When things go bump in the night (Attn Arath)

[Nynaeve]

Lorelai groaned. Her head was swimming and the images in her head were too blurry to make out. The gash on her forehead was throbbing terribly. She hissed when she touched it lightly. Her entire body felt like a huge bruise, any sort of movement gaining pain in a different part of it. And her shoulder. It was either dislocated or just about. Finally, she managed to sit up. She had to take a moment to steady her breath and wait till the dizziness left her.

 

Lorelai tried picking up on scents, to get a vague idea of where she was, but the smell of blood was too dominant. Sighing, she opened her eyes slowly, her left one particularly painful to open, what with the black that decorated it. Her eyes widened, which made her hiss again. She was... trapped. Locked up in a cage, in what seemed to be the middle of a street square.  

 

Resting her eyes for a moment, Lorelai tried to recall what had happened.

 

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

 

~ We shouldn't have passed through here, black cub ~

 

Lorelai sighed.

 

~ It's too late for could have, should have would have. We need to split up, Nightfall. One of us needs to get away to call for help. They're too many. ~

 

The wolf seemed hesitant. Or at least, as hesitant as a wolf could look.

 

~ I am not convinced that is the smartest thing to do, black cub. Perhaps if... ~

 

~ Go. NOW! ~  

 

Lorelai's demand was, surprisingly enough, abruptly followed. Nightfall darted away, disappearing into the night. Lorelai let out a sigh of relief. At least she was safe. That fool of a wolf would have gotten herself killed if Lorelai kept her around. No, whatever she had to face, she would on her own. Regardless if things ended up in her favor.

 

Hearing a twig snap, Lorelai spun. She felt them long before that, of course, but there was no point in running any more. She tried to avoid a confrontation the entire day, but somehow they kept tracking her. She couldn't risk them following her to the Stedding. It was her duty to throw them off.

 

"Well, there you are! Didn't your dad tell you that it's rude to keep a girl waiting? I mean, I got all pretty and everything." Four men emerged in front of her. There were five more behind her, concealed behind some bushes and an additional three in a close proximity. Suffice to say odds were in her favor, and also quite cuddly with her foes, by the looks of it.

 

"Keep talking, little lady. The more you talk, the more I'll enjoy cutting on you." Lorelai laughed. "Awe, I bet you say that to all the girls." Three more men appeared to her right, carrying torches. The remaining five revealed themselves from behind, a smug expression on their faces, naively thinking she had no idea they were there.

 

Lorelai tensed as they surrounded her. There was no place to hide or run to. She kept a smile, on, though. "Guys, guys. Can't we just get along?". A fist clashed into her face in response. Lorelai took a step back to steady herself. "You will speak no more evil, demon. I will end you." Lorelai unsheathed her sword, her smile deepening. "How about starting first? I mean, sure, first there are promises of love and trust. You say you'll call..." Lorelai ducked as a sword flung at her throat, cutting her off in mid word.

 

"Well, that was rude." Avoiding another attempt, Lorelai moved around, maintaining a safe distance from the men around her. She dropped to the ground, kicked one of the men in the groin and plunged her blade into the stomach of another. Hands grabbed her from behind, though. Two men of each side, as a third one punched her in the stomach repeatedly. Mastering all the strength she could, she kicked up, breaking the beater's jaw.

 

Lorelai took advantage of the momentary surprise and slipped out of pair's hold. She made about half a step before she was pulled back by someone gripping her hair. Turning, she flung the palm of her hand upward, breaking the man's nose. Unfortunately, she didn't manage to move quick enough to avoid a blow to the head with a big chunk of rock. Hissing, Lorelai fell down to her knees. Her vision was blurry and she felt herself swaying. She refused to give up, though. No.

 

She struggled to get up and for a moment there, it felt like she was going to manage it. However, a strike to her back made her collapse face first into the ground. She managed as much as rolling over, before she received another kick to the stomach. Grunting, she lay there, as the world spun. The pain was so overwhelming that it filled her senses. She felt her limp body being dragged, though. It felt like hours. Days. The force of the pulling, ultimately, dislocating her left shoulder. Not that she could differentiate between the different pains anymore.

 

~ Nightfa.....

 

Darkness

 

 

 

 

Lorelai

Wolfkin

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

Daevis stifled a curse as he stumbled over a hidden tree root.  Daevis hated the woods.  It was too hard to keep an eye on your surroundings when there were so many trees in the way.  For the hundredth time he cursed the necesity of opening a gateway away from a town.  The razor sharp edges could make for some rather horrific accidents though, so he had to put up with the bloody forest. 

 

This wasn't the kind of thing Daevis liked to do anyway.  Recruiting was so ... dull.  Boring.  Especially in these out of the way towns.  Towns that rarely saw peddlars, let alone strangely dressed visitors of his particular type.  Looking for new soldiers in places like that was always awkward.  To make matters worse, he'd been sent on this trip alone.  A small village like this wasn't supposed to be a problem.  A tranquil, quiet place.

 

Several minutes later, he stepped into a place that was neither tranquil, not quiet.

 

A large group of rather dirty looking men, bearing an ill assortment of weapons, stood in what looked like the village green.  The mob was centered around a cage of some sorts, dangling in the air with a rather dirty prisoner inside.  Daevis wasn't sure exactly what he had stumbled upon, but he wished he hadn't.  Getting involved in small village matters inevitably made his job harder.  Not that convincing men to wield tainted Saidin was easy in the first place, but it was still a complication he just didn't want to deal with.

 

On the other hand, he couldn't really call himself an Asha'man, a Guardian, if he didn't try to protect those in need.  That implied a responsibility to find out who was in need.  Bloody Covai and his speeches ..., thought Daevis with a sigh.

