Up the River (Loraine, Kynwric, Edana and Cora)

[U4ea]

Edana settled into a bench by the window of the Tavern she'd been directed to, keeping her eyes on the door and the road beyond the window. The hilt of her sword dug into her rib a bit at the awkward angle of the hand made bench, but she ignored it, her fingertips tracing idle patterns on the mug of ale sitting on the table in front of her. She hadn't touched it. 

 

 

A few patrons of the tavern looked at her a bit oddly, but otherwise didn't say anything as they settled in for luncheon at the tavern. The smells coming from the kitchen were wonderful and they made her stomach rumble. She hadn't ordered anything, though. She didn't know if Kynwric and his Aes Sedai had been in Whitebridge very long or if they were just arriving. No one had told them anything outside of their orders. She and Cora had left the Tower a few days ago, making decent time as they crossed Andor to Whitebridge. 

 

 

Orders. She muttered under her breath a little, earning her a few more sideways glances from people around them. She ignored them, too. Their orders had been simple enough; meet Loraine Sedai and Kynwric in Whitebridge at this tavern, serve as their backup under the guise of training as they traveled... somewhere else. Where that was or why they were going was anyone's guess. The Captain had glared at her to make sure she knew that further questions were not going to be received very well.

 

 

Message delivered. She’d kept her mouth shut and arranged to leave the following morning.

 

 

Now, here she sat, waiting on Kynwric and Loraine. Cora was meeting her here, as well, any moment. If they hadn’t seen the pair by the end of the day, they’d start their inquiries to locate them. They’d felt it best not to stay in the same Inn, mainly to avoid garnering too much attention, but also to give them alternate places to hide should something go wrong. Not knowing more about their orders than she did, she’d felt it prudent to have alternatives as much as possible.

 

 

They’d probably need the extra room, anyway, the way Whitebridge was filling up with people these days.

 

 

She stretched her shoulders and eyed her mug, sad that she’d let the ale get too warm, but glad she still had it to use as a reason for her to sit here taking up space as the place filled with patrons following their nose for a good meal. 

 

 

 

 

~Edana

Edited April 1, 2013 by U4ea

[seiakera]

ooc: let me know if this is alright. not sure if you knew but she's deathly afraid of AS.

 

ic:

 

Cora stepped out of the stables after checking on her horse. The orders were vague so she felt more comfortable making sure that they were ready to leave on a moment's notice. This was her first assignment ever and the first time she's been a considerable distance away from Tar Valon. Her stomach lurched at the thought of her orders - be present at a specified tavern to join a travelling Aes Sedai and her Warder along with a Tower Guard, Edana. It wasn't the Warder or Tower Guard that set her stomach off - it was the Aes Sedai. Light! I joined the Warders to protect these women and I can't bring myself to even look at them! She managed to live in the Yards for several years without needing to meet an Aes Sedai but it seemed that her fortune has come to an end.

 

Coraman let out a sigh as she stepped into the tavern as she adjusted her sheath that strapped her dual blades to her back, her gaze sweeping the room until she found Edana sitting by a window. Making her way to the bench, she sat down next to the older woman, shaking her head at an approaching serving girl. Her stomach was too sensitive at this moment to even contemplate a drink.

 

She started to wring her fingers before she caught herself; she gripped her knees instead as she bounced her heel the bench, hitting it on a constant rate. Her nerves were definitely getting the best of her. "Are they ever going to show?" She silently prayed to the Creator that they wouldn't. Blood and bloody ashes. What was I thinking?

[U4ea]

"Yes, you're right," Loraine muttered, eyeing Whitebridge with a hint of irritation. "I don't want to go on this trip. I'd rather stay in our nice, quiet little farm house and remain left alone for a really long time to come. It doesn't change the fact that they need an established Green to go fetch her or that most of the Greens who could go are not in the Tower, either. If I hadn't been the one to help them with that treaty in the first place, we could've kept our heads down a little longer. As it is, I'm hoping this is a quick trip and that there's nothing waiting at the Tower to keep me there longer than a month once we get the girl back there." 

 

They'd been over this a number of times since receiving the pigeon a few days ago, and, to be honest, she wasn't sure who she was trying to convince... Kynwric or herself. She took a deep breath as they passed through the gates, letting Kynwric handle the guards. She used the time to survey the city and determine whether they had time to rest before meeting Edana or whether they needed to head straight to the tavern. Knowing that woman, she was keeping an eye out for them, anyway. That is, if she hadn't managed to start a fight in that tavern by now. Bah, Edana could keep her temper when it suited her. Loraine knew that much about the Tower Guard. 

 

Kynwric finished with the guards at the Gate and they moved into the city. "There's not enough time between now and sunset to freshen up. We'll just have to find lodging once we've met Edana," she said softly to her husband. "Do you remember the name of the Tavern?" 

 

 

~Loraine

travel wary and already dreading this trip...

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric hadn't been in favor of this trip, he hadn't  been in favor of even replying to the pigeon that had come to 'humbly request' their participation in this 'mission'. He'd had the same argument with Loraine about it every day since then, which was that they shouldn't be going and that any Green Sister was more than capable of fetching some 13 year old girl from Ebou Dar... and they certainly didn't need a spare Tower Gaurd and Trainee along for the trip. He was tired of the topic, the discussion and the trip and it hadn't even really begun yet. 

