To start over Atten: Dante.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta sat in her room thinking, she had made a bad first impression on the young man Dante, and lately well lately she didn't want to think to hard about that. She just wanted to start over and see if things could be different. She pushed herself up off her chair and pulled a shawl close around her shoulders she went to her desk and wrote a quick note to Dante.

 

Dante,

You are summoned to the Green Ajah halls.

Rasheta Sedai

 

She kept things simple and to the point, she would let him wonder what the summons was all about. It never hurt to let someone wonder what a sister wanted from them. She had, such happen to her enough as a novice. She asked one of the Gaidin hanging around the halls to find a Novice and send it to the Warder Yards. The man laughed and nodded to her. She smiled at him and then went back to her rooms she unbraided her hair and changed her clothes she spread her skirts and sat in a chair facing the door. She thought for a long time while she waited, she wondered how much trouble the Greens would give the poor young man.

 

She heard a knock on her door and she waved her hand opening the door. She smiled at the young man "Come in Dante. Do not worry I am not going to eat you or anything." She sighed deeply and shut the door after the young man had come in. "I just wanted to say I was sorry for the way we were introduced. I have problems being nice to many people not within my Ajah. Can we start over?"

[Sangreal]

When Dante received the summons the hairs rose on the back of his neck. Rasheta again... (Probably wants information on Visar...) He sighed. He had been watching her do a sort of dance around getting to know Visar. He himself has been dodging a few Aes Sedai himself and now he was summoned to the lions den. He was not sure he would leave today unbonded. (They better have a gray handy to talk me into this and negotiate the terms of the bond.)

 

Walking to the tower he was stopped several times by warders and more than once by accepted until he was directed to the Green quarters. As soon as he stepped in he started receiving several ageless smiles and heard a few whispering to one another though he did not catch what was said. When he reached the door he he took a deep breath and turned and walked away a few steps as though he was going to leave and ignore the summons then angrily turned back and stood in front of the door again. (Here goes nothing.) he thought as he knocked.

 

His thoughts were going wild as he walked in. He went in when she said to and stood there silently. He didnt laugh at the joke.

 

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for the way we were introduced. I have problems being nice to many people not within my Ajah. Can we start over?" she said

 

(Yep... its Visar...) "Of course Aes Sedai..."

 

He had heard the rumors about her... she was mean towards Tower Guards all the time... was she apologizing to them one by one? He doubted it. He kept his face straight. He remembered how little she liked his humor.

 

"How may I serve?"

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta could tell that Dante thought she wanted to ask him about Visar or possibly one of the other trainees. She smiled inwardly, and thought "no young man I have little wish to speak of the others for the moment." She stood up from her chair and glanced around her room.

 

The room itself was fairly sparse as far as most Greens rooms went, there was a tapestry on the wall she had gotten from the borderlands showing a battle she hadn't been in the battle depicted but Adrian had liked the tapestry and she had bought it. When he had died she couldn't bring herself to get rid of the thing so it hung in her room. A small desk, the chair she was sitting in and two others also graced the room. The door to the small room used for the Warders who stayed in the Greens quarters and weren't sharing the bed of there bonded had the Aes Sedai teardrop on it in Green. She had done that herself after coming back to the tower, for the life of her she didn't know why she had done that but it seemed to fit in the rest of the room somehow. On her walls were a pair of crosses swords, one was notched as it had belonged to Adrian the other was an old one of hers she never used it anymore. On the opposite wall were two new swords also crossed she wasn't sure why she had the new ones maybe she thought to give one to her next warder if she ever bonded again. She turned her attention back to Dante and pointed to a chair and said in a soft yet commanding voice. "Sit." She knew it sounded like she was speaking to a prized dog but she didn't mind at the moment he would learn her ways or he wouldn't.

 

"You are here not so I can ask you about another trainee." she smiled "That is a conversation better left for another day. I told you I wanted to start over and I do. You found me on one of my worse days. I have a wish to get to know you better. So tell me something about yourself."