 

Quickening his step, Daevis approached the group and cleared his throat, drawing their attention.  "What seems to be the problem here?"

 

A large number of the men spun around in surprise, wondering where this black coated stranger had come from.  "That's no concern of yours stranger.  Why don't you move on?"

 

Daevis looked up into the sky, toward where the sun hung low in the sky.  "Thought I might stay here for the night.  I hope that isn't your innkeeper in that cage ..."

[Nynaeve]

Lorelai peeked at the man that approached them, using her right eye. His scent was disconcerting, in lack of a better word. He was on his own. There was no back up to be seen. At least, not close enough to matter if things went south, which they were likely to. Despite that, the man stank of... ease. He was simply startlingly calm. And he wasn't pretending to be outwardly. No. He was genuinely unconcerned with the fact that he was hugely outnumbered and will most likely get himself killed any moment. And quite gruesomely at that.

 

It was odd. Either the man was enormously confident or he was just a complete imbecile. Whichever it was, he proved to be useless in any escape plan Lorelai might have been able to device. Had she been out of the cage, though, he would have served as a wonderful distraction. Pity.

 

Her curiosity prickled, though. Was this some sort of heroic rescue attempt? He must have not noticed the shade of her eyes and mistook her for a poor helpless woman. Usually she'd resent it, but right at that moment it seemed to...

 

~ Black cub? ~

 

Lorelai froze. Her mind seemed to have cleared up enough to make out images again. She almost replied, before catching herself. If she revealed her situation to the wolf, she might do something crazy. She couldn't have that. Something vague would serve a better purpose for sure.

 

~ Nightfall, keep away. Don't go too far away, though. Stand ready ~

 

Nightfall didn't try to argue. It was a bit uncharacteristic for her, but Lorelai didn't have the time to think on it. Sighing, she tried ignoring the pain from her shoulder. She had to get out of there.

 

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

 

 

[Arath Faringal]

There were so many perks to being an Asha'man.  Wielding fire and commanding lightning were great, but the overwhelming confidence those abilities granted was ... awesome.  Daevis' already commanding stature was greatly augmented by the sheer arrogance that came from command of Saidin.  The mob in front of him, who only moments before had been loud and murderous, now looked more timid and subdued as they registered his presence.  Most of them anyway.

 

"Hardly.  We don't let her kind near our village, let alone near our inn."  The speaker was a large, particularly dirty man.  Daevis imagined that he was normally the sort of person the rest of the villagers didn't want near the village.  Every village had their version of him ... the kind of man who was always trying to cheat his neighbors, and was the first to start pointing fingers for Whitecloaks.  The sort of man Daevis despised.

 

"Her kind huh?"  Daevis turned his gaze upon the man, eyes narrowing slightly.

 

The other man flinched slightly, but continued on.  "That's right.  Filthy darkfriends have no place here.  We're good people who stand in the Light!"

 

Daevis considered the man for a moment, then vaguely nodded.  "I'm sure you are.  But how do you know she's a darkfriend?"  It was always a possibility that they were right, but a little digging couldn't hurt.  "I mean, if she is a darkfriend then she should die.  There's no question about that.  But what if she isn't?  Doesn't that make you just as bad as them, murdering innocent folk?"

 

"There's no doubting it.  We found her in the woods, living like a beast.  She attacked us.  And her eyes ... no human ever had eyes like that.  She's shadowspawn, mark my words."

 

Daevis moved forward toward the cage.  The crowd rippled back, leaving him a clear path.  Peering through the wooden bars, Daevis got his first good look of the caged woman.  She looked terrible.  She'd been beaten badly, bruised, bloody, clothing torn to rags ... he was surprised she was still alive.  She hardly looked dangerous though.  Why would they accuse this woman of being-  Daevis' thoughts cut off abruptly as she met his gaze.  Glowing amber eyes looked up at him, only for an instant, but long enough for him to understand exactly what was going on.

 

"Blood and ashes," he whispered.  Turning back toward the crowd with a sigh, he frowned.  "Have any of you ever seen shadowspawn?  I can assure you, they look nothing like her.  So other than her appearance, do you have any evidence at all that she is a darkfriend?  Anything at all other than your own fear?"

 

The dirty man spoke up again.  "I don't see that this is your concern stranger.  Why are you so quick to defend a darkfriend anyway?  Maybe you're a darkfriend as well, huh?"  He turned to his friends and yelled, "Should we lock him too?"

 

Daevis laughed loudly as a small group gathered their courage and closed in on him.  Siezing Saidin, he channeled a small amount of fire and created a fiery red blade in his hand.  "Believe me when I say that it is the last thing you would ever do."  He knew that he probably shouldn't, but he felt a great amount of pleasure in watching the loud mob leader wet himself as he turned to run away.  "I am the farthest thing you will ever find from a darkfriend, fool.  I am a Guardian of the Light.  I wield lightning and fire to protect people like you from the coming storm.  And I am death to all those who would harm the innocent.  So I ask again.  What evidence do you have that she is a darkfriend, and not just a woman who would rather be left alone?"

 

Nobody spoke for a long moment.  A good number of people shuffled nervously from foot to foot and refused to meet his gaze.  "That's what I thought."  Daevis turned back to the caged Wolfkin and channeled.  A quick weave of air and fire severed the rope holding the cage aloft, and a net of air slowly lowered it to the ground.  Then, always dramatic, Daevis used the burning sword to quickly slice away the bars from the side.  Everyone in the crowd gasped and took a few steps back.

 

"I came here in the name of the Lord Dragon Reborn to find those with the courage to become like me, to serve him and fight in the Last Battle.  I doubt any of you here will do so, but anyone willing to fight for the Light had best come with me."  Not surprisingly, nobody moved at all.  "Very well then."  With a mocking bow to the crowd, Daevis returned his attention to the newly freed woman.  "You had better come with me.  At least until we find your ... friends."

