Welcome to Gaia! ::

Mercury completely slid the bond with Hawk shut as she felt the grief coming from Wolf. She wasn't sure what had happened, or where he was. Certainly he was not near the Tower. She tried to send feelings of confusion, sympathy, and questioning through the bond to him, unsure of how it would work. Light only knew what esle had happened this day.

Rein strode through the gates to Tar Valon, unchalanged and unnoticed by the guards. He strode up to the Tower, satchel in hand, sat down, and began to eat. He figured he'd need all of his energy for what came next, for though he wasn't at all capable of chanalling, he could feel that events were going to come to a head right here. His blade seemed to hum with anticipation.
((I can't get one of those egg thingys! Stupid school lockdowns... *grumbles miserably* ))

Now on foot, Nine walked through the gates of Tar Valon. It had been a long year since he last walked the smooth streets of this beautiful city. The buildings were as varied as he remembered and the colors as vivid as the previous year. He looked at each building as if it were the first time he had seen in, taking in their splendor and noting subtle details. Here and there a brick or stone was laid in a different direction, a plant stuck from between two sides of a crack on the street.

The vendors were all out and pitching their goods, their colorful tarps matched that of the building behind and the smells of an hundred different foods filled the air. The people he saw were just as varied as the smells that came to his nose. Some wore loose, shielding clothes, and others wore outfits that would have been seen as scandalous in his mother's kitchen. Light skin, dark skin, in between, all present.

Even surpassing the feeling in his stomach became stronger as he looked up. Up to the pearly-white tower of the Aes Sedai. His head reeled at the sight of its enormity.

Through the outer city he walked, greeting passersby as they greeted him. He purchased a loaf of flat bread and ate as he walked. When he approached the gates to the bridges that lead to the inner city and the White Tower, there was, as was the norm, a line. By the time he approached the gate, he had wished three times over that he ad bought another loaf of the flat bread.

"What is your business in Tar Valon...traveler?"

The guard had obviously had a rough day and Nine had forgotten to change from his traveling clothes.

"I am Gaiden Nine. I seek passage to the White Tower."

At once the guard straightened and begged he forgive his lazy eye. Nine assured him that he was perfectly fine, forcing a silver into his hand and telling him to go and have a bite to eat.

On the seemingly unstable bridge he could see much of the city and surrounding countryside. It was a remarkable sight, but not as great as the view from the Tower's higher levels. He was jostled into a crowd and had only just a bit of difficulty making his way to the Tower gates. Nine approached the guard at the gate who waved him on immediately.

"Good day to you Gaiden Nine."

"Ah, so someone remembers me?"

The guard chuckled, it sounded as though he knew which guard would forget something like that.

"Has only been a year, sir. And I'd hardly forget a face of one of the Tower's own."

"But you flatter. I am only risen of the last year and not that well known."

"Enough to the guards, sir."

"Well, your notice is appreciated, the Light shine on you."

Nine walked away from the guard's salute and stopped just short of the doors.

"Home."

Pushing the doors open was as much an effort of mind as strength. He remembered the entrance hall like it was only an hour ago that he was here. It brought back many memories, most good.

"Now, if only I could find someone in this bloody place."

He sighed. Nine had not been in the halls of the Tower much when he was training, so he was used to getting lost.

(( 4laugh I wuv you too!!1 *huggies* 4laugh ))

((Ah, I worded that badly, what I meant was, Skiiy works to help others, and works towards that result, usually with no compensation. His main goal is to push back the power of evil, and by helping Katerine, he is doing just that. Maybe someday, when his work here is done, he will leave this world, and move on to the next one...But let's face it, if the work ever got done, then we'd start to get bored out of our heads.))

Silently she waited while Skiiy caught his breath. When he was ready to go though, Katerine started off in a quick, ground-eating pace. She was a little worried of more Shadowspan arriving and knew that it would be difficult to deal with them at that point in time. The shield, although light, was still a burden to carry from it's size. For a man, it was perfect, but she was not suited for such things. Katerine still carried it though while Skiiy followed close to her.

Soon they were back at the inn, but her Shadowspan awareness started to grow stronger. This made Katerine work quicker gathering her things and saddling the horses. The sense grew stronger as she mounted Releran and pointed him back toward the forest. The shield was strapped firmly to Releran's saddle and the angreal was in her pocket. Glancing over to Skiiy to make sure he was also ready to go, Katerine booted Releran and they started off.

"We just have to get back to that same spot from the other day and I will be able to make a gateway. The Shadowspan are getting closer, but I think we can outride them."

The sense did not diminish though like she was used to. If anything, it seemed to be gaining on them. Her traveling spot was still a little way off too. Katerine wasn't too worried yet though because she couldn't see whatever it was that pursued them. It came closer and closer though and she was beginning to grow uneasy. Both of them were riding just under a gallop which was dangerous in itself for they were in a forest.

Katerine looked back and made out the image of a couple of Fades on horseback. She grimaced and looked to Skiiy, but continued forward. Her spot was not far now and if they could get there, she could open a gateway to the Tower easily. The Fades were riding hard and the foam from the animals mouths were visible even to unenhanced eyes. Then they were in the clearing that Katerine knew so well. Quickly she made the weave for a gateway and the vertical, rotating line appeared. The Traveling Ground of the Tower appeared on the other side of the portal.

"You first Skiiy! I have to be the last one through."

As Skiiy passed through the gateway, the Fades appeared nearly at Releran's heels. Katerine quickly booted her faithful horse through the gateway and released the weave as soon as Releran's tail was through it. As the vertical line disappeared, Katerine realized that she had inverted her weaves subconsciously which would make it nearly impossible for the Fades to figure out where she was.

Now that they were back in the Tower, Katerine gave a sigh of relief. She dismounted Releran and gave him a pat on the neck. The stable hands came over to take the horses while Katerine took the shield. That item she was not letting out of her sight yet. As she was doing this, a novice came over holding some bone cylinders in her hands. Katerine took the tubes and looked at the seal. She hoped it wasn't from her eyes and ears.

She began walking toward her rooms to get some rest and to put the cumbersome shield up. Breaking the cylinders with her fingernail, she pulled out the little pieces of parchment and read the code on them. After the first one, she stopped in her tracks at the name of the sender.

"Now that boy decides that he should send me a note. I thought he was dead from his lack of communication."

Katerine looked up from the slips of parchment to find herself halfway to her rooms. Her eyes scanned the area she was in, only to fall upon the back of a man. Upon a second inspection, she realized it was Nine. Surprised to find him there, Katerine stood paralyzed for a few moments before gliding over to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, she spoke softly yet with a tone of commanding.

"Where have you been Nine? No word, then all of sudden I find out that you are on your way back to Tar Valon."

((Hehehe, well, no. If that were the case, we'd turn to one another and be like "FWAHA!" We'd have like a fake brawl in the Amyrlin's Study!))