What will get us first?

[U4ea]

Loraine watched the road, her nerves getting a little tighter with each step the horse took. They left the Tower three hours ago and were slowly making their way West to no Aes Sedai-land. She was pretty sure it was Kyn sharing his nerves through the bond and Light knew he had a reason for them.

 

She'd been afraid of his childhood for years. They'd staunchly avoided coming here for a host of reasons, not the least of which was that after a few years, the ageless look of Loraine's face would've had them strung up by the White Cloaks in no time. They wouldn't make it to the Amadician border for a while and already she was watching carefully.

 

Lor moved her horse up to Kyn's. "How long do you think it will take to make it to Mardecin?" she asked softly. There hadn't been much time for discussion after she'd brought this trouble up with him the night before. She took it for granted that he knew where they were heading and that his forty year absence hadn't been enough to change the landscape much from what he remembered. Truth to tell, she wanted to know exactly how long this torture was going to take. The tension around them was thick enough to walk on already...

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

"How long do you think it will take to make it to Mardecin?"

 

Kn felt Loraine moving up beside him and when she asked the question he turned and looked at her. He knew she knew the answer, they had discussed it last night. "With good weather and riding, 3 weeks. If we push 2 if we have remounts. At the current pace..." He shrugged, "A month. And that does not take into account having to slow our pace as we approach the border and once inside Amadacia. "I would not expect to be there for inside a month and a half." He then turned his eyes to the black-coated man with them,"Not unless He can do what I've heard." Kyn returned his eyes to the landscape surrounding them. Despite being 3 hours out of Tar Valon he was no easier about this trip. He just had a very bad feeling that it was not going to go as planned, and then you through in a trumped up Accepted and a man-who-can-channel, no this was going to be a very, very long trip no matter how long it took.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta was curious about the man who had come at Jades call, but she said nothing. The Captain General knew what she was doing, if she trusted him then Rasheta would too. She glanced over at Visar who was staring at the man as though that alone would cause the man to burst into flames or whatever else Visar was wishing. Maybe he was hoping Arath would turn into the Darkone himself so that Visar would be able to kill him. She would have to speak to Visar later about this, he couldn't be distracted by anyone at least not where they were going. She nudged her horse up next to him. "You know just staring at him won't change him." Visar seemed to start in suprise and she smiled. "Later, you and I had better have a talk. If Jade trusts him then so can we."

 

She glanced over at the other member of there party. Kathleen would be learning the battle weaves, or starting too, soon. She hoped to send her over to Loraine for the first weave when they made camp for the first time. Rasheta glanced at the sun and figured that would be a little while yet. She was content to ride in silence if she had too the others were talking and riding as they would. Rasheta had always been more of an observer then a talker so she just stayed as she was and watched the goings on. Visar made an effort to appear less interested in Arath then she knew he was. Finally when night fell she was helping set the camp up and she caught Loraines eye, she nodded and Rasheta went to find Kathleen. "Its time Kathleen. You had better come with me." She turned and expected Kat to follow her. She nodded to Loraine and said "If you don't mind i'll watch but here is Kathleen ready for her first lesson with the weaves."

[Kathleen]

Kathleen rode most of the day relaxed and enjoying the view of the land beyond the city of Tar Valon. She had never really taken the time to enjoy the view on her two year trip so many years ago when she first left home to return her grandmother's ring to the White Tower, the ring she now wore on the first finger of her right hand. And she was far too scared and exhausted to enjoy the land beyond the city limits when she was out there for the weeks she was taken from the Tower as Accepted. Since then she had felt an odd mix of being trapped and the feeling of being safe and secure in her time inside the White tower. That last excursion had been years earlier and this trip she was determined to enjoy the view.

 

As they rode on into the afternoon Kathleen began to turn attention from the wonderfully freeing view to the party she was riding with. Something had been nagging at her since she heard they would be going out. She understood that the battle weaves were dangerous and that some of the weaves were secret and had to be known only to the Ajah, so she could understand leaving the White Tower to learn them. She knew that every one said that newly raised Greens were always the first ones out in the real world off to do their work in battle, but Kathleen had always thought that was just a rumor. Perhaps this is where so many new Green Sisters were going. The rest of the Tower did not know that she was not yet accepted into the Ajah, as the other new Greens before her. Perhaps they were not really out fighting in Trolloc battles, they were mearly being taken out to learn the Battle weaves to get one step closer to being accepted into the Ajah.

 

Still it seemed odd to have so many with them, and they seemed to be riding harder and there was a more determined feel in the air as they rode than she would have thought. Of course she would have to go with a Green Sister to be taught the weaves, and of course if they were leaving the city her warder would most surely come too. It seemed odd to have so many Sisters, but Kathleen reassured herself that were reasons for it. Perhaps it is custom. Perhaps there are so many so that they would have one to teach and the others were to see that everything was being done to the standard. Perhaps there are more there in case something goes wrong. They are teaching battle weaves, that has to be dangerous. Perhaps it was that they needed the other Sisters to teach her because of the difference in strength in the different elements. Or perhaps they were taking along extra Sisters to show them how to train the Initiates. In any case, have the extra Aes Sedai meant having them and their Warders. She couldn't place the importance of the Ashamen, surely if he was meant to be a protection for her they could have found a suitable tower guard or a someone from the training yards to accompany her, but perhaps they didn't want the knowledge of what these weaves could do get around, but then why let an Ashamen see it. Surely it would be better have someone who can not channel see the effects of the battle weaves than to show it to a channeler, even if he can't see the weaves, and even if the Ajah Head found him trustworthy. He was not bound to the oaths, and so it would be a danger to show him these destructive weaves even if he promised not to explore or share them. Kathleen shook her head and tried to find the calm she had held for so much of the ride.

 

As she got down from her horse as the group was stopping to set up camp Kathleen walked as much as could and tried to work the cramps out of her legs and tried to ignore the pain from the hours of riding by helping to set up the camp as much as she was needed. Light, but it had been a long time since she had ridden a horse like that! As the camp was nearly set up Kathleen was surprised to find Rasheta standing by her. "Its time Kathleen. You had better come with me," was all the woman said before she turned away. Kathleen stopped what she had been doing and followed the Green to meet up with Loraine, her stomach jumped. It was time to start learning the Battle Weaves.

