(Untitled)

[princeinexile]

Secreted in a common room, among the Friend's wing, Zuko -- slept poorly, as those in pain are wont to do. His head ached where River had kicked him and his flesh still crawled with the weaving of Semirhage's working of the One Power

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[taishar_malkier]

There's not too far to wander. He's in what looks like someone's sitting room. The walls and floor are stone, lightened with carpets and hangings in bright colors. The desk has two drawers, both locked, and a few tidily stacked papers containing what looks like notes on medicinal herbs tucked beneath a 20th century Earth anatomy textbook. There's a fireplace, unlit when Zuko wakes, and two armchairs, and more books on a shelf. The walls contain no windows, but there's a skylight showing bright blue sky.

There are two doors. One is locked. The other opens to a bathroom, with white plastered walls. It has another skylight; in that sky, it's raining hard. (The third door, the one that leads out of this suite, is no door at all. It's a framed painting of a mountain stream surrounded by flowers, hanging on the wall by the fire.)

Eventually, there's the sound of a lock clicking open. The second door opens, and Lan steps through.

[princeinexile]

Zuko is looking at the peaceful, lovely scene as he hears the door open. He turns around, and -- smiles, maybe a little wryly. "I... have no idea who you are." You came over after he shoved Ny-- and that lead to River kicking him in the head.

And that means Zuko doesn't quite remember everything that happened.

[taishar_malkier]

"My name is Lan Mandragoran."

He's tall and broad-shouldered, with a harsh and weathered face and a liquid way of moving that suggests he's very, very good with the katana-like sword that hangs at his hip. Dark hair, greying at the temples, hangs to his shoulders, held back by the leather band aroudn his forehead. His deep voice is impassive, and so is his face.

Zuko may well have seen him in the bar; if so, odds are excellent that he saw Lan lurking in a shadowy corner, nursing a drink or a pipe and watching the room with that same lack of expression.

"And yours?"

[princeinexile]

"Li," he says, nt knowing that Bar's revealed this as an alias.

Zuko is a lithe boy, not looking his best. But we knew that.

"PErhaps you might take me home now? Your companion seemed inclined to ignore my wishes. Maybe you will be more reasonable," he suggests, looking at the male with pale eyes.

[taishar_malkier]

"My wife."

There's no irritation in the correction; he's only providing information.

"She is the healer, not me. And the Aes Sedai." Implication: what she says goes, at least so far as 'Li' is concerned.

[princeinexile]

Wife. Well, there's an unfortunate thing.

"I don't know what an Aes Sedai is," he notes mildly. "Perhaps you might explain what it is?" Beyond meddling busybody, anyway.

[taishar_malkier]

Meddling busybody is an excellent definition, according to many people!

Not, alas, according to Lan.

At least that he will ever admit.

"They are a sisterhood. Of women who serve the Light and oppose the Dark One, and have certain powers. Including healing."

[princeinexile]

"Well and good. I've never seen the Dark One, so I must not be her problem then." And he doesn't AGAIN need to reiterate the he needs no healers, right?

Right.

"So might I leave?"

[taishar_malkier]

"No."

[princeinexile]

... the smile is tighter.

"I see you two are of a like mind," he says.

Like in lack of wits, at least.

[taishar_malkier]

Lan regards him for a moment.

"When Nynaeve Sedai says you may go," he says, leaning back against the wall in a lazy-looking slouch, "then you may, and do as you like. Go home, stay here, get yourself knotted up in pain again if you want. Although I don't recommend it. No sense in undoing hard work."

That's not the only reason he doesn't recommend it.

"Until then, you're under her care. And mine."

Care, guard, whatever.

[princeinexile]

"I'll have you both celled for this," Zuko says quietly, but it's without energy. He doesn't ahve the strength to fight right now. "You took me away without my consent. For healing I don't want. You have broken the laws of the bar."

And that's that.

Still, he doesn't sound very thrilled about it all.

[taishar_malkier]

"Healing," Lan says with the slightest quirk of an eyebrow, "isn't violence."

That's Lan's job.

Not that he was the one who knocked Zuko out, this time, but he's pretty sure River could make a case with Security. He would on her behalf, if needed.

"Why are you so resistant to it, boy?"

There's no derision in the word boy. On the contrary, the question is conversational. One might get the sense that it's a habitual turn of speech to use terms like that instead of names, and one would be right.

[princeinexile]

"It is still out of bounds, if it's not wished. Mel would have you sit in the cells, for this," Zuko grumbles and he backs away.

He can't give a good answer to Lan's question. He merely looks back at the painting and says, "Why should you care? IT's my choice. Let me make it."

[taishar_malkier]

"Pain's nothing to be feared." Says the man who would be a network of scars, and also dead several times over, if he hadn't spent most of his life traveling with a healer. "It strengthens a man, sometimes. But there's no good in it for its own sake."

"If you have a good reason to hold onto your pain, maybe you can convince Nynaeve Sedai. With no such reason, all it will do is hinder you in your life, and whatever duty you may have."

[princeinexile]

"I have no duty," Zuko replies. "And I am not afraid of pain, or it's absence."

Not anymore, anyway.