[Nynaeve]

Lorelai ignored the queasiness as the man spoke. The tone of voice he used as he spoke to the brutes radiated the same confidence his scent produced. It remained unclear why he was standing up for her when he was so outnumbered. He had an ace up his sleeve. He had to. Otherwise he was walking into certain death.

 

Suddenly, he walked up the cage. None of the others made a move to stop him. He looked her up and down with little interest, until he met her eyes. He was surprised for a moment and then a scent of realization came over. He came across a Wolfkin in the past, no doubt. There was no sign of the usual reaction that came with noticing her eyes. There was no fear there.

 

"Blood and ashes. Have any of you ever seen shadowspawn?  I can assure you, they look nothing like her.  So other than her appearance, do you have any evidence at all that she is a darkfriend?  Anything at all other than your own fear?" Lorelai pursed her lips. He definitely knew what she was. She was unsure, however, on what exactly he was.  

 

"I don't see that this is your concern stranger.  Why are you so quick to defend a darkfriend anyway?  Maybe you're a darkfriend as well, huh? Should we lock him too?" The man laughed. Lorelai couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was so sure. So calm. It seemed inhuman.

 

It all became clear when he channeled. A sword of fire materialized in his hands. What was an Asha'man doing in the middle of no where? Not that it mattered. It just meant it was Lorelai's lucky day. Not that any part of that specific day would have fallen under her criteria of lucky, but it was a good turn of events.

 

Lorelai stayed very still as her cage suddenly started hovering down slowly. He was channeling again, no doubt. It wasn't something she was used to. Thinking about invisible deadly weaves around her didn't calm her nerves, but she wanted to be out of that bloody cage more than anything at that moment. So she repressed those thoughts for a later time. Freedom was more important. It always was.

 

She watched as the man sliced through the cage's bars with his sword. She made an effort to stay still.  "You had better come with me.  At least until we find your ... friends." Lorelai hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. Limping, she let him lead her to wherever they were going. It didn't seem to matter to her where at that moment, as long as it was far away from those men.

 

After they made enough headway, Lorelai stopped, letting go of his hand. She was exhausted. Her whole body was burning, but all that paled in comparison to her shoulder. "I need your help to put my shoulder back in place." The man simply nodded. Lorelai put a thick twig between her teeth and nodded her head for him to proceed. The man didn't hesitate. He grabbed her arm with one hand and supported her shoulder with the other one. Then he pulled hard, slightly twisting her arm.

 

The mind numbing pain surged through. She could feel the shoulder popping into place, as she let out a groan. If it wasn't for the man still holding on to her shoulder, she would have been flat on her face by then. She breathed heavily, trying to stop her knees from shaking. "Thank you", she mumbled.

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

The girl was tough.  Daevis had to give her that.  He'd expected far more than a stifled groan when he set the shoulder into place.  Still, he could see it had taken a lot out of her.  With the rest of her injuries, she might be looking at a very rough few days.  "I can do something for the rest of your wounds ... if you wish," he said.  "It's not exactly comfortable, but it's better than what you're looking at in the next couple days."

 

Daevis saw caution warring with reason behind those golden eyes, but eventually she nodded her head.  With amusement, Daevis noted that she braced herself again, as if he were setting the shoulder for a second time.  Placing a hand on her head, and the other on her injured shoulder, Daevis wove the complex flows of healing.  The wolfkin woman gasped and shook under the weaves of the lesser sort of healing.  As always, Daevis was fascinated by the wounds closing before his eyes.  Only the worst of the injuries left any sort of scar, and those were faded as though caused a very long time before.  Not as good a job as some of the Black Tower restorers could have done, but far better than nothing.

 

Gently releasing the still shivering woman, Daevis sat down a little ways away.  "If you don't mind my asking," he began cautiously, "how did you wind up in that cage.  I've never known your kind to be captured easily."

[Nynaeve]

Lorelai didn't see any way around accepting the offer of healing. She was never healed before and the idea of him channeling through her wasn't a pleasant one. Anything could go wrong and she certainly didn't trust him enough to believe that he knew what he was doing. The alternative, however, was just as bad. She was too injured to make it anywhere. Healing naturally would rob her of time she didn't have. She had better chances of survival by accepting his offer. So she did.

 

She grew tense when the man placed his hand on her head and her injured shoulder. She didn't like to be touched, but she understood it was part of the process and so she tried to ignore it. She closed her eyes. She knew she wouldn't be able to see a thing either way, but it gave her a bit of ease to do so. She could still make out his scent, though. He reeked of concentration and determination. If he had any ill intentions, it wasn't coming off in his scent, which relaxed Lorelai ever so slightly.

 

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a freezing sensation going through her body. She gasped, shivering uncontrollably, trying to relax her muscles to no avail. Deep inside she knew only moments passed, but it felt longer. The sensation stopped abruptly, followed by him letting go of her. She stood there for a moment, a bit unsure if she could carry her own weight. She let herself drop to the ground. And there she sat, still trembling slightly. The pain was completely gone. She could hold both her eyes open now... yet at the same time she felt a wave of hunger and tiredness envelope her.

 

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you wind up in that cage? I've never known your kind to be captured easily." Lorelai raised an eyebrow and stared at the man blankly. Easily? EASILY?!?! "You could slit an Aes Sedai's throat if she loses focus but for a moment. Or an Asha'man's", Lorelai replied pointedly.

 

~ Nightfall, come to me ~ Lorelai transmitted images of her surrounding, to give the wolf an idea of where she was.

 

Never wavering from her stare on the man, she continued. "And I would think the injuries I've carried demonstrate all too well that I was not taken easily, Asha'man. And what would YOU know of my kind? Just because you possess a slightly better understanding of what I am does not make you better than the rest of them."

