You have been weighed, you have been measured... [attn Barm]

[Nynaeve]

...and you have been found wanting

 

 

*******************************************************************************

 

~ There is no way a wolf can be as immature as you, Nightfall ~

 

Nightfall stood with her back turned to Lorelai, her tail twitching irritably. Lorelai rolled her eyes and folded her arms under her breasts firmly. Light, but that wolf could be so bloody stubborn! Lorelai had the utmost respect towards the animal, but Nughtfall pushed her patience towards its limits at times.

 

Lorelai took a deep breath and rounded on Nightfall.

 

~ This is a serious matter, Night. We patrol together, hunt together, stand guard as the other sleeps. Don't be so quick to wave this off ~

 

Nightfall growled.

 

~ Even if I wasn't a Wolfkin... I could still smell your stench a mile away. You need a bath, Nightfall ~  It was a bit hard not to finish that statement with a giggle, but Lorelai managed to disguise the amusement with a cough. It didn't fool her wolf, though. Her eyes just diminished to a narrow slit.

 

~ There's a river close by... if you want we can spare a few hours and go to...~

 

Nightfall took on a defensive stance that made Lorelai trail off. Despite the long time Lorelai knew her wolf, she wasn't too clear about their hygiene antics. However it was quite apparent at that point that they did not appreciate grooming tips from others.

 

Lorelai leaned forward to pat the animal, but Nightfall pulled back.

 

~ I will take care of it ~  And with that the wolf was gone.

 

Lorelai blinked and sighed. She never would have guessed her wolf would have just as many mood swings as she did. Leaning back on a tree, she wondered if perhaps she pushed too much. Then, suddenly, she just started laughing. Lecturing about baths, tantrums, running off. This resembled too much a dysfunctional family. And the fact that she seemed to be playing the parental figure was all too ridiculous.

 

Lorelai's laugh came into a halt abruptly. She wrinkled her brow and dove into a near by bush, to conceal herself. Sure enough, moments later, someone emerged from within the woods.

 

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Barmacral]

Taking a bite out of an apple that he had stored away, Burgandy spurred his horse forward a bit, having not seen anything in some time; a while past the border and not quite close to the city yet, it had been a quiet stretch of land with not too many Seanchan patrols. He hadn’t needed to hide from any air patrols in hours, which was a step up from the day before where it seemed he was ducking in the brush every five minutes.

 

Suddenly he pulled his horse to a halt as he heard something, a rustling from just up ahead. Sliding off of his horse he crept forward, not making a sound. Peering through he thought he saw a person when there was a blur up ahead and they disappeared. He watched for a moment and finally decided it wasn’t one of the Seanchan, there’d have been more than one, and it would have been far noisier. Standing up Burgandy stepped forward and caught his foot on something, tripping flat on his face.

 

Getting up he spat out a couple of leaves and some dirt and brushed himself off. ’Screw it, they obviously know I’m there now.’ Burgandy thought, and walked forward into the clearing just ahead with his hands raised above his head and open.

 

[Nynaeve]

Lorelai crouched in the bushes, cursing herself for not having found a better hiding place. Usually she felt more secure in higher grounds. Trees were perfect for that end. A better view, that's for sure. Unfortunately, she was too distracted by the issue with her wolf to have noticed the man in time to get up a tree unseen. A bush was the best she could do in such a short notice.

 

Trying her best to peer through the branches, Lorelai had to hold back a laugh when she saw the man tripping and falling flat on his face. Stealthy. He had the uniform of a soldier. She didn't recognize it, though. But he was the only one about, as far as she could sense. Some sort of scout, no doubt.

 

The man got up and walked forward with his hands raised above his hand, dry leaves decorating his hair. He knew someone was out there. He must have seen her as she went for cover, since he was showing no indication of where she was currently hiding. But what was she to do? She could stay concealed, but leaving him that opening could mean him calling for help. If the rest weren't too far off, she could get overrun and captured. She couldn't allow that. Containing him for a certain period of time would leave her enough time to get a good head start.

 

Lorelai took a deep breath and then stood up and walked out of the bushes as casually as she could manage. She smiled, looking the man up and down, his hands still stretched up. "That was quite a graceful entrance. If that's how you walk, It'll certainly be interesting to see how you fight." She drew her sword out of it's sheath and pointed it at the man's neck. She looked up enough for her hat to reveal her golden eyes. "Now why don't you tell me what you're doing here and how many of you are around here? I wouldn't recommend lying, though. That might irk me and put me in a bad mood. You seem like a gentleman. I doubt you would want to upset a lady, would you?"

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

 

[Barmacral]

Burgandy grumbled, it figures that he tries to show that he means no harm, and ends up with a sword at his throat. The golden eyes though, they were curious. He had heard of people with them before, but had never seen them in his travels; supposedly they could talk to wolves, but Burgandy had his doubts.

 

“I’d rather not find that out today, with the way I’m managing to walk, I would be liable to end up fighting a tree, and then losing when I stab myself in the foot with my own sword; though if you press that blade of yours up against my throat any harder, I probably won’t need to cause myself the unnecessary pain.” Burgandy picked a stray leaf that had been tickling his forehead out from his hair, but was careful to keep his hands in plain sight of the woman; she seemed temperamental, and he happened to be in no mood to wake up dead in the morning.

 

“I am with an army, and we’re marching west. I am an advance scout, and my loss would be noticed rather quickly. Anything more than that I’m not paid enough to know. You’ll understand, I’m sure, if I don’t divulge which army I’m a part of, for the sake of my own skin. Want an apple? I’ve got a couple in my pocket here.” He made no move towards his pocket, waiting her approval in hopes of not getting himself killed.