It took much effort not to flinch, every time thunder crashed she could hear a woman or a child scream in fear. Thunder did not worry her much, but people screaming? That brought bad memories. It also battled against her training. A Gaidar was meant to protect. What if such a scream was not from the loud crashes in the distance?
She shivered as she walked through the muddy streets of Hama Valon. Teaching her pupils about herbs and medicines was always a pleasure, but when the Yellow Ajah's First Sitter asked her to purchase specific seeds for the herb garden, a storm was no valid excuse to decline the request. Then again, one did not deny a Sitter anything.
"Thank you, Aes Sedai." She muttered. "Oh how i do appreciate the privilege of walking in a cold thunder storm, with ankle deep mud." Growling softly, she pulled hard at her leg, trying to remove it from the mud. Bad enough her calf felt stiff if this weather, she had to get that leg stuck.
Using her free leg, she tried digging her foot out. The balancing act very much improved her mood. Rare was it that the Mayener swore under her breath.
"Really?" She snarled, looking up towards the black skies. She felt something cold slide down her back. The cloak was losing it's thin wax coating. Feeling a strong gust of wind coming, she braced herself against it. That did nothing for the clay shingle that broke off the roof, and slammed in the back of her head.
What felt like an eternity, or perhaps mere seconds later, she could taste much. She also felt tingly all over, and her ankle felt quite wrong. The hood of the cloak had blown off her head, causing her red hair to be thick with mud, and blood.
Seth Arcuraim
She shivered as she walked through the muddy streets of Hama Valon. Teaching her pupils about herbs and medicines was always a pleasure, but when the Yellow Ajah's First Sitter asked her to purchase specific seeds for the herb garden, a storm was no valid excuse to decline the request. Then again, one did not deny a Sitter anything.
"Thank you, Aes Sedai." She muttered. "Oh how i do appreciate the privilege of walking in a cold thunder storm, with ankle deep mud." Growling softly, she pulled hard at her leg, trying to remove it from the mud. Bad enough her calf felt stiff if this weather, she had to get that leg stuck.
Using her free leg, she tried digging her foot out. The balancing act very much improved her mood. Rare was it that the Mayener swore under her breath.
"Really?" She snarled, looking up towards the black skies. She felt something cold slide down her back. The cloak was losing it's thin wax coating. Feeling a strong gust of wind coming, she braced herself against it. That did nothing for the clay shingle that broke off the roof, and slammed in the back of her head.
What felt like an eternity, or perhaps mere seconds later, she could taste much. She also felt tingly all over, and her ankle felt quite wrong. The hood of the cloak had blown off her head, causing her red hair to be thick with mud, and blood.
Whatever possessed Seth to walk out of the Tower and make a trip to Hama Valon was beyond any scope of comprehension. But, he was, trudging through the mud, his black trousers tucked into his high-topped leather boots, so as not to get mud on the fabric. Mud was much easier to clean off leather.
He held a weave above his head, it repelled the water, keeping him dry and he walked through the muddy streets. He also had a small ball of light, which in the gloom of the storm would tell people there was a channeler. No lantern could produce pure white light.
He heard a clay tile crack somewhere nearby, but it sounded muffled, but not enough for it to have been broken by hitting mud. Seth moved toward the source of the sound, and as he rounded the corner, he found a woman laying in the street. Blood flowing was from a wound on her head, and her foot was twisted at an odd angle. Seth rushed to her side, positioning his weave so as to cover them both.
He moved hair away from the woman's face, and realized who he was standing over. It was difficult to forget the person that had given you forkroot tea, all in the name of teaching.
Seth felt for pulse and breathing, and when she came to he asked her, "Can you tell me your name."
While he knew Elisha Alehdren's name, it was a check to make sure she wasn't concussed, by making sure she knew her name.
Elisha Alehdren
He held a weave above his head, it repelled the water, keeping him dry and he walked through the muddy streets. He also had a small ball of light, which in the gloom of the storm would tell people there was a channeler. No lantern could produce pure white light.
He heard a clay tile crack somewhere nearby, but it sounded muffled, but not enough for it to have been broken by hitting mud. Seth moved toward the source of the sound, and as he rounded the corner, he found a woman laying in the street. Blood flowing was from a wound on her head, and her foot was twisted at an odd angle. Seth rushed to her side, positioning his weave so as to cover them both.
