The Wheel Weaves What The Wheel Wills (Ryees & darkangel76)

darkangel76

darkangel76

.:The Vampiric Fae:.
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The music swelled as bodies moved together, hands clasped tightly as couples spun each other around the numerous bonfires that had been lit in the Village Centre and even its perimeter. From where Caitrin sat in her cozy little spot amongst the trees, they looked like nothing but dots of light while silhouettes seemed to fade in and out against them. There was nothing strange about it, just another ordinary town enjoying its Harvest Festival as the autumn chill bit through the nighttime air. Silvery rays from the moon shone down as the stars lit the inky sky above, twinkling merrily in time with the music and song of the village below.

Caitrin grimaced, her eyebrows knitting together as her blue eyes searched and finally found the one she was looking for. She turned toward her Warder, a delicate hand moving to brush against his arm. She let it rest there, squeezing ever so gently. Giving him a nod of her dark head she gestured toward the fiery haired girl. Of course she would stand out, though it was apparent that wouldn't know it. Or would she? Caitrin wondered if the dreams had begun. It certainly appeared as if they might have taken their toll. Even from where she sat, she could see it in those pretty blue eyes. The Power emanating from her, stronger than she probably guessed. Though...

Caitrin turned toward her Warder again, head tilted as she innately reached for the precious—and clean—saidar. With a furrowed brow, she wondered why she thought that, why she... But she pushed it away. There was no saidin there. No taint. Swallowing hard, she forced a smile and gestured once again toward the fiery-haired girl with elfin features. She sat back and raked a hand through her dark hair and tugged on a loose curl that fell over one bared shoulder. Oh, her sisters back in Tar Valon would be proud that she'd found this one, her Power so strong, so ready to be trained.

Just then the wind blew through the trees, the leaves rustling ever so slightly.

With a slight jerk of her head, Caitrin turned away from the girl who seemed to be sitting on the outskirts of her own village's revelry, her image burned into her memory forever with a fiery branding iron. The girl would serve Tar Valon well if cared for properly, if trained.

Caitrin let out a slow breath, her hands all but trembling as she reached for a tree branch and slowly pulled herself up to a standing position. The trees framed her, a perfect Aes Sedai. When she looked to see the girl she'd come to find, she was no longer there. Blue eyes wide, Caitrin mumbled a curse under her breath.

The Amyrlin Seat and her Keeper would be furious if she failed! This was one of their first missions together as bonded Aes Sedai and Warder. They couldn't fail now. Glancing around, she tried to find the girl again.

"Where is she?" Caitrin whispered aloud, her voice carried upon the wind as it made its way through the dark trees surrounding her, enshrouding her slender body covered in deep greens and rich browns. She blended in with autumn, a herald of the harvest the villagers were celebrating.

Biting down on her cheek, Caitrin carefully stepped over fallen twigs and leaves, beckoning her Warder follow. Her steps were light and cautious as she made her way closer to the scene, hoping she could relocate the girl without giving themselves away. Not yet. As she neared the dancing villagers, she could feel the fires burning, their heat too warm for her taste. The sounds of the music, the laughing, their song heightened as the villagers worked themselves up into a frenzy, as they celebrated their harvest, the bounty they'd had over the seasons of spring and summer. Winter was on its way and it wouldn't be smiling on these people or their mountains.

Caitrin's breath caught and she closed her eyes. She felt the Power, but it was wrong. Off. Tainted. When she opened her eyes, she half hoped to see the girl in the distance, but she couldn't find her among the crowd. Just what was she feeling? So close! So amazing, so sickening in its fury as it roiled beneath the surface. She shook her head and looked toward her Warder, her face quizzical, confused. And then the sensation was gone. Licking at her full lips, her mouth dry, she gave him a nod and turned back to the crowd. There, before her eyes, she saw her—the girl!

"She's there," Caitrin whispered, pointing, relief finding her though she felt a knot forming in her tummy.

Meanwhile, Leithia had had enough of dancing and merriment. No one wanted to be seen with the wild girl let alone touch her. She sulked inwardly, her thoughts running rampant as she secretly wished someone would take notice, ask her to dance...something. But such things were silly, frivolous dreams. Even her parents knew it, though she wished they were the sort who cuddled and hugged their children, whispering soothing words into their ears of fanciful dreams and happy endings. She sneered in disgust as she felt the bitter bile rise in her throat. No such thing would ever happen for her. It just wasn't the way of the web, the pattern hadn't weaved such pretty patterns for her.

Idly, Leithia let a slim finger twist itself through a flaming tress of hair, the red curls causing the tip of her finger to become purple as it wrapped about it over and over again. She let out a sad sigh, the music growing louder as everyone laughed and danced, as everyone failed to notice her sitting on the outskirts of the festivities. A few times she tried to smooth out the deep blues of her skirt—a special dress she'd chosen, hoping to catch a special someone's eye. But she hadn't been able to find even him among the sea of faces she saw day in and day out, the same droll people who rapped on her mother's door for ointments and herbs. How she hated her mother.

A breeze blew through the crowd, the scent of autumn wafting toward Leithia. She breathed it in deeply, letting the aroma drift into her nose and settle. It was pleasant, so she let her blue eyes flutter shut so she could enjoy the scent, the muffled sound as it muddied and blended together into a cacophony of incoherent sound. She let out another tiny sigh, her eyes suddenly flying open. There was something familiar on the breeze. She could smell...him.

Blue eyes sparkling, Leithia turned toward the direction of the wind. She saw the one she'd been looking for. Immediately, her cheeks heated and she was reminded of her dreams. Looking down at her lap, she could feel a strange burn forming in her core, a yearning for something forbidden yet something she desired so deeply. But he wouldn't give her a second look. She was just Leithia, nothing like the other village girls who giggled when he passed by or gave them a grin or glance. No, she was the daring one, the bold one. The one who said awkward things that gave people pause. It was no wonder she had no prospects and probably never would.

Hot tears formed in Leithia's bright eyes, her mind reaching out to something she didn't quite understand. It had brought her to strange places this Power that stood just out of reach, beckoning and calling. It had shown her visions in dreams, something hard to explain or comprehend. She longed to talk about it, but there was no one. Not even her parents would understand the place of oddity that had found her that night she'd cried herself to sleep. It had been full of wonder, such awe and magical beauty. As the heat of her cheeks swept further, another heat began to form and she locked her legs together at the knees, her lower lip trembling as a deep ache began to grow.

"If only..." Leithia sighed as she watched the man she desired dancing with others. Always with others. Saddened, she walked away from the most crowded area of the festival so that she could clear her head. She didn't want or need to see such things. Besides, she wouldn't be missed. No one would notice or care. Her list of dance partners in wait was none and even her parents were too lost in each other to bother, their thoughts elsewhere, on the festival and merrymaking.

Never did Leithia feel so ugly, so wretched and plain as she did when her village held its festivals. It was a reminder of where she stood, how she'd never be noticed by the one she loved. It was hardly fair. Then life tended to be cruel, especially in the mountains. She took a turn about her village, listening to the laughter, the music, feeling the distant heat of the fire and finally rejoined the crowd. If only it would end sooner. If only dawn would come.
 
"We'll drink the wine till the cup is dry, and kiss the girls so they'll not cry, and toss the dice until we fly, to dance with Jak o' the Shadows."

Maybe it was his days as a gleeman or maybe it was his love of small villages rooted from being born in one, but the songs and dances from the crowd had gotten to him. His normally vibrant personality was lifted with an extra spring in the step that a common man would never see, his face tweaked in the presence of a smile that no mother would ever spot, and his eyes glittering with an enthusiastic gleam that no lover would ever notice. Stoicism and joviality did not often mingle in the same features, but by now he had grown accustomed to presenting a clean outward facade while allowing himself some merriment internally.

Not that he would ever allow that to cloud his focus as he flicked a careful glance to Caitrin, who was something middling frustrated and irritated as she scanned about the town. Aermun had been told of the girl they sought, the one who he by now suspected a wilder that lived in or near this village, but the descriptions had been limited to hair color and some vague facial features. Even for his keen eyes and Caitrin's natural feel, it would be difficult to pick her out among—

Or perhaps it would not, as Caitrin seemed to find their quarry with reasonable efficiency by the way Caitrin stole his attention with a slender hand on his arm. Before Aermun could turn though, a breeze rustled past and Caitrin's head snapped away. He looked to her in a moment of concern, decided that she was fine, and looked to where Caitrin had gestured only to find empty air.

