Miz, Shayla, 
Fatora, Belldandy, Urd, Kasumi, Yomiko, Kanrinin, Afura, 
Hotaru, and Setsuna all linked together and used the Spiral 
Moon Heart Rod, we still couldn't do all this.  Well, not so 
quickly, anyway.  Though I'd be willing to try."

	"Yes, of course you would," Nabiki said.  It was 
generally rumored that Lina had sworn a fourth oath on the 
oath rod, an oath to blow up something every day.

	"Anyway, this was definitely done by a woman," Lina 
said.  

	"Are you sure you didn't do this, Lina?" Gourry asked.  
The somewhat dimwitted blond was Lina's loyal warder.  

	"No, I didn't do this," Lina said.  "It's not my fault."

	"And by a man," Misato said.  "There's male residues 
as well."

	"It wasn't me!" Gourry said, just to be reassuring.

	"Are you sure?" Nabiki asked.

	"Yes.  I've hunted enough men in my time to 
recognize the mess they leave behind."

	"As compared to the mess you leave behind in their 
bedrooms," Lina said.

	"Exac...hey!"

	Lina snickered

	Yomiko looked up from her book, "Well, it seems 
likely to me that either the Eye was used or else the 
Choedan Kal have been found and used.  The problem, in 
either case, is who used them?"

	"The what?" Misato asked.

	"Someone slept through her history classes, I see," 
Yomiko said.

	Misato laughed nervously.

	"Well, the Choedan Kal may or may not even still 
exist.  During the last days of the War of Power, the side of 
Light created two gigantic sa'angreal, the most powerful 
ever made, one for men and one for women.  They were so 
powerful that they could not be tapped directly, but instead, 
you had to use special ter'angreal, the Choedan Kal, to tap 
into the power.  They were to be used to seal the Bore, but 
the forces of the Shadow overran the places where the 
Choedan Kal were being held in preparation for use.  
Before they could be recovered, the Ronin panicked and led 
a force to try to seal the Bore without them.  Their current 
location is unknown."

	Nabiki frowned.  "Is it possible the Key-Staff is one of 
them?"

	"Maybe.  It was made at about the same time.  But I 
would think we would have heard if anyone had drawn it 
forth from the Stone."  Yomiko looked around, frowning.  
"It's very strange.  Even if this is a sign of the Ronin, the 
Eye coming to his service is supposed to be one of the last 
signs.  It's pretty clear from the Prophecies that claiming 
the Key-Staff will be the first thing he does.  That's why 
Chiba's armies headed towards Tear after he declared 
himself."

	"The Guide may well have done this, if the rumors 
that he guards the Eye of God are true," Misato said.  
"Someone probably should go looking for him and see if he 
knows anything."

	"That's a good idea," Nabiki said.  "I will detail some 
of those who came with us to seek the Guide and see if they 
can learn more."  She looked around the blasted mountains.  
"Time to do some climbing, I think."

***********

	"Alright, now count the bottles," Misato Sedai said to 
Ranma-chan and Ukyou.

	"How are we supposed to count them with our eyes 
closed?" Ranma-chan asked.

	"You have to feel them out with the Power," Misato 
said, then sat down on a stool next to the table she'd stacked 
bottles of beer on.

	Ranma-chan decided to try using flows of Earth.  She 
gradually extended them towards the table, trying to use 
them to sense the presence of something solid ahead of her.  
The flows struck something fairly solid, but somewhat 
yielding.  She scratched her head trying to feel out what 
she'd found.

	Then Misato said, "Fondling my breasts is not part of 
this lesson."

	"Ack!  I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Ranma-chan said 
frantically.  She redirected her flows.

	Ukyou sent flows of Air dancing across the floor, then 
explored with them until they found a table leg, then 
climbed up the table leg to the table top.  Gently they 
moved across the table until she found the stack and began 
to feel her way around it.

	Unfortunately, Ranma-chan's flows now got up onto 
the table and collided with hers, getting tangled together.  
The more they tried to untangle them, the more they 
became tangled up together.  

	"Careful!  You'll break the beer!" Misato said 
frantically.

