The usually orderly Sandre Kaldun was shoving clothes into his saddle bags and mumbling under his breath. He had been assigned as an escort for an Aes Sedai... a Green even. Old feelings he thought long gone had resurfaced as soon as he found out. Unfortunately he was one of the few young Tower Guards who was not socially inept. Should he have to deal with high society his noble upbringing would serve the Aes Sedai well. His knowledge of the Game of Houses would also. Should he have to deal with the streets then he also had spent time as a peasant for all intents and purposes and so would blend there as well. Even he would have chose himself for this he mused. Didnt mean he had to like it though.

 

Holding up his uniform and some clothes made for durability he wondered how discreet the Aes Sedai wanted him to be. He packed the uniform though he was not sure it was needed. Throwing his saddle bags over the plated shoulder of his armor he strode out the door to where his horse waited. Heart had been with him when he came and since the horse had been made a stud. He didnt use the barding the animal had. It could have easily handled it and the saddle bags but the length of the trip called for extra supplies. He had heard that this Aes Sedai had lost a Warder, well... that made him nervous. He wondered if he would have to be extra vigilant and ready to pull them both out of any bad situations. He had seen Aes Sedai mourn Warders before, they may as well not have been there.

 

He was dressed nicely but not like a noble. His clothes chosen more so he could move and stay cool rather than appearance though they were still not bad looking. He himself was trying to look his best. Edana had said that he turned heads though of all the things his eyes caught he never noticed that. Not would he have believed it if he did.

 

Waiting by the gates as he was instructed it would be his first time leaving Tar Valon since coming here. All the way to Arad Doman. He hoped that whatever he was getting involved in would go quickly and peacefully.

 

OOC I figured they could meet at the gates and then we could move on to the road lol. I hope thats ok?

Rasheta stared at the orders for her to leave the tower and return to Arad Doman in disgust. A Green sister was there and it had been many months since she had gotten in touch with the tower, for this reason Rasheta was being sent, with an escort, to find the woman. Rasheta had no wish to return to her homeland and there were other sisters from there so why was SHE being sent. She crumpled the paper and threw it in the corner of her sitting room. She marched into her bedroom and changed into a riding dress and then styled her hair in her three braids with her bangs hanging over her forehead.

 

Once that was done she began to pack what she would need. It wasn't much as she could clean herself up if she needed to by the use of the power she also had enough money provided by the White Tower that if she did need new clothes she wouldn't have trouble getting them. She was ready then and grabbing her shawl she left her room and just now wondered what the "escort" would be like. She hoped he wasn't going to think she was anything like most of the Green sisters, they had a reputation for being flirts and man chasers but Rasheta hadn't done any flirting or chasing for some time now. She shook her head and went to the stables and got her horse and then went to the gate. She eyed the men there and was told which one was the young escort for her. She went to the young man and looked him over from head to foot. He was handsome enough she just wondered how good of an escort he would be. She spoke then in her cool voice.

 

"My name is Rasheta. Are you ready young man?" She could hear the other Tower guards whispering about the young mans misfortune to be escorting the one Green who should have been anything but. She sighed inwardly and now just wished to get this over with.

 

OOC: I hope this is okay. I'm kind of tired and not been feeling well. If I need to change anything just let me know :) BTW my character looks like my avatar she's also in most of my siggys *laughs*

Sandre heard the whispers as the Aes Sedai approached before he saw the Aes Sedai. "Of all the Greens hes stuck with the one who should have been a white." and "I hope he was bedded before hand."

 

Sandre turned his horse towards the men and worse for them turned his gaze on them. Someone spoke behind him but it didnt even register. His attention was on the guards. "You will both hold your tongue or you will both have to wear a dress and seek the Amyrlin's sanctuary from me." The smiles quickly left. He was not threatening them. He always kept his word. Remembering that it was a woman who had been seeking to gain his attention he realized this was not the way he wanted to meet her. He began to turn his horse but shot one more sharp look at the Guards. How disrespectful of a Guard.