Aermun did not know how to answer Caitrin's whispered questioning, but he had certainly felt the Power in the area. As he began to puzzle about where the fire-haired woman could have gone off to however, Caitrin began moving. He was on his feet and moving with her in one smooth motion, silently following her as she trekked through the sparse wood. Her footfalls were light and his were silent as they neared the village, but something was off. Aermun could not quite get a grasp of what it was, but something in this whole situation felt wrong. Perhaps it was the girl's mysterious movement or perhaps it was the odd feeling gnawing at the back of his skull, but his joviality had subsided along with his urge to sing and dance.

Hearing the delicate catch of breath from Caitrin, Aermun scanned quickly over the crowd, and sure enough, found her, the dancing lights from the fire setting her hair near ablaze with its flaunting lights. "Take care here," Aermun cautioned silently, placing a gentle hand on Caitrin's shoulder as he ghosted to her side. "Something feels unwell in this place, and I'd rather we not find out what without knowing it's coming first."
 
That was Aermun, forever cautious and looking out for her wellbeing. Caitrin looked up into his eyes as his warm hand pressed against her shoulder—a gentle demand more than a request. But she knew all too well, he had his reasons for wanting her to hold position, to wait despite her burning desire to approach the girl as she stood in the shadows cast by the firelight. And none of it had to do with pride. It was one the reasons why she'd been drawn to him in the first place, wanted him to become her Warder. His friendly demeanor and easy way with people struck her and had immediately placed her at ease. A simple look and it was clear they were meant to spin webs of adventures together, learning and growing as the wheel turned, weaving their threads more tightly together. Bound.

Caitrin felt a heat sweep over her cheeks, her eyes averting to glance at the nearby fire. Its heat was more intense than she thought, her body warm despite the chill in the autumn air. "What's wrong?" she asked, worry in her voice. For a moment, she let her blue gaze drift toward the girl, her aura strong with the One Power. But she couldn't stare for long. There was something else. Something...

Caitrin's hand reached up to touch the pendant about her neck, the angreal. Her fingers rubbed against its smooth curves, the white stone cool to the touch. Almost instantly, she felt a wave of nausea and let the pendant drop. Blinking, her thoughts began to race, flooding with questions as she wondered why the Amyrlin would send her to a tiny village to seek out a wilder. Yes, she was there, but clearly there was more. Something she hadn't been told.

Tarmon Gai'don.

She sensed it. There was no question. The air was thick with the taint of saidin!

Meanwhile, Leithia stood in the shadows, her eyes fixed upon her love as he danced with another. Her heart twisted beneath her breast to watch. It was always the same. She went ignored. Her eyes drifted to the fire, staring at the flames. She watched the air swirling about, stoking the bright oranges and reds, making them dance higher and higher. Perhaps they could dance more brightly than him, swallowing his partner up...if only the air allowed. As her thoughts focused on the air, the threads weaved together and she embraced the thought as it beckoned. Eyes rolling back, her tongue wetting her lips, she saw the event unfold. Just then, the flames creeped higher, igniting a nearby tree and causing the villagers closest to the bonfire to shout out in panic.
 
The channeling of the Power caught his attention immediately, eyes snapping up to watch the fire haired girl. After spending so long with Caitrin, he had gained a feeling for the Power, such that he sometimes thought he could almost see its strands as much as he could feel them, as preposterous as he knew it was. Now, though, the wilder was not his concern as much as the lapping flames tickling the branches above their heads were.

"That's what's wrong," he murmured back, pleased that his voice sounded so calm. The fire was getting hotter than he was comfortable with, now, as the village girl knowingly or unknowingly channeled it higher. Whatever her game was,Caitrin and Aermun were not in a position to win it.

He twisted his head about and cast his gaze through the darkness, made all the darker by the encroaching light. It did not take him more than a moment to find a path as he pulled the color shifting cloak aside to one shoulder. Whether she could sense him or not, it would do no good to have Caitrin lose sight of him in the darkness of the trees. "We have to move," he told her, another gentle hand on her shoulder. "There's a path behind us we can move though if we're regressing; we can go back or we can go elsewhere, but we have to go somewhere, and now." He waited more patiently than he ever thought he could have for her words, ever mindful of the threads of power circulating throughout the village.
 
Leithia's eyes widened as soon as the tree caught fire. She hadn't expected the dry branches, a canopy of lush orange and red hues, to suddenly ignite while she'd dreamed the flames of the bonfire would lick the flesh of the girl in the arms of the one she'd been pining for over the years. Hearing the leaves crackle as the branches groaned within the dancing flames, she wasn't sure what to think. The music had stopped abruptly, her parents nowhere to be found. Everyone seemed confused, frightened, startled. Villagers were running from the flames as they climbed higher along the tree, engulfing it entirely.

For a moment, Leithia looked down at her hands. A soft glow seemed to swirl about them. Blinking hard, she wasn't sure if it was the light of the fire, her fear or something else causing her to see such things. Suddenly worried, she grabbed a hold of the blue fabric of her skirts, determined not to look at her hands again unless she had to. Just what was happening...and why? She scanned the area looking for the one she desired. But he was gone. And so was the girl he'd been with. In her heart she knew he'd fled the scene. He'd never been one to help or stand up and face crisis, but she would never admit that out loud. Not yet. Not when she so deeply yearned for his affections, just a single glance her way.

Eyes stinging with tears, Leithia backed away from the horrific sight unfolding as people began looking her way, to the odd girl. To the eccentric girl with no prospects and one even her parents ignored. Her blood suddenly felt cold, her feet slowly moving her away from the light and closer to the shadows.

Caitrin looked up at Aermun, her blue eyes widening briefly before she gave him a nod. Her insides twisted as her thoughts ran wild. She could sense saidin. It was everywhere. The angreal was telling her as much and the artifact would never lie. As she looked at her Warder, all her trust and faith in his words rushing toward him, she saw it...that moment when he noticed the aura around the wilder girl. He shouldn't have seen it. Not with all his training or time spent with her. It was impossible. Unless...

Dark thoughts began to circulate through Caitrin's mind. None of them she liked. All of them led to the inevitable and it made her heart ache. Not wanting to believe it, she decided that she had to be wrong. There was no other option. Her sense was thrown off due to the chaos. Pushing the notion aside that somewhere lurked a male channeler, she decided to focus on the moment. Glancing toward the villagers and the fire, the girl they'd been seeking was lost in the crowd. Their only hope of finding her now would be to search once things calmed down, but...

There would be no later.

Caitrin closed her eyes. The girl was the least of their problems, second to the fire. Her heart knew it even if she wasn't ready to accept. Opening her eyes, she reached out to Aermun. "We go, for now," she agreed. The fire was spreading fast, another tree was engulfed in flame...a house! A part of her felt guilty for not lending aid. But to do so would place them both in danger. Aes Sedai were not welcome in these mountains. "Back to the path. There was a clearing near a stream a few miles back. Perhaps there it will be safer," she suggested.

Caitrin was not fond of these mountains, their forests providing little to no shelter, leaving them vulnerable. As she glanced at Aermun, her heart racing, she feared that more than failure of a mission was at stake. Though she no longer felt or saw saidar, she could feel the saidin through the angreal...and it was only growing stronger.
 
Aermun thanked a great number of fictional or otherwise figures simultaneously that Caitrin's Green nature had not gotten the best of her as she nodded and turned to face him. He noticed a gleam in her eye, a fear that had not been present in her voice, and while it worried him to his core they did not have time for him to ponder the mysteries of her fears with the forest rapidly lighting ablaze around them. These woods were dry and sparse, just the kind of environment for the flames to spread alarmingly quickly.

Aermun spun on his heel and moved forward as quickly as he could manage while keeping Caitrin close to him. Any stray branches in the path that would hinder them were shoved aside and held for her to pass before Aermun slunk his way back ahead of her to clear the forest ahead. All the while, his thoughts were racing, predicting distances and how fast the wood would burn, trying to get a grasp on the situation. His thoughts were dark. He had seen fires like this on a scant few occasions before, and every time they were uncontrollable, wild, and destructive, sometimes burning miles of wood before they eventually either petered out or ran out of things to burn. The way the trees were spaced and accounting for how dry it was here, Aermun's reckoning was that it was more likely the latter.

