An Unlikely Friend (Attn: Kabria)

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine finished putting Rao back in her stall, pleased with the progress the mare was making with her training.  He patted her nose and gave her an apple smiling at how the filly that was once so wild and skittish around all but his sister had bonded with him and accepted him as her own.  He laughed softly as the horse nuzzled his cheek, leaving a smear of apple-smelling slobber and wiped it away with the back of a hand.  One more pat and he walked out of the stables, heading across the yard to get some lunch before it was all gone.  He was late to lunch, not an unusual state for him, and when he arrived and the hot food had been all put away he contented himself with some cold beef, rolls, cheese, and a tankard filled with tea. 

 

The weather was unseasonably cool, and the break from the heat was a delight he intended to indulge in.  Gathering up his lunch in a large table napkin, he stepped out of the mess hall and headed over to the grove to eat his lunch.  His friends had eaten earlier and he could see them back at their practice and training, so he went alone into the comfortable shade of the trees to eat.  He was just about to sit down and begin eating when he caught sight of a girl in a white dress, banded at the hem in the seven colors of the Ajahs.  He'd been here long enough to discern Accepted from Novice and he approached her slowly.

 

When he was closer, he called out softly.  "Hello there, Miss.  Do you mind providing some company while I eat my lunch?  There's enough for two if you're hungry."  He held out the tankard of tea as way of offering and moved close enough to sit down without waiting until he had permission.  When she looked up from her book he gave a disarming smile, friendly but not insistent, using the body language he would adopt for a skittish horse.  The glare the girl sent at him was hardly even noticed as he found himself staring at the metal ring through the girl's nose.  He caught himself and shifted his gaze up to her eyes and as he sat down with his back against a tree a few feet from her, he spoke again. "I beg your forgiveness, Miss.  I didn't catch what you were saying.  You have the most fascinating appearance.  But then, I guess you already knew that.  Would you care for a bit of cheese?"

 

Apparently not scared off or inclined to respond to her ire, Jasine held out the small cut of cheese on the blade of his knife, open friendliness the only expression he wore as he waited patiently for her to either accept the food or decline it. 

 

[Eqwina]

The Flame, The Blade, and The Heart It was not a book that she wanted anyone to see her reading. If any sisters caught her with it they would send her straight to the Mistress of Noivces office, it was not considered proper reading even for a young woman of 20. So before leaving her room that morning Kabria had wrapped the book in a small scrap of yellow fabric. The words still showed through if you looked close, but it was far less noticeable than it would have been without.

 

With the new banded hem no one question where she was going as she made her way through the Tower and out into the Yards. It was not a Free Day strictly speaking, but at the fast pace at which Kabria learned her chosen studies only took a few hours of her days.

 

Intent on finding a quiet spot she stalked through the yards with out a second glance at the trainee’s. Some of them were cute to be sure, but she was smart enough to know that no matter how pretty she was as soon as she opened her mouth they would run. In her years in the Tower she had gained something of a reputation; and now even the newest recruits knew to stay clear. That is why she contented herself with stories of romance instead of seeking it herself. A book was far less complicated and less likely to land you in hot water than any man.

 

Finding her usual spot blessedly free Kabria plopped down and settled in with her book. It didn’t take long for her to be swept up in the romance of it all. No woman except perhaps a Sister of the Red could help but be swept away by the romance of Birgitte and Gaidal Cain. Even alone Kabria’s cheeks flushed bright red as her eyes devoured the page.

 

"Hello there, Miss.  Do you mind providing some company while I eat my lunch?  There's enough for two if you're hungry."

 

A scream fought desperately to escape her lips, but Kabria stifled it to only a small squeak. Her eyes drifted upward until she met the boys, they were the most beautiful shade of brown she’d even seen. Instead of smiling or even offering a blush Kabria only glared. Suddenly feeling frightened and a little wary; the feelings only grew when her stare did not scare the young trainee away.

 

"I beg your forgiveness, Miss.  I didn't catch what you were saying.  You have the most fascinating appearance.  But then, I guess you already knew that.  Would you care for a bit of cheese?"

And like clockwork her heart beat quickened and her rasp of a tongue was released. “You didn’t hear what I was saying because I didn’t say anything. If my look was not enough to tell, then here it is. I don’t want any company, least of all that of some young whelp looking for date. I am not interested in your cheese and I am most definitely not interested in you.” 

 

She picked her book back up with a snap and was mortified when the yellow fabric fell away. Her cheeks flushed red enough to match the tips of her hair, and her blue eyes turned to frozen ice. Quickly she closed the book and tried to be casual about hiding it behind her skirts. Without the book Kabria was left with no defence from the boy in front of her, she wanted to cry.

 

[Quisalas Selene]

"Oh, I don't want a date, Miss.  Unless you count sitting under the grove eating cheese a date.  In that case, maybe I wouldn't mind a date, but I have no intentions of courting you."  He paused as he ate the cheese from his knife and his eyebrows rose as he saw the scrap of yellow fabric fall away from the book. "That's a Birgitte story, isn't it?  My sister reads those. She's a novice in the tower." He gestured with his knife towards the large white building behind him and then cut another slice of cheese, this time making a sandwich with some of the cold beef and a roll.

