Friends at last (atten: Dante)

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta had not thought to much about Dante in the weeks since there last meeting. He had seen her only once and had been cool to her in that meeting. It had been over a month since there last meeting and she had been finding gifts on her door and she had heard rumors that some of the young men out on the training yards were beaten up if they spoke ill of her. She knew that Dante had done all of this because her sisters had told her so. She was sitting at her desk getting ready to send another summons to him she was just unsure what to say. She twisted her hair around her finger and sat back in her chair thinking, she had already sent him a summons once and that had turned out not well. She leaned over and wrote again.

 

Dante~

Please attend me in the Green Halls at the earliest time.

 

Rasheta Sedai

 

Rasheta sent the note away with an accepted and then glanced around her room. It was full of flowers and other small gifts she had gotten over the past month. The other Greens had teased her and at first she had no idea who it had been who had sent them to her. Later she had figured out that it must have been Dante. She stood up and decided to look her best, she changed clothes into a domani dress and left her hair down, she added a little color to it with a comb that had jewels in green on it. She smiled it matched her eyes well and she went back to her outer room to wait.

 

Several hours later Rasheta was pacing her floor when she finally heard a knock she waved her hand, embracing the power and using air to open it. She was only a little surprised to see Dante there after this long she had thought she would have to go and find him herself. She waited a moment till he came into the room and then she shut the door and crossed her arms. "It is rude to keep an Aes Sedai waiting." She said in her coolest voice. She couldn't help adding "And why have you sent me flowers and fought with the other tower guards for my honor? Seems a strange thing to do for a woman you do not like much."

 

 

[Sangreal]

Dante had avoided the accepted that started asking around for him for a couple hours. His fellow Tower Guards thought it a great game to help and laugh at the poor accepted sent to find him. He even let her catch glimpses of him on occasion to keep the chase fresh. He knew who she was sent by. The girl practically announced it as though she were entering a king's hall rather than the yards. Finally she got smart and enlisted the help of a captain and Dante appeared almost before the words were out of the girls mouth. She should have been angry, instead she stared at him.

 

Opening the seal he saw another summons. Someone made a crack about "Round two" just out of earshot. Which Dante responded with a searching scowl. He would find that guy later.

 

Approaching the door he took another breath. There were plenty of greens in the hall some smiling because of the last time he was there and others smiling more appreciative of a Tower Guard in uniform. Those he gave his best smile to. Then he knocked.

 

The door opened on its own as expected. "It is rude to keep an Aes Sedai waiting, and why have you sent me flowers and fought with the other tower guards for my honor? Seems a strange thing to do for a woman you do not like much."

 

His smile was not going to do very well at covering himself. "Are you sure you are not mistaking me for someone else who perhaps wants to make you happy with out you hating him? Fighting duels for your honor and sending gifts you say? Someone like that well... they would have to be devoted to trying to better your life and would at least be worth a smile for the effort."

 

He crossed his arms as though he were giving it some deep thought. "Well lets see. How many men do you know that would go out of their way like that? I have to say I dont know five. Maybe we should just sit back and watch until this devious culprit reveals himself hmm? I mean... how dare he do something nice for you!?"

 

He had to turn to not laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Perhaps some warders to guard your door in case he tries to leave another gift?" His facial expressions showed that he was enjoying every minute of it. He also couldnt help but enjoy looking at her in that dress. Something he let her notice just enough to make her think he was trying to hide it. Might as well stoke her ego while he was here in person after all.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"Are you sure you are not mistaking me for someone else who perhaps wants to make you happy with out you hating him? Fighting duels for your honor and sending gifts you say? Someone like that well... they would have to be devoted to trying to better your life and would at least be worth a smile for the effort."

 

Rasheta sighed and rolled her eyes at the same time. How dumb did he think she was? She had heard about what had happened on the training yards. She had no intention of allowing him to get away from her without telling her why he was doing this. She would use any means she could to get the truth from the man, she was about to make some other remark when he spoke again seemingly as though he was laughing at her. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Well lets see. How many men do you know that would go out of their way like that? I have to say I dont know five. Maybe we should just sit back and watch until this devious culprit reveals himself hmm? I mean... how dare he do something nice for you!?" "Perhaps some warders to guard your door in case he tries to leave another gift?"

