A short trip - A matter of survival ((Attn: Kabria))

[Sieve]

Perivar was leaning against the wall by the opening to the North Stable as he waited on Kabria.  The sun was just starting to creep over the tops of the smaller buildings in Tar Valon.  Both NightDancer and Blade were already saddled just waiting patiently for their riders to mount them and leave the city.  Knowing the pair they were probably full of energy and would be begging for a run once out of the city.  For now though they were the perfect image of patience.

 

Perivar had filled both of their saddle bags with emergency rations and supplies should the worst happen.  He had two waterskins filled for each of them.  One of their priorities would be to find water.  His blades were sharp, his horse bow was in good condition and he had a few spare bowstrings.  Perivar whistled as he ran through the list in his head of things he had prepared making sure he had it all covered. 

 

Perivar wondered how she would feel roughing it for a few days.  He wondered what ship life must have been like.  It didn't seem to him that you could have too many comforts aboard a ship.  Perivar put the thoughts from his mind as he watched her approach.  A smile formed on his face, he never got tired of watching her.

 

"Good morning Kabria Sedai." He said offering her a formal bow.  "Are you ready to go?  Do you have what you think you need to survive in the wilderness?"

[Eqwina]

Having no notion of what to pack for time in the wilderness Kabria turned to her long time friend, her books and began to research the tools she would need. Many turned out to be common sense, food, water, and medicines, but others seemed foreign to her. Perivar had not mentioned if he would be providing what they needed so she made sure that she had everything on her lists.

 

Carrying her bulging saddle bags down to the stables Kabria sagged under the weight. A bundled made from a cloak completed the rest of her needs, though she’d had to leave out a few items she’d really wanted to bring. She had considered a pack horse, but his note had only mentioned herself and Blade. Nuzzling her stallion and scratching his ears Kabria set down her bags and headed back to her rooms. She’d needed to retrieve her staff and her knives, her arms had been to loaded down to take them on the first trip. Arriving back at the stables she was greeted with Perivar smiling face.  She found herself wanting to grab him and pull him into the dark corner of the stables, but with so many eyes to see she contented herself with a smile.

 

Good morning Kabria Sedai." He said offering her a formal bow.  "Are you ready to go?  Do you have what you think you need to survive in the wilderness?" She ignored his slightly mocking smile and nodded matter of factly before climbing on to Blade’s back with a semblance of grace. Thanks to her books and Jasine’s teachings she was no longer afraid of the large creature, or any horse for that matter. As she read, and had been taught it was all a matter of confidence, and with Blade she was sure of her seat every time she rode.

 

Leaning down to press a few coins into the stable boy’s hands she led their way as far as the stable door, before Perivar was at her side. It was a temptation to reach out and touch him, with him so near, but keeping her hands on her reigns she resisted. Ever since the night a few weeks gone Kabria could not seem to concentrate on anything when he was out of her sight. “So where are we going Guardsmen Perivar?”

[Sieve]

"North and East Kabria Sedai" He offered her a polite smile keeping up the ruse.  Aes Sedai and Tower Guard once again.  "We will cross the Osendrelle Erinin then make our way through Daghain." They passed the time with idle chatter as anyone would except them to do.  Once they left the town of Daghain and were finally alone Perivar told her how much he loved and missed her.  He occasionally touched her hand or her leg to emphasize a point as they rode alongside each other.  Lucky for them NightDancer and Blade got along exceptionally well.  He had seen plenty examples of mounts that could not be within a few paces of one another.

 

Perivar stopped in a clearing about an hour after leaving Daghain.  The small clearing was roughly one hundred paces from the road that led to Fal Dara.  Perivar dismounted then waited while Kabria did the same.  "Well lets see what you brought.  I like to bring a little extra at times but it looks as if you packed for a week."  He laughed then offered her a look that said he was just joking with her.  "Go ahead and empty your saddle bags and whatever is in that bundled cloak."  Perivar waited patiently, he was interested to see what she had brought with her.

[Eqwina]

A comfortable but distant banter kept Kabria amused until well after they were outside of Daghain. It felt strange to be so formal with someone with whom you were normally so close. For now though it was yet another thing on her list of irritants that must be tolerated.

