" OF LIFE . . ." ●● ● - ● - ● ●● | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | || | | | | | | | | | | | | | The day spread softly across the world at first , then the shroud of darkness slipped back, over the Westlands, racing against the Sun - Just, perhaps - as the Creator had always intended until the Shadows suddenly, somehow all now * appeared * |||||| |||||||||||||||| |||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||| | | ● small ● | | | |||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ● - \ \/- ● -\/ / - ● Sunday shone over Four Kings, the growing daylight sweeping its way down the Caemlyn Road and along dusty side-streets, filling the ruts and rocky pot-holes with a soft golden glow, highlighting the quiet splendor of the feast-day morning. A gentle breeze lifted and drifted lazily around the town, wending over the mostly empty stables, horse-lots and plots of bare earth where merchants usually parked their wagons wheel to wheel. Traditionally, this was the only day of the year that the crossroads of Four Kings were ever so quiet and tranquil; the only time merchants and handlers rested and locals found respite from the endless clamour of shouts, calls, curses and work tied to the wagon trains passing to and from Caemlyn or Lugard and the westward mining towns in the Mountains of the Mist. Locals, and visitors who had stopped and stayed on in celebration, all made the most of the expected morning rest, sleeping off the night's ale and other blissful Summer indulgences in preparation for the day's festivities still to come. Not a single shout from a travelling wagoneer, nor a clanging hammer from a blacksmith could be heard. Occasionally the wind blew a low, wheezy moan or high breathy whistles through the narrow alleyways and tight gaps between buildings. Otherwise, as befitting the morning, the air moved as sleepily and quietly as everyone else, travelling in near silence over the various closed shutters and weathered, whitewashed boards of all the careworn wooden houses lining the street. On the far edge of the town however, the breeze licked its way over the fresh paint of the inn, alehouse and brewery of the Queen's Stand, playing easily across the yard between the buildings and dancing through the apple orchard as if it was the first of the many visitors expected there for Sun-day celebrations. At the whimsy of this gentle guest, strands of green foliage and other Summer decorations fluttered in the rafters of the buildings and tails of coloured ribbons twirled and drifted softly around the waiting maypole. Tiny wisps of wind and ash floated upwards from the cool remains of the evening's bonfire, intermittently adding a light and smoky twist to the otherwise fresh, apple-scented breeze... ~ ~.●.~ ~ The sweet aromas of apple orchard and brewery drifting through the room was as simultaneously arousing and comforting to her senses as it had ever been. And, yes - Sunday eve was supposed to be the time for being wide awake, for jumping over bonfires, dancing under stars and flirting - or more with potential lovers; for celebrating the spirit of Summer and the strength of love and Light - this she knew. Yes - Daylight was pressing against the back of the short curtains drawn across the upper-story shutters with increasing intensity, yet that in itself was easy enough to ignore - the glow permeating into the room remained pleasingly soft, and gentle. The pillows under her head were plump and kept their shape despite the weight that pressed upon them. The bed beneath had ample space, and then some. The bedsheets were almost impossibly luxurious against her skin. And yes - Sunday morn was supposed to be for rest. ...Yes! Theoretically, Calia knew this too. Much, much better than to be not sleeping, and focusing on other things, and a torrent of mixed emotions and thoughts, as she currently was. ~ ● ~:~ ● ~ Calia Sedai - once one of three young girls who had shared this very room in early childhood - was still not sleeping another wink, and it was not for a lack of trying. In blatant betrayal of her best intentions, her blue eyes kept flickering wide open. Her mind played along, dismissing the chance for more sleep and focusing instead on memory after memory after memory as she stared at the ceiling, or gazed around in the soft light and semi-dark of the once entirely familiar room... ~●~ There - the corner where she had often sat huddled with Kaylan: each braiding the other's long, long hair and pinching spots of colour into each other's cheeks, preparing for so many busy - and profitable - nights waiting on the tables. ~●~ Here, that line on the wall - the join of those two particular vertical wooden boards running down to what had been the almost-center of where their bed had been: the mark which Josiane had furiously declared a solid boundary 'to the exclusion of absolutely all other sibling belongings and/or bodies' for an entire, completely ridiculous, week! ~●~ The day Thayet had decided she was old enough, at eighteen months, to join Calia and Josiane in their room... The way she had climbed up onto the shared bed in a tangle of slipping blankets and a ScRaMbLe of scrawny limbs and sandy-blonde hair, one tiny fist clutching her rag-doll horse 'Socksie' tight. Her pale little Luin face shining full of pride before she turned and scampered over the then-mussed bedsheets to sit, absolutely stubbornly, against the far wall - refusing to be returned to her own cot in their parents' room down the hall ...Ever... The way, on that first day, she'd eventually fallen sound asleep, right there against the wall, her tiny thumb half-slipping from her peacefully slack, rosebud mouth, Socksie tight under her arm. The way she had cuddled into Calia every night thereafter, until the day Cal had left to follow Kaylan to the Tower. - ~ ● ~ - With that, Cal gripped the edge of the bedcovers and 'tssk'd with a slight shake of her head to prevent the rise of memories that would otherwise, like the Wheel of Time, roll inevitably on from there. Revisiting any of those difficult memories - the decades and decades of Luin family life that she'd sacrificed by choice; the tears and fights related to her decision; the too-rapid aging and passing of her sisters and parents; absolute absences in so many moments that mattered, from both sides; leaving her family, and this room, behind again and again - was beyond pointless. Such was the life of an Aes Sedai. Particularly a Sister of the Green, determined to make her choices and service count. And her choices were already made from the moment she'd passed the Arches and Aes Sedai tests, donning her ring and shawl, and understanding so deeply the magnitude of consequences linked with not actively fighting back, of letting the Shadow rest. Without further pause, she stood - and purposely exited the near-forgotten comfort of what was, once, hers. -●- She crossed the pre-packed room to the not-so-little, two-piece wooden wash-stand, tucked neatly into the far front corner. Catching sight of the mischievous contraption, she grinned just that little bit wider. The more intricate carvings couldn't be seen in the construction until one had a close up view, of course. But even at a distance, the two halves of the apple-shaped 'fruit bowl' (more practically speaking, the hinged and lidded water basin) were perfectly clear, balancing at what seemed a strange angle atop the upright 'water log' (realistically, the basin's stand). The latter stood about a span tall, appearing for all the world just like the bottom of a solid tree, right down to the various markings of bark cleverly disguising hidden hinges and the handles of the three separate sets of shelves in the 'trunk' - and the way it was, quite definitely, 'rooted' through the floor. ~ ● ~ Light knew where and how long the twins had hewn, hacked and sculpted this ... thing... in secret. Or how their fifteen-year-old selves had managed to install it, carved roots and all, into the floor of the girls' room - and the roof of the room below - without some sort of catastrophe! But... there it was... And there were Shem and Joesh, falling over themselves with laughter at their parents' attempt at seriously stern faces, and at Josiane's sharp recoil and squeal of shock as she reached for the sideways, stem-and-leaf shaped 'lid handle' of the hinged, apple-shaped bowl... - ~ ● ~ - The thing really was both a ridiculous monstrosity, and a beautiful work of art, Cal thought. Her gaze and fingers brushed quickly over the cool, polished wood and the most random, lifelike carvings on the basin lid - an assortment of tiny, puckered 'bug stings'; the spider and strings of web spread across the leaf part of the handle that had made Josi jump. And of course, the 'stem' - which on closer inspection was, very unmistakably the top half of an unreasonably large, half-emerged codling worm - complete with lifelike, ravenous pincers at the