Farina giggled. She didn't remember when she had giggled like that the last time. It had been a long while ago. The last few weeks had not been the brightest of her life, and even before that she had had way too few possibilities to enjoy herself. But now she had made herself a possibility. She didn't know or care if she was allowed to go to the city now that she was an Accepted, but she certainly wasn't allowed to steal a dress from the laundry room and run off without a word to anyone. And she supposed that she wasn't allowed to get drunk. Oh well, what can you do.

She giggled into her empty wine goblet again, causing a disapproving sniff from a nearby lady. A lone young woman in a inn was not concidered appropriate by some, but Farina was in the state of mind that she just didn't care. So what if some uptight old woman disapproved of her? What was wrong with having a bit of fun? Farina if someone had earned it. Nothing had prepared her for the horrible weeks that followed her raising. She hadn't had a moment of free time since she got the ring. Endless chores, classes, studies... All that added to the emotional upheavel that the raising had caused. She had cried herself to sleep more than once, provided that she had had the time to sleep. Farina was surprised that she had managed so long without snapping.

And now, there she was, sitting in an inn with an empty wine goblet. She had snapped. She just had to get away. Being an Accepted was all good and fine, Farina couldn't have been prouder, but it all had been too much. She didn't care if she got punished, not now. She needed this. She probably would have gone crazy if she hadn't taken a break. She needed to forget, to have fun. Just one night.

Farina rose from her chair rather awkwardly and walked out of the inn. It was too uptight for her. She needed laughter, dancing, flirting. She found just that around the corner. The Dancing Bear, said the battered sign that hang crookedly above the door. Farina was greeted with a loud back-ground noise which consisted of a lot of talking, laughing and an occasional burst of singing. A young woman was playing on a small stage, but the music was all but drowned by the other noises. But the tavern wasn't too chaotic - no one was fighting - so Farina stepped right in.

She made her way to an empty table and ordered wine. She smoothed her ill-fitting green dress - it was a tad too snug around the hips, and an inch or two too short from the hem, but she didn't mind. She soon caught the attention of a few young - and not so young - men, and she bat her lashes at them a few times, but didn't invite them to join her in any way. Not yet. A goblet of wine was brought to her, and she giggled into it as she drank.

Edeleas lifted his gaze from the blood that ran down the silver blade of his wakizashi, trying to calm his wildly beating heart. Outwardly calm he wiped his blade on the clothing of the Aes Sedai he had just killed. Tch, the woman was so troublesome, really. And she was of the Red Shen too. Edeleas looked around him furtively. Surely the woman's Asha'man partner would be close by. The Red Shen always hunted in pairs. Well, rarely. The women did not really come to the open as frequent as this woman did. And she and whoever her goatkissing partner was had a nice lead toward him. She tried to shield him before, unknowing how pathetic the attempt was. Edeleas did not become Master of Soldiers this young without a reason.

He had to get rid of the body soon. Edeleas carefully resheathed his sword and wove fire, earth and air. He directed the ball of light toward the woman's corpse, and it vanished. Just like balefire, but with no harmful effect on the Wheel's turning. Yet another handy trick he'd invented for himself in Shara. When the body was gone, Edeleas ran a hand through his blonde hair and suddenly found himself very thirsty. He turned on his heels. He really needed something to drink right after killing somebody. Some days he was just like that, and he wished he knew why.

He flitted down the streets swiftly and silently like a shadow, until he reached the taverns' alley. Edeleas unconsciously pulled his collar up and checked himself for any telltale signs of what he'd done. There were none. Straightening his back, he entered the nearest pub he could find, The Dancing Bear. The pub was a lively one, and Edeleas was the only Asha'man present it seemed. A few of the people bowed at him in respect and awe, but he waved them aside. He entered and sat near the counter.

"Strong wine, please." He said shortly to the bartender.

The bartender gladly obliged, and soon Edeleas found himself emptying his eighth goblet. A beautiful pink tinge had appeared on his cheeks, but he was not yet swaying in his seat. Edeleas downed his eighth and looked around at the pub, blinking blearily. He saw a familiar girl looking at him, but he can't remember her name at that moment. He wondered who she was.

Farina didn't know how much she had drunk. The serving girls just happened to fill her goblet every time they passed by, and Farina had let them. She absent-mindedly hoped that she wouldn't get too drunk as she took another deep sip of her wine. She would have to get to the White Tower again sooner or later, and the thought of passing out in some shadowy street of Tar Valon wasn't that inviting. I should still be able to walk, she thought as she took a brief examination of her control over various muscles. She could touch her nose with her finger on the first time. Almost, anyway.

