Chapter Two
Estate Affairs
"What do you make of the new one?" a broadchested man asked, leaning over to talk to his bunkmate. The horses shifted and snorted at the burdens that they held and would soon hold.
Shaking his black head, the man turned to his broad friend. "If I ain't mistakin', that be a girl with Lord Saris, Jak."
Jak's eyes widened. "A girl?" he breathed, shocked. "I thought he was bringun back some mercenary's from there, Rhys."
Rhys snorted and answered, "He did. That must be the older one's daughter. Must have caused a fuss when she found out that her father was coming back. Spoiled."
"Here they come," Jak said uneccessarily.
"I want you to feel welcome here, Lorena," Saris was saying as they approached the horses. "But we must make haste back to my estate. There are some pressing matters that I must take care of. It is there that I will answer any of the questions that you might have." He paused and smiled at her. "Welcome to Cairhein."
"Cairhein?" Lorena pronounced slowly. "Sounds a little Celtic, but no matter. I like it."
"That's enough chit-chat, people," Peeks interrupted. "We have a place to be and we must get there. Save it for the house."
Rhys frowned. Who did that old man think he was? Giving the Lord orders. He snorted again. He decided to ignore the old man and turned to study the female. He had missed her name, but she was at least put together well, if a little on the small side. And she was dressed in the oddest clothes. Of course it wasn't something that was all that strange because the women in the city were starting to wear breeches and carry swords. Maybe her odd garments were for riding. He shrugged and continued to study her.
Her brown hair was hanging loose, almost hitting her hips. She was wearing a white shirt tucked into some kind of heavy looking cotton breeches that molded to her body like a second skin. Her hips flared out from her small waist and tapered to a pair of long and muscled thighs and her calves were covered in dirt colored leather boots that tied to her knees. Across her shoulder was slung a weird looking black bag. He wondered what was in there.
Her face and skin was a bronzy color. Hetoyed with the ideaof her beingrelated to the Aiel. Her forehead was high, which said she was intelligent and graceful. Her eyes were spaced center in her face, surrounded by thick black lashes. The color of them seeming to shift with her expressions. One moment a startling shade of bluish-green and the next the color of sapphires. A straight and a trifle wide nose hung over her bow shaped upper lip. The bottom lip was plump, lush looking, the color of deep pink roses. Her cheekbones were large and made her look happy even when she wasn't smiling. Her jaw was a almost oval shaped with a square look to it. She was very stubborn it seemed.
He watched as she mounted and found her seat. At least she could ride, he thought. He didn't think he could handle a spolied little brat screaming to stop every hour so she could rest her hind end. He wanted to get back to the estate and a pint of something cool. He knew that matters weren't as they should be. Something was going on at the estate beyond his ken.
"Rhys?" Jak asked, reaching over to hit his friend's shoulder. When he saw that he had his attention, Jak smiled. "I thought something was making you sick. You had a look on your face."
"I'm fine, Jak. I see that our charges are ready to leave. Come, let's go home."
Lorena rubbed her lower back. They had been traveling for the past six hours with only one stop to water the horses and to get a drink themselves before mounting and continuing an almost breakneck speed back to Saris' estate. She could only wonder at the need to be back so fast. This world was unlike anything she had ever seen and she wanted to explore. Her curious nature was kicking in and not knowing what kind of creatures roamed this world, it probably wasn't a good idea.
She had been introduced to Saris' guards, Jak and Rhys. Good enough looking fighting men. She wondered if Jak worshipped Rhys. Lorena had seen the way that Jak seemed to go to Rhys for everything. Of course, they may be friends, she thought.
Lorena rubbed her lower back again. It was starting to hurt and she hoped they were camping soon. Just thinking about it made her excited. She hadn't been camping since her parents had died over seven years ago. It was then that she had to learn to live on her own and work to keep what she had. Her grandparents had taken her in after the wreck that had killed her mother and father. She had to have been ten or eleven. She remembered the sad and lonely days after the funeral. Her grandfather had decided to get her involved in the farm. She had spent seven years on the farm, before she graduated. Lorena couldn't afford tuition at the local college, so she had gotten a couple of jobs to pay for her education. She had majored in Computer Sciences and minored in book keeping.