 

Entering Whitebridge was no more troubling than it usually was. Kyn gave their travelling names, where they would be staying and how long they'd be in town. None of which was strictly true and why he was the one doing the talking. Well, that and that guards just tended to assume that the man was in charge and it was something they'd used to their advantage to get around Loraine's oaths many times before. Once they were through the gates and into the city he returned his gaze to watching the streets and people as they rode by, right up until Loraine asked him a question. "Yes, its not far. Master Gilliam's Inn is just around the corner from it, that's as good a place as any to stay the night. Particularly since you know he'll make room for us... even if he doesn't really have any." Kyn nodded his head in indication, "There's the tavern, the Trout and Line... I swear every tavern is the something and something, just once I wish we'd end up in a Tavern that just needed a single name." Kyn was grumpy and he wasn't feeling the need to swallow it, just express his displeasure about the whole world.

 

He heeled his horse to the hitching post and swung down to tie the reins off before taking the reins to Loriane's mount and waiting for her to slide free of the saddle as well. He looked at her, "Let's get this going, I'd like to get them set straight and get settled in for the night. Sleep will be in short supply for the next few days." And with that he headed into the tavern to find Edana and this new trainee.

Edited April 8, 2013 by _Kynwric_

[U4ea]

Edana nodded to Cora as she settled in next to her with a flick of her eyes away from the window. Cora's "Are they ever going to show?" drew her attention away from the window and Ed pinned her with a look.  Was it annoyance at being idle or something else making the woman fidget? 

 

"You should drink something," she said, lifting her mug from the table and returning her eyes to the window. "It'll settle your nerves." 

 

She wasn't feeling overly talkative, but it wasn't Cora's fault. This mission had an air of Captain-making-Ed-crazy to it and that annoyed her. To be honest, she'd had to force herself to stick with ale in her mug today. She needed to stay sober, even if boredom seemed to lurk on the corner of this trip.

 

She narrowed her eyes at a couple making their way down the street from the bridge. "Besides, they just showed up in answer your question. Why couldn't you have asked it two days ago?" 

 

She tilted a small smile at the woman in hopes that her tone had come off light, the way she had intended. She hadn't been around Cora very much since the woman had arrived at the Tower, so she doubted the woman knew that she wasn't very serious about much that came out of her mouth these days. Her blade was about the only thing she took seriously, anymore. Sometimes, even that was iffy. 

 

Kynwric entered the tavern, Loraine trailing a step behind. The man was observant enough that Ed didn't make a move to acknowledge him or wave him over. She didn't have to. It was one of the perks of knowing the level of competence in another person. She wasn't let down, either as he slid into a chair across from her, his Aes Sedai settling herself next to him. Not that she gave that away, of course. However, there was something Loraine could never hide, and that was her nobility. Her hands dashed under the table as she sat down, no doubt brushing imaginary wrinkles from her skirts and adjusting them so they fell evenly around her. Even in a dusty tavern, the woman exuded more grace and manners than Ed had ever seen in another woman. It was a bit comical, to be honest. At least, until you considered that this woman could kill you in a thousand different ways and she was well trained enough to do it before you could make a sound of protest. Anyone who mistook this slight little Lady as anything but an equal match for the man sitting next to her deserved the thrashing they were about to get. 

 

"I would say it's a pleasure," Ed started, swinging her gaze back to Kynwric. "But you don't look any happier about this than we are." 

 

~Edana

[seiakera]

ooc: Kynwric, Cora's a newly raised Tower Guard but feel free to treat her like a trainee. She basically is next to you! ha!

 

ic:

 

"Besides, they just showed up in answer your question. Why couldn't you have asked it two days ago?"

 

Her stomach lurched. She took in a deep breath and allowed the Spring to consume the nerves. The Aes Sedai wouldn't do anything here.... Doubt crept in but she stamped it down. A few moments later, the pair entered the tavern and Coraman focused on the Spring, embracing the nerves. She couldn't mess this up, this was her chance to prove that she was capable as a Tower Guard and that she had promise. Aes Sedai didn't bond failures and embarassments. Coraman knew that sooner or later, she would have to get over her fear.

 

She kept her attention on the Warder, watching how he quietly took in everything and the deadly grace which he strode towards their table. She dreamed of the day that others would look at her as she looked at this Warder; with admiration, respect and awe. His Aes Sedai was right behind him and she kept her gaze averted until they sat before Edana and herself. She spared a glance towards the woman with a short nod and stilled her movements, listening to the conversation before her.

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn waited for Loraine to take a seat before he himself sat, across from Edana but where he could see most of the room and both the doors, he would have taken a better vantage point but Edana had that spot. It made him a little proud, but also was setting him further on edge. Loraine seemed unperturbed by it and he took his seat beside her. He studied the other woman with Edana for a few moments before returning his gaze to the woman with whom he was more familiar. "I am at the my wife's service and she is at her Sister's." And how I feel about it has nothing to do with anything, as always. He flicked his eyes up to the serving girl as she approached ordering ale for himself and Coraman and a light wine for Loraine. He waited for the young woman to retreat to fill their drinks before sweeping his gaze across the table. "You have anything new about this task besides what was already been passed along? It seems we're escorting this young slip of a girl to her fate and nothing more. I do not see why it was so imperative to pull Lora away from her hearth for such a trivial matter. She has Sisters for tasks such as these. What is going on at home?" He was being careful with his words, even on something that was seemed such a small task, being thorough now meant being thorough always and he was not going to take risks with Loraine's life just because he felt this task could have been carried out by a Sister who still wore her shawl everyday to remind her that she was indeed Aes Sedai and not Accepted. "I trust all is well with you Edana? No one has bound you to them yet?" His eyes flicked to Cora and then back to Edana. "And who is this?"

