The camp seemed silent, almost eerily so. Covina wrapped she shawl tighter around her slim frame and continued to stare towards the west. Her legs ached with the effort of standing still; she wanted nothing more than to run as fast as her legs could carry her. Two days had passed since Nadira set out and with every passing hour Covina became more anxious.

 

If they were not in the wetlands surrounded by these fool wetlanders she could have lain the wreath at his feet long since. Covina had spent her first morning after that glorious sunset scouring the land around the tents looking for any hint of  Segade blossoms and Morning drop. In frustration she had sent Nadira searching, fully expecting her to have to return almost to the Three Fold Land.

 

Three paces north, three south, then pause. Three paces north, three south, then pause. If a stare could make the sun rise in the west, Covina’s would have done so. Every time Covina paused her eyes glared at the horizon and a vexed sound escaped her lips. Two days and still no sign!! The gai’shan had long since given up trying to even speak with her, they now just huddled meekly in the shadows on the off chance she needed something. Three paces north, three south, then pause, three paces north, three south, then pause. A glimmer of movement off in the distance caught her eye, which meant Nadira had meant to be seen .The girl came running, a plain wool sack bouncing on her back.

 

With no warning or ado Covina snatched the sack and did something she had been aching to do for two days; she ran. Covina ran and she did not stop until she reached her tent. Ducking inside quickly she tied the flaps closed and set to work. Out of the spines of the segade plant she wove her wreath. Her callused hands, more used to a spear even after all these years,  wove deftly and with surprising skill. A few blossoms from the segade and a touch of morning drop. Submissiveness was not a trait Covina possessed a great store of, but she wanted Ghaul to know that she would give in where she could. She added only a single flower from the sweetroot plant and with a great sigh of relief she sat the wreath aside. The first rays of the sun already shone through the window and Covina knew she would have no time for sleep. She very much doubted she could have slept in any case, her stomach was too full of knots.

 

As a red gold hue cast a warm glow in her tent Covina rose and gathered the wreath in her hands. There was no hiding what she was about as she made her way towards Ghaul’s tent, and a few former Maiden’s shouted words of encouragement. She found her Clan Chief where she expected; alone and eating his morning meal. She stopped several paces off and studied the man who was to be her husband. Covina could not help but admire his broad shoulders and the cut of his jaw; Ghaul was as strong as the Three Fold Land and she would be a wife to match. With a straight back and a sense of purpose Covina lay the wreath at his feet.

 

The sun was fighting its way to break through the horizon as the tall figure garbed in shades and hues of brown and green flowed from atop one rock pillar to the next. Coren had found using these small boulders as part of his daily training regimen effective if not a little less exciting then climbing the rock face of his Hold back in the Three-Fold Land.  The pillars consisted of only a dozen or so rocks littering a hillside area near the tents, but it was enough to practice balancing drills. He also found it useful to run other Hama N’dore members through this area to keep up their daily training. As his soft leather boots landed on the hard packed dirt a cloud slowly passed over head and cast shade over the gathering of low tents that were the Aiel encampment. The man never stopped moving but noticed the shade pass over several gai’shain as they started their daily routines. As Coren moved his gaze was pulled away from the shade towards a runner coming from off the horizon towards the tents.

Coren adjusted his pace and route to take a wide arc around the tents, most would just be rising but he and several others had taken to rising earlier in the wetlands. His hide buckler and spears made no sound as he slipped past several white robed individuals, gai’shain running to collect water. It was still hard to imagine so much water was within reach at a seconds notice. He headed on towards breakfast awaited amongst the Hama N’dore tents and where his brothers would meet him. As Coren rounded a corner several other members of his society came into view, all were running in from their early morning training. He had pushed his Society brothers hard since coming over the Dragonwall, but his goal was only to keep their edge and protect their clan.

As Coren approached he greeted the men and laid his buckler and spears besides the entrance of his tents, ready and at hand if need be. His voice had a focused edge, not rude but direct. “It seems we shall see another day upon us.” The men around him nodded as they joined around the front of the tent and squatted down on their heels as Coren did so. “Who was the runner coming in from the east? I was by the balancing rocks and was unable to tell.” Coren’s gaze passed over his men as he took a drink of water and a meal of eggs and oatmeal was set out by the gai’shain. As one of the men answered his question Coren placed his plate down, “It was Nadira. She was carrying a good size sack as she came in to the Wise One’s tents.” A pause and then a rueful grin passed over several faces, “I saw her hand it over to Covina. Just before she took off running to her tent.”

