Penny

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

Mave moved among the children smiling as best she could. Several young women were looking at her. Some seemed envious or curious, others seemed openly hostile, more than a few cast jealous looks at Ali as he headed to the kitchen. Whispered snatched of conversation told her that the story that she and Ali were together had been taken seriously and not a few local girls were less than pleased with this state of affairs.

She sipped at her cider primly, though it was tart and delicious, it had been a long time before she had partaken of anything but tea. Her mind was occupied with the rider and her dark suspicions regarding his nature. Part of her wanted to believe she was just being paranoid but she couldn’t dismiss the uneasy feeling. Consequently she didn’t at first notice when a shadow fell across her table. A clearing of the throat bought her back to the present. The wisdom stood over her, hands on hips, glaring disapprovingly. Mave, having been glared at by Aes Sedai many times, was not particularly moved. It was kind of amusing in its way. Mave glanced at the wisdom and went back to sipping her cider.

“We need to talk young woman,” the wisdom declared at last when it became obvious that Mave wasn’t going to initiate conversation.

“Do we?” Mave asked in a tone of studied disinterest. The woman's teeth ground almost audibley.

“I dont know how they do things where you come from but if you think, you can just show up here out of nowhere and shack up with an impressionable young man! What you have done is…” the wisdoms voice was rising into a tirade.

“Mistress,” Mave said sharply in a tone that wasn’t loud but was clearly audible throughout the tavern. The wisdom’s mouth hung open, clearly unaccustomed at being interrupted. The Inn quieted in an instant as conversations came to an abrupt stop. A confrontation between the Wisdom and the stranger was obviously enough to enrapture the attention of all but a few of the children who were quickly hushed by parents or older siblings.

“What I have done, is suffered the misfortune to be set upon by bandits on the road outside of town,” Mave said in the same clear calm tone. The wisdom’s mouth worked like a landed fish but Mave didn’t give her the chance to recover.

“To my great good fortune Master Baldyr,” she went on, using the formal address to underscore the fact that Ali was a grown man, “was there to drive them off even though they had swords and he had but a staff.” The wisdom took a step back, intimidated by her cool poise and the unexpected forcefulness of her words.

“Furthermore he was hospitable enough to offer me shelter to rest and recover,” she swept the room with her eyes, visually slapping down anyone who was staring at the confrontation.

“An attitude that I had hoped to find a bit more widespread.” Several faces colored at the implication of discourtesy especially among those who had visited the house on the Wisdom’s ‘suggestion’ earlier.

“Now if you take some offense at my presence then that is your own affair and none of mine. Now I would appreciate it if you would leave me to enjoy my meal in peace.” Mave’s words cracked like whips in the silence of the common room. The Wisdom was going a very peculiar shade of crimson and balling her fists so tight they went white. She opened her mouth to speak but Mave cut her off.

“Goodnight to you mistress,” she said and returned her attention to the cake she had been presented. Valerie’s jaw worked convulsively and without another word she spun on her heel and stalked from the common room, parting the few spectators like the bow wave of a ship.

Ali slid back into his seat with a slightly shocked look, sliding a cup of cider towards her, which she accepted but didn’t immediately lift to her lips.

“Sorry that took a second,” he said. Mave gave him a wry smile.

“I’m afraid I haven’t made a good impression on your Wisdom,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed now that the moment had passed. It wasn't really fair on Ali to make the situation worse.

“Not very afraid though,” she corrected with a small chuckle.

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

Sayeeda clung to Neil’s waist as the hoverboard descended towards the edge of the canyon and the settlement within. Adrenaline was burning out of her system leaving her feeling prickly and content as her endorphins rewarded her for both the burst of activity and the exhilaration of flight. She wasn’t sure exactly what had happened out in the desert but you learned to be grateful for any fight that you survived. She was about to suggest they return to their rooms when a thought crossed her mind.

“Neil what is the main problem with the Highlander right now?” she asked. The pilot touched the board down not far from the ship and they hopped off. There were less people around now but the night time bazar was still doing some business. Here and there a vendor drowsed at his wares but most were alert enough at least to deter thieves.

