All the Right Moves

[U4ea]

Loraine pulled her cloak further down her forehead as they entered Mardecin, staying behind Kynwric so to appear as meek as possible. Meek women didn’t draw attention and, even though there wasn’t a meek bone in her body, she was determined to pull this off. She fought with every step to find humor in it. These people didn’t know that the small woman trailing behind her much larger husband was capable of flattening this town, for example. Their expression were dismissive as she passed them and that, too, made her smile a little inside. In Tar Valon or Cairhien, they wouldn’t dare dismiss her so quickly. These people were comfortable in their assumption that she was just what she appeared; a wife whose husband saw fit to bring her to town for his trip. Of course, Kynwric didn’t look like the well-trained weapon he was, either. His hair was scraggly and his face had a short beard, something she’d only ever seen him wear as camouflage before now. She looked around with a half-guarded eye and noted with some satisfaction that they seemed to blend in to the scenery.

 

She kept her mouth closed, allowing him to find their lodgings and keeping her eyes down as much as possible. Her face would give her away, anyway, and the less they saw of that, the better. She trailed up the stairs behind him and didn’t lower her cowl until the door was closed behind the innkeeper. She rolled her head on her neck, unaccustomed to the weight of her head hanging for so long. She made her way to the window and searched the street below for some sign that their cover had been blown.

 

After a few minutes of watching, she was content that they’d made it safely and turned back towards the room they’d be hiding in for the next few days. It wasn’t much to look at, but she truly didn’t care. The bed was big enough to sleep in and the floor seemed clean enough, if a little worn. “I believe, husband, that you’ve found a veritable palace to rest our heads in. Do you suppose we’ll draw too much attention to ourselves dirtying the floor with our travels about town?” She teased, pulling her cloak off of her shoulders and draping it across the foot of the bed.

 

“Our first order is checking in with our friend,” she said quietly, easing down onto the bed. She didn’t want the creaking to draw attention and she didn’t trust these walls not to be full of ears. She was good at speaking in code, though. She cut her teeth on it growing up in Cairhien and poor Kynwric had learned by association. “I am assuming you’ll want to make a circuit around town to find your way around? I wish the door had more than that little lock, but I suppose it’ll have to do. No use looking like we don’t trust people by adding more, right? Not even a chair under the door handle…”

 

She sighed inwardly, knowing she wouldn’t be sleeping much inside this room. Her nerves wouldn’t let her relax that much without extra wards on the doors. Without even one… she shuddered. “Do see if you can find a few ladies who can mend my shoes while you’re about, would you?” And she prayed he understood that they needed to know where the three Aes Sedai were and if they were safe, and that the eyes and ears for the Greens was the cobbler’s wife. That hadn’t been hidden too deeply in there, had it?

 

~Loraine Kilaine Larind

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric ran his hand over the rough kept beard he'd grown since leaving Tar Valon as they rode into Mardecin, he was slumped in his saddle to hide his height and build. His sword was wrapped in a blanket and slung at the back of his saddle to hide it from view as well. His only weapon to hand was a plain dagger that he'd had for years and years. It was the sort of thing a merchant might have sold to a farmer, nothing fancy but it was sharp. he let his eyes swing back and forth looking at everything and everyone. He kept his head straight ahead and bowed as if they had not a care in the world but finding someplace to sleep, with only an occasional glance backwards to check on Loraine and their rear. After examining each place to rent a room in turn he made his choice of one of the one that was simple, clean and moderately priced. He had no intention on hearing the lecture about beg bugs again, it was tiresome and Loraine had never actually had to sleep in a bed lousy with bed bugs.

Once he was done with the innkeeper and they were safely ensconced behind the door he straightened and stretched his back. He cocked his eyebrow at her assertion about the inn. "It's clean, it's not expensive and more importantly its not out of a farmer's price range. Which we are wife." he wasn't much in the mood for teasing right now, he was tense and his nerves were stretched thin being back in his home country. He had no illusions about what would happen if they were caught. "You can keep yourself in this room, you've too much the look of home about you to be of much use other than to draw attention." he slung their saddle bags on the chair and went to digging in them for one of the spare coin purses. "I'll check in with the cobbler and see that your shoes are mended." She'd only drilled that into him the last few nights, that the contact was the cobbler's wife it was as if they were first bonded again. "I'll be back." and he ducked out the door having tucked the purse inside his coat.

