.:~Light Illuminate~:. {{Begins, Rated M}} LSUs/NPCs Accepted!

[Samchu]

Arren

I grew up with this saying: "Sometimes, things can only get worse." Well, they were definitely getting worse. Getting an eyeful of some girl's underwear is never - and I mean NEVER - the best way to introduce yourself, and finding my face in direct contact with those undies...Ok, that wasn't THAT bad. I mean, it was kinda nice in some weird twisted perverse awkward kind of way but only for a moment. One, brief, bittersweet moment. And then I remembered where I was.

I reached up to help the girl off of my face but my hands barely made it off of the ground before I was dragged by my ankle into the light. The daylight was blinding. All of my senses merge and slipped out of sync, and then there was the pain. It came from my gut, a sudden burts of agony, like taking a blow from a rock. I didn't have time to figure out what had happened. Instinct overtook me and I rolled away and into a crouch before a second blow could come.

I held up my hand to my attacker, trying to stall. My other hand was already on the hilt of my sword and I forced it to keep the blade sheathed. I was panting, the air refusing to stick in my lungs. "S...sorry..."

I felt the oncoming fist before I saw it and pushed back onto my feet just out of reach of the swing. "H-hey...I'm not looking to fight here..."

But this guy - whoever he was - he wasn't about to listen to my breathless apologies. I figured it was the girl. Had to be. No guy gets this angry unless there's a girl involved. So it had been his girl who's privates I'd been getting cosy with - unintentionally. Great...of all the possibilities.

Alright fine. If this is how it has to be. I pulled the sword from its sheath and braced. I wasn't about to attack him but I wasn't about to get the life beaten out of me either. I didn't want to fight him but if this guy wasn't going to give me a choice...well...a fight it was then.

[Crystal Tears]

Na'Wynth

Na'Wynth hadn't been back at the tower for very long, she had already been to her room, after of course, wishing her escort for the day good luck on whatever it was the warders were doing. This of course, lead her to be told, very numerous sources (all of them were people she didn't want to talk to at that particular moment in time), that this had all come to pass because Miss-Fancy-Chair herself had upped and disappeared.

And of course, the Aes Sedai are quick to blame Saril's peoples. To which Na'Wynth found this utterly ridiculous, Saril had gone on something of a rant when her people were mentioned, and seeing as she knew almost nothing of the land, somehow, Wynth doubted that her people who feared the land would even knew how to get to tower, let alone manage to kidnap the most important mage in the known world.

“Good to know the tower is controlled by high-nosed idiots...”

Despite this, Wynth found herself not caring.

Not in the least tiny bit.

So why she was stomping off towards the Mistress of Novice's chamber was beyond her, she could hear Saril protesting and the muffled, calm reply of the woman exacting punishment. When Na'Wynth neared the door and reached for the knob, there was a brief silence, broken by a yelp, something of a curse mixed with a whimper, and the same muffled speaking.

Don't. She told herself, even as she clicked the handle down and pushed the door open. Ya don't care, she's just some fish on land. Nothin' worth savin'-

“Miss De Luun,” The Mistress looked up at her, she held a belt in her hand, and a metal rod was on the desk, already bloodied. Saril was crying, clutching her hand that was beginning to swell. “May I help you?”

Awh crap. Wynth didn't visibly faltered, she clicked her tongue and moved closer. “Aye, why are you beatin' on the fish?”

Saril snorted, shakily using her fine hand to wipe tears away.

“Saril, did I not instruct you to keep your hands on the table?” The Mistress watched with slightly narrowed eyes as Saril slowly extended her arms and put the palms of her hands, firmly on the wooden desk. “She assaulted one of the other mages, that is quite the offence...” The older woman gave Na'Wynth a sly glance. “But you know that.”

Oh, bring up my own misdeeds, fine. Didn't deserve them, or well maybe that one time.. Doesn't matter.

The Mistress went for the rod, and swung downwards to crack in on the sea-girl's healthy limb. The strike however, never came, as now Na'Wynth De Luun and the Mistress of Novices were having quite the glare-fest. Wynth had moved and put herself in-between, and her fingers were coiled around the rod, holding it firmly in the air.

“Release the rod.”

“Here's a funny bit you probably ignored,” Wynth began. “All of the novices say that Saril was almost goaded into attackin', that Talia blatantly ignored every hint to shut up and leave the issue alone.” Wynth now wrenched the rod away, noting in the back of her mind that Saril was behind her, clutching her hand helplessly. “For wantin' to be a white ajah, she fails at seeing the logic behind Saril's point an' position. She would know her people better then anyone, so where ya get off tellin' me Saril was in the wrong, is beyond me.”

“Watch your tone, Miss De Luun..”

“I am not a novice.” Wynth snarled, pointing the rod at the woman accusingly. “Saril did hit Talia, not denyin' that. She deserves punishment, chores an' the like...” She trailed off and seemed to ease up a little, but the rod continued to point. “But ya broke her bloody hand, that's enough.”

“You're counsel is much appreciated,” The witch didn't want to admit Na'Wynth was right. “She'll have chores then, and since you're so fond of her, if she fails at getting them done, you'll be responsible.”

Not being able to control her temper, 'Miss De Luun' snapped. “Oh? Why don't ya just put her in my charge then, I'll just babysit the damned stirfry for my entire life.”

The Mistress smirked.

Na'Wynth bit back a curse.

“Fine, she is your responsibility, if you feel so able that you know better then I. Anything trouble she causes, is on your head.”

Aw Gods be damned, why the hell did I ever open my mouth?

“Is that to your liking?”

Wynth gritted her teeth.

No.

“Aye, that'll do fine. I s'pose.”

“Good,” she handed Wynth a neatly written list. “These are her chores, make sure they're completed. She may not channel to aid herself in this endeavours, either.”

The gypsy merely nodded, glowering before she turned and pointed to the door. Saril hurried out, sniffling as they entered the hall and began their trek back.

It was an awkward silence between them, broken only by Saril's sudden collapse onto her knees and whimpering, in the middle of the empty corridor. Na'Wynth froze in spot, and slowly turned. Watching the girl curiously before she neared, not quite sure on what to do.

“T-They wouldn't... They d-don't... B-bastards...”

Oh, maybe now she's understandin' the attitude of these witches.

Wynth tilted her head before she knelt down beside her charge, gently taking her broken hand. It was swollen, and coloured red, purple, blue and even some black.

“I-it... hurts.”

“Aye, most broken limbs do.” The woman replied, running a finger over the swollen flesh. White ribbons flowed from the finger's tip down into Saril's hand. The girl hissed in pained and tried to wretch her hand free as the bones painfully mended back together and swelling went down, but still the nasty bruises remained. “Wrap it up in bandages, when we get back to my room, alright?”

She nodded, closing the hand into a fists tentatively before regretting the action. Another sharp hiss of pain.

“Listen Fish, I don't know much about yer people, but ya sure they wouldn't kidnap Miss-Fancy-Chair?”

Saril's bloodshot eyes blinked in confusion before she understood. “The Amyrlin Seat?”

“Aye.” Wynth nodded.

“They wouldn't.” She sounded almost insulted.

“Alright, don't get bothered, I said I don't know much about your people.”

“Sorry, it's just...” The girl trailed off, she looked horribly tired.

“Mm..” The older of the two got up quickly before she hauled the other to her feet. “Let's move, get that hand mended before you decide to get into anymore fights.”

~ - + - ~

When Wynth had invited the girl into her room, it had been strictly for the bandaging. However, Saril had found Wynth's bed (which had a thick, fur cover for a quilt) extraordinarily comfy. When Na'Wynth had finished the mend, the tired, slightly beaten and frustrated girl had passed out, curling in the furrs before she commented about this being some sort of strange bear to have fur so soft.

“Not bear,” Na'Wynth noted dully, opening one of her many books on summoning. “It's Fey-fox... Not that, you would know what that was, fish...”

Volt cooed, watching the girl in fascination. He briefly looked back at Wynth, eyes sparkling in question.

“She's my charge,” the mage paused. “Now.”

Volt tilted his head, bouncing from the blanket up onto the bed's headboard.

“Mistress gave 'er to me.”

Now the bird looked baffled.

“No, not a gift.”

Blink.

“I didn't want 'er, tool. Get that through ya head.”

Volt cawed, amused by the situation.

“Oh, yer tons of help. Go get nabbed by a white-eagle or somethin'.” Wynth snorted, going back to her book. “She'll wake up eventually, then she'll get goin' on her chores.”

Volt hopped onto the desk, pecking at the list tentatively.

“No, bird. I am not helpin' 'er.”

A quiet coo.

“Piss off, I ain't helpin' 'er. You want her to finish? YOU help her.” She sat back in her chair, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling she had in this damn sheets the tower insisted they wear. Instinctively she fiddled with her ring, tilting her head at her 'charge' of sorts. She hadn't wanted that, she didn't want to be responsibility for anyone besides herself. It was just the way she was. “No gain, in helpin' 'er.”

That's when Volt looked devious, black eyes glinting in the candle light, he hoped over to his summoner, fluttering so he was perched on her hand. He stared up at her, and she stared back, before her eyes travelled to the student lying on her bed.

“Oh well...” A dark smirk spread across her lips. “That's an idea...”

Volt nodded, fading away as the spell unwound itself and disappeared.

[Asilynne]

Buania-Sedai shifted her yellow shawl on her shoulders as she looked over the others in the small room. An anti-eavesdropping ward had been placed out of necessity, even though if anyone noticed it it would be a sure sign they were discussing something of great importance. But it could not be helped, the risk of someone being curious was better than if anyone heard what they had to say.
"It feels like mutiny, yes?" the young Blue Ajah from Tarabon spoke softly, almost mirroring Buania-Sedai's thoughts. She put a hand thoughtfully up to brush her multitude of small braids away from a face which did not yet have the Aes Sedai look of agelessness. Selari-Sedai had only recently been raised from accepted, some three months past, and as a result was a bit inexperienced in the ways of Aes Sedai secrecy. But she was strong hearted, she would learn. Most Aes Sedai eventually did.
"No," Hoshito-Sedai, a Gray Sitter of the Hall spoke in a soft but strong voice, steel sheathed with silk. "We are doing what is right. She should have never been brought here, not in that way. The White Tower does not need a war with the Seafolk, even if Tar Valon itself will not be attacked. There are other ways bad relations with the Atha'an Miere can cause difficulties for us and neighboring countries."
A silence came over the room at that, as all present knew that was an understatement. Finally Tielanthi Alaka of the Red spoke up. "Yes yes, we don't need problems, especially since the Amyrlin is missing." She stood, pacing the room, her restless spirit showing through. Her imposing form lent weight to her point as she continued. "So, we have decided the girl will go back to her people, but as you realise we cant bring her back there ourselves. It cant be known this was a purposeful decision, I dont think I have to explain why." The others shifted uneasily, they werent unwilling in the least, but such matters WERE difficult.
"Of course..." a short Cairhenian White spoke. "We must make it have the appearance that she escaped, and ensure she reunite with her people before she can be reclaimed."
Alaka-Sedai nodded. "That is correct Mer-Sedai. And as for ensuring she get to her people..." She stepped forward, her intense eyes scanning the room as she gave a wry smile. "I know exactly who to send. The only one besides myself that I would trust fully could do the job..."

~~Ren Da'Shain~~
Life in the White Tower always has strings attached...

As soon as it happened, I froze, for a brief moment. The mortification, the embarrassment, something like this had never happened to me. I mean, I was sure it was merely an accident, he was just a stranger that had fallen and happened to end up under me. But those thoughts and reasonable explanations still didnt stop me from screaming as loud as I could.
The Courtyard went deadly silent as all eyes turned to our direction. It was then that we tried to escape that awkward situation, and in a moment that felt like slow motion I fell right on his face. That was it, the worst moment I could ever imagine. As shy and innocent as I was, I couldnt imagine anything more embarrassing.
And then in a blur I was lifted off the stranger and unceremoniously plopped on my butt on the ground. As I stared in shock, I saw it was Vitch, who had come out of nowhere to lift me up and then begin to stomp on the new boy. I had never seen him behave in such a way, he was so angry, and as the new boy rolled and drew his sword, I saw that Vitch's sword had found its way into his hand. They both panted and eyed each other for a long moment, me fearing bloodshed but too stunned to make a move, until a Warder stepped forward and broke up the fight. With a sinking feeling I knew they were going to be in trouble...

...but how I managed to get myself in trouble I have no idea. But here I was, in the Misstress of Novices office, keeping my head down as I avoided looking at Mirajane-Sedai. The Gray Ajah penned a letter in her neat script as I sat there, suffering and wondering what my punishment would be, and what it was for. I hadnt meant to sit on him!
Finally she spoke, though without looking up, her quill hovering over the paper unmoving. "Ren, your people are also called the Travelling Folk, are they not?"
I paused for a moment at such an odd question, until a sideways look from the Mistress shook me out of my wonder. "Um...yes Mirajane-Sedai. My band has been near many cities..but--" She waved a hand, dismissing any questions I may have had as she tapped her quill against her lips. I could see her eyes weighing me, measuring me in some way only Aes Sedai could, before continuing.
"Tell me, how would you like spending the next half-year toiling on a farm?"
I blanched, giving a small gasp I tried to stifle. Was she really threatening that punishment to me? I had heard that was the ultimate punishment, but what had I done to deserve that?! "No, no Mistress I dont want that, please what had I--"
"Very well..." I didnt think I was going to finish any of my sentences so I waited, holding my breath to see what the verdict would be. I knew deep down it was no use defending myself, I could tell already Aes Sedai had their rules and they would enforce them as they wished. I suffered in silence until what she said next startled me. "Then I shall have to punish you another way, and remember, that you have chosen this. Take this letter," she folded the parchment carefully and pressed a wax seal to it, sealed with the flame of Tar Valon. "To Cairhien. There will be a tavern called The Lady's Whisper, ask for the lady of the house. Give this only to her, and only if she offers you a meal first. Your next instructions will be there. I trust your people have been to Cairhien, or near?"
All I could do was nod. She was telling me to leave the tower? This was my punishment? "But why--"
"You are not to tell anyone else you are going, you will be ready to go tonight. The young apprentices from this morning will be accompanying you. Everyone will believe you are going to the farms for your punishment, and it must stay that way, do you understand?"
I didnt understand. I didnt understand a thing she was saying, and I certainly couldnt see why. All I knew was it was dangerous, and somehow, I had chosen this. Not sure how to feel about this situation, I nodded meekly.
The Mistress smiled, though there was little warmth in it. "Very good, dismissed."

I stood outside her door for a moment, feeling the letter in my pocket as I struggled to understand what had happened. Finally I started walking down the hall to Wynth's quarters, hoping that she at least had gotten the ring I asked for. But most of all, I didnt want to be alone.
I knew I was in the middle of something big, I just had no clue what it was. And that was very dangerous.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cliffhanger! Vitch and Arren would have gotten a similar talking to by a warder, only with even less info and no letter so keep that in mind. Things will be explained a bit later ;D And the part in red is tagging Sie and Bex!!

Also here is a world map:

[Mystic_clown]

Vitch Nyora
----------------------------

Vitch had no idea how the heck he got into this situation. Well, ok, he knew very well. He got into a fight with another apprentice and now they were being taken somewhere by one of the warders, no doubt for punishment. But what confused him was how he could actually do that. He never liked fighting, so why was he suddenly ready to curb stomp this guy over what he did?

Was it because it was her? That girl seemed to have a strange affect on him.

Before long, the warder had brought the two into a room away from the others. He then turned to the two teens, glaring at them.

"This is NOT something our tower prides on. Looking up novices skirts and fighting amongst yourselves. You're here to become the protectors of Aes Sedai, not to be brutes."

Vitch winced. He knew this punishment was going to be a lot worse than simply being forced to stand in a weaving class, and that was frightening for the feeble young man. But what the warder said next completely caught him off guard.

"That's why, as punishment, you two are being sent on a little errand of sorts."

Both teens looked up in surprise as the warder pulled out a map from a nearby shelf. He laid it down on a table. It was a map of the whole country.

"Now, the novice you embarrassed earlier is going to the town of Cairhien to make a delivery. I wont tell you the details because, frankly, you don't need to know. All you two need to know is that you'll be escorting her. You are to make sure she gets there and back safely."

Both teens were silent for a moment before Arren spoke up.

"So...you're saying...you want us to be her warders?"

The man's gaze hardened.

"Don't get any ideas. You're far from being warders. Consider this a test of sorts. Now, the two of you, go and get ready. The three of you will be leaving at sunrise, and we want you in the best condition for this."

