Things have been pretty crazy. I'm here and would like to be active. RL will dictate how possible that really is though.

Apparently Ely had shared Arinth’s assessment of the situation. Despite the fact that the men of the cavalry were notorious for their inability to hold liquor, something was wrong. Something felt very different. Before he had a chance to think or stop her, she was halfway across the room and crossing the other half confidently in a way that he could not help but admire.

He made to rise before remembering that she had told him to wait. He wasn’t sure how long he was supposed to wait but each second felt like an eternity. If something wasn’t right, then there was danger. If there was danger then he should be with her, to protect her. He wasn’t supposed to be lounging about on the other side of the room.

He glanced over, ready to cover the distance and join her despite her cryptic request to wait. What he saw hit him like a punch in the gut. The bouncer smacked her butt and she laughed. The touch had been confident and familiar, and from her reaction not unwelcome. The shocked hurt turned to anger. He was a fool.

He stood up, upending the table as he did. Glass and plate clattered on the floor behind him as he strode forward. The table where the cavalry had been was already empty. The sudden sickness of the men had driven away other patrons as well who had no interest in coming down with the same illness.

Arinth stopped in front of the two bouncers. They regarded him in a less friendly manner than they had Ely. Arinth returned their look with a hard one of his own. They made no immediate move to allow him to pass and he found himself face to face with the man who had slapped her delicious rump, an act he had not had the pleasure of himself yet. Arinth’s hand clenched into a fist. He resisted the urge to rearrange the man’s nose and shouldered his way past him forcefully. They let him continue on, though he had half wished they had decided to stop him.

He reached an office upstairs and saw Ely talking to a man. She noted his presence and introduced him to the man. She seemed to hesitate and stumble over her words, but he heard very clearly how she chose to introduce him as her friend.

She turned back to the man and rattled off a series of brisk instructions. He stood there reeling, feeling like she had just kicked him in the balls repeatedly, and she was acting like everything in the world was normal. He was a fool.

The man hurried out of the room to follow her instructions. Clearly, she planned to try to get to the bottom of what was going on and why the cavalry men had gotten sick. She turned to look at him and for the first time he felt like he did not know her at all. How could he have really thought that he had before with just a look? He could teach classes on how to be stupid.

“Well it looks like you have everything under control here, friend,” he said. The words were hard and cold. With that he turned and walked out of the room.  

 They were gaining on their foe. Corik was confident that they would catch them soon. Their unknown enemy moved a casual yet steady pace. It was what he would do when they reached them that the was question. It was a question he had been wrestling with the whole day. The eyes of his men told him the question was also on their mind and they weren’t sure what the answer was supposed to be.

The force they pursued was a bigger force than what they had themselves. It was big enough to have defeated the initial clash and it was big enough to have the advantage in any open engagement Corik could offer. Under different circumstances Corik would pursue, investigate and gather intelligence to report back. He didn’t have that luxury though. The lives of children were at stake. He couldn’t turn back to report the presence of the enemy and he couldn’t charge in either.

What did they plan to do with their prisoners?

The question crept back into his brain and gnawed at him. If he knew the answer, he could better weigh the urgency and approach to their rescue. Were they to be tortured and interrogated? Were they to be outright executed without any kind of trial? Was diplomacy the best approach to getting them back? Ambush?

“Sir.” The scout said, approaching quickly. Corik cleared his thoughts away as he turned his attention to the man. “I have sighted the enemy. It is a group of near two dozen with a handful of captives. They don’t look to be in immediate danger. They march with a grim quietness that it appears was taught with force.”

“Bring me the map.” Corik said. They would have to find a way to circle around and get ahead of them. He would have to pick the perfect place to surprise them. It would have to be a quick engagement, striking them, freeing the prisoners and escaping. There would be no diplomacy. They were at a disadvantage and had no leverage or negotiating power. More than likely that would only lead to endangering his own men.

He unrolled the map. “Tell me everything you saw,” He said to the scout as he scanned the map for an advantageous position to strike from.

Congrats BB! Here take some of these reports. It never specified which Sergeant needed to review and sign them.

Grey walked quietly beside the Aes Sedai in their litter. The minutes that he had waited alone before the arrival of anyone had seemed like an eternity. Every second had dragged as his nervousness grew. Once the Aes Sedai had gathered, things had moved quickly. It felt like he had barely had time to blink before the Sisters had all acknowledged each other and were on the move.