 

As they approached Loraine, Kathleen fought the urge to drop into a curtsy but she did bow her head slightly. Light, but I am going to have to get over that if they are ever to see me as their equal. Of course, I am not yet a Green Sister, and I suppose even when I am I will not be the equal to a Sitter, and I am to learn from her tonight, so it wasn't completely uncalled for, she thought. "Good evening Loraine --" Kathleen stopped herself before she said Sedai, it was not required of an Aes Sedai to use the honorific when speaking to another Sister, though she cut off so abruptly that it was quite obvious she had been about to. She tried to continue quickly by adding, "I hope the ride was kinder to your body than it was to mine, it has been quite some time since I really rode a horse." Then she waited for Loraine to guide her further. She hated not knowing what sort of behaviour was expected of her during the lessons in her Initiate days.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Kathleen

[U4ea]

Loraine followed Kyn's gaze to their black-coated guest and chewed the corner of her lip. She wasn't sure they had a few weeks to get where they were going. With any luck, the White Cloaks would be slowed down as they traveled, they seemed to be having that problem, if the pace of the reports were any indication. It didn't sit right with her to bank on that, however.

 

They settled into a quiet, face pace, since it seemed everyone felt the urgency as strongly as she did. When the setting sun forced them to stop, it was with barely contained frustration that Loraine conceded and moved about helping set up camp. She'd been around plenty of Aes Sedai who relied on their warders to do it all while they rested or set about some other task, but she and Kyn had formed an easy routine and she wasn't breaking it just to keep up appearances. Their relationship was a partnership and she'd never flinched at putting up or striking a tent. It was just usually easier to do when she didn't have to avoid channeling to do it. She sighed, tying off the canvas on the inside and arranging her bedroll. Content with the arrangement, she left the tent and made for the fire pit which had already been dug out and a small fire was beginning to dance among the tangled sticks inside.

 

She looked up and caught Rasheta's look and nodded. They had some time while dinner was being caught and Light alone knew Kyn would rather cook it himself than let her anywhere near it. The thought brought a little smile to her lips as she retreated to her tent, making way for Kathleen and Rasheta to enter behind her.

 

If you don't mind i'll watch but here is Kathleen ready for her first lesson with the weaves."

 

"Of course, sister, please, let's get comfortable," she smiled at Rasheta and Katheen and waved them to a small, collapsible table she'd had packed to bring. It was surrounded by small square pillows that would allow everyone to sit around the table.

 

"Good evening Loraine --" Loraine glanced up as Kathleen's greeting was cut short, a small smile of understanding hovering on her lips. "I hope the ride was kinder to your body than it was to mine, it has been quite some time since I really rode a horse."

 

They moved towards the table as they spoke and Loraine let her habits take over again. At least, until she felt herself embracing saidar to warm the water in a pitcher. She sighed and shook off that mistake. "I've spent most of my life in a saddle, it seems, so my body is used to the feeling. I've been at the Tower long enough for some tension to be knotting up in my back, though. I'm hoping a good stretch will help that, later."

 

She couldn't mention that she was trying to avoid channeling except when training Kathleen with the weaves they had to teach her. Someone would have to pull Kathleen aside and remind her not to channel unless they'd already been given away, but that could wait until they were closer to the border. Loraine hoped they'd be long done with these weaves by then. "I'll be right back," she said softly. "Make yourselves comfortable, please!"

 

She made her way outside with her tea pitcher and warmed it over the fire for a few minutes before returning. It was just shy of boiling, so there was a little time for it to cool before she'd drink it.

 

She smiled as she settled on the pillow that was left. "Alright, then, let's see about these weaves, shall we? We'll start with something easy, the Air weaves." She took a deep breath and eyed Kathleen a moment. "These are very dangerous weaves and, as such, are an Ajah secret. They skirt the lines of what the Oaths will let you get away with and you can actually only perform them when you or someone else is in a life-threatening situation. Lucky for us, battle seems to fit the bill pretty well."

 

"So, let's start with the Air Razor, then. It's pretty much just a weave of Air, like so," she raised her palm and pulled threads of Air together, knotting them into a loose weave. "This one's purpose is cutting things, so you can cut bindings, ropes, and even some forms of metal bands. The target will dictate how strong the weave needs to be and the stronger you are with Air, the stronger this weave will be naturally. What makes this weave so dangerous..." she pulled a small doll from a trunk at the edge of the table and laid it on the top. The doll had been made especially for this purpose, with animal skin as it's outer layer and a gel-like substance just under it. She sighed and let the weave sink into the doll's arm. She closed her eyes as the gel began to leak from the new laceration. "...is that it cuts flesh just as easily as rope. With this weave, you can sever body parts from trollocs as long as you can aim the weave at them. Were we at the Tower and not on the road, I'd let you attack a few pells in the practice grounds with it, but, given our present situation, the doll is the best I can offer." She waved her hand at the doll, indicating Kathleen could try her hand at the weave. She helped when the newest Green needed help, but otherwise, she let the girl investigate the weave until she'd gotten the hang of it.

 

"Alright, let's move on to the next one. You can practice that one at night when we're not teaching you some more weaves, if you like. The second Air weave is called an Air Club. I think the name says it all. The purpose is for blunt strikes against an object." She began lacing the more curved lines of that weave together over her raised palm. "Depending on how strong you are and how much you put into the weave, you can break glass, hammer a nail, and even bend metal with it. I think the battle uses are pretty obvious, as well." She stopped talking and lifted a pillow from her little trunk and started whacking it with the Club. "If you imagine this is a trolloc's head, the damage can get pretty intensive. Go ahead and give it a try." She continued holding the pillow, though she did it with a weave of Air as Kathleen started taking whacks with the Club.

