<--Previous Log | Back to Main | Next Log-->
Anibelle is lying on her back on top of the bed, dressed still in the clothes she was captured in - a simple blue dress, with a few dirty smudges of mud from the struggle. Both arms are by her sides, and the position seems.. a little strained, forced - probably because thin, tight cords of saidin-formed air hold both her wrists in place. Her head's tilted to the side atop the pillow, facing away from the doorway, and while there's till no sign of a shawl.. she -is- wearing her ring.
Muffled noises that sound vaguely of a heated argument can be heard outside the door, then the door opens allowing sunlight to stream in around the tall, braided form of Samuel. He strides into the room, muttering under his breath, still shooting a glare over his shoulder at the soldier standing guard outside. As his gaze swings back around to the cabin's occupant, he suddenly goes stock-still.
Anibelle swallows dryly at the sound of the argument, a certain stiffness tightening her muscles, chording her neck. Grey eyes snap closed to hide a sudden rush of fear, then, without even turning to glance towards the door she offers softly, in a tone almost entirely stripped of emotion, 'I've told you. If you won't have the decency to unbind me, I don't want anything to eat.'
Samuel shakes his head violently, causing his bells to jingle discordantly. He mutters a soft curse under his breath before speaking in a voice full of frustration,'I did not stop to bring you any breakfast, -sister-, but I will unbind you if you will just give me time to do so.' A look of disgust suddenly twists his lips and his eyes go cold as ice.
Anibelle gasps loudly, eyes reopening, her head snapping around in a flurry of tawny golden curls. She instinctively tries to sit up, jerking against the bonds about her wrists (which fail to budge even a little), then leaning back against the bed - surprise turning quickly to embarrasment, then growning confusion. 'Samuel..I-I-' she tries, stuttering, then swallowing nervously before continuing, 'I'm.. I'm sorry, -light-, I didn't mean for this to happen.'
Samuel chews on his bottom lip in concentration as slowly, one by one, the bindings evaporate. As the last one fades away, he peers at Anibelle for a long moment, as if trying to decide something, then shakes his head slight, just enough to get the softest of chimes from the bells at the ends of his braids. He lets out a sigh which seems to take a great deal of tension with it as it escapes, then says softly,'We need to talk somewhere privately if you feel up to walking?'
Anibelle blinks slightly, and as soon as bonds disapear her fingers flex, then clench, her hands lifting as she rubs her wrists gingerly. A little of that nervousness fades as she glances up, studying for a moment, then nodding, before slowly she shifts.. moving to swing her legs over the side of the bed, her feet finding the floor. For a moment she pauses, resting her hands on the edge of the bed, before carefully she starts to stand - swaying slightly, just once, as she struggles for balance, but making it upright at least.
Samuel offers his right hand to Anibelle when she sways and exclaims,'What under the Light happened anyway? And don't you -dare- fall down on me!' Then, for no apparent reason, he, of all possible things he could do in this situation, blushes bright crimson. Quickly, he averts his gaze, arm still held out towards her and adds in a much softer tone,'If you feel up to it, I know a place we can talk.'
Anibelle swallows dryly, shaking her head although her gaze lingers on the floor.. then as the ground seems to tilt slightly, she hurriedly grasps the offered hand, her eyes lifting in curiosity back to his face as soon as her balance is a little more relaible. 'It's a long story, ' she mutters softly, her own cheeks staining a healthier pink glow, 'But won't the guards stop us? Or..' a certain hint of trepidation evident in her voice, 'Him? The one that brought me here?'
Samuel snorts softly as he gives her hand a quick squeeze. He motions with his head towards the door and says with more than a hint of arrogance in his voice,'The guard outside the door stopped giving any trouble when I reminded him that if I hurt him getting in here, I have absolutely no talent in Healing. He'll give no trouble. Shall we?'
Anibelle nods slightly, a first, faint smile tugging at her lips, quickly growing to a slightly more amused grin as she glances at the doorway. Her hand tightens in his - maybe in response, or possibly worry, as she sways again, only just noticably, and takes a hesitant step towards the door. 'Just remember, ' she whispers suddenly, casting a quick glance up at him, 'If we meet anybody, if they ask, I can't -directly- lie to them..'
Samuel leads Anibelle outside the cabin, pausing to blink at the change in brightness. He flashes the guard outside the door a wicked grin before turning to Anibelle and saying,'There is a clearing near the edge of the farm. You can tell me what mom is up to and such there. Besides the fresh air will be good for you.'
Anibelle nods, following in careful, cautious steps, grey eyes dancing with sudden amusement at his words. As they step outside she blinks, her brow furrowing as her eyes narrow, her free hand lifting to press to her forehead lightly and shield her eyes. 'I sup so,' she murmurs, her head shaking slightly as her eyes rake the surroundings, 'I.. I am sorry, for this Samuel.'