 

Ashamed of his bad entrance with her he slowly brought his gaze up and met her with a strong look in his eyes.

 

She was beautiful. It was not going to be easy to be with someone who was both attractive and his commander. He would be doing extra scouting for this assignment. As he turned he realized that if Edana was right about him being able to turn a head, he might have been chosen to give the impression he was a pretty... a tool for all purposes... he couldnt have been more disgusted with himself.

 

"Yes Aes Sedai I am ready."

 

***

 

The road was long and the scouting was really all he had to look forward to. His Aes Sedai companion had not spoken a word since they left the gates days ago. Never asked what he found. He never had to tell her when to deviate from the road, she knew all the signs. It didnt take long for them to settle into a comfortable routine. It became obvious that she was in mourning. He had intended to be as defiant as possible yet found himself feeling sorry for her. He let her unsaddle her own horse and things though he took care of the cooking. He remembered how much it felt better to distract yourself from painful memories and when he saw her doing the work that no doubt any other Tower Guard would be doing for her he would subconsciously touch the scar across his ribs that had almost killed him while trying to forget his own painful memories.

 

He found signs of banditry after awhile and they had to take longer paths more often, sometimes deviating for days around something that should have took hours to cross. He thought she probably thought him an incompetent tracker but that changed when she saw a burned wagon pushed to the side of the road he believed. He still felt as though he wasnt doing enough.

 

One day while riding he saw a perfect ambush sight. Rasheta was not looking in that direction so to let her know to stop he lightly brushed his fingers on her arm. It was a movement only a lover would do and her stunned look made him smile but was perfect. Had he grabbed her arm she may have said something which would have gave away their position. He walked into the bushes and in a few minutes out again with his weapon lightly blooded.

 

"I apologize Rasheta Sedai. We are going to have to deviate again. I will tie the bodies to their horses and send them the direction we came from. It will buy us time. I will need a few minutes though."

 

He walked back towards the bushes. He hoped she did not notice his shaking hands. He had never killed before, and strangely, he felt guilty that likely the last one to touch her like that was her former Warder, and he had just taken that from her.

 

OOC I hope this wasnt too much lol. I felt he had to prove himself effective first

On the way to Arad Doman she could tell the young man, his name he had told her was Sandre, had sometimes wanted to say something or ask about her past. He never did find the courage to however, and they fell into a kind of pattern he made the dinner and she set wards around the camp to make sure they were alright through the night. She sometimes could almost wake up and think she was still with her warder, then she would realize that she wasn't and she would sigh and her eyes would harden and they would spend the day speaking little.

 

One day, she was riding along lost in her thoughts when suddenly Sandre brushed his fingers lightly over her arm. She jumped and looked at him startled. He gave her a smile and then rode off the road. She dismounted and took the reigns of his horse as well as hers. She looked around wondering what exactly was going on and why had he used a light brush of his hand to get her attention rather then saying something and or simply grabbing her arm. She realized moments later that she had been to lost in her thoughts to notice something he had. Sandre had blood on his sword as he spoke to her.

 

"I apologize Rasheta Sedai. We are going to have to deviate again. I will tie the bodies to their horses and send them the direction we came from. It will buy us time. I will need a few minutes though."

 

Rasheta stared at where he disappeared into the bushes for a long moment before the whole situation struck her as funny. She a Green sister was reduced to simply watching the road while the young Tower Guard went and did what was needed. Her other Greens would probably find this as amusing as she did. She glanced up and down the road and then mounted her horse again embracing the source and wove an Air shield just in case. She waited till Sandre was mounted and they were moving down the road again before she smiled at him in a very genuine fashion and then laughed.

 

"Sandre," She used his name for what must have been only the second time on the trip. "I have to thank you for going and clearing the way of the bandits." She gave Sandre a once over and then guided her horse closer to him and touched his face delving him quickly. "You are not hurt." She nodded to herself. "I am glad." She paused and then gave him another small smile adding in her soft sweet voice. "I think Sandre that I am going to like you. I do not think that we should continue in near silence. You are my escort and I should know something about you. Why did you come to the tower? I will answer things about myself as well you should know something of the Aes Sedai you are escorting." She paused again and then remembered that she was considered scary because of her emotionless nature so she added. "Do not be afraid of me I am not totally emotionless. I will tell you that story later maybe. For now tell me something of yourself."

