Starting anew ATTN MoT and Lyv

[Leona]

Seeing Alex again after such a long time, and the feeling that she had finally forgiven him, no finally realising that there was nothing to forgive, made Leona remember the days when he was her trainer in the Yards. And that she never had resumed her training after returning from the Farm. At first because she hadn't been allowed any priviledges, and later on her studies had been too demanding. After her Raising and Alex's return she just avoided the Yards, it felt strange how she had always been afraid to see him again. In hindsight it had been something very un-Aes Sedai-like.

 

The sun was standing high up in the sky when Leona walked towards the Yards. She had made up her mind halfway through the night, it was time. Time to get herself back in to shape once more.

 

The Tower Guard she asked for directions to the Mistress of Trainee's office eyed her warily. Leo wondered why most men seemed so afraid of her and her Ajah Sisters. They were no man haters, on the contrary. She and other Red Aes Sedai had a great love for men, especially male channelers. A love so great that they couldn't bear watching them rot away, withering in to an unreversible madness. But today Leona wasn't in a mood to try to talk to the man, instead she just smiled her warmest smile and thanked the man.

 

As the only Ajah who didn't Bond, the Reds had even less to do with the woman who kept the young men and women, who wanted to protect and serve, in check. So before Leo knocked she hesitated for a brief second.

 

Leona

[silhouette]

As usual Ginae Auvriani, better known around the yards as the Mistress of Trainees, spent most of her time outside of her office. As much as the amount of paperwork she had to deal with allowed her, anyway. Just to be sure she always stayed in sight of her office, so that she would know when someone required her assistance. This was one of the things she envied in Aes Sedai they could weave and ward, and be off somewhere and still know when someone knocked on their door. Ginae always had to stay in sight.

 

Just as she finished yet another lap around the worn track, she saw that one of the Aes Sedai she had just been thinking about had appeared in front of the door to her office. Wiping her face with her shirt she trotted towards her office, just in time to see the Aes Sedai knock. “She won’t open, she’s not there.†Ginae said with a grin on her face. She reached past the Aes Sedai to unlock the door, she had taken to locking it when it turned out her office had been the victim of some serious pranking. Some of the things in her office were a little too valuable for pranksters to mess with them for her to take a chance with it.

 

“Come in, have a seat.†She told the Aes Sedai. After spending a while as Mistress of Trainees she had learnt to treat the Aes Sedai with the same kind of respect she would a fellow Grand Master. Casual, but ready to bow when they asked it. This particular Aes Sedai didn’t look like the kind to demand it from her. “How may I help you, Aes Sedai?†she asked. If she was not mistaken this particular woman was of the Red Ajah, so it was not likely that she would ask about the progress of one of the trainees. Then why was she here? It intrigued Ginae.

[Leona]

No one answered to her knock, at least no one from inside the room. A young woman spoke, if you'd call someone somewhere in her mid thirties young, but then again to an Aes Sedai young had a different meaning then to most. Most ordinary people wouldn't call a young woman in her twenties, child...

“She won’t open, she’s not there.†Leona couldn't help but smile at the joyful face she looked at. Entering the room after the Mistress of Trainees, she took a seat when the woman asked her too.

 

“How may I help you, Aes Sedai?â€

 

"Please call me Leona, Mistress ..." Leo fell silent, there hadn't been a sign on the door with a name, and she had failed to hear the name of the MoT from the Tower Guard she had asked directions from. The woman behind the desk quickly introduced herself as Ginae Auvriani.

 

"Mistress Auvriani, I would like to request your permission, and help to train in the Yards. When I was still an Accepted I have already spent a while training here, but certain circumstances forced me to quit back then. Now I've decided that it is time to try to resume where I left off back then." Leona said. She waited for a second for Ginae to nod before she continued. "I have just one request in regards to who you might choose as my trainer/mentor. I would rather have a female Tower Guard or Warder then a male. As I am of the Red Ajah, and most men seem to be rather weary of us."

 

Leona

[silhouette]

Ginae sat calmly on her side of the desk, listening to Leona Sedai or was it just Leona… hard to tell, with Aes Sedai talk about the time she had trained in the yards. Quite a few years ago, by the sound of it. Wordlessly Gin picked one of the many leather bound books from the cabinet behind her, and opened it. Many Aes Sedai had trained at the yards over the years. Why, even the Amyrlin Seat and the Keeper were decent wielders of weapons of steel and wood, as well as the One Power. Still, not many Accepted did, so it wasn’t hard to find the name she was looking for. “Leona… Sedai.†She said, her finger on the name of the woman who had been an Accepted back then.

