Peacemaker (attn: Mia)

[Arette]

Shoar's revelation had certainly put the whole situation into a new light and with the circumstances surrounding it, Annais could see why he was reluctant to tell of the real reason behind his leaving even now. But Kathana was long since dead and the women who might have known then likely were no longer in the power or wouldn't see Shoar as a threat anymore. Or so she at least wanted to believe. The whole thing made her fume. Likely the Amyrlin had had a very good reason for her deed but there was something mysterious about case Nimue. She was tempted to delve deeper into it but she would do so with caution. She had no desire to poke hornet's nets hid under the ground and she was no use to anyone if she got herself into the bad books of influental women.

 

But there was something that she could do right here and now and that she was most qualified for. And that was acting as the middle man between Mia and Shoar and hearing her side of the story. And of course learning what her current feelings about him and the possibility of speaking with him and hearing him out were. Only Mia proved to be an elusive quarry. After her chat with Shoar when she went to look for her, she heard that Mia had exited the Yards. When she had inquired where she had went to, it had taken some time to find someone who actually knew. Mia had went to take care of a friend who was drinking and Annais had gathered that he wasn't quite alright and being drunk in middle of the day told its own story. Sassy Waters was named as a place the person might frequent and likely Mia would have went there too. And if it wasn't the right place, the people there might be able to guide her forward.

 

The place was ran by a family who had lived in Tar Valon for a long time but which hadn't lost their Illianer roots. The accent was still thick and the place felt more genuinely as if they really were in the south than many rooms of Illianer Sisters Annais had seen. She was glad to hear that she wouldn't have to hunt through all the taverns in the town as Mia had been here and escorted her soaked friend back to the Yards. They had went across each others then. She got the name of the friend even and it certainly sounded a bell. Aran had been able to hold his licquer but he had never drunk on the purpose of getting wasted like he now seemed to have done. And it didn't seem to be the first time. Ah well, she added another case to sort out to her mental check list but she couldn't do anything to it now. Maybe Mia would know more once her own issues would get dealt with first.

 

On the way back to the Yards Annais managed to keep irritation at bay by suggesting herself that the day was quite beautiful and that walk did her good. Helping out people she liked was important but running around and chasing them down was unnecessary waste of time. This time Mia could be found easily enough from the commonroom of her company. She would likely appreciate straightforwardness as she knew why Annais had come to speak to her and Annais would get at it. But first she could satisfy her curiousity about Aran - assuming that Mia would tell her.

 

"Hey there again. You left kind of abruptly. Not that I can blame you now when I know more of the situation. But I heard just one side and I would like to hear yours too or do you still maintain that you don't know who I am talking about? And well, of course you had another good reason to leave too", she stated with a frown. "I also know the friend you went to pick up and this is not at all like him. Do you know what is wrong with him?" It was always good to give people an optional topic in case they didn't want to speak about the real issue right away. But she wouldn't let Mia to keep avoiding it endlessly.

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Sister

[Wayfarer]

Sitting down in the commonroom, Mia was quick to swing her legs up and over onto the couch so she could lie down.  It was nice to have it to herself, that was when she liked the commonroom best in fact.  When it was just her, or just a few people that didn't disturb her, where she was just let be and allowed to relax.  With a mug sitting on the floor next to the couch was best, and it was sitting there now, waiting for her to take a sip but for now she simply massaged her temple.  Why things had to be so difficult of late she didn't know, she'd been floating along perfectly fine with no one disturbing her.

 

Well, except for Aran of course, and a few others in the company.  Well intentioned and twice the fools for it as far as she was concerned, she didn't want people poking and prodding her and trying to understand her.  She was more than happy to seem perfectly obfuscated and unreadable, not that it always worked but people generally knew better than to pry.  Why Annais had ever thought it would be a perfectly good idea to ask her infront of Shoar why she wasn't acknowledging the man she didn't know, the woman was meant to be more subtle than that with all her Gray Ajah training.

 

Of course there was also Aran, drunken sot he was.  When she'd found him, he'd been so drunk that he couldn't even walk properly, much less anything else.  She'd had to half carry him back to the Tower grounds, something fun to do when trying to avoid as much attention as possible.  But she'd managed to get him to the Barracks nevertheless with only so many people seeing, but they were people who'd be quiet about it at least.  Putting him to bed hadn't been nearly as challenging as it might have been with him lacking basic co-ordination, and she'd made sure not to lock the door to his room because he'd have to be checked on.