 

 

 

Sandre nodded. It was nice to see her smile. "Very well... I am the second son of House Kaldun in Andor. We are a mixed blood house that came from Shienar because we needed access to a better trade location to continue supplying our house in Shienar for their battles on the Borderlands. I was a Stones champion in the Queens tournament since the age of seven. So my father decided I should be trained as a General. The males of my family have a unique gift of memory so I advanced quickly... one day while listening in on a conference of Borderland commanders in Saldea I met a woman whom I became interested in. I spent days with her and was smitten by her. I beat her in Stones over and over again so when she made the wager that should I win the game we were on she would... well she implied she would give herself to me... should I lose I come to serve her country... well she had no intention of losing. Just a little skin shown as she leaned over the stones board and my fourteen year old mind didnt even care about the game. I lost so I honored the agreement... she was a green like you she told me."

 

Sandre's eyes took on that glaze of deep thought for a moment before he continued.

 

"My father was furious...and I... I felt like I had let him down... like my future as some great Commander had been stolen. I had anger problems... I abandoned my house and didnt speak to my father for seven years. " He turned his head to look Rasheta in the eyes. "I miss those days growing up sometimes, though at the time I hated it. Learning strategy, the Game of Houses, trading and just basic academics... things were simpler you know?"

 

Scanning around again to make sure that he wasnt the one missing something this time he continued.

 

"So tell me. How did you end up in the Tower?" He paused a moment and took on a rogueish grin "And tell me why do you think they paired the two of us up?"

Rasheta laughed at his description of the Green sister who had beaten him at Stones. Some of her Green sisters were more flirtatious then others. Some simply used a little flash of skin to get what they wanted. In Sandre's case the flash of skin and a promise of more was all that was needed for the sister to get what she wanted. She could sympathize with the need for simpler times. She said so and then

"So tell me. How did you end up in the Tower?" He paused a moment and took on a roguish grin "And tell me why do you think they paired the two of us up?"

 

Rasheta laughed again, but quickly took a more serious tone and started with the second question.

 

"I do not know maybe they thought you had a chance of healing some of my old wounds. I have been without the company of any of the Warders for many years now. I had only been a sister a short time before the death of my warder in the Borderlands. I know you are not yet a Warder but someday you will be Gaidin I'm sure. No Green could let someone as handsome as you get away." She gave him a wink and then turned serious again and answered the first question.

 

"My tale is a rather long one in a few hours we will be at an inn perhaps I should tell it there rather then on the road." She left off speaking of anything of consequence till they had gotten to the small village and settled in a small private room she had requested a meal had been given them and she came back to his question.

 

"I came to the tower because I could learn to channel and no woman who has the talent can be left untrained. Before that I was a merchants daughter and I was very wild, I suppose you could say I had a bit of the Green Ajah's spark when I was younger as well as now." she shrugged her shoulders and took a drink of the mug of ale that had been left for her. "I was a good child however, I used to smile more I was close to my father however and when he died I did not know what to do. I was so sad i lost my voice for a year. I was fourteen when the sisters found me and took me to the white tower. I learned quickly that to appear humble and smile a lot got me more kindness and I was sent to see the Mistress of novices much less then the other girls. When I was taken to the Accepted test I saw things within that molded me a bit more into the person I am today. I learned I had to become harder if I wanted to have people think of me as anything. I could not simply be smiles and laughter. So I changed, I don't think I smiled till the day I met Adrian my old warder." She smiled again thinking of it. "We actually got into a fight the first time I met him. I have a bit of a temper sometimes." She laughed and continued "I ended up using the power to knock him to the ground and hold him there." She laughed again "In the end we bonded and he worked hard to make sure I smiled more and laughed. When he wasn't around I was as emotionless as any White. I have only met two other men that have given me a smile and a laugh. You and a young man who ran into me in the gardens by the name of Visar." She shook her head. "It is an odd feeling to be smiling and laughing again. Even if only for a small while." She took another drink and continued. "I didn't want to but Adrian insisted that we go and see his country. The Borderlands are very lovely in a strange way. I spent two years fighting with him in the Blight and along the border. He was killed by a Trolloc there."

