Throughout Covai's speech before the entire Black Tower Nakor used his diminutive size to navigate through the crowd.  Before Covai was even halfway through his speech he had made his way all the way across the clearing to where Tai'Dashan was standing.  The man seemed distracted, lost in his own thoughts.  He was troubled by something, but Nakor was not able to discern what it could be.  Well, if he couldn't figure it out soon he'd just ask Aria, she'd know what was bothering the man.

   Growing up in a large noble family Nakor had been surrounded by sisters since his only brother was more than fifteen years his senior and already leading troops in the army.  He was smaller than all of his peers and much more interested in the books in his father's extensive library than in swords, horses, or even women.  This caused him no end of grief from his contemporaries.  And so he had cloistered himself in the house to avoid the trouble his temper caused when their teasing got to be too much for him--which didn't take long with his short fuse.

   Unfortunately, that had not fully solved the problem as it then put him at the mercies of his sisters and their friends.  He was tormented by them whenever they found him so he had learned early on to avoid all contact with them.  But, Aria had been different.  Maybe it was because she was a commoner, or maybe she was just special.  She had treated him as a little brother, listening to his troubles and doing what she could to protect him from his real sisters and the others of their group.

   His relationship with her had led to meeting Tai'Dashain before either of them had learned they could channel.  Nakor had immediately decided he didn't like him, but this was more for fear that he would lose his favorite 'sister'.  Tai, though, had proven himself to be a man of honor and nakor had quickly come to respect the man.

   He had not seen either of them in quite some time.  But he was sure if Tai was here Aria would be as well.  So as soon as they were freed he'd approached the man, saluting fist to heart as he did so.  "Congratulations Sir on your promotion.  I'm sure Aria is quite proud!  Where is she, I'd love to see her again?"

 

OOC: I do hope Tai doesn't hold Nakor's ignorance against him, the poor young kid is just so happy to see someone he knew from his childhood. ;)

Tai stood after some of the crowd had dispersed, staring blankly at the ground. What was next? Oh he understood Covais words in regards to the Tower, but what was next for him? The haze of grief and rage dulled his senses and shadowed his mind. Struggling to put it aside he took a deep breath. He was an Attack Leader now, he had a duty to the men of this Tower and the Dragon Reborn himself.

 

So it was that a Dedicated of smaller size approached him, almost completely unnoticed. When the man spoke, something in the back of his mind spoke of familiarity and he dully waved away the congratulations on the promotion. "I'm sure Aria is quite proud!  Where is she, I'd love to see her again?"

 

Suddenly it struck him where he knew the small man. He had been the younger brother of one of Aria's noble friends. Nakor, He thought the man's name was? Grief and agony, like twin blades raked across his soul and fresh tears threatened to crush him with their fiery sting to his eyes.

 

"Tis good to see you Nakor. Aria is dead." He said flatly. "Killed out of hand by a Taint-crazed Attack Leader Tenim Wulwind. Another Asha'man distracted him while I deliverd his justice. I...I watched her die." His voice broke at the end. "This is not the place, come. Let us go to the Inn. I need something to drink." Tai figured his new responsibilities could wait, and if not? Arath or Covai would send for him. Tai motioned for the man to lead the way to the Inn. Tai had touched drink more than the occasional spiced wine twice in his entire life. Today would be the third.

  Aria was dead!  This starting bit of news shocked Nakor into silence.  He led the way to the inn at Tai's direction and replayed in his mind the older man's words that he'd been too distracted to hear aright the first time.  According to the communiques he'd received in Tear Wulwind had been a part of Brent's inner circle.  Well, that explained the promotion, or at least contributed to it at any rate.  He wanted to know so much more but it was obvious that Tai was not quite ready to share the memories he had bottled up inside.