They didn't need to be told twice. The two apprentices left quickly, now more confused than anything. They get into a fight and they get sent on a mission? Just what was going on here? Vitch continued to ponder this as he went to go and get ready for their journey tomorrow.

[Asilynne]

NPC Post- Talia Arien

Talia touched her nose gingerly as she waited outside the Mistress of Novices office. It had been Healed, but even so she could almost still feel the pain of the blow the SeaFolk girl delivered. Which was incredibly illogical for one such as her to think, but then, she also never believed she would ever get herself in trouble, especially so soon after arriving. It wasnt that she felt she had to make her family proud of her, no, she couldnt ever remember having a family. It wasnt even only for herself, she didnt have the concept of self that allowed her to do as she wished. It was just something she had to do, like the facts and figures of her bookkeeping job, she had to stay in line and stay efficient, as if she were just a number in the records.

An efficient child or no, she was still a child, and logic couldnt quell the slight nervousness she felt as she stood there. Finally, that tinker girl emerged and headed down the hall quickly. Talia's eyes perked up curiously. She was holding a letter. Possibilities ran through her head, but before she could work out any theories on the purpose of such a letter she was called inside.

She was called to explain herself, and so she did, stating that her theories were based upon the knowledge she had discovered and the behaviors she had observed. She spoke in a cool, clear voice, her logic squelching any sense of nervousness she had felt before. The mistress merely listened before waving her hand. "Whether you are right or not is not the issue. Sharing your thoughts on the matter to other novices however was not in their, or your, best interest." She stood up to smooth her skirts as she reguarded the Novice curiously. "Some may say now is not the time to be lenient with Novices or Accepted but I tend to believe that times like this are wonderful for testing and focusing our youth." This she almost muttered to herself, before turning her full attention to the novice. "Come with me. I believe I have something for you to do to keep you from baiting the other novices. Please remember though, some gifts end up feeling more like punishments in the long run."

What does she mean? Talia wondered, as she followed the Mistress out of her office at a brisk pace down the halls. For once logic couldnt keep Talia from being worried.

~~~~~~~~

Im waiting for either Bex or sie to post before I do a Ren post ;D lets get this thing back on the road! Btw Book 13 of the Wheel of time came out and Im demolishing it XD So its giving me even more ideas!!

[Crystal Tears]

Na'Wynth de Luun
Brooding's an unhealthy habit, but it has a cure: Revenge.

They told her plainly, to take Saril back to her people. Na'Wynth had found this particular request rather odd, everyone on that little perturbed council of theirs knew for a very solid fact that Na'Wynth wanted to leave. The fact that some of them even had the slightest bit of faith in her, that she would come back, amused her. Of course it had occured to her, as she walked back to her room, which was occupied by the snoozing Saril, that they were using her as a scapegoat and could care less if she returned or not.

Mark me as a traitor or some such, I bet. Na'Wynth mused, and she had been musing for hours. She had spent a good amount of time wandering around the tower, avoiding nightly 'patrols' to take one last good look at the tower. She realized, through her little quizzical look around the very large tower, that she hated this place. She hated it and every damn thing about it, right down to the floor tiles.

Of course, what she loathed even more, were the people within it.

With their little spells they want to bend the world, She smirked at the thought as she touched the cool wall as she walked. Her fingers gliding over the smooth surface. World won't bend for anyone, not even those that think kidnappin', murder, and cultural rape are the answer for everything.

For a split second the dark hall was alight with a dull green glow before a very familiar crow was on the floor. Volt looked at her, tilting his head.

“Aye, gettin' better at castin' spells without a man around.”

Volt cawed, fluttering up to her shoulder.

“Go get Saril up, she knows where ta meet. I'll do the rest.”

The bird nodded once, before taking off down the hall towards the stairs.

“Na'Wynth?”

She froze, recognizing the voice instantly. She pivoted quickly, she hadn't expected anyone to find her in this corridor, let alone the little tinkier girl from before. Wynth chewed on her tongue for a moment, she had taken her time for now, but upon summoning Volt and sending him off to go get Saril ready, she had set into motion a chain of events that were about to be very unkind to anyone in an unfortunate position.

“Aye leaf, tis me. Who'd you expect?”

“You're...” She coughed a little awkwardly. “You're not wearing your robes.”

Na'Wynth glanced down at herself, noting how she was very definitely not wearing her robes. It was one of her outfits, one that usually yes, put off the more prudish of some people. It often made women look and men look harder, but it she liked it. Her people never had much use for clothing that covered every bit of skin, it was the gods gift, and her people didn't think it was appropriate to cover more than was was needed.

“Not wearin' those damn slippers either,” the accepted crossed her arms. “Somethin' you wanted pet?”

“I was wondering, i-if you purchased the ring I-”

“Oh yeah,” Na'Wynth shoved the ring into her hands. “Now git goin', you'll be in more trouble then me if some high-strung witch catches ya.”

Ren nodded, smiling lightly before saying thank you. She hurried away, but paused when the floor beneath her feet rumbled. She looked around, bewildered, frozen in her place.

“What was that?”

“Leaf move it,” Na'Wynth ignored her question, hoping to get her away.

“But-”

There was another rumble, more powerful, that made the solid oak door beside the girl shake as the corridor echoed. The faint scent of smoke filtered into the air, and now people could be heard in the hall, awakened by the strange earthquake.

Wynth's latent conscience coiled around the woman's heart. She knew what was happening, hell she planned it. And she knew half those people who were awake had been waiting for this moment. The Aes Sedai had told her to make the escape look legitimate, and that was all the permission Wynth had needed to gain access to the restricted books and wander the darkened halls.

Those rumbles were getting closer, and it wasn't long before echoes of sudden thunderous bangs were reaching their ears.

The girl was frozen in her spot, watching as a door down the hall was blown apart, peices of wood and wall being sent careening into the opposite wall as smoke and fire escaped afterwards, heating eating at the air and what fuel it had to burn.

The full sisters would never see this coming.

Of course, Ren was someone Na'Wynth had counted on to be following the rules and being in her room. This was wholly not planned, and in a state of panic, Wynth out stretched her hand and watched as near invisible purple cords reached out for Ren. They coiled around her arm and waste, making the girl finally look away from the devastation to see what had grabbed her. The accepted wrenched her hand backwards, hand gripping the cords tightly. She tugged so hard Ren was sent careening to the ground beside her.

Just as the door the girl once stood beside erupted. The door was torn to pieces as the wall cracked and burning books from the study inside came flying out. Ren let out a cry of horror, not noticing the cords had vanished until Wynth had tugged her to her feet. The girl looked dazed, eyes glazed over in pure fear.

“Listen to me Ren,” laces of silver went from Wynth's mouth to Ren's ears. “You will go to the weeping birch in the tower courtyard, you will run there as fast as you can and stay there until I come get you. Do you understand?” Na'Wynth hadn't spoke plainly in the long time. She watched as the girl nodded nervously.

“Go, now.”

She took off, ducking as fire erupted from another doorway.

Wynth watched before she turned, and began to walk down the halls. She could hear people crying out now, in horror and in rage. No doubt the sisters were in pure terror, wondering who or what could've set this up, eventually she imagined, they would think of her. But to be fair, this was a plan that had numerous disgruntled and purely unhappy novices and accepted backing it. Maybe she had sweet-talked a few into being on her side, but the majority were doing this because this is what they wanted.

Freedom, or a fight to obtain it.

“De Luun!”

It was one of the sisters, Na'Wynth recognized her but didn't know her by name. She looked at the accepted with a frightened expression.

“What's going on?”

“Dunno,” she shrugged, but suddenly out-stretching her hand again. The same purple cords lashed out, binding the woman. “but it looks like a rebellion.”

In that split second Na'Wynth grasped the cords and sent the sister into the wall. The force of the hit knocked the aes sedai out cold on impact, before she slumped to the ground uselessly.

“Met dragon-snaps tougher than 'er.” She mused, stepping over the woman carefully before she headed for the stairs.

She had a date with the currently in power keeper.

~ ~ ~

Right so, this is all approved by Asi, the rebellion has begun. Some Novices and Accepted versus the full sisters and anyone who sides with them. You don't have to be on Wynth's side, actually it'll probably be more interesting if people weren't. Lol

Um.. yes.. TAG EVERYBODY

[ChobiChibi]

Saril
Windfinder

When Volt arrived at her room, she was not quite ready. She was pulling her dress on, the one she came to this place in. Volt simply watched curiously, waiting. Glancing around the room, she looked for anything valuable, anything she needed to take with her... But there was nothing. There never was, she didn’t belong here.

“Nobody should be confined to stone walls.” Saril told Volt, running her hand down his beak. He nudged her; she needed to hurry. She pulled on her Novice robe over the top, patting her shoulder to motion to Volt to perch there. He hesitated, she was not his master, but he’d been told to fetch her, so he should probably do what the sea-girl told him.

“The Sedai think they know all about my people.” Saril began to ramble, leaving her room and scurrying down the corridors quietly. “The way we work, the way we trade, the way we weave. Saril’s not even my real name.” She stumbled a little as she felt the first rumble. Volt hopped off her shoulder, tugging at her robes. “Alright, alright! I’ll go faster!”

She arrived at the meeting point just in time to watch the windows blow out on several of the middle floors, fire roaring out of them and scorching the walls. She felt nothing as it burned, she hadn’t been there long enough to truly loathe it. It was only when she spotted Ren running out from the building amongst the other sisters that had so far managed to get out that she realised that, actually, some people were gonna die tonight.

And that she only cared about two people in this blasted place. Na’Wynth and Ren. Even then it was only a little bit...

Ren was coming towards her, her robes a little cindered and her face dashed with soot. “Saril?!”

“What are you doing?!” Saril called, slowly walking towards her. Volt observed from the tree, frowning. “You’re not supposed to be here! I’m-”

“Na’Wynth-”

Volt perched on Saril’s shoulder, clearly interested in the safety of his master. “What about her?”

“You have Volt...” Ren blinked in confusion.

“What about Wynth?”

The little girl swallowed nervously. “She told me to meet her here.”

“Why?”

“Saril...”

“Why?!” She repeated. She glared a little, folding her arms. “Do you even know why we’re meeting here?” There was silence as Ren examined her feet, shuffling them awkwardly. “We’re escaping! And she’s late...”

Saril pulled the girl gently into the cover of the tree, watching the situation unfold. As the Sisters streamed out of the Tower, some fighting each other, some brave (or perhaps foolish) apprentices barged in, awakened by the loud roaring of flames and shrill screams of the girls, to perhaps aid them in their escape or attempt to put out the fire.

No... The Windfinder walked slowly towards the building. It must keep burning...

“Ren, did Wynth follow you?” Saril called over her shoulder.

“N-no...” She stammered quietly. “She went up, I think.”

“Why would she do that?” She turned quickly to face her, her heart beating faster in slight panic. She couldn’t escape without Wynth... “What’s at the top of the Tower?”

“Um... The Aes Sedai...” Ren paused only for a short moment, her eyes widening. “The Keeper of the Chronicles...”

Saril didn’t know what that meant, but she was sure from Ren’s expression that it surely wasn’t a good thing. She’s gonna walk up there... And... Nah, she’s not stupid enough to fight them, is she? She looked at Volt, who was staring up at the top of the Tower. Oh, Wynth...

Saril moved so fast that it startled Volt, who flapped in frustration. She grabbed Ren’s hand and ran towards the Tower, weaving the water from the river to follow them inside. She drenched the ground floor, giving them clear access up the Tower, but also a route for the others to escape.

She heard Ren call her name from behind; she was struggling to keep up. It was warm down here, Saril would have to admit, but it was nothing compared to what she expected above them. “Come on, Leaf. You’ve gotta be brave.”

“That’s what Na’Wynth calls-”

“I know, come on!”

The Windfinder used her watery weaves to help clear the path as far as she could, until the number of girls trying to go down the stairs started to decrease. By now, most were probably outside, with the rest already dead or dying. She stopped suddenly, causing Ren to crash into the back of her.

“W-what are you-” She gasped, trying to get as much real air into her lungs as she could.

“Blocking our exit.” Saril pulled off her robe, laying it on the ground. Frantically, she began clicking her fingers, like she did when she was taught how to set things on fire. But it wasn’t working. She couldn’t keep the weave going long enough to reach it... “Stand close.” She ordered Ren, backing them up towards a window. She opened it, the gentle breeze that meandered in turning into a violent gust of wind, picking up the flames from their path in front of them and throwing them onto her robe. It caught the pictures on the walls to, and the door, doing exactly what she desired.

Ren tugged on her dress, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her robe. Suddenly, with a flash of green, Volt disappeared. They were only half way up, and the things they could hear from above didn’t sound promising. “We have to hurry!”

Burn baby burn, disco inferno! *jiggles*
Asi, just so you know, Saril will continue to try and clear their path with water as far as she can, but I'm guessing there's a bigger blaze further up, so her watery jets will get smaller and smaller until she can't do it anymore :3 WEE TAG~

[Asilynne]

~~Ren Da'shain~~
Led by darkness in the name of the light...

I felt strange as I left Wynth, almost as though I were compelled todo as she said, but I still had enough of my senses to know where I was going. I knew something very big and very dangerous was happening, and I knew I wouldn't have time to find my warder friend before we had to leave. So I hastily put on the ring which Wynth had bought for me and began to play my flute as I ran, channelling the proper weave into the ring, giving it the Finder enchantment that my flute also had.
Fortunately for me, the meeting spot where I was to wait for Wynth was very close to our secret spot, the spot we had initially met in the Warders courtyard. Running to it quickly and almost stumbling I caught myself against it's rough bark and shoved the small metal ring into a space between the roots where we had agreed to leave notes for each other when we last met. I would have liked to give it in person but that wasn't possible anymore. The world was changing too fast for this little Leaf.

I ran to the gate where the other half of the courtyard was, and made it through just as a blast of fire scorched the place I had been standing. Coughing, my eyes stinging from the smoke, I saw a familiar form beneath the tree Wynth indicated. "Saril!?

I blushed a bit, hoping she hadn't seen or guessed at what I had just done. But most of all I wondered, why was SHE out here? After a few quick questions I found out, to my immense shock, her and Wynth were escaping. She would no doubt be going back to her people, which felt right, after all she had been taken here against her will. And myself? I didn't really choose this either, I thought I had to because I might've hurt my people by accident if I didn't get training. But even though I'm away from my people, I still follow the Way of the Leaf. I looked at Saril briefly before she grabbed my arm and started running towards the Tower. Giving a startled yelp, my feet moved quickly to keep up with her. After all, I was a leaf and she was the wind.

We moved upwards, Saril making a path through the flames with weaves of water, but as we neared our goal it became clear she couldn't keep it up. She was strong but there was just too much, and any time now it could overtake us. Without thinking I took as deep a breath as I could, coughing hoarsely as I began to play my flute. The strange weaves braided themselves as they extended from me, twining around Sarils weaves, and suddenly my awareness seemed different. I could feel my strength in the Power being drawn and used by Saril, boosting her own, I could feel what she was doing, every weave as if I were the one using them, but totally in her control. With a gasp I realized we had formed a link, a two person circle, the type that full sisters used to draw more power.
Saril looked at me strangely for a moment before turning to our path---

Which was now blocked by a Warder in training that had seen more of me than I had wanted.

"Novices! The tower is burning we need to get out of here, come I will guide you." Arden made a move towards us, but stopped short as Saril extended her hand, palm facing him, and gave him a stern face.

"Do not interfere..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag bex and samchu! I backed it up a bit and skipped reposting some of the dialogue since bex had it covered ;D

[Mystic_clown]

Vitch was jolted awake by the sound of doors and windows being blown away, followed by the smell of smoke and yelling of people. The other apprentices were scrambling to their feet when suddenly one of the senior warders burst into the room, blade in hand.

“What’s going on?” one of the apprentices spoke up. The warder had a face telling them what they already knew.

“The tower is under attack!” he yelled out, “Grab your swords. It’s time to show them how capable you truly are. Use everything you were taught!”

The apprentices wasted no time grabbing their weapons. Some of them even seemed eager to taste true battle after training for so long. Vitch, naturally, was not one of them. Having as little skill as he did, he was in no way prepared to take on whoever was attacking the tower. Still, he had no choice. He grabbed his sword and reluctantly followed the rest of the apprentices.

Needless to say, the scrawny apprentice was shocked to find that the people attacking the tower…were the sisters themselves. Sister fighting sister, each weaving and throwing fire and other magical effects back and forth. The apprentices were a bit surprised to find they were forced to fight the people they were trained to protect. However, that surprise quickly faded when the rebel’s attacks turned on them, and desire to fight overtook them.

Overtook all but Vitch that is. Vitch could only watch in shock as both sister and apprentice attacked and fell, either from sword, from weave, or from the fire consuming the place. This was what real war was like? It was a complete slaughter. Vitch wasn’t a fighter. He was barely even a farmer. And now here he was, to fight, to die, for this place? A place he didn’t even like?

Then she flashed in his mind. Ren, the young novice that Vitch had found himself running into more and more. Her kind personality, her gentle voice. Was she trapped in this fire? Was she in danger? Or was she amongst the people they were expected to kill?

No…he couldn’t!

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry!” Vitch cried out as his sword fell to the ground with a clutter. Without even looking back at the fighting, Vitch turned and made a mad dash in the opposite direction. He didn’t know where he was going, but he didn’t care. He wanted out. Out of this fire, out of this tower, out of everything! Tears stung his eyes, but all Vitch could do was run. The flames licked at his skin before he felt the cold rush of air as he burst out of the flames.

Vitch opened his eyes, seeing that he had blindly run outside. He could still hear the battle raging inside the tower, and that was more than enough reason to keep running. The scrawny man dashed into the surrounding forest, before his tired body finally gave out, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. His body now sapped of strength, Vitch began to slowly push himself up when he noticed something shine out of the corner of his eye.

There was something tucked in the roots of the tree. A second glance revealed a ring of sorts. Why would a ring be here? Despite being frightened out of his mind, Vitch slowly reached out to pluck the ring from the tree. It was just a simple silver ring. Nothing more. The tired, scared apprentice looked up, his eyes widening as he looked at the tree. It was the same tree from before, where he met Ren. More images of the kind, gentle novice flashed in his mind. She was still in there. She was still in that burning inferno...and he simply ran!

Filled with shame, and too tired to keep running, Vitch clutched the ring tightly and curled up against the tree. He sobbed as tears of shame ran down his face, and the white tower burned behind him.

----------------------------------------

TAG to anyone interested.

[Samchu]

Arren
~~~~

There was a part of me that wanted to argue; that wanted to stand up in that office and shout until he understood that it had all been an accident. It wasn’t like I’d meant to look up that novice’s skirt. And now I was going to get kicked out because of one silly little set of errors? It was unfair. After everything I’d done to get here, the years of slaving and dreaming, for it to end after one day? But what could I do? I had known long before coming here that the most important lesson is to accept the decision of those above you with honour and dignity, so if they were determined to be rid of me, the least I would do is leave with my head held high.

