Sweet Thoughts in a Dream- Attn: Franklin/Owen

[Shaneevae]

She wanted to go home, home to the safety and sanctity of the Two Rivers.  Even given the recent invasion of Shadowspawn to her home, it was still a beacon of safety in Shaneevae’s heart.  The Aes Sedai hurt. Even in the Dream, she hurt. A Yellow sister had healed her admirably, but it wasn’t her physical body that hurt, it was her confidence.  Her first stumbling into Tel’aran’rhiod had been a disaster.  In fact, she was not sure she should be here now, but she was not sure how to prevent it from happening.  Her ability to stay out of the Dreamworld was as underdeveloped as her ability to control the Dream.

 

Deven’s Ride, quiet in the Dreamworld, a disconcerting shifting and wavering as she made her way down the main street.  It was bittersweet, this stroll. So many things out of place or missing and other structures thrown up in their place, she wondered if it was the Dreamworld’s own version of reality or the fact that Shadowspawn had wrecked havoc not so long ago. It didn’t matter. It was different, but it was still home.

 

Home.  With that one thought the scenery spun making her sway slightly fighting dizziness. Adjusting her eyes, she saw the little house, she’d grown up in.  Tabac fields overgrown in the distance, no one lived there anymore. Shaneevae pushed the door open and stepped inside. So much smaller than she remembered, however did her parents raise five girls in such a small place?  The wooden built structure could fit inside the entirety of her quarters at the White Tower twice with room to spare. But it had been home and the sweetest of memories flooded her mind. Dust and spider webs coated the corners and weeds grew up through the floorboards, but all of that disappeared with recollections of her youth.

 

Gregor and Rianda el’Edware had been the most loving of parents.  How she missed them.  Shaneevae sighed as she touched the door facing to their bedroom and moved on through the house.  They had loved each other and their children so fiercely.  Even after all these years, the Brown sister mourned the loss of having her own family. She thought as she stepped into the tiny bedroom she shared with her sisters. 

 

Touching the window, she smiled a small gesture as she recalled the second time she'd met Franklin. Her first trip home after being raised to the Shawl he'd been only an infant, bright eyed and screaming his head off . Her second trip home he'd been a man grown and offering comfort in her grieving after losing her father. Franklin.  She leaned her head against the wall, squeezing her eyes shut and allowed the vulnerability she’d felt for so long overwhelm her senses.  Franklin.  Why did the Wheel choose us? Why couldn’t it have let us be?

 

Shaneevae

[WhiteWolf]

Franklin had had one of those days when everything he had set out to do had either gone wrong, taken far longer than it should have to complete, or could not be completed and he had had to walk away from it, something that he completely disliked doing. Putting a task off to another day was the way Franklin liked to run his life but just lately that was what he had had to start doing, especially where the Council was concerned. He understood that he had been a natural choice for one of the Wolfkin’s representatives, he lived outside the Stedding and interacted with two-legs on an almost daily basis, although he was not totally at ease with them and the prejudice some still regarded his kind with really did rankle.

 

It was late in the evening, well after the normal time he liked to return to his home, and Franklin decided that he would forgo his evening meal at the local Inn; a new building that had been built around the same time as the Citadel that dominated this part of the Two Rivers. Instead he ate a cold meal of bread and cheese, simple fare, washed down with a flagon or two of ale that he brewed himself. Settling by the fireside, his pipe and ale in easy reach, Franklin let his thoughts drift as he idly scratched the ears of his companion, a medium sized wolf who’s name was Scratch, well her shortened name was Scratch, her longer name was more a description of her favourite pastime so Franklin had shortened it.

 

The night was growing old when Franklin decided to make his way to his room and his bed, he had spent the evening talking to a few of the Wolfkin back in the Stedding in the Wolf Dream and now he hoped to spend a restful night and resume his work in the Citadel tomorrow in better spirits. However his sleep was not to be as restful as he had hoped and it was not long before he was contacted by a member of the Wolfkin who wanted to know if Franklin had any news about events in Illian. It was known amongst the Wolfkin that Franklin had one of the best established eeyes and ears networks and could usually be depended upon to help out with any information he had.

 

Once that was sorted out, Franklin decided that seeing as he was not going to get the proper nights rest that he had hoped for, that he would check up on some old friends, one old friend in particular, who he had not seen for some time now. It was not so hard to find her, so well did he know Shan, but it was where he found her that surprised him. She was in the Dream, and from the way she was acting it was obvious to him that she had not just blundered here, she had intentionally entered Tel’aran’rhiod

 

Franklin watched her for a while longer and realised even more that Shan had no idea what she was doing, and was blundering about and would more likely than not get herself into more trouble than she could handle, which was always the way of the very young, or the very inexperienced. Sighing to himself Franklin debated whether to get involved with her again or not, the pain of losing her, then having her come back into his life, only to leave again, was all to recent and he did not know if he could handle any more disappointments.

 

Eventually though his good nature won through and he decided that he could not turn away from her. But how to approach this matter, he doubted she would accept that he was the teacher here and she was the student. He knew all to well how headstrong and arrogant Aes Sedai could be and he was not sure he was willing to put up with that, not even from Shan. Knowing that he could not dally here much longer, Franklin decided on a drastic course of action and hoped that that would be enough for now.

 

One minute Shan was in her old room, the next she was standing on a cliff edge, the wind howling at her, plucking at her skirts and at her hair, as if it was trying to throw her over the edge of the cliff. In the distance she could just make out a figure, she thought it was a man, but at that distance she could not be sure and she was using all of her strength to stop the wind from blowing her over the edge of the cliff. No matter how hard she tried she could not move away from the edge, but she could hold her position, just.

 

She took her eye off the figure and looked behind her, noticing that the soil under her feet had started to crumble and that she really needed to be moving away from the cliff edge but could not, no matter how hard she tried, and she tried with all her might. Just then she remembered the figure and took her gaze away from her feet and looked up, getting the shock of her life as Franklin stood directly in front of her, his nose almost touching hers. She was just about to ask him for help when his hand came up and he placed it on her chest. There was a moment’s familiarity to his feel, and then he flexed his muscles and pushed her over the edge of the cliff.

 

She was too startled to scream at first, and so was able to hear his words.

 

“You have no idea what you are doing here, go now and wake, I will return for you tomorrow night and we can talk, if you will listen.” Franklin then turned away from the cliff edge and left her, it was then that she started to scream.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Tormentor and Mentor to Shan

 

[Shaneevae]

The change happened so abruptly that it was several seconds before realizing she stood upon the precipice of a cliff.  The distance to the bottom being so great that she could not make it out with the naked eye, she turned.  Prepared to move away from the danger, she tried to step forward against the strong wind which only got stronger with every effort she made. It was useless.  Fear gripped her heart and she fought to catch her breath as the gusts acted as a thief stealing each one before she could even take it. Scanning the horizon, she made out a figure in the distance. Oh please, Light, do not let it be that monster. Please. Looking over her shoulder she noticed the edge beginning to break away in trickling sediment. Turning back to give it a more concerted effort, she gasped when Franklin stood nose to nose with her. The vise that had been clenching relentlessly at her heart eased and just as she was about let out a sigh of relief he touched her, pushed her sending her free falling through the sky.

 

You have no idea what you are doing here, go now and wake, I will return for you tomorrow night and we can talk, if you will listen.

 

Die. I will die.  This cursed place is going to kill me.

 

Shaneevae woke right as the ground came rushing up to meet her. Jerking up, she winced and eyed the Accepted that had held visage by her side since her first night in Tel’aran’rhiod angrily. Crawling from the bed in clean yet rumpled bed clothes her hair a wild, disheveled mess, she growled at the Accepted trying to usher her back into the bed.  Slapping at the young woman’s hands, she spoke in low, direct tones, “Get out. I’m fine. Just leave me be.”  The Brown was too angry to feel any lingering pain from her injuries at the moment. Solitude was what she needed. Solitude to plan the tirade she had for her former lover.

