A Little Help.

[Madeline Cauthon]

Maddie's arm was throbbing from the pain from the spar. She had to find Gawain and see if he would heal it for her. She went to the reception desk and lookd up his room. Madeline headed towards his room. As she headed to his room, she checked herself in the mirror. She didn't look too bad. Just a swollen jaw, broke arm and miscallenious bruises. She knew that he was probably with Airtia and really didn't want to interrupt their reunion, but her arm was killing her, and Gawain was one of the few she trusted to fix it.


She walked up to the door, and with her good arm knocked. "Gawain are you here, it's me Madeline."

[Gawain]

Gawain was relaxing, staring at the ceiling, and generally being lazy. He heard the knock at the door, then Madeline's voice. She sounded strained, and smelled, for lack of a better word, hurt. Swinging his legs off of the bed, he made his way to the door, opened it, and looked down to Maddie. "Well, kiddo, what's shakin'? Hmph. You look like you've been in a brawl. Come over here, I'll see to it." Airtia should be around here somewhere, he thought, maybe in the bathroom? "Hey Air, we've got a guest....it's Maddie, and she's pretty beaten up. Give me a hand, dear?" Back to Madeline. He smiled, laying his hand on her brow. "Don't worry, I've seen a lot worse. We'll have you patched up in no time."

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

"Ye 'ave a vera popular room," it was a general comment spoken as she emerged from the bathroom. Her hair had a damp quality to it. Since she was spending down time in the room she had chosen to adorn herself in one of Gawain's shirts. It was long enough to be decent, and short enough to not in the wrong company. However, this was Madeline. "Greetings Madeline."

If Gawain was going to do Healing on a person who's never been Healed before, he probably wanted Airtia to provide assurance to Madeline. Whatever he would like, she would comply. She gave Madeline a smile and moved to her side. "Ye did nae get intae an argument with Dre did ye?"

[Gawain]

He grinned, seizing the Source and starting to Delve Madeline. He noted that her arm was broken, the radius bone, if he was any judge, and her jaw was cracked. Other than that, she had some serious contusions and a severe case of whiplash. "Well, you know how it is, Air. For some reason, people trust this face. Boy, if they saw the other one....." He snickered, letting that hang as he placed his hands on Madeline, one on her forehead, one on her abdomen. "This is gonna feel a little weird. Remember, most of the Healing comes from the Source, but your body has to contribute, or else I get a little tired. No worries, though. Air, if we have any food around, would you mind grabbing it? She's gonna be very hungry afterwards. And by the way, thank you, dear. Don't know what I ever did without ya." He formed the weaves, allowing them to slip into Madeline's body. She would feel a shiver, as if someone had opened the window onto a cold winter's night, and the bone would, no doubt, pain her a little as it reset itself. "Brace yourself, kid." After he spoke, he formed another set of weaves, these to ease her pain and to facilitate the success of her Healing. All of the threads settled into her, and with a slight murmur, he removed his hands. A few steps back, and he flopped into an easy chair, allowing his arms to dangle beside him. "Wait a few moments, and try to flex your fingers. Remember to take it easy, though. When you're ready, you may flex your arm, and move your jaw around." He smiled then, looking over to Airtia. "You know, I never get tired of this. Of course, it's easier when you have a little help." He slipped his hand into his coat pocket, removing a few items. These were placed out onto the table directly in front of him. They consisted of a Seal, bearing the markings of both halves of the Aes Sedai, male and female. The other two items were a carving of a woman, bent at the waist, and a man in a similar pose. He pointed to the female figure, and grinned. "This one's for you, dearest. Nearly all the sa'angreal were taken from us, to be stored within the Towers, but they allowed us to keep a few trinkets, such as these angreal. I don't have to explain their usage to you, since you're obviously much more well versed in the Power than I, but I thought maybe you could find a use for it."

[Madeline Cauthon]

Maddie flexed her arm and moved her jaw. Good as new. She gave Gawain a hug.

"Thanks Dad, thank you Airtia, I feel much better. Actually believe or not this was caused from a friendly practice spar with my faerie friend Kyra. I believe both of you met her at the forge."

"Anyway she had asked me to teach her a how to defend herself, and I showed her a few moves. Then it turned into a spar, Dre supervised. Needless to say I'm way out of practice, and let's just say Kyra has more strength than I estimated." "The nuns at school did not allow us to spar, and I guess I forgot the one of the most important rules, never provoke an oppenent unless your ready."

Maddie knew she was being kind of vague about the whole thing, but she did not want to betray Kyra's trust.

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

"Ne'er start a fight ye can't win," Airtia stated. Knowing you can win did not mean winning all the time. As she turned around there was a small glass plate of apple slices, red grapes, cheese and crackers in her hand. Where she had gotten the items was not important.