 

After a little while, she held up her hand. "I think you'll have a little fun practicing with that one." She smiled a little, wondering what mischief Kathleen would get up to with that one. "The last one for tonight is the Air Shield. This one is largely defensive, though anything you can do with a real shield, you can do with this one. I've seen Aes Sedai sharpen the edges by combining it with the Air Razor weave and decapitating a trolloc with it in one swipe. The biggest lesson there is that anything can be a weapon if you use it the right way, so be prepared to get creative with them." She paused and stood up, twisting a slightly more complex weave of Air together to form a disk that stretched from her eyes to her knees. "Fire something at this shield. You'll find that you can't penetrate it." She waited while Kathleen did so and nodded. "Good. Now you try it." She helped the newest Green test the building of her shield, finding a weak spot here and there and helping her tighten the weave up until it was solid.

 

After a little while, she let the weave dissipate and settled on the pillow again. "I believe that will do for the evening. Would you care for some tea to refresh you after all that work? I think it's cool enough to drink and not burn yourself with now..."

 

~Loraine

 

OK, for the weaves, here are the details. Feel free to have Lor help as little or as much as you would like her to. I've left it pretty open just about everywhere for her to be the teacher you need her to be. ;) Have fun and try not to hurt your Sisters! *grins*

 

1. Air Razor (Air 2, Skill 7) – razor of Air to cut through flesh, Higher strength in Air means blade is harder; higher skill, edge is sharper.

 

2. Air Club (Air 1, Skill 4) – good for knocking an opponent out; not too spectacular and doesn’t take much skill/strength in Air.

 

3. Air Shield (Air 4, Skill 4) – a shield of solid Air (obviously good to avoid blades, enemy arrows, enemy weaves during battle). Used to protect yourself and your comrades.

[Kathleen]

Kathleen sat patiently chatting with Rasheta at the small table Loraine had ushered them too after their quick greeting. On some levels it was nice to be able to sit and relax after the long day being on the go. Her back side reminded her of how tender it was as she shifted to get comfortable. I had better enjoy this moment of relaxation while I can. The Light only knows what kind of stress I'll have learning these weaves, she thought as Loraine was out heating the tea. She wondered why the woman was bothering with heating the tea by hand; there was no restriction on using the one power here as far as she knew. Then again it was always safest when out of the tower to try to avoid channeling. You never knew who was around. She shivered as the memories of the morning she had been surrounded by the Whitecloaks came back to her mind. She pushed the image of waving goodbye to Rasheta as she headed off to get her a horse and then having the Children step out from behind the buildings with weapons in hands in a circle around her and the warder out her head. Light, how had they missed them? How had they not known they were surrounded? Kathleen let out a sigh. It had been so long since she had thought about that horrible time, but since she had heard they would be leaving the Tower it was almost always flooding back into her head.

 

Loraine's return to the table snapped Kathleen's mind back to the present day and she held off a blush. So much for relaxing, she thought as she Loraine arranged herself of the remaining pillow and spoke, "Alright, then, let's see about these weaves, shall we? We'll start with something easy, the Air weaves. These are very dangerous weaves and, as such, are an Ajah secret. They skirt the lines of what the Oaths will let you get away with and you can actually only perform them when you or someone else is in a life-threatening situation. Lucky for us, battle seems to fit the bill pretty well." Kathleen only nodded as the Green continued her lesson.

 

First up was the Air Razor. Kathleen listened very carefully to the instructions she was given and watched in wonder as the Sitter showed her the first secret weave. She had been learning weaves for decades now but no matter how many she learned she was still always so amazed by new ones. No matter how much she learned there was always something more to learn, and it was always just as amazing to her as the learning the first weave. When it was her turn to try it Kathleen kept a composed face as she forced the knots out of her stomach. It is just a weave. I watched it very closly, and even if I don't get it the first time I will just try again. I do not need to be perfect right away. She is not expecting me to be perfect tonight, just to learn it. Kathleen let herself push her worries out of her mind and calmly let the warmth of Saidar pour into her. Carefully she weaved the same pattern of Air as her instructed had and tried to cut into the arm off the makeshift opponent. She had seen easily Loraine had cut into it but as she came at the doll she put more into it then she should have and had to struggle at the last second to keep the weave from going through the table. As Kathleen let the weave go the doll's hand dropped, severed right at the wrist. Kathleen hadn't even felt the weave cut through, there seemed to be no resistance at all. Kathleen's cheeks flushed as she avoided eye contact with either of her Sisters. She guided the weaves of air back into the pattern she had learned and she tried again to cut at the arm, slower and more delicately this time. It sliced through just as easily this time just a little bit further up the arm of the doll than her first strike.

 

"Alright, let's move on to the next one. You can practice that one at night when we're not teaching you some more weaves, if you like. The second Air weave is called an Air Club. I think the name says it all. The purpose is for blunt strikes against an object." When it was her turn to try it Kathleen made the club with out a great deal of difficulty. Still embarrassed by her first attempt at using the Air Razor she imagined her own face on the pillow, instead of that of a Trolloc as Loraine had suggested, as she swung the club she had made. Light, but I deserve to be knocked on the head for that! I nearly took out the table. She just finished telling me how dangerous these weaves were and there I went recklessly chopping away with them! I could have run right through that table into her leg if I hadn't caught myself in time! Each new thought was another strike to the imaginary image of herself on the pillow Loraine held up with air. Each strike was a little more solid than the last. Kathleen hoped it was coming across as her testing the strength of the club with each new swing being a little bit harder than the last, but somehow she knew that both Rasheta and Loraine would know what it really was about. Perhaps they wouldn't though as she didn't let her emotions touch her face as she hit the pillow. She threw in a few more strikes when her thoughts cleared from her mind just so she really could test the strength of the Air Club. Satisfied, and emotionally calmed down Kathleen let the weave go as she readied for the next lesson.

 

Kathleen watched as Loraine began the more complicated weave of the Air Shield and she tried hard to catch every step but when it was her turn to make it she worked the weave a few times but couldn't seem to get it right. Kathleen had started over twice when Loraine stopped her the third time and showed her the weave again. Kathleen picked up on where she had gone wrong and smiled as the shield of Air solidified in front of her. She asked Loraine to test its strength and flinched as the shield was hit. Whatever had hit it did not get through and Kathleen let her smile show again.