 

"You know, if I did count sitting under the trees with a prety girl while eating lunch a date, you could even go so far as to get up and walk out on me now, and we'd still have had a date."  He smiled again and then continued. "But you came out here for a reason, don't let me stop you or make you change your plans.  Why, if you got up and went back into the Tower, it would be like you were letting some young whelp decide your life for you.  Where as if you stayed here and maybe had some tea, you'd be showing that you don't let anyone else run your life for you." 

 

He paused again, this time to take a bite of his sandwich, and watched her as he chewed.  He had watched her try to hide the book out of sight and he leaned back against his tree, stretching his legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankle, looking for all the word relaxed and carefree. He added, almost offhand, an introduction.  Most people replied to an introduction with their own name, even if they weren't happy about talking.  And Jasine was always one to hope for the best.  "I'm Jasine."

[Eqwina]

No intention of courting her? A likely story. Trying to hide any fear that she felt Kabria straightened her back and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. It was a pose Shenesta had assumed when she was at her most commanding. When he mentioned the book again Kabria flushed and quickly lifted up enough to tuck the book under her skirts. She opened her mouth to again tell the boy to leave, but he spoke right over her before she had the chance.

 

It was like being run over by a stampede of wild horses or gored by a bull. He had managed to talk her into a corner with no choice but to answer or appear a complete loon.  Sure she could get up and run, but that would only make her more a fool in his eyes; and being a fool was one thing Kabria could never countenance. “ I am Kabria” she muttered fiercely. “ and this is not a date.”

 

Light but she sounded petulant. It was hard to remain seated and not fidget when your feet were aching to run, but Kabria managed it if only by a hair. “If I have some tea with you would you please let me alone? I would like to get back to my reading before it is too dark to see.”

 

It was a foolish statement; the sun had barely reached its zenith, but it was the most cutting comment she could come up with when her heart was stuck in her throat. If Jasine had heard an insult in her words he gave no sigh. He simply smiled another one of his noxious smiles and passed her the mug.

 

The tea was not sweetened like she usually took it, but it had another sip before passing it back. Kabria couldn’t understand why Jasine was insisting on torturing her with his presence. Surely he had heard the rumors; he should want to stay away. The boy was a mystery to her, just like all men, and most shore bound.

 

For her the passing minutes of silence were torture, but he seemed to pay them no mind. He continued to eat his lunch and occasionally would smile at her if he caught her looking. It was disturbing and strange, but the humiliation of what her skirts covered and the desire to understand him made Kabria keep her seat. Unable to handle his constant stares she tried to start a conversation if only to lessen his looks. “So I can see by the way that you saunter with your sword and your..pushy….demeanor that you are hoping to be a warder. Why?”  She was always blunt and this was the point when most people shied away from her icy gaze.

 

[Quisalas Selene]

"Kabria.  A name at least as lovely as the girl who claims it.  And if you insist, I shall agree to this not being a date."  He took the tea back and drank from it before starting in on another roll.  If Kabria had expected rumors to ever sway Jasine, she would probably be astounded at the fact that, upon learning the Mistress of Trainees was a fire-breathing dragon who decapitated young boys for sport, he had decided to flirt with her.

 

"A warder?  Well, can you think of any one thing a man can do with his life that would be of greater service to the Light than to devote himself to one of the women who held the greatest power of the Light?" He brushed the crumbs off of fingers and took another drink of the tea before continuing. "When my sister came to the Tower, she gave up everything she loved to serve the Light.  I decided that if she could show that much courage and strength, so could I.  When I first got here, I just assumed that a Warder is what we were training to become.  The life of a Tower Guard, while important, pales in comparison to protecting the life of an Aes Sedai and helping her to drive back the shadow.  Should Tarmon Gaidon come in my life time, I would want to be where I can help the most."  He spoke softly, but with an intensity the showed his words were from the heart.  He was probably considered idealistic and overly prone to romanticizing, but it was how he felt. 

 

"And you?  Why have you devoted your life to the Tower?  Will you be one to travel the world, doing what is needed for the Light, with a warder at your side to keep you from harm when you are weak?"  If he'd thought more about who he was talking to, he might not have chosen the word weak in connection to her.  He also might not have asked her if she was going to take a warder so soon after he said he wished to become one.  It never crossed his mind that she might take it as an invitation to the bond he hoped to one day hold.

 

[Eqwina]

There was no reason to keep the conversation going, but Kabria found herself itching to make some snide remark in response to his answer. She wanted to cut him down and tell him  that no Aes Sedai would ever bond a man who was so free with his smiles, but she couldn’t. Something inside her would not allow it, would not allow her to cut down the dreams of on with such passion. It just didn’t seem right.

 

No one had ever asked her why she had come to the Tower. The circumstances surrounding her arrival said it all. She had been forced to come, but that was not why she had stayed. Looking down at the tattoos on her hands and then back at Jasine she spoke, and with only a hint of her usual venom. “I came because I was forced into, by a Sister with a stone faced Warder the size of a horse. Had I tried to decline I surely would have been forced, but that is not why I stayed.” Her slim fingers gently stroked the small star on her left hand. “I stayed because I wanted knowledge and I wanted to make my mo..my guardian proud, and it was that or end up spending the rest of my life as a tavern maid.” She finished truthfully. It was not as noble as Jasine’s reasons, but they were the facts.