As they broke into a small clearing, Aermun took a moment to glance behind. Sure enough, the orange glow of flame was not far behind them, growing brighter with each passing moment. He grimaced, remembering this clearing on their way in; it had been a godsend at the time, for the path nearest it was overgrown and uneven, difficult to walk over even in the calm circumstances of their arrival. Now, though, it would only be a hindrance, one they could not afford. Jerking his head towards the path to beckon Caitrin along, he drew the fine Shienarian steel from his hip and waded into the path, hacking and slicing his way through the overgrown brush with relative ease.

The going was slow. Too slow. Aermun could feel his hackles rising as the flames... no. It was not the flames that were setting him on edge. A familiar feeling hung about the wood, one he had not felt in some time and was difficult to place. A sense of dread, mixed with fear, mingled with hatred, and bathed in thin sheen of bloodlust. All at once, it clicked, and he ground to a screeching halt.

Aermun closed his eyes. Flame burned, darkness fell. All was quiet in his mind. He stretched his senses as far as he could, listening for the slightest—

There. It was faint, but it was there. As improper as he knew it was, he snatched up Caitrin's hand and pulled her close to him, resuming his cleaving but taking a moment to utter a low word to her, tinged with apprehension: "Shadowspawn."
 
The word was like a whisper, a soft breath caressing the skin. Only this word didn't set Caitrin's heart at ease. Rather, she felt every nerve run raw and ragged, her senses on full alert as she began to reach out into the darkness before them.

At their backs, Caitrin could feel the heat of the fire. It burned wildly, scorching everything that dared get in its way. The soft glow went from dim to bright as the trees and brush burst into flame behind them.

The smoke was thick in the air. Caitrin coughed, her body pressed against Aermun as he held her tightly. Just how had he known...and before her? Impossible. Biting down on her lip, she became aware of the angreal about her neck, how heavy it suddenly felt. The urge to tear it off and throw it rose, but she couldn't let the artifact fall into the hands of shadowspawn.

"I feel them," Caitrin stated, though she made no move to leave her Warder's side. Something was off, wrong.

Saidin.

"Over there!" Caitrin shouted. Immediately she lunged, her hand letting go of Aermun's and reaching for the dagger strapped to her hip. The skulking beast, no doubt a trolloc, moved quickly as she tried to cut its throat. She missed and caught sight of a silhouette far off in the trees. There was something familiar about it, but she didn't have time to think on it for the trolloc was snarling and swiping at her.

Caitrin let out a tiny cry as she fell backwards over a fallen branch and landed, hard, against the ground. Just then the flames spreading through the forest seemed to rise higher, grow brighter. It was as if they had a life of their own. The wind blew, directing the flames, branches catching until Caitrin suddenly found herself surrounded, caged in fire.

"Aermun!!!" Caitrin screamed. Trollocs danced around her flaming prison, the fire closing in upon her. Squinting through the firelight, she saw the silhouette disappear. "Aermun!!!" she shouted again, her throat going raw from smoke, from heat, from the fear of leaving her Warder.
 
This was no coincidence.

Trollocs did not gather like this. They did not attack like this. They did not hunt like this. Not without orders. And not without one one the ends of their leashes.

Time slowed down and sped up all at once, the world slowing while Aermun accelerated, suspended in the blackness of his soul. Cat Crosses the Couryard. His posture was lax, arrogant almost, sword loosely held in front of him and body straight. He felt Caitrin leap away from him, and his void shook; he knew she would last if she was channeling, but the familiar shhck! of a dagger leaving its sheath meant she was not using the Power. If he could have let out a guarded shout in that moment, he would have, but there was no time. In order to save her life, he had to maintain his, and the trio of trollocs bearing down on him was a detriment to that success.

Apple Blossoms on the Wind. The shadowspawn stuttered to a halt as a slash meant for each of them lanced through the air in front of their noses. Aermun was already moving, within arm's—and sword's—reach within the second. Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose. A precise slash into the trolloc's eye sent it reeling. Kingfisher Circles the Pond. Aermun popped up on his toes and spun about, feeling the unevenness of the forest floor try and take his leg as he moved. A careful, higher step bounced his leg over the gnarled briar of a tree. Red Hawk Takes a Dove. A great downward slash rent the next trolloc from shoulder to hip, dribbling black blood into the ever-brighter glowing forest floor.

Cat On Hot Sand. Practiced steps carried him forward and into a careful spin as he distanced himself from the third trolloc. Its comrades felled in seconds, it had not yet gathered the gall to attack him, and indeed seemed to be wavering still.

A scream? Sounds permeated his void for the first time. His head whipped around, trying to find its source. Then, again, but louder, came the same scream. Caitrin.

The thought hit him like a bull and smashed his void to pieces as he scrambled on the loose leaves of the forest floor in a mad dash towards the pool of fire Caitrin had been enclosed in. A number of trees had fallen, it seemed, imprisoning her in the most terrifying cell imaginable with the worst prison guards ever conceived. A sloppy execution of Parting the Silk dispatched the nearest trolloc, but his heart had replaced his head in the battle. The remaining trollocs saw him, and split, two staying to lord over Caitrin's personal fire while the other three ran him down.

The first was met with the full fury of Aermun's frustration as The Boar Rushes Down the Mountain slammed repeatedly into its shoddy steel shield until its arm was bashed aside and a cut landed home. An unceremonious lash of Aermun's blade opened its throat, but left him exposed on his left side long enough for a great boar's head to connect with his chest. His light steel breastplate saved his ribs from breaking but left him with an extraordinarily uncomfortable lump in his armor as he flopped to the ground, luckily managing to regain his balance and roll with his momentum as an axe exploded into the ground his pelvis had so recently occupied.

Aermun hastily seized his opportunity, surging forward and landing the only precise slash of fight so far as Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose lanced a clean hole in its throat. Aermun did not have time to finish it off, instead leaving it to scream on the forest floor as he abandoned it.

The two trollocs standing over Caitrin had seen the result of the fight, and, enraged, had stepped around the fire to charge him, leaving Caitrin, now, unguarded. These two trollocs were the last thing standing between him and his Aes Sedai, and Aermun knew it—but he also knew he was waning. His stamina could only go for so long, and sloppy forms combined with the aching in his chest had left him heaving. Nevertheless, he rushed forward to meet them.

The first swung out clumsily with its great mace, nearly connecting with Aermun's face save for the Warder's quick duck. A slash into its side found little purchase for the studded leather the trolloc wore, bouncing off the steel studding uselessly and careening aside. With a muttered curse, Aermun leapt back out of the way of another crushing slam, slicing through the beast's wrist. The beast screamed and tumbled aside just as its companion rushed forward with a great sledge of a blade, bringing it down directly at Aermun's head while the Warder's blade was uselessly out of the way after his slash at the previous trolloc's weapon arm.

His mind dulled as soul-crushing defeat set in. Not only would his death here signify the failure of their mission, it would signify his failure to protect Caitrin. He was not sure if that stung worse than the acceptance of his death, but Aermun had accepted, by now, that it would not matter if he spent his last handful of living moments reflecting the philosophies of his failure. Fear and regret were the last things he felt, all for Caitrin; fear of leaving her to the flames, regret that he was to leave her like this without at the very least bidding her farewell.

A last vestige of defensive instinct, Aermun shouted and rose a hand into the path of the blade, screaming out as he felt liquid run hot in his palm, searing his hand with the pain. And then... the trolloc's attack stopped and it stumbled back, confused. The pain in his hand was immense, but he was... Alive? Why I am I...?

Grim acceptance turned into furious hope in the blink of an eye as Aermun's baser instincts sensed weakness. With a bestial shout, he sprang forward and crammed his sword into the trolloc's chestpiece point to hilt, feeling the familiar sensation of sword piercing armor, bone, and heart, then coming out the back end, and knowing full well the shadowspawn would die where it fell.

He ran. Aermun ran faster than he ever thought he could have towards the flaming nimbus, yanking his cloak from his back and holding it ready. The fire was hot in his face as he neared, giving the cloak a great sweep forward before throwing it down over Caitrin. His breastplate would keep him safe enough, he knew, to make a brief roll though the flame, and the cloak would keep the lapping flames away from her flesh long enough to clear of the fire. So he wrapped his arms around Caitrin and barrel rolled them aside, thudding to a halt just a few feet away, still very much in the searing heat of the fire.

