The White Stallion

[Wayfarer]

"You're good, but you're not that good."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"I saw what you did, hand the money over."

 

"I do-"

 

Surging across the table, Aran grabbed the man's right hand and pulled him over the table. Coins splashed everywhere and the others at the table were cursing as they tried to stop their coins from hitting the floor. Smashing the man on the head with his mug, that rendered him docile enough for Aran to reach into the man's sleeve and fish out a second pair of dice.

 

The swearing became more vociferous as others saw what Aran had fished out. Shoving the dazed man off the table, he gestured to the man's sizeable share. "I'm done for the moment. Split his share three ways, and I'll buy a round for us with it, sound good?"

 

The murmer of assent was good enough, after all it was never wise to try and leave a dice game if the other players didn't want you to, not here anyway. Splitting the coins didn't take long, and Aran was a bit wealthier as he went to the bar and ordered drinks for the others still at the table along with another for himself.

 

That incident wasn't uncommon in the White Stallion. Sailors, travelers and roughs were drawn to the place like a moth to flame, and a few were always burnt. Drinks, gambling, women, drinks, it had it all. Besides, there were always interesting people to meet, and Aran planned to meet a few more.

 

Wandering over to where they were throwing knives, Aran grinned at some of the familiar, if not necessarily friendly faces. He tended to clean up when it came to a knife as long as he wasn't too drunk, but the sailors that were there didn't know that.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

[TaeaDawn]

There were times that having the ageless face of an Aes Sedai were not welcome. Aramina looked at the White Stallion and sighed slighlty. There were Inns she visited from time to time to get information, taverns on occassion too, but for some reason her eyes and ears had said she needed to be here tonight. With a deep breath Aramina pushed her cape back to reveal a dress far more revealing than any of her Green Sisters would have thought she would possess. Decked in green, anyone would have thought her a light skirt and Aramina was prepared to let them think it in a place like this. A Green Sister might enjoy a place where ale ran free and so did the men.

 

Of course, Aramina was not a regular green Sister. In fact, she was a Sitter of the Greens and possibly the least likely to come looking for a man as any in the Tower. Her sisters would be shocked to see her like this and not just for the dress. Her long brown hair, normally hung in intricate braids, was loose tonight in curls cascading down her back. The smile that she placed on her lips was warm and caring, something from someone seeking nothing more than a thrill.

 

As she stepped into the Inn she took a look at the scene and was glad she had asked around before coming. Discrete questioning, of course, but then that was second nature to Aramina. A small scuffle occured as she entered, a game with dice interrupted and as a man walked away she recognized the deadly grace of a man of the weapon. She might not have a warder, but she knew the sight of such skill.

 

Her contact wasn't here yet, she realized as she looked around the room. Alright, so it was time to make herself blend in for a while. In a safe way. She really didn't want to have to make a fuss with the Power if she didn't have to. She walked across the room with more than one speculative glance her way. In another city they might not have recognized her ageless look, but here in the backside of Tar Valon, if a Green Sister wanted to make herself a little fun, there would always been men enough around to try their hand playing with fire.

 

She decided her safest choice was possibly the most dangerous. To both body and reputation. She laid her hand on the arm of the man she had seen walking. "You look like a man who knows how to handle his... knife." she said with an inviting smile.

 

[Wayfarer]

Turning to the person who'd laid a hand on his arm, the line the woman had him laughing. Not so much just the line itself, but from surprise as he just realised who'd said it. Aramina Sedai of the Green Ajah, not that they'd spoken before but he recognised her from the Yards. Not that she looked anything like she normally did, but he could place just about any face that made a home within the inner walls, and a fair few from outside as well.

 

From memory she was meant to be a bit of a cold fish, at least thats what he'd been told. So either that was wrong, or something was afoot, either way he was completely happy to go along with it. "I'm no stranger to it, and who are you my little princess?"

 

Aramina's smile deepend at his words. Princess, was it? One part of her wanted to make him sorry for saying any such thing to an Aes Sedai, let along one of the Battle Ajah, but it wasn't the part she was playing tonight. "You can call me Ara." She said softly. "Princess Ara would do just fine." she added with a light laugh. "Are your expertise limited to... knives, or do you play with anything bigger?" She asked.

 

It was completely out of character for Aramina, though over the years she had played the lightshkirt on more that one occassion. Tonight, she just needed to make sure that she only had one thing to worry about. She needed the information her man was bringing and if the man beside her was as good as his swagger, the others would probably leave her alone to him.

 

"Me? Oh, I'll give anything a go at least once." Grinning, he had a few ideas of where he could go with this. Either she was genuinely interested in him, or she was up to something. Either way she wouldn't mind or would have to put up with him slipping an arm around her and letting it rest on her flank. "You know, I just realised you don't have a drink. I can't in good conscience just leave things like that, howabout we go and get you something?"

 

A shiver ran down her spine as he slid an arm around her waist. In all her years she had never become used to simple human contact and such moments always seemed to ram home the difference to her. Her life of purpose and cause seemed empty sometimes against the warmth of the life these people held. But Aramina played her Game well and she was not one to turn aside from her purpose. "A drink would be wonderful" she said as she let him lead the way. "But to whose name should I offer my first toast?" She asked. "You haven't given me your name yet."

 

"I haven't? Thats just terrible!" Reaching the bar, he signaled to the barkeep to fetch a drink for the woman with him before turning to her. A few names came to mind, but an old one seemed just perfect for the situation. "Just call me Arry my little Princess Ara."

 

The drink came and letting Ara take it in hand, he laughed inwardly as he patted her before taking her free hand. "Howabout you find us a table you like?" If she was up to something, she wanted to be somewhere. If not, it wouldn't really matter. Either way she could decide whether she wanted a seat or his lap.

 

Drink in hand, Aramina looked around for a table that would suit her purposes. One close to the back that would keep her out of trouble she hoped, but where she could still see the door. She smiled beautifully up at him as she took a seat, sipping her wine to take away some of the outrage that was beginning to seep in as Arry kept calling her Princess. She patted the chair next to her and smiled beautifully. "I think this will be just fine for us, Arry. A cozy little corner for two."

 

Slipping into the seat beside her, Aran's arm found its way around her again though around her shoulders this time as they relaxed. "Just the spot I think, you chose well. So tell me little Princess, how do you keep yourself busy during the day?" Darting a quick look over at where they were throwing knives while she hooked into her mug, Aran sighed inwardly, he could be making coin right now. Still, opportunities like these weren't to be passed up.

 

She almost asked if he thought she spent all her time thinking of ways to look beautiful for him, but stopped herself before the sarcastic words could come out. A long drink seemed to quench her anger a bit and gave her time to respond. Just a lightskirted Green Sister, nothing more. "Oh, I like to play with my... collection of swords." She said with a wink.

 

His arm wasn't near as bad on her shoulder as it had been on her waist. She settled back into him a bit more, relaxing into the part that she had come to play tonight. "But you must spend all day working out to keep in such a wonderful shape." She said, complementing him. "I can't imagine you don't walk around all day without a swarm of women swooning over your arm. Or did you leave then behind?"

 

"Work? Work is such an ugly word, Princess." Grinning at her, he took a sip from his mug, noticing that she did the same. A few ideas came to mind but they would take time to mull over. "I suppose I have to in my line of work, but it has its benefits. As to a swarm of swooning women, I... I..." Looking down, he looked back up as if he were pained but his eyes gave away his laughter "I'm much too shy usually, can't you tell?"

 

"Oh I can see your modest streak from a mile away." She said, catching her bottom lip between her teeth lightly. "It's what makes your charm so irresistible." And despite herself, Aramina blushed. She quickly took another drink to hide the coloring. She was better than that normally. She didn't get embarrased easily or shy away from the things that needed doing. Tonight she needed to play lightskirt to some muscle bound swordsman while she waited for her informant. But for some reason his arm felt rather nice around her shoulder and she realized she had completely forgotten to be upset about the latest round of "Princess".

 

She smiled up at him again as she set her cup down. "Do you know how to dance?"

 

"Oh, I know a jig or two." Smiling, Aran was liking the way things were going. Maybe there'd be more to be had out of this than a few laughs. Finishing his drink, he put his mug down and gestured to hers. "You'll want to finish that first though or it won't be here later."

 

Aramina hadn't danced in years. She couldn't believe she'd asked it, but then again, why not? If she was playing the lightskirt why not do the one thing she really enjoyed but didn't allow herself to do? She looked at her mug and was surprised by just how little was actually left in her cup. Arry must have been stealing hers because she knew she'd just had a couple sips. She shrugged slightly then drank the rest of it at his recommendation.

 

Music was playing and Aramina stood up quickly, reaching a hand down for Arry's as they were about to start a new song. She had seen a couple standing by ready to dance and when the song changed they all joined into the dance. It was a lively number and Aramina had become comfortable with the feel of Arry's around around her shoulder. To feel it back around her waist was comforting as the music began and the steps led them into the dance.

