Fancy bumping into you here (Attn: Mors)

[Rapture]

It was a hot day. It was always hot in the southlands, though, this could be considered a mild day.

 

Alexis was on her way to the library, and as always was walking with her eyes on the ground and never paying attention to what was around her. Her arms were crossed tightly across her chest, in them, were two, very thick books.

 

For the moment, she was lost in her mind, thinking about how badly her Saidar class had just gone. It always went bad, never good. They always wanted her to think of a flower and light, but everytime she had closed her eyes, all she could see were those big hands on her shoulders; hurting her, ripping her dress...and she could almost feel those boots in her stomach again. She shuddered at the thought and felt her eyes watering. She took a deep breath to hold back her tears and quickened her pace.

 

Alexis was passing through the gardens, like she had done so many times before, when she suddenly ran into a wall and found herself on her bottom on the ground. Her books and all of her paperwork went flying. She wondered when they had put a wall in the middle of the gardens and she opened her eyes slightly to find someone standing there.

 

She lifted her gaze slowly; boots, legs, stomach, chest, shoulders...someone in a trainee's uniform. Then she found his face and almost gasped...he was beautiful! Her hazel eyes caught his green ones for an instant and she immediately lowered hers. He looked like a nobleman and noble was something she was not.

 

"Forgive me," she said quietly and began to grab at the things she had dropped, "I was not paying attention."

 

He offered her a hand up and cautiously, she took it, not knowing why. Once she was on her feet again, she thanked him quietly and even smiled a little as she began to collect her things.

[Zygorn]

Mors Sicarius was wandering about the Gardens, thinking on what had happened to him thus far. Not much of it had been truly happy... in fact, none of it was. Now, he couldn't rightly complain about much, except the Andoran Nobles who rejected him due to his illegitimacy, but it he still couldn't find much true happiness. This confused him, but he pushed that from his mind, and thought about his training, and where it should go from there. He knew he wanted more than anything to become a Warder, but to what Ajah? Should he be picky, or go with the first that asked? Should he get to know each Aes Sedai interested? Did he have those choices?

 

Lost in thought, he suddenly felt someone crash into his muscular frame. He realized it was a woman, and had immediately offered his hand. Seeing her lower his eyes, he had mixed feelings. Having been raised noble, he was glad she recognized it. However, he never liked the custom of automatic superiority, and this explained his mixed feelings in this situation.

 

"Forgive me, I was not paying attention." He heard her say as she scrambled to pick up her things. He helped her up, and promptly helped her pick up her things. Giving her a winning smile, he apologized.

 

"No no, it's my fault, I wasn't paying attention either." he said, looking the younger girl over. She was lovely, in an odd, shy sort of way. Not like Lavinya Sedai at all. Lavinya was far more forward, in a subtle way. This girl had a more natural appeal, not intended, simply there. He smiled to her, speaking again.

 

"I'm Mors Sicarius, may I help you?"

[Rapture]

Alexis felt her back stiffen. He spoke to her! She didn't know what to say. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him.

 

"I wo...," she started, then instead said, "You don't have to, m'lord...um...ser...oh!" Now she felt her ears turn red, "It was my fault, I can manage." She dusted off her dress then fussed over a tear at the hem of it. Great, this means needlework. She was never good with needlework.

 

She knelt down and began to organize her papers and stuff them into the books again. She knew he was still standing there watching her with those beautiful green eyes. What was he looking at? She risked a glance at him, not full on, but from beneath her eyelashes. When her eyes met his again, she quickly lowered hers. Light! What had gotten into her?

[Zygorn]

"You can dispense with the titles with me, lovely... I have no legitmate claim to any such title." he said, kneeling down to help her pick up the books as she drops them again. "Your name is?" he asked politely, trying to get eye contact, though she lept avoiding it.

 

Eventually, he held her chin softly, raising her face to look into his own eyes.

 

"I'm no noble... though I should be, and I won't have you fawning over me as if I am...."

[Rapture]

She smiled faintly, but tensed up again when he knelt down next to her. She couldn't believe that she had dropped her books again...and all because he spoke to her. She wished that she could just channel a hole in the ground to swallow her up right now. He smelled nice though and for a moment she was so distracted by that that she let her eyes meet his again. She held his gaze for a second and then looked away again. If she looked too long, she was afraid that she might say something stupid.

 

"Your name is?"he had asked and she almost missed it.

 

"Alexis Cristos," she said, "of Saldaea." He seemed to be trying awfully hard to look her in the eye, and that made her avoid it even more. Finally, he took her chin into one of his hands and raised her face to look at him.

 

"I'm no noble...but I should be, and I won't have you fawning over me as if I am..." he said to her.

