[b] Rand and Wren's Journey [/b] 

[i]Day One[/i]

Rand rode quietly besides his companion, he had no idea why he brought Wren along besides the fact she was perhaps one of the more "civilized" people within the ranks of Iron Company, they rode past peasants who toiled along the roads, the children looking at the two mercenaries with a look of awe and wonderment on their faces. Rand smiled and waved, when they were out of earshot of the peasants Rand broke the silence. "What are you fighting for Wren?" He asked his voice firmer than usual. 

Wren's thoughts were far from their journey, thinking instead on a battle she'd once fought with their entire company, including her father. Not one man on their side was killed or seriously injured, and they had completed their job to the best degree. A small smile was on her absentminded lips, even as they rode past peasants who admired them. 

"Hm?" Wren murmured, glancing over at Rand when his words brought her out of her thoughts. It took her a few seconds to recall what she'd vaguely heard him say and then she shrugged a bit. "Oh, well, for myself... for the company... for everyone really," she said gaze shifting back and forthh from Rand to the road. "I don't know another way anyway," she said, voice casual and honest.

Rand chuckled, it was an honest answer but he did not expect it, he was used to people lying and scheming it was good to be with honest people for once. "I guess i should of expected that as a answer. Have you thought about anything else, i mean did you imagine yourself doing anything else besides, you know ending bloodlines and making widows grieve?" He asked chuckling slightly. 

Wren gave Rand an odd sort of look, finding the way he had worded his question one that seemed to only see the bad of what she did. Is that how he thought of her? Well, she couldn't deny it was true. "Not really. Can you see me being a housewife, Rand?" she smirked, thinking it a funny picture in her mind.

Rand laughed aloud at that thought, he laughed so hard he nearly fell off Stepper who shook his head at the laughing knight. "I can't say i could see you settling down, but you're a beautiful woman and." His voice trailed off he was nervous and he had no idea why. "I think if you find a man he is lucky, he will always have someone who is truly loyal at his back." He said his voice regaining the composure that he lost. 

Wren giggled herself a bit when Rand laughed, smiling until he said she was beautiful. It caught her off guard, making her stare at him with lips parted until he finished his thoughts. "Psh, liar," she said with a bit of a nervous laugh herself, thinking he might be joking with her. She looked in front of her and hesitated to say more, as she was busy mulling over his words while a blush rose to her cheeks.

Rand was making Wren nervous he could tell by the laugh she gave, he changed the subject completely so things wouldn't be akward between the two of them. "Do you think Iron Company will make it out here? I mean i don't doubt our comrades strengths but we are taking on an army, no amount of manuvering can save them espically..." His voice trailed off, he didn't want to voice his concerns to Wren. "They won't make it if we don't start moving quicker." He said. 

Wren was again caught off guard, this time by Rand’s quick subject change. Perhaps he was lying? Or mayhaps she had said something wrong in response. Ah well, it got them off the subject of her caring for someone so whatever. She didn’t give an answer yes or no to his question right away, simply nodding at his last statement. "Yes that would be best," she agreed in a solemn voce.

Rand kept riding he didn’t say anything else to Wren until the night had long since fallen, they had made enough ground that they could stop and set up camp for the night. Making sure Wren was following him he went some ways off the road and stopped in a small copse of trees. “Why don’t you set the bedrolls up and i’ll go collect some firewood.” He said, and walked off leaving Wren alone within their new campsite. 

As the knight collected firewood, he couldn’t help but think about what he had said earlier to Wren. [i]”Do i really believe that?”[/i] He thought, as he picked up a piece of wood that could be used as firewood, pleased that he had enough in the pile he began to head back to camp his thoughts still eating away at him.

Wren rode silently with Rand, though her thoughts were loud, trying to decide whether or not he had been joking before or if he was serious. And about the castle and the Iron Company and her journey at the moment with her fellow mercenary. What did she think of him after all? She looked over at him for a bit. Sure, he was handsome. Almost too handsome. And he was kind. She knew she could be honest with him more so than some of the others, as she had no fear of judgment from him. But she knew she couldn’t allow herself to feel anything more than friendship. When Rand would inevitably die, she had to be able to move on.

“Alright,” Wren said, not minding setting up camp anyway. She slid off the horse and removed some of the heavier pieces of armor she wore, wanting more movement for the task. She untied their effects from the horses and began setting up an encampment, now thinking on their day tomorrow, and what they might encounter then.

Rand came back into the clearing with a small bundle of firewood in his hands, reaching into steppers saddle bags he pulled the flint from them, pulling his blade out of it’s sheath with a rasp he ran the flint along the blade throwing sparks into the air. Eventually one of the sparks struck and they had a small fire going, putting the flint back in the saddlebags he drew out two bundles and handed one of them to Wren. “It has food in it, it’s not much. Just some salted beef and bread but it’s something.” The knight said and sat down in front of the fire, he sat silently for a moment before he said something once more. “Do you ever regret going to battle?” He asked looking at Wren over the fire. 