Ragnar walks into the area, heading for his cabin. His head is down, looking at a paper he is holding. He shakes his head as he walks, muttering something to himself. He glances up and sees Samuel leaving his cabin, and he stops in his tracks. His face goes dark, and his eyes narrow as he resumes his walking. His face gets even darker as he sees Anibelle exit the cabin, and his pace quickens a bit.
Samuel gives the guard a very smug look then turns to lead Anibelle off towards the center of the farm. As he sees Ragnar, he slows to a stop and releases Anibelle's hand, steps around to her other side and offers his left to steady her, all the while watching the Asha'man's approach. As the man draws near, Samuel presses his right fist to his chest and waits.
Anibelle blinks slightly at the change, her eyes lingering on Sameul, then darting ahead.. widening noticably as she spies Ragnar. Worry pulls at her expression, just for a moment, before she forces her frown to ease, uses her free and to slightly nervously smooth her skirts. As the man approaches, she stiffens slightly, seeming to stand a little taller, hold herself a little more proudly.. even as she whispers to Sam, ever so softly, 'If it's going to get you in trouble.. just.. leave. I'll think of something.'
Ragnar stops maybe 2 paces from the pair, and reguards them coldly. He gives a slight nod to Samuel's salute, and says without preamble, "Where exactly do you plan on taking this woman, Soldier Quinlen?" His dark eyes flit back and forth between the two of them while he waits for an answer
Samuel lowers his fist to his side and smiles confidently before saying,'I was thinking of that clearing near the spot we use for Travelling, Asha'man. It is out of the way and we have lots of catching up to do. After that, I have someone for her to meet. Rather a large surprise for her, I think.' He squeezes Anibelle's hand in a familiar way and adds,'You have already met my sister, haven't you, Asha'man Karde?'
Anibelle shoots a nervous glance at Sam beneath her lashes, one tawny eyebrow arcing slightly at his words, then falling as an ever so faint smile curves her lips, as he finishes. Her eyes flicker back to Ragnar, and although she does flinch slightly, her eyes narrowing a fraction, some of Samuel's confidence seems to rub off on her, as she offers softly, 'The Asha'man and I have been close, recently.'
Ragnar smirks at Anibelle, but his face softens just a bit at her words. He stars at Samuel for a time, chewing on his lip and nodding his head to himself. After a long pause, he sighs. "Very Well, Soldier." He says, almost too softly to be heard. "Go and talk with your 'sister." There is a slight emphasis on the last word in that sentance, sounding disbelieving and questioning at the same time. Without bothering to wait for a response, he walks past them in the direction of his cabin, mumbling to himself about his current opinion of Soldiers.
Samuel presses his fist to his chest in another quick salute, then turns and starts walking towards the center of the farm, smiling warmly at Anibelle and saying,'Have you seen Mother lately? I hope she hasn't spoiled the surprise for you. I wanted to be able to tell you myself.' As he talks both his pace and his speech speed up noticeably.
Anibelle seems to breath a little easier as the Asha'man leaves, her smile returning ableit more faintly. She struggles to keep up, although her strength does seem to be returning, and her balance doesn't fail again as she respons, 'I haven't, although I wasn't letting anybody know I was in Caemlyn. If I that girl hadn't gotten into-' the words cut off, as she interupts herself, 'What surprise?'
Samuel stops dead in his tracks at Anibelle's question, face going pale. He turns to look at her, swallowing hard. He takes a deep breath as in preparation to answer when Ragnar's question catches him. He lets out the breath in what sounds a sigh of relief. He turns and calls out,'I told the guard that I had heard my sister was in your cabin and recovering from a head injury. Turns out he has family of his own and let me right in.'
Anibelle frowns slightly at the interuption, her eyes lingering on Samuel's face rather than turning to regard Ragnar. Her eyes narrow, then ease, her head tilting a little to the side as she squeezes his hand softly, quizzing, 'Sam? Are you..? What surprise? It's nothing bad is it, there isn't anything wrong with..Mother? I know we've never exactly had the best relationship, but she's okay, isn't she?'
Samuel turns back to Anibelle and shakes his head sharply, bells jingling as his braids fly about,'No, sis. Nothing like that at all. Mother seemed to be in excellent health when I saw her.' He tugs at Anibelle's hand urging her to come along as he adds,'It is just family stuff.'
Anibelle stands firm for a moment longer, her frown darkening just a little, tinged with worry, before she nods, and follows his lead, her curls bouncing as she twists slightly, glances behind her at the cabin, then looks forward once more, her eyes on the ground as she hurriedly tries to keep up.
Samuel drags her along behind him, moving too quickly to answer questions, the jingling of his bells announcing his presense well in advance of his arrival as he moves through the center of the farm and off towards the clearing.
