Citadel Dreams of Green [attn: Craig/Z and Bella/Lys]

[Craig]

Zarayne

Zarayne looked back into the fire. It was one thing to hear those words and trust the speaker saying them. It was another to believe them for truth in one's own heart. Zarayne knew that Tia Sedai was being honest, but honesty wasn't necessarily the same thing as being right.

"Food will be ready soon," she said, deflecting from the subject.

What would actually change when she had acquired the shawl? Would she be happy then? Would newfound freedom and the ability to wear a colour other than white meaningfully affect her life? Doubtful. She sighed, not able to keep all of her emotions contained within.

When the evening's meal was ready, Zarayne divided and served out the food evenly between the four of them, then sat cross-legged on the ground. She found herself nestled in between Lysira and Tia, with Marwen on the opposite side of the fire. The food was more than passable in her esteemed opinion, and objectively better than having to feast on pemmican.

The fire crackled. It did a little to shed the air of its chill, and a little poorer on illuminating their campsite. The darkness around them was still and quiet. Zarayne couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she took one of the logs from the fire and extended it towards the shadows. Would they retreat, or would they press in on her like they had done in the Great Serpent?

"Till shade is gone, till water is gone," she murmured inaudibly. Whatever her feelings about the Grey Tower, she was aligned with them against Sightblinder. She just wasn't in any particular haste to find herself face-to-face with Leafblighter's touch once again.

[Bella]

While Zarayne and Tia spoke, Lysira remained little more than a shadow at the edge of camp. She kept an eye on things, assuring that they were all as safe as they could be. It was impossible to not hear what they were saying, because camp was a small space, but she did not intrude and hoped that Zarayne took Tia's words to heart.

Lysira joined them closer for dinner, eating in silence since...well...how else would she do it?

Once they were done, though, she glanced at them both in the flickering light of the fire. 'You should get some sleep,' she signed. 'I will take the first watch.'

"Wake me for the second watch," Marwen said, in a tone that said he would brook no refusal.

Lysira did not resist. She just nodded her agreement. She was a Gaidin and he was a soldier. It was their duty to do these things, and so they would do them. This place was unnerving to anyone who was within it, but she hoped some rest and the return of daylight would help them overall. She also hoped that the task on the morrow would not be too difficult.

Rising from where she sat, she inclined her head to each of the three and then moved to a place nearer the "edge" of their campsite, to better see the shadows and what might linger in them.

[Roan]

Tia Sedai

Tia was not entirely new to camping, but nor would she consider herself an experienced camper. Sleeping under the stars was still novel to her, and she found herself always amazed at how many stars she could see when away from Hama Valon. The fire muted some of the dimmer stars as it took away from her night vision, but she could still appreciate what she could see.

Focusing on the night sky kept her from thinking too intently upon what her and her party were doing. . .why they were camped in the middle of nowhere instead of snug in a warm bed with a hearth and thick duvet to keep the night chill at bay. Part of her could have stared at the stars all night, but another part of her knew morning would come far too early.

Looking to each of those in her party, Tia stood up, “I am going to try and get some sleep. If I can help with keeping watch, please don’t hesitate to wake me. I’ve put up a ward to let me know if any come too close to camp. Hopefully, nothing trips it, but still. . . I don’t mind taking a turn at watch.” With that, she turned in for the night.

[Craig]

Zarayne

When Tia Sedai turned in for the night, Zarayne figured it was a good time to call it there as well. Unlike the Green sister, Zarayne had no experience with camping, but she knew her presence wasn't needed for the watch, and the three women were all sharing the one tent. She left it long enough for Tia to get changed and comfortable before making her excuses and dipping through the canvas door into the darkness.

There were three places to sleep. When her vision adapted to the shadows, Zarayne took the one furthest from Tia, in order to avoid disturbing her too much. Sitting on the bedroll, Zarayne clumsily started to work on the straps and buckles that affixed all of her armour to her body. Bits of leather came off in a haphazard fashion, some dangling as the Accepted only partially unstrapped a piece before attempting to peel it off. Eventually it all came off, but not without a decent amount of noise.

Just as Zarayne was slipping into her sleeping bag, still dressed in the ill-fitting shirt and trousers, she heard Tia turn over. Zee didn't know if Tia was now facing toward or away from her, but the Accepted just lay still, concerned about upsetting an Aes Sedai from her rest. It wasn't too long before Zarayne found herself drifting off to sleep.

[Bella]

The channelers went to bed, and Lysira kept the watch. She knew the wards would help her cause and make her not as necessary, but she certainly wasn't going to let up on her duty and rely on that. She watched for half the night before waking Marwen for his turn. Once he was awake and in place, she went to her own bed.

When she peered into the tent, however, she saw in the moonlight that it didn't look like the most comfortable of fits.

She instead found a new tree and wrapped her cloak snugly around her, drifting off before too long once she told herself it was "safe" to do so. As a long-time Gaidin, she had learned how to fall asleep in almost any scenario.
* * * As morning light came, Marwen first woke Lysira. She roused in an instant and her body tensed for that first instant, thinking she needed to defend herself, but her conscious mind caught up first. She opened her eyes and nodded at him, taking just a moment to get up before going to the tent to wake Zarayne and Tia...