 

Unsure of what to say and unable to pull her gaze from his, Alexis laughed nervously and pulled her books to her chest. "I should go," she finally said quietly, even though she knew that she didn't need to be in the library for a little while yet. He was being nice to her now, it was best to get away before that changed and she had to think badly of him.

[Zygorn]

This girl's shy demeanor was truly frustrating. All he wanted was a little conversation, and maybe an acquainting...

 

"I should go,"

 

"Why?"

 

Was his reply, as he caught up to her, walking along side her.

 

"Alexis, if I may call you that, why are you so anxious to get away from me? Am I some sort of Shadowspawn to you?"He honestly did not understand, and that hurt him, though why, he was not quite sure.

 

"Please, talk to me?"

[Rapture]

Alexis stopped, feeling slightly guilty, and then turned to him, "You're not hairy enough to be a trolloc, besides, you smell too good. You didn't jump out of the ground at me, so I'm quite certain you're not a worm. You're not singing to me or trying to kiss me so that means you're not a draghkar and you haven't taken my head so it's safe to say that you're not a fade."

 

She sighed softly, keeping her eyes from his. "It's not you, it's me," she said after she sensed that she had hurt him, "Really. You seem like a very nice man, and you're so very..." she cut herself off there and blushed a little, "...nice," she said again, "I don't want that to change, so I have to go."

 

It was the best she could explain it, he would think her mad if she told him everything and honestly, she didn't think she could tell everything to anyone.

[Zygorn]

"Alexis, why are you afraid of me? I'm not going to suddenly turn into a Fade on you, or whatever beasties you've conjured up... Please, if you have any spare time, I'd like to speak with someone besides my mentor and Lavinya Sedai..." Mors replied, looking to her with some frustration.

 

"But, no, you don't want to talk to me... I'll let you leave. Enjoy your classes, I wish you well in life, Alexis Cristos of Saldaea...."

[Rapture]

Guilt! Why couldn't he understand?

 

She sighed again and walked over to a bench and sat down. If she was ever going to get over this fear, she supposed she should at least try. She studied him for a minute from beneath her eyelashes then said quietly, "I'm sorry. Come, sit. We'll talk. But you should know, I'm not accustomed to it. What is it that you would like to talk about?"

 

He was looking at her again, and it made her nervous while at the same time, it made her neck turn red. She really didn't know what she should say to him. In her head, she could hear her sisters telling her to flirt with him, but she had no idea how to do that. She tried to smile a little more, but she was afraid that he would think her an idiot if she just sat there smiling, so she stopped. She fidgeted with the books on her lap and then said, "You know, they're real. The Shadowspawn. You speak as if they are not, but they are real. I've seen some of them."

[Zygorn]

He smiled. Finally! He moved to sit on the bench with her, looking at her intently, listening to her words. And of course, he did not understand her reluctance, he had not lived her life. He had no idea. However, he did know for certain that Trollocs and the like couldn't exist.

 

"Darkfriends in costume, wielding the Power against you... They're tricky, those Darkfriends..."

 

His mother had always drilled him on various manners, and he used them as best he could. However, he knew not much of addressing an equal who felt she was lesser. That was something beyond him, but he tried. he saw her neck redden, and he smiled.

 

"I'll talk about anything you'd like Alexis, I simply want to spend sometime with someone not a sweaty male, or a bossy Aes Sedai, however wonderful both may be... I wish for a change of pace, and you seemed wonderful for it..."

[Rapture]

She blushed again briefly, but then frowned, "They're not costumes. They're real! You are training to be a Warder, surely there has been conversations about shadowspawn in the training yards? If so, then wouldn't it be safe to say that they are in fact real? How could so many people lie about that?"

 

He didn't know what to talk about either. Light! Why was he making this so hard? "Me? Wonderful?" she shook her head and let her gaze fall to her shoes, "So, where are you from?" She decided not to finish her prior thought, "And why are you here?"

[Zygorn]

"Hmm... perhaps, but I haven't heard much talk. I focus more on training than rumors, true or false... I've met no Warders, and I've met one Tower Guard... My mentor... I've met a fee Trainees, but they speak more of brawling or eating than Shadowspawn. But I suppose they are real, if you say so... Say... how did you know I wanted to be a Warder?" Mors had begun to wander, but her last part had confused him. He let her answer, then replied to her other comments.

 

"I come from a small village in Cairhien, and I am here because I am a bastard." Mors finished the last word bitterly, many foul memories attached to the phrase, or more precisely, one chain of memories forming one single event, that forged him more into a weapon than he had been.