He had to give them credit for their efficiency and focus on the task at hand. They seemed to recognize immediately who was in command and where their place was. It seemed much more civilized than the way that men approached it, feeling the need to fight to establish dominance.

He glanced at the Sisters sitting in the litter. His gaze fell to the last Aes Sedai to join the group. She was a tiny little thing, but her presence was impressive. He didn’t know her, but he felt like he liked her. Like. He turned the word over in his mind. It didn’t fit perfectly with how he felt but it was close. The others also had their qualities. The Yellow was friendly. She even knew his name, which had caught him by surprise. The White was logical down to the bone. It was an attribute that he could respect even if it wasn’t always warm and friendly.

He could not see the guard on the other side of the litter, but he knew she was there. It had been a relief when she appeared. He knew the Aes Sedai were more than able to defend themselves but if it did come to trying to fight to protect them it would be difficult to guard three of them by himself. Another guard split the work in half. He didn’t know her name, but he had seen her around the yard. She carried herself well.

He was glad he had been assigned to this task. He was friendly with those he interacted with on a daily basis. Many people were set in their routines, which were different from his own, so that he had never gotten a chance to meet them. This would be a good chance to him to establish new relations within the guard and the Tower.

His eyes scanned the crowds. There was a nervous edge to several that he had never seen before in Tar Valon. The crowds did look relieved to see the Aes Sedai though. It was good to remind them that they were not alone. There was no safer place in the world than here in Tar Valon where they had the protection of the White Tower.

A skinny rat scurried into the shadows around a corner and into an alley. Its long tail was the last thing to disappear, as it flicked in the air. He could see the looks disgust on the faces of the civilians who took note of it. Weeks before nobody would have dreamed of seeing a rat in Tar Valon. They had started to appear more and more frequently. People were still not used to the site though. To be honest, he wasn’t either.

There was a commotion up ahead. Several people had gathered in a small group around someone who was talking. He avoided resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, but he kept his hand close. There was a nervous tension in the crowd that he did not like. An old woman was standing in the center of the small crowd.

“He walked right through that building I tell you.” Her voice was shaky but held conviction.

Any interest into an a CoT RP? Training? Sparring? Meeting?

What had started out as a secluded, quiet conversation had changed. The room was suddenly crowded, and the rising wave of unintelligent noise was irritating. He saw the same feeling flash across Ely’s eyes as she took notice of the room. With gentle yet decisive movements she closed the distance and planted herself on his good leg.

Is this love? The thought crossed his mind as she settled into place. Any woman that could do what she had just done without the slightest hint of effort was worthy of it. He pushed the thought away. The echoes of amused laughter filled his head. I do respect her though and burn me if everything she does isn’t perfectly done in such a way that my affection only grows.

He listened to what she said, even if he was reluctant to truly believe it. The fierceness in her eyes spoke with as much conviction as her words. The two combined were enough for him. He tried to grin. Sooner or later he’d end up disappointing her and then he would be able to tell her that he'd told her so. What this was and would be, he was in it and so was she.  

He looked into her eyes. Despite the noise around them all his senses were focused directly on her. She was so close. From where she sat, he was sure that she could feel his pulse. His right arm was wrapped around her waist. He could feel the firm curve of her body and it sent a fire through him. She looked so fierce and honest in that moment. He leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was gentle. It was tempting to pour all of his passion into the kiss and show her how much he felt. There would be time for that though. This first kiss was about more than just passion. He wanted her to know that, while there was definitely that side of things, it was far from all he wanted with her.

“Ely, I believe you. I want you too. I don’t know enough words to find the words that can express how strongly I do, but I do. I know it with full certainty and no hesitation.”

Suddenly behind them there was a crash and a commotion. Arinth turned to glance over his shoulder. His body protested, pain flaring up, and he grimaced. He saw a group of cavalry picking up one of their comrades who had fallen to the floor. An empty mug of ale was broken at his side.

Arinth almost dismissed the scene altogether. Cavalry were not known to have good balance even when they weren’t drinking, and everyone knew they held their alcohol as well as a sieve. It wasn’t unusual to see them collapsing to the floor. One of the man’s friends groaned though and fell to his knees, his face twisted in a combination of pain and confusion.

Arinth glanced at Ely and saw her face go through a range of expressions as she processed the scene unfolding. Alarm bells were going off in his head. Something did not feel right. This felt like more than normal cavalry incompetence.

