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The Whitecloaked raised an eyebrow as the silence was broken, and for the first time, really looked over the travellers. "A humble, patient noble... with a lady who appears to hate him, but hides it well... and if I'm not mistaken, a man with some aiel blood in him. Have to be aiel, to run with horses. With borderland clothes, no less. And you claim this aiel to be a servant. All claiming to be from Whitebridge. It is a thin web of lies you weave, darkfriend. Tell me the truth now, before-" but he was cut off again by Guntram.

"Darkfriends, you say?" he said, not convinced. As he spoke, his hands tightened on the reins of his horse in anger. "Or, maybe, they simply want privacy. That does not necessarily name them darkfriends, and until I have a good reason, I'm not going to." yet, he wondered, what was an aiel doing with them? But, he still stood by his point that there was no reason to name them darkfriends, even if their story was a little bit 'off'. "Now, again, let them go. Or you will have me to deal with." the two Whitecloaks who had not yet spoken seemed to shift uncomfortably, but for a few moments, the one who Guntram was arguing held his ground. But finally, he spit on the ground, as he rode the horse off the path.

"Your superiors will hear about this, Child Guntram." he said in a low voice, and then to the travellers, he shouted, "Alright, darkfriends. We're done here, for now. Hurry up and get to this village of yours, so I don't have to be near your light-forsaken selves any longer."

Guntram and the two other Whitecloaks soon went off of the road themselves, looking at the four travellers. Guntram was calmed slightly, but still angry.

Nanako couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust. Under her breath, she mumbled to herself, "Light forsaken indeed. Mayhaps you should look to yourself." It was said quietly, and it was doubtful that anyone besides Markus and Kai could hear her at all. The very idea of them being darkfriends made her want to laugh. She had witnessed true darkfriends. If they were such, these children wouldn't be alive at the moment.

Staring at the one who had confronted his colleagues and perhaps saved them from conflict, she wondered why he would have taken such actions.

After the group had left, the Whitecloaks resumed their break, relaxing once more. Guntram couldn't help but think about the small group. North-North-West... If he spoke the truth, we will probably meet again. He paused his thoughts to scowl at the other three Whitecloaks. That is, we would, if we would ever bloody get moving!

Then, as if reading his thoughts, the other Whitecloak suddenly mounted his horse. "Break's over. Let's get moving." Guntram and the others mounted their horses, and they started off at an easy trot towards the village. By now, the other group was completely out of sight.

He considered the correct response to give her. Being from a small village, she wasn't very knowledgeable about the intricate evils of the world. She knew some, but with a dozen to learn from every one she discovered, she'd soon find herself overwhelmed.

"Whitecloaks--or Children of the Light as they call themselves--are a troublesome group of Light-righteous people who believe in rooting out darkfriends," he said. It sounded as if he were quoting a book. "The problem with them is," he continued, no longer sounding like a bookworm, "they believe that everyone who doesn't kiss the ground they walk on is a darkfriend. Simple stupidity is often the safest route with them, though even that is a dangerous line to cross."

He looked at Kai and Tarma before looking back at Nanako.

"They hate Aes Sedai as much as we hate the Dark One. They would waste an etire legion to bring down a single Aes Sedai. Do not ever let that secret out." He looked away, back to the path ahead. "I've killed more than my share of them. They enjoy poking their noses in business that'll find them dead."

"A number of things could bring them around here." Kai said. "I haven't seen all that much of them, but I've heard talk and all that. If we are lucky, they are just on route to meet up with more of their number somewhere far from here. They have to talk the long way between places." Kai wasn't convinced much either, but h had no reason to conclude otherwise. "Alternatively, it could be as Markus said and they are just involving themselves in a series of events that will lead to their deaths. But we need not convern ourselves with them as long as we keep under their radar." It was supposed to be reassuring, and Kai was not afraid of the white cloaks. Tarma and himself were completely able and Markus was probably more than a match for a Whitecloak even drained as he was. They would all feel better once they reached the town and put this behind them. Kai didnt want to have to remind them that they were not putting their lives in danger. This was supposed to be a very casual visit for Nanako. Perhaps once and for all Nanako would decide where she truely belonged.

After they had continued a little in silence, Kai spoke up.
"I have been thinking. I have normally relied on my stealth and speed during my solitary excursions throughout my time in the Cha Faile because i could reasonably avoid having to explain myself. However, it may prove to be an inconvenience while participating in significant group missions to have to invent a plausible excuse for having someone running beside a horse." All this talking was making Kai breathe a little harder. He was only half-aiel and his consitution reflected that. He had better get to the point.
"How much, in trade or currency, could be expected if I wished to purchase a horse?"

Kai shot her a confused look. Was she laughing at him?
"Any horse will do, just something to cover my tracks if need be." It also meant he could leave his stuff in saddle bags, though most of it would be taken up by the requirments of the horse. Kai didd not cherish the thought of an animal depending on him for food and such. However, if it was for the greater good, Kai would have to learn.
"What aboutt the nessecities of succh an animal?"

Kai would have nodded, but the gesture would have most probably gone unnoticed. Instead he let Nanako's last statment finish the conversation. The land was begining to even out. Kai could feel the changes in the path beneath his foot. Soon the farms would start appearing closer to the road and the trees would slowly start to disappear. That meant they had about an hour or less to go, by Kai's reckoning. He had never been so close to this village, the nomads tended to avoid the clustered house dwellers that did not move with the wind and roam the wilds. However different it was, Kai took some strange solace in being back in the land where he buried the better part of himself for what he had taken to be forever...