The Rest of Forever (Dax/Katrie)

[Sunny]

Dax

Dax sat against the bole of an oak tree that had likely been seeded in the dawn of creation. Its trunk had grown nearly four spans in breadth, and its thick, twisted branches had spread to cover an area broader than the Tower itself. The Tairen had taken to calling it Avende when he came to enjoy the quiet green beneath its canopy, and talking to it as if it were capable of understanding him. He wondered sometimes if Avendesora looked anything like it.

On this particular day the Gaidin had a book of Mayener children’s stories spread over his lap, but his eyes were directed not at the fancifully written words, but rather at the green leaves that rustled about against a backdrop of deep blue. That day he had too much to think about to care about the words of some granny from a country that arbitrarily hated him because of his accent.

His mind strayed back to the time he had taken the back off a clock and see how the thing worked. It had seemed simple enough when he first glanced in. However, the moment he pulled a bit of metal free to see what lay behind, the rest had sprung out as well, resulting in a shower of tiny spiked wheels, springs, and screws. His curiosity had cost him his hire-price for that job. Sitting there in the tree, the state of his mind reminded him very much of that explosion of cogs.

Why am I here? His mind kept circling back to that question and Dax shifted against the rough bark, muttering irritably. He and Katrie had decided to leave and never come back. Jaryd had found them and brought them back by force. They had spent six months apart -again!- and then Katrie had been raised. Since that day they had been unable to leave, their hopes and dreams put on hold as responsibility forced them to help with catastrophe after catastrophe. The Tairen enjoyed a certain amount of upheaval in his life, but the hills and valleys of Tower life pushed him to the end of his patience. And Katrie…Dax winced as his attention turned to his wife.

The bond lay abnormally quiet, the Brown’s love and curiosity washed out by harsh frustration and a blank gray fog. She smiled gaily when confronted by acquaintances, she laughed and talked freely when addressed, and she insisted even to him that nothing was wrong. Katrie could not hide the truth from him, however, no matter what words came out of her mouth. He lived inside her mind, had seen her at her best and her worst...and even in the terrible months after their first bond he had never felt her like this. The tall Cairhienin woman was fading like a candle flickering in a strong wind, and try as he might, he could not reach through the haze to bring her back.

His fist crashed down on the branch next to his thigh, the grinding impact pulling his frustrated thoughts back to the present. Perhaps it wasn’t touch that his love needed. Perhaps she needed the same bloody thing he did. Freedom. Dax swung his legs to the side of the wide limb without care for the book. It landed face-down in the dirt two spans below. He stared at it blankly for a breath before he pushed himself after, landing with feet to either side of the wood-bound volume. The Brown Ajah librarians would have a fit, and the Gaidin could not make himself care. A book could be rewritten. A woman’s life, on the other hand…We have to get out of here.

His face tilted up, looking for the morning sun. How much time did he have?

---

Katrie had to attend to one of her numerous obligations as an Aes Sedai just after High. While she was away Dax moved through their quarters like a brawny whirlwind. After traveling through town and wilderness with his wife for many months, he knew exactly what she needed to be comfortable and wasted no time gathering those necessities. Clothing. Pens, ink, paper. A leather-bound folio to keep her notes dry. The case of small glass bottles she had acquired to collect mementos from travels they had not yet had a chance to begin...the list went on. A servant arrived soon after he finished and Dax gave the laden saddlebags to him. The rest of their travel essentials were already at the stable; now it was time to wait.

When the dusky-skinned woman returned to their chambers a short time later she found Dax sitting at ease in one of their armchairs, the amber pendant she had given him swinging on its chain between his fingers. At that time in the afternoon he should have been in the Yards with his students; he had felt her curiosity flare the moment she realized he was not there, and now uncertainty joined it. “Is….everything okay?” she asked, her gaze on the drop of gold that spun in front of his face.

“It is now you’re here,” he told her, his lips spreading into a familiar, easy smile. “I hope you didn’t have any major plans for...pretty much the rest of forever….because we’re leaving this mess as soon as we can get to the stables.” He pushed himself to his feet as he spoke, the necklace gathered into his palm as he strode to her and put his arms around her shoulders. “You once brought the sea to me, kitten. I think it’s time we went and found it on our own terms, don’t you?”

