Stranger in a familiar land

[Adrian Kane]

Arikan

Her shrill voice yanked his attention from the mire of thoughts for mortal flesh. She occupied a corner in that queenly way all Aes Sedai thought of themselves, but the condescending advice that followed reminded him of her youth. She might as well be an infant in his eyes.

Despite the warning, he managed to shift himself into a position that let him look at her. The bed had but one pillow, but it might as well have been made of the finest down feathers for as luxurious as it felt. He’d slept on bare stone for darkness knew how long, impatient to get on with the Hand’s work. Life prior to that wasn’t much better. Despite the foolish notion to not wiggle, wiggle he did. Just not very far.

His breathing was still shallow. The fleshy-knitted place over the worst of the ribs was smooth, but bulges and bruises said that many others were still broken. Every few moments rippled fresh aches simply to draw breath. Sweat still shone his brow, pasted his hair around his scalp wet. His skin was cleaner, that much he recognized. Though he'd never thank another soul for it.

But there was much he did not know.
“What month is it?” rattled his first question. 
An Aes Sedai should know the calendar. He’d not even bothered to ask the farmers. They lived off harvests and seasons. He wanted specifics. How long was he gone? Did this one know Lythia? There were many questions.

The swing of his tongue ached fiercely. He’d not speak any more than he had to, though the sting of his gaze said he saw nothing to thank the Aes Sedai. For what? A sponge bath and plunging her fingers under the skin?

He was not so incoherent to overlook the fact that Talin Sedai believed him to be the victim of the light’s torture. For all she knew, he could be some great ally of the Dragon captured by the forces of the Dark. She had a warder, surely to protect her this far from her island home. She should fear him, though little was she aware that at their precise moment, there was little to fear. He'd not channel. Not yet. But the silence that fell flattened the patience of her expression, and Arikan recognized the futility of simply staring at her until she gave up specifics.

It was excruciating to speak, but once more, he graced the air with the sound of his voice, graveled and strained as it was.
“What do you want?”