The package laid there innocently, wrapped in brown paper, with a slightly whiter string and a small note saying 'To Resolute'. It was placed at the foot of the bed where the Asha'man was sleeping and save for the breaths of the man no sound was heard and no presence were to be found. Inside the package was a blue silk shirt, a dark deep blue, no where near bordering on black and inside that a belt knife in a nicely carved white sheet.

The sun hadn't come up just yet still Nevira was out as the villagers were getting ready to go to the fields or setting up their shops or other forms of work. They had gotten here late last night as the storm was raging, but as usual the sky was even more beautiful now as the clouds had cleared. Nevira was dressed in the usual brown and green that was normal for travelers through woods and the like. She didn't wear a sword at her belt but had plenty of knifes through out her body. Nevira didn't like that much, but a sword would tell immediately who she was and that would only make things more difficult. Her cloak was a grayish green and blended nicely when she stalked the woods. At the moment however stalking woods weren't Neviras primary concern. The bakery had just opened for business and so Nevira walked in to buy some bread, both fresh and for the road. In these wee hours she was going to get provisions. She had no idea how far they still had to go, Res hadn't told her much about the mission he was on, still she had insisted to come along. They weren't bondmates, but still Nevira was resolute to help Resolute in anyway possible. She just hoped he didn't hate her for it.

Once having gotten provisions Nevira returned to the inn where they were staying. Talking to one of the maids Nevira asked her to send up some breakfast to Resolute and then went to the common room to have some for herself. She got some oatmeal and bread as well as a fresh apple which she wondered how they had gotten at this time of year, but was happy never the less to eat it.

Urk. Resolute awoke with a blinding migraine, a head ace of the sort that almost causes you to loose your sight. It was like a painful light flashed on and off on the edges of his vision. Resolute glared at the far wall, his green eyes narrowed into a ferocious snarl, both at the headache and his hangover. If anyone had ever asked him, he would have said that whern he became an Asha'man he would have been a happy, almost carefree man. Not so. Resolute finally understood what some of his older friends who had been Raised before him had tried to tell him. Responsibilty was highly over-rated.

So to cope with the pressures of life, Resolute had turned to drinking. He wasn't terribly picky as to the type, or the flavor of the beverage, as long as it numbed him to world. The drinking, aside from leaving him regretting it each morning when he awoke from his stupor, made him almost consistently angry. He had become a much darker, violent man then the simple boy-warrior he had been as a Soldier and Dedicated. But he had seen and done things that left him scarred.

He still remembered the Rei he had seen dead, the blood everywhere, the body rent into pieces. Rather than disturbing him, it had hardened him. Like a stone sheath it surrounded his heart, and cut him off from his emotions. Much like a Shield of Spiriut would cut him off from Saidin. Groaning, he rolled over, and kicked something from the foot of his bed to the floor. A small brown package, it was neatly wrapped, and without even seeing the hand-writing Resolute knew it was from Nevira.

Without even reading it, he opened it, and let the blue silk shirt fall to the ground. Something inside it thunked with a heavy sound as it smacked the wooden floor. Resolute frowned, and bent over further to pick up the shirt. Within it, he found an ornately carved knife-belt. He smiled faintly at the two gifts, a ghost of his old face spreading across his features before it was gone. The knife-belt he appreciated, as his old one was near worn through. Still, the shirt, dark blue had never been his colors, and he knew there was an underlying hint in the shirt. All he had worn for the past several months since he had fallen into his anger and depression was black. The Black of an Asha'man, as befit his rank.

This blue was...to happy. And it was just like his...whatever Nevira was to send him these subtle hints. That was another thing that vexed him. He was not certain what he and Nevira were to become. Lovers, perhaps, bondmates, a good probabiltiy, or were they just friends? Resolute did not really know, and it nearly drove him insane. Then again, it was hardly alone in this. Still, he had to wear the shirt. With a grunt, he slipped it on over his head, and down his back. Then standing, he pulled on his midnight black breeches which contrasted horribly with the blue, but Resolute found he did not care. He threaded his twin longknives onto the righthip of his new belt, and his Heron-marked blade to the left. The Heron was not his by right, it had been his Fathers and he bore in rememberance of the old man, whom he had loved deeply.

Turning to the washbasin, Resolute seized Saidin, and for a moment he actually smiled as he felt the strength and power of it pour into him like a sunbeam. Then he channeled Water into the basin, and lowered its temperature until ice formed on the edges. Without cerememony, he dunked his head into the frigid water, and came up gasping. Ah Well, at least his headache was gone. There was a knock at his door, and Resolute turned and barked, "Come!"

A maid, a cute young thing, entered and shyly left a tray for him, and then departed swiftly. Resolute glaned at the tray before grabbing a piece of fruit and walking out. He did not each much these days. After obtaining directions from a worked in the inn, he found Nevira in a dinning hall. He dropped into the seat across from her, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Morning." He grunted.

((I dont remember if I told you I was going to take him through this depressed/dark period, he will come out of it eventually, have faith!))

It didn't take long before Resolute showed up, meaning he hadn't eaten much (if any) of his breakfast today either. He sat down across from her and ran a hand through his hair and grunted "Morning." If it hadn't been because of the shirt he was now wearing Nevira would be more unsettled. Lately Resolute had become a very different man. Nevira didn't know what she thought about it, it was hard really since he was often under the influence of the drink. She just hoped he wouldn't start of the morning with a beer...