[Craig]

Zarayne

It hadn't been long since she'd fallen asleep - at least that's what her internal clock seemed to suggest - yet Zarayne found herself waking up to the signs of light behind her eyelids. She moaned softly, fanning the childish hope that if she protested enough, the sun would retreat below the horizon once more.

It didn't happen.

Sighing, Zarayne opened her eyes. Soft light suffused the tent, allowing her to see the interior for the first time. The three bedrolls were evenly spaced, although Lysira's seemed untouched, and Tia Sedai's was now lacking its occupant. Zarayne wondered why Tia hadn't awoken her whenever she rose, not that the Accepted was complaining about being allowed to lie in.

Zee paused in the midst of getting fully out of her bedding. She frowned in concert with the nagging feeling that had started the instant she woke up, but only now was pushing into the front of her head. Something was amiss. She glanced over to the other bedrolls for some reason she couldn't place a finger on. The tent flap was closed; was that relevant somehow? What is it I'm missing? Pulling the bottom of her skirts free from the bedding, Zarayne ducked over to the front of the tent and stepped outside.

The sky was blue. The ground was snow-covered. The air was chill. Zarayne was surprised at the daylight, but if Lysira and Tia weren't worried about--

There was no-one there. The campsite that had been built in front of the tents was gone. Not merely gone, Zarayne realised. There was snow over where the campfire had been, and nary a trace of ash. She even crouched down to inspect the snow, touching it with her fingers. It was icy snow rather than freshly fallen. How is that possible? She dug around with her fingers, seeking out anything that proved a fire had once been here. A trick of the Power? Zarayne's own strengths lay in Fire and Earth, with Water being her weakest affinity. If it was possible to make snow, she didn't know how.

As she turned back towards the tent - back to the only thing that made sense - Zarayne audibly gasped. It was gone. And not just packed away gone, but vanished completed. The rectangular space that should have been marked by the tent was just as non-existent as the campfire.

"What's the matter Zarayne?"

"I--!" Zarayne spun around to come face-to-face with her mother. The Accepted went bug-eyed in shock and surprise. "Mum? What are you--? What?" Confusion ranked higher than any other emotion in her voice and on her face.

Sinead's patient smile was as encouraging as it was infuriating. "I've oft wondered how long it would take you to get here. Now we have our answer."

Zarayne shook her head in a frenzy. "You can't be here! I'm with the Tower. I'm travelling with an Aes Sedai and a Gaidin."

"They're not here," Sinead replied. "Zarayne, look around us. Take a proper look."

Still scrambling for her bearings, Zarayne found the instructions the easiest thing to follow. She assembled some degree of calm before doing as her mother had told her. Everything was as it was, assuming one expected to see zero tents and no signs of life. The snow on the ground was bright, which was as expected given the light in the sky. Zarayne scanned the clouds for the sun, unsure what time it was. That was when it finally clicked. "This..."

"Tel'aran'rhiod, yes." Still patient, still... motherly. Zarayne had forgotten that about Sinead after her time in whites, and then her time in the Grey Tower. And honestly, she was focused on other things at the moment, like the simple fact she was walking in the World of Dreams. They - Sinead and Zarayne - had believed that Zarayne would, in time, be able to venture in Tel'aran'rhiod. However, as the years passed, and especially after Zarayne departed for Hama Valon, she had let that belief fade into a hope, then fade further into a myth. It had still seemed impossible even after her encounter with Olin.

"It's real." Zarayne still sounded amazed.

When Sinead spoke, there was a warning edge to her tone. "Very real. Now that you've found your way here, you must be careful."

Careful, yes. Zarayne had listened to the stories about Sinead's past. They had been the only true connection Zarayne had with the Aiel, and all of her cultural and moral beliefs had been formed around them. Her mother's stories had also included her ability to dreamwalk, as it all linked into Sinead's return to the Three-fold Land, as well as her reasons for leaving it.

Something tickled the Accepted's feet. She glanced down to find herself barefoot as a brown tail slithered over them. In the next instant, a spear was thrust into the two step; a spear wielded by a fiery-haired Far Dareis Mai. "You mustn't let your mind wander here," Sinead warned behind her shoufa. In the next moment the Aiel garb around her mother was gone, allowing Zarayne to see the tender look on Sinead's face. "My daughter. I will teach you how to keep yourself safe in the World of Dreams, but for now you must wake."

"But--"

"Sleep well and wake," Sinead stressed.
---- Someone touched her shoulder. Zarayne moaned softly, fanning the childish hope that if she protested enough then that someone would leave her be. The hand did not remove itself, so Zarayne had to roll over onto her back to acknowledge Lysira's presence.

"I'm awake," Zarayne muttered.