 

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

 

Having spent hours marching through the halls of the White Tower, trying to burn off the rage and fear that burned in her veins had only given her aching calves and thighs. Even with all the physical exertion, she tossed and turned, punching at the pillow in frustration as sleep eluded her. When finally sleep enveloped her, Franklin came.

 

“You spawn of a trolloc whore!” She screamed, her hand cracking across his cheek.  He stood, still and stoic. When she reared back to slap him again his hand came up quick as lightening catching her wrist.  Shaneevae jerked away, fury flashing in her blue-green eyes. She was a ball of rage as she let lose with a tirade that would burn the hair from his ears, “I do not choose to be in this place! How dare you do what you did to me! I was nearly killed by some crazy son of a bitch the first night I stumbled into this Creator forsaken place and then you push me off a cliff???”

 

She stomped, her fists balled up at her sides, her mouth spewing venom, “Why would you do that to me?” Mumbling, “You sorry piece of trolloc dung.” Shaneevae flung herself at Franklin, fists flying and the curses streaming from her mouth.

 

 

Shaneevae

On the brink and pissed off!

[WhiteWolf]

Shaneevae’s tirade was cut short, her words ending in mid sentence, obviously by the shocked look on her face this was not by her own volition. Franklin had stopped her from talking by the simple expedient of placing his hand, firmly, over her mouth. “You may speak like that to the Novices that are given into your care, but here you are not the one giving orders nor are you in any position to speak to me like that. Now you will either keep a courteous tongue in your head or I will leave you dangling here until you do. You are hip deep in things you know nothing about Shaneevae and you are only getting deeper in the mire the more you act like a spoilt child who has had a fright.”

 

There was no emotion to Franklin’s voice, nor did he shout, in fact his words carried all the more weight for this lack and short of physical violence it was the only way to penetrate the temper tantrum that Shaneevae was in the throes of. “It is good to see you have not lost any of your ability to use colourful language Shan, but if you do so again where I can here I will leave you to your own devices and then I doubt you would last an hour in here without more trouble finding you.”

 

It was obvious from the look on her face that she had a few more choice phrases that she wanted to use, but this time she managed to hold them back and waited for Franklin to proceed, perhaps she was beginning to realise that here he was the more experienced one and that if she was to take advantage of this strange new world she would need to learn from him as he was obviously more at home here than she was.

 

Reaching out, Franklin took hold of her hand and told her to not let go at any cost. Shaneevae had recovered some of her composure by now and threw Franklin an impervious look but before she could say anything the world around them blinked out and before she knew it they were sitting in two comfortable chairs in Franklin’s front room of his cottage, a steaming hot pot of tea on a small table with two mugs sitting next to it.

 

“I thought some familiar surroundings would help you to become more comfortable here while you tell me who person is that nearly killed you, was it by accident or by design?”

 

Franklin poured the tea into the mugs and then added some milk before passing one of the mugs to Shaneevae, trying his best to not smile at the amazement written large on her face.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Tormentor and Mentor to Shan

 

[Shaneevae]

Spoilt child. Why that…. Shaneevae bit her tongue and  glared at the man that had been her first love and while she’d like to say time had changed him, it hadn’t.  He was still the pillar of stoicism he’d been in his youth. The Brown Sister had always been the more emotional of the two yet she’d seen the emotions that would well up in his eyes and voice. She was probably one of the only people to have ever seen them. A small smirk inched up the corner of her mouth as she took his hand and held tight.

 

The house was familiar.  It was Franklin’s home, the place they had reunited after years of not knowing what became of the other though it had played second fiddle in her fantasies to the large flattened rock in the wood. Leaning her head back, she sprawled out in the chair in a very unladylike manner. Closing her eyes to refocus, she wondered if she would ever get used to the way things worked Tel’aran’rhiod.

 

I thought some familiar surroundings would help you to become more comfortable here while you tell me who person is that nearly killed you, was it by accident or by design?

 

Accepting the mug, she took a sip before nodding her thanks and setting the mug upon the small table that sat between them. Where was one to even start when describing the events that led up to one’s near death experience?  Leaning forward, she rubbed her eyes furiously trying to recall the events she’d spent the last two days trying to forget. She’d revealed as little as possible to Zalena when pushed, but enough for the woman to know she was a Dreamwalker. Having left out the minute details on purpose in order not to relive the horror, she’d protected herself and now Franklin was asking her to spill the entirety and open her mind to the nightmare once again.

 

She sighed and grasped the arms of the chair, “Oh I’ve no doubt he came upon me by accident, but I’m just as certain that within seconds  a plan of the most wicked design had formed in his twisted mind.”

 

Eyes widening she stared into the flame of the fire, lost for the time being as her gaze glazed over separating herself from the memory. “I wasn’t even aware I was in the Dream or a dream for that matter until well into his attack. Rough and socially awkward was my first impression of him and….and that necklace.  I should have known…..”

 

Her voice grew quiet with the recollection, “A leather thong full of human and wolf teeth were strung about his neck and when his face morphed into a half-man, half-snarling dog, I scrambled to my feet and ran.” Shaneevae swallowed at the lump forming in her throat. “He wasn’t beautiful like you and your canine companions, he was monstrous. I couldn’t channel. I couldn’t protect myself and when a brief thought of a weapon to protect myself came to my mind and it appeared, that’s when I knew where I was.”

 

Noticing the whites of her knuckles as she gripped the arms of the chair, she released them and stood, pacing in front of the fire. “He broke me, Franklin. He broke bones, clawed gashes down my face and then turned to water filling my lungs in an effort to drown me.”  She shook her head and squeezed her eyes still unable to comprehend how’d he’d done that.

 

“If not for that woman…..that merciful angel in white, I would be dead. If not for the Yellow Sister that Healed me, I would be dead.”  Falling to her knees in front of Franklin, she dropped her head and then raised her gaze slowly, unshed tears glistening in her eyes, she begged, “I do not want this….this ability……this Talent. Make it go away. Please, Franklin, make it go away.”

 

 

Shaneevae

 

First Chair

 

Novice Dreamwalker

[WhiteWolf]

Franklin was not as shocked by her tale as maybe she thought he would be, obviously it was not an everyday tale but it was more common than Shan realised at this moment. In the Wolf Dream there were many dangers that stalked the unwary and even with the best intentions and safe guards it was not always possible to avoid them. But from what Shaneevae said Franklin did not think the encounter had been as random as she made it out to be. Franklin reached out to Shaneevae and helped her to her feet, holding her in a tender embrace allowing the unshed tears to come out and letting her release the pent up emotion. After a while Franklin slowly released his hold on her and led her back to her chair indicating she should sit back down. “There is no simple way I can remove your newly emerged talent Shan, no more than I can remove your ability to channel, it is part of you now and it is unlikely that you will ever lose it. In all my years I have never heard of anyone losing their ability to enter the Wolf Dream and I have known many who have that ability. All we can do is help you to avoid encounters with this person, and if that is impossible then there are certain tricks that you can learn that will help you to escape or even turn the tables on it. For now though you need to learn to control your emotions and thoughts. In here a stray emotion or random thought can be more dangerous than a falling tree.”

 

Shaneevae looked at Franklin as if he had just told her the sun would not come up tomorrow. “How can a stray thought be dangerous here?”

 

Franklin pointed at Shaneevae’s dress. “Have you not wondered why your dress flickers like that, why it changes style and colour, even material? That is because it mirrors what you are thinking or feeling. Once you become used to how things work here you can fix an image of yourself in your mind that no one but the strongest can effect. Let me show you something, stand up.”

