Mama Bear [Attn: Alrim Farshera Gaidin]

[Bella]

Haeden kept his eyes on the horizon as the sun made its journey across the sky.

Even the sky above looked different here in the Borderlands, but he felt his place between it and the ground here like most as his family did, although not as strongly as his mother did and father had. They had been born in these places, after all, but Haeden was a child of the Grey Tower. He had been born there, and spent all of his living there.

Over the years as a Gaidin, he had seen most every other nation to be easily reached, but his life--where he had lived--was the Tower and it always would be.

When he died, he wanted his body interred upon the soil within the Tower. He did not wish to be taken anywhere else. Not to Saldea or Arafel like his mother and father. All the days of his life, and beyond it, would be in the glimmering place he had been bred and born to. It was his dearest wish.

All the talk of bonding had him contemplative, however. Did he want to bond? Yes. He simply hadn't met the right one. So, he understood how Alrim felt.

The emotion when Sadira spoke of Scerai was impossible for her brother to miss, because he knew they had been more. Haeden had known the older Gaidin, who had died at the same time their mother had, and Sadira nearly had. Sadie hadn't found another in those interceding decades, but he watched her open up more in this trip than she had in a while.

He wondered about that, but not too much.

"We should find camp now," Haeden said, noting the sun's shadows starting to settle. "I don't like to ride in the Borderlands too long into dusk if it can be avoided." He turned his attention from just watching their surroundings to looking for a safe--as safe as could be--place to camp. Taking them a little off the beaten path, he found one such place.

Haeden dismounted first, gesturing for them to wait while he checked everywhere around the area to assure himself of its safety.

[Andy]

Reality and the reason for their journey asserted itself quite neatly at Haeden's words. He had been expecting it and he showed his wisdom at not wanting to travel at night, it was a bad idea in the best of lands let alone where they were. He kept watch as Haeden checked the site out, watching every so often how he circled and bent down, checking both sight lines and whatever tracks were on interest. He filed it away for reflection - he wanted to be the best he could be after all and he'd learn what he could from Haeden. The man nodded and they dismounted. "Please, allow me" he said simply to Sadira and Haeden as he gestured to the horses. It was a simple task and he felt that, on some level, the half-siblings might want the chance to relax in each others company. Besides which it made him useful and he liked being useful to those he deemed worth it. He spent a decent amount of time making sure their mounts were treated well, feed bags and some appreciative words and affectionate brushing. Animals may not talk but they bore their burdens without complaint and that required respect. Once his task was done he took his weapons from the saddle and put them into the cracks of the roots of a small tree, along with his packs. A fire was already crackling though the flames were small in its infancy. " Sure it can't be seen?" "Sure as I am an Ives" He nodded, the man was certain enough and that was good enough for Alrim. He looked at them both as he pulled out his blade briefly to make sure it had not stuck and would be easily pulled from its sheath if required. He pushed it back and squatted by the flames, holding out his hands as the flickering light made his bells look like they were shimmering. "I can take watch for the night when it comes, if you like. I don't mind. I gave up on beauty sleep long ago" he grinned at them both as the cold he had not noticed before was chased away slowly.

[Bella]

While Alrim tended to their horses and Haeden did another sweep of the perimeter before preparing the fire, Sadira took her saddlebags and drew out a few things to make a dinner for them. While she started cooking, Haeden set up the tents. One for her and one for them. Since they likely wouldn't be sleeping at the same time, it made it easy.

"I don't think we're due for any bad weather, at least," her half-brother commented as he returned to her side.

A few moments later, Alrim joined them as well and offered to take the first watch. Sadie tilted her head slightly. "I think you sell yourself short, sir," she said lightly. From the corner of her eye, she caught Haeden look at her in a way she didn't recognize and she turned her head to meet his emerald gaze.

Neither said anything. He gave a faint shake of his head and looked away. She made a note to ask him later, when they were alone.