	And then Ryouga walked in the door.  "We're back!" 
he said.  

	Ukyou started, her threads of Power convulsed, and 
the beer began to fly into the air.  Misato screamed in 
horror.  Ryouga blinked, ran, and leaped up, securing the 
beer.

	Misato's eyes glittered.  "The beer.  You saved it!"

	Ryouga looked around the room.  "What exactly is 
going on?"

	"A very delicate test of their skills with the Power," 
Misato said.  "Which they failed."  She took one of the 
bottles Ryouga held and opened it.  "Hmm, you're not too 
bad looking.  What's your name?"

	"Uh, Ryouga Ayabara," he said, a little nervously.

	"Oh, one of the boys Setsuna found?"

	"Yes."

	Misato smiled.  "Hmmm.  Yes, I think you'll be 
suitable."

	Ryouga sweated slightly.  "Suitable?"

	"Hey, Ryouga, you okay?" Ukyou asked.  "You were 
gone for days."

	"I sort of ended up in Saldea," Ryouga said.  "Then I 
found Setsuna Sedai and she got me back."

	"Saldea?" Misato asked.  "Did you hear any news of 
the False Ronin there?"

	"No, but I heard that Princess Himeko ran away from 
home," Ryouga said.  "They're searching for her."

	Misato sighed.  "Saldean daughters are like that.  
Saldeans are just generally insane anyway, and the teenage 
women are the biggest lunatics ever, except for male 
Cairhienin, who are just even more insane."  She shook her 
head.  "Anyway, you can juggle, right?"

	"Uh, not very well, but I can try.  I'm a blacksmith, not 
a gleeman," Ryouga said.

	"Oooh, you're good at metalworking?" Misato said.

	"Yes," Ryouga said.

	Misato rubbed her hands.  "Excellent."

	Oh boy, Ryouga thought.

*********

	"So, then I leaped onto the tree branch and hurled 
myself down from above, impaling the Fanboy and nailing 
him to the tree," Kurz said excitedly.

	Umino scribbled frantically, saying, "Amazing, I 
didn't think it possible to impale someone with a 
quarterstaff."

	"I used his own spear to do that," Kurz said.

	"Hmm, are we talking a short, stabbing spear in the 
Aiel style or a massed infantry longspear?"

	"Umm...short, stabbing spear?"

	"Right.  So these were skirmisher Fanboys."

	"I could hardly have leaped out of a tree down at him 
if they were massed in the style of a Tovan Phalanx," Kurz 
said.  

	"The forest might have broken up their formation," 
Umino pointed out.

	"Fanboys lack the discipline for that style of fighting," 
Kurz said.  

	"Kurz?  Where are you?  We have a lesson in five 
minutes!" Nanami shouted from far away.

	Umino got up from under the tree.  "I'd better not keep 
you waiting."

	"Ugh, I hate etiquette lessons," Kurz mumbled.  
"Boring, boring, boring."

	"Hmm, I should come observe this, so I can add it to 
my..."  Umino's ears twitched and he stared off across the 
courtyard.

	Kurz turned and saw two things.  The first was 
Nanami looking rather uncomfortable in a fancy dress in 
the Shienarian style, which hid virtually all of her skin, 
except for her face and hands.  The second was Misato and 
Ryouga walking into the courtyard, facing each other as 
Misato walked backwards.  They were juggling a dozen or 
so beer bottles between each other, while Ranma and 
Ukyou tried to follow them with their eyes shut, shouting 
out numbers.

	"Hey, Ryouga!" Kurz said.  "You haven't been 
shacked up with Misato Sedai this whole time, have you?"

	Ryouga turned red and almost dropped a bottle.  "I 
was in Saldea!"

	"Hi, Ryouga!" Nanami shouted, coming closer.  "Hey, 
that looks fun, can I try?"

	"Me too!" Kurz said.

	They soon had twenty four bottles in the air.  Ranma-
chan and Ukyou were starting to look a little dizzy as they 
tried to count them all.

	And then Lady Deedlit came storming out into the 
courtyard.  "You are both late...ooh, that looks fun."

