Teaching him the Ropes (attn: Raeyn)

[Matalina]

Cari walked into an extravagent inn that Nathan used regularly for his own personal visits with Ranch clients.  It was a pretty place and Taylor looked around in awe.  He was here to meet his grandfather's clients.  When Taylor turned of age he would take over the ranch operations, until then his grandmother did the business, but Taylor would be meeting with all the old clients to insure them all was going to be okay.

 

Cari's job this trip was to protect the boy.  People knew Nathan, others didn't like him and might find it a good time to but an end to his stock and his business, or his side business in the dark.  Though few from Nathan's circle of darkfriend leaders knew that his successor had not been family.  Cari was the highest on the ranch and got the job by default.  But now it was Taylor's turn to become lord of the house and he needed to put his presence before his clients.

 

Cari got two rooms, one grand and one smaller for herself.  Miss Sara had informed her to treat Taylor like Nathan in the coming days in front of others.  Taylor was in charge, but Cari was his guardian at the moment, and under most circumstances she was his guardian at home as well.  Taylor was the same age as her twins and he tended to stay with them now that his parents were dead.

 

As Cari walked the stairs to their rooms she thought she'd recongized someone from her past walking down the opposite side.  Surely Raeyn Sedai cannot be here today.  Oh fun!  our former mistress.  Cari wondered if she had changed enough for Raeyn to recognize.  Few had regconized her before, her drastic change of clothing and appearance she hoped would deter any awkwardness, but Cari had unintentionally flashed the darkfriend sign as she passed her former sedai on the stairs.  It was habit to let other darkfriends know you were in the area particularly if you recognized them.

 

Cari

 

[Raeyn]

Raeyn eyed her room with a smile - while she rarely had had time before to travel as she liked, she was most glad her fellow Sisters that had been away from the Tower had been able to 'accidentally' recommend a few good inns.

 

"Still", she thought to herself as she tidied herself from the journey, "I don't know why I would come here of all places... It hasn't been home for hundreds of years, and there's nothing left for me..."

 

Raeyn paused in her ministrations as her thoughts trailed off.  Shaking herself, she replaced her hairbrush on the table and drew the One Power unto herself.  Channeling lightly, she removed the bits of dust and mud from her dark purple silk dress, took a deep breath, and left the room.

 

She started down the stairs, contentiously making way for the young woman starting up them.  Suddenly, the girl flashed the Darkfriend sign her way!  Raeyn blinked, and grabbed the girl by the arm to stop her.  The other woman

turned towards the Sister; recognition was clear in here eyes for all the other woman attempted to conceal it.

 

"So," Raeyn breathed as recognition dawned upon her in spite of the other woman's changes to her appearance, "Not that I'm unhappy to see you again, but I didn't expect to find you here... join me for a drink?"  Her former Warder

nodded dumbly and let herself be lead back down the stairs.

 

"The Wheel Weaves," Raeyn mused ruefully to herself as she led the other woman to a table.

[Raeyn]

Cari noticed that Taylor was following her down the stairs.  He didn't need to come, he also didn't need to know she'd been lying to him about many things the most major one was that she'd never been to Tar Valon prior to Talyn's death.  It wouldn't be good to reveal that now.  Maybe later after she spoke with Raeyn.  She needed his trust and he needed hers.  May as well come clean now, he was going to need more friends now than ever.  For 10 he was doing real well.

 

Cari turned to Taylor.  "Go to our rooms and clean up, then come join us downstairs if you feel up to it.  I need to speak to the Mistress alone."  He nodded. "I understand friends business and all."  Cari gave him a wry smile, he was too smart for his own good.  "Something like that."  She gave him a hug and he turned to run back up the stairs.

 

Raeyn had already found a quiet table away from everyone else.  "Mistress, I'm Cari, it will be a pleasure to join you."  She wasn't sure what her former Aes Sedai would call her so it was best to put it out there before she uttered the name of the person who was dead.  That was the last thing she needed was more people to recognize her.

