the Dreadlord who loved me [ATTN: Nyn]

[Nynaeve]

Zoe stirred in her sleep, her eyelids fluttering slightly as her mind trapped her in a dream. There was a chase. A Child of the Light was murdered in his sleep. The fury riled up in Zoe. If someone was to commit such a vile crime, the least they could do was do it openly and not like cowards. They were a few and while they might have managed to flee the Fortress without getting caught, that didn't mean they'd manage to flee Amador as well. Every Child of the Light was fully awake and on their tail. There was no where to run.

 

They were divided into groups that scouted every street in the city. Zoe followed eight other Children and spread out as each was given a sector of houses to search. She entered a family home but they seemed too alarmed by her presence, that she doubted there was anyone else in there. Entering the house next to it, she found it empty. She let herself in and lit up a torch to be able to see what the darkness held for her. The house seemed abandoned. Dust seemed a constant, no matter where she looked.

 

She checked the bedrooms and was about to leave for the next house, when she heard a creaking sound. Turning, she drew out her sword. A hooded figure appeared in the door way of one of the bedrooms. It started moving toward her rapidly. Her first instinct was to raise the sword in preparation for an attack, but for some reason she dropped the sword to the floor. Half confused and half horrified at the Darkfriend making his way towards her, she tried to move away from his path but found herself stuck in her place.

 

The dark figure finally made it to her. Two hands stretched forward and clasped her throat, the thumbs starting to press, cutting off her air supply. Zoe tried calling out but her voice shrunk into a mere whisper. She tried to jerk him off with her remaining strength. She didn't manage to slip away from his grip, but the momentary movement made his hood fall back. Zoe's eyes widened in horror. The Darkfriend who's been trying to kill her was Drak.

 

Zoe's eyes opened as she jerked upward to a sitting position, clutching the sheets tightly. She flinched as she felt Drak touch her hand. She turned her head to him, concern decorating his expression. "Is something wrong, Zoe?". Zoe shook her head slowly. "Just a nightmare." It was just a silly dream. Her mind always liked to create drama were there wasn't any. Drak has proven to be trustworthy. If he was any type of Darkfriend, she would have been dead by now. No. This was all in head.

 

"Drak, you'd never betray my trust, would you?".

 

 

Zoe

CotL

 

[Myth]

OOC: sorry for the delay, babe.

 

He smiled lovingly, his eyes drinking in her lovely features, brow furrowed with imagined concerns as she was. Her hair was tousled from the night’s adventures, a few red lines painted her face from the pillow’s caress during the night, and her eyes were just a little puffy from waking. She was beautiful.

 

Sitting up in the bed, letting the sheets fall away from him unconcernedly, Drak crossed his arms and cocked his head just a little. A small secret smile adorned his face as his eyes twinkled with mischief.

 

“Zoe, my dear, your honor is safe with me.” Her eyes flared at the teasing, but he ducked to avoid the pillow she wielded. “I’m just teasing, woman!” he pleaded, laughter in his voice. “I would never harm you, you should know that.” His words didn’t protect him from a dangerous pillow assault, though. Through flashes of movement, a sprinkling of feathers, and the occasional WHACK of a pillow to the head, he enjoyed the view of her naked body. She was full of passion, Zoe was.

 

Holding up his hand, Drak asked, “Was that a knock at the door?” Pausing in her pillow attack to listen, Drak launched his own counter-attack, the ruse a complete success. A pillow to her face distracted her as he pounced on her, straddling her body with his own. The tickling was fun, too.

 

When they had both caught their breath and Drak had lain back beside her, he looked deeply into her eyes. “I would keep you safe always, Zoe. No matter the cost.”

 

In his mind, he wondered at the truth in his words. For, the reasons unbeknownst to him, he’d never spoken more truly in his life.

[Nynaeve]

OOC: I've found it in my heart to NOT forgive you :p

 

IC:

"I would keep you safe always, Zoe. No matter the cost." Zoe's heart skipped a beat. Whether it was from the intensity in Drak's eyes, or the certainty of his words, she couldn't tell. Could she trust Drak? She did so far and it seemed silly for her to lose the faith she had in him on account of a dream. Especially after all the wonderful things he did for her. The picnic, the dress, the fancy party. But most importantly, the fact that he picked her of a crowd.

 

Zoe studied Drak's eyes for a long moment. his brows were wrinkled in determination. Zoe could tell that he meant every word he said. Yet at the same time, there was something in his eyes. It was there for a split of a second and disappeared. A momentarily hesitation that escaped him and that Zoe would have missed if she wasn't observing him so closely. Was he keeping something from her?

 

Brushing his left cheek with her fingers, she smiled crookedly at him. "Are you sure you want to make that promise? I mean... I might be pricey." Drak grabbed her hand, put something on the palm of her hand and closed her fingers around it. "I always keep my promises." Zoe pulled her hand back, ready to respond with yet another tease, when she unfolded her fingers and discovered what he gave her. It was a silver necklace, decorated with tiny emeralds to the length of it. "I couldn't...take this."