 

She pointed to a chair and said "Please sit while I think if I know some men besides you who would send me flowers." She had to say suddanly she was amused by the whole situation, he seemed to be teasing her and she couldn't help herself this game was fun and she remembered playing it many times both with traders, when she had to at her Captain General's request, with Adrian, and now. She sat down opposite him she could tell he liked her dress and so she leaned back a little so he could keep most of her in view. "Hmm" She said as though she was thinking seriously. "I think Visar might, and maybe your brother. I could think maybe one or two more who might." She leaned forward then and said seriously.

 

"I know it was you. I also know that you don't want me to know." she shook her head. "Trying to woo me with kindness are you? I don't need it I am strong." She had to be after all both Green Ajah and missing a warder made her tougher then others. With maybe the exception of her Captain General. "I guess your reasons are your own." She realized she was babbling but couldn't stop. "I am not used to this though. It has been a very long time since I got anything like flowers." She paused and shook her head. "I even babble. Can I take this to mean you forgive the earlier conversation we had?" 

 

[Sangreal]

"Trying to woo me with kindness are you? I don't need it I am strong. I guess your reasons are your own. I am not used to this though. It has been a very long time since I got anything like flowers. "I even babble. Can I take this to mean you forgive the earlier conversation we had?"

 

Dante leaned back and stared at her with a stunned silence. "Did you think I wouldnt?" She must have really thought bad of him. He met her eyes for what was almost a full minute. He leaned forward almost suddenly but never lost eye contact. "Do you feel people should be honest? I thought Aes Sedai could not lie but when I met you I found they couldnt consciously lie... they could lie to themselves if they believed it. So what is a guy to do with such a discovery?" He waited but when he saw she wasnt going to answer he continued.

 

"Whatever atrocity they believe they need to lie to themselves over needs to end. You are not what the Tower Guards say you are yet you believe you are sometimes I think, and you behave as they expect... which has made my job difficult to say the least." he added the last with a grin to show her he didnt mind but then was all seriousness again.

 

"You hate me because I wanted you to let me in. I was angry with you because you wouldnt. The goal was the same though no matter how angry you made me. Show you that a scowl on your face is a lie when you have a face as beautiful as yours and made to smile. Being unhappy because you feel you must for whatever happened to you is a lie. You deserve to be happy." He leaned back again.

 

"I know your strong Rasheta Sedai... I just wanted to show you that you will do more harm than good by being strong all the time. I am trying to give you your heart back and  would give you mine too if I ever thought you would accept it." It was written on his face that he thought that would never happen. He hoped those words would sink in though, that someone was willing to love her unconditionally just for being her. Someone saw her inside and out as beautiful. (Secrets out now Dante... hopefully you did enough.) he thought

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"You hate me because I wanted you to let me in. I was angry with you because you wouldnt. The goal was the same though no matter how angry you made me. Show you that a scowl on your face is a lie when you have a face as beautiful as yours and made to smile. Being unhappy because you feel you must for whatever happened to you is a lie. You deserve to be happy."

 

Rasheta simply blinked at him for a moment. She wondered why her ability to smile or not would concern him much. He had never said anything like that to her in there last conversation he had left and she had been under the impression that he would never be seeing her again. She shook her head and was going to speak but he continued.

 

"I know your strong Rasheta Sedai... I just wanted to show you that you will do more harm than good by being strong all the time. I am trying to give you your heart back and  would give you mine too if I ever thought you would accept it."

 

Rasheta blinked again and to say she was shocked was a little of an understatement. She had no words and couldn't even think about forming any. She let his declaration sink in before standing and facing away from Dante and pacing the room. "I am sorry" She said in surprise. "I wasn't expecting to hear that. You will forgive me for my lack of response." She paced the room for a moment longer thinking and then she turned to look at him.

 

"I don't know how to be anything other then strong, I can not even think of accepting anothers heart because mine is so broken." She crossed the room and put her fingers over his mouth. "No don't talk, let me finish." she took a deep breath and continued. "I think I could try and learn how to be more understanding and caring of others. It would take some time and if you wished to help me with this I would be grateful." She gave him a small smile. "I suppose this means that I can expect that when i'm ready you will allow me to bond you as well."