 

It was a relief when he finally put his hand on hers and told her how much he missed her. Grinning she leaned from her saddle far enough to give him a kiss. Soon after he called halt in a small clearing not far from the road. As she slid down from Blade her muscles tensed. Even though she was fit, she was unused to so many hours in the saddle without a pause.

 

"Well lets see what you brought.  I like to bring a little extra at times but it looks as if you packed for a week."   He laughed then offered her a look that said he was just joking with her.  "Go ahead and empty your saddle bags and whatever is in that bundled cloak."

 

Putting her fists on her hips she glared at Perivar, and in a most un Aes Sedai like fashion stuck out her tongue. After both their giggles subsided she began pulling items from her saddle bags and undoing her cloak. She groaned with every item she removed, knowing that they would never pack the same way.

Even Kabria ended up seeming shocked by the hefty pile her belongings made.

 

3 shifts and 3 shirts, 2 pairs of stockings and a suitable dress. An extra coat just like the one she already wore and extra laces for her boots; String for snares and a honing stone for her knives. She had a small stack of books and a writing case with two jars of extra ink. There was another honing stone just in case, a small bag filled to bursting with vials of medicines and a second no less full of herbs. She had an extra blanket, folded as small as it would go and even an extra pair of slippers. She’d brought enough rations for two weeks plus a few more bundles of dried meat just in case and there was one small bundle wrapped in blue linen.

 

When she saw Perivar’s eyes scanning the object she snatched it up and clasped it in her fist. She knew that a guilty grin was painted on her face but she couldn’t wipe it away.

 

 

[Sieve]

Perivar's eyes nearly popped out of his head as she continued to lay out what she brought with her.  Light was this how she planned on traveling all the time he thought to himself.  Some of it made him shake his head but she had managed to get all of it here.  He thought his first assessment was wrong.  Instead of packing for a week she had packed for a whole month.

 

Perivar eyed the small bundle wrapped in blue linen then arched an eye brow.  When his eyes went to her face he saw she held a guilty grin that she did not even try to hide.

 

"Well what is it? If you show me I may just let you keep all of your belongings."

[Eqwina]

Toying with the small object she tried to decide if keeping a few extra shifts was worth revealing this too soon. Something in the set of his shoulders said that he would not be quick to let this go, so instead of drawing it out she took him by the hand and led him over to sit beneath one of the trees. Speculation grew on his face, but so did his smile. Setting the blue linen between them she unwrapped it as carefully as she would a babe and what lay inside made his eyes pop.

 

It was a small circle of gold carved all the way around with roses, and she’d made sure that the goldsmith showed the thorns. Picking it up she held it out to him and smiled. “In all that I have been taught, this....” she reached up to touch the necklace that she never took off. “ is a symbol of your love and since it was given as gift, it means that I must give you an equal in return.”

 

His face paled and Kabria laughed. “I am not asking you to marry me, Perivar. But I do want you to have this ring as a memory of my promise to you.”

[Sieve]

Kabria almost had a stubborn set to her shoulders like she was going to refuse to show him.  She was guarding it as if it were a personal treasure.  She took him by the hand leading him over to sit beneath one of the trees.  He was so intent on drinking her in, so focused on her touch that he could not have said what tree they sat beneath for all the gold in the world.  At the moment she was all that mattered.  His eyes went to her hands as she set the blue linen between them.  He watched as she carefully unwrapped the linen.  He realized that he was grinning from ear to ear with anticipation.

 

Perivar's eyes popped as they fell on the most beautiful ring he had ever laid eyes on.  A circle of gold carved with roses all the way around.  His hand trembled as she held it out to him.  Perivar was amazed at the detail, the craftmanship was beyond compare.  Her words touched him, the sweet musical sound of her voice resonating in his ears.

 

His face paled, not from what she thought but from the weight of receiving such a beautiful gift.  He felt unworthy though he could feel his eyes welling up as he thought how fortunate he was to have her.  Light he could not recall the last time he cried before coming to the Tower yet in her presence he must have done it almost half a dozen times. 

 

"I.."  "You shouldn't have..."  His hands were still trembling as he held it gently between his fingers.  The sunlight glinted off it so that it appeared to sparkle.  He had to work moisture into his mouth so he could talk.  "It..It is gorgeous, I have never seen another ring as magnificent as this.  Your words and the meaning behind the gift are more than I am worthy of, more than I deserve.  You do not know how much this means to me."  He gently cradled the ring in his hand as he leaned in to kiss her.  The embrace left him nearly breathless.