 

As she let weave unravel and the warmth of Saidar left her at the end of the lesson Kathleen gladly accepted the offer of tea Loraine gave her. Kathleen let the wonder of learning the new weaves sparkle in her eyes. She was already feeling closer to these woman. She was not yet one of them, but they now all shared a secret.

[Visar Falmaien]

As Visar rode with the rest of them, he found it increasingly difficult not to stare at the man in the black coat. He was a man who could channel, a man destined to become mad with the One Power. And yet here he was, seemingly reasonably sane as far as Visar could tell, riding along with them as if he belonged there. Light, the man didn't even break a sweat!

 

And what was worse, the man seemed almost painfully normal for someone who could snap at any time. He wasn't unfriendly, and Visar had even attempted to speak with him once to try to get to know their "guest". Granted, he had done so to try to know a possible enemy to the entire group, much less to protecting Rasheta. And Visar didn't know how he would protect her if the man could channel as the Aes Sedai could.

 

Rasheta spoke suddenly, and Visar started, embarrassed that he had been caught staring again. Forcing himself to look back at Rasheta and ignore the impending threat on his mind, he listened to his bonded.

 

"Later, you and I had better have a talk. If Jade trusts him then so can we."

 

Visar nodded his understanding, though he could only feel more uneasy. If Aes Sedai trusted a man who could channel, when previously it was an entire Ajah's mission to gentle them from this Source thing, what was the world coming to? It didn't bear thinking much about.

 

"We'll talk later then." he said simply. Rasheta then went over to speak with Kathleen. They were teaching her "battle leaves" or something of that nature. It had something to do with the One Power, which meant Visar intended to stay well away from it.

 

He rode away a little and went up to Kynwric, the other knowingly sane man in the party.

 

"Care for a spar, Kynwric?" Visar offered. "Flats only?" he added. He hadn't thought to bring a blunt practice sword with him, and didn't like sparring with sharps. But one could modify strikes slightly by striking with the flat easily enough. And Kynwric was extremely good, Visar knew from having been thoroughly beaten countless times. He needed every bit of practice he could get, if he was to ever hope to become a blademaster like his peer.

 

Swordplay was just the thing he needed to keep his mind off of other things too. A channeling man. An Aes Sedai learning how to destroy things with the Power. Not to mention his own internal struggles.

[Arath Faringal]

Arath wondered for the hundredth time why he had agreed to this. 'A show of good will and cooperation' she'd said. Right. He had grown used to it over the last few years, but it was never pleasant to feel like the world's most unwelcome guest. Which was very much how he was feeling right now. Not that anyone was overly unfriendly. One of the warders had even tried to strike up a conversation, though it had felt more like a threat assessment rather than a normal conversation. Considering the company he was in, he might have felt a little uneasy if anyone had seemed to like him. It was a strange little troupe. Three Aes Sedai, one of whom who seemed to be as new as could be, two jumpy warders, and an Asha'man. Not the oddest company he had kept, but close.

 

As night began to fall, the group set up camp quickly. And just as quickly, everyone else seemed to vanish. The warders were practicing with the sword, and judging by the tingling in his skin, the Aes Sedai were practicing with Saidar. And Arath just sat there, looking at the fire. For a moment he considered joining the warders, since technically speaking he had something in common with them. Only he held the bond instead of being bonded. But he doubted that they would appreciate the similarity, and he'd rather not give them an opportunity to have an 'accident' which left him bloodied. He knew very well that either of them would be able to beat him senseless with a sword, his own skills not withstanding. No ... better to avoid that altogether.

 

Going to join the Aes Sedai wasn't an option either. Not that it would really do any good, since he wouldn't be able to see their weaves, nor they his, but he really didn't think he would be welcome there either. And so he was left with a dilemna. What was he supposed to do? And so he sat. And stared at the fire.

 

A few minutes of that was all he could take however, and he found himself on his feet, looking for something to do. Finding nothing in the camp that needed preperations, Arath began to meander around the outside edges, taking in the area. It never hurt to know the area well enough to Travel if he needed to make a quick getaway. Travelling ... again, he wondered why they weren't just Travelling to Amadicia, especially if this was such an important thing for them to be doing. Maybe that was why he had been invited to join this group? Or maybe the Sisters simply had their reasons for travelling slowly. Either way was fine with him.

 

As he thought about his strange circumstances, Arath found himself wandering close to a grove of trees. An idea of something he could do dawned on him, and he siezed Saidin. A simple weave of air formed in front of him, and he extended it toward the trees. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if the Aes Sedai would frown on what he was about to do. Then deciding that he didn't care, he went ahead with it anyway. The little weave collapsed into a large clap of thunder, emanating from the grove. The undergrowth errupted in movement as all the animals nearby shied away from the sudden sound. Picking his targets as they sped away, Arath wove deftly with air and fire, snaring each creature by the head and ending it's struggles quickly. It was all over in a matter of moments, and Arath was quickly headed back to the nearby camp with a small deer slung over his shoulders, and three rabbits in his hand.

 

Before long, he was seated next to the fire again, dressing his kills with Saidin. The rabbits almost seemed to jump out of their skins, hair and organs deftly removed with air razors in a matter of seconds. The deer took a little more time to dress properly, but soon it too was nothing but a neatly folded skin and a pile of meat, the bones and waste burnt to ashes with a flash of Fire.

 

Opting to go for a more traditional method of cooking, the young Asha'man skewered the rabbits on makeshift spits and set them over the fire. The venison would be going into his saddlebags after he wove a preserving weave over it. Using Saidin one last time, Arath used strands of earth to shape the ground beneath him, raising a comfortable stool to sit on. Releasing the power, he settled into his new seat and focused on dinner. The smells were soon drifting over the camp, sure to make the other hungry travellers at least a little more friendly.

[_Kynwric_]

"Care for a spar, Kynwric?" Kyn raised an eyebrow at that offer, knowing neither of them had brought a set of the bundled lathes used for sparring. "Flats only?" Quickly followed out of Visar's mouth and Kyn nodded with a smirk. "It'll at least be something to do." And he reached down to pick up his scabbarded sword.