 

Slowly Shaneevae did as he asked her and got to her feet. “You are not going to do some thing weird to me are you Franklin?” There was a slight tinge of amusement to her voice, but she still smelt of fear, although not the mind numbing fear that she had earlier when recounting her tale.

 

“No Shan, this is going to be your first lesson here, so pay attention and lets see how good you can be. Lets take a walk.” Not bothering to check to see if she was following him, Franklin turned around and made for his front door, quickly opening it and making his way through and out to the garden. “Now as we walk I want you to concentrate on your image, I want you to build up a picture in your mind of how you want your clothes and appearance to be, even down to what shoes you are wearing. Once you have built this picture up in your fix it there and hold on to it. Once you have mastered this then none but the strongest will be able to make you look as you do now, although I must say you look most fetching in like that, but the hair is a little silly”

 

Franklin had decided that he would start teaching her the way he had been taught and go on from there. Obviously she would need to pay close attention to her lessons with him and he would have to bring her along a lot quicker than he would with his other pupils. But for now he would concentrate on th3e basics and take things from there.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Mentor to Shan

 

[Shaneevae]

Even a stray thought can be dangerous…..oh dear. Those words alone told Shaneevae volumes, surmising that this was going to be a more difficult task than she had assumed. Her mind was consumed by stray thoughts. What would happen if…..maybe if I try……how about this……I forgot to eat……He looks good enough to… She thought as she watched Franklin appreciatively. Case and point. Well, needless to say, stray thoughts were just part of her nature and now she had to focus exclusively on one task? That was bloody well impossible. Thoughts bounced around in her head like an illuminator’s firecracker set off in a tin can and he expected her to focus all of those down to one single thought?  Shaneevae scrunched up her face and winced. I’ll be dead by morning.

 

Following him out the door, she focused, really focused on what she should wear. The image surrounding her flickered past only about a dozen dresses before she settled on one. Once the decision was made, she closed her eyes tightly and attempted to burn the likeness into her brain.  While a modicum of success was achieved, she ruined it by tripping over a rock protruding from the ground.  Grasping at the image once more, she stopped and held onto it as fervently as possible waiting for Franklin’s approval, of course, all of this was done with her eyes squeezed shut and her bottom lip between her teeth. A Taraboner’s gown of diaphanous pale blue silk appeared clinging to her ripe form like a second skin and her hair fell in a multitude of intricate braids across her shoulders.

 

… although I must say you look most fetching like that, but the hair is a little silly.

 

Rolling her eyes, Shaneevae shook her head, braids gone and in its place the light brown waves she normally wore. Grinning seductively, she pushed her hair behind her ears and twisted around for his approval, “I chose this just for you Franklin.  I know how you appreciate a good set of…..ears.”

 

When he looked abased, Shaneevae laughed raucously.  It was good to see that she could still cause the flush to rise in his face. Shooing him along they continued walking, much to her dismay, a very uneven path. Amazing that he knew she had trouble thinking and walking at the same time. It was a disturbing flaw, one she’d had since her youth. With singular focus she could accomplish anything.  The problem was narrowing things down to a singular focus. The probability of that happening was so outrageous that not even the most ardent gambler would place a bet.

 

After stumbling several more times, tripping repeatedly and finally falling flat on her face, she cursed, a stream of words so vile that even the most hardened soldier would blush.  Even worse than her gigantic misspeak was her first thought upon realizing that she was going to fall and fall hard.  My dress will be ruined! And how did the Dream interpret that?  By landing her prone in the dirt naked as the day she was born. Jagged rocks and dirt did not feel so good on her tender bits. Lifting her chin, she growled, “Sorry about the language, but can you blame me?”

 

Shaneevae

 

Brilliant, but clumsy...

[WhiteWolf]

“Blame you? I ask you to concentrate, to pay attention and focus your thoughts and efforts and how do you repay me? You throw yourself on the floor as if you have been pole axed by someone with a quarterstaff. And as if that is not bad enough you are naked, yet again!”

 

Franklin ran his hand through his hair, almost pulling it out at the roots in exasperation.

 

“Perhaps you need someone else to help you here Shaneevae, I am beginning to think I am not the capable of helping someone like you.”

 

Franklin knew that his words would hurt Shaneevae, but nowhere near as much as they hurt him to say they them. Shaneevae and Franklin had once been lovers and Franklin had thought they had something special, something that would and could last the test of time. Unfortunately Shaneevae had not been of the same mind. Whereas it had obviously been easy enough for her to move on, Franklin had found it much harder. Like the Wolves, the Wolfkin mated for life

 

Franklin had never told Shaneevae this, reasoning that it was unfair to burden her with something she obviously did not adhere to. However that did not make it any easier on Franklin and the casual way that Shan behaved around him, on the rare occasions she bothered to contact him, caused him more pain and anguish than she would ever know. What she often described as Franklin being stoic was not true. He loved her with a passion that she had never truly understood, nor could she. How could anyone not Wolfkin ever understand the truly complex and mind boggling emotions they had to deal with. To know when someone was lying to you, to be able to sense all of their strong emotions made life very strange for any member of the Wolfkin, and any relationship with someone who was not Wolfkin was prone to many trials and tribulations. The simple fact of the matter was that no one who had not gone through the Howling could ever understand the emotional turmoil that a member of the Wolfkin lived with during that turbulent time.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Mentor to a rather silly Shaneevae

 

[Shaneevae]

Blame you? I ask you to concentrate, to pay attention and focus your thoughts and efforts and how do you repay me? You throw yourself on the floor as if you have been pole axed by someone with a quarterstaff. And as if that is not bad enough you are naked, yet again!

 

Shaneevae climbed awkwardly to her feet, shoulders hunched and trying to cover what little she could with her hands. The burn was fierce and she knew her cheeks were stained a deep crimson from the harshness of his words. They were not in jest, she knew Franklin well enough to know that what he’d said was true and that she was right.  He was no longer in love with her; as a matter of fact it seemed he cared very little for her as a person even.  She was a nuisance to him, an intrusion, and he was put out with having to deal with someone he considered trivial. 

 

With her chin and eyes dropped, she tried to focus on clothing herself, but she couldn’t get beyond the hurt that had welled up and lodged itself in her throat.  Not able to concentrate, she turned her back to him working to gain some control over the tears threatening to fall. She swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump wedged in her windpipe. The ball of emotions, shame and embarrassment were bitter, and she knew they would taste no sweeter once they passed into her belly.  Patronizing.  He’d just been patronizing her like some child with too many questions.  A child he had no way of politely avoiding so he just dealt with her the best way he could.  Shaneevae understood perfectly well.

 

Perhaps you need someone else to help you here Shaneevae, I am beginning to think I am not the capable of helping someone like you.

 

That bitter, twisted lump finally hit her belly and nausea swam through her. Someone like me. Shaneevae shook her head forcing her mind to accept what her heart was having difficulty acknowledging. She should have known better.  She should have stuck with her first assumption.  Turning around was out of the question, she’d be damned before she let him see the hurt he’d caused on her face, but she spoke loud enough for him to hear, “I understand, Franklin.  I do not know why I thought after all this time your feelings for me would have changed.”

 

Wrapping her arms tightly about her she continued, “You left me once.  I should have accepted that. You made your choice years ago.  I’m sorry to have bothered you. If you’ll just send me back into the waking world I’ll not bother you again.”

 

Shaneevae

[WhiteWolf]

Franklin’s response was too heated and not at all like his usual calm exterior. “My feelings for you? You have no idea what my feelings for you are like if you think that. I never stopped loving you nor did I stop caring about you, did our meeting when you were last here mean nothing to you?”

