Claude al'Kenni is off at a table in the corner with a game of stones. He seems to be playing himself while reading through a book on something.

Fayth steps quietly in the room and heads directly for Claude. Her shawl is draped over her right arm, and her ever present armband is tied tightly to her left arm. She stops behind Claude, resting a hand comfortably on one of his shoulders, and peers over it to the game of stones. "How are you doing? Winning, I hope?"

Claude smiles without looking up. Clicking a white stone into a place just to the left of where it was before. "If one defeats himself, one always loses. But...you can't get angry at losing to yourself. For an angry man defeats himself in battle, as well as life.' He chuckles heartily and says, "Sit. Please."

Fayth nods and moves to sit. "What exactly are you reading? The art of speaking in riddles?" She giggles and drapes the shawl across the back of her chair before settling herself. "Listen to you speaking about what it means to be angry. I think I've seen you angry once in the entire time I've known you. And that's a long time to go without getting angry, you know. Do you impart upon your trainees these words of wisdom, as well?" She folds her hands in her lap and tilts her head questioningly. "Just curious, since I've never been able to sit in on one of your lessons."

Claude grins wide and replies, "If I have to. Normally they figure it out for themselves." He tilts his head towards her. "No..that little riddle is something I picked up on my own by the way. Sometime my brain does work, thankyouverymuch." He chuckles and gives a playful wink before saying, "It's a book on strategy actually. Terrain type stuff.. Just looking through it to see if I can pick up anything new."

Fayth smirks. "Sounds...fascinating." Judging from the skeptical look on her face, it is quite clear that she doesn't really think so. This is confirmed by her next question. "Are you really that bored? You should have come to find me...I would have come up with something for you to do that surely would have been more exciting than reading a book on strategy and playing stones with yourself." She pauses, and raises a finger to tap her lips for a moment, thinking. "Though, it probably wouldn't have been -much- more exciting. But still." She glances around the room and frowns, her nose wrinkling. "I'm thirsty."

Claude smiles at his new and old Aes Sedai with a knowing smile. "Why do you think I didn't come to find you?" He laughs heartily, his head tilting back to let his braids swing freely and his bells to jingle ever so softly. Stopping himself after a time he closes the book and sets it atop his game, ruining it entirely. "What would you like? I will go get it for you...or at least find someone who can."

Fayth raises an eyebrow and gasps in mock disbelief. "-Volunteering- to get me something?" She gazes around the room again, then nods knowingly at Claude. "Ahh, I see. Nobody else is around to see you doing something for me, so it's ok. Got it. Allow me a moment to make a mental note." She grins, then winks to show she's only kidding. "I can't remember if this is the place that had the delicious raspberry tea. If it is, I would like that, if it isn't, then I'll settle for what they've got. Just...no wine. I don't drink that anymore."

Claude raises his shredded eyebrow out of habit. He never did mention how that happened anyways. "I am a little different than I used to be you know...and I did get you things then too." He pretends to be hurt but it comes off as a dumb, lop-sided grin in seconds. "No wine. Got it." from his tone he seems curious, but asks no more. Rising and disappearing into the kitchens to leave Fayth to her own devices. Minutes later he returns with a tray of tea and a small amount of things to chew on. An almost wolfish grin given as he sits and offers his sedai the tray. "Just in case." He adds to nothing at all.

Fayth smiles, though there's just a hint of sadness in the smile this time. She watches as Claude moves from the room, and doesn't remove her gaze from the door until he returns with the tray. Reaching for the tea, Fayth takes first one sip, then another, before responding. "Just in case, what?" She sets the tea down on the table and leans back in her chair, smirking once again. "I do seem to remember you used to always make me eat things. Is that what this is all about?" She gestures at the tray, pointedly not looking at it.

Claude doesn't even bother to nod as a shrug of his shoulders say it all. 'You do need to eat things, miss. You are not invincible like I am." He kids, obviously, and sits back into his chair. "So, besides teasing me and other general amusement.." He jokes again, "Why have you come to find me this evening?"

Fayth grows serious a moment, and sighs. "A couple reasons, really. As you probably noticed, it's taking me some time to get used to having a warder again. I figure the easiest way to get back into the flow of things is to spend more time with you. So I am." She seems to try to smile, but is apparently unable. Instead, she continues. "Secondly. Are you ready to go back to the camp? We promised Vi that we would take Landon to the rebels for training, and we will...but do you intend to stay there? Or what? And if you don't, then what do you plan to do instead?" She takes another sip of her tea. "I thought it would be a good idea to discuss this -before- Landon joins us, so we look like we know what we're doing." She does smile, then, and takes another sip, waiting for Claude's response.

Claude bobs his head as Fayth speaks, sneaking a piece of cheese and a cracker off the tray -very- discretely..except not. He sighs softly and shakes his head. "Listen. What happened I can't fix, I can't make up for it. But if you need to know one thing about me now as opposed to me then. I learned from my mistakes..and that won't happen again." he pauses briefly to clear his throat and dry his lips. Emerald eyes locking on Fayth's. "I go where you go and I stay where you stay. I plan on very few things now." He stops again and seems to grow serious, a drastic change for the man if ever there was one, "I plan on keeping you alive. I plan on keeping myself alive..." and the last one he waits on, letting the other two sink in. "..and I plan on walking into the Blight alone and unarmed if I ever hurt you again. I was never a lapdog..and I'm not now, but I am yours."