 

"I don't even know which finger I should put it on."  He looked down at his trembling hands as if they held the answer then looked to Kabria hoping that she knew.  Light his hands never trembled, never except when he was with her.  Everything about her was so perfect that at times it made him nervous.  Like she was a Goddess and he an ugly frog.

[Eqwina]

Closing her eyes Kabria leaned into the kiss and when she finally opened her eyes she was grinning from ear to ear. "I don't even know which finger I should put it on."

 

Kabria opened her mouth and closed it again with a click. Her mouth felt like the desert and she licked her lips trying to work up enough moisture to speak. Desperately she wanted to tell him that it belonged on the third finger of his left hand, and yet she felt as if she had no right to even suggest that. Not when she’d just spouted how she was not proposing. Fool!

 

“You can wear it on whatever finger you like….I..” She looked up into his eyes and reached out of lay her fingers tips lightly on his left hand. “I would say that this hand would be best” Glancing down at her own hand the absence of her own ring was obvious, but then, that finger still carried a thin band of pale skin from where her great serpent ring had sat for almost 5 years. Subconsciously she twirled the ring around the forefinger of her right hand, wear it now resided. Both the ring and the mark still left on her skin were a constant reminder of her dedication to the Tower and its importance in her life. She was married to her Ajah and too her cause, those left very little room for love.

 

Vowing not to cry she blurted out the rest of what she had to say. “If I had my choice I would ask you to wear it here” she said, pointing to the finger on his left hand. “but then I have been known to have a jealous streak in me, and wearing it there would announce to the world that you were taken. Which of course suits me fine.” Winking she grinned as she saw him mulling over what she’d said. “But then I know there is no concern of you looking elsewhere, because I think you know what it would cost you” Reaching out she flick at one of his braids, smiling wickedly. It was always good to remind him that as mushy as he’d made her, that Kabria still had a fierce temper.

 

Glancing over and Blade and the large pile of gear next to him she laughed. “You are going to have to help me repack all that, or we maybe never be able to continue on.”

[Sieve]

Perivar looked into her eyes as she spoke.  Her fingers touching his left hand sent a tingle through his body.  Even after all this time it still happened everytime she touched him.  He looked at his left hand wondering what finger.  He knew it would go on his left if they were married but could he still wear it there if they were not?    They were married to the Tower, married to their cause.  Would there be room in their future for marriage.  Some Greens married but would they?  In all reality they may as well have been though she had said that their cause came first,  their love a close second.

 

She pointed to the third finger on her left hand told him what it would mean for him to wear it there.  No doubt her wishes would be honored.  He was sworn to her in more ways than one.  He wanted her to know that he was hers unconditionally, he wanted to tell the world yet that could not be, not yet if ever.  She flicked one of his braids and he smiled in response.  She did have quite a temper.  He recalled the first time when they met and she had threatened to cut it off then.  In those brief moments he would never have guessed that by the end of the day he would have sworn her oaths that would tie him to her for as long as she wished.

 

His decision had been made a while ago, as soon as she said where she would like him to wear it.  He slipped it on the third finger of his left hand.  It seemed to fit perfectly.  He locked eyes with her smiling appreciatively.  "Thank you, I meant what I said.  This means a lot more to me than you could imagine."

 

Perivar wrapped his arms around her pulling her close to him.  "I will help you pack your things as soon as I have had a few more kisses from you."  With that he leaned in kissing her neck as he ran his fingers through he pale blonde hair.  From her neck he went to her lips.  When they separated he was near breathless again.  Her kisses had a way of doing that to him.  His whole body tingle, the blood coursing through his veins.  If he didn't stop there then they would never complete her training.  He wished they could skip it but he knew they could not, not now.  Reluctantly he stood then helped her up before helping her pack her belongings.

 

"Alright I will let you keep all of your belongings but you still have to learn how to live without them.  Once we are packed you will find a suitable camp.  Shelter and water are priorities.  Tonight you will have all the supplies that you packed available to you.  Tomorrow night is a different story."  When everything was packed and they were mounted he spoke "Now it is time to find a suitable camp.  You take the lead."