He moved hair away from the woman's face, and realized who he was standing over. It was difficult to forget the person that had given you forkroot tea, all in the name of teaching.
Seth felt for pulse and breathing, and when she came to he asked her, "Can you tell me your name."
While he knew Elisha Alehdren's name, it was a check to make sure she wasn't concussed, by making sure she knew her name.
"That voice…" Elisha said, from cold trembling lips. She knew that voice, even liked it for some strange reason! She could feel his touch, his hands soft, and steady. Opening her eyes, she had difficulty seeing. Her face felt both warm, and cold. She could feel the rain upon her face, but something felt thick in her hair. "Mud…" She muttered.
She blindly tried pushing herself to a sitting position, using her hands to shift herself. When she shifted her legs, agony greeted her with open arms. She screamed, and slipped back into the mud as her hands lost their grip upon the wet and slick earth. She rolled to her side, trying to feel her leg, but the effort was in vayne.
Opening her eyes, she could see lightning in the distance, but not much else. She felt soaked to her bones, felt covered in mud, felt strange, yet gentle hands upon her. "Seth" She asked softly, her voice cracking. She recognized the scent of his breath, of all strange things. She closed her eyes, as she let out a shaky breath.
The world was spinning, but she decided that it must be some sort of bad dream. Her leg hurt, much like it did when those guards had found her, with a shard of metal imbedded in her leg. Why would her leg hurt? If she was dreaming, why would she feel this way? Feeling uncomfortable, she tried shifting position, but her eyes shot wide open with a strangely familiar pulse of pain!
She screamed, shifted her gaze, and saw Seth looking upon her with concern. She felt warm tears cutting through the cold rain upon her face.
Seth Arcuraim
She blindly tried pushing herself to a sitting position, using her hands to shift herself. When she shifted her legs, agony greeted her with open arms. She screamed, and slipped back into the mud as her hands lost their grip upon the wet and slick earth. She rolled to her side, trying to feel her leg, but the effort was in vayne.
Opening her eyes, she could see lightning in the distance, but not much else. She felt soaked to her bones, felt covered in mud, felt strange, yet gentle hands upon her. "Seth" She asked softly, her voice cracking. She recognized the scent of his breath, of all strange things. She closed her eyes, as she let out a shaky breath.
The world was spinning, but she decided that it must be some sort of bad dream. Her leg hurt, much like it did when those guards had found her, with a shard of metal imbedded in her leg. Why would her leg hurt? If she was dreaming, why would she feel this way? Feeling uncomfortable, she tried shifting position, but her eyes shot wide open with a strangely familiar pulse of pain!
She screamed, shifted her gaze, and saw Seth looking upon her with concern. She felt warm tears cutting through the cold rain upon her face.
She was delirious, or was she? The minor inflection when she said his name rather than her own made it a sound like a question rather than a statement. The rain continued to pour over the top of his weave. The fire twisted with the air and strands of water repelling the rain as it fell.
Seth pursed his lips, and his brow furrowed. He couldn't nod, or answer, lest she believe her name was Seth, if she was asking if it was hers, or was she asking if it was indeed him? Months of working in the infirmary had taught him not to take such chances as to assume that when asking someone for their name, that if they answered with a question, not to give them a 'yes' or 'no' until they changed their answer to a statement of believed fact.
Instead of answering, he continued with the treatment, meaning to return to the question once he told her what he was about to do.
"I am about to delve you, to determine the full extent of your injuries. Can you tell me your name?"
He moved to her head, and tied his rain repelling weave, and his ball of light. What he was about to do required his full concentration, and if he needed to move, he could easily untie them and move them.
He threw together the net of spirit, the delving weave coming easily as it was the mostly commonly used weave, beside basic healing. He lowered the weave to Elisha's head, pushing it into her body to find all the injuries.
Beginning at her head, he found a break in the skull, along with several lacerations where fragments of tiles likely scattered and cut her skin as they fell to the mud after hitting her head. He found several bruises on her ribs, but none of them could've been caused by the falling tile, they were likely from sparring during the week, and hadn't quite fully healed.