"I'll take second watch then," he said, instead turning his attention back to the other Gaidin. "You'll need some sleep, at least. Since we have yet to find those Aes Sedai, we can't go quite as long without rest as our bonded brethren."

[Andy]

"I am not sure that I am the beauty here" he said as he watched the flames. He couldn't help but chuckle at Haeden's words, even if there was a trace of a frown before it melted away as he looked into the flames. He hadn't expected Sadira to cook but he accepted small blessings where he could and so said nothing. He eased himself to sit upon the ground after he had checked it was not damp, eyeing the tents and nodding at his fellow Gaidin in appreciation. Quickly done it had all been too, as if they were used to travelling together. "This I know well and I am sure I will get enough at your instruction," he flashed a small grin, "always seemed unfair to me. Then again, least when we keep up with them we can claim to be naturally talented and have no leg ups, so there is that. Could use that as a selling point" he noted wryly. Still it was difficult to sleep particularly well these days for him, partly because of memories and partly because he was getting used to being active so often it was hard to tire himself out with simple activities. It was one of those unspoken things about reaching the peak of your fitness - you were too fit to feel tired anymore. Battles and the like excepted, of course. Still he would try, even if he simply lay in the tent with his eyes closed and meditated. Either way he'd get some energy back. Perhaps he would use the time to think upon the day's conversations, words always found interest with him. "Smells good," he noted, "what feast are you making?" he asked as he set about his routine and pulled out his sword slightly, testing the edge and them moving on to the various daggers he had about his person. He pulled out a small metal flask from inside his jacket, not large but enough to carry something to chase the cold away. The Borderlands were cold and everyone had times when they needed something fiery to drink. Not to mention that if he ever found himself injured without aid he'd have something to clean things with - brandy. He fastened the top and offered it to Sadira first, she was the Aes Sedai after all. He'd pass it Haeden if she refused.

[Bella]

"Hardly a feast," Sadira said with a modest chuckle, "but enough to get us by while we journey." She continued to stalwartly, but covertly, avoid her brother's keen glance. She didn't really know why, or what she was worried he saw, but she just did. Aes Sedai she might be, and over a century old as well, but a brother was still a brother.

"The One Power makes for a remarkably useful tool, but I still have yet to determine just how to use it to actually create food, rather than just heat things up."

She stirred the contents of the pot one more time before settling back slightly into the seat she had made on a super convenient log that the writer must tow around with every character whenever they leave the Tower, because she never wants to stick their butts in the dirt. She glanced at Alrim as he offered her the flash.

With a small, curious smile, she took it and sniffed the opened top. Brandy. She took a small sip. In truth, she would've enjoyed having a bit more, but it was a small flask and she wouldn't be greedy. "Thank you," she said quietly, handing it back to him. If Alrim wanted to offer it to Haeden, it was his own choice.

Once the meal was warmed up, Sadira collected dishes--each one of them carried their own in their packs, so that none were overly burdened with the weight of it--and dished it out, handing it around. She herself did not eat much, as she had found her appetite lessening over the years and less food needed to sustain her.

As she sat with her plate in her lap, she looked into the something unidentifiable contents like it would offer Foretelling. "If my familial tradition is any suggestion, finding the source of the threat will not be particularly easy and we will probably run the risk of not making it back to the Tower more than once...but I'm hoping this proves a simpler task than that."

It was something of a trait of hers that as darkness descended, her inclination to speak increased.