Back to Madeline she offered her the tray and looked at the objects Gawain had taken out. Had he needed help in order to Heal? That question, and the one wondering where he got those items, was relayed with a raise of her brow. She took up the female angreal, beginning to grace it cautiously with a few Weaves, as she did this she continued to speak to Madeline.

"A person can ne'er be fully ready. The ye are facin', e'en iffen ye 'ave fought them a thousand times, can spring something new. Tis good that ye learned a thing or two. Nae doubt Dre was glad tae see his workers could defend themselves."

She remembered Kyra for she was the first person she met when she entered the shop.

[Madeline Cauthon]

"Thank you kindly Airtia. I'm sorry if I interrupted you guys. I hate to be a burden."

" You're right Airtia. But the important thing is we had fun, and both Kyra and I learned from it. My most important mistake was forgetting for a half second that she was Arcadia's daughter."

Maddie took a slice of apple andf bit into it. It was very good and very sweet. She also started to wonder if that night she almost gave herself to that Mr. Adams thing, could have something to do with her lack of strength during the spar.

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

"There are ne'er interruptions, only inopportune moments." Airtia said with a smile and she took to sit next to Madeline. "With that, I hear that ye are family." She glanced towards Gawain before setting her silver eyes back on Madeline. "That Gawain adopted ye a long time past. And, in being family, ye gain certain privileges." It was important that they pair had fun during the spar, but that was something she was not going to comment on.

Though she was going to comment on the other thing she had said. "Ye underestimated yer opponent?" When did Arcadia have a daughter? Perhaps that was something she had forgotten.

[Madeline Cauthon]

What Airtia said made her fell more at ease as Airtia and Gawain continued to heal her.

"Yes I underestimated my oppenent. I remember seeing Arcadia in a few spars back in the Society, when I was little. I should have known that her daughter would have her natural ability. What I wasn't expecting was the growth in her strength, the more we fought the stronger she got. Also towards the end of the spar she had me pinned and whem I managed to flip her off of me. When I was able to get up and see if she was ok, she was in the shadows, and it almost looked like she was becoming one. "

She saw a bit of confusion on Airtia's face and smiled a little, and decided to explain what she knew.

"Appearently seventeen years ago Arcaidia gave birth to a little girl, and for whatever reason sent her to be fostered. I don't know much other than that."

[Gawain]

Gawain was lounging in the easy chair, still waiting for the weaves to finish their work, and feeling the strain of such a powerful weave. He had had to use his angreal to facilitate the Healing, but he didn't speak about it. Airtia would know, would feel the strain and the fatigue through their Bond. He smiled sheepishly at Air, and shrugged. Hey, it had to be done, after all, so he contented himself with listening to the two of them getting to know one another. Airtia seemed to be taking this in stride, which bode well for him, but there was an air of apprehension about him with this. His...former.....had left without a word, and for her to dump his foster daughter off in a Parochial school was the biggest slap in the face she had dealt him. One day, he would see her again, and she would feel his wrath. No, he wouldn't lay a hand on her, but she would not forget the meeting for some time. At the mention of Arcadia having a child, and Madeline sparring her, he understood completely. That Arcadia had always been a heck of a scrapper. Still....."There's an old saying, Maddie. Know thine enemy. Arcadia was always the type that would start out pretending not to have any juice, then in the last bit, she would bring out the heavy artillery." He chuckled, then winced as he held a fist into his side. Hopefully, no one would notice. But then, when had his luck ever been that good?

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline chuckled at her fateher, she was enjoying spending time with him and Airtia. She took a cautious deep breath. "I do have one more question before I leave, Do either of you know a Benjamin Adam?"

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

Airtia was paying attention to Madeline and the things she was saying, but she was also paying attention to Gawain and all the things he was not saying. Things like how this weave was taking more of a toll on him than it should. Last she knew, he was not so weak in the Source. He was straining and he would feel her own strength moving into him to facilitate his own, make him stronger.

Fixing Gawain with a measuring gaze she simply smiled. "There tis something ye are nae telling me." Fortunately, for his sake, Madeline had brought up something that took her attention and brought her to look back at Madeline. Her face was a calm composure of hidden emotions, it was an effortless thing to do, but Gawain would feel concern through their shared bond.

"Madeline." Airtia's voice was calm yet held no nonsense. "'Ave ye 'ad physical dealings with Benjamin?"

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline was watching her father too. Then turned her attention back to Airtia. "I met him at Thanksgiving, we shook hands and had a few drinks. Later on as the evening and drinks progressed we went to his room...."