 

It took a moment before realisation dawned in Shaneevae’s eyes as to what he was referring to, but that moment was all he needed to rein in his emotions and continue in a more normal voice. “I had no choice but to go when I had did and I did not know how to explain that to you. The voices, the images the sudden increase in my hearing and eyesight. How was I supposed to tell you about that?” Franklin did not give her time to respond, the words seeming to well out of him like a stream that had been held back by a wall.

 

“We were in Tar Valon and you had other things on your mind, how was I supposed to break into that and tell you about all these strange things. There was one time when I could literally sense that the shopkeeper you were talking to was lying to you, but how was I to explain that to you? And then there was the city itself, that was starting to wear me down, to make me feel like the very walls themselves were going to come crashing down on me at any moment, I felt like I was going mad. It was then that the voices started and I knew I had to leave.”

 

Franklin did pause there, the memories of those events as vivid as if they had occurred the recently, the smells of the city, the noise, the crowds, the over whelming feeling of isolation, a feeling that seemed to grow by the hour. “You were so busy with your work and your Aes Sedai causes that you hardly noticed me anyway, or at least that is how it felt. When we were here it was right, we were where we were supposed to be, but you had to leave and so I followed and tried to recreate what we had here, but it never was to be.”

 

Franklin’s breathing was shallow and it almost sounded like he was panting, well to his own ears anyway. He had never recounted this tale to anyone, he was not one for publishing his emotions and his personnel life had always been secondary to his duties in the Wolfkin.

 

“Do you know anything about Wolves Shan?”

 

The obvious change in topic caught her off guard and her only response was to shrug her shoulders and give a slight shake of her head. “Well let me tell you something, something that may help you to understand better what my feelings for you truly are. Wolves mate for life; usually they only have one partner even though they are very sociable animals. Did you know that? No of course you did not, why should you it is not as if they have had any impact on your life now is it? Even after our last meeting did you take any time to try and find out? No you left as quickly as you could, not even staying around to say goodbye. One minute you were here, the next you were off on your adventures. Maybe, just maybe you need to stop and consider what I have just said; there are many similarities between the Wolves and those of us who are Wolfkin. Consider that if you will before you start making assumptions about my feelings for you and just what they may be.”

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Walking a knife edge

 

[Shaneevae]

I never stopped loving you…

 

Blinking repeated, Shaneevae looked incredulously at Franklin. He never stopped loving me? He still loves me? Joy welled up in her heart.  The first man she’d ever loved, the first man she’d ever made love to, the man who still held a huge piece of her heart in his hand still loved her. If hearts had wings, hers could fly at that very moment, take off and soar through the sky like an eagle, but as quickly as it had lift storm clouds gathered and guilt poured from the clouds grounding her soaked and sodden. 

 

It was true. She’d paid little attention to him during his time in Tar Valon. Having been a young Aes Sedai with little experience she hadn’t known how to explain his presence in her quarters. He was neither warder nor trainee and it became painfully obvious that he was simply there as her lover. She’d allowed Tower society and propriety to distance her from him, pressured by some unseen, intangible, unspoken rule that Aes Sedai did not take lovers and they especially did not bring them to live in the Tower. She’d been so concerned with pleasing others she hadn’t even noticed his struggle and out of shame she had hidden him away, not ashamed of him, but of herself and her inadequacy. Love would be enough, she’d thought for she had loved him desperately and her love for him still now held a grain of desperation.

 

Wolves mate for life…

 

The guilt had become crushing in its heaviness as his words flowed in a torrent rush. Dear Creator, she did not know. Shaneevae chastised herself for not making that connection. She’d studied animals for years, but had never made the connection between the two. Foolish and stupid and corrupt.  Shame flooded her cheeks a bright pink and her chest mottled red. Her lovers numbered few, but Franklin certainly wasn’t her only lover. If only she’d known. If she’d only known, she would have been faithful, more loyal than even the most devout wolf.  Nothing save death would have kept her from him, but it was too late now. He knew somehow…….

 

Blue-green eyes narrowed, “And just how do you know I’ve been with another?” Shaking her head, she held out her hand to stop his next words, “No. No, I don’t want to know because frankly it became none of your concern the day you left Tar Valon without telling me.”

 

Normally full lips narrowed into a grim thin line, “I thought you’d fallen out of love with me or fallen in love with another. I cannot even begin to explain the heartbreak you left me with. Years later another man came into my life and I foolishly once again allowed him into my heart and do you know what happened Franklin?" Her voice raised a fraction, “Do you? He too left me without a word of explanation.”

 

She laughed a mirthless sound, “It took ten years to recover from that one and finally I decided to take my pleasure where I could and leave love for young girls and old men. So forgive me if wasn’t giddy with the prospect of having my heart shattered again over a man that decides to just up and leave without at least a note.

 

Her blood was boiling by this point and a pink flush had spread across her body, pulling her hair back and the nape of her neck she made the smallest offer of an explanation, “The note I left for you explained that I had been ordered to return to the Tower with all haste.  It may not have been much, but it was more than I got from you and probably more than you….” She let the last words fade away. She had no desire to hurt him, but she refused to take the brunt of the blame.

 

 

 

Shaneevae

 

First Chair

 

Shamed

[WhiteWolf]

“The note I left for you explained that I had been ordered to return to the Tower with all haste.  It may not have been much, but it was more than I got from you and probably more than you….”

 

“You are right it is more that you got from me, but then you had already left me for your other love”.  Franklin knew this was a low blow, but it was also a truth that he did not think she had acknowledged and seeing as they were, finally, talking about that which needed to be said now was the time. Shaneevae looked slightly confused by what he said, not fully comprehending what he meant.

 

“You were in love with being Aes Sedai.” If Franklin put an edge to those two words he could not help it as from his perspective they had cost him his chance at happiness. “Your One Power had replaced me and offered you more than I could. You had pulled away from me Shan; you were fully an Aes Sedai in more ways that you could ever realise. When I left I was changing and that change filled every part of me that was not filled by you. But as you became more distant to me, then so there was a growing void inside of me and that void was filled by the change. I had no choice in that change and once begun I could not refuse it, could not ignore it. It is said that if a person who can channel is not taught how to channel safely they can die, or seriously hurt those around them. Well when one like me goes through the change they have to be taught how to deal with it, and not by the Wolves, they cannot help with that side of things. Someone comes for us, to help, but we cannot stay where we are. There is a place we are taken to that offers what the world cannot, safety.”

 

It suddenly occurred to Franklin that he had not spoken as much all in one go for as long as he could remember. The last time he had said as much to another person was when Shan had been with him at the battle, and then they had had other things to deal with that had not allowed a proper discussion of how they felt or what had happened in their past. The realisation that they had not spoken about themselves and their feelings for each other, with such openness and honesty, in all the time they had known each other hit him like a hammer.

 

To think all these years I have wrapped my love for this woman around me like a blanket to keep out the chill, and yet I had never told her that, not to the extent I just have anyway.

 

It was a sobering thought and one that caused Franklin not a little discomfort, as had Shaneevae’s words concerning the manner he had left. Obviously he had thought with her withdrawal from him that she no longer felt for him as she had before. But that was not all that had caused him to leave in the manner he had. She would never know, but his experience with the Howling had not been an easy one, and the changes had consumed him, virtually to the point of losing his identity completely. Thankfully with the help of those in the Stedding who understood this sort of thing he had coped and returned from the brink, but it had been a close thing.

 

“Do you know what happens to those who do not receive the help I got? Those we cannot reach in time and who lose themselves to the Howling?” Franklin’s voice literally dripped with infinite sadness but he could not avoid that when talking about the lost. “They go feral, for want of a better word, and lose the human part of themselves completely. There is no coming back from that Shan it is every bit as destructive as not learning to handle the One Power.”