[Eqwina]

As she watched the ring slip onto his finger Kabria smiled. She had wanted to believe that he would do as she wished, but a small part of her still held onto her doubts. Even after all this time she could not believe that a man like him would be in love with a woman like her. Every day she tried to live up to his standards, so that he would be as proud to be her Warder as she was going to be to have him.

 

His almost forceful embrace made her smile and she forgot the world when they kissed. All too soon reality came crashing home and she was faced with the daunting task of repacking everything that he’d made her remove. "Alright I will let you keep all of your belongings but you still have to learn how to live without them.  Once we are packed you will find a suitable camp.  Shelter and water are priorities.  Tonight you will have all the supplies that you packed available to you.  Tomorrow night is a different story."

From over the back of her horse she glared at him. “Perhaps if you had given me a list of what I would need I would not have packed so much. You’re supposed to be my teacher after all” Tossing the last of the snares back into her saddle bags she had to lean on the bags to make the buckle meet. “As my Warder won’t you be backing anyway” she muttered as she climbed back onto Blade. "Now it is time to find a suitable camp.  You take the lead."

“Me! You are out of your mind! I do not know what to look for. I spent my life in palaces and on a ship, you can thank Jasine that I even know one end of a horse from another.” She ranted for a few minutes, complaining that he was her teacher and should be showing her the way, not making her do all the work. In his annoying way Perivar kissed her and explained to her how it was going to be, and much to Kabria’s chagrin she found herself leading them from the clearing and a little ways back into the woods. She tried to think of what she’d read in her books…but all that she could recall was needing cover from the elements and someplace near water. Embracing the One Power she was able to hear a small stream that ran through the woods, but finding the water was not as simple. The ground too near was muddy or covered in rocks and most was over grown with trees.  Just as Kabria was about to unleash another tantrum she saw a small spot that might be what they needed. She stopped just back from the small opening in the trees and studied the ground.

 

It was damp, but not wet and it almost free of rocks. It was close to the water and the large trees had branches that extended to give them cover. “We will camp here” she announced and dismounted from Blade. She was worried that she'd chosen wrong, but tried not to let it show.

 

[Sieve]

"I spent my life in palaces and on a ship"  "That is why you packed like you are going to be away for a month instead of a few days."  He laughed out loud then touched her arm.  "You have to weigh how necessary something is to you when you pack.  Obviously food, water, and proper clothing are necessary.  You can light your own fire so you don't have to worry about that.  You have to think ahead and decide if our task allows us to take a pack horse along.  If so then you are able to be a little more free with your packing though it is best to keep the most important items with you on or about your own mount.  If we have to lose the packhorse then we don't have to worry about losing important supplies.  Sometimes we maay only be able to pack light so you will have to get used to roughing it."  He smiled at her so that she kept her temper tamped down. 

 

Perivar watched as she picked the camp.  “We will camp here” She announced confidently, not bad he thought to himself.  It had good cover and as they stopped he was able to hear the sound of running water in the distance.  "Another thing Kabria, you can use the power as much as you wish but tomorrow it will not be so.  There are places and situations where you may not be able to channel so you cannot rely on it all the time.  Almost as an afterthought he spoke "Ooh, you get to cook tonight my love.  After we eat I will show you how to make a shelter and set the snares."  He began to care for the horses waiting for her to erupt over having to cook.

[Eqwina]

Idly she wondered why he meant by roughing it, but was not allowed much time to think as she started scanning for the perfect camp sight.

 

"Another thing Kabria, you can use the power as much as you wish but tomorrow it will not be so.  There are places and situations where you may not be able to channel so you cannot rely on it all the time” Giving him a flat stare she flipped her hair over her shoulder and began to hobble Blade. “Thinks I don’t know that I won’t always have the power. Fool!” Kabria’s mutters were quiet, as she was not really mad, but when he told her she had to cook she erupted once more.