end of its overly lifelike, ugly head. Unceremoniously, Cal grabbed the absurd stick-bug, and swung the top half of the apple open over the hinge, thinking that perhaps the boys had missed twin callings as master carvers when they followed herself and Kaylan to Tar Valon, and into the life of Warders and Aes Sedai... She bent her head, cupping her hands - and splashed a shock of cold water onto her face. ...Or, perhaps - as the 'boys' had never missed a chance to tease her - perhaps such thoughts just proved she was getting old and emotionally senile, despite her 'ageless' 'Aes Sedai skin'. Grinning at the thought, she pulled a silly face at her reflection in the looking glass above the basin and thanked the Light that brothers and Warders existed to keep Aes Sedai so .. sane and humble? Yes, the life of an Aes Sedai was hard. And yes, she would leave her once-home here, again, today - knowing her duty was to that Aes Sedai life, and presently, to hunting down the Seal in the South before the growing Shadow. That could not, however, be all there was to life these days, however. Despite the dire situations they were facing, Cal had found that since her bonding with Elessar, she had actually been feeling much more 'free' to remember and reconnect with the good times in life. And she was genuinely happy in his company. Yes difficult as Aes Sedai life could be, it was becoming increasingly clear to her once more now that she was bonded to her gaidin, that continuing to allow at least a small level of connection with humanity where possible was actually, in some ways, was absolutely still beneficial. Beneficial, yes. Worth it? That remained to be seen. But she was starting, again, to believe so. Last night's 'pitching in' had been another example of this re-learning, for her. Despite the lack of sleep and the long hours of 'work' she had thoroughly enjoyed pitching in and helping Amelie with the busy night. Even Elessar's startled response to her cheeky wink would have been enough to make her night. It had certainly been a far cry from the pressure and satisfaction of beating back a hoard of myrddraal and beastly trollocs, darkfriends and/or other shadowspawn - but it really had been good to get her hands 'dirty', and to 'bounce back' a moment to her younger, more carefree days. When she didn't know that the Dark One was, very, very surely, bit-by-bit actively breaking out of his bonds and threatening to bring the Last Battle upon them at any moment. ● She shook her head again to clear it. In any case. This trip 'home' had done her wonders - Even with the lack of sleep, she felt re-energised and ready to continue the journey South. In fact, she was already packed. And she would not be alone, tracking and fighting whatever Shadows they found in the South. As the buzz of the bond reminded her constantly, Elessar would be by her side. So. They would be leaving in the next few hours, just after breaking bread 'early' with the Luins, and giving thanks to the midday sun. Cal was glad that this trip had landed on this 'longest' day, making it at least slightly easier to juggle the need for rest and connection, and the need for speed in getting to the South. No. She was most definitely not about to wallow around on a Sunday. Age was just a number, and Sundays were made for better kinds of loopy than that! There was enough time left still to enjoy these once-familiar and much-changed surrounds, to honour the lighter side of Life before Elessar and herself marched on against the gathering dark. There was day and Light enough left in this world today for it to make a difference -. And Calia Sedai, now re-bonded, this time to a Gaidin who understood both sides of the battles she frequently fought; once one of five kids who had lived at this inn in the years gone by, intended to refresh the roots closest to her heart, and to make the most of it all! .\ ● ~ ● ~ ~ ● ~ ~● ~ ● /. ''| /< > '/< ~ ~ ~ ' ●====● ~ ~ ~ Cal had grinned, a flush of elation and well-being flooding her, and probably the bond, when she'd realised she really would tell Elessar as much as he wanted to know about this place and her memories in it - without hesitation, when she'd invited him to accompany her through the orchard. It wasn't just that, knowing his interest in stories, history and the poetic aspects of life, the Sedai hoped her gaidin warrior-poet would appreciate the things she could share with him here. It was that, as when she'd first felt that deeper sense and connection with this man through the bond - the oneness of their their determination, drive and sense of duty and respect for life - her heart had swelled, yet again, at this newest example of how this 'new' bond actually, truly, really 'felt right' in her heart. And for a while now, she had been feeling quite 'settled' in the bond, despite herself, and very happy to share! Besides Kaylan, who'd been born next door and practically grew up with Calia and her family at the inn, Aaran had been the only 'non-Luin' person she had ever felt close enough to to even consider having them know the stories of her home, the inn, these trees and this orchard. For such a long time, the only thing that the rest of her life had seemed any good for was her strength in the One Power, and her ability to fight the Shadow. That, at least, she had never let slide. But, After Aaran had passed, Cal had been so sure she would never invite anyone into these grounds, never share those close-to-heart stories again. Yet, here she was. And here was Elessar. And inviting him here had been easy; especially with the feast-day tied in - it really was the perfect day to honour their bond, along with the strength of Summer, and the Light that each of them had chosen to serve. Yes, it felt easy, and very much like the right thing to do. Even before she'd extended the invitation for the walk through the orchard with a smile, her mind had immediately skipped ahead to the happy, driven drum of her heart - and to the two most 'special trees'' , and before she even knew it, without even the slightest of hesitation, she'd specifically invited him to visit the two of those also. 7/<> ~~~ ● ~~~ For Calia, there was nothing quite like this end of the apple orchard. It had been planted on the far Southern edge of Four Kings, running almost all the way to the present-day boundary line of the large Luin property, far before her time. She was glad to have found a moment to walk once again under the ancient branches here, to simply enjoy the peaceful moments of the morning there, listening to the leaves rustling in the breeze and taking in the the sweet, tart, earthy smells of soil and ripening apples. Not for the first time, Calia thanked the Light beyond measure that she had been fortunate enough to be born into this property in Four Kings, and not one of the much, much, much smaller plots of 'land' that crowded at the crossroads, with absolutely nowhere else to escape to but the chaos of the dusty streets. From her infancy to her early teen years, this particular stretch, with the oldest groves apple groves on the property, had always been her personal refuge, and her favourite place in all of Four Kings. The trees closer to the inn had been here only since the the Luin family built the inn, and even that was some good number of generations before Calia ever came along. But these trees? Cal looked up at the lighter and lighter sky through the gently flittering leaves. She breathed in the scents again and smiled. These trees, were different. Cal had relished telling Elessar during their wanderings together, that these beauties were definitely far, far older than she was. And that to her, they had always been as full of delicious adventures and memories as they had been of apples! As beautiful and as close to the Shining City of Caemlyn as it was, and given the stone remnants her family had found in various fields over the years. Cal and the girls had always rather liked imagining that Ogier might have had a hand in the building of this place. She'd never found the time to investigate or ask someone in the know for 'real' truth however. Regardless whether or not the ancient Atlantin had been involved in tending the trees, this place always was, and always would be almost magical to her, and her favourite place in all of Four Kings. How could it not be? Even as a child, it was the place in Four Kings that, no matter what else had happened in her life, no matter how ridiculous the town got, or who she'd found herself at odds with, had always been there, with wide open boughs, to help her center herself in the moments she was not battling, and to bring her inner peace. Not to mention that so, so many 'core' moments from hers and her siblings' infancy (puns intended) and early childhoods had happened here.. [Who ever would have guessed at that age that the twins lied, and that the BIGGEST secret to becoming the fastest runner in the world actually had nothing at all to do with being sure to eat as many apples as possible in their entirety - dirt, skins, cores, stems/sticks/leaves, worms and all? (Especially the worms, if one should one be lucky enough to find any!) ? She never had flown like the wind. But she had blown many, many chunks of partly digested apple into it as a result. How many belly aches had she suffered through and from before her parents caught them out? ] And there were many moments from later years also, when symbols and initials for secret pacts and hearts' desires were carved through the bark - as much as they wormed their way through her young, hormonal heart. [Light knew that in most cases, many of those secret markings that had been made into various trunks and branches had lasted far longer there than in her recollections of their location and meaning!] But still, there were some strong exceptions to the forgotten carvings, and many memories that soothed her heart rather than made her feel sick in the belly. for those reasons and a thousand more, she loved this place, and always would, no matter how long she lived. <>\'''' <>/.