Checking on Mama; An RP to Morelle in Cairhein

[Bree]

Ubriel woke with the first light of the sun’s rays shining across her eyelids. She breathed deeply enjoying the scent of the hay and the morning dew drenched yard as the breeze blew through the loft window. Then she sneezed so hard that her body betrayed her and made a rather rude noise from the other end. She felt her cheeks turn fiery hot and turned to look over at Zacharyn’s bed. The gargantuan oaf was still lying there, mouth agape, one arm across his forehead and one leg crossed over the knee of the other. He looked very relaxed and tranquil. I hope that smell is enough to choke him. She scrambled from her blankets and down the ladder.

She moved as quietly as she could but somehow woke him up anyway. About the time she got to the bottom of the ladder, she heard him from above, cursing, “What in the name of the Blessed Pattern could possibly have made that stench!? Auch!” Ubriel laughed heartily and turned away, walking swiftly toward the barn door. Intending to grab a bite to eat and then head out, Ubriel had to wade through a kitchen full of children, some of the older ones actually doing the cooking and directing the younger. She actually got stopped at the kitchen door and handed three hot sticky buns and a hot jug and a clay mug of tea.

Grinning to herself in amusement at the level of noise in that house and the level of activity, she couldn’t help but wonder if her father would have loved it or hated it. He seemed to have been the happiest when she was younger. He was busy and always working on the farm, bringing in crops, raising goats and chickens; as she had gotten older he had gotten meaner. She didn’t think of the way he treated her so much anymore. But today she had to wonder if the number of strapping young men like Coga, that were wandering about doing various farm tasks would have made him happy or if the noise would have made him mean.

Arriving again at the barn, she discovered Zacharyn had already hitched the cart horse to the cart and had even padded the cart seat with a couple of blankets. Sighing, she simply pushed open the barn doors, took up the satchel in which her coins, fancloth cloak and personal effects rested and climbed into the driver seat. She tucked the satchel beneath the seat and released the main brake. Holding down the foot brake, she eyed Zacharyn as he climbed aboard and took the seat next to her. Gauging that he was surely settled enough, she released the brake and snapped the reins to make Tilly, the cart horse, lurch forward down the road and on to town.

[Zack]

Zacharyn thanked a young girl who had brought him a small pouch with sticky buns inside. When she turned away to leave the barn, he tossed them onto the cart and shuddered. Whatever had died in the hay last night was still making his gut wrench and he wanted nothing to do with food.

He had just finished hitching the horse and cart when Ubriel walked into the barn with what looked like everything she would need in tow. She jumped onto the cart, undid the brake, and took up the reins. Zacharyn grinned at her as he stepped up onto the cart. As soon as both of his feet were on the cart, Ubriel snapped the horse’s reins, with Zacharyn grabbing the side of the cart just in time to not be thrown off from the sudden movement. He stifled a grunt and actually settled into the seat beside her without looking. Zacharyn lifted himself back up again slightly, and pulled the small package of sticky buns that had been brought for him out from under himself, and plopped back down.

“In a terrible rush this morning, eh? That’s fine, I need to be able to start working on the house as soon as I can anyway. What all are you going to be needing in town?” Zacharyn snarked at Ubriel. He had a not so subtle feeling that she had tried to make him fall off the wagon… As the cart passed by the house on the way, Zacharyn saw Coga and Cabe off to the side of the house. The two seemed to be pointing through a window, toward Rory-Ashaman and Mistress Bryne as they were conversing. “Don’t suppose they’re up to something do you?” Zacharyn asked tilting his head toward the two.

[Bree]

Accustomed to watching over a Warder Hall full of raucous trainees, Ubriel’s prank radar went off as she glanced over at the scene as Zacharyn pointed it out. She shrugged off her first instinct to stop the cart and go investigate and instead spurred the cart horse to go faster. Pointing them down the road, she settled in to resign herself to having to sit next to the reclining and relaxed, perfectly smug young channeler. He smelled of hay and a little sweat with an undercurrent of some kind of minty soap. She was seriously considering asking him to climb into the back of the cart so she would not have to endure it.

He then surprised her by retrieving the lidded jug and her mug and pouring a fresh serving of the hot tea. He held that and one of her sticky buns out for her to take at her leisure. It was the completely unhurried way he simply held them and waited for her to be ready and able to take them from him that got to her. She didn’t even notice herself doing it. She arranged the reins in her left hand and took the mug from him with her right. “Thank you. You can have some as well. There is another mug in my satchel… Wooden but clean.” She covered her blushing cheeks with the mug in her hand as she put it to her lips and took a long pull from the hot liquid.