"This is not something our tower prides on. Looking up novices’ skirts and fighting amongst yourselves. You're here to become the protectors of Aes Sedai, not to be brutes.”

I sucked in a breath and held it. Here we go…

“That's why, as punishment, you two are being sent on a little errand of sorts."

I just stared at him. An…errand? Errand didn’t mean getting kicked out. Errand meant…I was staying. I’m actually staying! I didn’t care what he said next. I’d take anything, do any job no matter how difficult or humiliating.

The Warder stood and laid out a map of the country on the desk. "Now, the novice you embarrassed earlier is going to the town of Cairhien to make a delivery. I won’t tell you the details because, frankly, you don't need to know. All you two need to know is that you'll be escorting her. You are to make sure she gets there and back safely."

It took a few moments to figure out what he was saying. I wasn’t even sure I’d heard him correctly. I just had to ask. "So...you're saying...you want us to be her warders?"

"Don't get any ideas. You're far from being warders. Consider this a test of sorts. Now, the two of you, go and get ready. The three of you will be leaving at sunrise, and we want you in the best condition for this."

We left without a word, confused and unnerved by the task before us. This was a punishment? I turned the words over in my mind as my feet followed the other apprentice to the rooms. Had I misheard? Was something amiss? Maybe I was dreaming. No, no this didn’t feel like dreaming. So…it was really happening? I was really on my way to becoming a Warder?

I found myself a room that I could have to myself and flopped onto the bed. There was no need to prepare, I already carried everything I owned with me. But I was uneasy. The next day I was to be reunited with the novice I had…encountered before. It wasn’t a meeting I was looking forward to. How would she react knowing that I was to accompany her on her quest? There was no way she would trust me after that initial misunderstanding and having seen the way that other apprentice had jumped to defend her, it was unlikely I would get close enough to apologise properly. So it would just be us three. Me and the two unable to trust me. It was doomed to be an unbearable journey.

I sighed. “There’s nothing else for it, is there?” I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. “I’ll have to apologise now.” I glanced over at my bag, wondering if there was anything amongst my belongings that I might use to emphasise the sincerity of my apology but it was a fruitless thought. So I merely stood, adjusted my sword, and headed back outside.

~~~

Fire. I hadn’t seen how it had started, only how quickly it spread. I had made it inside but I had been unable to find the novice I was searching for. Now my mind was fulfilled with other concerns. The sound of battle was everywhere, first just magic and then, as I began to move upwards, the sound of steel joined it.

“What’s going on?” I managed to edge towards a window and peer outside at the fighting. I didn’t understand what I saw. These were our people. There was no external threat, no foreign enemy. They were brother against brother, sister against sister. It was civil war and even though I was standing in the middle of it, I had no idea how it started. “I don’t even know what I should be doing.”

And then the answer was given to me. A group of novices shuffled past the doorway, scared and unsure of where to go. I ran over and caught their attention and sent them back the way I had come. This is what I can do. I can get them out of this tower. I looked up towards the ceiling. No one who doesn’t want to fight has to die.

So I worked my way upwards, directing young novices away from the dangers of the flames. And into the path of war. You’re just moving them from one death to another. I shook the thoughts from my mind. No. This way they had a chance. This way they might survive.

I kept working and then, as I turned one corner, I found myself face-to-face with the very novice I had been looking for. "Novices! The tower is burning we need to get out of here, come I will guide you." I took a step towards them but the girl with her held out her hand and fixed me with a hard glare.

“Do not interfere.”

I halted just before her palm. “You need to get out of here. It’s not safe.”

“No, really, we have to get to the top of the tower.”

“What’s at the top of the tower?”

"That doesn't concern you... Now, please, move out of the way before I make you move."

“If you insist on going up…then I’m going with you.”

“Pfft, no way.”

“Why not?”

“Because what’s going on doesn’t concern an apprentice like you.”

“Look. I'm supposed to be escorting that novice Cairhien tomorrow. I can't do that if she dies in here. I'm going with you."

"Now I'm escorting her out of the tower. Thanks, bye!" She grabbed the other .novice’s hand and barged past me.

I took a step back to allow her to pass and then followed the two of them up the stairs.

The stern novice stopped and for the first time in my life I saw a weave. It curled around me and I felt my limbs start to go tight. "Look... Do anything to interfere and I'll throw you off the tower myself. Got it?"

I nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

"And don't blame me if you get hurt...” I felt the tightness around me ease.

“And one more thing! Stop scaring Leaf, I need her."

"I'm not scaring her."

“Really? She looks nervous to me.”

I looked at the other novice who stood, head down, feet shuffling against the floor.

Of course you’re scaring her. She probably thinks you’re going to try looking up her skirt again . Or worse… “I’m sorry. For everything.”

[Crystal Tears]

Na’Wynth De Luun

It was rather convenient, Na’Wynth had to admit, when Saril, Ren and Arren came bursting through the doors. There was five Aes Sedai trying to halt the woman’s progress up the tower. Two others, which had definitely failed, lay sprawled on the floor, one was dead or dying, and the other was merely unconscious. All three of the new comers went silent in shock, apparently seeing actual injuries, fatal or not, was not something they had counted on.

Saril should’ve seen this comin’. Wynth thought, barely managing to block a counter weave with a fiery buckler of a shield on her left arm.

“Novices!” One of the sedai cried, shocked to see them there. “Get to cover! Wynth has-“

“Oh shut yer trap!” Wynth snarled, a burst of wind lashing out to knock the distracted woman into an oak table that snapped in half from the impact.

Four left, and Wynth needed to save energy.

“Saril,” the accepted called, keeping her shield raised defensively. “Need yer help, since ya decided to come this far.”

Saril nodded, her shock disappearing behind determination. “Water won’t work up here though, Ren needed to help me out while we made our way up here.”

“And what’s with the boy?” He hadn’t gone unnoticed by the accepted. “I don’t care if he followed ya home, ya can’t keep ‘im.”

There was a snort of amusement from the water-lover, before a rush of wind shot up from the stairs and distracted the sisters. More spells, offensive and defensive, flew back and forth between the duo and their opposition before Wynth dared to glare at the other two who seemed to think standing there and being useless was the thing to do. Gritting her teeth she reached back and wrenched Ren forward.

“I-What?! Wynth?”

“Listen leaf, ya owe me, so now ‘ere comes the favour. Yer either gonna help us, or I’m gonna toss you back down those stairs, ya got me?” She watched the girl’s frightened expression before she rolled her eyes and hurried forward, leaving the trio there after shoving three plugged bottles into Saril’s hands. “Finish ‘em off and meet me up stairs Fish!”

Though leaving makeshift bombs in the hands of what Na’Wynth considered children wasn’t exactly her plan, she had a score to settle. She made her way up a couple more stairs before she swung the door opened, surprised to see the keeper by her lonesome. The woman looked up at her, robes slightly dirtied by ash and grit, apparently she had been closer to one of the explosions then she had liked. Wynth’s fists clenched angrily, and laces of green energy encircled her hands, the weave coming together.

“Miss De Luun…” The woman spoke, narrowing her eyes. “What sort of magic have you unleashed on the tower?”

Wynth laughed, pulling the last potion from the pouch tied onto her skirt. It glistened in the light, almost looking holy if not for the stark black liquid in the container.

“Not magic,” she laughed, confusing the keeper. “Somethin’ called science.”

Na’Wynth whipped the potion forward, and it ignited into a ball of fire and fury when it slammed into the well-weaved shield the keeper had called upon. The golden barrier rippled and wavered as the explosive force rocketed outwards, sending everything flying except for the two mages.

The window behind the sedai was covered by a dark shadow before it shattered, sending glass flying into the back of the magical woman. Wynth covered her eyes, shielding her face from the flying shrapnel before there was a strangled shriek of horror and then messy gurgling.

There, pinning the struggling, dying keeper to the floor was a griffon. It’s feathered frontal body as black as night as it’s hawk-like face shimmered like a gathering of stars. Cat-like, tuffed ears were backed and the creature’s glowing green eyes narrowed at the woman, screeching as it’s prey before it outstretched it’s wings and dropped it’s entire weight into that single limb.

There was a crunch, and the woman stopped whatever feeble movements she was attempting. Wynth wavered, her own eyes glowing the same, eerie green as the creature before she collapsed.

Glass shards had penetrated her body, as well as bits of shrapnel from the explosive potion. “Right, gotta work on that…” She groaned, forcing her body to limp over to the fallen sedai. “Witch, ya had it comin’… Wanna see them whores of sedai recover after this…” She laughed half-heartily before snatching the few precious trinkets the woman had on her, shoving them in her pouch.

“Dear G-Gods!” Ren cried, “w-what is that!?”

The griffon snorted, nudging his summoner gently.

Saril rushed to her friend, glancing nervously at the mythical beast. “Wynth?? Are you alright?”

“Oh… Don’t ask stupid questions fish… Get on the damn bird.”

“You...” The girl forced Wynth to look at her, seeing the glowing eyes. “You summoned it?”

“Volt would never leave me ta die.” The woman laughed. “Now, get yer ass on the bird.”

“You can’t leave!” Arren yelled. “You murdered all those people! Innocent people are dying!” He glared daggers at Wynth, who returned the hellish stare.

“Can’t kill those already dead.” Na’Wynth shot back, clambering up onto Volt.

Saril’s voice fluttered into Wynth’s head. “They’ll kill Ren for even being part of it… We can’t leave her here..”

“OH…” The summoner shot a look back at Saril before sighing. “Fine… Volt, you heard her, let’s go.”

The black beast rushed forward, knocking Arren clean off his feet while it’s long, feathered tail wrapped tightly around the leaf-follower. She shrieked, struggling to get free as the griffon did a 180 and streaked for the broken window. There was the sudden feeling of free-falling, to which Wynth distinctly noted Saril clinging to her tightly, and the very appropriate screaming from Ren as Volt swooped down from the tower and through the smoke. Outstretching his wings suddenly, the trio’s free-falling experience abruptly stopped, and they were, for all intensive purposes, flying.

Ren clearly wasn’t enjoying it much, neither was Saril, but Na’Wynth had never felt so free in her life.

That was, until there was a rough swing to the left as the sudden extra weight from Arren through Volt off.

“Oi!” Wynth looked over her shoulder to see the boy clinging to the monster’s rump. “Get off! Yer not hijackin’ our ride!”

Volt dived down, screeching defiantly before doing a tight barrel roll near the abandoned meeting spot.

The trainee went flying into the weeping birch, slumping to the ground before the griffon pulled up quickly, zooming narrowly over the wall and out over the water.

Freedom was theirs.

Saril’s grip loosened, and suddenly noticed Wynth’s deteriorating state. “Wynth, what happens when you run out of energy?”

“I dunno, how good are you at swimmin’?”

The wind picked up then, pushing Volt along towards the tree-lined shore.

* * *

Woo, for finally posting this. Yes um, Wynth, Saril and Ren are all heading for freedom. Wynth is you know, dying, yay..

Tag Becki and Asi.

[Mystic_clown]

Vitch Nyora
-----------------------------

Vitch didn't know how long he had sat there, huddled up and wallowing in self loathing. All he knew was that after a period, he was knocked out of his position by a form falling from the sky and crashing through the trees. He watched as the form bounced and rolled across the ground before a staunch tree stopped its progress. Slowly, unsure whether it was safe to look or not, the scrawny teen rose to his feet, his eyes glued on the form as he was finally able to see what it was. It was that apprentice from earlier. The one that saw up Ren's skirt, and the one found himself stomping on. What was his name?

"Arren..." Vitch murmured to himself. As if on cue, Arren groaned and stirred, causing Vitch to jump back. That was one nasty fall. The battered warder painfully pulled himself to his feet, trying to recollect his senses. His eyes fell on Vitch.

"You...you're that apprentice from earlier..." he muttered, before his eyes widened as he remembered what he was doing moments before, "The novices!" He spun around and looked skyward. Vitch followed his gaze, but saw nothing in the dark sky.

"Novices?" Vitch was confused. Why would novices be in the sky? Probably the same reason he fell from it. Arren quickly turned to him.

"The attack was caused by an accepted! She killed the keeper and then flew off on a gryphon with the novice we're escorting and another!"

Vitch's eyes widened. The novice they were escorting was Ren, and now she was flying off on a gryphon? Was she a part of this attack as well? Arren quickly rummaged around the area, finding his sword which had fallen not too far away from him.

"Come on, we've got to go after them!" he said, starting to walk off in the direction the gryphon flew. He stopped after a few steps, realizing that Vitch wasn't following him. He turned to see that he hadn't moved from his spot.

"Well? We can't let them get away! Let's go!"

Vitch slowly shook his head and stepped back. "I...I can't."

"Why no-" Arren stopped when it hit him. What was Vitch doing out here on his own anyway? And his red eyes suggested he was crying. Anger began to boil within him.

"You were hiding weren't you?" he said, walking towards him, "You ran and hid while the fighting was happening!"

"What did you expect me to do!?" Vitch shouted out, "Fight and get myself killed? I'm no fighter! I couldn't win a fight if my life depended on it!"

"Then you should have died!" Arren shouted, seizing Vitch by the front of his tunic, "If you called yourself any kind of warder, you'd have at least tried to fight for them!"

"I don't call myself anything!" Vitch shrieked, tears leaking from his eyes as misery and anger mixed within him, "I didn't even want to be here! I'm not like any of you! I don't know how to use a sword or defend anyone! Why the hell anyone expects me to do so is a bloody mystery!"

He was silenced by a sharp punch to the jaw, sending Vitch crumbling to the ground. Arren sneered at the scrawny apprentice before sharply turning and walking away.

"Then what good are you to anyone?" Arren spat, "If you wont help, then I'll go alone. You coward!"

Vitch didn't move from his spot on the ground as Arren walked away into the woods. His body shook as a new wave of tears escaped him. What good was he to anyone? He was weak, clumsy, so why did everyone expect him to protect someone as important as a sedai?

Because she was nice to you, wasn't she?"

Vitch's tears stopped as his mind posed this question. It was true. Ren was nice to him. While others had looked down on him, she gave him kindness. He didn't realise it at the time, but he wanted to protect her. That's why he attacked Arren earlier. That was why they chose him to help escort her.

But what could he do? They were probably far away by now.

Then he felt it. A strange, pulling sensation in his hand. He looked to see the ring he found, still clung tightly in his palm. This feeling, it seemed to be pulling him somewhere. Slowly, he slipped the ring onto his finger. The instant he did, a feeling of fear washed over him, along with a sensation he had never felt before, but brought only one word to mind.

"Ren..." she was scared. She needed help, and somehow this ring knew where she was. He knew where she was.

The weight of the situation settling on him, Vitch once again slowly rose to his feet, and his his right hand outstretched, slowly began to follow the pull of the ring.

He did not like this. He was terrified beyond belief. But there were things one just had to do.

[Samchu]

Arren
~~~~

I left Vitch, grumbling curses to myself as I went. How could a human being be so cowardly? It is one thing to flee a more powerful enemy, to choose flight in the face of certain doom, but to turn your back on those who were suffering? Was that really the apprentice who had challenged me because of a misunderstanding? True, I had seen little measure of him but I had been sure of conviction, he had shown nothing in not that in his actions. So why had he refused to act, refused to help those he was some day to protect? Even knowing that she was in there; the novice whom he clearly favoured, still he had done nothing. Even now, knowing she might be at even greater risk, he continued to do nothing.