< ~ ~ ●======● ~ ~ The last time she had visited the orchard had been decades ago. She savoured and tried to treasure every minute. Touching a trunk here or there, trying to keep her feelings as light and bright as the Summers day that rose around them. Cal made sure to treasure every minute she ever got to spend in, under or close to these trees and branches. And, she had found she was easily enjoying her time there with Elessar too. The first of the two 'specials' she'd promised him was the 'Family Tree' - the largest and oldest of the Big Reds, where the name and/or hand of every child and life partner of a Luins in the area had been making its mark, recorded in living history, as it were - even generations and generations before her own. It was obvious to see the length of the history there - the tree must've been well over 200, maybe 300 or even more, years old. Many, many generations of names had been marked into the wood of the trunk, or cut into stones the size of closed fists and piled and gathered around the trunk instead. Cal had been brought here often, from a young age to learn the family history and traditions as well as the science and 'poetry' behind it all: Firstly, how this tree had probably originally been chosen because of its size, and colour of the fruit - Red for love. Red for Family - and because, after all, reds, like love, tended to make the sweetest fruit as they grew. How 'stress' applied to the tree's trunk and sometimes branches, usually improved the growth of fruit and the strength of fruit bearing trees themselves. How the marked stones were sometimes used as a handy alternative to beat at trunks and encourage a flourish of growth. Sometimes the stones were even used by loved ones long after the original owners were gone, honouring the memories and the sense that, even departed, love, and memories of love could still be kept somehow relevant to the sweetness of the present, and bear fruit in times to come. Tradition had it right, she had learned - as long as one took care not to cut all the way down to the heart of the tree, and to not allow infection to set in through contamination, the tree would survive. And, in fact, the trees that withstood the frequent beatings without succumbing to either of the above tended to bear the most - and the largest and the sweetest fruit as they aged. She smiled at that thought as she always did, thinking yet again that much the same could be said of certain people she knew, her 'new' gaidin included! <>\'''' <>/.< ~ ~ ●= =● ~ ~ Finally, they reached the rows with the best of the Green apple varieties! Cal stopped, with a wide smile, when she found the particular tree she had been looking for. This was the one she had felt so entirely compelled to share with Elessar, as soon as she'd known she would be bringing him 'home' to Four Kings. For an apple tree, it was still particularly broad, and tall, and strong. And it's branches still seemed to produce enough fruit to fill a large amount of barrels. She wondered out loud, not for the first time, if her immediate family members might have often 'stressed' this tree in the long absences of those who had actually carved their names upon it, in the not-so-silent hopes that helping this tree grow strong through stretches of stress would also, somehow, help the others while they were away, doing their best to survive stress and beatings of their own. Calia looked upon it with a sort of proud little smile. Kaylan and herself had searched every row of trees in the hopes of finding one that the thought would grow just like this. She had not seen it for over two decades - but it was still beautiful, thriving, smelt delightful, and was perfect for its purpose. For a moment, she simply looked, remembering. And then, unable to wait any longer, she plucked a rather large apple from a low hanging bough, checked it for bug marks and admired the bright, ripe green skin that covered most of the fruit, as well as the 'Light-kissed' brighter patches that tended to form along the top - or anywhere else the balance of Sun and Shadow played out in favour of the Light. Just the way she liked it. She shared her joy and these finds with Elessar, pointing out the colours and the reasons for her - and Kaylan's choice - was there any other colour that would have been so suitable for two Accepteds, both aspiring to serve the Light as Sisters of the Green Ajah? Of course Cal thought, it helped that, at least in her mind, the strong, crisp texture and flavours of Green apples tended to match her view of The Greens also - much more than any red or yellow varieties she'd ever tried. And these ones were no exception - in fact, she was quite certain they were the very best she'd ever found! Laughing about this, and insisting that she was eager to hear his thoughts, Cal offered the now polished, shiny green apple out to Elessar so her Green gaidin could take a bite and see for himself - or to take his own selection from any he fancied on the tree. And then ... ~:~ "I'm not usually one to stand on ceremony," she began with a smile. "And, I haven't done this for decades... But... " Calia fished deep into a concealed side-pocket on her pants and retrieved a small wooden box. Inside was a small, robust rock chisel - at least as old as herself and always many-many times more sharp. With Joem's permission, she had sought this out and borrowed it from the mantle almost as soon as she'd arrived, this moment in mind. She held it out, offering that to her stoic Green Warder as well. And then she followed through with the smooth rock she'd also been carrying all this time. "But, since it is Sunday, and you are here... " "Would you, Elessar Gaidin, do this family the honour of adding your name, and at some of your strength, to this tree?" She found herself studying his face intently, wondering what was going through his mind. The bond only told a holder and the bonded so much. Like whether the other was still awake or still asleep in the early morning after a night of being awake; or if they were already up and training with the wind in the leaves and morning Sun, or, like she had been today, walking about the yards of the inn, alehouse, brewery and orchard in with the soft breeze and early morning light. She might not have been able to read his thoughts, exactly, but she did know she was glad she had bonded this particular man, this particular Warder of hers who had, it seemed, a penchant for serving Light and Life with the Greens for all the best reasons, and that, despite the risks that had been raised by setting herself in, she felt stronger, and safer with him by her side. She was glad, and proud, to have him serving the Light by her side. And she was actually glad to finally, after so, so long, trust another gaidin like this - and to know that was the case, no matter what lay ahead. And she was glad, that on this Sunday, there was such an appropriate way to honour the Light in her life, and the enduring strength represented by the one-ness and the bond they shared, and she was glad to invite him to have his name etched, forever more on her most enduring, favourite 'Green' - where it could stand, proud through beatings and storms, growing stronger with the Light, adding a certain, punchy sweetness to life, representing their shared choices and purpose, their strength and resolutions. Their 'one-ness'. Alongside her own name and those of her brothers', Kaylan's and Aaran's - The names of her chosen, those very, very few in her Ajah who had ever made the cut this close to the core of her heart. Elessar's name, she knew, belonged there too. In some ways, she trusted Elessar more with the bond than any other Warder she had ever had. Her brothers and Aaran included. And, as she offered her gaidin the necessary tools to accomplish the task she was glad, to know that was the case, and glad to offer him the space. <>\'''' <>/.< ~ ~ ●======● ~ ~