[Jenn]

Katrie

The words droned endlessly on and on. Katrie couldn’t make heads or tails of what was being said, her attention drifting aimlessly as she wrote down what she heard by rote. She had done this for... how long had it been now? Months? Years? Ages. It felt like Ages. It had to have been Ages. Some small part of her knew that that wasn’t true, but the tall woman didn’t allow herself to dwell too much on that. That would mean that- that... Slender hands clenched into fists and she smeared ink across the otherwise pristine page.

The Cairhienin muttered a curse under her breath, something about a cup and a horse. It was one she’d heard Dax use frequently. The other Browns thought her writing was the neatest and the prettiest amongst them, or some such nonsense. Katrie had her own thoughts on that, the foremost one being that they kept her apart from her husband so that the noise from their room would be kept to a minimum. She brushed the simple gold ring on her finger and directed an unseen glare around the room.

Her shoulders drooped suddenly as she stifled a yawn. If she could’ve slept during these inane meetings, she would have. And then it wouldn’t have been so bad... There were so many other things she’d rather write down, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t allowed to. She didn’t fancy being scolded like a wayward child again. But if they’d only let her, she could perfectly sum up the proceedings in one simple word: boring. Bloody ashes, but she was bored. And irritable. And hungry. And thirsty. And the middle of her back itched. She missed Dax. Which made her listless and distracted. Light, but she was so tired.

As if summoned by her wildly tumbling thoughts, the bond sparked. Something felt... different inside of her head. The corner of her mind that belonged to Dax... hummed in a way that she’d only felt once before. It had faded so gradually since their return to the Tower that she’d ended up forgetting, until now. Exhilaration. Unbending resolve. Fierce protectiveness... directed towards her? What was going on? Before Katrie could examine their shared awareness any further, she caught Naera’s disapproving eye. The pretty Cairhienin visibly wilted, dark curls tumbling around her shoulders as she ducked her head and continued to record the minutes for the meeting. As the pen flew over the page, she felt another piece of her flow down through to join the ink, bleeding out as the letters formed.

---

Dax was here. He was here and not out in the Yards. She hesitated right at the threshold of their rooms, her hand going to the doorframe. “Is….everything okay?” she asked tentatively, feeling along the bond as she watched the drop of amber glittering between his fingers. Dax was calm... relaxed... in fact, he felt at ease, that same sense exhilaration she’d picked up from before moving between them.

“It is now you’re here.” She relaxed at the sight of his smile, unable to keep from flushing a little at his words. “I hope you didn’t have any major plans for...pretty much the rest of forever….because we’re leaving this mess as soon as we can get to the stables.” Her eyes widened in confusion, heart suddenly thumping painfully against her ribcage. Katrie watched her Warder cross the room to her. She couldn’t move. His arms came around her, his voice soft. “You once brought the sea to me, kitten. I think it’s time we went and found it on our own terms, don’t you?”

“Oh.” Comprehension finally dawned and with it, the hard spiky knot of pain that had been lodged in her chest since- since... Mama... burst. The Cairhienin woman’s face crumpled and she had enough presence of mind to bring her hands up to her face before she dissolved into tears.

She felt her husband’s arms turn her towards him, tightening around her. He did not move, easing her against his body instead. Gentle touches accompanied the soothing sounds and murmured words of love, callused hands gentle, so very gentle as they moved up and down her body, rubbing at her back as she bawled helplessly on his shoulder.

The ocean. Dax was going to take her to the ocean. Oh... The Aes Sedai was nodding frantically, tilting her face up towards him even as hot liquid rolled down her cheeks. Desperate longing and intense gratitude welled up inside her. “Yes. I want to go. Please... let’s go...”

It only took as long for their lips to meet, and for his rough fingers to wipe the moisture from her skin before her gateway took them to the Channeling Yards. From there it was a short trip to the stables. To her absolute delight, the Gaidin had already gathered their things and he grinned at her sound of glee as she caught the distinctive sound of rattling glass as they led their mounts out.

“You packed my little bottles!” she exclaimed.

“Of course I did, kitten,” came the warm answer.

It was... strange leaving Hama Valon openly; how things had changed. Dax had already been a fully Raised Gaidin the first time they had left together. She had only been an Accepted, yet she was as eager to leave now as she had been then. We don’t have to sneak and hide this time... That thought brought with it a wild rush of joy.

