The Little Paw

[Wayfarer]

Sighing, Anton nodded at Aleeza and thanked her for the favour she'd done.  As the Wolfsister departed, Anton focused on the favour that Aleeza had granted.  Korrena, the youngest sister of her three students, a bundle of trouble that he had trouble keeping tabs on and a truant from the lessons he was meant to be giving her today.  The idea of being able to talk to wolves and play with them might have captured the girl's attention, but when it had come to the prospect of training, the girl had proved entirely recalcitrant.  Well, not so much training as a whole, she had been happy to go to classes that were shared with her sisters.  The moment that Anton had split the classes up, the girl had become completely disinterested with the notion of training.

 

Even now, the girl was fidgeting as he looked at her, and she wasn't making eye contact.  Well, at least she had the grace to be a bit shamefaced about all of this.  Caught helping herself to some of the sweets at the inn where she was caught, he'd have to go and settle that bill no doubt with Wall the next time he was there.  At least Aleeza had bailed her out before Owen had turned up, Owen probably would have thought Korrena was a darkfriend and tried to kill her.  Well, maybe not, sweets from the inn weren't his beloved flute that he used to torture the surrounding woodlands.  He'd probably have to go and get something for Aleeza as well to make up for having to involve herself, be a good chance to get to know her properly as well.  He'd been meaning to speak to her since he'd assisted with her training but never had the right excuse.

 

Anton almost gave into the temptation to berate her, no point in that though.  Now was the time for teaching, he could tell Korrena's sisters what she'd been up to and let them deal with it, they'd have a better chance of getting through.  "Its nice to finally have you here Korrena, I was almost beginning to think that you weren't going to show up."  Using his stave to help haul himself to his feet, now that she was here, in the area of the wood that he had taken to using for training, far enough from others that they wouldn't be disturbed, man or wolf.

 

Reaching to his belt, Anton produced a long strip of cloth that he tossed to his apprentice.  "Blindfold, tie it on and take my hand.  The first step of your training will be to train your senses.  One of the gifts a Wolfkin receives is an enhancement of each of these.  While your eyesight naturally improves because we constantly use that sense consciously, the others need a bit of work to develop.  Hence you need to deprive yourself of your sight to better understand these."

 

As soon as Korrena had complied, Anton took her right hand and led her deeper into the woodland, taking care to make sure she wouldn't trip.  As much as it was about the senses, this particular part of the test was about trust.  Eventually, Anton came to a stop as he spoke.  "Now, I'm going to let go of your hand.  You're to use your senses to determine what is around you, describe each new thing you surmise as you go."

 

Letting go of Korrena, Anton stepped clear and allowed her to begin.

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

 

 

OOC:  Describe our setting :)  Also, your talents will allow you to pick up a couple of things that you mightn't otherwise, up to you to decide what they are.  Perhaps there is moisture in the air that you can smell clearly because of a slight damp in dead wood around you, etc, whatever you choose :)

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

She could hardly call the sweets creditable to her cause as she was man handled out of the kitchens by a woman that was referred to as Aleeza. Evidently the plan to evade her lessons with Anton and snack in the trees had a stick thrown into the wheel and she was hauled off to meet her teacher. She had nothing against Anton. If anything she respected him as a fellow playing in the scheme of mischief and madness. She could smell that in him. Although it was growing faint with age and responsibility. Korrena would not allow herself to become like that. She loved her youth and planned to enjoy every bit of it. If anything, she was more ashamed of being caught then the action itself. Of course no one else needed to know this, nor would she ever admit to such a secret.

 

She needed only to think of a way to not give herself away when she plotted something that she theoretically should not.

 

"Its nice to finally have you here Korrena, I was almost beginning to think that you weren't going to show up."

 

She gave him a half-hearted smile. She wasn't sure if to expect a lecture or not but as Anton moved into the lesson she relaxed a little and settled in to listening to the sound of his voice.

 

"Blindfold, tie it on and take my hand. - She did as she was told and tied a decent knot, blocking out all vision -   The first step of your training will be to train your senses.  One of the gifts a Wolfkin receives is an enhancement of each of these.  While your eyesight naturally improves because we constantly use that sense consciously, the others need a bit of work to develop.  Hence you need to deprive yourself of your sight to better understand these."