"And HURRAH -!" several voices shouted in unison as the gleeman finished his tale of Maragaine's stand. "- HURRAH FOR ANDOR AND FOR THE LIGHT!" thundered back every Andoran in the common room, raising clenched fists to the sky and banging tankards on the table. Calia's voice was just one of the many loud and proud among them. "Here! Careful, lass -!" the man at her elbow leaned away, shooting her a horrified look as she shouted and shifted her full tray of apple-ales into one hand, pumping the other towards the sky along with the rest of the room. "- You'll be spilling the drinks..." he finished, eyes widening in surprise as she managed to keep a deft grip beneath the tray, balancing it with apparent ease despite the awkward angle and the exuberant action. Calia let her laughter join the chorus of cheers that followed the Andoran chant and then turned her blue eyes to the man in question. "And cheat my good lord of the cost of a full mug?" she grinned mischievously, swinging a drink from the tray and slipping it into place in front of him without spilling a drop, "Not I!" "Well then!" the merchant looked her up and down, rubbing his beard and noting her hand on her hip with a chuckle. "True enough that there's no such thing as cheatin' on a Sun-day!" he said, sliding a silver coin in her direction and taking the mug with a smile. Calia's free hand captured the coin and dropped it into the front pocket of her apron as easily as if she really had continued serving at the Queen's Stand all these long years. "Not on my watch, at least!" she quipped, melting back into the throng with an answering smile as soon as he began to grin. Amelie and Joem had forewarned that it would be a busy, and likely understaffed night. And they had certainly not been wrong. The buzz of energy filling the common room was everything Calia remembered it to be on nights such as this, right down to the sound of clinking mugs, hearty laughter and the accompanying bright notes of the gleeman's flute - and more. She wove her way through the clusters of customers serving food and drinks in turn, moving from table to table with purposeful steps that seemed almost choreographed into a dance. If she had surprised herself with just how easily she'd slipped back into the role of lively serving girl, she didn't let it show in the slightest on her face. She moved from table to table, her tray full of frothy mugs of ale or steaming plates of food, her steps light and deliberate, avoiding stumbling patrons with ease. And when she passed Elessar, it made her chuckle inside to give him a cheeky wink, like she'd seen so many a serving girl do before her, in every inn they'd frequented thus far. ● As the night wore on and the apple-ale flowed freely, the patrons of the Queen's Stand grew more joyful and boisterous, more prepared to take advantage of the holiday than perhaps they had originally feared with all the world's strangest and stranger goings on. Calia stepped outside towards the alehouse and garden to find the air thick with the scent of roasted meats and spiced apple ale and the sounds of raucous laughter, music, dancing and the clinking of tankards. A trio of minstrels played a lively tune near the bonfire, their melodies coaxing feet to tap and bodies to dance. In the alehouse, as in the Common-Room, the wooden roof-beams were strung with garlands and other greenery, in tribute to the power of the Light and the sun. The bonfire burned bright and fierce near the center of the yard, flames dancing ever-higher into the night sky as it defied the darkness and kept watch for the Light. Children darted here and there between adults, their laughter ringing out as they played game after game in the firelight, the sounds of mirth mixing with the crackling of the fire and hum of conversations. Townsfolk and travelling merchants mingled on the lawn, sharing stories and toasting the shortest night of the year. Night deepened and yet the bonfire's glow seemed to grow, pulsing with the rhythm of the music, challenging the shadows and casting light into their world. "Oi, Lass!" a burly merchant with a twinkle in his eye and a flush of deep red rose across his cheeks called to Calia as she passed, "Put those trays down! A pretty thing like you should be dancing around the fire and under the stars on a night like this!" "Leaving you lot to pour your own drinks?" Calia quipped with a grin as she set a plate of food in front of him. "I think not - someone has to make sure everyone here gets just what they deserve!" The other patrons at the table guffawed at the rebuff, one of them taking the opportunity and liberty to reach out and hook his arm around Calia's waist. "What if I deserve a dance?" he slurred. Cal tilted her head mischievously and twirled as if dancing dramatically on stage, the movement unraveling her self and skirts from his reach. "Well, if that was the case, I'd think you'd have to promise not to let my friend Elessar, over there", she followed the sense of the bond, nodding her head in the direction of her watching Warder, "catch you trying to whisk me away!" she grinned as the man blanched at the mere sight of her gaidin, and she sent her merriment and mirth at his expression along the bond for Elessar's enjoyment. ● Light began to break across the sky in the East. Calia smiled, feeling tired but strangely fulfilled and invigorated by the full night's service. She wondered what Elessar had made of the evening, and of Sun-day eve in this small town. She caught Joem and Amelie's eye as they poured last drinks for customers and prepared to coordinate the setup of festivities for the day ahead. As dawn crept across the lawns, they smiled at her timidly, thankfully, and returned to their work. Calia smiled back with genuine pleasure. It gave her a certain thrill to see her grand-nephew and his wife begin to carry on the traditions they had expanded in the family yard and home for her favourite holdiay. Truth be told, though Calia had passed many Sun-days, in many countries, over many years, she had never really quite figured out which part of the holiday she she preferred - the all-night reveling that defied the darkness until dawn, the peace and rest that followed as Light brightened and blessed the day with the coming of the Sun, or the way that entire towns simply celebrated the strength and joy in Light and made the most of every moment of the longest day of the year from it's zenith hour until sunset. Bit by bit, daytime slowly took hold of the world and the flames of the bonfire dwindled. Calia found Elessar at her side, and together they took a moment to Thank the Light for everything that existed, as tradition detailed, before the bonfire was extinguished. As Cal turned her face to the breaking dawn and softly-spreading warmth of the Light of the sun along with the rest of those gathered, she breathed in the crisp early morning air and smiled at her Warder and the descendants of her sister. Her heart swelled with gratitude for this place, these people, and what seemed to be the simple, enduring joy of Sunday Eve and the true heart of the Light in her old home town, despite the dusty and dour exterior the place showed to the world. Now, Cal knew, everyone would rest. And in a few hours, when the Sun climbed to its' highest point, each of them would return to honour the turning of the Wheel, and to bask in the strength of the Light once more. ●

The beard. The bushy brows and bright, merry eyes. The sand-coloured hair peeking out from under his hat. Joem, Cal reminded herself, forcefully, even as her heart jumped at the sight of him and her breath caught in her throat - again. She'd calculated the logic then and there, at the market in Caemlyn: seeing that distinctive cart with ale barrels on the back just so - wall to wall and rim to rim, lashed together and tied around the rails the exact way her father had always insisted. The wisps of sand-coloured hair peeking out from under the bottom of a well-worn hat. The man's face as he turned his head to check the large, stately black carriage thundering his way. And she'd replayed the glimpse of that face over and over in her mind many times since the market, knowing it was not the face she'd almost thought she'd seen, despite the shock of his distinctive features. And yet, even prepared - knowing it was not her Da, she was still a little shocked - the resemblance was ... uncanny. At least, this time, the pang of loss and yearning that followed the shock was a little less. "Joem," she smiled brightly at him as he took in the sight of herself and her Warder at the door. His eyebrows rose in quick recognition. "Great-Grand-Aunt Calia-Sedai?" he said the words with the same awe-struck arrangement of syllables he'd applied to her when he was barely five years old, making Cal smile even wider. His voice was