The days seemed to grow longer the further out in the ocean they traveled. Now even a seagull was a rare find. The sun began to rise behind the ship, creating rippling streaks of gold amidst the contrasting dark blue sea. Qirien's dark blue eyes mirrored the ocean as they slitted open, and then she soundlessly arose from her blankets on the deck. Still in muslin white pajamas, she crept to the other side of the deck where Mingar lay, seemingly asleep.

Just out of arm's reach, she stopped, watching suspiciously. Before she could decide if he was asleep or merely pretending to be, he lashed out and hit her legs and she found herself falling. Leaning to the side, she rolled away and stood again, facing him as he faced her. Both were weaponless, as was their custom during these pre-breakfast sparring matches. They had been banished to sleeping on the deck after the two broke a table in Qirien and Iliana's quarters one morning, and as the weather was balmy they agreed.

"Earlier than usual you show your face, Aes Sedai," Mingar said. They circled each other, wary.

"Earlier than usual you noticed I was there, Warder," she smirked. She feinted a left lunge, but Mingar was not fooled. Just as she moved right, spinning to kick, he slid forward, low, to the left, and managed to catch her foot firmly.

"You cannot fool me. I haven't sparred with you this long not to know all your tricks."

"Well," she sputtered, hopping up and down on her other foot, "I'll just have to find some new ones!" With that, she jumped on her free foot, Mingar's firm grip holding her right leg as a pivot point, and swung towards him like a pendulum. Her left leg swung around the back of his knees hard enough to make him lose his balance, and the two fell in a tangled heap on the deck. As soon as they could get untangled, they both rolled apart and began their circling again. Mingar's face was impassive, while Qirien grinned cockily. His lips twitched and she was immediately suspicious.

Mingar rushed towards Qirien, straight on, as she neared the edge of the deck. She lashed out her foot to kick him, but he dodged it, and, slamming into her, pushed her over the side of the ship.

The splash woke up most of the ship's inhabitants, who came running out onto the deck to see Mingar gazing placidly down at Qirien in the water. Shaft saw Qirien bobbing up and down in the water and laughed. Mingar turned around and looked at him. A smile broke over his face.

"We have sparred for so long, that we know all each other's tricks and always expect them. But she did not expect a simple head-on attack!" Even Cor smiled slightly at that. But no one grinned wider than Qirien after she climbed up the side of the raker and pulled Mingar over the low railing.

Luckily for Mingar, some Aiel can swim.

Written by Qirien