 

Cari sat down and ordered water and a bit of cheese.  She didn't drink still.  "I see you've no other with you.  I am sorry to have left you like I did.  But I am not fit to protect you like that anymore."  Cari didn't exactly look up to her Aes Sedai.  It was odd to feel this way towards the woman who she'd trusted and who had trusted her, but Cari wasn't sure how things would be now.  The proper respect and deferment was best for her status.  Cari didn't want to offend her former friend in front of everyone.  With out her feelings through the bond it was going to be a difficult conversation for Cari.

 

Cari

 

---

 

Raeyn watched Matalina talk to her young companion while waiting for her tea to arrive. "That's not one of her children," she thought in bemusement as the boy headed back up the stairs, "I wonder what's going on here..."  She soon found out.

 

"Misstress, I'm Cari, and it will be a pleasure to join you," her former Warder said as she settled in across the table.  Raeyn arched her eyebrow, but refrained from speaking, as the serving girl was arriving with her tea.  The young woman took Mata... no, Cari's order, and scampered off to the kitchen.

 

"I see you've no other with you.  I am sorry to have left you like I did.  But I am not fit to protect you like that anymore."  Cari looked up; flashes of worry and and expectation flitted across her eyes.

 

Raeyn picked up her tea and stared at the surface of the liquid.  A bit of steam wafted up from its rippling surface, distorting her reflection.  Sighing softly, she looked back up at her old friend, "Life changes, and so do we.  In a way, your leaving was a bit of a wake-up call for me."  She took a sip of the hot bitter liquid, and continued, "I was getting extremely annoyed with things at the Tower as they were, and decided to retire, myself."  A wry smile crossed her lips, "Not that I told too many people; I'm like to be in a spot of trouble, if any of the children attempting to run the place are strong enough to tell me off.  I gave too many years to that place, and I'd like some time to myself, to actually see things, before..."

 

She trailed off, gesturing with one hand.  The Brown Sister knew that Cari would understand - she wanted some time to collect her thoughts before the return of their Master, the Great Lord himself.  Things would be plenty busy then!

 

Putting her mug of tea down, she opened her mouth to speak again, but shut it at the return of the serving gal with Cari's order.

[Raeyn]

 

Cari smiled.  "The tower is a confining place.  And I've found more comforts outside of it, including that of being a mother."  Raeyn knew that most of her children were in Tar Valon or had just recently left, she didn't know of the twins yet.  "There are an additional two to the family now.  Perhaps one day you will meet them.  The twins are by far more ammenible to our way of thinking.  Though the choice is theirs and I will not force their hand either way."  Cari took a bit of the cheese she had ordered.  "Seen anything of interest in these parts?"  Cari wished that there was no news here.  She didn't need the  Children to find them or even anyone else for that matter.  The Ranch was still rebuilding their reputation.

 

Cari

 

---

 

Raeyn's expression melted into a soft smile, "More children?  I really am happy for you, Ma.. Cari."  She took a sip of her tea, made a small appreciate noise, and continued, "And twins, at that?  That really is something.  And that they might follow in your footsteps is something, especially considering that I've heard some.. disturbing.. rumors about what path your Jeffery took."

 

She eyed the cheese Cari had ordered, and took a piece herself.  Rolling it between her fingers idly, she almost missed Cari's question.  Popping it in her mouth, she chewed slowly, savouring the flavor.  "No, no... just sort of idly traveling right now, and enjoying having a bit of freedom for a bit."  The Brown Sister barked a laugh, and continued in a wry tone, "Relative freedom, at least... those that are our.. <i>friends</i> know how to contact me if need be.  And yourself?  I hardly expected to find you herding a child out in the middle of no where... is that one of the twins, or...?"

