Zbynek sighed to himself as he looked back at the road he had been walking on for days. It had been a long journey and as he licked his lips he could taste every inch of the road he had just walked. "Once I arrive, a bath is the first priority," Zbynek said to himself, cursing himself for losing his horse. That had happened in an ambush by bandits quite a few days ago and ever since that moment he had been remembering exactly why he hated walking. It was not so much that he hated the exercize, since he had been trained to walk and then walk some more...it was just so..tedious. It had taken him a few days to cover the ground he would've normally done in a day and he mourned the loss of time. "But then again, the bandits did prove a welcome diversion," he chuckled. They had ambushed him from a patch of forest next to the road, shooting his horse before he even saw them. They should've shot him when they had the chance, but they didn't and it would quite probably be the last mistake they had ever made. Zbynek could have killed them right away, but instead left them in a 20-foot hole in the ground they could never climb out of. He had also given them all quite a few cuts, figuring that the blood would make sure that wild animals found them and the bloodloss would weaken them enough not to escape those wild animals. It would be a nasty death and that thought alone had brightened Zbynek's moods for the past few days.

 

In the distance a wall appeared. So they had finally finished it. Zbynek let out a sigh. A shower, an ale, a bed and with some luck, a wench to warm that bed. He quickened his pace slightly as he headed towards his goal. He wondered if his friends were still around, or if they'd already succumbed to the madness. He looked to the sky and smiled grimly. It'd be a poor joke if he returned to his only home after such a long time to discover that he knew no one... Koras wasn't here, he knew that since they had lost each other near the Blight, and he himself had set a breathtaking pace towards the Black Tower. No way that Koras could've been faster. As Zbynek neared the gate, he checked his knives, making sure that he could reach them as quickly as he could. It never hurt to be on the safe side.Things might have changed and he had enough enemies that were actively seeking to kill him.

 

As he reached the gate he noticed an unfamiliar man in black standing guard in the shadows. Studying him, Zbynek noticed that he was a soldier wearing an unfriendly look. Apparently guard duty was still as unattractive as it had ever been. The guard stepped forward as Zbynek stopped next to the gate. "What is your business?" the guard said in an unfriendly voice full of arrogance. The hairs in Zbynek's neck rose slightly and he shot the Soldier a cold look. "My business is exactly that...my business," he said, still looking at the Soldier coldly and lifting a finger, letting a flame dance on it, he walked past the guard hoping to silence him. The guard grasped Saidin as he grabbed Zbynek's sleeve. Zbynek's glare stopped the guard's words in his mouth. "Don't touch me. Last warning." The guard held on and for a second, his life hung in the balance. Then Zbynek noticed a familiar face and called out to him.

Zbynek

Back

Fear me, if you dare!

"Stand down soldier, you can let him in." Covai called. Long time though it had been, Covai guessed Z was as hot-headed as ever. The fact the two men were already seizing Saidin was fair evidence of the fact.

 

"Not even inside the gate and already picking a fight, eh Zbynek?" Covai grinned as he waved the soldier to step back. The man was hesitant to release Saidin, but Covai doubted it would have done him much good anyways. Looking at the flame dancing from Zbynek's fingers, Covai shook his head. "Let it go. A lot's changed friend. Parlour tricks aren't what they used to be anymore."

 

Ignoring the snappy response he got, Covai was glad Zbynek didn't press the matter. Nodding for him to follow, Covai slowed his pace for a moment untill the two of them were walking together. Looking his old friend up and down, along with the dust that covered him and the less then happy attitude, Covai couldn't help but break the silence.

 

"So let me ask... was it the big brother or the father that finally caught up with you?" The edges of Covai's lip curved slightly into a smile as he tilted his head questioningly. It wasn't exactly the same as saying welcome home, but it was as close as it was going to get.

 

 

 

(OOC: Welcome back mate ;))

OOC: Ooooh this'll tick james off...he so wanted to be the first to kiss my shoes again...

 

IC:

Parlour tricks. Zbynek chuckled softly as he was ushered inside the Black Tower by Covai. Looked like the fellow had done well for himself and climbed a bit in the chain of command. Eyeing Covai up and down he said softly: "Parlour tricks used to impress you as well and they've served me well over time. Or perhaps not, thinking of what path they led me down. Yet even so, when did idiocy become a common trait in the Black Tower?" Zbynek made a point of the guard overhearing that last comment, feeling satisfaction as he saw the guard's eyes widen in anger. Unfortunately, Covai ignored the comment, so he saw no other way to goad the guard any further and let it be.