The slightly sweet and heady taste of the honey on the mint and lemon grass in the tea was refreshing and made her feel young and at her ease again, like when she was a small child. The tea had been a favorite of her mother’s for as long as she could remember. She leaned back in the seat against the single railing board that served as a back rest. “What have you been doing in your training? It has been years, you must have learned a lot.” Ubriel was surprised at the calm way she asked after him. She didn’t feel calm. She felt like she ought to be shaking enough to vibrate the nails right out of the sides of the cart. But a glance down revealed her hands to be steady as she sipped at her tea again, gazing forward down the road.

[Zack]

“Well… It’s been all kinds of things.” Zacharyn began. “I was trained by the M’Hael himself for my introduction to Saidin. He had agreed to train me personally, and he did for a while. He didn’t teach me anything in depth or earth shattering, just helped me get a good foundation. I suppose he became engrossed in the intricacies of his position, as I haven’t been able to speak to him in a long while.” Repositioning himself, Zacharyn pulled the wooden cup from Ubriel’s satchel and poured himself some tea. “I think I may possess an ability that explains why I took to the forge so well when I was growing up. I have been meaning to go speak with Illyria Sedai about it, but I want to be certain I don’t waste her time. She’s been somewhat...irritable as of late. Anyway, a lot of my time has been spent doing simple exercises, but the Master of Soldiers is rather strict in his idea of “simple exercises”. Saidin requires much more force of will than Saidar, so I’ve had an enormous amount of time dedicated to simply holding and directing simple strands of Saidin.” Zacharyn caught himself babbling about nothing in particular. In truth his training had been a blur and it felt as though he just all at once became a Dedicated. “I’m sorry, I started babbling. I don’t really talk to anyone. Thank you for asking me.” Zacharyn said blushing a bit. “ How have you been? I haven’t even properly congratulated you on becoming the Mistress of Training. I’m very glad that you’ve prospered so well in the tower. I hope I can be useful for you one day.” He finished unabashedly. If Mistress Bryne can be forward, then so can I. he thought to himself

[Bree]

Just that quickly, Ubriel was properly angry with him all over again. She had asked him how his training was going and, The Oaf had the nerve to have been progressing in training quite nicely. He babbled on for nearly a half a minute about being an awesome blacksmith and thinking it must be a One Power Talent. Not a single word about missing me or why he had been absent for so long in my life. Then he pointed out for good measure that he didn’t need anyone at all, so I'm not even special enough to be the only one he was avoiding. She was absolutely livid.

She remembered being a very young woman, just before leaving home and having a short affair of the summer with a young man. He had caused these sorts of feelings in her. These rapid and admittedly irrational swings of spitting anger seemed to erupt whole as full fledged storms that she could do nothing for save ride them out. It had honestly been only that one and Zacharyn that had induced such emotion in her ever in her life. She drained the cup and shoved the last half of the sticky bun in her mouth to keep from talking. She shoved the cup towards Zacharyn and refused to look at him as he refilled the thing. He was probably happily oblivious to her anger.

Swallowing some tea and softening the sticky bun, which had congealed into a glue holding her jaws at a certain angle and suspending her tongue in the middle, she worked the goo into a ball and was able to swallow it. It was tasty but she had forgotten the first rule of sticky buns. Never over stuff your mouth. They are called sticky for a reason, and it is not the honey on top. Having gotten distracted by the sticky bun fiasco, her attention was effectively diverted once more by the appearance of the City Walls. She was surprised by the effect of seeing the gateway standing completely open as the remnants of the gate itself had been completely removed and not yet replaced. She was taken aback and suddenly overwhelmed by a completely different but equally strong set of emotions. She remembered those gates sheltering her and her family as a child when the spring storms had ravaged the valley. She remembered those gates holding back snow. She remembered them seeming so strong and comforting and now… it was just a large hole in the wall.

