The Return of Ravhala [Attn: Craig]

[Bella]

Miahala sent a pointed look to her husband and warder, hoping it would be enough to sober him up quickly. While she understood the tactical weakness this girl presented, and she also remained wary of everything and everyone, she also knew this girl could be an asset and have useful information...

...but not if they upset her to the point of uselessness.

"When we depart the town, we will bring you to the Grey Tower where you can learn to channel safely and properly, and with protection from the Whitecloaks," Mia said gently.

Lyla turned her whole focus onto the woman, since she was clearly the nicer of the pair. Women always were the nicer ones, weren't they?

"You can't stay here," she pleaded. "If it isn't safe for me, it surely isn't for you!"

"I assure you, Lyla, I can take care of myself," Mia said easily. "But you can help us if you can tell us anything you know or have heard about the Whitecloaks, such as when and how many and how long..."

"Forever, certainly," the girl said, looking downtrodden. "Have you ever heard of them willingly leaving a town once they've moved in?" She rubbed at her watering eyes. "I think they'll be here tomorrow, or nearly as soon. How many? Goodness, too many. It sounds like they don't expect any struggle here, and they won't get one..."

Hesitating, she looked between Miahala and Ravak. "Or, they weren't going to...so, I think I heard something like...a company's worth? I don't know. I don't know terms."

[Craig]

Ravak

Ravak scratched his forehead with his thumbnail. A company? Even with the living embodiment of fire and retribution at his side, fighting hundred-plus-odd Whitecloaks didn't sound like a promising idea. If she'd misunderstood and they were only sending a squad, or a platoon, or whatever the medieval equivalent was... Then again, she may have underestimated the numbers. Were the Whitecloaks coming to take control of a town, or of the entirety of Tarabon?

"Tomorrow." Ravak nodded to himself. It was a sobering thought, but it didn't negate the alcohol coursing through his system. "I can watch the eastern approach, but..." He shrugged. Or "I can ride out to confirm. They'll be on their way already. Is there a purpose of us both going? You can take Lyla back to the Tower, then come back for me."

Leaving this town to the mercy of the Whitecloaks was as unappealing as riding out to meet a hundred of them on an empty road, but what was the alternative? Even if they Travelled back into the Hall of Sitters to plead their case, the Whitecloaks would have taken Nassad by the time a decision had been made.

[Bella]

Lyla seemed to be fading from the conversation, staring out the window nervously.

Miahala watched her for a moment and then sighed heavily. She shared Ravak's uncertainty about the whole situation, as well as the accuracy of the girl's information, but she also knew that if push came to shove...and she had the advantage of forewarning and the high ground... She just might be able to bury a whole company of Whitecloaks.

Rather literally, at that. She had let the ground swallow a horde of Trollocs before.

Sighing, she got to her feet and gestured Ravak to the other side of the room--away from the distant-gazed girl.

"Or we stay until they are here and remain as in hiding as we are now," she said in a low, somber voice. "We see if we can gain any information about their plans, just how far they plan to spread. Then leave quickly..." It wasn't that she was sure she wanted to do this plan, but it was an option to be discussed.

[Craig]

Ravak

Going it alone, even just for reconnaissance, didn't thrill him as a plan. It did allow Mia to stay safe, and it kept the girl safe too. That was his priority, to protect.

But sitting safe and watching from a distance? That was reconnaissance without the whole 'riding headlong into an army of Whitecloaks' thing. But that did put Mia in harm's way. She was no shrinking violet, and whilst a few Whitecloaks wouldn't be an issue for his wife to handle alone, that wasn't the point.

Rav scratched at his beard, thinking.

"I guess we stay put," he accepted. "Hiding in plain sight, mm? Well, if that's the case, Lyla has to stay here, assuming she won't be missed. But we've got to be seen out and about. I know this isn't the halls of the Tower, but gossip will spread. A noblewoman and her bodyguard sitting in their room all day and all night? With the Whitecloaks coming, that'll raise suspicions."

He looked over Mia's shoulder towards the former barmaid. "But at least one of us will need to stay close, just in case." His eyes moved back to his wife's. "So, a night of cards and dancing I guess?" he grinned.

[Bella]

She returned his grin with a smile of her own. Only a Green and a Gaidin would so happily determine to stay in a city where a group of Whitecloaks would soon be descending. Anyone sane would be leaving, and now, but no one dared accused Miahala Impending Doom ni Sha'hal t'Darrow of being sane.

"According to the other barmaid, they already assume that Lyla has just run off, so that won't be an issue as long as she stays put here. She was in a closet when I came upstairs, so I assume this will be an upgrade."

Being inherently paranoid after a lifetime of people trying to kill her, she hadn't yet fully bought the girl's story, but she believed her enough for this at least. They would leave nothing in the room that could be used against them, and Miahala was sure she was far more skilled at...most things over the young woman.

"Dancing, you say?" Mia said, eyes glinting. "You certainly know how to make this lady happy." Of course, threads of bloodlust were weaving through her at the idea of eviscerating some Whitecloaks...but she knew she'd have to wait. And Ravak probably would insist she left before she could.

But a girl could dream.

[Craig]

Ravak

His suggestion wasn't really all that great. Yes, let's avoid gossip of what a noblewoman and her bodyguard are doing alone in a bedroom by instead parading around in public hand-in-hand. This was not a holiday; they were on a mission. Things had to stay irritatingly professional, even in private.

But he was a little drunk, so he decided to steal a kiss whilst he still could.