@Taymist ?

@Liitha Too early to ask what the verdict is? Lol j/k

The men and women were not happy about having to conceal their armor. Many felt that in concealing themselves they were hiding the Light and that was a dangerous thing, a bad thing, a thing that Children of the Light did not do. He had their lives to consider though. The sun was not destroyed at night. It was there waiting to rise with each morning. That didn’t keep them from throwing dark looks his way when they thought he did not notice though. It was something he would have to suffer through.

They were also not happy with how slowly they moved. They knew where they were going, and they could cover the ground three times as quickly as they were now. Fellow children could die with each moment they tarried. Corik was aware of this, painfully aware. He had to fight his own instincts not to dash ahead. They did not know what they were dealing with.

He kept a stern face. He couldn’t keep them in line with the threat of his physical presence. He had to inspire loyalty and confidence with his intelligence, dedication and fierceness. He had plenty of that to go around. They would settle in. He couldn’t let them think there was any doubt otherwise.

“Sir.” The scout said as he fell in at his side, returning from off ahead. “I found the scene of a scuffle. The tone of his voice was grim. Corik shot him a glance, trying to read his face. It gave away little. Corik respected that about him.

“What did you find?” Corik asked.

“We are almost there, sir.” The scout said. “I will show you.”

Corik ground his teeth. “I would hear it now soldier and have my eyes confirm.

The scout nodded as if Corik’s reaction was the one he had expected. “It appears they spotted their foe on the field and charged up the mountain towards them. It was a steep hill and the charge was started from a fair distance. I believe their horses tired by the time they reached the point of conflict. Men fell on both sides, but our soldiers were quickly overwhelmed.

Corik let out a sigh. It wasn’t far from how he had imagined how it happened himself.

“From what you saw, do you believe that there are any survivors?” Corik asked, stealing himself against the worst.

“I do.” The scout answered confidently. He pointed up ahead. “This is where the charge started.”

The other Children were also spotting signs of the charge and several looked ready to spur their own horses forward. Corik gathered them to him, recognizing the importance of their caution now, more than ever.

He gave each man and woman a hard look before he spoke. “When we came out on this mission, we were aware that the patrol we were searching for ran into trouble. We didn’t know what or how bad the trouble was, but we knew it none the less. Up ahead we will find scenes of that trouble, but we must keep ours heads on our shoulders and not let our hearts or our anger get the best of ourselves. I believe there are Children of that patrol still alive and I will not tolerate any one of you jeopardizing their recovery. Is that understood?”

The footsteps Grey had heard belong to an Aes Sedai. He felt a mixture of relief and renewed anxiety. He was glad of course that he had not been late. It would have been bad to have missed the meeting time. Especially when it appeared that there were not any other guards coming along. He had assumed he would be one of a handful, but it appeared he was wrong.

Just as he was relieved that he had not made a mistake, he felt the nervousness of being in front of an Aes Sedai with her attention focused squarely on him. His eyes widened in surprise when she said his name. He did not know that anyone really knew who he was. She was Aes Sedai though. Whatever she wanted to know and be aware of she was capable of. They could have meet in passing previously or it the trainer that had advised him of the trip could have simply told her who to expect.

“Has anyone else arrived yet?”

Grey looked around. He was the only one standing in front of her. It seemed like a fairly obvious answer. He tried to choose his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to sound rude or disrespectful to the Aes Sedai. Her smile had been warm and friendly.

“Your presence is the first I have been graced with since I arrived.”

Another Aes Sedai appeared and Grey’s nervousness increased. He would have to learn how to be better around them. He couldn’t be giving himself a heart attack every time he met or had to interact with one if he was going to be a tower guard and live within the tower. The new Aes Sedai was dressed elegantly in white and cast a very impressive figure. She also had a fine attention to detail. As she looked at the first Aes Sedai she seemed to gather and process all the data that she needed, including the fact that he was a trainee.” He hadn’t planned on being forthcoming with that bit of information, but it was also not something he could deny either.

The Aes Sedai moved on from her question before he had a chance to speak though. She knew the answer and no amount of talking was going to change it. He was relieved because he wasn’t sure if his answers would be as good as those she came up with on her own. Her answers sounded good at least. She turned her attention to the other Aes Sedai and explained what it was that they would be doing.