 

  Perhaps alcohol was the answer, as Tai himself had seemed to indicate.  Sitting at the end of the bar they drank in awkward silence, Tai quickly and Nakor conservatively.  It was distressing to see the man he'd come to respect so much drinking so liberally, but he didn't know how to intervene, and wasn't sure he really wanted to.

 

  Finally he got the courage to ask some questions of the man.  He wanted to ask about Aria but decided that what Tai had shared already was probably all that would be shared for some time.  And so he broached the only other topic that concerned him at the moment, the Tower's change in leadership.

 

  "Sir....Tai...I...well, I don't really know what to say.  You know how close Aria and I were, I hope you know I'm here if you ever want to talk or share memories or anything."  He paused, letting his words have time to sink in before moving on.  "But in the meantime, perhaps you can tell me what's happened here the last day or two?  I've been sifting my way through rumors since I got here, and Covai's speech was interesting to say the least, but I'd love to hear the truth of tehse events from someone that was here."

They made their way to the Inn, in a silence that continued as Tai began to down cup after cup of the dark amber liquid. Eventually he felt the pleasant buzz of alcohol, numbing his pain. Memories were chased away into haziness and pain dulled to a small ache.

 

Finally Nakor got up the nerve to ask whatever he had been wanting to. Tai had been waiting for him to do so but was in no mood to dig it out of him. If the lad wanted to ask he would, that much he remembered of him for sure.

 

"Sir....Tai...I...well, I don't really know what to say.  You know how close Aria and I were, I hope you know I'm here if you ever want to talk or share memories or anything." Tai nodded slightly, it might do good at that once the pain had time to settle and he had a more firm grip on the situation. "...in the meantime, perhaps you can tell me what's happened here the last day or two?  I've been sifting my way through rumors since I got here, and Covai's speech was interesting to say the least, but I'd love to hear the truth of these events from someone that was here."

 

Tai set down the bottle and pushed the small cup away from him to settle his hands in his lap. He leaned back in his seat and fixed the diminutive Dedicated in front of him with an easy stare. He wanted truth did he? He began to speak and to his small surprise, did so clearly and easily.

 

"Nakor, A lot has happened since you left." Tai couldn't remember exactly how long ago it had been, so he began with what he remembered best. "There was the attack on the Black Tower by a bumbling band of Aes Sedai that harmed relations and had many Aes Sedai captive here at the Black Tower until things could be resolved. After that, Brent went crazy. I don't know if the Taint or the Power got to him first. There was a large Battle in Sheniar that I was not at, but many of my friends were. Forces of the Shadow poured out of the Blight like nothing we had seen for years and we were ordered by the Dragon to lend aid. At first we were cutting the Shadowspawn to ribbons. Then the Dreadlords and Dreadladies came, linked. Linked we had no chance and our forces were slaughtered. Yes, I said slaughtered as that is what it was. Many died."

 

He paused for a moment, considering how much to divulge to the man. The years of knowing him overran his inhibitions and he would find out already if he had not already.

 

"Covai determined to see the Lord Dragon and set off with a small contingency of us to Tear. We met Jarron and told him of the battle. After um...conversation, we traveled back to the Tower with Jarron who strode right into the council room at Brent's place. He turned the thick stone table there to dust as well as many men's tongues when he declared that we would find truce with the Aes Sedai and Link with them."

 

Tai's eyes shone with the thought of Men and Women wielding the One Power together again for the first time in ages.

 

"Brent lost it and blamed Covai and Arath since it was them that spearheaded the effort. He stopped them by the stables with a couple of his lackeys and a battle ensued. He was most obviously crazy and a crowd naturally gathered to see what in the world was going on. Tenim Wulwind," He paused to control himself as rage burned in his eyes for a moment. When he was again under control he spoke. "He pushed his way through the crowd and when Aria got in the way..." He waved to indicate the rest was apparent. "Covai and Arath finished the man off about the same time i dealt with Wulwind." He spat the name.

 

Looking up at the man he actually saw him for the first time. "Nakor, it is good to see you. What have you been up to?"