 

Drak chuckled. "Sure you can. I mean, you already accepted it. And I'm sure you know that returning a gift is considered rude and unforgivable. Maybe even punishable by death." Drak nodded a few times while Zoe broke into laughs. "I don't know, it just seems too much." Drak took the necklace from her hand and moved behind her, resting the necklace around her neck and closing the clasp. "I knew it would look stunning on you." Leaning his head down, Drak kissed her neck.

 

Zoe turned around to face Drak. "Thank you. Just, don't go to any more trouble on my account. I'm happy just spending time with you. I don't require gifts to hold my interest. You do it all by yourself."

 

 

Zoe

CotL

 

[Myth]

Drak couldn’t help but smile. The simple honesty in Zoe’s approach was a refreshing change from those he normally dealt with. Even the most good hearted of businessmen were liars to the core. He couldn’t begin to count how many times he’d heard the line, “You’re taking food out of the mouths of my children!,” in many cases even from men who had no children at all. Yes, he thought to himself. Zoe is special.

 

Deciding that he had stayed in bed long enough, he rose suddenly and jerked the covers off, leaving Zoe squealing and covering her nakedness for some reason. It was hilarious, and he laughed heartily. After all, he’d explored every inch of her body ever so thoroughly already. Several times, in fact.

 

“Shy, are we?” he teased. “What are you hiding behind those hands of yours?” Chuckling richly, he waved at her hands covering her bosom and her hurriedly, and awkwardly, crossed legs. “Maybe I should take a look…” he continued, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

 

“Evil man!” Zoe squawked, throwing her hands up in frustration and blushing red as the evening sun, before laughing at the absurdity and humor of the situation.

 

“Come on, love,” Drak prompted. “We’ve a full day of mischief ahead, and we need to get dressed. That is, if you’re not going out like that.” He made a show of ogling her nude body, and got a pillow thrown at him for his efforts. “No? Too bad, then.”

 

Laughing, he slipped into a pair of trousers and stepped outside to order a hot bath for the both of them.

[Nynaeve]

Zoe enjoyed the bath she took immensely, after politely refusing Drak's offer to help her with those hard to reach areas. "Such a gentleman you turned out to be", Zoe told him before she dashed off. But not before throwing several towels in his general direction and some soap as well. She had to offer diversity, after all.

 

Since Zoe wished to spend as much time as possible with Drak, she had forgone braiding all of her hair and settled on weaving it into one single braid. Some strands of hair, which didn't reach all the way back, hung loosely, decorating her face. She slipped into a gray autumn dress. There wasn't anything extraordinary about it, but the mere fact that Zoe felt comfortable in it.

 

When Zoe exited the bathing room she bumped into a handsome and quite capturing man. He smiled, so naturally, she smiled back. Exchanged sentiments that did not require words. If they did, they would not have been as powerful as they were. And while he was, in a way, a stranger still, she embraced Drak as if she knew him for a life time or two.

 

"So, have you decided what we're going to do today?", Drak asked quietly, pulling her closer. Zoe grabbed his hand and started to lead him towards the stable of the inn. "We're going on a trip." Drak blinked. "A trip?". Zoe grinned, amused that she managed to confuse him. She remained silent for a moment before she started to recite one of her favorite poems.

 

"I took a long trip to leave myself,

to search for another me elsewhere.

I haven't found anything.

I just forgot what I was looking for.

I did forget what i was looking for.

I've been lost."

 

Zoe raised her eyes to meet Drak's. "I very much would like to be lost with you. So, will you join me?". Zoe swung herself over her mare and galloped out of the stable, heading towards a mountained area she was familiar with outside of Amador.

 

 

Zoe

CotL

 

[Myth]

Drak looked after Zoe with a smile on his face as she disappeared around the corner in a blur of dust amidst the sound of galloping hooves. Turning to look at the stableman near the stable door.

 

“Well, what are you waiting for?! Saddle my horse, man!” A grin spread across the old farrier’s face that was nearly as wide as Drak’s own, before the old man scurried off to do as he was bid.

 

Standing there amidst the emptiness of the stable yard, accompanied only by the comfortable smells of horses, hay, and tack, and the soft rustling of horses in their stalls, the young Dreadlord wondered how he had come to this. He hadn’t planned on staying more than a single night here in the hub of the Children of Light’s power, Such as it is, anyway, he mused to himself, but somehow the young soldier woman had lured him into staying around much longer. And with no effort on her part at all, methinks, he admitted, laughing at himself. This latest chase was merely the latest fun game that the two of them had been playing since they had met just a few days prior, and Zoe had made it quite clear that she not only wanted him to catch her, but when he did she would reward him quite passionately. But the chase was part of the fun, as much for him as for her he suspected.

 

Lost in his musings, his horse was ready quicker than he expected. Flipping the old man a gold piece and a quick grin, Drak swung up on his horse, his sword slung over his back and his long gray coat hanging free to flap in the wind as he kicked his mount into a sprint. Leaning low over his horse’s neck, he urged him for more speed. He could just make out the blur that was Zoe in the distance.

