Swords and Wizardry - Retro

[Wayfarer]

Dismounting, Lillian smiled at the stable boy who ran over to take his horse.  The thanks she gave him seemed to put some bounce in his step as he led her horse away, sometimes it was the smallest things that made a difference.  Walking across the courtyard to the main steps, Lillian made her way up them and into the Palace proper, greeted by a member of the Royal family as she stepped within.  It felt strange, particularly since she hadn't enjoyed (let alone sought) such eminence in the other lands she had traveled in.  Yet, in the Borderlands, there was no harm in people seeing who she was.  Lands where Aes Sedai were respected, mainly because these were lands where Aes Sedai did what they were meant to, serve all.

 

Exchanging pleasantries, it wasn't long before she was shown to her quarters within the royal wing, as all Aes Sedai were treated to.  This suited Lillian just fine as it gave her a moment to herself as the family member, Souran his name was, left her to her own devices.  It would have been an odd thing to say it was richly austere, but the description worked for Lillian.  There was beauty in the simplicity of the things that were in her room, from the bed to the mirror, even the cloakstand that Lillian had sat her leather cloak upon to reveal her snow white dress.  Of solid wool, it had helped to keep her warm during the trip north, she wasn't entirely used to it yet and even though she could ignore the cold, that wasn't wise.

 

Likewise her boots were filled with white fur to keep her toes from dropping off from frostbite.  Even in the castle, with fires going and warming the halls, Lillian wasn't so quick to shed her boots in favour of more comfortable slippers.  Indeed, the first thing she needed to do was find a certain Aes Sedai.  Walking to the door, thanks to Souran's directions she already knew where to go even as she closed her door behind her.

 

It was only a few doors away, yet it was enough time for Lillian to consider the path she had chosen for herself.  She had spent the past couple of years in the south lands, and while they had most certainly kept her busy, she knew she had duties to the north as well.  Even as an Accepted, the reports that reached the Tower every year during this time were that Trolloc raids were increasing in strength and audacity.  That meant more sisters were needed, and while the Green had no doubt sent more, she had decided to come herself to offer her assistance.

 

The sister behind the door that Lillian had stopped before was Jaydena Sedai of the Green Ajah.  She had been a member of the Green Ajah for sometime, she only hoped that the sister would receive her warmly rather than with suspicion.  It wasn't often that a White Sister was found outside the Tower, and Ajah suspicions were always a problem.  Hopefully having been close to Aramina would have helped, but there was only one way to find out.  Knocking on the door, Lillian waited to be called to enter.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Jaydena]

Jaydena pushed her horse over the last hill and watched as the palace spread out in front of her in it's glory, it was a lovely palace, yet just like everything in the Borderlands, you could see it was built for war. There were not windows down low, there were arrowslots and the entire town and palace was surrounded by a huge wall. She spurred the horse forward and broke into a trot down towards the city, she was here for a number of reasons. Trollocs were uncontrollable in the area, she needed to report back to her sisters and let them know what was going on. On top of that she was Assistant in charge of their Eyes and Ears, and she had several contacts she needed to meet up with on this trip. Through the grapevine she had heard of what might be a cache of angreal here at the palace. She was one of the resident experts on all things angreal, despite the fact that she was a Green and not a Brown. She chuckled and smoothed a hand down the riding habit she wore. It was dark green with swirling emroidery around the high neckline, a opening around the bodice area shapped like a keyhole showed a marriage knife on a collar.

 

A green velvet cloak with black rabbit fur on the inside was around her shoulders and feel down near her Green, rabbit lined boots. She moved toward the castle and pulled her cloak hood down, it was imediately called through the gates that they had an Aes Sedai in residence. Jade waited for someone to take her through the city and when she reached the palace she swung easily from the saddle. Riding horses had always been part of her life and she had started riding at around the age of four. Long before she bred her own horses and had a stable at Tar Valon that supplied her and the Tower with extra income. She smiled at the groom and then followed the woman in charge of the palace toward the throneroom. Her auburn hair was pulled on top of her head in an intricate design, sword shapped pins stuck from it which were actual weapons. Small emerald studs shapped like swirls glinted in her ears and she wore a matching bracelet, cinced around her hour glass waist was a silver belt of the same design. Her green eyes flashed from her face and she saw the look of admiration from the guards she passed, it was something she was used to and something she even took advantage of if she needed to.

 

They led her toward the throne room and she quickly stated her business and was given permission to study the angreal that they did in fact have in residence. She followed the Mistress of the House to her quarters, which were rich indeed and asked to see the Angreal. They brought them to her in short order, along with water to clean up and a small respite. The days passed quickly and she had figured out one of the angreals in the cache when a know sounded at her door and she called out for the person to come in. A young Aes Sedai stood at her door. She arched her eyebrow and motioned for the woman to sit down, they hadn't had any contact but she recogized her as a White Sister. "Can I help you Sister?"

