And so it begins...

[U4ea]

Loraine tied the last strap on her case and looked around her room. She was forgetting something and she'd be fried if she could think of what it was. "This is just a rescue trip," she repeated to herself. "We're going in, getting our book and getting out before the White Cloaks know we've crossed the border. Mardecin wasn't that far inside the border and Kyn would get them there as quietly as possible.

 

She paused and pressed her fingertips to her temples. Light, if only it were that easy! She shook herself and brushed her hand down her skirts. They were sturdy riding stock, a frock she hadn't worn in years. It was hard to imagine that she and Kyn had been in the Tower so long this time, but getting buried in reports and crisis after crisis made it hard to slip away. She knew he was like a caged animal trapped here on the grounds for so long and she wasn't sure how much of his agitation was influencing her, too. She paused and smiled down at the ring winking on her finger. He needed this trip.

 

She shook her head at her thoughts and grabbed the case laying on the bed. At least she wouldn't have to change her hair until they got closer to Amadacia. Nothing more suspicious than a Cairhienin noble crossing the border with a troup like this one! And taking Kathleen with them to train would just make them more obvious.

 

She made her way through the passages of the Green Halls, her eyes taking in the swords embedded in the doors and the steps leading down to the Tower proper. She sighed, pausing by one of her favorites and running her finger over it. "I will be back," she said softly, turning to look back at the place that had become her home. "By the Light, I will be back!"

 

She walked into the stable a few minutes later, a determined set to her jaw and nodded to the stable boy who was saddling her horse. He paused and made his way to her, bowing and accepting her case to lash behind her saddle. Loraine nodded her thanks and turned to await the others. The sun wasn't quite up, yet, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they arrived.

 

~Loraine

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta was done packing and dressing she had worn a divided skirt for riding and braided her hair as she always did. She was a little sad Dante wasn't going with them, but he was off training and they needed to go NOW to retrieve the book. She just hoped he wouldn't come after them when he was done that would be trouble. She glanced around the room wondering if she was forgetting anything. If she was it wouldn't matter after they left the tower. She didn't know where Visar had gone to but she had told him yesterday that they would be leaving. He had seemed uncertain about it. He was different since there chat and his working toward becoming a blademaster. She hadn't asked how that was going he would tell her if he wanted too. She strode from the room and touched the door reverently for a moment. Just in case she never saw it again, she had left instructions with the Ajah what was to be put into the Vault if she shouldn't return. She'd also talked to Visar about that. If she was to die he was to place several things there, he was also not to go on useless quests to join her in death. She would turn his bond over to another sister before she allowed that to happen. She straightened from the door and took several deep breaths before walking down the Green Ajah's halls.

 

It was going to be strange in the coming weeks. They were taking Kathleen with them and teaching her the battle weaves, with three sisters and two warders they were going to stick out like a sore thumb. She just hoped Kathleen was ready to handle it and picked up the weaves quickly. She would see if Visar would agree to watch over her, Rasheta felt like it was her place she'd saved her once before. She'd keep an eye on her again. She looked back at the halls once and mentally saved the image in her brain in case she wouldn't see it again. Then she turned and made her way to the stables.

 

Tyr was already saddled and ready to go. She put her belongings in the saddle bags and made sure she had gold enough to see her through the coming weeks. Her horse snorted and moved restlessly. She patted his nose, and noticed Loraine already there she mounted up and nodded to the other sister. "We just wait on Kathleen and the warders now, and we are ready to go. I only pray this goes smoothly."

[U4ea]

Loraine nodded, looking up at Rasheta who was already mounted. She was about to say something when Olmena entered the stable. She was hunched over her case and seemed hesitant about giving it to the stable boy. Loraine sighed inwardly. This was going to be rough. The woman was as fragile as century old glass and seemed worse every day. She'd seen plenty of sisters lose their warders, but this seemed to be a little excessive.

 

She looked at Rasheta, knowing the woman had been in the same situation once upon a time. She just couldn't picture Rasheta this far gone. Was that a personality trait or did it speak of the connection between the two? Light, she'd be worse than Olmena if something happened to Kynwric. Light knew she intended to make sure she didn't last much longer after he did. Was that the problem here?