 

With a laugh, he sped onward. The chase was on.

[Nynaeve]

The wind was incredible. It was what Zoe loved the most about riding. The winds' caress. Both gentle and rough, yet unconditional. There wasn't a soul that did not deserve it. For better or worse. But Zoe had a feeling it was for better that specific day. For it was a beautiful day. Especially for a chase. And Zoe had no intention of being captured. At least not until she chose to.

 

Stopping at a secluded area in the mountains, she dismounted. It was going to take a while for Drak to catch up, assuming she wouldn't have to go back to guide him to the spot. But she doubted she'd have to. For some reason she had a feeling that Drak would always be able to find her. No matter where and how far she was. It was interesting to discover how much faith Zoe seemed to have put in Drak.

 

Hearing a twig snapping behind her, Zoe turned around, a smile spreading on her face. That smile vanished the moment her eyes met with a few others. None of them familiar in the least. Her hand spontaneously went for her sword. But she wasn't in her uniform and wasn't carrying her sword. She was not a Child of the Light at that moment. She was nothing but a helpless woman. Or so the group of men was probably thinking.

 

They didn't make any movement towards her, yet their expression meant only ill news. One of them took one step forward, proclaiming himself as the leader, no doubt. "Are you lost, love. Need a friendly hand to show you the way?". Zoe tilted her head to the side and observed him. "If by a friendly hand you mean yours... well, lets just say I'd have be extremely lost to want to touch it." The man frowned. "You might find yourself begging to in a few moments passed."

 

Zoe locked her eyes with his. "Maybe. Maybe not. But I'll still ask you to wash them first. After all, I don't know where those were before. And gladly at that." The man came closer, the others remaining behind, watching in interest. Zoe had no doubt that that little party did quite a few rounds in the area, harassing and maybe even stealing from unsuspecting travelers.

 

The man rounded Zoe and tried to punch her. A punch that would have undoubtedly knocked her out if she wouldn't have managed to evade it. The man wasn't looking to fight her. He just wanted to subdue her. He seemed a bit surprised that his punch missed home, but the way he just tried again showed that he decided on it being nothing but luck. Zoe evaded his fist again, planting her fist into his stomach. He staggered back a bit, more by shock then actual pain. No woman has ever hit him before. It was clear from his expression. Especially when shock transformed into anger. He was being humiliated in front of his friends. And he was going to make her pay.

 

Flinging his fist once more, he finally managed to strike Zoe's jaw. She fell backwards, hitting her head on the ground. Getting up clumsily, she wiped some blood from her lip. she smiled, despite of the pain, trying to keep it at bay. "Well, color me stunned... I mean, you don't look like a girl. But you sure do hit like one." If the man had any drop of patience up until that moment, he lost it altogether after the words left her lips.

 

Zoe becokned, but it did not help her when the man wailed on her once again.

 

 

Zoe

CotL

[Myth]

He pulled his horse up for a breather as soon as he saw that his sword maiden was planning on a full day’s pursuit. It wouldn’t do to cripple Blue just for a bit of fun. Besides, Zoe would probably hit me with a rock! She loved his horse for some reason. Patting the blue roan gelding on the shoulder, Drak eased on down the road at a walk until the city disappeared behind him, keeping an eye out for where Zoe turned off the main road.

 

She had a love for pretty and remote places, did his soldier vixen, and he expected her to lead him to another such today. Soon, he noticed the tall grass bent over on an obviously seldom-used trail, and turned to follow it. He wasn’t much of a tracker, but he hadn’t seen another soul on the road today, and he highly doubted that anyone besides his Zoe would just happen to take a trail to seemingly nowhere. Looking to where the trail pointed, he smiled. “We’re headed into the hills, boy,” he said laughingly to his horse. Patting him again on the shoulder, he clucked him into an easy lope. It was a beautiful day for a ride.

 

As the day wore on, he enjoyed the simple pleasures of the day. Zoe certainly had found a lovely place for their chase. Taking a leisurely pace, he and Blue eventually emerged into a sudden opening amongst the trees that revealed a breathtaking vista of the world below them. The clearing was obviously the result of some storm or avalanche in the past, but the result was awe-inspiring. For a few moments, he just sat in his saddle and enjoyed the view of Amadicia spread out like a magnificent map beneath him. This is just the sort of place where Zoe would want to take him.

 

That’s when he noticed that something wasn’t right.

 

Stepping off his gelding, he scanned the ground. He wasn’t a tracker, but he didn’t need to be to see the torn scraps of the gray dress that Zoe had been wearing or the torn ground from several horses leaving in a hurry. Stepping to the edge of the lookout point, he looked down the sheer mountain face and inhaled a deep sigh of relief. There wasn’t a female body at the bottom.

 

It didn’t take a mind as keen as his to surmise what had happened, and with Zoe gone it meant that she wasn’t dead. Yet.

