Chapter 16 Proposal
Yana rode out of the fort on her black stallion with her Merlin bird flying high above her. Once she was down on the flat plane below the fort she pushed her horse into a gallop. Yana felt free and exhilarated as the wind pushed against her face and whipped her hair. Free of all the memories that she didn't remember having. When she slowed the horse to a trot, the fort was a dot on the horizon. Above her Gaidin screeched before diving, straight and as true as an arrow. He merged from his plunge with a small animal clutched in his talons. She raised her gloved hand on which the bird settled to eat his prize. Once finished he soared again, responding to her commands by weaving, diving and hovering. She dismounted from her black stallion and stroked his powerful neck. Cor, the horse's name meaning night, was as black as his namesake yet half of his face was as white as snow. A cry form Gaidin made her look up. A rider was streaking across the plane towards her kicking up a large dust cloud. Yana shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun but still she didn't recognise the rider.
Saidar sprung up around her and she drew her knife from her belt. She shouted to the Merlin who streaked down to the rider, who tried to fend off the small bird.
"My Lady Yana!" came the cry. "It is I, Lord Tarquin!"
Yana called off Gaidin, who fluttered down onto her hand. Lord Tarquin drew rein when he reached her and dismounted from his white stallion. His face was scratched on one side and his cloak had small holes in it. Despite his dishevelled clothes he smiled down at her from his impressive height.
"He is truly your bird now," he said, gesturing to the bird.
"Yes," she said stroking the bird's chest as it chirped happily. "He is brilliant. May I ask, my Lord, why you have ridden all the way out here?"
"Why," the nobleman exclaimed. "I thought you would want the company."
'You thought wrong,' Yana thought irritably.
The two of them stood for a moment looking out to sea. Yana released her bird.
"My sisters and I will be probably be moving on soon," she said breaking the silence. "I am sure you shall receive compensation for the trouble we have caused you."
"Do you think I want the gold, woman?" he demanded, rounding on her. "If I did, I would have asked for it days ago!"
In spite of herself, she took a step back and crossed her arms. As she did her mind flashed. Wagons, shouting. Wagons? Where did that come from? She brought herself back to the subject at hand. "If not about gold, then why do you want to talk to me?"
"All the way out here," he said slowly, stepping forward, "I kept thinking you would be leaving soon." Yana refused to back away again, even if he was standing over her and staring down intently. Again her mind flashed. The girl, Elayne was there among some wagons but her hair was black. In her memory she saw her own hair was a brassy red. She snapped back to the present.
"What I am trying to say," Lord Tarquin continued, "is that I want you to stay. Many people are joining me at the fort. Soon I will have a large court."
"Stay? Why should I stay?"
"Why? Why, to have my children, of course," he took one of her hands in both of his. "Yana, your eyes inflame my heart, your lips drink my soul, your shoulders make my pulse race, your-."
Memories danced in Yana's head. Someone had said these words before. She cut in hurriedly. "You want to marry me?" she asked incredulously.
"Marry?" He blinked. "Well… um… yes. Yes of course." His voice picked up strength again, and he pressed her fingers to his lips. "We will be wed as soon as I can arrange it. I've never asked another woman to marry me."
"I can quite believe it," she said faintly. It took some effort to pull her hand free. "I am sensible of the honour, Lord Tarquin but-."
"Danahu, Yana. Danahu." Valan Luca, the name just popped into her head.
"But I must decline. I am married to another." Those words had come unbidden to her tongue yet they felt so right, so true. At the back of her head was what seemed to be a bundle of emotions, suppressed as if in a box. A locked box.
"I should lock you in your room," Danahu said drawing himself up. "While I deal with this fellow. With time you will forget him."
"You try it and I will skin you myself," she said, emphasising her words by prodding him in the chest. "Now, I am going, and I don't have time to listen to you drivel. My mind is set, and you will not change it, so you might as well stop blathering."
Tarquin sighed heavily. "You are the only woman for me, Yana. Let other men choose boring flatterers with their shy sighs. A man would know he had to walk through fire and tame a lioness with his bare hands every time he approached you. Every day an adventure and every night…" Yana could have boxed his ears at the smile he gave. "I will find you again, Yana, and you will choose me. I know it in here." He thumped his chest dramatically. "And you know it, too, my dearest Yana. In your fair heart, you do."
"Why do you say it like that?" Yana asked.
"I don't know. It as if I'm under your spell," he said looking in to her eyes.
Suddenly the warning bell sounded from the fort. Yana and Lord Tarquin looked round to see men running on the walls and armour glinting in the sun. Yana looked out to sea and saw the cause for alarm. Mist had gathered on the sea and it was drawing closer to the fort. The fog was not natural; Yana could feel it riddle with the One Power.
"Seanchan," she breathed.
(If you want to know where I got this speech look on The Fires of Heaven (paperback copy) page 709 The Price Of A Ship to remind ya.PS Review or not another chapter!! I mean it :) Nynaeve didn't cut her hair, well just a little but it can still be put into a braid.)