[Sangreal]

She had commanded him to sit (Sworn to serve Dante, best get used to this... something about myself.) He allowed himself to relax a little as he sat. He was not sure where to begin. Most women werent interested in who he was. "Well... I was a third son of a noble house so I was allowed to choose how I spent my life. I took to the smithing arts and mastery over the body." Seeing how she may not have understood what that meant he went on. "I specialize in massages for both pleasure and medicinal purposes... the body fascinates me... so I made sure to learn to draw out every extreme possible with it." He wasnt sure that was what she wanted to know. "I.. like to make people happy so I tend to smile and joke around... all the while though I am sizing everyone up... studying them."

 

He paused to look around the room and tried to work some moisture into his throat. He wasnt sure what she was looking for only that she was looking. "Im sorry I bothered you that day. You dont need to go through all this for me. You had a bad day, I got over it. I saw you and you seemed so sad I just wanted to make you happy for a little while and I was tired of..." He didnt mean to say the next part... (It slipped... strange that of all the things that could slip. Better finish now though.) "I was tired of how others talked about you. It almost seemed fated that I ran into you that day. When it happened... " He kind of laughed and his smile returned. "I really did have a dream that I met you that way and we went to breakfast together though I must say it didnt go so badly in the dream." He paused for a moment. "You were not a mercy mission Rasheta Sedai. I just thought you would look beautiful with a smile is all."

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta was amused when he spoke of his talent with massage, she was half sure that he wanted to show her some day just how good he could be. While she knew Adrian wouldn't want her to be alone forever she wasn't sure she was ready to try THAT talent of Dantes just yet. She herself was usually fairly good at reading people so when he spoke of that she didn't reply. She seemed to be making him a little nervous. She wasn't surprised most people were around Aes Sedai, usually the nervousness was reserved for those of the other Ajahs. Dantes next words jerked her out of her thoughts.

 

"I was tired of how others talked about you. It almost seemed fated that I ran into you that day. When it happened... "

 

She knew the way she was talked about, however she hadn't known it had gotten so bad as to filter down to those in the warder yards. He went on to speak of having a dream about her and she laughed.

 

"Someday you will have to tell me how the dream ended." She thought she had a few ideas but she didn't say them out loud. "I rarely smile Dante, when you have been bonded and lose your bonded you will understand. Visar and Sandre helped a little with that and I have since decided that I cannot stay here in the tower and alone forever." She fixed Dante with a searching look. "Have you ever considered allowing yourself to be bonded?" She saw a quick look of panic run across his face before he hid it and she burst into laughter.

 

"You need not worry Dante, I am not going to tie you up in Air and bond you now, nor will any Aes Sedai try it unless you first give your consent. I am only curious."

 

 

 

 

[Sangreal]

(At least she was laughing) he thought to himself. "I have considered it yes..." Not sure of where to go from there he looked around the room at the modest furnishings. She could afford better he was sure but it made him wonder why she didnt bother. "It would have to be for the right reasons and with the right person. I would be hard pressed to turn down someone who needed me but so far the ones who have been coming after me have been some of your sisters who have a couple Warders already... felt more like I was being chosen from a meat market then for who I am."

 

He wasnt sure if that was too forward. It seemed like a pretty commonly known thing that some greens bedded their Warders and some... more than one. It was just not really spoken aloud. Though if you found someone attractive who wouldnt want them around and subservient to boot?

 

"Since we are starting over did you need help finding a Warder then? Visar might be a good choice or Sandre though you would have to convince Edana to bond you as well... Phinns not bad either. Bond her and you would have your choice of the men since while your a trainee thats referred to as "The Dream" to be bonded to a green who has a Gaidar." He said it with humor and sarcasm having finally relaxed. He adjusted on the chair he was sitting on to not be so tense and waited for her response... good or bad, after all, humor had failed before...

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"It would have to be for the right reasons and with the right person. I would be hard pressed to turn down someone who needed me but so far the ones who have been coming after me have been some of your sisters who have a couple Warders already... felt more like I was being chosen from a meat market then for who I am."

 

Rasheta laughed again and nodded "Yes some of my sisters are much more." She paused thinking of a good word. "Forward then the others." She tilted her head to the side still searching Dante's face and manner, for what she wasn't sure but she was curious about the man. He told her then of Visar's qualities and Sandres she shook her head causing her hair to fall into her face. Annoyed she pushed it back over her shoulders and cursed inwardly at it. She knew her hair down seemed to be a tool to help meet her ends but she did hate it sometimes. She spoke again

 

"You misunderstand me Dante, I already know both Sandre and Visar's qualities, they are good men both. I have my reasons for speaking to you but I thought maybe you would like to know me better as I had hoped to ask you to bond me." She waited to see how that would be taken.

