Leane Sharif watched the man admiringly as she approached. He was truly an excellent swordsman.
She kept herself hidden behind a wilting oak tree, smoothing the skirts of her thin silk dress and checking to make sure there were no stray horse hairs; she had been grooming Bryne's horse--strangely, that was the only duty he gave her anymore. She was quite surprised that in the few weeks he had been here a sister had not already persuaded him to let her bond him as her Warder. Well, most of the sisters in Salidar had Warders and those that didn't…many of them who didn't, had lost their Warder or Warders in the Tower coup. Leane felt her stomach tighten at that thought.
No. She was putting that behind her; the sorrow of losing saidar had eclipsed the memory of that pain, and now that she had saidar back, she knew she could handle anything. She watched as Bryne parried one of Uno's attacks—the man had fine reflexefs, even when not in combat, Leane knew. Though perhaps having one's boots throw at you by Siuan should qualify as combat. She stifled a laugh at the memory. Bryne had not been pleased and had proceeded to turn Siuan over his knee and smack her bottom. Leane still couldn't fathom why the woman let him.
Leane took a deep breath, planning as she tapped the grooming brush lightly against her palm. Lord Bryne was not unaffected by her arts, she knew. But she had been…out of practice during their trial in Kore Springs. She had practiced on him once or twice after he had tracked them to Salidar, but without success. The man always seemed to find some reason to be distracted—usually because Siuan had once again put too much starch in his shirts or had decided to shout at him for some small transgression. It was quite annoying. The woman had impeccable timing when it came to ruining her attempts to charm the man.
Well, Siuan was nowhere to be seen and it seemed Bryne and Uno were finishing up with their sparring. Men were always vulnerable after combat, whether it had been real or practice. Tired with the blood pounding through their veins, they couldn't help wish for a woman in their arms. Bryne would make a fine Warder—and binding him to her would allow her to bind his army to the Amyrlin. An added benefit.
As soon as Uno was gone, she glided up beside him, placing a hand lightly on his wrist. "You are a marvelous swordsman, Lord Bryne," she told him in a low, caressing voice, gazing up at him through her lashes.
He turned to regard her with raised eyebrows. "You have finished grooming Traveler?"
Leane nearly pouted in frustration at his brisk voice. Light, the man was a difficult case! Perhaps she had been unfair to herself; unaffected he wasn't—she could feel his pulse speed up a little underneath her fingers—but he was far more resilient than other men. Which was unusual, for a man who had recently been spurned by his lover. Her aunt had always said they were the easiest to manipulate. On the other hand, a man in love with a woman whose love he had yet to obtain was the most difficult.
Leane froze.
A man in love…
Bryne peered down at her, clearly bewildered. "Leane, are you finished grooming Traveler?" He paused. "I expect this stalling from Siuan, not you." Oh yes. There was that softening of the voice, that slight caress when he said the name. Why hadn't she seen it before? It made perfect sense.
Well, she was up for the challenge. It was unlikely Bryne would ever win Siuan's heart, no matter how many times he made her polish his boots. Yes, he definitely needed a distraction from the irascible Tairen. And Leane quite enjoyed providing distractions for men these days.
She placed the brush in his free hand, being sure to let her fingers linger lightly on his palm as she pulled her hand back. "Traveler is a fine horse, strong, sure footed and handsome," she said making it clear she was not just talking about the animal. "Fine breeding stock, with the right mare."
Bryne stepped away from her, his face expressionless. "Leane, would you please tell Siuan I need my spare boots polished? And no handing it off to you; I want to see her in my tent this evening, blacking them."
With an effort, Leane managed to stop herself from gaping. A different tact then—if Bryne was that besotted with Siuan, knowledge of horses—and the ability to drop innuendos while talking about them—clearly wasn't important to him in a woman. An Aiel with no arms could ride better her.
She stepped up to him again. He had nowhere to go, as he had backed himself against the oak she had been hiding behind minutes before. Leane chuckled inwardly; the man might be one of the great generals, but it seemed the ability was forgotten when he was faced with a woman bent on seducing him. She placed a hand lightly on the pommel of his sheathed sword. "Have you ever considered becoming a Warder, Lord Bryne?"
He blinked down at her. She was tall enough that their noses were nearly touching. "I will not lie. The thought has occurred to me once or twice."
"The Green Ajah values a man tested in warfare," she laughed softly, placing her other hand upon his chest. "We are called the Battle Ajah, after all. You would be a most valuable Warder."
He gave her a half-smile, straightening his neck so the back of his head was pressed against the bark of the tree. "It would seem to me I swore an oath to build this army for a particular cause, not to simply fight battles. Perhaps a Blue sister would find more value in me for that."
Leane laughed again, this time aloud. She was not one to give up easily, but it was clear she was defeated. "Lord Bryne, you are a brave man. I wish you the best on your cause. I just hope it doesn't leave you black and blue." She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, smiling. "I give you this, for luck." She grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him thoroughly, even as he struggled to pull her off of him.
Leane gasped and pulled away as something hard slammed into side of the head. She ground her teeth as she rubbed her head, searching for the source of the offending item. Her eyes landed on a bar of soap lying innocuously on the ground beside her and a pair of stout shoes a few feet away. Siuan Sanche stood with her arms folded and her face a mask of rage. "I'm sorry, Leane," the Tairen said tartly, reaching to snatch up the soap. "I was aiming for Lord Bryne. Gareth Bryne, didn't your mother ever tell you how to not paint yourself with your dinner? I just spent the last hour washing a single shirt because you managed to spill gravy all over it! I have met silverpikes with more dinner manners than you…!"
Leane slipped away as the two began shouting at each other in earnest, their voices rising even as she put distance between herself and them. For once, she was glad that events had forced her and Siuan to feign an intense dislike of each other. It would probably be best to steer clear of Siuan for the next week or two. Leane knew full well that Siuan was quite capable of lying, even if most others did not. She also knew Siuan's aim was excellent, especially if the target was Lord Gareth Bryne's head.