Eddie 
   The drive was taking a long time, and Eddie was getting restless.  He knew
that pursuit was inevitable, and the fact that it hadn't happened was making
him even more antsy.  "Hey, Dav, doesn't it make you a mite nervous that they
haven't pursued us?  i mean, this IS the White Tower."
   "You're right.  No way would they let us off this easy.  What do you want
to do?"
   "Investigate of course.  There's a motorcycle dealership right there.  Drop
me off."
   Liagala spoke up.  "No way.  You are NOT going back there.  I won't allowit."
   Eddie sighed.  "I know you feel you need to be protective of me, Li.  But,
for the same reasons that I can't keep you from things, you can't keep me
away.  Now, for whatever reason, these people have chosen to follow me.  I
don't know why, but as leader, it's my responsibility to make sure we're as
safe as possible.  What if they're tracking us somehow and waiting for us to
lead them to the place of exile?  Won't they be glad to see us if we come with
the entire White Tower on our heels.  So, I NEED to go and check this out." He
looked to the just awakened gholam.  "Sredny, if you would help me, I would be
most appreciative."  Looking back to Liagala, he continued, "Besides, when
we're done, I'm going to need a way back to the Purples.  Our Bond will be
what leads me.  And I would feel batter with Dav watching over you.  From our
previous experience, I know I can trust him to get you back safely.  Okay,
Dav, drop us off."
   As Dav pulled into the Harley dealership (don't want you to kill my bike
again Dav.:-Þ ), Eddie and Sredny got out.  "Li, I know you don't like this,
but I have to do it.  I'll see you soon."   Leaning in, he tried to get a
kiss, but she turned her head.  "I'm sorry," Eddie whispered.  "I have to.  I
wish you could see that."
   Sighing, he straightened, looked after he departing car, and turned to the
gholam.  "Let's go see what trouble we can get into, huh?"  He checked to make
sure he had his Caemlyn Express card, and headed for the showroom.


Liagala
   Liagala sat in the car with Davidson, Kat, and Haplo as they made their way
toward the rest of the Purples, pondering her Warder's latest actions.  He
just didn't seem to realize that the protection thing went both ways, here.
In the Tower, she had insisted on coming along, and kept him from being
killed.  She had a sneaking suspicion she was going to have to do that again
here.  But if I go back to them, how do we find the Purples again?  He needs
the Bond to find his way back!  Suddenly, an idea hit her.  "Dav, stop the
car."  Smiling, Liagala fished a coin out of her purse, and briefly embraced
saidar, weaving a small flow into it, as Dav pulled over.  
   "Why am I stopping, Liagala?  You can't be intending to go back there."  Dav
looked at her with an incredulous look on his face.
   "That's exactly what I intend," she said, with a small grin on her face.  She
took his  hand, and pressed the coin into it, folding his fingers around it.
"As long as you keep this coin in your posession, I will always be able to
find you.  It's like a small link between us.  As soon as Eddie, Sredny and I
get back, you can return it to me, but for now, it'll help us find the Purples
after I keep my Warder from getting his fool butt kicked."
   "But Liagala!"  Dav spluttered.  "Eddie'll kill me if I let you go back
there!"  He studied the coin for a moment, pondering whether to keep it, then
shoved it into his pocket.  "Oh, hell with it.  If you're anything like Jen,
you'll be going no matter what I do."
   Liagala smiled again, said her goodbyes, and got out of the car, walking back
toward the dealership.  The last thing she heard was Kat yelling "I got
shotgun!"  followed by Hap's,  "Only if ya can beat me to it, darlin'. "   

   Liagala finally found Eddie and the gholam, looking around the car lot.  As
soon as he spied her, he turned, yelling at her for following, and asking how
they were supposed to find the Purples again, and the whole nine yards.  She
let him continue for a moment, a small smile playing about her lips, then cut
him off the only way she knew how.  By keeping his mouth busy with something
other than words.  :-)  When the kiss ended, she briefly explained the coin
she gave to Dav, then asked which vehicle the boys intended to buy.  Nobody
answered, Sredny was off looking at something, and Eddie was rather...
speechless at the moment.  Sighing, she went of to look on her own.