 

Her voice turned very quiet and sad. "I almost died myself, the presence of another sister saved my life. She took me back to the tower, I remember little of the return trip and when I returned to the tower I remember even less till some years ago when our Ajah head came to me and while I remember little of what was sad. I remember that after I became as I am now. I can function within the Ajah and I speak little to those without it and almost never venture far from the tower." She sighed. "I think if I watched someone else die I would kill myself." She realized that she had been speaking for some time and Sandre was probably bored. She shook herself and tried to lighten the mood.

 

"I am sorry I talked for to long. That was a much longer answer then I think you were expecting." She could hear the sound of music playing from the common room. "If you wish go on down to the common room. Enjoy yourself for the night." She gave him a wink and added "I'm sure one of the barmaids can keep your attention for the night." 

Sandre relaxed and enjoyed Rasheta's laughter. He didnt know the Aes Sedai could be so light hearted. Usually they were too composed. When she mentioned him being a Gaidan he shook his head. He would explain THAT at the Inn himself.

 

He listened to the tale of Rasheta's life quietly. She was full of life despite her pains. When she finished she added. "If you wish go on down to the common room. Enjoy yourself for the night." She gave him a wink and added "I'm sure one of the barmaids can keep your attention for the night."

 

He shook his head. "Well to continue the conversation on the way over here I am not sure I could be a warder. I have seen too much pride among some of your sisters. Perhaps not your Ajah but still... I wont die for another's pride. Any Aes Sedai who wanted me would have to realize she wasnt getting a tamed wolf but rather a wild Lion. A Lion will watch quietly and live with sense but I dare someone to try and force it to do their will." With a smile he added. "They would need a Gray just to negotiate the oaths."

 

"As for your smile, you should smile more. Visar on the other hand, is a friend of mine. I think I nearly scared him to death the day I met him."

 

His smile never left his lips as he continued "No I am not bored Rasheta Sedai. The Game of Houses was bread and butter for me growing up so your gestures can betray you. I have no interest in a Tavern Maid if its all the same I would rather stay here with you." He put down his glass of wine only half full. He had to be careful in case he was needed.

 

"I will give you time for your bath if you wish it though. However I will be back up to check on you every fifteen minutes done or not... sorry, Im a little nervous still after those bandits today. I dont see a servants quarters attached to this room so you will need to decide if I need to reserve a separate room or if I can just stay in here on this chair since it will make it easier to cover your door and windows at night that way. My most immediate question though is... have you kept up on your forms?" He said it with a grin but not in a challenging way. "Master Kynwric beat me in a duel. That wont do for me. So I have to train every day to beat him one day. If your rusty perhaps helping you get back into the swing of things will help me find my own flaws, if your not then perhaps I could further your training which would help me see the forms done in another perspective."

 

He waited for her answer as he took a lathe he had leaning against a wall with the rest of his items.

 

When she nodded her assent he cleared out a small area in the small room. "Stand... I am going to give you a crash course back to competence." He said with a joking voice and smile.

 

When she stood he took out several lengths of cloth and stepped behind her. "Theres... a little physical contact involved."

 

He tied his ankles to hers with his legs outside of hers and tide them at the waist and the wrists. She was small in his massive frame and it seemed a disaster at first. He had to compensate for her small stature while still correcting her movements as they started the forms with his hand covering the hand she had the lathe on. He corrected her foot work and stances with his knees and hips and feet and her movements with her arm and would tell her when she needed to keep her head down. She seemed finally to get it and he finally learned how to move with her.