 

Jaydena Mckanthur

Retro Sitter and Unscared

[Wayfarer]

"Yes, and hopefully I may be of some help to you in turn.  May I sit with you?"

 

Closing the door behind her, Lillian took the seat that was offered to her.  Jaydena Sedai was much as she remembered her, the same ageless look and the same taste in clothing.  Seated next to the older Aes Sedai, Lillian crossed a leg as he rested her hands on her knee.  The Aes Sedai was studying her, no doubt she didn't recognise Lillian as they had very little contact, and a Novice or even an Accepted had probably caught little of the woman's attention.  Much the same with being a White Sister, the smallest Ajah it also had a tendency to be reclusive.

 

"I am Lillian Tremina of the White Ajah, only raised a couple of years ago.  You are Jaydena McKanthur of the Green Ajah, yes?"  Getting another nod, Lillian smiled slightly as she continued.  "Even during my years as an Accepted, I was aware of the fact that the attacks from the Blight during this season have been increasing in seriousness every year since the beginning of this century and the siege of Fal Dara."  She hadn't even been enrolled in the Tower when that had occured.

 

"I feel that I would best serve the Tower and the Westlands here during this time, at least until the season is past and I can resume my other commitments in the world until the season comes again.  For this time, I wished to ask if I could place myself at your disposal.  Rather than go on some personal crusade that would achieve little and maybe even get in your way, I would rather add my strength to yours and to the other Green sisters deployed on the Borderlands."

 

"I know some destructive weaves as well as some healing but I'm not battle trained.  That is the other reason I've approached you, rather than be a risk to those around me with my lack of training I wish to apprentice myself to you as well as place myself under your command.  My hope is that by the time the danger has begun to pass, I'll have learned how to work effectively with other sisters as well as lone against Shadowspawn and I'll have achieved some good."

 

Blinking, Lillian added.  "If you would have me, that is."

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Jaydena]

"Yes, and hopefully I may be of some help to you in turn.  May I sit with you?" The young woman closed the door behind her and Jaydena watched her silently as the she took a seat. The cooper skinned woman looked her over just as though she were checking her out to see if she was who she appeared to be. Jaydena looked her over, she recognized her as a White who had been raised not that long ago, she had been at her oaths because all Sitters were at the raising of every new Sedai. Lillian crossed her eyes and Jaydena continued to gaze at her, she couldn't remember anything else about the woman, other than the fact that she was White, and could see no reason for this White Sister to have sought her. Greens didn't spend a huge amount of time together, Whites were about logic and yes they could passionate in logic but there was often nothing logical in war, and that was essentially what the Greens were about. Their very purpose as an ajah was to train in battle and to master it, to one day stand at the Dragon's side.  Perhaps the family had told her that another Sister was in the palace and she had felt the need to approach her, she might consider it logical to say hello. Some time passed and they both continued to consider the other, Lillian finally spoke up. "I am Lillian Tremina of the White Ajah, only raised a couple of years ago.  You are Jaydena McKanthur of the Green Ajah, yes?" Jaydena nodded, so she had been right it appeared.

 

One thing she had gotten very good at over the years was recognizing peoples faces and where they lay in the grand scheme of things. It was sad but being friends with Sirayn Simeone had taught her to be wary of everyone around her, and to watch every darkened corner, you never knew when someone you had considered a friend would stab you from behind. She shook her head, her love with Sirayn was something that lay deep in her heart and something she need to cull out to dead roses on the vine. It couldn't be fostered and it did no good for her soul or her job, she knew it, but it was a hard thing to take in. A part of her knew that she would always love Sirayn and do everything she could to be wit her.  She turned her attention back to Lillian and nodded, "Even during my years as an Accepted, I was aware of the fact that the attacks from the Blight during this season have been increasing in seriousness every year since the beginning of this century and the siege of Fal Dara. I feel that I would best serve the Tower and the Westlands here during this time, at least until the season is past and I can resume my other commitments in the world until the season comes again.  For this time, I wished to ask if I could place myself at your disposal.  Rather than go on some personal crusade that would achieve little and maybe even get in your way, I would rather add my strength to yours and to the other Green sisters deployed on the Borderlands." Jaydena's eyebrows raised in shock before she managed to conceal it and regain the serene look.