 

Korrena made quick note of the warmth of the man's hands and how similar to her fathers they were. Not as rough as a tradesman but strong and comfortable. Anton lead her through parts of the forest, some of which she had explored at one point, and then farther than she had gone before. Korrena had no need to count steps to guess how far away from the cabin they were, nor from the actual village. The sounds of her sisters talking grew softer and soon faded with the rustly of the trees that were begging to be climbed.

 

"Now, I'm going to let go of your hand.  You're to use your senses to determine what is around you, describe each new thing you surmise as you go."

 

Korrena held back the dubious look that nearly formed on her face as his had was removed from hers. It was not too hard to figure out everything that was around her. After all, what else was she supose to do with her day when she was not bored out of her mind.

 

"From the direction that I last heard Mena and the others, we moved East." Balancing herself a little, she felt her mind weave itself around her as she played with the dirt under her feet. "The ground is soft, very soft. From the moisture and the rich soil smell I believe there was a fallen log near here, or maybe it still is." She paused, allowing the air to carry her surroundings to here instead of searching them out with her mind. She learned this trick quickly. Her senses were not something of a super natur, like the rumoured One Power where it may be battling in inner power, but what she could do was an ability. Inate and pure. She simply needed to be.

 

"I take that back. The tree is beside me, to the right. I can hear those ants that have wings buzzing around it. They sound differently than just a fly or a bee, so i think they are Ants of some kind. There are other bugs too." She paused as she pivoted soundlessly. She needed only to be balanced to move so well. She often snuck around her home back in Cairhien and found herself in places that no one would see her. Lost and unfound simply because she knew how not to make a sound. She continued to describe around her, as there were odd woodland creatures far off in the distance, the woods thick enough to muffle the sound that she knew only the general direction and not able to pin point most of the said animals. She told as much to Anton as her account for the creatures moved into the river that they had passed to come here along with the small stream that fed into it. Part of the water came from under their feet as a there was an underground well of fresh water. She suspected is tasted as sweet as a favoured wine but only cleaner.

 

"I can hear the smile in your breath as well, Anton. Try not to get too impressed." She tried not to smile too widely, but her emotions were calm, or even none-existant as she turned to face him. "What can I learn next?"

 

 

Korrena

"Nana"

 

[Wayfarer]

Anton had to admit that he had been impressed with the girl.  As scatterbrained as she was, she had managed to do quite well when she actually focused on what she was doing.  More so than he had expected, she was attuned to her senses rather well as if she had training, or maybe she had always been a bit more in touch with her other senses.  All week, images had been sent to him by other wolfkin and the wolves themselves who had observed her sneaking about, exploring, maybe she had taken care to learn such things before she had manifested the Howling.

 

Reaching over, Anton didn't bother to suppress the small on his face, hiding it would simply be an admission of guilt.  Claiming the blindfold, he tucked it under one sleeve as he walked to a nearby tree and, reaching behind it, withdrew a pair of staves.  Handing the smaller one to Korrena, he began twirling his stave in his left hand idly as he spoke.

 

"Wolfkin are often the targets of suspicion.  Suspicion breeds fear and fear causes people to act precipitously, not to mention darkfriends or others that would harm us.  So, another thing I'm going to teach you is how to defend yourself, and one of the easiest weapons you'll find out here is a stick.  So, we'll start with that.  First of all, I want you to imitate my stance."

 

Settling into a balanced stance, right leg leading with the toe pointing towards Korrena while the left jutted out to the side, knees were slightly bent and his stave came across his body to give it the best range of protection.  As she attempted to emulate the stance, Anton walked over and helped her reposition herself.  It would take a bit for her to get used to, but that was the point of it.

 

From there, it was a matter of running her through the drills, and once she had the basic movements, doing the drills with her and taking each blow she delivered, then running her through a basic defence drill in turn.  As long as it took for her to start to get the hang of it.

