Green Destiny; [Ajah Exploration] [Attn: Miahala Ives]

[Sean]

Valadin Manelle

Shadow’s hot breath warmed Val’s neck as he led the old nag from her stable. Her muzzle chased after the carrot in his hand with the headiness of a newborn calf, but age was already sapping her youthful energy. Stable master Ranen had pointed out the limp of her left foreleg a month ago saying that a horse that couldn’t run wasn’t worth keeping fed. It was only Val’s insistence that he’d care for the injury and see that she’d make a full recovery that made the harsh Borderlander relent.

In the early days of their acquaintance the Stable Master would have boxed Val’s ears for uttering a word edgewise about how to attend to his “girls”. Now there was a mutual respect between them that resulted in fairly amiable exchanges—mostly Ranen passing curt orders and Valadin following them candidly. It wasn’t a perfect friendship, but it was theirs.

As the portcullis lifted from the arched gateway of the outer wall, the hills and the Mountains of Mist beyond rose up out of the endless sea of green. While Lake Somal couldn’t be seen from this distance, it likely looked twice as beautiful with sun shining overhead.

It was two hours before Early and the crisp morning air brought with it all the beauty of life had to offer at every breath. Shadow pranced in place, her gait favoring the tender limb. Val worried that even a tame morning ride might do more harm than good, but he needed to try something. As far as he could tell her joints were fine and he’d replaced the worn-out shoe that one of the apprentices had set too tightly. Telling Ranen that would’ve earned someone a flogging; it was best to spare everyone that spectacle.

“Is the Sister here yet?” he asked the nearby sentry. The man’s shake of the head elicited a wave of relief that Valadin immediately felt guilty for.

Sister Miahala Ives was a Green Ajah member of much clout. With his interest in the Green there’d be no avoiding coming in contact with her so he sent a petition for her to join him on a morning ride through the Tower retainers. What Valadin heard about her both worried and intrigued him. The woman was a source of a great many rumors—her return obscured in gleeman tales and dark ponderings. Many Aes Sedai had cautioned him to tread lightly around when he made mention of their meeting today. She can’t be all bad if the other Sisters dun like her. They said much the same about Nykk.

Though true, the thought left him ill at ease all the same. Sensing his mood, Shadow whickered and started to pull away from him. “Easy, easy there girl.”

“Lady Miahala Ives. Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah,” the sentry announced suddenly. Swallowing his concerns, Val turned slowly towards the woman who stood as a legend among the Grey Tower ranks.

“Gr-greetings, Sister,” Valadin stammered while affecting a clumsy bow. At least Shadow is steady long enough for me to make a fool of myself… he groused inwardly. Sometimes horses had a cruel sense of humor.

[Bella]

For as long as she had been an Aes Sedai, which everyone knew had been very long indeed, Miahala had been called for precisely this task: to speak about her Ajah. When she had arrived at the Tower as a frightened fifteen year old girl and been stuffed into Novice white, she had known little of the Ajahs...but as soon as she learned about the Green, it called to her. Since then, she had been impassioned to speak of it to others, although always understanding that it wasn't the right place for everyone.

Mia had been happy to aid the Dedicated who petitioned her experience now, and even more happily when it was set that they would do so on a ride outside the Tower. The woman never turned down a chance to get out and about on horseback, as it made her Saldean blood sing with contented joy at its purpose being fulfilled.

She had Seren by the reins as she walked to the Tower gates, his big head nudging her from behind as if to say, go faster! She turned to look at him with an admonishing smile and murmured words in the Old Tongue, she always spoke to her steeds in the ancient language rather than modern day common. The horses seemed to respond better, she had decided long ago.

The guards saw her and came to attention, announcing her presence with more pomp than she was comfortable with but had long ago learned to accept. She had earned the true title of "lady" when she had married Caden, Lord Caden Ives. She had never liked that title much either, but had equally learned to accept it. To herself, she would always be Miahala Sedai. Or just Mia. Even after all these years. It made her sad still that she had no one who really could call her "just Mia" anymore.