The crowds of people eventually thinned out and disappeared entirely, the road before them unfurling like a ribbon into the distant horizon. Her smile was wide and as they passed beneath overarching green branches with sunlight filtering down in pockets of brightness, Katrie felt as if she could finally breathe again. She rode as close to Dax as she dared to with her passable riding skills, her knee occasionally bumping into his.

It wasn’t until they had stopped for their evening meal that she finally broached the subject of the glass bottles. “I’ve been thinking about this... for a while now. I know you know, you’ve heard me talk about it, but...” her voice trailed off for a moment and she looked away shyly. “Before we get to the ocean, there are at least three places I know for certain that I want to stop at. The Horse Head Tavern, the dilapidated cottage where you first taught me how to fight... and... and the field where you asked me to marry you.”

[Sunny]

Dax

It had been months since Dax had left Hama Valon on more than a brief excursion to outlying farms. Now he rode knee to knee with Katrie on a road that, while familiar, led to new places. They climbed the hill to the east of the Tower slowly, following the wide road that could eventually take them to Whitebridge. They were quiet, but it was the comfortable silence of two who did not need words to communicate.

They crested the hill and Dax drew up, awe and relief bursting through him as his eyes took in the sprawling foot hills and rolling fields of the Westlands that lay before them. They had left late in the day; the peaks behind them cast long shadows that wreathed their view in rapidly growing dusk, and yet its beauty could not be denied. He felt an answering surge of joy flow over the bond he shared with Katrie and turned to grin at her, pushing shaggy black hair out of his face. They laughed together then, and he felt unwelcome tension draining from his body in a rush.

The Tairen did not look back as he urged his mount on.

--

The fire crackled merrily in the little pit that they had worked together to create. They had feasted on food from the Tower stores, and now contentment permeated their bond. Dax lay on his side, his head propped up with his hand as he watched Katrie go through the things he had packed for her. It would be a simple matter to retrieve anything he had forgotten and yet he could not help but hope it would not be necessary. He did not want to so much as think of the Tower now they had left. Conversation drifted from topic to topic as the flames flickered low, until finally he felt an odd sort of bashfulness drift over the bond as Katrie told him where she hoped to go.

His heart lurched painfully in his chest as he thought of the Horse Head. Many things had happened within the walls of that modest establishment, but in his mind one thing stood out. “Why were you out there, Dax?” She had sounded both confused and affronted, tall and beautiful in a simple shift as she demanded an explanation. He had asked himself what he wanted that night, and shocked himself with his own response. He remembered the touch of her fingers on his temple and the tentative brush of her mind on his as if it had happened yesterday.

The memory took his breath away. Abruptly he remembered to breathe, and a soft sound escaped his lips. He reached for her, their bond awash in glowing gold and warmth. “Yes,” he said unsteadily “Of course we can go there- we should.” He felt her pleased reaction, but it changed as their lips met, replaced with crimson-tinged gold. The world around them faded away as their embrace deepened, and they took their time renewing their vows to one another beneath the star-specked sky.

Eventually they fell still, the brawny man resting on his back. He had one arm around Katrie and the other folded behind his head, cushioned by his rolled up shirt. His thoughts drifted back to the night he had asked her to marry him, and the scent of salt after she had inadvertently dumped the ocean on him. “I want to take you to Tear.” He felt her surprise as his voice broke the silence and tilted his head to smile at her. “We’ll have to be careful, but….if we’re going to visit the sea, I want it to be my sea first.”

[Jenn]

Katrie

Dax’s sea...

Excitement bubbled up, Katrie shifting against him as delight quickly replaced surprise. Oh! The slender woman stretched out over her husband’s body, luxuriating in his warmth beneath her, reveling in the way tanned skin slid against hers, loving the way his muscles shifted and flexed in response to her every move. White teeth flashed into view as she smiled down at him, reaching for him, seeking fingers curling into the unruly black waves of his hair.

“I would like that, peacock,” she answered softly, the golden light that permeated their bond brightening as she spoke. She lowered her forehead to his, the long curling fringe of her lashes brushing against his cheekbones. “I would like that very much.”