Grey kept his place beside them. He was there to help. He would be attentive and ready to act any moment. He was hesitant to do too much beyond that though. These women were very capable, and he could unintentionally cause interference or a distraction when trying to help. He waited quietly at their side, ready when they were to begin the investigation.

 "Do you need to rest? I can see those ribs are bothering you so don't even deny it."

Her words brought him back to reality from watching her stretch. Burn him if she didn’t have impressive legs. They looked amazing. How was anyone supposed to think? Think about what needed to be thought about that was. It was easy to think about how much he would enjoy running his fingers up and down her calves, the back of her knees, her smooth thighs. Intelligent conversation, that is what was hard to focus on. He corrected himself, not hard, difficult. Difficult was the better word to use, even in his own thoughts.

“Don’t even deny it.”  Her words repeated in his head. It was the main reason he was drawn to her. He couldn’t help but be honest with her. She knew what he was thinking. He couldn’t pretend with her. He couldn’t make a joke and feign ignorance and get away with it like he did with the majority of other people. Most importantly, he didn’t want to pretend. That same honesty that she brought out in him she also had in herself. He was drawn to it.

There was also a hardness to her. Her trust and respect were earned and not lightly. Even in the midst of a crowd she somehow still kept herself apart but without being rude or cold. It was something he did himself, but not as effectively. With other people he was often alone, even in their company. But with her he realized he wasn’t, and he didn’t want to be. He was present, and she was present, and they were both acutely aware of the other.

He tried to shake of his thoughts, glad he didn’t have to explain them. He could barely put them together for himself in a way that made sense. The point was that he was different, and she was different. She was different from anyone else he’d met and what he saw in her resonated within himself. The fingertips of her spirit had touched his and fireworks, lightening, and explosions had erupted inside.

If he tried to explain it to anyone else, they would have laughed and called him crazy. He had only just met her. He had spent more time with her, watching her rest and recover from her wounds than awake and conscious of him. It was possible, some might even say probable, that he had built her up in his mind, projecting what he wanted to see in her. He didn’t think that was true though. What he did know is that when she was there, he wasn’t alone. She was aware of him, just as he was aware of her.  

He pushed his plate away and leaned back. Looking at his plate he thought back on how she had taken it and cut the food into pieces. He had meant it as a joke when he said that he might need help. She had taken the plate without complaint though, efficiently and precisely cutting it into small pieces and then yet even smaller pieces. It had been slightly embarrassing. He was not used to others helping him. He could have managed himself, but he also didn’t want to appear like a pig, chewing huge chunks of food while she watched him. He could just imagine how she would see him, frothing at the mouth as he shoved more and more food in, half falling back out. He would take his embarrassment if it meant avoiding that kind of scene and experience.

He realized that he had gotten lost in thought and had not answered her question. “My ribs protest but they know their place. They will be fine. As for rest, I have little use for that. I avoid it when I can.” There was no point mentioning the vivid dreams that often visited him. Dreams that woke him up disoriented with a start or a cry, a pounding heart and a cold sweat. Men and women he had fought with against the Aiel. Friends in Tanchico that had fallen. The tinker woman he could have saved if he had not hesitated. Now trollocs also appeared. He felt little guilt or remorse for those he had killed but those he had failed to save were frequent visitors with hard questions he could not answer. Why had he let them die? Why hadn’t he saved them?

Janya brought their drinks. Arinth looked at his with relief and picked it up. Sometimes all it took was one wayward thought like he had of his dreams to get swept away into the deep currents of darker places. He took a gulp of the drink. It was strong and provided a comforting numbing burn as it went down. “I am reluctant to ask if you are tired.” He said. “You must be, with this being your first time out of bed after your injury. I should tell you to rest but I don’t want to lose your company so quickly. That is selfish of me, but I cannot help it.”

He took another drink and looked down. He was talking too much. He was bound to say something stupid if he hadn’t already. Relationships were like a dance and Arinth had never been a good dancer. You either appeared too eager and desperate or too cold and aloof. He had heard some people talk about how they got others to be interested in them by pretending to be too busy for them or not interested. Irritation flared up in Arinth. He wasn’t about to play those childish games.

As Ely reached her hand forward, he took it and held it, not realizing until it was too late that she had been reaching for her drink. He chuckled as he held her hand, unsure of whether it was worse to keep holding it or to let go so soon after taking hold of it. “I am sorry. I have a well developed talent for making a mess of things it seems.”