 

“Well I hope you have leather for a tongue or can chew rocks because I have never had to cook in my life. So it is your funeral if you insist on this foolishness.” With her fists on her hips she stared at his backside as he started rubbing down the horses. She was infuriated that he didn’t say a word! Nothing! Harrumphing loudly she turned on her heel and began cursing quietly as she gathered wood for a fire. Having no idea how it should be stacked she dumped it all unceremoniously into a pile and wove strands of fire into it until it erupted in flame. Dusting off her hands she walked over to the horses and shoved Perivar out of the way with her hips to grab the pot and the small stand. Trekking the small distance through the trees she found the stream and filled the pot with water, sloshing half of it out as she lugged it back through the woods. It wasn’t until the water was heating over the fire that she realized she could have used Saidar. All ready irritated at having to cook and at her own idiocy she channel to push Perivar out of the way so she could bring her small bag of food and herbs over to her.

 

Dumping in some rabbit meat she put in the potatoes she’d brought and carrots and a few other shoots. For spices she put in salt and pepper and tried to be generous with the garlic. Satisfied that the mess in the pot looked something like rabbit stew and smelled that way she put away her bags and sat across from the fire staring at the pot.

 

“If you think I am going to cook for you often you are sadly mistaken. We can eat at Inn’s or hire a cook” Kabria was grumpy, but from more than just being forced into cooking. A small part of her wanted to nurture Perivar and to be able to cook and clean and all the other wifely duties, but Katarina had never given her those skills and Shenesta surely had not known how.

 

[Sieve]

Perivar let all of her comments slide, with his back to her he smiled at the horses .  He would let her vent without fueling the fire.  He had learned that there were plenty of times when talking only got him in hot water.  That and the fact that sometimes saying nothing unsettled the other person.  He did not purposely irritate her though she did possess this way about her when she was mad that turned him on.  That and he enjoyed making up with her.

 

Nonchalantly he looked over his shoulder smiling at her as he continued to care for the horses.  He had not commented when she pushed him out of the way with her hips.  Light he wanted to kiss her yet he thought she may put a knife in his ribs.  Again he smiled at her when she pushed him out of the way with the power as she picked up a small bag with flows of air. 

 

When he was finished he just stared at her with a smile on his face.  “If you think I am going to cook for you often you are sadly mistaken. We can eat at Inn’s or hire a cook”  Light she was grumpy.  It was time to put her at ease.  His voice was as calm and soothing as he could make it.  "After tomorrow I will never ask you to cook for me again.  This is part of survival my love, this is what I am supposed to be teaching you.  After tomorrow night you may do as you like.  Believe me I did not tell you to cook to put you on edge, even if you are very pretty when you pout."  He smiled then waved a hand taking in their surroundings.  "Unfortunately out here in the woods there are no inns or cooks to hire.  When we are traveling there are no guarantees that there will be an inn nearby at the end of the day.  We may go several days without seeing one.  So there will be times when we have to make due with what we have in our packs.  On occasion we will have to rely on what we can find.

 

Perivar gently took her hands helping her to her feet.  He offered her a sincere smile trying to offset her mood.  "Come my love, we'll go set the snares and set up a shelter while we wait on the stew."  He held her hand as if they were lovers on a stroll through a garden.  Well they were lovers though this was no garden.  Perivar showed her how and where to set the snares.  Then they collected branches, some bare and some full with foliage.  They found a dry spot and he showed her how to construct the shelter.  Perivar took a canvas ground covering from his saddlebags which he laid on the floor of the shelter on top of a few layers of pine boughs.  It was the softest bed he could make in the wild for he did not want her to have to suffer on the hard ground.

 

   

[Eqwina]

“Pretty when I pout” Kabria muttered to herself, still clinging hard to her sulks, but as always she could not keep the small smile from her lips when she heard his complement. Not that she was pouting of course; she was simply making her displeasure known.

 

Trekking through the woods once again she listened intently as he explained how to set the snares. She’d seen the diagrams in books and thought that it would be no issue, but soon found that it was easier to read about than to do. Hoping that the snares would be the end of her lesson Kabria’s mutters and grumbles started a new when she had to learn how to build a hut from sticks. While the hauling and the placing of branches was a pain without Saidar the end result looked like a cozy place. Grinning at Perivar she could not help but think about making love out under the stars. That image served to cure most of her mood, but as always she still carried a hard edge. “You spoil me Perivar, do you not think I have slept on harder surfaces than the ground?”

 

It was her own attitude that probably led him to believe that she had led a pampered life, but after 8 years of doing someone else’s bidding and living on only what you needed, it was quite easy to quickly grow accustom to luxury.