She listened to the desperate melody of the young girl who was playing an instrument that Farina for some reason could not recall at the moment, and looked around. A bunch of young lads were giving her hopeful looks, and another bunch of older, rough-looking men were giving her a more knowledgeful look of men who have seen young women drink too much and leave a tavern alone, and knew what to do with them. She grinned at them. She wasn't afraid of them. She knew how to channel, a fact that the men could not possibly know. She would show them if they tried anything. If she could kill Trollocks, she could get rid of a few middle-aged men too.

Farina tugged her dress a bit and pinched herself in the process, and took some more wine that a passing maid so kindly offered. Then her eyes met a sight that she had not expected a see. An Asha'man. With a las of panic she turned in her seat, trying to hide her face with her hand. I don't bloody want to get caught now! But the panic was soon over as the sweet wine took over. What are the chances that the man knows the face of a newly-raised Accepted anyway? Farina had seen only few Asha'man in her years as a novice. She shook her head and laughed to herself.

She relaxed, and soon her eyes wandered to the lone Asha'man again. She cocked her head and looked at him, wondering if she had seen him before. Hopefully not. And then he looked at her. Farina's fuzzy mind sobered quite a bit as she recognized the face. The Master of Soldiers! Just my luck to run into the only Asha'man who I have talked to more than once. There was no getting away with it now, Asha'man Edeleas surely would know her face. She stood up and wobbled to his table quite unsteadily and tried to curtsy, but her legs couldn't quite manage that, so she fell flat on her bottom. Before she could stop herself, she was laughing so hard that she could hardly breathe. I've made a fool of myself now, haven't I? "I'm so sorry, Asha'man," she muttered under her breath between spasms of laughter.

The girl approached him and curtseyed, and Edeleas had to admit it was an admirable curtsey in spite of the girl's wobbling on her own knees. "I'm so sorry, Asha'man," she muttered under her breath between spasms of laughter. Edeleas raised an eyebrow and drank down the rest of his wine. Behind him the bartender filled his goblet again without being told. He pulled up a chair for the girl, and she sat down, still giggling like a bloody hyena. Edeleas felt himself smile. He wished he could go beyond smiling, to laugh with her, but that was all he was capable of since... he drank more wine, and the tinge on his cheeks deepened.

"What are you laughing at, woman?" Edeleas demanded as he grinned. He looked at her closely, and then her name came to him as a surprise. Now I remember...Farina Aileen...the one who lost her...her...ehm...uh...socks? "Heyyy...I remember you." He shifted on his seat to face her completely, the goblet in his hand slopping wine down his front. "You're Farina, right? Farina...the one I met in...uhm...ah...I know I met you somewhere. But still...hahahaha..." He raised his goblet. "For Rand!" And he drank again.

"You know, I'm not drunk." He told her. He swayed heavily in his seat. "I'm not drunk I tell you." He looked at her again, his dead eyes seemingly burning into her own. She was rather pretty, in his standards, and that was saying something because Edeleas rarely looked at women, even Aes Sedai. Her half-open lips seemed so tempting. "I'm not drunk..." He repeated. "Do you mind if I..."

He lurched forward without any warning and kissed her. She didn't resist; she even kissed him back with the same fervor and had her arms around his neck. Somewhere in his mind Edeleas knew this was wrong - this was a bloody PUBLIC place! but his body refused to obey otherwise. Edeleas' hands found her rather slim waist.

"Whoah, wait...bloody...wait..." he gasped as he broke the kiss. The bartender was looking away pointedly and clearing his throat. "Uh...not here..." he mumbled under his breath. He tried to stand, but she was resolutely clinging to him now - there was no way he could remove both of them from the chair without falling to the floor. Edeleas snatched the refilled goblet and emptied it in one gulp. Dimly he felt Myara's horror across the bond, and he managed to send her an apologetic thought before he cut off their connection temporarily.

The Master of Soldiers pulled a chair for her and Farina sat, blissfully forgetting all about breaking the rules and getting caught and punishments as she laughed. She tried to suppress it, but she couldn't help but keep giggling behind her hands. The Asha'man didn't seem to mind, he just smiled at her and drank. His cheeks were quite red already. Farina wondered if he recognized her after all. Or maybe he just didn't mind meeting drunk Accepted in taverns.