Arinth was a mix of emotions, physical pain and hunger. The chair had proven more uncomfortable than he had anticipated. He found it an irritating distraction as he focused on Ely’s words. There was no denying the way he felt about this woman. He had felt an undefined connection with her the moment he had met her and each interaction since then had only confirmed and strengthened that feeling. He knew her more than there was any reasonable, logical explanation for him to.

He had taken the jump. Now that he had found her, he had to let her know. And so, he had spoken, he put himself out there. He had never dreamed or dared to hope, that she could feel anything remotely similar. Here she was though and what she was saying sounded just like it. She felt something close to what he himself felt. He couldn’t imagine that it could be stronger than his own feelings, but it felt and sounded strong. Unless of course he was making up the whole thing in his head, taking the words that she said, erasing them from his memory and filling in words of his own desire in their place. That seemed just as plausible.

Or could it even be a dream? Here she was, beautiful as the sun over the horizon. Beautiful as a flower in bloom, strong and independent, with thorns and all. Beautiful as an empty mug of ale being refilled. If it was a dream, could he kiss her? Would she melt under the desire expressed by his hands and his lips? He could clear off the table with one sweep of his hand and find out.

A few words of the conversation behind him reached his ears and he realized that the stupidity of the conversation made it impossible for him to be within a dream. This was real. He would have to wait on sweeping clear the table. He felt her hand though and he squeezed it gently. He still could not believe his luck that she would take his hand, scarred and calloused as it was and hold it her own. People did not often talk about the beauty of one’s hands, but he found it there in hers. Her fingers were long, soft and yet strong and confident. There was no tremble in her hand like there was in his as he held her.

He looked into her eyes. Her anchor. Before she had explained it, he wasn’t sure what she had meant. Was he a heavy burden that would drown her? He had breathed a sigh of relief when she had explained. What she said made a lot more sense and it was much nicer to hear. He did not flinch away from the thought of being her anchor.

There were those who might know him in passing that assumed he was afraid of commitment but that was not true and have never been the case. He was not afraid of commitment, he just had never found anyone to commit to. He could be her anchor though. He wanted to be her anchor. Her words and her voice told him there were layers of pain that she carried and did not often share with others. This was not something she said lightly.

"You came to see me, didn't you? I thought you were surely visiting everyone, but... you only came to see me?" 

Arinth lifted her hand and kissed it. “Only you.” He said softly. “Since I have met you, I find that no matter where my gaze falls, I only see you.” He had not fully realized it until he said the words, but he did not flinch away from them either. They sounded right.

The server came back with their food and laid it in front of them. After a moment of hesitation their hands broke away. With his right arm broken he could not hold her hand and eat at the same time. He picked up the fork awkwardly with his left and looked at her. “I might need some help.” He said with a laugh as he realized how challenging it was going to be to try and eat the food in front of him.  

Grey frowned nervously. Was he at the right spot? His orders, as he had understood them, were to meet here at this time. There were supposed to be other guards, Aes Sedia and possibly even warders that would go out together to investigate things going on within the city.

 He was the only one here though. Had he been too early? Did he just need to wait longer for the others to appear? Ever moment felt like an hour painfully stretched out. He was definitely starting to feel anxious. Had he been late and the left without him, not knowing to wait for him or carrying whether he joined them or not?

He paced the grounds. His hands moving restlessly, between swinging at his sides and locked together behind his back. How did Warders and Aes Sedai manage always be so composed with the chaos and disorder around them. It was something that he would have to learn because he was not close to mastering it, he realized. His hands fidgeted as they checked his belt and sword and equipment making sure everything was in order again.

What was he supposed to do if nobody showed up or he had missed them? He did not fully know what the purpose of the trip was to begin with. How could he see it through by himself? There were whispers that the end of the world was at hand. The Dragon walked the world, and the armies of the dark one were being gathered in the north. The weather was hot and oppressive. The food spoiled before there was any reason for it to and now there had started to be a large number of rumors about ghosts. Those transparent and those that looked as real anyone else you might meet on the street. It was a scary time to be alive.

Grey heard footsteps. He turned towards them. Was it someone that was supposed to meet him or just merely someone else passing by?