He grinned, beyond pleased, and she couldn't help but respond in kind. Dax’s satisfaction at her reaction was evident. Rough, callused hands were gentle, so very gentle as he cupped her face, brilliant crimson fire blooming through their shared awareness once again as his mouth covered hers. It didn't take long for her to lose herself in the feel and taste of him, their bodies twining together once more.

--

The tavern remained unchanged. Katrie slowly sought out the physical places of the Horse Head that matched the places in her memory.

That was the back stair where one of the al’Nara brothers had broken her arm. That spot in the courtyard, that exact stone, was where she had stabbed Devin in the back of the calf. And that place, seven stones ahead, was where Dax had killed Taeric to protect her.

There was the chair with the crooked rung inside the small common room that she had sat in while Mother Greta had Healed her. The Tairen had carried her up the main stairwell that led to a cozy room. And that room... oh that wonderful little room... the Aes Sedai stood in the middle of the space that she still considered to be theirs, her expression soft as she slowly turned in place. Warm brown eyes took in the entirety of the modest furnishings, the pretty Cairhienin humming softly. She had discovered Dax sitting beyond the door, guarding her. “I don't trust the people staying at this inn...” She had bonded him again on that bed. And afterwards, that bed was where... Katrie flushed, a wide smile coming to her face.

She wasted no time and began plucking at the loose fibers of the blanket. When she had finally separated enough strands, the tall Cairhienin tugged them free and began braiding the rough strands together. Once that was completed, she wove a weave of keeping over the plait before depositing it into one of the small glass bottles she had set out for this express purpose. Katrie sealed it, feeling her husband’s questioning amusement at her rush of satisfied glee. When he rejoined her after procuring two mugs and a platter of bread, dried meat, and cheeses for their midday meal, she could not contain the swell of golden warmth as she showed him one of the little bottles sitting on the plain desk in front of her.

Etched into the glass with delicate flows of Air and Fire, was a label made out in her handwriting. The lettering was small and somewhat squished, but was otherwise identical to her rounded flowing script. Horse Head Tavern - blanket from our room it read.

“I plan on filling the grooves with enamel,” she explained happily, “so it’s easy to see what the bottle has inside, and from where.” Katrie hesitated a little, biting down on her bottom lip. She smiled shyly at the look her Warder gave her. “I prepared another one,” she said quietly, the sparkle in her eyes belying her fierce joy. This one she picked up with a different sort of reverence, heat staining the copper skin along her neck and cheeks as she turned the glass until the label was easily discernable. Tear - Dax’s sea.

[Sunny]

Dax

It took some finagling and the clink of gold trading hands, but Dax secured the same room they had shared more than ten years before. He turned from the conversation to find that Katrie had vanished and he could not control the surge of panic that rose in his gut. Not again! A moment later he realized she had gone out the back door. He followed her, feeling silly for his fear, but she simply gave him an understanding smile and took his hand in hers. “No al’Naras here, love,” she murmured quietly.

He nodded as their fingers laced together, his eyes drifting over the courtyard. He had earned his fancloak long before they left Hama Valon, and yet… I truly became Gaidin -her Gaidin- at this inn. They stood in silence, lost in shared memories for long moments until abruptly he remembered why he had followed her out. “I want to show you something,” he said, his tone bright with anticipation. The tall Cairhienin woman gave him a quizzical look, but allowed him to lead her inside.

Katrie’s surprised joy when he opened the door to their room was well worth the coins it had taken to oust the minor noble who had initially rented the room. The Tairen settled against the wall by the door and watched his wife reacquaint herself with the space, his own mind lost in thought. He had come to the Tower to escape Whitecloak ‘justice’, but had not intended to stay. Now he couldn’t imagine any other life. How strange life can be.

The Aes Sedai turned back to him, practically glowing with delight as she replaced the stopper on one of her small jars. She held it out to him and he took it, examining the contents as she explained what she intended to do with the writing. Seeing the tiny glass container filled him with unexpected warmth and hope, and when she passed him a second and he realized what was written there, that warmth burst into glowing light.

“It’s perfect, kitten,” he said, gathering the slender woman against him and kissing her gently. “We can put some sand and maybe a bit of seaweed in it.” He smiled, imagining her reaction to the rocky, shell-strewn beaches and enormous coastal caverns of the Sea of Storms. He had shared so many horrific stories of his childhood with her; now he could truly share everything.

