The One... Or Two?

The Party to Ruin

In a world where Light reigned, even the purest can turn. Darkness lurks at every turn and few will avoid it. And among a village of Light, two with hair of copper trek down from the mountain on their own time.

It was the night of Egwene's Ceremony. Secily, a girl not often seen by the village, ventured into a tavern filled with her friends, limited in numbers as they were. She sat beside her brother, who she so rarely saw, and her lady friend, Danya, sat across from her, beside Perrin.

Another man, with scraggly hair and a jacket which hung off of him, walked up with two mugs of mead for his friends.

Secily didn't drink.

"Right. Ladies and gentleman, I want to thank you all very much for bearing with me tonight." He picked up his cup of dice and shook it up. "Can't imagine it's been easy to part with all your money, but..." He set it down and let anticipation wash over them. He picked up the cup and they all discovered he rolled a bad hand.

The redheads and Danya groaned. Perrin laughed, the dick.

Danya took her money. "You'll get 'em next time, Mat," she bade before standing and walking away.

But Mat didn't know how to quit and jumped right back in. "Next time? How about right now? Eh? Anyone?"

Secily groaned and covered her eyes. "You've nothing left to bet, love."

Rand held Mat's shoulder, gesturing him down. Mat took the seat. Come on. Sit down." He leaned in close. "How are you? How're the girls?"

Mat, eager to change the subject, turned to Secily. " You can spot me! One game, four of us. Old time's sake, eh?"

Secily's eyes dropped and Mat was the only one to notice. He turned away, back to the boys.

"Come on. We're talking," Perrin tried to dissuade him.

Mat grinned dorkily. "About what?" He took Perrin's shoulder. You're married, your life's over."

Shaking his head, Perrin chuckled softly. Even Secily smirked.

Mat turned to the boy twin. "And Rand's pining over Egwene, cold in the mountains, only the sheep to keep him warm."

Secily scrunched her nose in disgust.

Perrin moved onto the next subject without hesitation. "Did you hear already?"

Rand turned to him, ready to change from Mat's lack of money as well. "Hear what?"

"A few folks went down to Taren Ferry with the wool last week. Town was full of soldiers and mercenaries headed south."

Secily frowned. The Two Rivers folk didn't meddle in the affairs of others, but that didn't mean she couldn't judge.

"Why?" Rand asked.

"They said there's a war in Ghealdan."

All three boys laughed. The people down the mountain couldn't stop getting into wars.

"In Ghealdan? Who cares?" Mat scoffed. He gasped dramatically, leaning in to his married friend. "It was Callie Coplin told you that, wasn't it?"

"So?"

"She'd piss in your mouth and tell you it was raining." The boys shared a laugh and Secily just rolled her eyes. Mat held up his cup to Rand. "So, come on. Let's play. No?"

Rand laughed. "No."

Mat turned to Perrin. "No?"

Perrin, grinning with his tongue between his teeth, shook his head.