She stopped at that moment and looked at her father nervously. She looked down at her feet. "I felt like I was being drawn to him some how and I wanted to give in. I felt warm wavs wash over me when he touched me. I was about too when Andrew, one of Venis's employees, broke in. Benjamin told me that if I valued my life I wouldn't leave his side till he told me to, and honestly at that moment I didn't want to."

She stopped for a moment at looked at Airtia she looked calm. She didn't dare look at her father. She knew she had been tought better. "Finally after a few heated words between Benjamin and Andrew, Mr. Benjamin told me I was free to leave. I didn't want to leave, but at the same time I didn't want to be responsible for bloodshed, so I got up, and left."
"I was in a dark place in my heart and my mind that night, and for some reason, Benjamin seemed to be the one person who understood. What I want to know is why, and why did Benjamin say if I valued my life I would not leave his side."

[Gawain]

Gawain coughed, then leaned forward, clearly disturbed, but with a bit of an understanding look. "That explains a great deal. Why the weaves fought so violently, and why there was so much more to be Healed than just your arm and jaw." He sighed, looking quite weak. "Didn't want to tell ya, Air, but I was Channelling through the angreal the entire time, and it still drained me. Light, but I'm starving. Not to mention sleepy...." Time enough for that later, he thought as he rose from his seat and shuffled over to her. "Benjamin was seeking to place your soul in a cour'souvra, Madeline. A Soul Cage. Be thankful that this Andrew intervened, for if he hadn't, you would have been his slave, body and soul. Air, the bastard has one of those for our daughter. He showed it to me in the Dream, and admitted that it was incomplete. I suggest a level of secrecy about this, and in the meantime, we should be thinking of ways to remove the man from the playing field. I will NOT see my children hurt." He placed a hand on Madeline's shoulder. "None of them." He looked to Air then, the Bond full of controlled fury and an urgency that she would undoubtedly recognize. After all, they had known each other forever, and had shared a Bond before. Someone was going to die, and it would not be any of his loved ones. Not ever again. He realized there was a sharp pain coming from his hand, and looked down, clearly confused. He had been tightening his grip on his angreal while he spoke, and it had pierced the skin on his palm. The blood was pooling slowly in his hand, and he just stared at it as if transfixed. "Huh. Would you look at that....."

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline felt gawain place a hand on her shoulder, and listened to Gawain talk. She had a sister. She looked up to ask him who she was, but she saw the blood starting to drip off his hand. She stood up quickly. "Dad!! You're bleeding. LIght, I knew I shouldn't have said anything, Airtia, can you fix him?"

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

Listening to what Gawain told Maddie she did not know whether or not to add her own comment. In the end, she thought it better that she not. Gawain, was weak. She should have felt it before, but even if she had would she have stopped him from helping Madeline? That was the question.

Rising from the bed she placed a hand on Gawain's shoulder of the hand that bleed. "Aye Madeline, I can fix 'im. I do nae think he want tae ave any more kids." Knowing that was not what Madeline was talkinh about, she thought she'd say it anyway.

"I can fix his 'and as well." Perhaps she should have waited for him to agree, or for him to brace himself, but he would already begin to feel those flows settling about him.

"He told ye nae tae move Maddie because iffen ye did ye may 'ave died. Like yer Foster here." Smiling at him. "Who, may find 'imself in a similar situation iffen he does nae start saying why he tis so weak."

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline took in everything that Airtia said and giggled at her comment to Gawain. "Dad I think you might want to listen to your wife. "

"So I have a sister? Who is she? When can I meet her."

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

Being able to multi-task was a needed necessity. If unable to do that, then many things were useless.

"Yes Madeline, ye 'ave two sisters actually, both o' them are here in the Inn. De'Ryanna and Epiphany." Her attention was taken off of Gawain - though the weave was continuing. "Ye also 'ave a brother, Xander." She paused and sized Madeline up. "I believe De'Ryanna tis about yer age."

[Madeline Cauthon]

Maddie's jaw almost hit the floor. "De'Ryanna is is my sister, and Epiphany? and I have a brother. Wow!! That's awesome." She wondered if they knew that she was their sister as well.

She stood up and went and kissed Gawain on the cheek. "Thanks for the help guys, I need to go and check on Kyra, and make sure she's OK. I'll let myself out. Thanks again for healing me and letting me know about Benjamin."
Maddie let herself out and set out to find Kyra.

