Flowers in the Window [[Dax]]

[Chris]

Once the Warder was Healed and he went off ahead to scout/kill any unwary Seanchan, Maever walked on with Gummy's reigns to hand wearing a contemplative look. It wasn't just for show, he was actually thinking as he went, and time had that effect of soothing his ruffled feathers and permitting him to think more rationally. Outside of the "killing is wrong" and "hurting people is bad" mindframe he easily adopted, he was an Asha'man, and sometimes these things were inevitable. You did kill when you did no have a choice, Maever reminded himself. The fact that he'd felt terrible afterwards was simply a signature of his compassion that was all.

Dax do just be doing his job as well, protecting you. That do be why you did pay for him to come along. The man was nowhere to be seen now but Maever knew he would be nearby, not only because Maever was the only way to get back to Hama Valon via a Gateway. Dax would take care of him, just like he had when the Seanchan had come towards their hiding place.

So by the time Dax was making his way back to him, Maever had gone from disappointment to an uneasy sense of guilt for his ingratitude towards someone who was just doing what they were good at. He'd been rude to the man, and it didn't sit well with him.

Of course this was forgotten about when Dax revealed the flower he'd been hiding behind his back. The praying primrose! "Ohhh fortune prick me!" he exclaimed, eyes widening in delight. "You did find them! Ohhh the people who will be helped by these flowers!" The Illianer gave the Blademaster a hug before plucking the flower from his hand and turning back to Gummy, a flurry of activity as he took out some of the jars. "There do be more? Ohhh there must be, do lead the way!"

The Illianer was not afraid to get a bit dirty and as Gummy settled nearby, Maever sat on the grass in front of a clump of flowers, gently cutting clippings off some with a little knife, taking other plants in their entirety including their roots, and leaving a fair few where they were. "The flowers will continue to grow here, but I can grow some at the Grey Tower as well," Maever informed Dax keenly from where he sat, hands brown with dirt and a smudge across his forehead where he'd wiped at it. "Ohhh just think of the people who do be needing help! These flowers will save lives, fortune prick me, this do be ever so wonderful." He hummed softly to himself as he worked, completely at peace and proving he could hold a tune. Sort of. If you didn't listen too closely. The tune was one he had heard as a child, when his mother was putting Ryan to bed at night:

How lovely do be the evening
the evening
When the bluebells do be ringing
and ringing
Ding dong ding dong...

Add a few "la la las" and Maever was a happy Yellow.

He did eventually taper off as he concentrated on getting some of the flowers back to the Tower without injuring their delicate leaves. "Dax," he said quietly, "it do be okay. You did do what you do be thinking was best and... I should just be glad you do be here to help me. Without you, I do no be thinking the Seanchan would have left me be. I do be a good Healer, but I do no be smart, or knowledgeable about the world, and people do take advantage. So I do be glad for your being here, and I do be sad for those men at the same time. I do be able to be both. But if I do be needing to choose between my life and theirs, I will choose mine." This was not always the case, but it meant a lot to him now to be able to say that and mean it. Preservation didn't mean he condoned death, but then that's why he wasn't a Warder, right?

[Sunny]

Dax stood in the path and watched Maever gather flowers. The delight on the Yellow’s face reminded him painfully of Katrie’s face when she encountered some new and intriguing bit of information. Even more so because it had totally erased the man’s disapproval. The discordant memory was shattered when the Illianer began singing; reality returned, and the past returned to where it belonged with a sharp jolt.

Gummy made an impatient-sounding noise and the Tairen turned to look at him with a chuckle. “Yes sir,” he told the mule. A few minutes later he had retrieved one of Maever’s jars and strode to join the Asha’man, crouching next to him to watch what he did. Just the flowers, then? Very well. He drew his dagger and began to do the same, small blossoms quickly forming a pile in the jar then rising up the sides.

Dakson Torellion, picking flowers with a Yellow. Jem sounded more amused than annoyed. Now that’s a sight. Dax supposed it was...and made better by the lack of Jem’s irrational distrust of channelers.

Maever chose to speak, then, offering both explanation and forgiveness. “Next time I will tell you what I plan and why,” Dax responded as he put the lid back on one of the jars. “If I have time, anyway. If I don’t, I’ll tell you as soon as I can instead of waiting until you find out. Seems less painful that way. Deal?” It wasn’t until he clasped hands with the Asha’man that Dax realized that not only had he assumed they would be traveling together again, but that he actually wanted to do so.

Much later in the afternoon Dax checked Gummy’s straps while Maever acquainted himself with a little flat place in the meadow. A flash of light lit the area, rotating open to reveal the Tower. The Asha’man stepped through and Dax followed, tugging the mule after him. Full night had fallen in Hama Valon, and the Tairen realized belatedly exactly how long his day had been. A stablehand came and took Gummy’s lead, leaving the two alone.

Gaidin faced Asha’man, clearly wanting to say something, and just as clearly uncertain how to say it. Finally he pressed the coins Maever had given him back into the Asha’man’s hand. “It is my sworn duty to protect the brothers and sisters of the Tower,” he said steadily. “I cannot accept payment for that.” He paused, then added, “Thank you, Maever.”

Then he smiled, winked, and strode away, whistling tunelessly in the dark.