[U4ea]

Edana snorted, her gaze flicking from Kyn to Lor and back again. "As if anyone would do that to themselves on purpose. I'd make anyone miserable, Kynwric, you know that. It's my second best quality!"  She raised her glass with a nod to Loraine and took a sip before turning back to the lady's warder. "We were only ordered to provide escort. No one asks a Guard's opinion, remember? The Captain says go and you start moving. I do try to be accommodating."

 

She shifted back in her chair, the fingers of one hand still curled around her mug, while she leaned the other arm over the back of her chair. "This is Cora. She's trained enough for her turn on the wall, though new enough at it that I'd wager this is her first trip away from those walls since getting a blade of her own." she paused and smirked at him. "What did you do to get surrounded by three women who know which end of the blade is the pointy one?" 

 

~Edana

 

 

 

 

 

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

Loraine smiled serenely at Edana as she settled into her chair. She kept to herself, letting Kynwric do all the talking. She took the time to take in their newest companion, who nodded at her briefly before focusing on Kynwric. The woman across from her at the table was taking great pains to avoid eye contact with her. She tilted her head to the side, taking in the woman's posture and the way she seemed bent on pretending she didn't exist. Nervousness around an Aes Sedai? She didn't seem ill at ease with Edana, so it wasn't just around other women. She noted the admiration in the girl's eyes and shifted her gaze to Kynwric again. 

 

She laid her hand on his elbow, though he didn't look her way. He didn't need to. It was one of the perks of being bonded. "This should be a simple transportation of a passenger, I know the girl and the family, which is why I'm the logical choice to make this journey, no matter what some of us feel about it." 

 

"We need to arrange passage to the coast," she continued, her gaze sliding towards the girl, Cora, next to Edana. "Have you arranged that already or do we need to find a sjhip heading that direction?"

~Loraine

 

OOC- sorry, ya'll. I am SOOO sleepy! 

[seiakera]

ooc: no worries!

 

ic:

 

 

Coraman nearly gaped after hearing how Edana spoke in front of the Aes Sedai, especially towards her Warder! She suspected that the two were actually more familiar with each other than she thought, maybe with the Aes Sedai too. With this trip, Cora would have enough time to make a better determination of that but one thing she knew for sure, she wasn't going to go by Edana's example just yet. Maybe if the Aes Sedai wasn't around, she'd be a little bit more comfortable to speak her mind.

 

Her heart dropped to her stomach when the woman channeler spoke. Her voice was actually pretty melodic and sweet, unlike the small handful of the Aes Sedai she have had the misfortune of meeting. Their voices were always dripping with scorn, bitterness, and distrust.

 

Coraman steeled herself and looked towards the Aes Sedai sitting before her, her blue eyes meeting dark blue as the woman pointedly asked her a question. "Have you arranged that already or do we need to find a ship heading that direction?" Again, her stomach lurched. She didn't even think of that! Now she looked like a ill-prepared fool, especially in front of those who were definitely more seasoned than her.

 

She lowered her gaze, partially hiding her furious blush while she spoke softly. "No, Aes Sedai. I can go to the docks and inquire, if you command me so."

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn let Edana's question go because Loraine picked up the conversation, she asked a pertinent question and Kyn waited for Edana's response. However, instead, Cora spoke up and while she was respectful but she used words Kyn would have rather left unsaid. He spoke in a hushed tone, but firmly. "Cora, we're not known that way here and I'd like it to stay that way. You can call her Mistress Lora, I'm still Kyn. But no titles or any other honorifics. Am I clear?" Then he picked his voice up a little, "Nevermind that, there were three ships at the docks when we passed. Just go down and book passage for us and we'll be on our way when they sail. Nothing to it... just make sure we get a fair price." He trusted Edana to keep things discreet and the only thing left to do was let them know where to find them. "We'll be at the Lass and Lion, come let us know what time to be there." He turned to Loraine, "But, right now we both need rest..."

[U4ea]

Loraine barely blinked at being called Aes Sedai, though she was grateful the girl had said it quietly. Kyn addressed it quickly enough and she resisted the urge to look around to see if they'd been heard. She flicked her eyes at Kynwric and pulled a face at him. "If you believe we need rest, then rest we shall do. Or, rest I shall do." She smiled at Edana before looking back to Kynwric. "Do I get to empty my ale or can I get another chance at it later?" 

 

His expression didn't allow for much banter, so she sighed heavily and stood up. "As you wish, my lord," she mourned. She winked at Edana and turned her attention to Coramon. "I trust you'll enjoy it in my absence? You look like you could use a bit of a relaxer," she smiled. "I will see the both of you soon, I hope. Enjoy your meal." 

 

She turned to leave, knowing that even if Kynwric didn't follow immediately, he'd catch up with her. The Lass and Lion this time, was it? she thought, nodding to the man near the door on her way outside into the sun. 

 

~Loraine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edana nodded her understanding at his orders and smiled. "Your wish is my command, good sir!"  Loraine rose and Edana grinned broadly at the woman. Light, she hoped Cora didn't start measuring Aes Sedai based on Loraine. That woman was as non-traditional as it was possible to get! As old as the woman was, she should be as cranky as... well, as Kynwric! The thought made her grin a little bigger and she turned it on Kynwric, not bothering to tone it down at his expression. "I promise, dear lady, I shall not allow your mug to remain full much longer! It will be quite a task you set before me, but I shall endeavor to make you proud!" 