“The power conversion cylinders are fucked,” he said, snapping his heel down so the hoverboard sprang into his hand.

“D-25 power cylinders?” she asked with increasing enthusiasm. Neil frowned, clearly uncertain where she was going with this.

“D-30s,” he corrected, “But I could probably patch in TD-25s.” Junebug’s face was alight with newfound energy and enthusiasm. SHe threw her arms around Neil and hugged him tightly for a minute.

“The tank Canek had,” she explained, “Its a Frizian TX-60, they use a pair of D-25s to couple the fusion bottle to the main gun.” Andor’s armored had used more sophisticated panzers but they had operated alongside units using the lower budget models frequently enough that they had scrounged supplies for field repairs.

“Canek?” Neil asked and Junebug filled him on on what had transpired before he had arrived to rescue her.

“So he wanted to hire you? Interesting method, beating you over the head and all,” Neil said at last.

“Not the weirdest way I’ve ever been hired,” she responded. Neil looked enthusiastic, as it had with her, the idea that they might be able to get the Highlander airborne again was a tonic for his spirits.

“That tank might be smashed,” he said but his heart wasn’t in the objection.

“Taya,” Junebug said, triggering her implanted radio now that they were close enough to use it. The girls voice came back quickly.

“Junebug, where are you?” she asked.

“I’m just outside,” she told the girl. Striding with Neil towards the access hatch.

“I need you to do a full communications scan and see if you can track down anything to do with a man named Canek, hopefully he is still alive.”

Star Crossed: The Duke's Rebellion

Rene, who through exhaustion and preoccupation with the challenges before them, had zoned out, snapped back into focus. Julia was already on her feet busying herself pulling open cupboards and looking for food. The soldier held up his hands in a placating gesture and Julia’s face froze in an expression that was hard to read. Fear of giving offense mixed with a desire to show her appreciation as well as an almost hysterical relief that her daughter, whom she must have imagined drowned, was alive. Rene knew that she needed to give them something, anything, to show her appreciation but he didn’t want her to waste food when they weren’t hungry and there might be lean times ahead where she and her family might go hungry.

“We’ve eaten ma’am,” he said deferentially, Julia’s face fell but he quickly added.

“Though if you have caffeine…” The woman’s face brightened immediately and she seized a metal coffee pot from a rack and began to label a generous serving of black powder into the top of the unit before filling it with water from a nearby jug. Rene guess that the water systems were out along with the main power grid.

“Princess Solae has the best food on her ship!” Damaris piped up helpfully. Rene thought the girl was acting a little more childlike now that she was back with her mother, not that he begrudged her the chance to let her guard down and feel safe. It was an odd thing for him to see, his family had not been a warm one and the interactions he were seeing here were like watching a holodrama to him, so alien were they from his own experiences.

“Are you really, you know, from the capital?” Julia asked as she began to pour cream into the coffee. It had a slight acrid odor to it, Rene presumed that it was from a gene splice, perhaps with a local fungus or coral, rather than Old Earth plants. He presumed by the capital she was referring to the planets main star port on the southern continent.

“We are from off world actually,” Solae said judiciously, sticking, as agreed, as close to the truth as possible.

“Our ship is low on fuel,” Rene added, taking the proffered cup of coffee and passing it to Solae before receiving a second one for himself. He sipped at it, it was bitter and unsweetened but not unpleasant.

“We had to make an emergency landing,” he explained. Julia nodded along, though it was clear she had no real notion of just how risky making such a landing had been.

“We don’t get a lot of offworlders here,” Julia said, in what was evidently an understatement. From what little data had been available on the Bonaventure, coral that was collected in the hinterlands was transhipped to the capital before being stabilized with chemicals and put onto bulk transports which took the stuff to the higher technology worlds which handled the processing. That arrangement wasn’t necessarily the most efficient, but as it provided a convenient way of collecting local and Imperial taxes, and as it made the bureaucrats who handled the trade wealthy from salaries and kickbacks, it was the arrangement that was in place. Rene wondered if his father had ever looked closely at the various fiefs which were the basis of his own wealth.

