The scene: the Black Tower. Six or seven bored Asha�man, away from the watchful eye of Mazrim Taim, are occupied in playing darts. The dartboard bears a life-size and remarkably realistic image of the Watcher of the Seals, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin Seat, Elaida do Avriny a�Roihan. At least, it would be realistic if Elaida customarily had several darts stuck into various parts of her body. (The fact that a great majority of people would prefer that she did is irrelevant.)

Another dart hits.

The Asha�man whoops. �I got the stole! Double score!�

Another aims his dart and throws. It hits the red stripe of the stole. �Triple score.�

�Fluke,� the first one mutters.

�Ah, none of you are any good,� a third jeers. Picking up a dart, he throws and hits the Great Serpent ring. �Quadruple score. Looks like some of you need lessons.�

The scene rapidly degenerates into squabbling. The older Asha�man are standing back from the scene, looking amused, when...

�I think you all need lessons.�

The voice coming from the doorway is that of a woman, surprising in itself. But what makes all the black-coated figures gape is the fact that the speaker, now crossing the room, is stunningly beautiful, the possessor of ageless features, and wearing a shawl fringed in bright red.

�You�re aiming entirely wrong,� the Red sister tells them patiently. �If you�ll excuse me?� She plucks a dart from the fingers of one Asha�man. �This is where you try and hit.� The dart flies through the air.

It hits Elaida squarely between the eyes.

�Winning score, wouldn�t you say?� The slim woman bestows a dazzling smile on all of them. �Keep trying.� With the same graceful stride as entering, she walks out of the room, and her muttering is heard fading away in the distance. �I never liked that woman...�

It is more than five minutes before any of the Asha�man pick their jaws up off the floor and stop choking. All except one. The one whose dart was taken, a tall man with bright blue eyes, is leaning against the wall helpless with laughter.

�Amazing,� he manages to gasp out between fits of laughing. �I just met someone as crazy as me!�

Raina's Hold / Raina's Library / Raina's Library - Original Humour