 

Reaching down to the mug, Mia took a sip as she closed her eyes.  What she needed was a bath, a relaxing bath so she could simply soak away her tension.  Maybe then she could just simply forget about the past hour and just get on with things as they were.  A marvellous plan that might have worked if Annais hadn't walked into the commonroom and decided to ambush her with a flurry of questions.  She didn't even bother opening her eyes, the audacity of Annais to think she could just simply walk into something she clearly wanted left alone and fix it.  It was all well and good that Annais intentions were good ones, but her desire to be helpful was anything but that and it set Mia on edge.

 

"I do."  Lifting the mug up, Mia took her time sipping from it and when she set it back down on the floor, it was significantly lighter.  She did not want to have this conversation, and she was annoyed with Annais as it was.  "Don't you have a treaty to conclude with a school of fish at the bottom of a very very deep lake that is far far away from here?"  Dismissive, and entirely unhappy with Annais presence, these were very simple things that Mia communicated with her choice of words and tone.

 

 

Mia Stavros

Tower Guard

[Arette]

Mia looked tired and she might be half and half so because of her own issues and dealing with Aran. He might not have been such a great topic after all because even though his problems were his own, they also touched people who cared about him. "It is a good thing that you know. Want to share? And sadly you are stuck with me for now. I'm sorry that I am an annoying Miss Fix It All, I just can't help it." She did it because she cared but she didn't presume that she already knew what was good for others unlike too many other 'helpers'.

 

"I am not stuck with you, you just haven't aggravated me enough to merit standing up and walking out."  That much was the plain truth, and if she hadn't come to like Annais, she would have already left.  As it was, she knew the other woman wasn't quite like the other Aes Sedai, but she didn't want to talk about anything at the moment.  She'd rather that Annais just sat there quietly, but that wasn't likely to happen because as far as Mia knew, the woman didn't even know what silence was.  Then again, she was Gray Ajah, they spent so long talking that their muscle memory took over, much like the way she knew her forms instinctively she supposed.  Then again, she also didn't spend all day waving a sword at people, there was a place and time for that.  "And you are an annoying Miss Fix It All, you know that don't you?  Why can't you just leave things be?  They're fine as they are."

 

Careful. Mia was very grumpy and Annais had no doubt that she would storm off if she pressed her too much. She didn't want the woman annoyed with her too. "I just admitted that I am one, didn't I? Now, have you ever heard the saying that if you can't beat them, join them? Though in this case brief diversion would be the better option. Things aren't that fine with Aran, I have gathered. Is that a topic you would be willing to talk about? Or will it pass with time and there is nothing that can be done about it? I would still like the insight so I will know at least what to avoid. And hopefully more succesfully than I have demonstrated so far."

 

"Thats easy, just don't talk to him." It came out a lot sharper than intended, something that Mia regretted but it was a mixed feeling.  While it was in Annais' nature to asking questions, Mia preferred to let time work and to let things sort themselves out.  She'd spent long enough prodding and questioning to learn that people didn't change unless they wanted to.  But, now she was simply letting her anger get the better of her.  Lifting the mug and draining it before setting it down again, she massaged her forehead with one hand as she spoke.  "He isn't talking to anyone.  He went to Cairhien on leave for his family, he came back after the uprising and was in need of healing, he'd had numerous bones broken and he kept rebreaking them the entire way back to make sure he could get them healed here properly.  I'm hoping Rosheen returns soon, maybe she can get through to him."

 

Not talking to him was the obvious solution but it wasn't the way Annais operated. But then in the little time she had spent with Aran, she had come to realize that he was a deeply private person. He seemed to be comforting others alot but if he had any worries or sorrows, no one got to see them except maybe Aramina and selected few others. But Ara was still in Kandor and Annais didn't believe that Aramina was a very good comforter. Sadly she didn't know the woman anymore. Ara could have changed alot over the years and people often discovered entirely new sides of themselves with their partners. She winced at the part about rebreaking the bones and her instinct said that this had to do with his family in Cairhien. Likely some of them had died in the uprising. Grief over lost beloved ones definately wasn't something talking helped to, not at this early stage. "Lets hope that they all return safely and quickly from Kandor. Someone else who is there might also be able to help him."

