Under the Stars (Bella)

Welcome to the Gardens: one of the most tranquil areas of the Tower Grounds.
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Welcome to the Gardens: one of the most tranquil areas of the Tower Grounds. Birds sing in the trees which line the wide paths between beautiful flower beds and serene lakes. There are benches to sit and listen to the waterfall, and there is neatly trimmed grass to lie on and rest. Novices and Soldiers as well as Warders in Training can be seen, sweeping the stone paths as Accepted and Dedicated study from books and relax under leafy trees.
Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Alianora » December 18th, 2022, 10:07 pm

Liaran Sedai
Liaran smiled again before following the path they were on towards the nearest of the waiting boats. Since the path did not lead to the lake itself, but only circled around it, Liaran was forced to leave it behind in order to reach the water's edge. The skirt of the dress she'd had to wear for the evening dragged along the grass, and she paused to study her surroundings before gathering the material in her arms. This left a good part of her legs visible, but since nobody but Haeden was close enough to notice, Liaran did not care.

Once she was standing at the side of the boat, Liaran reached for it, holding it steady with the hand that wasn't holding her skirt up. She waited for Haeden come and settle himself in it before letting go, then climbed in and seated herself on the wooden bench across from him. Only then did she release the fabric she'd been holding, allowing it to pool around her feet and cover her legs again.

"This is just a rowboat," she said to Haeden, "We use them sometimes to sail between neighboring islands, but not often. It is nothing like our larger ships." Liaran leaned across her seat, pushing the boat away from the shore and allowing it to drift out onto the water. As it did, she took an oar in each hand and began to row. She had been careful to ensure that the number of boats available wouldn't crowd the lake too much, so while she watched for others, she wasn't especially worried about running into anyone.

Watching out for the other boats helped Liaran to find a location away from the rest of them, out near the center of the lake, and she turned the oars to direct their boat that way. As she distanced them from the others, Liaran turned to Haeden and spoke.

"I've been thinking," she said quietly as she continued to row. "I know that a woman here usually takes her husband's name after marrying, but I'm not going to do that." Her eyes remained mostly on Haeden as she explained, "I like my name, I earned it...and it is one of the only ties I still have to my people and our culture." She knew without having to ask that Haeden would respect her right to make that decision, but she was afraid it would hurt him....and hurting the man she loved was one of the very few fears Liaran had.

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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Bella » December 22nd, 2022, 2:49 am

Haeden had to admit that there were a few thin threads of conflicting emotions winding around different parts of his brain over the sequence of events to follow... He had spent so little time in boats of any sort that there was the very briefest flash of uncertainty, but he pushed that away with rationality.

His male pride and innate sense as a Gaidin struggled a little with her having to do all the work, but he also knew that she knew better than he did how best to do this. I'll have to learn, he determined.

Once they were on their way and he'd suppressed these thin threads, she spoke and tugged at different ones. He could feel her...anxiety, as it were, about what she said. He listened, and then nodded slightly. "I won't lie to you. The thought of you having my name is a nice one, but be at ease. It's not one that I'm so attached to that it's a problem. Truth is... Sometimes, I don't even feel like it's my name.

"It's my father's name." He smiled wryly. "I can understand the pride and attachment to your name. Not all customs need be kept, after all. I've always appreciated making my own path more, and now we can make our own."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Alianora » December 26th, 2022, 9:56 pm

Liaran Sedai
Liaran smiled as she looked into Haeden's eyes. "Yes..." she agreed, "we will make our own path forward together." That was, after all, what she wished to find within their marriage; a lifetime shared in a way that even their bond to each other could not grant them. Still, she looked away after a moment, not entirely sure her decision hadn't hurt him. "But......I don't want to hurt you, Haeden." Liaran said softly, gazing out at the water that surrounded them. "I would never want that."

