Up the River (Loraine, Kynwric, Edana and Cora)

[seiakera]

Coraman chuckled at Ed's expressed opinion about guard duty. She had to agree, it was a boring and dull task, it didn't take long before guards were trying to find any way to get out of that particular duty. The day slowly passed by as the two swapped stories about guard duty and gossip about a particular few of the guards. She had a feeling that this trip would be far from uneventful around Edana, she just hoped it was not the fighting kind of events.

 

The Innkeeper moved towards the fireplace and made quick work to get a fire going. Cora glanced out the window and noticed that the sun had already set. "So I surmise we're going to have to get up at an ungodly hour tomorrow morning?"

 

ooc: sorry so short!

[U4ea]

Edana watched the innkeeper stoke the fire and realized they'd spent the entire day taking up space in his tavern. She'd tip very well and overpay by half, for Light knew it was worth it. 

 

"So I surmise we're going to have to get up at an ungodly hour tomorrow morning?" Cora's attention was out the window and Edana drew in a long breath, letting it go with an audible sigh. 

 

"Indeed," she said, grudgingly accepting that sunrise would find a few set of problems for them. "I should probably find my room pretty soon, since early morning sea voyages tend to put me off my feed until I've grown used to the rolling of the ship. It's best to get something in my stomach long before walking on the gangplank." She waved to the girl who had been bringing them mead all afternoon and smiled apologetically. "Would it trouble you too much if we each got a plate of whatever that delicious smell is sent to us when it is ready? My friend and I have to be on our way, but my stomach will go much more willingly if it knows that it can tuck in with that heavenly scent nestled snugly inside of it." 

 

The girl laughed and nodded, taking their inn locations and the large purse of coins Edana passed to her and removing a tray full of dishes, as well. 

 

"I'm going to take a run along the wall before I give up for the night. You're welcome to join me, if you'd like, though I must warn you that I'm not really good company while running a wall." She smiled at her friend and reached for her mug of mead and raised it in a salute to Cora.  "It has been a pleasure spending a day with you. Here's hoping we get many more opportunities such as these in the future."  She drank the rest of her mead and stood up, nodding to Cora. "We meet the Captain at sunrise, though I'd recommend being there a bit before. Lora's husband is a bit antsy to be away, I believe, and will do his best to bustle the Captain out of port as close to the sun coming up over the horizon as possible. It's good to know we're not the only ones he bullies, right?" She grinned and waved as she made her way out of the Tavern and along the street to the stairs leading up to the wall that surrounded the city. She stretched a few times and started walking, slowly building up her pace until she was at a good jogging speed and turning her attention to what she could see of the town from this height. 

 

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

Edana was up a few hours before dawn and stopped by the kitchen of the Inn she'd stayed in the prior night on her way to the stable for her horse. The Cook had just started with breakfast preparations, so didn't have much on hand for a decent breakfast, but Ed was happy enough for a crust of bread left over from the previous night and a small roll of dried beef. The woman had already packed a basket for travel, as Edana had already arranged for and that was waiting for her, as well. She smiled and thanked the woman, tipping her extra, before leaving the inn and collecting her horse. She slung her packs over the animal's back, but didn't cinch anything up. She put the bridle on him so she could lead him down the street and hefted the saddle onto her shoulder before she left. She always packed light and there was no reason to torture the horse by saddling him just to unsaddle him once she got him on the ship. She lead him through the streets, where early morning smells were starting to waft into the air. She smiled at the hint of bread and the scent of the morning dew on the grassy areas, but didn't stop to relish them as she made her way to the docks. 

 

The ship was ready for her when she arrived, the gangplank already down and wide enough to walk her horse on board. She nodded to the crewmen manning the deck and got directions as to storing her horse for the journey. Once he was settled and happily munching oats from his pack, she went topside and was shown to her quarters. She dropped her packs into a locked trunk at the foot of the bed and returned to the deck, watching for Kynwric and Loraine, as well as Cora, so they could get this mission started. She wasn't eager to return to Guard duty, but neither was she excited about babysitting a spoiled rich girl who couldn't make up her mind whether she wanted to be Aes Sedai or die a horrible death. To Ed, that decision was a rather simple one...

 

 

~Edana

[seiakera]

ooc: I'm back!

 

ic: Coraman groaned as she rose out of bed, a small headache pounding behind her eyes. Bloody mead, she wasn't accustomed to drinking at all and now she was paying the price. She smiled as she remembered the previous day and the time spent with Edana and decided that the headache was well worth the price.