 

Of all the things it could have been, this was the think she least expected when she had allowed this young woman into her room. "I know some destructive weaves as well as some healing but I'm not battle trained.  That is the other reason I've approached you, rather than be a risk to those around me with my lack of training I wish to apprentice myself to you as well as place myself under your command.  My hope is that by the time the danger has begun to pass, I'll have learned how to work effectively with other sisters as well as lone against Shadowspawn and I'll have achieved some good. If you would have me, that is." Jaydena nodded slowly and regarded her before speaking, "You realize that you could die correct, I mean most of us of the Green are aware of that but Sisters of White Ajah don't normally set out to fight for they might die. If it's really what you want I can teach you the weaves you can use, some of them are Green Ajah weaves so I can't teach you those but many of them I can. Are you really sure this is what you desire?"

 

Jaydena Mckanthur

 

[Wayfarer]

Considering the words that Jaydena offered, Lillian had nevertheless made up her mind as she had already asked herself the very same questions.  Was she willing to risk her life in such a way?  It was one thing to think of personal glory, but the Green Sisters she had known and her own personal encounters with Shadowspawn had not only riven such thoughts from her but had also imparted with her the knowledge that Shadowspawn were a very real threat that needed to be dealt with.  She couldn't spend all her life on the Borderlands though, there was too much to do and too many places to be, but she could set aside this time at least when every sister would be needed most.

 

"I have asked myself these questions, and I'd have to say I most certainly do not desire to be putting my life at risk.  If I could, I'd rather go through my years without seeing a battle at all."  Smiling slightly, Lillian continued.  "But things are getting worse every year, and I do not feel right with simply relying on sisters of the Green Ajah to carry the burden alone and not doing my share.  I may not be a sister of the Green Ajah, but I am a sister of the Tower and I would ask to share your risk and that of the soldiers here and hopefully save some lives in the process."

 

"It is..."  Lillian paused, weighing her words before continuing.  "It is not something I ask of you lightly, and I am not unfamiliar with Shadowspawn.  If you would have me, I will stay the course until the worst of the season is done.  Upon that you have my word, and if you choose to have me I will endeavour to become worthy of the trust you would put in me by permitting me to join you.  If not, I will understand and will seek out another who might have me instead.  This isn't...  normal, I suppose, but I hope that you will see past that."

 

Her smile turning into a grin, Lillian added.  "That and the next nearest Green Sister I know of is in Kandor, thats a long ride and I only just got here."

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Jaydena]

Jaydena could see the woman seriously considering her words, she was interested on seeing if she balked at the thought of dying or if she stood her ground. She thought the girl might balk but if she did she couldn't fault her, Lillian hadn't signed up to kill and be killed as her ajah choice. The Green Ajah was a hard road to hoe, and not just anyone had the guts or stamina to take it on. So many people joined their ajah thinking they could sleep around and not be looked down on for it, and that they could be bonded to many people and sleep with all of them. They many times didn't realize that they were risking losing their life so they could sleep around. She shook her head and tuned back in as Lillian spoke,  "I have asked myself these questions, and I'd have to say I most certainly do not desire to be putting my life at risk.  If I could, I'd rather go through my years without seeing a battle at all. But things are getting worse every year, and I do not feel right with simply relying on sisters of the Green Ajah to carry the burden alone and not doing my share.  I may not be a sister of the Green Ajah, but I am a sister of the Tower and I would ask to share your risk and that of the soldiers here and hopefully save some lives in the process." Jaydena nodded, one of her eyebrows raised, she could honestly say the woman surprised her and that she had never seen anyone say they wanted to help defend with the Greens, without choosing that ajah.

 

"It is...  It is not something I ask of you lightly, and I am not unfamiliar with Shadowspawn.  If you would have me, I will stay the course until the worst of the season is done.  Upon that you have my word, and if you choose to have me I will endeavour to become worthy of the trust you would put in me by permitting me to join you.  If not, I will understand and will seek out another who might have me instead.  This isn't...  normal, I suppose, but I hope that you will see past that. That and the next nearest Green Sister I know of is in Kandor, thats a long ride and I only just got here." Jaydena chuckled and smiled back at the younger sister, "Well I would hate for you to go to Kandor to learn these things, and we could use your help here, as bad as things are out there, I am surprised you got through at all, and you couldn't do better than to learn from me." She grinned and continued, "Seriously, I am surprised at your request, but I will teach all that I am able and I will let you fight at my side. I am just hoping you make it through this, I can't wait to tell everyone at the Greens about the little fighting White Sister. If you die that won't make them believe me." She smiled, she had learned to joke about death early on, it wasn't something she had ever enjoyed doing, but in the Green it was often the only way to get through the day. "Well you just got here, so what do you say you get yourself rested up and then we will decide on when to start you on your battle weaves?"