[Raeyn]

Cari nodded when Raeyn mentioned contacts, most always knew how to contact you, friend or foe.  It was all in the signs and safe places.  Raeyn's next inquiry didn't surprise her any.  She rather expected it.  "No he's not mine by birth, but by formality he is mine now."  Cari leaned in to whisper to her friend.  "Where I was living had a run in with the Children of the Light.  His parents were killed."  Cari didn't mention that she killed them, the few who knew that the better.  It was a mercy killing after all, other wise they'd have given every one of them up.

 

"He is now in my care, I promised to take care of him.  And he is the last living heir to his families traditions, it's time he learned it.  He trusts me as does his grandmother so I show him the ropes and when he's old enough he can run the place by himself.  He's a good kid, my children love him as if he was one of their own, even before things went sour.  You actually met his brother once long ago, shortly after I left you.  Talyn Rashad.  Sadly he has passed on to the Master as well."

 

Cari

 

---

 

Raeyn nodded slowly, putting two and two together. <i>"The Rashad Ranch,"</i> she thought, taking another deep pull from her tea, <i>"I remember hearing something of that family, but I didn't know... oh Darkness.."</i>  Putting her mug down, she frowned slightly, "I recall Talyn.. I am saddened to hear of his passing.  And fills me with many questions that I wouldn't ask in such a public place..."

 

She trailed off, idly dragging her finger across the tabletop.  She really did have so many questions, and no idea where to start.  The Black Sister could only guess from Cari's earlier comments that they had had some trouble with the Children of the Light, but who didn't these days?  She was happy her former Warder had found a place to call 'home', but what brought her away from it?

 

Waving to the serving girl, she asked for another tea.

[Raeyn]

 

Cari nodded out and out of instinct reached her hand out to Raeyn's resting on the table.  She hesitated the final few inches and realized what she had been about to do.  Flirting with your Aes Sedai, how rude.  Marosa started to laugh.  No one else joined her as Cari moved her hand away from where she had intended it to go.  Cari chided herself internally and spoke what she had intended.  "Our private rooms are more secluded, if you care to join us.  I'm sure there are other things that can be done to insure such privacies as well."  Cari wasn't overly fond of the one power being used around her anymore, but it she knew it would bother her less with Raeyn.

 

Cari

 

 

---

 

Raeyn sighed inwardly, but limited herself to quirking her eyebrow as Cari reached out for her hand, <i>"It shouldn't surprise me that a dominant part of her is all flirt now, but it does..."</i>.

 

Nor should she have been surprised by her former Warder's invitation up to her chambers; the woman spoke truth - they would have more privacy... and Raeyn trusted her to keep whatever bit of her was feeling... flirty... in line with the child present.  "Going upstairs sounds like a fine idea, my friend," the Aes Sedai said with a smile, "Though you will forgive me for having a scheduled intrusion - I'm going to have the serving girl bring up whatever passes for dinner here for the lot of us, as I'm absolutely famished!"

 

Before Cari could speak, Raeyn stood and flagged down the serving girl, "Would you please bring up dinner for three to her chambers?"  the Brown Sister said, gesturing towards Cari.  The girl read out what was available, and in short time had the order.

 

Nodding towards Cari, she waited until the other woman got up, and followed her to the stairs.

 

[Raeyn]

Cari lead the way to their rooms.  The door opened just as she reached for the knob. Taylor was making his way down stairs.  Cari smiled.  "We'll be eating in our rooms.  More privacy this way."  Taylor nodded and opened the door wider to let the women in.  He bowed when Raeyn passed him.  Cari tried not to laugh at his chilvary, but that was Taylor.  He was learning well, and he was learning to be a ladies man, thankfully he didn't follow in his fathers footsteps.

 

Cari cleared the table and found a third chair it wasn't like the others and was a bit more comfortable, she offered it to Raeyn.  Then she turned to Taylor.

 

"Taylor, this is is Mistress Raeyn.  She is an Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah."  Taylor had a questioning look on his face.  "I was once her warder, before the twins were born."