Sredny
      Sredny watched from the shadows, she was walking along, he pulled aimed
and fired. . again and again. The corpse fell to the ground. . .Sredny watched
from the balcony, she walked along below it he slid down, she jumped back
shocked, then smile and opened her mouth to say something, his hand ripped her
throat out then twisted her head around and around till it came off. . .She
smiled and hugged Haplo he brought out his guns and mowed them both down. . 
      Sredny woke with cold shovers flushing through his body. What had he
been dreaming? And why was he cold as if he had been channeled at? The others
were all talking, and he count neither see nor feel anyone touching any power.
how very odd. Eddie was arguing with Liagala again, or perhaps still, he
wasn't sure if it had ever technically stopped. A half-smile came to his lips.
He shook off the cold, decided it had simply been a nightmare. It wasn't like
he hadn't had them before. Sredny released the thickened flows of air from
around himself, and began to listen to the conversation.  
   Eddie sighed.  "I know you feel you need to be protective of me, Li.  But,
for the same reasons that I can't keep you from things, you can't keep me
away.  Now, for whatever reason, these people have chosen to follow me.  I
don't know why, but as leader, it's my responsibility to make sure we're as
safe as possible.  What if they're tracking us somehow and waiting for us to
lead them to the place of exile?  Won't they be glad to see us if we come with
the entire White Tower on our heels.  So, I NEED to go and check this out." He
looked to the just awakened gholam.  "Sredny, if you would help me, I would be
most appreciative."   
       Sredny nodded, and stretched in the limited space he could in the
cramped car. 
   Looking back to Liagala, he continued, "Besides, when we're done, I'm going
to need a way back to the Purples.  Our Bond will be what leads me.  And I
would feel batter with Dav watching over you.  From our previous experience, I
know I can trust him to get you back safely.  Okay, Dav, drop us off."
   As Dav pulled into the Harley dealership, Eddie and Sredny got out.  "Li, I 
know you don't like this, but I have to do it.  I'll see you soon."   Leaning in, 
he tried to get a kiss, but she turned her head.  "I'm sorry," Eddie whispered.  
"I have to.  I wish you could see that."
   Sighing, he straightened, looked after he departing car, and turned to the
gholam.  "Let's go see what trouble we can get into, huh?"  He checked to make
sure he had his Caemlyn Express card, and headed for the showroom. 
       Sredny grinned as he got out of the car, and flashed to liquid then
back again to work out the various cramps. He glanced as Eddie got out his
wallet.
       "Your going to pay? Ah, your no fun." Sredny smiled and looked around
trying to find a decent bike. Eddie simply shook his head. "Your incorrigable
you know that? Your supposed to be a good guy now. And good guys pay forthings."
        Sredny smiled and shrugged. Eddie simpyl shook his head again. They
began to look for bikes. A few minutes later a slight sound caught Srednys
ear. he whirled around and smiled. He turned back to Eddie and whispered
"Speaking of paying it looks like your about to have to pay for your judgment
in bond mates." Eddie frowned, opened his mouth, then realization struck and
he spun around to see Liagala coming towards them. 
   Liagala finally found Eddie and the gholam, looking around the car lot.  As
soon as he spied her, he turned, yelling at her for following, and asking how
they were supposed to find the Purples again, and the whole nine yards.  She
let him continue for a moment, a small smile playing about her lips, then cut
him off the only way she knew how.  By keeping his mouth busy with something
other than words.
      Sredny grew bored. Yaddah Yaddah Yaddah. He began to time them, but gave
up after 30 seconds. He considered asking how they breathed when they did
that, but decided against it. Smiling he muttered about going to look around
some more. 
   When the kiss ended, she briefly explained the coin she gave to Dav, then
asked which vehicle the boys intended to buy.  Nobody answered, Sredny was off
looking at something, and Eddie was rather... speechless at the moment.
Sighing, she went of to look on her own. 
      Sredny glanced at the door, then the window, then the slightly chubby
man coming out to meet them. He grinned. "Excuse me sir. I'm looking for a
nice black bike. The lord I work for wants a present for his nephew. He's
truly a Great Lord, very kind and rewarding to those who serve him well, so if
you had something special I'd be much obliged." Sredny made as if he was
wiping sweat from his head and waggled his fingers. The man's eyes stopped in
mid-widden, and he became slightly nervous, but exceedingly helpfull.
      "Of course sir, I have just the thing, will your friends there be
wanting bikes as well?"
      "Aye that they will, but I'm warning you now, don't try and pull a fast
one on them you can't keep them in the dark. however a slight discount might
be adivsable." The man nodded, slightly relieved.
      Within moments Sredny had a lightweight bike, fast and maneuverable,
that the man assured him had a few special features. Soon after Liagala and
Eddie had their's as well.  Sredny had the man provide special helmets as well. 
As they were on their way out, Eddie asked him "What was all that about?"
      Sredny grinned but before he could answer Liagala spoke up. "Eddie, if
you had payed attention you would have realized that the man was a Darkfriend,
and our friend the gholam just got himself a slightly advanced bike, and for
free unless I miss my guess. And you wonder why I don't let you out on youown."
      Sredny grinned, and nodded at Eddie's stare. "Bah. So why didn't we get
ours for free?"      "Because I told him you weren't darkfriends."
      "You did what? Why?" 
      Sredny grinned. "Because your a good guy. And good guys pay."
     Eddie sputterd for a moment untill he finally got out "So why didn't you
pay?"
     "Because I'm not a good guy. I'm not a bad guy either. I'm just a guy. I
don't want the world covered in darkness, and I don't want it covered in light
either. I wouldn't enjoy a world without violence, without mans darker side,
where there was only true love, no lust, only mercy, no vengance. I wouldn't
enjoy a world without any love, that was only power struggles and dark
pleasure either. I simply want a world. The glass isn't half full or half
empty. It's simply there. The main reason I'm here is because your something I
haven't experienced in my eons of existance, and because you all have the
better dental plan."
      They both stared at him. He shrugged, and grinned. Finally Liagalla said
"So what's with these helmets?"
     "They've got headsets in them. Unlike the import Eddie hathese things
aren't just loud, their about on the level of a constant explosion. So much
for the element of surprise. But at least now we can talk to each other."
      They all nodded, hopped on the bikes, and were off.


