"It is all right, Mentiri," she told him gravely, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice. "We all make mistakes." She threw the bundle at his bare chest them, hitting him squarely on the collarbone. With an effort, she kept her face straight. "But you might want to get dressed." With that, she fell over backwards, rolling on the ground and howling with laughter.
Mentiri would have looked down at himself if he could see, but he suddenly became very aware of how cold the wind was on his bare body. Blood and ashes, how did I miss a detail like my clothes being off my body? He smiled as he heard her beautiful laughter and asked as he put on his clothes.
"Is it really that funny?" he laughed, as he slipped on his breaches.
xxxx
Mentiri smiled as she rolled on the ground, not even a hint of a blush staining his cheeks. "Is it really that funny?" he asked with a chuckle as she pulled his breaches on calmly. She sat up, staring into his face. I suppose I did inherit my humour and modesty from my parents, she thought wryly. Lavenda folded her legs carefully, smoothing the cloth over her hips.
"Yes," she said finally, mastering the laughter echoing in her voice. "Yes, it is." She stood then, moving to a side and tracing a cool finger over the outlines of his chest muscles. "It's alright though," she said softly. "I don't mind..." With that, she whirled around and trotted back to the bushes she had entered through. Pushing aside the branches, she paused, glancing over her shoulder.
"You should be more careful in the future," she told him with humour rich in her voice. Then she was gone, moving smoothly back to their temporary camp. Why did I do that? she thought wonderingly. He sure has nice muscles, though... Stop that! she ordered herself firmly, then shook the thought off. The Aes Sedai's probably worried, she told herself briskly, and arrowed towards her.
xxxx
Mentiri smiled as he heard Lavenda giggle and walk away. He suddenly felt something from her... That touch from her, it felt so...exclusive. I wonder what it all meant? Was it attraction? Did he feel something for her as well? He pulled on the rest of his clothes and joined with his sword once more.
"Oh light, Mentiri, just remember the mission!" he said to himself as he heard his mentor Delèndriha say in his mind:
"Emotions will weaken you now, Mentiri. Do not indulge them. Especially after this!"
xxxx
Lavenda purposely crunched branches noisily as she approached the camp, determined not to scare the Aes Sedai into attacking her. Two in one day would be too much, she laughed to herself. Brushing aside a last screen of bushes, she stepped into the clearing.
"Mentiri is coming," she told her, surprised her face wasn't blazing red. She began to gather the few things she had, sheathing a few daggers and gathering her arrows. Fastening the quiver to her waist, she slung her pallet to her back, ready to leave. Straightening smoothly, she cocked her head to the side, listening.
"Here he comes," she told the Violet, hearing a small twig snap behind the bushes.
xxxx
Mentiri slung his cloak and shirt over his shoulder and walked away from the beautiful smell of the water. He held his sword 'Song' by the blade as he walked back to the camp. His senses guided him, and the air touched his skin in the right direction.
Toward Lavenda.
I'm trying not to think of her in an attractive light, Delèndriha, I truly am! Mentiri walked into the camp and sat on the leaves, placing his shirt, cloak and armor on the ground next to him. He kept 'Song' in his hand, and heard her moving around in the backdrops of their campsite.
But it's proving to be futile.
xxxx
As Mentiri entered the camp, Lavenda faced away from him, concentrating on what she was doing. I'm not hiding. I just have things to do in this direction... Casting a look quickly around, she came across a problem; there was nothing left to do. Holding back a disgruntled sigh, she turned towards the other two.
"So, shall we be off?" she said, abnormally cheery. Milk brained chit! she cursed herself. You've liked men before! She looked around again, spotting the crumpled area they had entered the clearing, then turning to the opposite side. Striding to the border of the trees, she looked back.
"Well?" she said, her voice back to normal. A tiny, calculating look had appeared on the Violet's face, and she forced herself to not glare. Aes Sedai... she sighed mentally. They will never change... always meddling.