Fat lot it had done her though. She had ended up working as an accountant for some bastard that thought the women in the pool were his to fish from. She had been next on his list. She shuddered. He was disgusting. Martin Grandy was married, had three kids, and a nice home. It was disgraceful the way he treated his wife. He was seen with various women around the office. It was surprising that she hadn't found out about it. When he had approached her, she had told him to kiss her ass. Later that day, she had been fired for inappropiate behavior. She then told the people in Human Resources about her supervisor and filed a harrassment suit with the company. Lorena wasn't sure if that was the thing to do, but he had made her so mad. The people in Resources had told her that her employment was still in effect but suspended until they investigated the claim. Lorena told them that they could contact her at home and left.
Jerking back to the present, Lorena realized they were slowing. She guided her horse to Saris and asked if they were stopping for the night. Telling her yes, Lorena groaned in relief.
"Thank God. My rear-end feels like on big bruise."
Laughing Donald teased her a little. "Been a while since you rode?" wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
"Pervert," Lorena shot back, sticking her tongue out. "I haven't ridden in four years. Give me another day in the saddle and I'll be fine."
"Sure," Donald grinned.
"Oh, shut up!" Lorena grinned back, kicking out with her foot to kick at him. She missed and the entire group started to laugh, even the guards.
"I take it that banter of this kind is normal?" Saris asked Leonard, dropping back to watch the girl and Donald pester one another.
"I'm just glad that she isn't freaking out. She seems to be taking this in stride," Leonard exclaimed. "And be glad that she hasn't lost her temper. I was thinking of making her my daughter."
"Your daughter? Leonard, I'm surprised. I thought you had no use for women?" Saris teased.
"I don't, Saris. But this girl has weakened my hard heart for once. I've watched her grow and become a woman to be reckoned with. Hell, man, she reminds me of me. What can I say?" Leonard sighed, throwing his hands in the air. "I want her to be my heir. Only she won't hold my long swordtitle. That will have to go to someone that can pick the damn long sword up and weild it properly. But she will have her bastard sword to see her through."
Saris nodded, but needed some things made clear to him. He didn't know much of Leonard's Order, but it did follow the Dragon's oath. "Can you tell me more about this Order of yours, Leonard?"
Leonard scratched his head and nodded. "Yeah, I guess." He shifted to find a better seat and continued. "As you know, the Holy Order of Dragon's Heart is a very old and secret society of weapons masters. Well, when it was established way back when, a dragon named Braz'th gave his heart to a dying warrior named Remu. Braz'th was young. He was very curious about humans and wanted to know of the human that lay dying at his feet. He had been banished from his clan by the Elders because of his curiosity and he had broken the rules of the clan by coming into contact with the local human population."
"After Remu regained his health, he was scared of the dragon. He tried to kill Braz'th, but soon realized that his life was tied to his own. So he stopped trying to kill the dragon and became his friend. They traveled the world and visited many a place that told of other dragons that had given their hearts to heal the dying warriors that caught their eye. So they traveled to each place that was rumored and found that dragons only gave their heart to their soulmate, whether it be male or female.
"Dragons are magic creatures by nature. They can create the necessary food items they need so they don't have to hunt when they think it unsafe. And very vain creatures. They decked themselves in jewels and gold. Braz'th himself had a small fortune, but he was only ayoung adult, so his collection had just started. The dragons are master jewelers in my world. Everything they create appeals to them and humans, that is when they get to see the dragon's finery and live to tell the tale," Leonard stopped, taking a sip from his water skin. He noticed that Lorena had dropped back to listen to his story.
"Anyway," he continued, "Braz'th had found his soulmate. So they wanted to find the others that had dragon hearts. After many years, Braz'th and Remu had found nine pairs of soulmates. Each dragon was different but the same. They all were curious about humans and had stumbled across a human that was horribly injured and dying. They had seen many like that in their lives, but had passed them by. Exceptfor the one time that a human's heart called to them. It wanted to live, but wasn't strong enough to do so. Itwanted to meld with the dragon's and become one with it, to give the world beauty and peace. The dragon would be caught in the beauty and wouldn't want the soul that guided that heart to die, so he or she would give half their heart to keep the soul that touched them deeply alive.