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Handing the blindfold back to him, she eyed him for a moment but shook her head as a tickle in her mind threatened to destract her from the task at hand. She could feel Windy nearby, the cub was not often seen but she always knew where the cub was, and knowing she was there settled Korrena enough to keep the straight look on her face.

 

Listening to Anton's explination, she wrinkled her nose as he handed her the staff. Why fight? I'm too small, it would be better for me to run than to just fight. Scowling she took the stance that Anton indicated, slouched at best. Listening was a lesson she could do for hours. Finding things, touching things. But Korrena saw no need for her to pick up a weapon. After all she was safe here. She could feel it in the depth of her, as sure as her connection to Windy. At first this place unsettled her because it was so new but as she continued to sense more and more each day, there was little danger here. Not like in Cairhien.

 

Correction after correction, she sighed heavily and took the stance Anton was attempting to teach her, along with the simple attack and defense moves she could learn. Continueing the stances beside him, she stopped, holding the stave in front of her.

 

"I don't understand why I have to learn this. I thought I am to learn what it is to be a wolf..kin, not a stupid fighter. I can run faster than most, can't that be enough?"

 

 

 

Korrena

 

 

[Wayfarer]

Looking at Korrena, Anton stared at her rather steadily as he weighed up what to say, or possibly do.  If it had been Katrina, he would have simply attacked and forced her to defend and realise how defenceless she was.  That would have been more than to stir Katrina to trying harder, because she always felt she had to fight and had yet to show Anton that she even considered running as an option.

 

But that wasn't Korrena, she was more than confident in the ability of her feet to carry her from danger.  It was a smart thing when it came to self preservation, she was small and with her lack of skill, her feet were her best friend.  But there was always a time when your feet wouldn't do you any good, when it came down to nothing but you and the stave you had in hand to see you through.  Anton had been there enough times to know that for himself.  Even if it was safe here in the stedding, there was no guarantee that it would always be that way.

 

"This is part of being a Wolfkin, Korrena.  Your feet might be able to get you free from danger, most of the time, but its no guarantee.  Even then, what about the members of your pack that can't run?  Do you simply abandon them?  Would you abandon your sisters?  Do you rely on others to defend you?  Every member of the pack has to be able to defend themselves because while our strength lies in being hidden, I can tell you right now that it won't last.  Now continue, and I'll show you some basic attacks and parries."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

 

OOC:  Take it away :)  Run through basic slashes and whatnot, then have her duel with Anton.  Anton won't hurt her, he will make her work though in order to get her used to fighting an opponent.  After thats done, I'll take us to the next segment of training.

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Korrena was silent for a moment, weighing words carefully in her head. Although unnecessary, Anton's words run true and her sense of pride and need to protect out weighted the absurd notion of her small hands holding a weapon of any kind. It simply felt far to unnatural to her. Fighing with the gut instinct to hurl the weapon as far away from her person, she heeded his words and held steadfast. Unwanted yet willing.

 

"I was not meant to fight like this, but.." She held her stance as Anton had shown her to do, not perfect, but not weak. "Your logic suits enough for me to learn. Light pray I never know any of it." The last of her words fell softer and for her ears, however the hearing of those blased with the senses of the wolf, Korrena was no fool to believe that he had not heard her. A nod was all she needed, and together they moved through a series of arced slashed and stabs until Atnon felt Korrena was comfortable with them.

 

Had she took a moment, she might have seen the beauty in what she was learning. The dance in the sword play, but for now, she did not.

 

Anton inticated for Korrena to attack. Reluctant stll, they circled for a moment before Korrena's staff connected with his, awkward and useless, it vibrated in her hands but she still held. "Are you attacking me or my stave?" Anton took the next hit as she barely managed to deflect the hit with her stave, his nearly beating at her fingers. She stepped back to regain balance as Anton gave suggestion and challenge. He challenged with words, using her passive nature to court her  pride into defending herself.

 

She succeeded very little and was often pushed back in defense but still remained unharmed. Taking a moment, Korrena tried her hand again, understanding a little more how one should attack the other. Although her movements were still clumsy at best, her tactics kept her on her toes long enough to land a strick on Antons leg as he defended his face from her first attack. Backing off right away, the concerned look on her face was chased away by the smile on Antons face.