The last thing he found was the broken ankle, twisted at an odd ankle, due to the way she fell, and how it had stuck in the mud that squelched and splashed around them.
Seth directed a twist of earth and water at the mud, hoping to release Elisha's trapped foot. The mud squished around for a bit, before finally releasing the trapped foot.
Seth threaded bars of air through the mud under Elisha, forming a make shift stretcher. Seth "pulled" up on the stretcher, pulling Elisha out of the mud. Holding too many weaves would put a strain on him, So Seth pulled his cloak off, so that he could sacrifice his rain repelling weave. Seth looked around through the gloom, and spied the inn, not too far away.
"I am going to move you to the inn, so that you are out of the rain while I heal your injuries. Brace yourself, I will try to move slowly, and please, don't struggle or move, or you may injure yourself further."
With saidin in his grasp, he may have sounded cold and distant, but his message was clear and sincere.
Seth loosened and dropped the rain repelling weave, the immediate effect was that he was almost instantly drenched, and chilled to the bone. He slowly began to move them toward the inn, careful to keep his weave level.
Elisha Alehdren
Seth pursed his lips, and his brow furrowed. He couldn't nod, or answer, lest she believe her name was Seth, if she was asking if it was hers, or was she asking if it was indeed him? Months of working in the infirmary had taught him not to take such chances as to assume that when asking someone for their name, that if they answered with a question, not to give them a 'yes' or 'no' until they changed their answer to a statement of believed fact.
Instead of answering, he continued with the treatment, meaning to return to the question once he told her what he was about to do.
"I am about to delve you, to determine the full extent of your injuries. Can you tell me your name?"
He moved to her head, and tied his rain repelling weave, and his ball of light. What he was about to do required his full concentration, and if he needed to move, he could easily untie them and move them.
He threw together the net of spirit, the delving weave coming easily as it was the mostly commonly used weave, beside basic healing. He lowered the weave to Elisha's head, pushing it into her body to find all the injuries.
Beginning at her head, he found a break in the skull, along with several lacerations where fragments of tiles likely scattered and cut her skin as they fell to the mud after hitting her head. He found several bruises on her ribs, but none of them could've been caused by the falling tile, they were likely from sparring during the week, and hadn't quite fully healed.
The last thing he found was the broken ankle, twisted at an odd ankle, due to the way she fell, and how it had stuck in the mud that squelched and splashed around them.
Seth directed a twist of earth and water at the mud, hoping to release Elisha's trapped foot. The mud squished around for a bit, before finally releasing the trapped foot.
Seth threaded bars of air through the mud under Elisha, forming a make shift stretcher. Seth "pulled" up on the stretcher, pulling Elisha out of the mud. Holding too many weaves would put a strain on him, So Seth pulled his cloak off, so that he could sacrifice his rain repelling weave. Seth looked around through the gloom, and spied the inn, not too far away.
"I am going to move you to the inn, so that you are out of the rain while I heal your injuries. Brace yourself, I will try to move slowly, and please, don't struggle or move, or you may injure yourself further."
With saidin in his grasp, he may have sounded cold and distant, but his message was clear and sincere.
Seth loosened and dropped the rain repelling weave, the immediate effect was that he was almost instantly drenched, and chilled to the bone. He slowly began to move them toward the inn, careful to keep his weave level.
"Relax, Seth." The Ji'dar said firmly. "The more you fight it, the more your heart races. And the more your heart races, the tighter grip the tea has on you. Now sit still, and breath. Even breaths…" She lectured, hoping he would listen. Just in case, she stepped behind him, and placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"You're Seth." She said. She tried looking at him, but she groaned as she tried turning her head. She closed her eyes against the rain. Where did the pain go. she wondered. She began shivering, realizing that she was cold. Exhaling a shaky breath, she thought she had heard him say something.
"Here, have some water." She offered, handing him a water skin. She guessed that he must be getting over the worst of it, his hands were not pale white from gripping the countertop. "The Keeper wanted you ready, in case something ever happened. Forkroot will take it's toll from you, but if you remain calm, and understand what is going on… "
"So cold…" She said as she shivered. The dream vivid in her mind, she took the advice she had given Seth. She breathed, inhaling slowly, and exhaling. She inhaled, and coughed as rain water went down the wrong passageway. Coughing made her head spin, made the world appear upside down. She felt her arm slip, and hang down from the side. She felt confused, by the sensation. But the world grew dark, before she could understand.