 

“ I have never really thought on what kind of Sister I will be, I have not really even thought on an Ajah. What I do know is that I won’t stay cramped behind these walls with my nose in a book. Some of her resentment at the Browns that had been sniffing at her door showed through. There is more of the world I want to see..” Her face flushed at having made such a long speech. “And if I were to find a Warder whose nose was not too far in the air I might bond. Provided he knew when to control his smiles” During the last of her speech Jasine had begun his infuriating grinning.

 

“Do you always smile so much or is your face stuck that way?”

 

[Quisalas Selene]

"Ah good, if you want someone who can control his smiles, then I'm safe from you and you won't have to worry about any conflict at being my friend."  As was probably expected, he grinned after his response.  He held out a slice of cheese for her again with a questioning raise of brows, and after that his lunch was finished.  He drank some more of the tea and then offered it to her as well before continuing.

 

"Now, if I wanted to be mean I could ask if you always scowl so much, or if your face is just stuck that way.  But I have been taught here to respect and honor the women who devote themselves to the Tower, so instead I'll just answer your question.  I do always smile.  The Creator has blessed me with a lot of reason to smile, and when I cannot see the reason to smile, I smile anyway because it just might make thinsg better.  You'd be surprised at how much better you feel when you smile."

 

He thought about what she had said about coming to the Tower and noticed her slip when she almost called her guardian... what, mother?  It seemed like the logical answer but he didn't push the subject. He was just glad to have gotten her to talk to him some.  "I think your guardian would be proud of you, just for what you've done so far.  I don't hear any stories about how easy it is to be a novice, or to ascend to being an Accepted.  It seems like it's a lot of hard work and is something very much worth pride.  That tattoo there on your hand, it seems to mean a lot to you.  Why did you get it?"  He spoke gently as he asked, his face relaxed into seriousness and he expected the possibility of being yelled at for being nosy.

[Eqwina]

The fingers stroking her tattoo frozen and some of the ice in Kabria’s eyes melted. She had been asked countless time why she had “painted herself like such a freak”, but never before had anyone considered or enquired the real reason behind her appearance. While some of her anger towards Jasine had melted all of her fear remained, before she could control her tongue she spat another venomous remark.

 

“ I don’t see why my appearance should matter to you, unless your intentions are less pure than you claim.” She felt like a fool as soon as the words escaped her lips. Jasine had made it clear he had no intentions towards her! Surprisingly Kabria felt a little anger at that fact as well. Trying to cover her slip she kept talking not giving him a chance to refute her claim. “ I spent a few years on  Sea Folk ship, a raker. After Katarina abandoned me to my fate Shenesta, a Sailmistress took me in. My tattoos and this…” Her slim fingers rose to lightly touch the silver hoop in her nose. “Remind me of the woman who saved my life.” There was another reason behind the markings, but it was too soon to share that knowledge with anyone, let alone a perfect stranger. “I even have a picture of her ship depicted on back, it is a beautiful likeness, and a small rose right here on my chest.” Her right hand drifted towards her heart.

 

Jasine’s eyes followed and Kabria’s cheeks flushed at having spoken about her body. She became all to aware of how fast her breath was coming and what that could do..

 

She spoke to people so rarely, and men not at all that she often said awkward things completely unaware. If only she were unaware this time. In a flash of white she bounded to her feet and quickly stuffed the book back into her pouch. “I just remembered I have an errand to run in the city. Books….I am buying more books. I need to...to go. Besides you have wasted enough of my time.”

 

Quickly she gathered her skirts and started off towards the Tower Gates silently unbraiding herself for even speaking to the boy.

 

[Quisalas Selene]

Kabria hadn't given him a chance to refute why he would be interested in her appearance, but that was probably just as well. It's not easy to convince someone you don't mean them harm just by words.  Instead, he paid attention as she talked about her tattoos, honestly fascinated.  He flushed and then quietly cursed himself when Kabria panicked after she inadvertently led his eyes... there.  He wasn't a lecher, interested only in a pretty figure, and he didn't want to think about Kabria in that way, either.  He wished he could have asked to see the ship tattoo, but there was just no tactful way to ask a girl to take off her dress. 

 

Jasine scrambled to his feet as Kabria leapt up and moved off.  He overturned his mug of tea but there wasn't a whole lot left in it to spill anyway.  Her excuse sounded made up, but he wasn't going to challenge her on it.  The girl was obviously panicked and instead he just bowed, to her back, and called after the girl.  "Bye, Kabria!"

 

He bent and retrieved his mug and napkin and when he looked up again the girl was already halways across the yards.  He hoped the girl wouldn't stop coming to the trees to read her book, and he decided that the next few times he caught sight of her he'd just say hello and then not force the skittish filly to deal with his actual company for any length of time.  Whistling cheerfully, he started across the yard towards the mess hall to return his cup and leave his napkin where it would be washed and reused.

 

"I wonder if all seafolk have nose rings," he mused to himself as he moved off into the yards to practice his sword work with some of the other trainees.