 

"Now as for this other thing, when you once knew a person who did a disappearing trick on you, what pissed you off the most about it?"

 

Annais & Mia

[Wayfarer]

Annais wouldn't let go of it.

 

Frowning, Mia began kneading the spot between her eyebrows in an attempt to alleviate her increasing aggravation with Annais.  It was having limited success at best, and if Mia was honest with herself, there was an urge she to pick up her mug and throw it at the woman that she had to suppress.  It was stupid and offensive what Annais was doing now, she'd been asked and told to leave it be and the woman was still trying to get her to talk about a subject she did not want to discuss.  There was little point in discussing it, and to be blunt, she didn't have nearly enough trust in Annais to speak to her about it when asked.

 

It seemed that nothing short of a verbal slap across the face was going to get the point over to Annais.

 

"Look, because you seem to be so thoroughly self absorbed in your self appointed quest to get to the bottom of something that has nothing to do with you whatsoever, I'm going to be very blunt.  Its none of your business, never was any of your business, and quite frankly never will be any of your business because its a dead issue and furthermore" Mia opened her eyes and focused quite intensely on Annais "I don't trust you nearly enough to even think about talking to you about this."

 

That got a reaction, and while Mia felt a twinge over it, she was too irritated to be overly worried about it.  "I like you, don't get me wrong, and we get along.  My mission to the Black Tower with you was one of the better ones I've had in terms of the Aes Sedai I've worked with, and I feel quite free to speak openly with you which I wouldn't do with most Aes Sedai.  But I've known you for a very short time, and you've never trusted me with anything sensitive about yourself, and then you come and harry me about something that is clearly an issue?"

 

Narrowing her eyes, Mia continued.  "I don't even know whether you'd even comprehend half of what I think or feel, the life you lead being so different.  Sure, you act differently from the other Aes Sedai and you tell stories like that of the Crimson Carnelion to seperate yourself from your sisters, like when we were with Brent, but that isn't something that lurks beneath, you wear it like a badge.  You want to know what is beneath my skin yet conceal what really lurks under that confident veneer of yours?  Earn my trust before you test it."

 

Holding the woman's gaze for a moment longer, Mia closed her eyes as she turned up to the ceiling again.  She didn't like telling someone off in such a fashion, especially when over such a personal issue, but if thats what it took then so be it.  Shoar might have spilled his guts like some fool, but that wasn't her way.

 

 

Mia Stavros

Tower Guard

[Arette]

Mia didn't even open her eyes while assuming a truly annoyed tone and went on a tirade. Annais could accept the points about being self-absorbed and meddling where her attention was not wanted but the last point really stung. The focused look made it even more insultive and she made a mental note as it really made an impact. She couldn't hide her wince but she withheld from saying anything and Mia went on. Great judge of characters and situation here, she certainly had assumed too much after just a week's acquiantaince even if it had been in special circumstances. And she had focused more on the Black Tower and Asha'man than her. It was curious, though, how Mia refered to the case as a dead issue and later on as something that was clearly an issue. Such slips could reveal significant things but the fact that she was reacting so strongly anyway spoke volumes.

 

Mia used another neat trick, distancing. It was handy for explaining yourself that any effort was useless because the other wouldn't understand anyway. A shame that she clearly thought that Sisters couldn't understand generally human feelings like hurt over beloved one leaving you. It certainly made her motives for serving the Tower interesting but then you didn't have to like who you served but Mia didn't seem to hold much respect for the Aes Sedai either and Annais didn't mean the false kind that dictated how people were supposed to act around them. She almost bit her lip at Mia's chide about her father. Maybe she was more open about it than was usual but Mia seemed to almost imply that she was doing it on purpose. And admittedly she had sometimes used it consciously as a strategy to get past reservation of people. Light, using the death of a loved person for personal gain. She certainly should speak of it with Mordea some time.

