Lavida raised an eyebrow at the wetlander. Why would the Wise One come to see the, or they to see her? Had they not just had a 'lesson'? She shuddered slightly at the fresh memory of that. Would she have to go through another one again so soon? There was not even anything for her to do! Pretend to be a flower- it sounded like the children's games; those who didn't want to become warriors. What proper Maiden would pretend to be a flower?

"I highly doubt that," she told the girl wryly. "Having another lesson so soon?" She shook her head slightly. Nevertheless, she replaced a good deal of the knives, especially the hidden ones. She had heard horror stories of what happened to Maidens who were forced to become Wise Ones, but her knives were staying- for now.

As she slipped the last into it's sheath, she turned to the girl, honestly curious with a sudden thought. "Why do you hate me?" she asked bluntly.

xxxx

It was amazing. Lavida was actually talking to her as a civilized person! Kaimla was quite amazed. She let Lavida's first comment slip. It wasn't really that important anyway. But why was she asking why Kaimla hated her? She hated Kaimla too! How are you supposed to like someone who hates you or doesn't even want to talk to you because you're different!

"Well," Kaimla stated, "I ask the same of you, because you seem to judge by look or race, and now you are suddenly interested in what someone you hate thinks about you, but I will answer first. I don't really hate you as much as I don't know you. You came in the middle of my lesson and shot me nasty looks. I'm not the first non-Aiel to be here. It really doesn't help you get friends if you make them uncomfortable. And the fact that you knew my name, yet still called me "wetlander" or "child" or refused to acknowledge my existence. And the fact that just now you tried to establish a position of power for yourself by displaying your means of personal protection. Those are only a few reasons. But if you mean to become friendly with me, it will take more than just explaining. It needs an apology, a sincere apology for how you treated me, and I know how much Aiel don't like apologizing, but I expect no less."

xxxx

Lavida listened impassionatly as the wetlander ranted at her. As the girl continued on, Lavida folded her arms, eyeing her. Impressive, she thought. At least there is one wetlander who can speak their mind! Lavida smiled at her, the smiled losing its carnivorous edge. You know, she thought suddenly, I think I may actually LIKE this girl! Her eyes widened at that thought, and she quickly suppressed it. She has done nothing yet, she told those feelings firmly.

She gasped aloud suddenly as Kaimla- girl! I call her GIRL!- told her to apologize. Not ask- she was practically ordered to apologize! She stared at her, disbelief in her uncomprehending eyes.

"Apologize?" she whispered, her mouth fitting strangely around the unfamiliar word. It was true- she had never apologized before. Either she had no toh, or she asked someone to punish her for violating it. But if this girl believed she was owed it... Lavida sighed aloud. Ji'eh toh must be explained to this ignorant wetlander.

She looked calmly at Kaimla, her face placid. "I am sorry if I owe you toh," she told her patiently. "I am unused to dealing with... Wise Ones and their kind."

"If I was rude, I owe you more, for I have never before been... brought... to a place in such an... unconventional way?" She shifted uncomfortably, memories of her journey to Rhuidean brought to the surface.

She grinned suddenly. "And, you know, Kaimla," she whispered conspiratorially, leaning towards her, "I do that every night with my knives." Leaning back onto her bed she smiled happily. "Many people have said that being so flashy is bad for me," she told her, "But I quite like it."

She sat straight up abruptly, face and eyes solemn once more. "Do you believe I owe you toh, Kaimla?" she asked, looking quickly around the tent for something that could be used as punishment; a switch, or something.

xxxx

Kaimla knew that the maiden would be uncomfortable with the word apologize, but she didn't realize how alien it was to them. To her, it seemed like a second nature, but she figured that she would have to get used to this. Maybe she could get the... girl... to recognize her ways too so that in the future she wouldn't be so entirely rude.

Kaimla eased her back onto her pillow and tried to think. Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized that Lavida -Lavida the maiden- was apologizing to her, to Kaimla, the person who she had basically no respect for! It was stunning. Also the fact that Lavida was being honest. That was startling too. It was relieving to know that the show of weaponry was... customary... for her, but it still wasn't that nice. Now she might have to live with that every night!

Now came the question if Lavida really did owe her toh. She wasn't really all that familiar with their customs. "Well, Lavida, I'm not all that familiar with your toh, but I will stick to my customs and say that you don't. I just want my fair amount of respect. Oh, and I won't whip you or anything." Kaimla added that last bit after seeing the maiden's eyes dart around the room. She was at least familiar with that part of toh.

"By the way, you were really rude to me, yet I do understand your circumstances. It isn't that easy changing your lifestyle on command. And I know that. My parents died a while ago, and I had to resort to a thief's life in Caemlyn. It wasn't that easy, then I met another person, my friend Josie, in the same position as me. We banded together and led a pretty good life of stealing and bartering. I just want you to know that."

A thought appeared in Kaimla's head. "Oh, and I'm sorry if I was a little frank with you before now. It's just when I get mad or I have something that I really want to say, I rant."

xxxx

Lavida nodded, her mouth pursed as Kaimla informed her she did not owe toh. A small sigh of relief escaped her traitorous lips then; she hadn't known she had been holding her breath. I just don't want to face that Wise One again with a sore bottom, that's all, she told herself crossly. She returned her mind to the Wetlander again, slightly curious as to what she had to say.

"...had to resort to a thief's life..." Lavida gaped at her, her mouth falling open. Heedlessly, she stared at this newfound friend- did she dare say that already?- as she calmly admitted to something that would have most Aiel's toh in shattered pieces. Wetlanders are different, she harshly reminded herself, her jaw shutting with a snap.