 

Lorelai pasued for a moment. Her head was swimming. No, definitely not the best time to get into an argument with the man. She tried to ignore it. "I appreciate your assistance, but I don't trust you. I don't know what motives drive you but I warn you, I am no one's puppet to be toyed with."

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

Daevis was a little taken aback by the woman's angry tirade.  Women ... he thought with a mental laugh.  Next thing I know it will be my fault she was captured in the first place.

 

"My motives?  Saving a beautiful damsel in distress isn't good enough?"  He got the distinct feeling that flattery wouldn't work in this circumstance, but it certainly couldn't hurt.  "Lets just say I might know a thing or two about being persecuted for being a little bit ... different.  And I'd rather not let someone die because of the fearful ignorance of that rabble.  Trust me.  I have no ulterior motive in saving you.  No desire to manipulate your strings.  I'm no bloody Aes Sedai trying to make the world dance to my tune."

 

Daevis stared at the ground in front of him for a while.  Taking note of how late it was getting, and the chill setting in, he began to channel to create a comfortable fire.  Flows of air pulled in fallen branches, razors of air and fire breaking them into suitably sized pieces.  More air to drag them into a pile, and an only slightly over dramatic weave of fire to set the blaze alight.  Light, how he loved Saidin, even with the cursed taint.  A wonderful campfire started without ever leaving his seat.

 

Enjoying the heat of the fire, Daevis tried once again to start up conversation.  "I would still like to know how you were caught.  It's obvious from your wounds that you didn't go down easily.  But I also know that you wolfkin are bloody impossible to sneak up on.  Even when your ... friends ... aren't around."  An unsettling thought suddenly occured to Daevis, and he looked around a little apprehensively.  "Speaking of which, you will let me know if any of them approach, won't you?  I'd hate to save your life only to have one of them accidentaly rip my throat out."

[Nynaeve]

"My motives?  Saving a beautiful damsel in distress isn't good enough?"  Lorelai blinked. Was he really trying the charming routine? Really? "Lets just say I might know a thing or two about being persecuted for being a little bit ... different.  And I'd rather not let someone die because of the fearful ignorance of that rabble.  Trust me.  I have no ulterior motive in saving you.  No desire to manipulate your strings.  I'm no bloody Aes Sedai trying to make the world dance to my tune." Lorelai didn't respond to that. His scent indicated that he was being truthful, but she could easily tell that he was by the way he spoke. His words struck a bit home. But it wasn't time to linger on it.

 

~ I am here, black cub. Who is that two legged? Should I approach? ~

 

~ No, Nightfall. Stay put, but stay alert ~

 

Lorelai stared passively as a fire started all by itself. Normally, that would surprise her, but not that day. It seemed her companion didn't believe in using his own two hands. "I would still like to know how you were caught.  It's obvious from your wounds that you didn't go down easily.  But I also know that you Wolfkin are bloody impossible to sneak up on.  Even when your ... friends ... aren't around. Speaking of which, you will let me know if any of them approach, won't you?  I'd hate to save your life only to have one of them accidentally rip my throat out."

 

Lorelai looked up at him. "Of course", she lied. Her gaze never wavered. Averting a look was a sure sign of someone lying or hiding something. And she had nothing to hide, short of almost everything. It did worry her that the man seemed to know quite a bit about the Wolfkin. She came across people who've heard of yellow eyed people but none of them seemed to know more than that and some ridiculous tales that were usually attached to it. No, this man knew what he was on about. But how?

 

"If you must know, I was... " Lorelai hesitated for a moment. They were far away by now. Disclosing the information couldn't hurt them. "...not traveling alone. We got a little careless while buying supplies. It was decided that we'd split up and I'd throw them off their tracks. I suppose I excelled at the job. They seemed to have gather more men too. They started out as four men. I didn't expect a bigger group."

 

Lorelai was at least grateful about Winifred and the wanderer getting to safety. She never would have imagined that tagging along to one of the pick ups would have ended this way. That was certainly the last time she took up on any offers Winifred made, that was for sure. She grinned to herself at the thought but soon turned her expression to a frown when her stomach growled. The healing seemed to have taken out a lot of her. More than she'd like to admit, even to herself.

 

She tried to stand up. It was time to find out if the man really did aim to help her or he was holding her hostage. Her feet couldn't sustain her, though, and she stumbled forward. Before she knew it, the man was on his feet, grabbing her wrist to keep her from falling face first into the fire. Lorelai stabled herself and was just about to thank the man. She never got a chance to, though.

 

Everything happened so quickly. All Lorelai managed to see was something leaping on the man. When she managed to focus her eyesight on what was going on, she realized the man was lying on his back with Nightfall standing on his chest, growling. Lorelai panicked. "Don't hurt her!" The man raised his eyebrow at her. No doubt thinking she was talking to the wrong individual. He was the one being attacked, after all. But she knew all too well that he could whisk her away easily. And she couldn't bear Nightfall getting hurt. No, not her.

 

~ Nightfall, get off of him. Now ~ The wolf turned to look at her.

 

~ Nightfall, do it ~

 

The wolf growled and reluctantly stepped off the man and situated herself between him and her. Lorelai gave the man an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. She thought you were trying to hurt me. She doesn't like it when people touch me." So much for keeping the element of surprise if things went south, Lorelai mused. Nightfall was her hidden ace. All options seemed to have ran out.

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

 

 

[Arath Faringal]

Daevis wasn't quite sure what happened, but ending up with a very large and angry wolf standing on him was not quite what he'd expected.  A little bit late, he siezed Saidin to protect himself.  A solid weave of air protected his exposed neck and face, and another far nastier weave was ready to fling the beast away.  Probably in several messy pieces.