"The Holy Order of the Dragon's Heart was born from that day. Each of the nine was given a territory to study. Each of the soulmates were proficent with certain weapons. If they found students worthy of weapon's art, they were to take them in and teach them. After they had completed their training, they were to be taken to a dragon nest. Once there, the initiate was left there to fend for themselves. If a dragon came to them and gave them a their heart, then they were accepted as masters in that particular weapon artform. We are just four Masters in theway of the sword. Lorena here is our newest master." Leonard wound down, smiling at her.
Saris was fascinated, but he knew there was more. "Why do you still have the order when there are no more dragons? I thought they died out several hundred centuries ago."
Leonard nodded his head. "Well, that is what we want people to believe." He heard Lorena suck in her breath. "In remote parts of the world, dragons still roam. Lorena must perform her rite of passage when we return home. That is unless you have dragons here?"
Saris chuckled and motioned for the guards to pitch camp. "I haven't seen any dragons of lore, but there is a Dragon now," he said, the laughter leaving his voice.
"What do you mean, Lord Saris?" Lorena asked, using his title for the first time. "What do you mean now?"
Saris dismounted and thought about what to tell this group of weapons masters. Sighing, he knew that he would have to explain everything to them and to let them know why he chose them. It might make them want to go back home, but he was betting that they would stay. He wasn't going to say anything about Trisain testing the girl. They would eventually know.
"I'll explain when we get things settled for camp," Saris stalled.
"So this Rand al'Thor is the Dragon Reborn," Lorena mused, twirling a lock of her hair around a finger. "And he can control the One Power."
"Yes," Saris explained. "He controls saidin, the male half of the One Power and controls the Asha'men living in the Black Tower. The women, Aes Sedai, control sadir, the female half and are controlled by the White Tower and the Amrylin. And we are all fighting to keep this world from going insane. We are counting down the days to Tarmon Gaidon." While he was talking, he drew the symbols for the White and Black Towers.
"Yen-Yang," Lorena stated.
"What did you say?" Saris asked, looking up.
"Yen-Yang, the balance of opposites," Lorena explained, adding the opposing dots. "The male and female spirit. If one goes crazy, the other has to calm it and make it sane again. Kind of like your world," Lorena observed.
Saris thought of that for a moment. It made sense in a weird way, but it couldn't apply here. Just because of the parallels, no, it wasn't a basis for what he thought she was implying. He shook his head to clear it of the confusing thoughts.
He swept the dirt figures out and set about making the firepit. Rhys and Jak were out gathering the kindling and wood, so that just left the pit preperations and setting out the food they would be eating that night. Cold tack, but it wouldn't be a good idea to attract the roaming Trollocs.
"So," Lorena chirped, settling back on her rear and leaning back on her hands, "what is this place? I mean this world in general? Can you tell me more of this fear of the men that can cast magic?"
Rhys nearly dropped the load of wood he carried. Now why would she ask that of his lord? He knew about Lord Saris channeling, but it seemed that the girl was just thick-headed to even miss the obvious. He glanced over at Jak. He wasn't paying attention to the lord and his guests, so Rhys decided to ignore them himself. He would just keep an ear open for any more idiotic spoutings from the girl.
Saris thought over her question. He should explain about the Aes Sedai and Asha'men. Hell, he had been thinking of joining the Black Tower to hone his skills, but he didn't trust that Taim person at all. He didn't think that the Dragon Reborn did either. Of course, many thought that he was insane already. The story of his near taming was legend by now and especially after Daimon's Wells. It was a little sad really. He himself didn't think the al'Thor boy was insane, but lately some of his actions were indeed strange.
"My lady, the men of this world are looked upon with fear. It was after a hero named Lews Therin, the last Dragon, defeated the Dark One. The Dark One put a curse on any man that touched saidin. An evil curse, one that tainted the male half of the One Power for all eternity. Years later, male Aes Sedai wieliding the One Power, broke the balance and broke the world with their insanity.As a man controls the One Power he slowly loses his mind. He then does not recognize the people or things around him and destroys what he cannot recognize. To keep this from happening, the Aes Sedai send out a contigent of women to gentle the man that has been accused of using the One Power."
"Gentle?" she blinked, handing Saris a wine skin.
"Gentling is when the Aes Sedai take the man and still him," he explained, sipping from the skin, trying to hide the revulsion that coursed through him. He passed it around to the small group gathered around the small fire.
