Unexpected Meetings
By e'Npau Shuav

e’Npau Shuav flitted out of her room tying her long hair back in a white ribbon. Her steps were lighter than air as she practically danced down the hall where the Accepted boarded. This was her first day as an Accepted. She didn’t have dishes to do or pots to scour. No grimy chores saved for novices today!

She greeted everyone she saw with a smile and a happy hello. As she passed by a window, the sunlight caught the Great Serpent ring on her finger and made it flash a merry gold reflection onto the surrounding walls. e’Npau smiled wider and continued down to the kitchen to find something to eat.

As she passed the Courtyard, the clang of metal on metal and the grunts of the men and boys training in the hot sun made her backtrack to the door. Novices, Accepted, and even some Aes Sedai watched as the WiT’s were taught various parries and attacks. One WiT, a tall athletic man with brown hair and loose clothing, stopped his drill for a moment to stand tall and watch her. “Strange” she murmured to herself. “I’m sure I recognize him from somewhere...” The WiT’s fencing partner paused to see what the man was staring at, then shrugged, grinned, and swung his bamboo practice sword full force at his head. The wooden blade connected with a loud *Thwack* and the tall WiT fell to his knees, shaking his head and glaring ruefully at his partner. The second WiT hooted with laughter. “Keep your mind on your bladework instead of on girls, Zhahn!”

“Care to try this bout again?” Zhahn growled good-naturedly as his friend helped him to his feet, still chuckling. Zhahn glanced over at e’Npau once more as he set his feet and raised his practice blade. The other WiT shrugged and grinned again, moving into a stance that declared his readiness. They began to circle each other slowly, each one flowing into graceful positions with their practice swords. e’Npau watched, mesmerized, as Zhahn’s partner attacked with a lunge and a yell, flinging his body into a perfectly straight line from heel to the tip of the blade. Zhahn parried easily and sidestepped, causing the WiT to have to recover quickly...more quickly than he’d originally planned. Zhahn swung his blade in a complex pattern, extending, parrying, and testing the WiT. Strain began to show on the slightly smaller man’s face as he headed off blow after blow, and counterattacked as much as he dared allow under the pressure of the dance Zhahn was leading him in. The WiT was slowing. He made his final move. He drew himself up straight and arrogantly extended his blade at Zhahn. Zhahn took a step back and watched him warily, still holding his practice sword in the ready position. By now everyone in the yard had stopped what they were doing to watch these two WiT’s. e’Npau found herself surrounded by other Accepted and a few Aes Sedai she knew. She riveted her gaze back on the fighters. They hadn’t moved. The WiT’s muscles visibly tightened. From the simple standing position, he flew into a full sprint, blade aimed directly at Zhahn’s chest. Zhahn simply stood there, watching. At the last possible instant, just when it seemed like the blade could not possibly miss, Zhahn stepped one foot back and twisted his body quickly, extending his blade directly into the charging WiT’s chest as he raced by. The WiT’s blade missed Zhahn entirely, gliding past his twisted torso with inches of air to spare.

Zhahn recovered his original stance, then bowed to his opponent. “Good bout. You almost had me there.” He smiled and held his hand out to the WiT. The WiT took it, laughing. “I give up, Zhahn. You get me every time in a fair fight.” He glanced over at e’Npau and continued, “Perhaps we should invite pretty young Accepted to come watch us more often, eh?” He turned back to Zhahn and winked. e’Npau blushed and started back to the kitchen to get her morning meal.

Down a few more flights of stairs, e’Npau turned to enter the hallway leading to the kitchen, her stomach growling loudly. A man’s throat cleared behind her and she whirled around. The tall WiT stood watching her silently from the doorway to the right. e’Npau narrowed her eyes at the man. “Yes? Can I help you?” she asked.

Zhahn smiled. “I was wondering if you could show me the way to the kitchen? I really could use a bite to eat after that fight.”

e’Npau studied him silently for a minute. Zhahn’s smile widened. “Where do I know you from?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Probably from the Tower?” he waved his arms broadly to indicate the building they were standing in. His smile grew again.

“Where are you from?” e’Npau was starting to get agitated. She knew this man from somewhere...where was it??

Zhahn studied her a moment. “I’m lately come from Arad Doman.”

e’Npau’s eyes narrowed again as she looked at him. “Have we met before?” she asked coldly, remembering the Whitecloak episode right before she came to the Tower. Three Whitecloaks had been picking on a local scullery maid. e’Npau, enraged at seeing this cruelty, threw a cobblestone at the largest one. Throwing the scullery maid to the ground, they chased e’Npau instead. They caught up to her after she crept out of her hiding place, thinking, foolishly, that all was safe. Scared senseless, e’Npau used the One Power for the first time, igniting the Whitecloak in a flame that would not be put out. Using the fire as a diversion, e’Npau had crawled behind some boxes in the alleyway, there to find a Warder from the White Tower who had seen the whole thing, and took her to live in Tar Valon. e’Npau shuddered at the memory. Could this man be one of the Whitecloaks who had chased her that day?

Zhahn recognized the frightened, determined look on her face and realized what she must be thinking. He reached for her hand and squeezed it comfortingly. e’Npau’s startled green eyes looked at him in confusment. Zhahn spoke reassuringly. “I am not one to be afraid of, e’Npau. Your father hired me a few months ago to watch out for you. I followed you around that day when you ran into the Whitecloaks. It was my first day to watch you.” He paused and looked away from her. “I guess I didn’t do too good a job. I couldn’t get to you through the crowd, and then you lost me along with them...” he looked back at her. “I was brought to the White Tower after I knocked out a couple of the Whitecloaks myself. You were already gone by then. I saw you a few days after that in Novice white, and I decided I might as well train as a Warder since I was here.”

e’Npau stared in disbelief at the man, remembering him now vaguely as a farm hand on her father’s land. “My father *hired* you to *watch* me? Does he think I’m helpless?”

Zhahn laughed. “Hardly! I think I am supposed to protect everyone else from you!” he winked at e’Npau mischievously. She couldn’t help it. She started laughing too.

“You want to eat or do you want to laugh all day at me?” she asked, trying desperately to maintain a stern expression, and failing miserably.

Zhahn nodded, wiping tears from his eyes and wondering why they were laughing so hard. “Sounds great.” he stopped e’Npau as she turned toward the kitchen again. “e’Npau? I’m still going to watch out for you. If you ever need anything...” he looked at his hands “I’m here if you ever need me.”

e’Npau nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

Zhahn smiled. “I have to admit something to you, e’Npau. I’m not exactly getting paid by your father anymore. I wanted to do this.” e’Npau’s eyebrows shot up. “Let’s go eat, shall we?” Taking her arm and winking, Zhahn walked with e’Npau towards the kitchen. “What under the Light am I getting myself into?” he thought to himself. He chuckled and shook his head as they entered the kitchen, and shut the door behind them.