 

"Don't hurt her!" came a cry from the wolfkin ranger.

 

Daevis held his weave in check and turned an incredulous stare at the woman.  You must be bloody joking, he thought in disgust.  Flaming thing is about to eat me and she tells me to stop?!

 

A few moments later the she wolf stepped off of him.  Daevis watched the thing back away from him warily.  He'd always been fascinated by wolves.  Like many borderlanders he always appreciated seeing them along the blight border.  But it was one thing to watch a pack rip apart a stray trolloc, and quite another to be the one about to be ripped apart.

 

Maintaining a firm grip on the source, Daevis hauled himself back to his feet.  "I'm sorry. She thought you were trying to hurt me. She doesn't like it when people touch me," said the wolfkin.  She looked ... amused.  Burn her.

 

"Well thank you so very much for the warning," the Asha'man replied, more than a little irritation in his voice.  "I'll be sure to ask for her bloody permission next time I keep you from falling in a fire."  Daevis limped his way back over to where he had been sitting, his knee having twisted badly when the wolf dropped him.  "I go out of my flaming way to help someone," he grumbled to himself, "and she goes and feeds me to the goat-kissing wolves.  Bloody women ..." 

 

He supposed this was what came of trusting strange women.  All women were strange, but this one more than most.  Dropping back into his seat, he began to dig through the small pack and pulled out a packet of food.  He bounced it in his hands for a moment, then tossed it in an arc well over the wolf to the startled wolfkin.  "Food," he said simply.  "Not that you're likely to eat anything I give you, but you need it.  Probably why you fell over there."  Well, he'd done all he could now.  If she died from starvation it was her own stubborn fault.

[Nynaeve]

"Well thank you so very much for the warning. I'll be sure to ask for her bloody permission next time I keep you from falling in a fire." Loerelai opened her mouth to respond but then thought better of it. The man had a point. Though she couldn't have known Nightfall would react this way after being told to stay put. Then again, from afar, she could see why the wolf thought she was being attacked. So, she just sighed, petting Nightfall to ease her.

 

She grew a bit concerned when as she watched the man limping, as he moved back to where he was sitting. "I go out of my flaming way to help someone and she goes and feeds me to the goat-kissing wolves.  Bloody women ..." Lorelai had to suppress a smile. The way he was acting was completely legitimate. She would have been in a worse sort of mood if the situation was reversed, but she couldn't help but be amused by it.

 

She noticed the man throwing a pack in her direction and caught it, just before it struck her face. "Food. Not that you're likely to eat anything I give you, but you need it.  Probably why you fell over there." Lorelai sat herself back down and nodded her head towards the wolf. She conversed with the wolf back and forth until Nightfall finally ran off to the woods, to fulfill the task she was sent on.

 

Unwrapping the packet, Lorelai found in it pieces of dried meat, some cheese and a piece of bread. She smelled it, not sensing anything off about it, and started nibbling on some cheese. Before she knew it, she already finished all of it. She was a bit surprised by that, but then figured it was due to the healing.

 

~ I'm on my way back, black cub. All is well? ~

 

~ Yes, Nightfall. Take your time ~

 

"Oh, my name is Lorelai, by the way. If you like, I have an ointment in my pack that might help your knee. I've made it myself."

 

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

Daevis was a little surprised by how quickly she wolfed down the travel rations.  He'd half expected her to just set them aside and forget they existed, at least while he was still in the area.  After only a few minutes, she was looking both dismayed and surprised by the now empty packet in front of her.  While she ate though, Daevis was busy weaving an intricate mix of spirit in a large ring around him.  A ward.  This time, he would know when the wolf came within a hundred paces of him.

 

"Oh, my name is Lorelai, by the way. If you like, I have an ointment in my pack that might help your knee. I've made it myself."

 

Well that was unexpected.  Fearful, angry, conversational ... this Lorelai couldn't seem to decide how she wanted to react from minute to minute.  But at least if she was talking she wasn't about to send the wolf at him ... was she? 

 

"I'm Daevis.  And don't bother.  The healers at the Farm will have it fixed as soon as I go back.  I've had worse anyway.  I got this," he ran a finger along the large scar along the left side of his face, "when a trolloc fell on top of me.  Your wolf doesn't weigh quite as much as that thing did."  That had been only a few months before he met the Asha'man and found a far better way of killing shadowspawn.  Another life entirely.

 

Shaking old memories out of his head, Daevis turned back to Lorelai.  "So what are you going to do now?  Catch up with your other friends?  Go back to the stedding?"

 

 

[Nynaeve]

"I've had worse anyway. I got this when a trolloc fell on top of me.  Your wolf doesn't weigh quite as much as that thing did." Lorelai twisted her mouth at the mention of Trollocs. Minor irritation surfaced when Daevis compared Nightfall to that abomination. Even if it was only with relations of weight. Many humans visualized wolves as wild violent beasts. If only they knew how wrong they were. There was much nobility and gentleness in their ways.

 

"So what are you going to do now?  Catch up with your other friends?  Go back to the Stedding?" The surprise only surfaced inwardly as Lorelai worked on maintaining a smooth expression. She eyed him thoughtfully, though. It bothered her that he seemed to know so much. Most people who claimed to know what the Wolfkin were about spoke of yellow eyed freaks that walked the woods at night, lived their lives in the wilderness and spoke to wolves. No one seemed to know that they had a secret place where they all lived together. A community.

 

She blinked as she realized she never answered Daevis' question. "Oh, I'm sorry. I still feel a bit off", she lied again, pressing a hand against her stomach. Ignoring part of his question seemed to be the adequate thing to do. "I am going to be tracking down my friends, most likely, yes. I am sure they're fine. But there's no harm in verifying it." She hoped Winifred indeed carried on and that they did not remain in the area to wait for her. It wasn't safe. But Winifred was no fool and whatever decision she might have made was probably the right one.