 

He smiled, "I knew it!  Grandfather is a smart man to hid that information from everyone.  But you give it away Miss Cari.  You are not much like a woman should be."  He blushed.

 

Cari smiled.  "I can't help years of training Taylor.  But I tell you this now as you are head of your household, you must not tell anyone else, not even discuss it with the twins.  They of course know but you should not talk about it."  Taylor nodded.

 

Their dinner arrived and Taylor opened the door and the girl put the food on the table.  Taylor tipped the girl as proper from his status in their so called ranks.  He was the master here in pretense, even if he obeyed Cari.

 

"Privacy is ours now.  I know you have questions."  Cari smiled but it soon faded. You can't help but flirt with anyone can you.  And Marosa laughed again.  Cari ignored her inner voices and tried to focus on what was about to unfold.

 

Cari

 

---

 

Raeyn smiled and gave a slight nod of her head to the formality of Cari's young charge Taylor; it pleased her to see a young man with manners.  Cari, on the other hand, looked like she was about to giggle!

 

Introductions and explanations were made, and dinner swiftly delivered.  "Privacy is ours now.  I know you have questions."  Cari smiled briefly.

 

Nodding her head again from the chair she had been ensconced in, Raeyn spoke, "You did mention Talyn, and the Whitecloaks..." she paused, gathering her thoughts, "How did they.. that is to say... how did they find out about the Ranch?"

 

Raeyn

 

[Matalina]

Taylor was the first to speak.  "They followed some stupid people."  In reality it was stupid people who lead them to the Ranch and it was those two that killed Taylor's parents, even though the guilt weighed heavily on her heart.

 

Cari started the tale.  "Two men came to the ranch seeking refuge, they didn't tell me what they wanted, they had wanted to talk to the master of the house, not the leader of the circle.  I hadn't revealed myself yet so when the children came on their heels, only Liam and Petra were known to the others.  And to save their own miserable skins they turned on those that would have sheltered them."

 

Taylor stood and flung his plate across the room.  "And you killed my parents."  He stalked out of the room.  Cari knew it would happen again.  It often did when they were alone.  Taylor was part of her family now but that facts were the facts she had killed them.  Cari watched as Taylor stormed off into the adjacent room.  "He's correct in that but it was better than then having the Children torture them for information and getting it.  Taylor knows that if I had not poisoned them they would have told them of everyone on the ranch including him.  And then he would be dead too. It was my job.  I did it with out hesitation.  He understands until times like these when he's alone with me with out the other chilren."

 

Cari

[Raeyn]

 

<b>"He's correct in that but it was better than then having the Children torture them for information and getting it.  Taylor knows that if I had not poisoned them they would have told them of everyone on the ranch including him.  And then he would be dead too. It was my job.  I did it with out hesitation.  He understands until times like these when he's alone with me with out the other children."</b>

 

Raeyn nodded slowly; a small frown crossed her lips as she started to speak, "While regrettable, there are times when we must do as we must.. and I've no doubt that you did what was best in the situation.  And even in such a grim event, I'm pleased to see that you're still focused on doing your duty as you best see fit."

 

Taking a cup, she poured herself some water before continuing, "And you cannot really blame the boy for his... reactions... in this.  As young as he is, I'd be surprised if he truly grasps the enormity of the situation."  She took a deep swallow, and settled back into her chair.

[Matalina]

"I don't blame him for his reactions.  Its just something more to deal with.  He and I will have another talk when he's calmed down and you are no longer in our rooms."  Cari smiled.  Cari closed her eyes and grasped the void, the temptation to flirt was far beyond any normal situation.  -Probably cause you've known her so long.- No I don't think it's that I think it's because she can't

 

Cari quickly opened her eyes and spoke softly.  The void was clearly around her.  "His brother's accident was much the same.  The family blamed me in the back of their minds.  I was the one who sent him to the Tower.  But it was his own foolishness that lead to his demise I am sure of it.  He sent home letters clearly in the wrong about being what he was.  I'm sure he got caught.  And for that I am thankful you had not gotten along well with him."