She drove on through in silence and looked around at all the refugees still living in the streets and alleys inside the walls. It had never been a large town. The few narrow streets were lined with odd but neatly arranged tents and living space down one side of each. The alleys, the places too narrow to be actual streets, which connected two streets were covered in such campsites to make them nearly impassable. The campsites were not packed very closely together but that they existed at all was enough to make Ubriel uncomfortable. Finding a place to park the cart near the market square, Ubriel turned to Zacharyn as they got their feet under them once more. “It has been more than six months since the bandits came through and wrecked these people’s lives. Yet there they are still living in tents in the streets. My people, the neighbors and families that I grew up with.” Ubriel hugged her own arms, rubbing them although the air was warming. She wanted nothing more than to be told it would all be okay and these people would be okay. She didn’t know if she would believe it but she wanted the chance to try.

[Zack]

Zacharyn could tell that Ubriel was upset by the time he had finished talking. He mentally hit himself in the head for it. What was I thinking? Why would she want to hear all about how good I've been since I haven't been talking to her. Zacharyn's attack of self was interrupted by Ubriel nearly smacking him in the chest with her cup. He poured her some more and placed the cap back on. She looked like she had stuffed too much sticky-bun in her mouth, and he had to stifle a small grin.

The two of them crested a small hill and the wall around Morelle was in sight. When she realized what it was, Ubriel's breath caught ever so slightly and Zacharyn noticed her looking sadly at the large hole in the wall. It was there for a moment, sadness, and then it was gone, almost as though it had never been there. Ubriel continued on sucking her teeth clean of the sticky-bun she had seemed about to gag on moments before, and pretended nothing had happened until they were on the other side of the wall. There were still many people living on the streets of Morelle. It seemed one side of each street had been designated as living area as well as down most alleyways. Ubriel seemed to become more and more tense the further they rode until they managed to find a place to park in what he assumed was the market.

Ubriel climbed down off of the cart as soon as she set the parking brake, and Zacharyn followed quickly after. She was looking around at all the people who had been displaced by the Shaido during their attack on Morelle. “It has been more than six months since the bandits came through and wrecked these people’s lives. Yet there they are still living in tents in the streets. My people, the neighbors and families that I grew up with.” Ubriel was obviously mortified at all of the grief around her, feeling the weight of the damage that had been dealt to her people. Zacharyn was enthralled at her sincerity and her openness. As Ubriel wrapped her arms around herself, Zacharyn took that as his cue. "These people," Zacharyn started, "are extremely resilient. There are lines of tents along the streets, but look at all the people in them." Zacharyn walked up next to Ubriel and wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders and began to point. "Those people are all laughing and moving around selling things in the market; buying building material still rebuilding what once was." He had been slowly turning, working his way back to the one time gate of the city as he pointed out the things he was talking about. "What we couldn't see from the outside, was all the stacks of building material just inside the walls where they are readying themselves to rebuild the wall bigger and better.” He turned to her and, seeing the tears building in her eyes, started to wrap both arms around her. She turned so that he was hold her back to his chest and wrapped his arms around her, under hers. Around her middle in a way that she could fall and he would catch her, and keep her safe and secure. “I believe these people are in good spirits and are still rebuilding.” Zacharyn finished, holding her. He was worried about her, seeing Ubriel like this made him want to protect her and keep her safe. It was becoming more and more obvious to him just how much he loved her. He just hoped he’d be able to show her.

[Coga]

Cabe and Coga ended up only taking two blankets each from their own sides and although Cabe thought it was a good idea to do it, they did not set traps for the old geezer that stole a bedroom from thirteen and six year old kids. They grabbed our small amount of belongings, most of Coga’s being knives and a small wooden battle axe he had made. Most of Cabe’s things were just small figures of animals Coga had made out of wood and his mom’s wedding ring which was all that was left after the Shaido attacked. Coga helped Cabe with a few of his things.

As Cabe and Coga were walking down the hall, the old man came down the hall and obviously didn't know that we were the kids whose room was being taken. He walked up to us and introduced himself as Rory and asked what our names were. So in the nicest rude voice, he said “ I am Coga and this is Cabe.” Coga could see a sudden change in his expression so I knew he recognized the names.

He said, “Thanks for letting me use your room.”

In response Coga said, “We didn't offer. It’s not fair we have to sleep in the barn and you get our room.”

When we got to the barn we each took about five sheaves of hay and spread them out on the hard cold ground so that our “beds” were connected. We set our stuff down and folded our blankets in half so we had extra cushion under us. After Cabe and I were done making our beds, we decided to just bed down for the night. As Coga was sitting there on the ground Coga heard owls in the trees and a horse in the stable hit the wall with its tail, and even though he had gotten used to it, the barn still reeked of manure and urine.

