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Born Unto A New Family You
Be Here. My
reasons for coming
here were many. I am
a person of
learning, and the
most important
reason is that of
knowledge, and the
other was that I was
told to. I want to
learn, and I was
told to spy. My
calling in life is
to be perfectly
balanced in mind,
body, and soul. I am
now in pursuit of
those three things.
My Soul I enrich
with my religion. I
am a Druid. My mind
I exercise with,
books, experience,
practice, and use.
My body is worked
hard, and with my
warder training,
becoming a machine
that can take almost
anything I give it.
My time since I
arrived here has
been a full plethora
of activity, work,
and learning. I have
now come to realize
that I have a very
special gift. I am
of Shara. I am now,
also, of Tar Valon.
My life has been
enriched by this
mystical place. I am
of the best of both
worlds. I came here
to learn and to spy,
I am here to defend
and serve. I
was sent here from
Shara to find out
about these women
who wield the one
power. In Shara they
are servants of the
state. Here they, in
all reality, are the
makers of state. I
come by this opinion
only after studying
their history and
the affect they have
had on every other
culture in this
land. All lands here
in this place have
been influenced
directly or
indirectly for
hundreds of years,
by these Aes Sedai.
Now I have surcummed
to their influence
too. I now serve
them. My only
mission outline was
to ‘find all I can’.
I will find out
everything, yet will
never report back
for I am fully
within "The
Towers" grasp,
and I love it. This
tower is a sturdy
hand that guides its
children to their
fullest potential. I
am at home here. Before
leaving for the last
time the royal
palace in Shara, I
was a medium ranking
officer in the
Sharan Corps of
Finders. This is an
organization which
in my opinion has
too much to do with
everything and not
enough pride to stay
out of it. It is an
independent body,
separate from the
royal court, but
works closely with
it. It is to serve
all of the
functionaries within
the royal house,
rarely actually
dealing with royalty
itself but working
towards royal goals. My
mission was simple,
find out all I could
about those called
Aes Sedai. That was
the entirety of my
instructions. I am
carrying them out
under my own council
and learning all I
can. Because
of the functions of
my employers a new
name was given to
me, and a new life
created. My truth
comes out here to
you. My
real name is Con’Shoin
Ma’lbred. I am of
a family who has
always been finders.
We are known as one
of the first
families. I am a
master of the Dirk.
(For those of you
who know not what a
Dirk is, it is a
weapon not unlike a
short sword, but is
not as wide and is
tapered. It is about
two feet long and
perforated on its
back side. It is
designed to enter
the body easily and
when withdrawn to
remove any and all
tissue it connects
with. I was trained
by the Knower of
Arms in the palace
itself). I am
trained in all
matters of strategy
and arts of war,
politics, and
religion. As a
Finder I am to be
master of body, soul
and mind. To be a
finder one must be a
consecrated priest
of a religious cast
of Shara, a teacher
in a field of study,
and an officer in
the Royal Warrior
Cast. Finders are
the most feared
soldiers in Shara. I
was a rank called
Luntara, which is
equal I guess to an
Andorian
Knight-Captain,
about half way up
the chain of
command. I
arrived in Tear by
way of a Sea Folk
Raker. I there did
join the war band of
a Tearian High-Lord.
I was but a lowly
swordsman there
which was to my
liking, being casual
for once. ( I must
say that I was
deeply tempted being
in this strange and
new land to desert
my orders and remain
in this High-Lord’s
service, for I was
happy and content
there). It was here
in this team that I
learned the language
of this land, saying
to them that I was
from the far north.
I also learned the
ways of conduct here
that I would have to
master before too
long. It was the
perfect training
ground for me, for I
knew that regular
soldiers accept
people for what they
do, not where they
came from. Most
soldiers come from
questionable
backgrounds so I
knew that my privacy
would be my own to
break or keep as I
saw fit. I learned
well. When
I was well ingrained
in that merry band
of men, the time
came, as I knew it
would, when people
who thought of me as
friend felt that
they wanted to know
more about me. That
was the time for me
to leave, and I did
so. I made my way
North moving around
those bands of white
clad troops who I
know now as The
Children of The
Light, and headed
into Andor, from
there to Tar Valon,
where I was
instructed the Aes
Sedai reign supreme. As
I approached, the
most awe inspiring,
and most terrifying
sight I have ever
seen confronted me.