Everything? How sure are you of that? Dax closed his eyes as Jem’s voice rang in his head and shattered his bubble of joy. It had been quite some time since he had heard that nasty murmur; he had not missed it.

“What is it?” Katrie asked, looking up at him. The bond had betrayed his trepidation; he flushed despite himself.

Without a word, not daring to hesitate lest he change his mind, Dax reached into his pocket and passed her a small leather pouch. His wife gave him a curious look before taking it and tipping the packet into her palm. A gold chain spilled out, followed by a black stone pendant. Recognition, confusion, and grief blared over the bond and the Gaidin flinched. “Where did you get this?” She demanded, her fingers caressing the stone as if she didn’t believe it were real.

“I-” he wet his lips. “It isn’t your mama's,” he said after a moment. He didn’t think it was, anyway; to his understanding the two necklaces were identical, so did it really matter? “Jaryd gave it to me when he released my bond.” His heart raced, but he struggled to remain calm in the face of the shock she felt. “He said it was dear and to give it to you when the time felt right.” Dax tried to meet Katrie’s eyes, and could not. “The time never...felt right.”

You’re going to lose her in the same room you got her back, Jem’s mocking voice snickered as Katrie stared down at the necklace. How very fitting. Dax felt his entire chest constrict with fear. “Please understand,” he whispered. “I didn’t want to take away from other happy events, or make sad ones worse. It truly never felt like a good time until now. I am sorry...”

[Jenn]

Katrie

The slender woman capsized abruptly onto the nearest flat surface, unable to look away from the glinting black stone. “Jaryd gave it to me when he released my bond.” Her heart lurched painfully, the bitter burn of tears filling her eyes and throat. Her hand clenched, blocking the necklace from her sight, gripping onto it so tightly that the simple gold chain cut into her fingers. Katrie couldn’t breathe. The hole in her heart surfaced again, icy pain and suffocating grief redoubling in intensity as it radiated out from the very center of her chest.

Why...?

The world faded in a sudden dizzying flash and she was no longer at the Horse Head. She wandered down the inner paths of her mind, back to the very first time she had stepped foot into the Band of Brothers... she had just arrived in Hama Valon... the very first time she had encountered the man that was as a father to her... all because of what she clutched in her hand... Oh Light. Memory rose up, dim and faint from the years, but no less poignant now as it had been then.

“I’m trusting you. Promise me you’ll see it through.” She had had no reason to trust Jaryd.

“I am incapable of speaking anything but the truth, so please believe me when I say that I have never broken a promise in my life. I swear by the Light and my hope of salvation and rebirth: I will bring your mother to the Grey Tower for Healing if it is the last thing I do on this earth, Aikaterine.” And he had had no reason to keep his promise. Only... he had.

Katrie sucked in a sharp breath. She heard Dax’s words... felt his horrible fear but couldn’t make sense of it. He kept the necklace from me! a small voice in her head wailed, but she knew that it wasn’t true - could feel that it wasn’t - and despite the answering surge of anger, shoved that all aside.

She shook her head, back and forth, brown curls tumbling around her shoulders and down her back. “I can’t... I don’t...” she floundered, the words catching on her lips and breaking apart before she could form them. “I need... some time...”

Something sank in the bond, pulling at her awareness like a leaden weight dropping through the floor. Her head whipped up as it registered, brows drawing together. Black tendrils wavered for a moment along the edges of weak golden light. It took a heartbeat to register that the Aes Sedai was staring at her husband’s retreating back. Her stomach gave a queasy flip and she bolted to her feet, the screech of furniture grinding against the floorboards loud and awful.

“Where are you going?” The question flew out of her mouth, shrill and hurt.

Dax spun around, their wounded confusion reflecting and magnifying together until the world became sharp, bleak grey. “You said-”

“I said I needed some time, not that I wanted you to leave!” she shouted at him, stamping her foot. As their eyes finally met, distressed outrage gave way to terror, and no matter how hard she glared at him, it would not go away. He’s going to leave! her mind gibbered uselessly at her and Katrie flinched away from it. Blind panic erased everything else and the slender woman burst into tears. Incoherent words poured out of her mouth but neither of them could understand what she was saying.