 

Nightfall jumped out of a near by bush suddenly, two dead rabbits in her mouth. Lorelai smiled in satisfaction when she caught Daevis' flinching slightly at the abrupt entrance. Nightfall was quite a charmer, after all. Always leaving an impression. Whether it was a good one or a bad one was a totally different matter.

 

The wolf dropped the rabbits next to Lorelai's feet and disappeared into the woods again, no doubt to hunt again for her own nourishment. She was a good hunter. And as ridiculous as it might sound, Lorelai sometimes got jealous of how good the wolf was. She often took pointers from Nightfall to improve her own technique. She doubted she'd ever manage to match the wolf in skill, though. She was human after all. But it never kept her from trying.

 

"Still hungry?", she asked Daevis', smiling from ear to ear.

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

Having that ward in place was less assuring than Daevis would have hoped.  Knowing the wolf was nearby only made him more wary, and the bloody thing jumping silently out of the nearby bushes was still enough to make him wince.  At least it didn't try to kill him this time. 

 

"Still hungry?", Lorelai asked with a silly grin.  Daevis pondered for a moment, then nodded.  She could probably eat everything off both of the rabbits the wolf had delivered and still be hungry.  The healing had been extensive, and she'd be ravneously hungry for a couple of days yet.  But it had taken a bit out of him as well, and he'd rather have something to do while he waited.  He needed to stay in this area for at least a few hours before he'd be able to Travel away.  He could always skim, but that unending blackness always made him uneasy. 

 

"I can eat.  So long as you're not just fattening me up for the wolf."

[Nynaeve]

"I can eat.  So long as you're not just fattening me up for the wolf."

 

Lorelai shook her head, grinning. "No, Nightfall would be displeased if I played with her food." She had to suppress a laugh when the man grunted, no doubt in remembrance of Nightfall's earlier attack. She wasn't happy about the wolf's behavior nor did she encourage it, but her companion was as stubborn as her, so any words were lost on her. Regardless, she was going to have a talk with her at some point about her hastiness.

 

They ate in silence, Lorelai gobbling it all down. When she was done she stood up and dusted her trousers. She still felt a bit out of sink and not back to her full strength, but she didn't have the luxury of waiting. She had to find out if Winifred and the Wanderer got away clean. They were to meet at an appointed destination to continue their journey back to the Stedding and she was running late.

 

"Well, I believe this is where we part ways. I... appreciate your assistance. I would have been dead by now, if it wasn't for your assistance and for that I am grateful. May the light shine on you, Asha'man." She extended her hand and clasped his. She looked into his eyes for a moment and then turned around and disappeared into the night.

 

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

 

"No...", Lorelai fell to her knees, her eyes slowly widening as she surveyed her surroundings. She couldn't believe it, but there was no mistaking or misreading the tracks. Winifred and the wanderer were taken. Her mind attempted to try to comprehend how that could have happened. Winifred was fierce and wouldn't go down without a fight. She would have at least expected to see some bodies, sense the the stink of blood.... but there were none. Lorelai cursed under her breath. It didn't matter what happened. All that mattered was that saving her kin

 

~ We have to find them. We're going back ~

 

~ That's suicide, black cub ~

 

~ No, it's called loyalty, Nighfall ~

 

The wolf growled. Lorelai ignored her. She needed to think. Form a rescue plan. But first of all, she had to track them down to know where they were taken. Perhaps they were taken to the same place she was, which would help. She got a good look around and had the layout memorized. It would be helpful for her to sneak about unnoticed. She didn't want to fall down on them like a thunder storm, no. That would most likely get her killed, what with their numbers. No, she wanted in and out. A clean get away. And she was going to achieve just that.

 

So she proceeded to following their tracks, a bend of a branch here, muddy footprints there, and their scent. She would never forget their vile scents. As she moved quietly in the night, a thought crossed her mind. Perhaps requesting assistant from the Asha'man was prudent. It was possible he was still about. But the man didn't seem low key enough to help her right. She had a feeling that he would end up complicating things. No, he would be more of a liability than an asset in her plan. Besides, she doubted the man wanted anything to do with her.

 

She gave Nightfall a warm smile as she ran. She really did love her companion. Despite all her bad moods, ranting and preaching. And she suspected the wolf appreciated her just as much, though if asked she'd probably be reluctant to admit it.

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

 

[Arath Faringal]

The silent meal didn't last long.  Lorelai wolfed down her food quickly, and as soon as she was done she was ready to depart.  She still looked a little weak, but it was a far sight better than she had been an hour before.

 

"Well, I believe this is where we part ways. I... appreciate your assistance. I would have been dead by now, if it wasn't for your assistance and for that I am grateful. May the light shine on you, Asha'man."

 

As Daevis reached out to clasp her extended hand, wondering what she would be up to now.  Searching for her missing companions perhaps?  She'd said that she would need to catch up with them.  He briefly thought about offering his help, but he knew that she would never accept it willingly.  If the point came where she needed his help, she wouldn't be in any position to ask him for it either.  It was always a shame when someone you had recently healed ended up getting themselves killed soon after.

 

Knowing Lorelai would never appreciate what he was about to do, Daevis siezed Saidin again.  When his hand clasped the wolfkin's, he began to weave intricate flows of spirit into her clothing.  It was an odd weave, which would allow him to know more or less where she was.  Another one of the Asha'man had discovered it after his wife and refused to be bonded to him, and had placed it on her wedding ring.  The weave worked much better on metals than it did on cloth.  In fact, it didn't seem to ever fade from a metal object.  It would only last for a few days on anything else, but that was more than enough to suit Daevis' purposes.

