Edana stared at the pair of guards in her doorway, weighing her chances of making it past them. She didn't really have any chance of making it past them, but it was a little entertaining to think about. One of them stuck his hand out quickly, handing her a small roll of parchment before they both turned and left. "Goodbye to you, too, gentlemen!" Ed called sarcastically behind them. She shook her head at their backs. What was wrong with this world when two guards just barge into the trainee barracks and push parchment at one without even asking who she was?

 

Still shaking her head, she unrolled the parchment. The scrawl on it was vague in its directions, telling her to appear at a certain location at a certain time without any explanation. She eyed the open door the guards had disappeared through a little warily. What did they have planned...?

 

~Edana

*******************

 

Loraine hummed as she pushed the last pin into the knot on the back of her head. The dress was new and not nearly as high in the collar as most of her other dresses were. It felt strange to her, but she was determined to relax a little now that she was getting older.

 

She heard the knock on the door and hummed all the way to pull it open, her smile widening as she took in the Tower Guard standing on the other side. "Hello, Sandre! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were becoming the Guard's personal escort for these ceremonies!" She pulled her shawl from the hook by the door and draped it over her shoulders as she passed over the threshold. "How was your trip to the Borderlands?"

 

~Loraine

Sandre had barely got back when he was pushed through the bath house and into a uniform that after a year on the road fit as well as it used to. He saw Edana's new sword on the bed but was unable to see her due to the time constraints. He didnt even know if she was a trainee still. Then it was off to Lor's room again. He was going to be livid if his eldest brother was becoming a Tower Guard now.

 

"Hello, Sandre! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were becoming the Guard's personal escort for these ceremonies!"

 

"I thought the same thing... I wonder if they waited for me. I havent been back an hour yet."

 

He was extremely conscious of the new scars and his new lean build around Lor. He not noticed until standing next to her.

 

"Do you know who this is for this time? They rushed me through a bath and into a uniform."

She smiled and shrugged. "They asked me to come to the Glade this morning for a ceremony, they didn't tell me who it was for. It must be pretty important if they didn't even let you dust your boots off before rushing you on." She looked him up and down a moment, her eyebrow arching. "So, you don't want to talk about your trip to the Borderlands, then?"

 

She turned and started out of the Tower, though her pace was not rushed. "I don't think I've seen a new Guardsman every come back with the same glitter in his eye that he had when he left. I remember my years along the border..." she shuddered, pushing those thoughts aside. "What are your plans, now that you're home?"

 

~Loraine

 

 

************

Edana stared at the stone slab before her as the realization of the reason she was here sank in. It wasn't often that she was rendered speechless, but this was a notable exception. Was it strange that the thought that made her heart leap was how close to being able to admit her feelings for Sandre she was?

 

~Edana

"My trip the Borderlands went better than most... hard time on the road and the land itself fought us harder than the trollocs. Everything there seemed out to harm or kill. Flies that lay eggs in your skin. Ticks that go completely under it and leave their blood filled butt hanging out. Rats that know where to bite sleeping men, snakes that hide in boots and under armor taken off for the night for an unpleasant surprise in the morning." He shook his head. It made him sad really that a land could be so poisoned.

 

As they approached the glade and saw the commander waiting. He took the dagger for the ceremony from her as Lor took the cloak. "Now after this I have to wait and see if my woman still loves me." He took his place but his heart was not in this. He wanted to know if she would reject him or not and this seemed almost unfair. He felt weak and vulnerable. He had dreamed about her every night. Fought off sickness that could kill man, trollocs that tried to kill. All his hope rested in one woman. He was a fool.

Edana knelt before the slab, wishing more than anything that Sandre were here to see her.

 

"I come here unarmed, offering to give myself to the defense of those who serve all," she said, her voice clear and even.

 

From the other side of the slab, Commander Mia continued. "Who would speak for you?"

 

Then, from out of nowhere came a voice she hadn’t expected to hear for a while, yet. "I would speak for her, she is fit." Sandre? Her wide eyes scanned the tree line behind her, searching for any hint that it was him hiding there.

 

Commander Mia kept going, as if she didn’t notice Ed’s hesitancy.  "Who would trust you?"