[U4ea]

Loraine tried everything to keep herself occupied. She dug a book out of her pack, but was far too anxious to read more than a few sentences. She took her time stashing it back in the pack, then set about finding her sword and cleaning and oiling the blade. She’d have sharpened it, but the sound would likely draw attention. When she was finished with her sword, she started on Kynwric’s, finding some small amount of peace in the regular motions of rubbing the blade down. When that was finished, she wrapped it up again and moved to the window. She made it a point to stand far enough back that she wouldn’t be seen through the warped glass, but that meant she couldn’t see much of the street below.

 

Then she paced. From the door to listen down the hall, back to the window to see if he’d come back, yet, or if they’d been figured out and then back to the bed to sit for a second, she traveled until she was sure she’d wear a path in the floor. She forced herself to sit on the edge of the bed and fold her hands in her lap, taking deep breaths and closing her eyes as she fought to visualize the directions she’d been given about finding Rashema’s Journal. It had been hidden so long ago, there was no way to know for sure if the book would even still be there. That didn’t do much to help her nerves and it was a problem she hadn’t posed to the others as she’d laid out their plan for this trip. No reason to add to their worries, though she was sure they’d figure that part out on their own.

 

The blue door, three buildings down from the cobbler, on the left, she ran through her thoughts, trying to draw her racing conjectures under control. Go up the stairs and find the scrollwork R on the doorframe above the doorway…

 

Light, how she hated being trapped in here. It brought back memories better left to the Dark One’s den which did little to calm her nerves. She’d been trapped in a bedroom last time, too. Though she’d not been able to get past the wards that time, this time it was fear for her warder and Sisters that kept her still. That room had been a little more opulent, of course, but the basics were all here. Small fireplace on the back wall next to the window, a single wing backed chair, a bed tucked against the wall and a wash stand by the door to the hallway…

Through the door and find the third floorboard, also marked with an R, though this one would be small. The knot in the board is a fingerhole…

Loraine’s thoughts stuttered as she heard footsteps in the hallway, pausing to filter through her jangled emotions to find her warder. She sighed, feeling him close and knowing it was him in the hallway. She opened her eyes slowly, surprised to see the sun had set while she’d been running the directions over in her mind. When the door opened, she hadn’t changed positions and didn’t bother opening her eyes. He already knew the chaos running rampant in her thoughts, anyway.

 

She sighed and drove her mind back into the directions, visualizing her target. The journal will be wrapped in a silk shawl, Rashema’s shawl, and wedged under the floor board. There is a ward so complicated only a powerful sister could unravel it. It meant, most likely, she’d either have to do it or make sure one of the others had an angreal. Knowing the Greens that had come before her, Rashema in particular, she was sure she’d bleed, even still. How difficult would that make getting out of there…?

 

She opened her eyes as the door closed again, trying not to let the fears and frustration show in her eyes. There was no reason to show him what he already knew. Let him feel as if she had some kind of control over the raging mountain of doubts that hovered below the surface. Perhaps if she could convince him, he might be able to convince her…

 

~Loraine Kilaine Larind

[_Kynwric_]

It had taken hours to do his circuit of the town, he'd had to stop and answer questions no less than three times to locals. He's finally found the cobbler's shop and had asked for his wife, which made the old man suspicious of course. Then he'd had to convince the woman that he was actually who he said he was, that was harder than he'd actually thought it was. Finally he dredged up the pass phrase the Green's used to identify themselves to their eyes and ears and that made the whole process infinitely easier. The woman still wouldn't tell him what he wanted to know though and so he had to promise to bring Loraine there on the morrow. That had been a fruitless stop indeed. Aes Sedai and their bloody secrets. He knew he was growing more agitated as he progressed, but finally he finished the check of the town, knew of at least three ways out of town from where the stayed and hadn't found hide nor hair of the rest of their group. With that he returned to the inn.