 

She gathered her belongings and headed down to the kitchens, grabbing a bite to eat as well as a few provisions. The cook mentioned that her friend had already departed, Cora nodded as she stuffed the last bit of bread in her mouth. The cook also prepared a bitter tea that was supposed to help with the headache, Cora could only hope. She paid her dues and headed to the stables. Her horse was restless to depart, she hoped he would handle the river trip alright. She prayed to the Light and Creator for quick and uneventful travels, especially now that there will be an Aes Sedai on the ship with nowhere for Cora to go except overboard.

 

She let out a sigh and placed the saddle on her horse, just to put it on so she wouldn't have to lug it to the ship on top of her headache. Guiding her horse towards the docks, the merchants were setting up their booths, a few calling out their wares for the early morning bustle. Cora hoped she wasn't the last to arrive, especially with the night sky brightening above her.

 

Arriving to the docks, she spotted Edana on the ship already, leaning over the railing as if she was keeping watch. With a wave, she went ahead and got directions to take her horse to his spot. She tended to him quickly before heading to the cabin, tucking her belongings away and joined Edana on the decks. "Let the festivities begin, or so they say."

[U4ea]

Loraine sat on the bed, her hands folded in her lap as Kynwric moved around the room restlessly. He'd been a bit on edge since they'd received Edana's note from the previous day and it had taken everything she had in her to remain calm while the knot that was him fairly sizzled with activity. She looked out the window and took a deep breath. 

 

"Kynwric, we must go or the boat will leave without us," she said softly, standing and gathering her cloak. The horses would be around front the innkeeper had promised when they'd made departure arrangements before retiring last night. Loraine's trunk was still at the foot of the bed, with the books she'd stashed inside when Kynwric wasn't looking. It had been worth every copper to have one of the boys from town bring it down here a few days ago. It wouldn't do to show up in the presence of the court they were walking in to in traveling clothes! 

 

A knock sounded on the door and she smiled, moving out of the way so Kynwric could check the hallway before opening the door. Thankfully, it was just a bellman who would carry the trunk down to the boat for them. Kynwric was sure to hate the necessity, but there was little purpose in breaking with the identity they'd created here in White Bridge by carrying their own luggage or saddling their own horses. And it wasn't like she couldn't afford the luxury of someone else lugging it around for a while. 

 

She hummed lightly, following Kynwric down the hallway and out the front door of the inn, appearing as if she hadn't a care in the world, while her mind twisted around a hundred problems at once. Would anyone in the street know them and give them away? Would a pick-pocket target the pair of them as good fodder for his trade? Would the Captain of the ship be of the ilk that women should be at home? Would the voyage be smooth? Would the girl put up a fuss? She sighed, trying to straighten them all into little pockets that she could handle a step at a time. First, getting to the ship and getting settled so the voyage could begin. Tomorrow's troubles could wait for tomorrow. 

 

She let Kynwric put her up in the saddle, even though they weren't far from the docks and smiled down at him, patting his hands before he pulled away. The ride through town was, thankfully, uneventful, and she waited for assistance before dismounting and allowing her horse to be led onto the ship. She turned her smile on the women standing at the railing of the ship, tossing a short wave to the pair of them. She moved up the gangplank ahead of the others and paused to offer a polite, "Good morning!" to Edana and Cora before the Captain appeared bellowing about being late. Loraine fought off a laugh, since most Captain's she'd ever met were always complaining about being late, but moved out of the way so the horses and her luggage could be walked on board. "This trip cannot be started quickly enough," she laughed, tossing a Tar Valon Mark to the bellman who had walked the trunk all the way down to the dock. "With my thanks, good sir!" she called to him as he exited the ship, grinning and stashing the coin in his pocket with a blushing "My pleasure, my lady!" back to her. 

 

She moved below decks to the cabin they'd set aside for she and Kynwric and made sure everything was stashed away safely. "Want to race up to the deck?" She grinned at Kynwric. "Loser has to sleep against the edge of the bed and worry about falling off all night...?" 

 

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn was in a sour mood, he hadn’t slept well, he didn’t like taking this boat south to pick up this noble brat who should have already been in the Tower years ago and they were still saddled with Edana and Coraman. Nothing ever went right when there was more than just he and Loraine about, the last mission where they’d been forced to work with others had ended up with both he and Lor stuck through by Whitecloaks and them hiding in parts of Amadacia for weeks on end after having to blast their way out of that town. That had gone just ever so well.