Aermun hauled them to their feet with little sympathy, draping the cloak evenly around her shoulders. His sword lay abandoned, still in the festering wound of the trolloc; it was good Shienarian steel, but there were others like it out there.

"Let's go!" he shouted frantically, snatching up Caitrin's hand.



The stream trickled coldly through the icy night air, the shivering bite welcome after the heat they had endured. Aermun had left his cloak with Caitrin to keep her warm, leaving his Aes Sedai's side to sit by the stream alone, contemplative. The woods were burning in the distance, the pleasant smell of a campfire belying the actual devastation it inflicted just a mile away. Aermun had run them until they finally met up with the crook, collapsing into the clearing with heaving pants and lying in the cold dirt of the clearing for some minutes before finally collecting their head.

Now, he sat on a stump next to the stream, staring at his hand. Staring at the now-cool metal that had been molten some minutes before, melted and twisted around his hand by...

His hand had melted the steel. And thinking back on it, even though what he had done with his cloak had made sense, that did not account for the cloth of the cloak coming out completely unscathed, untouched by the burning fires. It didn't account for every hair on both his and Caitrin's face being unsinged by the flames they rolled through. Nothing accounted for it.

Nothing that made sense, anyway.
 
The fire was hot, its light intense and Caitrin knew this would soon be the end. She could feel the bond between her and Aermun beginning to falter as her life began to slowly ebb and fade. There was too much smoke and it was suffocating her, sucking her life force away. Try as she might, the One Power was of no help. Both air and water were no where to be found, their threads of Power evading her and unable to dowse the flames that encircled her, creeping closer and crackling in her ears. She let out another shout, her throat hoarse from the heat, the smoke. Her thoughts were a swirl of color as she struggled to hang on, for him, for her Warder. He was magnificent, just as she knew he would be, as he slayed the trollocs, dancing like only a trained fighter could.

Just as Caitrin thought all might be lost, her body crouching low to the ground where the air was freshest, she felt strong hands grip her body. Closing her eyes, she let the wheel turn, weaving its threads with purpose as she suddenly felt the heat become replaced with something cool. She wasn't about to question what had happened, that would have to wait. Looking into Aermun's eyes, her own showing both fear and wonder, she gave him a nod. Her hand in his and his cloak draped over her shoulders, she followed him away from the blaze.

In the shadows, Damarys watched on, a smirk gracing her pretty face. She pushed the deep purple hood she wore off her dark head and watched Caitrin and her Warder flee into the night. The trollocs were dead, but that was of no consequence. Shadowspawn were easier to find than most realized—if you knew how to look for them. Though—and part of her hated to admit it—she was impressed at how well the Warder bested so many. She wasn't one to take on a protector. After all, she could fight her own battles. Besides, there were better things to take care of in the world, more pressing matters. As she watched the two, she felt a seething hatred toward her old training mate. How she hated Caitrin Halim. Still...her Warder's actions, the way he touched the flame. She didn't need an angreal to know that he could channel saidin. Her Red sisters would jump at the chance to gentle him, to rip away his grip on the One Power. She laughed inwardly. It would destroy the bond he held with Caitrin, the two of them suffering madly. Her lip turned up into a broad smile as she thought about her Master, his words reaching out to her like a soft kiss upon the mind.

Letting out a resigned sigh, Damarys knew she couldn't go after Caitrin and Aermun. Not yet. There was time enough for that. Though the idea of gentling such a prize appealed, it would serve far better to bring the Warder to full madness, for him to bring chaos upon the realm. Then and only then could Shai'tan be fully released from his prison, his dark magic unleashed upon the world! But for now...her blue eyes peered upon the burning village, resting upon the fiery haired girl who stepped further and further away from the scene, she had someone to train, someone to introduce to her Master.

Caitrin set down upon the hard earth, her blue eyes watching Aermun carefully as he sat alone near the stream. She could tell he needed a moment, so she let him have it. No doubt he was going over the events that had just transpired, trying to make sense of them. The weight of the angreal was still heavy about her neck, the taint of saidin thick in the air. Closing her eyes, she knew the truth and the burden he was suddenly bearing. How long had he known? Opening her eyes, she decided...not long. Her heart twisted, aching desperately as he seemed lost in his thoughts. Finally, she moved to stand and approach him.

Caitrin's hands clutched at the cloak wrapped about her. She could smell Aermun's scent upon it along with the aroma of fire. Licking her lips, she walked over and sat down beside him, her eyes fixed upon the water babbling over the rocks as it rushed by.

"Thank you," Caitrin said softly, a hand moving to rest upon his arm—a normal gesture, familiar. "I would not be here to see another dawn if not for what you did." She gave him a squeeze. "Something is heavy on your mind," she continued, her tone pleading. "You know you can tell me. I...I'd like you to." A heat swept over her cheeks just then. She wasn't sure why it meant so much that Aermun share his thoughts with her himself when she already knew. But, it did. It showed trust and something more and, for reasons she couldn't quite explain, that mattered.
 
Aermun's bitter laugh was more a huff of breath and a shake of his head. "Heavy is a word," he said back, his good nature tainted by the taint he knew was creeping ever closer. "You're amazing, you know that?" he said suddenly, obviously going somewhere with the comment as he leaned forward and perched his elbows on his knees, examining his hand. The molten steel had warped around his palm and hardened in place, making a strange sort of hand wrap that glistened darkly in the sparse light cast by the waning moon.

"I'm an apprentice Blademaster. You can maybe fight well enough to save your life. You're a Tower trained diplomat. I can saunter my way through an inn room but a court is not a home for me. I can work my way into any woman's heart if it comes to it, and you've never been lacking in womanly charms." He sighed, turning his hand back and forth and staring grimly. "Our abilities compliment each other with startlingly little overlap. It's why you and I were paired, I'm sure." His gaze turned to her for a moment, but his eyes fell away after just a moment and he sighed. "You can use the Power. Of all the skills I ever thought we would find in common, I thought it was going to be something like 'we both play the flute,' or 'we both vacationed to Whitebridge as children.' Not that we were both channelers.

"I'm not sure what another dawn is worth, right now. There are far too many questions and not enough answers. Shadowspawn, wilders, and coordinated attacks in the forest. I half wonder how we didn't see a Fade in these woods, the way those trollocs attacked." He peered wistfully into the stream, taking some comfort in Caitrin's hand on his arm. In the sudden chaos that threatened to upturn his life, he prayed to the Creator that his one constant would remain; throughout their time together, he and Caitrin had faced a dozen dozens of trials and not once had he ever questioned either her ability or her reliability. Now, she was torn between two duties, one to the Tower and the other to him, between her life's work and her partner through it. He did not bother to think on that now, for he was not sure his mind could handle the stress.
 
Indeed what exactly was the worth of another dawn? Caitrin sat there next to Aermun, the scent of smoke and fire still lingering in the air. It seemed to cling to him, permeating the air about his body. Then again she'd inhaled a lot of smoke, her thoughts still a bit hazy. Inhaling deeply, she could smell him amidst it all—something familiar and comforting despite the confusion.

Caitrin listened to the water as it rushed over the rocks. She wondered what it would be like to strip down to her slip and splash in the cool water. The air was frigid, but she found solace in the thought. A tiny smile crept over her lips as she imagined Aermun joining in her play...like water and fire. The perfect complement indeed.

Aermun was right. They did complement each other. No other Warder could ever be by her side. The idea of another made her insides twist and the though of his fate should their bond be broken...

No! Caitrin couldn't do it. Couldn't allow it. Her thoughts suddenly went wild as she tried to decide what they should do. Aermun could not go back to Tar Valon. One step into the shadow of the White Tower and all of the Red Ajah would see him gentled. While she knew it would prevent the madness—her heart lurched—it would destroy the man she knew, the man she cared for.

No. They could not go back. They had to move forward, abandon their mission and...

Caitrin looked at Aermun, her heart hammering hard. Her mouth had gone as dry as the Waste. Licking her lips, she knew what needed to be done. And she knew her choice would make her family proud. She needed to listen to her heart though she also knew doing so would mean giving up all she'd worked for, all she'd ever known. Or would it?

Tarmon Gai'don.

As a sister of the Green Ajah, it had been her sworn duty to prepare for the coming of the Dragon. Was this not a sign? Was this not the Creator's way of showing what needed to be done? Setting her jaw, Caitrin decided it was...it had to be. She wasn't abandoning her Warder. Ever.