Once inside he collected dinner and two bottles of wine from the innkeeper. The food at least smelled delicious as the smell wafted from under the cloth covered tray as he climbed the stairs. He could feel the agitation in Loraine building too, sooner or later they were going to either have a fight or well, the opposite of a fight. He pushed the door open gently with his foot and set the tray on the table. "We'll meet with her in the morning about your shoes. Make sure you bring both pair." He added that just to make sure she brought the bloody shoes that did need repair. It wouldn't be unlike his wife to forget them in her hurry to get to the journal. Finally he pried one of the corks out of the wine bottle and set it on the table. "Let's eat."

[U4ea]

Loraine took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the food laden tray Kynwric had brought with him. She ignored his comment about the shoes, not allowing him to draw her into a fight about something so silly. No, when they fought it was going to be about something life-altering, not stupid shoes. She reached for the bottle of wine absently, rummaging in her mind for options about where the other members of their party may be hiding themselves. She hadn’t noticed too much in the way of inns on the way in, so she hoped they hadn’t all headed for the same one.

 

She sighed and tipped the bottle into the pair of glasses on the tray. “I suppose you told the inn keeper that I am a shy girl who you never should’ve married?” She arched her eyebrow and set the bottle down, curling her fingers around her glass. “Is he going to be listening out for someone to scream like a fishwife, later?”

 

OK, so maybe she was spoiling for a fight more than she thought she was. She sighed and waved her hand before he could answer. “Ignore that, I’m sorry.” She tried eating, but found her thoughts wandering to fears for the other three Sisters and only occasionally allowing a bite to get past her lips. She set her fork to the side, nabbing a crust of bread from the plate and absently dug her fingernails into it, tearing it apart slowly, since it gave her time to think…

 

 

~Loraine Kilaine Larind

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn just looked at her, he could feel the tension building and he'd much prefer to go ahead and get this over with than have it last for the next few days.

"I didn't see anything that looked like the rest of the group. No good horses in any of the stables and from the few people I talked to no one's ridden in except for the usual merchants and locals." Kyn picked up a bit of the bread and meat and stuffed it in his mouth. "They should have been here by now dear. Long ago."

[U4ea]

Loraine focused her eyes on Kynwric, details flying at her quickly. He was watching for her reaction, which meant he knew how that little bit of information would hit her. Her concern notched up a few more points and she set the bread down. “They have to be here, Kynwric. Has there been any word of White Cloaks in the area having a torching? Mardecin is the biggest city in this area, so if they’d been caught, they’d have brought them here. The lack of word, either way, bothers me more than hearing even that.”

 

She pushed herself out of her chair and moved to the window, staring out through the glass, watching candles and torchlight erupt down the street. “I wish I had the luxury to scare myself with what could’ve happened to them. Instead, I’ll just pin my hopes on their staying hidden so well that even we can’t find them. We’ve made contact, though, so it should only be a matter of time.”

 

She looked over her shoulder. “You said the woman was belligerent? Refused to accept who you were until you gave her the phrase and even then was cagey?” She chewed the corner of her lip. She must be nervous, concerned for her safety if she’d been so obviously upset. “I don’t like the sound of that,” she murmured softly, turning to look back out the window. “Not, at all, I don’t like it.”

 

~Loraine Kilaine Larind

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn shrugged at the assertion that the rest of their group must be in town by now. "Nothing that indicates they've been taken, no. If they're that well hidden then its best to leave them that way. Too much effort rooting them out would be noticed. As for the cobbler's wife, cagey is exactly what I'd expect in this situation dear. Their life and livelihood is on the line and they can't just pack up and leave."

Finally he just looked at her, "Why don't you just make us private? Its not like they've a way of noticing." He also produced a little wedge of wood which he drove in between the floor and the bottom of the door. It may bot do much, but it would make the door more of a barrier as well as making a horrible racket in trying to get it open, sometimes technology trumped Channeling.

[U4ea]

Loraine nodded while she listened to Kynwric, leaning against the wall next to the window and watching the foot traffic below. "We must compensate them," she said absently, her eyes tracking a man as he turned the corner below them. How do you compensate someone without looking like you've done it? She chewed on the corner of her lip.