“You are of course welcome to stay with us, we have a guest room,” Julia said with a gesture towards a small doorway. THrough the portal Rene could see a tidy room in which various half completed craft projects were laid out on a table and across a bed. Solae opened her mouth to reply when there was a sudden roar. Rene’s hand darted into the duffel bag and grabbed for his concealed pistol but Solae caught his wrist beneath the table, pinning him in place. A tall, rather heavy set man, dressed in a heavy duty rain coat which was filthy with mud, rushed into the house and scooped up Damaris in his arms, tears starting freely from his eyes.

“Papa! Papa!” Damaris was squealing as the man whirled her around, crushing her to him in a fierce hug. Julia’s eyes were wet with emotion too as she witnessed the reunion. The big man was shaking with emotion, hardly able to contain himself. Rene let go of the pistol and after a moment Solae released his hand, which he withdrew from the bag and placed on the table top. If either Julia or her husband had noticed the by play they gave no sign. Rene gave Solae an apologetic look. It was possible to be wound so tight that your only reaction to the unxpected was to fly to action. That was certainly what the Marine Corp taught, but it would hardly have made their interaction with the locals any smoother if he had pulled a gun on an emotional reunion.

“How.. how is this possible?” the man stammered, holding Damaris in his arms and turning grateful eyes on the two newcomers.

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

Unfortunately Ali had underestimated the persistence of the Wisdom in addressing a situation she felt to be scandalous. While she was forced to obey Ali’s demand to stay off his family's property the woman was far to strong willed to let that stop her. Within an hour of the confrontation a string of ‘visitors’ began to arrive. Mostly middle aged wives of the village bringing small gifts or returning items that had been borrowed at some point in the distant past. Ali met each delegation with the same polite but firm demeanor, sending them on their way and resisting their efforts to get inside the house.

Mave sat in front of the fire on a cushioned wooden chair sipping the coffee, which turned out to be a local term for kaf, and beginning to feel a little besieged. The feeling of relief she had enjoyed at being somewhere safe was beginning to wane, would gossip reach her enemies who would be able to piece together where she was? It seemed unlikely that Tarren’s Ferry was a big enough place to have darkfriends of its own but a careless word in Baleron might not be so harmless.

Ali chatted with her in between fending off unwanted visitors, mostly about life in the small village and his families work. Mave deliberately turned the conversation back to things that the boy was passionate about in order to keep him from asking too many questions about her. The only information that she divulged was that she was on her way to Illian where she had some family. That was technically true, King Mattin did have an Aes Sedai advisor who was, technically, a sister to Mave, albeit a much older sister, and Mave had no intention of seeing the woman. The likelihood that an advisor was a Black Sister was too much of a risk and even if she wasn’t, unless Mave could convince her of her story she would be on her way back to Tar Valon in a heartbeat.

As evening came on and Ali returned from fending off yet another curious neighbor the boy let out a defeated sigh. He held a wooden spoon in one hand, allegedly one that her father had loaned someone in the forgotten past.

“If the entire bloody village is determined to see you, perhaps we should let them see you,” he said. Mave looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow which made the boy blush.

“I mean… there is an inn on the Green, if you wanted we could go there for dinner,” he half stammered. Mave considered it for a moment.

“Well, I don’t want to cause you any trouble…”

“It’s no trouble,” Ali quickly assured her, “I swear we haven’t had this many bloody visitors in my life.” Well it wasn’t exactly as though she were keeping a low profile her. Mave stood and smoothed her dress out with her fingers.

“In that case I’d be happy to come,” she said with a smile. This made Ali blush a deeper shade but he quickly fetched a coat and a shawl and a moment later they were heading out the front door. They made there way down the stone path and passed several apple trees which were just beginning to green with springs first buds. There was a well worn path that lead away to the east, it had been cleared at some point in the past, though it was obviously kept so by the passage of human feet. Ali had his staff in his hand, though whether as a walking aid or because he felt he needed a weapon Mave wasn’t sure. Meeting her and fighting those bandits would be enough to rattle anyone she suspected.