Seeing the nerves in the young man, who she recognized from the recent Green Ajah dinner event, she offered a faint smile on her otherwise still, porcelain face. "Greetings, Dedicated. Well met." She gave a very slight inclination of her head. "This is Seren," she introduced the large dark head lingering over her shoulder, the horses's withers falling not much shorter than the Dedicated's head.

[Sean]

The last time Valadin had seen Miahala Sedai she had carried herself with the purport of a noblewoman. Now perched atop her mount she looked more natural...more at ease than she had been at the Green Ajah dinner. Memories of how that evening had gone brought red to his cheeks as he nodded at her greeting. He was about stroke the muzzle of Seren when Shadow interposed with a jealous whinny. Of course. We're out here for you, girl. My apologies...

Running a hand along the mare's side earned him a pleased whicker. “Forgive me, Sister...I...well Shadow 'as gotten pretty...picky 'bout who I...y'know nevermind. Jus' a moment."

Grunting as he stepped into the stirrup and swung his other leg over Shadow's wide frame, Val settled gingerly atop the horse. She seems fine enough. Settling into the waxskin saddle Val's face brightened at the prospect of the wind coursing through his hair. For a moment he forgot about the Sister and the other men altogether; for a moment only he and Shadow existed.

“Dedicated?"

Val blinked. It was the sentry. The other men stared at him in reproachful silence, their glares accusing him as much their not saying anything. People of the Grey Tower were strange like that, “Ah...erm, I guess we should be goin'...can we jus' start a bit slow? Shadow girl's a bit tender from an injury."

As if to prove Valadin's words hollow, Shadow pulled at the reins and started off at a canter towards the rolling hills beyond the Tower, “Light, Shadow! Ah...Sorry Lady Mia!" He called over his shoulder.

Hopefully the good mood he'd seen her in earlier wasn't ruined on account of a stubborn nag. Shadow...what's gotten into you?

[Bella]

If her life so far had taught her anything, it was that things rarely went as planned. This remained the truth whether it was a big plan, or a small plan...

...like the plan about going for a simple ride.

Although it probably wouldn't do much to keep her 'mystique' around the Tower guards, she couldn't stop herself from laughing when the horse took the bit and ran off with the poor young man on her back. The mare acted like she had something to prove. Horses had egos just like humans did, she had long ago determined, and apparently the Dedicated's implication that his steed was 'feeble' in some way set it off.

Astride Seren, because Mia never rode side saddle--the closest she could recall was being half hung over a once saddle while injured, and that was really just being sideways on a saddle. It really wasn't the same thing, but it was bloody well the closest that she would ever let herself get. If you wanted to truly ride, you rode stride.

Mia leaned forward into Seren's main and whispered, "Corei." In the Old Tongue, it meant "runner" but it was the word that triggered her big bay as she pressed her heels into his sides just enough to spur him into a quick canter. She was unsure of Valadin was unable or just unwilling to bring his mare to a stop, but either way, she figured that she needed to catch up. Seren did so in very little time...

[Sean]

Little time had passed when the Green Sister's steed pulled in alongside Shadow, the long-legged horse's ground-eating strides effortlessly matching the mare. Val wasn't surprised. At a glance Lady Miahala's steed was not only of decent breeding, but seemed to have reasonable temperament. As the pair slowed to a trot that matched Shadow's it was easy to see that rider and horse moved as one. And I thought she'd be no fun.

Squeezing his thighs together and pulling on the reins firmly heeled the stubborn mare to a tame plod. Shaking his head, he petted the old gal's neck lovingly despite her frustrated snort. “You behave now, we'll have a go at it in a bit. Got to ease ya in...stubborn ole nag," he chided the creature good-naturedly.

A timid morning breeze ruffled the lapels of his coat, the Sword pin dangling in the wind until Val clutched it close to chest. Earning his rank hadn't meant anything until the Soldiers started looking up to him. At first he rejected the responsibility and only tolerated it as part of his duty to the Tower...to the Light, but gradually in every male channeler he saw a brother. The thought of one his family members dying made his stomach ache. Now the Sword pin represented his self-sworn oath to protect them...the men and Nykk were his everything.

Emerging from his thoughts he cast a sidelong look at the Aes Sedai. There was much he wanted to discuss, but where could he begin?