	They eventually got all the way up to two hundred and 
ten bottles with two dozen bottle tossers, before finally, 
they all got too tired to go on.  Dinner had to be delayed.

********* 

	"My arms ache," Kurz grumbled as he worked on his 
mashed potatoes.	

	"Definite ta'veren effect," Umino said, writing in his 
notebook with one hand and slicing his beef with the other.

	"My arms hurt because I'm ta'veren?" Kurz asked.

	"Hey, my arms hurt too," Nanami said.  "Does that 
make me ta'veren?"

	"No, I mean the way several dozen people ended up 
tossing beer bottles around the courtyard for an hour," 
Umino said.  "Can you really imagine Lady Deedlit 
throwing beer bottles and singing drinking songs like that?"

	"I suppose not," Kurz said.  "So, Ranma, why were 
you guys doing that anyway?"

	"I have NO clue," Ranma-chan said.  "Other than it 
was supposed to help us learn to count beer bottles we can't 
see."

	"Maybe the Reds drink a lot," Kurz speculated.

	"Where's Wisdom Hinako and Soun?" Ryouga asked.

	"Still gone," Nanami said.

	"I think they've eloped," Kurz said.  "They're probably 
shagging each other's brains out right now."

	"But she's..." Ranma-chan began.

	"Really hot in her adult form," Kurz said.  "I'd do her."

	Ryouga stared at him.  "You're crazy."

	"Don't tell me you wouldn't," Kurz said to Ryouga.  
"If she came on to you like that, you wouldn't say no, 
would you, Ranma?"

	"Hey, I'm a girl right now," Ranma-chan said.  "She 
wouldn't be interested."

	"And if she was?" Kurz said.  "Or are you now lusting 
after men?"

	"I'm not lusting after men!" Ranma-chan shouted.

	Half the heads in the place turned to stare at her, and 
she shrank in on herself.  "I'm not," Ranma-chan said 
firmly.  "I'm still a boy on the inside."

	"Well, then.  What if you were in boy form and she 
did it?"

	"Well, she is kind of hot in her adult form," Ranma-
chan said, then noticed Ukyou and Nanami were both 
watching her very intently.  "But she likes Soun, so it's not 
like it's going to happen."

	"At all," Ukyou said.  "Don't make me wash your 
mouth out with soap, Kurz."

	"That's SIR Kurz, thank you," Kurz said.

	"Hah!  I'll be an Aes Sedai soon!  And an Aes Sedai 
outranks a petty little knight!" Ukyou said.

	"Soon isn't right now," Kurz said.

	Everyone started when Misato Sedai draped herself 
over Ryouga from behind.  "Don't forget, you're meeting 
me at the forges after dinner, you strong man, you."

	Ryouga's eyes widened.  "Yes, Sedai."

	"Good."  She tickled his chin.  "Looking forward to 
getting hot and sweaty with you."  And then she went back 
to her table.

	Everyone stared at Ryouga.

	"She just has some forgework she wants me to do for 
her!" Ryouga protested.

	"Uh huh," Kurz said.  "I think she wants to feel your 
hammer in action."

	Nanami snickered and Ranma-chan laughed loudly.  
Ukyou said, "Wouldn't that be danger...oh."

	"Just tell us if she was good afterwards," Kurz said.

	"You've got it all wrong!" Ryouga said frantically.

	"Uh huh."

	"You do!"

	"Riiiight."

*********
	
	Hinako stared up the Tower; it was largely 
undamaged, though years of vine growth had begun to tear 
away a few bits of rock.  Now it resembled a great mass of 
plants rising into the sky, so covered with greenery as it 
was.  At the very top, a few tattered bits of cloth flapped 
from the spire.

	"The Tower of Wisdom," Soun said softly.  "I think.  
Here were kept the books of lore and ancient wisdom and 
philosophy and other ways of knowledge.  I fear to think 
what the Fanboys may have done to it all."

	"We have to get to the top," Hinako said. 

	"Alright," Soun said.  With some effort, he cleared the 
vines off the front door, which turned out to be locked.  He 
had to break it down to get them in.  The interior turned out 
to be a giant multi-leveled library.  Much to Soun's 
amazement, it seemed to be completely intact.

