Secret Investigation

[Amadine]

Continued from http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/topic/56276-a-summoning/

 

Amadine arrived in the East Stables, both dismayed and annoyed that despite her trip to see Regalia, she was still the first to arrive. The head stableman hurried out of his office and bowed to her. As he straightened her spoke, "How may i serve you Amadine Sedai?"

"Good afternoon Byran. Can you bring Cuebiyar out and saddle him for me please." Ama replied.

 

Byran bowed again and set about putting his stableboys to work fetching Amadine's saddle and horse. A young lad of about ten lead the roan mare from her stable and she whinnied at the sight of Amadine. Ama rubbed her nose affectionately as the boy led her nearby.

 

In short order Cuebiyar was saddled and Amadine settled her saddlebags into place over the mare's rump. She pushed a coin into Byran and the lad's hand. "Thank you for your care and effort with Cuebiyar. There will be more Sister's along shortly."

 

The man and the boy nodded their thanks and understanding, then headed back to Byran's nook of an office. Amadine hitched the mare's reins to a nearby rail and moved to the door of the stable to watch for the other Sister's approach.

 

Amadine al'Varine

[Kathleen]

Seheria took one last count of what she had packed with her to be sure that she had everything she would need. Knowing what they were after meant an extra stop before the stables, but it didn't take too long to leave the message. Her heart still skipping beats she took a moment alone to gather herself. She would be no good to anyone if she walked in a nervous mess. She had no reason to fear. No one knew that she had anything to do with the disappearances, and if she played her cards right no one would ever know. She wouldn't let herself think about what would happen if she didn't play them right. She could come out on top of this really, she could be one to save it all in both her ajahs. She could lead the Yellow's to one of the culprits, and not only stop the search before it leads back to the source, but be the hero who found the killer and saved the rest of the Yellow's eyes and ears.

 

Full of her usual self assurance, control and confidence Seheria strode into the stables with purpose. She sent the stable hands off to get her horse and threw an awkward smile at Amadine. She was the face of the expedition but Seheria planned to be the force behind it, as she was in any group she traveled with. Her horse was brought to her and the stable hands secured her bags as Seheria studied the horse to be sure it would be good for riding. Satisfied, she nodded and was left alone waiting with Amadine for the others to arrive.

[keyholder21]

Avoiding embarrassment for having brought her bag, Carys waited until everyone else had left before she retreated to her room. The hastily packed dresses were already beginning to wrinkle; why had she ever thought that silk would be a good idea for a traveling dress? Rolling her eyes at herself, the Yellow dumped out the traveling bag and set about repacking. Unsurprisingly for a Yellow, the majority of her travel sack was packed, not with dresses, but with herbs. One never knew what kind of situation would occur whilst traveling. Those kind of surprises were why she didn’t travel. Carys hadn’t left the White Tower, other than for a trip into Tar Valon, since she’d come here. Even that felt fuzzy, five decades in the past as it was.

 

Ignoring the tight feeling in her chest, Carys tied the bag closed and fled from her rooms. She had hoped the rush of adrenaline would save her from her fear; it didn’t. The tight feeling grew worse as she approached the stables. Apparently the Arches hadn’t prepared her for leaving. Maybe that hadn’t been a fear then, but it was now. It wasn’t the fear of the outside world, but rather fear that she wouldn’t have what she needed to help the person, to Heal the person. She didn’t want to leave the Infirmary, the Tower, where everything she needed was at her disposal. Luck happened to help her spy Amadine and Seheria before she entered the stables. Forcing a deep breath through her body, and then another one, the Altaran felt the feeling dissipate enough that she could breathe. Smoothing her dress, she entered the building.

 

Before long, the other members of their party showed up. Each carried a small bag, as if they too weren’t used to leaving and didn’t know what to bring. The other women looked bewildered as well, their eyes open wide and searching for something…someone? Camigwen perhaps? Amadine clapped her hands and instructed them all to choose a horse. Five horses stood together, each saddled and waiting for a rider. Another stood just to the left of the group, clearly Amadine’s horse. Walking forward with the rest of the group, Carys took the one in the middle and mounted easily. At least she’d kept up with horse riding. She hadn’t had much use for it until now, other than the exhilaration felt when air whipped past her at a gallop. That, and the connection with the horses. Carys had always loved animals; that hadn’t changed with the years.