 

She lifted her eyes back to him as he jammed the wood into the crack under the door. She kept her voice low as she answered him. "If I did that, I may as well wave a flag at them. Someone around here would be able to feel it and they'd surely say something about it to someone else. Inevitably, the White Cloaks would be on our tail, or we'd start a witch hunt here in Mardecin. Olmena was born here, remember? We're skirting close enough to being caught just by being near her."

 

She turned and looked back out the window. "For now we have to trust that they've made it. Tomorrow we will get my shoes repaired and be about finding what we need."

 

The third building from the cobbler...blue door... her mind turned over again, starting the litany that had been her constant companion all afternoon.

 

~Loraine Kilaine Larind

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric looked at her, someone would feel it?. "Loraine, there's no one here who would admit to feeling it even if they could and knew what they were feeling." He looked out the window, she just didn't understand how things were here. It was completely different, but he wasn't going to go into it now with her. There were more pressing problems. Olmena? No doubt the stress was wearing on Lor now, they didn't go looking for witches just because one was from here. This mission needed to be over with before the cracked. He returned his focus to the cobbler's.

"As for the cobbler and his wife, the best we can do is get the book and get out of here and cause as little disturbance as possible. As quickly as possible, so tomorrow works. Get the book, get on the horse, go home. Simple."

[U4ea]

Loraine nodded again, adding another worry she hadn’t considered to her growing list. “If my hair wasn’t white before, it surely will be by the time we leave here,” she murmured, walking the few steps back to the table and swiping the bread from the table. She eyed the doorway, watching the candles in the hallway outside dance on the floor under the door. She sighed, knowing not being able to say what she meant would only grate on her more. It was a risk, but the weave needn’t be a big one and she could invert it to cloak quite a bit of what it was. Besides, the only people who should be able to feel it and know what it was would be the other Aes Sedai in Mardecin. If they were concerned about the last of their little party making it to the city, this would set their mind at ease. And maybe, just maybe, they’d set a weave like it, too, which would make finding them easier.

 

She closed her eyes, weighing the consequences against the benefits and shook her head. It really was an easy decision to make. She lowered herself into the chair, focusing her eyes on the door as she drew on saidar and started to weave. She hadn’t touched it since they’d crossed the Amadacian border and the sweet flow of it through her veins nearly distracted her from her work. She controlled the flows, keeping the threads of her weave small as she twisted them together in an intricate network of interlocking knots and coils and then pressing the weave into the walls around her. This weave was an odd little mixture of a few different weaves, one to dampen the sound until nothing would be heard outside the door, one to hide any channeling she did within the room and another that would warn her if anyone else who could channel crossed the threshold. She debated stretching that one to the entire inn, but thought better of it. No point lighting the whole place up if she didn’t have to. When she was finished, she set about going over every single knot, inverting the weave and wrapping it up in another that would cloak it from anyone who happened to be looking for it. She felt her energy waning, but forced herself to examine the entire network before she was satisfied that she hadn’t missed anything.

 

When she finished, she slumped in the chair and leaned her head against the back. She didn’t have to tell Kynwric what she’d just done. He’d been with her long enough to know and she felt the little hint of approval laced with concern that filtered through the bond. “Now, if only the rest of your plan would go as smoothly…” she murmured.

 

~Loraine Kilaine Larind

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric watched as Loraine channeled the one power, it always amazed him how much joy opening herself to it brought. He could also feel the drain that doing that many complex things at once brought.

 

Finally, when she slumped in the chair he just shook his head. "You need sleep. So, either we can finish this in the morning or we can get it over with. But either way in 30 minutes you're getting in the bed." He didn't mention anything about their needing her at full capacity tomorrow, she knew, he knew it... he just hoped she didn't argue with him about getting the rest she needed.

