(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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[not_only_wisdom]

Nynaeve looks up from her desk, rubbing at her forehead for a moment before standing, one hand tugging hard on her braid.

"Light, boy, you shouldn't be up yet."

She can only imagine how much moving around hurts.

It turns her face a little gray at the edges, just thinking about it.

[princeinexile]

"I told you, I'm fine. Apparently kidnapped, but fine," Zuko -- Li, whoever he is -- replies.

He doesn't sound just a little raw around the edges; he sounds outright irritated. This is not what he wants, or what he asked for, or-- anything. But...

Sigh.

"Who are you, anyway?"

[not_only_wisdom]

She scowls at him.

"Nynaeve Sedai. And I wouldn't leave a dog in such pain as you're in."

Again she looks like she's about to be very ill.

"How did that happen?"

[princeinexile]

Strange, but he keeps most of it off his face.

"Nothing happened," he says, persisting in his badly told lie. "You're mistaken. I'm not sick or unwell."

[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.