"Listen to me," Caitrin began. "One cannot put a price on something as precious as life." She paused a moment, her expression thoughtful. "Did not the Creator merely imprison Shai'tan rather than annihilate?" Her blue eyes softened. "We must prepare for the coming of the end. But..." her voice trailed and she turned to stare off at the water. A shiver ran along her spine just then causing her body to shudder. "But we can no longer do so in Tar Valon."

Caitrin had never felt so sure though her entire body trembled at the very notion of her defiance.

"Yes, we both can channel it would seem. You and I." Caitrin smiled, turning to look into Aermun's eyes. She gave him another squeeze, her heart leaping that he'd told her. The threads were weaving another pattern, another adventure. "We can't go back," she stated, emphasizing the 'we'. "We must go to the Black Tower," she swallowed hard, fear and worry coursing through her veins. "They'll know how to help you, train you. There we can prepare for Tarmon Gai'don," she smiled at him. "It's as the wheel weaves." Her grip tightened and she nodded, dark waves falling over her shoulders. "It's what I desire to do."

Meanwhile on the outskirts or the burning village, Damarys lightly stepped over smoldering branches still red-hot from the fire that had set them ablaze. The lush red and purple fabric of gown brushed against them, but they didn't ignite nor did they tear. She seemed unhindered by anything that tried to get in her way. Her blues fixed upon Leithia as she skulked in the shadows, the frown on her lips quite evident despite the darkness.

"Come with me," Damarys said with an air of confidence once she reached Leithia. The fiery-haired girl looked at her quizzically, almost like a prey caught in a predator's trap. Oh how naive she truly was! Flicking a dark braid over a shoulder, she flashed a pretty smile and extended her hand. "I'm Damarys Aad of the Red Ajah. I hail from Tar Valon."

Leithia's eyes widened, but a tiny smile caused her lips to turn upward. "I...I knew it..." She whispered. "Somehow, I always did."

Damarys just smiled sweetly. "Of course you did. You are better than these people. They are your puppets. Come with me and I'll show you how big the world truly is and the kind of life you are meant to live."

Leithia looked upon Damarys with great awe and admiration. She'd heard of Aes Sedai, but to meet one! The villagers would have run the woman off, but not her. She knew why she'd come. Finally! Finally, she was being noticed! A reward for being different, for being the person she was...for being Leithia Sachar.
 
"You and I..." It was not a question, nor was it a statement. It floated somewhere in the blackness between uncertainty and fear that most men's words fell when they felt their life slipping out of their control inch by painful inch. Caitrin's words only served as affirmation: They could never return to Tar Valon in their lifetime. All their belongings and sentimental items were lost. Their families, friends, and colleagues would likely see them presented as deserters or worse. After some time, they may even need to worry about being followed or hunted, depending on how strongly their names were blasted. And then there was the mystery of who had organized the shadowspawn attack, who they were working with, and how far they would chase.

Aermun stood from the log, pacing back and forth in front of Caitrin. She was no doubt used to the gesture, as it was how he focused his mind best. Some of his most brilliant revelations had come about, after being stuck on finding a solution, simply pondering the problem on his feet. "You're right," he grumbled grimly, "Tar Valon is out. Even the surrounding cities may become hostile to us, depending on how deep our names travel before we are searched for. And let's not forget that there's someone who controls shadowspawn hunting us as well." He sighed harshly and scrubbed a hand through his hair, shaking his head back and forth exasperatedly. "I'd like to say we've been through worse, but we really haven't."

A brief, mirthless laugh cut his words off. He paused, contemplative. Then his eyes turned to Caitrin, brown-nearly-black eyes somehow managing to glint fondly in the dim starlight. "But you're right, Caitrin. There's no Aes Sedai in this world who I would rather have by my side through this." Honest and sincere, Aermun's words matched his smile as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back.

In the clearing, under the cloudless night sky and surrounded by the fires of discord, a new life started for them. It was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel of time. But it was a beginning. A beginning of what would undoubtedly be the most difficult time of their lives, by Aermun's guess.

The Black Tower. Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, the Car'a'carn, the most powerful false Dragon in recent history. Whatever the name, they all lead to the same man. The same madman.

Aermun shivered. "The Black..." The words choked in his throat. His eyes fell on Caitrin for a bare moment, then slipped off. When his madness came, she would be the first to be hurt, invariably. She would be his only friend, his only ally, his only confidant, and likely his first victim. Perhaps she could teach him to channel—as a dog trainer could teach a man to train a bear—but some part of him did not want her to. Consciously he knew that training was the best way to keep control, to stave off the madness, but part of him was afraid of what he could do as a madman trained in the One Power alongside a masterful blade.

Not now. He knew he would have plenty of time to ponder the nature of their predicament while traveling. Now was the time to act, not think, and actions could not exist without intent, nor intent without planning. So be it. "It's the only place to start. You're right." At least, he hoped she was. Creator, he hoped she was.
 
Despite how grave their situation had become, Caitrin couldn't help but smile as she watched Aermun pace. His gestures and expressions brought an odd sense of comfort as she focused on the lulling sounds of the water rushing over the rocks. It was as if the water was trying to reach out to him, to somehow cleanse the taint. But she knew that was her own wishful thinking, her own desire to use saidar to help her faithful Warder.

But such thoughts were in vain. And Caitrin knew it. If only it could be so simple, but life never was. As she listened to Aermun, she nodded her dark head, curls framing her pale face in the moonlight as its silvery rays shimmered through the trees. She could tell he was leery, worried.

And she could hardly blame him.

"You'll see that I am," Caitrin said lightly, almost playfully, trying her best to ease Aermun's mind. Though she knew nothing could.

Caitrin stood up then and took a few steps closer to the stream. The air was cold as it swirled about and she found herself tugging on the cloak draped over her slim shoulders. The fires seemed to have died down, but she could still smell them on the cloak she wore. Deciding to relish it rather than be fearful, the tiny smile on her lips broadened.

The wheel had spun them a most intricate pattern. Aermun was right. Not only was he suddenly channeling, but someone or something was hunting them. Did they know of Aermun's ability? Or was it something else? A part of her wished she could send word to the White Tower, to warn her sister Aes Sedai of the shadowspawn lurking in the mountains nearby. But such messages had to wait. She had to trust they'd manage on their own. Aermun's safety from being gentled, his remaining by her side...that was what mattered.

"I know we've not been together long," Caitrin spoke, her blue eyes fixed on the water. She could feel her cheeks warm as the silvery moonlight shone down upon her. "But I believe we've been bonded for a reason." She stepped a bit closer to the water. "We will face each obstacle together as we're meant to." Turning to look at Aermun, cheeks still flushed, she smiled. "But for now, we must rest. It's a long journey to the Black Tower and we must be alert in case this attacker comes back." Her expression turned thoughtful, though her mind was still processing, a swirl of color. "We can take turns keeping watch."

Meanwhile, Damarys let a delicate hand rest gently upon Leithia's shoulder. She smiled down upon the fiery-haired girl. "Sweet Leithia. There's so much to teach and I take it upon myself to take you under my wing."

Leithia beamed as she walked next to the Aes Sedai, her blue eyes full of hope and wonder. She could hardly believe she was about to leave her home, her family, her...

"Forget him, Leithia," Damarys said plainly. "I know it cuts deeply, but I assure you he will have no trouble forgetting you."

Leithia frowned, troubled by Damarys' words. More than anything, she longed for him to remember. Though a stronger desire was starting to grow—for him to regret.

As if Damarys could read Leithia's thoughts, she nodded. Dark braids fell over her bared shoulders. "A day will come when he will regret casting you aside, Leithia." Her smile grew until she showed teeth. "And how radiant you will be on that day."

"Will I?" Leithia asked, her eyes wide and doe-like.

"Sweet Leithia," Damarys whispered. "You will shine brighter than the Tower itself." Leithia smiled, letting out soft giggle. "But come now. It's a couple days journey to Tar Valon and the Amyrlin Seat will be pleased to have you among us."

Damarys smiled inwardly, pleased to know she could report on Caitrin's failings by bringing the girl to the Tower herself. She'd personally oversee her training, nudging when appropriate. Already, the girl was becoming her little pet. Yes, the girl would be a marvelous asset to the Master. And a good little minion while she trained.