 

"Ok last thing... relax a little... and you will do fine." Soon they were moving in unison with only small corrections made by Sandre. Their breathing became in tune and heart beat until there was no way to tell one from the other. When it was clear she got it Sandre called out towards the door. "Mister Herrig if you are out there we are ready!" In walked a man with a bit of a bulk but one whom carried a lathe competently. He wasnt sure how Rasheta would take having another man see them tied together like this but Sandre ignored it. "We are ready to begin Mister Herrig." Herrig then lifted his lathe and Sandre whispered to Rasheta "Lift your lathe... he is serious."

 

Rasheta complied and the dance of lathes began. Again Sandre and her were not in unison but Sandre compensated enough in correcting her that she obviously began to figure out what to do against this opponent who had more recent experience than her. Soon she was pushing Sandre for more speed and he happily obliged. He though he even saw her smile. Herrig did not last much longer. Sandre used the tip of the lathe to point to a small coin purse on the top of his bags which Herrig took and smiled at the contents.

 

Suddenly conscious of being tide to her and how... personal the training was Sandre began to fumble with the knots at the ties at their wrists his hands shaking slightly and making it difficult. When he finally got them all he stepped back hitting his head on the bed post and just stood there.

 

 

Rasheta was a little amused that he knew Visar and she was fairly sure that she had also scared Visar half to death on there first meeting. After he had found out she was Aes Sedai he had a slightly harder time meeting her eyes and speaking to her then before. She was a little surprised that Sandre wished to stay with her, it was odd she thought she knew men very well and yet he had opted not to go and dance with the women already in the common room and rather stay with her. In a second she understood why he was going to stay with her.

 

"My most immediate question though is... have you kept up on your forms?" He said it with a grin but not in a challenging way. "Master Kynwric beat me in a duel. That wont do for me. So I have to train every day to beat him one day. If your rusty perhaps helping you get back into the swing of things will help me find my own flaws, if your not then perhaps I could further your training which would help me see the forms done in another perspective."

 

Rasheta was very rusty she had not been on the training grounds in a very long time. She nodded her head though in agreement of relearning the forms. He told her to stand and then tied there ankles to each other and there wrists together. She was a little disconcerted for a moment as she couldn't remember doing that at first but she let herself be taught.

 

It was hard for her to get the moves to work the way they were supossed to. She tended to trip herself up a lot which would force Sandre to catch her and then correct her stances. She felt like her arm and feet were going to fall off after awhile but she couldn't let him know that. After awhile they seemed to move a bit better and he stopped to call to someone who had been clearly waiting for the command to enter. Rasheta was a little annoyed that someone had possibly been standing at the door listening to her tale of her life. She shared such things with only a few people. She glared at Sandre for a moment and when he told her the other was serious with the lathe she tried to find the place in her mind where she could connect to Sandre again and work through the forms again. It was difficult but she finally managed to push her thoughts away from her annoyance and focus. After that it seemed they did better. She would have to take up her lessons in the yards again when she returned to the tower. She was breathing a bit harder then usual when the lesson was done and the other man, a master Herrig, was given some coins and left. Sandre started to undo the knots but he appeared to be having trouble. When he got done he seemed to want nothing more then to get away from her. She hadn't been that terrible had she? She couldn't remember she had been focused on what she was doing. Her annoyance with the inclusion of someone else who could possibly have been eavesdropping on her as well as her annoyance with herself for not warding against such made her cooler then she should have otherwise been.

 

"Thank you for the lesson I has been some time since I have done any training. I think I have a need for some amusement in the common room after which I will go to bed. You may do whatever you like." She turned to the door and swept out of the room ignoring Sandre completely.