"What are you laughing at, woman?" the Asha'man demanded, but Farina was still victim to the sudden hilarity. She bit her lip and tried to calm herself, and gradually she was able to keep to giggling. "Heyyy...I remember you." Bloody great. Farina had already started to hope that the man would be too drunk to recognize her. But on the other hand, she was too drunk to care. The man peered at her and shifted in his seat to face her, and slopped wine on his chest as he did too. Farina just giggled. "You're Farina, right?" Farina nodded happily. "Farina...the one I met in...uhm...ah...I know I met you somewhere." He's more drunk than I am! Farina could clearly remember when they had met. Well... almost, anyway. "But still...hahahaha..." He raised his goblet. "For Rand!"

Farina had left her goblet at her own table, so she grabbed an unsupervised and almost full goblet of wine from the nearby table and drank deeply. She couldn't quite remember who this Rand person was, but what difference did it make? Some part of her mind kept reminding her that she shouldn't drink any more, she shouldn't be talking to an Asha'man, she shouldn't be there, but the wine quickly smothered that voice. "You know, I'm not drunk." Farina turned her bleary eyes at the man again. "I'm not drunk I tell you." She giggled. You wish. Farina had seen a lot of men who had drunk more than was healthy for them, and at the moment the Asha'man was one of them. Farina was probably one of them too. With the exception that she was a woman, of course. A soon-to-be Aes Sedai. Did Aes Sedai ever drink? "I'm not drunk..." He repeated. "Do you mind if I..."

The next thing she knew was that there was a set of lips pressed against hers. Farina didn't waste time wondering but threw her arms around his neck and kissed back. The fact that he was an Asha'man didn't matter anymore. He was a man, he had started it, and now that she thought about it, he was very good-looking too... And she hadn't been in the arms of a man in more than ten years! So she pushed against him, forgetting everything else as she felt his hands on her waist.

"Whoah, wait...bloody...wait..." No! Nonononono! Farina had waited and waited and waited and now she had a willing man in her hands, she would not let him go! She would so tell the Amyrlin Seat or M'hael or someone about his behaviour if he tried to leave. She clinged to him even more. "Uh...not here..." That's more like it. Not that Farina would have minded, but a least he wasn't planning to leave her now. He drank the rest of his wine and Farina grinned. She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "There is an inn just around the corner. I'm sure they will give a room to an Asha'man and his ladyfriend," she said in a hoarse voice and bit his ear gently. "What do you think?" She was not going to let him go!

The girl grinned (and Edeleas was sure he was beyond any sobereity or else he wouldn't have thought her grin was beautiful) as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "There is an inn just around the corner. I'm sure they will give a room to an Asha'man and his ladyfriend," she said in a hoarse voice and bit his ear gently. "What do you think?" He tried to stand, but her weight got in the way, and if he moved to his right, the gesture only sent their hips bumping against each other. The simple gesture alone seemed to burn him the way the wine could not even rival in a hundred years, it seemed.

"That..." he said hoarsely. "Is the best idea I've heard of lately." He said. He sighed and put effort standing up, and he made it, albeit his knees wobbled dangerously and the girl giggled into his chest. He grabbed a fistful of golden coins from his pockets and shoved it toward the bartender before leading the way outside. An absurd thought that he shouldn't be walking kept popping up in his head for no apparent reason. It was good that it was very late now and there were no people in the streets except for themselves.

They reached the inn after a few more minutes of wild kissing, and the inn's owner only raised his eyebrows when Edeleas asked for a room and wordlessly brought them to it. It was good that there were people who knew when to ask questions and when not to ask them, Edeleas thought dimly. He could no longer feel Myara inside his head, and that told him that the bond was still properly masked. He wondered vaguely if he could keep it masked as well as this as the night wore on.

His gaze refocused somehow, and the girl - Farina? - was sitting on the bed, eyeing him with a spark in her pretty eyes. He stared at her, and somehow his throat felt very dry. It had nothing to do with wine, or whatever it was. It was a different kind of thirst that he had only let resurface after countless years of suppressing it. He was not like the other Dreads and Chosen who grabbed their fun when they could have it. He did not like that. Evil though he was, he still had his sense of propriety. Which, apparently, was now thrashed.

When was the last time I... he thought as he started unbuttoning his coat. Never mind... Another unbidden thought came forward in his muddled mind - the face of a young Aes Sedai, with long dark brown hair and absently-staring eyes. Edeleas wondered who she was and why her face came to him at such an inconvenient time, but all doubts and everything else was smothered by his great need, and Farina's kiss.