 

She waited until they'd both taken their leave before turning to Cora. "Kyn's a gruff one, just know that his wife is the most important person in the world to him and he'll do anything to keep her safe. It's more than the traditional connection, as I'm sure you'll find the longer you're around them. As long as your goal is to keep her safe, too, you'll have no problems with her husband." She grinned and handed Cora her previously ignored ale, raising it in a silent toast. "And so it begins, friend! What do you say, we  divide and conquer those three ships in the harbor? We need one leaving early tomorrow morning, with room for four in two rooms, as cheaply as possible. Whoever gets the best set up wins... what do you say? Their pick of the watch?" 

 

~Edana

[seiakera]

Coraman felt like she wanted to find the deepest hole and bury herself in embarrassment and shame. Of course! They HAD to remain secretive and if anyone overheard Coraman uttering the honorific title, their identities were now known to all. Maybe not a hole, the river would do. She kept her eyes averted of the two as the Warder's tone changed to a non-chalant manner while she was still blushing furiously and fighting back the tears that suddenly wanted to escape.. She was starting to doubt that she was the right material for the Tower Guard rank, as compared to Kynwric and Edana.

 

Then suddenly, the Aes Sedi took over the conversation, keeping the banter light and amused with the three of them - leaving Coraman confused and she nearly gaped at the woman until she remember her recent blunder. She nodded silently at the woman's invitation to finish her ale - her stomach protested violently.

 

Coraman sighed inwardly, maybe truly she wasn't Tower Guard material. She glanced at the back of Kynwric as he departed, almost wishing she had a chance to apologize to him. They're married? She put Edana's word of advice in the back of her memory, maybe one day she'll regain Kynwric's trust. Somehow.

 

Edana - light, that woman had spirit! Her words broke the paralysis of embarrassment, fear, and humiliation as a small smile graced her lips. Or maybe it was the Aes Sedai leaving?  Her fellow Tower Guard's challenge snapped her out of her thoughts as she grinned broadly. She picked up the mug, ignoring the fact that an Aes Sedai's lips touched the edge of it, meeting Edana's toast. "Pick of the watch and the better of the two beds in our cabin, yes?" She smirked and took a ginger sip of her ale, letting the bitter taste and alcohol to calm her stomach.

 

Coraman rose up from her seat, straightening her vest as she glanced down at Edana. "I'll be seeing you after your first watch." And she left the woman in the Inn with a smirk on her face.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Cora watched the Captain walking away, her fist clenched into balls of fury. She wanted to POUND the man for his obstinance, especially since she wore dual blades and her subtle questions. He wouldn't reveal if they had room, what the prices was, or even when they were leaving until she answered his questions. She had no idea how much she could reveal and the man somehow saw through her lies.

 

A low growl escaped her throat as Coraman turned around and saw Edana standing nearby, a smirk on the woman's face. Cora's eyes narrowed and she tried not to sulk as she approached the other woman. "Well?"

 

Cora kept her voice hushed. "The stupid bloody son of a goat kept asking me questions and didn't believe a word I said!" The woman's grin widened. "You?"

 

ooc: hope you didn't I pushed this along a bit - go ahead and win, cora's too young and new to have a clue ;)

[U4ea]

Edana stepped lightly off the boat, shaking her head at the name emblazoned on the side. The River Hawk seemed to be just what they were looking for and she had little trouble bartering with the Captain. It helped that she'd sat across the table from the man and drunk him under the table before retiring to her bed the previous night. Apparently, he intended to try again and when he put berths on his ship on the table as a bet, her determination to win had only grown. She'd even taken a peek at the accommodations the previous night when she helped a few of his crew members get him back aboard his ship. It was far from luxurious, but anything too flamboyant would be obvious and they'd taken to avoiding that. She'd booked the passage in her own name, knowing it was hardly likely to get any attention. She'd referenced Kynwric and Loraine in passing, calling him relatives without being specific about how they were related. Kynwric was a warder, she was a Tower Guard. They might not be blood related, but sometimes the bonds forged with blades are stronger than the ones forged with birth. 

 

Either way, the flat-bottomed River Hawk was set to leave in the morning and had room to spare. That the Captain owed her a favor and she'd won the berth was just icing on the cake. She paused and leaned against one of the the dock supports, watching Cora trying to argue with the Captain of the ship in the next dock. She couldn't help the twitching of her lips and didn't bother trying to hide it as the man stormed past her on his way off the docks. Cora turned towards her and Ed didn't need to be Cairhienin to be able to read her expression. It made her smirk deepen. "Well?" She asked, tilting her head as if she didn't already know the answer. Cora's answer only made her smile wider and she coughed slightly, pointing to the ship behind her. 

 

"Tomorrow morning. Two rooms, both with locks. Meals included for a bit extra and room enough for the horses, too." She left out why that had been so easy and pretended to check her fingernails. "The bed on the top is mine and I'll take the first watch. You can Kynwric can argue over the others while I'm sleeping away, happily snuggled next to the window..." 

 

She grinned and nodded towards the Lion and Lady. "Let's go tell our relatives about our cruise, shall we? Then we can stop for lunch and spend the rest of the day..." She paused and wrinkled her brow. "I don't know what to do with the rest of our day. Do you have any ideas?"