 

 

Sandre was more than a little confused by Rasheta's quick exit. Master Herrig's timing was perfect and for that he was thankful. Since she was gone he found the opportunity to walk the floors of the room getting to know what parts squeaked when you stepped on them in case someone tried to sneak in. They were in better shape than the more traveled hallway whos squeaks would tell him exactly where someone was, much like it did Master Herrig. Satisfied he knew the room he glanced out the windows for any obvious points where a crossbow in a roof top could be a problem, then checked the quality of the doors and locks, shaking the handle so he would know its sound and picking it so he would know how to get in should an intruder lock him out. When all was done he went out the back door down by the stables. There was a small smithy there and a man hard at work making shoes for a merchant train of horses.

 

"Do you mind if I work with you to blow off some steam?" The man nodded towards a anvil and Sandre removed the top half of his clothes. The windows face this stable and smithy so from here he could still secure the windows while he worked. Lost in the movements of shaping, heating, and quenching he longed to be home. When the shoeing was done the smith told him he could keep working if he wanted but he was leaving for the day. Sandre nodded and went back to the room to retrieve a small bag. Stepping back out to the forge he began smelting gold marks and creating flat strips of gold. With hammer and chisel he shaped them and bended them with tongs. Engraved the patterns he wanted on them then bound them with steel and a pin in a way that the steel and pin could not be seen. In the center he set a round ruby. It wasnt the most high quality on one side but that side would be concealed. Polishing it all up one final time he looked at his prize, a golden rose brooch in full bloom with a ruby center. It was heavier, meant to pin on a cloak. It would sell for much, but Sandre, only in his foulest of moods ever made jewelry to sell.

 

As he wiped off his body and the last of the unused gold was smelting into an ingot the windows to Rasheta's room went dark and the curtains closed. He looked up at the windows and frowned that she closed the heavy curtains but not the shutters. Both would stop a bolt from any of the roof tops nearby but not one of them by itself. Replacing everything back to its proper place and the brooch and gold in the bag he tied the bag to his belt and carried his clothes in his left hand. He avoided the weak spots in the hallway and so was able to move through the hallway as quiet as a ghost. He picked the lock in no time at all since he knew it already and went to close the shutters on the windows. He avoided looking at Rasheta, it wouldnt do if she woke up and found him staring. He checked the room for intruders and satisfied left the room with his belongings and the chair he used at dinner. Those he set in the hall way. He asked for an empty room to wash up in and after he was done sat in the chair by Rasheta's door and worked on a piece of white jade that would one day be on the handle of a sword he was making.

 

There he quietly sat all night. He never understood women. Even Edana was often a complete mystery to him. He wasnt sure what he was supposed to have done differently. They trained, in a very personal yet effective way. Then he untied himself as quickly as he could. He was sure she didnt care for his groin pressed against her bottom that whole time. It suddenly hit him that he stumbled on the knots... (That was it... she must have thought I did it on purpose because I was getting some sort of perverted sexual pleasure out of being tied up and pressed to her bottom... not that it wasnt a lesson in self control.) Nodding to himself that he had finally figured out at least one mystery of why a woman was mad at him he set back to work on the jade.

 

OOC completely oblivious

The Next Morning

 

Rasheta woke up fairly early for her, she rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. She noticed the shutters to her window were closed. She frowned for a moment she hadn't remembered shutting them. She had remembered warding the window, Sandre must have come in and closed the window's shutters, she sighed didn't he know she was an Aes Sedai! She knew how to handle herself on the road. She got ready to leave the inn and found Sandre asleep in a chair in front of her room. She shook him a little and said "Its time to go child. I will wait for you in the common room." She went downstairs and spoke briefly to the innkeeper and she sat at a table to wait for Sandre. She was wearing her shawl today and some of the customers avoided her look and left quickly. She shook her head, Aes Sedai were respected most places but not liked overly much. She raised her head to the stairs when Sandre appeared she stood and turned to the door she was already ready to leave and she had already sent the innkeepers stable boys to get the horses ready.

 

"Come along Sandre" She said coolly and walked from the room ignoring the other customers. She saw there horses and she mounted up easily. She waited for Sandre and when they had gone she gave him a odd look. "You must have closed my shutters last night. While I thank you for the thought, it wasn't needed I warded the windows before I went to sleep. You should learn to trust me a little more. I am not a newly raised Aes Sedai I do know how to take care of myself. I have spent two years in the blight." She realized her temper was getting the best of her and she calmed herself down as best she could.