 

He gestured for Visar to take the lead, leaving Arath sitting by the fire as he settled into Lion on the Hill, unfolded the Fan and waited patiently for Visar to begin the session. Midway through the short bout Kyn heard the boom of thunder followed by some quick flashes of light from a nearby grove of trees. He quickly felt for Loraine though the bond and realized she was cautious and startled, but not afraid or in danger. With a quick look back to Visar he dashed back into camp, to find Arath returning with a whole brace of hares and a yearling deer. Kyn's face grew red with anger as he continued to stalk his way into the camp, right up to where the accursed Asha'man was beginning to skin and cook his catch. At that moment he caught sight of Loraine and Kathleen emerging from where they had disappeared into the woods and then turned on his heel leaving the words he had prepared unsaid. It was Aes Sedai business and they could handle it, but if this.. man... proved unreliable he would do what had to be done to make sure Loraine made it back whole.

[U4ea]

Loraine had just opened her mouth to congratulate Kathleen on a good round of learning those weaves when the ground seemed to shake under her feet. She closed her mouth and stood quickly, picking her way to the tent flap to watch the lights dance in the trees. When Arath emerged, laden with dead animals, she felt her lips twitch. She was glad they were far enough away from the Amadician border that such noise wouldn't be noticed. She spied Kynwric emerging from a copse of trees, his face red with anger. Ok, perhaps feeling the humor of that was a bit misplaced, but it was pretty entertaining to watch for a moment.

 

She saw Olmena emerging from the trees to the other side and wondered a moment about where the woman had taken herself while she and Rasheta were with Kathleen. It was a question to worry about later, though. She turned back to Kathleen and Rasheta, shaking her head. "Arath seems to have thought of dinner while the rest of us were distracted. I wonder if he'll share or make those Warders of ours go hunting themselves, just because they've had a hard time not looking at him crossways since we left the Tower?" She grinned to show them that she was poking a little fun at their discomfort, all the while being acutely aware of the source of it.

 

"So, what say you, Kathleen? Water weaves tomorrow?" She turned back into the tent and settled back at the table with an unconcerned air, completely masking the jumping pulse running rampant in her chest.

 

~Loraine

 

 

******************

Olmena watched the various groups disperse and pursed her lips. The Warders were being warders and, if she wasn't missing her guess too much, the other Sisters were cornering the newest of them and trying to teach her things. She sighed and moved into the trees, trying to find comfort in the dense brush a few feet inside the tree line. She felt the ground shake and turned back towards camp, preparing a few weaves and looking for the source of the explosions. She watched the black-coated man emerge from the trees and shook her head. Using the Power that way was a waste. Worse, it was a blatant show that he wasn't bound by oaths, as he'd just taken lives using it. Had he meant it as a slap in the face?

 

She found herself walking towards him, once she saw Loraine disappear back into her tent. Her steps were hesitant, but she was truly curious as to his intent. Was he just showing off and bringing back dinner? Or was he trying to show them how destructive he could be? She approached the fire directly in front of him, Arath, she thought his name was. "Are you truly so hungry that a bow would not have sufficed?" she asked quietly, hovering on the other side of the fire. She watched the skins fall from the animals before him and arched her eyebrow.

 

~Olmena

[Arath Faringal]

Arath lounged on his stool, relaxed, yet fully prepared for whatever might come his way. He'd half thought that the warders were going to try and run him through on the spot. Now this other Aes Sedai was watching him like a hawk eyeing a mouse. Maybe a little bit more subtle way of driving out game would be necessary in the future.

 

"Are you truly so hungry that a bow would not have sufficed?"

 

Arath thought about that for a moment, turning the spits slowly over the fire. "Which part of it bothers you Aes Sedai? The 'fairness' of the hunt? The fact that I ignore Tar Valon's 'traditional' use of the Power? Or is it just because of who ... or what ... I am?"

 

There was silence for a moment while the two stared at each other through the fire. "It is our way," he said finally. "Not butchery with the One Power, but a constant struggle to master it as quickly as possible. We are very much alike, you and I, and yet worlds apart. We both wield a power that could burn the whole world to ash, or cause it to bloom. You are respected throughout much of the world, I am reviled throughout all of it. You and yours have decades to learn your ability, and centuries of life to master it. Me? I've had less than 3 years to learn, and my life will probably be measured in months, or even days."

 

Arath paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "When a man is brought to the Black Tower, he needs to be ready to fight the Last Battle as soon as possible. So we push him. Everything he does, he does with the Power. From cutting wood, to building a house, down to cooking each meal. Even when it is far more difficult to do something with the Power, we use it anyway. When it comes to something more simple, like this ..." he waved a hand at the roasting meat. With a small laugh he added, "I can't shoot a bow to save my life anyway."

[U4ea]

Olmena frowned inwardly at the echo of her thoughts from his lips. She didn't move any closer, though her eyes stayed pinned on the animals, even as he spoke. She remained silent, too, since she couldn't lie and say that none of those things bothered her. All of them did, honestly enough.

 

One thing he'd said gave her pause, though. "We take our time training to keep the number of girls who burn out and die low. I realize time grows short and we need to make haste as much as we can, for I know the Last Battle looms for us all." She tilted her head in curiosity, and moved a step closer without realizing it. "Are you not afraid to suffer the same fate, using the Power in everything you do?"

 

It was a daunting thought, as she imagined pushing Novices through their training. The number of girls who already fell to being cut off was painful. How high would the number go if they were to push rather than train properly?

~Olmena

[Arath Faringal]

Arath stared into the fire for a time before answering. "I used to be. Saidin terrified me at first. Watching the others fall all around me didn't help. Out of the ten of us who arrived at the Black Tower together, only five made it through training. One burst into flames on his first contact with Saidin. Another one went mad within the first week, screaming about spiders inside his skin. He died trying to cut them out. The third one fell in a training accident with another soldier. A fireball gone wrong. The fourth went mad shortly before he would have been raised, and killed the fifth by surprise, convinced he was actually a Myrdraal in a clever disguise."