"Oh, and I'm sorry if I was a little frank with you before now. It's just when I get mad or I have something that I really want to say, I rant." Lavida tried desperately to understand her. Just when she was over one thing... frank? Shaking her head, she leaned back, folding her arms behind her head.

"It's nothing," she said airily, her mind still reeling from the 'thief' comment. With no further ado, she turned towards the tent wall, laid down, and pulled her blankets over her. Slowing her breathing, she listened for the other girl, hoping for her to fall quickly asleep.

xxxx

Kaimla watched Lavida closely as she spoke. The maiden obviously wasn't used to thieves, mouth hanging open so far. That would take a little time to get used to.

She was glad to hear that the maiden showed consent to what Kaimla had just said, it was a little unlike the Aiel to say what Kaimla had just stated. The maiden turned over and seemingly went to sleep in an instant. That was strange. Kaimla decided to do the same. She turned over, gently lowering herself down. The pillow was hard.

Sleep took forever to come. She kept thinking, I'm sleeping in the same room as an Aiel! It's just like the stories! Wow! over and over. It took away her calmness. Finally her eyes drifted shut, and sleep came.

xxxx

Lavida opened her eyes cautiously as Kaimla's breath evened, deepening in sleep. She closed her eyes to slits, turning over, pretending she was still asleep. Facing the Wetlander, she peered through the dark, trying to discern if she was truly asleep. Satisfied, she silently rose, slipping on her soft knee-high boots. Gathering her spears and weapons, she stood, looking around the tent. She froze as footsteps sounded outside, not moving until they slowly faded away.

"Goodbye, Kaimla," she mouthed, and padded to the tent flaps. She opened one with a slight finger, squinting her eyes to look out into the darkness.

xxxx

Kaimla didn't have the peaceful sleep she had hoped for. Her dreams were full of black figures with huge swords sweeping down on her, calling her name from hidden mouths and mutant creatures with more eyes than were good for them.

She woke with a start-sweating madly, but not from the heat, thinking that she should be dead by then with all the things they were doing to her in her dreams. She pondered on that thought for a while, then she suddenly thought of her roommate. Kaimla turned to see if Lavida had been waken by her noises, but she wasn't there!

Getting up quickly to see if her eyes were just playing tricks on her, Kaimla tried to stretch out a pain in her side. When she made it to Lavida's bed, she was hit by a blinding pain in her side. She quickly sat down on Lavida's empty bed and checked her side; it was bleeding.

Blood and ashes, she thought, so I can get into the world of dreams. Kaimla decided to go to Ranya's tent to tell her teacher her problems. She hurried off to the tent, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible.

At the front of Ranya's tent, Kaimla stopped, remembering that she shouldn't just burst in. She knocked. At the sound of Ranya's voice allowing her to enter, she whipped open the flaps and said in a rather loud voice "Lavida's gone!! Oh, and I have a nasty cut in my side that I got when I was sleeping."

xxxx

Lavida trotted through the silent camp, her booted feet making next to no noise on the cracked surface. Her eyes cast their gaze all around her, constantly checking the tents for movement. She was especially silent as she passed her spear-sisters' tent; if they had gone to such trouble to get her here, there was no telling what they would do to keep her. Her head moved to stare at that tent a moment longer than the rest, swiveling as she ran on.

Suddenly, blocks seemed to lock around her ankles, cementing her to the ground. She pitched forward, her arms flailing wildly as she struggled to balance and failed. She fell heavily, landing... at someone's feet. She gulped, looking upwards, balanced on her hands. The Wise One's face stared coldly back down at her, fury blazing in her eyes, Kaimla rooted behind her.

"Running away is not acceptable," the icy voice said, made all the more dangerous by it's lack of emotion. "I believe," she said, hands on her hips, "that you must got to Rhuidean."

"Tonight."

xxxx

Kaimla had watched silently as Ranya reacted to the news. She acted as if this had happened before! She ordered two of the wise ones to get a patrol to scan the outside of the camp for any signs of footprints. One of the elder Wise ones went to out to search the camp. "You go with her, Kaimla," Ranya had said, "because it would be good for Lavida to realize who gave her away without us telling her."

Now she was following the Wise One out into the darkness, the noises from her feet resounding in the camp. A warning hand shot out in front of her as the Wise One cocked her head to listen for any feet. She advanced two steps, then did something with the one power. Kaimla stayed where she was, her head lowered a bit. Suddenly there was a 'thump' as someone hit the ground. "You must go to Rhuidean, at once. Tonight." That was all that Kaimla had heard of the little speech made to Lavida. Oh wow, Kaimla thought. Is it really that serious, Lavida attempting to run away?

Kaimla looked up to see Lavida being led away by her ear towards Ranya's tent. She followed, attempting to pad along as the Aiel did. At the tent's entrance, the elder Wise One walked right in, towing Lavida behind her. Kaimla waited a second, then followed.

Inside, Lavida was placed on the floor, three Wise Ones standing behind her. Ranya was giving her a talk. Kaimla sat down in a corner. When Ranya was finished talking to Lavida, she turned to Kaimla. "I see that you have come in. Well, as you know, Lavida will be going to Rhuidean tonight. I wish that you accompany her. It is about time for your second trip."

Kaimla was astonished. She had to accompany Lavida, just because Lavida ran away?? "Why must I go, Wise One? What will I be doing?"

"You must go because I said so, and as for the second, that you will find out once you arrive."