 

The preparations for this mess had been thrown together entirely too swiftly as well, there was just no getting around the fact that the ship was going to be the quickest way there, but ships could only travel the water and that made escaping on them more difficult against a prepared adversary. While there didn’t seem to be one of those in this case, since they were just picking up some fool girl, he always gave it at least a preemptory thought. He had given the ship’s Captain a once over when they’d boarded, then dismissed him as any sort of real threat and mostly just one who was yelling and screaming because he could and perhaps because he was a bit nervous and then Kyn examined what he could of the rest of the crew. The bunch of them seemed what he’d expect from a ship’s crew and a couple would require watching a little closer than the rest.

 

Once below decks he watched as Loraine stashed away the things she didn’t want to remain in the chest for this voyage, he gave her a meaningful look when he saw the stack of books she’d somehow deposited into her chest when he wasn’t looking, those blasted things were heavy and there wouldn’t always be a bellman around to carry that thing for her.  He just shook his head and was about to lay back o the bed until the ship got underway when Loraine said something,

 

"Want to race up to the deck? Loser has to sleep against the edge of the bed and worry about falling off all night...?"

 

He’d end up on that edge of the bed anyway; he always slept closest to the door, entrance or whatever direction danger might come from. He was certain Lor had figured that out by now, but they’d never actually discussed it before. He grabbed her slim wrist and tossed her on the bed before throwing the door open and stepping outside into the narrow hallway. “Deal..” he said, his mood lightening a little as he made his way towards the deck.

[U4ea]

Loraine gasped and laughed as she landed on the bed, rolling immediately to her feet and running after him. "Oh, no you don't, you cheat!" She managed to pull the door closed behind her and chase after him quickly enough,  catching him in a few steps. The hallway wasn't wide enough to get past him, so she had no chance of beating him unless she cheated, too. She pondered that for a split second before twisting a quick weave and laying a small block of air in his way. She grinned as he tripped over it and climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing her lips just behind his ear. "You're not going anywhere without me, farm boy," she whispered, her laughter making her accent dance a bit. 

 

"Who wins if we both get to the deck at the same time?" She asked innocently, tracing her fingertip along the line of his neck lightly enough to earn her a shiver. 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn was nearly to the short set up steps that led up onto the deck when he tripped over something in his way, he hadn’t seen anything there and he still didn’t even after having crashed to the floor. As he felt Loraine clamber up onto his back he heard her voice in his ear ad realized she had put whatever he had tripped on in the way. Her finger along his neck made him shiver and he did a quick spin to wrap his hands around her waist. “No one… everyone… and at this rate we’re never going to make it on deck…” He glanced up the hallway to the open hatchway leading out onto deck, he could hear bootsteps on the deck and knowing that sailors went barefoot it meant it was one of three people approaching, the Captain, Edana or Cora…

[U4ea]

Loraine's grin spread a bit wider and followed his gaze to the hatchway over his shoulder. He hadn't turned when he'd wrapped those hands around her waist, meaning she still had to get past him to beat him on deck. "Well, if we don't make it on deck, how will we ever decide who gets to sleep comfortably and who gets to wake up every time the tide changes?" She poked her lip out, a fake pout that she didn't bother to try to make look any more real. It was impossible to stop the laughter she felt bubbling up, anyway. "And you will ruin my image if you keep looking at me like that, Kynwric. I'm supposed to be serene and..." 

 

The laughter bubbled over and she swatted at him, before trying to duck under his arm and head for the stairway. 

 

~Loraine

 

 

 

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

 

Edana laughed at Cora's quip. "Festivities, eh? I suppose you could look at it that way." She watched the deck hands moving around, trying to stay out of their way as much as possible. She heard a noise from the hole that led down to the cabins and tilted her head to the side. "I do hope those two found their room alright. I didn't think we'd have to show them that, too!" 

 

She dodged crewmen as she made her way to the stairs and paused, her lips stretching into a grin. She waved Cora over, knowing this would send the girl for a loop with her apparent fear of Aes Sedai. How can you continue being afraid when you catch them acting like this? She crossed her arms and watched the pair cavorting in the hallway below, shaking her head. "Do you suppose you two could do that IN your room and not in the hallway? What if someone wanted to get to her room for a nap? They'd have to dance past a big lumbering ox trying to... what is it you're trying to do there, Kynwric? Or is this one of those things I should pretend I never saw?" 

 

~Edana

Edited July 12, 2013 by U4ea

[seiakera]

Coraman tensed slightly as Loraine and Kynwric boarded the ship. She cursed inwardly but knew that it was probably for the best. Forced quarters with an Aes Sedai for a period of time just may be what she needed to get over her fear. She figured that the others had a suspicion but once the sails were hoisted and the Aes Sedai came on deck, they would all pretty much figure it out.

