"He's seen her before"
A/N: Takes place in Two Rivers at the start of tEotW
Thom Merrillin sat at the table and drank the ale he has been given a while before. He liked the taste and so watched to keep the amount only to what he could hold. Tomorrow, maybe, he would be able to let himself drink more, but for now he needed to observe and decide how best to charm the locals. A good place he was given as well, close to the fireplace. He could warm his old bones after travel in the still chilly air. It was still early in the year. Other advantage of this place was being able to observe both the current patrons and the new arrivals.
One of the second group caught his attention. She came in with her companion, a woman dressed in blues, small and lithe, which he could see even under the heavy cloak she wore. The jewel on her head clearly belonged to a Carhienin, but her man certainly was not. The innkeeper's wife smiled at her and refrained from approaching, while they moved towards the stairs. So those two were there before him. They must have taken up rooms upstairs and were now just going up. The woman stopped for a step and looked at him for a moment, but averted her eyes soon to go upstairs.
There was something really familiar about her that made him go through his memories. The way she carried herself should have been a dead giveaway, considering it almost physically tickled him… She walked like if she danced and he wished she would join the festivities, but the jewelery she wore made that rather unlikely. The blue stone on her forehead was a kesiera, a delicate one with a blue jewel, a clear marking of Cairhien nobility and the ring on her hand was a clear sign of an Aes Sedai. He bristled when he saw that one. Those women…
They were out of his sight when he remembered a similar pair he saw once, long ago. He should have known his past would catch up to him at some point. This seemed to be it.
„Gleeman!" one of the young boys shouted from across the room. "Will you sing a tale for us?"
His calling was, well, calling for him. He had a job to do to pay for his stay. As soon as he prepared and touched the strings he smiled. He loved what he did and he was good at it. This was going to be the best introduction od a gleeman those people had ever seen.
Thom sang. A ballad about a wool merchants that he had learnt pretty lately. Sheep and people, little villages and their everyday life. Something he was happy to be able to sing now that his life kept to the low. It was easy and playful. His love for more sophisticated pieces didn't diminish the fun he had sometimes with this. The rowdy song managed to get people in a great mood, probably because they saw themselves in it. The young girl serving drinks offered him another, but he declined and asked for water when a short break in the narration was a good spot to be extended. It was then the people that had caught his attention stepped down into the main room and, eventually, settled in an alcove at the back. The best place to observe, he noted, something a witch like herself was sure to want. He played on and sung again, grateful it was not a high chant after all, with which he would have needed to concentrate. Here some mistakes didn't jar as long as words rhymed and were at least lightly connected to each other.
He would have liked to stop right there and then, to be honest, for the woman drew his attention like none other. It was strange, for he was not used to that feeling. Especially since his days in Caemlyn came to their end. Well, he must have been left with an eye for nobles despite all that warned him against them. He needed to find himself a place to stay for a few months and someone to warm his bed for longer than the few nights.
"I need a moment" he said, ending after the next song, when his distraction with the arrivals. "And something to drink, if you could?" he turned to the girl serving and emptied his cup. His decision to keep drinking to minimum had to be rethought. He needed something to dull his senses after all.
He sat, sporting the cup in his hands, taking short glances around the room, making sure to include the Aes Sedai in that assessment from time to time. Not too much, he wouldn't want then to know they were his primary interest. He didn't doubt her man would miss they were watched, but hopefully he would not think too much of it. A gleeman needed to ascertain. On the other hand, what could a Warder know? He drank a big gulp to push down the foul taste that began with thoughts of that man. What did those women do to enslave these men so? How could a man want to ever be so chained to a single woman, being her shield, fighting for her like a trained dog? Morgase at least never owned him this much.
That thought gave him pause. Morgase. That's where he saw the woman. Almost two decades ago, at Taringail's funeral. A chill ran up his spine – he definitely knew her. Taringail's little sister, a then recently raised Aes Sedai. So she must be what, maybe fifty? She looked younger than that, but that was typical. Actually he wouldn't be able to say more than she didn't look her age, but nothing more. She still looked young, even though that strange agelessness had taken hold already. She came a long way with her attitude also, if her looks were not just a smokescreen. She looked much more confident, more sure of herself. And tired, when he spared a little longer to observe deep lines along her eyes.
Her companion didn't change much, aside from ageing. He was with her then as well, looking ready for any fight, desperate for doing something. There was something strange about him then, Thom remembered, that made him fitting more in the front rows, as a high born guest rather than a servant or even companion.
The Aes Sedai turned her eyes and they met his for a moment. Thom had to shake himself back after from his strange fascination. One of those flamin' women and a Damodred to boot. A thoroughly despising mix. Both groups were corrupt to their bones, cruel and vicious, never agreeing that someone other than them could knew better or be smarter. Haughty, thinking themselves better. She must have been pretty smart to make it through the White Tower and out into the world. Dalresin's offspring tended to choose either one side of the spectrum or the other, if his information was good enough.
Moiraine Damodred now sitting in the alcove, as secluded as the not so vast room allowed, was, however, looking nothing like her uncle. She's lost most of outward signs of her status and there was no sign of flaunting her fortune, as well as no family crest that all others would probably wear proudly. Even now that her house lost it's continuous place on the throne, it was a powerful one. Allying herself with it would give her even more consequence. But she was as royal even in this humble abode as ever. Gold didn't make you queen-like. He smiled. How she moved, how she carried herself. How even huddled over a simple warm meal that the hostess just delivered to their table she looked like eating a feast at court.
Moiraine Damodred seemed to be everything he despised in the world, or at least a fair share of it. And yet, he still felt drawn to her, like the Wheel was pushing him to her, or pulling. He couldn't concentrate enough to choose what to sing next.
"Mistress Moiraine" the young girl said, before offering them a refill of something from her pitcher.
A red liquid flowed. Wine, then. Some things never changed. But other than her high taste in wine (the girl didn't bother to offer anyone else the same drink) she didn't seem to flaunt her pedigree. Her clothes were expensive and well made, but not befitting her station, really. She was clothed well for a travel, he would guess. One had to be to end up in a backwater place like this one, even farther from the capitol than Baerlon.
And she was a woman with a mission, he saw. She was scanning the room, assessing all the others, he understood. It was not just him, but everyone, especially the young boys sitting by the window and laughing now. Her Warder checked out everyone around, like assessing if anyone posed a threat, but she was definitely looking for something. A woman with a mission. So it was not a pure coincidence she ended up here. He should have known. Noone came here by accident. What could have been so important and big to get this one here.
"Gleeman!" A young girl pulled on his coat and he was forced to look down. He couldn't help himself and smiled. "Sing please?"
He reached for his instrument and started tuning it again. There was no reason for him to reminisce about the past now. His life was different, less stressful now and he liked that. He chose that. His old life was gone and done with. It was for the better. He sneaked a glance toward the Aes Sedai and smiled to himself. She might have been of royal blood, eligible for Cairhienin throne at one time, but he would show her a performance of her lifetime. A high chant was not something people from here would really understand, but Thom was highly motivated to make it work. So he started with one note to get his tone and started singing, modulating the original version to be a little lighter in the music, a little more energetic.
She smiled a little when he managed to sneak a glance at her some minutes later. Oh, now he knew she knew he was out to impress and she was accepting a challenge. Good, he thought, straightening out and giving more space to his diaphragm. If she wanted, he was up for the challenge.