Coren chuckled, “Well it looks like it will be a good day then.” A slight nod passed between them as he picked up his plate and scooped some eggs onto his flat bread. He stood so that he had an unobstructed view of Ghaul’s tent. He felt a sense of respect pass through him as he stood watching the tent. Ghaul had once been the Society Leader for Hama N”dore and was the man that had trained Coren as well as introduced him into the Society. He was a measure that Coren looked to as he now led the Society and Ghaul was now the Chief.

Coren felt a gentle breeze tug at his light brown and green candisor, as time passed with a surge of expectation. Several spear brothers had returned to their tents so only he and two others remained. Coren was not surprised when Covina emerged from the Wise One’s tents and preceded towards Ghaul’s tent. Coren felt happy for his old friend as Covina stopped in front of Ghaul’s tent, where the man was seated eating his morning meal. Coren relaxed a bit, for him that meant he was just a little less tense and spoke quietly, "It looks like we shall be having a great celebration soon."

 

Coren Vash

Society Leader

Hama N'dore

  Something was definatly bugging Covina, and today you're going to find out what it is. That was one of the first thoughts that came into the clan chief's mind this morning and what he was thinking of while eating breakfast. Seriously, something was bothering her. Ever since their dinner together, which ended with her in his arms, watching the sunset, she's been acting quite strange, and looking as if she's sleeping in a segade patch. She was walking up and down the Aiel camp, looking constaly eastwards. He knew that she had a temper, but this was like nothing he as ever seen. And every time he asked her what's wrong, she smiled at him, a genuine smile and assured him that everything was all right, that she had everything under control and he had nothing to worry about. Well if everything was alright and nothing was bugging her than Ghaul was the Treekiller himself.

 

  Having finished most of his meal, Ghaul reviewed the facts. First they were in love. Second, she was the Head Wise One, he was the Clan Chief. Third she was looking towards the East, towards the Dragonwall and the Three Fold Land beyond it. Well she could be ...

 

  His train of thought was interupted by someone entering his tent. Covina, and with a concerned look on her face. She was keeping something behind her back, and Ghaul was ready to guess what it was. The look of concern flashed for a moment into worry, then into determination that Ghaul knew well. Without saying a word, she laid before Ghaul what she had hidden behind her back. Well, she laid it at his feet, to be precice. It was a wreath, a wedding wreath. Ghaul's gaze turned to from Covina's  face to the wreath. The first he noticed was the segade - and quite some bit of it. This did not come as a surprise, Covina did indeed had a temper, and she wanted to keep it. Well that was fine with him, after all, Covina's temper was part of the charm she had that had conquered him. A voice on the inside declared that he was suprised that her wreath was not a segade bush, but Ghaul decided to leave that voice on the inside. Next he noticed the flowers of the sweet root. Well Covina certainly was as sweet as sweet root, and even sweeter at times. But the largest surprise of all was the presense of morning drop. True just one, but it was a morning drop none the less. Covina submissive?!? Ghaul has spent about half his life in battles, some of which extreamly fierce. But even in those battles he has met opponents who were more submissive than Covina !! Obviously, the former maiden now Head Wise One has many surpise up her algade sleeves.

 

  Ghaul stood up, without moving his eyes from the wreath. He stood still for less than a second, but it must've seen an eternity to Covina. Then he picked up the wreath in one hand, and held his other hand to Covina. There was a smile on his face.

 

  "Shall we, Shade of my Heart?"

 

  Ghaul

 

 

Looking forward with a harsh eye, Ismitta could see the form of the Wise One Corvina running towards Ghauls tent. A Bridal Wreath in hand. Physically wincing, she was probably one of the few that felt a little unsettled by this action. Why? The woman looked over to an equally stricken Maiden as the Wise One passed. The other Maiden showed no emotion -she rarely did outside the tents- as she then turned and walked away.

 

'Oh dear.. ' Ismitta thought as she watched for a moment at the retreating form of Talbitha. 'Ghaul is going to be in for a fair earful and a good dance before the night is through.' It was a sour thought. One that she had wished Talbs had seen coming. But she didn't. Poor nieve little Talbs.

 

Ismitta rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself as she leaned against the tent pole with a spear in hand. She always had a spear in hand. Or a cup of Oos'qui. Both made her happy as a man below her. Whichever fitted her fancy. Parting the flap to her tent, one shared with the other Maidens, Ismitta turned to inform everyone in the tent of the upcoming celebration without giving away her worry over her first-sister. Talbs would come around in her own time. She always did.

 

"OI! Dance and Oos'qui tonight! Ghauls treat!"

 

 

Ismitta

Far Daries Mai

Society Leader