Stranger in a familiar land

[Helena]

Talin Sedai

Talin was surprised by the interrogation. It felt surplus, and given his quite virulent pride, she had assumed he would simply accept the help she offered as his due, only to discard her as soon as he could. Her motivations were unnecessary surely. Such was the way she operated, it was with a perplexing moment of self-examination she considered how to answer. Because there was her answer, and the answer that would be acceptable.

Would she have turned him in in other circumstances? Yes. Certainly. Once she had gotten what she wanted from him. Not something she thought wise to share. And as she said, it was irrelevant now. Arikan presented more value than he did risk. The Tower was beholden to traditions Talin had no use for, and the lines between light and dark were far more malleable than anyone was ever willing to admit. She cared only for what Arikan was now, and what he proved himself to be.

And what he could do for her.

When he gave his consent, she attended without hesitation. This part of their tenuous alliance was easy for her at least; the part where he was simply flesh and bone pieces to be fashioned back together.

Her gaze frowned up at his terminally irritating misuse of chosen, but for once she did not correct it. Saidar flowed now, and she was too busy for the childish way he clung to the past. As for his demands, Talin had little use for such political knowledge, though she only listened quietly. She could tell him which countries had unusual bouts of illness, and which members of nobility begged her for favours for various indiscretions. But what she lacked in ability or interest she knew well how to source. Those were plans already in motion, but not things Arikan yet needed to be aware of himself.

“Well. We are in Tear,” she said offhandedly. He should not have trampled through all that chicken-shit at the farm; his feet were disastrous, and she was not much impressed with the extra work. Not that she commented. “And I do already have perhaps one thing that may interest.”