[Andy]

His weapons checked and found to be satisfactory - not a surprise given the maintenance he out into them but it paid to check regularly - he took the flask back and offered it to Haeden. Sadira was focused upon the meal, so much so that she barely looked up so he had high hopes that it would be better than his camp fare. So far he had not had to cook for anyone but himself and so the terrible secret had yet to wriggle free. "Let me know when you're successful, sounds like good business to me. Feed the world, make money to do other things. Seems very Blue," he noted with amusement, taking the plate, "thank you" It proved to be a decent meal, which was a pleasant surprise which made him wonder why he had just gotten by with cold rations for the most part. Warm food had a way of making things better, even when you were walking into darkness. He ate spoonfuls in between sorting out his effects, wishing he had a convenient log and remembering this for next time. He did notice that she gave herself less food than Haeden and himself. He didn't question but made a mental note to make sure she looked after herself, channelling took a lot of energy so he was frequently told. "Good food," he complimented, "I admire your optimism," he said with a wry smile, looking for a time into the flames once more in thought, "but I wouldn't have come if I weren't willing to see it though to the end. Given our line of work we are never out of danger. But we will succeed, you need not worry about that" he said simply, clearly believing what he said. It was hard to pinpoint why he believed that they would always triumph, not just the trio this time but the Tower as a whole. Of course, many would fall, and there would be setbacks along the way. Such things were natural and to be expected. Still, even as he liked to mock himself for his bad luck, or slip occasionally into darker moods, when he had a task to do he tended to push through until it was done. He looked at Sadira for a while, wondering how it must feel to be in her position. "This must be hard for you, for both of you," he said, switching his gaze to the darkened sky and the beginning of the appearance of stars, "but I will make it easier where I can. In a way it probably shows how effective your family has been fighting the War. Perhaps it is fear that makes them try so often to attack your line. My line is gone, apart from me. Didn't fight a war mind, just in the wrong place at the wrong time, so I have my own scores to settle" he sighed, pushing himself up to a squatting position before the fire once more. "Worrying and question ourselves won't do any good. Better to be certain and firm. Deal with whatever happens when it happens"

[Bella]

Sadira glanced up from her meal as she listened to him speak. The night tended to make her talkative, but she could appreciate it when it drew the words from someone else. She was a good listener, because she had learned that listening could get one farther than talking, most of the time. And she was drawn to Alrim, so she wanted to listen to him in particular.

A small sorrow blossomed in her heart when he said he had no family left. She knew a little of that pain, after her mother died, but she'd had Haeden...so she'd never had no one.

She was certain he was not looking for pity, however, so she did not offer any. The kindness, the condolences, she offered were only that of active attention. Sadira offered a small smile in the firelight. "You are right," she said simply, "and that is how I've oft spent my life. We should not suffer future pain. The past and present have enough."

The Blue found a little emotion rising in her, memories bringing it forward. She held it back and nodded to her brother. "You will clean?" she asked. He nodded. She turned back to Alrim. "I'm going to get some rest. Tomorrow may well be a long day." Passing her plate to her brother, she rose. "Good night, Alrim." She bowed her head to him and turned to go to her tent, her hand brushing his shoulder as she passed.
* * * Sometimes, Haeden felt more like the older sibling. He watched Sadira as she left rather abruptly, though politely and with all her usual grace. Over the years, he had developed a deep gratitude to her for the task she took on that was...well...him. He was only a half-brother, separated by decades in life. He'd been an angry child after his parents' death, but she'd cared for him better than anyone else could.

He took it upon himself to protect her nowadays.

The blond Gaidin thought many things, but he kept them to himself. For now. He scraped Sadira's plate clean, the remnants in the fire and would wipe them down with a bit of water later. "I don't know that my sister has worked with a Gaidin other than me in some years," he commented idly.

[Andy]