Fayth frowns in puzzlement for a moment, then her eyes widen in understanding. "Claude. I was not saying those things because I was concerned of your loyalty." She laughs, and reaches across the table to place a hand on whichever hand is not holding the cheese and cracker. "One thing about all this, Claude, is that I've learned a few things about myself, and about my attitude. I don't give people orders anymore. Yes, you are my warder, but being without one for so long has made me start treating -everyone- equally." She waves a hand dismissively. "Except the novices and accepteds, of course, but you know what I mean. Everyone within reason. I was a spoiled brat, my dear. I learned to survive. I learned to be on my own and do things for myself and to consult others in important decisions. Such as, when I'm leaving somewhere with a group, I like to ask them their opinion about the destination. I know it goes against everything I used to be, but I'm not -that- anymore. You say you're a changed man, and that much is obvious. But I'm also a changed woman. And you have to know that what I said was not meant to offend or throw anything in your face. I simply wanted to know if you had any plans. That's all. Promise." She smiles apologetically. "I even eat more often, now. I don't need a lapdog, hon. I need a friend. I need a companion. I need a partner. I've already got one lapdog, bless her heart. One's plenty."

Claude seems to be relieved and a good deal so. He nods slowly and then cracks a big, roguish grin. "Well, -now- that will take some getting used to." Ever the joker, though his eyes tell a different story. "Like I said before though..I don't need any plans anymore. Frankly...I'm lucky to have lived this long." He leaves this open-ended and his cracker hand..which makes a brief stop by his mouth as it rises, seems to run over his scars unconsciously. "I just plan on sticking around this time and for me, that'll be enough."

Fayth sighs. "Yes, well. Someday you will have to tell me about what happened to you while you were gone. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't curious. And even more of a liar if I said I hoped it wasn't painful." She winks, then takes her hand back, grabbing a cracker on the way. Popping it into her mouth, she makes a big show of chewing, as if trying to prove her point. "So we'll go back to camp and then just go where the winds blow us?"

Claude nods and nods again. "Someday." He echos, looking a bit haggard for a moment. "I'd tell you now...but I can't. Not yet." He shrugs and seems to regain himself, complete with wide smile and relaxed posture. "Well, you may not want to order me around...like I ever really listened to you anyways..." He teases back, "But I still don't really need to do anything but stay with you, huh? Maybe one day you'll forgive me. I know you say you were spoiled and all those other things, but I know you haven't forgiven me. Even if you have, I haven't forgiven myself, ya know." He still seems to remain relaxed...though the bond would tell otherwise. "As far as I'm concerned, the wind is your shadow." He smiles at his bad attempt at poetry..or something like that. Shrugging and seeming to apologize now, "I was never very good with the one lines." Frowning darkly at himself, but his eyes sparkle.

Fayth looks surprised at the burst of laughter that escapes upon Claude's attempt at poetry. "The wind is my shadow? I'll have to remember that one." She sits up a bit straighter and stares at him, even leaning forward a bit as if to punctuate the seriousness of her words. "Claude. I am an Aes Sedai. When I say I forgive you, then that means I forgive you. Do I think that what you did was any less wrong? Not at all. Will I ever forget it? Of course not. But I -do- forgive you. And maybe someday I'll even come to understand why you had to do it. But one thing I don't want - I do not, under any circumstances, want you to stay with me because you feel obligated. I don't want you to think that you have to 'throw your life away' as punishment for what you did. Because that's ridiculous and I won't stand for it." She leans back in her chair, still gazing intently at Claude, and finishes her tea completely before speaking again. "I don't think I'm ready to hear it right now, either, so that works fine for me." She sighs and shakes her head. "Well, we are quite the pair, aren't we?"

Claude frowns darkly again, but this time not at himself. "I am not here to 'throw my life away' and as for punishment...I don't have to punish myself...trust me." His heavy shoulders shrug heavily. "And maybe one day I'll be able to explain it. It will have been a long time coming." Another shrug he nods towards Fayth, "Quite the pair. Yes indeed." He sighs heavily and looks down towards his lap and goes silent.

Fayth raises an eyebrow and opens her mouth as if to respond, then apparently changes her mind as her mouth shuts with an audible snap. She watches Claude, nibbling on her lower lip. Finally she smiles. "You know, ever since I've stopped trying to solve all my problems with tantrums, conversations have become more difficult. It's difficult to say what you want to say, when you aren't sure how to put what you want to say into words. You know? I just..." She sighs. "I didn't hunt you down just to upset you, and I apologize for that."

Claude nods and half smiles, "I know. I didn't mean to get upset. I'll stop doing this soon enough. You don't need to apologize and I refuse to accept any from you." He nods very smugly and tries to hide the beginnings of a grin. "Now, I believe if we are to leave in the morning...then some of us should get some sleep." He stops..and then seems to think and spits out, "And! No, I will not enjoy the sleep and see you in the morning. You need you're sleep as much as I do..in fact, more so. I don't have to look serene in the morning." With another grin he pushes his chair slightly outwards from the table and begins to stand, waiting for Fayth to rise as well. His feet seem to plant firmly on the floor, as if you punch home the point he isn't going anywhere just yet.

Fayth snickers softly and slowly stands. "I can't argue with common sense. In fact, I was just about to suggest the very same thing. After all, it is a long ride through that gate." She grins, then picks up her shawl and drapes it over her shoulders. "Off to bed with me, then, I suppose. And, just for the record, I do still hope you enjoy the sleep and I will see you in the morning. Also, it's unfair that you know me well enough to anticipate my objections. This means I'll have to work that much harder to foo...err tric...umm win arguments." She nods sagely at the last comment, then pushes her chair in and moves in the direction of her room.

Claude laughs to himself behind Fayth and can be heard to be following after her and up the stairs. "Why by all means, it will make things more interesting." His heavy bootsteps close in a few more steps and he follows Fayth back to the room without any more comment.