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Dancing on the edge

 

[Shaneevae]

Stepping forward, she placed her fingertips tenderly against his jaw line, his eyes rising to meet hers.  Her voice was soft, full of heartache for the young man he’d been. Now she realized what a sacrifice he’d made to come with her to the Tower and it touched her deeply. Blue-green eyes searched his face, caressing every angle and line, the tiny creases at the corner of his eyes.  He was still as handsome as she remembered yet now he stood a man full grown and not the youth she’d first fallen in love with yet his ability to make her weak in the knees still pulsed it’s demand through her body.

 

Finally, she spoke, “I’m sorry, dearheart. I did not know your time in Tar Valon was so difficult nor did I realize the magnitude of what you went through during your change.”  Shaneevae rubbed her thumb across the coarseness of the goatee that covered his chin, “Ignorance is no excuse, but I ask your forgiveness for my own self centeredness.”

 

Gone were the stormy gray eyes that had held such tenderness when his arms held her tightly, nursing her through her grief and in their place shone orbs of amber. She could still remember the roughness of the pads of his fingers as they had wiped the tears from her cheeks, the sensation so vivid in her mind that she could almost feel it. Shaking her head slightly, her eyes never leaving his, she sighed, “It was not my love of the One Power that kept me from you, Franklin.  It was my own inadequacy.  My own insecurity and my own uncertainty of what I thought an Aes Sedai was supposed to be.”

 

Standing on tip toe, she brushed her cheek against his and whispered, “Oh be guaranteed that I wanted you by my side.  I just was not mature enough to handle you by my side.” Shaneevae leaned closer yet her body still did not graze against his with the movement.  Inhaling deeply of his scent, she pulled his essence in through her nostrils and let it flood her body with memories.

 

She swayed slightly with the heady rush and smiled a soft, dreamy thing, “I am a woman now Franklin and an Aes Sedai whose place and power are secure within the Tower.”  She let her hand fall to his shoulder to balance herself, “If a second chance were given I would not squander it this time around of that you can be certain.”

 

Shaneevae

 

First Chair

 

Still in love...

[WhiteWolf]

Shan’s words brought a feeling of hope to Franklin, but at the same time they also engendered a sense of frustration. All the years that had passed away between them and for what?

 

Misunderstandings on both sides?

 

A simple lack of communication?

 

Or was there something more at work here, something that neither of them could recognise, but at the same time something that neither of them could ignore.

 

Fate.

 

They had both been called to take different paths with their lives, paths that in a way had been mutually exclusive yet neither of them had been able to see that. If they had chosen differently, would the intervening years have been kinder to them, or would they have parted on even more bad terms. Franklin knew from the tales he had heard that there were certain elements in the White Tower who thought the Wolfkin were in league with the Dark One, but in fairness that could be said about any Two-Leg so it was not an attitude that was exclusive to the White Tower. For a while Franklin just stood there, Shan’s arms encircling him and gripping as if she never meant to release him again. Despite the distraction of her body pressing against him, or the memories she had brought forth, Franklin was still aware of where they where and knew that danger lurked all around no matter how tranquil it may seem at this moment.

 

Gently he disentangled her arms from around him but did not release his hold on them. “We need to be back in our own bodies Shan, the longer we linger here, the less realsleep our bodies receive. You do get used to it, but it is best that we do not linger in the Dream World too long, or too often.”

 

Seeing the crestfallen look on her face Franklin had to bite his lip to stop from smiling, the expression was just so Shaneevae, he almost expected her to stick her bottom lip out and pout at him. “I know you would rather stay here and rekindle certain of our previous moments together, but that will have to wait and there is still the matter of your training, my love. I will meet you here tomorrow night and we can discuss that further then, for now though, go to sleep remembering this.” Franklin’s lips brushed hers, ever so softly at first, but then with more passion, then he pulled away and sent her back to her own body.

 

Franklin woke from his sleep almost immediately and lay there staring up at the ceiling of his room, wondering if what had happened was real or something else. He doubted Shaneevae would use him just so that she could learn what she needed to survive in Tel’Aran’rhiod, but at the same time there were many out there who would and could take that course of action. Knowing that there was no way he would sleep again that night, Franklin got up from his bed and dressed quickly making his way to his small kitchen and quickly brewing a pot of tea and then going outside to listen to the sounds of the night, where he was soon joined by a couple of wolves, one large and shaggy the other smaller and with a shorter fur coat. Sitting there, Franklin and the wolves watched the sun rise over the land and wondered what the new dawn would bring, and if he would ever sit here with Shan sharing this simple pleasure with the woman he had wanted to spend his life with. It all seemed to be within his grasp now, so why did he not feel the joy that he should.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Confused and befuddled

 

[Shaneevae]

Sleepy eyes opened a bare slit and lips grinned their contentment with the familiar feel of her bed beneath her and the memory of Franklin’s mouth brushing her own. Rolling to her side, she tucked her arm underneath her head and noted the novice sleeping peacefully in the overstuffed chair before gazing lazily out the window at the star filled sky. Under normal circumstances, Shaneevae would be perturbed with having her sleep interrupted, but tonight was different.

 

Contented below the cool sheets, she wiggled her toes and closed her eyes happily greeted by his face. Would they make it this time? Would the Wheel allow them to fulfill their destiny? If their destiny was to be with one another that is, but if it was not then why did the Pattern keep weaving them back together?  It was infuriating to think that they could have spent the years side by side rather than at odds if only they had communicated. If only.  If only.  There was no time for if only, it was time to forget about the past and grasp two handed at the opportunity presented and that was exactly what she intended to do.

 

The afternoon had gone quickly.  The Council had been shocked, intrigued and studying her like a research project since she’d informed them of the surfacing Talent.  They had known of the outrageous injuries she’d received in her own bed and had assigned novices to keep vigil over her sleep, but they had not fully realized she was now a Dreamwalker.  Once given that information the questions had flown nonstop for more than an hour.  At least Zalena had not been so quizzical about the entire matter.

 

It had been exhausting for how was she to answer most of their questions when she herself did not know the answers. Since most of them had required her to answer, I don’t know, they’d finally let her be, but they’d also understood her need to leave the Tower for a short time and that had been her main objective for calling the meeting. So, now she stood with Little Bird, her black mare, loaded down with bags and satchels, the each of them, in a clearing set aside for Skimming just beyond the stables.

 

The sun would be setting shortly and she wanted to reach Franklin’s home before darkness settled its blanket over the day. Opening herself to Saidar, she wove a significant strand of Spirit and then interlaced it with finer threads of Earth and Air.  The floating platform in the doorway surrounded by darkness appeared, she moved inside guiding her mare by the reins.  The light blinked out and she was enveloped by the surreal darkness floating through another dimension. Her mind was full of thoughts surrounding the Two Rivers and Franklin’s home.  How she knew she’d arrived was a mystery, but a heavy feeling in her gut let her know and she opened the door back into reality greeted by the soft pink and orange glow of the setting sun.

 

Leading Little Bird to the small cabin set off by itself, she began to unload their burdens. It wasn’t long before all of her belongings had been set neatly on the corner of the porch.  Shaneevae fed the little mare a handful or two of oats and then set herself upon the edge of the porch to wait. She smoothed her slate blue skirts over her feet and readjusted the cobalt bodice and leaned her head against the post. He would be along soon, surprised by her presence, but for now she’d just sit and enjoy the sunset and rest a bit. The day had been long and her rest short.  If she just rested her eyes for a few minutes……….

 

Shaneevae

 

First Chair

 

Asleep

[WhiteWolf]

Franklin had taken a leisurely day after his encounter with Shan the previous night. There had been a lot of things that he needed to think about concerning what had been said between them. He had not problem teaching her, but he suspected she would be a problematic student prone to moments of fancy and distraction. Thinking about how easy it was to distract her made him smile, as concentration was the bedrock of being able to control Tel’Aran’rhiod. If a person could not concentrate then they could not show the discipline necessary to survive there and it was best that they stop entering Tel’Aran’rhiod altogether.