[Eqwina]

Kabria stalked across the yards with her hands tangled in her skirts and a look of fury on her face. Just shy of the gates she turned off the path and ducked behind a tree. A few of the Tower Guards eyed her with interest before turning their attention back to the gates. Even inside Tar Valon the Sister’s were guarded constantly.

 

Leaning with her back pressed against the large oak she counted to ten before peering cautiously around its side. Jasine was just turning away from where they had been seated. She could only see his back, and a very fine back it was, but she would have bet on the fact that he was smiling. Surprisingly she felt a little like smiling herself. She had survived her first real conversation with a man relatively unscathed.

 

Having no real purpose to leave the Tower grounds she took the path back towards where she had been. Maybe on the next free day she would venture into the city to see if she could find any new books. Regaining her seat at the base of the tree she pulled out her book and began to scan the pages trying to find where she’d left off.

 

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine had finished moving through his forms for the day and he felt limbered up but not tired yet.  Wrapped in the Void as he was practicing, his thoughts had been on nothing at all except the fluidity of his movements, the precision of his sword placement.  He hadn't thought about seafolk nose rings in better than an hour, but they were the first thing that came to mind as he dropped the void and and moved to begin running laps.  He still lacked the stamina that the Tower Guards already showed and he was working on improving this as he peeled off his shirt and left it hanging on the handle to the water pump.  He didn't bother to stretch before running, his sword forms were full of a lot of stretching motions anyway, especially when he had to catch his balance while in Heron Wading in the Rushes.

 

He started with a brisk sprint, long strides eating up the track on the first lap, and then settling into a more sustainable run.  He was on lap seven, barely into the 50 laps he wanted to do before he had to report to his next class, when a flash of white caught his eye.  He looked up from the track beaten into the grass and he found the source of the unaccustomed color easily.  She was back.  What Jasine really ought to do was keep running and focus on his tasks.  What he did instead was turn towards the woods without breaking stride. He'd slowed to an easy trot by the time he got to where the girl was sitting - below the same tree she had been when he had lunch.

 

He stopped nearby, putting his hands on his knees and catching his breath a moment before he grinning and speaking between breaths. "Kabria Accepted, you're back already.  You must have been able to very quickly find that book you were going to buy.  Is it another Birgitte story?"  Quite unlike the Aes Sedai she feared seeing her with the books, Jasine didn't really think of any given book as appropriate or not.  Books were either for fun or learning, and because the Birgitte stories were historical, they counted as both. He collapsed into sitting cross-legged a few feet from her and smiled again, his sweat-soaked hair clinging to his brow in spite of his best efforts to brush it back.

 

[Eqwina]

Few things could whisk her off to fantasy land like Brigitte and Gadial Cain. Their stories had drama, action, adventure and romance, all the things she secretly wanted for her own life; except for the romance. Kabria did not think she would ever be able to talk to a man without anger or embarrassment. She was so caught up in her story she did not hear Jasine approach until he was seated on the ground in front of her. Clutching the book to her chest her hard eyes scanned his face before she noticed his lack of shirt. He was drenched in sweat which only made the muscles in his stomach more obvious. Unwilling her eyes lingered a moment before she was able to pull them back to his face. Light but he was beautiful!

 

“I decided to wait on the books until I had someone to carry them. I have no intention of lugging a cart of books back to the Tower myself. I am not a pack horse.” In the last few months she had been trying hard to live like she thought the Aes Sedai did. Her statement hinted at the truth without revealing too much. Kabria was very please with her evasion until she realized that it sounded as if she were asking for help. Curse my lack of ability to think before I speak. Folding her hands primly on her lap, a move she did when she was uncomfortable, Kabria forced herself to meet the trainees eyes.

 

“What are you doing back here so soon? I thought that the wretched man eating Mistress of Trainees worked you all from before sun up until the stars were high in the sky.” She had heard many vile rumors about the woman. Each worst than the last, it made her glad that the Mistress of Novices was not half as fierce.

 

[Quisalas Selene]

"The Mistress is every bit as horrible as her reputation says."  He couldn't prevent the wistful note that came into his voice, but he hoped it would be taken as wishing for a life without her rather than one with.  "She works us all day long and still regularly yells at us that we'll get our sisters killed if we ever do bond.  You wouldn't want your warder to be someone who goofed off talking to pretty girls under the trees instead of training, would you?"  He grinned and then winked at her.  "I'll be in trouble if she catches me loafing around here, but I'm frequently in trouble for one thing or another anyway."

 

Jase pulled a handkerchief out of a pocket at his hip and wiped the sweat from his face, which made him feel a bit less slovenly in front of the the Accepted, and then tucked it away again.  "Do you want someone to come with you to get the books?  I can round up a few of the guys and between us we could undoubtedly carry everything for you.  Or if it's not enough books to require an entire team of strapping young men," He flexed here and grinned down at her. "Then I could help without bothering them.  I don't get to go down into Tar Valon very often, there's always training I should be doing."

 

Jase looked back behind him, his eyes scanning the yards quickly to look for sight of Mistress Thera or any of the other Warders who had taken an interest in his training and might notice his absence.  He tried to stick to a schedule in his training when possible, but it wasn't unheard of for him to be out of sight working with his horses for a few hours.  Satisfied no one was looking for him, he turned back to Kabria.

