The Ways of War (attn: Lor)

[Matalina]

Kate knew from the beginning that if she was going to do anything "good" in the White Tower it would have to be through the Green Ajah - the Battle Ajah. She was taught to be a fighter from the moment could walk. She was taught to use a Quarterstaff from the moment her mother deamed her worthy of doing so. She was taught to read and write by reading The Art of War. Kate knew her mother would look down on her while re-writing her own copy of the book in a more legible handwriting with joy.

 

Her mother had taught her everything she knew about fighting, strategy and making war. She'd also taught her other things as did others on the ranch when she lived there. But the only way Kate would make it through being Accepted would be to complete it through the Green Ajah. It wasn't even a matter of decision for her, this was just the known course of action she knew she'd take.

 

The book sat open on the first page, with another sitting right beside it. Quill and a fresh ink well sitting waiting to be used as Kate read the cover she'd printed so many years ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago when her and Taylor and Aiden sat down at the kitchen table in the ranch to begin their study from the one book her mother treasured. It too had been hand written - by her mother herself. It was her own writing studies when she was a trainee back in the day. Kate smiled, her mother would truly be proud she'd come this far. At least Kate hoped she would.

 

Kate took up the quill and dipped it in the ink and began writing. "The Art of War". This time it would be legible and she wouldn't rush through it. This time she would absorb more instead of trying to finish her lessons before going outside to play. This time Kate knew she'd understand it better. She only wished she had her mother here to help her understand to teach her.

 

Kate busied herself with the writing she hadn't even noticed someone was standing near watching and reading what she was copying.

[U4ea]

Loraine's fingertips ran over the spines of the books on the shelves as she searched for something that would bring her the answers she needed. Kynwric swore she should've been a Brown, but Lor's heart had never been between the pages of a book. If she had a healthy appreciation for those who came before her and had vowed to heed their advice and not make the same mistakes over and over again... that was the direction of a wise woman, not a book worm.

 

She sighed inwardly, a little frustrated that the answers weren't springing from the titles of the book. Maybe what she needed was on a table, already in use by some poor Novice or Accepted doing research for an Aes Sedai. It wasn't likely, but she supposed it was possible. She moved along the tables, her eyes skimming books stacked haphazardly here and there on the edges of the tables. That is, until she noticed an Accepted with a book she'd never seen before, a quill and ink at the ready. Curiosity piqued her interest and she moved closer to the girl. Her eyes skimmed the worn volume she had open on the table.

 

The Art of War leaped out from the pages of the book and Loraine tilted her head as she moved closer. It wasn't any copy of the book she'd ever seen. In fact, it seemed handwritten, if the slight bleeding of the ink in places was any indication. As she watched, the Accepted dipped the pen and began transcribing the words onto the paper at her elbow. She's copying a handwritten copy? Loraine's mind whirled. The Browns were going to love this girl, as long as they didn't pay attention to what held the girl's interest.

 

Loraine couldn't help watching, especially the expressions on the girl's face. It was obvious this book meant something to her, for she had to have brought it with her. Moreover, the words within meant something to her, if the almost reverent way she handled it was any indication. What kind of life would this girl have been leading to have grown to such a relationship with a book like that one?

 

~Loraine

[Matalina]

Kate made sure she wasn't hasty in her writing. She made sure each letter was legible and that each word was properly spaced. It wasn't a lesson in grammar or in writing, this time Kate was making sure she could come back to it later and understand it just the same. Kate noticed an Aes Sedai standing nearby and watching her. Kate smiled softly and dipped the only curtsy she could while sitting in her chair. Kate didn't think this woman was interested so much in her but as what she was doing.

 

Kate finished her page and found the woman still standing there. "Am I in your spot Aes Sedai?" Kate hesitated to move as her page had yet to dry. She wasn't going to ruin her job by rushing the page turn. "I can move when the page dries."

 

"Where did you get this book?" the Aes Sedai asked.

 

Kate looked up almost in shock and in her own defense blurted out, "I brought it from home." The woman smiled as if she'd already known that. Kate didn't return the smile. "My mother made me copy it as a child. I'm rewriting it to relearn the concepts I was not ready to learn then." Kate flipped her old copy to some of the worse pages. "See these are children's scratch when I was in a hurry to go out and play." Kate smiled, as she noticed a smudge on the page. "And this is a place my mother got angry at my writing and made me start over again."