 

There certainly was a point in Mia's rampage, Annais hadn't exactly confided to the woman either, not about anything really important and secret. She didn't have that many skeletons in her closet but there were some. Admittedly it was a bad sign that she didn't want to speak to Mia of the most recent ones but that was because her confessions would get a disgusted reaction. The other one would threaten her neutrality as a negotiator in this case and the other... Light, she couldn't even start to guess what Mia would do or say when she hard that. It was completely inappropriate and stupid. No, better go with something older that still lingered and affected. Mia's story was history too after all.

 

Sitting down across the table she made them private with Saidar and the noises of the common room faded. She wanted a sip of brandy right then but because that was weakness, she wouldn't indulge the urge. "You're right, we haven't really been getting under those veneers. There isn't that much beneath mine but something still. I am not going to let you really deep yet but maybe deep enough." If it wasn't enough, the cost of personal involvement would start to get too expensive then and she wouldn't expose herself like for Shoar. She wanted to bring peace and harmony to people around her but taking foolish risks for uncertain gains was a gamble she would not enter. But then trying quick starting trust was always risky and there was no gain without pain. "Men. They can get women to do stupid things. Even Aes Sedai as we are as much women as anyone even though some of us try to not be. Have you ever heard the story of Mathena? She looked down her nose at men, like a few Sisters do, and even had a poor fellow executed for coming on her by accident while she swam naked. She had never even been kissed, until Zheres stole one from her. You'd have thought she had discovered men for the first time. She became so besotted, Zheres had to go live on a mountain to escape her."

 

Annais had certainly heard of few Sisters to whom that had happened, a former Keeper counting among them. "I have never been like that, I have had a more healthy approach to my needs over the years. But it doesn't mean that I am any less fool when it comes to certain men, always the wrong ones. That is my misfortune it seems, developing emotions for ones I can't really be together with. Usually it is just mutual liking and desire and we both are happy to play as long as it lasts. But there have been two who just plucked deeper strings in me and I couldn't help it. The other can be explained off as a flame of youth - for an Aes Sedai at least. He was off limits as I was his advisor and giving in to such emotions would mean compromising objectivity.  But I still wonder if I wasn't already blinded and if there would have been some way to prevent his death and I just couldn't see it because all I could see was him."

 

Some of her closest friends knew about Culan and he was old enough case that he couldn't be used against her in any way. But Milos she hadn't discussed even with Shan or Lillian as she didn't want them to be disappointed with her. No, Shan wouldn't be and Lillian would likely understand too but... somehow she had just never told them. And it would have meant also admitting that there had been something more there. The topic certainly couldn't be broached with Mae who was placing the Tower steadfastly before anything. Giving in to such weakness would be frowned upon by the Red.

 

"No giving in to the temptation that time and with the other one I certainly was of advanced enough age to know better. Then it certainly started with the temptation and anything else sneaked in like a thief. Not quite unlike our meetings. Always in secret as he is married. He is still writing to me and implying things that I pretend I don't understand. Why I even write back to him anymore... I like to tell to myself it is because of the news. And lately it has felt so because... Just because." someone else had been on her mind. New interest replaced an old one and in her case it was even more insane than the previous one - soon quite literally too. Her heart went cold and she massaged the spot with her knuckle absent-mindedly. Milos had sticked along much longer than she would have wanted. If only you could switch it off at will. But she wasn't certain if she even wanted the current fascination to stop even though it would end badly... not that it would ever even start. Not this time. She certainly wanted a drink again but she didn't stand. Instead she leaned on her left palm and her elbow on the table and brooded on the prospect.

 

Annais Nevell

Gray Sister

[Wayfarer]

Laying there in silence as she listened to Annais speak of herself, somewhat obliquely as there was no mention of names, but she bared something nevertheless.  She didn't seem very proud of herself, her love that was already married, but then she shouldn't have been either.  It was all too easy to shatter a marriage, but then, perhaps it was already a dead one that the man was so willing to see her and continue to write to her even now.  But it was still wrong, a lie like that still felt wrong, and it didn't help that she knew her own father had been less than faithful, even if it had been once it had been enough.

 

Her feelings were not something she allowed to express themselves upon her face as she listened though, the point was that Annais had shown something of herself that would be much harder to reveal, something she would not normally talk about.  That was taking a risk, risk had to be repaid with risk, and maybe it would help Annais understand so she would stop bothering her about it in the future.  Not that this prompted her to look at Annais, it was far easier to remain lying down with her eyes closed as she spoke, that way she could focus more on what she was saying.