"Stilling is supposed to be like taking his use of the One Power away, right?" Lorena was getting just a little confused. It seemed that the women were a little quick to jump the gun. What if the man was sane?
"If he is still sane when he is gentled, he goes mad not being able to touch the One Power and dies. Many have died just by losing the ability to even sense saidin," Saris sighed, a frown forming on his brow.
He saw Lorena jump a little. Maybe she thought that he could read her mind, but he knew the next question. It was always asked. Had been when he had started to Gate to Earth years earlier. He and Leonard shared a knowing look.
"Enough for now. Let us eat and sleep. We will be upon my lands and in our rooms before the sun reaches it zenith on the morrow," Saris exclaimed, motioning for Jak to pass out the bread, cheese, and fruits they had brought along.
Everyone ate in silence at first. As the late afternoon progressed, stars dotted the heavens in bright blues, whites, and muted reds. Lorena looked above her head and didn't recognize any of the constellations. She wasn't really expecting any to be that way, but a tiny hint of homesickness hit her. She brushed it away and focused on being here with her friends. As the night wore on, the group started to joke and laugh. A moon rose, casting its bluish glow over the camp. Soon everyone lay down to sleep, leaving Jak to keep watch.
Lorena couldn't sleep. Her mind was abuzz with the sights she had seen. The heat had slackened as the night wore on, but was still repressive. The gravity of this world was slightly less than that of Earth and she felt lighter, an altogether strange feeling. Grit from the day rubbed against her skin and she felt very dirty and knew that she smelled a little gamey. There was a little stream nearby, maybe she could bathe. It would make her feel better.
Lifting the light blanket, Lorena slipped from her bedroll and gathered her sword and a small knife that they had used to cut the cheese at supper. She scanned the sleeping men, wondering if they were all asleep. She shrugged her shoulders. If she came to any harm, all she had to do was scream and the six men would come to help her. Since it was warm, she should dry off pretty quickly. Making her way silently to the stream, Lorena looked over her shoulder. None of the men moved and Jak was drifting in and out of slumber.
Smiling, she approached the bank and tested the waters. It was a little chilly, but would feel like heaven to her heated skin. Not wanting to scare the men or to give them any ideas, she stripped to her underwear, leaving her clothing near the waters edge so she could grab them quickly if she had to. Slipping into the water brought a little gasp of pleasure to her lips. It was just the right temperature. She waded just a little further out until the water hit just below her belly. The sand of the bottom dotted with little smooth pebbles as her feet found a good hold on the bottom.
The moon became brighter as it rose and bathed her in its light. Her bronzed skin, thanks to many hours outdoors, shown almost a dusky copper, water shining in crystal droplets on her arms and torso. The muscles in her arms were tight and glistening, the moon playing with the shadows of her biceps. She smoothed a hand full of water over her taut stomach, the infamous washboard of prime athletes, easing the soreness of the overtaxed muscles. Sighing in delight, Lorena sunk under the water and sat on the bottom of the stream for a moment, running her hands through the floating strands.
She felt the sand shift and rose to her knees, her head breaking the surface with barely a sound. She grab a handfull of sand and used it to wash the grime of the ride from herself. The grit lightly abrading her skin and making it sing in robust health. Lorena lifted another handfull and rubbed it over her shoulders and down her arms, leaving the little crystals blinking in the moonlight. Giggling, she shifted and let the water embrace her to her chin. She wished she could wash her hair, but it was damn hard to get sand out of one's hair. She would just have to be happy with this little bath.
Noticing the height of the moon, Lorena decided to leave her bath and dry off. Coming to her feet, she stepped from the water and sat on a nearby rock to dry. She looked back over her shoulder and noticed that Jak was fast asleep. Let him sleep, she thought. She wasn't tired and she would wake him when she returned to camp. She turned back and gasped.
Less than twenty feet away, a large black wolf glared at her. It was magnificent! She had not heard it approach and now it was staring at her with it's yellow eyes. Lorena dropped her gaze from the wolf's, but kept him in sight. She remembered from an old television program that if you stared into a wolf's eyes it considered you a threat. She watched the wolf watch her for a few minutes then it faded into the scrub brush.
Letting out her breath, she started to tremble a little. She had never seen a wolf in her life and it was exciting, yet a scary experience. She decided to return to camp and the safety of the fire.