[Sangreal]

Dante could not understand this need of hers to bond him. Something itched at the back of his mind and urged caution. Sent ideas of vile intentions she could be planning alone or with others. Brushing those aside he nodded. "While I do not understand the why you want to bond me if you wish it so I will bond with you. I would like it if you were a little more happy first since I will have to feel what you do."

 

So there is was. He made an agreement to bond. What was he called? Promised was it? Or was that for trainees? Privacy would be a thing of the past but he would just have to keep attempting to master the flame and the void even though he was better with the spring.

 

"Your the one who asked but I cant shake the feeling your the one getting stuck with me... why is that?" When he stood he was between her and the chair. He noticed the first thing he liked about her... other than her appearance. He caught her scent and was surprised how much he liked it. He smiled. If he bonded her he would have to be under the flame and the void or she would notice these little things he noticed about her. That would show her control over him he didnt want her to know about.

 

"Are you sure this is what you want Rasheta Sedai?"

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"Are you sure this is what you want Rasheta Sedai?"

 

Rasheta studied him for a long moment and then nodded slowly adding. "I wouldn't have asked you to be my warder if I didn't really want you. I would not have gone to the effort of trying to get back in your good graces if I didn't either." She smiled then remembering how terrible the first meeting the two had, had. She remembered her time with Adrian hadn't always been the best. They had learned about each other over the years and of course Rasheta had loved him a great deal. He had accepted her with all her faults and had loved her back. She wasn't sure she would be able to get back to that point with anyone but she was willing to at least TRY and melt her heart some. She supposed she was on her way as she smiled a little easier and could laugh some. She realized she had been ignoring Dante and said

 

"Have you traveled much Dante? If you don't tire of me before I actually bond you I would like to travel again. If you have not been to the borderlands or the blight you are in for a interesting experience. I would suggest you learn about borderlander customs in your free time." She stuided him a moment and added laughing. "Maybe other nations customs as well." She asked him another question "Do you dance?"

[Sangreal]

Dante had no clue what dancing had to do with being a warder... "Yes I can dance... and I know some Borderland customs." He supposed he would have to brush up on other cultures. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. "Do YOU dance."

 

He raised an eyebrow to go along with his usual Ive-got-something-up-my-sleeve smile. "I can teach you... though I am not sure if that goes along with the job."

 

He couldnt focus with her in that dress. She looked way too good in it he lightly flushed when she caught him staring again then smiled confidently. "You look good in that Rasheta Sedai... so why dont you tell me what you want my duties to be?"

 

He had to say something to learn why she was so persistent... and distract himself. Perhaps the job duties would tell him a little something (Dancing though?) He hoped it was for diplomatic reasons. (Dancing... does she want me to seduce someone or something?)

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta laughed out loud when he asked her if she could dance, instead of giving her a chance to reply however he went on and asked her what her duties should be. Still smiling she answered.

 

"I will get to that in a moment." she leaned forward a little and said with a big smile. "I can dance very well and I can do several dances that are considered only worth knowing if you are going to be seducing someone." She winked and then turned thoughtful.

 

"As to duties I think it should be fairly clear. I need someone to watch my back as I travel. Well I should say if the head of my Ajah allows me to travel. You will meet her after we bond." She saw him look a little concerned for a moment and she shook her head. "No need to worry our head of Ajah is a good woman. We wouldn't all follow her if she wasn't. I am not very good at woodcraft. I can follow orders when I need to and so your duties would be to get me safely from one place to another. Can you build a fire and track?" She wondered what she was going to do with the silly Sitter position she wanted out of the tower. She needed to face her old fears and overcome the death of her warder. The blight should hold little fear for her anymore she'd survived it and worse. She focused again on Dante.

 

"we should get to know one another better. You may as well ask me questions about myself." She smiled in a half hearted manner. "I will try and answer them without losing my temper or breaking down in front of you." I am strong she reminded herself silently.