 

An easy smile was how Aran approached any sort of dancing. One of the more interesting aspects of his youth had been learning a great deal of dances, from those found in a high born court to a village jig. And dancing with a taller woman was always fun, which was most of the time for him except when he was in Cairhien.

 

Light steps were required to keep pace, and that was easy enough. His little 'Princess' seemed to be keeping pace as well, which was a pleasant thing. It was never fun to have to try and carry your partner... Well, it depended on how pretty they were, maybe it would be more accurate to say 'not as much fun'. Either way, he wondered if she could keep it up.

 

The music was fun and Aramina was enjoying the dance. Her partner was good on his feet and moved instinctively with the music. She was glad that, rusty though she was, she had always been good at picking up dances quickly. She was swirled around, laughing and smiling until the music stopped.

 

Before she could think better of it or think of the real puropse for her vist, the music started up again. They twirled their way through two more dances before Aramina pulled Arry away. "I need a drink." She said with a laugh. "You are a very good dancer. If I'd have known that when we sat down I wouldn't have let you. I would have insisted you took me on the floor as soon as I arrived."

 

Laughing in turn, Aran waved the praise aside. "Oh no no, like I said I just know a dance or two, they just happened to be ones I knew. But, enough of that, I can't let you get thirsty now can I?" Grinning as he slipped an arm around her once more, it wasn't long before they were armed with mugs and at their table again. Now she leaned in a bit more than before, which was a good sign. Dancing always seemed to do that though.

 

"So tell me my Princess, where did you pick these up?" Having set his mug down, he took her free hand and rabbed a thumb along the palm of her hand where they were callused. Not that he didn't know full well where, she could be seen just about every morning in practice, but the conversation had to go somewhere.

 

Aramina batted her eyes. "Why you don't think I spend all my day getting prettied up just for you do you?" She asked. The words that earlier would have come out as sarcastic were entirely flirtatious now. A shiver ran down her spine at the intimate touch, as it always did at such moments. She moved closer to him slightly, a smile on her face. "A girl does need to know to defend herself in days like these."

 

Chuckling, Aran nodded "thats true, and I have an odd feeling you could handle yourself if you had to. Maybe even show me a thing or two." Taking a draw from his mug, he put it back down with an easy grin on his face. "So do you travel much? Or have you just known Tar Valon?"

 

"Oh I've travelled a bit." Aramina said with a smile. In her first days as a sister she had made a point of travelling to every land and setting up her Eyes and Ears. She still travelled as her duties to the Tower permitted. She enjoyed it actually, a chance to get out of the Tower and to the people she was protecting. Over the years though the opportunity was becoming scarcer and scarcer. Her work in the Hall demanded her attention and it wasn't to be put aside for personal matters. She didn't want to think about that right now though. She was currently enjoying herself and for the first time in a long time she wasn't thinking about anything else.

 

"I stay mostly in Tar Valon now, but I still enjoy travelling. Yourself?"

 

"Oh, I've been here and there, still travel when the work demands it, a blade can be useful in alot of places. But Tar Valon is looking more and more like home for me." It was amazing what could be left unsaid with the right words. "Still, I wouldn't mind getting a bit more travel, but I follow the work where I can. What about home? You weren't born here in Tar Valon where you? In fact, if I were to guess you're from... Cairhien? But you don't seem to have inherited our famously minute stature."

 

"You would be right my dear." Aramina said. "Cairhien born and bred, though I have no idea where the height came from . My mother and sister were normal height. It was a nuisance really growing up tallest in the area. Here it doesn't seem to matter so much. But here is home." She said with a fond smile for the city. "It has been since I first stepped onto it's streets. I haven't been back to my village in Cairhein... since I left it in the first place."

 

Grinning, Aran squeezed her gently as he spoke. "Maybe you should check on it someday, if you're ever curious of it. But, speaking of home as we are, we're going to need more than just a couple of drinks."

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramina sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah

[TaeaDawn]

Drinks came again, along with more music and dancing. Laughter filled her ears and more than once she wished she could remember when she had decided all of this was bad for her, that some part of her had to give this up for something larger. Drink fogged her mind though and Aramina was not the cold, calculating woman she had become. For the night, she was the young girl who had snuck out of the Tower with her best friend to find food and dancing and laughter. Never more than tipsy, Aramina smiled again at Arry as he led her back to their table after another round of music.

 

"For someone who only knows a dance or two, they seem to keep singing your song." Aramina said. As Arry took a seat, she decided that his lap looked infinately more comfortable and deposited herself there. "You really are a good dancer."

 

"Well, yes, but its never wise to boast." Wrapping his arms around her with a hand on her waist and the other a little lower, he smiled. "You're not so bad yourself, in fact I'd think you must come out quite often you dance that easily." This was definitely becoming much more interesting than he'd guessed, maybe she was just looking for a night to cut loose instead of up to some game like he'd thought earlier. He'd contemplated telling her who he really was, but that would just ruin it. It was working out much better the game they were playing.

 

"I love to dance." Aramina admitted. "When I travel, away from Tar Valon, I spend as much time dancing as anything else. I don't think there is a much better way to get to know people. Do you?" She asked with a laugh. "After all, when I came in we were just strangers. See what a few dances can do?"

 

At least one other way comes to mind. Grinning, Aran nodded "thats true, I'm just glad you caught my arm tonight, its certainly been much more pleasant. One thing to spend the night gathering a bit more coin on the dice and daggers, another entirely to spend it with a Princess like yourself."

 

"So you're a gambling man." Aramina said. She knew she had seen him getting up from a dice game when she had arrived, but there was a difference in someone who did it on occassion and someone who was good enough to make coin with it. She actually thought better of him for it. It... suited him for some reason. "What sort of game should we play then?" She asked. "And what sort of stakes do we play for?" She asked with a raise of her eye brows.

 

 

Laughing, Aran pulled her a little closer to him as he spoke. "Oh, I only play high stakes, coin, a service, the clothing on my back, I'll put just about anything on a dagger toss. The question is, my princess, are you willing to bet?" Daggers would be more fun, mainly because if it was dice he'd cheat, daggers had a little more luck about them.

 

 

Aramina let herself go and let out a deep laugh. The smile on her face couldn't have been any wider, or any more mischevious. It was a look in fact, that Aramina in all her years of studying her facade had never seen before. Did he really think that she would balk at a little bet? She was a Green Sister, what danger was there that she couldn't face? What did she fear from a man in a crowded Tavern? She'd bet her life on many things, some worth the risk, others she still weighted to see if they had been worth it or not. Tonight, she nodded her head. "Oh, I''m willing to bet." Dice or daggers? To be honest, she wasn't sure she knew enough about the games they played here to know a good throw from a bad, but daggers... well she knew her way around a weapon well enough. "A dagger toss?" She suggested as she let a stray hand run through the back of his hair. "What do I get if I win?"

 

"Hmm, thats a tough one.... How about we bet for a favour? If you win, you may ask one thing of me, and if I win, likewise. While we toss the daggers we can think of something to ask of the other I'm sure.... If you're not worried about a blind bet that is." The grin had taken an impudent cast now, he was fairly certain she would go for it. Even better, the boards that people had been tossing daggers at earlier were now deserted, they wouldn't have to play for them.

 

Aramina gave him a small smile. There was only one thing he could ask for that she would refuse and she doubted anyone would be so stupid as to ask an Aes Sedai to give up her oaths over a dagger throw. "No, I have no worries about a blind bet." She said. "Are you so sure you aren't?" She laughed then making a comment that might have been ominous from an Aes Sedai no more than a young woman's game.

 

Grinning, he patted her on the lower back "hop up and you'll see for yourself." Laughing the pair got up and made their way to the dagger boards. There were four concentric rings of iron mounted, scoring was simple. The small circle in the middle was four points, three points for the next ring out, two for the second last, and a single point for the large outer circle. Walking over and retrieving the ten blades from the wall, he gave the five with white pommels to his princess and kept the five black for himself. "I'm even so nice, I'll let you have the first throw, after you Princess."

 

Aramina took the offered daggers and held the first one for a moment, checking the weight and feel of it. She wasn't a perfect aim, but she'd used daggers more than once in her line of work. She wasn't an Aes Sedai who believed the One Power was everything. She worked her sword forms hard because she knew battle and knew what it was like to have the Power retreat in exhaustion until only blade served to protect her any longer.

 

Tonight was something else though and she winked quickly at Arry before she threw her first shot. Three points. She smiled sweetly at him then. "Can you top that?"

 

Aran was familiar with the daggers he held in hand, and he knew he wasn't nearly drunk enough to foul it up. Smiling at her, he flipped the dagger in his hand so he held it by the blade. Weighing up the target quickly, he let fly and landed the his dagger right alongside hers. "Oh, I can keep up."