"That may have to be the extent of our flirtations, for now, my love. I should go take a look around town, get the lay of the land. And sober up." Fresh air and a walk would solve--

Mia's lips found his this time, and she was a bit more forceful with her display of passion. She was riling herself up for a fight. Ravak accepted his role in this, as if he'd ever had a problem receiving displays of affection from his better half.

"We're still leaving quickly if there's trouble," he reminded her. She may have been the Flame of Hama Valon, but he thought himself more as a shield than a blade at the moment. Keeping Lyla and Mia safe took precedence over educating Whitecloaks at the end of a sword or a fireball.

[Bella]

Miahala resisted the urge the sulk and/or pout in a manner completely befitting her age and position. Some of the drink remaining in his veins continued to effect her, but she limited herself to the one kiss...even if she would have enjoyed more than that. After all, they had been rather...feisty with one another earlier. Nothing like making things up to one another...

But, alas, they had a mission, and they had company. Mia was many things, but an exhibitionist was not one of them.

"A walkabout might be a good idea," she agreed, both for the gathering of information as well as clearing his head so he could help clear her head as well. "And fine, yes, we will leave quickly if there's trouble. For now, though, why don't you do that while I see if Lyla knows anything else useful."

[Craig]

Ravak

A walkabout was a good idea if only to distance himself from his loving, endearing, firestarter of a wife. He loved her of course, but her snappiness was getting a touch trying. Between his understandable desire to look after his son, and his understandable desire to protect his wife from the slings and arrows of outrageous Whitecloaks, he was going to be sleeping on the couch for a week. And they lasted for ten days in the Westlands.

There was minimal damage to the furnishings downstairs after the post-card game commotion. Ravak brushed through the room swiftly before anyone had a mind to stop him.

The air was cool outside. The ground had turned soft, and mud splatters quickly marked the bottom of his trouser legs. He marched through the mud, taking a seemingly aimless route around town. His patrol took in all of the major thoroughfares through Nassad and most of the perimeter wall. If he had his fancloak, he would have lingered in several spots to watch the guards for habits. Instead, he broke up his meandering walk by entering shops or stopping to talk with fellow travellers. No-one was following him, but the situation demanded caution.

He slipped back through the inn's common room, holding a couple of small parcels in his hand. Taking the stairs two at a time, it wasn't long before Ravak knocked at Mia's door.

When his darling, beautiful, twice-born wife opened the door, he handed over the parcels. "Meat and bread," he explained without fanfare. "For Lyla. Plenty enough to keep her 'till tomorrow."

[Bella]

Miahala couldn't help but laugh softly and shake her head, brushing an errant strand of silver-threaded dark auburn hair out of her face before she composed herself and turned to face Lyla. The girl was watching her curiously, her eyes wide. "So, he is your...your warder?" Lyla asked uncertainly, as if she wasn't sure about the terminology.

"Yes, he is," Mia said easily, crossing the room again to take a seat on the bed beside the young woman. "He is a good man. Something that the Whitecloaks would easily and happily ignore, simply because of his association with me."

Lyla's gaze fell away a little and she sighed. "I know," she said softly. "I never really thought much about them. I didn't know any Aes Sedai, after all. What did it matter to me what the Children of the Light were doing? Maybe they were right, or maybe they were wrong. It didn't affect me at all..."

The Green smiled slightly. "Until it did."

With a nod, Lyla whispered, "Until it did."

Miahala examined her closely, looking for any possible telltale sign that the girl was lying. It wasn't that she'd yet done anything to make Mia suspicious except, you know, be a stranger. Mia had a voice within her mind that believed, to varying degrees, that every new person was some sort of turncoat.

However, she didn't spot anything to support that, so the Green would continue to take her at face value.

"When we are done here, we will take you to the Grey Tower and you will have the chance to live and thrive. It is a good place, I promise you," she said. "In the meantime, we have this little mess en route here to deal with... Try to think now if you've heard anything else that might be of use..."
* * * By the time Ravak returned, Lyla had fallen asleep on a small makeshift bed on the floor and Miahala had been resting, and thinking. Two things that were usually dangerous when it came to her. With his knock, she hurried to the door to let him in, since she could be entirely sure that it was him.

"Thank you, love," she said softly, gently kissing his lips after shutting and locking the door. "Girl hasn't been sleeping much apparently and fell asleep." She nodded back over her shoulder. "I think she's been living primarily on panic energy. Unfortunately, she couldn't remember anything else that will help us on the morrow. Did you hear anything while you were out and about?"

[Craig]

Ravak

"Yes and no." Ravak reached down for his buckle to unfasten his belt, removing the weight of his swords from around his waist. Ravak took a seat, placing the swords within arms' reach against the wall.

"No-one was willing to divulge any information to a traveller, not that I could ask directly, but there's a nervous energy. This isn't a town unified on their opinions of what's to come, although it's clear from looking at the town guard that there's going to be no resistance when the Whitecloaks come. Some villagers believe this'll lead to a better life, whilst others are resigned to their fate. You can see it painted on their faces, clear as day."

Ravak rubbed his brow. It would have been sad how passively this town was going to be seized if not for the fact these were Whitecloaks. That made the situation concerning. How many other towns and villages would roll over instead of standing up for themselves? If this was just the start of a western Whitecloak advance, how close would they get to Tanchico before someone said 'enough is enough'?

The Shienaran was glad that deciding on how best to deal with the Whitecloaks was someone else's responsibility. The Darrows had their own plan in place, and that would see them safely returned to the Grey Tower. After that point, he'd do whatever was needed, but at least today wouldn't see swords being drawn and blood being spilt.