Samuel slows to a stop as he nears the clearing. He glances around to make sure no one else is near, then sits tailor-fashion on the ground, peering up at Anibelle, suddenly all nervous seeming again.
Anibelle follows almost.. obediatenly, although as she goes on her steps do start to drag slightly, her chest rising and falling more raggedly with each breath. By the time they stop, her skin's flushed - a much healthier colour than that earlier, slightly sicky one - and her eyes a little pained. No invitation's necissary as she drops down beside him, smoothing her skirts decently over her knees before muttering lowly, 'For once in my life I actually wish I had a Yellow sister nearby.'
Samuel glances around again to make sure no one is nearby. Then he leans in close to Anibelle. His eyes close in a pained expression and he whispers softly,'The people around here think that I am married. It is very hard to explain and I am not even sure I understand it.' He lets out a deep sigh of frustration and adds in the same hushed tone,'I am not, but I have to keep up the lie or I could be in serious trouble. Some day I really have to stop and think before I do things.'
Anibelle blinks, her expression changing quite rapidly, first shocked then more deeply horrified, and finally flushing even redder than before. 'I.. oh.' she says softly, her shoulders slumping slightly, every inch of that attempted regalness failing.. making her quite suddenly seem just like any other confused, out of her league young woman, rather than the title she was claiming. 'She's pregnant, then? It's not unheard of, to lie, I was born out of wedlock to..' the slightly babbling tone trailing away as words fail.
Samuel's eyes snap open and his head jerks back in an expression of complete and utter shock. In an indignantly loud tone, almost a shout, he exclaims,'She is NOT!' Then he glances around quickly to see if anyone heard before fixing a hard stare on Anibelle and lowering his voice to a loud whisper,'She is not. It is nothing like that at all.' He shivers slightly as if repulsed as he continues,'No, not like that at all. If it was that, I -would- be married.' Suddenly he clenches his hands to his head and lets out a frustrated growl, muttering,'That is soooo annoying.'
Anibelle seems to struggle for words, her eyes dropping as he speaks, running over her skirts and the ground as if in search for anything to just.. stare at, other than him. That scarlet flush starts to ease, just a little, but she still doesn't glance up, her words slightly strained, almost deadened as she replies, 'I.. I'm sure its very complicated. I'm sorry for making things worse, this definately won't help.. I..' one hand lifting to press the side of her temple gingerly, 'My head hurts, I.. I think I'll just go back to the Cabin, or, or find somewhere quiet.'
Samuel mutters unders his breath,'What's she mad at me for this time?' He lets out another frustrated growl and lowers his hands to fix Anibelle with another hard stare which quickly melts into a look of concern. He opens his mouth as if to say something, then closes it again, along with his eyes. He inhales deeply, then lets it out very slowly before opening his eyes again, looking somewhat calm. In a slow, measured tone, he says,'I bonded her. It just seemed the easiest way to arrest her without hurting her.. or me for that matter.' The last is said with a hint of irritation. Then he blushes and looks down for a moment. After a brief pause, he looks back up with a shy grin and says,'If this were anyone else it happened to, I would laugh out loud. But I don't know how to undo it. I'm stuck with her, and since I wasn't sup to do anything like that...' His voice trails off and he spreads his hands as if to say "you know the rest."
Anibelle swallows dryly, wetting her lower lip with the tip of her tongue, taking her time.. before responding softly, her gaze darting back up to meet his as her hand falls back to rest on her lap, 'I.. of course, I know what you mean.' She frowns slightly, shakes her head a little, before continuing more softly, 'Of course now that you're bonded, well..' her shoulders shrugging slightly, as if that were answer enough. Her eyes flick back to the ground, eyelashes fluttering as she blinks -rapidly-, and whispers, 'That..man, will let me go, won't he? I'll leave as soon as I can..'
Samuel gets a pained expression in his eyes and lifts his hand as if to touch Anibelle's face, but halfway there, he stops and slowly lowers it back to the ground, accompanied by a soft sigh. He shrugs slightly and says in an odd tone, as if fighting back tears,'I don't know, Ani. I mean, I don't know why they dragged you here. If you channeled against them, the Lord Dragon will probably have you shielded for a while or thrown in jail and shielded. But if you did not hurt any of them, you should be able to go soon...' His voice seems to nearly break at each mention of her leaving.
'I didn't,' she denies softly, her head bowing a little, quite deliberately letting those unruly curls fall to viel her expression and hide the quick glance she flashes up at him. 'They were just being such.. bullies, and I had to at least try and stop them, you know?' For a second or two, she says nothing further, although that suspiciously liquid blinking continues, a low sniff taken before she stutters, and finally manages to force out the words, babbling once she gets started, 'I.. I'm sorry for coming. For saying.. who I was. I just knew it was the only way they'd let me see you, and when I found out where I was, I just had to try, to see you again..'