[Rapture]

"They are very real," she said in response to the first part of his statement and then answered his question in the same, soft voice she had been using while adding a shrug, "Most of the boys back home talked about going to the White Tower and becoming Warders. I assumed that is what you wanted."

 

She listened to him talk about why he had come here, noting the bitterness in his voice. "Is it really so bad?" she asked, "Not being considered nobility?" She had remembered an earlier statement of his, one he made while he held her face in his hand and gave her the shivers, "You are bitter. Why?"

[Zygorn]

He remained silent for a moment, calming himself, detaching his emotion from his voice.

 

"My father... was an Andoran noble, passing through my village... he, and my mother..." he paused significantly. "And when I was born, my mother raised me from birth to be a Noble... To act like one, to talk like one, to dress like one. I did as she wanted, dreaming of being the brave, honorable, wise, and respected noble that I had always read of." Another pause.

 

"And, when I came near enough of age, I came to claim my birthright. All of my mother's schooling, and she never once told me I was a bastard... she never told me bastard's have no claim to anything... she expected me to earn it, without having a way to do so... She ruined me... and when I was bodily thrown from Andor for my troubles, I came to the Tower, seeking to somehow regain that which was taken from me... to earn the respect and admiration I gave the nobles... to better them, to show them how wrong they were..." Mors frowned, drifting off. He unclenched his fists, which had balled up on his knees, hoping she didn't notice, the girl seemed jumpy as it was...

 

"My mother raised me to be something I cannot be, raised me to be a failure... WHy would I not be bitter?"

[Rapture]

"Do you honestly believe that she did that on purpose?" Alexis asked him, "Besides, are Warder's

not noble? I think that they must act so or else the

Aes Sedai would be displeased with them. Do not think all of that training was for nothing. At least, you are a very nice man. Who cares what a bunch of nobles think. Their lives aren't all they seem. At least being poor, you don't have people running your life for you."

 

She didn't know if that would make him feel any better, but as an afterthought she added, "And you couldn't possibly be a failure either. You have succeeded where no other man has." She noted the questioning look he gave her and then lowered her gaze again and said very quietly, "You managed to get me to stay and talk to you. I don't usually talk to anyone, let alone men."

[Zygorn]

"Do you honestly believe that she did that on purpose?"

 

"She knew Daes Daemar, she knew the way of nobles, and she STILL raised me that way... yes, I do feel she intended it..."

 

"Besides, are Warders not noble? I think that they must act so or else the Aes Sedai would be displeased with them. Do not think all of that training was for nothing. At least, you are a very nice man. Who cares what a bunch of nobles think. Their lives aren't all they seem. At least being poor, you don't have people running your life for you."

 

"No, but I will have an Aes Sedai running mine, once the Mistress of Trainee's and my Mentor, Orion are through with me... And Warders are honorable, which is why I came here."

 

"And you couldn't possibly be a failure either. You have succeeded where no other man has."

 

This caused Mors to quirk a brow, curious as to what she meant. He'd done no great deed... no valiant act... What then, could she mean?

 

"You managed to get me to stay and talk to you. I don't usually talk to anyone, let alone men."

 

At that, Mors again raised her chin so she could look at him.

 

"Why me, and why do you avoid men?" Mors asked, curious.

[Rapture]

"Stop touching me,"she thought to herself,"Can you not see that it gives me goosebumps and this isn't proper."

 

He managed to catch her eyes again. She knew that she should go, but couldn't yet. "You were nice to me," she said almost inaudibly, "That is also why I should go. I...," she noticed that she was trembling a little bit, "...was attacked before by a man."

 

She turned her gaze away from his as best she could with him holding her chin like that, "And save for my brother and father, men have never been nice to me. So I have as little to do with them as possible," then she whispered, "I shouldn't be talking with you, it's against the rules." But she made no effort to move. She was starting to feel a little comfortable around this man named Mors, but it was wrong to be talking with him alone. It wasn't right. She knew that. Light, why couldn't she move?

[Zygorn]

"Please don't avert your eyes from me like I am a hideous monster... I won't touch you again, but it bother me to be looked at like I am an unsightly hog."

 

Then realized what she said. "Then I suppose I must protect you in case it happens again, Alexis... I don't abide such behavior, from anyone."

 

"Then someone failed to inform me of the rules Alexis... perhaps they "failed" to inform you as well? " He winked, smiling at Alexis.

 

"If you really want to go though, I merely want to make sure we'll meet again... could we meet here in the garden on occasion? Stop and chat? I enjoyed our conversation, but I don't want to get you into trouble if you need to be somewhere..."

