Met at Sunset, attn Rasheta

[Visar Falmaien]

The day was a long, sweltering summer day just like any other. Visar had spent almost all of it practicing, alone and drilled, and sparring whenever he could get an opportunity to.  Yet everything about his daily routine seemed dull and pointless. 

 

A steam bath and a change into fresh clothes didn't help his mood much.  Inwardly, Visar was frustrated at how slowly he seemed to be improving.  He wished he could explain the feeling, but it didn't make much sense.  He had been doing almost nothing but training in the yards for weeks.  Yet surely by now he would notice an improvement?

 

I must not be cut out for this warrior or guardian business...he thought despairingly, though he couldn't think of anything else he might do alternatively. 

 

The sun was low on the horizon, and the white Tower was already beginning to turn a shade orange.  Sunset was not far off.  Visar paused in his furiously quick walk to take in the breathtaking show of colors. 

 

It was beautiful here, he knew.  But nothing about himself seemed to suit the ideal scenery.

 

Well, I guess the only thing to do is to get to sleep early and do it again tomorrow... he thought, though he was not at all looking forward to doing the same monotonous thing again.  As he started walking again towards the barracks, he saw someone he recognized.  Without thinking, his frown turned into a smile for a brief moment, before fading back into a forced stern visage.  One had to concentrate when talking to an Aes Sedai, especially one that looked rather intent on speaking with him.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta was curious about Visar it had been awhile since she had last seen him and Dante was always talking about his friend. She kept trying to tell him to leave it but he wouldn't. She was staring out her window in her quarters and jumped when the door opened Dante was standing there. She nodded to him and then stood up, the sun was setting and she was sure that Visar would be on his way back to the barracks by now. She grabbed her shawl told Dante to remain where he was and walked down toward the barracks. She passed several sisters on the way and she nodded to them all getting out of the tower she made her way to the training yards and beyond that the barracks.

 

She saw Visar making his way toward her and she took a moment to study him as he walked. He seemed a little different since she saw him last she couldn't define exactly what was different but something was. Maybe he had more confidence in his walk or some other such thing. She shook herself and made her way toward him walking purposfully so he wouldn't try and take another path to the barracks. When she got to him she gave him a smile.

 

"Good evening Visar, I hope i'm not going to keep you from anything." She added "How does your training go?"

[Visar Falmaien]

"Good evening Visar, I hope i'm not going to keep you from anything."

 

Visar glanced briefly at the barracks, but resisted the urge to bolt.  He hadn't gotten into too much trouble by talking to Rasheta before.  Matter of fact, he had barely said anything to her since their few brief meetings.  And yet she seemed to recognize him with a familiarity of old friends.

 

"How does your training go?"

 

Visar almost audibly winced, and he glanced back at the barracks.  He didn't want to talk about how his training was going.  He gave a simple, non-committal "It goes."

 

Rasheta seemed to want more out of him than that, though.  Visar sighed, and tried to explain a bit further, grudgingly giving detail.  "I guess it's just been a while since I've done anything but training.  And I've been frustrated lately.  I don't seem to be improving much."

 

That was all he cared to talk about that, though.  He attempted to shift the subject, though he doubted he would succeed.

 

"How is your training, Rasheta Sedai?  I...I mean," Visar wanted to smack himself in the face.  An Aes Sedai?  Training?  What was he thinking?  Weren't they already trained in whatever it was they could do? "How have your..." he awkwardly searched for a word.  "Duties as an Aes Seda, been going?"

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"How have your..." he awkwardly searched for a word.  "Duties as an Aes Seda, been going?"

 

Rasheta burst into laughter and said. "Be at ease Visar I don't have a wish to make you overly uncomfortable." She reached over and slipped her arm through his and turned him away from the barracks. "I just wanted to see you and speak to you a little." She had wondered why after only one meeting, Dante assumed she liked Visar or Dante. It was a strange bit of information that she had tucked away and later she would ask either one or both of them about it. As it was she just walked along next to Visar dragging him almost along after her. She shook her head this wouldn't do he really should get used to her being around and she said

 

"You know I don't know where we are going I just wanted to speak to you a little. You look." She paused and looked him over in the fading light. "Different, somehow I don't know maybe you have simply grown more used to doing whatever it is the warders do all day." She laughed again and asked. "didn't you teach a class about using a Dagger recently? Did Sandre or Dante take your class and try and show off." She rolled her eyes it wouldn't surprise her if either man used any excuse to show off.

[Visar Falmaien]

Visar blinked, as Rasheta Sedai smoothly put her arm around his.  He tried to stay relaxed, however, as tensing up or trying to get out would be quite rude.  Perhaps she liked to be this familiar with people, but Visar couldn't think exactly why.  He had heard of Dante getting a lot of attention from Rasheta, and he assumed that she must like him, or at least have prospects for bonding him.  Speaking of which...I haven't seen Dante in a while...

 

She led the way away from the barracks. Visar almost dragged for a bit until he matched pace.  Where were they going, he wondered, until she said she didn't have anywhere in mind.  Just wanted to talk.

 

Visar frowned.  Other than looking a little older, and stronger from his training, he didn't see much of a difference in his appearance.  His frown fixed when she mentioned the dagger class.

 

"No, Rasheta Sedai," he answered.  "Neither Sandre nor Dante came; they were busy.  Instead, I had a couple of trainees try to show off in front of an Aes Sedai.  I felt like I couldn't keep a hold of them the whole time...It was a somber reminder that teaching is not exactly one of my talents.  At least I had a good lunch with Saline Sedai afterward."  Visar realized that having lunch with an Aes Sedai might send the wrong sort of message, though trying to amend his statement would appear defensive, too.  He instead attempted to shift the topic a little.