It was clear from the expression on the tinker’s face that the bark of the dogs was a warning that things were not right. For a moment Arinth wondered if one of his soldiers had upset the dogs or started trouble. If so, he would need to address it quickly before it disturbed the peace. The tinkers had been very welcoming to the to the wounded and weary soldiers.

Everyone that he had seen was getting along. These tinkers were like a salve to their wounds.

Before he could investigate Arkin dropped out of the trees and drew his blade. The look in his eyes told Arinth that this was not a minor disturbance or altercation among the camps but something else entirely. Arkin held out his hand to Arinth.

“This does not have to be your way.” The tinker said. There was a sadness in voice that he knew even as he said the words that Arinth had already made his decision. Arinth hadn’t though and the words echoed in his head. He hesitated. His mind racing in a million directions. These were all new thoughts and conflicts. He had not had time to resolve them and now he was faced with having to make a decision.

A woman’s scream reached his ears from the opposite side of the camp. He grabbed Arkin’s hand and the scout pulled him to his feet. His hand gripping his sword tightly he dashed forward with a grim and heavy heart. There was only one decision.

Bandits appeared from the trees. Tattered and worn, they looked like desperate men. It made them all the more dangerous. A tall lean man emerged from behind a tree and thrust a spear towards him, he knocked it aside with a backswing of his sword and closed the distance. His sword cut through the man’s side and he collapsed in towards the wound. Arinth followed with a thrust to the man’s chest. The bandit died as he fell backwards, a look of disbelief on his face as life left his eyes.

The bandits wavered when they encountered the line of the hard soldiers in front of them who had recovered from their initial surprise. Men fell on both sides from the initial clash. Some of the banders had been taken by surprise and some had taken too much to drink and had been unable to defend themselves. Arinth looked in horror at the half dozen bodies that had fallen by the time he had reached them. He staggered half a step.

As he continued to take in the scene in front of him his eyes found the bodies of the tinkers that had been wounded and slain. A woman lay face down at the edge of the camp, a fallen basket of spilled herbs just beyond her outstretched hand.

He stumbled closer, his eyes locked on her and oblivious to the fighting around him. He had hesitated. If he had responded the moment he had heard the barks, as he should have, he might have saved her. If he had responded when Arkin had appeared, he might have saved her. He dropped to a knee beside her and reached out his hand to turn her over, hoping against hope that she might still be able to be saved.

A tiny squeal emerged from under the woman’s squirts and a tiny figure shrank back from him. A small child had been hiding. He saw the small girl now. Her tear-filled eyes wide as they stared at him. She was a small thing with wild blonde hair that was at present a tangled mess.

“Easy child.” Arinth said softly. “I mean you no harm. Let me take you back to the safety of the wagons.”

The child shrank back, fearful. He was not a tinker. She did not know him. Before he could convince her to take his hand a huge hulking bandit appeared with a bloody ax. Arinth locked eyes on him and the man grinned savagely.

Arinth rose to his feet, raising his sword grimly. Anger was beating from his heart and he began to feel it spread throughout his body. This man would know his anger. He matched the man’s grin with a savage one of his own.

“Stay out of the way.” He told the child. Hoping the bandit had not noticed her yet.

With a roar he ran forward, covering the distance between them. The ax came down heavily and more quickly than Arinth thought possible. He deflected it but the blow was enough to stagger him. He swung his sword around, and the ax was there to deflect it. The giant paw of the bandit reached out and grabbed hold of Arinth’s shirt. The two grappled, their weapons getting tangled and lost in the struggle. Arinth was big but this man was bigger.

They fell to the ground, desperately struggling and trading punches and pokes, eye gouges and head butts. Arinth struggled to get on top, his weight planted squarely on the man’s chest. A heavy blow stunned the man temporarily. Two more followed it and the man’s eyes clouded over, dazed. With no weapon within reach, Arinth locked his hands around the man’s thick neck and squeezed. The man’s eyes buldged and his legs kicked. He tried to buck Arinth off, but he held firm. He hit at Arinth’s arms but could not break his grip. The man’s struggles began to slow and weaken. Arinth squeezed harder and felt the life leave the bandit.

When it was over, Arinth rose weakly to his feet and recovered his sword. “Child.” He said breathlessly. The child shied away from him after what she had just witnessed. Somewhere deep inside, the look hurt him, but he could not afford to let it weaken him now. He scooped the child up and held her close. He felt the strength drain out of him as he took a step forward. His side felt wet. He looked down to find a knife planted there. He had not noticed it in the desperate struggle, but he felt it now. His knees buckled. He willed his strength back into them and pushed forward. He heard the banders around him fighting and he saw the tinkers gathered around the wagons. If nothing else at least they might be willing to shield the girl. He just had to get her there.