 

Stepping back into Blue’s saddle, Drak followed the clear tracks of the brigands who’d just made a big mistake. He wasn’t a tracker, but the men had apparently been completely unconcerned with anyone following them as they made no effort to hide their trail. It wouldn’t matter, though. I’ve a trick or twenty they won’t expect, the suddenly focused young horseman thought to himself. The Power waited in the distance, like the sun over his shoulder.

 

Blue must have sensed the change in Drak’s mood. As the horse and rider followed the tracks, the gelding’s hoofbeats sounded somehow angry, as if he were eager to chase down those who had stolen the woman who gave him apples and scratched behind his ears.

 

The sun was still high in the sky, the temperature crisp yet comfortable as only a spring day could be, when he finally heard them. Slowing Blue to a walk he saw them well before they noticed him, distracted as they were by roughing up Zoe and laughing at her fighting back. She was wearing only a shift, and it was badly torn now, barely concealing the tender flesh beneath it. The men’s rough laughter and coarse taunts infuriated him, but he didn’t lose his cool. Rather, he just turned cold.

 

I am the wolf at the door in winter.

 

He casually walked Blue right into their camp and was nearly on top of them before they noticed, but his eyes missed nothing. There were five of them altogether. A dangerous number, even though they are fools., he thought to himself. A small voice that sounded very much like Captain Bobby’s answered, Even a fool’s sword can kill you. Be smart, but be bold. That voice always made sense.

 

Alarmed at his unexpected arrival, the five highwaymen quickly composed themselves when they saw he wasn’t acting aggressively and that he didn’t hold a weapon. That was their second mistake.

 

His mind collected facts like a banker collects coins as he scanned the scene. The leader kept a firm hold on Zoe, his hand in a tight grip on her wrist and the other arm around her waist. Drak saw that she had a nasty bruise on her cheek and her lip was bleeding on the left side. Only one of the men had a bow. He will die first.

 

Pulling his horse to a stop and surveying the five thugs and the surroundings, Drak still said not a word. Unnerved by his sudden appearance, the men seemed to gather strength from his quiet demeanor, mistaking his composure for fear. This, most definitely, was a mistake.

 

“Hey! Look what we have here!” announced the Loudmouth who Drak figured was the leader, trying to sound brave by being loud. The dangerous one is over there, Drak told himself as he looked at a slender, oily looking man who stood on the other side of a campfire. It’s obvious that he knows how to use that sword on his back by the way he moves his feet. He is who I have to be wary of. “Good day, milord!” Loudmouth proclaimed, bowing tauntingly as he did so.

 

The other men laughed, except for Oily the Swordsman. The other two thugs were hardly worth noticing, but overconfidence could get him killed. So he made sure to carefully note their movements, too. Two smug, foul smelling turds with their thumbs tucked in their belts. Unless I make a mistake, they shouldn’t be a problem. I will save Loudmouth for last. No one hurts Zoe like that.

 

“Here we were, all set to have a little fun, and more company shows up!” Loudmouth bellowed, with the archer and two turds laughing at the hilarity of the situation, not even bothering to spread out or surround him. Archer is the farthest away. I need to get to him first, and put as much distance as possible between me and Oily. Zoe’s eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty. Worried more about me than herself, if I don’t miss my guess. Well Zoe, babe, I hope I surprise you.

 

“Well, now we’ll not only get some fine female playtime, but some gold and fancy threads, as well!” Loudmouth continued, as if Drak wasn’t even going to resist. Silence is golden, as they say, Drak thought with some wry humor, though he didn’t show any amusement on his face.

 

As Drak stepped out of the saddle and stood beside Blue, Loudmouth shoved Zoe to the ground and spread his arms magnanimously, like a king as he issued a proclamation. “All this luck! All this wealth! All wrapped up nice and neat, come to us easy as you please! First the girl, now the gold! And all without incident!” Laughter boomed across the campsite, so Drak waited until it stopped before he spoke. With a small, secret smile, he spoke for the first time since entering the clearing.

 

Softly, like a dagger entering an eye is soft, he said, “No. Not without incident.”

 

Loudmouth saw the look of primal savagery blossom on Drak’s face like a wolf in a herd of sheep, and fear blew across his heart like a winter storm. “Shit! Shoot him! Shoot him!” It was too late.

 

Assuming the Void, Drak smacked Blue on his rump, and the athletic gelding leapt forward into the group of men, sending their bodies flying out of his path. Drak used the distraction to begin his attack. In one fluid motion, he used an alternative method of Unfolding the Fan to un-sheath the sword on his back and send it arcing through the air, impaling the archer who was just bringing an arrow to bear. That’s one.

 

Now unarmed, and with the remaining three buffoons regaining their feet and with Oily coming around the campfire at a run, Drak spun out of his long grey coat and hurled it at Loudmouth and the two turds, momentarily tangling them while he sprinted toward the dead archer. Diving, he tugged the katana out of the corpse and came up in a roll to one knee, just as Oily made his attack. Oily apparently didn’t expect such a quick maneuver, attacking with Courtier Tips His Fan.