 

"You need not fear, I know how to protect myself, thank you for thinking of me however," She said, she realized that her comment didn't sound very thankful as most of it had been forced through clenched teeth. She looked away from him and focused on the road. She was going to be grateful when she found the Green Sister and then she could get back. She had asked at the inn if anyone had seen the woman and no one had. She was a little surprised when Sandre spoke to her.

 

Sandre was lightly sleeping when Rasheta woke. The fact that she woke was enough to tell him she was alive and that he was ok to sleep. When she left the room she called him "Child." which made him frown but he let that one go.

 

"You must have closed my shutters last night. While I thank you for the thought, it wasn't needed I warded the windows before I went to sleep. You should learn to trust me a little more. I am not a newly raised Aes Sedai I do know how to take care of myself. I have spent two years in the blight."

"You need not fear, I know how to protect myself, thank you for thinking of me however,"

 

Sandre looked at her with a raised eyebrow. This was exactly why he would not bond. Pride. "Well Aes Sedai when the day comes you are too tired or have a lot on your mind and you forget your wards you will appreciate the extra precautions that much more. I can not see your wards so I did what was needed to protect you. Considering the mortality rate of Aes Sedai and Warders in the Blight my simple precautions will hurt nothing."

 

He was only aware that he should have left warders out of that after the fact. However a mental shock might do this one some good.

 

"While we are at it if this is going to be a long trip I might as well say that if you have a problem with me you need to say something. If it disgusted you so much to touch me when we trained you could have said something and I would have switched to an alternate method. Had I not heard Master Herrig coming down the hall way I would have been tied to you longer. You were doing well I will say and I tried to untie you as fast as I could so you wouldnt think I was getting some pleasure out of it like some disgusting pervert but you stomped away anyways." He wasnt yelling. His voice was calm. It wouldnt be the first time a woman was unhappy with his appearance. (Had I been more attractive she wouldnt have been upset by it.) that thought irked him.

 

"You need to speak up to me or this will be a very long trip. Also you have to quickly realize I dont care how long you spent in the Blight and if you dont like it we can turn around and go back to Tar Valon and you can request another Tower Guard. One power or not though you will not be harmed as long as I am doing my job."

 

Oh yeah there was going to be a back lash from that one. However he didnt care. He tried to hide the fact that he was a little hurt she was so put off by touching him though. He looked straight ahead still scanning the area. He would do his job, even as she yelled and complained.

"Well Aes Sedai when the day comes you are too tired or have a lot on your mind and you forget your wards you will appreciate the extra precautions that much more. I can not see your wards so I did what was needed to protect you. Considering the mortality rate of Aes Sedai and Warders in the Blight my simple precautions will hurt nothing."

 

Rasheta fliched when he spoke of warders and felt tears form in her eyes. Inwardly she steeled herself, No she would not cry over Adrian again at least not in front of Sandre! She used anger to dry her tears and prepared to continue the arguement. Her be careless, what a silly thing to think much less say, she had been trained by the best she had been molded by the tower and then the Greens to never not think of her surroundings, true she HAD forgotten to ward the room against eavesdropping but that had not been a lifethreating situation. She was pulled back to the present.

 

"While we are at it if this is going to be a long trip I might as well say that if you have a problem with me you need to say something. If it disgusted you so much to touch me when we trained you could have said something and I would have switched to an alternate method. Had I not heard Master Herrig coming down the hall way I would have been tied to you longer. You were doing well I will say and I tried to untie you as fast as I could so you wouldnt think I was getting some pleasure out of it like some disgusting pervert but you stomped away anyways. You need to speak up to me or this will be a very long trip. Also you have to quickly realize I dont care how long you spent in the Blight and if you dont like it we can turn around and go back to Tar Valon and you can request another Tower Guard. One power or not though you will not be harmed as long as I am doing my job."