She fell quiet then, trying to come up with a solution that would satisfy both her pride and independence and the custom her Warder clearly valued. The only sound Liaran made was the gentle splash of the oars in the water as she kept the boat moving. They had nearly crossed the entire length of the lake by the time she turned back to Haeden and told him, "When I said I wouldn't take your name, what I meant was that I wouldn't replace mine with yours." That was what her own people did when they married, and what she thought most shorebound women did, but even the idea of discarding her own name to be known solely by his made Liaran wince. She was a person of her own, and had no intention of allowing her marriage to Haeden to change that.

Almost shyly, the Aes Sedai offered, "What if I were to add your name to mine, and use them both? That might be a little long, but I would not mind." She wasn't quite sure whether she actually liked the idea, or if she'd only thought of it to please Haeden. That bothered her a little, and she resolved to herself to consider it further. She had time, and what was most important to her was that both of them could accept whatever choice she made.

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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Bella » December 29th, 2022, 4:46 pm

Haeden very much appreciated her trying to find a middle ground, and he hoped that she could feel it. "I am not hurt, Liaran," he said gently. "I promise. Like I said, it is a nice thought but not one that I am so very attached to. If you wished to add my name to yours, I would be honored, but what I want most is for you to have the name you feel is most your own.

"It's not uncommon, though, for a woman's name to not be fully replaced," he went on. "My mother is Miahala ni Sha'hal t'Darrow now, both her maiden name and Ravak's. Saldaean custom. She considers Machera, Jolstraer, and Ives all part of her name too, though she doesn't use them all in her signature of course." The Gaidin chuckled.

"My point is... I am happy with the name you choose. I want you to be comfortable with it. We have some time before the wedding, after all, so you can think about if you wish to add my name or not. I promise that I will not be hurt no matter what you choose."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Alianora » January 1st, 2023, 2:33 am

Liaran Sedai
Liaran smiled at what she sensed through their bond, and at the sound of the words she had needed to hear. With the oars in her hands, keeping the rowboat in motion, she couldn't reach out to touch him, or even move very far from where she was seated. Still, she managed to lean forward, just a little, without once looking away from Haeden. The smile she wore was the bright sort Liaran only ever directed at him. Never a woman of many words, the Aes Sedai chose to let her emotions flow though their bond, speaking for her: relief, gratitude....love.

For a while, that was enough for her, and, she hoped, Haeden as well, but as they approached the opposite shore, Liaran realized that she did know how to express her feelings to him. "I don't remember if I've ever told you how I used to believe I would never want to marry," she remarked. "I thought it would mean losing my independence, my sense of self, and I couldn't stand the thought of that." She paused to pull one of the pins from her hair, then pushed it back in to secure a few strands that had worked their way free to dangle around her face.

Then Liaran continued, "Among my people, the marriage vows we make include obedience from the higher ranking partner when the couple are in their own quarters, or otherwise have privacy, and even as a girl I knew I would never be able to make that promise and keep it." Even now, with Haeden, that remained true; the difference was that she believed he would never demand that from her unless her life itself was in danger, nor would she ever ask it of him. Though she'd stopped smiling, Liaran's voice still conveyed the affection she felt for her Warder.

"But in you," she continued, "I have an equal, a partner...I've found myself almost counting the days until our marriage, and I never dreamed I would want this so much."

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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Bella » January 4th, 2023, 11:34 pm

The swell of emotions from her and within himself, and what happened when they collided in the bond, was almost enough to overwhelm him. He felt buried in them. Truthfully, it was rather a glorious feeling, and he knew that while their feelings for each other didn't dim, this level of overwhelm was rare and precious.

He wished he could hold her hand, but they were busy. He wished he could kiss her, but he was actually a little concerned with tipping over the boat.

That would have to wait until they were on land again...

Instead, he opened his mouth to reply. Words didn't come out. He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed at his own level of emotion, before he said softly, "I wouldn't have it any other way. I never imagined meeting anyone I'd want to marry, though for less specific reasons, but I'm grateful I have."