	"I would have thought they would destroy this all."

	"Perhaps they couldn't get the door open," Hinako 
said.

	"If I could, they could," he said, frowning and drawing 
his sword.  "Keep behind me."

	She nodded and followed along after him, up the spiral 
staircase past floor after floor.  They finally reached the 
highest door, which let them out onto the top of the tower, 
where a slender spire reached upwards.  From it hung the 
crimson remains of a flag.  Hinako reached into her pack 
and pulled out what she had brought, unfurling it to flap in 
the wind, a crimson banner with a golden crane 
painstakingly embroidered onto it.

	Soun's eyes widened for a moment, and then he came 
and took it.  Carefully, he lowered the damaged banner and 
raised this new one, then stood and watched it flap.  Hinako 
came over and quietly took his hand, wishing she had 
something handy to drain so she could assume her adult 
form.

	Finally, he began to cry, and she hugged his legs with 
frustration and compassion intermingled.  He sank down to 
his knees and hugged her back, pulling her in tightly.  She 
was not sure how long he cried, but finally, his sobs died 
away and he stood again, then said, "I should have thought 
to ask you to bring more flags."

	"Maybe we can find some cloth somewhere and I can 
quickly sew some," she said.

	He watched the sun setting in the distance.  "We'd best 
find the librarian quarters.  We can sleep there."

	"And make some food," she said.

	There was a corpse in the librarian quarters.  She had 
been dead for decades, though the dress she wore was still 
in good shape, and she wore a Great Serpent ring.  "Dalia 
Sedai of the Brown," Soun said softly.  "She was thought to 
have perished here; I suppose she must have sealed herself 
in the library and warded it to keep the Shadowspawn out."

	"We should bury her," Hinako said.

	"We can do it before it gets too dark, I think."

	As they lowered her into the ground, Hinako 
whispered a prayer over her, though her soul had likely 
gone to the Light and been reborn long ago.  "Poor 
woman," she said softly.

	"She had the courage to die for something she 
considered important to protect.  That's as good a death as 
anyone can hope for," Soun said.  "Let's get inside; it will 
be cold soon."

	Hinako nodded and followed him back into the tower. 

*********

	"Hello, Nanami," Etoh said softly.

	She started and nearly fell off the wall.  "Oh, hi," she 
said.

	"You seem troubled," he said, sitting down next to her.

	"Have you ever been in love?" she asked.

	"I have had my share of hope and heartbreak," he said.  

	She nodded.  "Have you ever met any Aiel?"

	"I am too young to remember the Aiel War, and my 
talents make me unsuited for warfare."

	"Talents?" Nanami asked.

	"I am what is called in the North a 'sniffer'.  I can 
smell strong emotions which have been displayed in a 
place, and I can track those connected to them.  I use these 
talents to track down thieves and murderers, as Lord Parn 
commands."  

	"Hmm, useful talent."

	"Yes and no," he said, sighing.  "It can be very useful, 
but it also makes me completely unsuitable for warfare or 
even for being around heated arguments.  The odors of the 
emotions tend to overwhelm me."

	She leaned against the battlement, dangling her feet 
over the drop to the courtyard below.  "Is there anyone you 
could recommend I talk to about Aiel?"

	"The Dai Shain.  He knows as much about Aiel as 
anyone.  Gim fought them in the Aiel War, but he only 
really knows how to kill them."  He paused.  "Why do you 
need to know about Aiel?"

	"Some of my visions," she said.

	He could smell a faint odor of deceit.  She must be in 
love with one, he concluded.  "Afura Sedai might be able to 
help you; she's a scholar of some note, though more the 
philosopher."

	Nanami nodded.  "I'll see about talking to her."

********

	"Well, not very much is really known about the Aiel at 
all," Afura said.  "They seem to be divided into many 
different guilds or associations, from the warrior 
associations who form their armies to the craft guilds to 
various scholarly groups.  They live their lives according to 
a complex web of laws known as Tic-Tac-Toe.  This 
translates roughly as 'Merits and Demerits'.  You gain Merit 
by great deeds according to the standards of your guild and 
suffer Demerits for breaking the rules.  The Guild of 
Wisdom stands outside this system; they are all female and 
they act as arbitrators of the system, determining the 
assignment of Merits and Demerits, of Tic and Tac."

