08-23-2021, 01:58 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-29-2021, 05:55 AM by Rowan Finnegan.)
Vivienne rode on in silence. Letto’s emotions were held surprisingly tight, nothing seemed to travel across the bond for the first time all day. Vivienne took pleasure in the silence. The snow across the land had yet to thaw and a thick layer of it still covered most of the landscape. Fingers of smoke rose from small thatch-roofed farmhouses all about the two women. Few people were out, though Vivienne did catch sight of a sheepherder off on the horizon.
“I think I’m starting to like Gilyard,” Letto broke the silence, shocking Vivienne into the moment. She turned her head to the Warder and gave her a quizzical expression. Letto shrugged.
“Your sense of humor is rough, true, but you cannot expect me to believe that,” Vivienne said before turning her eyes back towards the road.
“He’s easy to push around.”
“That’s as may be, but he’s as sulky as a cat without her cream,” Vivienne said flatly. “I was beginning to feel sorry for the man, but he’s no better than the rest of them.”
Letto nodded silently. Vivienne waited for the woman to complain about serving the Daughter Heir. She had had a sore tooth over everything as of late. Really, were all Warders so fussy over matters of state? Vivienne was, but she was also Aes Sedai. She could not show that side of her to the world. Oh, things had been ideal for a time. Vivienne and Letto had been tending to the common folk of Andor, ensuring that they were not forgotten in the midst of the chaos that had gripped the nations. But then the Succession began with the late Queen’s sudden demise and everything else had to be put to the side.
“The sooner this is over, the better,” Vivienne sighed after another span of silence passed between them. She nodded to herself for emphasis. It would be an easy thing to arrest Lord Gilyard, despite the Daughter Heir’s request that Vivienne not use the Power in doing so – not if she didn’t have to, at least. She would not have done so even if the Daughter Heir had not requested it. Aes Sedai could not be seen meddling too openly, especially with the current split. A nasty business that was.
“I do not think we will be rid of him that easily, Viv,” Letto said. She adjusted her woolen cloak, drawing the hood overhead.
“And why ever not? Lord Lamorak Gilyard will be in irons before morning and I am sure Merdyn will want to take charge of the household immediately. We can take Lamorak back through gateway and wash our hands of the entire affair.”
“You don’t think the Daughter Heir won’t want him back in Camelyn once his affairs are in order? She’s gathered the rest of the High Seats that support her, why not the lordling?”
Vivienne sighed. Letto was right, of course. So long as Vivienne assisted the Daughter Heir in the Succession, Gilyard would be around every corner. The insufferable man. Perhaps she wouldn’t be better suited to helping her blue sisters in their efforts to retake Tar Valon? Vivienne shuddered at the thought. It was Camelyn for her, whether or not Gilyard was there to muck things up.
“I think I’m starting to like Gilyard,” Letto broke the silence, shocking Vivienne into the moment. She turned her head to the Warder and gave her a quizzical expression. Letto shrugged.
“Your sense of humor is rough, true, but you cannot expect me to believe that,” Vivienne said before turning her eyes back towards the road.
“He’s easy to push around.”
“That’s as may be, but he’s as sulky as a cat without her cream,” Vivienne said flatly. “I was beginning to feel sorry for the man, but he’s no better than the rest of them.”
Letto nodded silently. Vivienne waited for the woman to complain about serving the Daughter Heir. She had had a sore tooth over everything as of late. Really, were all Warders so fussy over matters of state? Vivienne was, but she was also Aes Sedai. She could not show that side of her to the world. Oh, things had been ideal for a time. Vivienne and Letto had been tending to the common folk of Andor, ensuring that they were not forgotten in the midst of the chaos that had gripped the nations. But then the Succession began with the late Queen’s sudden demise and everything else had to be put to the side.
“The sooner this is over, the better,” Vivienne sighed after another span of silence passed between them. She nodded to herself for emphasis. It would be an easy thing to arrest Lord Gilyard, despite the Daughter Heir’s request that Vivienne not use the Power in doing so – not if she didn’t have to, at least. She would not have done so even if the Daughter Heir had not requested it. Aes Sedai could not be seen meddling too openly, especially with the current split. A nasty business that was.
“I do not think we will be rid of him that easily, Viv,” Letto said. She adjusted her woolen cloak, drawing the hood overhead.
“And why ever not? Lord Lamorak Gilyard will be in irons before morning and I am sure Merdyn will want to take charge of the household immediately. We can take Lamorak back through gateway and wash our hands of the entire affair.”
“You don’t think the Daughter Heir won’t want him back in Camelyn once his affairs are in order? She’s gathered the rest of the High Seats that support her, why not the lordling?”
Vivienne sighed. Letto was right, of course. So long as Vivienne assisted the Daughter Heir in the Succession, Gilyard would be around every corner. The insufferable man. Perhaps she wouldn’t be better suited to helping her blue sisters in their efforts to retake Tar Valon? Vivienne shuddered at the thought. It was Camelyn for her, whether or not Gilyard was there to muck things up.