This must be some kind of magic fruit Arinth thought as the supply never seemed to end despite the vast amounts that had been smashed. He had thought the fun would be over when the kitchen helper showed up but Arkin's antics had distracted her and Arinth couldn't help himself from taking advantage of the opportunity. Arkin was usually a slippery guy that it was tough to get the best of. This was a fun opportunity to get a chance to tag him once or twice without causing any real harm or hard feelings.

Arkin was good though. He used used his knives very skillfully to deflect the fruit. At one point he even tossed one of his knives to stop a fruit dead when he was beginning to get overwhelmed with the volume hefted at him. Arinth was glade his aim was true, otherwise he might have been the one catching the blade of Arkin's knife.

Their breath and willingness to continue seemed to slow before the amounts of fruit were extinguished. At some point the kitchen helper had disappeared, shaking her head and muttering as she left. Clearly she had recognized the futility of the situation and did not have the luxury of tarrying longer when there was work that needed to be done.

Arinth stumbled over to his friend and offered out a hand to help him up. As they locked eyes Arinth realized there was a devious twinkle in Arkin's eyes. Alarm bells went off but he could not disengage and retreat fast enough. Arkin had a firm grip on his hand and from his other a fruit appeared. Arinth squeezed his eyes shut.

OCC I think you only one more post for this to be able to count towards your weapon score BB

Thank you. I thought so. That was when my CoTL character was most active but its been so long I wasn't positive.

9 hours ago, Liitha said:

Will see do not intend to pick them up as steady chars,  but RP is low on people so can use them to help flesh out activety in the groups lacking if thats ok with the people on top, has one in almost every group as is. @Taymist so will go read, for this its posible Owial or Sabelle who are plausable.

 

One is just minor CotL and the other a a der'morat'raken

It may be the amount of tequila I have had but I do not completely follow this? Is there a CotL or Seanchan character you would like to RP with in this thread? If you are wanting to join in you are more than welcome. If it is just to flesh out activity I am ok with it being a character development thread without a big cast. If you have a character you do want to jump in with you are more than welcome to though. I'm also planning to get my next post up this weekend btw

Thank you guys for the kind words. I come here to have fun writing and I'm glad when others are able to enjoy it as well. There are soo many great stories that everyone has written I don't know where to begin but I will keep an extra eye out for future shout outs

19 hours ago, Nynaeve said:

Sure. Technically I have a wolfkin, yellow sedai, a trolloc, a CoTL and I think maybe an Aiel at some point... I think I might have killed off the aiel and trolloc but I can always add in a twist and revive them lol.... but Tay is gonna have to help me find names cause my memory isn't great lol

 

I'd really love to RP my trolloc the most if you have a character that would work with that. If not my Wolfkin or Sedai might be the safest bet as I remember their names xD

@Nynaeve If you do not mind my asking, where you one of the CoTL leaders way back in the day (like around 2006)? Your name seems very familiar and I couldn't help noticing you mention having a CoTL character.

Is there a weapon he wants to focus on? Arinth could provide a basic sword class but he doesn't really have a high enough WS to teach much beyond an introduction.

2 hours ago, The Bard Babe said:

I can't help it if we all write great stuff I wanna re-read haha

 

 

I often get caught up reading the different RPs too. There is a lot of really good stuff we've written over the years. As for training I think it would be fine to have you join in. Often times several things are going on in a training thread. I don't see how it would interfere with anything else going on.

Arinth flinched at her reaction to his touch. Either it was unwanted, or it had caused pain, neither of which he desired. He felt the burning desire to leave before he embarrassed himself any further. What was he doing? He barely knew the woman. How could he feel so strongly? His head had always kept him out of these situations before.

“Arinth”

Her voice had an unmatched quality to it. It had a way of resonating deep inside of him.

“Thank you.”

He lowered his gaze as he tried to shrug off her thank you. It hadn’t seemed like anything particularly heroic he had done. She had still been wounded. He had barely come out on top of the fight himself.

"Don't pretend it didn't matter. Tris told me what you did,"

Her voice felt like a caress. How was that even possible? He felt light-headed. She kept talking but with his heart pounding in his ears he could barely hear.