Are they all like this? Is the world so desperate for Warders that it will take whoever it can, even the unwilling? Is this really what I've spent these years training to become?

No. I wouldn't let it come to that. I would be better than that. I would be a Warder, of old, a Warder who protected those in his care.

I broke the first line of trees and stopped to catch my breath. Everything ached. Something was probably broken but it had been so long since the last time that I couldn't remember what it was supposed to feel like. I tried to figure it out, flexing some muscles, teasting some joints, but the pain was everywhere. I couldn't tell ache from break, bruise from strain. I was a liability to myself. I didn't know my limits. If I met an attacker, how long into the battle before my lack of kmnowledge cost me my life? How could I possible rescue this novice, if the very thing I needed to save her was broken?

A twinge of common sense tried to urge me back. Somewhere back there there had to still be a healer, someone who could make sure I was ready for what lay ahead. There isn't time. If I wait here even a few minutes too long I'll never be able to find them. I remembered them clearly then, the novices I was trying to rescue, that accepted... What if they're both with her? I could be walking to my death. I shook the thoughts from my head. It didn't matter. I had been given a mission, told to help protect a novice. A Warder would die to protect one in his care, I should do no different.

A snap of twigs behind me caught my attention and I pressed back into the trunk, eager to keep the approaching unknown from spotting me. How stupid it would be, to be caught from behind before the journey even starts. I tried to figure out what was coming by the sound of its feet on the forest floor, but I was no hunter. I would have to wait, hope that it passed me unnoticed, and act accordingly.

The footsteps got closer. I held my breath. There was every chance I was too late. Every chance that whatever was following me knew where I was. I was decent fighter head-on but I had never had to test my skill in an ambush. And what if it was no swordsman who came upon me but an accepted or worse, an Aes Sedai? I didn't know how to handle myself against magic. I would be dead before I'd even taken hold of my sword.

The figure passed by me. From behind I didn't recognise him - our encounters had always been face-to-face - but I recognised him from the unsureness of his step.

"Vitch?"

He turned, a fist already formed but his arm was staright, as though he intended to use it as a means of keeping me at bay than as an actual weapon.

"Relax. I'm not going to hit you." What's with this guy. "You decided to come after all."

He frowned, more thoughtful than angry, as though unsure of trusting me. "I know where Ren is."

"Then lead the way." I didn't question his change of mind, or heart, depending on your perception. In truth I was glad of the extra body, even if it was his that I was getting. He might not be able to fight but he had the training, at a glance perhaps he could convince others that we were a formidable force enough to avoid being attacked. It was a large world and our journey's length was unknowable. I had seen little of what it had to offer and Vitch, I imagined, knew even less. We were out of our depth. We were unprepared. But, somehow, I had to believe, we were going to make it.


~~~
Tag Ben

[ChobiChibi]

Saril
Windfinder

If only keeping them airborne was as simple as she’d expected.

Of course, Volt the Griffon very much appreciated her attempts at keeping the wind beneath his wings, but although Saril was brimming with energy, his summoner wasn’t. Every time Wynth blinked, it seemed like her eyes would stay closed a little longer than before, then she’d snap back into concentration and let the cycle repeat itself.

Saril needed Ren. Desperately. If Ren could keep Wynth conscious, then Volt would stay strong, and then Saril could continue to keep the wind going in a favourable direction. However, since Ren was still wrapped up in the griffon’s tail, shrieking every time they took a sudden dip due to Wynth’s lapses in concentration, she realised that she would be no help whatsoever. Weaving the wind and water together was easy enough for the girl, but aiding someone else and doing her own weave was not a simple task.

There was only one other way to keep Wynth with it.

“Please don’t pass out.”

Although she couldn’t see it, Saril knew that Wynth rolled her eyes. “Easier said than done, Fish.”

“We’ll probably all die if you do.”

“Cheery.”

“I don’t want to die, Wynth.” Saril got a faint, mumbled reply that she really couldn’t hear. “Not yet...”

The summoner’s head lulled forward, sending them all lurching towards the ground for a moment, before they levelled out again as she sat up as straight as she could. “I said, we ain’t gonna die.”

“Good.”

So, conversation wasn’t working too well, then...

Saril withheld a sigh, glancing over her shoulder and beholding a most glorious sight. The giant moon faintly illuminated the tree tops, the beach and then the sea. The sea! The dark navy sea, highlighted by glimmers of the moon’s silver light. It felt like an age since she’d last seen it, so she made the most of it, staring longingly.

But it wasn't the sea, she realized. It was just the river, the one she remembered crossing on the way into the tower. It was still a beautiful sight, but not the one she wanted. For a little while longer, she pretended it was.

“S-saril?” She barely heard Ren’s little whimper. “Na’Wynth d-doesn’t look too g-GOOOD!”

Ren screamed as they lurched down again, but they didn’t stabilize this time. Wynth had slumped forwards, finally forced into unconsciousness. It was when Volt started disappearing from beneath them that Saril realized she’d stopped weaving in her absentmindedness a little while ago.

Volt’s head disappeared, sending Wynth tumbling towards the ground. Saril made a vain attempt to scramble back, but it didn’t help. She fell too, followed shortly by Ren. She managed to see Wynth hit the first of the branches, hearing a rather loud crack before she hit them too, the branches showing no mercy.

She didn’t even remember hitting the ground. She had no idea where she was when her eyes finally tried to open again. All she could see was a pair of feet shuffling in her eye line and all she knew was that her body ached like hell.

She wriggled her toes and fingers to make sure they were still functioning. It was a start, at least. She noticed that the shuffling feet stopped abruptly as she rolled over onto her back. Ren stared back at her, her eyes wide as though she’d been caught doing something naughty. Her eyes darted away, her fists clenched momentarily before she made a run for it.

“Leaf!” Saril tried to scramble to her feet to give chase, but her ankle protested and sent her crashing back to the floor. She reached out a hand, weaving a windy rope that lashed out and tied itself around her friend’s wrist, making her come to an abrupt halt.

“I don’t want to stay!” Ren was clearly on the verge of tears, wriggling and writhing against the invisible rope. “Ever since you arrived, bad stuff has happened!”

“I didn’t mean-”

“W-why did you kill them? Why couldn’t y-you just stay? D-did you have to escape?”

“I want to go home!” Saril got to her knees slowly. “Don’t tell me you don’t too?”

Ren hesitated. “Why did you have to take me with you?”

“You think after being at the scene of the crime that you would be safe? Who’s to stay you didn’t do it?”

“I didn’t-”

“They’d need someone to blame.”

Leaf went to reply, but was interrupted by a groaning noise. Fuck! Wynth! Saril scanned the floor until she caught sight of her friend and crawled towards her. She was trying to move, or get up, or something, but either way failing in her efforts. She was mumbling something incoherently, wincing every time she dared to move a limb. She was broken, and the windfinder had no idea how to fix her.

“Ren!” Saril called, but she was right beside her, hovering.

“Fiiiiiiiiiiiiish!”

Clumsy hands grabbed her dress and pulled her downward. Saril had more strength, which was quite lucky, otherwise she could have been impaled by glass already sticking out of Wynth’s stomach if she hadn’t fought back and remained upright.

“Fish, there’s somethin’ very large pokin’ into me and it’s not the good kinda pokin’.” Wynth babbled, trying again to sit up.

“No no, stay still.” Gently, Saril lifted her head onto her lap. The very out-of-it Wynth responded by trying to lift up her dress. “Wynth!”

“I wanna see!”

Saril felt her cheeks warm as Ren looked wary. “Please help me.”

Reluctantly, Ren crouched down beside her. “I-I don’t know how to heal big wounds like that...”

“There’s a load of little bits too... We should get them out first, you can heal her as much as you can and we’ll bandage her up after.”

“We have no bandage...”

“We can rip up your robe.” Ren looked horrified at such a suggestion. “Just enough to bandage her! I’m not gonna make you wander around naked.”

“You should... Wander around... Naked... Fish.”

“Funnily enough, in my culture, it’s not customary to wear clothes. I have no problem with being naked.”

Wynth frowned, then hissed in pain as the pair began to pull little pieces of stone and glass from her body. “Then why aren’t you naked?”

Saril looked across at Ren, who seemed to be lightening up a little from the small smile she was trying to hold back, and rolled her eyes. “Just keep still, would you?”

This was all well and good, except with every bit of shrapnel they took out, the more blood Wynth would lose. It was everywhere now. Ren and Wynth looked just as pale as each other and it was hard to see where any more little bits were.

Except for the big bit that they’d left til last.

“Alright, Ren, c’mere.” The girl obeyed, not looking too pleased as the fish girl ripped her robe at the elbow on both sleeves, then the bottom of her robe to just below her knees.

“W-we need that much?”

“We’ll get you some new clothes later. Something more comfortable.” Saril ripped up the bigger piece into one long piece. “Ready? I’ll pull it out, use one of the sleeve pieces to slow the bleeding, we’ll switch places and you can heal her.” Leaf nodded. “Go!”

“OH sweet maker!” Wynth cried out as the glass began to emerge from her. “Ffffffu-”

“Keep still...” Ren could have been authoritative if she hadn’t said it in a near whisper. She held her senior’s arm down in an attempt to help.

“Get off me, tree-humper!”

“Wow, that’s the most coherent thing you’ve said in a while.” One last careful tug and the glass was free. They worked quickly to heal and bandage her, whilst she groaned and swore at them both. She seemed to fall asleep once they were done. Saril touched her cheek. “She’s freezing.”

Ren scanned the area quickly, although she already knew what she would say. “There’s nothing we can use as blankets.”

Saril shifted herself so that she was leant up against a tree, carefully taking Wynth with her and placing her so that she was leaning on her, her head resting on her shoulder. She looked so peaceful, and seemed to be warming up. Saril patted the spot beside her. “You too, Ren. Don’t want you catchin’ a cold or something.”

Apologies for the monster, couldn't help myself ^^; Blatant tag~

[Asilynne]

Current Locations:

White Tower

Approx. location of Wynth, Ren and Saril

Cairhien, where Ren must deliver her letter from Misress Mirajane

Tear, the closest port where Saril may rejoin the Sea Folk

Sarah's character will enter the RPG in Cairhein, because of flying The group of three are approx. 3 days head start from Arren and Vitch. I'll be posting decently soon, just wanted to get this up right now for everyones benefit, sorry I never posted a clearer map before!

[Asilynne]

~~Ren Da’Shain~~
When the lines of right and wrong are blurred…

Everything was happening so fast.

The Tower had been under attack, I thought I was helping…but without knowing it I found myself helplessly though at first willingly linked to one of the people that were responsible for the Tower’s destruction.
Saril wanted to go home, I could understand that. What was done to her was unfair and unright, and I knew that the White Tower had been wrong to take her and keep her against her will just because she could channel. It was good she was escaping.
But the Tower was burning, people were getting hurt and possibly dying. This wasn’t the right way. I should be looking for people to heal, but we had to find Wynth. I thought she could be hurt and we owed it to her as a friend…
Until I saw what she was doing. She was the one doing the hurting. And then she did the unthinkable—she killed the Keeper. She used the One Power and her strange handheld firemakers and killed an Aes Sedai.
A piece of me also died in that moment.

I wasn’t linked to Wynth, none of my power was aiding her in her cruel task, but I still felt like part of her blood was on my hands. My hands, which clutched my flute and were shaking madly. My hands, which uselessly did nothing as the Keeper shuddered and took her last breath. It was too much shock, it was as though every fiber of my being just shut down, and even had I been in possession of all my senses, I was not in possession of my own channeling ability at the moment. I couldn’t comprehend that the same woman who was like a safe island in the middle of the confusing storm of the White Tower, could perform such a violent act. It went against everything I believed in, and yet, a part of me still liked Wynth. I could vaguely recall that I was in denial but knowing that did nothing for how I felt.

And now as I stared at that woman who both saved and destroyed my world, I found myself at a crossroads, a choice. She was dying, bleeding out from horrible wounds, and I once again found myself frozen. She had done such horrible things, killed people and may yet kill more. Letting her die might save lives in the future.
But if I did such a thing it would be as if I killed her with my own hands. I can’t leave someone in need when it is within my power to save them. I warred with myself for what seemed like forever, until finally I knew what the right thing to do was. I knew true evil wasn’t just in the actions of the wicked, it was when the good stand by and do nothing about it. I knew that in my decision I was taking responsibility for every life she came in contact with later, and any of her sins would be mine as well for saving her. Perhaps it was a great mistake, this weakness of mine, but I couldn’t watch someone die when I have the power to heal them. Especially since my linking with Saril at the Tower had kept me from being able to save the Keeper.

So I Healed Wynth, my flute playing a sorrowful song as the cold feeling of the Power washed over her, mending flesh and bone, stanching the flow of blood even as it came rushing out of the horrible shard wound. I could feel my strength flowing out of me as I wove stronger than I ever had before. I could feel the sweat gathering on my forehead, but it felt far away, as the warmth of holding and wielding the power rushed over me.

Finally I could feel I had done everything I could. Exhausted, I released the warm glow of the power, my hands shaking as I withdrew my flute from my lips. She would live, I think. I still didn’t have that much practice at healing, especially since the first time was an accident to begin with. And her wounds were so great…one thing I knew from experience, we would both need some food, and some serious rest.
“She’s….going to be hungry. Very hungry. The healing…” I was far too tired from the night’s events and the strenuous healing to speak, and it took all my strength to keep my eyes open. Struggling to stay upright, I grabbed Saril by the arm. “We need to get to a town. We need…food…and a safe place…” We couldn’t go back to Tar Valon, not now and probably never again. My people were the Travelling People, and I knew the closest city was also the city that I was to be sent to had this horrible mess never happened. “Cairhein…”

Volt was gone, and Saril was the only one who was relatively healthy. We would have to walk to Cairhein unless we could find a ride, which would require us to find a road. But before we did any of that, we needed to rest for the night. There was no way Saril could carry both of us.

After cursing softly, Wynth fell into a deep sleep. Saril gazed at her for a moment, a half smile on her face, before patting the spot beside her. “You too, Ren. Don’t want you catchin’ a cold or something.”
The stress and weariness finally shattering any control over my body or my emotions, I curled up into a ball next to Saril, her warmth a bitter comfort after all I'd witnessed, and wept silently for the past and the future before falling into an uneasy sleep.

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

Sorry it took so long and sorry for cutting it short but I’ll give everyone else a chance to do something now ;D

[Mystic_clown]

Vitch Nyora
-----------------------------

Vitch wasn't sure how long they had been walking for. All the scrawny young man could tell was that he was putting all his concentration on the ring on his finger, and the quickly fading pulling sensation that no doubt was leading them toward Ren, and therefore the other two.

However, no amount of concentration could keep the feeling, and the rapidly increasing distance between the two eventually caused the feeling to fade. Their trail had completely run cold. Vitch stopped in his tracks the instant the feeling faded. Arren continued on a foot or two before realising that his companion had stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"It's gone..." Vitch murmured, still staring at the ring, "I can't sense them anymore."

The young apprentice warder let out a sigh of frustration. Vitch and that ring was their only lead to finding them.

"Great, guess we're walking around blind then," he muttered, "Well, you last felt them in this direction right? We'll keep walking this way then."

Arren began walking again when Vitch piped up. "But, what if they change direction or something? We'll just be walking around in the middle of nowhere."

"Well what do you suggest then?" Arren spun around, "Just stand here and do nothing!? You may be content with giving up, but I'm not!"

Vitch tried to think of some sort of response. He was never good at arguments, especially in tense situations like this. Arren gave an annoyed huff before turning to walk away. He only got a few steps when an idea came to Vitch.

"Wait, what about Cairhien?"

Arren stopped and looked back.

"What?"

"Cairhien! We were meant to travel there with them tomorrow weren't we? They could be heading there to at least finish the errand."

"Vitch..." Arren sighed, "They're running around with a murderer! What makes you think they'd do the job the people they just fought against gave them?"

"Because I know she'd do it. I know Ren would still do it. Don't ask me how I know, but I just have this feeling...you know?"

Arren remained quiet for a moment, staring straight into Vitch's eyes. There was an odd sharpness very unlike the normally weak willed man, like he knew for certain what he was talking about. Could it have something to do with the ring?

Arren sighed. "Fine, we'll head to Cairhien. But how will we get here. We don't exactly have a map or anything."

Vitch pondered for a moment before another idea popped into his head. Two good ideas in one day. Wow.

"We need to find a main road first."

----------*~*----------

"So, we just wait here for someone to come and pick us up?" Arren questioned.

"Well, we can still walk along the road, but if a cart or something comes along, it would be faster, and sure beats walking." Vitch explained.

Arren sighed for what was the twentieth time today. Sure, this was probably a very stupid idea, but what did he have to counter? Just walk around in a random direction? At least going to a town can get them supplies.

The two began to slowly walk along the road. Vitch stuck his arm out, holding his thumb skyward as he walked. Arren raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, maybe this would get people's attention, so they don't just ride passed us," Vitch shrugged. Arren just stared. Vitch looked completely stupid.

The apprentice then sighed and did the same thing.

-------------------------------------------

Beware of hitch-hiking Warders.

[Crystal Tears]

Na’Wynth de Luun

Na’Wynth woke, eyes wide, and heart racing. She hadn’t actually had a nightmare for years, having successfully bury her fears. It was strange that now, free from the stangling hold of the tower, that she would feel it now. She hadn’t had that particular nightmare since just after her accepted challenge. She groaned, not entirely sure why she was feeling as horrible as she did, though she imagined it was partly due to the rough day before and the worse night they had.

Of course, being nearly killed, could’ve had some effect on her mood.

Na’Wynth groaned, shifting her weight, her abdomen protested with a sharp pang of pain. A curse, thankfully low, nearly a mutter, escaped her lips as she blinked, clearing the sleep from her eyes as she rubbed them. The sun was breaking through the trees, it was low, and the orange-golden shine gave away it was morning.

They had slept for an entire night.

“By the gods,” Wynth muttered, shifting again, she winced at the pain and the sudden surge of hunger as she stumbled to her feet. Her balance wavered, and she found herself uncomfortably leaning against a tree. “Oi, you two, wake up.”

Saril groaned, turning over until a root dug into her leg, causing her to properly stir. Ren yawned, eyes cracking, she smiled at the dawn.

“Oh, the sun is wonderful…” The girl’s stomach audibly growled. “Oh..”

“Yes, it’s all dandy but…” Wynth pushed herself off the tree, refusing to look weak. “We need to move, now.”

“You’re hurt,” Fish protested, crossing her arms. “We need to rest, and eat.”

The woman frowned, narrowing her eyes. “Ya might be new to this runnin’ away thing, but rest ain’t somethin’ we can afford.”

“We’re fugitives…” Ren murmured, fumbling with her flute nervously. “We can never go back to the tower..”

“Consider it a blessin’ leaf,” Wynth commented, mentally grumbling about the trees around them being devoid of food. “Don’t go dwellin’ on it, we need to move.”


Moving, was something that shouldn’t have been a problem. But it was, in fact, it was such a challenge that every so often the trio would have to stop. Na’Wynth was practically dying, or she felt as much, forcing her body to keep moving until Ren was the one to insist they stopped. Wynth was trying to be strong, though she wasn;t sure if it was for herself, or to motivate the others. Every time either of them asked a question, her answers were short, not wanting to waste her breath explaining meaningless details.

She had though, taken Ren’s offer to point them in the general right direction of the nearest town. Cairhien, the closest town, and no doubt where everyone expected them to go. Wynth wouldn’t have opted for the town if she hadn’t been weak and starving, as it stood at the moment, if any mage or warder found them, Wynth would be useless, Ren couldn’t hurt someone if they tried, and Saril would be far too hot headed to focus properly.


“What are we going to do at Cairhien?” Saril questioned, breaking the silence between the trio.

“Eat, and then move.”

“W-we’re not going to rest?” Saril questioned shakily.

“No.” The accepted answered sharply, hopping over a fallen log. “We don’t got the luxury…” Na’Wynth paused, her eyes narrowing. “I think the road is up ahead, hurry up.”


They broke onto the road, and Wynth leaned back, lazily resting as her stomach grumbled again. Ren sat down at her feet, as Saril looked down the road in either directions. The sea-woman frowned, crossing her arms in obvious frustration. She glanced back at the resting, before she fully turned, arms crossed, glaring daggers at Na’Wynth.

“Which way is the sea?”

“That way.” The woman gestured. “But ya won’t make it, not by yerself.”

“What makes you so sure?”

Na’Wynth narrowed her eyes. “The fact being you had to even ask which way the damn sea is, proves a lot fish. How are ya gonna get through towns without slavers or bandits pickin’ you off?”

Saril grumbled. “I wasn’t gonna go off by myself anyways. It’s just, we should get going.”

“To Cairhien.” Ren offered, smiling.

“Yes Leaf,” Wynth nudged the girl with her foot, making her stand. “To Cairhien, now let’s move it.”

~ . ~ . ~

Tag Asi and Becki, I got us to the road. One of you can get us somewhere else. Sorry if it's shitty as well, bit dead on ideas. O.o

[Mystic_clown]

Vitch Nyora
----------------------------------

Vitch and Arrens minor quest to hitch a ride was not working out well for them. Three carrages had gone past, and all three didn't even slow. Heck, Arren was sure one of them even sped up when they saw them.

The apprentice sighed in frustration as they continued walking backwards, thumbs still held out. He let his arm drop and turned to his 'partner'.

"Ok, this isn't working. We look completely rediculous doing this!"

"Do you have a better idea?" Vitch countered.

"Yeah, anything that doesn't make us look like the most idiotic bandits ever!" Arren turned and started stomping down the road. Vitch sighed and followed.

"Knowing our luck, they probably wont even be there, and we've gone all this way for nothing," Arren muttered.

"Well, it's better than wandering around blind!" Vitch was getting fed up with Arren's sour mood, "I'm at least trying to make this easier on us."

Arren spun around, glaring daggers at him. "Well, maybe if you tried back at the tower instead of CRYING, we may not even be in this mess!" he paused for a brief moment, "What am I saying? You can barely fight to save your life. You'd probably just be dead, and I'd be a little less annoyed!"

Vitch paused and looked down at the ground in shame. Arren was right. Vitch had done nothing before, and if he had, he'd probably have been killed in the first five minutes. But he really wanted to help, and he was going to do all he can. Still, being reminded of it hurts.

"Um, are you two ok?"

Both young men stopped and turned to see an old woman standing nearby, standing near an old cart with an old man sitting up front. Where did that come from?

"Um, we're kind of-" Vitch began, but was cut off by Arren who stepped forward.

"I need a quick way to get to Cairhein," he said, his voice showing his determination, "I've got some important business there."

The old woman blinked and glanced at their swords. "Mercenaries?" Vitch blinked at the question, while Arren shook his head.

"I'm an apprentice warder from the white tower. I'm on business for them." The old woman smiled.

"Oh, well, who am I to deny help then. My husband an I are bringing some food for the market, and we could use a strapping young man as a bodyguard. We give you a lift, and you protect us from bandits. Sound good?"

Arren nodded and headed for the cart, climbing into the back. The woman than turned back to Vitch.

"You need a lift too? You look like you've been through a lot."

Vitch glanced at Arren as he climbed in. He probably didn't care if Vitch came with him or not.

But Vitch didn't care what Arren though. Vitch had his own reason for going through with this.

"Sure, thank you," he answered, heading for the cart.

-------------------------

Vitch and Arren have a ride, and are on a fast track to Cairhein. TAG to Samchu.

[ChobiChibi]

Saril
Windfinder

So after a short stop at the road side, they set off along it to Cairhien, Saril leading the way. She was only tired from the fact she’d spent the night sleeping under a tree and had done a lot of running, unlike the others, who trailed along behind her.

Well, if Wynth wanted to get going, there was no reason for her to slow down.

She didn’t understand why Weaving took so much out of them. Alright, so Wynth was injured, but Ren had only healed her... If Saril knew how to do it, like her mother did, she wouldn’t be lagging behind. Did the girls of the Tower just not practise?

She wanted to ask them, but one quick glance back at their tired faces told her now wasn’t the best time. She also decided it was a question for Ren, not Wynth. She feared her fate would look similar to that of the Tower’s if she brought it up with Wynth now.

Saril stopped when she saw a cart go past. It was small, the contents strapped down so it wouldn’t fall off, with a young man at the reigns.

“What, Fish?” Wynth asked, a few feet behind her.

“Wait here. Gonna see if I can get us a ride.”

The Windfinder sprinted off, following the cart, calling to the driver. Eventually he stopped, and Saril caught up, climbed in and sat next to him.

“Excuse me?” The young man gripped the reigns protectively, looking her up and down.

“You’re going to Cairhien, right?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“You see, me and my friends could use a ride.” She subtly adjusted her dress so that a little more leg was showing. “See, one of them is hurt.”

He gulped. “I don’t give lifts to strangers.”

“We’re not strangers!”

“What is your name?” He asked, glancing at the other two as they got closer. “And theirs?”

Saril hesitated. “Well, I’m Fish.” He snorted at her. “The short one is Leaf, and the other one is Grumpy...”

With a short, sharp shove, Saril tumbled from the cart to the dusty road. “I don’t give rides to bandits, or pros-”

“We’re not prostitutes!” Saril yelled as the horse and cart sped away. I should teach him a lesson.

The wind swirled around her wrists with her anger, only subsiding when Wynth took hold of her arm. “He ain’t worth it, Fish.”

“And we don’t want to stick out, either.” Ren joined them. “Best not to Weave where we can be seen.”

“I know...” Saril glared at the floor, shaking her arm free from Wynth and folding them across her chest. “But we’re not prostitutes...” She grumbled.

“What about that one?” Ren motioned back to where they’d come from.

Saril decided she didn’t like the look of it, but it was mostly because of the man at the reigns. Also, it confused her. This cart had a sail. A sail?! Why on earth would a cart need a sail? The only logical explanation was that it was in fact a boat on wheels, and it was heading to the sea.

Her sea.

Via Cairhien, of course. Although, she couldn’t be too sure; all the trees and forests confused her sea-sense. Either way, the pure fact that it had a sail made her more confident in this man, despite his rouge-ish appearance. She didn’t like the fact he was heavily armoured. She’d learnt that armoured folks didn’t like to be messed with. This particular man looked like many people had tried to mess with him, and had failed. Ah well, she thought, at least he can protect us from the Apprentices...

Pfft, who was she kidding? If Arren had decided to follow them, he’d be useless after that rather nasty fall he took. She could take him out on her own. Probably a couple of others too.

She only worried about the Sedai. And Wynth. If the Sedai took Wynth from her, she wouldn’t know what to do. With this sail, they could hide in the back of the cart without anyone seeing.

“I’ll persuade him.” Saril nodded confidently.

“Really? Ya sure did a good job with the last guy...” Wynth rolled her eyes.

Saril huffed, frowning. “Well, this cart has sails. I’m determined to not let it go.”

“Sails?” Ren bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

“What?!”

“It’s a wagon, Fish...”

“Wagon?”

“Like a cart, but with a cover.” Ren explained, putting her arms in a steeple shape above her head. “Stops things getting wet. Or just hides the contents.”

“Maybe I should do the talkin’.” Wynth straightened herself, hissing quietly in pain.

“I’ll do it!” Saril took off, running towards the ‘wagon’, smiling as it stopped in front of her. “Hello! Can you give us a lift to Cairhien?”

“Why?”

She stared up at him. That wasn’t exactly the response she’d expected, not after last time. “Because...” She took time to construct a good argument. “Because we got attacked earlier down the road by some nasty bandits, and now my friends are tired and injured. They need medical help and...” Saril sniffed, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m scared they won’t make it. Or we’ll get attacked again...”

“Those two?” The man nodded in the direction of the girls.

“Yeah.”

He took a long look at the pair of them. “Alright.”

“Please-” Saril stopped herself. She was expecting to have to persuade him, but no! Her charm had worked! “Thank you, sir!”

“Fenix.” He stated, watching as the others made their way to the cart.

Fenix got off, helping the three of them into the back of the wagon. She couldn’t help but notice that he often glanced at Wynth and that sometimes his gaze lingered. So she watched for Wynth’s reaction to this, but she didn’t seem to notice. Maybe he thought she was attractive? She was, yes, but he didn’t know her. He wasn’t allowed to have her. I’ll have to keep an eye on you... Saril thought as Fenix went back around to the front. You’re not wooing Wynth and taking her away from me, Mister...

Wee done. TAG.

[Samchu]

Arren
~~~~