[Sangreal]

Considering that Rasheta apparently knew some exotic dances he began to wonder how she came about with that knowledge. Though he would only be satisfying a personal question that would have no effect on his work by asking. He decided to let it rest though he was dieing of curiosity.

 

"Questions... of course... and yes I can track and I can build a fire." He had had first hand knowledge of how to not be tracked as well as was actively learning the finer points of tracking at the moment. Fire was another matter and one easier to accomplish.

 

"So... where to start... well lets deal with the most direct threats to an Aes Sedai's safety. Do you have any lovers or enemies I should know about? How well can you ride?" It took him a moment to realize that since he had made a lovers reference that he should probably be a little more specific "Horses I mean... how well can you ride a horse?" It was rare that he ever blushed but his cheeks did color from that one. (In that dress its hard not to think of her that way then you make a mistake like that you dolt!)

 

Quickly he tried to think of more questions to cover up his embarrassing error. "Do you have any habits that you keep that require you to move around? Does anyone else have access to your room? For that matter..." He frowned that this thought had not occurred to him earlier. "Do you plan on bringing a bed in here for me or will I be staying in the barracks?" he had heard of both... some brought in an extra bed for warders, some slept with their warders, and some were still in the Tower Guard barracks. Barracks or a separate bed he was sure he could handle. He wasnt sure how well he would do sleeping next to her... surprisingly he felt that he wanted to, a feeling he quickly buried and hoped it would never resurface. He hoped that by not asking if he would share a bed with her that she got the hint that it wasnt an option.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Dante seemed to be having trouble speaking suddenly and Rasheta had to shake her head. The poor man was falling over himself trying to speak and assure her he knew what he was doing. She had no doubt he did he wouldn't have made it to tower guard if he didn't.

"Horses I mean... how well can you ride a horse?""Do you have any habits that you keep that require you to move around? Does anyone else have access to your room? For that matter..." He frowned that this thought had not occurred to him earlier. "Do you plan on bringing a bed in here for me or will I be staying in the barracks?"

 

Rasheta laughed and nodded "I can rid a horse very well. I have one here at the tower that I take out every so often. Not as often as he would like I'm afraid." She thought about his other questions for awhile.

 

"I have only the habit of wanting to leave the tower sometimes at a moments notice. Sometimes I like to stay in my room and see no one for days." She explained "I have some sort of condition that makes me unable to want to be around people." She shrugged "Adrian said those days his best idea was to leave me alone or to give me a reason to be happy." She actually blushed and moved on to the next topic quickly. "The other Greens could get into my rooms if I let them but as a general rule we in the tower don't go where we are not invited. The Greens are more adapt to leave our doors open to invite company but I am a little different and don't tend to do that. I also almost always ward my rooms so I would know if anyone was trying to come in uninvited. As to where you will stay." She nodded to the room where she had placed the Tar Valon tear drop on the door. "You may stay there if you wish. The Greens warders generally always stay with there Aes Sedai." SHe stood up and opened the door. The room was big and mostly empty, she had left the bed Adrian had used, briefly, in the room but cleaned out everything else. She cleared the dust quickly and then nodded to him. "Come and see tell me if you like it? And tell me why you decided to become a warder? was it honor for your family or something else?"

[Sangreal]

When Dante learned she had a condition where she wanted to stay in the room for days he wondered if his constantly cheery mood would bother her. He also practiced the "The Spring" meaning his emotions were a little on the... powerful side. When she motioned to the door he had decided almost instantly to keep his personal Tower Guard room as well... since he obviously wasnt going to bring a woman up here...then again there were tavern rooms. Shaking that off and seeing how there was only a bed he didnt want to chance it not being new.

 

"The room is fine though the bed is... not my type." He wondered what it would cost to find an actual Borderlanders type of bed... not cheap he was sure. Floor mats for sitting, throw pillows, book shelves, weapons racks,... there was a lot of space to fill.

 

"I became a Tower Guard because the family wanted to expand our trading here in Tar Valon and the White Tower assisted with that with a deal that was hard to refuse but they wanted to make sure that our family was tied heavily with them for such allowances... so now all future generations of Kalduns will probably be training in the Tower." He turned to look at her. "It appears we will have a large house and a ware house in Tar Valon now as well."