“You look...nice. I mean you look better than ya did at the dinner," he stated awkwardly. Shadow's ears twirled in a circle as if she comprehended how out of depth he was. Noticing what he'd said Valadin massaged his temples and tried to recover quickly. It wouldn't do to insult someone like Miahala Ives; she was practically Tower royalty.

“I...I...jus' meant ya look happy on that horse. At the party...well ya looked half ready to bolt; not that I blame ya. Spent most o' my time figurin' on a way to make it to the taverns in town." He'd mentioned the last part more for himself than her.

[Bella]

Seren didn't seem much happier to settle back to an easygoing pace than the mare did. They had just been running, so why did they have to slow down? At least, the twitching of his skin and hair just ahead of the saddles place seemed to broadcast his annoyance, but he was well-trained and didn't try to pull any stunts. She kept the reins in one hand as it rested on the pommel as she reached forward and patted the side of his neck. He seemed to ease his twitching.

That left her to glance sidelong at the stammering young Dedicated. He wasn't the first to be unnerved in her presence, and he wouldn't be the last. She held it against no one, although it did remind her of how...removed she was from the others. That feeling was swiftly stifled, it had no place here.

"I was born on a horse farm," she said with warmth in her blue-green eyes, glittering like gems set in the ivory facade of her perfectly ageless face, but for the small scar over her cheekbone. (It had its compatriots, but those would never be seen except by those who she held in very close regard, and she didn't imagine there would be anyone in that close regard again.) "Horses are almost more kin to me than people."

Looking down at the dark, neatly combed mane hanging along Seren's neck, she smiled a little and then looked back at Valadin. "Please, be at ease, Dedicated."

[Sean]

“Times pass. One can’t live in them. Only learn from them.”

Nothing of the stories told about the legendary Miahala Ives said anything about the soft reassurance her voice possessed. Good sense told Val it was an Aes Sedai trick to catch him unawares, but something deeper told him that the woman’s words were genuine—something told him that he could trust her.

For a time the green of the meadowlands passed by, the land varying little with browns and yellows where the Shadow’s touch on the world began to influence even these hallowed grounds. It was sad to think that if the Light couldn’t prevail…if the Dragon Reborn couldn’t prevail at the Final Battle then all of this would be ruined forever.

You can help ‘im by doin’ yer duty an’ servin’ the Tower. Ya do that an’ it’ll be alright.

It was a fantasy that Val had long entertained now. The belief that his efforts could turn the tides of an eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil—a belief that was grounded in his responsibility to serve the Light before himself. An auger twisted in his heart as the reason for this meeting weighed heavily on the mood once more. “Lady Ives,” he said suddenly, voice breaking the monotony of hooves against the carpet of grass.

He’d been about to ask her about why she’d chosen to join the ranks of the Grey Tower—why she’d chosen the Green Ajah? Surely a woman like her…a woman of significance could’ve been anything she wanted and had anyone she wanted. Perhaps knowing the reason for her sacrifice would help reconcile his misgivings.

Unfortunately this was when Shadow had finally decided she’d had enough.

Forelegs raising from the ground more than a foot as Shadow reared back and brayed defiantly. Then the stubborn mare tore off towards a nearby hill, the wind throwing her mane into Val’s face as the world raced by in a dizzying saturation of colors. At first angry at the interruption Val pulled against the horse’s bit, but Shadow fought him for control and her determination made him love the cursed creature all the more. Blasted ole gal’s been achin’ fer a little excitement for a while now…may as well. Been itchin’ to ride free meself if I’m honest, Val decided.

By now they had gained at least twenty paces on the Green Sister and her mount. Using the stirrups to lever his rear from the saddle he shouted back despite the rushing wind snatching his words from him the moment they spilled free of his lips.

“Care for a race, Sister?! First one to the top o’ that hill!” he called while pointing to the looming hilltop which seemed to grow in size as they quickly approached it.

Childish excitement urged him to goad the mare into a dead-sprint despite the dangers. Both had been taken up in the feeling of freedom that came with gallivanting through open spaces, their speed carrying them through space like wings through clouds. The cloth of his coat snapped in the wind as he tasted nature on his tongue, his mouth filling with forceful winds that fluttered his cheeks. There had been a time when boyish mischief tempted him to take one of the horses from Samhl’s stables for a ride down the Caemlyn Road. Back then caution had been the furthest thing from his mind.