I flinched as the cart jolted into action, straining the muscles in my side and causing something to cry out. The pain had been irritating me since we'd left the tower but I'd done my best to ignore it. It was probably just bruising, no way I was going to survive that fall without facing some consequence. It'd go away in another couple of hours.

But you know it's not going to.

I sighed and took a moment to try and let my body tell me what was wrong with it. One of the advantages of working with Cairne all those years was that you were bound to suffer the occassional injury. All that heavy metal and fire...something had to happen at some point. I'd suffered a fair few; the odd broken bone or burn here and there, nothing severe but it was the kind of experience that taught you to differentiate between pain. It was a lesson I was eager to earn. A bruised arm probably won't get you killed on the battlefield but a broken one could. Always better to know your handicap before getting into a fight. I'd had enough of those to figure that lesson out the hard way.

I focused on the pain down to its source. It felt like it was radiating from everywhere, a sort of white heat with a thousand tiny sources but there was only one, a bright spot on my right side, down by the bottom of my ribs.I touched the area tentatively with a finger. Another burst of pain. I cursed, silently. It was the rib. Either a crack or a break, I couldn't be sure but it was a problem. Once we got to Cairhein, assuming our charges were also there, there would be no time to find a healer. But I couldn't fight like this. Climbing into the cart had been harder than I wanted to admit. Lifting a sword...there would be no way I could do. There would be nothing I could do.

Then there's nothing for it. I'll have to find a healer first and hope they stay in Cairhein long enough for me to recover. Assuming they're in Cairhein at all.

The cart jolted to a stop and I cringed. If my rib wasn't broken it soon would be if our journey carried on like this.

"Looks like we'll be needing you boys after all."

It took me until that moment to realise Vitch had tagged along as well, though I realised it didn't surprise me. Useless as he was he was going to see this through to the end. Turning to look at the road ahead I saw two men standing in the road. Bandits. Typical. I scanned them from the cart. I had encountered their type before. They were large, boarish, each with visible signs of brawling on their faces. They were both easily over six feet in height and wider than Vitch and I stood side by side. Strange as it might be to admit it, I was relieved. These were the type to steal through intimidation and raw strength. They had physique to replace the need for numbers so there would be no threat of ambush. I had known hundreds of their kind back in Caemlyn and better still, they were my speciality to beat.

The only problem was going to be that rib. I needed speed to beat them and this was going to hinder me. At my best I could probably handle them both but right now I would only be able to manage the one. I'd have to find a way to split them up.

If only I had something to distract their attention.

But I did.

I can't believe I'm actually thinking this but having Vitch is actually going to be useful. Well...assuming he doesn't get killed in the first five seconds.

I slipped down from the cart and pulled the unsuspecting apprentice with me.

"What are you-?"

"You're coming Vitch. I...need you." It felt weird to say it out loud.

"But-"

"No buts." I pulled him until we were just out of earshot of the old couple in the cart. "I can't lift my sword. I did some damage in that fall and I can't fight. I can use my left hand, I can fake it enough to get one of these guys but I need you to distract one of them for me."

"Well well well, what we got 'ere?" The one on our left spoke first. He cracked his knuckles, trying to be intimidating. Metal glinted as his side as he shifted.

"Listen to me Vitch. They've got knives but they won't want to use them. These guys get a kick out of hitting things."

"Looks like a couple of kids playing hero."