 

~Edana

Edited May 12, 2013 by U4ea

[seiakera]

ooc: Sorry this took a while! RL drama!

 

ic: Coraman really couldn't stay mad, Edana's smirk was infectious and as long as they accomplished the assigned task, there was no reason to complain. She gave a nod at the other woman's suggestion to share the news with the others in their party. "Lunch sounds good to me, I'm famished!" Cora hoped the Ed would be the one to tell the Aes Sedai and her Warder since her nerves finally settled down.

 

They headed towards the Inn, "Don't see anything around here that we can do besides check out the market. I saw a booth earlier with some daggers that caught my eye, maybe we can go back?" She glanced at the other woman - maybe if they were truly bored, they could spar in the back of the Inn.

[U4ea]

OOC: No problem! DM was giving me fits on my laptop, anyway, so I couldn't have gotten you a reply until tonight, when it seems to be working! 

 

IC: 

Ed turned towards the inn Kynwric and Loraine were staying in and nodded thoughtfully. "It might not be a bad idea to think about provisions and Light knows I could use a few new blades. Some girls like sparkly things, I prefer sharp and shiny!" Seeing the tension tightening Cora's shoulders as they got closer to the inn, she paused just outside the door. "I'm just going to leave them a quick bit of parchment. I'm sure we won't run into them. They'll keep a low profile while they're in town." She pushed the door of the inn open and ignored the room as she walked to the bar. She was thirsty, but she knew better than to suggest they stop in for a drink. A thin woman glared at her from behind the bar and she smiled brightly at her. She was used to other women who thought a girl of her age should have a husband to be taking care of. What was the last one barked at her? You need a good man to make that sword feel like a waste of your talents! That one made her smirk quite often, actually. Considering a man she'd considered giving it all up for had made the sword for her. "I need to leave something for someone staying in this Inn. Do I leave it with you?" or is there a man about that I need to leave it with instead? she finished inwardly, her smile never shifting. 

 

The woman didn't say anything, just stuck out her hand. Ed smiled even more brightly at the woman and pulled a spare bit of parchment out of her pocket. "I don't suppose you have ink? I try not to carry it around in case it leaks all over my new boots!" The woman's mouth pinched into an even tighter line, but she turned and produced an ink well that she slapped on the bar at Edana's elbow. The force was enough that a bit of ink sloshed onto the leather vambrace on her forearm.. Ed looked at it, her lips twitching. "I do appreciate your haste in seeing to my needs," she said sweetly, dipping a small quill she kept in her pouch in the ink on her vambrace before it soaked in. She scrawled out a coded message, flowering the note up with endearments to Kynwric, which would either make him angry or make him laugh. It was always a toss up with that man. Besides, maybe it would make this woman's cheeks burn, too. At least she knew Loraine would laugh. Well, if Kynwric bothered to show it to her. She grinned and handed it to the woman, carefully capping the ink well she'd used once the ink soaked into the leather on her forearm. 

 

She turned to Cora and motioned for the door. She didn't say anything else until they'd closed the door behind them and were heading towards the market. "I am bothered by women like that," she muttered under her breath. "As if I could only be happy with a baby on my hip. What about self worth? What about being able to protect myself? What about protecting others?" She took a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm perfectly happy..." 

 

~Edana

[seiakera]

Coraman followed Edana into the Inn, watching the exchange between the woman behind the bar and her fellow guard. The woman had an annoying look on her face and she was tempted to offer assistance to wipe that look off her face. But she kept silent, trying to keep a straight face after the dripping sarcasm from Edana's voice. Cora didn't think she'd have the patience or temperament for another several years or more to deal with people like the woman behind the bar. It was almost as if they thought they were better, of some significance.

 

Leaving the Inn, she heard Edana's muttered words but was unsure if she should say something for it sounded like a private comment. A glance at the woman, Cora walked by her side. "People like that will never understand. They can take the Dark One's prison and stuff it where the sun don't shine, for all I care. They just don't realize the battles we warriors face so they can sit in their musty Inns, serving their watered ales and bland foods."

 

She smirked at Edana as they approached the market. "I am perfectly happy myself, I'd rather buy daggers than a baby's swaddling clothes!" They came to the booth and the vendor appeared out of nowhere with his disarming smile and wandering eyes, "Ladies of Steel!" He took a deep bow, no doubt to see how heavy their purses were, "I am honoured of your visit! Pray tell," his hands swept across the table, "Anything catching your eye?"

[U4ea]

Edana nodded, laughing as she tried to imagine herself with a babe to tend to. "Perhaps she has the right of it, though," she grinned. "I fear it takes more woman that I shall ever be to rear a child. The smell alone is a detriment to my well-being!" 

 

They approached the booth they were after, the cold steel of the vendor's wares glinting in the sunlight streaming overhead. "Ladies of Steel! I am honoured of your visit! Pray tell, anything catching your eye?"

 

 

Edana arched her eyebrow at the man, noting the stark difference between someone who wanted their money and someone who knew she wasn't going to get it. She wondered, idly, if she'd been a paying customer, whether the nag at the Inn would've said as much. Did Loraine have to deal with questions about why she wasn't home bouncing babies on her knee or passing them off to a nursemaid? She'd have to ask the woman, sometime when her ever hovering husband wasn't around. 