a rumble of deep bass now, as her father's and her brothers' voices had been. Had it really been that close to thirty years since she'd seen him last? Since her littlest sister Thayet had passed? The sound of footsteps passing in the corridor behind Joem stopped abruptly at his words. In the same instant, a look of - concern? - washed over his face. * * * The footsteps rushed in their direction, a dramatic drumming on the wooden floor. Cal took a step back even as Elessar stepped forward, bringing the two of them into a balanced line. A woman appeared at Joem's side, clutching his arm as if for support even as she attempted a curtsy with skirts that were not yet settled. Her blue eyes scanned past the Warder and Sedai, and then her gaze returned, full of trepidation, to meet Calia's own, before glancing back at Joem. "Thayett?" she asked him earnestly. "No, love." Joem patted her hand and looked back to Calia. The woman took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Joem did the same. "Please, Aunt Calia-Sedai," Joem opened the door all the way, "Come in - and be welcome. You're just in time for a pre-service munch." He extended a hand towards Elessar. "And you too, Warder - Welcome and happy Sun-day Eve!" * * * Sun-day! She'd always loved that celebration. And the night before, even if the shortest night of the year had always been one of the busiest at the inn. Or perhaps because it had always been busy at the inn! Alone in her room after their early supper, Calia smiled and swept her hair back into a no-fuss bun and wrapped it with a scarf. Memories of her childhood Sun-days and the easy afternoon with Joem and his wife Amelie snuck amongst the angst of her and Elessar's mission and the possibility of betrayal within the Tower, and reminded her of the Light in the world. She'd learned much that afternoon about the goings-on in Four Kings since her last visit. And the cause of Joem and Amelie's concern at her arrival - which had turned out to be the biggest surprise yet - she had a great-great-grandniece who could channel! And the girl - Thayetta - the couple's only child - had been sent to the Tower for training just this year. Calia shook her head again in wonder. She'd been shown a portrait of Thayetta - who indeed looked a lot like she imagined Thayet would have at the age of fourteen... Cal couldn't say how close the resemblance actually was with much certainty though - much knowledge of her sister's lives had been lost to her, swapped for years and years of learning just what it meant to be, and how to become, a 'servant of all' in the Tower. As she'd told Elessar quietly after they'd retreated to their rooms, in her memories, Thay's actual image jumped straight from a sobbing ten-year old on the day she had left for Tar Valon to a competent young assistant inn-keeper surprised by the arrival of her long-lost siblings on the eve of her twentieth name day. And Calia's time in training had been relatively short! But as much as she loved and had missed her little sisters terribly, especially on name-days and when their giggles and chattering, or light snores were absent in quiet moments before sleep, by the year Thayet had been turning fourteen, almost-Accepted Calia had already suffered enough switching, chores and shame to last an entire Aes Sedai lifetime. And she knew very well that there was never an acceptable excuse or lack of punishment for a Novice caught leaving (or even caught talking about leaving) the Tower grounds. Not even for a quick trip to the City itself. Not even to celebrate sibling name days with them, as dictated by tradition... "Even that was enough for a lesson very well learnt!" she'd recounted. "Certainly enough that any thoughts of visiting home before being raised were completely and utterly whipped right out of existence from there on in!" A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as her hands recalled the repetitive sting of soapy scrubbing-water in split knuckles and her buttocks recalled the white-hot pain of swift switchings across unhealed welts. "But still," her voice became a quietly mischievous murmur, and disappeared into the lingering smile. She had been of a mind to leave the stories and explanations there for the time being, but catching Elessar's expression at her unexpected smile had made the beginning of her grin an even wider mixture of defiance and sheepishness. A similar grin crept over her face again as she continued getting ready, enjoying the newest link to that old, cherished memory. She didn't know if Elessar would ever question such a mix of her feelings aloud, but she'd been happy to elaborate in any case - clearly Elessar was getting under her thick Aes Sedai skin if she was willing to simply let him in on one of her most tight-lipped secrets! "So, I may have learned better than to try and ever visit my family or sisters here before being properly raised," she'd said. "And Light, I'd never, ever tell the Mistress of Novices this, but I might never have completely regretted the reason I knew that so well - regardless of the punishments she piled on me! I swear, sneaking into the city to find an inn with Kaylan and the twins on our first free day after their arrival will be worth it until the day I die!" Even now, standing alone in her old bedroom, thinking of the many moments lost and the many years that had passed, she cherished those borrowed-with-interest hours of freedom that had been stolen and spent so joyously as a wayward Novice in the heart of the old White Flame. And now there was a new Novice in the family. A fire had kindled in Calia's heart at the sight of the portrait and the stories Joem and Amelie had told them of Thayetta. Despite her habit of maintaining appropriate Aes Sedai distance from kin and emotions for the last three decades, and despite not knowing the girl, nor exactly how similar the features of her younger great-great-grandmother were to the face in the picture. "Here," Calia had thought, was yet another reason why Elessar and herself had to succeed on their mission, and another reason why another vileness could not be allowed... Tonight though, she'd decided to serve the Light a little differently and to focus on another job whilst Elessar hopefully relaxed and enjoyed the night's entertainment - simply because she could. She would serve, as always. But for at least some of the night, she'd be helping out more as a serving-woman again than an Aes Sedai and servant-of-all. Amelie had been half bemused-half horrified at the idea, but Calia had refused all alternative suggestions. Truth be told, she was looking forward to the distraction of the long-ago-familiar change. She grinned again, checking her reflection quickly in the looking glass she passed out into the hall to wait for her bonded. She looked appreciatively at the tidy hall as she quietly closed her door and set her wards. The family had done well with the inn and the stipends she sent them via select eyes and ears since Thayet's death. And in turn, Joem and Amelie had done the same, it seemed. With quietly-bubbling happiness, Calia had noted that of all the establishments in the town, this one still remained the cleanest both inside and out. To boot, the orchard-garden was still bearing a good amount of fruit, and there was even an entirely separate alehouse off to the side of the yard. And despite the lack of patronage at the hour Calia and Elessar had arrived, sounds of chatter now buzzed up the stairs from the common room and cheers and clinking tankards seemed determined to crowd their way through the shuttered window. She knew just by the cadence and volume of voices that the Queen would stand full tonight. Obviously, even despite the twist of Shadows stirring in the world at present, patrons were still eager to celebrate the longest day of the year. It was enough to keep anyone hopeful, and any family member proud. And, Cal found, she she was hopeful, and proud, despite the time that had passed and the distance that existed between her old life and the one she had chosen to lead. And she was glad to be sharing these new-old experiences with Elessar, linked as they were. She hoped he would enjoy himself during their stay. And in the same instant, she realised that, as stoic and as used to Aes Sedai life as she had become with age, and as much as she had never thought she would bring another Warder into this house, or her heart, it was ... a welcome comfort... to still find oneself connected in the spaces where connections belonged, but had become stretched thin, and thinner still, by time. She hadn't been in the hall for but a second before her gaidin exited the room adjacent to hers. She smiled warmly at him. "Nice of you to join me, Warder-mine!" her grin was teasing as she turned with him towards the stairs. They walked as one though, the sincerity of her words flooding through the bond with feelings of gratitude and the hope for Life!