I gave both men a quick glance, checking for weak spots, anything that could give me or Vitch the advantage. "You see those pads on their arms and torsos? They don't look like much but they'll block a sword at close range. Chances are they've left their backs exposed. If you can't hit that, don't bother. Try and tire them out. They're big and they like to swing hard. If they miss it'll weaken them faster, make them more likely to make a mistake. Focus on that."

The battle was reaching its start. Whatever the two men had been saying I'd missed but I could feel that familiar tension in the air. I drew my sword with my left hand, mimicking what I did with my right, hoping it was enough to give even the slightest hint of confidence.

Vitch hesitated before doing the same. "I don't know if I can do this."

"If we don't beat these guys they'll keep stealing. One day they might come across Ren. Pretty girl like that, I promise they'll do more than just look up her skirt." I could sense him tense beside me and I couldn't help but grin a little. It was a cheap tactic but if it got us through this then I was happy to use it. "I'll take the one on the left. You take the one on the right."

Vitch nodded.

I braced my legs, tightening the grip on my sword. Here goes nothing.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TAG BEN!
The apprentices have themselves a fight. Sorry this took so long, as Becki can attest I have had several blue screens and forced restarts wiping my posts.

[Asilynne]

~~Ren Da’Shain~~
The Wheel Weaves in the Oddest ways…

Things were moving so fast, it was hard to believe that just a short 24 hours ago I was settled in the Tower, safe. Was I really safe back then? I idly thought to myself before shaking my head. Even if I was safe I certainly wasn’t free, I had wanted to leave the Tower, didn’t I? Not like this…. No, never like this.

There had been so much smoke, and fire, the sounds and sights of death were everywhere that night. Wynth did it, which made everything more confusing. She was good, I was sure of it, she took me and Saril under her wing and protected us…but she did such horrible things. Then she was dying, would it have been right to let her, or was saving her the right thing to do? I still didn’t know.

But I made my choice and now better or worse I would have to live with it. The hard part was I very much liked Wynth. It was hard to imagine the Accepted that taught me how to make butterflies and the monster that burned the Tower were one and the same.

These thoughts were wearying however, and we still had to get to Cairhein. That was one thing I was not going to give up. I was given a duty and I would see it out, even if it was originally a punishment. I owed it to the woman who might be dead now.

I was so dead tired I didn’t even have the energy to worry about whether I should trust the strange man giving us a lift or not. At first I attempted to stay awake, watchful and alert should he prove untrustworthy, but the gentle creak of the wagons wheels and the shaded interior quickly overtook me and I fell into a deep sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

It was dark when I awoke. As I lay there with my eyes closed shortly after waking, I could hear the crackling of the fire, and I fancied I could hear the sounds of music and voices raised up in song. The feet pounding on the earth as my people danced the pure dance of loving life. I could almost hear my father’s voice…

But with a start I remembered I was far from home, in a strangers wagon, on the run. That voice was not my father’s, he was a stranger who may or may not have the best intentions. Fenix. He had been nice enough to give us a ride…

My nose detected a familiar smell at that moment. Stew. My stomach rumbled in response and I was suddenly seized with an intense hunger. Heedless of any danger I climbed out of the wagon and made my way to the flickering campfire, my bare feet making a soft padding across the grass towards the sounds of the man’s ocarina. Saril and Wynth were already there, and as I drew nearer I heard the man laugh as he stopped playing, giving a look to Wynth. “Slow down, there’s plenty of food.”

She looked sideways at him as he offered her another bowl before snatching it from his hands and kept eating as if she never ate before. I sat down and had a bowl offered to me as well, which I tried to take with more grace, looking over at Fenix hesitantly for a moment. He didn’t seem to notice as he put the ocarina to his lips once again, eyeing Wynth with a small smirk. Something about his look stuck me odd but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“So, Wynth, you come here often?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kinda sucks >.< hope this is ok sie ;D TAG~

[Mystic_clown]

Vitch Nyora
-----------------------

Vitch's hands trembled as he clutched his sword as he stared off at the two bandits. Fighting was never one of his strong points. However, Arren's words had stirred him into action. He couldn't allow them even the slightest opportunity of running into Ren.

Aren charged at his chosen bandit, their swords clashing with a loud screech and sparks. Arren's training in swords was showing, as he seemed to fight on equal footing with the bandit. It seemed the bandits weren't the most well trained fighters, mainly using their swords for intimidation.

For Vitch on the other hand, the fight was not going so smoothly. The two stared off at each other for a moment before the bandit moved forward. Every time he tried to move forward, Vitch swung his sword wildly, causing the bandit to back off. Guess fighting defensively was Vitch's style. That was until the bandit grew bold enough to charge at him and this time not stop.

Despite Vitch's flailing, the bandit managed to stop his sword mid swing, batting it to the side. Vitch started to panic, trying touring the sword back up to defend himself. However, every time he tried, the bandit merely knocked it aside again. A cruel smirk spread across the bandit's face, as he began to realize he had the upper hand. The bandit moved onto the offensive, swinging his sword, forcing Vitch to jump back. The bandit seemed to be toying with him, having fun with the hapless Vitch.

"What's wrong kid?" he taunted, "Never swung a sword before?"

Smacking his sword away one last time, the bandit delivered a sharp kick to Vitch's mid-section, sending him stumbling back and falling against a tree. His sword clattered uselessly not too far away from him. Vitch tried to move, but the bandit's foot stomping on his chest pinned him against the tree. Vitch tried to reach feebly for his sword. The bandit chuckled cruelly.

"Say goodnight kid," he taunted, bringing his sword up to swing. Vitch let out a shriek as he closed his eyes tightly, swinging his arm wildly.

Then he felt it. A burning sensation in his veins, like fire and ice had replaced his blood. It was nothing like he had felt ever in his life. This pain, was this the pain of being slashed? It seemed so, especially when he felt blood spray onto him.

However, after a few brief seconds, the pain faded. Wouldn't being slashed hurt for longer...and be more fatal? Vitch peeked open an eye, before looking over himself curiously. There was a spray of blood on him, but no wound. Then that would mean the blood came from...

He look up at the bandit, noticing now a look of surise and shock on his face. His eyes trailed down to the growing red stain on his midsection.

Then the bandit fell, his body separating into two halves as it hit the ground. The bandit had been sliced in half at the waist.

Meanwhile, the second bandit looked back in horror at his fallen partner. "Kormack!" he then let out a gasp as Arren had taken the opportunity to stab him while he was distracted, his sword sticking out of the bandit's back before kicking him to the ground. Pausing for a few seconds to make sure his enemy was dead, Arren looked over at Vitch before walking over. His eyes scanned the sliced bandit, almost impressed,

"Man, I didn't know you had it in you," Arren spoke, pulling Vitch to his feet, "Thou next time, try holding onto your sword. I've got to admit, I never expected you to do that." He picked up Vitch's sword and passed it to him before returning to the cart.

Meanwhile, Vitch looked down at his hands. What the heck just happened? He couldn't have sliced the bandit in half. He didn't have his sword. Something else must have done it. But what? That sensation he felt. What was that? This was all so confusing.

His mind in turmoil, Vitch quietly followed Arren back to the cart.

[Crystal Tears]

I’m so late, and I apologize.

Na’Wynth de Luun & Fenix

-----------------------------------

The conversation lasted long into the night, somehow, everyone managed to stay awake until finally Wynth dared to yawn. Apparently, the strongest-willed woman subconsciously admitted she was done, was enough for Saril and Ren to also admit the same. Saril had slumped, leaning up against the ex-accepted, sleep overtaking her a little bit before Ren; who gave a polite goodnight before toddling off to the tent.

Half hour later, Na’Wynth looked at Fenix.

‘Aven’t seen you for a while.” Wynth offered; watching at the man stopped munching away on some strange fruit. “Thought ya avoided these parts.”

“Aye, usually do.” Fenix shrugged, finishing his island pear. “But business has me going from one coast to another.” He eyed the witch closely. “Why are you headin’ for Cairhien? Not a bright plan, all things considered.”

“Leaf needs ta go there. After that we head for ta coast, for Fish.” She shrugged, and watched at the sea-folk groaned and shuffled closer.

The fire crackled and spat.

“Did you do it?” Fenix finally questioned.

“Do what?”

“You know what Wynth, news travels fast that a rogue mage attacked the tower.”

“Rogue?” The gyspy laughed, clapping her hands half-heartedly. “I’m a rogue already? About a day ago I was one of their most promisin’ accepted.”

“So you did blow it up.” The warrior didn’t seem overally bothered. “Why?”

“Payback.” The woman offered as some sort of explanation. “They’re glorified slavers, an’ thieves to boot.”

“Ya talking about Ta-“

“Yes.” Na’Wynth hissed, her foot kicking in roughly in the thigh. “Now drop it, or I’ll light ya a blaze.”

“Didn’t they teach you magic isn’t to be used to hurt, murder, or maim people?”

“They also teach us men are useful for guardians,” Wynth smiled coldly at Fenix. “However, that was bullshit, wasn’t it?”

Fenix snorted. “Charming.”

“I try.” Silence followed and Na’Wynth leaned against the tree, making Saril shift so she was cuddle up against her chest. The woman frowned for a moment, before closing her eyes. “Make yourself useful an’ make sure we ain’t mauled in our sleep.”

“You haven’t changed at all.”

Wynth smiled. “Neither ‘ave you.”



Day came, and the group was quick to pack up the wagon and hop back on. Fenix kept mostly to himself, only occasionally chiming in. Ren had decided that to lighten the mood, she would play her flute, and though it was nice, Na’Wynth found it hard to relax. She shifted uncomfortably in the back of the wagon, huddled between a crate and a bag full of grain.

They shouldn’t be heading to Cairhein, it was the first damn place the Aes Sedai would look for them, and she couldn’t afford to be caught. They would need to get, let Ren frolic for a moment or two, and then get out. If she was lucky, news of the tower hadn’t reached the town yet. If they had any luck, they would be the first ones there, and just not mention what would happen.

“Wynth?” Saril called back. “You alright?”

“Fine Fish, just…” She trailed off; she plucked the medallion from her pocket and examined it closely. “Thinking…”

Cairhien was bound to have books and scriptures; surely she could find something on this trinket, somewhere.

-------------------------

Alright, so Wynth is examining the medallion closely? And err, Tag guys. Dunno how close we are to Cairhein now…

[ChobiChibi]

Saril
Windfinder

Ever since she had been taken away from her people, Saril had the same dream every time she slept. She pictured herself floating in the middle of the ocean with her arms and legs spread out like a starfish, the water calm around her, warm and inviting. The sky she looked up at was always blue, with only the few odd clouds meandering by. She could feel the sea creatures swimming beneath her, paying her no mind.

It was strangely comforting, rather than making her feel homesick.

Except this time, it changed ever so slightly. The water suddenly felt cooler and the waves, although not choppy, seemed to be a bit livelier, spraying up onto her face from time to time.

She woke up soon after this change, clinging to Wynth. She removed herself carefully, but she woke up not long after, as did the others. They packed up quickly and got back on the road, Ren playing her flute to lighten the mood. It seemed as though Wynth had a lot on her mind too.

“How far is Cairhien from here?” Saril asked Fenix.

“Not far.” He replied. “We should be there by noon at the latest.”

“We shouldn’t stop for long.” Wynth folded her arms. “Grab some supplies and get out. Dunno who’s looking for us.”

“I need to deliver my letter...” Ren added.

Saril frowned. She still wants to do the Tower’s bidding...

“An’ I expect you want to find out about that trinket of yours.” Fenix nodded towards Wynth.

Wynth frowned and glared at Fenix. “It could be a magical artefact...” She muttered, playing with it. Saril hadn’t even noticed she had it until Fenix pointed it out.

And so is Wynth, even if she won’t admit it... “Or it could be cursed.” Saril shrugged. She was glad that she’d only had to stay in the Tower for a few days, otherwise she feared she would have more attachment to it than she’d ever intended.

Na’Wynth narrowed her eyes. “It’s not cursed.”

The journey seemed a lot quicker than Fenix had estimated, at least to Saril. She’d sat quietly for most of it, occasionally peaking under the cloth to see her surroundings. The road seemed less bumpy as they reached Cairhien and as they stopped and got out the wagon, Saril finally had the courage to express a desire she’d been keeping quiet all the way there.

“You two have errands to run, so I should get to explore.” She stated confidently, although her heart beat faster with nerves.

“No.” Wynth shot back.

“Why not?”

“Do I have to explain, Fish?”

Ren stopped playing, clutching her flute. “You might get lost...”

“Or ya might get into trouble.”

“She looks like she can take care of herself.” Fenix added.

“Hey, thanks!” Saril pointed at Fenix. “You should listen to this guy more often.”

Wynth and Fenix exchanged glances, Fenix smirking. What had happened last night when she’d fallen asleep?

“Look, I know I stick out like a sore thumb... But I can find something to help me blend in. Look!” She rolled up the long flowing sleeves of her dress, running her fingertips along her arm. As she did, her tattoos faded to match her skin colour. She did the same to the other arm. “Master of disguise.”

“You really shouldn’t be weaving-”

“Do ya want to be found?” Wynth whispered harshly, interrupting Ren, grabbing hold of her wrist.

Saril snorted, which only made Wynth’s grip tighter. “It’s ancient sea-folk magic. Centuries old. None of you land-dwelling mages can even see it unless it’s obviously there in front of your eyes.” She gently pried her arm free from her grasp, holding her hand instead. “Like this weave...” She motioned for Ren to join them. A piece of red coloured string appeared from her fingers and she tied it around Wynth’s wrist. “We use this one to locate other ships, except we tend to use rope, not string. Each boat has its own colour and its own network of rope so that if we ever need to find someone, we can.” She explained, tying the other end to her own wrist. A little tag appeared at Saril’s end, with ‘Na’Wynth de Lunn’ written on it before it and the string vanished. “It stretches for thousands of miles, I won’t lose you.”

“That’s a clever idea.” Ren held out her own hand as Saril motioned for it, this time the string came out green. “Can you teach it to me? I’m forever losing things...”

“That would defeat the purpose of it being secret ancient magic...” She chuckled as the string disappeared.

“What if we need to find you?” Wynth avoided her gaze.

“I guess I’ll just know.” She shrugged. “I’ll meet you here at dusk, regardless.”

“Dusk?! That’s hours away!” But her protests fell on deaf ears as the girl had already run off into town.

--
Saril found Cairhien to be much like the ports she’d been to; all it seemed to lack was water and ships. There were still merchants selling all sorts of things that she’d never seen before. The only thing that bothered her was its straight roads. There were no curves, only straight lines, which although made it easy for her to navigate, it also made things very unmemorable.

She found herself wrapping her arms around herself, a bitter wind blowing through the wind tunnels that the streets created. Maybe she’d just been running off adrenaline for the last few days, but it was really cold and she hadn’t noticed before. She struggled to keep her floaty dress from blowing up, much to the embarrassment of the locals.

“Good afternoon, young lass!” A merchant called to her, beckoning her over. “You seem mightily underdressed for such a bitterly cold wind.”

Only because if I stop the wind, the Aes Sedai will track me and drag me back to the Tower. She thought just as bitterly. “It is a bit chilly today.”

“Might I suggest these fine garments-”

Saril shook her head. “I have no coin, unless you accept kisses as payment.”

“Well, funny you should ask...”

“I wasn’t asking...”

“My young son has yet to find anyone to attend the Festival of Lights with him. Perhaps if you would let him escort you, I could forget the price of these clothes.” He held up a long, navy coloured dress and a shawl. “I could not let him pass up the chance of attending with the most beautiful girl in the city.”

“Oh?” Saril did a little twirl and a curtsy. “You think so?”

“No, he does! He’s talked of nothing else since he spotted you browsing the market.” He came out from behind the stall and thrust the clothes into her hands. “Tova!” He called behind him.

The one thing she’d noticed the most about the people of Cairhien was how pale they were, and how dark her skin was in comparison. He was not much taller than her, and certainly not that much older than her either, but he seemed to have a little muscle under the layers of clothes and the blush that appeared on his cheeks made her feel all fuzzy inside. If she got to explore this town, she may as well do it in the company of a cute stranger? That’s what she convinced herself as she pulled the dress on over her own, wrapped the shawl around her shoulders and introduced herself as Jalini for the first time since she’d stepped foot on the land.

It's long, and I'm sorry there's not really a direct tag >_>
EDIT: I should probably mention that the Festival of Lights isn't until the next day. Bitchin'!