 

The other women were having mixed success. Some mounted as cleanly, where as others were …having a rough time of it. Good thing they are traveling with other Yellows; their bottoms will be needing us by the time we stop for the night. Not long after, though not a short time either, the other Sisters were mounted and the group was on their way. Amadine took the lead, her mouth set in a line that said she had wanted to be on the road long before this. Carys moved to ride next to her, figuring three lines of two would be easier, but Seheria cut her off. Nodding to the older Yellow, the Altaran dropped back to ride behind the pair, next to a chatty Sister who didn’t like to talk to people so much as she liked to listen to herself talk. At least they were making their way. To what awaited them, who knew, but Light they were on their way.

[Amadine]

Amadine sighed with frustration, she'd been in the stable long enough for her horse to be saddled and bought out for her and still none of the other sisters had arrived. Infuriating. Several minutes later Seheria strode into the stables. Seheria may have been Amadine's Ajah sister, but there was no love lost between them.

 

Ama knew she was weak in the One Power, yet she was skilled in Healing, more so than some others, and some others despised that fact. Amadine did not know if Seheria was within that group, but she knew Seheria was quick assert herself in situations where she was clearly the stronger sister, and truly, Amadine did not blame her, it was the way of the Tower. Ama just hoped that Seheria would respect the position Camigwen had appointed her to.

 

Seheria smiled awkardly at Ama as she ordered her horse saddled, soon after Carys arrived and then the others trickled in. Once the five sisters were saddled, some comfortably, some not so much, Amadine mounted Cuebiyar and led the small procession from the stable and towards the Eastern Gate. Glancing behind her Ama saw Carys approach as if to ride alongside, but was cut off by Seheria. It was going to be a long ride.

 

Throughout the day Amadine monitored the condition of the sister's who were know not to ride often. She would not push them hard today, if she pushed slowly, those sister's would improve each day with their skills and stamina in the saddle enabling them to move further each day. When they made camp Ama ensured that those who needed it were offered Healing discreetly, and they turned in with the sun.

 

Amadine al'Varine

[Kathleen]

As the others arrived and began to mount Seheria did the same. It had been a while since she had ridden but no so long that she had forgotten how. She had spent many years out of the tower, and had been out a few times in the last year as well. Perhaps that is why the Head had sent her along, she knew the world better than the Sisters who had been held up in the Tower. She had experience out here more than most Yellows it seemed.

 

She let Amadine take the lead as they left but when Carys tried to pull up Seheria moved in. It wasn't truly necessary, but even subtle moves like this would but her as pillar of power, or at least persuasion, in this trip. She needed every little piece she could manage to be able to have a voice in this journey, and while she wasn't quite sure yet how she would end up using that voice, she knew it would be needed and when it was she needed to have them listen to her. It was a simple movement, but it physically and mentally put these girls back in the place were Seheria wanted them to be. The other woman had followed suit and eased off her reins. They would be watching her, but not any more than they ever did. She was not a bubbly person, and she always stood out, but that could help her twist this journey with out it seeming odd.

 

When Amadine decided to stop for camp Seheria let out a sigh as she looked at the sun, not yet set in the sky. There was still plenty of light and the horses could go further, if she was in charge they would have moved on. She would have complained more but as she climbed down off her horse she realized it was probably to her benefit to stop earlier than push on. The slower they traveled the longer she had to think about how she was going stop this whole thing from blowing up in her face. She had sent a letter out ahead of her, but there was no way to tell if it would get to its destination in enough time. There was no way to tell if the plan she scrambled to create would work even if it did all fall into place. She couldn't think of that now. She had years of hiding her emotions and thoughts, but she if she let herself drift and worry this whole trip she was bound to slip. That was not an option, one slip meant death, her's and probably others.