 

The weather had turned out well again and Franklin decided to spend sometime working in his vegetable garden, it allowed him to do something that was worthwhile and yet allow him to think as well, and that was what he needed to do this day, think. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Franklin removed his jacket, the sweat starting to trickle down his back, making him itch and wishing he had a cool drink nearby. Standing up he straightened the kinks out of his back and walked over to the small well that was situated behind his house. Lowering a bucket he waited until he had a reasonable amount of water in it then pulled it back up and set it on the stone wall that surrounded the well. Taking the ladle that was attached to the bucket Franklin dipped it into the bucket and took a long sip, repeating the process two or three times. Once he was finished he refilled the bucket and then undid the rope from it’s handle and returning to the vegetable patch, watered the plants growing there.

 

When he was finished in his garden, Franklin returned the bucket and then entered his home and washed the soil from his hands. Realising he was feeling rather hungry Franklin decided to take a trip into the village and have a meal at the Inn. The Innkeepers wife was an excellent cook and Franklin had no desire to eat alone this day. But he had to change from his work clothes and wash the dust from his face something that took time. But when he was eventually ready he quickly left his cottage and with a sprightly step made his way to the Inn.

 

By the time Franklin had satisfied his hunger, and slaked his thirst, the sun was almost disappearing behind the hills and there were long shadows cast across the village. Twilight was his second favourite time of the day after sunrise. In it’s own way there was a quietness that came with twilight, but also a sense of anticipation that Franklin always found stimulating. Tonight would be no different, as he had come to a conclusion about what to do about Shan and her training. He had realised with what she had told him that there was no way he could not help her and would do whatever he could to see that she was more than able to protect herself in Tel’Aran’rhiod.

 

Walking up the path to his home, Franklin caught the briefest of scents on the breeze and recognised it instantly. {I]If only she were here and not seconded in Tar Valon I would not have to spend yet another night alone in my home.[/i] Franklin wondered what he had done that was so wrong that he had to spend his life separated from the woman he loved, fate was a fickle mistress. Opening the gate at the bottom of the path to his door, ,Franklin just caught movement in the shadows cast by the thatched rood that over hung his doorway. His hand went to the small of his back and quickly he palmed one of the many daggers that were secreted about his person. The hilt pressed into the palm of his hand and the tip slid easily up the wide sleeve of the heavy wool shirt he wore. Just then he caught a stronger smell of the Shaneevae’s scent and for a moment though his longing for her was making him hallucinate, then he realised that he was not and that there was a person stood just under the over hang of his roof. Walking quickly up the path, putting the dagger back in its sheath, Franklin took the woman of his dreams in his arms and silenced her words by pressing his lips against hers and losing himself in the feeling of her body.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Rampant

 

[Shaneevae]

Head falling forward, Shaneevae jerked awake with a start. Working the kinks from her neck, she stood and rambled around in the yard waiting for Franklin to arrive. It wasn’t like her to fall asleep so easily. Normally, she struggled with falling into sleep plagued by an endless stream of thoughts careening through her skull.  Leaning against the corner of the house, she began a mental list of possibilities for study while in the Two Rivers.  She couldn’t spend her day lolling around while Franklin did what was needed with the Band, no rest for the wicked they say.

 

Her thoughts were interrupted when the creaking of the gate sounded. It was him bathed in the warm glow of the sunset.  The determination in his stride and concentration etched upon his features caused Shaneevae to take a deep breath and hold it.  She’d had no idea as to how he would react to her presence, but she hadn’t expected this.  Long legs had him mere steps from her when she thought to explain her uninvited presence, “Franklin, I….”  One strong arm snaked out around her waist and pulled her tightly against his hard frame and before she could take another breath his mouth was on hers delving deeply into the recesses.

 

The passion he had always taken her with was fierce and raw.  There was no calculation or seduction plan in his actions just unbridled abandon and a need so raw it was scalding in its intensity and today it was no different.  It consumed her.  It always did and in response she flung her arms around his neck and held on as if her life depended on it. Backed hard against the wall of the house, she reveled in the feel of his body pressed tightly to hers and the softness of his tongue as it plunged hungrily into her mouth.

 

When he broke the kiss, she sighed regretfully his face a mere hairsbreadth from her own, their breaths ragged and his forehead touching hers, they both smiled. Sucking in air, she spoke throatily, “Now this is what I call a homecoming.”

 

A chuckle passed his swollen lips as he kissed her forehead and ran his hands down her spine, the both of them trying to calm their racing hearts. Franklin turned her toward west, curled warmly to her back, his arms wrapping tightly about her waist. The sun in its last hoorah, brilliant in its colors seemed to close the door to the past and herald a new beginning as it dipped below the horizon. Planting a light kiss to her temple, he whispered, “Welcome home, Shan.”

 

With the sun in silent slumber they gathered her belongings and carried them into the house. Franklin quickly made room for her things in the armoire and cleared out two drawers in the oaken chest. Kissing her on the crown of the head, he slipped from the room to make tea.  Before she even opened her bags, Shaneevae kicked off her shoes and slipped out of her stockings. Wiggling her toes upon the cool floor, she stretched languorously and decided the bodice had to go leaving her in shift and skirt. Rummaging around, she found a place for each of the items and folded it all neatly away.

 

It wasn’t long before Franklin returned to find her sitting cross legged on the bed. She accepted the tea he offered with thanks and patted the spot next to her. The tea was sweet just the way she liked it and she sipped at it as they sat in companionable silence. Once her belly was warm and full, she lay back and turned to her side, her arm folded and tucked beneath her head. She looked up at him with a sleepy grin and asked, “How do I control my entrance and exit from the Dream?  If I ward my dreams will that help? With the little sleep I’ve gotten over the last week and the energy it takes to Skim I’m spent. I cannot fathom a trip into Tel’Aran’Rhiod tonight, dearheart.”

 

 

Shaneevae

 

First Chair

 

There's no place like home.

[WhiteWolf]

It was so like her to start asking questions almost immediately, obviously she still had that innate sense of curiosity that she had always had. Franklin had reasoned that out as the reason why Shan had chosen the Brown Ajah. Her curiosity would have been piqued by the chance to rummage through all the libraries and books that the Browns must have had access to. To him that was the only Ajah that would have suited her, as he could never imagine her in any of the others, unless it was the Blues, she was passionate about causes and so he had heard were the Blue Ajah.

 

“For tonight you do not have to worry my love, I can set the shields to prevent you being dragged into Tel'aran'rhiod and if who ever is troubling you is strong enough to break through then nothing you could do would be a help.”

 

Franklin took a few small sips from his mug, watching her over the rim and wondering if she would be able to do what was necessary to condition her mind for the rigours of the Dream. “There is one thing we need to discuss love, and it is something serious so I need you to pay attention and stop trying to distract me.” Although Franklin’s facial expression did not change, there was amusement in his voice as Shan snatched her hand from where she had been stroking his upper thigh and with a shy grin folded her hands in her lap.

 

”What is that Franklin, and why do you sound so serious. I know what you are going to teach me is not something simple or frivolous, so I will do my best.”

 

“When we next enter Tel'aran'rhiod your focus and concentration will need to be souly on what I teach you, not on what colour your dress is, or how to do your hair. Nor on the latest rumour from some far off place, or some juicy piece of gossip from your friends in the Tower. When in Tel'aran'rhiod that is where you must be totally. So starting tomorrow we will start with a series of exercises to help you focus, to hone your concentration so that stray thoughts will be a thing of the past. I hope you have brought more suitable clothing with you than dresses more suited to Tar Valon, if not I am sure we can find you something in the village.”