 

Aramina laughed as she took the second dagger in hand. She knew that her concentration wasn't what it should be and if this were truely a battle she'd have lost it long ago. In fact it was only her competitive nature that kept her trying to hit the center. In reality, she was interested in what the man beside her would ask as a favour. She hadn't been around anyone like this... she refused to think about how long it had been since she'd let anyone touch her in a causal fashion. Her next two throws were both twos and Aran had still scored a three each time. She still had a chance, if only he'd screw up a little, but Aramina was betting Arry could have hit the center each time if he had wanted to. Her next throw was a three again and she laughed as she looked over at him. Walking around him and standing with her body pressed against his back, she whispered in his ear, "Can you throw this well under pressure?"

 

"I don't know, I suppose we'll see no?" Grinning, he reached down with his left hand and patted her leg as he took aim A four would seal the deal as it were, and then he could ask his favour. Tossing the blade it swung to the right and sat itself firmly in the outer circle for a one. He could have sworn she did something to his ear, maybe blown on it. Turning about, he laughed. "I guess not, but we still have our final throws to decide it. After you Princess."

 

Aramina took a deep breath and fought to get the smile off her face. It was hard really when she really wanted to laugh, but her her competitve edge was winning out over her curiosity. She took aim and let out a deep breath. Throwing her last dagger it landed in the two section again.

 

She sighed heavily then looked back at Arry. She smiled as she walked closer. "I think you're humoring me." She admitted with a small laugh. "Show me what you can really do."

 

Tossing the dagger from his right hand to his left, Aran hurled it at the board by the handle. The blade lodged itself just a little to the right of centre, well within the inner ring. Turning to Ara he slipped his arms around her waist as he smiled. "Maybe I was a little. But, I believe I'm owed a favour, correct?" Getting a nod from her, he continued. "What could I ask for.... coins, a few drinks, another dance, many things... But, the night must come to an end sooner or later. I'd just ask that you allow me to make sure you return to your home safely... I almost feel dutybound to make sure you leave here safely." Grinning, he squeezed her slightly. Maybe alot later, if she remembered, she'd realise what he'd just said was more than gentlemanly manners.

 

It was perhaps the sweetest thing he could have said to her, and not at all what she wanted to hear. Still, the night was not over and Aramina wasn't ready to have it end. She put on her prettiest pout and looked at him again. "I will concede to the favor you request, though I hope you don't think I intend to return to my bed so soon."

 

Laughing, Aran's casual grin came to him as he spoke. "Thank you for your favour my princess, and we needn't leave now. I was just concerned it might be past your bedtime is all." The grin twitched but Aran managed to hold back further laughter. "Well, in the meantime I suggest another round of drinks."

 

The drinks were delivered and they were back at their table with Aramina feeling a bit gloomy. She took a drink and decided that she knew exactly what the sudden change in her night was. And she wasn't about to stand for it. Duty. She wasn't about to become his duty to be tucked in when he felt she was supposed to go to sleep. As Arry came back to the table, she pushed away the pout and smiled at him. "I have come to find a fault in your favor my dear." She said softly. "Your idea that the night must end and that I have to go home are not quite true. In fact, I have no intention of returning to bed this evening at all."

 

Slipping an arm around her as she spoke, Aran realised she wasn't picking up the hint at all. Not a wonder considering what he'd been told, he should have thought of that earlier, but that was then and this was now. Taking a solid swig from his mug, he decided to toss the dice and see how they landed as he looked at her, no more than a few inches between them. "No intention of going to bed at all? Thats a shame if you think about it."

 

Aramina cocked her head to the side slightly. Her mind wasn't working the way it normally did. Words normally weighted had passed Aramina by compeletely tonight. It took a moment for her to think of what he could mean. A moment to realize that her little pout had been for nothing really. Her smile came back full force as she wrapped herself closer to Arry. "I suppose it might be. Perhaps I should amend my previous statement. I think it would be more accurate to say I have no intention of going back to my bed tonight. Or at least not alone."

 

Laughing, Aran leant a bit closer towards her. It seemed that it had sunk in after all, this had definitely been a better way to spend his time than dicing. As much as he loved cheating people with their coin, there were at least a few things that he liked more. "I thought you might agree." Trailing the hand on her back up her spine, he pulled her down to him.

 

Aramina's smile was brilliant as she let herself be pulled into Arry. She had grown used to his hands around her tonight, but as their lips met, she shivered again against the unfamiliar sensation. The kiss was light, almost teasing and Aramina laughed as she met his eyes again. "I think our discussion might be better continued elsewhere." She said with a grin.

 

"I think you're right Princess." Grinning back at her, they got up from their table. Finishing his drink, he almost laughed in his mug when he noticed Ara do the same. This was definitely not the Aes Sedai he'd been told about. Taking her arm in his, he led her outside, the pair untroubled by those who remained.

 

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramina sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah

[Wayfarer]

Blinking, Aran looked about him, he wasn't in his room. Not an unusual thing for Aran, but it wasn't a room he immediately recognised, not until the memory of the night before kicked in. Thats right, green sister, Aramina Sedai. Princess Ara... He would have had to stiffle a laugh if he didn't feel her leg move under his hand, she was stirring. There were two things he could have done at that point, but he decided to go with the more dangerous route. Rolling her over so she was facing him, he leant forward and began kissing her softly.

 

Aramina was stirred out of sleep by something warm and inviting. Sensation from the night before still filled her head and her sleep fog mind filled in the dots better than her waking mind would have. For a moment anyway. Being kissed awake was probably one of the better ways a Green Sister could have awakened, but as wakefulness caught up, Aramina suddenly sat up, her eyes focused sharply on the man beside her. The man beside her in her bed.

 

Closer to panic than she had even been, she closed her eyes to keep anyone from witnessing the confusion there. A deep breath and the fog began to recede and the nights events replayed themselves for her. A look around the room gave her more confidence. She was in her own room at the White Tower. She looked back at the man again. Arry. Arry was his name. They'd... they'd been drinking at the Inn. Something tugged at her memory and she smiled. "It looks like you got your favour."

 

Chuckling, Aran pulled back only slightly. "That I did, you didn't seem to mind none either as I recall." Pecking her nose softly, he ran a hand up her side as he continued. "So how are you feeling this morning? A little tired mmm?"

 

It was a bit disconcerting to have spent a lifetime keeping people away from you, to find someone who seemed to enjoying touching so much in the morning. Disconcerting really because Aramina realy didn't want to make him stop. In fact, she didn't try. She'd spent so much time running from people. It was too much this morning. "Tired, yes." She said. She wasn't about to admit to anything more. "I don't suppose I'll be taking my morning jog today." She said with a grin.

 

"Miss the morning jog? My, I'm not sure if I could have that on my conscience." Grinning, he kissed her on the forehead. "But, judging from the light coming through the window, I may not be so lucky. I'll be late for work if I'm not careful." Patting her, he then rolled away and swung his feet over the side of the bed so he was sitting up. Most of his clothing, as well as hers, were on the floor before him. Helping himself to his small clothes, he began pulling those on even as he looked for his breeches.

 

It was surreal. She knew that some of her sisters, the more... obvious ones, had this sort of encounter frequently. Aramina wasn't like that though. Actual physical contact always sent shivers down Aramina's spine because it was something she didn't allow herself. She had no idea how to deal with a... lover.

 

In the end it was the comic regard for his pants that won her over again. She could see them quite plainly, thrown across a chair in the corner of the room. "Over there, I believe, is what you're looking for." She said, watching him as she sat up again and clutched a blanket to her chest. "I would hate to find you late to work after you so kindly saw me to my door last night."

 

"Thanks." Wandering over, he began pulling them on and half hopping over to his shirt which he'd spotted on the other side of the room as he'd gotten up. "So... You're busy tody no doubt?" Swiveling his hips to get the breeches on quicker, he quickly laced them up as he continued. "Or you taking the day off?" Picking up his shirt, he chucked it on as he wandered back over to the bed where his socks, boots and belt were.

 

Aramina shook her head as she watched his antics as he got dressed. In a hurry to get to work, or in a hurry to get away from her? Last night her mind might not have weighed these sort of things, but today her brain was working full speed again. "A busy day as always." She said quietly. "I wouldn't know what to do with a day off if I had it."

 

"I'd recommend another night like last night myself." Grinning at her as he slipped his socks on, the boots came next as he her tone sank in. "Whats wrong? You seem a bit dismayed." Lacing them up without looking, he looked at Ara with concern.

 

Aramina wasn't sure what to say to that. "Not dismayed." She said smoothly. "A long day with little sleep and no time to recover from it. You must have a busy day as well, as much as you are hustling to leave." She got up then, leaving the safety of her blankets. As much as she hadn't wanted to get up, it seemed too unreal to be having a conversation with Arry without clothes on. Especially when he couldn't seem to get back into his quick enough. She pulled her heavy green robe on and sat back on the bed.

