Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ethin looked over his shoulder to monitor Esole and Kiae's conversation. Esole merely nodded which Ethin took as a sign of good will. It seemed to him that she was trying to contain her usual arrogance which he assumed was a result of the conversation he so carefully planned to happen.

Ethin sensed a sudden worry in the Bond as well as a strange feeling he couldn't put his finger on. He decided he would stay within the immediate vicinity to keep an eye on Kiae just in case. He walked the circle around the camp and gathered rocks and sticks. Once amply supplied, he positioned the sticks and made a circle around them with the rocks. Once the fire was burning at a rate well enough to satisfy him, Ethin approached Kiae.

"Are you well?" he asked, concern filling his voice.

Ethin stood, quizzical, where she had left him. He did not know what to think of the situation. The only thought that occurred to him was to comfort her. He came up to Kiae and held her in his arms. "It will be alright," he whispered in her ear.

"Fret not, dear one. I am here for you," Ethin said in a soft, gentle tone. He could guess what she was upset about and decided he wouldn't call on it directly; that would only make matters worse. After a short while, he reluctantly released her from his arms and straightened. "Perhaps we should settle in for the night? We will need our rest," he said in a loud enough voice for Esole to hear.




Esole looked over and noticed their interaction but went about unrolling her bedroll and unpacking her necessities. Then she heard Ethin. "Of course, I was just getting ready to do so," she said softly, yet loud enough for the pair to hear.

"I intended to do just that," Ethin replied with a comforting smile. He moved their bedrolls closer together, on the other side of the fire from Esole, and walked over to Esole. "As you already can guess, we will be leaving at first light. Sleep well, Esole," he told the Green. She merely nodded and said her thanks before bundling up in her bedroll. Ethin suddenly felt a small burst of warmth from her and could only assume that she had set some sort of heating weave around herself with the Power.

Ethin returned to Kiae and got in the bedroll beside her. "I will be here when you wake," he said soothingly.

Ethin stroked her hair gently, hoping to ease her in to a deep slumber. "Sleep well my dear one," he said in a hushed voice.

Ethin's eyes opened slowly, shielding them against the light. "How was your slumber?" he asked after a long yawn. He rose and stretched, limbering up his muscles and joints.

"Sleeping so close to you, how could I not have slept well?" Ethin said. He glanced down at Esole and then back at his Aes Sedai. "I shall go wake her. She can get a bit grumpy," he said with a smile.

Ethin walked over to the sleeping Green. He bent over and tugged on her ear, a place he knew she was ticklish. She awoke with a startled gasp and giggle. Esole glanced around her surroundings and realized what had happened and composed herself. "You could have just told me to wake up, Ethin," she said in feigned anger.

Once everyone was up and settled, the party gathered around their horses. "Shall we be off?" Ethin asked. He threw his saddle on over his horse and stuffed his things into the saddlebag before doing the same with Kiae's.