 

"When I first came to Tar Valon, I had traveled a long way and I was both poor and hungry.  The first man we ran into when we first came to the Warders Yards became my teacher, Shoar Daemor.  He was nice, he took care of me and in turn I began to care 'for' him.  It presented a lot of trouble for both of us, but eventually he admitted that he loved me as well and we were happy, despite how much trouble I had to go through to get him to realise that it didn't matter that he was my teacher."

 

"You know, up until he left, I wish I could say that those times were all good, but they weren't.  He would never let me help him, if there was ever a problem, he would never trust me with it and he'd just take care of it himself.  But I took it, that lack of trust, until the day he left.  I would have traveled with him, I could have easily gotten permission to do so as Con would not have denied me it, but no, Shoar knew better, as always.  Whatever the problem was, like every single other time, he didn't trust me and didn't want me at his side during it."

 

"There is only so much of that anyone can take.  Eventually you realise that you must have simply seen something that wasn't there, because you can't have love without respect and trust.  Shoar never gave me the latter, not enough to make him worth everything I went through for him, so he ceased to be worthy of the former.  You know, he did not write to me once while he was gone, that is how little I figured in his mind.  How miserable a man is he to send no word for ten years, to anyone that he ever knew let alone me?"

 

Twisting her lips at the thought that came to her, Mia looked up at Annais as she voiced her thought.  "Then he returns to Tar Valon, with the gall to look down on those around him as if he somehow knew better how things should be.  The same coward who has avoided me the entire time since his return, and who I now avoid because he disgusts me with that same cowardice.  But then, you didn't see it, did you?"

 

The blank look answered Mia's query, but then she had already known the answer.  "He keeps a pouch at his side often, it has herbs that have been crushed to a powder that can be cast in someone's face to render them unconscious or disable them.  You know, when you called me over, he reached for that powder?  Thats the kind of man you've shown interest in.  That he would even bring such a thing onto the Yards, let alone think to use them on me who spent so many years trying to make what we had work, you can't even begin to imagine how little I trust him now.  He should never have been accepted back and he should never have been allowed to become a Tower Guard.  He do be wearing his laurels and be wearing his wounds but he no be a Guard that anyone would be trusting to be having at their side."

 

Unaware of the lapse into her native tongue, Mia paused for a moment before she made clear the most pivotal aspect of the problem of Shoar.  "The worst thing about him being that he will moan and he will say he was wrong and that he shouldn't have done this or that, but he never means it.  He will never change, he'll never stop being the same self-absorbed man that I wasted years on, and it will always be my shame that that weak-willed, faithless and spineless man was the one that once made me happy."

 

"Don't ever bring him to my presence ever again, Annais, and I mean it.  Any chance of reconciling died a long time ago, all that is left is a bitterness stemming from the fact that he wasn't who I thought he was and the disappointment at what he has turned out to be."  Staring hard at Annais as she finished, Mia closed her eyes again, she'd opened up enough for now, let Annais make of it what she would.

 

 

Mia Stavros

Tower Guard

[Arette]

Thankfully Annais’ small confessions had been enough to make Mia feel comfortable enough to speak. She didn’t have any huge secrets save maybe employing an assassin but that she wasn’t ready to share with Mia yet. She listened carefully what Mia said and tried not to even think any arguments until the Tower Guard was done as she wanted to be certain that she had understood everything right.

 

It was good that Shoar had resisted at first starting an affair with his Trainee but it seemed that in retrospect Mia had come to the conclusion that the relationship hadn’t worked so well. Maybe he had been unable to shed the mentor’s role and had been overprotective which would annoy any capable woman.

 

Annais tried to keep at mind why Shoar had left even though his choice of not telling Mia had been again wrapping her in cotton and not giving her the choice. But if she wanted to make any advance here, she couldn’t make judgements. She didn’t quite understand the cowardice comment and Mia explained for her benefit. Sleeping powders. Definitely not what you expected from the average soldier and it was a bit damnable that Shoar would resort to them in a situation like that. It could have been an instinct from the time in the Blight.