 

Jaydena

 

 

 

[Wayfarer]

Smiling at the joke, Lillian inclined her head at the suggestion she retire and get some rest, Lillian would be glad to have a meal and spend the day relaxing.  Tomorrow would no doubt be a big day, and she knew that she would have to conserve her strength if she was going to be able to make the most of what Jaydena had to offer her.  It'd be a poor way to repay Jaydena if she were in poor shape in the morrow and Lillian did not want to waste her time.  Standing, she was smiling slightly as she spoke.  "If you would not mind, could we start tomorrow?  Its been hard travel and I'd rather be fully rested and be able to completely throw myself into the work rather than waste your time later today and still be weary."

 

Getting Jaydena's assent, Lillian smiled.  "Thank you, for the consideration and for taking me under your wing."  At that, Lillian turned and let herself out.  She was going to have a nice long bath was what she was going to do to wash the trail from her.  Then a meal, and then she was going to lie down, after so long in the saddle the thought was downright dreamy...

 

It was a crisp morning in the Borderlands, that was to say that Lillian had made sure to dress very warmly as she and Jaydena rode out of Shol Arbela.  She had grown up in Tarabon after all where it was much warmer, and even after three decades at Tar Valon had acclimatised her to colder weather, she felt like she was going to turn into an ice cube if she wasn't completely rugged up.  That would change in time, she hoped, or it was going to be a very long season.

 

They kept riding until they had made it into the tree line and a bit further within.  One of the main reasons they had come out so far was so that their channeling didn't disturb people, and so Lillian didn't hurt anyone as she learned to control the new and dangerous weaves that she would be learning.  So, as the pair dismounted and let their horses be as they walked a small distance away, Lillian was quiet as she followed.  She normally would have been talking quite merrily, but she didn't know Jaydena well enough to know how she'd appreciate what some would have called 'idle chatter'.  Maybe as she got a better measure of the woman.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Jaydena]

Lillian gained her feet and smiled at her before speaking,  "If you would not mind, could we start tomorrow?  It's been hard travel and I'd rather be fully rested and be able to completely throw myself into the work rather than waste your time later today and still be weary." Jaydena nodded her head in agreement and wondered how much work she would get done on this angreal she was studying. She felt sure there was something she was missing with this one but it seemed like some elusive wind, just out of her grasp. She focused back in on Lillian as she pushed the thoughts away, "Thank you, for the consideration and for taking me under your wing." She smiled and watched as the young sister left the room. This one was a most unusual Sister, a part of her wished the girl had gone Green but she must have seen something in the White, she never did understand why anyone picked any other Ajah but Green but then she was a little partial. The funny thing about it all was the she had almost gone gray herself because of her love of negotiating and then almost went Brown because of her enjoyment in studying angreal. It wasn't till someone in the Brown has pointed out to her that she could love Angreal and still be in any of the other Ajahs. She walked back over to the angreal and picked it up; she turned the globe slowly in her hands and thought about how the following day would go. Hopefully young Lillian Sedai knew what she was getting into here.

 

The next morning she dressed warmly in a deep blue velvet dress and matching cloak, she walked from her rooms and made her way down to breakfast. She ate quickly and then headed out to meet up with her Sister. Just as she was mounting her horse, Lillian showed up and they began their journey for somewhere they could practice without hurting someone. Lillian was silent and Jaydena wondered if it was a wealth of nervousness or if she was naturally like that. She hoped the young woman wasn't scared of her but it wouldn't be the first time. It didn't seem like that was the case though, Lillian has approached her in the first place. They dismounted their horses when they reached a clear area far away from everyone. She walked her horse over and tethered it before walking a distance away and setting up wards around them so that nothing could approach them and get hurt or injure one of them. This was the borderlands after all, and there were Trollocs to be had or worse yet a Fade. When she had finished she turned and looked at Lillian, "We will begin with earth weaves, and you should be fairly well versed in Water and Air because those are women's strengths. The Fire and Earth elements are often over looked because they are viewed as men's talents. However I am one of the strongest women in the Tower in Earth so I had to learn early on not take them at face value. They are often pivotal in battle and many don't use them enough. I brought an angreal I have with me just in case you aren't strong enough in Earth to do these weaves. The first weave we will be doing is called, Riven Earth the use of this weave is to rend the earth around of in front of an enemy, it can be used is an excellent distraction when you need to gain time to retreat.” She faced the open part of the field in front of her and wove an intricate arrow shaped weave with a slight amount of spirit and reinforced with fire at the tip, without the fire it would have had disastrous effects on the ground it hit. Once the weave was formed she sent it off with a quick burst of Air and watched as it hit the targeted ground and ground it hit exploded up into the still morning air. She turned back to Lillian and spoke, “Well yours might not cause that kind of damage at first but you should do well enough." She stepped back and waited for Lillian to begin practicing the weave; this was a hard one to perfect what it could be used so well in battle.