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Alianora » January 7th, 2023, 3:10 am

Liaran Sedai
Waves of emotion rolled through their bond as Haeden spoke. Liaran thought she could have drowned herself in them and been quite content to do so. For a few moments, the Aes Sedai closed her eyes and allowed herself to do nothing other than experience them all. With the oars still in her hands, it wasn't long before she was forced to return her attention to the surrounding world. The rowboat swayed gently beneath her, having stopped while her thoughts were elsewhere. Liaran pulled hard on the oars to get the boat moving again, and once she had the rhythm of it reestablished, looked away from her task to meet Haeden's eyes.

With another bright smile, she said, "For two people who both expected never to marry....you and I are very lucky that we have found each other." She scooted forward, perching on the edge of her wooden seat, and bent her head towards him before softly saying, "I love you, my Gaidin." Liaran was silent after that, giving Haeden the chance to respond if he chose.

After some time had passed and they were well away from the shore, Liaran gave the oars one final strong push before taking them partly out of the water. She extended her hands, still holding the oars, towards Haeden and asked, "Do you want to try?" She was not tired, and could easily have returned them to the opposite shore, but she wanted to share this aspect of her culture with her Warder.

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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Bella » January 12th, 2023, 11:29 pm

Haeden replicated her movement--if perhaps a bit less confidently--but enough. Being a tall fellow with a long torso, it allowed him to meet her in the middle for a small kiss. (There was no one around so he decided to take his shot.) "I love you, my Aes Sedai," he said quietly, holding her gaze for a moment before settling back.

"Do you want to try?"

He was almost surprised and yet not at the question, particularly as he'd just been thinking of it himself. He nodded. "I would," he agreed. It had been a while since he'd actually had to learn something physical like this, which was vaguely amusing to him. "I'd like to know more about all of it, in time." He had watched her, so he felt like he had a good idea of how to go about it.

Alianora
"The Path of Daggers"
Posts: 997
Joined: May 2nd, 2016, 8:32 pm
PC: Liaran Sedai, Blue Ajah
SC: Amaranie Sedai, Indigo Ajah
TC: Kalyan Rihera, Yellow Ajah

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Alianora » January 16th, 2023, 11:30 pm

Liaran Sedai
Liaran leaned forward and into the kiss, then slowly returned to the edge of her seat with a smile. The boat rocked under her as she sat back down. Gazing at Haeden, her smile grew wider when he agreed to try rowing and expressed a desire to know more of her culture.

"You will," she promised him. "But for now....this is a good way to start," she commented as she passed the oars to him. Liaran wasn't at all worried about Haeden's ability to learn; her Warder was a strong man and rowing a boat this small truly was not a difficult task. "All you have to do is put the oars in the water and push them backwards to make the boat move," she said to him. "You won't want to go so slowly that our boat stays still, but it's better not to go too fast either or you risk getting tired when we're nowhere near the shore."

Liaran bent her head forward, keeping her eyes on Haeden. If he wanted help, she would offer it, but if not the Aes Sedai intended to stay quiet. It did not really matter to her if he took to it immediately or not; what was important, and meant so much to her, was that he was willing to try.

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Bella
Female Channeller Representative
Posts: 5615
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 11:28 pm
PC: Miahala Darrow Sedai
SC: Lysira Viathene Gaidin
TC: Gareth Tomosan Asha'man
QC: Natlya Cade Gaidin
QC: Andraste Alhandra Sedai
Location: New England

Re: Under the Stars (Bella)

Post by Bella » January 18th, 2023, 7:57 pm

For a moment, he ran the risk of being distracted by the things passing over the bond, but he--like any good Gaidin--was able to keep it all where it belonged when he needed to focus. This was hardly a battle scenario, of course, but some focus was still required. He took the handles of the oars when handed to him.

How long has it been since I actually -learned- something? The thought was still amusing, but he still didn't linger.

So, he set to it. He thought of her movements while she had been rowing and then worked to replicate them. It was how he'd learned most of the skills he had, after all. They did start to turn for a moment when he didn't move them in proper tandem. It made him chuckle quietly, but then he tried again and managed it.

The canoe began to move slow but steadily, and he was pleased.

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