Wren took the bundle from Rand and nodded. “Thank you,” she said simply, sitting across the fire from the man before her and crossing her legs. The light of the fire in the dimming light of day made her blonde hair appear to glow, and her face seem darker, like her hazel eyes were those of a predatory cat. “What am I fighting for, do I regret battle… are you trying to ask something more, Rand?” Wren asked, messing with the bread in her hands, looking down at it before glancing back up to him and just appearing as if she were waiting for a straight answer.

Rand spoke up his voice calm but firm. “It just seems all of us are a little eager to go into the thick of the fighting, we don’t really seem to give words a shot.” He said a slight grin on his face as he stared at the girl across the fire, he sat there in thought about what he was going to say next but then he found the right words. “Words can be just as dangerous as a blade.” He continued drawing his gaze away from Wren and down at his food.

“I’m afraid if you’re interested in words, perhaps Joachim would have been a better companion, Rand. I’m no good at them. Here, or on a battlefield, or in front of grand lords and ladies,” Wren smirked, popping a small piece of bread past her lips while staring at him in an almost amused way. “Let us hope your… words do us well on this trip, though,” she commented after swallowing the piece and breaking off another.

Rand chuckled and spoke. “You were the best choice, Joachim probably would of driven me mad at this point, and i would've left him to rot here.” He looked back up at Wren and the way the flickering fire cast shadows and light across her face she seemed almost mesmerizing it was like the knight was caught in a spell, realizing his mouth was probably agape he closed it and continued. “Besides, i think you are being too humble. I know you probably have a way with words that would put a noble to shame.” He said still looking over at Wren but keeping his composure. 

Wren chuckled as well at Rand’s comments about Joachim, knowing that yes, he probably would have driven him mad by this point. That much was true. But was her awkward silences that much more appealing? Apparently so, she guessed. She stared at him and was about to ask if she had something on her face by the way he was looking at her, but that moment he spoke of her humbleness, making her look down once more at the bread in her hands. “Well, I suppose we’ll see,” she said quietly.

Rand nodded. “You should get some rest, i’ll keep watch.” It was all he said, he was tired he had spent all of the night before awake but the battle earlier had probably taken a toll on the both of them. 

[i]Day Two[/i]

The second day was again spent riding, but luckily the pairs’ day ended in a small town where they rented a room in an inn. Cleaning up and spending the night indoors was a bit of a treat for the two, but needed before they sought the courts of Lord Whitestead in the morrow.

[i]Day Three[/i]

Both Mercenaries left the village with the winds at their back and eventually made it to Lord Whitesteads estate, the guards had their tongues cut out so they could not speak, but the mercenaries didn’t say anything either. As they were led through the great estate and were brought before Lord Whitstead in his great hall Rand steeled himself and nodded to Wren as Lord Whitestead spoke. 

When the Lord finally finished giving his insane demands, Rand shifted there was no emotion to his voice and his face looked like that of stone something he was accustomed to all to well on the battlefield and in politics, crossing his hands behind his back Rand spoke clearly and firmly. “I cannot offer you the queen’s nieces and nephews within the required time.” Rand took a little while to think on things without actually insulting the lord or his spymasters. “As you already know the queen and the king are not on speaking terms, but perhaps we can think of something else.” Rand spoke, looking the lord in the eyes making sure he had his attention. “But as you also surely know the queen is not powerless. My proposition is this...” He let those words hang in the, making sure he had the lord and his spymasters on the edge of their seats waiting with baited breath. “Have one of your sons marry the queen.” He said his voice firm and still lacking any hint of emotion as he said it looking Lord Whitestead dead in the eyes. 

Wren took in the city of Whitehold, finding it all so… much. She enjoyed quiet too much to ever be in such a place. And the castle was quite grand. Being led inside, she looked around rather than straight ahead of her, showing little emotion on her face but just taking everything in. She didn’t expect to ever be able to live in such grandeur, and she was thankful for it. She could only imagine someone who lived here must think themselves above everyone else. And she knew Lord Whitestead was no better than a peasant in reality. He just had more money. And power. Or they wouldn’t be here.

Her eyes landed on the man when they arrived in his throne room, her gaze staying on him as he moved about. He droned on and on, and she was trying not to yawn by the time he finished. She raised an eyebrow at his request, but was prepared to offer whatever for his troops she supposed. Wren looked to Rand and awaited what he would say, and when he offered the queen’s hand in marriage, she looked at him with a mix of amusement and a gaze that said he’d gone a bit crazy. Had the queen authorized him to use her as a pawn in this chess game? Wren had no idea so she kept her mouth shut, just trying not to chuckle at what the queen would say when she learned about this, if the dear lord accepted the offer that is.