 

Too late, he saw his mistake, and Drak took his head with River Undercuts the Bank.

 

That’s two. He was good, but not good enough, Drak thought. He was overconfident! said the small voice, correcting him.

 

The two turds had him flanked now, confident that their superior numbers would overcome this demon in their midst. The first one feinted, hoping to draw his attention while his comrade attacked his back, expecting Drak to be afraid as they would have been in the same situation. But Drak had no intention of waiting. Attacking was the thing. Can’t let ‘em get set,  he thought, before the notion skittered away on the Void.

 

Lizard in the Thornbush flowed, a thrust to the chest of turd one before he could ready himself against an attack and then a quick pivot and kneel and another thrust up into the chest of turd two as he charged from behind. The whole struggle had lasted just a handful of seconds. Three and four. But where is Loudmouth? he thought quickly, before seeing the man facedown on the ground with Zoe standing over him, a stick of firewood in her hand and a stunned look of disbelief on her face as she stared at him.

 

“He forgot all about me… but how, what, where did you learn to use a sword like that?” her voice barely managing to contain the strained emotions she had been fighting to control.

 

He said nothing, and just walked toward her and took her in his arms. “Everything is alright, Zoe. Everything is going to be alright.” She clung to him as her tears flowed.

[Nynaeve]

OOC: Sorry for the bad post. Best I could do :p

 

IC:

Zoe held on tightly to Drak, shivering, even though the danger was long passed gone. Her little outing didn't quite go as planned. Her mind was racing, thoughts drowning in what was left of her sanity. While she was still in shock by what those disgusting animals tried to do to her, she was also quite stunned by Drak's fighting skills. After all, she expected no less from those savages, but Drak... he had her trust.

 

From all she learned about him, which wasn't much in itself, he was a business man. He was a man of words, not violence. But she saw him wielding that sword. She saw how he moved, his stance, his precise attacks. She might have been able to miss the meaning of it, if it wasn't for one small detail that could not be ignored. She was a soldier and she knew to recognize one when she saw it. Drak's skill was not something he was born with. He was, without a doubt, trained. And if he reached that level of skill, it meant that said training stretched over several years, if not more.

 

She looked into Drak's eyes as he wiped away her tears with his finger. Was he keeping this from her intentionally, or did he not find it important enough to tell her? She tried searching for answers in his eyes, but found none. She looked away, puzzled. Drak took off his coat and draped it over Zoe's shoulders. He probably took her quietness a result of the attack. He probably had no idea what was going through her head. But Zoe did. She could feel the doubts sipping into her mind.

 

"I want to leave." Drak nodded and brought his horse closer. "You will have to ride with me.", Drak said. "Your mare must have ran away in the fight. I'll make arrangements to find her when we reach the inn." Zoe didn't respond. She let Drak help her up his horse and they rode together back to the inn. Zoe didn't say a word the whole ride. Neither did Drak, though she could feel him staring at her back.

 

When they dismounted in the stables, Zoe left towards Drak's room, while he stayed behind to make arrangements for Zoe's horse to be found. When Zoe arrived at the room, she took off the coat and slipped out of the shift. She threw it on the floor and put on Drak's robe. She shivered and slipped under the sheets. She closed her eyes when Drak entered the room. He laid down next to her and started caressing her head. Zoe turned to face him. A long moment passed before she spoke. "What more haven't you told me?"

 

 

Zoe

CotL

[Myth]

“I want to leave.”

 

Her words were soft, but emphatic. The events of the day had certainly taken a turn for the worse, and he doubted that their leaving would bring the trauma to a close. But Zoe was very tough, and Drak was certain that all she needed in order to get back to normal was time.

 

The tall Tairen businessman quickly made ready to leave, starting first with cleaning his katana. A gift from Captain Bobby, the elegant and exotic sword was not only a deadly weapon of the finest craftsmanship, but it was also a visible reminder to him of all he had gone through. With a comfortable, practiced motion he knelt and wiped the blood off the blade on the coat of Loudmouth and sheathed it. Then he went and retrieved Blue, who came to his whistle as he had been trained.

 

Looking around, Drak saw that none of the other horses had remained through the turmoil. Worthless, he thought to himself. "You will have to ride with me," Drak said to Zoe. "Your mare must have ran away in the fight. I'll make arrangements to find her when we reach the inn."

 

Zoe said nothing, but he took it as she was still trying to overcome what had happened to her. Looking around one last time, he climbed onto Blue and sat behind the saddle. Without a single look back, Drak made the return journey to the stable with Zoe without saying a word. It seemed far longer than the distance accounted for.

 

Upon their arrival, Zoe simply dismounted and headed toward the inn. Giving her space to deal with her demons for the time being, Drak summoned the stableman and bid him to take care of Blue. Then, he went to find his three other servants. The three nondescript men were perfect for this kind of work, and had been doing similar tasks for him for several years. He described the location of the incident, told them to search the bodies, looking for any indicators that might point out if they had a master and taking any valuables. Then, they were to dispose of the corpses, collect the horses, and return to town. They were to sell the horses, except for Zoe’s, and take the money and whatever valuables they’d found to a local orphanage and donate them. They would bring any meaningful info to him. Immediately.