 

When Lillian has finished working on that weave “Ok the next weave we will be working on is Grenade, as I am sure you can guess this weave has quite the destructive capacity. "I have a talent called Delving so this is a bit easier for me, but you should be just fine." She embraced the source again and delved into the earth, easily finding a good sized rock, about the size of a Trolloc's head. She pulled it out of the earth and then smoothed the ground back down with another weave of air and earth. When she was done with that she began to weave a net of earth and fire around the rock, putting fire into it to form the initial charge, the continuing on with the fine net. She matched the outer threads with the inner and then let the weave sink into the rock. A light began to glow a slight red and brown around the rock and it began to make a slight crackling noise, which meant the rock was ready to be released. She sent the rock off as far as she could with a push of Air and watched as it exploded in a spectrum of tiny rock shards. Turning back to Lillian she smiled, "I love working with Earth but not everyone feels this way about it. Let me see you work with that one for awhile before we start on the Fire weaves." She stepped back several steps and motioned for Lillian to begin.

 

Jaydena Sedai

Riven Earth requires Earth 2, Fire 2, Skill 7.

Grenade (Earth 2, Fire 2, Skill 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wayfarer]

Observing the effect of the weave that Jaydena named Riven Earth, Lillian decided that some precaution was necessary.  Allowing saidar to fill her, Lillian raised a gloved hand to the air before her, for the weave she was going to perform it would be useful to have her hand act as a form of foci even if it wasn't necessary.  The space before Lillian seemed to ripple, threads of air, spirit and water before her thickening and constricting around each other in simple manner that was made complex by the scope as they were tied off.  Four feet before her hand and eight feet wide and high, the thick air was of a consistency like the ocean, any object that passed through would quickly lose momentum and float to the ground.

 

Her snow white cloak billowing as the wind stirred, Lillian frowned as her face lost a touch more feeling.  It wasn't that she didn't know how to ignore the elements, it was very easy to switch off to them if need be.  On the otherhand, that only switched off from the feeling, just because she didn't cease to feel cold didn't mean that her body wasn't cold.  Self deception was a dangerous habit, so unless she needed to shut it off, she preferred to be aware of what her body felt about the conditions.

 

Still, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.  She'd traded in her dress for heavy hose and tunic, over which she then wore a thick sleeveless gambeson that parted at her waist and came down to her knees, all white as her cloak and Tower.  She wasn't under any illusions that the gambeson would keep her safe from a blade, but it did allow her a full range of motion while keeping her warm and it would have been plain ridiculous to wear it over a dress.  Very warm, much warmer than her face that was wishing it had more than the cowl of her cloak for warmth.

 

Lowering her hand so it rested at the long blade at her side, Lillian focused on the space beyond her ward, an earthen bolt taking form even as she intermingled spirit with it.  Earth was not her favoured element by any means, but years of practice had helped her overcome that problem and the interwoven threads of spirit made it easier.  Hardening the tip with fire, it was with a quick jab of air that she sent it flying before her.  A good twenty yards away, the ground erupted in a brief shower of snow and earth.  A few further weaves and she began to learn how to aim, though it would take time before she developed accuracy with her weaves.

 

But now wasn't the time to sharpen the skill, now was the time to learn a second weave that Jaydena proceeded to explain.  Grenade.  An odd name, but Lillian listened on and observed the effect that was produced with a good measure of surprise.  The destructive capacity of the weave was immense, or could be if used in the right circumstances.  Such a rock lobbed amongst a group of shadowspawn for example would easily mow a group down, bestowing casualties and injuries in equal measure.

 

Now her turn.  Sweeping the snow before her to reveal the earth, Lillian found a rock the size of her fist and raised it up before her.  Her net of earth and fire was quickly commented on by Jaydena and adjusted accordingly, feeding the fire than sinking the entire weave into the rock was a quick process though the crackling sound was alarming as it was louder than it should have been.  Sending it hurtling through the air, it detonated before it was even halfway to its destination.

 

Further attempts at the weave helped solve this issue, though Lillian found the size of the weave was proportionate to the rock and therefore still a finnicky science.  At least until she was able to spend some more time learning the weave but after her tenth grenade, landing by a tree before it erupted in a shower of jagged shards of rock, it was time to stop and allow Jaydena to continue as there was more to learn and she could not spend all her energy now only to be useless before the day's lessons were finished.