 

Kate didn't know if this Aes Sedai was interested or not but she kept rambling, "My brothers and I, and probably my sister too if she lived with us, were all taught to read using my Mother's copy of the book, one she'd transcribed so she could have her own copy to have forever." Kate knew her mother loved the book, and Jeffery Kincaid had come to take it after she'd passed away. It was something he would take care of too, it was one of his fondest memories of mother. And he hadn't spent the time like she did with her, Jeffery Kincaid and Fawne had had completely different life with their mother, and Kate wished they all could have had their life. But it was neither here nor there.

 

The page was dry and Kate packed up her things. "I'll move now, the page is dry."

[U4ea]

“No, please,” Loraine said, her smile still in place and her hand lifted to keep the girl from moving. “If you’ll permit me, I’m a little intrigued. Your mother transcribed a copy, and you copied this one from hers?” She ran her eyes over the pages, seeing the marks the girl spoke of.

 

“Your mother must have been a strong woman to have thought enough of a book, particularly this book, to make her own copy of it. And then to pass that on to her child means it truly must have been something special to her.” She smiled and turned her attention back to the girl. “My name is Loraine,” she said holding her hand out to the Accepted. If the girl was this connected to a book like that one, then it was probably a good idea to get to know her. Loraine doubted it would be long before she shared tea with her! The long, deep green fringe on her shawl moved as she stretched her hand towards the girl. “And I must confess that I am most curious about a mother who puts such stock in a book such as this. Perhaps a bit more curious about the child she passed that enthusiasm on to. Pray tell me, what drew your mother to such a tome?”

 

As she spoke, she eased into a chair just to the side of the one the Accepted was sitting in. Close enough to see the pages and be within reach, though far enough away to make sure the girl didn’t think she was going to take it from her. From personal experience, she knew how precious the things girls smuggled into the Novice quarters were. Kynwric had a sword on his hip to prove how precious at least one thing was to her…

 

~Loraine

[Matalina]

Kate couldn't say too much. Matalina had been a good Warder, and was dead now. But Cari Namere was not dead and was a convicted murderer here in Tar Valon. Some knew already that Cari was her mother, she could not tarnish her mother's good name or connect Cari with her Aunt Raeyn. It was probably a good thing Kate was not Aes Sedai yet - to tell no lie. But it was a good time to practice telling only half truths. They were not lies as such just not the full truth.

 

Kate smiled, "My mother was a protector of sorts before I was born. She learned anything and everything that would help her do her job better. She learned about the body and how to heal and injure in the name of protecting her charges. She learned about herbs and poisons. She read anything to do with strategy and tactics. She was very knowledgeable in many types of weapons, but she specialized in the long sword, daggers and the quarterstaff. She taught us as much as we could absorb as whatever age she thought we were ready." None of that was a lie, not one ounce. Kate was proud of herself.

 

"My oldest brother learned a lot more than me and my twin brother did and he's probably better than Aiden ever will be. But we are all good in our own rights." Kate frowned. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of me yet. I was caught in the Warder's Training Yard and nearly killed a boy with my quarterstaff." Kate picked up a little bit. "I turned myself in when I carried the boy infirmary."

 

Kate dropped a curtsy in her chair as she introduced herself. "My name is Kate al'Ker, Loraine Sedai". She was very thankful that her name was not Namere, so very thankful.

[U4ea]

Loraine watched the girl's mind working and had to give her credit, she didn't flinch, even as she spoke. She's practicing to be Aes Sedai, Loraine thought with a small smile. She wouldn't call her on it just now. If the book she was undertaking was any indication, she had a while to practice before being called on it.

 

"She sounds like a lady much after my own heart," Lor said softly. "And to have gifted the world with so many, fully adapted children, too." She smiled again. "As for hearing of you, I must confess that I keep my head out of most things in the Yard. I remember my warder, Kynwric, complaining about something similiar, though he never placed names or said much else. Warders are pretty good about that, I think." Loraine laughed and shook her head. "I believe that the Yard could catch fire and if I wasn't called on to douse it, myself, he'd never breathe a word of it to me. He claims it's only keeping worries off my shoulders that I have no control over, but sometimes I wonder if they've a secret society growing down there, the way they keep information within the Yard."

 

"And it is quite my pleasure to meet you, Kate al'Ker. I trust you are supplied with enough ink for your self-inflicted duty? As important a piece as that, I would hate for you to run out of ink halfway through." She grinned. "Are there others that your mother provided you? There are a few others here in the library that broke attention, should you find the familiar pages in need of outside stimulation..."