 

The weave completed, Daevis released Lorelai's hand and bade her farewell.  He watched her fade into the darkness, but he could still feel her walking away, setting a brisk pace.  Settling back down next to the fire, he yawned and set about to do some serious relaxing.  He had several hours yet before he could travel away from this place, and he meant to take advantage of them.

 

~~~

 

A couple hours later, Daevis sleepily checked the location of his wolfkin friend.  To his surprise, she was headed back toward his location.  Well ... not quite.  Her current path would take her well around this spot, but if guessed correctly she was headed back toward that village.

 

"Bloody woman," Daevis grumbled, pulling himself to his feet.  It didn't take him long to obliterate the fire and gather up the few possessions he had with him.  Soon enough he was setting off at as brisk a pace as he could manage, toward the village.  His knee didn't hurt as bad as it had, but it was still a little stiff.  Walking would help with that.  Checking Lorelai's location again, Daevis grinned to himself.  At this rate he might make it to the village before she would.

[Nynaeve]

She kept her eyes down and instructed the wanderer to do the same. Meeting their eyes might be perceived as a challenge and Winifred wasn't quite ready for a struggle. Her main concern was the wanderer. She had to get him out. She had to deliver him safely to the Stedding. That was her job. Her purpose.

 

She gave Thomas a reassuring grin, hoping she did a good job at faking one. Their situation seemed grim, no matter how much she tried toying with an escape plan. None of the scenarios in her mind seemed to end with both of them getting out alive. She had patience, though. Winifred knew when to strike and how hard. It was why she refrained from attacking the men when they abducted them. Thomas would have been killed long before she would have gotten to him.

 

The cell wall felt cool against her back. There was a dispute among the men about putting them in a cage in the middle of village's square, but after much grunting and barking they were thrown into a cell within a near by structure. Not before Winifred managed to catch wind of their talk, though. They talked of another. Another Wolfkin they had grabbed. If that was Lorelai, there was little to no hope left for them.

 

“You, demon woman, stand.” Winifred cursed under her breath. She had hoped for more time to think. Obviously they weren't working by her time clock. She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact but she could see that the man was heavily bruised. “Tell me where your friend is.” Winifred surpassed a small grin. You got away, you vixen. “I won't ask again, fiend.” Winifred rolled her eyes. She took a deep soothing breath and raised her head, fixing her eyes on the man.

 

“First of all, sweet talking me is not a method I'd recommend. I'm very strict about that, mind. No pet names until after you buy me a meal or two. As for my friend, I have many friends. More than you do, I wager. So you'll have to be a bit more specific.” The full armed back hand slap sent Winifed flying back, smashing into the wall behind her. She staggered, trying to catch her breath. “You drive a hard bargain. Maybe just a glass of wine? I mean, a girl's gotta drink.” The punch in her stomach made her double over. All she could hear was the man's laughter as she tried to get up.

 

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

 

Lorelai tried to calm her nerves. She wasn't normally nervous about such a mission, but she wasn't keen on returning to the place she nearly died in but hours ago. She didn't particularly enjoy the fact that other lives were at stake either. While there was no doubt in her mind about Winifred's capabilities, she knew all too well that had it not been for the Asha'man she wouldn't have managed to escape. Those men, as ignorant as they seemed, were at least proficient enough to hold guard.

 

She peeked at the cage in the middle of the square, her blood still decorating it. And blood of others, no doubt. Winifred and Thomas weren't there, though. They must be holding them in a different place. There weren't many possibilities with the size of the village. No. She just had to be swift and use the cover of the night to slip about unnoticed. She made sure she had everything she needed and moved away from the bush she was crouching behind. To her amazement, she found herself walking into an invisible barrier. After recovering from the shock, realization quickly followed.

 

“Show yourself, Asha'man.” The man appeared, as instructed, leaning casually against a tree stump. “I don't know how you bloody found me, Asha'man, but I have no time for games. Remove the barrier. I must go through.” Lorelai drew out her long sword, making him aware that she was nothing but serious.

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

Settled comfortably against his tree, Daevis rolled his eyse at the sword being brandished at him.  "Put that away.  You know very well that it's useless to threaten me with it.  And I didn't follow you.  You simply stumbled into the place I was watching from."  Close enough to the truth.  He'd rather not tell her that he could point to her with his eyes closed for the next few days.  Women were so touchy about such things.

 

"I'm guessing your companions are behind that," observed Daevis, gesturing toward the village which seemed unusually busy for the late hour.  "The town is in an uproar over something.  And you were going to ... what?  Sneak in and free your friends?"  He laughed softly.  "I have a problem with letting people I've just healed run off and get themselves killed."

[Nynaeve]

"Put that away. You know very well that it's useless to threaten me with it.  And I didn't follow you. You simply stumbled into the place I was watching from." Lorelai narrowed her eyes as she watched Daevis carefully. She didn't retrieve her sword, though. Ultimately if the sword could indeed bring him no harm, then he had no reason to fear its presence. So she stood there, her body alert, trying to push away thoughts about how she failed to sense his presence and settling on kicking herself for it later when time allowed.

 

"I'm guessing your companions are behind that," he said, gesturing toward the village. "The town is in an uproar over something. And you were going to ... what? Sneak in and free your friends?" He laughed. "I have a problem with letting people I've just healed run off and get themselves killed." Lorelai smirked. "Well, it's not that I expected you and your kind to be the loyal sort, but here in the woods we take care of each other and that sometimes involves caring less about our own safety and more about others'."

 

Lorelai took a few step towards Daevis and planted herself in front of him. "And don't think for a moment that doing me a kindness earlier does in any way imply that you have any say or control over what I plan to do. This is none of your business. I am none of your business. While I whole heatedly appreciate you sticking your nose in earlier, your assistance at this junction is unwanted. Now, remove the barrier."