 

She wanted to scowl and tell him it was his own fault he was hurt, but his smile dissuaded her from doing so. Instead she stood there with her arms crossed while watching Anton without emotion. I will not fight unless necessary and only if so will I dare harm anouther. she vowed to herself, waiting on Antons next set of instructions.

 

 

 

 

Korrena

[Wayfarer]

Smiling as they finished, Anton inclined his head.  "Good work for your first time.  But now we're going to go find a few things that will help you out if you're ever out alone and are hurt, or have someone you need to help.  Or picking out food for that matter while you forage.  Come on."

 

Leading the way, Anton took the girl along as they began to wander through the wood.  It was a matter of knowing where things were, how to find them and how to prepare them.  They started off with the Andilay root since that was the first thing he saw.  The plant wasn't that distinctive except on closer inspection, but using his belt knife to dig into the earth he revealed and sliced a root of the plant before filling in the hole.  Handing it to Korrena, he grinned.  "Chew on it, it'll help dissipate your fatigue, head will clear if its foggy and it will even help your muscles unwind and relax."

 

It as a few more minutes before they happened across some Dogworth sitting right next to some groundnut.  Its tell tale dark purple flower was a sign that the vine bore beans and tubers that were edible and certainly went aways to helping keep one well fed, groundnut agreed with Anton.  As to the Dogworth, it was good once ground into a paste to clean a wound.  Squatting next to it, Anton plucked a few leaves off and held them up.  "Good for cleaning out wounds, good enough that if you're in a rush you can simply chew it in your mouth until its pasted well and good to put it in someone's wound and not infect it."

 

Standing as he explained the Groundnut in turn, he smiled at Korrena as he gestured for her to lead.  "As we walk along, point out any distinctive plants and I'll explain their properties to you.  I'm no Sage by any means, but being a Tracker you pick up enough knowledge to know whats useful and what isn't."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Using the stave as a walking stick, fatigued a little by the forms but her relief of completing the lesson for the day made up for it. Following Anton deeper into the woods, she listened carefully to Antons descriptions of the various plants that surrounded their journey.

 

Korrena often stopped him at odd plants that she saw. Surprised as how few and far between some of the useful plants were and the amount of simple weeds and plants of only herbal value for stews or to spice up breads. Soon Korrena started pointing herbs out on her own, after pointed out once, they seemed easier to spot.

 

Pausing for a moment, Korrena thought carefully as she looked at a goosemint plant. Its properties were for relieve stomach pain. But as she looked even more carefully, she bent down and smelled the delicate leaves. She picked up a mild peppermint aroma even though the plant was not Peppermint. "Curious."

 

"Is it common for one to be able to pick out the scent of a plant before finding it by sight?"Anton nodded much to Korrena's delight. "That is just too cool!" Giggling, Korrena continued down the path, smelling any possible plant, verbalizing what she could smell.

 

"Mardroot. Used for bruising. When made properly it will sting the wound. Smells like... tanin." On and on she went, delighted at her new found ability. This beats sparing any day!

 

 

Korrena

No nifty nickname yet... :P

 

 

[Wayfarer]

It had been an enlightening exercise for both of them as they had wandered the wood as far as Anton was concerned.  Her fascination with the woods and the herbs to be found made him wonder whether she might someday become a Sage, especially considering her reluctance with a weapon.  But, she would know what she wanted to do when the time came and there was no need to press the matter anytime soon, she would have more than enough time to decide for herself where her interests lay and how to best develop her talents when the time came.

 

But, that had been neither here nor there and it had been awhile before they were done.  Indeed, they had spent the entire afternoon at it and it had been getting quite dark.  Anton had actually intended to take the girl home and instruct her on the next leg of her training there, but it was aways so Anton decided to make camp out here under the night sky instead.  Rumble had even been kind enough to pass the message along to the other Candarr sisters and since Katrina had already been through the first part of training herself, she would understand what he was doing and leave things be at least.

 

A meal had been easy to forage, and sprinkling the meal with foxtail, they weren't awake much longer after the meal.