[Roan]

Tia Sedai

“I’m awake,” came the voice off to one side. Tia rolled to her side and looked at Zarayne and then Lysira with a sleepy gaze. She cleared her throat, “Me too, if barely. Thank you, Lysiraah.” She exaggerated the Gaidin’s name as her body decided it was an opportune time to yawn. Try as she might to stifle the yawn, it only seemed to make it last that much longer. Giving in, the Aes Sedai stretched beneath her blankets before finally starting to ready herself.

It was a little awkward trying to get herself dressed in the tent with Zarayne in there, but Tia managed it and perhaps five minutes after Lys came to wake them, the Green managed to crawl out of the tent. As she stood up, she used her fingers to comb through her hair before quickly braiding it to keep it out of her face. Seeing that Marwen stacked wood in their fire pit, Tia grasped Saidar and got a small fire going for them.

Moving to their horses, Tia checked on Storm, and saw that all four horses were eating a bit of grain. The Commander stepped over, “I’ve been up some time. Figured the sooner we get them fed, the sooner we can be on our way. Hot water will be ready soon for porridge. Would ye like some kaf?”

Tia offered the man a warm smile and shook her head, “I haven’t developed a taste for the stuff, but thank you.” She moved back to the fire with him, and saw that the water was already beginning to boil. “I’ll see to the porridge. Once we’ve eaten, we can break camp and be on her way,” she said, realizing as she spoke that she was stating the obvious.

[Bella]

Everyone did well in keeping things moving along. They roused, dressed, and were out of the tents in short order. Lysira left the horses and breakfast to Marwen and Tia, who were already setting about that business, while she took to the task of rolling up the bedrolls and taking down the tents. Marwen had already done his, so Lysira did the women's while sending Zarayne to eat.

Lysira didn't take much to keep going, food or sleep. She packed everything up and secured it on their horses before finally sitting down for a brief, small breakfast.

'Are we ready to go?' she asked once it looked like everyone had their business taken care of, and the breakfast things were packed away with the meals now consumed. With the acknowledgements from all around, she nodded and moved to mount up. 'So, when do you think we'll be within scouting sight of the outpost?'

"A little shy of midday, if the weather holds," Marwen replied. He reiterated his suggestions for the direction that they would approach from so they had some high ground from which to best view the outpost while trying to not be spotted by any Shadowspawn lingering there.

The four began to ride. With the outpost coming up so soon, Lysira's mind turned to strategy. 'I will approach first,' she said. In most situations, she would relinquish that decision to an Aes Sedai or the commander, but this was her territory. She was in charge of their protection. 'I will get the first scouting and determine the best way for the rest of us to view.'

[Craig]

Zarayne

The dream that had not been a dream was a distraction. More than once, Zarayne found herself staring into the middle distance as her mind went over what had happened, and what she had achieved. If slipping into Tel'aran'rhiod can count as an accomplishment. Maybe it was and maybe it wasn't; just one of the questions that kept her occupied.

Junior-most of the party, Zarayne did as she was told and quickly listened (or watched) as others spoke (or 'spoke'). Her place as Lysira's translator was completely unneeded amongst this delegation. She tried not to worry her nerves over that - over her usefulness in general - saying there were meant to be bigger things to fear.

All leathered and armed up, the Accepted found herself riding alongside Tia as the others led. Zarayne kept glancing in the Green sister's direction, unsure whether to speak up about her latest revelation. The prime issue with that is that one question would lead to another, eventually leading towards her mother. They have me. That has to be enough.

"What will we find?" Zarayne asked without preamble and to no-one in particular. Lysira's statement about finding a way to view the outpost had been added into the conflux of thoughts spinning 'round the Accepted's mind.

[Roan]

Tia Sedai

Tia looked to Zarayne and offered a small, but warm smile, “Truth be told, I have no idea. We know the outpost was overrun by at least two fists of Trollocs. The commander said there’d been a Draghkar and a Fade too. If we are incredibly lucky, they have left the outpost and we will find it abandoned.

“The thing is, we are rarely so lucky. Chances are, we’ll find there are still Trollocs about. Will there still be as many as he said, plus the Fade and Draghkar? Who knows,” Tia replied honestly. “And if that number of Shadowspawn are still at the outpost, I fear it may be too many for the four of us to face alone. This is purely a scouting mission until we know what we are dealing with.”

There seemed to be an air of uncertainty around Zarayne, and Tia wondered if the scouting mission was making the Accepted nervous. She knew she’d been more than a bit nervous the first time she’d gone to the Citadel. Things were much more raw at the Citadel than they were in Hama Valon or the Tower itself. It couldn’t be helped given how close they were to the Blight, and the horrors of the Blight were never far from Tia’s mind during her first visit. She wondered if it was the same for Zarayne.

Tia tried to offer Zarayne a reassuring smile, “Lysira is an accomplished scout, and won’t allow us to get into a situation that will put is in over our heads. Just follow her lead in this, and rest assured I wouldn’t have suggested you come if I didn’t think you were ready for such experiences.”

Before she could say much else, Lysira looked to them and signaled that she would carry on ahead. The Commander would stay with Tia and Zarayne while they waited for her to return and lead them to their ‘scouting position.’