 

"I would trust her," rang out the Aes Sedai’s voice. Loraine?

 

Commander Mia kept right on going, even as Edana searched for the sight her eyes begged to see: "Who would accept you?"

 

Sandre again, his voice echoing in her head as if it held more meaning than just the ceremonial response, "I would."

 

Commander Mia’s voice went on, unchanged. "Who would witness your oath whose word is beyond question?"

 

Again Loraine answered, "I will"

 

When she’d finished, Commander Mia looked back at Edana. "Do you understand that once pledged you are forever bound to a rule of defense? Defense of all Aes Sedai, the defense of the White Tower?"

 

Edana’s voice shook, her thoughts hanging on the man she still couldn’t see. "Yes," she answered, her breath a little airy.

 

Commander Mia’s stern voice was perfect for this ceremony, but it was totally lost on Ed, who was barely paying her any attention. "Do you understand that once pledged you are forever bound to a rule of obedience? Obedience to your officers, obedience to all Aes Sedai?"

 

“Yes,” Edana answered, only slightly flinching at the word “obedience.”

 

Commander Mia plowed on, "Do you understand that once pledged you are forever bound to a rule of commitment? Commitment to serving faithfully, commitment despite any adversity?"

 

Edana’s eyes finally gave up finding Sandre. Perhaps it was Dante. That would explain why they are so similar. "Yes"

 

"Then give your oath now." There was a pause after that announcement and Edana blinked a moment before remembering what she was supposed to say.

 

"I swear by the light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, as a Tower Guard to defend the White Tower and all who call it home."

 

"I swear by the light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, as a Tower Guard to serve faithfully for as long as the White Tower requires me."

 

"I swear by the light and my hope of salvation and rebirth, as a Tower Guard to fight the shadow and uphold the light until my dying day."

 

Commander Mia moved on, barely letting the last word echo in the still morning air. "We welcome you to the Tower Guard, you that were known once as Edana Kellar of Caemlyn."

 

The Aes Sedai, Loraine, then stepped forward and placed the cloak on her shoulders and fixed the clasp before stepping back. The woman was smiling, acknowledging that it wasn’t she that Edana was looking for.

 

Commander Mia’s voice announced the part of the ceremony she’d looked forward to most the last agonizing few moments.  "We welcome you as Edana Kellar of the Tower Guard, our sister in arms. Rise and stand as one among many."

 

Sandre was a vision she’d dreamed of seeing so many times in the last year. He then presented her with a steel dagger as she rose slowly to her feet. He didn’t say a word and she tried to read his eyes. She wasn’t nearly as good at this as she could be!

 

Commander Mia’s next words were lost on her, with all of her senses focused on Sandre standing in front of her.  "You came to us unarmed, and as our mark of trust we place this steel in your hand. May you keep it as a symbol of the trust that has been placed in you, and may it serve you well."

 

The Commander then walked around the stone slab and placed her hand on Ed's shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts of the man before her.  "Spare a moment for those who have come before you and to who you have become, as shall those who follow you."

 

Then she turned and disappeared into the forest, followed by a soft wave from Loraine, who then disappeared to. When the only person left was Sandre, she looked back up at him, wondering if he’d leave her to her mediations or stay with her for them. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate, either way. Uncertainty tainted her voice as she asked, “Will you stay with me?”

 

Sandre could not stop smiling when he realized who he was doing this for. His voice he was thankful was clear, thought it was low, almost a whisper. He was so weary yet he wouldnt be able to sleep if he tried.

 

When it was finally done he stood before her. He was supposed to leave but couldnt help stealing another moment to look upon her.

 

“Will you stay with me?”

 

"Forever if you wish it so." he said in a whisper. He wondered if she noticed how much weight he had lost. He also wondered if she was over him. The way he had left...without being able to do much about it.

 

"Congratulations on your promotion." he said with a smile that was forced. He faced the ground unable what to say. Doubts were in his mind. He idly scratched the back of his head thinking what to say before he looked up again. "I have something for you... Its in.. (Do I call it my room or our room?) "Its in the room... Im sorry I didnt say hello before now... I havent been here two hours yet. I was told to bathe and do this as soon as I got here."

