Rahien's Story

Everinn opened her eyes slowly, yawning. She was tired still; the sunlight danced through an open window, a sweet breeze rolled through the door carrying the smell of berries and flowers. A soft gust washed through the room, and she inhaled deeply, smiling into the open air.

"May the winds forever blow."

She stretched her arms above her head, hearing her shoulders and back crack. It was slightly painful, but she leaned forward to bend over her stomach, reaching for her feet. This was what it took to get her out of bed; stretching to no end, to where she could flex comfortably and get herself into that god awful dress and shawl.

She loved what it stood for; the Tower itself was something Everinn would always revere. For herself, she personally hated the dresses more than anything. She was raised on the country side, with horses running everywhere and chicken underfoot. It was a nice life, she remembered - and she missed the feel of good wool underneath herself.

Everinn pushed her legs over the edge of the bed, and jumped up, standing with her arms stretched above her head once more. Her shift clung to her, drenched with sweat. Another bad dream. That's it. There's nothing wrong... That was all she ever told herself, it was just another bad dream, though she knew something was wrong.

Nothing was ever right, it seemed. If everything was right, the Wheel would be broken, would it not? And then, where would they stand?

She wandered her room in search of a dress. "Something is wrong, someone is coming, and nothing is okay." She frowned, feeling the words roll off her tongue; now that they did, there was certainly a truth within them.

Rahien Al'Shar stood beside the training grounds, accompanied by two other warders as they watched some of their students spar with one another during the morning training session. Well, they weren't his students. He actually didn't have any himself because training them wasn't actually his responsibility. He just enjoyed taking part in the training, and he could tell by watching the trainees sparing and practicing the forms that there was some very good potential in this group. Especially with those three...

He stood up, ready to test for himself how much stronger they'd gotten. He heard chuckles from the other two warders beside him, "Slow down," said the one to his right, "they'll still be there when their own sparing is done, will they not? The three of us can test them then." He gave a small smile towards his comrade, "Very true, my friend. Of course, while they spar, we could as we-"

He cut himself off as he felt a shift in the bond, turning to look up at the tower in the direction he knew Everinn to be. "Hmmm? Ah, well, looks like he won't be spar'n after all," the warder on his left said, the one on the right agreeing with a small grunt.

Rahien grinned back at them. These two had been with him since the very beginning, and it was safe to say that they were his best friends. "Well, that just means I won't be embarrassing you in front of your students today. Don't you agree?" The two laughed, one saying, "Get on with you, you bloody fool," in a joking manner. Rahien nodded, turning away from them, to go back towards the tower to wait for Everinn. He didn't know what the shift was, but he didn't feel good about it.

As he got closer to the tower, his expression became neutral and void of emotion. The perfect mask for a warder, especially around the Aes Sedai.

A knock rang through Everinn's chambers, and she looked over her shoulder slowly. She was not yet dressed, and someone dared to call upon her? Either she had missed it, or no bell had rang - whatever excuse someone had for knocking upon her door would wait.

"Please, leave this matter for another time," she called out. "I am not ready for anyone's business."

Neither am I dressed, and I would love to keep myself private.

Everinn looked through her room quietly, feet drifting over the floor. She watched them, but was not entirely aware of where she was moving; most of her thoughts were still rolling over an empty surface, pebbles scratching the water but not falling through. Her hands brushed over a clean shift and skirt, folded gently and placed onto a chair.

She picked them up, eyeing them quietly, before going in search of a bodice that was hopefully somewhere. And, if all is well, this will remind me how to keep track of my clothes! She smiled, and quietly started to hum as she found a blue silk dress, throwing aside the skirt she had found earlier.

Just at the center of the dress, in the belt, was embroidered the Tar Valon flame. She had requested it - and how it stood out nicely, though just small enough to pass the eye.

"Give me your trust, said the Aes Sedai..." She kept it quiet, but slowly shifted across the floor as she pulled the sweaty shift off. It was an old song - and she would not have found it, if the Brown Sister did not show it to her. She had come across it reading one of the old books, a small page torn out and stuffed inside. Everinn was not sure why she was one of the first choices for who to show it too, but she found the page in her hands, and it resided at the bottom of a chest somewhere.

Perhaps, even with her old journals...