 

Cari took a swallow of her water.  It was old, but cold and wet, it would do for now.  "Though they do have a cousin our your way who is by far alot more careful.  I've met him once.  Jesse is his name I think.  A good boy, I think Sara said he was a Tower Guard for several years now.  Twenty something and a friend, though with no ties to anyone in particular.  His family is like the Rashad's raised in the way.  The irony is that his father is a soldier of the Shienarian army, fighting trollocs.  He's been at the sword longer than most of the guard even though his training has been the same.  A good lad.  You should look him up when you are there.  I can write you a letter of introduction if you'd like.  Like I said he's real careful about who he is."

 

Cari

[Raeyn]

 

Raeyn nodded agreement absently when Cari mentioned Talyn; he'd been a rash boy, and while she'd not particularly liked him, the Brown Sister hadn't wished him any ill will either.

 

As for this cousin.... Raeyn shook her head slightly, "I don't know, old friend.  If I have my way, I won't be going near Tar Valon anytime soon; I've spent much too long cooped up in the Tower in service, and I was hoping to actually see something besides walls."  Suppressing a smile at Cari's sudden glare, she continued, "But if it would make you happy, I will take that letter of introduction... as a just in case."  After all, a woman should be happy to know that even with a bond dissolved, she's still being looked after!

[Matalina]

Cari knew of not wanting to go back to Tar Valon, but her reasons were far from that she didn't want to be cooped up.  They all thought she was dead save for four people - Raeyn, Reikan Souvan, Yearn and Aran - to all others Matalina Gaidin was dead.  Dead for nearly 10 years.  Had it really been that long?

 

Cari nodded and took out pen and paper from her pouch and jotted down a note to Jesse.  It was a quick note one that spoke of her former bond with Raeyn and her desire for him to look after the Aes Sedai who gave it to him as a favor even if she didn't want him to.  Unlike with Tayln she really didn't want to leave it up to her, Raeyn was not her charge anymore but it was very difficult not to take care in the woman she had been bound to for so many years.

 

"Just in case.  So what are your plans from here?" Cari handed Raeyn the note.

 

OOC:  feel free to wrap it up if you wish, idle chit chat then on their merry ways.

[Raeyn]

 

"Just in case.  So what are your plans from here?" Cari handed Raeyn the note.

 

Carefully tucking the note into her belt-pouch, Raeyn smiled warmly at her former Warder and old friend.  "I only have a loose agenda at current," she said as she picked up her glass of water.  Taking another drink, she held the glass and continued, "I'm working my way country to country; I've come across the Borderlands from Tar Valon meeting with some of my various contacts, and will work my way down the coast down through Tarabon, and then down across towards Illian.  Meeting with various contacts and agents along the way," she added, taking another drink of water before putting the glass back down on the table.  "Perhaps I'll find a rare cache of ter'angrael, perhaps I won't.  Perhaps I'll find a hidden library with all the knowledge of the Age of Legends... who knows?" 

 

She laughed at that, and stood up.  "The Wheel Weaves, my old friend, and I don't know what lies ahead.  Some jobs I must do in the name of our Master, I'm sure, but for now I go forth as freely as I can... I can only hope that our paths cross again some day."  Cari stood, and Raeyn hugged her tightly, "It has been good seeing you and knowing that you're still alive and out in the world," the Brown Sister smiled gently, "But for now, I have ridden hard today, and desire nothing more than to jot down a few notes and rest.  I won't see you and your young charge out on the morrow... but I wish you well on your travels."

 

Smiling sadly at this woman who was her friend and almost like a daughter to her, Raeyn hugged her once more.  Opening the door, she bowed her head slightly  acknowledge a bow, stepped out into the hallway, and shut the door behind her.