 

 

His eyes dropped and that gave her the opportunity to let her eyes devour him the way she'd wanted to from the moment she'd heard his voice. He was thinner, the angles in his face more harsh that when he'd left last year. She'd dreamed of this since the morning she'd waken up knowing he was gone. She'd run a thousand words through her head, testing them for this moment. It was strange, but not a single one came to mind, now. The awkward tension seemed to stretch and it was no more evident than the lines around his smile. He felt it, too.

 

"Thank you," she whispered, looking past him to the slab and clearing her throat. "I have missed you," she murmured, stepping past him and standing in front of the slab, her new cloak brushing the ground behind her and the daggar in her fingers drawing her attention. She laid her free hand on the slab, searching for something to say that would ease the tension between them. They needed to talk, and a serious talk, at that. But couldn't she just enjoy his company for now? Couldn't she just revel in his presence? She turned and nothing about her smile was forced. "I have dreamed of these moments for a while. I never thought they'd be the same moment. I'm afraid I'm not sure what to be happier about. I am so glad I've finally finished all of that training! I don't think I worked this hard for my Captain's stripes!" She laughed and sat down in the dirt, looking up at him. "And then there's you. How have you been, Sandre?"

 

~Edana

"I have been... as good as the borderlands allowed.  I was not pleased with the time apart from you." Sandre looked around the glade which was always maintained. His stomach growled loud enough that he hoped she didnt hear.

 

"You have a busy day ahead of you... have to find out where you will be posted." He didnt mention the fact that she needed to move to her new room. He kept moving towards topics of the life he left behind when he went to the Borderlands and kept having to stop short. His lack of tact was making him that much more tense.

 

"Can we go somewhere? Im hungry and you have a lot of work to do and for now... I just kind of want to be around you for awhile?"

Edana smiled and nodded, then looked back at the slab. "I can come back and pay my respects. I'm sure 'those who came before' will understand." She smiled and walked with him back towards the Tower grounds. He hadn't asked how she'd been. He must really be nervous. She smiled to herself a moment.

 

"I met your brother," she said, needing to fill the silence with something. Her elation at seeing him, at her promotion... at everything, starting to wan in the face of the tension that filled the air. "Why didn't you tell me that your father made you come here?"

 

~Edana

"He didnt exactly." he said. "I told you how I came here... a stones game with an Aes Sedai. My father fought it. Once I was here though I guess he figured there was no harm in Dante being here as well." He recalled that he needed to write his father to let them know he made it back safely. "I am glad you met Dante. Hes... very loyal." He smiled at her. He had intended to introduce her to him but had to leave on a moments notice almost.

 

"How have you been Edana? I worried about you." (You fool... you worried she wouldnt feel the same for you anymore... that you would lose your one good reason to come back as soon as you got here.) Though his mind was working against him he didnt stop smiling. Just to be around her again. He idly brushed a leaf off of her cloak. "Red looks good on you." Memories of the dress she had wore for him to came to mind. For a moment he looked at her the same as he did that night without fear that she would reject him for it.

 

As soon as they walked into the mess hall the smells of food... actual food flooded his senses. He grabbed more than he thought he could eat and hoped she didnt think him a pig for it. "So tell me what I missed... tell me everything."

Edana smiled, shaking her head. So much had happened and yet, so little. Did she dare tell him of her trip to find the Seanchan? She chewed her lip as she filled a plate that she'd never finish and sat down to eat. She grabbed a roll and pulled it apart with her fingers for a moment. "You know how it is, Sandre. You train, then you sleep. Then you wake up and train some more."

 

She paused and took a bite of the bread in her head, her eyes dropping to the table. "I took a class on mountain climbing. Then Master Kynwric asked me to ferry letters back here to Loraine Sedai while he was scouting the Seanchan."  Alright, so she left out the whole dangerous part. She'd tell him when he hadn't just laid eyes on her. When the warmth from the heat in his eyes wasn't still scalding her skin from across the table, maybe.

 

She smiled and looked back at him, instead. "Tell me about the Borderlands. I'll be shipped off there soon enough, after all..." She let that trail off, not wanting to think about being separated from him again so soon after having him back. "Is it really as dangerous there as they say? I can only assume they don't feed you if the bones standing out in your cheeks and the heaping pile of food in front of you is any indication..."