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Wolfkin

 

OOC: Imagine something along the lines of mediation, or maintaining a position when Franklin does his best to distract Shan…..something along those lines which I am too infected to come up with now*lol*

 

[Shaneevae]

What was left of the morning dew soaked into her worn brown skirt. Sitting cross legged in the grass, Shaneevae cursed silently to herself for having fallen asleep instead of making love to Franklin the night before.  It was beginning to cause problems. Distraction was her nom de plume and that alone was outrageously difficult to deal without her desire interfering with her ability to concentrate or to meditate as he’d called it. 

 

“Empty your mind, Shan.”

 

She wanted desperately to snort at that suggestion. Empty my mind. It would take ten bloody years to empty my mind. But instead, she closed her eyes forced her mind to ignore every thought that flittered past. It would work briefly, but soon enough a stray thought she’d thought she’d gained control over came dancing back through her head like a child demanding attention. Look at me! Look at me! It would help if he didn’t smell so damn good. All fresh and manly and earthy and intoxicat…Stop it! Shaneevae smacked at the thought like a mother smacking at her child’s hand trying to steal a sweetcake.

 

However would she void her mind of all thought and emotion? It was maddening. And then she stopped. Some memory buried deep within the recesses of her mind wanted to step forward, wanted to be heard, wanted to take center stage.  Shaneevae coaxed the memory forward, cajoled and invited until it was almost at her fingertips and then a hot, steamy breath of air blew gently into her ear.

 

“Stop it! She said poking Franklin in the chest without even opening her eyes. “I’m onto something here.”

 

Rubbing at her ear to dissolve the tingles he’d left with his breath, she went back to trying to recall the thought that kept escaping. Mentally she went back over the last few notions. No thought. No emotion. Void of all….

 

“Void!”

 

Wiggling around on the ground, she couldn’t hide the grin that had erupted. Void. Void and….Flame. Flame and the Void.  She had it. Now what did she do with it. Shaneevae pushed her mind back almost fifty years and tried to remember exactly what her trainer had told her. At the time she hadn’t paid much attention. Why did Aes Sedai need the flame and the void? She had Saidar, but now she wished she’d listen more intently. Something about feeding a flame…..what did one feed a flame? Paper. Wood. Air. Thoughts? Yes, that was it.  She was to feed the flame all of her thoughts and emotions and allow the flame to consume them.  It just might work.

 

From there on out, every thought that crossed her mind got fed into an imaginary fire burning in the center of her body.  Each desire, each emotion, anything that dared dance across her conscience got thrown into the fire and consumed as quickly as it appeared. It was empowering like shaking off her burdens, cleansing and peaceful to be free of her raging mind. Eyes open, she was surprised when Franklin squatted in front of her, grabbed her chin and forced her eyes to meet his, “Come eat, Shan.” 

 

 

Shaneevae

 

First Chair

 

By George, I think she's got it.

[WhiteWolf]

It was not really fair of Franklin to try and distract Shan so early on in this her first real lesson, but this was not something trivial they were doing this was very important and Franklin knew that he could not watch over her everyday, or more accurately every night. Once she pushed him away and told him to desist Franklin walked a short distance away from her and sat down, his movements still as lithe as a wolfs.

 

After a while, Franklin started to realise that Shan was on to something, she did not fidget, and her face did not loose composure. At first he thought she had fallen asleep, but when he ran his hand lightly over her thigh she slapped it away and told him off.  It was the middle of the day by the time Franklin decided that Shan had shown that she could focus her thoughts, and so he pulled her to her feet and then suggested they get something to eat. “But the lesson is not over for the day, we are going to the Inn for our meal and when we are there I want you to memorise every last detail of the Inn. For tonight you will be taking me there when we are in the Dream.”  Franklin’s words stopped Shan in her tracks, and he scent hinted at momentary fear, but also at eagerness, causing Franklin to smile in recognition. “Now go wash yourself, my stomach is starting to believe my throat has been cut.” With that Franklin lightly swatted Shaneevae on her backside and sent her on her way.

 

As always the food in the Inn, “The Ferryman and the Frog” was excellent and the company reflected that. Although Franklin was well known here he usually ate alone, preferring the solitude after a day spent in the Citadel. However today was vastly different and it was a much more relaxed Franklin that sat at the table with Shan, for once his mind totally unburdened by the issues he usually had to deal with. Their conversation was light, talking about people they had both known, who was still alive and who was not. Which ones had married and which ones were still single. However they also touched on what Franklin had said about memorising the salient features of the Inn and he gave Shan some pointers to help her memorise the more salient points 

 

After their meal was over, Franklin and Shan walked through the village away from the Citadel and out into the countryside. Obviously Franklin had a special affinity for this area and his love of the land became all too apparent to Shan as he spoke about the animals that lived near by. She was amazed to know just how many he knew and what he knew of their lives, this was a side of him she had never seen before. “Animals are easier to understand than people, there is no ambiguity in them. They do not seek you out one moment to suit their own ends, then ignore you the next. They do as their nature dictates and as long as you remember that they will always be easy to understand.”

 

Franklin led Shan deep into a small forest, reminding her how to move without making to much sound, although to his ears she still did. Eventually they reached the place he was aiming for and he instructed Shan to sit down and watch. In front of her was a small clearing with a pool in the center that was fed by a lacklustre stream. The ground around the pool of water was churned up by many feet, and it was obvious that this spot was used by many animals, as a source for their water needs. “If we wait quietly you will get to meet two of the newest arrivals in this part of the forest, not a sight that is normally seen by just any human as these animals are quite protective of their young, especially when they are this young.”

 

Franklin settled down to wait and would not say anymore, which frustrated Shaneevae no end, but she could tell he was really pleased to have someone to share this with so her annoyance was tempered by that.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

Animal Watcher

 

OOC Once we have seen bambiJ Take us home and we can have an early night. No hanky panky though Shan. Your first task is to get Franklin and yourself to the Inn. Franklin will get the pair of us into the dream. Obviously it will need a couple of tries for Shan to be able to move us, so have that take up the bulk of your post.

 

[Shaneevae]

It had been one of the loveliest afternoons she’d spent in years. The quiet of the wood, the majesty of the deer and her fawn, and the man she loved by her side. As a scientist her bread and butter was to be a keen observer and while she’d spent days observing animal behavior as research, she’d never sat and watched for the simple enjoyment of it all. It was refreshing, rejuvenating, and strangely fortifying to her spirit.

 

Now, however, she lay in the bed staring at the ceiling, Franklin sleeping soundly at her side.  With only a chaste kiss to her forehead he’d drifted off quickly leaving her struggling with her own thoughts and desires in lieu of sleep. The unfortunate part was that, her lover, surely he would be again at some point, was awaiting her submission to sleep and the slippery bugger was eluding her at every turn.  Cuddling up to Franklin’s back, she started to catch each stray thought and feed it into the flame centered at her breastbone.  Before long, she had drifted into sleep.

 

“It took you long enough.”

 

Shaneevae snorted, “Men have the luxury of falling asleep on cue and you are no exception, dearheart.  I think it’s because men have simpler minds.”  She laughed and dodged Franklin’s swat to her bottom.

 

Settling down, she listened intently to Franklin’s instructions and began sinking her varied thoughts in the flame.  When she felt properly centered, she took his hand in hers and closed her eyes imagining the Inn in minute detail.  Momentary vertigo assaulted her and she opened one eye sure to find them in the center of the dining room since that was the bulk of her memory, but the dining room was not what met her vision. They were still standing in the same spot as where they’d started. Scrunching her nose, she looked to Franklin, one eye still closed. A look of boredom upon his face accompanied by a slight rolling of his eyes caused Shaneevae to posture, but she closed her eyes and tried again despite the overwhelming desire to punch him in the arm.