 

"Well, truth be told, its not a day dissimilar from any other." Finishing the last lace, he reached down for his belt and began slipping it back on. "I did think on the otherhand that I might have a better chance of slipping out now without your sisters realising I came from this room than I would if I dallied."

 

It was true and the fact that he thought of it made her feel better, that he might be trying to cause less trouble for her by leaving early. "You make a good point." She said with a small smile. "My Sisters are... inquisitive by nature." She wanted to ask if he would see her again, but there was nothing in her that could make that leap and if he asked she would say no.

 

Her heart could take no pain, she knew that and had hidden it from everyone for years. The fact that she had let Arry in a far as she had was something she would never explain to him or any other. Her choice the night before had been hers, but she doubted he could understand the lonliness she had driven herself to or the fact that she would still walk back willingly into the cage she had created for herself. Arry had seen something of that no one alive had though and she was grateful that for one night, she had been free of Aes Sedai trappings and Games.

 

"Your sisters aren't alone, all women are gossipy by nature, and men are no better." Finishing with the belt, he took up his coat off the bedpost and slipped it on as he made his way over to her and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you for last night."

 

Heading to the door as she responded, he took the handle and looked back with a grin. "I know that being Aes Sedai you might be concerned for your reputation so you might not wish to see me again. But even if you just want to say a simple good morning to me sometime, you can find me down in the Yards. Good day Aramina Sedai."

 

Slipping outside quickly, he closed the door silently to find himself in an empty corridor. Well, at least people wouldn't know who he'd been with the night before. Setting a brisk pace, he sought the quickest exit to the Tower.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramina sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah

[TaeaDawn]

Aramina's mouth hung open for a moment as his words struck home. Aramina Sedai. In the Yards. He was a Tower Guard, and though she had never given her actual name he knew it. He knew who she was the whole time. And he'd taken advantage of it. She wondered if there was some kind of bet on it, he'd said himself he was a gambler. Fury struck her to the core and it took everything in her not to run out the door to find him and do all the fowl things she knew with the One Power.

 

And as quickly as fury fled, a sob escaped her lips. Aramina didn't let people close, she couldn't cope with the pain of departure or personal disappointments. Over a hundred years she had closed herself off from others, and yet last night this man had simply slipped into her life and into her bed. How had it happened? She had just gone... she had gone to meet someone and had completely forgotten. She had spent the night at Arry's side or on his lap and she had left the tavern without what she had gone for.

 

She took a deep breath. She needed to clear her head. A quick bath calmed her nerves and settled the aches of her body. The routine set her back into the right head space and she dressed quickly in work clothes of hunter green with yelllow roses climbing cross hem and neckline. Her day had to go on and to clear her mind she needed to go back to her day.

 

With a deep breath Aramina was out of the her rooms with little fuss. Her hair was pulled back in a perfect braid and she held her sword tightly, listening to see if there was any whisper as she walked through the halls. Nothing made it's way to her and she began to feel releaved. So his early departure might have helped her.

 

Making her way to the Yards, she set her weapon down at one side and began stretching before she could begin to work her mind and body into a place of calm again. Which only lasted about a minute before she saw him again, of all things, sitting against a tree trunk, asleep to the world. Oh, he'd taken time to clean himself up, new clothes, but it was the same Arry underneath wasn't it?

 

"I see how busy your day turned out Guard." She said, her voice icy cold.

 

Cracking an eyelid open, Aran looked at who had just disturbed him from his thoughts, Aramina Sedai and she didn't seem none too happy. It had occured to him as he was going down the final flight of steps to leave the Tower that she might possibly be unhappy about the fact he'd known who she was and she didn't. It hadn't taken long for that thought to get the vindication it clearly deserved.

 

Closing his eye, there was a slight smile on his face as he spoke. "I'm currently meditating if you must know. Amongst the things I was meditating on, last night has been on my mind a little. But, judging from your tone I am guessing you have something to say. Go on princess."

 

"Princess?" She fought to keep her vocie down. She remembered the anger she had felt the night before when he had first called her that but she had played along with it. In fact by the end of the night the term held more of an endearing quality than anything else. This morning she wanted to throttle him for saying it. "You can address me correctly as Aramina Sedai. But then you already knew that last night, didn't you?" The curve of his lips hurt, knowing that he was smiling at her pain. "And now what? You want to take advantage of it somehow? Perhaps more favours? or was it all some stupid bet you were set on winning? What sort of prize do you win for getting a Sitter into your bed?" She demanded.

 

Wincing at the harshness of her voice more than anything else, Aran smiled again as she insisted on the formal address. She didn't know him that well clearly, but he waited for her to finish before speaking. "Of course I knew, even when you deliberately tried to deceive me and called yourself Ara. And I don't know what you're babbling about but you're not a prize. Wait, don't even think of trying to twist that, you are a beautiful woman. But look, let me ask you something, which occured to me last night and later this morning. Why did you take my arm in the first place if you didn't know who I was? I wasn't the best looking man there, despite what I'd like to tell myself, there were those with more coins, in fact I fit in there rather seamlessly. So why did you single me out?"

 

Her eyes got hard as he spoke and his question was an honest one. "I needed someone to keep everyone off me." She said. "The way you moved through the room, I knew if you were talking to me they wouldn't bother me."

 

"In otherwords, you were using me. Nevermind that a pretty woman like you could have gotten me into a fight, and fights there can just as easily be sorted out with knives as mugs. You were more than happy to do that, yet you're angry at me because I didn't tell you I knew who you were? When you were trying to deceive me in the first place? Doesn't something there sound wrong at all? Now, why are you angry at me again?"

 

She was upset that he actually thought she would have got him into a fight and feeling a little guilty that he might be right. Neither emotion was something she was used to. Instead she latched onto his last words. He dismissed everything she had said so far and without bothering to open his eyes.

 

She wasn't truely aware of doing it but she was suddenly open to Saidar and working weaves of air around him until he was upright. "You knew who I was and purposely took advantage of the situtaion." Aramina said. "You got me drunk and kept me that way, on purpose. Do you think I need more reason to be angry?" She asked.

 

She wasn't in control of herself and she knew it. Her emotions has slipped somwhere last night and she hadn't been able to get herself back together. Everytime she started to feel her facade fall back into place, she felt his arms again and it went crashing down. Looking at him, she realized what she had done, using the Power to hold him when her words weren't. She let go of the weave immediately and though she was horrified she had used it that way, she wasn't about to apologize to him for it.

 

Being manhandled was not something that Aran was unused to. In fact, not only had he been manhandled on multiple occasions, he could think of at least one occasion where he'd been zapped, had his crotch set alight and numerous other incidents. That was just by people who called the White Tower home. With his numerous encounters with the one power, he'd become rather blase when it came to the experience where most people would be shocked.

 

Brushing his pants off, Aran still had the same reasonable calm as before as he caught her eye now. "Don't be such a fool, you chose how much you wanted to drink and you were not rottenly drunk. You chose what you wanted to do last night, and lets be honest, did you have fun last night? A simple yes or no will cover it."

 

It was the hardest question he could have asked her. She had no way to lie, no way to hide the truth. And as calmly as he had taken the fact that she used the One Power on him, it bothered he so much that she felt she had to answer his question. "Yes..." She had. But he had no idea what it meant to be her, had no idea what it meant to live with this today.

 

Nodding, his usual smile came to him "precisely. The fact that I'm Tower Guard doesn't change that, and I'm guessing that when your anger fades a bit you'll realise that too. So, why are you angry? I'm going to go on a limb here, because, well its what I do, master of saying inappropriate things at the wrong time that I am."

 

"When I first saw you, what I'd been told came to mind. That you were cold, distant, didn't really associate with we peons that guard your walls except to give orders. But as the night went on, clearly something changed, because by the end of the night your affection for me was alot more genuine than how it had started out. Would it be fair to guess that maybe you don't like letting we normal folk get close to you? Maybe not many people at all? Or maybe you just don't like the idea of people seeing another side of you."

 

"But, I did see another side of you last night. Well, I saw alot more than a side, but thats neither here nor there. Is that what is really getting to you? That I know there is more under there than this act you're trying to put on now?"

 

It was the real problem with Aramina's facade really. Once it was broken it was hard to go back to it. Everything he said was true, but he missed the one thing that made it all matter. He didn't, couldn't understand the years of solitude she had subjected herself to. He couldn't understand how much it cost her each time she lost her facade and another person got too close. "You've seen a drunken girl Guard. Don't think you've seen so much of who I am."

 

Grinning, Aran's answer was rather philosophical "how much do we really see of anyone? But come now, we both know I'm at least partially right, otherwise you would not have hesitated to say everything I'd just uttered was garbage. If I'm at least partially right, this is on your head. You choose to shunt people off, you choose to bring them close like last night, either way the choice is with you. Why do you do what you do? I don't know, undoubtedly its rooted in some tragedy long ago, or maybe you just never liked people. Either way, don't be so quick to pin your woes on me as if that'll solve them. Not only won't it fix it, its not all that fair on me, whether you care to admit that last bit or not is up to you."