Caitrin was a deserter. She and her blasted Warder. Damarys sniffed at the thought of the two, so beloved by all. Not any longer. Not when she'd be able to tell them how they abandoned their mission and...she knew she couldn't speak of Aermun's ability. Her Red sisters would ruin everything and that would disappoint her Master greatly. No. No, she'd deal with that herself...

Damarys' gaze drifted to Leithia. She smiled sweetly and brushed the girl's hair away from her face as they walked. Perhaps she wouldn't have to deal with a madman on her own, not when she'd have the perfect ally.
 
The smile that Aermun cast sideways at Caitrin was comfortingly reminiscent of his old self, kind and warm and just a touch cheeky in that way gleemen always had a joke in their voice. He caught the blush in her cheeks, and for the first time noticed himself that the night air was beginning to get uncomfortably cold. As per the norm, Caitrin was right; a night's rest would do them good, even if they only got half a night's rest each. Her sentiment regarding the fate she believed was woven between them was answered with a solemn nod, but her concerns of their attackers still being present in the woods stuck with him more.

"I'll take first watch then," he said, taking one last longing glance at the stream before pacing towards the woods. With her sleeping first, he would be able to let her get the lion's share of the sleep during the night. The physical boon that came with his bond had seen him funcitoning well on just a few hours of sleep each night, and a bit of beauty rest in their situation would do Caitrin a world of comfort. "I'll gather up some wood and get us a fire started, keep us warm over night. If I had a bow I could see about doing something for dinner, but we might be traveling on an empty stomach for a period." He shrugged apologetically, jerking his head towards the forest. "Even if we could manage to navigate ourselves to where we tied our horses, they're likely fled or dead after the fire."

After a short jaunt into the forest, Aermun quickly returned with an armful of dried branches and chunks of fallen wood. His belt pouch held a flint, and it was an easy enough task to scrape a ball of tinder from the dry bark of a tree. Minutes later, a pleasantly crackling fire lit the clearing just a few spans away from the stream he and Caitrin both had found themselves lost in. "Cloak'll take to the heat," he said, gesturing at the cloak that looked monstrously large on her diminutive form with the stick he held to tend the fire. His voice was soft as he suggested, "Put your back to the flame and you'll keep warm all night. I'll wake you in a few hours," he added softly, doing his best Aes Sedai impression as he told the flex of the truth. "If you wake and need anything, I'll be right here."

Aermun's thoughts turned inwards for a moment; thinking over his words, he was unsure why he added in the reassurance he would be present when she awoke. There was no reason he would not be, so why tell her? Caitrin was a big girl. Tucking her in was not necessary, but he still felt the need to comfort any fears she may have had. Perhaps it was the pomp and circumstance of their bond dissipating as their connection with the Tower did the same. Perhaps it was not. Aermun could not tell one way or the other, but he knew that telling her somehow comforted himself as well. It was a feeling he was unused to... but not one he minded.
 
With a nod, Caitrin watched Aermun go to work gathering wood for a fire. She managed to find some small pieces of wood for kindling along with tattered pieces of tree bark and pine needles. She set them next to the pile her Warder had made, adding to what would be needed. Her tummy rumbled softly, but she pushed thoughts of hunger aside. There would be no feasting this night. As it was, they were lucky to be alive.

Caitrin found herself settling in as she watched Aermun build the fire. A part of her wished he could reach out to saidin, touch the One Power and light their fire with ease. But to do so would be foolish, dangerous. As a trained Aes Sedai, she knew the temptations of touching the Power. Its seductive call always beckoned deep within the mind, to touch it brought euphoria, blissful peace. Her legs trembled slightly at the thought. But there was a sickening taint in saidin, the male power shadowed in darkness by Shai'tan himself. To embark on the journey of channeling without aid? It was madness. And it was why they needed to get to the Black Tower.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Caitrin's lips and she pulled the cloak even more tightly about her tiny body. The heavy fabrics were warm and smelled of Aermun mixed with fire and smoke. It was pleasing, comforting...somehow soothing her as they readied themselves for the night.

Heeding Aermun's words, Caitrin listened to him and moved to sit with her back to the fire. Immediately, she could feel the cloak absorbing the heat, allowing it to warm her entire body as the frigid night air became colder. Her cheeks grew warmer still when he spoke of staying by her side. It had always been a given, an unspoken expectation that he'd never bothered to reiterate. Hearing such words now...

It was as if he wasn't just a mere Warder, but a man. Living, breathing. Warm.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Caitrin gave Aermun a nod and then averted her gaze. "Thank you." She longed to reach out, to touch his arm like she always did. But something made her hesitate, unsure. "I..." she began, stammering slightly. Swallowing hard, she mustered up her resolve and brought her hand down upon his arm. "And I promise to stay by your side. We face this together," she reassured. "Everything." With great reluctance, she let her hand slide from his arm and she nestled deeply within his cloak, letting herself get lost in his scent as sleep slowly began to claim her.

Meanwhile, Damarys led Leithia to a small grove. She gestured the girl take a seat upon the ground.

"I know this isn't the best accommodations. But I have blankets in my pack. And we'll spend the night at an inn tomorrow."

Leithia's eyes widened.

"Not everyone fears and detests Aes Sedai," Damarys explained. "We are revered in many towns, in many countries." She nodded, smiling. "You are taking your first steps into a much larger world. One where you can stand tall...and will."

Leithia nodded. "I'll make you proud of me, Lady Damarys," she said, her voice hopeful, eager.

"I've no doubt that you'll exceed my expectations, pet." Damarys opened her pack and began laying out blankets. "But let's gather some wood for a fire. We need our sleep for it's a long way to Tar Valon."
 
Aermun smiled at Caitrin's touch, but his heart was not in it. He had seen the hesitation, the way she touched him like he was a could viper. Her words tried to comfort him, and he tried to let them, but it was nearly a waste of breath. She knew what he was; why would she not be frightened of him now? She had every right to be wary. He had no idea what kind of pain he could or would cause her in the coming weeks. He felt selfish, knowing her fate should she stay with him yet hoping against the world that she would do just that. He had to wonder of the knot forming in his stomach was nerves orsaidin; neither idea settled him any.

Relief and disappointment met in equal parts as Caitrin'a hand slipped off of his arm. Disappointment won out though as she turned from him and laid to sleep. Images flashed in his head of her walking away, turning just as she had now and walking back towards... It was hard to say the Tower would even take her back now, especially if word got out what he was, what she had been traveling with. If she was as guilty as he, there would be nowhere fit to stay save with him. He hoped that her faith in him was as great at his distrust in himself. And then, he hoped not, for breaking those hoped would hurt the most.

Time passed slowly, alone in the clearing. The tricking of his favorite stream kept him sane and alive as he scanned about the wilderness, searching for anything that might be ill-willed. In his scanning, he lost track of his time; he had been intending to give Caitrin the lion's share of the sleep, but as the dim gray of dawn started to creep through the treetops, Aermun realized he had on fact given it all to her.
 
There he stood, his back facing her as she cried out with her arms stretched out before her. No matter how much she tried to get his attention, he would not turn. Tears stung her eyes, her heart aching beneath her breast. It hurt...a pain that made her senses reel as she longed to get closer. Steeling herself, she tried to run. As her legs moved, her lungs burning with the exertion, not once did she get any closer. He continued to remain out of reach. Untouchable. Whimpering, gasping for breath, she dared to cry out his name.

"Aermun!!!"

Eyes going wide, Caitrin sat up with a start. She squinted her blue eyes as she looked up into the sky, the sun just beginning to rise. Aermun's cloak was still wrapped about her body, the scent strong as it invaded her senses, the only comfort she felt as she shook off the lingering dread from the dream. Turning her head, dark hair falling into her eyes, she saw Aermun not too far off, keeping watch. He'd stayed up the entire night, not once trying to wake her. She bit down on her lip as she shifted her body, her eyes fixed on him as he stared off at the water rushing by.

Caitrin had to admit that the sight of Aermun standing there, his cloak still draped about her body, was a pleasant thing to wake up to. If only her dream hadn't been so dreadful. She placed a hand against her forehead and brushed her wild curls away from her face. Slowly, she pushed herself up, her skirts a bit rumpled, but she hardly cared. As she watched Aermun and the water, she was once again reminded of the thought of playing in the stream. The two of them splashing, smiling...her cheeks heated just then.

Warder...channeler...man.