“Old Edgar al’Cagan runs the inn,” Ali was saying, “He is the mayor you met before.” Mave hadn't actually met the mayor but she smiled nonetheless.

“The hand that pours the brandy rules the world,” she said with a chuckle. Ali began to chuckle too then froze.

“Blood and bloody ashes more visitors,” he muttered and tugged Mave’s hand leading her off the road and down a small game trail that crossed it. Mave couldn’t hear whatever sound had tipped Ali off that someone was coming down the path but he moved with a certainty that made her trust his judgement. The hunkered down behind a fallen tree, watching the path. Mave wasn’t keen on meeting the wisdom either though she thought this was going a little far.

“I’ll bet its the wisdom come too…” he trailed off as it became obvious that it wasn’t the nosy wisdom. The clop of horses hooves on the soft dirt track preceded the rider only by an instant. A black clad figure astride a black horse came into view at a brisk pace that wasn’t quite a walk and wasn’t quite a trot. The man wore a hooded cloak and his face was concealed.

“This is the one who has been asking questions about me… well if he wants answers…” Ali moved as though to stand and head back to the path but Mave’s hand shot out and gripped his wrist with her slender fingers. The boy froze, apparently having the good sense not to cry out. She shook her head in mute warning. Ali looked confused but he subsided. Something about the rider made her blood run cold. He passed by without glancing right or left and in complete silence save for the breathing of the horse.

“You said you didn’t know him,” Ali said once the horseman was out of sight towards the house. Mave repressed a shudder.

“I don’t,” she admitted, belatedly releasing Ali’s wrist. A suspicion was forming in her mind that she didn’t want to fully explore. Her companion looked at her, obviously realising she knew more than she was saying.

“He gives me a strange feeling,” she said. Ali nodded his head in agreement.

“Can we get to the village without taking the trail?” she asked after a moment. Ali nodded. He had grown up in these woods and knew them well.

“I can’t just let him wander around the house though,” he protested, though he was already leading her deeper into the woods.

“I think once he realises there is no one there he will leave,” Mave said, as Ali led her down onto a rocky stream bed and east towards the town.

“You know, you talk but it dosen’t seem like you say anything.” Ali complained. Mave’s face split into an unexpected smile.

“Thank you, my Mother would be pleased to hear you say that.”

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

"Everyone believe I'm your what?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Even as she spoke she knew that the boys, obviously friends or at least neighbours would be spreading the rumor that Ali was out here alone with a strange woman no one had seen before. If this was the sort of place she suspected that meant that not too long after that there might be a visit from the local wisdom or a good wife just 'dropping in for a chat'. None of these options filled her with enthusiasm. Still there was nothing for it.

Ali busied himself elsewhere while she stripped and climbed into the tub, alowing the warm water to wash over her body, cleansing her of the dirt of the road and the smell of fear she had endured since the first whispers of the wind in a place where no wind should blow. The cuts and scratches on her body prickled and stung as the water reached them but she relaxed her mind as she had been taught and ignored the sensations. She scrubbed her hair with the small piece of soap that was provided, feeling guilty for using up what was probably a luxury item in such a remote locale. She resisted the urge to channel or even to hold Saidar. It was best that she play the part of the lost traveler. It was bad enough she had lost her head and used a weave on the road, but she couldn't have known that the boy she had run into was some sort of staff fighter. She mused events until she was pleasantly soaked and the water had began to cool and then climbed out of the tub, dried herself off and donned her newly tailored garments. She would have to leave a coin or two when she went no matter how much he protested.

Joining Ali in the kitchen she found him crouched down behind a table, peering over the window sill. A severe looking woman was walking down the path to the door along with a man in his early forties. He wore a medallion of some sort around his neck, though his clothing was indistinguishable from Ali's. Perhaps the mayor or whatever it was called in this place. Mave suppressed a groan.