 

The smells of the stew began to fill the air and for good or bad dinner was ready. Using Saidar she dished up two plates of the thick stew, but once she had the bowl in hand she could not make herself bring the spoon to her mouth. “You first my love” she smiled at Perivar so innocently and so sweetly that he eyed his stew with suspicion. “What? You don’t want to taste the food that I prepared for you? A big strong man like you isn’t afraid of a little stew are you?” She was poking fun at him as she always did, but the truth was she was afraid to taste anything that she’d made.

After all..reading a cookbook and actually handling the food were two very different things.

[Sieve]

Once again Perivar kept his mouth shut.  Now he remembered why he was not one who was eager for conversation with the girls back home.  Well it wasn't just the girls but with them it seemed even worse.  Around the girls he always seemed to say the wrong thing.  Speaking his mind often landed him in hot water.  It was much the same here.  Sometimes the wrong words or the wrong action could send Kabria up like an Illuminators night flower, no more like a hundred of them.  He tried to make a soft bed for her to lay on and she calls him down for it.  He wasn't calling her soft, why lay on the hard ground when you did not have to.  For now he bit just his tongue.  He did not think he would ever understand women.

 

If he could bring himself to do it he would have asked Mistress Thera to assign someone else to train her.  She did not take instruction from him well at all and these were things that she needed to know.  When he told her something she became indignant as if the books she read on the subject were enough.  When he tried to make a joke she spun it as if he was being cruel.  He would have asked for a new trainer though he loved spending time with her.  Every moment he could even if it ended with her belt knife in his ribs.  He must have been mad but he was in love with her.  Light thoughts of the night that they had spent together still sent a tingle through his body.

 

“You first my love” she smiled at Perivar so innocently and so sweetly that he eyed his stew with suspicion. “What? You don’t want to taste the food that I prepared for you? A big strong man like you isn’t afraid of a little stew are you?”  He poked through it first looking for mushrooms.  When he did not find any he smiled at her.  "It looks delicious and smells great my love.  Thank you!"

 

One thing Perivar had was a large appetite.  He spooned the bowl clean then asked for seconds smiling at her.  He nodded and smiled lovingly at her when she returned his bowl to him.  When he had thoroughly cleaned the second bowl he set it by his side.  He stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back against the log he had been sitting on.  He put his hands behind his head smiling at her.  "Thank you Kabria that was delicious."  He had no idea what came over him but he suddenly had the urge to stick his tongue out at her. 

 

 

[Eqwina]

Watching him eat the stew and keep it down Kabria felt safe to try her own. Surprisingly it was not as bad as she’d expected, a little heavy of the spices, but it did not make her want to retch.

 

Leaving the dinner dishes where they lay Kabria tucked her feet underneath her and watched happily as Perivar finished a second bowl. Her satisfaction swelled, further dampening her irritation and by the time Perivar stuck his tongue out at her it was all she could do not to laugh. Instead she crawled over and lay down, resting her head on his shoulder and began to trace circles across his chest.

 

It was hard to have someone you loved as a teacher and giving orders besides, but she could not imagine another person that she would want to be alone in the woods with. As she lay there with her eyes clothes a strange thought struck her. If…no when they bonded it would be she who gave the orders. Would that be weird for him?

 

Propping herself up on her elbow her moved her fingers along to his face, gently running her nails across his lips. “What will it be like for you when we are bonded? Me giving the orders and you having to obey?”

[Sieve]

Perivar ran his fingers through Kabria's pale blonde hair as her head lay against his chest.  After that wonderful night together he felt closer to her than ever.  He cherished the feel of her body against his.  He could almost recall every vivid detail of that night.

 

He could feel the weight of her thoughtful eyes watching him as her fingers ran across his face, her nails brushing his lips.  He thought for a moment that she had read his thoughts. “What will it be like for you when we are bonded? Me giving the orders and you having to obey?”

 

His voice as cool and calm as ever, he spoke matter of factly "I always knew it would be so.  If I wanted to command I would have sought a career in the Tower Guard.  Did you think I would have an issue with you being in charge?"  He did not give her a chance to respond, the question was rhetorical.  Again his words held no hint of challenge.  He was simply stating fact.  "Because we are in love you mean? and you are a woman?  No, I have seen many women who control the relationship.  There are just as many Queens as their are Kings.  I know the true worth of women, especially an Aes Sedai.  The greater weight of the responsibilities of our duty rests on your shoulders, so why would it be odd that you hold the greater authority in the bond.  All men do the bidding of Aes Sedai do they not?  I am not so proud that I do not understand my place in this venture." 