Who? Who? Who? Who? An hour into the morning's trip toward Four Kings, the question still reverberated endlessly through Calia's brain in time with the bay mare's hoofbeats on the dusty road. Who? Who? Who? Who? Clop Clop Clop Clop... Who? Who? Who? Who? She stared straight ahead, eyes unfocused, seeing little other than the images her mind's eye conjured for her on repeat - the assassin, the moment he'd spat confirmation of his allegiance to the Shadow and the related order for their deaths, and how she'd last seen him early this morning: being carried from his watch-house cell, very much dead, dried froth still coating his lips. That outcome was perhaps not entirely unexpected, but for the moment, not even the scenery changes that indicated her hometown was drawing nigh could compete with that. Who? Who? Who? Who? The hoofbeat question continued. And a quiet, devastated undertone continued to supply at least part of the answer: The Black. The Black. The Black. The Black. ● "I think you were right about the betrayal," with a heavy heart, the Sedai voiced her thoughts to her Gaidin. "I cannot believe it would be Liss, though, Elessar. Truly, I cannot," She sighed, wondering on his opinion. "But on the other hand, it has to be someone from inside the Tower," she looked to her Warder, her bright blue eyes both hard as ice, for all they shimmered momentarily like they were at risk of a sudden melt. "It's unthinkable that something like the Vileness might be happening again - and yet here we are. And for once," she looked at the gaidin, I'm at a loss on what to do." Full honesty, she thought, is hopefully the best policy here. She didn't want to overburden him with her troubles, but he was her partner in this - he would have been feeling her conflict and be aware in some sense of her struggles - and he deserved the truth, deserved to know what exactly they might be in for since they were heading in that direction together. She looked at her gaidin, feeling the flow of connection and emotion through the bond. "Elessar - it could be you and me alone on this, against the world! "I don't think we can warn, or trust, those at the Tower with any of our updates now, until our quest here is absolutely done... do you?" ● To the side of the highway far ahead, a clump of tall, wide shadows caught Calia's eye and she couldn't help but grin. There may have been much less traffic on the route to Four Kings than she had remembered or expected, but some things thankfully had remained the same. She chuckled softly at the memories. "Elessar Gaidin, my dear bonded," she began playfully, carefully considering the lack of traffic and the high level of her warder's horsemanship skills. She let the mood take her as her voice drowned out the ever-questioning sound of hooves. Suddenly she found the smothering of some of the dark dread and despair clinging to her ever fiber that much easier. She grinned. "I propose it is high time we all really stretch our legs! What if you and Stormbreaker beat me to the Chestnuts? If you do, you can have as many as you like, and I'll tell you the story of their great revenge!" she called, spurring her brown mare into action with a laugh and racing away down the road, smiling in her confidence that Elessar and Stormbreaker would be up for the run and challenge! A delighted chuckle whipped away from her on the last of the wind of the race - and Cal leant over the bay's neck and urged her to catch up. She didn't really expect they would be able to overtake the warhorse at this point. But that didn't mean they wouldn't try! ● Some time later, with a handful of chestnuts in her lap, Calia laughed and conceded she would tell her Warder the story of the chestnuts' revenge. The clump of trees, she explained, were almost as old as her - the result of an obnoxious, overly handsy, pushy Chestnut merchant throwing his last two bags from the wagon in rage after discovering they'd been topped up with sheep droppings - the Twin's idea of 'fair punishment' for the way the man had behaved and the insults he had flung when he was caught backing Calia and Kaylan into a corner against their will. The fact that the trees were still standing, so long after the man would have passed on gave her heart, since they were both proof of the power of protection and that good things could spring up anywhere, even from the middle of a pile of dung! ● Despite how quiet the road had been, Four Kings was upon them in a clatter of wagon wheels and a collection of inns, residences, patrons and shouts that were both familiar and entirely different to the town Calia remembered from a century ago. It was to be expected, she knew. But still, some of the changes were like a knife to her heart. Including the lack of merchant wagons that lined the picket rail outside her family inn. With Elessar by her side, she tied the bay's reigns to the rail of the 'Queen's Stand' and started up the side path to the family-only door. She rapped the brass knocker, one-two-three times. And then the man from market, the living image of her long-dead father, opened the door.

Welcome Emma!

Eb suppressed her scowl and the desire to spit sideways at Dovinhald's mention of 'quiet run'. She'd thought the man might have seen some military service in his time, but perhaps she'd been mistaken. Things hadn't changed so much that such talk wouldn't tempt Jak o' the Shadows to make things 'fun'... had they? Still. Food, lodgings and four additional Andoran Silvers per day with the potential for extra as a bonus... and Dovinhald would be staying at the Riposte, so easy to contact... and keep an eye on prior to departure. It was an easy decision. Until the mention of riding a horse. Of course there would be bloody flaming horses - "I'm in." " -The wagons will be good enough for me-." -Bloody, blasted, flaming, stinking horses - Despite the solid satisfaction she felt at hearing Kai finally put himself on a list for a run, another scowl threatened to escape the confines of Eb's practiced smothering. She gritted her teeth together. Leveled her dark gaze directly at the Taraboner's own dark eyes. "Done - for Four Andoran-weight Silvers a day. Extra at the end. Food on the road." She paused. -Bloody, blasted, flaming, stinking, ash-flinging horses. Bloody wagons. Her teeth ground together. "-I'll ride either option if I bloody have to. But Light knows I'm much better on my own two feet."

Yeppppppp! Though our service has just changed roster and I am glad - not much makes a 14hr night shift go 'fast'!!!

Glad to hear all the birthday things were amazing and awesome! *squishes the work busy and crazy (unless it's a good type)!* ??

"Will ye be binding me fast while you call for the Watch? No?" Eb grit her teeth at the combination of the Illianer's drama, sarcasm and disregard for her actions against those smaller than herself. The woman snorted and moved for her spear, head down. Eb closed the distance between them with two quick steps, snapping a hand to the shaft of the weapon as it was snatched into the air. At the same time, the force in the taller woman diminished - at least, she didn't try to stab anyone, or barge her way past. "I'd prefer we all just got on with things ourselves, actually," Eb growled, moving the spear aside with carefully schooled 'reasonable force' so that she could reach for the water that Ashar Dovinhald had offered her. Whilst doing so she silently but vehemently cussed out herself and her choice of non-action, the High Council, their Light-blasted 'standards' and the years of bloody reprimands and repercussions - all of which clearly made situations like this more complicated than they needed to be. "If we're not fighting with more than words?" she shrugged, raising her eyebrows in invitation. "Back to business." Still standing, she turned her dark gaze to Dovinhald, wondering if that really was his name, and nodded slightly back at him as she lifted the cup. "I was hoping to know how much money, exactly." "I'm ... good with security," she said, meaning it as both a comment on the proposed plan and a response to his question of skill. "And I've experience enough rolling with the dice, however they land," she grinned wryly, the faded scar on her face crinkling at her cheekbone. "...As long as you aren't looking for someone who's good with archery, or gateways," she amended. The grin and scar twisted into a grimace.

With one eyebrow half-raised, Eb shook her head at Uno and held back a scowl at Kai's apology. She turned to the deep-breathing Illianer woman, took in the twisted old scar on her face, the clear muscle tone of her hands and the fresh bruising around the broken knuckle. She didn't doubt the man who'd been at the receiving end of the woman's fist might've deserved whatever damage had come his way. But any marks on Uno's arm, however faint, were a different story. She caught and held the younger woman's eyes with her own. She flicked her unsheathed daggers once around her thumbs and slid them back into place under her sleeves. "The boy," she pointed out, voice low, "didn't yelp twice at your hands for nothing."