"While the Keeper of Archives may wish for you to join the Blue Ajah, you must do what feels right for you."
Seth Arcuraim
"You're Seth." She said. She tried looking at him, but she groaned as she tried turning her head. She closed her eyes against the rain. Where did the pain go. she wondered. She began shivering, realizing that she was cold. Exhaling a shaky breath, she thought she had heard him say something.
"Here, have some water." She offered, handing him a water skin. She guessed that he must be getting over the worst of it, his hands were not pale white from gripping the countertop. "The Keeper wanted you ready, in case something ever happened. Forkroot will take it's toll from you, but if you remain calm, and understand what is going on… "
"So cold…" She said as she shivered. The dream vivid in her mind, she took the advice she had given Seth. She breathed, inhaling slowly, and exhaling. She inhaled, and coughed as rain water went down the wrong passageway. Coughing made her head spin, made the world appear upside down. She felt her arm slip, and hang down from the side. She felt confused, by the sensation. But the world grew dark, before she could understand.
"While the Keeper of Archives may wish for you to join the Blue Ajah, you must do what feels right for you."
Lightning crackled overhead, bringing with it brief spates of light where Seth could see more than beyond the glow of his small ball of light that he dragged with him. His concentration was firmly on the stretcher of air that he held in front of him, fueled by saidin, which he held with firm determination. The inn came in and out of focus as the rain blurred his vision. Seth had forgone wearing his hat with the wind tearing through the streets like it was; he wasn't about to lose one of his trademarks.
Elisha's arm draped over the side of the stretcher, as she dreamed in her unconscious, or perhaps semi-conscious state. What she dreamed about was beyond Seth, but he knew she must be, for she was muttering incomprehensibly at random intervals.
Seth's cloak was draped over her body, trying to trap minimal warmth, but not foreseeing such an event as not having his rain repelling weave, Seth had opted not to use one of his waxed cloaks, and as such, the dark wool had become saturated. Seth was chilled to the bone, but the void separated him from such physical trifles.
Seth stepped into the doorway of the inn, just as another lightning strike arced across the dark sky behind him. His blonde hair was plastered to his face, and his coat was dripping water on the perfectly dry wood floors.
His sword pin glimmered in the light of the candles and the fireplace, and as soon as he spoke, everyone started to do as he asked.
"I need a table next to the hearth to place this woman. She needs dry blankets, clothes, anything."
The staff jumped as though he was the M'Hael himself, the patrons evacuated the table closest to the fire, and hugged the walls, waiting to see what Seth did next.
Seth put Elisha down carefully on the cleared table that one of the serving girls had laid a blanket out on. Once she was down, Seth released saidin and sat down, while the staff bustled around to get both he and Elisha dry and warm.
Elisha's arm draped over the side of the stretcher, as she dreamed in her unconscious, or perhaps semi-conscious state. What she dreamed about was beyond Seth, but he knew she must be, for she was muttering incomprehensibly at random intervals.
Seth's cloak was draped over her body, trying to trap minimal warmth, but not foreseeing such an event as not having his rain repelling weave, Seth had opted not to use one of his waxed cloaks, and as such, the dark wool had become saturated. Seth was chilled to the bone, but the void separated him from such physical trifles.
Seth stepped into the doorway of the inn, just as another lightning strike arced across the dark sky behind him. His blonde hair was plastered to his face, and his coat was dripping water on the perfectly dry wood floors.
His sword pin glimmered in the light of the candles and the fireplace, and as soon as he spoke, everyone started to do as he asked.
"I need a table next to the hearth to place this woman. She needs dry blankets, clothes, anything."
The staff jumped as though he was the M'Hael himself, the patrons evacuated the table closest to the fire, and hugged the walls, waiting to see what Seth did next.
Seth put Elisha down carefully on the cleared table that one of the serving girls had laid a blanket out on. Once she was down, Seth released saidin and sat down, while the staff bustled around to get both he and Elisha dry and warm.