[Eqwina]

Kabria’s face flushed and she dropped her eyes to her lap. When he had winked at her, for that moment, she had felt like the most special woman in the world. So caught up in training and in her books she rarely thought of herself as a woman. As an Accepted? As a student? Yes, but never just a woman.

 

She did not know if it was the feelings that he had stirred or just the desire for company, but Kabria found herself wanting to spend more time with Jasine. “ I.. she paused and cleared her throat hoping to sound confident. “I don’t think it would require more than you. I don’t intend to buy that much and even if I did I am sure you could handle it.” The red that already stained her cheeks grew darker and she dropped her eyes back down to her lap. She knew that her words were awkward, but speaking to a boy was like feeling her way blindly in the dark. You never knew when you were going to walk off a cliff.

 

Forcing herself to meet his eyes she decided to ignore the crimson in her cheeks and hoped her would too. “Can you go now? I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble….not for the likes of me.” Light! Would talking to a man EVER get any easier?

 

[Quisalas Selene]

"Well I'm certainly less apt to get into trouble playing packmule for you than I will be for sitting on the grass chatting away. I can go now."  Whether he did get in trouble or not would be his own burden to bear if need be, he wouldn't lay the blame or guilt on the girl.  Jasine hopped up to his feet and brushed any grass off of his pants.  "If you think I can handle your books alone, it won't be any trouble at all for me to accompany you, Kabria."  He grinned again and offered his hand to help her up.

 

"I'll stop by the barracks and get a clean shirt, the one I'd been wearing isn't fit for being worn into a book store.  I'm preparing for a life of devoting myself to an Aes Sedai, I can see the sense in a trainee warder helping out a trainee Aes Sedai."

 

Light, what was he doing here smiling and winking and flexing at this girl who was so obviously flustered by him?  Still, if she really wanted him to go away, she could always go back to glaring, or could even go so far as to sic Mistress Thera on him for being a bother when he should be training.  Instead of worrying about all that, he decided then and there to try to make a friend out of the mysterious girl.  After all, maybe lots of Aes Sedai ended up choosing warders from the boys they had an eye on when they were accepted and if he didn't learn to get along with the Tower girls sooner or later, he would never find someone to Bond.

[Eqwina]

Something happened to Kabria in that moment that had never before occurred. When Jasine’s hand extended towards her own a small giggle had escaped her lips; the sound was sweet, almost innocent, with a musical quality that made her stammer when it drifted to her own ears. This was not going at all like she had hoped. Still not wanting to meet his eyes she raised her hand blindly, feeling the strong grip as he pulled her to her feet. For a moment his hand lingered before pulling away and she couldn’t resist running her fingers across his. The hand was callused and hard, but somehow it managed to be gentle all in the same turn. “Then I will..w-welcome your help Jasine.” Not wanting to stare as he headed towards the barracks Kabria busied herself with brushing off her skirts and tucking the book safely away.

 

While he was gone she had time to wonder what she had gotten herself into. Smiling, blushing, and giggling! He probably thought her a completely fluff brained idiot. She was not some twit combing the yards looking for a Warder; she had just wanted to spend time alone with her books. The Wheel weaves as it wills” a voice echoed in her head.

 

By the time Jasine came back with his hair combed and clean shirt Kabria had managed to master her blushes, at least for the moment. And when he extended his arm with a winning smile she managed only to nod in assent and even roll her eyes. Inside her stomach was turning summersaults and had her jaw not been clenched her teeth would have been chattering, but there was no need for him to know. After all wasn’t that what being Aes Sedai was about? Remaining outward calm when you were being thrown to the Pit of Doom?

 

The hum of voices in the City cut off anymore talk, since to be heard she would have had to lean in close, something she did not trust herself to do without some embarrassment. A few other Accepted were out of the Tower. Walking in pairs or alone and one or two had a man in toe. With so few in the Tower they all knew each other and everyone of them gawked at seeing her on the arm of a pretty man. There had been rumors passed around that she did not like men in the way most girls did. Some of the younger girls chided her that she should just pick the Red Ajah and be done, while others seemed not to care what her preference was but whispered that she would choose the Brown. In the Accepted Quarters there was also talk of what Ajah you would join and why. Even through her fear Kabria couldn’t help but smirk at a few other the younger girls as they watched her pass.

 

She’d had no notion of where to lead them, but as they passed book store after book store her destination became clear. Tar Valon did not have a poor district like most cities, but where she led them the shops were a touch less ornate and looked to have been carved by a hand unfamiliar with details. Even here they were safe, there was no crime in Tar Valon or the next thing to it.

 

The tiny book store she led Jasine into was crammed between a seamstress and a cutler, made to look like a sea shell resting on its side. She had been to this shop a hundred times before in search of books everyone else had forgotten. A mussed Brown Sister passed them on the way in, her arms loaded down with books. Kabria dropped a curtsy, but the Sister did not even notice.

 

Once they were surrounded by the books she began to forget to be afraid and she pulled Jasine to the far back corner where the columns of books extended from the floor to the 10 foot ceiling above. The entire section was all books about the Blight and its creatures and inhabitants. Ever since she had begun taking private classes with a Green Kabria had been fascinated by anything even mentioning the Borderlands. With her time as an Accepted growing to a close, Ajah choice had been on her mind. She could not bear to admit it to anyone, but the Green Ajah was at the top of her list. That was why she had to learn to talk to men! All Green sisters knew how to handle men and almost all had a Warder or two.

