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Post by Crystal on Dec 4, 2004 10:12:45 GMT -5
"Braendar," Ariena said quietly, "You could come with us, you know."
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Post by irishdragonlord on Dec 4, 2004 11:09:47 GMT -5
"Braendar," Ariena said quietly, "You could come with us, you know." "Come where?" he asked. He hadn't really heard a word she'd said when he was in his...reverie. But nonetheless - "It doesn't matter. I don't have much of a choice - I ranaway once, and now, with both the White Tower and the King of Shandalle going for me, I don't know what I could ever do." He shook his head sadly. Light, but he didn't want them to go - Light, he couldn't! What was he saying?! Why in the Pit of Doom had he gone after them in the first place? It wasn't on a whim. "Um... guys..." he began, trying to get out the words. Last time the wolves had asked - no told, no, commanded he go after them. But what could he do against a King and Aes Sedai? "I've been meaning to talk to you. Ever wonder why I went after you, how I knew you guys were in trouble?" This was his first chance to talk to them after they had been put in the infirmary. "It was the wolves. I can't leave you too - not only because I don't want to, but because... I can't. I don't know how to explain it - it's as if I'm... pulled... to you. But to Paendrag as well." He looked at them pleadingly. "At least stay here for awhile - we can at least work something out." He could also talk to the wolves and squeeze whatever small information he could out of them; particularly this Shadowhunter business. That had to mean something. "Please?" |
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Post by TK on Dec 4, 2004 17:37:13 GMT -5
It was shocking how quickly al'Taren had gone from his deluded self to being to sombre. "You can put this behind you, you know. There probably won't be anything remotely similar to wolves in the Aiel Waste or in Stedding Tsofu, save for the odd coyote, maybe. We'd all be much safer on that part of the world than here with the Aes Sedai."
At the final two words, a sudden memory arose in his head. Before losing consciousness... Gendowin. The Green. She had bonded him! But why could he not feel her through the bond like he could feel Ariena? He almost wished that memory had not suddenly risen from the cobwebs.
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Post by irishdragonlord on Dec 4, 2004 18:48:19 GMT -5
It was shocking how quickly al'Taren had gone from his deluded self to being to sombre. "You can put this behind you, you know. There probably won't be anything remotely similar to wolves in the Aiel Waste or in Stedding Tsofu, save for the odd coyote, maybe. We'd all be much safer on that part of the world than here with the Aes Sedai." At the final two words, a sudden memory arose in his head. Before losing consciousness... Gendowin. The Green. She had bonded him! But why could he not feel her through the bond like he could feel Ariena? He almost wished that memory had not suddenly risen from the cobwebs. Braendar balked. No wolves?! He shook his head as much as for a "no" as to clear it. He needed the wolves; he knew that. He could live with people, but completely seperated...? "Leun... I can't do that. I need the wolves. I mean... I can live with people, but... it's like asking me to go and abandon people." Which Leun was, in fact, but Braendar pushed on. "And there is that false dragon - I get the sick feeling he's another Yurian Stonebow." Light, but if that were even half true...! He shook his head again. "I can't leave the wolves, or you, or Paendrag." He didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. |
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Post by Crystal on Dec 4, 2004 23:42:55 GMT -5
Ariena frowned. Trapped.
They couldn't stay with the army. The Aes Sedai - not to mention that Leun was a man who could channel, and she was hunted by the White Tower. And by the Light, that Green! Gendowin! She had bonded him, hadn't she? And she was still living, from what Braendar said. I won't have her bonded to him! She tried to stifle the sudden, inexplicable wave of jealousy.
And Yuilon was gazing at her solemnly like he expected her to make up her mind quickly.
She supposed they could leave the boy behind, or make him choose. Still....
She glanced at Leun.
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Post by irishdragonlord on Dec 5, 2004 10:58:35 GMT -5
Braendar decided to end it now. "I'm not going." Which meant, ultimately, as far as he was concerned, they wouldn't either. Of course that was a blatant lie, because he couldn't leave them. But the question was... could they leave him? ((Think of it like this in case either of you are getting lost as to where I'm putting this: Change Leun to Rand and Braendar to Perrin. Rand could do whatever he wishes, but Perrin eventually had to go back to him, and had a heckuva time getting away in the first place. The whole ta'veren deal - and if my logic is screwed, please tell me XD EDIT: My logic was screwed  Think of there being two Rands, Hawkwing and Leun ^-^;;  ) |
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Post by TK on Dec 5, 2004 14:16:46 GMT -5
Leun drew breath. If there really was no way out of it... if al'Taren couldn't come to the Stedding, then it seemed like there was only one choice.
"You go then, Ariena. Go with the Ogier. Yuilon, I mean. You can go to Stedding Tsofu and be safe from the Aes Sedai. I'll stay here with al'Taren, and we'll be okay." Light, but this tore his heart out. He didn't want to part. If it was safest for them all, though, and if that's what it took...
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Post by irishdragonlord on Dec 5, 2004 14:39:29 GMT -5
Braendar didn't know if he felt relieved just yet.
He remembered what the wolves had said: if Black Cat goes, you follow; Shadowhunter, you run; both, you move as if on the Last Hunt.
Bloody wolves. For that matter, bloody false Dragon.
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Post by Crystal on Dec 5, 2004 22:37:07 GMT -5
Ariena's eyes widened. "No. I won't leave you, Leun. The Green is still here. You're still my Warder, the Light burn you! If you stay, I'll stay, too!"
She met his eyes. They locked and fought silently against each other for a moment that seemed like an eternity. Then Ariena dropped hers, chagrin and hopelessness streaking the veneer of Aes Sedai calm.
"Alright," she said tonelessly. "I suppose... I'll be seeing you then."