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

Daevis stifled a yawn when Lorelai took a few menacing steps toward him, sword still out in front of her.  Really ... did she think it was intimidating?  Pointedly ignoring the blade, waved a hand toward the barrier, which he let unravel.  "Perhaps you are right.  I do tend to think highly of my own safety.  Mostly because I tend to think of myself as more useful alive then dead.  You may do well to consider that yourself.  Just how are you going to free them?  Just going to sneak into the building, quietly dispose of the guards, escape just as quietly while carrying your injured friends?  If they're in the same state you were, they won't be walking very far on their own."

 

Daevis let the barrier unravel, and with a lazy wave of his hand he motioned toward the village.  "The wall is gone.  You're free to do whatever you want."  He gave a small grin at the suspicious look in her eyes.  "So what is my part in this?  Do I help you out now, or do I get to rescue you again when this goes badly?"

[Nynaeve]

"The wall is gone. You're free to do whatever you want. So, what is my part in this?  Do I help you out now, or do I get to rescue you again when this goes badly?"

 

Lorelai smirked. "I'm not some damsel in distress you need to rescue. Why don't you go find yourself one? You must lead a lonely life and perhaps a woman's touch would favor you." Lorelai sheathed her sword and turned around to fumble around to find that the barrier was indeed removed. It was a good thing too because had the Ashaman grown adamant she wouldn't have known how to convince him to let her through.

 

She crouched down and peered as she saw some movement outside. A patrol of two man walked through the square, chatting amongst themselves. "So, have you always been this nosy or has some random event in your life transformed you into one? Because I have to say... it seems like the streak runs deep."

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

[Arath Faringal]

Daevis snorted in amusement.  "Nosey?  I believe I was here first.  Last I knew, you were travelling in the other direction."

 

Pushing away from his tree, the Asha'man took another good look at the village.  It didn't look as though things had changed much in the time he's been waiting, but that could change at any moment.  And now that Lorelai was here, he didn't have any excuse to put things off any longer.

 

"So, what kind of rescue plan did YOU have in mind?  I was going to go in, put the guards to sleep, heal whatever poor fool needs healing, then Travel right on out of there.  Did you have a better idea?"

[Nynaeve]

Lorelai eyed Daevis stubbornly. Her pride was already wounded by needing a rescue in the first place but having to ask for it again was too hard. That is why she didn't seek him out. She listed a whole lot of reasons of why involving the Ashaman would be a bad idea, while it was fairly obvious that the pro list would be much longer. All because her ego didn't allow it. It was soon becoming obvious, though, that her stubbornness could end up hurting the ones she loved. And that was something she could not allow.

 

"So, what kind of rescue plan did YOU have in mind? I was going to go in, put the guards to sleep, heal whatever poor fool needs healing, then Travel right on out of there. Did you have a better idea?"

 

Lorelai opened her mouth and then closed it. The silence stretched out as her mind raced with thoughts of a hundred ways her plan could go wrong. She knew that it all boiled down to taking a risk but was she being selfish by refusing someone who clearly would have the upper hand in a sticky situation? After all, she didn't matter nor did her pride. It was all about Winifred and the wanderer. All that mattered were her kin. And if this Ashaman was foolish enough to get himself involved then why not take advantage of it?

 

She lowered her head as she let out a resigning sigh. "No, I don't have a better idea. If you are willing to partake then I will accept your offer. However, bear in mind that if anything happens to my kin I will hold you responsible." Lorelai raised her head to meet Daevis' eyes. "I know your kind likes to think you're invincible but even you have to sleep sometimes." Her eyes shone dangerously. "Shall we?".

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger

 

[Arath Faringal]

Daevis refrained from rolling his eyes at Lorelai's continued threats.  If things went as badly as she seemed to fear, he had absolutely no intention of sleeping within a hundred miles of her.  At least she was agreeable now.  Most women didn't have the sense the Creator gave a goat, but it seemed this one had at least a little. 

 

"Alright then," he said with an irritatingly happy sound in his voice.  "Shall we?"

 

Reasonably sure that the wolfkin wouldn't stab him, at least for the next few minutes, the Asha'man stepped out of the treeline and quickly crossed the distance to the nearest building.  Soon enough, the very predictable guards began their circuit again.  Saidin at the ready, he waited for the pair to come around the corner.

 

It was over quickly.  Before the unfortunate men even had a chance to open their mouths in surprise, a solid weave of spirit had sunk into their heads, sending them instantly into a deep, dreamless sleep.  Weaves of air snaked out to break their fall, and drag them into the shadows.  Daevis turned and flashed a grin at Lorelai, who seemed to be doing her very best to not appear impressed.  This was going to be easy.

[Arath Faringal]

Lorelai rolled her eyes. What is that imbecile grinning about? Granted, the way those two thugs dropped like flies was amusing, to say the least. And there was always a huge advantage to managing to take down the enemy quietly enough to avoid tipping off the rest. But it just seemed too.... easy. As if it didn't involve any discipline to attain the power he had. He was just born with it. I was born a wolfkin too...

 

Lorelai shook her head and ignored her last thought. She waved her hand for Daevis to keep on going. He was confident, that was a given, but being able to channel didn't mean a slash to the throat wouldn't do him for good. She half wondered if he was aware of it or not. Is it possible that he's trying to impress me? No, he's probably showing off.

 

A breeze of wind carried Winifred's stubborn scent. "They're near by". She let her senses lead her into one of buildings. As she climbed down the stairs she heard something heavy collapsing on the floor. Quickening her step, without bothering to check if the Ashaman was behind her, she reached the bottom of the staircase to see Winifred fighting with one of the guards with her hands tied behind her back. The second guard was unconscious on the floor.

 

"Honey, I'm home."

 

 

 

Lorelai

Ranger