[Sangreal]

"Bond me." were the only words he heard... or that he could remember. (Now I am confused... did Visar say no? I thought you hated me.) he thought. He opened his mouth but the words did not come out. He shut his mouth and took on a look of curiosity. His eyes met hers for a moment and he felt connection before he turned away. (Bloody... if she keeps looking at me that way and we are bonded it will be a challenge to maintain any sense of control over my life.) He steeled himself, determined not to let her make a slave of him. "If that is what you wish then we do have need to get to know one another... what oaths would you require of me... and for that matter why me? To be honest... I thought you hated me."

 

In a way he still did think that. Her attraction to Visar seemed obvious enough. (Maybe this is her way or enticing him... the duel stated her intentions that shes obviously interested in him. Or maybe I made a worse first impression than I thought and shes taking her hatred to a whole new level of revenge.) He thought about it a moment longer and realized the latter was irrational. (Very well then... with the way Visar is with women who knows if he will get another shot like this one. Hes too obsessed with training to notice a friendly gaze. For my friend then I will get to know her... and bond if the arrangement it tolerable.)

 

The whole thought process was over in a blink of an eye. His final thought before she answered was (At least the view will be better.) as he gazed at her.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"If that is what you wish then we do have need to get to know one another... what oaths would you require of me... and for that matter why me? To be honest... I thought you hated me."

 

Rasheta studied him for a long moment, she was a little surprised that she had offered the bond. She was also a little shocked that she really didn't hate the young man. She had come to realize that when she had watched Visar and Dante train together. They were both good and had the ability to protect the Aes Sedai who finally convinced them to bond. She ordered her thoughts and then spoke. "I did hate you at first." She paused to see if those words had any effect on Dante. He didn't speak so she continued.

 

"You reminded me a little of what I had lost. Adrian, would not like me to be alone forever and so when I went to the training yards I thought it was time to see who would be suitable for my purposes. I only want someone to watch over me and see to my protection. I want to leave the tower more and to do that I will need someone with me." She sighed and then added "I will not ask you to share my bed so you can put that thought out of your mind and if you need to go and see to your needs elsewhere I will not say anything about it. Do you think you could handle those requirements of you?" 

[Sangreal]

Well she was nothing if not honest. It sounded as though it would be strictly professional. Dante was not sure why he felt a little disappointed about that but one look at her and he quickly figured that out. She was attractive yet at the same time she did hate him once. Quickly he put the notion of how attractive he found her out of his head. She wanted a body guard and nothing more, and she hated him once. He still wasnt convinced this wasnt some attempt to convince Visar.

 

"I can protect you but you must give me the freedom to be able to do so. You can question why I do what I do or the precautions I take but as long as I do my job without jeopardizing your mission I need you to do as I say... remember it will be my life too."

 

He leaned back in the chair to let her take that in. What he was asking for wasnt unrealistic. It was a simple fact that he was better trained to protect them both. Trained to hide her and move them both if needed. If needed he could quietly eliminate the opposition without her being seen at all.

 

"Your protection will be my only concern. I will do as you say in everything else. I will also be more than willing to take care of the small things when we are on the road. Food, campfires, or whatever else. I just need that one thing from you."

 

Most Aes Sedai did not like to give up any control at all. This would be a huge step in the right direction if this was going to happen. It was simply recognition of his talents.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"I can protect you but you must give me the freedom to be able to do so. You can question why I do what I do or the precautions I take but as long as I do my job without jeopardizing your mission I need you to do as I say... remember it will be my life too."

 

Rasheta almost laughed out loud, she had heard almost the same lecture from Adrian all those years ago. She bit her lip for a second to keep the laughter from coming out before she spoke. As she opened her mouth Dante leaned back in his chair and spoke again.

 

"Your protection will be my only concern. I will do as you say in everything else. I will also be more than willing to take care of the small things when we are on the road. Food, campfires, or whatever else. I just need that one thing from you."