 

She shook her head a little as she watched the woman climb into the saddle, trying to mimic Rasheta's easy posture. Loraine stopped just short of snorting and turned away from the scene to wait on the others. They were going to be in the saddle long enough, she wasn't about to climb in early if she didn't have to. This was going to be a long trip...

 

~Loraine

[Arath Faringal]

Arath wasn't quite sure what to expect as he entered the White Tower's stables and approached the women who had already gathered there. Jaydena had asked him to come along on this expedition in her stead, but he somehow doubted that it had been discussed with the others. Indeed, they looked more than a little surprised to see him.

 

"Hello ... sisters. Jaydena asked me to come along on this trip. An extra warder." Not exactly true, since he was the one holding this bond. Did that make Jaydena his warder? They still had yet to come up with a good term for the situation. "She was rather insistant on this."

 

A few quite moments and unreadable expressions later, Arath continued. "At any rate, I don't believe I've met any of you before. I'm Arath, Storm Leader of the Black Tower." He doubted that he needed to be introduced, since Jade hadn't exactly been shy about the bonding among her own ajah, but it never hurt to be polite. Especially around this place.

 

"So, where are we going?"

[Visar Falmaien]

Visar arrived a few minutes later, packed and ready to go on his own horse. He had wasted too much time practicing early in the morning, and he still smelled a little sweaty from his work out. Still, one had to stay in good shape, these days.

 

He mounted and eased his horse over to Rasheta, using his legs gently to guide the large gray and brown mare. He was getting better at riding without reigns, but it was still something he had to be careful about. Trained horses that reacted to pressure were sensitive and you could give them too much or not enough of a signal.

 

"Sorry I'm late." he muttered to Rasheta, hoping no one else heard him or noticed his late arrival. His eyes then fixed suspiciously on the new character, a man he had not seen before. Arath, a man from the Black Tower? Visar reflexively put a hand on his sword, but knew if he tried to strike the man down he'd most likely get a fireball in his face or something.

 

"We're allowing these Black Tower men to join us now?" Visar openly inquired of Rasheta. "At Jaydena Sedai's request, too." he commented quieter to himself, though he did not admit to anything about her being the head of the ajah. But that meant that it might as well be part of the Green strategem to throw in with, or at least tolerate, these madmen who could channel.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Visar Falmaien

[Kathleen]

It hadn't taken Kathleen long to pack for the trip. She hadn't been Aes Sedai long and her wardrobe was far from complete. She had her bags packed the night before so she wouldn't have to run through the room stressfully packing and neglecting to take important things just because she had her brain so full of the worry of being late. She had awoken early, if you could call it waking. She hadn't done much sleeping through the night and after laying awake in bed most of the night she couldn't take it any more so she rose before the sun, double checked her bags and made sure that everything she was leaving behind was in its place.

 

Her stomach was in knots and she wasn't sure how much of it was because this this would be her first time out of the city since she was forced out as an Accepted, or if it was because she knew that they would be teaching her the Battle Weaves. If only she had known those the last time she left! She pushed the thought out of her head. That was over and she couldn't live in fear of leaving the White Tower. She would be learning the Battle Weaves, she should be excited! She had done well in her classes when it came to the one power, surely she would learn this. And what ever way they teach these weaves could not possibly be more trying than the test for raising to Aes Sedai had been. She was a little concerned when she found out they were leaving the Tower to learn them, but she wrote that off to the Sisters not wanting to destroy the Tower grounds.

 

Satisfied that everything in her room was in order Kathleen readied herself and then sat in a chair to wait until the proper time to leave her rooms. She calmed her nerves and let the excitement rise within her. She was about to embark on a journey with her future Sisters. She must have been doing well for them to think she was ready to learn the Battle Weaves already. After today she would be one step closer to being a full Green. She was almost bursting with the excitement of all this trip would mean when she realized it was time to go. She grabbed her travel wear and took one last look around her perfectly organized room and than started out of the Green Ajah Halls and down to meet with the others. She did not want to be there first one there and seem to much like an eager child, but she did not want to hold them up either.