Yes, Aermun was many things, especially now. But underneath everything one thing remained ever the constant—he was a man. And one Caitrin found herself caring for deeply. Seeing him troubled, knowing their bond was threatened. She couldn't abandon him now. She wouldn't. They'd already been through so much and she knew she wanted to go through it all...good, bad, everything. Her family would be proud of her, her decisions. But there was more to it than that. Seeing her Warder, looking past titles and vows, she cared for the man he was, the man he could be. She wanted to help him, to be there for him. They could fulfill their promise and duty in other ways. One thing she'd learned before traveling to the White Tower was that not everything was as it seemed and that when the wheel weaved a pattern before you, it was up to you to interpret its meaning and embellish to bring out its beauty.

She would do no differently here.

"You-you're still awake?" Caitrin said softly as she quietly approached Aermun. Her cheeks were still flushed as she averted her eyes and smiled. She could feel the flutter in her tummy, something that had been growing as of late whenever she spoke to her Warder. "You should have woken me, you..." Biting down on her lip, she placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. Relief flooded her when he didn't vanish, when he didn't somehow move out of reach. She hoped the nightmare would never return, the very thought made the bile rise to her throat. "Thank you," she then said, not wanting to spurn the gift he'd given her of full rest. "For letting me rest." She turned to look at him, her eyes searching for his. Worry etched the lines of her forehead as she furrowed her brows. "I do hope you'll be rested enough to travel. If you need time, please let me know."

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Damarys watched Leithia's still sleeping form. The girl looked angelic as she slept, her wild red hair sprawled about the blanket she slept upon. She smirked down at her charge, her little ally. She'd managed to get her away from her village. No one there would miss her and soon she'd be under Tar Valon's protection and her own watchful eye. Before long she'd know the way of the Black Ajah, learning who the true master was. Her hands balled up into fists at her side, nails digging her palms. Like her, she'd get this girl to renounce the Creator and his lies. She'd get her to taste the sweet promise of darkness and know the tender kiss of Shai'tan.
 
Sensing the distress through their bond, Aermun's head pivoted about and locked into his Aes Sedai as she say bolt upright. Determining it was just a bad dream, he let his hand fall from his sword and the edge leave his eyes, not wanting to alert or alarm her. Nightmares were not something he would give attention to. Not now. There were plenty of things to have in your nightmares.

She approached him, then, stammering over her words as she spoke with him, as she spoke with the wild lion before her. She attempted to smile, and he smiled back at her in kind, but even without sleep he could see the hesitation in her crystal blue orbs. Maybe that was why he liked the stream so much that he had spent the majority of the night camped out beside it: it reminded him of her eyes, crystal blue and sparkling with something between chastising and thankfulness.

Caitrin tried once, then twice to get out her words, and Aermun let her, meeting her eyes gently and patiently. He studied her face, taking in the pink in her cheeks and the way she looked strangely relieved that his arm had not fallen off overnight. She always touched his arm in that way, but it was different this time, searching somehow, uncertain. Without knowing her thoughts—and what man could read the thoughts of any woman, much less of an Aes Sedai—he had no way of knowing, so he let it be for now, nodding in acceptance of her thanks. "You need it more than I," he proclaimed, brushing a fatherly hand over her cheek to clear away the splayed stands of hair that still stood out from a restless night of sleep. "Only one of us gets the benefit of the bond. You take all the strain, I reap all the benefit of the Pow..." He trailed off, realizing she too would soon be receiving effects odd a channeler through the bond.

His mouth feel into a grim line and he averted his eyes, settling back on the stream that had begun to shimmer in the early dawn's rising light.
 
There was a pause, a brief moment of silence that was all but deafening if not for the sound of the nearby stream as the water sloshed over the rocks. Caitrin felt her breath hitch as Aermun spoke, his tone resonating in such a way that made her tummy flutter, goose bumps forming along her pale skin. She shivered when he cut himself off, though it wasn't due to the chill in the air and it certainly wasn't because she feared her Warder. If anything, she found herself drawn to him all the more, her worry about his future growing as she feared he might wish to relinquish their bond and move on...without her. The very idea cut deeply, more so than she expected. Then again, she'd always cared for him, always...

Cheeks burning, Caitrin pondered the relationship she and Aermun held. It was strong, she didn't doubt that, never would. The two of them had known each other for only a few short years, their bonding for even less. But that hardly mattered. They'd finally been granted leave from Tar Valon on a special quest for the Tower and...

Caitrin felt her insides churning. They'd failed the Tower on their mission—their first mission, their only mission. She failed her Green sisters, the Amyrlin. But she still had her Warder and she wouldn't fail him so long as he'd have her. And she hoped to the Creator he would. She wouldn't force him to remain bonded, though she knew she could if she so desired. Her sisters had told her it was possible. But the notion sickened her to her very core. She couldn't do that to the one man tied to her, weaved to her soul through threads of Power.

Pretending not to notice Aermun's sudden silence, Caitrin turned and took a step closer. He gently touched her face, pushing the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes out of the way. She couldn't help but notice his warmth as he touched her, washing over her, swallowing her whole. Breathing in, she could smell the fire and smoke, the same scent that hung heavy on his cloak.

Caitrin's blue eyes fluttered shut. When she opened them, Aermun was staring at the water. She could tell he was troubled and more than anything, she longed to ease his worry. Something.

"It's a long journey to the Black Tower," Caitrin said softly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "But it's early." She looked up into the sky, the sun barely peeking above the horizon, the trees of the forest a natural canopy as it allowed a few stray rays of the sunrise to filter through. The air was chilled with the bite of autumn, but she hardly cared. The water beckoned. Without further hesitation, she reached behind her neck and undid the ties that allowed her dress to slip from her body into a puddle of blues and browns at her feet. Smiling brightly and wearing nothing but her slip, she ran quickly toward the rushing water, bare feet splashing as she entered. "Come on!" she shouted. "Just for a few moments!" A shiver ran down her spine as her body adjusted to the cold air and water caressing her skin. "I promise that the water isn't as cold as it seems!" Unable to hold back, she laughed and reached out to her Warder.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Damarys waited for Leithia to wake. They had time before they needed to reach the White Tower of Tar Valon. No doubt she'd please the Amyrlin by bringing the wilding back with her and that would be enough to preoccupy them all while she set her own plans in motion. Caitrin would be despised, seen as a failure and deserter before long. She'd become the most disgraced Aes Sedai. It was all so perfect and would no doubt please her master. The thought made her skin tingle, her heart race. Yes, things were going as planned, the patterns weaving, the wheel turning and set.
 
Caitrin's words were calm, though her cheeks burned with some unknown heat. He was about to ask when he suddenly found her stripping her dress off. Out of habit or courtesy he did not know, but he flicked his eyes aside, listening as she splashed off into the stream they had been staring at for the past twelve hours. Seeing the smile on her face, hearing the tinkle of her laughter, was infectious, and Aermun could not help but return the same smile as he brought his eyes back to her. The shift she wore was modest, but the Warder on his outside could not stop the man inside from stirring at the image of a pretty girl letting her emotions fly to the wind to share a moment with him.

Her laughter and smile were not the only infectious things, evidently, as Aermun found himself begrudgingly unlacing his shirt and pulling it up over his head, unlacing his boots and kicking them aside. He was confident the of the water proofing on his breeches, and for all her fervor Caitrin could not hide the shiver that went up her when she entered the cold water. Aermun was not appreciative of the cold. But he was appreciative of Caitrin.

He took her outstretched hand and spun her about, dancing in the stream for the first minutes of dawn. The minutes he spent blissfully ignorant of the Power coursing through his blood were the best he could remember since before he had come to the Tower, save perhaps for the day he and Caitrin were bonded. He had always yearned for the deep camaraderie that soldiers had, but he had been passed up to fight for Andor at an early age, instead thrown to the noble courts because of his heritage. There he had tried to spend more time fighting than he did training, but he was always caught on the practice field and dragged off to his lessons. As such, his skills had developed equally on both ends, and he found himself an apprentice Blademaster who also possessed a deep understanding of Daes Dae'mar. He had been a rarity—and the perfect candidate for the Tower to sweep up.

Some days, he wanted to regret it, wanted to go home to Caemlyn and doff his noble holdings to train alongside the warlords. Not in that moment, though. As he frolicked about the stream at the brink of dawn with Caitrin on and in his arms, he knew that no bond he could ever make with a soldier would match the Bond he held with the Aes Sedai—with his Aes Sedai.
 