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Jaydena]

When Lillian had a better grasp on the weaves she nodded and stepped forward, "Your doing good Lillian, just don't think you are going to be perfect right away and you will be fine. The next weave we will be working on today is called Combust. You’ll need  a fair amount of  strength with Fire for this one – at least, compared to the strength most women have. Strength in Spirit is also a plus.” Jaydena stepped forward and faced the open field in front of her, she used her talent in Delving to find the ideal size of rock in the ground in front of her and then used Spirit to extract it from the ground. A quick weave of Aie floated the good sized stone over to them and then she left if handing in midair on the moon on a still night in front of them. She began to weave a net around the rock roughly the size of a small child's head.  The weave looked much like the netting of th earlier Earth weave, only this was made of threads of Fire and Spirit equally interspersed, until she had a weave crackling with explosive potential. Turning to Lillian she said, “Now I want to set it alight and keep it that way.” She tugged one of the threads of Fire that made the entire weave fall into its ‘locked’ position, and the stone burst into flame, the actual object still visible through the waving flames. A smile lite her face up and she turned to the White Sister and said, “Now it does good to imagine that rock as a Trollocs head, I’ve seen this weave used in many a way by Green sisters. It can be wrapped around the hand the Trolloc is fighting,  around their feet so they can’t run, you get the idea I’m sure.” 

 

She let the Fire slowly go out and then she began to look around for something that she could set alight besides a rock, when she didn't find anything she shrugged and then turned back to Lillian. . Setting the now blackened rock aside she handed Lillian the angreal, and said, “You need to find something that will not burn up in a few seconds and also something not alive, you will practice this weave in your first battle.” She nodded and stepped back for Lillian to practice the weave on her own. Looking around at the cold forrest she sighed, this stillness, this beauty was what kept her fighting after all the pain and hurt. These people in this land kept fighting now matter what happened and how could she do any less. She fought for those that didn't even know why she was fighting, she would fight this battle against the shadow until the day she died. Time passed and she turned back to see Lillian still practising the weave. She nodded and walked up behind her, it wouldn't do good for the woman to wear herself out to fast. “The last weave we are learning today is called Phantom Flame, this is an effective weave if you’ve become to tired to channel larger amounts and you need to distract your enemy. Phantom Fire is not much to look at during daylight hours but during the night time it’s something to see indeed.”

 

Embracing the source she began to send small threads of fire into the air. When her tendrils of fire landed in the spots she had sent them to,  she used Air to divide them into many small pieces of fire. The contact of Air with Fire meant that the two Elements fused to create lights, rather than actual flames. The portions of Fire she ended up with, after the division, were too miniscule to burst into real flames of their own accord. They would require fuel, such as a Trolloc’s body hair, or a Dreadlord’s dress, to properly ignite. Using currents of air she sent her glowing fire lights off in all directions, she watched as some of them landed in the the trees and burned a leaf before going out. Completing her weave she turned to the woman next to her and said, “This weave is useful for distraction, a animal as stupid as Trolloc will fall for these lights and even follow them. Otherwise the lights often fall upon hair or clothing and set it alight. If you make the lights slightly stronger than I did just now, you will almost certainly start spot fires amongst the enemy ranks.” Seeing Lillian begin to embrace the source she smiled and and walked over to watch the show for a distance..

 

Jaydena Mckanthur

 

OOC: Combust requires Fire 4 and Spirit 4 – and Skill 16

Phantom Fire (Air 2, Fire 2, Skill 16)

 

 

[Wayfarer]

Accepting Jaydena's advice even as she observed the Combust weave that followed, Lillian had to admit it felt oddly unsettling.  She wasn't used to using fire and earth this much, something she would have to remedy, but it was more the sheer destructive potential of the weaves that were involved.  She'd worked out ways to utilise the power in battle without crossing the line into the realm of what could be considered a weapon, she'd even practiced rudiments here and there as she'd travelled so she wouldn't be useless to whatever Green took her under wing, far from it.  But raw destruction...  It was a very different feeling altogether.  That was what she had chosen to apprentice herself for though, to learn ways that she could wreak havoc and destruction so she could destroy the enemy's ranks.

 

Embracing the source with Jaydena's angreal in hand, the extra power also felt strange, far more than she should have been holding as sweet as it felt but she had more than enough discipline to do so.  A year spent without the power at the Farm had taught her she could live without it.  A rock that had come to the surface when Jaydena had plucked her own out levitated in the air a good four feet.  Hovering where it was, it was easier to weave this net than it had been for the grenade.  Fire and spirit wrapping themselves around the stone in equal measure, the flames erupted even as the net tightened upon the rock.  Increasing the heat, the rock began to melt even as she tied the thread off, letting it feed itself.  It didn't take long for the stone to be completely destroyed.  She had to question the practical application of such a weave, it seemed like too much effort to kill a single trolloc when there had to be easier ways, when she knew there were, but there would have to be uses for it in its own right, she would discover them sooner or later.  Maybe it would be better suited to tying off on a Halfman, as quick as they could be to slip into the shadows and the like.