[Gawain]

"Er, um, okay, take care of yourself......" Gawain trailed off, looking right into the eyes of the only being he truly had an ounce of fear for. "Air, listen, I didn't expect that. I wasn't hiding anything from you, honestly, but when I Delved her, I didn't detect the damage the Cour'souvra had done. If I had, I would have asked you to Link with me. It backlashed, and took more out of me than it should have." He spat at the ground, the spittle showing a small amount of crimson. "Hmph. Yet another debt I intend to collect from that.....thing. It's funny, isn't it." He sighed heavily as she Channelled into him, feeling a trifle feeble, but, on the whole, better. "You remember all those years that I thought myself a monster? To think that, after all this time, I would meet up with something that made me look domesticated in comparison." He ran his hand through his hair, and grumbled. "A mad dog, upon biting the hand which feeds it, must be put down. I killed a man who I thought of as a brother, Airtia. You remember, don't you? What sort of end can this one look forward to, knowing what I am capable of? It will not be over quickly, I assure you of that...and it will be as far from painless as I can manage. He paused, his gaze piercing her own. "I can manage a great deal now, Air. The Dragon told the M'Hael to make us weapons, and he did a very good job. Just promise me one thing. The killing stroke is mine. Do we have an accord?" A smile crept onto his face then, one that had nothing to do with mirth. It is said that the most dangerous man alive is one who has nothing to lose. Whoever said that had never met a man who had everything to lose, or else he would have never cracked his teeth.

One more thing crept into Gawain's mind, the mention of his children. "Light, I am so very glad we don't have to send out Christmas cards. It would seem we have quite a large family all of a sudden." He softened then, the rock-hardness leaving both his face and their Bond. "I love you, ya know. Just thought I'd put that out there....oh yeah, and when can I expect to see Xander? You know, with the whole family being here, I figure he's probably not more than a stone's throw away..."

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

"...It backlashed, and took more out of me than it should have."

Airtia simply watched him as he spoke, her weave finishing and then removing from him once he was Healed. When he spit on the floor her eyes shifted in that direction and then back to him. "What do ye mean it backlashed?" It would be good to have a form of clarification.

"Were ye trying tae fix whate'er Benjamin 'ad done and it started pulling on ye?" Sometimes, a simple exploration can trigger things.

As for an accord, she didn't say anything against what he said.

[Gawain]

"I didn't know at the time that there was such catastrophic damage done. I've never tried to Heal the after-effects of such, so...well, it took more out of me than I would have liked. I'll be fine, Air, I promise."

He stopped then, considering her words. "Yeah, it pulled on me, as if I had stepped into quicksand. It took everything I could draw from the Source to break free and repair the damage." He sighed then, shaking his head. "As usual, I went in all self-assured and overconfident, and it cost me." He sat back down, allowing his head to drop against the back of the chair. "I'm done going in half-cocked. From now on, I will be examining the situation before jumping in. No more foolish risks, I have too much to lose. You, Ryanna, Xander, Maddie, Epiphany, if she still thinks of me in that manner.....too much. I'll not lose you again. It would kill me, quite literally.

He waited a few moments for the chill of the Healing to leave him, and smiled. "Thanks, babe. You're the best. Think I'll lie down for awhile and leave the planning for tomorrow. Care to join me?" He grinned then, rising slowly with a hand extended.

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

There was no reason for her to say no and deny him the pleasure of her company - besides, she was wearing his shirt. "Tis always easy tae jump intae things," was all she was going to say on the matter as she settled her hand into his own.

"Seems as iffen there are a lot o' things going on 'round 'ere. But first, getting ye some rest. Time fer us tae get ye back in fighting form." She smiled at him then, closing the rest of the distance and giving his hand a squeeze.

[Gawain]

Gawain squeezed her hand right back, and leaned forward slightly to nuzzle her neck. "Mm, you smell so delicious, Air. Have I told you just how lucky I count myself?" Grinning, he rose, still holding her hand, and led her over to the bed. "How about some shut-eye? That is, unless you want to try a few Linking exercises before bedtime....the Angreal work wonders, especially with a male and a female linked. Say, that reminds me....would you like to learn the Weave for the making of Cuendillar?" He let that one hang in the air as he reached the bed, seating himself on the edge and peering up to her. Light, but she was beautiful. He couldn't help but stare....it had, after all, been much too long since he had had an opportunity to simply gaze upon her.

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

He was offering to teach her a new Weave? That was almost enough to make her forget about the way he had mentioned the two of the Linking. Perhaps it was the way he said it that began to put other ideas into her head.

After he sat down on the bed, Airtia pulled her hand from his with a smile and used both her hands to brush back his hair from his face; standing in front of him. Missing the way he use to look at her she did not speak for a few moments, enjoying the silence as she brushed her finger along the sides of his face. When she spoke again she took a small step forward, standing between his knees. "Ye wish tae teach me a Weave?" An upturn smile on the right side of her mouth.

Moving her fingers down his face, neck, over his shoulders and down the arms, she made way to take his hands. "Will it require linking?"

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