 

She shook herself out of her thoughts and let her eyes wander over a few blades arranged in a corner of his display. Her fingers brushed the shorter knives, though she didn't move to pick one up. The blades were too long for a decent throw and she sighed inwardly. She needed to replace the throwing blades she tucked into her boots, but nothing here would suffice. Too long or too bulky, each and every one. She eyed a jewel incrusted hilt that seemed far too decadent for every day use. She had little use for ornamental weapons, though, so she let her gaze slide away. 

 

Her fingers paused over a blade that was nearly as long as her forearm, though. She tilted her head to one side, observing the smooth finish of the blade. The channel down the length of the blade was shallow and the blade, itself, was sharpened on both sides. The hilt wasn't overly decorative, but there was a twist of metal that curled over the end of the hilt. She traced the blade a moment before picking it up slowly. The twist of extra metal curled around the back of her hand, hugging the skin like a glove. She turned the blade in her hand, trying to keep her face impassive. She had little use for a blade this big, but she was intrigued by the way it settled into her hand, the weight of the thing settling evenly over her palm and not the slightest favor to one side or the other. 

 

"Where did this come from?" she asked, sliding the blade out of her hand.

 

The vendor shrugged, mumbling something about traveling salesmen before leaning towards her. "I can make you a good price..." he suggested. 

 

"What is your price, then?" she asked, already moving to put it back down. She received a modest income from the Tower, but it wasn't something she could spend, willy-nilly. He named a sum that made her whistle and stepped back. "A bit high for my blood," she said quietly. She wasn't about to spend nearly everything she had on her to pay for a blade she didn't need, no matter the intrigue.

 

She was saved from further comment by a shout from down the market. A boy was running towards her, a bag tucked under his arm. She muttered and reached for the boy. He was nearly old enough to be chasing the local girls, though the set of his jaw and the lines in his forehead told her that he wasn't in any position to do more than think about them. She sighed, catching his arm as he passed and bringing him up short. A fat woman bustled down the length of the market, breathing heavily. 

 

"Oh, my thanks, Lady!" the woman breathed, clasping a hand to her heaving bodice. "This thief must be apprehended. He's stolen my goods for the last time!" 

 

Edana arched her eyebrow at the boy and held her hand out for the bag. He put it in her outstretched hand a moment later and she sighed as she saw the bag filled with vegetables and bread. She sighed and looked back at the boy again. His face was drawn, the lines in his forehead standing out even sharper now. Shaking her head, she set the kid down and winked at him. 

 

"I told you to the take the bag first, Rian! How could you forget?" She turned to the heaving woman and swiped a bag of coins from her belt pouch. "Please excuse him, dear lady. He seems to have been in a hurry to set about his chores today and quite forgot to stop long enough to get the sack to pay for these goods." She counted out a few coins and passed them to the woman, knowing she was overpaying by at least half what that bundle of food was worth. "I will see that, in future, he remembers to take it with him!" She smiled sweetly, the boy next to her fidgeting but not contradicting her. 

 

The woman gaped like a fish for a few minutes before taking Ed's payment. She paused to admonish him again before disappearing back into the crowd that was dispersing from their little bout with attracting attention. She sighed, looking back at the boy. She turned her bag sideways and dropped another set of coins in his hand. "Stealing never fixes anything, lad. If you can't afford it, work it out in trade, instead. Most farmers are more than welcoming for a little extra hand on their farms these days." 

 

The boy stared at her for a moment longer, then bolted for the crowd moving about their daily chores. She shook her head and turned back to the table. The man behind the table was holding the blade towards her, his eyes misty. "Please," he said softly. "I have been watching those boys stealing food for the last two weeks and no one has done anything to help them. You keeping Jorlin from being stashed in a stealers prison was worth every coin I paid for this beauty. She is yours, please."

 

Edana felt a bit like a fish out of water, not quite sure how to answer that, though she did take the blade from him and wrapped the short sheath it was now pressed into instead of adding it to her collection. "I shall give you the bag if you'll promise to look after them," she whispered back to him. "These are trying times and, while my job is usually poking holes in the minions of the Dark One, I feel doing what I can here can accomplish the same thing." She smiled and passed her purse towards him before stepping away and letting Cora look at the wares for sale...

 

 

~Edana

Lady of Steel

[seiakera]

ooc: sorry for the wait, had my lull of writers block!

 

ic:

 

Coraman was eyeballing a particular twin dagger set that would fit perfectly underneath her sleeves, she still cursed herself for forgetting the ones she had back at Tar Valon. But the commotion caught her attention and she had to stop herself from unsheathing her blades. She watched the scene play out in front of her, she nearly gaped for what Edana had done. A tough and fierce warrior on the outside, a sweetheart on the inside? She really couldn't judge, her own foster mother was a former Warder who took up the life as an Innkeeper, had the same trait. In fact, Cora's life did not seem all that different from the boy who Edana just saved. She was a thief, a street rat.

 

Perhaps it was because the life of a Tower Guard and Warder was hard? She mused the inner question, wondering that if in order to truly survive, there should be at least some shred of humanity, compassion, and mercy. Coraman mused that would be a good discussion to have with Edana over a pint.

 

But as if Edana's remarkable save didn't surprise her, the vendor approached her fellow warrior and offered the dagger for free. Kindness and gratitude radiated from the man, it was almost as if she couldn't believe her senses. Were there truly people like Edana and the vendor in this world? The kind that not only fought against the Dark One and His army but instead embraced kindness, love, appreciation, and more?