“but I'm still as weak as can be. I was lucky. And I'm off duty for the time being." 

Off duty! He certainly hoped so. She should be taking it easy while she recovered. And if she wasn’t on duty didn’t that mean that there was the chance that he could spend time with her? Possibly? He locked eyes with her and for a moment her demeanor melted, and a beautiful smile spread across her face. It felt like illuminators fireworks were exploding in his chest. Before he could recover, she had found an excuse to say good bye and stepped around him. His mouth was still hanging open from what he was about to stay. He closed it slowly and straightened. He was about to bend down and pick his heart off of the ground when he heard her speak again from behind him.

"If you have the time... would you let me stand you a meal or a drink at least? I have to eat and the company would be...welcome."    

He spun around to make sure he was the one that she was talking to. She did not need to make any gesture to thank him. He wasn’t about to argue the point though. She had invited him to join her. That was what was important. He quickly replied, hoping his comment was intelligent enough for het to understand.

They walked quietly towards the inn. He tried to think of something smart or interesting to say but was unable to think of anything that did not sound completely stupid. A silly notion came to mind of him holding her hand as they walked. Did people really do that? It seemed like it should be reasonable, but it was not something seen at the Citadel. It seemed like her hand would fit very well into his though.

He wondered if she was regretting her decision to invite him. He was normally very comfortable in the company of others. Here he was though, less engaging and entertaining than a cold puddle of mud. They found a table at the back of the room. Both struggled to take their seats. Arinth sat with a stifled groan and a muttered curse. He heard a giggle across the table and looked up to see Ely’s restraint crumble as she broke into laughter. Arinth grinned himself, his nervousness dissipating as he began to chuckle.

Once their laughter had died down the server appeared. She glanced back and forth between the two with an arched eyebrow. He ordered his usual and turned his attention back to Ely. He wasn’t one to avoid confrontation or to shy away from what he wanted to go after. There was the hang up of his rank though. He did not want her to feel compelled to entertain his advances because of his rank. He met her eyes. He couldn’t shake the feeling in his chest when he looked at her. He had to tell her and put it out there. Whatever happened would happen.

“Ely, He said. “I am not very good at small talk. I haven’t been able to get you off of my mind since I met you. I know that we just met but you are unlike anyone else that I have ever met. I would very much like the opportunity to spend more time with you and to get to know you.” He had wanted to say more but it probably would have been a bit overwhelming for him to start talking about the instant connection he had felt. He wasn’t good at this sort of thing. He had never really tried before. He hoped that he had been able to express his interest without sounding like a crazy person.

You are definitely welcome to join ?

I think some advanced training would be good for Arinth. It would be interesting with Ely though I think he would find it difficult to land any blows against her.

Lol I don't normally plan to have 20 RPs going. I think things are just overlapping where previous RPs are wrapping up at the same time new ones are starting. There will be many more parts though. ?

"The golden tree is the symbol of Tarabon, right? Let's get a tree then, maybe a burning tree, and over that, a bear, and a fox."   

Arinth laughed out loud in pleased triumph at his friend’s genius. It was the perfect suggestion. He nodded happily. “Yes, a turning tree with a bear and a fox. Exactly that.” He meant to say more but his thoughts trailed off in a thick haze.

The artist did not reply and Arinth was oblivious to his irritation. When he asked who would be first, Arkin quietly nodded his head towards Arinth.  Arinth was surprised then when the man went to work after briefly cleaning his arm. The pain brought him around sharply. He stopped himself from punching the man but just barely. Nobody had ever mentioned the pain. It wasn’t unbearable but it was surprising. Arkin watched him curiously. Arinth offered him a toothy smile. If nobody had told Arinth he surely wasn’t about to break the tradition in telling Arkin. He swallowed his grin and tried to keep from both grimacing and giggling.

He closed his eyes. Time drifted. Arkin spoke as he watched the artist work, but the words did not register with Arinth. He was suddenly tired. It had been an emotional night. Normally he did his best to keep his emotions tucked away. The work took some time. The man was committed to his craft and put as much detail into the piece as he could.

Arinth glanced over at Arkin. “I hope the long wait isn’t giving you second thoughts. Your turn will come soon enough. We are brothers already, but this will tie us closer.” He looked up and met Arkin’s gaze.