Back then there had been no responsibilities to bear or old hurts to nurse or tethers to precious people he needed to protect. Racing with Shadow, her whinnies filled with exhilarated triumph and happiness returned Valadin to a time before Master; when he’d had a destiny that was all his own.

[Bella]

When the other horse took off, Seren danced in place. Every muscle in his body tensed with the desperate desire to follow the mare, because it's what horses did. Innately herd animals, where one goes...the other usually wants to follow.

Miahala restrained a laugh when the mare took her head again. The mother in her heart actually wanted to tell him that he needed to learn to control his horse better, or she was going to get him in trouble...or even hurt. That thought was stifled, however, because she was not his mother. In fact, it seemed she was not a mother so much as she once had been. Why haven't they come yet? she wondered.

Valadin called out to her. A race? Well, that was rather improper, but...

No one else was around. Miahala smiled and loosened the taut hold she had on the reins. It didn't take much pressure on Seren's sides to spur him forward. He leaped into his run, eager to be after the mare who had gained ground on him. Although her horse was no colt, he was still young yet and liked to run. She would watch him in the pastures, at times, and he was an excellent runner.

His long legs pumped powerfully and propelled him forward, hard and fast. Mia held the reins but let him have his head, leaning forward slightly to keep her balance with his speed as he caught up to the other horse with seemingly little effort.

[Sean]

“Beware the seduction of the quick conclusion. Do not indulge in the answer you desire until you know all you need to know.”

Shadow had just made it to the foot of the hill when Val heard the beating hooves of Lady Miahala and Seren at their heels. He laughed aloud even while leaning forward, his weight urging the spirited mare to greater speed as she hit the incline at full tilt, a happy whinny and a snort signaling her excitement.

Though he hadn’t ridden before coming to the Grey Tower, the mechanics that any true rider understood whether through intuition or years of training came easily to him. With every gallop, his body moved in concert with the powerful muscles that stirred beneath him. Despite Shadow’s hard-headedness the entire day, as they raced up the hillside she and Val were as one, their breaths merging as Seren’s snout came into Val’s peripheral. For a moment he turned his attention from the ecstasy of motion to make out how close the Sister had come to overtaking them. What he saw made him smile.

Similar to himself and Shadow, Seren and Miahala were lost in a moment. The horse’s flanks heaved in its effort to make up the difference gained by the unplanned head start and the Green appeared very natural, her positioning facilitating greater speeds from her horse rather than hindering it. Beautiful…

Val turned his head forward to find that the hilltop was a few steps away. With a shout that lost meaning in the rushing winds, he urged Shadow onward, the emotion in his voice serving as adequate communication of his desire as the mare’s hooves beat with greater frequency against the grassy hill. It didn’t matter that the saddle kept ramming into his stones or that his hands, slick with sweat, had begun slipping from the reins—nothing mattered, but the connection that was shared. It was regrettable that it was all going to end shortly.

At least let’s end it by takin’ ‘em, girl!.

OOC: Oddly…I had fun writing that. Anyway, you can decide who wins the race with your post. Then it gets a little tamer for a bit. Can’t be all craziness and horses.

[Bella]

Despite the head start, it really was unavoidable that Seren would reach their goal first. He was larger, younger, and had not suffered from any lameness in his recent history. He was being trained to be a warhorse, after all, and a creature had to be strong and fast and sure of foot to be suitable to that. Miahala knew horses, and she knew her horses...

...and thus Seren pulled out ahead of the mare, tossing his head like a foal as he did so and crested the hill.

Once there, he seemed to know innately that this was the end of the line for he gave no trouble and did not try to ignore Miahala's signals to slow and stop. Though once he had, he did dance a little in place and she let him. One did not get the blood up that much only to stop cold, after all, so she turned and saw Valadin and his mare just moments behind them.

As he drew near, she sat up straight and brushed some errant strands of greying auburn hair back from her eyes and smiled at him. It wasn't a large expression, but was enough to convey her warmth and enjoyment of the moment. It had been a long time since she'd done that for reasons other than being chased by bad guys and wanting to stay alive...