 

Mia’s final words summed it up very well and bitterness of more than ten years couldn’t be easily wiped away. But then people with even older feuds had been able to come to terms so it was possible. “You have every right to your bitterness and I will not make the mistake of bringing you to Shoar’s presence again unless you so wish. I did not do so intentionally as I was not aware of the situation.”

 

“Regardless, could you please listen to what I have to say.” A rhetoric question and Annais spoke on. “Your issue has many layers and was building even before he left but you should know one fact about his departure that might change your view slightly despite your negative opinion of him. Or then not. But you should at least know of it.”

 

“He didn’t leave by his own will, he was banished by the Amyrlin as he was digging too deep into the death of his Aes Sedai. That is why he didn’t want to take you with you. Certainly you can accuse him of not giving you the chance to choose and for trying to coddle and overprotect you but desire to keep you from the mess was his motive.” Of course Shoar could have included Mia in his investigations of Nimue’s death in the first place so this could be a symptom of a larger issue.

 

“I won’t comment on whether he is such a low life as you depict him and completely without chance for redemption. But I need to point out one thing. You know Shoar much more intimately and better than Brent but he accepted Shoar back. That means that as a Tower Guard you might have to work with him and guard his back and trust him to guard yours. If that is an issue, then the matter becomes something more than personal.”

 

“Could you work with Shoar if you had to? And if he decided to try and apologize you, how would you react?”

[Wayfarer]

As Annais finished, there was a thought in particular stirring in Mia's mind.  The death of his Aes Sedai...  No, he hadn't trusted her enough to ask her to help him to begin with, and she would have traveled with him regardless, as much as it pained her to admit such to herself now.  It wasn't his choice to keep her out of it, after the years they had spent together, she had deserved the chance to choose and she could not and would not forgive him for his selfish stupidity.  A mistake could be forgiven, even a number of them, but after so long and so many it was no longer even a reasonable possibility.  Not while she still had even a smidgeon of self respect.

 

"I will never need to work with Shoar, he is not part of my company or even under my Captain's command.  I'm not even sure if he has been placed under someone's charge, and if he is not then I do not consider him a Tower Guard, simply a hanger on who has returned simply because he cannot think of anywhere else to go.  A Tower Guard is more than past service, a Tower Guard is someone who is willing to serve and submit to order, and Shoar's spouting about the 'good old days' has done nothing but fill the young with foolish ideas that were abandoned for very good reasons, ideas that will be useless to us in the coming conflict."

 

"As for the decisions of the Commander, he is more patient than I am."  Looking over at Annais as she opened her eyes, Mia arched her eyebrows.  "That is, if we are talking about the Commander Brand Ryota, not Brent whom you can't seem to keep your mind off."  That got a blush, and the conversation was now swinging in that direction.  "You know, he constitutes a definite cradle snatch, particularly when I was one of the ones that tended to him while he was in that cradle.  Its slightly disturbing, but you're both consenting adults I suppose..."

 

Yes, the conversation had definitely shifted away from Shoar now, and all the better for it.  "So, you going to own up about your feelings for him yet?  Or are we still going to pretend that its all professional?"

 

 

Mia Stavros

Tower Guard

[Arette]

Mia's words caused Annais to draw a deep breath but she stifled it from becoming a full fledged sigh. She hadn't expected it to be easy or a quick process but this case was definately a challenge. And she had promised Mia that she would not bring Shoar to her unless she wanted to and in her opinion it restricted her from encouraging him to do it either. And in the current circumstances it wouldn't be wise. Mia would have to get used to seeing him around and he would have to first convince her professionally and gain some respect in that arena until anything else could be thought of. She could at least give Shoar a nut shell version of what was the issue as Mia hadn't forbidden that. It would be interesting to hear how their relationship had worked in his opinion. Had they argued about him not trusting Mia or was it a conclusion in retrospect?

 

Annais certainly personally agreed that in the future the Tower would need soldiers and an army instead of warriors trained as bodyguards. Shoar would have to learn too - at least until he Bonded. Some people were just made for that role and Warders had their purpose... a purpose Annais had never quite embraced herself but then she had her painful memories of Warders.

