What it means to be Aiel (Wedge's RP)

[Kathleen]

Cairin struggled, legs shaking to hold himself in the precarious stance. The small porcelain cups sitting on his thighs wobbled a bit until he steadied his legs. If he stood up even a bit they would fall and shatter. A maiden, Aria and a Stone Dog, Mardein, his mentors sat idly by chatting and throwing a knife at the ground. "Do not break these", Aria had said, "they were a gift form my first sister's sister-wife." The tests like these had gone on regularly during his training sessions.

 

The previous days had been a nonstop trek through the Threefold land. He was tested about how to find water. How to avoid dangerous animals. Any Aiel child could point most out to you, but some are harder to see. Some were more dangerous. The red clay land turned to a blur running. He could leave Mardein behind as the, but could not out run the Maiden. Often, he would be told to run alone. Sometimes it would be uneventful, sometimes one or both of them would attack from nowhere, forcing him to defend. Cairin pulled his bow so many times that his fingers became raw. He broke several bucklers defending himself from his two mentor's combined attacks. The Spears became extensions of himiself. The movements became automatic. 

 

Continuing in his stance, he snapped back to the present. He ached, but would not quit. Aria finally walked up and lifted the cups off of him. He still did not stand. Letting him stay that way for a few minutes, she finally spoke, "you train well, young one. you can stand." Cairin stood from the squat he had been in for more than an hour. His muscles ached. 

"You never know how hard it will be to get to an advantageous place in order to attack." Mardein tossed 3 spears towards him. reaching out to grab them with his left hand, Cairin caught two of them, one falling to the ground. He glanced towards the fallen spear and Mardein was on him in a moment. Pressing him with his spear and fists when he could. Carien faught him off for moments, but it was over quickly, Cairen lay flat on the ground with the point of a spear inches from his neck. 

 

The Maiden spoke as Cairen and Mardein locked eyes. "In the three fold land, you cannot let yourself be distracted by chance. If you cannot catch a spear, you must not look for it or regret missing it. That moment of regret and weakness my be the last feeling you have."

 

Quickly popping the spear away from him and pulling it's point into the ground, he kicked at Mardein pushing him off over his head, rolling and turning to face his mentor. The spear that he he'd missed was right there. Picking it up he went on the offensive, attempting to strike and stab aggressively  Mardein defended himself, attacking, defending, the two off them danced back and forth.  On the offensive, Cairen charged forward. Mardein Held up his hand lowering his spear. Cairen stopped immediately. 

 

"Good young one. You learned one lesson, but already knew another. Never to give up even if you are about to wake from the dream." 

 

Later they sat in a sweat tent, allowing the tightness in their boddies to relaxe. "Put more water on the coals, and tell me what Ji' means to you Cairen"

The water hissed and added more steam to the air. "Ji' is honor. To be honorable is the only choice in life. To be honorable is to be strong as the three fold land requires."

"So you are always virtuous and honorable? Are you a perfect man?"

 

He Replied, "I do as best I can Aria."

 

"No man is perfect. No one lives a life without Toh." Mardein added. "Do you suggest this?"

 

Cairen brooded, reminded of the Toh he had to bear every day, "I do not, Toh is not to be ashamed of, as long as it is met."

His mentors nodded to each other. "Yet you carry a heavy weight on your shoulders Cairen. You cannot allow this to affect your other duties." He knew they would not point out his Toh directly, that was not their place. But they did have a point to make, "your honor AND obligation require you to be strong for the Aiel people. If you are strong and honorable, we all benefit. Do you understand this?"

 

Cairen thought for a moment. "I believe I understand." He paused, "I must put honor and my duty before all. By Following Ji'e'Toh, I strengthen myself, my clan, and all Aiel."

His mentors did not reply. They were finished teaching him for the day. 

 

 

 

OOC: Due to technical difficulties Wedge was unable to post this, so I posted it for him. He wrote it all I just c/p.