Maiuri Sedai

Maiuri didn't bat an eye. She'd expected something of this nature, but not of this scale, and definitely not within the boundaries Amadicia. What were the bloody white coats doing? Or not doing? Gah! It didn't matter, they were men, completely useless, and the worst type of man at that... Other than a male using the One Power, that is.

She kept herself from shaking her head, keeping her normally indifferent demeanor. If the Amyrlin was sending them to deal with a false dragon, then why didn't she just send two Reds rather than placing her with a Blue? After all, taking care of these types of men was a specialty of the Red. Besides, this girl, Everinn, she remembered, was much younger than herself. Why send someone so young? Though she admitted once again that the Blue's strength would be a great asset...

"Do you have any questions before you leave?"

Many, but none appropriate to ask at the moment.

"When would you like us to leave, mother?"

She glanced over at the Blue Sister before returning her eyes the the Amyrlin, silent for the time being.


Rahien

Rahien stood under the shade of a tree, within view of where he knew Everinn usually left the Tower, but not too far off from the training grounds. The cool breeze was welcome against his face, calming. He sighed to himself, but otherwise his face was a stone. He really hoped Everinn didn't get herself into any trouble today. If so, that would mean trouble for him as well, but he didn't complain about it now. That was part of the life of a warder. He'd found out rather quickly.

Thankfully, none of the Aes Sedai who past him didn't give him a second look, much less a first. He liked it that way. Before he was bonded to Everinn, the Aes Sedai had payed attention to him more than he would have liked. It always made him uncomfortable when they'd watch him practice, and when a few would call him over to speak to him, but after Everinn bonded him, most of the attention stopped. That, he was grateful for.

He glanced over to the training grounds where he saw just what he'd hated happening to one of the other Gaidin. One who Rahien, himself looked up to and respected. He wondered how it would turn out, but instead of watching turned his head forward, closing his eyes, but not being any less alert.

"Yes, Mother." Everinn spread her skirts in a curtsy, and nearly bolted out of the door before Maiuri. As soon as she was out of the door, she trotted through the halls, ignoring each Sister she passed by. She hated to be so ignorant, but she felt the need to, with dark feelings passing over by.

Like storm clouds, except with a certain feel of death.

She found herself in front of her own apartments when she started to realize where she was, and stared uncertainly at the doors. I could enter and be ready, or I could... Well, to the Blight with it! I'll just go find Rahien. Everinn paused a moment to think of where she could find her Warder.

Outside, by the sparring field, perhaps? She brushed at her skirts, though there was no dust, and turned away from her chambers. The halls were empty, though Everinn preferred the closed feeling, and as she was out of her Ajah's corridors others appeared. Novices scurried through the halls, a few Accepted passed by with deep curtsies, and Sisters glided past with nothing more than a nod of her head.

For a moment, Everinn looked around herself, admiring the crystalline beauty. The Tower, in all it's perfection, with not one step out of place... She doubted, if the Tower would ever fall, to darkness or a passing army.

She shook her head, making herself walk forward again. It was impossible, that this place would fall into ruin. It took only a few moments before she was outside. Had she ever walked so fast? It was hard to remember, when she could never pay attention to anything of the sort. But standing outside, with the open sky and vast grounds, it seemed like her perfect moment.

"Now to find Rahien."



(OOC: I'm just going to kind of time-skip for Tuom, since he doesn't have much to wait on. Sorry for the awkward time positioning in this post!)

He had spent most of his day speaking with who he could find in the Tower. That, of course, was close enough to nobody; he was as alone as could be, here, and was content with that. Calv had tried to tell him about Mahira, but from what he heard of his friend, it was completely indifferent to the situation.

He could say yes, he could say no. The only thing that made Tuomas say yes was to be rid of the boring day-to-day of practice. Maybe it would be better, to see more about Mahira - maybe it would even turn out alright.

Tuomas scratched a note on the margin of the book, marking out something he wanted to remember. Calvadarin nudged him with his foot, grinning. "Still reading?"

"Jain Farstrider..."

"A child's book."

"Anything to keep me sane!" He grinned, flipping the book closed. "Have you seen Mahira anywhere?"

"No. But that depends on what you're going to tell her."

"Are all Warders filled with gossip, like you?" Tuomas brushed dirt and hay off his pants, standing to meet Calv again. "Well, I figure since I'm the lucky one here, I'll tell her yes." He shrugged. It didn't mean much to him; he had faced death several times before, and each time he had walked away. The rest of his life would be fine.

