A bargain for life and death (SG RP) [Order]

[silhouette]

A quick glance at the sun told her it was time. She had waited long for this moment, and now that it was here it gave her the satisfaction she had expected it would. Her poisons had gained fame over the years, and now she would trade some with the most illusive people in the world. Aes Sedai, the very symbol of the Light, would grovel before her, because they needed the expertise of a Darkfriend. She thought of the face of her mother for a moment, imagining a look of pride on it. With a pleased nod to herself she picked up the scrip with samples she had prepared, and walked out the door.

 

She was quite sure the Aes Sedai would be more interested in the Forkroot than they would in any other herb or poison she had to offer. It must unsettle them, knowing that there was something that could render them powerless. No doubt they would ask her for antidotes against it, and that pleased her even more. There was no antidote, just like there was no antidote for the most severe poisons she made. Time healed the damage forkroot did, and only that. Time and movement. She wondered briefly if they would actually use the herb against their own. With a smile she allowed Demus, her escort of the day to help her onto the cart. The young man took the reigns, and set them on their way to Fairhaven.

 

It would be a meeting on neutral grounds. Nona had demanded that, or rather, Nathan had, and she would obey the greater darkfriend that offered her shelter, and a place to make her poisons. A ranch with so many darkfriends was not fertile ground for negotiations. There was no telling what these Aes Sedai would do if they found out about the affiliations she and Demus had. On the other hand… she would not be surprised if they knew. If they did know, it would give her quite the leverage. If they knew, and still contacted her… it was a sign of their need.

 

After arriving at the Silver Bow in, Nona made sure she took a place at a table in the far corner, with her back against the wall. “Stay close.†She told Demus. Perhaps there was little the man could do if the Aes Sedai decided to channel, but at the very least he would be a distraction. Aes Sedai were women, no matter how hard they tried to deny it, and Demus was an attractive young man. Then the waiting began.

 

~ Norena Doronas

Poisonmaker.

[TaeaDawn]

Demus was actually enjoying the day. Nona had asked him to come along and the day was nice enough. The ride to town was as smooth as could be and Nona was certainly easy on the eyes. He wasn't overly friendly with her just yet, not the way he was with Cari who had started out their relationship by helping him out of a bind, but she was a fellow Darkfriend and someone he thought in time he might like to get to know better. They lived in a small area after all, and they would all get into one another's business eventually.

 

Fairhaven was a quiet enough town and the ride was fairly short. His first visit there had been with Cari, soon after relocating to the Rashad Ranch and getting settled into life there. He liked the area and as they walked into the Inn, he took a seat in the corner, ordered a drink and sat back, waiting for an Aes Sedai to come order poison from a fellow Darkfriend.

 

Yep. Just another day, he thought with a smile.

 

[TaeaDawn]

The night before had gone rather well, Aramina thought as she surveyed the area. This morning, Estel Sedai and her Warder were at her side, visiting the town of Fairhaven. A pretty name, though Aramina wondered who it was a haven for if it's locals included a woman known in certain circles to be dealing with poison and forkroot.

 

Aramina wasn't one to judge though. Her own oaths to Sirayn were enough to condemn her as traitor after all, and her own interests often bordered on the questionable. She was Cairheinin though and she knew enough to keep her interests quiet and her denials honest and speakable.

 

Aramina had sent a letter out the day before, asking her connection to make the appropriate location known to her. Aramina had been told the woman resided at a Ranch but she wasn't fool enough to meet her there. Fairhaven had been scoped out before they rode in though and Aramina held the source ready, in case their company decided to try anything... unruly.

 

Aramina didn't expect trouble though. Sirayn wasn't the type to leave anything to chance and if there was going to be trouble she would have been warned. At least she hoped she would have been. Still, she was prepared for it even if she didn't expect it. She was a Battle Sister after all, and she never travelled unarmed.

 

Riding into the village she spotted the Inn they had been directed too. She dismounted and tied her horse off to the side, then turned to her companions. A small smile was all she gave them. They knew their roles in this part of the mission. Aramina was there to negotiate for Sirayn and they were there to keep an eye out for trouble. They were also a distraction if Aramina needed one, someone to pull the eyes towards if she needed it.

 

She ran a hand down her green skirts, trying to rid herself of some of the dust from the road. She pulled her gloves off, soft green leather worked with small roses across the top, and put them in her belt pouch. Her hair was held back in braids with green ribbon worked throughout. She eyed the door of the Inn one more time before stepping forward and walking through the door.

 

There were few people inside and only one woman sitting at the back by herself. Aramina looked around slowly, taking in the state of the establishment and it's staff, noting any possible exits and entrances. A pretty faced youth sat at a table on the other side of the room and looked up as they walked in. A strange smile sat upon his lips and Aramina wondered what he saw when they walked in.

 

She took a moment only, then walked towards the woman in the back.

 

"Excuse me, Mistress. I'm from out of town. Would you mind if we joined you? We were hoping to learn a little more of the local fauna. Is this something you could help us with?" She asked, extending a small smile to the woman.

 

[silhouette]

Two Aes Sedai and one warder. Nona watched them while ‘hiding’ behind her cup. Interesting. Important enough to send a delegation of two, but also careful not to intimidate with too many warders or other armed men. The poisonmaker smiled in her cup before glancing over at Demus. Perhaps he would have a chance to show his worth today, or perhaps not. Nona had a few ways to deal with Aes Sedai herself, and not all of those would allow both the women and the warder to leave unharmed, or even with their lives. Norena smiled at the one who stepped forward, obviously the leader. She had a regal and distant air about her, something Nona would have expected in an Aes Sedai. The other, a Domani by the looks of it, had a less patient look on her face. Bored, was she? A dangerous thing to be, around a woman who could bring them death within a moment.