 

The Asha'man continued to gaze into the fire, the light dancing in his eyes. He didn't revisit his memories very often. Dwelling on those who had been lost was simply too depressing. Better to move forward and simply accept what had happened. "If there was another way, we would do it. But there is not. We either press forward quickly, accepting the losses that follow, or creep forward cautiously, watching most fall to the madness before reaching their potential." He shook his head softly. "Either way it's not much of a chioce. But it is our choice. Every man who comes to the Black Tower does so of his own free will, knowing what the eventual consequences of his decision will be.

 

"I suppose that is what makes it easier to press forward like we do, despite the risks. I am not afraid of that fate, because I accept it as inevitable. The taint will kill me. I will not live long, and so I don't need to worry about what might happen to me. I don't need to hold back. I don't want to hold back."

 

With a sigh, Arath looked away from the fire, staring down into his hands. "It isn't easy. Burn me if it is. But there is no other way. Not for us."

[Visar Falmaien]

Their swords flashed out at each other, probably looking like dark gray blurs to everyone else. It was hard to see the blows clearly to Visar, but once the blades met, he felt faster than he could see, and he immediately reacted. Granted, Kynwric had a much better sense of feeling at the sword, and often brought his shield into play in a manner that would force Visar to retreat.

 

His face stinging from a flat blow that had slapped him after their last engagement, Visar came at Kynwric again. They were just about to conclude their engagement, Visar thinking that he would finally get a hit on the crafty Warder, when there was an incredibly loud sound, like a thunderclap. They both stopped instantly and glanced to the source of the sound.

 

Visar looked up briefly. There weren't enough clouds in the sky for a thunderstorm. Could it have been the training exercise? Rasheta seemed a little startled through the bond as well, so perhaps not. Visar sheathed his sword, muttering a curse about the bloody Power, the most obvious culprit. Kynwric dashed towards the camp, and Visar decided he'd check on the Aes Sedai with their training session to be sure nothing was amiss.

 

"Everything alright?" he asked Rasheta as he reached her, Kathleen Sedai, and the others. They told him that everything was going well, and Visar noticed a few suspicious glances back to the camp. The man in black, then. He decided to return with the sisters. There was nothing he could do in the event of a confrontation that Kynwric could not, and he might as well do his duty and protect his Aes Sedai as best as he could, even if he wouldn't be able to see what hit him.

 

As they arrived and found the source of the noise, Visar crinkled his nose with a mixture of disgust and fascination. The man would kill so many animals and skin them with the Power? He wondered if the animals might have preferred being killed and skinned the old fashioned way, but obviously they were dead so it wouldn't matter.

 

And was it wrong to think that the wild game cooking smelled extremely delicious? Visar frowned, looking carefully at one of the rabbits. It looked and smelled alright. Perhaps this was time for a show of faith for their new "friend".

 

"I'll try it first." Visar cautioned Rasheta. He took out a small knife and sliced a leg off, wincing as the skin was still quite hot. Visar couldn't help but shudder at the thought that the male half of the Power had made this, but he lifted the leg to his mouth and took a bite anyway.

 

His eyebrows shot up, surprised that it actually tasted good. The rabbit could use some salt and pepper, perhaps, but it was still perfectly normal. He waited for a bit, in case there might be some sort of poison or side effect, but after a while it was clear that there was nothing wrong with the food.

 

"It's fine." Visar said, and cut another piece for Rasheta before wolfing down his portion to satisfy his stomach.

 

He listened intently to what Olmena Sedai and Arath were talking about. Something about how the men trained as opposed to women. Visar didn't consider himself an expert on something he couldn't see or really sense at all, but it sounded interesting to hear how different the sides of the Power were, at least judging by how Arath and Olmena talked about what was proper training and what was necessity.

 

Before too long it was time to turn in. Visar cautiously put an encouraging hand on the Asha'man.

 

"Good job with the rabbits," he said, attempting to complement the Asha'man on providing the party with more than enough meat. Visar hadn't tried the venison, but there was plenty of both to last them a couple days, and maybe more if they used some of the less tender meat and organ parts to put in a stew. Visar wondered if the Asha'man would insist on cooking that with the Power, too, but did not wish to actually ask that.

 

"Would you be interested in trying your skills with a blade with myself or Kynwric? It's going to be a long journey, and perhaps we could learn from one another." Visar offered, jumping out on a limb to attempt to befriend this man, even if he might go insane the next day. Arath wore a sword, but Visar didn't know whether he knew how to use it well or not. He imagined that the man didn't really need to if all he needed to do was scare attackers away with thunder, or finish them off with a fireball if they kept coming.

 

"Er, as long as you do not use your Power to win," Visar hastily added. That would be positively cheating!

[Arath Faringal]

Arath hadn't expected either of the warders to speak with him that evening, let alone offer thanks for the meal, or encouragement for a job well done. "Would you be interested in trying your skills with a blade with myself or Kynwric? It's going to be a long journey, and perhaps we could learn from one another. Er, as long as you do not use your Power to win."

 

Arath couldn't help but laugh. "I can give it a try. I doubt you'll be able to learn much from me, other than how to poke a hole in an Asha'man perhaps. We train with the sword, but it's not where our focus lies. And no, I won't use the Power. As much as I dislike being at the disadvantage, I don't care for cheating."

[U4ea]

Olmena opened her mouth to respond, her curiosity firmly piqued. She was cut off by Visar's entrance, though, so she simply stood back and watched the exchange. Arath seemed open and honest enough, and Visar looked like he was trying. It reminded her of the time...

 

She shook her head violently and pushed herself away from the group gathering around the fire. She didn't doubt Kynwric and Visar had done an excellent job setting up a perimeter and checking for errant souls, but...

 

... well, she'd just feel better and be able to sleep better if she knew she wasn't going to get attacked by a wild animal in her sleep. Besides, it gave her something to do. When she got still, she had time to think. Thinking was not good.

 

She moved off into the woods as Arath got distracted by Visar, but she doubted either would notice. Visar hadn't noticed she was there to begin with, she doubted that would change now. She set off in a circle around the camp, checking for any signs of life that might mean the company harm. She couldn't let her Sisters down the way she let Weslie down...