	Afura paused to sip her tea, then delicately eat one of 
the cookies she'd had brought in.  Nanami sat back and 
waited for her to continue, also sipping tea.

	"The Guild of Wisdom also chooses who rules, by 
submitting would-be chiefs to a set of tests at a place called 
Rhuidean.  When a chief dies, any man in the tribe may put 
himself forward, but the Guild decides who qualifies.  They 
do not directly rule."

	"They just control things from the shadows," Nanami 
said.

	Afura nodded.  "This seems likely.  Chiefs come and 
go, but the Guild of Wisdom survives."

	"Do female Aiel really fight?" Nanami asked.

	"Some do.  There's one, maybe several female warrior 
associations.  Several such women warriors nearly killed 
King Miso of Cairhien, during the Aiel War.  A pity they 
didn't succeed, though probably anyone who would 
succeed him would be just as bad."  Afura shook her head 
and sighed, then sipped more tea and refilled her glass.

	"Was there something specific you wanted to know 
about?" Afura asked.  "I could ramble all day, but that 
might not help you."

	Nanami sighed.  "I expect to be meeting Aiel soon, 
and wanted to know more about them."

	"Because of your visions?" Afura asked.

	Nanami nodded.  "Yes."

	"The Aiel are not a friendly people, unless you are a 
Tinker or a peddler.  They are proud and their laws are 
strange.  I wish you luck."

	"I expect I'll need it," Nanami said, sighing.

**********
	
	Hinako lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.  She didn't 
trust the Aes Sedai, but unless she became one, mastered 
the Power well enough to stay an adult all the time, she 
couldn't be with Soun, couldn't protect the children.  

	There had to be another way out.  But she couldn't see 
it.  She sighed.  I will get Soun free of that woman, she 
swore to herself.  And I'll make sure Ranma is safe in the 
Tower.  Even if it means he may have to stay a woman the 
rest of his life.

	She strained her ears to see if she could hear Soun in 
the next room, but she heard nothing.  He's probably pacing 
around being melancholy, she thought.  She wanted to go to 
him, but not as a child.  

	I hate this, she thought. I hate it.  Stupid child-body.  
She began to quietly cry in the darkness.

*********
	
	"What's the dummy for?" Ranma-chan asked Chloe 
Sedai.

	There were a lot of dummies, in fact, several dozen, 
ranging from ones that were basically multiple connected 
pillows with a flimsy wooden spine to hold them up to 
several which might pass as human from a distance.

	"I think Lord Parn would take it amiss if we practiced 
on his servants, not to mention the oaths."  Chloe produced 
knife after knife from locations inside her clothing, passing 
half to Ranma-chan and half to Ukyou.  "Still, if one is 
fighting Darkfriends, one must know how to best stop them 
quickly and efficiently, either to disable or slay as is 
necessary and wise."

	"Mind if I use my mini-spatulas?" Ukyou asked.  "I 
have more practice with them."

	"That's fine," Chloe said.  "This is more about 
targeting and using the Power in conjunction with weapons 
than it is about what weapons are specifically used."

	The door opened and Hinako walked in with Soun.  
"Hi, everyone," she said, a little subdued.  "We're back."

	"Good timing," Ranma-chan said.  "I think everyone's 
close to ready to leave."

	Chloe looked at Hinako with interest.  "Ahh, you are 
the Wilder Hinako al'Meara, right?"

	"Yes, I am," Hinako said.  "And you are?"

	"Chloe Sedai of the Green Ajah.  Good, you can join 
in this exercise."  She paused.  "You have to charge up in 
order to channel, correct?"

	Hinako nodded.  "Yes."

	"Dai Shain, can you secure us someone suitable?" 
Chloe asked Soun.

	"I will see about finding a delinquent."  Soun headed 
for the door.