 

Making stacks on the floor of the books she intended to take Kabria chattered excitedly apparently having forgotten that her companion was a beautiful boy.

 

[Quisalas Selene]

When Jasine went into the Barracks to fetch a clean shirt, Arath happened to be there sharpening his sword.  He wondered at the boy being indoors during daylight hours, Arath was almost never not training, but the boy looked a little worn and haggard so maybe he was under the weather.  It's not as if caring for your weapon isn't training of a sort, anyway, Jase mused as he took his hair out of the ponytail and brushed his hair quickly before tying it again.  A quick wash at the basin and he was decent enough to be seen outside of the yards.

 

As Jasine tossed the shirt on and then drew the laces at the throat tight, he grinned at his friend. "I have a hot date in the city with a beautiful girl.  If Mistress Thera comes looking for me, tell her that a trainee was requested to help an Accepted carry some purchases back to the tower." He winked at Arath and then added. "Don't wait up for me, honey." He laughed as he moved back towards the door and blew a kiss back after him.

 

He took Kabria on his arm with a warm smile and a wink and stepped off lightly towards Tar Valon, amused that both stories he had told Arath could be considered true.  While he certainly didn't consider going shopping with Kabria to be an actual date, it was no less plausible than the lunch they had shared under the trees earlier.  He had decided that he liked the grouchy girl beside him, and delighted in those rare moments when she actually smiled.  Or giggled, she had a beautiful giggle.  As they walked through the noisy city he wondered if she would end up being an Aes Sedai who would not only bond a man, but would have the strength of character to bond someone who loved someone else.

 

He spent a lot of the walk studying her.  Not in the openly disapproving way he saw many of the other Tower girls look to her, but in the curious way a person might study a particularly exotic flower, wanting to remember it.  She had her jaw set as if she was forcing her way through a world she didn't think wanted her and his heart went out to her.  She reminded him a little of his older sister Lesael, who had always accounted horribly evil, but time away from one's siblings tends to soften the rough edges and turn resentment and competition into fond memories and affection.

 

When he wasn't studying her, which was mostly anytime he caught her looking at him, he gazed at the city around him.  He'd had precious little chance to really experience Tar Valon and the diversity of the people around him was fascinating.  He peeked at the stores they passed, wondering where she was leading him, and tried to take note of the locations of the book stores along the way, she might want to take him to them again.

 

When at last she did duck into a store, he was a little skeptical.  This was hardly the area of town he would expect a bookish Accepted to know of, but he didn't question her.  He laid his hand over hers on his arm as they went inside and stuck close to her, determined to act as bodyguard if anything should happen to her.  When they were in the back of the store and she let go to start looking through the books, he let her.

 

He nodded and agreed and prompter her whenever her chatter about the books paused, pleased to see her loosening up.  He noted each book as she set them on the floor, opening a few of the more interesting-sounding ones and flipping through the pages.  He could read and write quite well, but he'd never had the love of books that drove his sister Selene, and apparently, Kabria.  He turned his attention from the books she had already chosen to the books on the shelf.  He didn't know what exactly he was looking for, but when he caught sight of a book called At War with Shadowspawn he picked it up and began to flip through it.

 

"Oh hey, look at this, Kabria.  This book is all about the special tactics it takes to defeat Trollocs and Fades."  He held out a page toward her, depicted a very well-done drawing of a Trolloc in armor, showing where the weaknesses are between the plates of spiked steel.  He flipped through a few more pages and then closed the book gently. "I think I'll get this, I'm sure it would all be covered in my training eventually, but it can't help to have a reference for what I'll be going up against once I am a Warder."

 

He tucked the book under his arm as he turned and smiled at her again.

[Eqwina]

Every time she stepped into this store she was amazed at the vastness of the knowledge it contained. This was where she had first found a book that had shown her reading could be more than the gathering of knowledge. Her thin fingers ran along the spines of books and she muttered the titles under her breath. Monsters in the Blight, The Courts of Fal Moran Her blue eyes devoured every title, cataloging those she would buy today and those she would save for later. The Blight and The Green Up on tip toes Kabria reached for the book that was just out of her grasp. Without her needing to ask Jasine reached up and handed it down. So enthralled by what the title could mean she forgot to thank him for the book, or the hand he’d used to steady her wobbling form.

 

Surely this couldn’t have been written by a Green sister. Turning the book over in her hands she flipped it open, eyes searching for an author. In a small neat text was written Catale Sedai, Sister of the Green Ajah 

 

It was! Kabria pulled the book to her chest and smiled, from this she could learn what it really meant to be a Green. Setting it lovingly on the top of her growing stack she began her search where she’d left off.

 

“Oh hey, look at this, Kabria.  This book is all about the special tactics it takes to defeat Trollocs and Fades.I think I'll get this, I'm sure it would all be covered in my training eventually, but it can't help to have a reference for what I'll be going up against once I am a Warder."