 

"But, wait for it." Aran grinned and poked her shoulder with a finger as he spoke "I will listen if you want to talk. No doubt you have other people you would rather talk to, but I'll listen all the same if you want." The key to any person with a problem, there was always a need to talk. He understood that well enough, whether she'd want to was something else altogether, but he'd made the offer and that was all he could do.

 

Aramina stared at him for a moment, completely dumbfounded. She had come out, hurt because she felt he had taken advantage of her because of who she was and because he had quickly scurried off. What he said was mostly true but Aramina couldn't get her head around it. No, she couldn't get her heart around it. The truth that she couldn't tell him was that she had rarely let anyone touch her. It confused her completely. She had no way to respond to what had happened last night and had lashed out in fear and anger at the person who had caused it. "I..." she paused. "I don't know what to say to you. It was easier last night, with a tavern full of noise and a game that I had play. You.. you weren't supposed to happen."

 

"By now I've gathered I wasn't meant to oddly enough." A rather dry response, Aran chuckled "and yes, it is easier for such things to happen with a bit of drink, a twirl and the other things we got up to last night. But thats not what you need to talk about, you're talking about what happened instead of the problem. Look, if you don't want to talk about it now, then don't. If you don't want to talk to me about it at all, then don't. But talk to someone about it at some point because whatever it is, you aren't handling it well. And I'm sorry, but keeping people distant like you do isn't healthy."

 

She shook her and smiled sadly. "Keeping people distant doesn't hurt. It's letting them in that does." She swallowed against the lump in her throat before she continued. "I'm sorry for the way I have behaved this morning. You are right that my actions last night were my own and I will not regret them. It is good sometimes, to remember that we are only human." Her only real regret is that she wouldn't speak the worlds to let him know how much it had meant to her last night, that he had been the first to climb into her bed and would likely be the last.

 

"Thats alright, at least you didn't set my crotch alight. Don't laugh, its happened before." Grinning, Aran clapped her on the shoulder. "And if you think I buy that justification for keeping people distant, you're wrong. If it doesn't hurt, why did you let someone close? Loneliness just cuts a different way. But, I doubt I'm going to solve all your problems in one morning. I could show you how to use that duster of yours though."

 

Aramina almost laughed. Solve her problems in one morning? The man was impossible. He was right though. Lonliness was another way to hurt, but it was an ache she had come to live with over the years. Lonliness was an old friend and she had no probelms dealing with that. She smiled at his last comment though. "You mean you have something else to teach me that you didn't last night?"

 

Grinning, Aran poked her midriff playfully "there was plenty I didn't teach you last night. Go grab a lathe, I'll get mine." Wandering over towards the racks, it took him a bit to find his lathes, someone had used them. While they weren't technically 'his', he was going to still hit whoever had used them. Hefting them easily, the pair of long dagger like lathes were still rather solid and they felt familiar. Heading over to where Aramina was with her lathe, he grinned as he hefted his lathes in murderer's grips, 'blades' protruding from the bottom of the fists. "Well, lets see what you have Princess."

 

It was enough for Aramina. Training clicked back in and as it did, she felt her emotions regain their natural calm. It was easier this way, to deal with a weapon in hand than the emotions. She swirled into motion then, bringing her lathe up to attack. Alright, so trying to hit him with the lathe actually made her feel even better, but it had been his idea.

 

Stepping side to side, Aran's lathes flashed out only to divert blows, never to catch them. Blows that could not be turned were simply slipped around, he didn't believe in using any unecessary energy. As he did so he watched how she fought, how she moved, gathering an idea of what she did and didn't do. Occasionally he would slip out attacks, like The Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose to disconcert her, or The River Undercuts the Bank to see whether she'd be quick enough to jump back, but he held back. He had no intention of actually hurting her. Idiots hurt others while they trained, little good it did the hurt person, hurt people weren't able to train as well.

 

No matter than Arry was better than her, Aramina was fighting her own body as well. The night's activities had taken more than it's regular toll on her and as Aran attacked one last time, Aramina barely caught herself before she fell on her backside. She held her hands up at Aran and shook her head. "Kill me no please, before I embarrass myself any further." She said with a grin.

 

Laughing, Aran stepped forward and spinning his lathes about in his fingers so they were upright, he tapped her on the chest with one of them, "you're dead. You know, you haven't got bad form at all, all things considered. Your problem I think is you need to practice more often, maybe learn some new things as well. Teach you a trick if you're interested."

 

Aramina barely contained her laugh. "Practice more?" She asked. "I happen to be a Sitter. It does tend to take a little time from my practice schedule." She grinned. "So what trick are you going to show me? This doesn't have to do with throwing daggers left handed does it Arry?"

 

"Not quite, toss your lathe aside and come closer." Tossing his own on the ground to the side, he held his arms apart from his body slightly and held his body rigid. "Now I want you to wrap your arms around my body and lift me up, don't give me that look, do it, you should be able to."

 

Not sure about what he wanted her to do, Aramina did as he said anyway. The look was given regardless of his instructions though. Her lathe was lightly dropped and she made her way over to him, wrapping her arms and lifting as he told her to do.

 

Grinning down at her, Aran continued. "Now, you see that with all my muscles flexed, you can still lift me. But what happens if I don't? What happens if I just stop fighting?" Relaxing, Aran becam limp as a rag doll. He could feel Aramina buckle before she set him back down. Chuckling, Aran caught her eye "I suddenly became alot heavier no? Thats because when I resisted you, I helped you pick me up by giving you something to focus on, to grip. When I relaxed and stopped fighting, I robbed you of that and you had to bear my full weight, instead of me assisting you."

 

"The lesson to be drawn from which is that resistance can just as easily help what you're fighting. Sometimes, when you stop fighting, stop resisting, you defeat what you face because you stop giving it your own strength. Crazy idea isn't it? Think about it."

 

Grinning, considering the last time he'd said that to her, he began picking up the lathes. "I'll take care of these and put them away, mull it over for me alright?"

 

It was unfortunate that his lesson brought back her own emotional trama rather than actually fighting. Perhaps he meant it to and perhaps he didn't, but Aramina could see a strong line being drawn in her own mind. It didn't change anything. Aramina was who she was and she'd lived that way for too long to change now. She took a seat on the ground as she watched Arry replace their lathes, appreciating the way he moved and recognizing the care he had given her both last night and this morning. When he returned she smiled. "Your crazy idea might have some merit."she said with a grin. "Can I ask you a question though?" When he nodded she asked. "If I come down here later and ask someone where Arry is, will they be able to tell me?"

 

Grinning, Aran shook his head. "Its a name from my younger days before I came here. If you ask any of the officers for the 'foul mouthed vagabond with the sideburns that has no sense of discipline or decorum', they could point you to me, but it'd probably just be easier to ask anyone if they have seen Aran about. If I'm not here or in my room, chances or I'm on the wall or in town, I like to keep busy where I can." Busy not being busy that was. Still, it was reassuring she asked for his name, it meant she intended to talk again sometime.

 

"My turn to ask a question." Sitting down next to her, he stretched back as he spoke. "When are you going to head to the town next? It might prove easier to have someone you know with you next time, as opposed to just grabbing some random strapping young man like myself. Besides, I know all of the places in Tar Valon and out in the nearby villages, and a few of the ones beyond them if the truth be told."

 

Aramina smiled at him, but shrugged. "I don't know. I have to try to find my contact since I wasn't in any state to get what I needed last night. I don't normally get an urgent request to come into the city like that. You're right though. It might be easier to have someone at my back."

 

"I thought you were up to something that night. Does he frequent the taverns often? Chances are I know him if he does, and possibly if I don't. I could find him for you, not like I planned on doing anything constructive today, and I gambled away my wall duty for the week so I'm free. And yes, it would be easier to have someone at your back." Grinning, he wondered who the contact was. If he didn't know them, he could find them. The advantage of having access to a very different sort of eyes and ears.

 

"Hes the skittish kind i'm afraid. Not from the city but he always picks a different tavern when he has information he thinks I need." Aramina answered. "He should sent a message today with his location so I can try to meet him tonight or tomorrow. He's a good contact, but like many people, he doesn't trust Aes Sedai. Making me meet on his ground makes him feel safer so I concede. So if you don't have anything else, would you mind escorting me to meet with him once I have the place?" It felt wrong to ask, but somehow it seemed to make things fall into place, like going back to the beginning.

 

Grinning, Aran shrugged "I'd have to check with my secretary, but if my schedule is clear I suppose I could come along. If he's not from here I could find him easily enough though with a description. But, your contact, up to you how you want to play with him." Laying back on the grass, he looked up at Aramina "you know, why can't he just mail you? It'd save this nonsense."

 

Aramina laughed. "It would. Until I hear from him then, I'll take my leave. I really do have a busy day ahead of me."