 

 

~Loraine

[Matalina]

Kate frowned, "No, Aes Sedai, this is the only book my mother ever truly owned and the only one we copied. We given other books to read on similar subjects, but those were ones that had been found or kept in libraries where she traveled." Kate smiled, "This was how we learned to read and write, as she had I believe, or so the story goes."

 

"I would be most interested in whatever books you think I might get something out of. I think I will be aspiring to the Green Ajah." Kate had taken note of the color of the fringe on the shawl, but that was not always an indicator when the Aes Sedai were in the tower proper. "But I still have many years before I have to make that decision. I've only just been Accepted and this is my first free form lesson I have chosen to undertake in my own free time." Why Kate was putting this much work into something she already had read had never dawned on her, but this book was important to her mother, and her mother was a former warder. And warders were men and women who prided themselves on knowing as much as possible about protecting their charges. Kate knew her mother was like that and had instilled that into her and her siblings. They might be friends of the Dark, but they were honorable to their cause now, well at least her and Aiden were. Jeffery Kincaid and Fawne were light loving children, Jeffery Kincaid even tried to join the Children of the Light but his own issues caused him problems, mother had never told them why but it was all well and good.

 

Kate would do her mother proud even if she wouldn't have agreed to let her come to the Tower, she really did have a distaste for the One Power once she'd been freed of her bond to Aunt Raeyn. There was a venom about it. Kate was never sure where it came from. "I'm sure if I thought about it could remember the titles I had read, but really when I was a child I wasn't really all that much into paying attention to all my lessons, so I'm sure I'll get something new out of even this book I know I read from cover to cover."

[U4ea]

Loraine smiled, nodding. "You have plenty of time for that decision, of course, and there are many difference ideologies to choose from. The Greens are always interested in someone who shows this much initiative this early in their career within the Tower, though." she said softly, her eyes twinkling. "I'm impressed with your choice of personal study, either way. To be honest, it's rare I read any part of that book without finding something I've missed or forgotten. Sometimes I wonder if the wheel isn't adding to it as it turns."

 

She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Makes me think I need to go pick it up again, as a matter of fact, or borrow the copy from this library to see if has things that weren't written in my copy. You never know when someone lazy scribe forgot some passage they considered unimportant when their hands started hurting. Perhaps that's an option for you, as well? It might be an interesting undertaking, comparing different copies of the book to see where they differ. I realize that sounds rather Brown, but sometimes that paragraph can make all the difference in the world. I'd be willing to loan you mine, if you're interested in such an undertaking. Perhaps you could stop by for tea when your studies will let you free enough?"

 

~Loraine

[Matalina]

Kate perked up at the offer of looking at her copy. She had actually thought she'd need another copy at some point, when she knew her handwriting would have been atrocious. Kate smiled. "I would love to borrow you copy at some point. I know my handwriting wasn't readable all the time. And it's likely I did forget something or skip over it by accident." Kate's smile brightened slightly, "Though I seriously doubt my mother would let me forget something, but it's possible she did the same thing too."

 

Kate continued, "I'd also love to have tea with you maybe we can discuss some of the finer points in the book as well, among other things a Green might have knowledge of." Kate thought about it for a little while. "I think next week we have a free day. I had planned on getting some of this done that day, but I can make time for some tea and good discussion. That is if you are free Aes Sedai. I know you are busy as are all Aes Sedai."

 

Kate wasn't sure if the offer would be nearly as good once she got into the green's quarters, but tea and talks of strategy were always good." Kate was a little suspicious of tea since she had her block broken. The spiked tea to calm her down was not something she wanted to repeat again, she liked her control, even if she had to give it up to Saidar to channel even an ounce, but she knew that in order to channel she had to, but that was the only control she was going to give up. But there would be no reason for Loraine Sedai to spike her tea at least none she knew of.

[U4ea]

Loraine smiled deeply and nodded. "That would be wonderful! Stop by and let me know, or send me a message to let me know when to expect you and I shall have tea piping hot." She tilted her head, here eyes dancing. "I will send my copy to you before then, if you like. That way, should you stop by for tea later in the evening, you can always have a bit of time thumbing through it before you arrive. Until then, I shall leave you to your work. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help!"

 

 

She rose slowly, nodding to Kate as she moved away to leave the girl to her copying. Her mind was already working on the conversation they would have. It was bad form to be ill-prepared, after all!

 

~Loraine