 

"Have you seen Dante recently, Rasheta Sedai?  I haven't heard from him in a while.  He hasn't left to go anywhere has he?"

[Rasheta Ardashir]

"Have you seen Dante recently, Rasheta Sedai?  I haven't heard from him in a while.  He hasn't left to go anywhere has he?"

 

Rasheta laughed and answered. "I have seen him recently, I left him several moments ago." She paused and saw Visar's look of surprise before he covered it up. "I bonded him recently," She explained and continued. "He's staying with me now in the White Tower." She added for clarity. "No we are not sharing a bed." She thought that telling him that straight would stop any ideas that were going through his head.

 

"I should send him to see you soon." She added. "I think he needs to stop acting like my shadow anyway." She smiled and shook her head. "So did you have a good lunch with Saline Sedai?" A small hint of something other then kindess entered her voice. She wanted to take the words back but of course couldn't. She sighed inwardly and then added "How are your other studies going?"

[Visar Falmaien]

Visar was openly surprised that Rasheta told him she not only had seen Dante; she had bonded him.  So that's why I haven't seen him in a while!  he realized.  I suppose he wastes no time, then.  Visar thought as he recovered his expression of shock to a more appropriate visage.  It was hard to resist the urge to grin when Rasheta defensively denied sharing a bed with Dante.  I wouldn't have assumed that unless she was defensive about it...

 

Visar nodded at Rasheta's suggestion.  It would be good to see Dante again soon, and make sure he was doing alright in his new role as a Warder.  He wasn't exactly sure what Rasheta meant by Dante being her shadow, however.  Surely a protector like a Warder would want to be around his Aes Sedai at all times to do his duty best?  All this news was a little overwhelming to Visar, who didn't feel ready at all for bonding an Aes Sedai.  He didn't even notice the slight change of tone when Rasheta Sedai asked about Saline Sedai.

 

"Lunch was good, yes, umm..."  Visar then tried to answer Rasheta's next question, and his earlier frustrations came crashing back.

 

"They go, I just feel like I've reached a plateau in my training.  I suppose I should seek a new person to train under to try to change up the pace.  And I have not seen Sandre in a while either... I feel like I've made myself so busy with trying to get better that I've completely forgotten the importance of having friends."

 

Visar paused, before hesitantly asking, "Do you ever feel that way, Rasheta Sedai?"

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Rasheta listened as Visar talked it was easy to see what he was feeling without being bonded to him. She could almost feel his frustration coming off him in waves. She waited till he was done with his frustrated outburst she was about to comment when he asked her

 

"Do you ever feel that way, Rasheta Sedai?"

 

She thought for a long moment and then nodded slowly. "When I was an Accepted I did. I had done all I could with part of my training and had to find something else to. We all go through times of frustration you just have to find a way to push through it. I really should send Dante to you, if nothing else it should help with your training a bit." She stopped him and looked him over. "Or you could teach me some about dagger use." She laughed then adding "I don't know if that will help you get better since I prefer a staff, sword or bow if I'm going to use a weapon." She shrugged and then pulled him along after her.

 

"I will help you get through this if I can, I like you and I think you will make an Aes Sedai a good warder someday. I will endeavor to help you become the best you can." She smiled at him even though she wasn't totally sure he could see it. She shook herself and said

 

"Enough talk of that. It will only serve to frustrate you further. How long have you been in the Tower now Visar? Its strange I have been locked in my rooms for so long I do not know much of the tower workings these days." She shrugged and continued walking pulling Visar along after her. "Are you hungry?" She added "We could go to the city and eat?"

[Visar Falmaien]

Visar listened as Rasheta half pulled him along. He had been able to teach one Aes Sedai about dagger defense, and she at least had been receptive during the lesson.  No harm in teaching another how to defend herself.

 

"Whenever you'd like, Aes Sedai.  I'll show you what little I know."

 

"I will help you get through this if I can, I like you and I think you will make an Aes Sedai a good warder someday. I will endeavor to help you become the best you can."

 

Visar noticeably slowed down, and looked at Rasheta Sedai carefully.  She told him that she liked him...what exactly did she mean by that?  And making a good warder to an Aes Sedai...could she be meaning herself?  But wait, that doesn't make sense, she already bonded Dante, didn't she? 

 

Rasheta Sedai shook herself, and Visar did the same not a moment later. 

 

"Enough talk of that. It will only serve to frustrate you further. How long have you been in the Tower now Visar? Its strange I have been locked in my rooms for so long I do not know much of the tower workings these days."

 

Visar answered carefully, trying to maintain some semblance of formality, even though they were walking arm in arm for anyone to see.  "I've been in the Tower for just about three years, now.  And I wouldn't know the tower workings any better than you.  It would take many normal lifetimes to call oneself a master in knowing about that complexity."

 

They continued walking, Visar following Rasheta's pull as best he could.

 

"Are you hungry?  We could go to the city and eat?"

 

This was the second time an Aes Sedai had asked Visar to a meal.  Was this some custom that they did?  Visar wondered.  He could think of no reason he could politely refuse, however, and he was hungry.  He didn't mind at all being so close to such a powerful and friendly, not to mention attractive, woman. 

 

Visar nodded.  "Certainly, Rasheta Sedai.  I'm sure the city has much more flavorful dishes than the Tower Guard mess hall.  Do you have a place in mind?  Or shall we choose one randomly along the way?" he added with a slight grin.