[U4ea]

Loraine didn't argue. Truthfully, she simply didn't have the energy to argue with him about sleeping. Denying she needed it would be pointless. He knew better and so did she. "Alright, so our plan tomorrow, then," she said softly, turning to brace her arms on the table and thread her fingers together. It helped keep her from falling out of the chair, but she wouldn't point that out. "Do you think she'll tell us enough to be able to get the book and get out of here tomorrow? We need to find the others before we charge in. I'm not naive enough to think we can do this on our own, Kynwric. We need to keep our eye on that building and coordinate our plan with the others before we even think about charging in there. What if someone lives there? What if the place has been torn down and rebuilt since the journal was hidden there? At the very least, one wall being moved inside throws off all of our directions. It could be that finding the book isn't as easy as just going in and getting it."

 

She smiled a little and tilted her head to the side. "Besides, when has anything we've ever set out to do resulted in such a clean and easy extraction?" She shook her head slowly and stood, turning towards the bed and shedding the scratchy wool dress they'd purchased just on the inside of the Amadacian border. It befitted a farmer's wife much more than the simple dress she'd worn out of Tar Valon and she knew the purchase would be necessary. The wool itched and she rubbed her skin where the lining fell short of protecting it from the sturdy fabric. She didn't utter a complaint, but she truly hoped she could get out of this dress in the next few days before it ate her skin alive!

 

In her shift, she sat on the side of the bed and began unlacing her boots. "The weave will protect the door, so while you're on watch, focus more on the street outside. Particularly keep a watch on that building with the blue door." She waved towards the window with a tired gesture. "We need to know..." she yawned and swatted at the air between them. "You know..."

 

With that she stretched out on her back and stared at the ceiling overhead. "And don't forget an extra prayer or ten to the creator that we can get this book without making too much of a fuss. Light knows it's a constant litany in my head." Well, that and the directions to the book. She closed her eyes, letting those directions take over her thoughts and lull her to sleep.

 

The blue door, three buildings down from the cobbler, on the left...

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn listened as she talked herself to sleep, he didn't think they should count on anything but the pair of them still being capable of finishing this assignment. He settled his chair against the wall where he could lean it back and stare out the window down at the street, and where he could see down the street at the building with the blue door. How long did she say this journal had been hidden? Could nothing have changed in the intervening years? I mean the landmarks were a cobbler's shop and a blue door... how many cobblers have been in this town since the book was hidden? How many doors painted blue? Kyn stayed awake the entire night, keeping watch but nothing happened, not a single blessed thing unusual up and down the street and certainly nothing to do with that door. He almost found it odd in the lack of activity.

[U4ea]

Loraine woke up slowly, knowing she’d slept far past when she should’ve been up but feeling almost as refreshed as she would’ve been at home. She let the sounds of the inn filter through her consciousness and turned her head to see Kynwric still propped up the window, staring at the street below. His brow was furrowed and the jumble of things she felt coming off of him were nothing compared to the ones radiating from the knot that was him in her head. She sat up slowly, feel the unusual weight of her hair falling around her. How did women handle sleeping on their hair loose like this?

 

She sighed, reaching for her pack and the brush inside it. Perhaps it was a bit of vanity, but the knots in her hair were really making her crazy. “What is it, Kynwric?” she asked, navigating the tangles in her hair and pinning her eyes on him.

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

"Nothing." Was his simple reply. "Its been very quiet all night with the exception of one drunk being tossed out of the inn across the street. But he stumbled off shortly thereafter." Kyn leaned his chair so all four legs were back on the floor and looked at Loraine, if he hadn't been so tired he'd have thought about taking her back to bed then and there, he always enjoyed it when she let her hair down. It was an unmistakable look to his wife, he was certain, but unfortunately he was exhausted from being up all night and so really just wanted sleep or Loraine to wash away the exhaustion.

[_Kynwric_]

blah

Edited January 19, 2012 by _Kynwric_

[U4ea]

Loraine shook her head at the look in his eyes and laughed, pushing herself off of the bed. "Your turn, husband. I shall see what I can do to get food while you get some rest. I can't afford to give you a full night's sleep, but it's probably worth the loss of energy to have you well rested. And I know you're not going to argue with me, are you?" She asked, innocence dripping from her tone as she dressed and eyed him until he gave in and laid down.