 

He walked into the room. (It could use some airing out... and a thorough cleaning.) He nodded as though to himself. "What did you do before coming to the Tower?" He wondered where the exotic dances fit in all that mostly... "For that matter.." he turned to face her again. "You never told me if you have any lovers... I dont want to kill a man because he walked in here in the middle of the night without me knowing who he is and having you mad at me forever."

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"What did you do before coming to the Tower?""For that matter.." he turned to face her again. "You never told me if you have any lovers... I dont want to kill a man because he walked in here in the middle of the night without me knowing who he is and having you mad at me forever."

 

Rasheta settled herself against the door jab and crossed her arms. "I have no lovers and haven't since Adrian died. I was so upset after his death, I don't know if you know what its like to lose someone you love but if you do losing a bonded who you love is much much worse. Many warders don't survive the death of there Aes Sedai. Many Aes Sedai do not let themselves bond again after the death of there warders. If you bond me you should be warned of that, I could die before you and if I do." She left it unsaid but she knew he had an idea of what she meant. She continued

 

"Before coming to the tower I was a trader with my mother. I have learned many of the secrets of the Domani from her. My father didn't like that I learned them as young as I did but my mother always won the fights about that. My father died while I was away on a trip with my mother. I lost my ability to speak for over a year because I did not know how to handle my grief. While I was training here at the tower I lost my mother. I have lost many that mean a lot to me. It has taught me to be strong or at least give the appearance of it." Rasheta had told only Adrian and her sisters as much as she was telling Dante now. She could not go into a bond my keeping a warder in the dark.

 

"Do you still have family do you get a long with them?" She was curious. She added "About the room if you need to bring a lady here I can ward my own rooms." She smiled "I will not get jealous."

 

[Sangreal]

He arched an eye brow at her when she said she wouldnt get jealous. If she could feel everything he could... well... it would make for interesting conversations eventually. If she ever frustrated him too badly he might even wait to take a woman until she was sitting in the hall or something. (Lets see her speak then.)

 

"So the woman who knows how to seduce doesnt?" He smiled at her. He had never had to seduce a woman. Usually they came to him for reasons he never understood and his only skill was how to evade them without hurting them.

 

"I dont know a thing about seducing someone... I only know what to do afterwards." He said with a grin. He strolled out of the room wondering why this woman was willing to go through all this to have him. Still it amazed him. She wanted his skills and not someone elses who was better. She didnt want him it seemed however. He was never more confused in his life.

 

"I have a large family... two brothers and a sister and countless cousins, second cousins, uncles, aunts and removed aunts and uncles. We get along well and the family loves each other fiercely... so when we dont get along well we also argue fiercely." he turned to face her. "You would like them. The man is only the face of the family. Its the women who make most of the decisions."

 

He looked her up and down again and couldnt stop blushing a second time. (I hate that she can make me do that!) "Do you always dress like this?" (If she does shes going to turn me to the arms of other women more often than I would like...)

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"You would like them. The man is only the face of the family. Its the women who make most of the decisions."

 

Rasheta laughed, she was well bred enough to know that women everywhere ran the house the men just looked like they did. The Aes Sedai were no different. Although Adrian had found enough ways to make her think she was controlling him when it was the other way around to make her almost question that assumption. She probably shouldn't tell Dante any of those things though it would give him ideas. Dante looked at her closely and then blushed and asked her.

 

"Do you always dress like this?"

 

Rasheta couldn't resist teasing him a little. "Yes and sometimes I wear even less." She winked and watched him turn and even darker shade of red. She smiled and added "I will warn you when I dress worse so you can be away if you like." 

 

She was still smiling as she went back into her main room and sat back down. "Anything you need to redo that room by all means do. I am in and out of the room generally all day but that should be no problem you can get things in here and make yourself at home if you like." She paused and added laughing "Although you don't need to feel pressured to get throom reading for yourself now if you don't wish. The choice is of course up to you. The Greens and there warders will wonder and possibly tease you a bit but you should find yourself comfortable when you decide to stay or if you do." She shrugged again. "If you decide to stay in the barracks that's your choice as well." She tilted her head to the side and asked. "Anything else you would like to know?"