Farina groaned slightly as her mind made its way from sleep to reality. For a moment she just lay there with her eyes closed, not moving a muscle. Her mind was still more than foggy, and all she could understand at the moment was satisfaction. But the blissful moment of not remembering anything was soon over, and new feelings like guilt and pain soon joined the satisfaction. Farina slowly tried to fathom reasons for these feelings, and soon her mind was clear enough so that she remembered.

The pain was mostly headache, caused by her devoted drinking last night. She wondered how much she had really drunk. She tried to open her eyes, but the sunlight seemed to went straight through her eyes and pierce her brain, so she closed them tightly and tried to stay as still as possible. Oh, Light... She wasn't sure if she could get up from bed at all.

The guilt was of course caused by her unapproved night out and breaking the rules. The dress she had stolen probably wasn't as clean and whole as it had been before. The Mistress of Novices is not going to like this. The only hope she had was that she wouldn't get caught. She hadn't had any classes or chores in the evening, and she hoped that she wouldn't be missed in the few classes she had in the morning. She hoped that no one had seen her... Being absent from a few classes was one thing, but if someone found out why she had been absent and where she had spent the night, she would be in serious trouble.

The satisfaction... There were some things you couldn't forget no matter how drunk you had been. Sleeping with someone after over ten years of not sleeping with anyone was one of those things for Farina, who had dedicated a few years of her life just for sleeping with people before she had come to the White Tower. She could remember glimpses of seeing someone in a tavern and then going to an inn... And the passion. Farina was sure that she hadn't been the only one who had kept some tension inside for a while. It had been amazing. No matter if she got caught or not, it had been worth it.

Farina wriggled happily a bit, and only then realised that she wasn't alone in the bed. The man was still there too, his body pressed against hers. A slow smile spread on Farina's face. Maybe they could do it again, if Farina's head could take it... Or his. Farina remembered that he had been drunk too. She opened her eyes carefully and this time succesfully, and turned to see him.

And she let out a shrill scream before she could stop herself. She jumped out of the bed and grabbed a blanket to cover her naked body, and nearly grunted at the pain that the sudden movement had caused in her head. Oh Light, no... She could not believe it. She had slept with an Asha'man! And the Master of Soldiers to boot. The part of herself that she had known before she had come to the White Tower said, Good job, I've almost overdone myself. I've seen how novices drool at him, and I am the one to bed him. But the Accepted part of her took over. Light! What am I going to do? She had slept with an esteemed member of the Black Tower. If he told anyone... She couldn't just dress herself and run away before the man saw her, she was sure that her scream had awakened him. She waited, horror mixed with pride, to see how he would react.

The gentle warmth of the morning sunlight touched Edeleas's cheek, jerking his thoughts unwillingly back to reality. At that moment the Asha'man was already fully awake, thanks to his acquired Dreadlord habits, but he did not move. His head throbbed awfully, as if a Trolloc had clobbered him over and over with a bat. Besides, the blanket covering him was way too comfortable to take away just yet. And then one deadened green eye cracked open. At first the Dieb Cha was confused as he saw a great tangle of dark brown hair inches from his nose. He had very nearly jumped up and reached for his wakizashi if not for his brain suddenly reminding him what he had done the night before.

The dead green eye widened for a bit as recollection rushed in. He might have been drunk dead the night before, but one of the Great Lord's many curses assured that he would remember everything come the next day. He remembered quite clearly how he'd killed the Red sister, and his seeking a tavern for some well-needed dose of liquor. The murder was not planned; the Red asked for it herself. Edeleas always drank after committing an unplanned murder. And then...he lifted himself a few inches from the bed and looked down at the naked woman beside him. She was still sound asleep, but he knew who she was.

Ah, bloody Pit of bloody Doom... Edeleas thought hard. I slept with an Accepted. The thought rang in his head, but he didn't panic. True, he might lose his job if anyone found out...and it would be a miracle if he only got demoted. He would have been flayed or...he shook his head, golden locks dancing before his eyes. No use crying over spilled milk, and I'll be bloody hypocritical if I say I did not enjoy every single bit of it. He said to himself. He laid back down and closed his eyes.

And then he sensed her move. She wriggled beside him and made a noncommittal sound of satisfaction. And then her weight shifted, and she screamed. This time, Edeleas opened both of his eyes and looked at her. The Accepted was eyeing him with the utmost fear as she clutched a blanket to cover her body. Strange. Edeleas sat up and yawned briefly. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why bother with a blanket when I've seen everything that there is to see?" He said simply, eyeing her. If he had been his normal self he would have blushed just by the mere thought of how she'd made him scream. He ran a hand through his messy hair. "Worried? Don't be. I know when to be silent." He gave her the tiniest hint of a smile.

