Rand dove beneath the surface, the cool water soothing on heat-warmed, cracked skin. The water flowed over him, a smooth, quiet touch. A mother's touch. When he burst above the water, gasping for air and shaking the water from his shaggy red hair, he blinked his eyes at the blurry figure standing at the edge of the pond. He rubbed his eyes, and recognized dark, wavy hair and big, liquid eyes. Egwene. Then he remembered that he was entirely naked, and he sank beneath the water swiftly, huddling in the water as far from shore as he could go without going into the thick reeds. He flushed to his ears. "Light, Egwene, what are you doing here!" he exclaimed, trying to cover his embarrassment. Her smile grew wider, and he knew that he had not been successful. Egwene always loved to tease him.
"Watching," she said. "I was going to go for a swim, but it seems that my spot has been taken. If you don't mind, though, I might join you anyway…" Her hands went to the buttons at the back of her dress, and Rand flushed again.
"Light, Egwene! If Nynaeve heard you talking like – please, just go away so I can get changed. Or at least turn your back." He realized that Egwene was laughing at him opening, hooting, really. She had never really intended to remove her dress. Of course. He blushed again, but this time it was in embarrassment as his own gullibility.
The water was really quite cold, Rand realized. And the sun was sinking swiftly. And Egwene was sitting on his clothing, watching him intently and showing no inclination to move. "Egwene," he said in a pained voice. "You're sitting on my clothes."
"That seems to be true," she said, as cool as a cucumber.
He cleared his throat. "I need to get out of here. It's kind of cold. And I need to go home."
"Well, I suppose you should get out then, shouldn't you?" Egwene's face was innocence itself. He stared at her, and coughed.
"I'm…not wearing anything."
"What's the matter with that?" she asked archly. He flushed.
"Light, Egwene! It wouldn't be decent! I mean – well, I know we're practically promised, and everything, but you don't even have your hair braided, and we're not married…" he trailed off into awkward silence. Her smile had grown wider with every word. "Turn your back, at least," he huffed ineffectually. She ignored him, and simply sat there, waiting. He stared at her. "I'll just come out in nothing but my skin," he threatened. She simply shrugged her shoulders, and somehow he was sure that nothing would suit her purposes better. Light! Women. He wished Mat was here. Then again, maybe not. Mat would probably just laugh.
The sun dipped from afternoon to evening, and Egwene refused to move. Rand started shivering, and began swimming again, trying to keep warm. Suddenly, he looked up at the shoreline, and Egwene was gone, his clothes folded in a neat pile on the bank where he'd left them. Swiftly he swam to the bank and pulled on his clothes while he was still dripping wet. He didn't want to risk her coming back and trapping him here. She would probably keep him here all night! As he gathered his other things, Egwene stepped out of the bushes, grinning from ear to ear. "Hello, Rand."
He nearly jumped out of his skin and wheeled on her. He stammered something about having to be home, and, flushing to his ears, began to walk away. Light, she probably hadn't even left! She'd probably hidden in the reeds the whole time, just watching him dress. She had no decency. Egwene called after him in a silvery voice. "Wait, Rand! Don't you want to watch me swim?" He turned to respond, and his mouth fell open. Her dress was already halfway off, and she smiled at his poleaxed expression. Resolutely, he turned his back and sped up his step. No decency? Light, less than none!
Egwene's laughter trailed after him, and he did not look back until he was all the way home. That night, he had some very interesting dreams.