[Rapture]

Alexis heard herself speaking before she could think and stop herself, "Oh, but Mors, you are anything but an unsightly hog!" She blushed brightly and then just had to look away, "I'm sorry."

 

She smiled a little, "That is kind of you, to offer that, but think I will be safe if I just avoid areas where those things happen. Thank you."

 

"No no, the Mistress of Novices tells us the rules when we sign the book," she said, "The thing is," she blushed again, "I don't want to go. It's been nice, not having to be so afraid. I'm supposed to be going to the library. Maybe we can meet again, sometime."

 

Light! What was she doing?

[Zygorn]

He smiled at her unthinking praise, sorely tempted to stroke her cheek... but he knew that would be foolish, not only forward, but it would make him a liar.

 

"Thank you Alexis, but if I catch anyone hurting you, I will make them suffer for it... and feel free to call on me if you need it." He smiled at her, his own skin feeling a faint flush at some of her words. She had been shy, and forward, and shy. And it was apparent she needed people like him, if she knew it or not.

 

"When?" Mors asked, watching her intently.

[Rapture]

"When?"

 

She inhaled and shook her head, "I don't know. I pass this way everyday at this time...unless I've been given a chore to do elsewhere and you never know when that will happen. When do you want to?"

 

Alexis mentally kicked herself. "You fool, it's birching if you get caught and you know Faerzyne Sedai is just aching to birch someone," she thought to herself. She should just run. He was a man anyway. Sure he was nice now, but how long until he stopped being so nice to her? Still, she wanted to talk to him again. So she waited for him to respond, fidgeting with her fingers while she did.

[Zygorn]

"Well, since we can't really communicate, from what you've said, I suppose we'll both come here everychance we can, to meet again." Mors said simply, smiling at her response. She did want to see him again, and he wanted to see her. He hoped she wouldn't inform someone he'd been doing something he was not to, as he actually didn't know better. However, if that was the case, he'd take the beating in stride.

 

"Then, until we meet again, Alexis Cristos..." he bowed enough for an equal, no more, no less, and rose again, smiling contently.

[Rapture]

She nodded to him, "When we can," she curtseyed as best she could, as she still could not manage a good one yet, "Until then, Mors. Be well."

 

She clutched her books tightly against her chest and hurried in the opposite direction, head down, eyes on the ground as usual, as if she was trying to shrink into herself.

 

She knew that she was just tempting fate, but she kept walking through the garden after her class. She was a little upset, but almost relieved though when she didn't see Mors there for a couple of days. Finally, several days later she was passing through and saw him standing there, but she didn't approach him as he was talking to a couple other trainees. Why were they all here? She started in their direction and then stopped and turned around. There was no way she could handle speaking to a group of guys, so she started back the way she had come and almost in a trot. That was, it was a trot until she heard one of those trainees whistle appreciatively at her and that set her off into a full run, despite the fact that soon after, she heard Mors calling after her.

[Zygorn]

Mors smiled as he watched her walk away. So shy, that one... pretty too... and polite.. He then went back to train, to help take his mind away from his new development.

 

Alexis didn't know, but Mors was there several days she thought he was not. He had been hidden, simply checking to see how she would react. Pleased at her distress, not because he wished to hurt her, but because it showed him she genuinely wanted to see him.

 

He was talking to a few Trainee's one day, discussing training techniques. Then he heard one whistle, and he heard a book fall as he turned to see Alexis run off.

 

"Miss!" He ran over, after giving the trainee a glare, scooping up her book, chasing her down. His physical fitness training allowing him to catch her easily.

 

"You left you book... Miss..." Then he leaned forward, feigning fatigue. "I'm sorry I've missed you lately, if you've been around, training's been rougher on me than I though... Perhaps tomorrow? Oh, don't worry about him.." Mors indicated the Trainee who whistled, "I'll make sure he leaves you alone..."

[Rapture]

She was just about to voice her displeasure with Mors, until she caught the look of annoyance on his face. He promised to take care of the trainee who whistled at her and she couldn't help but giggle a little bit before she said quietly, "Tomorrow? Maybe. You're going to get me birched yet, you know." She dared to giggle a little bit and then ran off, eyes on the ground, arms tightly about her, but this time with a small smile on her face.

 

The next day, she came back, but a little earlier than usual, and seeing him nowhere around, she sat down on a bench and began to read. Her thoughts kept wandering though; is talking all Mors really wanted from her? Would she ever be Aes Sedai? Well, not if she kept this behavior up.

 

She closed her book and stood up. "Light burn you, Alex," she said aloud without thinking, "This is no way to act and you have no business waiting around for him to show up."

 

She started to walk off, but stopped for one final look around the empty garden, hoping that he would suddenly show up and stop her.