"Well, best get looking. Wouldn't keep an Aes Sedai waiting, if I were you." He dropped into a bow, hand clenched in a fest and held over his heart. "May the Light shine on you, Brother. I will see you another day."

Tuomas bowed his head in acknowledgement, and turned away from his friend. He would see him another day; perhaps in one piece, maybe without an arm, possibly in the shadows. There was no guessing. Instead, he focused on looking for Mahira.

Maiuri Sedai

After Everinn made her slightly hurried exit, Maiuri gave her own curtsy, saying, "Yes, Mother," much in the same way the blue had. She stood from her curtsy, leaving the room with a moderate and even pace.

After leaving the Amyrlin's study, the Red Sister made straight for her own quarters to ready herself, ignoring any and everyone she passed. If she had to do this, then, by the Light, it would be done. She made up her mind that she wouldn't allow the two traveling with her to slow down their progress, but also that she would deal with the odd pairing. It irked her horribly how she had hardly any information on their situation, or hardly any on the Sisters she'd be stuck with for the Light knows how long either. With a sigh, the Aes Sedai studied her room. Everything was in place, her important things perfectly hidden from any prying eye that might wander during her absence. She picked up a black purse-like pouch, placing in it what she believed of herself to need, along with a small figurine, none but herself knew she had possession of.

She smiled to herself, "For emergencies, of course," and wondered how long it would take for the other women to be ready.



Rahien

Rahien watched the practice fields with interest before glancing back at the tower, where he saw the very Aes Sedai he was worrying about coming gradually closer in a flowing, blue dress to where he was standing. He pulled himself away from the noise of wooden swords clashing, figuring if she was coming this way, then he'd save her the trouble by meeting her halfway.

He walked in her direction, unable to shake the feeling that something was a little off, that there was something he really wouldn't like hearing. Of course, there was a lot that the warder didn't like hearing, but that fact never stopped him from hearing them.

When he reached Everinn, he gave the appropriate bow, greeting her much more formal than he normally did due to his mood, "I bid a good morning, Aes Sedai." Rahien then stood up straight and glancing about them. There were too many others around for him to question her, but even if he didn't question her, he figured he'd know what was going on soon enough. Besides, in his experience, Everinn didn't like to be questioned, especially by her Warder. However, that usually didn't deter him from doing so.

Everinn nodded her head to Rahien. "I bid a good morning, Aes Sedai." It seemed he was in a pleasant enough mood, but who was she to guess? She was never a good associate of men, and hoped she never would be, though there was yet a chance for that.

"I have just spoken with the Amyrlin, Rahien. She tells me of a False Dragon, located in Amadicia... It seems we are to hunt him. Two other sisters, and myself." She clasped her hands before her, just at her waist. "Although, I do believe I know what your answer is, but will you accompany me? The road will be dangerous, as always, and a Darkfriend is never a welcoming friend." She tugged at her shawl. "We will need to be ready soon, as it would be better to find this man before the time is too late."



"Good Evening Tuomas Alfara."

Tuomas dropped into a bow, dipping one knee to the floor. He paused for a few moments, before straightening to stand, and stared her in the eye. "As I have promised, I have your answer."

He did not mean to pause, but he found himself pausing. Just at that moment he could feel his life fade. A heart-beat, but long enough; the feeling that this was a choice he would yet come to regret. He faltered, and then nodded, trying to regain his composure.

"I do not know the proper words... But anything would be better than nothing." Another pause. Light, what was he doing? "Mahira Sedai, as I am named Tuomas Alfara, I swear to guard you with my life. By the Light I serve, I will fight when you say 'fight', I will sheathe when you say 'sheathe', I will come when you say 'come', and should you choose to, I will go when you say 'go'. I swear this by the life that I hold and the war which we fight." He bit his lip. Hopefully that didn't seem...overplayed, I guess. He looked to Mahira. Her move, as to what to do next.

Rahien

Rahien's hands tightened at his sides where they'd been resting until his knuckles began to turn white. He cursed himself in his mind. Hunting down a False Dragon, of all things. And in Amadicia! Now he knew what that bad feeling he was getting was. As always, she says? No. More on edge than before, his perfectly calm demeanor cracked a bit with a spike of frustration, "The road will be more dangerous than that," and as he was about to tell her she shouldn't go and should find some other bloody fool to go in her stead, he stopped himself, running a hand through his hair and sighing in what was close to defeat. The other fist at his side loosened and he regained his composure.