 

Perivar took his fingers and ran them across her face as he gazed into her blue eyes.  Flames from the fire danced across her eyes making them sparkle.  "Mark my words, I will speak my mind when I feel it is needed whether you want to hear it or not.  Well if you order me not to speak then I will obey though I will not like it.  I am sure that I will not always agree with your decisions but I will do as you say.  It has to be so.  I knew all along that it would be this way." A playful tone entered his voice "As long as you do not order me to refrain from kissing you when we are alone then I will always obey."   He leaned towards her kissing her soft lips then pulled back to look into her eyes.

 

"Did you really think I might have an issue with having to obey you?"

[Eqwina]

Her eyes danced with amusement, and she laughed softly when Perivar mentioned that he would speak his mind. Their time together had proven that too her again and again.  As long as you do not order me to refrain from kissing you when we are alone then I will always obey." As always when he kissed her, she wanted to spend a lifetime exploring his lips and when he pulled away she sighed and tried to recall the question he’d asked.

 

“You could have. Some men are not comfortable allowing a woman to lead, I am happy to know that you are not one so foolish.” She leaned forward and kissed him again. “I only ask because I am not sure how I will feel issuing orders and sending you into harms way.” Her finger dances along his chest and traced down the sides of his neck. “It is hard for me to picture sending you to where the fighting is hottest knowing that you could die. Or thrusting you between a Trolloc and myself to buy time for my escape, I told you that I would die when you died and I mean that even more today.”

 

She was not saying that she didn’t want to bond him, only that she was unsure of how well she would be able to allow him to do his duties. Perhaps she could bond him and another..always sending the other into harms way. It was foolish and she knew it, but then again most Green Sisters did bond more than one.

 

[Sieve]

"My father always said that it is not easy being a leader.  Being the one responsible for the lost lives.  There are always losses in battle, soldiers will die no matter how good of a commander you are.  Decide one way and certain people will die.  Decide another way and others will die.  You have to do what you must and not dwell on the result.  Death is always a possibility."

 

"If it is not me then it will be another Kabria.  I know this, I would not trust your life in the hands of another, not while I still live.  Besides, I would rather live a day and die in your service then to live a lifetime without you.  Whatever you feel for me, it is or it will be my duty to protect you.  Aes Sedai are far more important to the White Tower and the fight against the Shadow than a Warder is.  If I have to give my life to protect yours then that is how it should be.  We are trained for it, we know our duty and the consequences.  The Wheel weaves as it wills."   

[Eqwina]

“Your sense of duty seems to be even greater than mine Perivar. I will bond you the first day I am able, but I will never like sending you to fight for me and you must know that I will do everything within my Power to see that you live to a ripe old age and day in bed with me at your side.”

She did not mention again that she would day the same day..no the same hour he did. It wouldn’t matter after he was gone. He wouldn’t know if she’d kept her promise or not and if she mentioned it too often it would surely start a fight. Laying down she pulled him down with her and didn’t think about death again until the next day.

 

As he’d promised Perivar would not allow her to use Saidar for any of her tasks. A few times she thought about trussing him up like a goose with Saidar and finishing everything that needed to be done, but her honor and pride kept her fury to a few grumbles and complaints. She couldn’t make it too easy on him after all.

 

All with her bare hands she gathered firewood and rebuilt the shelter and she even set a few snares that would hopefully catch a rabbit. The last task she tried made her want to scream…trying to start a fire without Saidar. She had become used to instant gratification when she wanted to warm her food, or start a fire, or even make tea. Trying to use a fire bow was like trying to lift a mountain with her hands. Frustrated she wouldn’t even allow Perivar to instruct her or help her until she got it to work. As soon as the flames were roaring she took the contraption and threw it into the fire. When Perivar arched an eyebrow she glared. “I have Saidar anyway!” She was proud of herself and irritated all in the same turn, Kabria couldn’t wait for the day that she would him out onto a ship. Then they would see who would be the teacher and who the pupil.