	"Kurz is in trouble," Ranma-chan and Ukyou said in 
unison, then laughed.

	"Actually, his manners seem somewhat improved," 
Chloe Sedai said.  "Perhaps due to regular beatings by Lady 
Deedlit."  She smiled.  "Are you good with knives, 
Hinako?"

	"I'm better with a bow," Hinako said.

	"See about getting her a bow too, please," Chloe said 
to Soun as he headed out the door.

	"I will," he said.

	I can pretend I'm shooting Setsuna, Hinako thought.

*******

	"Stupid Aes Sedai," Woodchuck grumbled as he 
stared at his cards.

	Kurz tried to decide what to do with his hand.  He had 
an Aes Sedai of Souls, the three and five of Flames, the 
eight of Stones and the ten of Winds.  "What did they do 
this time?"

	"That little kid Sedai kept using me as dinner."

	"Dinner?" Nanami asked.  She paused.  "Oh, did you 
do something delinquent?"

	"She had to do channeling stuff and she kept draining 
me to do it."  He grumbled and threw three cards over to 
Gim, who was dealer.  Once Gim tossed him fresh cards, he 
grinned.  "Much better."

	Nanami looked up at Kurz, then frowned.  "Fold."

	Everyone else carefully examined their cards a second 
time.  She might have folded because she foresaw he had 
an unbeatable hand, or maybe it was just because she saw 
she'd get worse than him.

	As for Kurz, he discarded all but the Aes Sedai, and 
hoped his luck was in.  "Man, I've never had her drain me 
more than once."

	"Except when you ate all the baked duck," Nanami 
said.

	"Except for...hey, how did you know about that?" 
Kurz asked.  Gim now passed him four cards.  The Aes 
Sedai of Flames and Stones, the Nine of Winds and Flames.  
Alright, full house, he thought.

	"Two cards," Etoh said.  He got them, studied them, 
then sighed.  "Fold."

	"Just saw it," Nanami said.

	"What, you can see past things too?"

	"Sometimes."

	"You didn't see the..."

	"Yes."

	"Blood and ashes," he grumbled.  "Got any good 
visions?"

	"You're going to have sex with an Aiel, eventually," 
Nanami said.  "And marry her."

	"..."

	"I think.  It's some weird thing with Tic-tac-toe, their 
law code."

	"Is she hot?"

	"She's pretty hot," Nanami said.

	"Well, I guess that's not too bad," he said.  "Though I 
don't want to get married any time soon."

	"Not until you finish making your way through the 
serving maids," Gim said.

	"Exact...hey!"

	Gim laughed and dealt himself three new cards.  
"Hmm.  Fo...no, I think I'll wait and see.  Well, a man's got 
to learn how to deal with women somewhere.  Just treat 
them right, and their brothers won't hunt you to the ends of 
the world and kill you."

	Kurz twitched a bit at that.

	Woodchuck, Gim, and Kurz went around the betting 
mulberry bush several times.  Finally, Gim said, "Call."  He 
had three of a kind, Kings.  Kurz had a full house, Aes 
Sedai high.  And Woodchuck had a straight, Ten high.  

	"YES," Woodchuck said.

	"Now you can pay those debts," Gim said.

	"Exact...dammit."

	Gim smiled, then said, "Better go pay them before you 
run out of money to do it with, lad.  Best to settle up before 
we all leave."

	"You're leaving?" Kurz asked.

	"Lord Parn's sending some of us as an honor guard for 
the Horn.  I think myself, Slayn, Woodchuck, Etoh, 
Sasame, and maybe some others," Gim said.  "In fact, I 
think he's been talking himself in and out of coming along 
with us."

	"That'll be fun," Kurz said.  "We can continue our 
poker games."

	"I just hope we won't have any trouble on the way 
there," Nanami said.

	"Trouble?" Kurz said.  "Who would be crazy enough 
to attack a hundred Aes Sedai?"

	"True, true," Nanami said.  "Probably there won't be 
any trouble at all." 

	"Let's hope not," Gim said.  "But best to expect the 
worst so that the best surprises you pleasantly."

	
End Chapter One, Book Two