Channelers and the Men Who Love Them
Episode Two – Numb
“I just don’t understand it, Siuan. I’ve tried everything I could possibly think of! Wha, what am I doing wrong?”
“Really Lan, there’s no need to cry like a babe.”
Siuan’s words only made the Warder sob harder. Sighing she patted the large man on the head, not sure what else to do. Her Warder-lightblesshissoulsohemayneverhauntthoseleftbehind-had never acted in such a fashion. But then, Alric hadn’t been married to Nynaeve.
“Lan, trust me when I say this, it isn’t your fault. Nynaeve is being…distracted, by some other force.”
“You keep saying that, Siuan, but how can anything distract her from ‘not-so-little-Lan’?”
Siuan feigned ignorance on what ‘not-so-little-Lan’ referred to. “Let’s just say I have sources of information that you do not.”
“But how-“
“Do not question an Aes Sedai!”
That stopped his babble and his crying. No wonder Nynaeve liked to yell so much.
Whistling a happy tune, it took all of Nynaeve’s strength not to skip merrily home. Leaving Elaida’s always made her feel like skipping, which was strange seeing as how she didn’t particularly like the woman. However, as stupid as the Red sometimes(usually) was she was a good kisser. Even so she feared she might have to put an end to the affair if Elaida’s feeling for her became too strong. Which was bound to happen, she was Nynaeve after all.
“Sooooo, how’s your pillow friend?”
Spinning around Nynaeve saw that it was Siuan who had spoken. “I know not what you speak of.”
The Tearian broke out into a fit of giggles. “Oh, Nynaeve! I know all about you and ‘Ellie’.” Siuan threw her arm across Nynaeve’s shoulders. “Come, come. Let’s discuss business.”
“We have no business.”
“Oh I’m afraid we do, little Wisdom. You’re having an affair that you wish to keep secret. I know about said affair. Therefore in order for you wishes to be fulfilled you must fulfill mine.”
One down, one to go. Siuan couldn’t believe how easy it was to bend Nynaeve to her will. Now all she had to do was find some leverage with Elaida. Which wasn’t going to be easy. For the life of her Siuan couldn’t figure out why Elaida would start an affair with anyone, let alone with Nynaeve.
As if on cue, the Red stepped out into the street. Elaida, after looking this way and that, darted into a side street draped in shadow. Siuan quickly followed.
Before placing the letter under the door, Elaida made sure no one was in sight. She was usually more careful where she delivered the notes, didn’t want some maid to find them, but this was different. If a simple flowery poem could make Mat drive Moiraine to tears than maybe this more, uh,blunt ode would finally get rid of the damn boy.
Elaida could hear voices from inside the room. Not wanting to risk using the Power she did the tired-and-true method of ear-on-door.
“…I can’t believe you made her cry.”
“Will you listen?! Yeah we had a fight, but then we had after fight-“
“I don’t want to hear it!”
“But Thom, I think my performance last night was…”
That boy couldn’t mean what she thought he meant. And if he did than he deserved a thousand deaths for speaking of Moiraine as such. Now maybe Thom would agree to kill him.
Siuan watched from the shadows. At first she couldn’t figure out what the bloody woman was doing. But when she heard her mummer “my beautiful little rain cloud”, it all came together.