 

She waited until he was stretched out before she slipped into the hallway, keeping her head down as she made her way to the kitchen. She didn't lift her gaze for more than a few seconds and kept her voice soft and breathy, praying those around her dismissed her as a shy farmer's wife who couldn't even raise her eyes to look someone in the eye. She had her tray in hand and was headed back upstairs within moments and without much fuss, so she was glad the cook seemed to accept the role she was playing. She wondered idly if a man would've accepted it so readily...

 

She set the tray on the table and turned her thoughts to what Kynwric had said about how quiet the street was overnight. She took up his position near the window, moving the chair closer to adjust for her height and stared at the street below while she tore apart a crusty roll of bread and ate. It was rather odd, how quiet the street seemed to be. Was it just because it was so early? That didn't make any sense. She turned ideas over in her head while she let Kynwric sleep and only shook him awake a few hours later out of necessity. He was still exhausted, so she laid her hand on his shoulder and washed it away before he sat up to eat.

 

Before long, it was time to visit the cobbler's wife. Why was it that the quiet street was still nagging her?

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn climbed into bed, he was too tired not to and he didn't waken until Lor woke him a few hours later. He would have protested her using her strength to clear away his weariness, he'd done with less sleep before without help, but she did it without asking and before he could even really sit up properly in the bed. When he spied the tray he shot her a look, a look meant to stop her from taking stupid risks. However as he dressed and ate whatever was on the tray.

he sighed as he strapped the sword belt around his waist, there was no good way to hie a sword once you were on foot and so it came down to simply wearing it being less obtrusive than any other manner of carry. Once he'd put the small steel and leather vambraces on his forearms and rolled his sleeves back down he looked at her. "I'm as ready as I can be." Slipping his gloves on his hands.

[U4ea]

Loraine nodded quietly, having watched him prepare himself to leave the room. He seemed to be prepared for battle, though on a very small scale. She ran her hand down her side, self-conscious about her own lack of protection. It would've been far too obvious on her, though. She pulled her cloak around her shoulders and clipped the catch closed, then pulled the billowing fabric around to hold closed in front of her. She adjusted her own sword to keep it flat along her leg so it didn't poke out of the cloak and give itself away. The hilt was tucked under her arm and she knew she'd be sporting a new bruise very soon, but, if she was lucky, that's all she'd be sporting. She'd rather have the sword than not.

 

She lifted the hood of her cloak in place, adjusting it so that the hem hung down over her eyes a bit, shading them from view. Turning towards Kynwric, she took a deep breath and moved towards the door. "It's now or never," she said quitely, pausing by the bed to retrieve her boots as Kynwric opened the door.

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

Loraine nodded quietly, having watched him prepare himself to leave the room. He seemed to be prepared for battle, though on a very small scale. She ran her hand down her side, self-conscious about her own lack of protection. It would've been far too obvious on her, though. She pulled her cloak around her shoulders and clipped the catch closed, then pulled the billowing fabric around to hold closed in front of her. She adjusted her own sword to keep it flat along her leg so it didn't poke out of the cloak and give itself away. The hilt was tucked under her arm and she knew she'd be sporting a new bruise very soon, but, if she was lucky, that's all she'd be sporting. She'd rather have the sword than not.

 

She lifted the hood of her cloak in place, adjusting it so that the hem hung down over her eyes a bit, shading them from view. Turning towards Kynwric, she took a deep breath and moved towards the door. "It's now or never," she said quitely, pausing by the bed to retrieve her boots as Kynwric opened the door.

 

~Loraine

 

 

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn looked back at her, a brief flick of his eyes to the sword he really didn't think she ought to be carrying and then opened the door. He turned the opposite direction from the common room and led Loraine out and down the back stairs. Today was a day for as much discretion as possible and he didn't feel like picking up the eyes that he knew were watching the front of the inn, the one at the back he knew only was there at night when the most common 'darkfriends' were out and about. He waited at the bottom of the stairs for Lor to join him before leading her through a mix of side streets and alleys until they could emerge onto the King's Road though the heart of town very near to the Cobbler's.