 

~Olmena

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta was watching Kathleen and Loraine train. She remembered the time she had spent training. It had taken her a week of doing the weaves every day for her to do them nearly well enough to use them. It had taken her even longer then that to know them well enough to use them in battle. Training was one thing, battle was another. Rasheta hoped Kathleen was ready for it. There was probably going to be a battle at some point in the near future. They were headed into the territory of the Whitecloaks after all.

 

She sat simply watching the training for awhile. Suddenly she was startled out of her reverie by the sound of a thunderclap. She blinked and looked around, what had happened? She glanced at Kathleen, the new sister couldn't have botched a weave that badly! Loraine wouldn't have let her. It could only have been Arath! The bloody Asha'men was messing around with the power. He could have warned them he was going to be practicing, they couldn't see the weaves but that sound wouldn't have been as shocking. Visar suddenly appeared at her side, sweaty and out of breath.

 

"Everything alright?" Visar asked her. She nodded and waved him away from her. She could handle herself she picked herself up off the ground and glanced at the others, and they all went back toward the camp. They arrived to smell rabbits cooking Visar cautioned her that he would eat first. She bit her lip and tried not to laugh out loud. She didn't think Jaydena would send Arath on this mission if he was going to poisen them. However, she let him do as he would. Long experience with warders told her that they would do whatever they wanted. She usually would have to sigh and let them. The rabbit apparently passed Visar's muster and he let her eat. She watched the goings on around the fire that night and she was a little impressed that Visar seemed to get over his fear of Arath and actually speak to him, and ask if he wished to train with both the warders. Rasheta wondered if Kathleen was sizing up the two warders and if she would be taking notes for what she wanted in a Warder later. Rasheta moved over to Kathleen and asked.

 

"Did you take to the Air weaves well? Do you have a plan to bond eventually?" She smiled "A warder is handy to have around I have to say." She winked at the other sister. She noticed Olmena leaving to check the surrounding area but she didn't say anything. A sister would do whatever she wanted so she turned her full attention to Kathleen. "Next night I'll be teaching you. I hope your ready for it." She said seriously. "I am a hard task master I'm told. You have to be ready in case we need you in battle in the days ahead." Rasheta cautioned her. "Where we are going anything could happen." She added.

[Kathleen]

Kathleen watched as Rasheta's warder took so much care to make sure the food was safe for her. She was sure that had he, or anyone other than the Ashaman, caught the meal he never would have put this thought into checking it over, but because of that thunderclap he must have been on edge. Kathleen eyed her own plate curiously. Had he done something to the meat with Saidan? She had assumed the thunder was all he had done with the One Power, but as she looked around she didn't notice any arrows or any of the weapons having blood on them. The thunder would have scared the animals, but not killed them. She shook her head as she realized how distrusting she was being. Jaydena had sent him along, and she wouldn't have put this many of her Ajah in danger. But still, how had he killed these creatures? If he had used Saidan could it have some some unknown effect in the meat. She stopped her thoughts and looked around at everyone else already eating and he eyes settled on Arath. She had spent years learning about how dangerous male channelers were, but the danger wasn't in them trying to poison people, it was in them going mad and killing everything in sight or causing mass damage because they were hallucinating. He didn't seem mad, and if he was he had an odd way of showing it. Her stomach ached as the scent of cooked meat wafted up to her nose as smiled a thank you to the Ashaman as she began to eat.

 

As the group began to break up Kathleen watched the warders walking off to train with the Ashaman. She noticed Rasheta coming over but held her eyes on the other woman's new warder until Rasheta was close by her. "Did you take to the Air weaves well? Do you have a plan to bond eventually? A warder is handy to have around I have to say." Rasheta asked with a wink. Kathleen laughed as she replied, "Quite a jump in questions! Did you take to the Air weaves well? When will you bond?" she jokingly mocked. "As for the weaves, you were there, how do you think I did? I suppose I didn't kill anyone and I did manage to learn how to form and use each one. If only on a doll and a pillow who put me in no danger. I will need to practice them before I can properly use them the way they were intended to be used. Light send I never find myself in such a position...though what a sorry Green I would be if I am never faced with a battle." Kathleen settled in and smiled at Rasheta before she continued.

 

"As for bonding, when I first learned of it I had many reasons to think I would never bond. Have someone bound to follow me around for life, someone I would be all but demanding put my life and goals before their own? Someone I would have to inform of my every move, and someone who could feel my innermost worries, sorrows and frustrations? How could I ever ask any of that of another person? But in a heartbeat my thoughts and emotions on it changed." She paused briefly to set her plate aside and smooth out her skirts, she hated reminding Rasheta of the first days they met, but that is when she knew. "When those whitecloaks stepped out with weapons drawn surrounding us in front of the inn, your warder protected me as if he were protecting you, and I know that with out him there that day there would have been no way I would ever have been able to do half as good a job protecting myself as he had done protecting his life and mine. He had trained for this sort of thing for years. I knew then that he very much made the choice to protect you and it is what he wanted to do. I hate to bring these things up so often, but it was in that moment that I knew I would need and want a warder. The warders see what they do an honorable thing, a choice they make and a job that they devote their life to. And if they want that life, I know that they are far more capable of defending me when the One Power is not enough. I have been casing every man I have met from the day you broke me free of that torture camp looking for the qualities I would want to have in a Warder. I also wish to have more training on ways to defend myself without the One Power, sometimes one needs to be discrete, but one must always be able to defend and attack without it. I supposed I just had a very big scare early on, and it still has me rattled. I am certain that the only things that got me safely out of that situation are things I can no longer rely on; You, Adrian, and the ability to lie." Kathleen dropped her eye contact as she shifted in her seat and watched Olmena nearing the trees in the distance. She wondered where the woman was going, but it wasn't her job to keep tabs on every person she was traveling with at every moment, especially when they were Aes Sedai.