 

Her thoughts got distracted as she watched Edana head towards the entryway heading towards the cabins. The woman grinned and motioned her over, Coraman went out of curiosity and her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. She wanted to turn away, seeing Loraine in the arms of Kynwric, both sprawled on the floor in a.... well, she couldn't imagine an Aes Sedai being caught in an intimate position. After her years of observing Aes Sedai at the White Tower, Loraine's behavior was downright scandalous!

 

Well, at least to the Aes Sedai, it would be. That sort of behavior was common place among her friends and even in Tar Valon's street folks. Coraman blushed and turned away, even though Edana teased the pair mercilessly. She cursed herself silently, now the Aes Sedai had reason to approach her to discuss the incident. Cora prayed it would be Kynwric, she'd rather get a sound lashing from that man than a few short words from Loraine.

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn looked up at the voices above his head and then back down to the eyes of Loraine, whom was still trying to move across him and he simply was holding in place, which of course added to the impression that they were up to no good in the ships cramped hallway. Finally having enough with Loraine’s squirming atop him he quickly threaded his fingers into her hair bent her head to his and kissed her, it was quick, but thorough and then he let her go so she could climb up that short set of stairs to the deck if she wished and left Edana and Cora to both make of it what they willed, the light take them if they thought he wasn’t going to kiss his wife when he felt like it.

[U4ea]

Loraine gasped as Kyn's fingers slid into her hair, her first reaction irritation that he was destroying the knot she'd spent so much time working on this morning. She forgot about it as his lips touched hers, though and she mirrored the tilt of his head to return his kiss. It was over in a second, but as he let her go, she felt her lips swelling a bit under the pressure. "I'm not young enough for that to work, anymore, husband!" she laughed, one hand flying to her hair and the other to her lips as she turned and raced up the steps to the deck. She grinned at Edana from behind her fingers, her eyes dancing. Then she turned to look down the steps at him. "And I won!" 

 

Not that there wouldn't be retribution for that kiss later. She turned her grin on Cora, trying to ignore how uncomfortable the woman was. "Men! Always such cheaters!" She made her way past them to the railing, giving up on her hair as the breeze pulled loose strands free to whip around her head. 

 

~Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

 

Kyn grinned as she scrambled up the stairs and he rose to his feet before heading up the stairs to the deck, “Yes, love, you won. You fairly won the right to sleep where you were going to sleep anyway.” He shook his head in amusement, “and I didn’t cheat. You didn’t lay any ground rules other than first one to the deck wins. And I’m not touching the ‘not young enough’ part with a ten foot pole; I know exactly how young you are when you want to be…”

 

He turned his attention back to Edana and Coraman, “A nap? Really, Gaurdswoman? No wonder I keep getting saddled with you for silly missions.” He glanced at Cora, but returned his eyes to Edana, “Perhaps it is time for this lumbering ox to teach you which end of a sword goes in the bad guy. Again.”

[U4ea]

Edana grinned at Kyn, unafraid of his tauntings, even though she knew he could swipe the deck of this boat with her twice over and barely break a sweat. OK, she really hoped she was good enough to at least get sweat out of the man! "I know well enough which end is the pointy end, Master Kynwric, and I daresay you do, as well?" She smirked and let her eyes stray to the tiny woman with her hair flying in the wind at the railing.

 

When her eyes returned to Kynwric, they were dead serious. "I could do with some exercise, however, so I would welcome the opportunity to stretch my sword arm. I feel it would be interesting to test sparring with the roll of a deck and I doubt I'll get another opportunity for quite some time. Perhaps once the crew is settled and we're not in their way? I could probably get a nap in between now and then..."  Her smile returned with that last bit, though she had no intention of sleeping for quite some time. In truth, she'd found a spot along the bow railing that seemed to be out of everyone's way and still managed to catch most of the movement of the ship. She meant to use that her to advantage and work on forms very soon. She was already becoming used to the sway of the planks under her feet as the ship made its way out of the docks and into the river proper. "If the two of you will excuse me, I think I'll scope out my bunk," she grinned again, ducking around Kynwric for the stairwell. She moved into the quarters she would be sharing with Cora and unbuckled her coat, dropping it onto the bed and rebraiding her hair into a tighter braid before returning to the deck, her shirt tucked neatly into the leather pants she favored when not in her Guard uniform. Other fabrics would've been lighter, but she had little time for replacing them, so she stuck with something that could take some abuse. Light knew, the woman inside them usually found some abuse for them... 