 

Rasheta nodded her head and then said. "I will do as you say when I feel the need to." She smiled and added "I am not a Green sister for nothing I know when to take orders and when to give them. If you can handle me giving orders to you at times then I think we will get along well enough." she tilted her head to the side studying him intently for a long moment before she added.

 

"Don't think i'm using you to get to Visar or anything. When and if I decide to bond him I will take that up with him I would not use you to find out anything about him." She smiled then slowly and in a sly way. Sometimes her Mother told her smiling like that could turn a mans head as well. Rasheta hadn't used the smile in a very long time. She did now not truly to get Dantes attention more to see if she could still turn heads with it. She added still smiling sweetly.

 

"Maybe someday you can be more then protection." She wondered what kind of reaction that would get.

[Sangreal]

He made sure his smile did not change. (What a little temptress you are... Im afraid someone else may have his heart set on you though.) "Perhaps." he said. He didnt want to disregard the notion and looking at her felt something stir inside which he quickly stamped down. He doubted he would be more than protection. (Too much of an ass.) he thought to himself. He already set about planning which jobs and roles he could take that would build up Visar WHEN she bonded him. He was already aware it wasnt a matter of "If".

 

He sighed. He might even have to avoid being more than her protection. It might make him more obedient than he would need to be to protect her effectively. He couldnt afford to be lax.

 

"It could be nice." He said. He gave it a few moments more thought and studied her close. He didnt like being uncertain about someone. The question of (Why me?) kept going through his head.

 

"I should warn you though... despite what you may have seen or heard Im not the type gives himself to someone easily... not even for a kiss." he said reflecting back to the spar on the yards.

 

"Normally I dont care what someone thinks of me, but its important to me that you know the truth if we are to do this... though you would have learned it eventually."

 

He wasnt sure how much went into inviting someone here she had treated like she had the day they met. "This must have been difficult for you... I still dont understand why you would choose me... there is better out there Rasheta Sedai. Someone you could have a good start with from the beginning as opposed to someone you started with so rocky. I am an illogical choice no matter what you have seen of me."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"I should warn you though... despite what you may have seen or heard Im not the type gives himself to someone easily... not even for a kiss." he said reflecting back to the spar on the yards.

 

"Normally I dont care what someone thinks of me, but its important to me that you know the truth if we are to do this... though you would have learned it eventually."

 

Rasheta studied him closely again. He seemed serious, she had been teasing him but apparently he didn't think so. She remembered the offer she had made in the yards, she had been surprised he had shoved his friend in front of him rather then taking her offer. Maybe this was a small glimpse of the inner workings of Dante's mind. She had been surprised herself when she had offered to give him one normally she wasn't willing to get close to people. She was going to say something when Dante spoke again.

 

"This must have been difficult for you... I still dont understand why you would choose me... there is better out there Rasheta Sedai. Someone you could have a good start with from the beginning as opposed to someone you started with so rocky. I am an illogical choice no matter what you have seen of me."

 

She smiled slightly again, she seemed to smile more these days it was odd but she didn't question it to much. "You sound very much like one of the White Sisters." She held up a hand to stop him from speaking if he got the idea to try and interrupt her. "I guess it would be illogical for me to chose you without really knowing you and seeing as how we started it seems even stranger." She looked up at the ceiling for a moment before turning her attention back to Dante.

 

"I think you give yourself less credit then you deserve, you are good at what you do and of course with training you will be better. The Greens bond more then one Warder, if I needed another I would bond another to complement your strengths and weaknesses. I suppose this isn't answering your question. I wanted you because..." She had almost said she found him handsome and she wanted him nearby. She  had just told him to find other women she needed something to say that wouldn't be a lie but wasn't fully the truth either, she settled for. "you have been on my mind lately and I heard you had gotten better at the training yards." While it was the truth in a sense it told him little more then she had been thinking about him. She bit her lip to keep from adding anything else to that statement. She did wonder if this would satisfy him or not.

[Sangreal]

(Shes hiding something... how hard should I press?)He kept the straight face he had these few minutes and the eye contact. "Youve heard Im getting better." She was being so vague with him it was frustrating. (She has a reason and if its one she wont tell then its not one I will like.) He was about ready to get up and leave if it wasnt considered against protocol.

 

"Rasheta Sedai... no matter how much better I am getting there is still better than me... you are hiding something from me and telling me that your telling me what I need to know or whatever is not going to work with me and the hint that maybe I will be something more will not tempt me... not on this."