 

With matters taken care of, he went directly to his room. Seeing Zoe under the sheets with her eyes closed, he sat his sword by the door and lay down next to her though on top of the sheets, gently caressing her head.

 

“What more haven’t you told me?”

 

Her soft question took him by surprise. Sitting up on the bed and crossing his legs, he looked intently at her with a quizzical expression on his face. “What do you mean, Zoe? Ask me what you will.” Unconsciously spreading his arms in a non-verbal confirmation of his words, he added, “I am an open book.”

[Nynaeve]

"What do you mean, Zoe? Ask me what you will. I am an open book."

 

Zoe set up on the bed and brushed her hair off her face, revealing her red tired eyes. After the ordeal she's been through, all she wanted was sleep. But her mind refused to comply. "What do you take me for, Drak? I'm not a backbirth. I saw you. When you were trying to get me away from harm's way, which I am grateful for. But I saw what you can do."

 

"I did not know that me knowing how to wield a sword would matter to you that much", Drak answered casually, shrugging. Zoe's eyes narrowed. "I'm not a simpleton, Drak. The way you move. The motions you went through. The accuracy of it all. You don't just pick it up from the streets, or taught by an uncle. Reaching such a level means training. Heavy training. Which usually takes place under a certain supervision and guidance, through a well thought out programme."

 

Zoe got up from the bed and paced away, worry visible in her expression. "The little you've told me about yourself indicated that you're a merchant. That you're a man of words, not of fists. Only you're not." Zoe turned around to face Drak. "You're a soldier. I've been a soldier long enough to recognize one blindfolded. Whether you've been keeping this from me intentionally or not, I've yet to determine. But that is for later to reveal. Right now I want to know who you serve and where your loyalties lie."

 

Zoe sat back on the bed, afraid her knees might give away from the fatigue. She never took her eyes off of Drak, though. She was looking for something. Anything. The smallest flicker of a doubt would mean he wasn't going to tell her the truth, or at least not all of it. But she had to know. Otherwise she knew the doubt would eat away at her to the point of genuine distress. Was Drak a mistake? Was she being too trusting? Perhaps. She was going to find out, one way or the other.

 

 

 

Zoe

CotL

[Myth]

Drak didn’t break eye contact. Rather, he looked intently into Zoe’s face, as if trying to see behind her eyes at what caused this sudden uncertainty. The poise and effusive self-confidence that had drawn him to her had fallen away like flower petals in a drought. She was no longer the Whitecloak soldier, but a frightened, vulnerable woman. Softening his expression, he nodded, though reluctantly.

 

He would answer her questions. And the best part was, he didn’t have to lie.

 

“I don’t really like talking about it, to be honest. Killing isn’t something I take pleasure in. I prefer to use this,” he began, tapping his head, “Rather than that,” he continued, pointing at the sword propped against the wall. “But if my using a sword troubles you, I will tell you of it.”

 

“I guess it began in Tear, where I was born…”

 

As they sat there on the bed, only feet separating them but seemingly worlds apart, he recounted life as a boy. He was the third son, and as such was never worthy of the attention the first two received. He was left to fend for himself. As it was highly unlikely that any inheritance that his father managed to leave behind would go to him, he wasn’t important enough to worry over.

 

“As a boy, I quickly noticed that I was good with my hands. I picked up skills quickly. And, not to be vain, I learned things quicker than other folks, as well. I was blessed in both body and mind. But being a third son, I had limited outlets for my energy.”

 

He went on to tell her how he’d begun working with horses, and before long learned enough to get a job with a horse trader. Before his fifteenth nameday, no less. His father was more than happy for him to get out from underfoot. “One less mouth to feed, you know,” Drak interjected with a wry chuckle.

 

He went on to explain how, through a bit of skill and a lot of luck, he had quickly moved up the ladder of success. And as young men with a little gold to spend are wont to do, he picked up a sword to try and look important, though he hardly knew enough not to stab himself in the foot. Eventually, he established enough of a reputation to get a job as a guard and horse trainer with a man who sold horses to the military. Armies always needed good mounts and lots of them, and business had been good. At least until a trip to the Borderlands. The horse trader, Manny LeFlure by name, died to a Trolloc’s axe, as had most of the other men. The few that survived managed to stick together.

 

“I still don’t know how I managed to live through that, but it made me realize how important it was to know how to really use a sword. So, I began learning it. First, from anyone who was around, and then with a man who truly knew what he was about.

 

“As time went by, I met a man who was a bit of a rascal, I must admit. He used to say, ‘You can only kill a man once, but you can steal from him time and time again. If you’re clever.’” Laughing at the memory, Drak continued. “I never knew him to steal so much as a pint of ale. He just talked like that. He taught me a lot.”

 

“Since then, it’s been a learning curve as I’ve tried to make something of myself. And I am thankful that using the sword is usually the furthest thing from my mind.”