With a muffled oath, she simply launched herself across the room towards her Warder. She crashed against him, driving him back a step from the impact, her arms going around him as she attempted to crush his waist. “Don’t leave. Please don’t go... don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me!”

[Sunny]

Dax

“I need….some time….”

Katrie’s words rattled and echoed through the Tairen’s skull, reverberating around his brother’s silent hysterical laughter. You thought you finally proved me wrong, didn’t you Dakson? He shook his head violently. Katrie did not mean- she couldn’t mean….could she? You don’t deserve her, Jem whispered. I’m always right, little brother,

Dax’s face felt odd, streaks of heat flowing down his cheeks at odd intervals. He touched them gingerly and callused fingers came away wet, liquid dripping into his palm even as he watched. The Tairen turned away from the bed where his wife lay in a crumpled heap, desperate for space, for air, for a chance to fight demons he thought he had left behind for good. The stableyard maybe. Your pain before her pain, hmm? Jem asked. Dax’s chest felt tight; he rubbed at it with his palm, but the feeling did not lessen and he could feel tears falling faster with each breath he took.

“Where are you going?” Katrie’s voice rose higher than he’d ever heard it before, cutting through his confusion like a burning wire. At Dax’s interjection it rose even more. He had never heard the Cairhienin woman cry in anger before, and as her incoherent words assaulted his ears and her outraged confusion assaulted his heart, the Tairen felt his very soul begin to crumble. I’m sorry! I’m so sorry…! he cried silently, his hands turned palm outwards in supplication.

She could not hear, yet abruptly she flew at him as if she had. Her entire weight crashed into his chest, driving him backward even as dusky arms wrapped around his waist insistently. “Don’t leave. Please don’t go...don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me!”

The Gaidin’s arms rose without thought, wrapping around his wife and crushing her against him. He reeled for balance in the near-silence, guilt now fighting confusion and wild hope. Jem’s presence had vanished and Katrie’s shouts had ceased...that was good, right? The fighter could feel their heartbeats racing nearly as one, and slender fingers pressed into his back as if she were afraid he would vanish. The tall woman’s murmured mantra against his chest competed with the hitch in his breath as he fought against wholly unfamiliar and unwelcome sobs.

Golden light began to work its way through the leaden fear that had consumed them both, soothing away their shared uncertainty and panic. Eventually the Tairen was able to pull one hand free and slip his fingers between Katrie’s chin, tilting her head up to look at him. “I will never leave you,” he said softly, “not unless you tell me to go.”

“You promise?” She asked after a silence long enough to make him shift his feet, her lower lip trembling. Blue eyes met brown in searching sincerity. Her eyelashes looked strange; it took Dax a moment to realize they were damp and stuck together with the same salt-grief that had begun to dry on his cheeks.

“I promise,” he said, his fingers shifting to slide into smoky curls. “The Creator himself couldn’t keep me from you if you want me by your side.” A trace of his old rakish attitude flitted across his face as he smiled at her. “I’m difficult to get rid of.”

[Jenn]

Katrie

The horrible tightness around her heart disappeared at the sight of Dax’s smile. Katrie took in a shuddering breath, the tension that wound through her entire body uncoiling so abruptly that it registered as pain. She gazed up into the eyes of perfect blue that she loved so much, lips parting slightly.

“I don’t ever want you to go.” Her words were soft, muted by the tears that still slipped down her cheeks. The panic had not fully subsided yet despite the way the Tairen’s awareness wrapped around hers. “I don’t ever want you to go.” Her breath caught and she couldn’t speak past the ache in her throat. The Aes Sedai pushed her face into her husband’s chest, sobbing, clutching at fistfuls of his shirt. Her hands balled up against his back, and she pressed as close against him as it was physically possible to.

Without warning, Dax simply lifted her up off her feet. One arm went around her shoulders while the other went beneath her knees. He strode to the bed, something fierce and hot twining together with the golden light, filling the bond. He took a moment to settle, then gently, so very gently, placed her sideways in his lap. Callused fingers and rough cloth dried her face before his arms went around her again, cradling her to him. “Hush kitten, hush,” he murmured, remorse suddenly radiating from the part of her mind that belonged to him. “I’m so sorry.”