 

She ran through it a few more times, getting the hang of it easily enough.  Its similarity to the earth weave made it easier to handle and fire wasn't quite so finnicky as earth, especially with the angreal.  It wasn't long before Jaydena brought a stop to it so they could work on another weave, the last one of the day it seemed.  Phantom Flame, this one Lillian didn't think she'd heard of before, not until she saw it demonstrated.  She'd seen it before, though she had never attempted it, a weave that had been called Foxfire.

 

There were some subtle differences between the two, the absence of spirit within the phantom fire was odd but that didn't overly worry her.  The rest of it was quite similar, the only difference that the spirit, even sometimes a touch of water, was that instead of fire it would come out as a myriad of colours and wouldn't burn.  Feeding the threads of fire into the air, the air shredded them even as the pair bonded, forming the lights that Jaydena described and caused them to float through the air before her.  Drifting, they quickly burnt out as they hit the trees and snow.

 

A few more attempts and Lillian felt she had the hang of the weave.  Releasing the one power, she smiled as she handed the angreal back to Jaydena.  "I think I'm getting the hang of it, similar to something I've woven before.  Still, I can't help but wonder if the-"  Frowning, Lillian looked at Jaydena strangely.  "Did you just hear something?"

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

[Jaydena]

Jaydena smiled at the other woman as she watched the work, it was really to bad the woman hadn’t chosen the Green, she had a good grasp on the world around her and was a quick learner, there must have been something about the Whites that had appealed to her for her to have chosen them, most people who wanted to fight Trollocs turned toward the Green Ajah right from the start. Those had been some of her reasons for choosing the Green, she had wanted to rid the world of evil and make it a better place, she had wanted to fight at the Dragon’s side if that day came and yes back then she had wanted to flirt with as many men and women as possible. Jade chuckled and thought back to the days when she had been young and foolish and so very in love, she had learned her lesson for it though and it didn’t do to dwell on it. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the White Sister in front of her. When Lillian had finished her weaves Jaydena walked toward her and Lillian handed her the Angreal before speaking, "I think I'm getting the hang of it, similar to something I've woven before.  Still, I can't help but wonder if the-"  Jaydena was about to respond and explain a few more uses for each of the weaves, especially the combust on the head of a target but before she could speak Lillian frowned and then looked at her very strangly. "Did you just hear something?" Jaydena glanced around where they were and spoke, “Yes I did but I am not sure what it was, are your wards still in place and working correctly.” She kept looking around for the source of the sound and began to pull power through the Angreal just in case something was headed their way. This was the Borderlands after all and you could never predict what could happen here or what lay hiding in the woods.”

 

Jaydena Mckanthur

 

Ooc-Off to Cali  for my trip, be back 9/11

 

[Wayfarer]

Lillian's basic ward was in place and she began tying a few more defensive weaves about her person out of caution when the cry split the air.  One would never have guessed trollocs to be particularly stealthy, but these had managed to get close without detection and even now they appeared from behind trees and beyond as they charged into the glade to try and get close to the pair of Aes Sedai.  Wicked yet crude weapons in hand and pieces of armour hanging from them, their visage was as bestial as their being and manner, if there ever was any humanity to the creatures, it wasn't to be found in them in this particular moment.

 

And they wouldn't have a moment longer.

 

Attacked in a pincer movement, Lillian turned to the pincer that Jaydena directed her to while the older Aes Sedai turned to the other attackers.  They were fast, crossing the remaining distance as quickly as any horse could have, but Lillian was prepared for them.  While Jaydena was unleashing explosions, grenades and other highly destructive weaves, Lillian was completely different.  She didn't feel confident enough in the weaves she had just practiced to use them just now, so instead she used what she had practiced and learned.

 

Trollocs began to fall noiselessly as they charged towards Lillian, throats slit and hearts pierced by blades and spears of air.  The snow turning crimson as the charge continued, Lillian whittled their numbers away even as they approached, using those she slew to slow down and trip up those behind them.  It required a minimal expenditure of energy and was efficient, even if she could only perform several weaves at once.  With each new thread came another kill, another death, another enemy removed from her concern.