 

Pausing, he looked quizzically into her eyes as he finished. “So here I am. Would it be improper if I asked the same of you?”

[Nynaeve]

Zoe looked away, a bit taken aback by the turn the conversation took. She wasn't the kind of person that liked to meddle into other people's past and only did so when she felt it was absolutely necessary. After all, every person had the right to keep a few secrets. Was she out of line with Drak? Well, it was too late in any case. The question was already out there and the man did answer. The answer itself seemed genuine, but something didn't seem to add up. Drak wasn't telling her the whole truth. But did she have the right to pry further?

 

Trying to compose herself, Zoe kept her gaze fixed on a distanced spot, avoiding Drak's eyes. "I was a happy child. I don't remember much of my life before my mother was killed, but I remember the sentiment of content. The warmth. I loved my mother. It didn't even matter to me that I was fatherless. My mother was more then enough. She was my entire world and I was her universe."

 

Biting her lip, Zoe paused a moment, the now bitter memories overpowering her speech. "A fire broke one day." Zoe glanced at the burn scar on her hand, but quickly looked away back to the distanced spot. "I still don't quite know how the fire started. Maybe an oil lamp left untended. An accident." Zoe pulled the blanket around her tighter, feeling a sudden drift creeping through.

 

"I was trapped. My mother undergone a lot to get me out alive. She suffered a lot of burns, protecting me from the flames with her own body... I remember the smell of burned human flesh." Zoe shivered. She suspected that memory would haunt her for the rest of her life.

 

"We made it out eventually. Some people who saw the fire carried us away to safety. I recovered quickly. I had some minor burns, a serious one on my hand and I was a bit out of breath from inhaling smoke." Zoe's eyes dropped back to her hand. "My mother, however, was not as fortunate. Her arms, legs, upper body. But there's one thing I won't ever forget. The smile she wore when she saw I was well." That image of her mother was engraved in Zoe's memory.

 

"She was weak, but she was alive. That was all that mattered. But then, out of no where, came a cloaked woman. I remember staring at her face quite openly. She rested her hands on my mother's head. And in the space of a blink my mother was gone. She was convulsing so violently." Zoe shook her head. "Apparently the witch was attempting to heal her. Only she assumed my mother could withstand it. She was mistaken. And the cost of that mistake was my mother's life."

 

Zoe could feel the bottled up hatred surface up. "After she was done with my mother, she tried to put her filthy hands on me. But I ran away. I eventually managed to make my way to my aunt. I stayed with her and she raised me the best she could. Once I decided to join the CotL, I left my aunt to enlist. And the rest, as they say, is history." Zoe watched Drak from the corner of her eye, trying to guess what he was thinking.

 

 

 

Zoe

CotL

 

 

[Myth]

Drak said nothing as Zoe told her tale. He listened intently, and watched her face as she recounted the sorrow that had befallen her family. It was heart wrenching.

 

When she finished, he stood and moved over to sit next to her on the bed. He said nary a word, just sat there sharing her pain. Long moments passed before she slipped her arms around one of his and leaned her head on his shoulder. Then she began to weep, the tears coming from a well of hurt that she had long fought to fill in.

 

He could understand very well what she felt like, but sympathetic words wouldn’t make things better. So he said nothing. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her protectively and gently rubbed her hair while she cried. Zoe was strong enough to handle it, but his being there for her would hopefully provide some comfort.

 

The room was silent but for the soft sounds of her weeping, and he sat there even as the hours passed and the room grew dark, until she finally surrendered to the rigors of the day and fell asleep in his arms. He carefully eased her under the covers, and lit a fire to keep the room warm, then pulled up a chair and set it next to the bed. Tonight, he would watch over her and be ready if she woke. Nightmares could be dreadful.

 

He was still sitting there, waiting in case she needed him, when the sun rose, though sometime in the night fatigue had defeated him. He was sound asleep, his sheathed sword lying across his lap and his hand holding one of hers when she woke up.

[Nynaeve]

Zoe's inner turmoil finally broke loose. The strain of the day, the abuse she endured, the doubts about Drak. It all seemed to build up to the point where she could no longer control her feelings. The fatigue certainly did not help, nor having her mother's death replayed in her head. She couldn't possibly count the nights she spent as a little girl crying herself to sleep. A habit she broke away from when she grew older and learned to harden her heart to whatever surrounded her. She took pride in the strength she learned to master. A strength that seemed to have slipped away from her fingers this night.

 

All she knew was that Drak was yet to earn back her trust. She was too lost in her own thoughts to spare any room for his words and decided that it was better to be kept for another day to consider. But right then she needed someone to hold. Someone she could embrace and share her load with. No words had to be spoken. Just the touch. The feeling that proved to you that you weren't as alone as you thought. An image of her mother came to mind. She would have given her life just to have one embrace of her mother. One last embrace. But such desires never led to anything good.