 

Awakening within the Wolf Dream, Anton smiled to himself as he closed his eyes and waited for his student to appear.  It wasn't long before Korrena's perky voice asked him what he was doing sitting on the ground with his eyes closed.  "Do you have clothes on?"  There was a pause before Korrena answered in the affirmitive and asked why her clothes were different.

 

Opening his eyes and turning to her, Anton smiled.  "When you enter the Wolf Dream, you tend to manifest an appearance that is mostly how you envisage yourself.  In this case, those modest clothes you wear, perhaps a desire for something other than what you were born to?  Perhaps another reason, regardless this seems to be the image of yourself you entertain most."

 

"Speaking of which, your first lesson.  This whole world is subject to your will and imagination, but this is a thing that must be honed carefully.  The first task I'm going to give you is to change your clothing.  To do that, you need to imagine yourself naked.  Wait."  Holding his hand up, Anton cut over.  "Not yet.  When you do it, then look down and imagine what sort of undergarment you would like to wear, how it would feel on you, then put your will into it and with concentration it shall become so.  I want you to imagine each piece of clothing onto yourself until you are fully dressed, and don't get overly creative.  When its done, just remember the image and it will hold steady."

 

Looking away, Anton imagined a scarf that he quickly used as a blindfold.  "When you're done, I want you to come over and untie my blindfold."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Tired, Korrena never thought to question the foxtail that Anton put in the stew. The way her eyelids dropped, she knew she was not long for the world of the living. Thankful a few times over that they would not be walking all the way back to Antons hut. Curling up by the controlled fire, she fell straight to sleep.

 

Waking up, She blinked. Something was not quite right with this picture. Anton was sitting by the fire, positioned in such away that he could not be mistaken for being asleep. Only his eyes were closed.

 

"Anton? Why are you sitting like that?"

 

"Do you have your clothes on?" - What a silly question.

 

"Of course I do." She spoke, as she felt the brush of the bloused against her fingertips. Not thinking on it too much. "Why would I not?"

 

"When you enter the Wolf Dream, .." - Wolf Dream!? Anouther lesson? - you tend to manifest an appearance that is mostly how you envisage yourself.  In this case, those modest clothes you wear, perhaps a desire for something other than what you were born to? ......" Korrena looked down to her clothes and indeed noticed that they were very plain, but very well made. The softness of the skirt felt like suede from the east, and the white blouse light and well cut. The belt around her waist was simple and without any design. Korrena was impressed, shocked, but impressed.

 

"Speaking of which, your first lesson.  This whole world is subject to your will and imagination, but this is a thing that must be honed carefully.  The first task I'm going to give you is to change your clothing.  To do that, you need to imagine yourself naked." - Her clothes started to shimmer.

 

Wait."  Holding his hand up, Anton cut over. Korrena grinned impishly.  "Not yet.  When you do it, then look down and imagine what sort of undergarment you would like to wear, how it would feel on you, then put your will into it and with concentration it shall become so.  I want you to imagine each piece of clothing onto yourself until you are fully dressed, and don't get overly creative.  When its done, just remember the image and it will hold steady. ... When you're done, I want you to come over and untie my blindfold."

 

Korrena waited for Anton to completely shield his eyes from view. After making a few selective faces at him, she felt satisfied that he could not see. Looking down at her body, she regretfully let the clothes around her shimmer out of sight. It took a little but at first, but after using Antons sugestion, she imagined the feeling of her skin without the sensation of cloth and achieved what she had wanted.

 

Although the dream world was not particularily cold, Korrena still held her arms around her small chest, covering the most of her tiny frame as she could. First, she imagined the undergarments. Closing her eyes, she pictured the lacy number that she had seen in Rena and Mena's chests. Carefully imagining the soft silk-like fabric against her skin. Opening her eyes she gazed down much to her delight to see them on her skin, pink bow and everything!

 

Closing her eyes again, unsure of what to dress herself in, she thought to Anton for a moment, and then pictured herself in his clothes, starting witht he brown Breeches. They were not terribly hard to put on, but the fabric didn't seem right. More like an itchy wool or hard wood that simply covered her legs. Focusing carefully, she changed the fabric, this time focusing on the feel as well as the look. Smiling, she felt the fabric change as she shifted. Much better.