 

“I see. You trained with Alexander Namere, right?†the woman sitting across from her nodded. Ginae sighed for a moment, thinking of the news that had reached her only recently. Absentmindedly she paged forward in the book, writing down the name of the Aes Sedai in the proper section, as well as where she had left off with her training. “It won’t be a problem at all.†Ginae said, “We have quite a few adequate female Tower Guards at the moment. Most of them have nothing but respect for the hard life the Red Ajah has dedicated itself to.†Ginae was one of those. She had seen the damage a channelling man could do, not just to his surroundings, but more often to those closest to him.

 

She paged through the book a bit, thinking of a suitable trainer as much as her mind wandered to the man that had trained Leona before. “Such a tragedy…†she muttered. She caught the look Leona sent her, not quite curious, as no Aes Sedai ever revealed anything in one look. “His little girl came to us not too long ago. Alex’ little girl. The poor thing was heartbroken. I still don’t understand what could have happened. Alex was always such a healthy man. So full of life… and then one disease takes everything away. The poor girl. First her mother, and now her father. Life is never easy for an orphan, not even here in Tar Valon.†She babbled on a bit until a knock on her door startled her from her thoughts. She raised her hand apologetically. “Forgive me, Aes Sedai… Enter!†she half shouted that last word.

 

~Ginae Auvriani

Mistress of Trainees

[Guest Celes]

The young man never saw it coming and Lyv never saw him coming up from behind her. She swung the quartstaff over her shoulder and grinned at the trainee in front of her, “Like this, then move backwards and as if in a dance, stab your opponent, just in mid air for now…†her breathe caught as she realized what she had done. A young man lay sprawled on his back, her quarterstaff in his chest and his eyes bulging as he stammered for breath. “Oh by the Light!†she called and threw the quarterstaff away, “Go find someone, a Yellow preferably!†she called to her trainee and crouched next to her victim.

 

“What were you doing jumping behind me like that,†she said and pulled his shirt off to see the bruise. It was turning deep red and purple and she pulled his neck up to allow him to breathe. Finally, two guards came who helped her carry the boy to the Infirmary. She apologized to Fayth Sedai and said that she’d be back in later to check on him, then asked his name as she really had no clue who this was. “Thomas, he’s relatively new, I took his name up for a test just last month,†Fayth said and showed the guards where to put the boy on a bed. “He’ll be ok,†she said and then went off to work and Lyv nodded. She would have to talk to Ginae now, something she dreaded doing as the woman was going to give her hell for not paying attention.

 

Mumbling to herself, Lyv walked up to the MoT’s door, better get this over with quickly she felt. “I don’t understand where he came from, blasted fool,†she said to herself and knocked on Ginae’s door, only to enter straight away and start her apologetic story before Ginae could ask. “I’m sorry Ginae, I did not see the boy and he ran into my quartstaff, took him to the Infirmary…†she looked up to find two women staring at her, one she knew to be the MoT and another who could only be an Aes Sedai. She stammered a quick apology and had her hand on the door knob as she curtsied lightly, “My apologies, Ginae, Aes Sedai, I had no idea you were in a meeting,†she said and felt even worse than before in only three horrific moments.

 

Lyv

[silhouette]

As Lyv Tylin, the woman who had held the position of Mistress of Trainees barged in, Ginae’s fingertips pressed together as they often did these days, when the redheaded woman came to her for a visit. For some reason it always meant trouble. At times the trouble was associated with Aran and whatever prank that miserable man was pulling, and at other times it had to do with trainees that had been roughed up. Accidentally, no doubt, but she really wished that the fiery woman would learn to be mindful of her surroundings. Some self-control never hurt anyone, after all.

 

Her fingertips had turned white by the time Lyv had half finished her tale of how it really wasn’t her fault. She loosed her fingers slightly. There really was no point in spraining her own limbs just because Lyv had acted up. Really, at times she wondered if Aran, Lyv and Rosheen were all secretly the same person, sent by the Creator to test her patience. If it wasn’t through pranks it was through clumsiness. Either way, they always found a way to bother her. She raised her hand. “Say no more… it won’t do you much good at the moment.†Her voice had gone from polite when she spoke to the Aes Sedai, to icy, the way she spoke to rude trainees.