"Good morning." Nevira said with a small smile and bit down on her apple. The apple was slightly sour and very juicy just the way she liked them. "How are you feeling this morning?" She asked. He had been in such a foul mood last night. Nevira had no idea if it was the drink talking or something else, she just wished he could see himself when he got like that. It had been even worse then usual.

Resolute of course wouldn't really admit to having any effects of last night. She hoped he would stay in the saddle during the day at least, where ever they were going. That was also something she wondered about. They had travelled for a couple of weeks now and he hadn't even let her know in what direction they were heading (which of course meant a lot more work when it came to protecting him). She just hoped they would come out of this as whole as possible. "Which direction do we take today then?" She asked casually and watched him, waiting for an answer.

((OOC: I do remember. :) Sorry about the short post, couldn't think of anything more to write...))

"Good morning." She said brightly. And loudly. Why did everyone have to be so infernally loud this morning? When his head ached so much. "How are you feeling this morning?" he groaned slightly and waved her to lower her voice.

"Must you shout?" He mumbled. His headache it seemed had returned, and with a vengance. He toke anohter bite of the apple, tasting its puckered, sour flesh as he chewed thougt-fully. And softly. "We're continuing south." He said irritably.

He hated Tarens there presumptious nature, there funky moustaches. They all bothered him. But here he was, carrying a letter to some fool Lord in the Stone of Tear. And whatever it was was apparently to Fragile to be taken through a Skimming Gate. Something Resolute and many other Asha'man were mroe than capable of. Resolute couldn't even tell Nevra where they were going. He barely even knew where they were going!

He finished his apple, and caught the Innkeeper's eye across the Common Room. With a flick of his wrist of Saidin, he tossed gold coin to the inkeeper. It havoered to a halt before him, and the man shakily reached out to grasp the Gold coin stamped with the United Towers. He gasped in surprise to find the coin was ice cold.

"A moment, Asha'man and I shall fetch your change." Resolute smiled. The price for a travelers Tavern such as this was a Silver for a room per night. He had just paid five times the price. But he shook his head.

"For you hospitality good man." The Innkeeper's eyebrows shot up. "The Blessings of the Light go on you." Then Resolute stood, and with a jerk of his head, he called Nevira with him.

He gathered his horse and gear, and met her in the stables. With a fond pat, he petted his brown gelding's nose.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his head still pounding, and his foul mood swiftly returning.

Resolute groaned at her cheery greeting, making her own mood drop. Outwards, however, she didn't let it show. "Must you shout?" He mumbled. Hangover again. Nevira thought to herself starting to get that reoccurring feeling that Resolute was on a very destructive path. Self-destructive. The beautiful Asha'man bit down into an apple. "We're continuing south." He added in irritably. South. Further towards Tear then. Nevira might not have been allowed to know the purpose of Resolutes trip, but it didn't mean she didn't try to figure it out.

Nevira kept at her own breakfast watching Resolute who ate nothing but his apple and then dealt with the innkeeper. Nevira couldn't help but to notice the nonchalant behavior as he tossed the gold to the innkeeper with Saidin. Sighing softly to herself she just watched finishing her own breakfast fast as she knew they would leave shortly. And as she had suspected. A moment later Resolute stood, gave a jerk of his head and walked out. Nevira followed, grabbing that of her gear she would be wearing the other stuff she had already had the stable boys pack onto their pack animal. She walked out to the stable and saddled her horse on her own. It wasn't quite fully broken in yet and the stable boys were quite nervous around her horse, even more so then Resolutes. After having made sure everything was in order she lead out both her own horse and the pack horse. It carried food and water, as well as some traveling gear that was of comfort when they weren't in inns, but that wouldn't be to much of a loss if they had to ditch the pack horse for some reason.

Resolute stood dealing with his own brown gelding. He was fond of his horse and showed that as well, but Nevira couldn't help but to notice the subtle change as Resolute spoke to her again. "Are you ready?" He asked and she merely nodded as she lead the horses out of the stable and mounted her own. It would be a long day.

As the day started to progress towards it's end they still hadn't reached an other village. The sun was going to set soon and as Nevira doubted they'd reach an other inn (having travelled this road on several occasions with the menagerie) she started to look for a place to spend the night. After a while she found a clearing. There was no stream near by, but it had to do. "We should camp here tonight." Nevira stated as she let her horse walk towards the clearing, the pack animal in toll. At least here there would be no beer, unless Resolute brought some. Nevira had purposefully not packed any alcoholic beverages.

Reaching a proper tree to tie the horses to, Nevira dismounted, leaving her rains on the ground as she tied the pack horse up. Her own horse started to stray, but Nevira gave the rains, she had picked up, a tug showing that she did not approve. After that she started tending to unpacking, unsaddling, taking care of the horses and setting camp. She was quite used to this and mostly it was just routine. As the sun was coloring the sky in burning red colors and the darkness started creeping over the horizon Nevira was cooking dinner in a cauldron above a small fire. "Hungry?" Nevira asked before tasking the stew. It was done so she poured some in a bowl and handed it to Resolute. "You have to eat." She added.