 

"So let me ask... was it the big brother or the father that finally caught up with you?" Covai said while trying not to crack a smile. Zbynek grimaced at the question, letting his eyes scan his surroundings. "Let's just say it was the family. More then that I won't say. Not here at least, and preferably not anywhere." The assasin had come out of nowhere and Zbynek had only had time to kill him with the power. So he had been forced to make himself disappear as fast as he could, since eliminating the entire town guard was a bit too grisly, even for his standards. Besides, that might've brought an army to the Black Tower's doorstep, screaming for his head. No, this had been easier. If more tiring and dusty.

 

Shaking the memory, Zbynek's eyes focused on Covai. "You've risen in the ranks, I see. I hope you had to kill a lot of people, including friends, for it. You always were a bit weak in the knees and that wasn't a lesson I could teach you. But it seems you've learned enough, from whatever source. Fill me in. Who came, who died and what side I need to be on if I'm to survive this fun little place called Dumai Wells?" Zbynek studied Covai intently, wondering how much had changed and if his friends were still that, friends.

Zbynek

OOC: YEah...well...I figured I'd call it hell, but since that doesn't exist here, just thought I'd call it Dumai :P If it sounds too strange, ignore it :P

OOC: He still can be the first to kiss your shoes. First and only :P

 

IC: "Lots of folks have come and gone, depending on where you look. I'm only recently back myself. A couple of months at most." Covai raised the sleeve of his Asha'man robe, ignoring the comments about how many men he had killed. "Used to wear lightning bolts on these before I came back too." Covai added, hinting at his previous status of Storm Leader. "But I'll fill you in on the over a drink" Covai let his arm drop as he steered their direction towards the inn.

 

"Deaths, well no more than usual during training. We lost a few at Dumani Wells, but no more than you could count on one hand. The Traitor's Tree is also destroyed." Covai waved his hand to where the tree ones stood. With all the new buildings that had arisen, there was very little left the way it was when Koras and Zbynek has brought him back years ago. "But again, that can wait until we have a cold drink in front of us."

 

Sidestepping some children playing along the side of the street, Covai ignored the mocking look from Zbynek. "Relax. There's a lot more of these around than there used to be. It seems almost like every other man brought to the Tower has a family along in tow. Just deal with it. You'll start to find it a nice change of pace." Covai wasn't completely sure his friend would agree, but that didn't matter. Covai was just glad there was some form of innocene left to be seen in the world, even here.

 

"Oh yeah.." Covai paused for a moment in his talk. "You've probably heard all about the Dragon's proclamation and the Amnesty? That mean's were offically the Black Tower now, and don't have quite so much to worry about from those Aes Sedai any more. There are still incidents where they try to press their authority, but with the Dragon offically backing us, and the result of Dumani Wells, we've got them on the back foot so to speak."

 

Nudging the door of the inn open as they arrived, Covai asked one of the serving girls to bring them two ales and some food. "I'm guessing you're hungry?" Covai asked Zybnek as the girl left. Leading Zbynek through the common room through a side door, Covai walked through to the door of his quarters, unravelling the ward over the door. Whistling for Zbynek to follow him instead of checking out the serving girls, Covai kicked the spare chair around for his friend to sit.

 

Taking the food and ale with thanks, Covai set his drink on the desk and took a bite out of the fresh bread roll. "Oh, by the way. When I said the Dragon earlier, I was refering to Jarron, not Dramon. Its been a long time since the old days, and a lot that shouldn't have happened in our lifetimes has happened over the last year or two." Finishing his mouthful, Covai washed it down with the ale from the desk.

 

"So tell me, where should I start? Dumani Wells? Dramon's incapacitation? The Battle for the Stone of Tear? My time with the Wolfkin? The fact that Maiden's Kiss is one game I doubt even you would want to play with the Aiel?" Covai's mouth curved into a grin at the last as he placed a slice of meat and cheese on the bread before taking a bite as he waited for Zbynek's reply.