 

She turned to Leona, smiling sweetly. “If you do not mind, Aes Sedai, I would like to assign Lyv as your trainer. She is in excellent shape, and she is a good teacher, if at times a bit rash.†She paused only long enough to glare at the green eyed Tower Guard. “I think that being in your presence will teach her something about responsibility, and perhaps some respect for those who work hard to reach their goals. I don’t see why trainer and trainee shouldn’t both get something positive out of a training arrangement.â€

[Leona]

The administration held by the Mistress of Trainees was as good as the one held by the Mistress of Novices, Leona noticed by the speed at which Ginae found her name in the rows of books standing behind her. “I see. You trained with Alexander Namere, right?â€

 

The Red noticed the sigh Ginae let when she nodded afirmative to her question. Frowning her eyebrown only slightly Leona wondered how common the knowledge of her short affair with the Tower Guard and later Warder to Melissande Sedai had been. But when the woman talked about the relative large amount of female Tower Guards the Yards harbored at the moment, she was convinced that no one outside Nynaeve Sedai, who had been the Mistress of Novices at the time, Perine and of course Alex and herself knew. Melissande had known of course, but that woman had died not too long after she had Bonded Alexander.

 

As her thoughts brought Leona back through memory-lane she nearly missed the softly muttered words by the Mistress of Trainees. Such a tragedy... Instantly she was fully awake and attentive again, what did the woman mean. Leo caught Ginae's look, years of practicing Aes Sedai calm had taught her to reveal nothing even though she was really curious to what she meant.

 

(...) Life is never easy for an orphan, not even here in Tar Valon. Leona blinked, not sure if she had heard it correct. Did the Mistress of Trainees just tell her that Alexander had died. But before she could say anything someone knocked and rushed straight in. A short red-headed woman entered with some story about a boy suddenly appearing on the wrong end of her staff. And how it was not her fault.

 

The tone of Ginae's voice resembled the one of the Mistress of Novices, when she talked to a Novice caught pranking, so perfectly that Leona couldn't help but shiver herself as well.

 

If you do not mind, Aes Sedai, I would like to assign Lyv as your trainer. She is in excellent shape, and she is a good teacher, if at times a bit rash.†“I think that being in your presence will teach her something about responsibility, and perhaps some respect for those who work hard to reach their goals. I don’t see why trainer and trainee shouldn’t both get something positive out of a training arrangement.â€

 

Leona nodded to the Ginae. "Thank you Mistress Auvriani. I'm sure Miss Lyv and I can use this experience to our mutual benefit." She smiled warmly at the MoT.

 

Turning to the red heared woman, Leo offered her hand. "Hello I am Leona Sedai, of the Red Ajah. But since I am to be your pupil, I would suggest that you call me Leona."

 

Leo

[Guest Celes]

Lyv smiled awkwardly at the Aes Sedai she had now been assigned to mentor, the Red Ajah was not something that frightened her. It was the fact that Leona had heard her spill her story about hurting Thomas and Ginae commenting that she might learn from the Sister as well as the Sister could be trained. It was that, which stung Lyv who decided it would be best to continue this conversation outside of the doors of the MoT. It was strange, how a grown woman, ten years into her training could still be frightened by the Mistress of Trainees when she did something wrong. Not even Krelsa or Captain Taj seemed to have such an effect on her. Though she usually defied their anger as being a masculine outlet, easily solved by a good stump in the face or a kiss on the nose. Ginae however, she was different, she was a woman and a warrior, two things that Lyv tried to be but somehow could not unite into one person. She nodded at Ginae and said, “I’ll do my best Ginea,†then nodded at the Aes Sedai, “If you would follow me Leona, than we can discuss what you have done so far and what I can do for you,†she did not add what Leona could do for her. The Aes Sedai would make it clear very soon what she wanted from Lyv, now that this hung over her head.

 

The drizzle of rain surprised Lyv as it had been a beautiful, yet cool day so far. She pointed at the mess hall. “We can have some tea, I remember seeing you train here before, with Alex Namere, am I correct?†she missed the look on Leona’s face as she paced over to the mess hall. Filling a small tin pot with tea and gathering two cups, she showed Leona to a smaller table and settled while poring them both a cup. The drizzle of rain did not further itself, so most of the training continued and there was only the odd guard in the mess hall for a late lunch or an early dinner. “He left around the time I was promoted to guard, I knew him only from his reputation,†here she noticed Leona look at her a bit surprised. “He could get into fits of anger and use that anger to slay through many an enemy, he bonded because of that I believe.†Leona asked what she meant and Lyv added, “No Aes Sedai would let a man who could channel his anger into his skill like that walk away, he may not always have used his anger smartly,†she grinned as she remembered Aran’s story about shaving Alex’ head after they had done a spar over his justifiable anger, “but he used it, that’s what I could admire in him.†She let the thought drift away for a few long moments then sipped her tea and started her inquiries. What had Leona done up to this point, what did she hope to learn from Lyv and, “What weapons do you use in your training?â€

 

Lyv Tylin

Mentor to Leona