Muscles screaming in pain, Lorena and the others dismounted in a large circular, shell covered courtyard. Servants came running from the large house and took the reins of the horses and took them off to the stables for a rub down and a nice treat. Lorena just wished that she could soak in a hot bath to ease the pain in her back and butt! She noticed that Rhys and Jak headed for a building that looked like a barracks. The house was huge. Steps led to the front entrance and was covered in some kind of white stone. The house looked to made from some kind of limestone or marble the shade of pale pink roses. Very little greenery was present, but it was hot as Hades. She shrugged and turned to Saris and Leonard. They were smiling at her.
"What?" she demanded a little grouchily.
Seth and Doanld guffawed and Leonard shook his head, still grinning. "Hurt a little?"
Lorena realized she was rubbing her posterior and stopped, a little blush tinging her cheeks. Lowering her eyes, she answered, "A little? I have muscles hurting that I forgot that I had!"
Saris chuckled and stepped foreward. "Please, come with me, my lady. I will show you to your room and have Trisain have a look at you. And you too, Seth."
"Gee thanks, Lord Saris," Seth grumped, his nose only slightly swelled, but red.
Before any more could be said, a rather flighty looking woman in yellow came barreling out of the house. She fairly flew down the steps and came at Saris in a snit. She was tall, very tall compared to Saris. Her blond hair was in braids and flew out behind her. Several bells and other ornaments tinkled from the ends of the braids. Her face was sharp and angular, but not unpretty. Her eyes were slightly tilted and the color of deep emeralds. Her dress clung to her frame and almost looked indecent. Almost. Three broken stripes of blue crossed her chest. Lorena wondered at them.
"Where have you been!?" she nearly screamed, her high-pitched voice sounding out like a banshee. "Do you know what has happened while you've been off?"
Saris caught her arms and pulled her close, kissing her nose. "What is it, Trisain, my heart?"
Trisain seemed to deflate. Her angry outburst brought down by a simple kiss. Lorena smiled and watched Saris' wife. Or at least she hoped it was his wife or girlfriend. Her face lit with a smile and made her beautiful. Lorena decided that she could really come to like this woman.
"Well, Sardis gave birth to twins. Twins! Then, Jobram broke his leg falling from the roof of his inn," she rushed, her voice risng into a squeak. She paused to catch her breath.
Saris smiled and asked, rather cheekily, "Is that all?"
Trisain glared at her husband and Warder. He had been gone for almost a week and he could only joke. Well, that was a man for you, she thought. "You know that is not all, husband."
Saris felt her urgency and excitement. She hadn't been this excited in a long time, not since the breaking of the White Tower. He knew she supported the rebels in Salidar and hoped that they desposed the Amrylin, Elaida. Something truly amazing must have happened in the last week.
"What is it?"
Trisain graced him with one of her blinding smiles. "The taint on saidin is gone!"
"You jest!" Saris nearly dropped to his knees with hope.
"No, my heart! I do not. The Dragon Reborn and Nynaeve Sedai have helped to cleanse the taint. If you don't believe me, try it!" Trisain almost shouted. Realizing that there were others not known to her or to the servants, Trisain looked fearful, only Leonard's familiar face among the newcomers.
Saris held Trisain close. "It is alright, love. They would have figured it out eventually. No use hiding it now," he sighed.
He gathered his strength, prepared to fight the evil that swirled within saidin. He opened a small channel to the One Power and stepped into it. Not feeling the taint, he opened it further and created a Way to the trees in the distance. He reveled in the feeling of purity. Never again would he have to battle the evil hands that wanted to take him. Never would he have to fear that he would go insane and destroy the ones he loved. Knowing that he had held the Power for to long, he let it go, feeling lost as it fled his body.
Trisain smiled, tears coming to her bright eyes. She felt the joy flowing through her bond. She had feared that he would have eventually went insane and she would have had to have him gentled. If that had happened, then she would have killed herself. She didn't think that she could have stood his loss. It would have been as if she had been stilled. She shivered and shoved the dark thought from her mind.
She looked over the group that stood to the side. She saw wonder on two of the men's faces, the third smiling in happiness. He seemed to not care and was overjoyed for Saris. But caught her attention was the woman. She was young and seemed to know what she was doing. She was dressed strangely, but nothing that the noble women of the city weren't already affecting. Her eyes were intent on what Saris was doing, as if she could see what he was weaving with the One Power. Trisain was intrigued.
