Since their trip to Fal Moran, a lot of things had been playing on Ravak Darrow's mind. He was questioning a lot of what had taken place, and the decisions both he and Kaia had made. It swirled about in his mind more often then he would like to admit, and he was no longer able to hide that turmoil from the petite Domani. He needed a distraction which his duties weren't adequately providing. He needed something to work on.
Where the initial idea had come from he had no idea, but it had settled in during the trip back to Shienar. No matter how long he had been at the Grey Tower, Shienar was still where he was from. Not much of his homeland had left him, if the mutterings of 'too serious' that he caught were anything to go on. The red-haired Gaidin didn't accept that he was serious, simply determined. This project may just prove them - whomever 'they' were - wrong on both fronts. He could be determined whilst being also being a little trivial.
The gateway opened up before him, and he stepped through with both swords drawn the moment the hole in reality stopped expanding. His caution was almost completely unmerited; he would have smelt if any danger was present almost as quickly as he would have felt it through the blessings of the bond. That he was stepping into the Citadel, the Grey Tower's bastion in Shienar, was a third reason not to be vigilant, but he had to be. A moment later, Kaia Sedai followed through from the Channelling Yards, and the gateway snapped shut behind her.
It still felt a little odd, being at the Red sister's side. It felt even stranger knowing that she was there for him as much as he was there for her. There was absolutely nothing passionate about their relationship - she wasn't a Green - but there was an odd tenderness that seemed to Rav beyond the duty of care he had to provide, or that she had to return. That all he needed to do was ask her to accompany him to the Citadel, and she would agree, was astonishing. Amusement tickled at his mind through the bond. Trying to ignore it, he moved deeper into the stone bastion, sheathed his swords as he did so.
After a few minutes, the Master of Training knocked on a seemingly random doorway, before he admitted himself. Even before he had reached the room, the panting and yelping told him this was what he sought. The sound of barking animals increased as the door opened, and Ravak grinned despite himself. Sat against the wall were three wooden travelling boxes, a furry form scampering around in each. He crossed the room in four wide strides, before he was face-to-face with one of the hairy forms through the thin wooden bars.
"Dogs?" Kaia was standing in the doorway, looking imperious in spite of her diminutive height. He offered only a slightly abashed grin.
"Puppies. Shienaran huskies, to be precise." He turned back, almost nose to nose with the animal. "You gave me a thought, I think back at the border outposts." Ravak could feel the Domani's eyebrow arch in response to that, but he didn't look away from the wide-eyed puppy. It was so incredibly cute! "I'm a Sniffer, according to you. I was wondering what else could be sensed." His hand flicked open the latch, and the white furball practically leaped into his other hand. Carefully he turned back towards his bondmate, cradling the animal in his arms.
"They aren't coming anywhere near my study." A hint of worry and anger crossed the bond. "If they do anything to my furniture..." The implied punishment didn't need to be voiced.
"They are working animals, not pets," he put in mildly. "I'm having kennels built beside the stables. Or, I shall, once I run it past Riahana."
Rav did not see the look Kaia gave him, but he heard a murmured "dear boy".
"I intend to train them to serve the Grey Tower. At the very least, it may keep some of the Drin on their best behaviour. Someone is going to have to be used as target practice." Rav's grin was not entirely kind, but any inferred cruelty was muted by the fuzzball in his arms. With reluctance, he returned to the travelling box and placed the husky pup back inside. "Come, let's get these animals back to the Tower." He gathered two boxes in one hand, the third in the other. His project was taking shape, in the form of three cute puppies.
Where the initial idea had come from he had no idea, but it had settled in during the trip back to Shienar. No matter how long he had been at the Grey Tower, Shienar was still where he was from. Not much of his homeland had left him, if the mutterings of 'too serious' that he caught were anything to go on. The red-haired Gaidin didn't accept that he was serious, simply determined. This project may just prove them - whomever 'they' were - wrong on both fronts. He could be determined whilst being also being a little trivial.
The gateway opened up before him, and he stepped through with both swords drawn the moment the hole in reality stopped expanding. His caution was almost completely unmerited; he would have smelt if any danger was present almost as quickly as he would have felt it through the blessings of the bond. That he was stepping into the Citadel, the Grey Tower's bastion in Shienar, was a third reason not to be vigilant, but he had to be. A moment later, Kaia Sedai followed through from the Channelling Yards, and the gateway snapped shut behind her.
It still felt a little odd, being at the Red sister's side. It felt even stranger knowing that she was there for him as much as he was there for her. There was absolutely nothing passionate about their relationship - she wasn't a Green - but there was an odd tenderness that seemed to Rav beyond the duty of care he had to provide, or that she had to return. That all he needed to do was ask her to accompany him to the Citadel, and she would agree, was astonishing. Amusement tickled at his mind through the bond. Trying to ignore it, he moved deeper into the stone bastion, sheathed his swords as he did so.
After a few minutes, the Master of Training knocked on a seemingly random doorway, before he admitted himself. Even before he had reached the room, the panting and yelping told him this was what he sought. The sound of barking animals increased as the door opened, and Ravak grinned despite himself. Sat against the wall were three wooden travelling boxes, a furry form scampering around in each. He crossed the room in four wide strides, before he was face-to-face with one of the hairy forms through the thin wooden bars.
"Dogs?" Kaia was standing in the doorway, looking imperious in spite of her diminutive height. He offered only a slightly abashed grin.
"Puppies. Shienaran huskies, to be precise." He turned back, almost nose to nose with the animal. "You gave me a thought, I think back at the border outposts." Ravak could feel the Domani's eyebrow arch in response to that, but he didn't look away from the wide-eyed puppy. It was so incredibly cute! "I'm a Sniffer, according to you. I was wondering what else could be sensed." His hand flicked open the latch, and the white furball practically leaped into his other hand. Carefully he turned back towards his bondmate, cradling the animal in his arms.
"They aren't coming anywhere near my study." A hint of worry and anger crossed the bond. "If they do anything to my furniture..." The implied punishment didn't need to be voiced.
"They are working animals, not pets," he put in mildly. "I'm having kennels built beside the stables. Or, I shall, once I run it past Riahana."
Rav did not see the look Kaia gave him, but he heard a murmured "dear boy".
"I intend to train them to serve the Grey Tower. At the very least, it may keep some of the Drin on their best behaviour. Someone is going to have to be used as target practice." Rav's grin was not entirely kind, but any inferred cruelty was muted by the fuzzball in his arms. With reluctance, he returned to the travelling box and placed the husky pup back inside. "Come, let's get these animals back to the Tower." He gathered two boxes in one hand, the third in the other. His project was taking shape, in the form of three cute puppies.