Katrie lifted her hands, belatedly realizing that the necklace was cutting off the blood flow to some of her fingers. A faint wince clouded her pretty features as she spent several minutes working to pull out sections of the golden links that had embedded themselves into her skin. She set the black stone down next to them, wiping the last of the shimmering moisture from Dax’s cheeks.

“I’ve never seen you cry before,” she said quietly, fingertips tracing along his jawline.

He flushed and dropped his eyes. He stared down, off to the side, and would not meet her searching curious look for several long heartbeats. “I thought... I was losing you and I- I could not bear it...” came the strained response, a sharp, grey burst of panic filtering through his words.

She made a keening noise of denial, her mouth immediately seeking his. She gave herself over to the taste and feel of him for a time, their shared, desperate need to reassure and be reassured by each other colouring the world in broad strokes of velvet and crimson. Katrie pulled away with a gasp, just enough to speak, her lips never fully leaving his.

“Dax... that necklace...” she hesitated, fumbling for words. She took the black stone between her fingers and clasped it around her neck. She had told him, of course, about why that simple necklace was so important to her, about how it had brought about her first encounter with Jaryd. She told Dax everything... but this moment... needed words. It needed honesty. “Jaryd promised me that he would get Healing for my Mama. She was Stilled. For a channeler... it... he promised that he would give her back to me.” The brown-eyed woman’s smile was faint, her voice thick with emotion. “He essentially promised me that he would bring her back to life. And he did. That’s why... that’s why it’s important to me.”

“Katrie... I’m sorry-”

“Make it better, Dax.”

“I-” She silenced any further reply from him with her mouth. He stiffened for a moment before his lips yielded beneath hers. Then, he crushed her to him. Their feverish exploration of each other’s bodies was impeded by clothing, though that was quickly remedied. Limbs tangled together as he twisted, pushing her back onto the bed. His touch was reverent and possessive as it moved over every curve and dip along the length of her body, his mouth tracing over the shape of her face before trailing down the sensitive column of her neck. Each one of her breathless gasps was met by a smug surge of satisfaction from her husband.

Katrie cried out as he licked and bit and kissed, the bond spiking hot and fast. She reached for him, wrapping herself around him as their caresses became frantic and heated. The slender woman pulled loose the leather tie that kept Dax’s hair away from his face, her fingers promptly twisting into, and tugging at unruly black waves. Their lips danced together, moans muffled against soft skin as they finally joined, the world fading away in a haze of smoldering crimson fire.

[Sunny]

Dax

Silken hair, satin skin, velvet lips, smoky eyes, long fingers, copper-toned skin glinting in the firelight...their bodies slipped and slid, intertwined, then separated only to come back together again. Ears filled with the hushed gasps of pleasure or frustration, the small sounds of movement, the barest liquid whisper of parting lips...it all cascaded together, a gold-edged tide of blood red passion that swept him away. Dax clung to his wife as sparks coalesced, their brightness blinding him to the rest of the world.

Jem was wrong.

Jem was always wrong.


***

Time became inconsequential as Warder and Aes Sedai traveled. They paused in Baerlon to reprovision. Dax took himself to the fighting ring there out of curiosity, but left after determining no one there posed a challenge. He had better things to do than humiliate farmers for copper pennies, after all. He did take Katrie to meet the woman who had given him his herons, watching with a bemused grin as the Brown exclaimed over the odd contraption the artist used to do her gruesome work.

They left soon after and meandered along the road to Whitebridge. It rained lightly, then dried out, and they journeyed through woods and fields with little incident beyond the occasional stranger on the road.

Some days along the road, Katrie made an unintelligible noise as she swung into the saddle in the morning, a thin line of green winding through the bond then flashing bright and vanishing. Dax looked up from where he had been tightening the straps on his saddle bag, alert and concerned. Whatever that had been, he had certainly never felt it before. Channelers didn’t get sick….did they?

She recognized his attention a moment later, and gave him a smile that lit up her face. “It’s nothing, love. I’m just not used to riding for so long,” she said with an airy wave of her hand. The Tairen nodded slow acceptance, but his eyes stayed on the tall woman as she adjusted her cloak and gathered her reins. “Dax! I’m fine!” The exclamation seemed sharper than usual, and Dax chewed on the inside of his lip before nodding and forcing his attention elsewhere.