"If you have finished, husband, would you mind introducing me to your companions?" Trisain tilted her head toward the group.
"Forgive me, my friends. I am just a little overwhelmed at the moment, " Saris apologized, tears shining bright. He swiped at them and proceeded to introduce them to his wife. "Trisain Sedai, you have met Lord Leonard Peeks, Master of the Longsword and Katana, leader of the Holy Order of the Dragon's Heart and our good friend." Leonard stepped foreward and bowed. "This is Lord Seth Drago, Master of the Short Sword, second in command. He will need your services shortly. Lord Donald Williams, Master of the Pike and finally Lady Lorena Diar, Master of the Bastard Sword and heir to Lord Master Peeks." They all came foreward and bowed, Lorena curtsied.
"A female master of weapons?" Trisain wondered. "And heir to the Order? You, my dear child, are very talented." Trisain came up to her and then walked around her, noticing the black bag slung on her shoulder. "Is this your blade?" she asked, tapping it with a finger.
"Yes, ma'am," Lorena answered quietly, squirming just a little.
"May I see it? I have always been fascinated with swords and one that warrants a female to use is even more so," Trisain tittered, stepping away from the girl, a smile touching her lips.
Lorena shrugged the bag from her shoulder. "I guess so, my lady." She opened the bag, hearing the woman gasp. She could only wonder at her as she pulled the blade out and took the silk cloth to polish it.
Trisain could only stare. The sword was beautiful. But it was also powerful. She could feel the power humming in the silver and iron, could feel the power flowing through the scrollwork and figures gracing the blade. She wondered if the girl even realized what she held in her hand. She decided that Lorena Diar needed to be Tested right at that moment. It couldn't wait.
Trisain opened herself to the One Power and channeled. She wove a small spell that would give her a mild headache, Weaving strands of Spirit and Earth together, forming a glowing ball of sickly green light. She wasn't evil and knew that she could call back the Weaving if the girl showed the slightest amount of pain. She was just to tenderhearted for her own good. That was why she chose the Yellow Ajah. She couldn't stand the thought of any living thing hurting.
Lorena halted her work. She felt a shifting of something. Something she couldn't identify. It seemed to be coming from around Trisain. She looked up and nearly dropped her sword. She almost dropped herself. A ball of puce light was forming in front of the woman and an aura of golden light surrounded her. She seemed to be weaving, weaving?, a silver and brown material that came from the air and the ground into the ball. She was a little frightened. It was one thing to watch Saris perform his magic, but Trisain was another matter. But, she recalled, Saris had introduced her as Trisain Sedai.
Not knowing why Trisain was forming the ball, Lorena felt something shift in her. She was all of a sudden surrounded in something that felt good. She didn't want to leave it. It wrapped warm arms around her and held her close. It made her feel safe. She noticed that Trisain was staring at her. She lifted her arm and saw that she was covered in the same glow.
Not really knowing what she was doing, Lorena attempted to copy Trisain. She studied the way she weaved the strands to make the puce ball. She carefully wove the strands together, not wanting to overdo it. She sensed that Trisain was backing down, releasing the woven ball and letting the aura leave her. She seemed to miss that aura. Lorena released hers and felt a disappointment at losing the warm glow.
"Trisain?" Saris questioned, touching his wife's arm. "Trisain?"
"Take the men to their rooms, my love. I have business with Lady Lorena," Trisain said a little coldly. Feeling hurt and rejection pour through the bond, Trisain smiled at her husband. "I am sorry, but this is between us women, husband."
With that, Trisain herded a protesting Lorena into the house still holding her sword.
Leonard came up to Saris. "What was all that about?"
Saris shook his head. "I am not really sure. I know that Trisain was Testing her somehow. I felt her get all excited and then a little scared, then more excitement." He smiled at his friend and said, "Not to worry though, Trisain may be a little pushy, but she means well. She won't hurt Lady Lorena, I hope."
"You hope?" Leonard nearly shouted, starting after the two women.
Saris started to snicker, then laugh. He watched as Leonard spun back around.
"I swear, I'm going to get you for that, you old goat!" came Leonard's angry voice.
Saris laughed harder and was joined by all those that had witnessed the Aes Sedai's Testing.