 

Yet it was strange, the Trollocs were entirely too focused.  She hadn't come across Trollocs before, but she'd heard they were more disorganised than this.  And with the explosions and pyrotechnics that were occuring behind her as Jaydena was smiting her targets, it occured to Lillian that there very might well be a Fade directing them.  It was the only way to explain how they doggedly continued moving forward without any fear or hesitation, with no concern for their own lives and the almost ordered way in which they moved.  While keeping her attention focused on the trollocs, she tried to see if she could loca-

 

And that was it.

 

The remaining trollocs collapsing as if their threads had all been cut simultaneously, a quiet descended upon the glade that was only interrupted by the hiss of steam from the field of destruction that Jaydena had left in the wake of her weaves and the thrashing of a Myrddraal that Jaydena had torn apart that refused to die.  Straining her power enhanced senses, there was nothing else that Lillian could find in the area, not even the cry of a wounded trolloc.  All she knew was the cold and the stench of the trollocs mixed with burnt flesh and blood that seemed to fill her nostrils.

 

Dismissing her wards and the wall of air she'd erected, Lillian managed to make it three steps before she fell to her knees and began to hurl the contents of her stomach in an impressive arc through the air.  She'd never killed anyone or anything with the one power before, to use it as a weapon was forbidden except against Shadowspawn.  To have actually killed with the power, an extension of herself that was a part of her soul.  That was enough to make her stomach turn in itself but to be amongst these dead, some of which were in pieces and others decapitated were just some of the gruesome sights and smells that left her only able to hold herself up with her hands as bile escaped her throat to the snow beneath her.

 

She had a whole season of this ahead of her.

 

It would be a long season...

 

 

Lillian Tremina

Sister of the White Ajah

 

OOC:  Just wrapped it up, we need to decide where to go next when you're up and about and not feeling sick :)

[Jaydena]

Jaydena spun around as Trollocs loomed from out of the trees, her green eyes flashed rapidly from tree to tree, counting their numbers. They didn't have much of a chance with this many Trollocs and Lillian had to be tired already from the power she had used doing weave. Light hope she had learned them as well as it appeared she had. She offered up a quick prayer to the Creator and embraced the source through the angreal she had in her pocket. The Trollocs were all armed with sinister looking weapons and armored as well. They ran at them and she began to weave as fast she she could, she motioned for Lillian to take one side of the pincer attack and she began to send ripples of earth attacks at them. Tying off the earthquake she began to weave grenades and fireballs as fast as she could.  Several that came at her she used the freeze weave, she froze their heart and they dropped to the ground. It was a hard weave and one that didn't always work, as it took a few minutes to work and Trollocs moved as fast as a horse. They were upon them now and she wished at this moment that she was bonded. Muttering she wove Blood Boil and every weave she had in her aresenal.

 

She took her eyes off the Trollocs for one moment to check on Lillian, the woman was holding her own. Using weaves that she hadn't taught her but still she wasn't down yet. Turning back she dodged the blade that was aimed at her head and took of the Trollocs head with a Air Razor. Using her talent she delved into the ground and found a source of water, she used it to create a frozen lake under several of the Trollocs. A second weave froze them in place where she used another weave to explode them into as many pieces as possible. A grin lit her face up through the blood and she backed out of the blood warmed snow and tried to figure out where the Fade was. Trollocs didn't act this focused and determined without a Fade driving them. More Air Razors split through the air as she glanced around and saw the Fade making it's way out of the woods from behind her. She put a solid wall of ice between herself and the Trollocs she was fighting, and send several vicious weaves to the Fade. Time seemed to move in slow motion but finally one of the Air Razors sliced it's head from it's shoulders.

 

The Fade continued to flop around and she sent another weave into it, it wouldn't keep moving much longer now. She turned around as the rest of the Trollocs flopped to the ground and died. Not wanting to leave them lying here, she used a quick weave on each of them and burned them to ashes. The stench was overpowering but no one needed to come across this carnage, especially a small child. It was the Borderlands but still, no one should see this. Turning around she looked over to Lillian, the woman had fallen to her knees and Jaydena gazed on as she began to puke. She remembered well the first time she had used the weaves she had learned so carefully on the battle field. The bile has risen in her throat as well and she had wanted to curse everyone around her. Being sick wasn't an option, she didn't want to be seen as weak in front of these women. Walking up to Lillian she handed her cloth out of the beltpouch at her side and spoke. "It gets better over time, I know right now you feel dirty and unclean, but you will soon be able to do it without feeling sick. Just remember what they are Lillian, yes you used the One Power to take anothers life, but you defended yourself and keep in mind the women and children they have cooked up in those cookpots or worse. A Fade will often take a human female to bed, think of the women you saved by using the One Power today."

 

Jaydena Sedai