 

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

OOC: Here's some training stuff... ooooooo

 

IC:

 

Edana stretched her legs as she made her way to the bow railings, ignoring looks from crewmen who were busy tying ropes along the rail. She moved as close to the railing as she could before stopping and closing her eyes. Her legs adjusted to the movement underneath her, and she kept her knees slightly bent to compensate for the rolling of the waves under the boat. She leaned to one side, testing the feel of the muscles in her legs as they adjusted to keep her steady, then leaned the other way for the same reason. She breathed in slowly, letting the tension that went everywhere with her empty itself into the Spring. She felt the movement of the water and let everything get carried away with it, the sound of the waves and the creaking of the planks singing through her senses. She smiled a bit and settled into a simple set of forms, Leopard in the Tree flowed into Unfolding the Fan, she paused as the ship swayed, her lips straightening as she adjusted the blade height and tried a few more slashing forms. Arc of the Moon, then Parting the Silk with a blade adjustment in the middle. She stopped and rolled her shoulders, not opening her eyes as she focused on the movement of the ship. 

 

She wiggled her wrist to loosen it up a bit more, then slid onto thrusting forms, Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose, she handled just fine, but a rather rough wave smacked the bow just as she recovered from it and adjusted her weight into The Kingfisher Takes a Silverback. She stumbled, catching her weight without finishing the form, but earning a few laughs from the crew who caught her screw up. She muttered in her head for a moment about idiots who wouldn't know which end of a sword to stick someone with before letting her irritation flow into the Spring. She focused her senses on the boat, doing her best to shut out the crew. She moved through a few more forms until she felt comfortable with the motion of the waves.

 

She took a deep breath, shaking out her shoulders and neck and making sure no one had moved close to her, before settling into Heron in the Rushes. The form's purpose was balance, so she'd been saving this basic form until she'd felt comfortable with the sway. She kept her sword low at first, a bit too low for a proper slash. Since her goal was staying on her feet, however, she let that slide. It wasn't like anyone was around to judge her for the accuracy of the form she was using, after all. It took her a few pivots before she got the flow of it meshed with the movement under her and shifted the blade up to her shoulder to try again. She opened her eyes for this one, since the movements were getting larger. The last thing she needed to was to kill a crewman who got too close. She ignored everything outside a radius she established around her and focused only on the planks and railings as she moved. Again, it took her a while to get the flow of the waves to match the balance needed to pivot on on foot, but she kept at it until the form was smooth.

 

She stopped for a moment, seeing the sun rising high overhead and sighed. She'd been at this for quite a while. She allowed herself a moment to collect herself before trying Heron in the Rushes again, this time with the blade high and far away from her center of balance. She gasped as the boat dipped and she lost her footing, landing on her rump on the deck with a hard thud. The blow rattled her teeth and she stayed where she was for a moment before climbing back to her feet and trying again. She fell at once more before she called it quits and sheathed her blade. 

 

Her fingers curled around the railing, letting the wood bite into her palms until her frustration flowed out of her. She refused to let this get the best of her and she was far from done with this. Light, she was going to hurt later. Had she really ASKED Kynwric to spar? She shook her head at herself, staring at the water as it rushed with the ship towards the sea. It was rare she wished she was back at the Yard, but with the aches already making themselves known in her hips and back and the ones she'd likely be adding to it swatting her sword at Kynwric later, Wall Duty wasn't sounding like such a horrible thing, after all...

 

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric laughed, “I have the proof of knowing which is the pointy end; and how to use it.” he then moved to join Loraine at the rail. He knew there was more they had to discuss about what awaited them downstream.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Kyn had taken up a spot near the rear of the ship, feeling the movements of the boards beneath his feet and settling into the familiar rhythm of river travel. It was no where nearly as unsettling as sea travel, but it still took a bit of getting used to before being able to move around comfortably.  He watched as she moved through her forms, letting them get sloppy as she worked for balance on the rolling ship. He shook his head, What good is it to do the form and not do it correctly? He could hear the excuse given, that she was working on her balance and not the form, but did balance earned at the cost of proper form truly earn you anything? He knew as well as anyone that form were guidelines for the fight, but you practiced their rigid precision so when the time came to improvise you knew what was what and where you should end up. Sloppy practice led to sloppy fighting, and in their profession that eventually ended up with you dead and your charges as well. He let her be though; to see if she would self-correct or if she would let the break in form stand.  He continued to observe, leaving her to work her way through her exercises.

                While he waited he conversed with whomever was about, mostly Loraine or the Captain about occurrences and goings on along the rivers he sailed, rumors too were of general interest. Finally Edana looked finished with her routine and Kyn made his way across the deck to her. He wased the sword in his sheath and waited for Edana to prepare herself, he had already settled himself into his relaxed ready stance. “Now good for you Ed, or do you need a nap first?”