 

He sat up in his chair hoping to deliver the message that she was about to lose him forever. Truthfully, she was.

 

"Last chance before my answer is a no. No more twisting the truth, please keep in mind that House Kaldun descended from an Aes Sedai and her Warder... I know what you can and cant do. Im not going to start a friendship and especially a bonding on half truths..."

 

Visar would be proud of how serious he was taking this. He would accept her saying she will tell him everything before the bonding. He didnt like making demands but his demands were not unreasonable. She could have been trying to bond him to use against his own house for all he knew.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"Last chance before my answer is a no. No more twisting the truth, please keep in mind that House Kaldun descended from an Aes Sedai and her Warder... I know what you can and cant do. Im not going to start a friendship and especially a bonding on half truths..."

 

Rashetas eyes narrowed and her stance as she stood up changed to one of annoyance and if she had to she could fight. She could feel her temper about to get out of control. Adrian always said when she looked like this he left her a lone because he knew she was about to loose her temper on him and he would rather avoid that. He said her eyes changed color when she was angry to a darker color, he said it reminded of a storm coming. She spoke slowly and articulated every word, she also embraced the power she would hold the boy in his chair with air if she needed to. "You would question an Aes Sedai boy. Not to mention you would threaten me with words about knowing how the Tower works. Your house." She spat the word out "Knows little if it thinks it knows what an Aes Sedai can and cannot do." She wrapped him up in air then and leaned over him bringing her face close to his still angry.

 

"I don't have to explain my every action to you, I told you my reasons for bonding and maybe I need to keep the others to myself for the moment." She let him go but didn't move and grabbed his chin in her hand forcing him to stare at her at close range. She stared at him a moment and then dropped her hand and stood up turning away from him still angry. "You are a handsome man and is it so wrong for me to want a handsome man by my side?" She refused to look at him as she added "Does that help in answer to your question. You should know I cannot lie, if as you say your house was decended from a warder and his Aes SEdai."

[Sangreal]

"Are you done?" he said calmly. Inside he was raging. Although he managed to not even show a twitch from it. It was a skill that they used in trading in his family. A trick learned from its Aes Sedai founder. The serenity they were all rumored to possess. (Ironic that I am the calm one.) "Im not afraid of your one power or your anger or pain or death Aes Sedai. So this.." He said looking around and referring to the fact that he was still tied up in air. "Does not impress me."

 

Wasnt much he could do being tied up like that. He wondered if they had been overheard. "So far we have met once and you showed me disdain. We meet now and you show me anger. Being handsome and hearing that I am getting better on the yards does not warrant a bonding. Your hidden motives are why you want to bond me."

 

Her fury was painted all over her face. (Does she think herself higher than me because of her power? This must be why my father pressed so much that nobles and peasants are no different from each other.)

 

"Bonding is death to the man that takes it. Do you think anything you have shown me will tempt me to that fate? If you feel I am being unreasonable then by all means ask your fellow Greens. If this is what I have to look forward to in a bond with you then my answer is no."

 

He gave her a moment to let that sink in. He so far had not managed to get anything in that thick head of hers. This time it was him hating her. He wanted to just leave and never see this woman again and forget that he approached her only out of a desire to make her happy for awhile. (Does she even remember that?) "No good deed goes unpunished." he mumbled to himself. "Im sorry Rasheta Sedai but until you can be straight with me on this I cant do it. No man would. Im asking you not to start this permanent thing on deception. After this you can keep all the secrets you want."

 

(Shes going to get some poor guy killed...) Silently he waited.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta waved her hand at him "you haven't been tied up for many moments now you are free to leave." She could hear him start to get up and she added. "Not telling you this will not hinder your protection of me in anyway and I do not do this to hurt you. This is something I must keep to my self for the moment. I have no wish to hurt your feelings or anything." She smiled to herself thinking how very odd she sounded but she didn't try and correct herself that would only look like she was babbling. She stood where she was till she heard the door close.

 

Well her offer was out there now and he could chose to accept her or not. She moved back to her room and shut the inner door after herself and then took several deep breaths. She felt strange making the offer she had but she knew it had been the right thing to do. Now she would just have to wait to see if things worked out in her favor.