She hugged Braendar, but backed away from Leun. "Goodbye," she said sadly. "Lead the way, Yuilon."
Then the girl turned and walked off, following the silent Ogier.
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Post by TK on Dec 6, 2004 10:03:34 GMT -5
((After a LOT of deliberating between Crystal and I, some of it including such crazy things as heading along it Stedding Mardoon, we've come up with this. I hope you don't mind if I'm RPing Hawkwing, IDL ))Artur Paendrag Tanreall drummed his fingers against the arms of his throne, musing idly. He was alone with not even his wife to keep him company, his soldiers standing as statues, and Braendar off with whatever it was he was doing. He had seen slightly shaken by the news, but he had not stood up and disagreed, and that was for all the better. His thoughts turned to the Grey Aes Sedai who had entered his chambers mere moments before. An Aes Sedai advisor... he still wondered if he had made the best decision. The woman had left with surprisingly little tenacity. "Phillipe," he said in carrying tones, addressing a portly guard by the door. "I want you to enter the halls and see if there's an Aes Sedai outside. I wish to take her up on her offer." The guard nodded his head and left the throneroom. He had heard word of several Aes Sedai wandering his palace, as many as four, and it would not matter which was chosen. Drastic times called for drastic measures, and perhaps war was as drastic as to justify an Aes Sedai advising him.
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Post by Crystal on Dec 6, 2004 10:14:30 GMT -5
Ariena pulled a veneer of Aes Sedai calm about her. True, she was not yet full Aes Sedai, but she was the closest to it there was. The calm masked the boiling emotions threatening to spill over.
She was leaving. She had made her choice and Leun had made his own. Braendar probably had never had any choice in the first place.
So why did she feel so empty, like something had just been ripped from her very soul?
It couldn't be love. She barely knew the man. Deliberately, she touched their bond, instinctively blurring the connections until he would no longer know where she was. She could still point to him with amazing accuracy, but she doubted very much he could find her.
Ariena fingered her Golden Serpent ring on it's cord. In Stedding Tsofu she would be safe from Aes Sedai, safe from false Dragons, safe from whatever. Even if she chose to leave it.
A guard hustled down the hallways, heading towards her. She paid no attention, her face sunk in the cold, calculating mask and her thoughts elsewhere.
"Aes Sedai," he said respectfully to her. She blinked at him. With her hair undone from the braid she had tied it into when she'd posed as a bounty hunter, and the dress, she supposed she COULD pass for one.
"The king wants to see you."
"Go on without me," she told Yuilon calmly. The Ogier barely lifted an eyebrow. "Go on."
Then she strode off, following the guard.
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Post by Crystal on Dec 6, 2004 10:29:44 GMT -5
Artur Paendrag Tanreall felt almost preoccupied. Whe the Aes Sedai entered the room he tried to pull himself back together.
It was the bounty hunter.
The bounty hunter? But she was no Aes Sedai! Still, she stared up at him with the coolness of one, though the ageless look had not yet begun to touch her face.
"I asked for an Aes Sedai," he told Phillipe. "This girl is..."
The king paused, musing. She had said she'd failed one of the tests. More than likely she had not taken the Three Oaths, either. But he got the feeling that she was about as close to an Aes Sedai as he could get.
Any full Aes Sedai would play him to the White Tower's rules, but one who had no allegience to the White Tower... such a girl might make an intresting weapon, if he used her well. And one that would not make him a puppet king. Besides, there had been rumors among the guards of some kind of quarrel between the two other Aes Sedai, the Red and the Grey. Now the Grey - Sherique? - seemed to be some kind of puppet of the Red, and he didn't trust the latter one bit.
Daes Daemar was always complicated, but White Tower politics made it all seem like a child's toy.
"Ariena," he said musingly, "I wish to talk to you. In private."
There was a hint of surprise, but well-covered. Yes. She might still be able to pass off as Aes Sedai. The girl might come in handy after all.
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Ariena tried to hide her surprise as she was ushered into a small room.
Tanreall sat at his ease and gestured for her to do the same. She sat, warily, and stared at him, straight-backed.
"I want you to tell me the truth," he said bluntly. "How close exactly are you to Aes Sedai?"
"I was within a week of being raised," she heard herself replying. Clamping her jaws shut, she almost fainted in astonishment.
"Good." The man seemed pleased about that! "You see, I was thinking of taking an Aes Sedai advisor. One who wasn't... playing me like a puppet... or making me dance to White Tower strings."
"I couldn't advise you," she said bluntly.
"Neither could any of the others. They'd be too busy running my kingdom. Should I not take you, one of them would immediately become my advisor and before long I'm be nothing but another puppet on Tar Valon strings. Right now, however, I can just say I already have one. So, what do you say?"
Ariena meant with all her heart to say no. The fool man was using her as an excuse! A scapegoat! Blood and bloody ashes!
"Yes."
She wasn't sure who was the more startled, her or him.
Tanreall recovered quickly. "Good. In the meantime, do you have an Ajah?"
"Green."
"You will accompany me when we ride against the false Dragon, I'm afraid. I might need you." He rose and went back out. Ariena just followed along under her mask of calm, barely keeping herself from fainting in shock.
Light, what's the matter with me?
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Post by Crystal on Dec 6, 2004 11:05:18 GMT -5
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Post by Kiddo on Dec 6, 2004 11:20:10 GMT -5
GYEH!!! Keep the rating under R people! *cough*crystal*cough*
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Post by Crystal on Dec 6, 2004 11:27:15 GMT -5
GYEH!!! Keep the rating under R people! *cough*crystal*cough* ;___; I was hoping you wouldn't see it. Yes, oh mighty mod. |
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Think of there being two Rands, Hawkwing and Leun ^-^;;
)