 

When the two finished the talk on warders, Rasheta turned the converstaion back to the battle weaves. Kathleen nodded as the woman the spoke but as she finished Kathleen couldn't help but ask, "Rasheta, is there more going on in this journey than my learning the battle weaves? There is too much tension for something done so often, unless this is too add an element of atmosphere to the training, but this seems too much to simply be teaching an Initiate some weaves. There are three other Aes Sedai, two of which are Sitters - surely you are needed in the Tower. There are your warders of course, but why the Ashaman. I've been trying to reason it all out, but there is just not really any logical reason to send the Ashaman along to a training session."

 

"There is too much pressure in the air. I can understand moving away from the Tower to keep the level of destruction down and to ensure we keep these weaves secret, but the direction we heading seems to be more toward cities and people than away. We have many more supplies to go further, it just seems with such a group there must be more to this then teaching me a few weaves. I was thinking perhaps you were taking me to different places to learn different weaves, but this seems like so much bigger of a party to come along than necessary. Forgive me if I am over thinking, but it just feels wrong. I do not ask for details, as I know I will be informed of what I need to be informed of as I need to be. But I do ask to be told if there is more to this journey than my training?" Kathleen eyed the woman, it was difficult to speak this way with her, but she needed to get over that. Yes the woman saved her life years ago, yes the woman was Aes Sedai -so was she- yes the woman was a Sitter, but the Sitter was to speak for all members of the Ajah, if she was going to be a Green she would have to learn to speak to the woman as a woman and not as a bloody queen.

[U4ea]

Loraine waited while the others went out to investigate the Ashaman's methods of hunting. She wasn't horribly hungry, with her appetite being swallowed by the ever-present knot of worry that seemed lodged in her stomach. Seeing Olmena approach Arath gave her some measure of hope that the woman would recover from Weslie's death. It lightened the load a bit, but she wasn't completely shaking it off. She appreciated the distraction of training Kathleen, too. Teaching someone else was a fast way to refresh your memory on certain weaves, after all. Having spent so long in the Tower, she had to admit, she was a little rusty with them.

 

She closed her eyes, remembering the last time she'd been on a trip with untried warriors. She hadn't seen that little knot of Tower Guards in a while, though she'd proudly stood witness to most of their raising ceremonies. Watching them learn about their work the hard way was... well, it was hard. They learned a lot from that trip, but so had she. She sighed deeply, pulling a cup free of her sack and pouring some leftover water into it. A small weave of Fire warmed it up and allowed a little sachet of tea to steep while she was muddled in her thoughts.

 

Morning would bring more time in the saddle, more traveling as far as they could, as fast as they could get there. It would bring them closer to the thing that frightened her most and she prayed they'd all make it in and out safely. "Light send it be so..." she whispered, sipping from her cup in the dim, flickering candlelight of her tent.

 

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn pushed aside the flap of the tent, knowing Loraine was inside. He heard her whispered prayer as he did and asked her as he approached, "Light send what so wife? I can think of many things that need a prayer this day, not least among them Jaydena saddling us with her Asha'man." He did not let the disgust for the man... man who could channel... hide from his voice. "His carelessness will get you killed." He tossed aside the cloak he had taken off as he entered. Turning to face Lor he straightened feeling the tension riding along her feelings, his eyes narrowed. "What do I not know? There is more going on here than you have told me isn't there?"

[U4ea]

Loraine didn't have to lift her eyes to know who entered the tent. She simply curled her fingers around the warm cup. At least until his irritation began to show. Her lips twitched a little and her eyes drifted to the tent flap, which had closed behind him. "It will take more than an Asha'man to get me killed on this trip. Or, should I say less?"

 

She sighed and looked up at him. "There is plenty enough going on and precious little that I haven't told you. I worry, is all. Taking untried warriors out into the real world is painful, even for the trainer." She let her thoughts linger on plans for protecting Kathleen, should the unthinkable happen. "I worry about Olmena, too. She hurts badly enough, she may as well be as fresh as Kathleen."

 

She reached for his hand and quietly waited until he took it. "I worry most, however, about everyone's mistrust of Arath. Jaydena would never have sent him if she didn't trust him. If she trusted him with her life, with her bond, then I trust him, as well. He's no different from me, Kynwric. He's not going to lose his mind in the next fortnight, I'll wager. We can't afford to be looking for an attack from our back, not with the hornet's nest we're walking in to."

 

She lifted her tea to her lips, her free hand still curled in his. "Do you remember taking that little group of trainees on that trip a few years ago?" She waited while he grasped at her swift shift in conversation. "How they were all so excited to be away and so anxious to prove themselves as worthy of guarding an Aes Sedai?" She smiled softly, the memories making her feel more protected than she'd felt even then.

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

"He is a man who can Channel the One Power. He will go mad, they all go mad. It is as much as fact of life as crops failing and the sun rising. I don't want to be there when he does and that goes doubly for you." He sighed and shook his head. "I always look for an attack whether from front or back , its my job." He sat down on the travelling chest he had packed the night before and looked at her. "I still advocate leaving them all here and doing this ourselves. This is dangerous enough without all these liabilities walking around... and I still consider Arath and his huge ego a liability."

[U4ea]

Loraine smiled softly and laid a hand on his. "This is hardly a job for a lone Aes Sedai and her warder, love. Especially with my face. I'd rather just go on our own, but the truth is that we need every person out there. There are only two of us who even know what we're looking for. Should I fail, it will leave only Rasheta. The two of us together are much more likely to see the job done." She shook her head.

 

She smirked and took a sip of her tea. "And Arath is hardly the only man with an ego in this camp. I almost wonder if they hand those out with those cloaks when you finally sucker an Aes Sedai into bonding you..."

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

"Which is why I rarely wear mine... you may be right. But if it needs this much of a presence then Jade may as well have sent an army. Either way you need rest and I need to walk the perimeter." He replied as he rose, keeping her hand in his as he did so. "It still makes me uneasy and that should not be so this close to Tar Valon. This should be the easy part of the journey..."

[U4ea]

Loraine shook her head slowly at him. "I would that we could afford an inch of this trip not being uneasy. Go, take your walk." She stood slowly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Be careful and watch out for Olmena. I believe she was doing much the same thing when she ducked into the treeline again. Perhaps she wouldn't mind discussing directions and tactics with someone else who is familiar with the land?"

 

 

~Loraine