Bowing his head with a fist over his heart, he responded in an even voice, "I'll follow you until death, Everinn Sedai," and that, he'd sworn by the Light more times than he'd like to count. At least she hadn't tried to leave without him this time. If she'd done that, he was swayed to believe gaining back his composure would be near impossible.

"I accept your oath."

He barely shuddered as the bond swept through him, settling into the core of himself. He bowed his head to Mahira, knowing that it was finished - for better of for worse. He was hoping he would be of use, yet he could not be certain that he would, or that everything would finish as pleasant as the Light.

"It is done, the bond is complete." Tuomas could sense that she was tired, and raised himself to be standing tall once more. He was just barely taller than her, but looking down felt...odd, for some reason. As if he should be the one looking up. "Would that we could spend some time getting to know one another here at the Tower but that is not to be. I am to leave for Amadicia to pursue a False Dragon."

He growled softly, not wanting to utter any words that were certain. Another mess for the realm... To him, the idea of someone proclaiming themselves as the Dragon Reborn - and knowing fully well that they were not - was absurd. Only for the goals of starting a war throughout the realm!

Tuomas blinked. It would seem she was as uncertain as he was. "As my Warder I would of course ask that you accompany me?"

"As certain as the Light stands, I would be honored to follow you." He felt at his waist for the pommel of his sword, and realised he was yet to pick it up. "...As soon as I reclaim my sword, I will be ready."

Absolute fool. That's what I am.



Rahien seemed to have anger at the idea of this. She hid a smile, instead clearing her throat.

"The road will be more dangerous than that."

"And, so it is, but I accept the price at which it comes." Everinn stood taller, clasping her hands before her, and rubbing them together. She waited patiently for her Warder's response, keeping her breathing steady. Whatever his response, she would be pleased - nothing was to be done if he said 'no', though any decent Warder would follow his Aes Sedai, whatever the trouble.

"I'll follow you until death, Everinn Sedai," he said, bowing his head.

"Light willing, none of us will have to die." She nodded slowly. "If you will excuse me for the abruptness, I must be getting ready. I have much to pack." Everinn turned away slowly, and then looked back over her shoulder. "I assume you will be ready soon?"

Rahien

"I assume you will be ready soon?"

With almost too controlled a tone, Rahien replied "Of course." He was aware of his strong emotions of annoyance, but could care less. If there weren't so many other Aes Sedai around, he'd speak what he thought, but with so many of the women around, he kept his thoughts to himself, that only serving to increase his unease. He had an itching to spar, but knew if he distracted himself, Everinn could very well end up leaving him behind.

With stiff shoulders, the warder turned and headed off to take up his sword and any bloody thing else he'd need for this Light forsaken trek.

Maiuri Sedai

Maiuri strode into the stables, ready to get on with this thing they'd been charged with. The stable boy appeared startled, and a fraction unsettled by her appearance. "Boy, bring me my horse, and prepare a pack horse as well." She thought for a moment, "No. You'd best prepare three." Her voice was smooth, but curt in a sort of no-nonsense way.

"Y-yes, Aes Sedai!" The boy scurried off to do as she wished, though she paid him no mind.

Looking out at the grounds in front of her, she wondered minutely of what would come to pass.

Everinn herself found the travelling a messy drag. To know what was waiting in Amadicia; the Whitecloaks, and above that, a False Dragon. A man who could perhaps channel... Whether he did or not, he would be dangerous above all. Perhaps he was a thief in the shadows; or even a lord, hailing from atop a throne. Who was she to guess? And yet, even the Light send that this is easy enough. I would hate for a... catastrophe to happen.

She was more than grateful to see the end, and to find herself and her mount before the White Stag. Everinn was shaking, and she hoped that Rahien would not notice. If he did, she herself ignored whatever afterthought he would have, dismounting and passing the reins to a stable-boy.

Her eyes flickered at him, and as she felt he was staring for too long, brushed over the cobblestone and into the inn. Her travelling cloak dragged itself as she passed, and Everinn entered the inn unsteadily. A single word wrong, and they could find themselves surrounded by Whitecloaks before the night had passed.

Staying silent, as an old friend appeared, she looked around herself. The inn had changed in the long time since she had been in Amadicia; no surprise, as time had changed more than just the painting on the wall.