 

Kabria’s fingers reached hungrily for the book, her soft finger tips gently stroking the picture. “Maybe when you are done I could borrow it? I can lend you one of mine.” With her attention all on the book she did not see Jasine’s smile, if she had her face surely would have flushed.  In only the short time they’d been there, her small stack of books had grown to the size of a small child. “Oh Jasine, you can’t carry all that!” Her eyes unwilling scanned his body and this time her face did flush. The realization that she had arrived arm in arm with such a beautiful boy came flooding back and her nerves returned. Turning her back, she bent down to gather the stack of books and lug them to the counter. Jasine’s insistence on helping only made matters worse and twice they dropped the books and had to gather them again. The proprietor knew Kabria well, and before she could pay out the extra coin he offered to have the books delivered to the Tower free of charge. Delighted with her new books and the lack of delivery charge she gave the old man one of her rare smiles.

 

Forcing her blue eyes to meet his brown Kabria turned to Jasine and used his hand to drag him a little ways towards the door. “I…I am sorry I drug you out here, it looks as if I don’t need you to carry for me after all.” She shifted where she stood and glanced down at her feet before continuing on. “I don’t have to be back to the Tower yet, so I was thinking of stopping for some lunch…would you…what I mean is…I…I can go on alone from here if you need to get back.” She had meant to ask him to have lunch with her, but somehow from her brain to her mouth, the words had failed.

 

With her head down a few blonde locks of hair had fallen into her face and she used them for cover as she stole a glance at Jasine’s beautiful eyes. Just the glimpse caused her heartbeat to quicken and the permanent smile he wore made her blood race. Light! How had she gotten herself into this?

 

[Quisalas Selene]

"Sure, you can borrow my book.  And maybe it'll give me a chance to try reading one of your Birgitte books."  As he looked down at the stack of books which was coming close to weighing as much as he did.  His esteem of the feisty accepted grew as she insisted on helping to get the stack of books to the front counter of the store, even if it did only make things more difficult.  Still, she was clearly a girl who didn't rely on others lightly or without cause. 

 

Heavy as the stack of books were, he couldn't help but admit he was disappointed that he wouldn't have to carry them for Kabria.  He enjoyed helping other people, and had wanted to help Kabria.  He chose out his book from her stack and paid for it separately.  Turning to look at her again, he asked, "If you wanted to keep a few of the books with you, so you wouldn't have to wait for them to be delivered, I could certainly carry at least some of these books for you, Kabria.  You seemed really excited about that last one you chose."  He tucked his own book under his arm.

 

"Silly girl, I already asked you to join me for lunch once today, how could I pass on a chance to snare you into a date with me that you actually seem willing to accept?" His eyebrows rose with the question and he tucked his arm through hers again.  "I should be delighted to go have lunch in a beautiful city with a girl just as pretty herself."

 

Jasine was glad Kabria had grown less prickly and more friendly with him as the day went on.  Her mention of lunch had shown that maybe she wasn't as determined to make him leave her alone as she first seemed to.

[Eqwina]

“ I am not… She trailed off realizing that Jasine had not meant silly girl as an insult. Men were so new to her and so hard to read!

 

“ I..I do not know why you would want to consider..having lunch with me a d-date.” Looping her arm through his she studied the ground in front of her as they walked. Men had asked her on dates before, but after she spoke two words most ran off without even saying goodbye. “ I have never had a date before.” Now why on earth had she blurted that out? It was information that he certainly did not need. Even more embarrassed than she had been Kabria reached up and ran her fingers through her hair pulling a few more pieces down to hide her shame. “What I meant to say what that I’ve never had a date with such a…um..I never..a boy…I.” Frustrated with her lack of communication skills Kabria threw her head back and screamed. If there was ever anything that was going to scare Jasine off that was it.

 

When her mouth finally shut her face was as red as the tips of her hair, and everyone on the block was staring their direction. “Jasine I am sorry..I Turning her face away in shame she glared at every eye she met. A few walked on quickly, but even more ran. When Kabria glared people always stepped quick to get out of her way.

 

She wondered how many more ways there were to make a fool out of herself in front of Jasine?

 

 

[Quisalas Selene]

"Dates are scary things.  There's all this pressure and you worry about lookign just right and saying just the right and whether or not the pretty girl on your arm will still like you at the end of it all.  Or if she'll scream and try and scare you off."  His smile to her held no malice or much reaction.  If he stayed calm, maybe she would too.  It helped with horses.  He started walking again, their arms interlocked so she had the choice of walking with him or jerking away.

 

"So I figure if I count meeting you under the trees as a date, and today's lunch as a date, and that time the serving girl in the Inn smiled at me as a date, then I've been on lots of dates and it should be easy by the time I start actually dating a girl I might think of as a girlfriend, and I won't be so nervous then." He patted her hand on his arm gently and said softly, "And maybe you won't be so nervous then either."

 

He looked aside to Kabria as she seemed to be calming down a bit. "You're pretty cute when you get angry, you know."  Jasine flinched back away as he said the words, peeking at her through one half-closed eye, though he didn't pull his arm back from hers.  That sentence had earned him more smacks upside the head from his sisters than probably any other.