The inn was only moderately busy this time of day. Andar was eating a late lunch, something he was doing more often while Niamh was away in Caemlyn with the twins. There were a few others here but no one he knew well so he was eating alone, hi didn't mind, he found that he was quite distant from most members of the Tower. While it wasn't something he encouraged, it didn't really bother him either. Some of his past roles at the tower, made him something of a figure to be feared, At least by those who remembered.

 

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and a stream of light natural light flooded into the common room. He looked up and smiled when he saw that it was Covai. Another man followed after him, and Andar's smile left his face as he forgot about the greeting he was about to yell. It was a man he had hoped never to see again, a man he had hoped was dead.

 

He took a long swallow of his ale as the two men walked into the room, they glanced over at him. Covai flashed him a distracted smile and then spoke quickly to a serving girl. The other man, Zbynek didn't react to him. Whether he didn't recognize him or just chose to ignore him Andar didn't know.

 

Zbyn was a former runaway, a liar and a murderer. Once, in what almost seemed like another lifetime Andar had tracked him, and his friend Koras down and forced them to return to the farm to face trial. They had not been found as darkfriends, and he had not had enough proof to have them executed for murder, but he knew. After their long absence he had hoped they were dead. Zbynek obviously wasn't.

 

Covai and the returned asha'man left the common room and headed to the private quarters. Andar had hoped that Covai had matured enough to realize that Zbynek was not a good man but obviously that was not true. They had been chatting like old friends.

 

He finished his lunch, drained his tankard of ale and left, He had to find his notes of the hunt and trial. He wasn't sure how much Dalinar knew of those events and he wanted to be sure that the M'Hael knew what sort of man had returned. Maybe Zbynek had changed, who knew, but until that was proved Andar would watch him. He was a strong personality and many of the younger asha'man would be drawn to him he was sure.

 

Life at the farm had just become much more interesting.

 

OOC: Just thought I'd jump in a little and try to make my presence felt a little more. Zbyn, Covai, you can make of this what you will. IC'ly of course Andar is not a big fan of Zbyn and I just thought it may make your return a little more interesting. Welcome back too man. Nice to see another oldbie returning.

 

Andar

Asha'man

Zbynek followed Covai to the tavern, drinking in details as they went. Children! In the Black Tower. Hardly practical and, less important, not all that safe for them as well. Accidents apparently still happened. But then again... Children weren't safe anywhere, it would seem and at least they were close to their father here. A father who could actually protect...until the madness got him. But children weren't the only change to the Farm. Buildings had appeared and..well...Zbynek didn't even want to think about how many men were there.

 

As they moved into the tavern Zbynek grimaced over the amnesty. "If you ask me, Aes Sedai are still not to be trusted. They will serve the good of the world as they see fit and frankly, I don't think a couple of hundred men channeling fit into their plans. I mean, they have been after power for the last couple of hundred years, and old habits are hard to break. And I should know, I have a few." Zbynek smiled slightly at his own joke and scanned the tavern quickly. He noticed Andar almost immediately but pretended not to recognize him. There were hard feelings between them, not all undeserved. Apparently Andar couldn't stomach some of the methods he used. "Ah well, who can blame him...They are a bit.." Zbynek stopped mumbling to himself as he noticed the serving girl passing him by. Covai's whistle just stopped him from going the wrong....or right....way and he slipped into Covai's quarters.

 

There he grabbed the chair and let himself fall upon it, draining the ale. "Dumai wells? From what I heard, a bloody waste of lives. And Tear? Well, it has fallen..so why waste breath on it. But tell me about Dramon...and more importantly...when did you learn to talk to girls?" Looking at his tankard he smiled slightly. "I'll get a new one first. I'm...thirsty." And before Covai could stop him he was gone, back to the serving girl. "Hi, can I get a new one...err..two and at what time are you free from work?" She brought him two tankards of beer without saying a word and smiled mysteriouly. Zbynek chuckled, shot Andar an innocent look and joined Covai again. "Well, tell your stories.. I've been away too long, it seems."

Z

OOC: sorry, had a quick holiday :P Andar, nice to see you.. RP, you, me, soon? Need to discuss that though :P Post OOC or PM me or whatever :)

"Start with Dramon eh?" Covai ran a hand through his hair and let out at slow breath. "Well now that's going back a while know. I happened to actually be outside the tower when that occured, and it seems to be just as well that I was." Covai nodded at Zybnek's raised eyebrow. "Long story, long excuses from all in questions, and basically we messed up big time."