 

Laughing, he watched her get up before speaking. "Oh, and I doubt you hear this often up in the Tower, but you look prettier when you smile. It wouldn't do you any harm you know, and who knows? You could even make a habit of it at this rate." Impudence was to be found, but friendliness too. Besides, it was the truth, it did suit her.

 

Aramina laughed as she waved him away. She had smiled a lot this morning, and not because of any consumption of alcohol as she had the night before. As she walked back to the Tower, her facade snapped back into place, but a true smile kept breaking through the polite one she normally wore. There might be lonliness ready to claw at her again as she walked back into the Tower, but she had a little something to warm herself against it today, a memory of warmth and laughter that continued to echo inside her as she went back to her work.

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramina sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah

[Wayfarer]

"No one likes you."

 

"Oh come now, you know you love me, I believe thats two weeks from now isn't it?"

 

The grunt Aran got had him grinning, if he kept winning at this rate, he was going to gamble away his wall walking for a full month. But it was never wise to win to much, while they didn't see him switch the dice, he didn't want them to decide to search him. Best to take the wins one had and move on.

 

"Well, I believe thats enough for me, remember now, two weeks from now." Laughing at the face thrown at him, Aran put his feet up on the table and rocked the chair back so it rested against the wall as Tomas, the man he'd been dicing with, went outside with a disgusted look on his face. The eastern gatehouse was the same as any of the others, except that it was the only one he hadn't managed to secret away a keg in. Not that it was permitted, but what people didn't know didn't hurt them.

 

Instead of getting a drink, Aran was left thinking upon why he was there. Rather than just satisfying his boredom, he was there to wait for someone. Aramina had sent word to him that her contact had arranged a new meeting, and they were going out past the Ogier grove and across the river to Osenrein. He didn't like it himself, it involved more walking than usual, but he'd said he'd go and besides, it gave him something to do.

 

But, for now he waited, she'd arrive soon and let him know it was time to go. Maybe she'd be wearing a flattering dress like the one she'd worn when they'd first met too.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

[TaeaDawn]

Aramina was as composed as ever as she walked out of the White Tower. Her busy day had been pushed aside for personal relevations and she had come to one central idea. What she had done the night before had been inexcusable. The drinking and even the fling were one thing, but she had let down an informant that could be carrying important information for her. Because she had let herself get caught up in Aran she had failed at her job. It wasn't something she could excuse or ignore. No more so than the words he had spoke to her of lonliness or the memory of his arms around her, whether in dance or in her bed.

 

Aramina's mind embraced challenges and this man and his effect on her was a challenge to say the least. She had found him charming and sincere, gentle and caring. In the aftermath of her mornings meeting with him she had remembered an important factor that she had pushed aside in her haste to be rid of blame. His favour had not been her bed, though she would have agreed to it at the time. His favour had been her safe return to the Tower. She had pushed for more and he had simply obligued her.

 

She had no fantasies about Aran suddenly falling for her or images of love and chivalry. She was a Sister and had no time for such entanglements, let alone need for them. But if that was true, why was she so nervous about coming face to face with him again? They had left in the morning on good terms. She had no fear of retribution for her behavior. She was just nervous. Excited.

 

She pushed the thought out of her head as she reached the Gatehouse she had told him she would be passing through. Part of her was afraid he woudln't be there, that she would be continuing this alone, but she had done so many times before and would after tonight she was sure.

 

Still, she found herself in a light green dress that was cut lower than normal for her, her hair in it's perfectly elaborate curls. Her attire would work well for the slightly rowdy Inn they were travelling to. Her composure was, outwardly at least, completely cool and calm. The facade that she showed the world had found it's way back to her and she had every intention of holding it in place tonight without anymore slips.

 

As she stepped up to the gatehouse she smiled slightly seeing Aran there. "Hello Tower Guard." She said in a light voice.

 

[Wayfarer]

"Tower Guard? That had better have been a joke, my name is Arry and yours is Ara, remember?" Grinning, he removed his legs from the table and rocked forward onto his feet. "Nice dress by the way, your hair's a little lopsided though." The look he got told him she knew full well it wasn't. "Well, maybe not, but it was worth a try. Where are we going, Princess?"

 

"I'll give in to Ara considering the circumstances, but if you keep calling me Princess I won't be held accountable for my actions." Aramina said with a smile. "We're headed to the Stone Wall Inn." She said, wondering if Aran knew the place. He had been quite confident that he knew a fair few places this morning. "A rowdy Inn i've been told, but not as bad as the White Stallion."

 

"Its still fun though, though they're almost as bad as Tairen high lords there. Instead of dice they have cards, and I dislike playing with cards other than mine. But, for you I can do it." Grinning impudently, he gestured to the door. "Well, lets get going Princess, we've got a bit of a walk ahead."

 

Aramina let out a soft sigh as she started walking out the door. She wasn't sure what sort of help Aran would be tonight. Sure he could handle himself, but Aramina wasn't exactly defenseless. Still, it was nice that he cared enough to want to come with her. "So you've been there before? It shouldn't surprise me. You seem quite at home in disreputable places."

 

Falling in step with her, Aran laughed at her last comment. "Indeed, truly I am a font of vice and corruption. As I said earlier today, I've been to just about every tavern and inn not only in the city, but the outside villages on the other sides of the bridges, and some beyond them. Have to find ways to keep myself occupied in Tar Valon after all. There isn't much else to do besides honest work, and while it probably wouldn't kill a man, why take the risk?"

 

"Oh, I don't know. An honest days work as a Tower Guard has killed more than one man. I don't think I could see you working regularly though." She admitted as they walked. "What I can see is you finding a way to get out of it quite often and then tromping off to seduce poor unsuspecting women with no notice." Her voice was light as she spoke and she hoped he took it for the jest it was and not think she was reverting back to her morning's tirade about his blame for her behavior.

 

"It wouldn't be the first time I've been told that." Grinning, he wasn't sure if this morning was coming back to haunt him, but he decided to shrug it off. If there had been a problem she wouldn't have asked him along. "So, are we Arry and his Princess once we get over the bridge?"

 

Aramina felt it slipping again, as she had realized that morning standing before him, there was no way to keep it in place once it had fallen so far. She laughed at his question and flashed him a warm smile. "Oh, yes I think Arry and Ara are about to come in handy again."

 

The conversation was light as they walked, Aramina trying to keep a small distance while she could and Aran was respecting that. He asked polite questions and had an annoying habit of evading her own questions. She thought higher of him for it even if it was irritating.

 

As they made their way to the Inn, Aramina pushed back her cape again letting her dress show off her figure properly. Aramina turned her smile on again and reached her had across to Aran. "Shall we, my dear Arry?"

 

Laughing, he took her hand in his own. "Of course, Princess."

 

It only took a few minutes before they arrived at the Stone Wall Inn's front steps. Aran had never approved of that himself, steps were always a bad idea where drinks were concerned, but there they were nevertheless. Leading the way up, he shoved the door open and led Ara into the the haze of talk and laughter within.

 

Nothing seemed too out of place from when he'd last been there. No room to dance, just alot of tables for people to drink and gamble at. The only clear room was where the dagger boards were. Maybe he'd try his hand at them in a bit. Instead they made their way to the bar at the far end of the room, getting a few looks thanks to Ara but he doubted there'd be any trouble. Not straight away at least.

 

"Hey Fatty! Get us a drink!" Grinning at the barkeep who looked at him, Aran waved. There was the recognition alright. Aran had been one of the last patrons to leave last time he'd been there, and he'd convinced the man to join them. Being the beanpole he was, Aran had quickly tagged the nickname on him.

 

"Don't you have a gutter to crawl to?"

 

"Yes, but not now. Quickly quickly, come on I thought you did this for a living."

 

Two drinks were put infront of them, though the man didn't even bother to ask for coin. One of the other byproducts of that night was that they'd conned the man into gambling. As they'd been using Aran's dice, he'd lost heavily, and now he had a certain amount of credit here. He had that at a few places actually, its amazing what sort of doors a pair of weighted dice could open.

 

"Well Princess, see a table that catches your fancy?"

 

Aramina let her incredulity show at his behavior. Normally she'd simply frown and hide most of her feels behind her wall, but that wasn't who she was tonight and as he turned back to her she laughed as the way he had talked to the barkeep. She took his hand in hers and led them to a table that gave a good view of the door. As she sat she smiled at Aran. "If I forget what I came for again, I'm holding you responsible." She said with a wink.

 

Laughing, he slipped an arm around her shoulders as he spoke. "Well, I wouldn't feel guilty about it, thats for certain. But tell me, what does this person look like? Be nice to know what I'm looking for."