Farina had been right, no one could have survived that scream without waking up. You bloody idiot! The Asha'man opened his eyes and looked at her. Farina had never been so tense. What if he tells the Mistress of Novices? He was the Master of Soldiers, he probably had some sort of relationship with Cayana Sedai, so it would be easy for him to slip a casual remark about her over-night expedition. That would raise questions of course, but if the Master of Soldiers didn't share his part in the story, the only thing Farina would gain from telling the truth would be a bunch of new punishments for lying. No one would believe an Accepted if the Master of Soldiers told something else. She would be sent to a farm for years, if not worse. No, he wouldn't be so cruel, would he? For some reason, Farina was not overly convinced that he wouldn't.

The man sat up and yawned casually as if it was usual for him to wake up with a terrified Accepted trying to cover herself with a blanket. And then he raised an eyebrow at her. At her! "Why bother with a blanket when I've seen everything that there is to see?" Ha ha. Very funny, she thought grimly. How could the man be so calm? And why can't he just say what he's going to do about this? He had the upper hand now. Farina had so much to loose.

The man ran a hand through his hair. Farina thought she was going to burst with all the tension. "Worried? Don't be. I know when to be silent." Farina let out a relieved sigh and relaxed visibly. Thank the Light! One vital problem solved. Now she would only have to figure out how to get to the White Tower and explain her absence. Maybe she would get a few meetings with the Mistress of Novices’ switch or a few hours of extra chores. That was nothing compared to what could have happened if the Mistress of Novices found out about the night. Now no one would have to know what she did. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

She stood there for a while, wondering what to do next. She would not let go of the blanket, no matter what the man had seen. She still had some dignity left. And he was still an Asha’man. I’ve created a great big mess for myself. How should she react to him from now on? Asha’man Edeleas seemed to be taking the situation well, but just how flexible was he? How did he feel about her? Did the night mean something to him? Farina was certainly not looking for a relationship, and she hoped that Asha’man Edeleas wasn’t either.

The situation was awkward at best, at least in Farina’s opinion, so she felt the pressure to say something. Let’s see how open-minded he is. She gave him her best grin and asked, “Did you enjoy it too?”

“Did you enjoy it too?”

Edeleas did not answer for a moment. He took his time to get out of bed, pausing in his tracks when his head exploded in pain, and for a moment it seemed his vision was blackened, tinged with spots of neon colors. He clutched his head and then straightened up. His clothes were unbelievably scattered around the room, and he even stared and gaped slightly at the sight of his pants, which was hanging by the curtain rod. How in the Pit of Doom did it get there? he wondered.

He fetched his pants with a flow of air, and then had to flatten himself on the wooden floors to reach under the bed and retrieve his coat. He silently dressed himself, buttoning his coat tightly, suddenly thankful that somehow they did not destroy each other's clothes. Very gently he unmasked the bond, and a flood of worry from Myara rushed into his head, making him for a moment reel. He sent an assuring thought that he was all right, just a bit...edgy.

He finally shifted his dead eyes to Farina. "I would be a big hypocrite if I said I did not." He said simply, as if discussing things over tea. "From my calculation, the eighth toll of the morning is due soon. Accepted and Dedicated classes usually start at that hour, and you would do well to hurry back to the Towers. Do not use weaves of Travelling, that will only make you more suspicious." He told Farina matter-of-factly as he went over to the mirror and splashed cold water on his face. "I myself must get back to the Black Tower soon, or the young ones would miss me. They are forever looking for an opportunity to bring me down."

He sat back down on the bed, watching her. She still did not dress. She might think him mad for the eccentric way he took to things, but that was only because she couldn't see what he was thinking inside. In his head, Edeleas was busy ramming his head again and again on an imaginary wall, cursing his stupidity and carelessness.

ooc :: :unsure: >.<

(OOC: *grins*)

The Asha'man didn't answer. He just got up from bed, clutching his head as he did. Farina didn't blame him. Her head was a bit sore, but it didn't hurt now that she was standing still... She knew that if she'd move, it would seriously hurt. She wondered if she would be able to attend classes and chores at all with her head. She would have to. She couldn't afford being absent anymore. The Master of Soldiers stopped to stare at his pants which were hanging from a curtain rod. Farina smiled as she thought how they had gotten there. I surely enjoyed it, even if he didn't. No, that was impossible. Farina remembered how he had squealed...