"For the love of ever-blasting Light and..." Eb rolled her eyes and entertained the idea of simply leaving the grounds of the Riposte then and there, not for the first time since the Tarabonner's notice had been pinned up on the board. Her growl ground itself into a grimace. She stayed where she was, leaning against the East wall of the room at a point where she could blend in somewhat with the scenery, arms hidden in the slight flares of dark cotton sleeves folded over her dark leather vest, watching events unfold in and around the purple booth. Twenty years ago, when she was the age of those at the long table, that grimace would've been a definite scowl. But she'd managed to learn a thing or two since then, apparently - despite the fact she didn't feel much older. And the grimace was 'an ... improvement, of sorts' that she'd mostly managed to keep. Bloody babies. Ok. So she was definitely older in comparison to those at the table. Lessons in mature civility fled. She scowled. But she switched from casual lean to careful attention. Kai was still standing. Eb slipped her right arm out of its folded pose, checking with a slide of her fingers to her chest that the hidden medallion still sat in place under her shirt. She shifted her weight slowly forwards, away from the wall, noting in silence that Uno managed to duck around her through the space she'd left. Without a breath of wind from his movements, and for once successfully avoiding a give-away glance her way. Good. She flexed her wrists as she moved toward the booth, feeling the hilts of the belted daggers under her sleeves. She likely wouldn't stop the boy - Light knew that it was usually not her style to even try, and she had a vested interest in observing the actions and outcomes here - but if Kai and the Illianer woman were going to fight, outside was definitely the better option. She had further business here today and couldn't afford for the room to be closed due to damage. Not to mention the difficulty it might cause Kai's fathers, and therefore Kai. She folded her arms again as she neared the end of the table. She stood a short distance away from the corner on the Illianer's side, ensuring everyone still had a clear path to leave if required. She looked momentarily at the silver mark the woman had placed next to Kai's cup. "What defines 'fortune'?" she asked outright. "And just how far are you planning to go with this..." she let her voice carry the meaning as she shifted her coal-black gaze upward, past Kai's bright green one, towards the Tarraboner's face, "... trip up North?"

Approved and moved!

.. Light Only Knows .. ►▼◄ "Perhaps." Calia answered Elessar's two questions at once. The hard truth of that one word landed like a boulder in front of them and left a bad taste in her mouth. The sparrows and finches hushed their chattering above. She clenched her jaw and returned her steely blue gaze briefly to the field and road beyond. Still empty. She scanned every opening in the softly-rustling canopy above them. Nothing but sky. Why were the birds going quiet, all at once? The light might have been fading in intensity, but it was definitely not yet dark. Her eyes flicked back to the field - dry grass. Taller patches nodding gently in the slight wind. No erratic movements or oddly crushed or stationary areas - other than where Stormbreaker and the bay mare had trampled. The road - void of people, carts and carriages. As far as the eye could see in both directions. Dust swirls, tumbling across the packed dirt here and there in the sections visible beyond the patches of longer field grass. Elessar had said he had no idea who the attacker - or attackers - might be. That in itself gave her some information - he would have sensed if Shadowspawn were involved. Reluctantly, Cal released her connection to saidar. She felt the current of it slip back towards its source, leaving her less anchored on solid ground, as it always did when she separated herself from its flow. Her skin prickled. There were no more arrows. No flares of heat or warning on the circlet around her neck - she gritted her teeth with increased pressure, smothering self-annoyance that reared hard again at that thought. Nothing out of the ordinary, now. As far as she could tell. But she felt trapped. And there was a foreboding sense of Shadows growing darker; longer. No matter how much Light remained. A flurry of movement and chaotic sound broke the silence in the trees above Elessar and herself. Saidar flooded back to Calia's command immediately, her head instinctively whirling and eyes locking on the origin of the sound, the bond informing her of her gaidin's response. A storm of fawn, brown, cream and grey whipped around and past her and her Warder in a violent rush of wind. Tiny feathered torpedoes were erupting from the branches in every direction, aiming directly towards a shadowy patch of leaves close by. In a cacophony of flapping wings and angry-sounding cheeps, the cloud of birds converged, and began swooping and stabbing and dive-bombing the shadowy patch with such force and aggression that feathers and leaves alike started shearing away and tumbling toward the ground. Most of the feathers were colours she had seen rushing by. But one was much larger, and a glossy, if now much-tattered, midnight-black. Calia tensed, saidar at the ready as a raspy rattling sound joined the frey, then a series of clicks and grating yelps followed by a sudden loud, hoarse CAWW! A shadow eXpLoDeD! upward from the branch, black wings clutching at the air and a vicious dark beak flinging finches and sparrows away as it lurched away from the trees and towards the open space above the field. The finches and sparrows were not giving up. They dove and tore en masse at the invader's dark feathers, soft underbelly and eyes. The larger bird struggled on, wing tips occasionally forced to scrape against leaf matter and debris on the ground with the weight of the assault against it. It was almost, almost clear of the trees. Calia began to weave a net of Air, Fire and Spirit, the stone truth she'd uttered earlier settling in the very pit of her stomach. She couldn't be sure, but she felt she knew. With a burst of speed, the bird from the shadows shot upward from the treeline, wheeling sharply to the side to throw the last sparrow from its back. Large, hooked talons stretched towards the soft fawn fluff, found their mark. And squeezed. Little beady eyes lost their spark, and the ball of fluff went limp. Calia saw it all in great detail, thanks to the clarity of saidar. Including the very moment when the arrow-tip tore through both birds. She watched, dropping her weave but maintaining her embrace of saidar. The two birds, light and dark pinned fast together in death, fell from the sky. Calia scanned the field and road again, to no avail. Light only knew where the arrows had come from. Or why. Or whether her suspicions were right about the crow. Her warning ward remained untriggered; the circlet remained neutral in temperature at her neck. She turned to her gaidin, catching his gaze once again. Had the Shadow been aware of their mission? Tracking their every move? Had they been betrayed? And how, or by whom? How much more vileness might have already spread? "Perhaps," she repeated, her heart hardening against the fears it was true. She wished she had a cup full of apple-ale to at least wash the bitter taste of that terrible fact out of her mouth before she had to start to really chew. Light knew, she would have wished for a jug of ale rather than just a cup, but an Aes Sedai had no right to simply try and slosh away these types of thoughts and concerns - not even in her own mind. No matter how much she abhorred what she had little choice but to find herself thinking. Besides, if what they suspected had occurred...? Not enough ale existed in the entire world to even slightly drown out that threat of darkness from one's mind. Because Light knew, as surely they all knew the Wheel was turning, that it didn't really matter what they did - such harsh truths and inevitable realities would never really stay buried entirely out of reach, or properly locked down. ▀▄