[Samchu]

Arren
~~~~

The cart bobbled onward. Vitch and I perched on the back in silence. We hadn't talked much on the journey but this silence felt heavier than our last. I glanced across at Vitch. He had that same distant expression on his face, but there was something different, something in the eyes. Something I hadn't seen in a long time.

"You've never killed before, have you?" I asked, nudging Vitch with my eyebrow.

He shook his head, the weighed gaze in his eyes grew darker.

"You did good. You might not think that now, but you did. Taking a life isn't easy but if you hadn't..." I frowned, "who knows how many lives would have been lost instead."

He was quiet for a long time. I don't know whether he was thinking on my words or trying to figure his own self out. Either way, it wasn't until Cairhein was in sight that he spoke again.

"Arren?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever..."

"Kill someone?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. Right after I left Caemlyn. I didn't mean to do it but that was how things ended up. Looking back, I don't regret that it happened, only that I was too weak to make the act one of choice, not accident."

"How did you live with it?"

"I couldn't at first. I didn't decide this path to become a murderer. I wanted to protect people. I felt stained. Like...it had become a part of me. I was sure everyone I passed on the road could see what I'd done. I thought even the Warders at the Tower would know, that they'd take one look at me and send me back home. Or arrest me." I stared at the dust flowing from the back of our cart. "Then one morning I reached this section of road surrounded by the most tightly packed trees I'd ever seen. It was perfect for ambushes. There was this couple there, laying flowers. A month before they'd lost their daughter to a bandit. There was so much pain there. I thought, what if, what if that bandit I killed was the same bandit, what if he wasn't, what if, some time down the line, he would have done that to someone else's daughter? It doesn't make the killing right but it helped thinking maybe, maybe by doing this I'd protected someone."

"That's why...before...you said about Ren."

I nodded. "You can accomplish anything with enough drive. You just need a goal."

"A goal huh..."

"That's why you're here isn't it?" I pointed towards the hand that clutched Ren's ring. "Ren is your goal."

"I..." But I could see the blush in his face. So I just smirked and said nothing.

The cart rambled in to Cairhein.

"Candles..."

"Huh?" I looked across at Vitch and saw his gaze drawn to the windows of a few nearby buildings. I looked back and saw a girl placing candles in the window of her bakery. "What's that for?"

"They're getting ready for the Feast of Lights," said the old man.

"Is that so?" It's that time of year already? I had no idea. I lost track of time so quickly after I left Caemlyn and I wasn't at the Tower long enough to figure out how long I'd been gone.

"We always come to Cairhein to celebrate. It's where we met, isn't it honey?"

"Sure was. I'll never forget the first time I saw you, dancing by the fires with next to nothing on. Breasts bouncing-"

I think I was glad of the hit that silenced the old man's rambling.

"Cairhein is unique in it's celebration of the Feast. It's a time when the people set aside their social boundaries. It's commonplace to see people wandering around it states of undress above the waist."

I shuddered. "I won't be participating."

"A shame. It's a truly magical experience, especially for the young." The old woman sighed. "A time when you can kiss someone you like and if it doesn't work out it won't matter."

"Sounds like the perfect time for a confession of love."

"That's how we met."

They pulled the cart to a stop and with an exchange of thanks, Vitch and I finally parted ways with the old couple. "Well we're here. Now what-" I stopped when I caught sight of Vitch. He was stood completely still, eyes fixed on the ring that sat in his open palm.

"She's here..."

"What?"

"Ren...I can feel it...she's here."

"Then we haven't got any time to-gah!" I had taken a step towards him but the second my foot had hit the floor a bolt of pain had shot through the side of my chest. I can't go on like this. Fighting that bandit was too much, I pushed it too far. But this might be our only chance...

"What's wrong?"

"I need a healer." I took hold of my side and cringed. "You'll have to go on alone for a while."

"M-me? But..."

"Just find her. You came this far. You've done this much. Just go a little further."

"I'll wait-"

"No! Every moment you wait is a moment she gets further away from you." I shoved him back. "I'll look for you when I'm better. Leave me a sign if you find her, so I can catch up."

He looked ready to protest but something appeared then, something I'd never seen in Vitch before. His hand closed around the ring and he nodded.

"Good. If we're lucky, maybe we can all go to the Feast together." I turned away from him and limped towards a path that I hoped would lead me to a healer. "It'd be a shame if you missed this opportunity to confess your love for her." I couldn't help but smirk at the thought of his reaction to that. He's an idiot but he's not as weak as I thought. I'm sorry Vitch, but you'll never hear me say that. You've got to discover it for yourself first.

It took an hour to find a healer. In the end, a girl had taken pity on me and helped me get there. I was lucky she wasn't busy seeing anyone else.

"Looks like you're in a lot of pain."

"Yes ma'am."

She had the girl help me sit on the healer's bench then shooed the girl out. "Take off your sword, please."

I struggled to untie the sheath from my belt and just let it drop to the floor.

"Shirt off."

I oblidged.

She frowned at me. "Why all the bandages?"

"A poor attempt at dealing with the wound." It was a blatant lie but she said nothing, simply gathered a pair of scissors and cut through the binding. The rush of cold air to my chest made me shiver and the pain came again. So powerful it was that I didn't even feel the sudden pull of gravity on my chest.

"Lay back please."

I did as I was told and closed my eyes. I'd never been healed with magic before. Cairne had never believed in it. "Body knows how to fix itself. No point getting magic involved." Setting and rest, that's how Cairne had seen my broken bones fixed. It was a long and painful process but I had always told myself there was a lesson in his ways. I'd never figured out that particular lesson though.

"Try and relax."

Her hands touched the bare skin of my chest and I felt a chill inside me. It wasn't the rush of cold that one feels when touched by cold hands - in fact, her hands were quite warm - it was a cold that came from inside me. I could feel it in every part of my being, moving through my body. Streams of something cold making their way through my limbs. Is this what healing is? Is this the power of magic? Am I feeling it? Am I touching it, not with my body, but with my soul? Is this...is this what it feels like to weave?

"All done."

I sat up to look at the result but I suddenly felt light-headed. The world began to bend around me. Immediately, there was a hand at my back.

"Please, lie back."

I let her hands guide me back down. "What...?" The words felt heavy. I had to struggle to get them past my lips and in the end, only one could make it.

"Healing uses the energy of the patient. You need rest to recover it."

I managed a nod to show I understood, then closed my eyes and let a brief sleep take me.

~~~

"Excuse me? I was told I could find a healer here."

I frowned as the words pulled me out of my sleep. I yawned and sat up to stretch, relief flowing through me as the limbs moved as they were supposed to. I guess I got that energy back. I rubbed a hand across my eyes. How long was I out for? Doesn't matter. I should look for Vitch. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and lifted my head to find myself eye-to-eye with the girl who had come in.

It took less than a second to recognise her dark-skinned face.

"You!"

She blinked at me for a second then the realisation entered her face. "You're that apprentice!" Her eyes darted down to chest and a smirk appeared. "Well now."

Still waking, it took me more than a few seconds to realise what she'd seen. The secret staring her right in the face.

Shit.

[Asilynne]

Sie: To see a response from your examination of the medallion, look here. :3

~~Ren Da'Shain~~
A promise should be kept, even to the possibly dead...

I looked at my hand with wonder, remembering how Saril wove her threads around me and Wynth. I was attached to her somehow now, even though it was temporary, and not like a Warder bond. Somehow it was a bit comforting, despite everything about the situation.

The weight of the letter in the pocket of my dress reminded me of my duty, and I turned to Wynth. She still intimidated me, and I knew what she had done even though part of me was trying to see it as just a bad dream. She saw me looking at her and knew what I was thinking. "The Letter, huh." I nodded. "Not thinkin of running off now are ya Leaf?"

Giving her a look of weighted sadness I said quietly, "I have nowhere to run off to..."

~*~*~*~*~

I walked the streets of Cairhein, feeling very much the outsider that I was. Though I had been all over in my short life as a member of the Travelling Folk, we rarely entered cities, prefering to just camp nearby if we needed to resupply or rest. So many people, so much bustle, it was overwhelming on a good day, and this was far from a good day. I tried to politely ask questions to get directions but most people ignored me. I could feel tears well in my eyes but I rubbed them away. Crying wasn't going to do any good.

Finally a kind lady out shopping seemed to pay attention. "Excuse me ma'am, where can I find The Lady's Whisper?" I asked her as I saw I had caught her eye. She gave me a smile, as her blue eyes seemed to glow with generosity. "I know that place well," she spoke in a soft voice, like silk. "Follow me." She seemed to glide as she walked, and I started as I hurried to catch up with her. She was fast though she was rather small for a woman.

It wasn't long before we came to a large building, with a sign outside of a woman's profile smiling with a finger to her lips. The sign read: The Lady's Whisper. "Th...Thank you miss!" I said as I stepped in.

The interior of the Inn was warm and inviting, and it seemed devoid of the sorts of rowdy folk that one usually found in the common rooms of inns I had heard stories of. The smells of freshly baked bread and the rich scents of roasted and stewed meats mixed with the spices of the wines and ales, and the fire crackled in the hearth. I had such a feeling of peace I was taken aback. Until my stomach growled of course.

The waitress wiped her hands on an apron and came over, a wide smile on her face. "Hello! What can I get you miss?" I paled as my mission came back to me, the letter suddenly feeling like it weighed 5 pounds. "Um....may I see...the lady of the house?"

"At your service miss." That silken voice sang out from behind me, as I whirled around to see the same woman who had led me here. She smiled, and before I could say anything, she placed an hand on my shoulder. "But first, you look hungry. Sedelle," she turned to look at the waitress, a slight smile on her face. "Fetch some lunch for this poor dear, and a fresh change of clothes if you would."

Sedelle curtseyed and hurried off to comply, as the slight woman led me off to a small study off to the side of the common room. Before entering she turned to speak to someone, and I jumped, catching a glimpse of a man I hadn't noticed before but was probably there with her the whole time. He stayed outside the door as she shut it, and then she did something I was not expecting. She wove.

What she wove was a mix of Air and Spirit, forming a shell around the room. The kind of Ward I had seen other Aes Sedai weave in order to keep others from overhearing their conversations. So that meant this woman....

"I can tell you are from the White Tower." She said, not even posing a question. "What do you have for me?"

Feeling like a rabbit caught in a trap, my hand withdrew the letter slowly as I handed it to her, showing the wax seal of the White Tower. The Wax was gray instead of the usual white or gold. Seeing it, the woman didn't give any sign of surprise, though she did look at it a bit longer than one would've thought before taking it. I wondered if I would ever know what it was that I had gotten myself into.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag Sarah~ ;D I'm thinking that your character has connections and that the Inn was named after her Therefore making her the Lady of the House hehe. If you have any questions ask me when I wake up

[Mystic_clown]

Vitch Nyora
-----------------------------------

Vitch walked through the busy streets of the town, the town itself bustling with activity. The Feast of Lights. Vitch had never heard of such a celebration. Sure, there was the occasional festival in his home town, but nothing like this. Something the old woman said rang in his mind as well.

"A time when you can kiss someone you like and if it doesn't work out it won't matter."

The instant he had said that, Ren’s image flashed through his mind, causing the skinny young man to blush. The chance to kiss her…but it would never work out. Even if the old woman said it wouldn’t matter, it would still hurt him. What would Ren want with a scrawny, useless being like him anyway?

He glanced down at the ring in his hand. The feeling he was getting from it definitely indicated that she was in this town. The problem is, it wasn’t telling him WHERE in the town she was. It only told him she was in the general area. In other words, ANYWHERE. It figured Vitch would have to find her the old fashioned way. With his eyes.

Then he remembered. The mission! Maybe Ren had gone to complete the task the tower had set for her! Yes, she would surely be there.

The problem was though, he couldn’t remember where that place was. All he remembered was being told he had to protect her. Yeah, some great job he did with THAT. Curse his terrible memory.

“Goodness lad! Look at you! You look like you haven’t eaten in days!” Came up a voice, snapping him out of his thoughts. Vitch looked back to see a middle aged, plump woman, accompanied by a burly looking man he could guess was her husband. Was she talking to him?

“Oh, I’m fine miss, really,” he replied, her husband suddenly piping in.

“He ain’t hungry. He’s just scrawny. Give him some work around the festival and he’ll bulk right up.” Vitch tried to object before the wife spoke up.

“Nonsense. Put him to work and he’ll break in less than a minute. Here’ come with me lad. I’ll plump you up really nice. Then you can help get ready for the festival.” She grabbed Vitch’s hand and began to pull him along.

“But I’m fine! Really! Listen, I have really important stuff to do!”

“Nonsense! You can’t do work on an empty stomach, and especially when you’re all skin and bones. Right this way lad, and I wont take no for an answer!”

“But-“

“No buts! Now come on!”

Vitch really had no choice as he was dragged away by this couple. Why him? What did he do for the gods to make him into their plaything?

[ChobiChibi]

Saril
Windfinder

Tova was the most gentlemanly gentleman that she had ever met. Although he was shy, he answered all her questions as accurately as he could, in a true tour-guide manner.

“Jalini...” He began, trying to get his own question in the middle of hers. “Where is it you said you’re from?”

“Tear.” She was trying to avoid his questions so that she wouldn’t have to recall her lies, but she couldn’t avoid them much longer without him getting suspicious.

“Do you have a job?”

“I’m a guide.” She lied. Windfinding was like guiding people through a city, surly? Just with the sea and wind and sails and a boat full of people. “My father is a fisherman.”

“Your mother?”

“Died when I was young.” Another lie. She’d never known her father, but her Mother is the Windfinder to the Mistress of the Ship. “Can’t really remember her.”

“Why are you travelling?”

That was enough now. She wasn’t prepared to give any more fake answers, so the questions had to stop. “Tova, I’m here with a friend. She’s hurt and requires a healer. I said I’d find her one, would you mind showing me where I might find one?”

Since she’d found out just how much Tova knew of the city, she figured she’d try to make use of him whilst she could get away with it. Sometimes guilt would pang inside her when she’d catch him gazing longingly at her, and he’d blush, but she always used men this way. Why change an old habit?

“Would you prefer the closest, or the best?”

Ah, she knew he’d pull through for her. “Somewhere in the middle. Need a decent healer, but strapped for cash. Spent most of it on a wagon to transport her here.”

Saril looped her arm with his when he offered it and let him lead her away. Wynth would not approve of her pet, but she would approve of her plan to learn healing magic to be more useful in the future. It wouldn’t take long; she was her mother’s daughter, after all.

“You wait outside.” She told Tova, pushing the door open. “I won’t be long.”

She stepped inside and found it to be oddly quiet. “Hello?” She called out, standing in the corridor, waiting for a response. When she got none, she decided that she’d knock on a door, see if she got a response that way. When she didn’t, she opened the door anyway, peering around to see a single body laying on a bed.

“Excuse me? I was told I could find a healer here.”

They sat up and stretched, swinging herself round to face Saril. A sudden look of recognition entered her eyes.

“You!” She said accusingly.

Cogs whirred in Saril’s mind, searching her face for a name. Nothing came to her, until she spotted a sword in the corner of the room...

“You’re that apprentice!” For a moment she glanced at “his” breasts, a smirk planting itself on her face. “Well now...”

It was clear that he was panicking, trying to think of some excuse or some means of escaping the situation. “Calm down! And put your shirt on if you’re that self conscious, for goodness sake.” Saril rolled her eyes. “You stay right there, I have business to attend to.”

Before he could protest, Saril quickly exited the room, and as she heard the frantic boy follow her, she stuck her finger in the keyhole and swiftly locked the door. She smirked to herself as he tried wiggling the door handle and headed upstairs.

She found the healer attending to another patient. Saril quickly made up a whole new set of lies about how she was a worried mage in need of some explanation on how to heal a friend of hers that was so believable, the healer showed her right there and then. Thanking her graciously, she slipped back downstairs to face the apprentice.

I guess Saril should have expected some form of retaliation when she unlocked the door, but she didn’t expect to be greeted by a sword. Thankfully for her a quick binding spell held the boy’s sword above his head.

“Arren, isn’t it?” Saril rocked backwards and forwards on the balls of her feet; she loved having the feeling of power over someone. That little bit of knowledge that gives you the distinct advantage over the other. He’d put his shirt on too, perhaps even bound himself up again, but she was too busy plotting to take any notice. “We can pretend that nothing happened here, if you so wish...”

Arren had every right to give her the suspicious look that he did. “What’s the catch?”

“You have to come with me. Watch over me, be my bodyguard, if you will.”

“It’s that simple?”

“If you want it to be.” She smiled sweetly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh... The girls always do see through me.” She stepped closer to him, too close, in fact, so that she felt his breath on her neck. “If you squeal to the Sedai, I’ll expose you faster than you can think about me exposing myself.” She liked planting images into people’s minds. If this was Vitch, he’d be blushing as red as a tomato, but Arren tore his gaze from her, staring straight in front of him.