[U4ea]

Ed groaned inwardly as she heard someone approaching her. There were only two people who would walk up behind her right now, and those footsteps were too heavy for it to be Cora with a comforting word or ten. She cursed as she heard the slight hiss of Kynwric's blade easing out of its sheath, and looked over her shoulder at him, her fingertips still digging into the railing in irritation. She'd be damned to the Dark One's bed before she admitted to how badly she was aching, though. 

 

Her lips split into a smile and she forced her fingers away from the railing. "Any time is good for me, if you're not too busy making sure your Lady doesn't tip over the railing. I do so appreciate you making time for little 'ol me!" There was no way he was going to play nice with her, anyway. May as well get some taunting in to make the aches she was about to get worth it. Right? At least get SOME pleasure out of it?

 

She eased into a ready stance, her hand easing her sword free of its sheath. She adjusted the width of her feet to balance to rolling ship under her. Taking a deep breath, she moved into a smooth attack that he could easily swat away, paying just enough attention to his sword to keep from getting killed, but paying more attention to the muscles of his legs as he moved to counter her. He seemed to be more comfortable with the rolling pitch of the waves than she was, after all. How did he do it? She let the forms flow out of habit, names becoming meaningless as she fought off his offensives and pushed back with her own. The forms were still messy, but she didn't fall.  

 

She stepped back at a particularly hard thrust, arching her blade to push his away from her more than block it and using his momentum towards her to push back against him. She winced as a wave hit her faster than she'd anticipated, jolting her as she stepped. She groaned as the flat of his blade caught her thigh, earning yet another bruise. She shook her head and stepped back, trying another attack from the opposite side. She was happy that her forms seemed to be tightening up, at least, though they were far from the proficiency she enjoyed on stable ground. 

 

He pushed back into her defense and she put everything she had into fighting him off, pushing past the pain of her screaming aches as she did her best to stay on her feet. She couldn't hold him off, though, and caved under an overhanded blow that would've split her skull if her blade hadn't interrupted it. The power behind it was still too much, though and she overextended herself backwards. She knew the minute she did it, she was a goner and she tried to curl as she fell backwards. She failed miserably at that, too, though, and landed oddly on her side. She hissed as the air left her lungs and closed her eyes. 

 

When she could breathe again, she opened them again. She smiled up at Kynwric a moment, especially since he was still standing over her. "I'm thinking a nap sounds like a capital idea, Master Kynwric," she smirked. "You'll have to teach me how you manage to ignore the crazy floor tilting thing. You know, some day when I can stand again..." 

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

The fight was short and brutal, Edana, for all her practice had apparently not come to the realization that the only way to move on a boat such as this was in short motions and to keep your feet on the deck as much as possible. Big motions left a lot of time for the water beneath you to move, which made walking treacherous and fighting even more so.

“Crazy floor tilting,” he shook his head in amusement, “The floor tilts just as badly when you walk along it as when you try and fight on it. What do you do to combat that when walking on board a ship?” He’d seen the shorter choppier steps she took, just as he did when they were on board. “Use that instead of the big movements you like to use in your normal fight, it is very much like fighting on loose rocks. You aren’t sure where the footing is going to be so short steps or slide steps to make sure the ground is where you expect it to be. Particularly since you can’t look at it…” He reached out and offered her a hand up, “Apply practicality to your fight, do not try and force everything to fit what you want. Adapt and let the circumstances determine your style. Do not try and fit your style to every circumstance. We are not Aes Sedai to control the weather and environs, we are warriors who must deal with the world as we find it and despite those who can literally shape the heavens and earth.”

[U4ea]

Edana thought over what she did for a moment, grasping his hand and letting him pull her up. Walking was second nature, so she did little to consciously think about how she was doing it. She turned and looked over the deck for a moment, watching the crew move around. She wrinkled her brow at their movements, all of which were kept close to their bodies, even their stride. Her body ached everywhere, but she shoved those sensations aside as her determination to get this right filtered through her veins. She looked at Kynwric over her shoulder. "Can you show me a form?" She asked, all hints of teasing gone from her tone. "I was trying to watch while you were swinging at me, but..." She shrugged and watched as he did a simple thrust, her muscles tensing in sync with his as he moved, though she didn't do more than watch. When he stepped back, she mimicked his form, keeping her feet under her and not extending beyond her elbows with the thrust. She did it another time or two, getting the feel for the altered form before trying another one, again keeping the movements close to her body. Afterwards, she flowed through another three or four, throwing arching slashes and thrusts in alternatively to test her balance against the sway under her. Keeping them closer worked better than it had before. She nodded at Kynwric, and settled into a ready stance. "Again?" She asked. 