 

Business concluded and the man turned towards Cora, she watched the compassionate man disappear within and the seller came to the front. "And you, my Lady? Anything catching your eye?" She gave him a smile, pointing to the twin dagger set, "I'm no lady, kind Sir. How much for this?"[/i]

 

The price was unusually high and unfortunately there was no more street urchins where Cora could pull the same trick that Edana had done. That didn't discount the fact that she felt naked without her sleeve daggers; again she silently cursed herself for her forgetfulness. "On one condition, Sir. Keep the coins for what these daggers are truly worth and add the rest to that new bag of yours."

 

The edges of his lips quirked into a small smile before disappearing. "As you command, my Lady." Coraman made her payment and tucked her new daggers in their new homes. She turned towards Edana with a small shake of the head. "Well, that was surprising. How about a pint, aye?"

[U4ea]

Edana grinned broadly and swung her arm around Cora's shoulders. "Now you're talking my language! Last night while I was plying that Captain into giving up a few rooms on his ship, I heard him blathering on about a really good mead that a tavern on the corner had. I'm pretty sure the tavern keep we were buying our drinks from at the time started watering his down about then in retaliation. We have until morning and it's not even mid day, yet! What do you say we add a meal to that pint and get a bit of rest watching the door of that watering hole? Knowing the Lady and her dear husband, we're not likely to get much of a rest between here and putting our boots up at home again!" 

 

She wished she was exaggerating, but she'd rarely had dealings with Loraine and Kynwric that gave her much time to breathe clean air in leisure. She sincerely doubted this would be any kind of departure from that tradition, either! 

 

~Edana

 

(Sorry it's short! The last week of school is exhausting for the teacher and I need a nap already!)

[seiakera]

ooc: not a problem!

 

ic: Coraman grinned and motioned for Edana to lead the way to the tavern. "Sounds like a plan to me!" She hoped that the woman was jesting about not getting much of a rest during this trip. After all, they only had to go get a young girl and bring her back to the White Tower. How could that be exhausting?

 

They entered the tavern and took up their seats near the back of the room with a good vantage point of the entire tavern and entry points. Edana wasted no time ordering a round of mead and plates, her carefree attitude still strong in force. "You know, Edana, I have yet to meet a Tower Guard or a Warder who has been in service for quite a few years that is like you. I mean, they all seem like Kynwric - all serious business, watching and waiting for the next attack while you're just game to finish a pint."

 

She hoped the woman wouldn't take offense at her words. "I mean, you just seem so .... unburdened and pretty much winging it all the time. Don't you get tired of this? Do you ever have a day where you just want to give it all up?"

[U4ea]

Edana sighed, but held off answering until their food and drinks had been delivered and they were alone again. She trailed her fingertip over the glass a moment and shook her head. "I used to be just like them," she said softly, not lifting her eyes from the glass. "I spent my childhood trying to live up to the standards my father and brothers set with the Queen's Guard. My father was the Captain for many years and when my mother died, he used his career as his crutch. I have four older brothers who were all part of the Guard as I was growing up. I wanted to be just like them." She smiled ruefully. "Then Father died, leaving the five of us on our own. I was old enough to take care of myself, had joined the Guard and was working my way up, trying to earn the right to the way people looked at me once they knew my name. Father was a bit of a legend and my brothers were chips of the old block, there. I was driven to prove myself." 

 

She lifted her eyes to Cora, not having touched anything in front of her aside from tracing patterns in the sweat on her mead. "I became a ranking officer and others within the Guard started talking about it wasn't natural to take orders from a girl. They insinuated that I must've slept with someone to get that rank, that I hadn't earned the right to my command. I could take most of that. It hurt, but I knew how hard I worked and some of the men I worked with knew it, too. My brothers ignored most of it until I outranked them. They turned into jealous men, rarely ever home if I was off rounds and making no effort to hide their irritation at being harassed about my rank. One night, I took my team out for a drink to celebrate the end of a particularly grueling mission to the edges of Andor, and overheard them reinforcing the rumors that I didn't earn my place among them." She blinked, the memory still cutting, even so many years later. "All I had done, all in the name of upholding the family honor, of being able to say I was a Keller, right along with my brothers. For what? The very people I sought to impress were embarassed by me." 

 

"I left Camelyn," she said after a moment. She left off the fight and not knowing whether she'd killed one of her brothers in the fight that had ensued after that horrible meeting. "I roamed a bit, and I realized that all of the work I had done before made no difference outside the walls of Camelyn. I had wasted years of my life dedicated to a career that had no place for me. I finally came to the Tower, deciding I'd pledge my sword and all of that training to something that could do some good." She tried to lift the edges of her lips. "Since I have no intention of tethering my life to anyone else's, I am stuck, forever, as a Tower Guard. It's not so bad, though. I get out enough that when I feel the itch from too much sentry duty, I don't go stir crazy." 

 

She grinned, taking a swig of her mead and winking. "Besides, everyone assumes the girl who laughs and drinks can't kick their backside. They underestimate me, they're not sure how to take my humor. I am perfectly alright with that. What appears as winging it, is really only a refusal to allow what I am tasked to do become who I am. My career is not who I am and that knowledge comes with a price.  On the other hand, I try very hard never take anything for granted or underestimate those around me!" She raised her mug in a salute, her mind reminding her that she never got attached to anyone, either. Especially not after that disaster with Sandre...