Maybe this won't take as long as I had thought. Everinn let herself be led away easily as she continued to watch the walls. It seemed so nice, now; the old inn had been a bit dimmer.

"I am Reane, my ladies, and it is my honor to serve. The Tower sent word you would be coming, though the bird only arrived here a short time ago. I am instructed to assist you where necessary."

Everinn let the tea warm her hand, nodding her head graciously. "Reane, how the times have changed us all... I fear we do have great need of you yet." She was taking the liberty of assuming she had the right to speak, though she could care less about how the other Sisters would treat her. "We are coming on the word of a False Dragon, here in Amadicia. Have you heard word of this...matter, yet?" Her eyes glimmered softly. She was very interested to see where the spider was hiding, and what sort of web he was spinning.



As he led his few horses out of the stables, several of them skittered, trying to avoid his reach; it seemed to Tuomas, that he was not the only one wanting to avoid this travel. To him, he knew nothing good would come out of it - if they reached the Tower again, he could only hope it would be alive.

Tuomas had to coax several of the horses out of the stable doors. Once out, they gained their footing, and easily passed towards the three Aes Sedai who were awaiting their mounts. He watched Mahira mount, carefully checking the saddle one more time. It would do no good to have a horse bolt, dismounting her, and he had best relax.

He himself had the horse that he had brought to the White Tower. A grey stallion, and a fully-trained war horse that he had for a long time, named Siswai. The horse had carried him through the streets, but now, it hardly carried him anywhere. He would ride until the Pit of Doom, but there was other places to be.

The journey had his mind running. Always running. He was always worried that they would be found by Whitecloaks, that their camp would be broken by bandits, or some miraculous event that would have them running. Tuom was always on guard, but happy for an excuse to break away from the Aes Sedai. Even as they approached the White Stag, he felt that the tension would never break.

Tuom dismounted slowly, giving Siswai's reigns over reluctantly to the stable boy. He gently ran his hands through the mane, before turning and following the Aes Sedai into the inn. It seemed all too soon that they were whisked away - he debated whether to follow or not, but a fleeting glare from Everinn Sedai kept him at bay. She seemed as if she would shoot daggers at him, within any given point.

"Rahien, should you wish to follow, you have every leave. I believe I may watch from the common room." He left his Warder brother the choice, turning away from him.



The light of his inn was so much better. Well... It was not his inn, precisely, it had only been so for just a few moments now. He was sitting calmly, one leg kicked over the other as he cleaned underneath his fingernails with a knife. The blade was covered in blood, barely beginning to dry, and he found himself wiping it over his cloak.

No matter; he quite enjoyed the feel of it. A thick liquid, sticky and warm, a vital essence of the human body... The way it easily bled out of a man made it all the better. How he loved to watch the blood pour out of someone, slitting their throat and watching them squeal as their throat bled red.

"Turn it will! The Wheel is not hope, and the Wheel does not care, the Wheel simply is!" He did love singing. Once in a while, the song would strike him, and he would dance around the room with his voice washing over the walls. "But, so long as it turns-"

Someone was knocking at his door. The night had barely begun to sink through the sky; everyone knew this was the better time to bother him, though, when the shadows danced and he could hide as he pleased. "Enter." He continued to pick at his nails, frowning. Was this friend... or foe?

"My friend." The man who entered was no one he had seen before, but his thumb was sticking between his index and middle fingers, hand straight at his side. Now he's caught my interest. "Forgive the hour, though as I'm told, this is the best time to bother you." He grinned, pulling back his hood to reveal bright blond hair.

No doubt this was someone who would change his look when anyone turned their back. "You have my interest... Though how did you find me?" He started to stare at the knife closely, finding that the blood was already dry. A pity, he did not think he had wiped all of it off.

"Stories pass, rumors grow, and eventually you'll know precisely who you're looking for." His grin seemed to grow wider. He would not give his name. "I've been watching, and here's something you might want to know - three Aes Sedai, dropped just at the White Stag. Two Warders with them. Though, we both know why they're here."

The knife was stabbed into the table, shaking for just a few moments. "Perfect. Maybe there's even a Black." He stood up, though did not remove his own hood. It was nice and warming, too comfortable to remove.

"Very well." The man bowed. "Fare you well, Dakkone... May the Great Lord watch over you." He pulled his hood back up, and disappeared through the door. Dakkone watched him leave, and spat on the floor. His story had only just begun.