 

This time, as their swords met, she kept her defenses and attacks closer to her body, shortening her steps and taking more of them to adjust for the unknown movement of the decks under them. Their swords clanged loudly, but she fought him off. She was still not a match for him, but she put up a decent fight, blocking his blows, averting his thrusts and pushing back as he tried to make her back up. Every time she stopped thinking about her movements, she steps legthened, forcing her to draw them up again. It was distracting, but she fought through it. How long will it be before this becomes as easy as fighting on dry land? she wondered, adjusting her steps again as she pushed forward on the offensive. He easily parried her sword, but she did make him back up a step. She grinned at that, her humor returning for a fleeting second. 

 

"Watch your head!" came a shout over her shoulder. She tried to drop to the deck to avoid the swinging brace that was loose from the mast, but she wasn't quite fast enough. She used her sword to deflect the worst of it, but the steel hook on the end of the brace still managed to catch her along the side of her cheek. She cursed and turned her head with the movement of the brace, glad that hook had been turned towards the sky instead of out to the side. She'd have a nasty gash, but she was more worried about a crack in her cheekbone. She stepped back, letting the brace swing clear of her and leaned against the railing behind her, her sword hanging in her right hand as her left hand assessed the damage to her cheek. 

 

"Alright, Master Kynwric, how do you fight one of those off?" she grumbled, her fingers coming away from her face bloody. She cursed fluidly, sheathing her sword. "Come on and tell me while I'm still angry about it making me look like a fool."

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

The second spar was better, Edana was limited in her offense as she depended on her speed and quickness to move in and out of the attack; while Kyn just soaked up what she had to offer as he usually did and waited, picking his spots to attack where he thought it would do the most good.  She was getting better, no doubt about it, and he was beginning to wonder how much longer their fights would be lopsided. He saw the brace coming, and had already accounted for it in their movements. Edana had been out of its path until the sailor had yelled and he watched as it grazed her. Luckily it was turned so the point of the hook did not impale her then and there. The change of direction forced Kyn to duck and let the brace swing by his head. He deflt sheathed his sword and examined her as she covered her face with her hand. When she pulled her hand away, bloody from the wound he reached in to his pouch and pulled out a handkerchief and took her face in his hand and put pressure on the wound with his other.  He shook his head when she asked him the question, he half shrugged and smiled. “Dodge… better.”

[U4ea]

Edana laughed, the sound setting the crew who had become oddly tense at ease. They moved on with their work and she shook her head, taking the handkerchief from Kynwric and holding it tight to her cheek. She threw the pain from her cheek into the Spring, too, praying it flowed out with the rest of the aches and pains she felt vying for attention now that she'd stopped moving and she wasn't fighting. "That is rather sound advice, Master Kynwric. Perhaps you should have that embroidered on a pillow for the Mistress at Arms when we return? A nice blood red thread, I think. Really gets the point across..." 

 

She looked over the boat, taking her time to wait out the bleeding of her cheek. "All of this abuse and it's not even time for a midday meal! Perhaps I should've taken a nap, instead! My beautiful face wouldn't be marred with gushing blood, if I had. Can you imagine trying to get a man to buy me a drink, now? Bah! Battle scars you can hide are one thing, the ones on your face don't get you free drinks in any tavern outside of... well, anywhere, I'd imagine." She smirked, wincing a bit as it pulled on the skin of her face. "Worse, laughing at your expression is painful for me. How in the name of the Light am I going to enjoy this trip if I can't laugh at your discomfort?" 

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

“The Mistress at Arms is well aware of the philosophy of Dodge Better, Edana. Perhaps it is you who needs the nightly reminder of a frilly pillow with embroidery to remind you how to pay attention to your surroundings?” Kyn shook his head and turned to return to the aft of the boat, he threw back over his shoulder at her barb “Who said anything about your enjoying this trip? I’m not,” his eyes swung back to Loriane then, knowing he had just again brought up the subject of the idiocy of this entire mission to bring back one spoiled brat to the Tower so she might be Accepted in 10 years or so. If they were lucky the girl would make the shawl before her parents died.

[U4ea]

Loraine watched them sparring at the bow and soon her head. They hadn't been on the boat but a few hours and they were already taking swords to each other! How were they going to make it all the way to the ocean keeping them both alive?

 

She winced as the brace hit Edana, then shook her head at Kyn as he produced a handkerchief to press against her head. She couldn't hear anything that was said, but could tell by Edana's bloody language that she was alright. Her husband made his way towards her and she smiled at him. She didn't need the bond to know he was still irritated about their presence on this trip. She wasn't sure how much longer he was going to keep it up, but she didn't think she could blow it off much longer. They'd only fought a handful of times in their long life together, but she had a sneaking suspicion this was going to be another one.

