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Looking down at her, she shook her head slowly. "No, she did not want THIS. She couldn't. And I can't let you be, nor accept this new name. You're still Gwynne... MY Gwynne." There was a mixture of anger and concern in her voice, and determination burned in her.

"If you won't move on your own, I'll drag you out Gwynne. I WON'T leave you like this."

Moving to be in front of her once more, she looked her square in the eye. "I'm not asking you to go against your oathes you bloody wool headed girl. I'm asking you to allow me to HELP you. Finish your laps if you wish, but let me heal what's been done first. Go by that new name if you wish, I do not have to follow Selene's orders. And I refuse to call you that." Spitting out the last statement, she knew she would clash with Selene over this. She knew all too well what that term meant, and would not call a friend something so deplorable.

Concern gripped her once more as she touched the other girl's shoulder gently. "Let me help Gwynne."

Having relieved herself, and none too pleased with the idea of listening to the Aes Sedai squabbling hens back at camp, Tarma wandered through the trees till she had crossed into the Stedding itself. It had been a long time since the raven-haired soldier had been inside a Stedding, and the sense of peace that enveloped her made her sigh.

It also made her check her knives. What was it about living life along the Blight that just could not let you relax, even when you were safe? Because I'm not safe, she thought sadly. None of us are. Not here...not anywhere. The Dark One lays his hand on the world, and none of us can truly ever be free of the Shadow.

The murmur of the wind evolved quietly into the murmur of voices, intruding on her thoughts. Tarma stopped, easing down into a crouch. The aura of a Stedding might discourage Shadowspawn and Darkfriends, but there were the comon threat of bandits to worry over. Sometimes mankind were more dangerous than Shadow-forged monsters; at least with Trollocs, you knew they were evil just by lookng at them. Her mentor Jha'ad had often lamented over that subject when he'd had too much to drink after a coup; the Light only knew they'd both seen enough betrayers in their time...Wondering why her thoughts had wandered back to those days, Tarma put it down to the talk she'd had with the Warder. The Creator only knew that talking with Markus had stirred up enough longing of home to be thinking such things.

Listening carefully, Tarma strained to hear what was being said, easing a dagger out of her boot. There seemed to be two of them; there was something vaguely familiar about the sarcastic tone in the first voice, and the other was too soft to hear. Where had she heard that voice before...?

A grin spread over her impish face as she stood, striding between the trees towards the stream as she tucked the dagger back into the top of her boot. Thumbs tucked in her belt, she swaggered into the camp, still grinning from ear to ear, eyes glittering the color of a lake in summer.

"Well look what I found...you ought to be more careful about letting people get so close boys, else I might just decide to take advantage of your position here."

Waggling a finger in mock admonishment, still with that inanely pleased grin on her face as she looked around at her friends, Tarma laughed and seized Kai's arm in greeting, eyes dancing with humor.

"About damn time you showed up. I was thinking I might have to come rescue you from peril, or else lose my sparring partner. I'll bet you even missed me a little."

Chuckling, anticipating Kai's sour response, she turned to the others with that same smile and warmth, stepping forward to shake hands with each in turn.

"It's good to see you Doberler, Liana Sedai...and you Kurai, you look wonderful. How was the journey?"

*Pleased though she may have been to see her Sister's Bonded safe, since it also meant that Nikoru and the others were well, the way the two men were talking about home was making her depressed. She missed the White Tower, missed her pretty room with it's view of the Erinin, and the comfort of having her things about her the way she liked them. Liana did not consider it odd that when she thought of home, it was not of her native land of Arad Doman. Others might have, but they did not understand what it was to be Aes Sedai, to cast off your old identity, your old loyalties, and reforge yourself as a Sister

As the exuberant military woman swaggered into the clearing, Liana greeted her with a warm smile and a nod of welcome. Inwardly, she was both amused and baffled by the energy the woman possesed; Light only knew that she was ready to fall face down in her bedroll! As greetings were made, she noticed the young Gleeman out the corner of her eye, filling his canteen. Liana was not thirsty, but his actions reminded her that she needed to fill her own canteen, and she would have liked to at least wash her face before setting out to prove to Kai that she was every bit as self-sufficient without the Power as with it.

Kneeling on the bank beside the young man, the Green Sister rolled back her sleeves and dipped her hands into the cool water almost up to her elbows. With a tiny sigh of contentment, she dipped her handkerchief into the water, wringing it out gently, humming softly to herself as she wiped the travel dust from her face. Reaching for her own waterskin, she poured out the remaining trickle of stale water, dipping it into the stream to refill it with fresh, casting her eyes to her silent companion with a small smile*

"Your name is Nozrin, correct? I have listened to you play, and enjoyed the experience."

*Something simple, she decided. Something to put him at ease and open him to discussion. Music was something she was very fond of, though she had no talent for instruments. She sang, on occasion and when prompted, or simply when the whim struck, but she did not consider herself to posses anything more than a fair grasp of melodic chains. What she did enjoy was dancing, though the Light only knew it was impossible to find the time for that these days...*

"Tell me, how were your travels? Has everyone arrived safely?"

*For all Aes Sedai were meant to be cool and removed, Liana had never been able to master the same blaze attitude when it came to those she had an affection for. Certainly she'd be happy to see both Nikoru and Selene again...the women were truly Sisters to her, in both title and heart*

"Tarma!" The excliamation issued forth as Kai practically jumped from her siezing his arm. Kai resisted the urge to turn to her, presenting her with his front and all his attention. Rather, he simply remained as he was and adjusted his head to include her in the little group's conversation; he made no move to resist the greeting gesture that pulled his arm from his side.
"I'm sure you wouldn't want to lose the chance at trying to beat me, but I'm afraid you won't have the pleasure of saving my life. The Borderlands was cold and bleak, not so much a journey as a mild irratation. Still, we had our fun, right Doberler?" Kai looked to the blackclad man he had sparred with, remembering the feeling of defeat that he had not liked and the feeling of shame from the events that had followed the man's victory over him. Even that thought brought a tide of suspicions that Kai was forced to stem...Had Doberler really refrained from using the source? Was Liana as human as any woman was? Did Aes Sedai really uphold their oaths of refraining from lying or was that a myth? Kai did not know much about the power these people had. He still feared them using it. Feared them lying...their dishonesty. But despite all that, he wasn't dead yet. They had proved to be allies this far. Kai had to trust that. Trust that was not so easy to find. Kai grinned at Tarma.
"Doberler succeeded where you could not and I'm afraid you missed a very good spar indeed."

"What is there to tell? Even disarmed and on the defensive the bloody man can still pull out a flaming trick to have me on the floor." Kai snorted. "I for one was impressed, he gave up his own sword to throw me off balance and threw a double jump kick. The first one didnt get me, but the second had me quite aquinted with the bottom of Doberler's shoe." Kai folded his arms and gave the man a straight look.
"But that doesn't let him off the hook. I'll beat him alright...its just going to take me some time. I have my own tricks up my sleeve. And a trick of my own that I am quite certain I can pull off." Kai directed his next comment to Tarma in particular. "I will have to show it to you some time."

"That said, how was...where were you again? Tear?" Kai asked probingly. He wasnt sure where the second group had gone and was hazarding a guess. "Not too eventful I hope. And with the way you're all glee and glistening I would assume you have bounced back to your old soldier glory as usual?"