 

Then came a surprise that was like being doused in ice cold water, so unexpected and unpleasent the topic was. She had been caught off guard and Mia mentioning his name was enough to make spots of red bloom on her cheeks. Blushing like a bloody virgin, burn her. Where had this come from all the sudden? Had she actually said his name? Brand, Brent. They were similar enough that the slip was perfectly explainable. Or would be if Mia hadn't caught her one morning. Still, this kind of underhanded tactics were called distraction. And she could play the game too... if she just got a word out.

 

She opened her mouth a few times to start speaking and closed it again, giving Mia a frown. "At my age any man who is of any use in bed is cradle snatching. Or well, hundred year olds still have tongues but they are not very aesthetic. And you are basing awfully lot of assumptions on one little confusion with words. And one little dream", she admitted grudingly. "But mind you, I haven't been with anyone in a year so he is not the only man who has had a lead role in my dreams." One of the others was a persona non grata to Mia and another one from many months back was loved by her Keeper. And she was no man-stealing hussy even though she had made an exception once. In that case the man had been quite willing victim, had even made the initiative. Absurdly, she now lamented that thinking Milos didn't give her such shivers anymore.

 

"There might be some chemistry from my side and I appreciate him as a person as much as you can appreciate someone you have only met a week ago. But that is all there is and will be. I might not even be meeting him ever again." Which was unlikely as the Hall tended to use tools that they had found useful for similar tasks. If they just decided to accept the terms the Black Tower demanded. The Hall might as well decline and send Annais to till soil in a retreat. "Don't worry nanny Mimi, bad evil Aes Sedai will not seduce your golden baby boy." It would be like assisting in the suicide of her career.

 

"Now when we are so nicely in the heart-to-heart girl talk, when was the last time you got laid?"

 

Annais Nevell

Is not a Foreteller

[Wayfarer]

Well, it was always nice to have Annais off balance and focused on herself.  When she was introverted, she wasn't quite so likely to meddle and Mia preferred Annais that way, she was likely to get herself or anyone else in trouble that way.  That and she was defensive, covering for herself, sliding around the topic as best she could without delving into it too deeply.  He might not have been the only man in her mind, but it was becoming clear to Mia that Brent was certainly a forerunner amongst them.  At least Annais was smart enough not to follow it up, no good could come of it with the way things were and it was one less thing to worry about.  Well, two things, she wouldn't have to worry about Brent either in that respect.  If it could be held to, but her instincts about the pair and how they'd acted around one another told her a different story.

 

There was also Annais other attempt to slip away from the question, Mia was fairly sure the Tower would have Annais meet with Brent again now that Annais had already established a rapport with the new M`hael.  If nothing else, she was sure that her report that she had been required to make upon their return would help keep Annais covered.  She was curious as to whether Annais had even been aware of the fact that she had been there to observe Annais as well as the Black Tower and to make as many notes and details of it as they could.  Something that the Black Tower had probably done of the White in turn if they had been game enough to do so, or simply found someone that had once called the Tower home.

 

The attempt to turn it back on Mia was transparent though, and it caused Mia to smile more than anything else as she looked up at the Aes Sedai.  "Nice try.  You don't get to shift the topic off yourself that easily, not when we both know that you're fibbing without fibbing.  You might not see Brent again, but the sun might not rise tomorrow either.  Chances are that you will though considerng that you've established the contact and the Hall acceded to your ideas on how to handle the situation.  If they are willing to agree to them, then they must give them and you weight and approve, if not unanimously.  Therefore the likelihood of you having future contact as just a touch higher than what you hint at."

 

"So."  Mia turned on the couch slightly so she was facing more toward Annais.  "If you meet again, are you going to pursue it?  Or you still telling yourself that you won't contemplate it and that it would be entirely too difficult, etc and blah.  Come now, real honesty, none of this maybe and might business."

 

 

Mia Stavros

Tower Guard

[Arette]

Mia was a persistent one and Annais should have known that she wouldn't accept the change of topic. She just didn't understand why Mia was pressing the issue as she clearly wasn't very pleased with the prospect. The only reason she could think of was that Mia didn't trust her ability to keep herself in check. "Alright, I will likely meet him again. But that doesn't change the other things that I said. I might contemplate it but I will turn the idea down every time as it would be too difficult and dangerous for both of us. I don't want it, he doesn't want it and you don't want it. So what is there to discuss?"