[Bree]

Ubriel was caught off guard by the arm that found its way across her shoulders. She didn’t have time to protest before he was speaking and making sense. She found herself listening to him. He is right, they are not broken. They are not saddened. She caught herself grinning at the antics of a little boy teasing his littler sister, holding her doll away from her. Their dog, initially sitting next to the whining little girl, watching her jump for the doll, suddenly jumped up and grabbed the doll from the boy’s hand and took off running. Ubriel’s left hand half lifted to her mouth to cover a giggling grin.

The juxtaposition of her giggle with her tears must have caught Zacharyn’s attention, he looked at her briefly before beginning to wrap his arms around her. Not ready to be held that closely, face to face with him, she turned. He was undeterred, pulling her in tight and holding her back to his chest. His arms were wrapped around her middle, such that there was no way that he could want anything from her. It was a pure offer of support and care. If she collapsed where she stood just then, he would hold her up in that embrace. She felt his warm breath on her ear and cheek and she reached up with one hand to lightly lay her fingers on his cheek. Breathing in deeply, once, she dashed away the tears still holding their places in her eyes and patted his hands to indicate he should let her go.

Once freed of his embrace, she stepped lightly around him and then up to him. Placing one hand on his shoulder, she gently drew him down to her and she kissed his cheek. Not meeting his eyes, she stepped quickly away and up to the side of the cart. She slung her satchel over her shoulder and looked around the craft yard they had parked in. Her eyes locked onto the face of a young man coming toward them, smiling and looking like home.

“Ubriel Bryne! By the Light, I never thought to see you back in this little town again.” The young man strode up and scooped her up as if she were a child.

“Mitch Cartwright!” Ubriel squealed with glee, wrapping her legs around his middle and kissing the top of his head. With a little hop off of his waist she landed back on her feet in front of him. Mitch began to ask where she had been and what she had been doing and for the next two hours, he led them from vendor to vendor helping to find the supplies that she needed. He loaded his arms up with bundles and packages and made two return trips to the cart to deposit the purchases. He helped Zacharyn to locate and load the building materials he would need as well.

Ubriel was at first completely oblivious to the grinding of Zacharyn’s teeth. As the morning wore on, however, it became more apparent that Zacharyn viewed Mitch and his familiar way with her as a threat. She knew it was wrong. She knew it was unfair. She could not help herself. After they dropped the last of the food parcels in the cart, she snaked her arm through Mitch’s and batted her lashes. She was not serious in any way and Mitch would know that and return her playful gestures. Theirs was a romance long over but Zacharyn didn’t know that.

“Mitch, what have you been doing? How is the Cartwright trade treating you?” Ubriel asked as they waited for Zacharyn’s lumber order to be pulled together.

“Why don’t you come have lunch with me at the Shadetree?” Mitch smiled down at her with the fondest of touches to the tip of her nose. “I will tell you all about it.”

[Zack]

Zacharyn was fully elated when Ubriel reached up and grazed his cheek with her fingers. He leaned into it like a small puppy receiving its first good scratchings. It was a small but very sweet and lovingly appreciative gesture. Zacharyn thought he had reconnected with Ubriel at last. She patted his hands to signal him to let her go, and she kissed him softly on the cheek and walked away as though nothing had happened. She had become a stalking lioness once again.

“Ubriel Bryne! By the Light, I never thought to see you back in this little town again.” Zacharyn did not...absolutely did not like that sound of that. Without realizing it, Zacharyn had seized Saidin and had began forming a weave of air that would have encompassed this whoever it was, but he had moved quicker than Zacharyn expected and had lifted Ubriel into the air like she was a small child. He let go of his weave and couldn’t feel anything but numb when Ubriel squealed back. “Mitch Cartwright!!” Zacharyn had always hated the name Mitch, even more so now that he had watched Ubriel wrap her legs around one. It seemed as though his lioness was a small kitten for this one.

Ubriel had been at the tower for years, working her way up through the ranks and earning the title of Mistress of Training. That alone had been enough to keep her away from Morelle. She couldn’t know him from recent time… Ubriel and he had to have known one another before she came to the tower. Which would be much before I met Ubriel in Tear. An old flame? Zacharyn’s thoughts ran wild as he tried to figure out what was happening. When it all suddenly clicked for him. That devious woman could have Domani blood with the way she’s playing me. Ubriel was NOT the kind of woman to allow someone to comfort her like he just had if she were already involved with someone. On top of that, he knew for a fact that she was still livid with him and would want to make him suffer for a while yet. That didn’t change the way that seeing her canoodling with Mitch made him feel… He definitely hated the name Mitch...