  Given the older man's emotional state Nakor didn't know how forthcoming he would be, or if he would just brush the question aside co0mpletely.  And so he was somewhat surprised at the lengthy answer he was given.  Of course, while exiled to the manor house they had received news of significant events such as the dealings with the Aes Sedai and the battle in Sheinar.  But he wasn't going to interrupt to say so, especially since he'd already moved on to more recent events that Nakor hadn't yet been privy to.

  When Tai spoke of Jarron's orders to link with the Aes Sedai his passionate agreement showed in his eyes and his voice.  And he was right to feel that way.  By Nakor's judgment, the forces of the light were too fractured to ever see victory.Nakor had already come to the realization that they would need to work with the White Tower, he was just glad to see that the Lord Dragon could see it as well.

  Tai's rage was rekindled when he spoke of the showdown with Brent and his cronies, and Wulwind's senseless murder of Aria.  Then they made eye contact for the first time that day and Tai said, "Nakor, it is good to see you.  what have you been up to?"

  Nakor held the man's eyes and let a smile creep across his face.  "Well let's see, about a week or so after Brent promoted himself to M'Hael I could see already the direction he intended to lead us and I didn't like it.  As you may recall, I'm not really one to keep my opinions to myself.  Looking back now, knowing what kind of man he turned out to be, I'm honestly surprised I wasn't killed.

  "Instead, I was 'assigned', exiled really, to the manor house in Tear.  When I arrived I found two Asha'man, seven other Dedicated and a contingent of Soldiers."  Nakor paused to see if there was some way to explain what he'd been up to without boasting but decided to just be honest and hope the man before him knew him well enough not to think it arrogance.  "The other Dedicated were so busy jockeying for position and trying to curry favor with the Asha'man that they never even realized that they'd begun following my lead in nearly everything and looking to me to lead them.  Two weeks after my arrival it became clear to the two Asha'man that they could foist their jobs and responsibilities onto me while the one entertained girls and the other got drunk.

  "It took me a week to get the neglected paperwork in order but after that it was mostly smooth sailing.  Actually, I'd had the freedom to do almost anything I wanted so long as I agreed to let the Asha'man take the credit for my successes.  But I was bored out of my mind down there.  Men that joined the Black Tower after me have already earned the Dragon pin but I have been held back for I've received no training at all the whole time I was gone.  I've carried the responsibility of that mission at the sacrifice of furthering my own usefulness to the Dragon.

  "I can't tell you how glad I am to be back.  I just wish Aria was here to celebrate my return."  Nakor drank long and hard from his mug, hoping to hide the mistake of mentioning her name again.

"The other Dedicated were so busy jockeying for position and trying to curry favor with the Asha'man that they never even realized that they'd begun following my lead in nearly everything and looking to me to lead them.  Two weeks after my arrival it became clear to the two Asha'man that they could foist their jobs and responsibilities onto me while the one entertained girls and the other got drunk."

 

Tai listened while the man explained his experience in Tear. In truth it sounded like arrogance, and if Tai would not have known the man he would have thought him a liar. It was not often that Dedicated and Asha'man behaved in such a manner, but who could say what happened far away from the Tower. He would have to speak to someone about the situation in Tear. It simply would not do for a location so often visited by the Dragon to be in such a way.

 

"But I was bored out of my mind down there.  Men that joined the Black Tower after me have already earned the Dragon pin but I have been held back for I've received no training at all the whole time I was gone.  I've carried the responsibility of that mission at the sacrifice of furthering my own usefulness to the Dragon."

 

Tai had to suppress a chuckle. Nakor was closer than he thought to obtaining that usefulness unless Tai missed his guess.  "I can't tell you how glad I am to be back.  I just wish Aria was here to celebrate my return."  Tai ignored the stab of grief and the forlorn babling of chaos at the mention of her name.

 

"Me too Nakor, me too." He replied to the man.