The water felt blissfully warm after a while in comparison to the chilled air. But it pales next to the heat Caitrin felt emanating from Aermun as he held her, danced with her, allowed themselves a moment to forget duty, obligations...troubles. It was pouring off him in droves, though she welcomed it. A part of her wondered if it was a result of saidin, an affinity for fire and earth. But as she held onto his hand, she knew it was because he was just a man—hot blood coursing through veins and a steadfast heart.

Caitrin looked into Aermun's eyes, the sun climbing higher but doing nothing to stave off the chill. She smiled, shivering but somehow happy and lighter despite their circumstance. With her free hand, she ran her fingers through her dark hair and took a moment to study—no, admire—her Warder. Immediately, a heat crept across her cheeks and swept down along her neck. It continued down along her chest and over the swells of her breasts. She had to admit, he was handsome. She'd always thought as much. But now...like this. Suddenly, she couldn't hold his gaze.

Still smiling, her tummy a flutter of nerves, Caitrin looked down toward the water. The memory of Aermun, bare chested and beautiful was burned into her mind. Seared forever. "We should probably dry off," she suggested, though there was reluctance in her voice. As much as she wanted the moment to last, she knew it couldn't. It wouldn't be long before they were missed at Tar Valon. And if anyone at the Tower learned that Aermun could channel then every Red sister would pursue them until he was gentled.

Damarys. Of all the Red sisters, Caitrin feared her the most. The two had trained together as Accepted, testing at nearly the same time. But the Red sister hadn't liked her from the start. It had pained her that the two couldn't be friends. More times than she could count, she'd tried. But the Red had always shut her out, pushed her away, made it clear that she was despised.

"We should head back to the village we rested at before coming here," Caitrin said still staring at the water, though her hand was still in Aermun's. She tugged him toward shore, her smile not once faltering. "It's on the way to the Black Tower."

Meanwhile, Leithia and Damarys packed up the blankets and began their journey to Tar Valon. Damarys stared at the back of Leithia's head as she let her lead for a bit. Her smile was broad as she thought of her plans and how perfectly everything was going.
 
His own reluctance was mirrored in the tight nod he gave. Aermun did not say anything, surreptitiously giving her a brief once-over. It appeared the cold was getting to her by the flush in her cheeks, so no matter how much he wanted to press on with their play he knew that she was right. And so he let her lead him by the hand out of the water, in turn leading her to the fire. A few minutes' worth of poking and stoking got the little light up to a comfortable blaze, blissfully dulling the edge of the early morning chill.

Gray turned to slate, and slate to blue, as the sun peaked its first slivered edge of the horizon hidden behind the trees. Caitrin's suggestions made him think for a moment, tilting his head aside; he could not hide a visible twitch of his lips as she said "Black tower," hiding it as quickly as he could. "You're still thinking of the wilder, aren't you?" he asked calmly, probing. Caitrin had always been dedicated, so it was not unlike her to suggest trying to follow up on their task. But in his mind, they had already come to the point of no return. So what if they did find the wilder? They certainly could not bring her back to the Tower like they were supposed to. Perhaps Caitrin could convince her to go on her own, but that travel would be far too dangerous and overwhelming for a little town girl like her to accomplish unassisted.
 
Caitrin sat quietly by the fire as Aermun brought the dwindling flames back to life. The heat felt nice as it kissed her skin, promising warmth and comfort as it began to dry her, pushing away the chill of both the water and the autumn air. She brought Aermun's cloak up around her sodden body, the heavy fabric making her smile as she draped it about her shoulders. She hoped he didn't mind that she was still holding onto it. It was hard to relinquish, though hardly because it was hearty and functional. No. She enjoyed its smell, the way it felt when it caressed her skin. It was as if Aermun himself wrapped his arms about her and hugged her close.

Immediately, Caitrin's cheeks reddened and she shifted slightly, moving to kneel and hold her hands out closer to the flames. Her feelings for her Warder were strong. They always had been. But the sudden threat of losing him made her start to realize several things, darker things she'd only begun to notice.

"The wilder?" Caitrin asked, trying to settle herself, keeping her eyes fixed on the flames. "It's a pity we had to leave her behind. Creator, I hope she manages on her own." It was true. She did. But the girl was out of her reach now. Though it pained her to see any creature yielding the One Power to go without aid, her first priority was to her Warder. Not even the Tower could sway that loyalty. She'd made her choice and there was no turning back from it now. She would just pray to the Creator that the girl would find the guidance she needed to stay properly in-tune, to resist the seduction that can lead to madness and shortened life. The girl had made it this far without training. Perhaps she could make it a little longer. Maybe someone at the Black Tower could send someone. That might be their best recourse. But she knew she wouldn't leave Aermun. "We must trust in the Creator that she finds her pattern on the wheel and doesn't stray. Our thoughts will help," she added with a reassuring smile.
 
Aermun returned her smile, but there was no mirth in it. Thoughts of the wilder without a guide to teach her to channel properly quickly gave way to contemplation of his own future. Perhaps he had a teacher in his Aes Sedai, but that gave him little comfort, as he had always held the assumption that Saidin and Saidar held about as much similarity as a pony to a dhurran warhorse: They perhaps held the same root, but a trained battle horse would do little but snort derisively if you tried to lead it around on apron strings.

Aermun's eyes, cast down, flicked aside as he huffed a sigh and moved briskly to the fire. He nudged a large rock he had propped nearby into the sticks, scattering them and puffing a small cloud of smoke near his ankles as the fire was thrown apart. "We should move," he muttered shortly, beginning the task of scrubbing their presence from the campground. "Keep the cloak," he offered as he scooped her up Caitrin's dress, giving it a neat fold over one arm before setting it in her lap. "You'll want to wear both, though, in these woods. Ticks and mites aren't fun on the legs."

He spoke and moved with deliberate, efficient words and movements, suddenly seeming very eager to be free of the clearing. Mouth compressed in a tight line and eyes narrow from a combination of lack of sleep and frustration, he paced through the camp scattering footprints and clearing their trail. A sudden pang of lamentation came as he realized his sword had been left in the clearing. Perhaps if they moved back through the woods on their way to the village, he could retrieve it... as long as some trolloc had not gallivanted off with it in the confusion of the previous night. The thought only made the tight line of his mouth pull into a frown, and for the moment, he decided to let it go. Steel was replaceable. Caitrin was not. If it had been a heron mark or power-wrought blade he would have been more adamant about retrieving it, but for now he would make do with the hardwood sheath with metal fittings. It would not stand up against steel, but it was a first line of defense. If it broke, he could always defend himself with...

That thought he squashed unceremoniously. "Lead the way whenever you're ready." His voice nearly sounded queasy, for the thoughts that roamed his mind.
 
Caitrin was unable to hide her blush when Aermun told her to keep his cloak. She hadn't expected him to give it to her nor had she expected her body to react in such a way. Giving him a smile, she nodded and allowed herself the luxury of breathing in its lingering aroma that smelled heavily of smoke and him. She then took her dress and began to put it back on. Slipping the cloak off momentarily, she'd forgotten how chilly the air had become. Once her dress was back on and secured, she put his cloak back on and readied herself for their journey while Aermun broke down their little campsite from the previous night.

"It shouldn't be too long a journey to town," Caitrin said, leading the way through the woods.

A couple branches snagged on Caitrin's arms and she pushed at them to get them away. The town that they'd traveled through on their way to retrieve the wilder was but a day's walk from where they were. They'd reach it by nightfall without too much issue. However, given the trolloc attack, they'd have to stay ever on the alert for shadowspawn. She just hoped they wouldn't run into any in broad daylight. Chances were they would not. But once they arrived in Whitewater, she couldn't be so sure. But she didn't want to worry her Warder about such things. He already had enough of a burden to bear.

"Think of the nice warm bed and hot food that'll be awaiting you at the inn in Whitewater," Caitrin added, smiling brightly as she turned toward Aermun. "Let us make haste." Her smile broadened as her eyes glittering like sapphires. She then turned and began traipsing through the woods, ever watchful for skulking shadows, ever mindful of saidar. Glancing up overhead, the sun was beginning to rise higher in the sky, promising a pretty day, one she wished they could enjoy. But they had to move, for now.

Caitrin just hoped that there would be other days like this one for she and Aermun to share.
 
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