.. Living Memory, Waking Dreams .. ►▼◄ Fire crackled through the logs in the hearth. Flames rose towards the stone mantle and the red banner proudly pinned in place above it. Light and warmth spread through the open heart of the common-room, diffusing chill draughts and defying the darkness of the night outside. The cloth of the red banner rippled, constantly caught in the competing swirls of warm updraft and chill, sneaking wind ceaselessly tugging at its hems. As light from the flames danced brighter through the room, the White Lion that gave the inn its name stood rampant on the wavering field of red, battling tirelessly against each of the remaining shadows... Calia sat, sipping her post-dinner tea at a table set off to the side of the crowded common room. Settling back in her chair, she crossed her ankles neatly under the dark green silk of her new 'skirts' and thanked the Light again for the day she'd first befriended Nona Allande. The woman was undoubtedly the country's greatest seamstress, and she could still work magic with her silk and threads better than Calia could combine Air and Water in a weave. That she also still had as sharp an eye for spotting trends in rumour, politics and general mood as well as fashion, and gathered Caemlyn gossip with quick wit, good ears and a gentle tongue that kept people talking was an added bonus. The information she'd passed to Calia that afternoon had not made a lot of sense, but the Sedai had learned to take note of what the seamstress offered during her collections over the years - the woman's intuition and ability to check and combine trickles of information from more than one angle on any subject had kept her abreast and prepared for 'sudden' winds of change several times. Including the preparations that fool of a Cairhienian King had made over a decade ago, to seat himself on a throne made of Avendoraldera. Today Nona had spoken of new, reportedly dramatic movements on the seas to the South, and though Calia couldn't yet piece together what the stream of information indicated, she was keeping it in mind. Times were changing; the Wheel was turning towards things both old and new - that much she was sure of. Cal turned her attention slowly away from the fireplace and the flag of her homeland to studying the gaidin opposite her once again. She smiled to herself at the variety of expressions crossing Elessar's features in time with the Gleeman's tale. She had heard the story on offer many times, many years ago, and though she wasn't paying the Gleeman close attention - the room was too busy and her mind was too distracted with the events of the day - she followed along enough to know that the man was leading the crowd exceptionally well, and she was glad that they could lose themselves so completely in such delight for a while. She had decided, no matter how frightening or bleak the prospects of their mission might prove, watching Elessar's face light up with the joy of such a performance, and feeling the sparks of emotion he shared freely through the bond when watching such talent was simply further evidence of the importance of the Light side of life while the Wheel turned on and on. These moments of fleeting, yet somehow preserved and shared joy and wonder were what they were all fighting for, after all. To that end, Cal was glad to have Elessar by her side. The man shared her passions, both for the fight against the Dark, and for reveling in the Light. And she intended to try and ensure they got as much of the latter whilst they could. It was always touching to see the warrior making the most of life's treasurable moments, and sometimes, like tonight, when he was rapt in the delights of history and performance, it gave her the chance to feel the old stories as if they were new. She'd known this evening's entertainment would be a treat for Elessar the instant the two of them had returned from errands to find customers already filling up the common room. But now, the White Lion was as busy as she'd ever seen it, and she was doubly glad to have ensured that the innkeeper had reserved them a table such as this - one where they could be both entertained by Gleeman, and keep an easy eye over the whole room. Whatever troubles might be brewing further South, there were advantages to being Aes Sedai in Andor still, she reasoned. She surveyed the room again, her gaze sweeping the over-full benches and tables, the bustling staff winding their ways between patrons to deposit a meal here, an ale there. Like each scan of the room before, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. 'Packed like the apple press - with occupants just as green or rosy and ready for ale!' The thought tumbled through her mind in her Da's old, cheery voice, as clearly as if he stood next to her - as if a century of time had not passed since she'd last heard those words from him for real. And so it was. Calia took another sip of tea, blue eyes sparkling a little, the tilt of the cup hiding the way the left corner of her mouth quirked up around the rim in a mischievous grin. At this point of the Gleeman's tale, that grin would have seemed especially unusual on the face of an otherwise poised and relaxed-looking Aes Sedai. She let the smile grow nonetheless, cherishing the memory while it lingered. How many times had she and Kaylan heard that saying of Da's and just known the end of the night would be a later one than usual, but with a larger collection of tips and slipped-out coins? She wouldn't have been able to count them all, even if it hadn't been so long ago! But so it had been, and so it was ... and would-be now, she knew. She watched as a buxom serving maid with ginger-coloured hair winked at a ruddy-faced, and aptly apple-shaped patron who had just slid her an extra silver penny, not for the first time. Calia didn't worry for the girl - she'd seen her easily escape a closed grip around her wrist with a simple movement of the arm as she'd set down a customer's third jug of ale earlier in the evening, all while smiling and laughing as if she'd meant no more than to put the jug in place; the girl knew what she was doing. The man, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the danger his senses and pockets were in. From everything Cal had already observed, the maid could have been herself or Kaylan a century ago. Even as she watched the crowd, the weight of their mission heavy in her thoughts and clutching at her heart, it was harder than it should have been to keep her focus to the inn she actually occupied, rather than the one she had conjured up in memories of Four Kings. And harder still to keep the image of the man she'd glimpsed in the markets earlier out of her mind. ● The cold northern winds blew fresh, tussling the cloaks and coats of the marketplace crowds with gusto. Vendors called their wares in voices that were getting used to being blown about and lost amongst the tables, as easily as falling leaves and gusts of wind. Calia had caught Elessar glancing at a scruffy young boy of about twelve, blundering his way through the throng of people toward their general direction. She'd smiled to herself as her gaidin watched the boy pass and then shifted his attention back to the crowd ahead. She didn't think the urchin would have dared to try and slip a hand into either of their pockets - or try anything worse - but she appreciated her gaidin watching their backs. And then as they crossed to the central plaza, an ale cart being drawn by a single large horse up ahead caught her eye. There was something about the great height of that horse in this town, the shape of the spokes on those wheels... the barrels in the tray of the cart... The driver turned to look behind him at a stately carriage that was being drawn by four black horses in his direction. Calia's breath caught in her throat and her heart drummed several quickened, dancing beats in her chest. The beard. The bushy brows and merry eyes - And then the driver of the ale-cart turned his head back to encourage the placid-looking beast in front of him further down the road. Cal's mind caught up and calculated everything back to a more logical reality; leaving her with simply the memories of the bushy brows and merry eyes she'd known, intertwining with glimpses of sand-coloured hair peeking out from under the back of a cap as drove away, her heart quietly yearning after him, for even the slightest glimpse of the face she'd almost thought she'd seen. ● The crowd at the White Lion erupted in applause. Tankards clanged on tables and benches scraped back across the wooden floor as the patrons stood and cheered, Calia and Elessar clapping and standing along with them. Cal grinned at the expression on Elessar's face, and the buzz she felt through the bond. Just past him, she saw a young boy of about five, bouncing energetically at his father's side, staring wide-eyed and utterly captivated at the bowing Gleeman who was making dramatic, multi-coloured flourishes with the tail of his cape. The father of the boy chuckled and patted a hand on the bouncing shoulder. Behind them, the ginger-haired server tumbled expertly into the side of the standing apple-man. Light, she loved Caemlyn. This, Calia thought with a smile as she watched the boy bounce some more, the father tousle the boy's hair affectionately and the serving girl set herself to rights with a quick curtsey and a grin. Tomorrow Elessar and herself would leave with the dawn of a new day and travel in the hopes of stopping Shadows and nightmares - they'd travel together towards pieces of her past, backwards along the path that had led her to this very spot... And this, she thought as Elessar caught her smile and the Gleeman started flinging merry notes around the room on a flute so that the patrons could dance - This was what living was for. What becoming Aes Sedai and serving in the Battle Ajah was for - for the moments and memories that would continue to light up minds, fill hearts and nurture even the oldest, wildest and youngest of dreams. ▀▄

Wwwwhhhheeee!!!!! HAPPY B'DAY!!!!