 

"Disreputable." She said with a grin. "Tall, dark hair and eyes, with a scar across his cheek." She indicated a small line at the corner of her eye. "When he comes I want to find out if he made it to the tavern last night or not. No need to let him know I forgot about him if he wasn't there." She said, keeping her tone light though her words were serious. To anyone passing by her tone wouldn't have given anything away. "He won't like that i'm here with anyone and he'll try to dismiss you. Play it however you want." She said with a smile.

 

Grinning, Aran nodded in assent and took sip from his mug. They could be here for awhile, and who knew? Maybe after the informant had been seen to they could have some fun like the other night. Something tickled at the back of his mind, but Aran didn't pay it much heed. If it was important, it'd come to him later.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramin sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah

[TaeaDawn]

They had come early enough that Aramina had expected to wait for her informant. It wasn't much of a disappointment that she was right. Part of her wanted to get this over with immediately so there could be no repeat of last night's blunder. Another part of her was more than happy to sit next to Aran and play the lightskirt part again. It sent off warning bells in her head, telling her to run as far as possible from him as soon as possible. She ignored them completely at the moment.

 

Their drinks had dwindled away at a much slower pace than they had the night before but eventually Aran got up to replace the mugs. As he stepped away a young man came forward and slipped into the seat across from Aramina. "Excuse me, but I was looking for a woman of your description, a woman of Cairheinin descent with the strength of a sword."

 

Aramina looked up in surprise. This wasn't the man she had been expecting to see. His words were correct though. He simply needed to mention her heritage and work a sword into their introduction. "You seem to have found me then. You have something for me."

 

"I do. But not here. I have a room. We can talk freely there."

 

Aramina sighed as she looked over at Aran still at the bar. Well, he knew he'd probably be asked to walk away when it came to this anyway. She nodded. "Show me the way my friend."

 

Picking up his refilled mugs, he turned around only to find Ara was no longer in her seat. Looking about he found her easily enough, following a young man wh- It couldn't be... Making his way through the room towards them, he made sure not to move too quickly, he didn't want to attract attention to himself. If it was him, Aran wanted to know exactly what the man had to say. If he said the wrong things, he was going to find it difficult to breath with a dagger in his chest. And if he were here on business, he'd find he had similar problems.

 

Aramina let herself be led up the stairs to the second floor of the Inn. She was starting to have misgivings about this meeting but the man she was supposed to meet had imformation that would put one of her private manipulations to rest. She had taken chances before and she was willing to again. He stopped in front of a door and turned to her. "After you my Lady."

 

Aramina stopped. "Tell me what you want here." She said. "I can make sure no one hears us."

 

The man looked at her with a strange light in his eyes. "Yes, you could, couldn't you?" The door behind her opened abd before Aramina knew it she felt something hit her in the back of the head.

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramin sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah

[Wayfarer]

"Bind her."

 

Pausing in the staircase short of revealing himself as he heard those words, Aran weighed the situation. It meant that the man wasn't alone, and that she was no longer able to defend herself, maybe knocked out. It sounded like they were a little down the hall, too far to simply sprint the distance.

 

Putting one of the tankards down on the floor, he messed his hair up as he climbed the remaining stairs, keeping his face down and sloshing his drink as he made his way up, he staggered down the hall and into one of the walls, using an arm to hold himself up and shield his face at the same time. Groaning, he began following the wall that way as if it were the only thing holding him up.

 

"Hey you! Get lost!"

 

"Izajussgoinove-"

 

"Maybe you didn't hear me?"

 

Feeling a hand on his arm, Aran grabbed it and swung the mug as hard as he could, uppercutting the man then bringing it back down on his skull. Crumpling, the man got kick to the chest for his trouble putting him on his back as Aran looked to the door, it was already closed. Slipping a dagger into each hand, he walked over and opened the door.

 

"She's al-"

 

The man's words ended in a gurgle as he staggered back into the wall, sliding down it with the pommel of a blade protruding from his throat. A second man similarly fell with the blade lodged in his chest. The third man that must have sat her on the chair she was on and black bagged her head hesitated in shock, and that was all the time Aran needed as he surged forward.

 

Throwing himself at the man, both his knees caught the man in the upper chest and knocked him back into the wall behind him. Kicking the man in the crotch, his hand flew forward even as the man began to sag, driving his index and middle fingers straight through the man's right eye, killing him instantly.

 

Relieving the corpse of the dagger, he stepped over behind Aramina. "Its alright, I'm here, just give me a second." Throwing the black bag aside, he sliced the bonds. "Stay here, I'll grab the one outside, your informant, he should still be alive."

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

[TaeaDawn]

The blow to the back of the head hadn't incapacitated Aramina completely. She had blacked out for a moment, but as they tied her hands she was already regaining her consciousness. Two problems sprang to mind. The first that she couldn't channel. Even if they hadn't bagged her, she couldn't seem to concentrate hard enough to find the source. The blow had probably hit her harder than she wanted to admit. The second problem was that her hands were bound. She had daggers on her person and they hadn't bothered checking her for them but she couldn't get to them.

 

The situation wasn't good. She heard more than one person moving though none were talking just yet. Panic wanted to rear up in her, but she didn't have the time for it. The situation was bad, but she'd been in bad spots before. At least Aran was here somewhere and if she could find a way to make a fuss he'd come for her.

 

She felt a hand tightening the bonds around her, tieing her more firmly to the chair and another hand roughly pulled at her chin. She jerked away roughly apalled that he'd touch her.

 

"She's al-"

 

The words cut off in a gurgle and Aramina heard the door bang open at the same time. Hope flared in her as she realized that someone had come for her. There was only one someone who she could think of that would. Another body fell and there was a scuffle to the side of her. She tried to work her hands against the bonds that held her but to no avail. The scuffle ended almost as quickly as it had begun and suddenly his voice was there, soothing her as he pulled the bag from her head and sliced her free.

 

He left a moment later and Aramina was thankful that he had gone out to pull the other man inside. It gave her a moment to compose herself. She looked around at the dead men and shuttered to think of what they had planned for her.

 

A noise brought her head back to the door and she caught sight of Aran bringing her supposed informant into the room. She schooled her face to calm indifference, a facade that fell into place much easier under dangerous circumstances than it did in her entanglements with Aran.

 

"They really should learn to send more men if they plan on capturing Aes Sedai with an escort." She said, giving Aran a small smile. She wasn't sure the man he was carrying was able to talk just yet, but a little healing and she was certain she could have him ready to tell her anything he knew.

 

Aran brought the man in and sat him on the chair. He brought out smelling salts and she watched as the man before her twitched his eyes open. She moved forward, dominating his view. Aran was still behind the man and it seemed safer to keep his whereabouts quiet for now.

 

"What was you goal here tonight?" she asked in a calm voice.

 

The man shook his head. "I was just told to deliver a message and bring a pretty girl up to the room. I didn't mean no harm."

 

Aramina cocked her head slightly. "A pretty girl to a room with three disreputable looking men." She commented. "Please try to lie a little more convincing if you're going to waste my time with it." She moved closer, reaching the Saidar and found herself suddenly in the glory of it's glow. Weaving lightly, she bound him with air, just enough that he could feel the pressure. "I ask again, what was your goal here?"

 

"You.. you can't hurt me like that." He stammered. "You have oaths."

 

Aramina sighed and looked past the man to Aran with a shake of her head. He was right really. She couldn't kill him with the Power. Her oaths bound her that far and she couldn't torture him. She didn't believe him to be a Dark Friend, just an assassin who had taken the wrong job. "I have oaths." She said with a dark smile as she leaned forward slightly to look him in the eye. "But I have daggers too."

 

[Wayfarer]

"I don't know anything!"

 

Waving at Aramina to put away her dagger, Aran laid a hand on the man's shoulder. "I think you do, Raslin."

 

He could feel the man stiffen under his hand as he walked around so Raslin could see him. There it was, recognition. "You know, you couldn't have picked up a contract like this normally. So, I'm rather curious as to who would be foolish enough to make an offer like this."

 

"We're not in Tar Valon!"

 

Chuckling, Aran patted the man on the cheek. "Oh, we're close enough don't you think? But, I tell you what." Aran walked over to one of the corpses and pulled his dagger free from it before walking back over to Raslin who he knelt down besides. Tenderly running the tip of the dagger over the man's face, caressing it, it left a bloody trail as he spoke.

 

"Now, you might not have fears of the Aes Sedai harming you, but here is the problem. If she can't get answers from you, she will have to leave and find them elsewhere. And while it would pain me to do anything infront of her, if she's gone there are plenty of ways we can spend our time together. You are aware of what I can do with these daggers aren't you?"

 

The answer came in the form of a violent nod.

 

"Excellent. My lady? If you'd care to ask your questions again?"

 

Aramina didn't allow herself to smile, but the impulse was there. Beyond getting the answers she needed, Aramina hadn't had to anything truely nasty to do it. Oh, she would have but apparently Aran's disreputable habits extended much further than she would have thought.

 

"It's a simple questions really. What was your goal here?" She asked.