 

Next came the green shirt and the studded vest over it. She took painstaking care with the feeling of the fabric, imitating more of the colour than any other attribute of Anton's clothes, but still kept it reasonably well-fitted to what she prefered to wear. "Gah!" Unfortunatly she found herself with her arms inside the shirt and the vest merely sitting on her shoulders.

 

"I'm Stuck!"

 

"I did that as well, just remove the clothing by imagining yourself without them then try again."

 

Doing as he said she removed the shirt and vest, relieved to have her hands free. Closing her eys again, this time she was more careful with where she placed the clothing on her body. It reapeared, and after some adjustment to the cloth, she smiled down at herself. It wasn't easy and her head was starting to ache, but it was good.

 

"I'm dressed." The pride in her voice very evident.

 

 

 

Korrena

[Wayfarer]

Hearing the proud assertion on Korrena's part that she was fully dressed, Anton slowly took his blindfold off and looked carefully.  Even if Korrena hadn't decided to see if she could shock him with some skin, and she was innocent enough that he wouldn't put it past her, there was still no knowing that she might have decided on doing.  Anything may have come to her to try on, in fact, Anton was expecting to see something suitably ludicrous like wearing her undergarments on the outside of her clothes in one of her brain explosions.

 

Instead, she'd just chosen to be cheeky, copying his garment in minature so it fit her.  Reaching for a couple of stones as he stood, he wandered over to her as he shook his head.  She knew that sign well enough because she seemed to positively beam at having gotten that resigned reaction out of him.  A vague thought floated into his mind that it might have been the parents that had run away on the girl rather than the other way around, but Anton didn't entertain that seriously though it did linger with him all the same.

 

"Alright, take one of these."  Offerng her the pair of rocks, he watched her remove one before speaking again.  "Now, watch my rock closely."  It only took a moment but the rock shifted and blurred into a new shape to become a simple ring of gold.  "This is harder than just making your clothes, or other items like weapons and the like.  You need to look at the item, picture what it 'should' be then 'pour' the object into the shape it should be.  Essentially will it to shift and change into the new form and with enough will and strength it will do so.  Show me what you can make, and don't be creative.  A simple item will do."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Korrena watched carefully as Anton changed the stone to a simple gold ring. Her pride over the previous sigh that Atnon exhibited oozed away as the seriousness of the conversation continued. Picking up a rock herself, she concentrated on it carefully, imagining a simple silver band that would be identical to Antons. At first sh thought it changed, she felt exciteemnt roll away and then her concenration broke, revealing a clump of silver that was in no way a shape she found recognizable.

 

Trying again, the second time, it came much easier as she relaxed her mind, allowing the obect she wanted to come naturally instead of forcing it on the stong through her will. If this was a dream, simpling thinking something into being should be as easy to her as breathing, as long as she accepted the nature of it instead of forcing it, as she would have otherwise outside of a dream.

 

Holding out her hand, she showed the silver band to Anton with a smile. "It was not too hard. What next?"

 

 

Korrena

Creatively Spunky. :P

[Wayfarer]

Anton had to admit, he smiled when the rock turned into a clump of silver.  Korrena was quickly getting the hang of it though, perhaps it was due to the fact her mind was constantly active.  It wasn't that she was dense, far from it, but her mind wandered because it quickly got bored.  When she was able to focus her mind on a task, she dealt with the challenges she was given readily enough.  Of course, that was a great flaw of hers that they were going to have to work on because in the Wolf Dream, a lack of concentration and idle thoughts were things that could prove quite dangerous if not outright deadly.

 

Looking over the silver band, Anton discarded it to the side and it was a rock once again as it fell to the earth.  "Alright, the next thing we must deal with is how to affect greater changes in the world around us, as well as safety.  The thing you must understand is that your thoughts, any of them if given enough weight will manifest about us.  Mastering the Wolf Dream is as much about mastering yourself, disciplining your thoughts.  Any fears you have, if you dwell on them too much can appear as much as your desires may, and desires may be deadly in their own way."