Katja
   Katja gently pulled back on the horse's reins to slow down from the easy
canter.  Her mind drifted as she listened to the schlip-schlop of the
hooves on the muddy trail.  The recent rain had left her and all of her
belongings wet.  Not that she had many with her, anyway.  She tried to
think of how long it had been since she had ridden away from the Purple
Tower on one of her excursions.  Although she liked her friends in the
Tower, she still wasn't used to being cooped up in one place for very
long.  Except that when she had left a place this time, she knew that
she was going to come back.  She knew that she had finally found a place
where she could belong...........a home. 
   She had heard quite a few rumors about what was happening in Tar Valon,
but she greatly doubted them.  Never one to place much on the words of
other people, she had tried not to scoff and give away her identity
whenever she had stopped at a roadside fruit stand and had the latest
gossip forced unto her ears.  There was no way that her friends at the
Purple Tower had commited all these felonies against Tar Valon.
Breaking and entering?  Charges of trespassing and Murder? 
   She looked up at the sky to see what time it was.  The rain had somehow
stopped her watch that she had brought along.  The sun was at it's
highest; the mountain top seemed to point directly at it.  Her horse,
Algai, suddenly faltered as a rock underneath his hoof resettled in the
mud.  The jolt awakened Katja from her reverie, and she stopped Algai
and swung off.  "Hey, guy.  Are you tired?" she questioned of the horse.
The drooping ears flicked around to catch her voice, and she laughed as
the black head swung around and butted her in the stomach.  She rubbed
the white snip on his nose and then removed the bridle, letting Algai
know that he could grab a bite to eat.  He happily whoofed into her hand
and then proceeded to fill his empty belly.  Katja reached up and took
the saddle and blanket off the horse, allowing the sweat on his jet
black back dry.  She searched through the saddle bag and found a ripe
apple, just begging to be eaten. 
   Suddenly, the sharp retort of an old rifle startled the resting two.
Without a thought, Katja had swung herself onto the back of Algai and
had set the horse at a wild gallop up the side of the mountain.  There
weren't supposed to be hunters on this side of the mountain.  ~How I
hate those hunters,~ Katja thought to herself.  ~They come up here to
shoot a bunch of creatures for the fun of it, but first they have to get
themselves so drunk that they can't even walk, let alone shoot
straight.~  She grunted as Algai landed a little roughly after jumping
over a rock.  "Well,"  she said as she patted the black shoulder and
felt the muscles bulging underneath, "These hunters are in for quite a
bit of a surprise, aren't they Algai?"  The horse just snorted in agreement. 
Nearing where they had heard the gunshot, she started to slow down to a
walk.  One of the first things that she had learned about riding
bareback was to never slow down to suddenly from a wild gallop, Katja
remembered with a grimace.  She reached down and loosened one of the
knives that she kept in her boots.  Slowing almost to a stop, she peared
above a rock and grinned.  "Well, what do you know,"  she said to no one
in particular, "They must have missed me."  For there, just a shouts
length away were the drunk hunters, hanging in midair, and holding them
there were her friends from the Purple Tower.

4:36 PM 1/14/99