Zacharyn felt like an extra person as he followed Ubriel and Mitch about the town gathering supplies. When Mitch asked him what all he would need for his building project, Zacharyn listed things off in a mechanical fashion. Finding everything they needed, Mitch invited Ubriel to eat with him. “Why don’t you come have lunch with me at the Shadetree?” Mitch said to her with the smug look of a hunter who had heavily baited his snare. “I will tell you all about it.”

Zacharyn was done with this. He didn’t want to hear another word about Mitch Bloody Cartwright, but since it seemed he wouldn’t be going away anytime soon… “Mitch that is a wonderful idea!” Zacharyn walked over with the largest, most heartfelt smile he could muster. Spoiling the duo’s moment. Flaming goat-brained wagon maker… Zacharyn thought as he watched Mitch startle at his sudden loudness. “Why don’t you let Ubriel and I make sure all of our supplies are in order and then she and I can meet you at that shade tree. Hmm?” Zacharyn finished, slapping Mitch on the shoulder a bit harder than was probably necessary.

[Bree]

Ubriel looked incredulously at Zacharyn as he took her somewhat roughly by the elbow and turned her abruptly toward the wagon. “What in blazes are you doing?” She tried to pull free and found that in order to do so, she would have to use some of her more aggressive training as a Gaidar which would likely bruise the young channeler. Not wanting to really hurt him and being somewhat abashed by how well her overly enthusiastic behavior had worked to unsettle Zacharyn’s calm, Ubriel sighed with a gruff noise in her throat and let him direct her. Only a few paces away, his rough treatment softened. He retained his firm grip on her elbow but he did not push quite so roughly.

He remained tight lipped and did not even look at her as they scurried along. Upon approaching the wagon, Ubriel gave a calculated jerk of her arm and managed to pull free of his grip. That brought his attention around and he turned to look at her. The bags he had been carrying, he threw towards the wagon and Ubriel watched as the minor toss grew into three parcels flying in a steady trajectory toward the back of the wagon where they lightly dropped into a neat row. Blasted channelers… She stepped up to his chest, which was significant and hard with muscle. Her mouth went suddenly dry as she became aware of that very impressive chest but her stubborn words flowed out anyway, only slightly squeaky, “What is wrong with you?!” She knew, or had a suspicion, but she was going to demand that he tell her. She needed him to stop being guarded.

She had thought, once more than two years earlier, that she would one day be this man’s Warder. She had thought that he would hold nothing back from her and that she would know the depths of his heart and mind. In the relationship she had envisioned and dreamt of, he would know her just as well and the two of them would protect each other and support each other in the everyday challenges of the ‘rest of the world’. As his Warder, she would be the shield and wall through which no physical assault would be able to reach him. She would be his guardian and he would not need to guard any piece of himself from her. That had been her dream; her heart’s desire.

But time and distance and a cold wall of separation had made that dream seem childish and stupid and, worse, laughable. She still held it dear and wanted nothing more than to pick it up and polish it back to shining glory. To do that, she needed him to be the one who did the polishing. So she pressed. “Mitch is a dear friend, someone who shared some of my fondest memories in childhood. He has been nothing but kind and helpful. How can you treat him so rudely? I don’t doubt he will be pleased to have you join us for lunch as well but you know full well that the invitation was for me. You could take that wagon back to the farm and Mitch will happily take me home himself. He will likely want to talk for most of the day. We haven’t seen each other in over six years! I have become something that absolutely no one in this village has ever dreamed of and he..” Ubriel rolled her eyes to one side as she continued to imagine what he may have done with his life.

She was just letting the words spill out with vehemence and frustration, not really paying attention to what she was saying, only the tone. She wanted to convey how she felt interested but only to the point of amusement with Mitch. She wanted to show that she cared because he was what her life might have been but that it was so far from what her life actually had become to be irrelevant. She, at some point in the flow of emotional language, laid her hands on that amazingly broad and solid chest and started to emphasize her words with the light thumping of her small fists against it. She did not see when Zacharyn opened his mouth to speak. She didn’t pause when he tried to interject. She just kept on and completely missed the look that came over his face.