Samuel sighs loudly and shakes his head slowly from side to side. When he speaks, his voice cracks a bit, but his eyes remain dry,'No need to be sorry. I know what you mean. I came to see you as soon as I found out you were here.' He lets out a soft sigh before going on,'I am not sure that being my sister will help you much, you are still Aes Sedai. And I'm just a soldier. I don't think I can help you very much. I could probably sneak you off the farm, but I can't leave Sereina behind if I do. And we'd both be hunted even if I did.'
Anibelle continues to stare at the grass as he speaks, blinking, swallowing dryly. A moment passes in silence before she manages to school her expression back into some semblance of calm, although as her head lifts, her gaze slipping to his face, the only thing reflected in her eyes is pure, badly hidden hurt. 'You don't owe me anything, Sam. You certainly don't need me here. Or probably even want me here.' she offers softly, her head shaking a little as she climbs unsteadily back to her feet, trembling fingertips brushing grass from her skirts.
Samuel makes no move to rise, still sitting cross-legged on the ground. However, his gaze follows Anibelle as she rises. Shaking his head slowly, he says,'Here? No, I don't want anyone here. Do you know that I tracked you from Altara to Caemlyn before I realized where you were going? That's a blasted long way to follow someone you don't want around.' Suddenly he looks away from her and mutters softly,'Go ahead, hate me. It's all my fault anyway.'
Anibelle gazes around the forest briefly - not really as if she were looking for something in particular, just a reason not to let her eyes stray down towards him.. the effort wasted, because after just a moment she does anyway. 'I wouldn't have thrown myself at the bloody blackcoats if I'd not wanted to find you, ' she whispers, her head shaking slightly, setting tawny curls to bouncing, 'I'm a stupid fool who.. feels too much. Will you.. can I.. see you again, before I leave?'
Samuel nods slowly, finally looking back around to Anibelle. He mutters unders his breath as he crawls to his feet, slapping the dust and grass from his pants by habit, then wiping his hands on the front of them. He nods to her again and says,'With you being my sister, there shouldn't be any trouble over it. I should walk you back to Kar.. Asha'man Karde's cabin now. I think you make some people here nervous, and.. that's not a good thing.' He lowers his voice to barely above a whisper and adds,'I wanted to see you so badly.. but I wish there had been another way.'
Anibelle nods a little, pearly teeth flashing as she nibbles on her lower lip for a second. One hand lifts to rub nervously at her temple, her eyes flicking closed as she mutters ever so softly, 'Light, but it hurts..' the words trailing away with no explanation given of exactly what she'd meant. Abruptly her hand falls, her eyes licking open to stare off down the path as she makes to stride away - her dizziness leading her to stumble, her skirts only adding to the tangle as she trips.
Samuel seizes Saidin without thinking and steps forward reaching out with both his hands and a thick loop of Air in an attempt to catch Anibelle before she falls. The sudden movement sends his bells to softly chiming, almost drowning out the curse he mutters.
Anibelle stiffen's as she's caught, grey eyes flashing open wide in instant terror, then hurriedly re-established calm - flicking to Samuel, as a her skin stain's bright pink in embarrassment. 'Blood and Ashes, ' she curses in a strained whisper, struggling to regain a little composure, or at least stand, 'I'm so bloody -useless-.'
Samuel just uses the flow of Air to steady her as he holds out his hand in an offer to help her up. He says softly, with a look of sharp concern on his face,'Well, even if people would not get suspicious, I think you need to get back to the cabin and rest. I thought you said someone had Healed you?'
'They did, ' she replies softly, taking the offered hands to pull herself to her feet, glancing guiltily up at him before quickly slipping her fingers from his,'I.. it still hurt's, but bearably.' Her hands slip down to smooth her skirts, that embarrassed flush lingering as she moves (admittedly with a little more care) to head back towards the Farm.
Samuel frowns slightly as Anibelle's hand slips from his. He seems to almost deflate as he pushes away Saidin and turns to walk back towards the farm. Occasionally he shoots sidelong glances to make sure she is all right, but remains totally silent.
Anibelle holds the silence for several long moments, her steps faltering only slightly as she walks.. the only noticeable change a slight hardening of her expression, her lips forming a thin line of badly masked frustration. As they reach Ragnar's cabin she finally speaks, pausing before the doorway to glance up, offering, 'I.. forgot to say. Congratulations.'
Samuel flinches as if struck hard in the face, causing his bells to chime softly. He avoids looking at Anibelle's face as he says through clenched teeth,'Thank you.' Then he turns on his heel and begins striding across the compound back towards the center of the farm, taking hard steps that cause discordant jingles to mark his progress.
<--Previous Log | Back to Main | Next Log-->