 

Circling her arms around Drak's left arm, she leaned her head on his shoulder. The tears she's been fighting against finally broke loose and started to slide down her cheeks lively. And once again she was that little girl that lost everything. Nothing but a crushed spirit. She had her aunt back then. Now she had Drak. But he wasn't going to be around to protect her forever. And Zoe wasn't too sure if that was a bad thing or not.

 

Closing her eyes, Zoe tried to clear her mind from any thoughts. Tears continued to slide down. There was no stopping them, even if she wanted to. But her thoughts, her emotions, she could silence them if she managed to pick up the pieces of her shattered control. Entering an inner void where all the world was no more, where she was the only being to remain. She and her world. And no one else, aside from who she permitted.

 

First her thoughts were muted. Then her feelings blinked out of existence. The feel of Drak's body and touch disappeared from her senses. And when the tears finally stopped to pour out was when Zoe finally surrendered to sleep. But sleep did not carry any comfort. Taking her fears and doubts and twisting them to atrocities. Taking her to a dark place where she wanted nothing else but flee. All she wanted was one place where she could be at peace.

 

Zoe tossed and turned all night. Waking up, but not bothering to open her eyes. And then losing herself to sleep again only to feel haunted. But eventually, she fell deep enough, where her nightmares couldn't follow. A deep sleep. A restful one, where she could finally let go of everything and regain herself.

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

 

Opening one eye lazily, Zoe looked around her. She was lying on the bed and Drak was sleeping on a chair next to the bed, while holding her hand. She shook her head. Foolish man. Tugging at his hand, she patted the free space next to her on the bed. He lay down next to her and stretched out on the bed in a satisfied manner, as Zoe curled up with him. She still wasn't completely sure what she wanted to say to him nor what she thought of his story. She needed time to think.

 

 

 

Zoe

CotL

[Myth]

Drak awakened to an empty room and a note on the pillow.

 

Drak,

 

I didn’t want to wake you, but I had duties to attend to and I needed to think. If it pleases you, I would like you to meet me at the front gate of the Fortress at nightfall for dinner. And wear something nice!

 

Zoe

 

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and scratching the morning’s stubble on his face, he pondered the mysteries of women. “They are beyond me,” he announced to himself and the walls of the room. Sitting up and stretching as a big yawn interrupted his soliloquy to no one, he swiftly began to sort out his plans for the day. With Zoe occupied, he had work to do that… “What’s this?” Looking down at where his hand was scratching, he noticed a hickey near a rather sensitive area of his body that he couldn’t remember getting. “And when did I get undressed?”

 

“Evil woman!” he declared with a grin. “I’ll get you for this!” Laughing softly to himself, he imagined the many enjoyable ways in which repayment could be met. Pulling on a pair of thin linen sleeping trousers, he stepped out of his room and requested water be heated for a bath. By the time it was ready, his mind had gently nudged thoughts of Zoe to the back and pulled more pressing concerns to the fore. The numbers and figures of business certainly weren’t as pleasing to behold as Zoe’s figure, but he had responsibilities to uphold and work to do.

 

By midday, he had met with his rather invisible servants and sent them out to do various assessments of his dealings in the area, and he had sat down to lunch with the same noble that had thrown the party a few days prior. It was good to see that he was not only “feeling better,” but that he had finally fulfilled his end of the business venture that Drak had entered into with him.

 

Sitting down to lunch with a re-motivated business partner conveniently served two purposes at one time. It filled his belly, and it showed that when things were done properly all was well. Drak had no need to hold grudges. Inviting the business partner’s family to the meal served a third purpose, one that was obviously successful judging by how thirsty his partner was.

 

It would have been crass to threaten a man’s wife and children. However, reminding said man that further cheating of one’s partner would end in a less compassionate response the second time was simply good business. Liars and cheats needed a firm hand, which was why Drak tried to do business with them as seldom as possible. They were simply bad for business.

 

By dark, Drak had managed to finish all his work and even found time to enjoy a ride in the countryside before getting dressed for his rendezvous with Zoe.

 

He dismounted at the front gate of the Fortress of the Children of Light and handed Blue’s reins to a handy hostler. He thoughtfully looked over the guardsmen and the imposing walls of the fortress while he waited for Zoe to arrive, smiling slightly at the thought that he could tear it all down with a thought.

 

More importantly, though, were his thoughts on what Zoe had planned for the evening. He hoped he was dressed appropriately. Dressed in a cardinal red silk shirt, tucked into comfortably loose black linen trousers with sharp creases, and clasped with a black leather belt with a silver belt buckle, his black leather boots peeked out from under his trousers, he was dressed comfortably but in finer attire than all but the wealthiest merchants could afford. He also wore a black linen jacket made of hundreds of tiny pleats with a red rose that matched his shirt in the lapel, a black flat-brimmed hat with a cardinal feather tucked into one side to offset all the black, and his sword was slung low on his left hip, with his sword belt over the belt holding his pants. He was uncertain whether or not it was allowed to wear it inside the Fortress, but he could always take it off.

 

Standing casually with his thumbs tucked behind his belt buckle, he waited for Zoe to show up.