 

This time when she called forth the memory of the inn, she got distracted by the memory of his smile and easy laughter from the afternoon. Once again she felt the weird vertigo, but in addition her feet felt wet and the ground was squishy beneath them. Opening her eyes, she recognized where she’d brought them, The Wildwood.  The place they’d made love for the first time and many more times, of course, stripping off clothes for a quick swim, not that their swims were ever quick, could stir the desire in even the most frigid of Aes Sedai and she was no frigid Aes Sedai.

 

Glancing at her companion, she had the grace to blush, but closed her eyes rapidly before he could reprimand her and envisioned the inn once again in her mind. Fervently she wished to be there blocking out any other wish or desire. She willed them to be there in her spirit and after the vertigo assaulted her senses again, she opened her eyes. They had arrived. Of course, they had arrived in a heap upon the floor, but they had arrived.

 

 

 

Shaneevae

[WhiteWolf]

The manner of their arrival caused Franklin to chuckle, as he and Shaneevae disentangled themselves from each other, Franklin got up and offered Shaneevae his hand which she took and he pulled her to her feet, quickly kissing the tip of her nose but nothing else despite her protests and the pout that appeared. The pout disappeared much quicker than the plunging neckline of her dress an obvious sign that her mind was wandering after the kiss. “Well for a first attempt that was much more successful than mine was. I managed to take myself and the then Watcher leader to a large tree, not to bad you may think except we ended up fifty feet above the ground and she had to grab hold of me to stop me plummeting to the ground below. But then I never had the same issues with my clothing as you do Shan. As pleasant a view as it is, if you show any more flesh you might as well not be wearing that dress. And do not say it is the effect that I have on you, you should know better than that.” Franklin playfully swatted Shaneevae’s backside and then led moved the pair of them back to his front room.

 

“Tomorrow I will have to go to the Citadel and review some matters that need my attention, but that will only take part of the morning. So while I am away, I want you to memorise three new locations around the village, memorise them well Shan, then tomorrow night you can take us to all three and we will see how well you perform.” At the mention of performing Shan let out a throaty laugh and her dress changed to an almost sheer Domani style. “Can one of the locations be our bedroom?” When she wanted Shan’s voice could be very earthy and enticing. Franklin thought that she did not need to show off her body for him to find her alluring, just the sound of her voice, or the tilt of her head combined with a mischievous twinkle in eye was enough.

 

“No Shan one location cannot be our bedroom nor anywhere in this house or garden. For this to work properly you need to train your memory, you need to be able to do this without a moments hesitation. The more places you can memorise in detail the more places you can use to jump to at a moments notice to escape any situations that you need to get out of quickly.”

 

A brief cloud passed over Shaneevae’s face and Franklin laughed in response. “Yes I know I am boring and dull and won’t let you play. Well maybe I can change that seeing as you at least managed to jump us to the Inn tonight without too many problems. Take us back there once more and if you get it right I will take you somewhere I guarantee you will like.”

Franklin

 

Watcher

 

OOC Shan, do the memorising bit and then have us go to each location in the Dream. Keep on doing that until she gets them right first time then we can have some fun.

 

[Shaneevae]

Frustration had become her constant companion. He’d yet to touch her with any passion since her arrival.  Oh there was a peck here, a swat on the bottom there and cuddling when time allowed for it, but no passion. He had thoroughly rejected any attempt she’d made at seducing him, which included almost every trick she could think of from leaving her bath with no robe, strolling naked through the house, to wiggling her bottom provocatively against him as he cuddled against her back in the morning. If something did not give soon she feared she would spontaneously combust into dozens upon dozens of little pieces he could simply sweep out with a broom, fastidious fellow that he was, her opposite in fact.

 

Lying on her side, she stared at him. Her teeth clenched and her eyes narrowed. Angry. She was angry that he had ignored the very tangible need she had. Bloody ashes, it had to be tangible. She knew he could smell strong emotions and if he hadn’t smelled the powerful lust she was exuding from each and every pore of her body then something was bloody well wrong with his nose. If angry stares had power, she would have bore a hole right through his skull at that moment.  He slept and as usual sleep eluded her like….well like he eluded her.  It was all bloody well frustrating.

 

When he pulled her into the dream an hour later, she glared at him, her arms crossed beneath her breasts and her foot tapping. Shooting her a perplexed look, she rolled her eyes to the sky and huffed, “Let’s do get on with this so that I can get back to sleep.”

 

Grabbing his hand she refused to meet his gaze and within seconds of the touch, the world shifted about them settling on a snow covered mountain the wind ferocious against their faces.

 

“Is this where you intended for us to go?”

 

“Well, no, of course not. Let me try again," she said irritably.  Exhaling sharply, the word once again began to shift in that discomforting way as if it were spinning way too fast and you just held on until it stopped. And stop it did, right in the middle of a pond. The stream of curses that erupted from her mouth could have made the most hardened soldier blush.

 

“Don’t ask!”  She growled grabbing his hand and sending their world spinning about their heads once again.  This time as the blessed Creator had granted they ended up where she had intended, a deserted well beyond town where she’d imagined a family had once lived. There was no house, but why else would a well be out in the middle of nowhere.

 

“This,” she said with emphasis is where we were supposed to end up the first time. “See.” She said curtly grabbing his hand and tilting the dream on edge again. The blacksmith. She didn’t know why she’d gained a sudden fascination with such places……well she did, but she chose not to think of it.

 

“And yes, this was a purpose. Now one more and I can be done with this for the night.” Her frustration was palpable, but her focus to get this done and over with was incredibly attune. Anyone else would have thrown up with the rapidly changing scenery, but not Franklin, no. He was forever calm and unmoving even when she’d moved him back to the very spot where they’d spent an afternoon watching a doe and her fawn.

 

Looking as him expectantly, he nodded in quiet approval. “Can we go home now?”

 

 

Shaneevae

 

Frustrated Aes Sedai

[WhiteWolf]

“Can we go home now?”

 

Franklin had to use all of the years of experience at his command to avoid laughing out loud at the plaintive sound of Shaneevae’s voice, he had known for some time the increasing feelings of frustration she was suffering from, but she had to learn to master her desires if she was to succeed here and as such he had deliberately not allowed her to satiate them. From time to time he had even added to them, taking a measure of satisfaction from knowing he had the upper hand for once when it came to frustration.

 

“You have shown improvement this night Shan, but there is still room for growth and you are not using all of your mind, nor are you concentrating fully on the task at hand. If you were there would be no mistakes, no errors or slight mishaps.” Shan’s expression showed her disapproval of how well he could read her, but Franklin ignored this and continued. “I know how strong you are, mentally, no one becomes Aes Sedai who are not. You need to use all of that strength and more to learn here at the accelerated pace that the predicament you told me about requires.”

 

At the mention of why she was here Shan’s clothing immediately changed and this time Franklin could not help but laugh, and seeing the reason for his laughter Shan eventually joined in. “Now that does look good on you Shan, but I think it is rather impractical for everyday use, mind you it would certainly turn a few heads.”  Franklin winked at Shan, hoping to lighten her mood somewhat. “Anyway I believe I promised you a treat if you performed well this night?”

 

As they lay in their bed, much later on that night, Franklin was reminded that injuries suffered in the Dream would also affect you in the real world. The punch Shan had given him for his performance comment had caused quite a bruise to appear on his upper arm, and after the vigorousness of their lovemaking, he was reminded of the incident. Shan was lying with her head on his chest, her fingers idly twining themselves in the thick mat of hair on Franklin’s chest. Franklin watched her, taking in the lushness of her body and the lustre of her hair. It was a sight that Franklin hoped he would never tire from looking at and he hoped there would be time enough for him to put that premise to the test.

 

Franklin

 

Watcher