Now it was time for to let her take the lead, so he paused and let her lead the way into the front of the shop and then followed. Once inside he gave everything a once over to make sure nothing was untoward from when he had been here yesterday. All looked in order, nothing out of place that didn't have a good reason to be. He heard the call from the back room letting them know the Cobbler would 'be right there' and so he waited quietly, nothing much to say and nothing that really needed to be said. Lor had to talk to this woman, he didn't have to like that it put her out where she could be seen though.

[U4ea]

Loraine inhaled the soft scent of fresh leather and smiled. It reminded her of the Two Rivers and she let the memory linger for a few moments. The cobbler being busy meant she had plenty of time to look around. He huffed out a few moments later and his body posture changed when he saw Kynwric standing in the door. Loraine tilted her head at that and headed the man off before he could say anything to Kynwric.

 

"Good morning," she said softly, crossing the space and extending her hand, wedding ring glinting in the early morning sunlight streaming through the window, but not dropping the cowl on her cloak. "My husband said you were very accomodating when he visited yesterday. I have a pair of shoes badly in need of mending, but won't be in town very long. Is there any way you can resole them by this evening?" The man blinked at her, but adjusted his expression to a polite businesslike arrangement. It made Loraine smile.

 

"This doesn't look like it should be too difficult. You can come back for them in a few hours," he said, his thumb running over the worn sole of each shoe and his eyes not seemingly resting on them.

 

"Do you mind if we stay close? My husband said you have a very nice assistant..." she let the sentence draw out as she cast her eyes around the shop as if looking for her.

 

"My wife," the cobbler said, lifting his eyes from the shoes to peer at Loraine. She lifted her other hand, Aes Sedai ring catching the light this time and brushed her cloak back from her forehead. "Ah, yes, she said you would be here. Forced me to say I would allow you to breakfast with her." He leaned close, a dead expression entering his eyes. "If she gets hurt, I will don a cloak and hunt you, myself."

 

"If she gets hurt, you will be the least of my worries, sir," Loraine answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

It was apparently good enough and he nodded, waving them through the door he'd entered the shop from. "You'll find her back there. I assume you want these resoled, as well?"

 

Loraine nodded slowly, moving towards the door and dropping a small pouch of coins on the table in the back. It wasn't much, but it was still three times what she'd have paid someone in Tar Valon to do it and not a single Tar Valon mark in the bag to boot. The cobbler grunted at the sound of the coins hitting the wood and turned his back on them, moving towards a work bench along the back wall and dismissing them completely.

 

 

A few hours later, Loraine and Kynwric slipped back into the street outside the Cobbler's house, Loraine letting Kynwric in front of her again as she passed through the doorway and back into public view. Her newly soled shoes in her fingers at least lent an air of business to their visit and she hoped it was enough to throw off anyone who thought to be watching them.

 

Tonight. It was going to have to happen tonight. They couldn't keep this charade up much longer and she knew the other groups must've been having the same problems keeping their heads down. She looked at the sun, making its slow way across the sky and sighed. Now to survive the next few hours being couped up without taking the inn down...

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn's eyes turned at the lean of the Cobbler, he knew a threat when one was presented even if he couldn't hear the words. He let his eyes linger on the Cobbler, wondering how much spine the man actually had, he doubted he'd run to the Children as a first resort. Very few people actually wanted a Child of the Light to look into their affairs, but he wasn't about to take a risk. When they exited and Loraine retrieved her shoes, which appeared to have had a rather goood job done on them he looked at the man, "If harm comes to her and I have the smallest hint that that trouble started here I will be back and there will be no hole outside of the Dark One's prison itself that could hide you from my sword or the dragon's fang on your door. Think hard Cobbler about how you serve the light, the blight creeps closer every day and without those ladies it will swallow Amador more easily than it did Malkier." In Amadacia, the threat of a Dragon's Fang was no small thing and it would certainly draw the scrutiny of the Whitecloaks, even an innocent man could not long stand at the tender mercies of the Questioners if they thought he had something to hide.

Kyn was then out the door, looking around for trouble as he followed close on Loraine's heels, he knew where they should be headed he just hoped they were. There wasn't any more time for inaction or debate, it was time to find this damned book and return to the Tower.