Collecting on a Wager

[Natalie Grey]

[[For those who don't already know, this is an old thread from another forum. Inevitably there are a few characters who will crop up who either were not reborn in the 1st Age or have writers that don't write here at all (yet...). Those characters will be denoted in quote boxes as follows. Fate Sedai's writer doesn't currently write at FA.]]

Fate Zarine Dark

Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah

Within the Tower Fate's arrival was not the startling entrance it could sometimes be- that being, not every single head turned. Many of the people milling about worked either in the Tower proper or nearby, with a few of the usual tourists gawking at the glorious architecture as if not another person in the world existed. To those few her appearance may well have been heralded by trumpets, and even those who did not turn to appreciate her passage smirked to see the gaping mouths of those who did.

Today a sheer silk riding gown wrapped the Domani's enthralling figure. The rich brown material suited her golden complection well, though it was hard to imagine a color that would not look good draped on her tall, well-proportioned frame. The slit in the front of the gown revealed soft deerskin breeches stretched comfortably over the slender musculature of her endless legs, not altogether different than those she usually wore to train warhorses. She might have preferred her usual blouse, but given the game she may as well play. And of course, she did not want to appear inappropriate among her brother's court. And appropriate for a Domani court meant an ensemble that would shame a woman who carried herself with anything less than complete and utter confidence.

Fate was a woman of such confidence, evidenced by the hanging jaws and stumbling feet of the Tower visitors in her wake. Not that she expected as much from her charmingly cynical prey.

If Fate was aware that eleven precisely had come and gone, or surprised at the company the Asha'man had taken in waiting, neither showed. The scent lingering on her skin was an intoxicating combination of lavendar and spice, underscoring the sensual warmth she radiated without being strong enough to overpower it. The scent wafted out before her to greet the pair as her swaying stride slowed to a halt, punctuated by the flash of brilliance that was Fate's smile.

"Jai Kojima," his name from her lips was laced in a fond amusement she did not bother to hide from the Accepted. This particular initiate spawned rumors almost as bawdy as the Brown sitter herself, and many sisters held that against the girl. An Accepted should be even busier than a novice, striving to be Aes Sedai so hard that there was no time to inspire fantasy. But Fate understood more than most Aes Sedai how easily rumors took wing, and did not blame her.

Despite that, Fate's brows still rose as she addressed the Accepted. "Nythadri," her tone was disingenuously curious, mimicking that which Fate's own mother had used when she caught her flirting with a stablehand. She suspected a show of authority would not be very endearing to Jai, but Fate was a sitter and responsible for addressing such situations. Any other Accepted and there would be no situation, but Nythadri had a history of running off with boys.