Perplexed, but not yet willing to push the issue, the Warder mounted and guided them both away from their campsite.

[Jenn]

Katrie

Katrie stifled a jaw creaking yawn behind her hand. Light, but she was tired! It was an unpleasant realization to find that she’d become so completely unaccustomed to traveling on the road. She didn’t remember being this worn out or exhausted as an Accepted, and the pace back then had been far more grueling. It was... well, it was embarrassing really. Just the other day, she had fallen asleep in the saddle. If Dax had not happened to be near enough to catch her, she would have tumbled headfirst off of her horse.

That had prompted a round of rapid-fire questions, her Warder’s concern and worry blaring across the bond. She had answered honestly, self-conscious and flustered, her face burying against her husband’s chest. The Gaidin was not entirely reassured, but he sensed her discomfort and confusion, and thankfully didn’t press further. They made camp on the spot, despite her protests. Dax’s arms stayed tight around her when he was not otherwise preparing her bedroll or stoking the small merrily blazing fire.

She ate and drank twice what she normally did, long dark curls spilling down the Tairen’s brawny arm as she dozed off soon after. She woke once, her head lolling against his shoulder, senses filled with his scent and the smell of mint and lemon. Katrie smiled blearily before realizing that he was laying her down. At his gentle insistence that she rest, the Aes Sedai quickly fell into deep slumber and did not stir again until morning.

Today, today, she ached from head to toe! Even her breasts! What nonsense was that? No amount of stretching or movement would help alleviate the soreness. Was this new saddle truly taking so long to break in? Her nose wrinkled. At the very least, Katrie would have thought that all that extra training she had done with Malina would have improved her fortitude or somesuch, but... that didn’t seem to be the case. Perhaps even that grueling regime couldn’t combat all the rest of the time she had spent sitting and bored, a human slug lacking in any and all excitement and stimulation as she woodenly recorded the minutes for all the Brown Ajah’s meetings.

Stupid meetings. Stupid minutes. She was going to have a stern talking to with Naera when she returned... someone else with pretty writing could attend to that boring drivel. The slender Cairhienin had better things to do!

Still, it wasn’t all bad though. She was able to fill two more vials, one from the dilapidated cottage that had been home for a time, where Dax had taught her how to fight. It was... more or less, still standing. And some time later, they arrived at the field... that wonderful field where he had asked her marry him beneath a perfect canopy of glistening stars. It was a relief to see that the ocean she had accidentally brought had not permanently damaged or drowned the green growing things there. The stars were not the same, but later that night, it stopped mattering when her body twined together and joined with Dax’s.

Roughly a week or so later, Katrie let out a noise of unmitigated delight as the giant milk-white bridge that gave the Andoran town its name rose into view. If she lifted herself up in her saddle, she fancied she could see the Arinelle running beneath it. She pointed to it excitedly, Dax chuckling softly, his lips pressing against her temple. For a little while at least, her discomfort and tiredness were forgotten as she tried to take in everything at once. The bridge looked so smooth! It reminded her of the glass that covered the Grey Tower. It had to be Power wrought... how interesting! She would have to see if she could take a sample from the bridge when no one was looking.

Whitebridge. Well. Andorans were pretty literal, when it came down to it. She grinned at that, able to perfectly picture the look that Fiona would have given back in response.

The Aes Sedai and the Gaidin soon joined the mass of people that were traveling into the town. Even if they had been wearing the fancloak and the serpent ring, it wouldn’t have helped them get through any faster; there was really nowhere for the people to move aside to. Initially, she didn’t mind. Katrie was content to wait... until she began getting jostled, each grazing touch a brand that jolted through her body with sizzling sensitivity. One such accidental touch sent her arm pushing against the side of her aching breasts. Her mind exploded in brilliant sparks that had nothing to do with anything resembling pleasure and she let out an unintelligible whimper. When her vision cleared, she blinked away the tears. The Cairhienin turned to the level a glare at the lummox that had dared bump into her, irritation and annoyance spiking into hot anger.

“Watch where you’re going!” she snapped.

The plain looking farmer frowned at her. The young woman next to him - wife, or daughter probably - opened her mouth. Brown eyes glittered, Katrie’s fist curling, the Aes Sedai suddenly incensed.