[Eqwina]

She was a practice date? He wasn’t even interested in her? Had she not already screamed, she would of at that thought. Still the desire to unleash her anger and disappointment gnawed at her. Would she ever find a boy that liked her? And could tolerate her tongue? Not for the first time Kabria wished that she’d had a real mother, or been raised in a culture more similar to the one she lived. Maybe then men would not be such a mystery to her. Still embarrassed by her last outburst she kept her frustrations to herself. With the day nicer than she’d expected Kabria mumbled that maybe they should eat outside. Stopping at a street vendor she paid for the small apples and two meat pies. For a few extra pennies she had talked the woman into giving them the small basket that she carried the extra pies in. The illusion of calm that she was portraying began to sink in and become more than just a mask.

 

"You're pretty cute when you get angry, you know."

 

Cute? Now he thought she was cute!?! Men were worse than fools! “Well which is it Jasine, am I cute or am I a practice date?” She held onto his arm as she stopped, forcing him to halt. “It can’t be both, one or the other?”

[Quisalas Selene]

"Oh, you're cute.  There's no doubt about that.  There's not a boy in the yards who wouldn't tell you so if you didn't try so hard to chase them away."  As he took one of the apples from her and buffed it on his sleeve he turned and looked at her more fully.  "Relax, Kabria.  I enjoy spending time with you, and you must at least be able to tolerate me, or you would have succeeded in chasing me away, too."

 

He tucked his apple into a pocket briefly and put both of his hands on her shoulders, gently forcing her to face him and not giving her the option of turning away.  "If it can't be one or the other, than I'll have to choose to say that you're cute, because it would be a lie to say otherwise.  Do you want to sit under the trees or beside the fountain?"  There was no pause between the statement and the question, and his tone of voice didn't change either, but he did lighten his touch on her shoulders.

[Eqwina]

Cute…she could settle for cute. It was not the glorious and romantic word tossed around in fairy tales, but it was a complement and the truth. She did not know why, but Kabria did not think Jasine was the type to lie. “The fountain sounds wonderful”

Sometimes late at night Kabria found herself dreaming about the sea and her life on the ship. Even being on an island surrounded by the water was not the same as on the deck of the ship with the ocean all around you.

 

In the center of this particular fountain was the figure of a woman, draped in a long robe and the water was pouring from a jug that she held at her side. It was breath taking and the crystal clear water bubbling in the marble pool felt like heaven on a hot day. “ I just love the sound of water, don’t you?” It soothed her nerves and made a little of the pink fade from her cheeks. “I am sorry I have been such an idiot Jasine, you see..I have never spoken with a man before, except a servant, and I am so unsure of how to act.” She felt if she did not explain her outbursts then he might leave this encounter and never want to see her again. She couldn’t say why, but she knew she didn’t want that to be the case.

 

“ I hope you can forgive me” She smiled at him, a true and genuine smile. “Because I have some hopes that you and I could be friends.” She’d never had a friend before and even if she did have a tiny crush on Jasine, he seemed the perfect candidate for her first. Emboldened by his returning smile she asked a question she’d been dying to know the answer to. “Could you see yourself bonded to a Green Sister? Or maybe a Blue? I can't see you stuck with a Brown or Gray” She shook her head and tried to cover her embarassment. "Maybe a Yellow though?"

[Quisalas Selene]

Kabria was easy to forgive.  He could see that she was a good person somewhere under that hurt, confusion, and fear.  He saw it in the tender way she cared for her books, in the fierce pride she had for herself, in her dedication to becoming an Aes Sedai in a world that clearly made her want to run and hide.  "I've always liked the sound of running water.  I've never seen the ocean, water so vast you can't see land on the other side of it, but I've always liked rivers.  There was this icy cold pond not too far from the farm that was just the perfect depth for swinging into from a rope." He smiled fondly at the memory, he hadn't been swimming in so long.

 

When she asked after Ajah choice, his thoughts went to Thera immediately.  Thera was already bonded to a sister, but if it was possible to be bonded to the same sister as her, he couldn't think of anything happier. "Green would be ideal, I think.  I couldn't imagine an Ajah that would fit me better."  He said it softly, almost wistfully, but he smiled and went on.  "Whatever sister I bond to would have to be one who wanted to be out in the world, actively doing something for the Light.  Oh, I know the Browns and the Whites are important, there needs to be thinkers and scholars.  But those people don't need a knight in shining armor to guard their back and save the day." He mused a moment. "I don't think I could be happy if my purpose in life was just carting books around.  Although there can be that too."  He winked at her and took a bite of the apple.

 

"The Yellows heal, which is alright I guess.  They would be at the sights of battles to lend their aid as they could, but they'd probably settle down more when there wasn't some big war that demanded their attention.  Maybe if it was a Yellow who did a lot of traveling, going out among the people and healing and tending to them.  A Gray sister would be alright I suppose.  They have to leave the tower on diplomatic missions a lot, right?  Negotiating and... stuff.  There could be some exciting assassination attempts I'd have to thwart, and maybe dangerous highwaymen I'd have to protect her from as she's travelling."

 

Jasine was quiet a moment and then sighed softly.  He turned his gaze to Kabria again, speaking in a voice that was filled with quiet intensity. "I want to help people, Kabria.  I want to make the world a better place.  I want to combat the Dark and fight alongside the Aes Sedai to make sure that in all things, the Light triumphs."