 

"But, first I am going to do something.  I'm going to bring a mist into being."  Even as he spoke, the shrouds of grey began to rise from the earth around them.  "I want you to imagine a breeze, one strong enough to roll this mist away that I'm creating.  When you do it, instead of focusing on a particular item, you're trying to effect a more general change so you're pushing your idea from within to the outside.  With enough will and focus, the world will respond.  Don't try and be too ambitious though, your ability to affect the Wolf Dream grows with use and time so there is no rush to impress."

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Ooc: I think her fears will develope over time. As she generally starts of with very few fears which makes her so... intangible with reality.

 

Found a place where I can be

All the things I want you to see

Take my hand into your hands

'Cause I come to you from another land

Feist - The Mast

 

Ic:

 

Master the dreamworld. She could not help but chuckle at such a thought. What was there to master? It was a game that she simply needed to learn to play with not conquer. Of course she didn't want to tell Anton this and ruin the lesson for him. As the fog rolled in, she watched and listened with curiousity. It rolled in the a fall time mist that covered the streets in the earily morning.

 

Closing her eyes -as she found it easier to concentrate this way, and bitting lightly on her lower lip, Korrena retreated into the back of her mind that the fog had triggered in her memory. She sat there in the silence of the morning, well before the rising of the sun from just over the peaks of Dragonmount and the Cairhien Towers. There was a small clearing for one on the south edge of Foregate, inthe rolling lains well far and beyond the walls of her home. The fog was wet and cold, rising from the River Alguenya, and through the air, covering the plain as silently as if it were but death itself. Korrena shivered as it seeped into her skin.

 

Remembering, She distinctively placed the sun as the tip poured over the edge of the earth, shattering the night sky with its raidiant light. Ripping through the plaines as the ghosts of past and futrue scurried away from its touch. It touched her skin, warming it instantly as a smile was brought to her face. Even in the Dream she could feel it along her skin as her memory came to life. Fog retreated as the newly wet dew started to peer through the low cloud that scattered from view. Opening her eyes, she watched as her imagination brought more than just the sun, fields of wildflowers that grew beyond the imagination in schemes of colour after colour burst to life around her feet as he intention of the dream drove on and on.

 

The Dream evolved more and more as Korrena poured her heart into the it, butterflies and birds joined the silence of the sun's song as it chased away the lasst of the clouds. Closing her eyes, Korrena smiled softly to herself, tired but satisfied. Far more satisfied than she had felt since she first left Cairhien to find Mena....

 

It almost seemed a lifetime ago...

 

 

 

Korrena

 

[Wayfarer]

Watching as the fog began to roll away, Anton kept an eye on Korrena as she did so.  This exercise was the one that was most liable to cause something to spring from a student's mind, at least that was what Anton's experience had taught him.  It was probably because this one was the hardest of the initial skills to learn.  Creating an object or converting an existing one were easy to focus on, the thought was very direct and easy to keep a handle on.  Affecting the entire environment was a different matter, it required working much more broadly and often borrowing from memory to get it right.  It was in a person's memory that some of the worst nightmares could be born in the Wolf Dream.

 

The fog disappearing altogether, Anton reached over and shook Korrena's shoulder slightly to get her to open her eyes.  Smiling as she looked up at him, Anton was more than happy with her progress.  "You've done well Korrena, now it is time to conclude our lesson.  Time spent in the Wolf Dream isn't real sleep, you spend all night here and when you wake up you'll feel as if you haven't gotten a wink of sleep at all.  So, its wise only to spend a bit of time in here doing what is necessary.  But, the trick is, how do you get out of her and go to sleep when you're ready?"

 

"Its easy.  You just need to let your awareness here drift off.  You'll fade and then cease to be here entirely, returned to your body and you'll wake up in the morning.  Just let yourself drift off, go on."  It wasn't long before Korrena ceased to exist in the Wolf Dream, disappearing from sight.  Using need to try and find her, Anton was certain that she had left the Wolf Dream and was safe, it was time for him to get some sleep in turn.

 

Relaxing, Anton faded from sight.

 

 

Anton Averdal

Farpaw