 

Rasheta pulled her horse to a stop and stared at Sandre for a moment in silence letting everything he had said sink in. She then burst into mirthless laughter. "You think I was angry because you were touching me! Child if that was the case I would not have left you in that room." She voice changed to  a much more menacing tone "there are many things I can do with the power to teach you a lesson that would not break the three oaths." She should probably explain why she had been so angry but him telling her to go back to Tar Valon annoyed her, she did want to go back but she would rather do it after completing the job she was supossed to and not arguing like a small child with Sandre. HIm also speaking of her time in the blight annoyed her. Had HE ever spent time there? Did HE know what it was like to wonder if in moments you could be killed by just about anything? She narrowed her eyes at him and continued in a louder voice then she intended

 

"Do you know what its like to fight in the blight? How dare you speak of it as though it were nothing and I think you do well enough as a guard as long as you are not being so arrogant or childish!" She turned down the road and sent her horse into a gallop,this would help her in her anger at the very least. She didn't care if Sandre kept up or not.

 

Beyond another small village she sat on the roadside holding a small flower she had been given as she passed through the village. She was staring at it intensely as she waited to see if Sandre was still following her. She heard him come up the road and she didn't look up as she cradled the flower. He stopped in front of her and she spoke then in a soft voice.

 

"The truth is Sandre, I am a broken sister. I care little for most people unless its my sisters within my Ajah. My life turned dark the moment Adrian died and my pride is all I have. I was angry not that you had touched me but that someone other then yourself had possibly heard me tell you about my early life. I was foolish and forgetful, I should have warded against eavsdropping but I didn't." She sighed and dropped the flower looking up at the young man. "I have found news of the sister we were sent to search for. She is well, we may return to the tower you should have no fear I will leave you be once there."

 

OOC: Wow sorry that one kind of got away from me. *blushes* Its a bit longer then I thought it would be. Also I wasn't sure how long you wanted the thread to go *laughs* So I gave you the option of just posting one or two more times or a bit more if you wanted. As always let me know if you want me to change anything. Its now 2:30am here so i'm a bit wonky typing this *laughs* 

Sandre allowed her to go ahead and gallop away. His horse was actually trained to run albeit not very fast. He kept up though out of view. When she got to the village he decided to let her blow off some steam. When he finally approached she was thankfully much calmer.

 

"The truth is Sandre, I am a broken sister. I care little for most people unless its my sisters within my Ajah. My life turned dark the moment Adrian died and my pride is all I have. I was angry not that you had touched me but that someone other then yourself had possibly heard me tell you about my early life. I was foolish and forgetful, I should have warded against eavsdropping but I didn't." She sighed and dropped the flower looking up at the young man. "I have found news of the sister we were sent to search for. She is well, we may return to the tower you should have no fear I will leave you be once there."

 

Sandre shook his head. "No one heard you. I walked that hallway and knew every squeaky floor board there so I would know when someone was coming up or down it or standing by your door. I did the same for the room in case there was an intruder. I heard Master Herrig coming because of those very same floor boards. He had not even made it to the door when I called him." He stepped off the horse and put its reins down so it wouldnt walk away. "I am sorry about your Adrian Rasheta." He said as he picked up the flower she had dropped. He left out the honorary Sedai as he was not sure she wanted that advertised. He cleaned the flower off and tucked it in her hair above her ear. "You make flowers look good... you could say they compliment you." Removing the rose pin he had made the night she was angry with him he pinned it on her cloak. "I made this for you... last night. I didnt want to give it to you while you were mad at me though. It would seem more a bribe to calm your anger then." He was once again close to her. Rather she was close to him and his horse was behind him. Next time he would allow for more room. "We will leave when you wish to leave and not a moment before. Until then I am yours to command... just..." Scratching his head  and looking away as his face blushed he continued. "One little thing should we do training like that again... If you drop that lathe and bend over again like you did that night I am not responsible for what that causes."

 

A man can only take some much with a woman rubbing up against him like that... right?