Rahien

Rahien stroked the dark mane of his most reliable companion, Aldazar, before mounting and heading out with the Aes Sedai and his fellow Warder, Tuomas. He wasn't pleased with this journey at all. They were heading into one of the most dangerous situations Everinn could get involved with. The rare carefreeness he was able to grasp at the training grounds back at the tower had completely disappeared from his being, and he now was the outwardly calm, confident and relaxed, inwardly tightly wound and alert, man he always was in these situations. The constant tension was wearing, and it didn't seem that it would soon let up. He almost sighed as they stopped at the White Stag, a place he was slightly familiar with, but not with content. It would be more of a depressed or frustrated sigh, but it never left his lips to be heard.

Rain watched with a careful eye as Everinn dismounted, not a single silk of hair or flow of cloth out of place. He was probably the only one to notice the slight, almost nonexistent shake to her petite frame and her step that was a smidge less graceful than normal. That, he didn't like. Not one bit. To the common eye, they wouldn't notice a bit, but to him, who has seen and watched her everyday for years as her Warder, it was obvious that she was unsettled. As the wheels turned in his mind, he wasn't sure if he wanted to say something to assure, comfort, discourage, or annoy her. Giving up, he settled for a simple sigh, saying more to himself than to her, "We shouldn't have come." Of course, she ignored his comment, passing her reigns to the stable boy.

Everinn cut her eyes at him for a moment before turning away and striding into the inn. Rain followed suit, dismounting Aldazar as one of the stable boy reached for the reigns. He patted the horse's side. "You understand, don't you, Aldazar?" The horse grunted, stomping a foot, and Rain took that as a yes. He had a reliable companion indeed.

Following the women inside the inn along with his fellow Warder, Rain scanned the room casually, not noticing anything out of the ordinary as his eyes travelled across it and then back to the Aes Sedai. Soon, a woman came, seeming to cause Everinn to relax a bit and walked off with the Aes Sedai. He noticed Everinn give his companion, Tuomas, one of her finest glares, but didn't pay it mind as another of the Aes Sedai, Maiuri he believed, looked back at them with cold eyes before briskly turning away. A deep frown adorned his features as Everinn and the others left them here, and he heard the familiar voice of Tuomas say, "Rahien, should you wish to follow, you have ever leave. I believe I may watch from the common room."

He turned to the man as Tuomas turned away. "And if I follow they'll gang up on me for invading on 'women's business'," though he said that, he moved to a spot in the common room where he was as close as he could be to the room the women disappeared into and still have full view of the commons area, much more alert now that Everinn was out of sight.

Maiuri

Maiuri found the travelling both as a hassle and as refreshing. Not so much so a hassle because of the journey itself, but because of her companions. Always with her were Sisters whose Ajahs were none too happy with her own, and both had their own warders. Light! She was just thankful that the green had only one. On top of that, being in a place where she was surrounded by those insolent White Cloaks didn't help the situation much at all. They were the worst type of man, and all fools at that, though a dangerous lot that she wished to avoid.

Dismounting in front of the White Stag was a bit of a relief. It was strange enough to the common eye to see three ladies and two "guards" as they seemed to appear to be trotting through the streets. She supposed it to be even a bit stranger because not two of them were of the same race. She blessed the cloak she was wearing, the concealing cloth an unusual comfort, but a comfort none the less. She glanced over her companions as she handed her horse over to the stable boy, then silently followed the Blue into the inn. Glancing around, she noted it was better than most she'd been in, but not the best, not that she would complain.

A woman came soon, leading them away and introducing herself as Reane. A nice name, and easy on the tongue. Before a word could be spoken from Maiuri, the Blue felt comfortable enough to ask directly what should have been handled with care.

"Reane, how the times have changed us all... I fear we do have great need of you yet. We are coming on the word of a False Dragon, here in Amadicia. Have you heard word of this...matter, yet?"

A cold fire found itself in Maiuri's eyes. Even if this woman before them is the Blue's informant, she should have asked that particular question in a more indirect way. Though the Red Sister usually appreciated bluntness, in this situation, she believed it was inappropriate. Did this girl not have a wit about her? Brushing off her thoughts (what's done is done, after all), she decided to add to Everinn's question, "Or has word come of any other strange happenings?" in an offhanded tone and manner. Not sounding impolite, but merely cool and slightly impatient.