He nodded bluntly. “Alright.”

“There’s a good boy.” Saril stepped away from him, gently lowering his sword to the ground. “Gather your things and meet me outside. Please don’t be mean to my new friend, I’m quite fond of him.”

Teehee, Saril likes having pets

[Kuro Espeon]

Finally got my first post finished. It turned out a lot longer than I anticipated (giggity) but I guess first posts are supposed to be Epic... lol

Here's a link to my profile so I don't have to copy and paste it here. XD

-----------

**Faellynn Ti’rareth – Aes Sedai (Grey Ajah)**

"Beware…

The Wild One approaches…
with Eyes of Fire…."

Faellynn awoke in a cold sweat, her breathing quick and ragged as if she had just emerged from under water. She discovered that she was sitting upright in her bed but had no recollection of how she got that way. For several moments she sat very still and quiet, trying to slow her breathing and the pounding of her heart as she focused her mind on the final words of her dream that seemed to echo within her very soul.

“A’lore…” she said softly, almost a whisper, as the face of her old friend swam in front of her eyes like a bodiless spirit. She put a hand to her chest, surprised to find she was trembling slightly, and slowly lowered herself back against the soft down mattress, trying to recall the contents of the dream.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The Courtyard… The Courtyard of the White Tower. She had been standing there again, as young and foolish as she had once been all those years ago when she had first stood there, her heart full of excitement and uncertainty. But this time she was alone, the world around her eerily still as if someone had passed over it with a thick curtain of silence and frozen everything in time. She moved softly through the courtyard, her footsteps making no noise on the cobbled stone. She headed straight for the main door, her body moving of its own accord as if some invisible force was drawing her toward it. She reached up with both hands as she reached the door, and as she pushed it open, life came roaring back in a wave of chaos.

Heat. Flames. A world of flickering red fury. She found herself surrounded by walls of fire and endless screams. Some of pain, some of anger, some of fear and utter disbelief. She couldn't tell where any of them were coming from, but she somehow knew that it didn't matter now. They were already lost. There was nothing she could do for them. Instead, she turned toward a single break in the wall of flames where a set of stone stairs wound up and around a central pillar. A single soft voice reached her through the monstrous din, calling her name over and over again, beckoning her on. She obeyed and threw herself up the stairs without hesitation, to the top of the White Tower.

The sound of her name got louder as she neared the top. She threw herself against a solid wood door, breaking through it with a physical strength she never would have credited herself for. There was fire in this room as well, a single circle that enclosed the round tower room. Standing in the center of the room was solitary figure in a long white dress. Smaller flames, this time blue, appeared to be licking at her fingertips, and the soles of her feet and at the fringes of her silk-like hair, not doing any immediate damage but ever threatening to consume. The figure made no indication that she felt them at all. Faellynn knew the figure well. She had opened her mouth and attempted to call out to her but no sound escaped her lips, the name “A’lore” getting caught in her throat and choking her. A’lore turned to her instead and spoke, her voice hollow and oddly metallic.

“Our world has come to darkness. The White Tower burns. By her hands I am slain. My blood is on fire by her furious soul….” The figure flickered slightly, as if starting to fade from reality. “Wynth… Na’Wynth… de Luun. Bringer of this Chaos. She flies by night toward the East.”

A burst of heat behind her made Faellynn turn on her heel. She jumped back startled as she came face-to-face with a dark-haired figure, the wall of flames behind her casting a shadow on across her features. The one thing that shone through was a pair of piercing emerald eyes, alive with impenetrable rage, the reflection of the fiery inferno flickering within them.

“Beware…The Wild One approaches…with Eyes of Fire…”

*~*~*~*~*~*

Faellynn swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat as she lay in the gray light of the coming dawn. As she traversed the line between the dream world and waking she became more aware that what she had seen was more than just a dream. A’lore had been there, she had come to her. Her old friend was a Dreamweaver after all. Or rather, she had been. If A’lore was dead (a cold shudder ran down her spine and settled in her stomach at that thought) she must have used the last of her power to enter the dream world, to send her that message. But…what did it mean? Who was Na’Wynth?

She let out a long sigh and rubbed her eyes, pressing hard enough to make bright stars of colors pop against the back of her eyelids. She only opened them again when a light rapping came on the door. “Yes?” She said, granting permission for the person to enter, and the door creaked open wide enough for a brown-haired, blue-eyed man to stick his head through cautiously.

“My lady?” Orayn said, a questioning in his deep, soothing voice, “Are you all right? I heard you call out…”

“I’m fine, Orayn, thank you,” Faellynn replied, beckoning her Warder into the room with a wave of her hand. “I was…only dreaming.”

Orayn raised one eyebrow, catching the hesitant tone in the Aes Sedai’s voice, and swiftly but calmly strode to the edge of the bed, settling himself down on the edge and regarding his mistress with a cool, sympathetic gaze. “Merely a dream? Or something else?” Orayn had always been quite observant of her emotions, Faellynn thought warmly. She gave him a small smile, in an attempt to reassure him.

“I am not quite sure yet,” she said, reaching out and resting one hand lightly on top of his, “But I will let you know once I figure it out.”

*~*~*~*~*~*

That time came quicker than Faellynn had thought. It was only a couple of days later when she ran into a young girl wandering the streets of Cairhein, looking for the Lady’s Whisper. Being that the inn itself had been named for her, the Aes Sedai could only assume that this stranger was seeking an audience with the Grey Lady of Cairhein.

Only one look at the girl told Faellynn that she had come from the White Tower. The air about her was unmistakable. A Novice, she presumed, and a fairly new one at that. The girl seemed to have a kind soul and she gave off an aura of uncertainty and timidity that Faellynn found all too familiar. She had been just like her once, a long time ago.

“I can tell you are from the White Tower." She said, a statement rather than a question. "What do you have for me?"

A look at the seal on the letter that the girl carried confirmed her suspicions. It had come from Mirajane, the Mistress of Novices at the White Tower, who also happened to be one of Faellynn’s oldest friends. Word from her was sporadic at best, but it always came with a specific reason or purpose. She slid a finger under the seal and unfolded the letter (the seal was still intact, she noted, meaning the girl was also honest). She began perusing it with interest, but did not allow any of her reactions to reflect on her face. While it contained information about a rather important and curious matter, it mentioned nothing of the events of A’lore’s dream message. So this was written beforehand…

She said nothing for several moments after she finished reading, and she noticed the girl shifting uncomfortably in her chair, unsure of what she should be doing. Faellynn glanced up at her and let a small smile curl on the edge of her lips.

“I thank you for conveying this letter, my dear…. my dear… Oh, my apologies. I never got your name. What is your name, child?”

“O-oh! It’s Ren,” she replied nervously, “Ren…Da'Shain.”

“I am Faellynn Ti’rareth. You may call me Lady Faellynn, or Faellynn-Sedai, or Ma’am if you please.”

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Ren replied, nodding vigorously, “Er, My Lady…”

Just then, Sedelle returned with a tray of food and Faellynn gestured for her to set it down on the table between them. She then motioned for Ren to eat and allowed the girl a moment of respite before asking her next question.

“Now then, Ren Da’Shain,” she said, locking her fingers together in front of her and regarding the girl with a cool, gray-blue stare, “Tell me what has happened to the White Tower.”


*passes out*

[Crystal Tears]

Na’Wynth de Luun

Na’Wynth wasn’t able to sit still. She had wandered from the wagon quickly, merging though the crowd like she belonged there. Tucked in a hidden pocket in her skirt was the trinket, something she found herself more and more curious about. Perhaps it was the reason she was moving, or maybe it was the distinct fear in her stomach of being found out. No doubt word would soon spread of what had happened, and soon enough those damn witches would be out and about, hunting for anyone they could blame. She found herself concerned on the idea that she hadn’t the slightest care of what she had done, how long had she spent reading up on alchemy and sciences to learn that potent trick? Aes Sedai always thought that if a revolt came, it would be with magic, not with salt and chemicals.

Chemicals like mular, tegin, and sulfur. All rather explosive if missed together, and rather foul smelling.

But why don’t I care? She let a frown dawn her face as she turned her attention to a rather massive building. IT had steps leading up to the stone pleateau, with larger pillars supporting the heavy roof.

The Library of Cairhein. Well, one of them, certainly the largest, and the one that would no doubt hold the best results. Na’Wynth hurried inside, glancing behind her at the crowd, seeing how no one had paid her any mind. She smirked and hurried inside.

Quiet.

Something else Na’Wynth distinctly hated.

Still, she had grown used to it when at the tower and research varying things. She easily navigated the massive library, finding scrolls and books on old trinkets and artifacts. One in particular seemed old, and she plucked it from the shelf. Not many made glances at her, most people in this section had something to look up. Old men and women who had long called themselves scholars, though all their knowledge came from research and no field experience.

Dreadfully boring, in Na’Wynth’s opinion.

She ventured off with the book to her own little corner away from people and placed the massive tome down on the thick wooden desk. There was a bit of a clunk but no one made any looks. Her expression neutral, Na’Wynth opened the book and began to skim for anything that seemed to have any link to her trinket. Her own little scroll by her side, anything she thought would help her, she wrote down.


She had been at it for at least an hour when she felt like she was being watched. Perking up, she glanced and frowned, turning her attention back to her book.

Just Saril and-

That little runt of an apprentice!

Her angry gaze shot back to duo and she immediately turned her full attention to Saril.

“Fish,” she hissed, glaring. “I dun care if it followed you here, ya can’t keep it. It probably has rabies.”

“Oh he’s not so bad…” She giggled, watching him step forward.

“You…” He snarled, seething. “You’re the one who- humhph mummph… mrf…”

Wynth smiled as the boy’s mouth shut itself and refused to open. She glanced back at her book for a moment, letting him struggle with his inability to talk before he just glared. The woman looked back at him, emerald eyes glistening with happiness as the boy’s misfortune.

“Ya gotta be quiet in a library.” She taunted in a whisper, resting her chin on the back of her hand. She looked at him, and then her eyes flicked to Saril. “So, why is the twerp followin’ you ‘round?”

“mhphm…” Arren grumbled, crossing his arms.

“He had a change of heart.” Saril offered, but saw Wynth’s look. “What?”

“Ya don’t actually expect me to believe that, do you?”

Saril gave a sheepish smile. “Not… really..”

“Oh good.” Wynth looked between the two. “So whatever game ya two are playing, that’s fine. Just don’t let it back fire in your faces. Or mine, for that matter.”

Despite the amusing threat, both of them did register it as a legitimate warning. Na’Wynth wanted nothing to do with what was going on between them.

“So, what are you doing?” Saril slid in beside Na’Wynth and looked at the strange book. She frowned, not being really able to understand what it was saying in the strange runes. Arren gave a glance too and then sat down opposite of them.

“Reading.” Wynth countered.

“That’s not common tongue,” Fish noted, confused. “What is that?”

The woman shot her a look. “Nothin’.” She shut the book.

“Saril,” Another man, someone who was pale and layered approached them. “Are these your friends?”

Wynth took one look at the boy and then looked at Saril.

“Y-yes.” Saril smiled, ignoring the look Wynth was giving her. “This is Ashen,” she gestured to Na’Wynth who glared hellfire down on the new boy, “and this is Danoir… Tova I thought I asked you to wait outside.”

“You were in here for a while.” Tova noted. “I was getting worried. Did you want to finish our tour?”

“Tour?” ‘Ashen’ queried, she released the spell on Arren. She gave the apprentice a warning glare before he chose to speak.

“Yes…” Saril gulped. “I wanted to see the town.”

Both Arren and Wynth shared the same look before their attention went back to looking at Tova.

“Does, your friends want to come along?”

- + -
Tag Sam and Becki.

[Samchu]

Arren
~~~~~

There’s a saying, “sometimes things just go from bad to worse”. It’s one of those phrases that’s supposed to bring you comfort. Yes, things have gotten worse but it was out of your control. That was the worst part of it in Arren’s opinion, the being out of control. He hated not having control over his own situation and in the short while he had spent as an Apprentice that feeling had only grown stronger. How many times now had he been at the mercy of a magic-wielder? Twice in the last hour! First losing his sword and then having his mouth clamped shut. How can they stand it? How can they stand to be so powerless? It was driving him crazy. And now he was facing a new, terrifying form of this loss of control; being trapped. And with Tova’s arrival, his imprisonment became even more terrifying.

Saril looked at him and ‘Ashen’ and smiled. “It would be a shame for them to miss out on your wonderful tour.”

“We should get moving then.” Tova offered his arm to Saril who took it with a flutter of her eyelashes. Arren smirked, recognising the behaviour. She’s good. She has him completely wrapped around her finger and he doesn’t even suspect. Then he sighed. Am I really so different?

The older woman nudged him. Arren noticed that she had returned her book but had gathered up her scroll and he watched as she tucked it away safely. “Come on, Danoir.”

“Of course, Ashen.”

They exchanged glances behind the leading couple. Arren disliked being so close to the one responsible for the tower’s destruction but right now he had no choice. Sometimes we just have to suffer through un-pleasantries to get to what we want. I hope Vitch is having better luck. If these two are here, there’s a chance he’ll be able to find Ren. Arren frowned. But what then? What are we supposed to do? I figured everything would just sort of figure itself out when we caught up but here I am, literally in the middle of the two I’ve been hunting, and I have no idea what to do if I get out of this.

“Tova, what’s that?” Arren pulled himself from his thoughts to see Saril pointing at something in Tova’s hand. Whatever it was, it was obscured from Arren’s sight by a layer of greyish paper that it was wrapped in.

“Oh this. I was picking it up when you went to see the healer.” He held it towards her. “Try it. It’s a sweet bread they make especially for the festival.”

Saril took it, cautiously, Arren guessed from the pause in her movements. She took a bite and chewed for a moment before releasing a sound of agreement. “Mmm. It’s good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

This guy really likes her. If I were you, I’d run away from here as fast as you can. Quickly, before she enchants your feet to fly completely over your head.

“So how do you three know each other?”

“Well…”

“Saril and I sort of grew up together.”

“He’s kinda like a brother, really.”

“I promised her Dad I’d keep an eye on her if I ran into her on the road.” He couldn’t believe how easily the lies flowed, like water dripping from his tongue. Forgive me, you raised me better than this.

Tova seemed to accept the explanation. “And how do you know her?”

“She owes me money.” ‘Ashen’s response was curt.

Saril laughed. “We go back a long way.”

“You have interesting friends.”

Arren almost missed the look Tova shot him. A blink at the wrong time and he wouldn’t even have known the boy had shot it in his direction but he hadn’t blinked and he had seen the dark suspicion in his eyes. He thinks I’m competition. He had bite the inside of his lip to stop the laugh from coming out. All the things he should really be worried about and he picks that.

They moved through the city peacefully enough, Tova pointing out various points of interest as well as one or two places he no doubt hoped to steal Saril away to later. As they walked, Arren kept a watchful eye on his surroundings. If Vitch or Ren crossed their path, maybe he would be able to signal a warning to one of them. With the crowds drawn out as they were, it might be possible for them to escape the dangerous opponents that currently held him prisoner.

They passed into a particularly populated area of town and it was obvious that many of the people there had already drenched themselves in the merriment associated with the Feast of Lights. One fool attempted to kiss ‘Ashen’. Arren saw her twitch, realising that her magical reflex was at risk of giving her away, and she instead retorted with a jab to the man’s face. He stood there dazed, blood trickling from his nose. Then he smiled, lifted his cap in a gesture of thanks, and stumbled off. Saril and Tova burst into laughter and it was too infection for Arren to stop himself from joining in, regardless of the hard look they received from ‘Ashen’.

It was strange to him that he could laugh so openly when surrounded by his enemies but he could be dead before nightfall and so it was best to give in to the few joys life had to offer whilst he was still able to. Apparently, fate had the same idea. For no sooner had the spasms of laughter begun to fade than Arren was approached by a young girl. She stood beside him, watching his face with strained determination, her hands behind her back and she rocked on the balls of her feet. Before he could register the obviousness of what was about to occur, the girl stretched up on her toes and kissed him on the lips. The moment passed before he could take hold of it and he was only aware of the girl disappearing into the crowd and the burning sensation in his cheeks. It wasn’t his first kiss with a girl but it had been a while and he had forgotten the effect it could have on him, even if the one who initiated was a stranger.
Saril laughed again. “Poor Arren, doesn’t know what to do with himself.”

He frowned at her but felt the heat in his face intensify. “Sh-shut up.”

This time, Tova didn’t share her amusement. He tugged her arm gently and pointed to something obscured by the crowds. “Come on, I’ve got something I really want to show you.”




~~~~~~~~
TAG Becki and Sie