 

As he joined her, she chose to avoid it a little longer. "I'd hate to see what our grandchildren would look like if she and Marcus got together. There wouldn't be much left of our house, would there?" She smiled, imagining her wildest son meeting the woman currently staunching the blood from the round on her head.

 

~ Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn raised an eyebrow at her comment and then looked back over his shoulder at Edana, for a moment he considered her before turning back to Loraine and shaking his head. “That woman is not allowed within a hundred leagues of Marcus, we’d have nothing left to live under. They’d be damned good with a sword, though…” He was happy to let the simmering argument lie for a while, there wan’t much to be done about it now and truthfully once his wife had set her mind to the task there wasn’t anything he could truly do about it anyway. It wasn’t as if he could over rule her, their vows said he was in charge concerning house and hearth, they’d worked out long ago that as far as Tower missions went the only way he could put his foot down firmly was if she were with child. As far as he knew she wasn’t and so when it came time he could cajole, bitch, argue and complain, but he couldn’t stop her from going… and if she went, he went. He just hoped that pair of boys really did come by and check on the farm, if they didn’t he’d have to start everything back over from scratch he’d accomplished over the last few weeks.

[U4ea]

Loraine laughed, laying her hand on top of his. "Beautiful grandchildren, though," she smirked, turning away from Edana to focus on him. "You went easy on her. If I didn't know better, I'd think you liked Edana on some strangely fatherly way..."

 

She had her share of younger trainees and Aes Sedai she'd nearly adopted, though she'd never seen Kynwric with the same mentality. "Can you imagine your little protege trapped on a farm in the Two Rivers? I'm pretty sure she'd lead a fist of trollocs in just to liven the place up..."

 

~ Loraine

[_Kynwric_]

“I didn’t go easy on her, dear. I didn’t beat her into a pulp or toss her overboard like I could have, but I didn’t go easy on her.” Kyn had his ways of training, and for Ed he had learned that to always be just a little bit better than she was worked better than just continually beating her into the ground.  He shifted his hand to take hers in his as they talked and she commented again on Marcus and Edana. “I can see Marcus going to Tar Valon though, so be careful what you wish for… and grandchildren? Really?”

[U4ea]

Loraine laughed and swatted at him. "They're coming sooner or later, love. We're old by any standard that's not the Tower's." 

 

She stayed where she was a bit longer, her hand curled in his on the railing. Leading two lives was exhausting and keeping them separate always made her tense. She ignored that for another moment, though and turned towards him with a smile. "And this old lady is hungry. What do you say we find some food?" 

 

 

~Loraine

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

Waynes World Time warp here...

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

 

Edana stared at the beams over her head, doing her best to ignore the throbbing in her head. The evening was a bit of a blur, and she honestly didn't remember much of it. Loraine had taken one look at her forehead before dinner and ordered a bottle of whiskey and a needle. Ed knew better than to argue and closed her eyes tightly when the woman cleaned and stitched her wound. She didn't have the heart to tell the woman that the bottle of whiskey she'd downed wasn't nearly enough to numb the pain of that needle going in and out of her skin. Loraine had heated the needle so hot it burned the skin as it pierced, which helped the flow of blood. By the time she was done, though, Kynwric had handed her another bottle of whiskey and goaded her until she'd finished it off, too. She, apparently, hadn't fooled him by keeping her eyes shut. Somewhere in there, she'd been helped to bed and someone had even been nice enough to remove her boots and toss a blanket over her before leaving her to her own devices. The night hadn't passed nearly fast enough from them, for every sharp roll of the ship moved her head, bringing her awake with a sharp hiss of pain. 

 

This morning was no different and she felt worse than she had before Loraine had taken a needle to her head. She'd be blasted to the Waste and back before she admitted it, though. With sheer stubborness on her side, she pushed herself upright and changed her clothes, using a small bucket of water to rinse off the worst of the before's sweat and grime. A decent bath would have to wait until they'd gotten off this boat, but she was truly looking forward to it! She combed her fingers through her hair, releasing the auburn tresses from their normal braid, and tied it behind her head with a bit of jeweler's leather. Once she was dressed properly, she made her way to the kitchen, swiping a small roll of warm bread and another bottle of whiskey on her way back up on deck. 

 

Maybe if she drank enough, the pain would let up. That was solid reasoning, right? 

 

She found a coil of thick rope next to the stairwell leading down to the sleeping quarters and promptly deposited herself upon it, watching the crew go about their morning rituals. She hadn't seen Cora much since yesterday, and she wondered what the woman was up to. The ship was only so big...

 

~Edana