Yana rode out of the fort on her black stallion with her Merlin bird flying high above her. Once she was down on the flat plane below the fort she pushed her horse into a gallop. Yana felt free and exhilarated as the wind pushed against her face and whipped her hair. Free of all the memories that she didn't remember having. When she slowed the horse to a trot, the fort was a dot on the horizon. Above her Gaidin screeched before diving, straight and as true as an arrow. He merged from his plunge with a small animal clutched in his talons. She raised her gloved hand on which the bird settled to eat his prize. Once finished he soared again, responding to her commands by weaving, diving and hovering. She dismounted from her black stallion and stroked his powerful neck. Cor, the horse's name meaning night, was as black as his namesake yet half of his face was as white as snow. A cry form Gaidin made her look up. A rider was streaking across the plane towards her kicking up a large dust cloud. Yana shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun but still she didn't recognise the rider.
Saidar sprung up around her and she drew her knife from her belt. She shouted to the Merlin who streaked down to the rider, who tried to fend off the small bird.
"My Lady Yana!" came the cry. "It is I, Lord Tarquin!"
Yana called off Gaidin, who fluttered down onto her hand. Lord Tarquin drew rein when he reached her and dismounted from his white stallion. His face was scratched on one side and his cloak had small holes in it. Despite his dishevelled clothes he smiled down at her from his impressive height.
"He is truly your bird now," he said, gesturing to the bird.
"Yes," she said stroking the bird's chest as it chirped happily. "He is brilliant. May I ask, my Lord, why you have ridden all the way out here?"
"Why," the nobleman exclaimed. "I thought you would want the company."
'You thought wrong,' Yana thought irritably.
The two of them stood for a moment looking out to sea. Yana released her bird.
"My sisters and I will be probably be moving on soon," she said breaking the silence. "I am sure you shall receive compensation for the trouble we have caused you."
"Do you think I want the gold, woman?" he demanded, rounding on her. "If I did, I would have asked for it days ago!"
In spite of herself, she took a step back and crossed her arms. As she did her mind flashed. Wagons, shouting. Wagons? Where did that come from? She brought herself back to the subject at hand. "If not about gold, then why do you want to talk to me?"
"All the way out here," he said slowly, stepping forward, "I kept thinking you would be leaving soon." Yana refused to back away again, even if he was standing over her and staring down intently. Again her mind flashed. The girl, Elayne was there among some wagons but her hair was black. In her memory she saw her own hair was a brassy red. She snapped back to the present.
"What I am trying to say," Lord Tarquin continued, "is that I want you to stay. Many people are joining me at the fort. Soon I will have a large court."
"Stay? Why should I stay?"
"Why? Why, to have my children, of course," he took one of her hands in both of his. "Yana, your eyes inflame my heart, your lips drink my soul, your shoulders make my pulse race, your-."
Memories danced in Yana's head. Someone had said these words before. She cut in hurriedly. "You want to marry me?" she asked incredulously.
"Marry?" He blinked. "Well… um… yes. Yes of course." His voice picked up strength again, and he pressed her fingers to his lips. "We will be wed as soon as I can arrange it. I've never asked another woman to marry me."
"I can quite believe it," she said faintly. It took some effort to pull her hand free. "I am sensible of the honour, Lord Tarquin but-."
"Danahu, Yana. Danahu." Valan Luca, the name just popped into her head.
"But I must decline. I am married to another." Those words had come unbidden to her tongue yet they felt so right, so true. At the back of her head was what seemed to be a bundle of emotions, suppressed as if in a box. A locked box.
"I should lock you in your room," Danahu said drawing himself up. "While I deal with this fellow. With time you will forget him."
"You try it and I will skin you myself," she said, emphasising her words by prodding him in the chest. "Now, I am going, and I don't have time to listen to you drivel. My mind is set, and you will not change it, so you might as well stop blathering."
Tarquin sighed heavily. "You are the only woman for me, Yana. Let other men choose boring flatterers with their shy sighs. A man would know he had to walk through fire and tame a lioness with his bare hands every time he approached you. Every day an adventure and every night…" Yana could have boxed his ears at the smile he gave. "I will find you again, Yana, and you will choose me. I know it in here." He thumped his chest dramatically. "And you know it, too, my dearest Yana. In your fair heart, you do."
"Why do you say it like that?" Yana asked.
"I don't know. It as if I'm under your spell," he said looking in to her eyes.
Suddenly the warning bell sounded from the fort. Yana and Lord Tarquin looked round to see men running on the walls and armour glinting in the sun. Yana looked out to sea and saw the cause for alarm. Mist had gathered on the sea and it was drawing closer to the fort. The fog was not natural; Yana could feel it riddle with the One Power.
"Seanchan," she breathed.
(If you want to know where I got this speech look on The Fires of Heaven (paperback copy) page 709 The Price Of A Ship to remind ya.PS Review or not another chapter!! I mean it :) Nynaeve didn't cut her hair, well just a little but it can still be put into a braid.)