In the middle of
this desolate waste
was reigning over
all, a magnificent
spire of rock, its
black grandeur
outshining all
around it. I have
never in all my
experience seen such
a showmanship of
terror and evil
energy. A mountain
of shadow and
despair nearly
sweeping me into
utter depression, I
could do little to
stop it. Only
slightly less awe
inspiring yet
completely pleasant
to see was the
second spire. A
brilliant white
needle of marble
reflecting the sun
more intimately then
the dark of the
mount, The White
Tower beckoned to
me, I knew I had
just found my new
home, and my new
allegiance. As
I came near the
tower the usual
goings on of
civilization began
to appear around,
first a stone wall,
then a farm. I
became excited to
enter my new found
sanctuary. The
Tower, far taller
then any man made
building I had ever
seen loomed
impressively over
the whole of the
city. I remember
wondering how such a
slender length of
stone could stand so
tall and hold its
own weight and not
break. I know now
that it was a gift
of the Founders that
this tower stands so
permanent. When
I first entered I
was found to be
wandering around
what I could of the
Tower grounds in a
state of perfect
solitude, reflecting
on my orders, and
the fate which had
brought me here. I
was asked what my
purpose was, and
could I be serviced,
by a small girl in
white. I was
confused for that
statement in my
homeland meant
something completely
different. I
remember turning
deep red at the
thought of such a
young girl asking
such an adult
question. The girl
seeing my sword said
something so quickly
I didn’t
understand her. Me
not wanting to be
rude just nodded and
she turned and
started away. I
followed. I
was lead to what I
now call the common
area of the tower to
wait. It was there I
met my first two
real tower members
personally. I was
only uncomfortable a
small bit when I
found out that one
person, called Luke,
was upset at the
fact that all
humanity was
insignificant, and
the second now
called by me Sri,
was very unnerved by
that previous
opinion and was
herself quite
angered too. I
seemed to have
walked in on a quite
private conversation
and was anxious to
exit anyway I could. Against
the white dressed
girls wishes I left
the common area. I
wondered about this
White Tower and
found my way to an
area filled with men
trying swords with
each other. There
were many different
levels of
proficiency here and
some I saw I felt
quite sure I would
try my best to never
have to face in a
conflict. As I sat
and watched these
men a large fellow
walked up to me in a
friendly way and
asked my name. In
haste I thought of
two things, keeping
my emotions
controlled, and my
religion. I quickly
answered that my
name was Thad,
meaning Stone, and
Duir, meaning Oak,
Thad Duir. This
giant of a fellow
then said to me,
"Well met Thad
Duir". He
clasped my arm and
introduced himself
to me. Aelric
Gaidin was the first
high ranking member
I met. My welcome
was going fine in my
eyes, and so, was my
first Day. From
then until now, my
time here has been a
constant time of
learning. I have
learned everything
from proper conduct
to the politeness of
forgiveness. I am
now conversant on an
equal level with all
but the most high
here, and I have
even been promised a
bonding by one very
special and
wonderful friend of
mine. I have truly
become one with this
White Tower, I am a
friend to two
wolves, a recently
pregnant/ash-tray
throwing hooligan, a
Red Robed Mage, A
winged half man, a
whole bunch of
Aussies, many Aes
Sedai and their
Warders, a Chora
Tree, a pool, and a
menagerie of
couches, and a
plaque of a wolf
with human eyes, one
New Zealander, and
one certain newly
raised Yellow
Shawled beauty. I am
at home here and I
am from Tar Valon,
once from Shara. I
have now accepted
that my life in
Shara was all in
preparation of
becoming a member
here. My
friends this letter
is for you. I need
you to know me, the
whole me, not the
fake me I started
here with, I was Con’Shoin
Ma’lbred. I am now
Thad Duir of this
city, who serves
this tower and the
light, with you. I
hope that my past
will not reflect
upon what we have
become to each
other, I have been
here, made friends,
and seen some of
them leave. You are
all one with me now
in my mind, and now
you know the truth,
you know me. There
is one part of Shara
that will always be
with me, and that is
my oath, my word.
You are my Family
and I vow to be true
to you, always. May
the sky fall, may
the oceans burst
their banks, may the
ground open beneath
me, if I ever break
this here my sacred
vow. |