"So, what's your story? While girls aren't a rarity in the Yards, it's not often we get one without a backstory worthy of a title in a library..." 

 

 

~Edana

oooo, she got serious for a minute there. I think it might've hurt something... LOL

[seiakera]

ooc: a great post, definitely! Let's hurt some more!

 

ic:

 

Coraman listened intently to Edana's story, hearing every emotion through the woman's words and vocal pitch. If she never heard this, she would have kept the same perception of Edana that she always had, based on what she had seen and heard. She didn't want to pry too much about the Queen's Guard, she was overly curious about the stories of that small army but it was disheartening to hear of their stance about women in the ranks. She met quite a few women in the Yards that seemed harder, braver, bolder, and so much more than their male counterparts. They had so much more to lose, she thought.

 

"Ha, me? If you ever find a book in the library about me, it is most likely a load of bull." She glanced away slightly and took a ginger sip of her mead, the alcohol a little too strong for her taste. "I grew up in Tar Valon, a street urchin. Destined for a life of crime, poverty, and if my mother didn't rescue me, prostitution and an early visit to Lady Death." It hurt to think of her mother, still to this day. She wished she knew where that blasted woman disappeared to.

 

"She had an Inn in Tar Valon and found me in her back alley. For some reason I probably will never know, she picked me up by the scruff of my collar and took me in that day. Fed me, clothed me, taught me..." Coraman's voice tightened slightly, "Loved me." She took a bigger drink of her mead, nearly nobody knew her story. "Then one day, she disappeared. She said she had to go somewhere, take care of some business and that she'd be back. I was so angry that she was leaving me. She was a Warder, you know? So out of spite, I joined the Tower Guards. I thought she hated that life or else why did she leave the Tower?"

 

Cora let out a laugh. "Little did I know that it was actually everything she wanted for me, to be a part of the Yards. And it was definitely what I needed." She shook her head and in a whisper, "There's so much of her life as a Warder that I don't know. Who was Seiaman Kera?"

 

"I guess to truly survive, you need to live and love, eh?" She offered her mug in a toast. "Here's to never forgetting that."

[U4ea]

Edana raised her glass and smiled. "As if the Fates would ever let us forget," she shook her head. "So, let me get this straight, you joined the Yard to spite someone who had already been there and left?" She grinned broadly and sat back in her chair. "And you wandered right into where she wanted you to be, anyway? Oh, that had to rankle!" She laughed, shaking her head. "Bah! I am tired of trying to fight the water! Do you ever wish you could just let the tide wash you out, just to see where you'd end up? Would you have ended up in the same place, either way?"

 

Her mug thunked on the table. "And you've made me philosophical! This cannot be allowed to continue! You should be ashamed!" She grinned broadly. "We should talk about sharp pointy things, instead. We should imagine new places to hide them. Do you suppose Lora hides them, anywhere? I've seen her with a sword on her hip once, but never anywhere else. Can you imagine her with one of those marriage knives like they wear down South? I think I know why those guys don't leave those termagants they marry! It's suicide! It makes you wonder though, doesn't it?" 

 

~Edana

Enter the seriousness killer! 

[seiakera]

Cora let out a laugh, ignoring the reference to the Aes Sedai. She did not intend of ever getting close enough to find out if the woman even owns a sword. She doubted it, these women of the White Tower had the ability to channel, shouldn't that be enough? That's why they needed warders and tower guards, to be the steel. "Actually, my foster mother was from Ebou Dar. She talked about these marriage daggers as if they were oath-binding, that it was the only thing protecting those she owned from the other vindicative women." She grinned as she took a sip, "I'm just glad I'm not of that ilk. I don't think it's becoming if I went and killed every woman who winked at my man."

 

The server came around and Coraman sent her off to get another round of mead. She scanned the quiet room, there weren't very many people and she surmised that would change shortly for the dinner rush. She found it hard to believe that in the very next morning, they would getting on a ship and she'd be stuck in close quarters with an Aes Sedai. Goosebumps rose on her skin and she downed the rest of her mead. "So how long you think the sail trip will be? I'm hoping for at least some handsome boys on the ship to help pass the time." She winked at Edana, she would be surprised if the woman didn't agree.

[U4ea]

Ed's grinned widened. "Most of his crew is pretty young, so I doubt me you'll be very disappointed there. As long as you don't get them a strapping, they'll be happy to entertain you." She didn't mention men, herself. She'd been down that road and had no intention of wandering that way for a while to come. Men were trouble. Or, maybe that was just Sandre who was trouble. She pondered that a few moments as the maid delivered their second round of mead. 

 

"As for how long the trip will be, it'll be shorter going than coming back. Water flowing downhill and all that nonsense. I'm still trying to figure out why it takes three swords to pick up a girl. If she's that much of a handful, I'll dump her over the side of the boat on the way home. If she floats, she can come back." She laughed and eased back into her chair, her fingers curling around her glass as she looked around them. "I say it's overkill, but I'm not complaining too much. It gets me out of duty on that blasted wall. Captain likes planting me there in the middle of the night when nothing's doing and all the flames in Tar Valon are out. Do you know what you do when it's the middle of the night on the wall? You wander. Then you try not to laugh too hard at those stumbling back into the barracks because they've been out-drunk by a tavern wench. The only good thing is that you're so high off the ground that you can't smell them to know whether they've wet themselves on the way back or not. Frankly, I'll escort a chipmunk to the Blasted Lands if it gets me out of THAT duty!" 

 

~Edana