He appreciated her words of sympathy such as they were, she did not have to say them, still he had grown used to the pain by now. He had not lied at the wedding ceremony, he considered the Towerfolk his family but they would never replace the real blood lost. He smiled appreciatively as she brushed by him and touched his shoulder but continued to stare into the flames. He would not have led with such information about himself normally but she was easy to talk to. Strange times they were in he had to admit that he would find respect and affection for someone he had not know overly long. "Sleep well Sadira, may your dreams be happy ones" he said before she vanished into her tent. Still...scores to settle. But how much is needed to be enough? Will it ever be? Doesn't matter, mission comes first. I owe them that much, to be centered he wondered to himself, falling into a dark mood for a few moments before forcing himself out of it, it would do no good to not follow his own advice. He had asked himself such a questions too many times over and never really had an answer for himself. He refused to give in to the malice. If he had he would have left the Tower and been fighting up and down the Blightborder since his raising. But it was hard not to do the stupid thing. Especially when he had nothing that actually kept him at the Tower anymore. He sighed to himself and stood up finally, testing the ease of pulling his blade - the cold could make it stick at times this far north - and found it satisfactory. He was only roused from his own thoughts by the unexpected comment. "No? I had assumed there would have been at least one, she strikes me as someone Gaidin wouldn't mind helping" he said quietly, glancing at the tent she now occupied briefly. He looked around to make sure things were still quiet in their immediate area, fulfilling his duty as promised. As he circled slowly he wondered whether Haeden considered himself her Warder in all but officialdom and then he shook his head wryly. He was her brother, that was far more important a role and really it meant something more in many ways. Still it made him reflect upon his comment slightly differently. It was something new and new things often came with curiosity at least. He stopped walking and looked back at him. "It must be strange for you then, to find another tagging along when you have spent so long as just the two of you. I hope that I am not a burden," he said with honesty, "but I count myself lucky, Sadira has a good heart. She is worth defending and helping. If she asked again I'd go again but given the stakes it may just be a one off because of the need. You may be in for more work ye, no?" Still, his words did open up curiosities and questions though they were more ghosts than concrete.

[Bella]

Interesting, Haeden thought as he listened to his fellow Gaidin. Haeden listened as much as he could. Some spent more time trying to find what wasn't said, but he found that what was said was sometimes truly as telling as it might look. There was something telling about this evening, but it wasn't anything he was going to give voice to.

The blond turned back to the fire, musing.

"I'm sure many a Gaidin would have been happy to help her," he commented. "But she hasn't been interested in trusting any but me, until this trip." He picked up a stick and poked the logs a bit. "You are not a burden in the least. I'm a grateful for you. As for the future, well...we'll see, I suppose. The future can be surprising." He smiled slightly, though didn't look at Alrim.

[Andy]

As he finished the circuit of the camp and found a small tree to wedge his back against for the long watch, facing into the camp and towards the edge of the light of the fire, he reflected that Haeden spoke conservatively. This was as much said in one go that he had heard so far that day. When he did speak, though, it was with well chosen words. So he listened and as he made himself comfortable and thought about the conversation for a span. Perhaps he was nudging at something in a roundabout way? "It is indeed a strange thing," he said as he scratched his chin, "perhaps you are right. It would be nice if the surprise were a good thing for once" Trust was an important thing, in any situation of course but in times such as these and tasks such as the one they were undertaking it was paramount. It might have been because they had spoken at the wedding, he had enjoyed their time together and had tried to make a good impressions in between trying to make her laugh. Perhaps he had been successful and now he was faced with Haeden' observations, seeming to press the particular point. A soft, gentle pressure. He liked Haeden, he had decided, he said something he thought pertinent and left it to the other to think about it. Sadira was trusting him. It was gratifying and terrifying at the same time. He shook his head at himself. "After what happened I would imagine it would make things hard when it came to new people. Trust most of all. I have a hard enough time getting new recruits to trust me," he said with a wry tone, "at the wedding we talked about getting caught up in work, perhaps I understand her words better now" he said softly, looking at the man's silhouette for a while. "An accidental meeting but a pleasant one. She seemed happy enough that I'd never have imagined what you told me. Perhaps time heals wounds better than I know," he said, noting the way he hoped it would apply to himself, "and thank you for the kind words" His mind took over as it often did when faced with idle tasks such as the night watch. Small bits and pieces of words were puzzled and snapped together in a kind of mental jigsaw. Comments Sadira had made, the interest and infectious smile. She had decided to trust him, Haeden said, too. The conversation of the morning and afternoon seemed slightly different in the wake of the evening.