 

The stubborn look on Raslin's face was fixed by Aran by adding a bit of pressure to the dagger he was caressing him with. The slight trickle of blood running down his cheek made him talk. "You interfere in Cairhien too much, I was to question you then get rid of you."

 

Aramina nodded. "And you were sent by a tiny man with fat fingers and a penchant for younger women?"

 

His startled look was all it took to confirm. Aramina might have her hands in a number of things in Cairhein, but only a few were of this level of importance. It hadn't been hard to figure out who would be behind it. She shook her head.

 

"And your friends? Are there any more of them waiting for us?"

 

A shake of the head was the answer that Raslin gave. Aran was becoming curious about questions of a different nature though. It had always been a golden rule, and Raslin had just broken it. Admittedly, his brother had sort of broken it, but his brother hadn't actually killed anyone on that particular occasion. "Are there anymore questions that you have for him? If not there are a couple of my own I'd like to ask him privately."

 

Aramina gave Aran a long look before shaking her head. "No, I think I know what I need to from him."

 

Nodding, Aran gestured to the door with his hand. "If you would Aramina Sedai, and close the door behind you. It will only take a few moments for me to ask my questions."

 

Aramina nodded then as she took a last look at the man. Something would have to be done about him. She couldn't allow the man to walk away free after what he'd just done. She walked out of the room and closed the door, standing close by it as she contemplated her next move.

 

Watching the door shut, Aran smiled as he looked back to Raslin who he kept submissive with a knife at the throat. "Well now... It seems we're all alone, nice and cosy. You know why we have that rule, so there is never any suspicion, never any investigation. You jeapordised alot of people with your action here, answer these questions and I won't give you to them. If I do, they will take weeks with you, and no one will be the wiser. Are there any other Aes Sedai targeted?"

 

A shake of the head.

 

"Does the High Seat of the Mallien plan to continue hiring assassins to send to Tar Valon?"

 

A nod.

 

"Has anyone else taken him up on the offer?"

 

A shrug.

 

SMACK!

 

"Has anyone else taken him up on the offer?"

 

"I don't know! I don't think so!"

 

"Good. Now, I'm a sporting fellow, so here is what I'm going to do. I've stripped you of all your weapons, but here is your chance."

 

Standing, Aran dropped the dagger on the floor and stepped away. "Pick up the dagger and attack me."

 

"What?"

 

"When I kill you, I'd like to be able to tell her outside quite truthfully that you attacked me first. If you don't, I'll kill you anyway. But this way you have a chance."

 

There was only a slight pause before he darted down for the dagger. Slipping past the lunge, Aran ripped the dagger from the man's hand and swinging him around so his back was exposed, Aran buried the dagger between Raslin's third and fourth ribs, puncturing the heart.

 

Ripping the blade clear, the corpse dropped to the floor on it's back, a pool of blood seeping from beneath it. Claiming his other dagger, he wiped them clean on the nearest corpse before putting them away. Not quite the evening he'd had in mind, but that was how it had gone.

 

Stepping outside, he closed the door behind him and shrugged at Ara. "He attacked me with a blade, unfortunately I had to kill him. We should probably let the barkeep know, he can contact the town watch and it'll be cleaned up."

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramina sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah

[TaeaDawn]

Aramina looked up as Aran came out. Attacked? The man in the other room had seemed a bit paniced when Aran came into view, but she wouldn't have thought him the attacking type, more the beg for your life type. "Yes, I suppose it was unfortunate." She said as she made her way down the stairs. She had coin in her purse to pay the barkeep for any trouble that might come from the night and after her tale was told he took it eagerly. The Watch would be called in and everything settled. Aramina barely noticed his stammered apologize that something like that could happen in his establishment. Her mind was racing to other things.

 

Like Aran and who he really was. She didn't believe for a moment that the man, Raslin, had really attacked Aran which meant he killed him straight out. Not something she could fault him with since her own thoughts had taken that path, but it wasn't something everyone in the Tower Guard could do. There was also the fact that Aran and the assasin knew one another by name.

 

The walk back from the Inn was mostly silent as Aramina kept her thoughts to herself about the event. Too many things she didn't know about Aran. What was the chance that he had wandered into her life last night only to be at the place of an attack on her the next day, by people he knew?

 

They were back at the edges of Tar Valon when Aramina saw a familiar Inn, a reputable establishment and one she had visited safely on more than one occassion. She needed this settled in her head before she could return back to the Tower. She let go of her control and let herself shiver as they walked. She started leaning heavily on Aran to the point that she was slowing them down considerably. She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just.. reaction is setting in I think."

 

"Thats alright, take a moment. Not everyday you get roped and bagged." Turning to Aramina, Aran grinned. He was rather curious about what she'd managed to do to make herself a target. "What did you do to offend the High Seat of the Mallien anyway? I would have thought the Green Ajah's interests to be further north."

 

Aramina smiled lightly but continued to shake. "This Sister had more interest in the World than that." She said. "As for the High Seat, he has enormous respect for me. He wouldn't have paid so much for the assasins if he didn't." She took another couple steps and stopped. "I don't think I can keep this up. I need a drink." She said finally. "If you want the answer to your question, I think I need someplace quiet to sit and calm down for a moment."

 

"I know a place or two, come on." It was a good walk, but they made it to Lothel's, a simple name for a simple place. Run by the innkeeper of the same name, it had only been around for a few years, but Aran knew the owner well enough. Older man who'd once been a guard himself, the result was a rather rowdy place, one that the old man was capable of keeping in order. They even got along rather well, even though originally Aran had called the place Lothel's Brothel.

 

The taproom was relatively quiet tonight compared to usual. Waving to a few faces he knew, it only took a quiet talk with Lothel to get themselves a room where they could sit and talk without being disturbed. At first Lothel thought Aran was up to one of his usual tricks, but the mention of an attack outside the city was enough for the man to take them seriously. Modest rooms, the one they were given even had a desk, with a seat that Aran helped himself to even as Lothel closed the door behind him to leave them. Looking at Ara, he grinned. "Well? What did you do?"

 

Aramina took a seat and wondered briefly if Aran really did know every tavern and inn within the city. She looked at him for a moment before deciding to be honest about it. "There is some information he wouldn't want to become general knowledge and I have the means to make it so. If it goes out, then there will be a new High Seat within a week." Aramina said as a matter of fact.

 

Aran laughed. "What was your silence worth?" Not that it would matter, the High Seat would be dead as soon as the news reached Cairhien. There were other interests involved, and the High Seat had almost bungled them.

 

Aramina smiled. "My silence was worth his obedience. Of course, as soon as the information is turned over to his rival though, the cost of it will mean obedience to me as well. It was a win-win situation really." She looked at him for a moment before continuing. "Of course I hadn't planned on them trying to kill me. Thank you, for your help in there. I'm still a bit confused about something though. You knew the man they sent to kill me. How?"

 

Aran chuckled, that question had to come sooner or later. "I know alot of people, I get around a bit. I did tell you the other night I'm quite well traveled didn't I? At anyrate, I've known him in the past, all things considered it was a rather lucky weaving of the wheel, I might not have been so quick to follow the two of you otherwise."

 

Aramina understood evasion. She respected that Aran was good at it but it didn't answer her question. Light, she hated being suspicious but there were too many coincidences here and she had never been a huge fan of coincidence. Coincidence, in her experience, was just a matter of great planning. A dead man can tell no tales and Aran had killed them all before Aramina could think to question any of them about a connection to him.

 

She decided to change tactics then. She didn't think he was going to tell the whole story so she let the topic go. She stood up then and walked over to him, sitting down in his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. She smiled warmly at him. "Very true. And I do owe you for that." She kissed him lightly, not entirely certain of the reception she'd receive.

 

Slipping his arms around her in response to the kiss with an easy grin, he found himself realising that this was planned. She'd wanted to come to the inn before this line of questioning had started, so was this innocent or something else? "Thats true, maybe I could ask a favour someday no?"

 

Aramina smiled. "You seem to enjoy your favours." She said. "And I always repay my debts." When she was ready and for a price she set. In the meantime, she still needed to decide if she was truely in his debt. "Perhaps there is some way I could express my gratitude now until you are ready to ask for your favour?" Aramina suggested lightly.

 

"Oh, well, something does come to mind." Pulling her down into his kiss, he caressed her leg with his other hand as he did so. Seemed like she was definitely over some of this morning now.

 

Aramina knew exactly where this was going and had planned it in fact. There had been little chance that Aran would answer her questions directly, but everyone had their weaknesses. Aran loved his vices. She wasn't sure that was a true weakness yet, but she had some hopes that left to her manipulations she might still find out the truth about Aran. Or at least enough to exhonerate the doubts from her mind. And in the part of her that held the truth closely, she realized that she did this for herself as well. Lonliness crept away as his arms wrapped around her and until morning at least, Aramina was released from it's grasp.

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Aramina sur Dulciena

Sitter of the Green Ajah