 

Unfortunately it seemed she was doomed to be the last one there as around almost every corner it seemed she was stopped by girls newly raised to the Shawl of other Ajah's who she had spent her time as Accepted getting to know. They would ask her where she was off to and joke about how the Green Ajah really did just throw the new ones into adventure after all. Kathleen hated to be rude but she knew she was running late so she would smile and nod and then hurried on her way as quickly as an Aes Sedai could hurry through the halls without concern. The last thing she wanted to do was scare the Novices into thinking the Greens were in a tizzy and that they may be in danger. Still, Aes Sedai or not, she knew that even is she was there before the official meeting time if she was the last of the party to show up the other Aes Sedai would not be pleased. Would they complain that she was holding them up? Would they think that she wasn't trying hard enough to show the respect due to them? She didn't like feeling like an Accepted on her way to the Mistress of Novices room, but she did. She wished she could explain that she had tried to be on time, that she was held up on her way to meet them but she had been on her way on time. She saw the group waiting and resisted the urge to hang her head in shame. She joined up with everyone and began to prepare for leaving.

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric was in the barracks, he had been spending more and ore time there while Loraine poured over report after report and he had left Loraine's rooms, well their rooms, to gather what he needed from the small chamber he still maintained in the barracks. Mostly it was for when he needed a break from the heat of the day and didn't feel like making the long trek to the Green Ajah quarters inside the tower. He knew his horse would be saddled and ready, along with the packs he had left with the grooms to be situated behind the saddle. He picked up the only piece of jewelry he owned besides the wedding ring he wore. It was a locket that had belonged to his father and held a tiny painting of his mother within it. He let out a long sigh, "Amadicia... why did it have to be Amadicia?" He knew he was talking to himself, but it didn't matter. Putting the locket around his neck and tucking it into his shirt he closed the door to the room and left the key with the trainee on duty, it would be turned in later. He had no intention on ever using it again. He walked out into the courtyard where they party was already gathering.

 

He walked up beside Loraine as she sat her horse and patted her leg as he passed, taking a glance up at her. Rasheta, Visar and Kathleen he was expecting but the Asha'man he was not. He heard the question and answered before either of the Sisters could. "Home." He didn't like Jaydena adding this man to their party and he wished Loraine would just send him back. Kyn didn't like the idea of men channeling, not even the Dragon Reborn, and he certainly didn't like the idea of taking a man destined to go mad into Amadacia. It was bad enough they were taking two Sisters who could not hide their faces and another who would likely be too proud to take off her ring, the newly raised were like that. Kyn ties his sword to its place on his saddle and then swung up into his place. He glanced at the Sisters waiting on the order to move. He made note to have Visar keep an eye on Kathleen, he had no extra eyes to spare with the Blackcoat in their midst.

 

On Loraine's nod he lead the way out of the White Tower, towards the Alindaer Gate and the Caemlyn Road.

[U4ea]

Loraine opened her mouth to answer Arath, but Kyn did it for her. Or, at least his version of it. Jade had mentioned she'd like for Arath to be included and she was far from the position of arguing with her Captain-General. She shook her head at everyone's reaction to him, though. If she didn't understand their reactions, it would be quite amusing. Alright, perhaps it was amusing even knowing their reactions. She looked at him a moment and took a deep breath.

 

"It's good that you could join us," she said. While not overly loud, she hoped the others got her hint. The last thing they needed while already on edge about their journey and destination was to start worrying about a member of the group going with them. Her eyes slid to Olmena and she sighed inwardly. Correction, TWO members of the group going with them. Light, if she didn't have enough white hairs before they started this trip, she was likely to be well set by the time they made it back! She didn't see much of a point in fearing Ashaman, though she'd made it a point to avoid conversations where she'd have to answer that question directly. They weren't that much different than she was. Light knew they hadn't asked for this 'gift' any more than she had. While madness was inevitable, it wasn't immediate, and Arath looked young enough to be a little ways from frying them all in their sleep. On the other hand, if he started to get a little out of character, there were four Aes Sedai here strong enough to wrap him in flows of Air that would leave him unable to move his arms. She was pretty sure she could get a good enough shield to protect them from whatever he decided to twist together, too. What was there to be afraid of? She was FAR more concerned with Olmena's mental state, to be honest. That one was going to be the real problem, here. "We're heading into the worst possible place we could possibly think of going; a little city in Amadicia called Mardecin."

 

Kynwric looked at her pointedly and she nodded, giving him lead to get their little caravan moving. The sooner they were gone, the sooner they could get back again, after all!

 

~Loraine

 

 

Edited: Continued here: http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/53619-what-will-get-us-first/ :D We're on our way, folks!