Farina shook her head vigorously to herself. Light! He is the Master of Soldiers! But she couldn't stop herself from looking at him admiringly when he retrieved his clothes. The novices were right to sigh over him. She looked for her own clothes. They were scattered around too, but she found them all as she scanned the room, which was a good thing. That would have been something, Farina returning to the Tower without her clothes.

When the man was dressed, he looked at Farina again. "I would be a big hypocrite if I said I did not." I thought so too. But his tone was not exactly what she had been hoping for. He spoke with no emotion in his voice. Like an Asha'man. He's not that liberal after all. "From my calculation, the eighth toll of the morning is due soon. Accepted and Dedicated classes usually start at that hour, and you would do well to hurry back to the Towers." I'm not a child, thank you very much, Farina thought grimly. You of all people should know that I'm a woman. "Do not use weaves of Travelling, that will only make you more suspicious." That piece of advice was unnecessary, Farina didn't know how to Travel. She wasn't that far in her training yet. And she wasn't even sure if she was strong enough to form a gateway at that. And she wasn't stupid enough to Travel even if she could have.

The Asha'man splashed some water on his face before continuing. "I myself must get back to the Black Tower soon, or the young ones would miss me. They are forever looking for an opportunity to bring me down." And then he sat on the bed and just watched her. Farina arched an eyebrow. Is that how he gets back to the Black Tower? She couldn't help but feel a bit angry at him. He had just spent an amazing night with her, and he still treated her like a child. Men. "Thank you, Asha'man, for your brilliant advice I did not need," she said crisply, "and yes, I do have a class soon. So I must hurry. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you said that you must hurry too, Asha'man. Please feel free to leave. Or are you going to watch me dress?"

"Thank you, Asha'man, for your brilliant advice I did not need," she said crisply, "and yes, I do have a class soon. So I must hurry. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought you said that you must hurry too, Asha'man. Please feel free to leave. Or are you going to watch me dress?"

Edeleas gave her a toothy grin that did not reach his eyes. "As much as I do want to go back to the Towers, my head is killing me. You may dress wherever and however you want." So saying he shut his eyes and touched his temples. Damn, his head throbbed like mad. Maybe when he was feeling fine enough to walk back to the Towers, he would go to the Infirmary and ask for some partial relief from the Yellows or N'Dore. Freyja sooner or later always had an answer, of course.

And then there was the matter of the sister he had killed. Rising, Edeleas did not even spare Farina a second glance as he walked out of the room. Although the Dieb Cha had the decency to pay for their overnight stay and even glowered at the impolite way the owner of the inn grinned at him. The glower immediately shut up the man and sent him away.

Edeleas went out to the morning, cursing the sudden brightness that seemed to irritate his eyes. Touching the True Source and weaving Travelling, he slashed open a gateway that led to his office and stepped through, grateful for the cool shadows inside.

The Asha’man grinned at her, making her temper rise a bit more. "As much as I do want to go back to the Towers, my head is killing me. You may dress wherever and however you want." Men! Only men could be so infuriatingly arrogant and rude! Well, he did have some sense of decency, because he shut his eyes. Considering his temple-rubbing, it was for his headache more than for decency though. Farina shook her head to herself sadly and started to gather her clothes from various parts of the room.

Once she had all her clothes in her hands, glanced at the Master of Soldiers. He hadn’t moved. Well, Farina was not certainly going to wait him to leave. She sat on the bed as far away from the Asha’man as she could and turned her back on him securely and started to roll up her stockings, keeping a firm grip on the blanket too. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her naked again, if he happened to be looking. Farina glanced over her shoulder. He wasn’t looking. That made Farina only more irritated.

Suddenly the mattress sifted as the Asha’man stood up and she heard the door close. She glanced over her shoulder again. The man had left without a word! His total lack of interest was more insulting than anything Farina could think of. She was not in any way a repulsive woman. Once she was done with her stockings, Farina stood up and slipped the dress on, tugging it a bit to get it in the right place. She buttoned the back of the dress with a bit too much vigour, sending one button flying across the room. And her head was not making her feel any better either.

She sighed heavily and tried to calm herself. She still had to figure out how to get back to the White Tower. She would have to slip in somehow and change her clothes and run to class, claiming to have overslept. After brushing the dress briefly, she left the room and gave the innkeeper a saucy grin before heading back to the White Tower, hoping that no one would catch her.