 

~Edana

When she asked how dangerous the borderlands was he stopped eating. "Yes... I learned a few tricks out there to keep you safe... better you dont have to learn by actually cutting the eggs of the strange flies out there out of your skin or the ticks that nest in your veins and leave their butts hanging out the hard way. I suggest you have some water from each country in the Borderlands shipped to you as well or you will be sick a week with each new part of the country you drink water from."

 

He went back to eating and shoveling bigger bites into his mouth to avoid elaborating further on the place. He also did not want to see her go there. Couldnt imagine it. It would be worse than him being out there. At least here she was safe. The thought almost made him choke on a large bite and he rushed for his tankard of water. Then without looking her in the eyes he reached across the table and took her hand in his. He just hoped she didnt pull it away.

Edana jumped as he lunged for his water, then almost gasped as his hand clenched around hers. She didn't pull away. Her eyes were drawn to his hand on hers and she could only stare at the sight they made. She slowly lifted her eyes to his, searching for the warmth that lingered there before that horrible last night before he'd left for the Borderlands. She had to clear her throat and look away, seeing it there and much more besides. They needed to be alone to have that conversation and this was no place for that. Nor was it the time. She had so much to do!

 

"I am glad you are home and the insects didn't cart you off to their evil lair of doom," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "Who else could I challenge to spar every other evening? I think Elyan's afraid of me these days..." She grinned, knowing it was a lie, but the thought was a funny one, anyway.

 

~Edana

Sandre had wondered how Elyan was holding up. The guy had vanished long before Sandre left. He smiled seeing how she had not pulled away. "Come with me." he said suddenly and pulled her up. He may have got a little thinner but that didnt affect his strength at all. They quickly emptied their plates as he quickly led her towards the baracks. "I worked on it for a year... I had to hire a smith to spend the second year on it though since I went away. I carved the stone for the handle myself. I had never worked with such a large piece of jade and its a beautiful white." He was skipping around and she probably had no idea what he was talking about. However his excitement was obvious. Almost child like.

 

When he got her to the room (He wondered if she ever noticed he sectioned it off before he left hoping to find her moved in when he got back.) he picked up the weapon off the bed. A sword made just for her. Folded steel and tempered with a white jade handle. The scabard was a waxed wood so the weapon would not make a sound when drawn. That was wrapped in a steel so hard that it could not be used for anything complicated. The scabard could take a arrow or sword slice easily. He handed her the weapon. It help a polish nicely... he wasnt sure he could ever make its equal again.

 

"Its yours... from our dare. You wanted a weapon. This one is... perfect."

Edana's smile turned into a laugh as he pulled her across the Yards. There was a bounce in his step, and an eagerness in his voice that she'd never heard before. He didn't stop until he was standing in his room in the barracks. She felt a bit out of place and found herself looking over her shoulder until she reminded herself that she had every right to be here, now. She was a Guard just like the rest of them. Ok, maybe not JUST like the rest of them, but...

 

Sandre released her hand and reached for something on the bed. She didn't try to look around him, she was content just to see... well, just to see him! Even if it was only his back! He turned and his hands stretched out. She took what he offered her without really looking at it until she felt the weight in her hands. Her eyes dropped away from his, landing on the sword and scabbard in her hands. Her mouth fell open in small increments as her eyes took in the details. The words she hadn't understood as he'd pulled her across the grounds began to sink in and she felt her knees get a little shaky. She turned and sank onto the edge of the bed, pulling the sword from the scabbard with a nearly silent whoosh.

 

The blade was polished so brightly that she could see her reflection staring back at her. White jade winked at her from her right hand and she had to tear her eyes away from it to look up at him.

 

"Its yours... from our dare. You wanted a weapon. This one is... perfect." His eyes seemed to bore into hers, demanding her reaction. She could only give him the open-mouthed shock that left her blinking up at him.

 

"Sandre," she breathed, looking back down at it. Her mind stumbled over words that made no sense. "I... I lost that bet..." she shook her head. The sword felt so perfect in her hands, the weight balancing easily. She didn't dare swing it to test its balance. It was just too beautiful. She looked back up at him, tears weighing heavily in her eyes. "You being home is gift enough for me. You didn't have to..."