 

Smiling slightly as Annais let a little more slip, Mia couldn't help but wonder whether the woman's resolve would hold when the pair of them were together.  They'd want to, unless it was something a good deal more genuine than a bit of interest, but that would be silly regardless.  Either way, Annais was off balance and Mia prefered it that way, because that meant that Annais was occupied with herself and not about to poke into Mia's life.  "Right...  As to what there is to discuss, he's a Stavros in all but blood, of course I want to know about this.  I'm just curious because your head is saying one thing while your heart and dreams are clearly saying something else.  That morning wasn't the only time that 'it' happened."

 

It made sense that Mia was interested because she likely still saw him as the little boy she had once tended and the Illianers had strong family feelings. In the end Mia got a furious blush out of her. "That is a fat lie!" But the woman kept smirking. "Outrageous exaggeration", she spluttered. "Was I very loud?", came finally in a small voice. "No! I don't want to hear a word about it. Look, the issue here is that you obviously think that I can't follow my head. I have made some mistakes in the past but I have learned from them and I have no intention to repeat them. What makes you to think that I would have any problems what so ever to resist your precious Brent?"

 

Smirking, Mia raised an eyebrow at Annais as she spoke of resisting Brent.  The other woman seemed a touch discommoded about the possibility that she might not be able to, and that was enough for Mia to run with.  "The question isn't why I think you would have problems resisting him.  The question is why do you think you'd have problems resisting him.  For someone so sure of themself, you are a touch defensive about the topic.  Perhaps a little more uncertain of yourself than you want to let on?  Hmmm?"

 

"I would be able to resist him. Although that suggests temptation from his part which isn't going to come. Even if he was attracted.." and she wasn't even certain of that, it could all be her wishful thinking "..he is aware of all the reasons why it doesn't work and he wouldn't endanger his position like that. And since I am not going to make any kind of an initiative either, that is it. I am not uncertain whereas you are enjoying this way too much. Why don't we just laugh at it and leave it be."

 

"Alright."  Looking at Annais knowingly, Mia wondered whether it would remain on Annais mind.  Likely, she was the sort that overthought some things far too much.  But, there were other things that had to be done, like checking on Aran.  He wouldn't need an audience for that, he didn't want any company, and Mia wasn't going to take anyone to see him in his current state.  Swinging her legs over the side of the couch as she sat up, Mia retrieved her mug from the floor as she spoke.  "At anyrate, I need to check on Aran.  Don't you have some Aes Sedai things to do?"

 

Alright and nothing else. Flawless victory. Well, not that flawless since she doubted that Mia believed her entirely but she was at least willing to let the subject drop. The mention of Aran made Annais frown with worry. Nothing she could do there but pray that Rosheen and Aramina would return soon. "If there is any way I can help him, please let me know. I'm not going to intrude unless I have good faith that it would actually do some good. And yes, there are things to do. Like the party. I... well, I invited him first but only because I came across him first. If you would be interested to come, I will keep my promise." It wasn't picking sides. Mia was the other party thing so she was supposed to be there.

 

Mia shook her head as she stood.  "You've already asked him, and I'm not going to give him more cause to whine and complain, or to say that I turn people against him when he does a fine job of that on his own.  Besides, when I'm not busy I'm sleeping and when I'm not sleeping I'm busy.  I'd fall asleep within half an hour of being there."  Smiling, Mia left the mug on a nearby table and made her way to the door as she called over her shoulder.  "Stay out of trouble."

 

Mia's comments about whining made Annais to roll her eyes but as she spoke on, the Gray grinned with the associations from the previous discussion. "You stay out of trouble too, Mia", she replied the call. Bah, such a good retort wasted as the woman walked away. She really needed to relax. Usually getting laid helped and if nanny Mimi had someone to sleep with, she wouldn't have so much time to meddle into other people's affairs. Sheesh. Not that Annais was particularly annoyed with Mia as her motives were good. It was just very embarrassing. It had been a while since she had played the match maker, Annais thought and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. She just needed some more information. She scanned with interest some of the older men as she walked out of the Yards but quickly her thoughts were back on the party.