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

An hour later Mave was dressed in a simple dress of bleached linen. Though it had originally belonged to Ali's mother, he was true to his word and had made the necessary alterations with the skill of long practice. The dress still didn't fit perfectly, but it had been bought in significantly to accommodate Mave's wasp like waist. There was an old pair of stockings and shoes that didn't fit to badly also. Having been under a strain of urgency for a long while, part of her wanted to be off that very moment, but part of her realized that rest and preparation were better uses of her time than blindly rushing off in the general direction of Illian. She needed to take the time to gather supplies from the peddlers and figure out the best route to take.

It was nice too, she had to admit, to be in the company of someone her own age who was both handsome and was ignorant of all of the peril and politics that had been her life these last weeks. For a moment, at least, she could pretend that she was a normal person and this was a normal day. It was surprisingly fun. Ali was fussing about the stitching of the waist coat he had found and was in the process of fitting it when the door swung open without a knock. Two boys both unfamiliar to Mave, though Ali clearly recognized them both stood at the door mouths hanging agape to find their friend alone with a girl none of them had ever seen, his hands on her hips as he fitted to the waistcoat.

Before ALi could speak they both turned and bolted down the drive way hooting and hollering with the mirth of boys with a secret they had just uncovered.

NSA - NSFW 18+ MxF or MxM RP

@Headless

Two NSA agents fall in lust while listening in to phone sex from another couple with two separate warrant less wire taps.

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

Mave nodded gratefully, while she was fully prepared to pay for the food and aid, her supply of coppers was meager and she didn't know how she would gather more in the near future. She cleared her throat looking down at her ruined dress. Ali seemed young to her, but she knew that familes often began early in such rural environs. The house around here was obviously that of a family but there might be several generations living here.

"A bath would be lovely," she agreed. It had been a very long while since she had last taken one. Not since leaving Tar Valon weeks ago. Of course she was able to channel herself clean but that wasn't the same as a relaxing soak.

"Do you have family here?" she asked looking around. She hadn't seen or heard anyone but perhaps they were merely out for the day. The passage of seasons had slipped more or less from her mind and she hadn't known it was nearly Beltane. Perhaps they were out preparing for the festivities.

"You have already been very generous but if you have needle and thread or perhaps a spare change of clothes?" she plucked at her ruined dress in embarrassment.

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

Mave felt a surge of relief to at last have some notion of where she was. She hadn't heard of Tarren's Ferry but Whitebridge was familiar to her. Supposedly there was a great bridge of heartstone there which had been erected in the Age of Legends. The city of Baerlon was west of Whitebridge from which a road ran south into what had once been Manetheren though there were no major cities in the area now. Mave wasn't sure how best to procced from her but at least she had a point to start from.

"No, I'm not travelling with anyone," she said shaking her head. Even at this early stage there were folk travelling. She wondered what Ali would say if she mentioned that she set out from Caemlyn yesterday afternoon and had traveled a thousand miles in a few hour. The thought made her supress a giggle that was part amusement part hysteria.

"There will be peddlers you say?" she asked, her mind turning back to the task ahead of her. She didn't want to wait a few days but she needed to equip herself for the journey.

"I need to buy some new clothes and.." she paused as a thought struck her.

"Do you need money for the food? I have some coin.." she went on uncertainly.

WoT: The Dark One's Own Luck.

Mave opted not an answer, instead taking a bite of sausage and savoring the hot juices that spurted into her mouth. She had never heard of the Two Rivers and it helped her not a whit to place where she was. It could be anywhere from southern Saldaea to Amadicia itself, though she suspected that it was rather closer to Amador than it was to Maradon. The Children of Light could be found anywhere of course but it made sense that they would be closer to home.

"Well there was a lot of confusion," she said around a mouthful of food, evading the thrust of the question, "I'm just glad you were there to help me." She laid a hand on his for a moment.

"Very glad," she amplified.

"The Two Rivers, that is part of Andor? I'm afraid that my geography is a bit muddled," she confessed.