 

She wiped at her eyes, her hands not letting go of the sword, so she had to use her wrist. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him in one fluid movement. If he hesitated, she didn't see it. "I love it," she whispered softly. Almost as much as I love you, her heart whispered, too. She couldn't let that one out, though... not just yet. There would be time for that soon enough.

 

~Edana

getting sappy

The look in her eyes was all the thanks he needed. Though the hug made it that much more worth it. He felt his body lose his tenseness in a way only she had ever been able to make him do. Muscles he never knew were tense would relax, their soreness telling him that they had never relaxed before. He let his arms do as they wanted and wrap around her tightly.

 

"You needed a weapon... I would have made it completely by myself but I think it was better that a master completed it... safer at least."

 

He would have stood there forever. Just stroking her hair with finger tips. Yet this was her day and he was going to make sure she enjoyed it.

 

"You need to go change into your uniform so we can head out to the tavern... its tradition... and... you need to tell the Quartermaster which room you have selected so some trainees can move your stuff into it."

 

He let go finally. There was too much emotion going through him to have that talk they needed. "No I dont want to know what you choose. I dont care and I wont be hurt. Im just happy to see you again. I will meet you by the bridge."

 

He walked out of the room. He needed the time to regain his composure.

Edana let herself enjoy the feel of him in her arms. It was selfish and she didn't care. He was much thinner than when he'd left, she could feel it much more than she could see it. She was sure if he kept packing away food like he had already, that would change soon. The thought made her smile.

 

When he pulled away from her, she was still smiling. She knew she looked a mess, but he'd caused it. "You need to go change into your uniform so we can head out to the tavern... its tradition... and... you need to tell the Quartermaster which room you have selected so some trainees can move your stuff into it. No I dont want to know what you choose. I dont care and I wont be hurt. Im just happy to see you again. I will meet you by the bridge." With that he backed away and out the door, leaving her standing in his room.

 

She took a moment to look around the room she was standing in, noting that only about half of the place seemed lived in. She tilted her head, walking around the room slowly, taking in small details that she had missed the few times she'd been in here since he was promoted. Were these hints? Half of the closet was cleaned out. Half of the bed didn't look like it had been slept in. The room was not set up for two people, it was set up for one. Except for the bed, anyway.

 

She felt her lips twitching and heard a knock on the door behind her. She slid the sword into its scabbard, but didn't put it down as she walked to the door. On the other side were a pair of trainees carrying her things. "We thought this is where we'd find you," the first one laughed. "Have you decided on this one, then?" His voice had a strange mixture of hope and laughter. The laughter seemed to dance between amusement and that knowing laugh when you know something that no one else does. So much for thinking they'd managed to hide this from people!

 

"Here is fine, actually," she said, answering his tone with a wink. "I need to find the Quartermaster, though. If you'll just put the trunk at the end of the bed, I'll figure it out from there."

 

***********************

 

Finally, she slid the last button through its loop and strapped her new scabbard onto her belt. She took her time wrapping the belt around her hips, adjusting it so that she could see the hilt of the sword in the mirror. She smiled a moment before making her way out of the barracks and down to the bridge to meet Sandre.

 

She'd taken her time getting dressed in their room, giving him plenty of time to hide himself behind the mask he'd managed to hold all day. She hummed a little tune as she made her way through the gates and was still humming as her eyes fell on Sandre standing right where he said he'd be. She approached him, her lips still smiling and her humming still... humming. She stopped a few feet away and turned a slow circle. "So, what do you think?"

 

~Edana

He waited patiently but had just spoken with another guard who had a message to him. Apparently he was to be seen by the yellows before he went anywhere. To make sure he had no diseases or parasites from the Borderlands. When she came out she looked as beautiful as he thought she would when he imagined her that whole year.

 

"You make that uniform look good. However I have to see the yellows for an inspection apparently. I will catch up when I can." He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. It was all he could do while they were both in uniform. Their days off would be different however.

 

He set out for the yellows at a dead run. He didnt want to miss any more than he had to.