 

The Aes Sedai’s voice was pleasant, if still as distant as her looks. This one at least seemed to have guarded herself against all possible threats. Nona wondered briefly if she held the One power now, or if she felt safe enough to go without it. If only she knew of a herb that would allow her to detect the use of Saidar. What she wouldn’t give for such a thing… what the world wouldn’t give… she shook her head slightly. These thoughts would get her nowhere now. “Please, do be seated.†She said, her voice gentle as warm milk. “Can I be offering you something? Tea? There do be spiced wine, if you do be preferring such a thing.†So early in the morning. Those words went unspoken, but there was a hint of scorn in Nona’s eyes. If the Aes Sedai cared to numb her senses before bargaining with her that would be fine, of course, but it would also ruin whatever respect Nona may have gained for the woman. For she was but a woman, ageless face and serpent ring or no.

 

Nona waited for the women to be seated and served. The warder was lounging in the corner, every bit as laid back and relaxed as Demus appeared to be. No doubt ready to move in an instant, if all those stories about warders were true. It didn’t matter. Nona had several little throwing knives up her sleeves. If he moved anywhere she didn’t want him to move, he’d find himself dealing with one of those, coated in the venom of a bloodsnake. She had yet to see the cure against that particular poison. “Now, kind Mistress… what do be the fauna you be interested in most?â€

[Guest Estel]

Estel was unusually silent and even more surprisingly, her eyes did not hold their usual heat when they glanced in Aramina’s direction. The young Aes Sedai was thoughtful, a rare mood for her. She mulled over how the afternoon would proceed. Though she had been brought up in a noble house and had had Daes Dae'mar ingrained into her bones, she had spent very little time- and wasted less effort- in using the practice since gaining the Shawl. In fact, she had spent very little time in the Tower, or any civilization for that matter. Her Causes lay elsewhere and were it her choice, she would not be here.

 

Questions ran through her mind as they always did. Why in the Pit of Doom would Sirayn want Forkroot? Estel would much rather be a world away from it than try to get her hands on any of the vile stuff. Who on earth would be dealing in this stuff? ‘Not that my “master†has done anything “suspicious†before.’ she muttered to herself, gaining a questioning look from her Warder. That earned a glare and though the man could not see it, he felt her annoyance at having her privacy interrupted. The Bond was a wonderful thing. She his eyes, he her sword.

 

Nothing marked the town of Fairhaven out in any way. It looked like any other town she had ever passed through but it did not ease her suspicion. She had spent far too much time in the Blight and around shady characters to let her guard down that easily. The inn, like the town, didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary, but their quarry caused a raised eyebrow. Her face was hidden behind her cup and Estel could not see her face.

 

She refused the offer of a drink with look. Did the woman think her stupid enough to accept drink from a woman dealing in Forkroot?

[Kael]

Orion rode easily behind his Aes Sedai and Aramina to a town he had not real knowledge about, on a mission he had no idea what entailed. He was furious that he was so ill prepared that if something went wrong he wouldn't be able to protect Estel as well as he could, but he had followed her blindly so many times before he had to trust that Estel knew what she was doing.

 

He had not every time during their early parts of bondage, but with so many years having gone by he could do little else. Orion followed the sensations of Estel, guiding his horse to that beacon, what he used as much as his eyes now than anything else. Following Estel he had some semblance of moving normally, even in places he had never been. Estel had become the eyes he had lost in more ways than she may have known.

 

He could feel Estel's suspicion matching his own as he dismounted and followed the two Aes Sedai into a building, his right hand followed the wall to a corner, his minds eye following the sensation of Estel. He slipped into the void and his hearing, enhanced by both the lack of sight, the void, and his bond picked up most anything he would need his eyes to see normally.

 

He settled back onto the wall, his cloak was outside on Tai'Shan but his twin swords peeked over his shoulders and he had a pair of daggers on each side of his belt. He crossed his arms over them and rested his fingers on the hilts of each. He eased his eyes shut. It was a useless gesture to someone who was blind, but to those that didn't know that it gave the sense that he was relaxed and completely at ease. More than one person over the years had learned that Orion was never relaxed unless he and Estel were alone. Now hurry up Estel. If you get killed after sixty years together, I will find someway to bring you back just to make your life worse than death. His impatience must have fluttered over the bond, many all to famillier emotions came back and Orion squashed what little emotion the Void allowed.

 

 

Orion

[TaeaDawn]

“Now, kind Mistress… what do be the fauna you be interested in most?â€

 

Aramina had smiled slighlty at the concern for their thirst but had declined a drink. Perhaps if this meeting went well she would trust this Inn and it's keeper enough to drink with her, but not today. It was too much when dealing with a woman who they knew could make poison and, in her mind worse, knew they secrets of forkroot.

 

"There is much I am interested in actually." Aramina said as she settled easily in a seat across the table from her. "My name is Mina." She said softly, a name that had at one time been a special nickname she had excized from her heart. It was a handy travelling name now, except in her secret nightmares that she shared with no one.

 

"We have travelled quite some ways to find someone who would be able to help us." She added. "Someone skilled in the art of herbal remedies to precarious situations."

 

[TaeaDawn]

It was the man that entered that fascianted Demus. A man with no sight it seemed, who obviously guarded one of the women who had entered. A warder? A blind warder? That was interesting. He had heard about Warders but had never been this close to one before. He hoped he wasn't about to find out if the stories were true. He moved with a comfortable grace, one that spoke of years of travel and certainty of the blade. If this turned nasty, he would be lucky to get out alive, he thought. He looked at Nona and hoped she knew what she was doing here, involving him in Aes Sedai business.