(From over two decades earlier)

The Gleeman Remembered

Part 1

Times and tales of those who lived the way of the leaf were told to most when they were children. Other cultures would have called them gypsies, but to the people of her lands were called Tuatha'an. The Tuatha'an were nicknamed the "Traveling people" or "Tinkers", but Valucia thought of them as peaceful.

But not all of a Tuatha'an's life was peaceful. Their beliefs were never to do harm to others or to pick up arms or other weapons against someone was something horrific for them. But there were those who brought them trouble anyway.

Valucia had been travelling a few decades into her time at The Tower when she came upon the aftermath of a raid upon the Tinkers. The numbers of the them were neary fifty, and ten of them were dead. Those that had lived through it were caring for one another and picking their way through debris of what had been their overturned carts, horses and other animals.

The scene was gorey with blood everywhere and even a few limbs scattered with grotesque oddness that confused the mind to look upon it at first glance. Those arms and legs were further out from the bodies that they belonged to.

As Valucia was dismounting and moving towards them, someone cried out -- a woman by the sound of it, as she recalled -- to warn the others that an outsider was there.

Insects had already started gathering and Valucia was aware of them. Within her power, and refelxive in action, a simple small weave was used to send all of the insects from the area of blood, bodies, and those still alive.

The Aes Sedai had drawn up short so that she would not alarm any of them any more than necessary. Slender hands lifted slowly out from her sides to show them that she was not armed. Closely existing sleeves that travelled from her shoulders downwards flared out lightly at the wrists.

Her attire was simple and clean, with a bodice and skirts in shade of green to match the nearby trees; about her waist was a sash of dark blue. But they all knew she was Aes Sedai, by the cast of her ageless face, the great serpent ring worn upon her hand, and a certain meticulous neatness she had as if she could have borne herself as a angelic queen in the middle of a brothel or the dankest, seediest of dungeons.

It was among them that day that she had met the Gleeman. And though Valucia Sabet had met a number of them over the years, she would never forget this one after that.

"Aes Sedai. Well, you are an unexpected sight in these lands." He greeted her in his own way and bowed from his waist. With the sweep of his hand out to this side before he rose fully again.

To Valucia, the action seemed tired and executed without the full flare that one expected to see of a Gleeman of any age. The one who stood before her was a handsome man of perhaps thirty with brown hair that met his shoulders and a mustache without a beard that trailed down passed his chin. His eyes were a piercing ice blue with a face that was strong and a little weathered. Clothing seemed as simple and plain as her own; enough of brown and black but the multi-colored, patchwork cloak that marked him for his trade was brilliant and lively.

"I am where I need to be, Gleeman." She said nothing of her reason for traveling through that portion of land. "I heard the noise of fighting and came to see to the matter."

"Fighting?" The Gleeman glanced about with sorrow-filled eyes, untrusting and horror-filled eyes. "No, great lady. There was no fighting here." When he glanced back and saw the look she was giving him, he continued. "To fight is to think of at least two in conflict with one another, Aes Sedai. This was entirely one-sided."

Valucia looked out over the area of the dead and wounded, the shocked and mournful. "I see." She looked further to each of the faces, of the living and the dead, before she finally panned her attention back to him. "I will do what I can." She did not ask it of him, or anyone else there, but moved into action.