 

"But to cut that all short, Dramon as incapacitated like I said. An errant rock flying from the training grounds connected with the side of his head and knocked him out into a coma. Or at least that's what people have been told. Dalinar and Sheckid both worked on his healing, but there wasn't much to be done.." Covai paused slightly to take another bite of food. "The thing that gets me though is that it all sounds a little suss. But skipping ahead a little, Dramon isn't the Dragon, nor was he ever. He just happened to be another male channeler like the rest of us." Covai shrugged at Zybnek's look. Either the man had already known that for a while, or it wouldn't come as much of a surprise. "You can try talking to Andar or someone if you want to know more." Covai grinned as he made the comment. Z talking to Andar wouldn't exactly be a warm conversation.

 

Leaning back against the wall, Covai took another breath as he continued. "Again, a lot's happened over the last few years that we never should have had to witness, or have occur in our lifetime, so stop me if I ramble or miss something." Covai grinned. "As for me learning to talk to girls, I dunno. Probably shortly after fighting along side Aiel at the Stone of Tear. I have to say, despite what happen, and the proclamation of the True Dragon Reborn, it was nice to finally reveal our existance without immediately having to think about leaving down or silencing witnesses."

 

"And as you can see, becoming public has made recruiting new members easier than ever. No more relying on chance, or foolish folk accidently setting things on fire trying to keep warm by a river bank." Covai smiled at the reference to when the two men had first met. Of course, Koras had been around back then as well, but he had dissappeared around the same time as Zybnek, and Covai hadn't heard from him in a long time either.

 

"Anyways, back to summing up the last few years." Covai raised his arm, showing off the lightning adorned the sleeves of his Asha'man robe, indicating his rank of Storm Leader. "I got these a while back, so people actually listen to what I say now. And if they don't, well get to play 'who can blow up the other person first' and see who wins."

 

"We've also got Asha'man over with the Band of the Red Hand, and keep in touch with the wolfkin from time to time. There's been the odd little skirmish with Aes Sedai in the cities from time to time... like you said old habits die hard and they still seem to think of most of as no better than little boys playing with fire. Fortunately, or not as your option may be...the threat of the Dragon Reborn wiping them off the face of the earth seems to keep most of them in check"

 

Stopping for breath, Covai took a swig from his ale mug at let his words sink in before continuing. "So have I missed anything, or did you want to go for a tour of the old farm grounds?"

Zbynek quietly listened as Covai told him how Dramon had met his doom. He had already known of the Dragon, the real one this time, proclaiming himself and the amnesty and had taken them in stride. It took a lot of fun out of the whole skulking around in black outfits business and a black coat made a few more girls flinch then they had before, but those were things he could live with. He smiled slightly as Covai told of the first triumph of the Black Tower. Apparently, impossible is nothing. But he had known that already, from his recruiting runs. I can't channel, that's impossible. How many times he had heard that one...he chuckled and Covai shot him a wary look. "I'm sorry, remininishing of better days," Zbynek said, quickly linking his chuckle to a part in Covai's story.

 

"New members indeed. And perhaps even more arrogant then I was in my better days. What of the risk?" Zbynek phrased his question openly, probing for an answer either about training losses, informants, darkfriends or just plain madness. "I mean, being able to spare enough men to watch the Band and the Wolfkin is a good thing, but for all you know you could be raising the new generation of Darkfriend channelers or be laying the foundations for a new Breaking." Zbynek noticed the cloud of worry on Covai's face, to be replaced almost immediately by a small smile. He must be deeply troubled to show something of it. However, Zbynek chose to ignore it for now. Covai would talk when he would talk..or he'd stay silent. Trust was hard-earned in this place "Well, be that as it may, but this black guy has traveled to long to think to deeply, so give me the grand tour. And I'll know if you skip the juicy parts." Zbynek followed Covai as they left his room again, listening with one ear as Covai told him the new outlay of the farm. At the same time, however, he counted Asha'man, Dedicated and Soldiers as he saw them. He was interested in how big it had become exactly.

Zbynek

OOC: Meeh..