 

She had to stop thinking like a Black who was about to be caught. She had done all she could do to prevent that. She had to start thinking like a Yellow. These were her eyes and ears out there dying. Everyone they lost was one less person to carry on important information, and one life lost. She was here to find out who was killing the eyes and ears, track them down and stop them. She had to get into the proper mind set. By the time she was set for the night she feeling truely like one of her sisters. She may not like all of them, and they may not like her, but they were all here for the same thing, and she had unite with them.

 

She started a fire and warmed some water for tea. She took out enough cups for everyone, they weren't very big, and they weren't fancy at all. They were small and chipped, as she had used them on a number of her journeys and they spent most of the time crushed into a saddle bag with the small tea pot. While some were reluctant, the others did come to share the warmth and tea. A few had brought some food to heat. Seheria debated staying up to take care of the fire or going to bed early. She wanted to be well rested for the ride the next day. They had stopped so early tonight that she thought Amadine would push longer into the next day to make up for it. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving the fire she created for someone else to take care of though, and she knew if she left early it would just give the others a chance to talk about her behind her back. So she stayed up until the last person left the fire and then she went to sleep herself. It seemed they all had the same notion to get sleep for the ride tomorrow and the camp was quiet just shortly after the sun went down.

[keyholder21]

ooc: am I supposed to post next? I'll delete this either way when I get a response lol.

[Amadine]

I figure in my next post i'll put us almost to Cairhein, the blues can catch us up just outside Skechid's estates?

[keyholder21]

ooc: I guess I won't delete mine, since ya'll would still be here *g*.

 

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The sky was still mostly dark when the caw of a crow sounded out, pulling Carys from her sleep. She snapped her eyes open, the blue irises small compared to the large black pupil. The room looked as it had when she’d drifted off to sleep – small, but neat and tidy. Her saddlebags lay over a chest at the end of the bed – that and the occupied bed the only sign that the room hadn’t been empty last night. Sliding out of the bed, the Yellow dropped her warm feet to the cool floor and padded down to her saddlebags. She exchanged her rumpled dress for another, slightly less rumpled, definitely less dirty. This one was a rich purple with yellow highlights in the hem. Though it was split for riding, the hem wasn’t obvious until one mounted.

 

The dark fabric swished around her ankles as she walked out of the room and down the stairs. A rotund man sat behind the bar, head in his hands and snore whistling from his nose. He didn’t move as she walked across the room, though the snores stopped abruptly as she reached the door. She glanced back behind her and found his eyes open and staring intently. Mentally chiding herself for judging him as unable to do his job, she nodded to him and slipped out to the street.

 

It was still early enough that only but a few windows were dark. Carys walked down the pathway and then cut a quick right to find herself in front of the stables. A few horses whinnied as she stepped past, their muzzles butting forward to find the sweet smelling apple slices she carried in her left hand. The fruit had been desert for dinner last night, but she’d saved it for her horse. In truth, she wished she had enough to feed the whole lot of them, but as she only had a few pieces, it would go to her mare.

 

The dappled gray was a sweet thing. She was tall, though gentle and graceful. Her quick steps had kept Carys in the thick of the group instead of trailing behind. It was a wonder she hadn’t already been spoken for. “Perhaps when we return, I should talk to the grooms about keeping you for myself. You’d like that, wouldn’t you girl?” The mare licked her fingers in response. The Yellow smiled and patted her nose.

 

She stayed out there with the horses for another hour, before reentering the Inn. Now the room was livelier and the large watchman had been replaced by a tiny slip of a girl who whisked around behind the bar as if she had wheels instead of legs. Her party was nowhere to be seen of course. They would eat privately in their room, or perhaps not at all. Sitting down at the nearest table, the Altaran grabbed the attention of a young boy – probably the grandson of the innkeeper – and ordered herself a breakfast. Her thighs seemed to groan as she sat down. Despite her effort to keep up with riding over the years, ten hours with a few short breaks was a lot longer than two. She rubbed the muscles, attempting to combat the sore feeling, and waited for the other members of her party.