Bond Studies (WS 18 Training Post - Open)

[Shoar]

OOC: Greets! Well I'm on my way to WS 18 and this will be my first post in an attempt for that, I reeeally hope I read the requirements correctly *laughs* It is an Open RP, all Trainees/TG are welcome. I will be making a post every 2 days whether people respond or not. :) Enjoy!

 

Shoar's eyes snapped open as he awoke from his slumber, his senses alert for any sense of wrongness. Years of living in the Blight had taught him to sleep lightly and his time back in Tar Valon had not changed that. He lay still, scanning for what had woken him, then relaxed as he heard a noise coming from downstairs. Roshgar must have awoke and was preparing the inn for the day to come.

 

Getting up, he scratched his head and stared out the window. "Nearly dawn... he thought to himself, suppressing a yawn and getting up. Washing his face, he reached for his clothes and began to dress, wearing his usual clothes of black slacks and a white, sleeveless shirt. His picked up his twin blades and buckled them to his belt then attached his fancloak to his back and adjusted his eyepatch until it was comfortable. Donning his leather gloves last, he tied his shoulder-length greying hair back and walked out of his room, locking the door behind him.

 

Downstairs Roshgar had already prepared a meal for him. Shoar nodded and sat down, beginning to eat. He chatted with Roshgar about events that were happening around Tar Valon, finishing his meal off quickly. He had a class to teach this morning and he wanted to get a small amount of training in. Bidding farewell to Roshgar, Shoar exited the inn and into the pre-dawn.

 

He wandered up to the Tower, passing through the gates. The two guards on duty nodded stiffly at him, eyeing the fancloak. Shoar smiled wryly and shook his head. He continued up until he had made it to his tree.

 

Unsheathing his swords, he slipped into the Spring, the well of emotion rising up to engulf everything. Forms appeared out of the Spring and were consumed by his swords. Cutting The Cross to unsheathe became Aielman Takes A Stance became Night Of Shooting Stars became... Form after form, he moved fluidly from one to the next. "Still not good enough..." he frowned, beginning to speed up a little.

 

He had been training for a good hour when the first of the class he was to teach began to show up, assembling under the tree. There they stood, Guards and Trainees alike, watching Shoar move from form to form, the fancloak swirling around to confuse the eyes.

 

He finally spun to face the class mid-form and said "The Bond." Sheathing his swords and sitting down in one flourish, he motioned for his class to sit down as well. "You are here to learn about the Bond. I am here to teach you about it. Please have a seat, we have a lot to get through."

 

OOC: OK, two days from now next post goes up. :) I will be basing my posts off what others post in here, so please have some fun here guys. :D

 

Shoar Gaidin

[Arette]

This morning would start a bit differently for Sahra, something that she half looked forward and half dreaded. There would be none of the usual warming up and doing forms and sparring but she would be having someone else than Sana teach her this time. And lecturing of all things instead of more hands on practicing. But when the subject was the Bonding, it was kind of difficult to do practical training about it. She wasn't even that interested on the topic because she never intended to get herself chained into one Aes Sedai in whose shadow she would then live. She of course respected the Sisters and the White Tower, anything else would be strange from a native Tar Valoner, and she wanted to serve them but collectively and in a way that would leave some freedom to her too.

 

No, mainly she was curious about their teacher. She had been asking around a bit on this Shoar Gaidin and heard that he had been Bonded three times and had once been the Chief of Security. That was an impressive history and not many men would be alive anymore after going through the pain of dead Bondholders thrice. He also was quite arrogant from what she had heard, lecturing to Commander Ryota himself about how Warders were not respected anymore. Yup, definately someone she wanted to meet in person. If he would turn out to be obnoxious, Sahra had alot of friends who would help her planning the prank of the year on him. It likely wouldn't improve his opinion of the youngsters these days or remove the pole from his arse but at least they would be having fun.

 

She had to say that he looked pretty impressive going through his forms; she wanted to be just as good one day, no even better. And fancloak was definately a nice perk that the Warders received beside all that extra endurance. But still in her opinion the demands outdid the benefits. Shoar stopped in middle of motion and turned to them announcing the lesson started. Sahra took a seat and tried to make herself comfortable. It could be a long lecture.

[Guest Celes]

Whenever Alwyn had a chance to study a BladeMaster he tried to do so and his teachers did not always find it such good practice when Alwyn missed the first half of his training as he had been watching two trained men in a spar. This morning, he was walking towards a lesson that he Mistress of Trainees had recommended to him.

 

Now that he was near his promotion to Tower Guard, she had talked to him about what he expected from his further training and what way he would like to see himself go. They had spoken about his training to take him traveling and Alwyn had spoken of hoping to train in the Borderlands. Having been born south, he had never traveled past Tar Valon and he had also heard the stories of the great fighters he could be training alongside with.

 

However, he was not quite there yet and he did have to take some classes before he had enough knowledge and training to begin his next step of the journey. The journey that might also lead to serving one Aes Sedai, although the thought did scare him a bit as he knew nothing of this Gaidin bond. The men and women who were bonded did not often fraternize with trainees to talk about what it was like or what they had to do, so taking a class like this was an excellent opportunity for the trainee to find out more about this mysterious connection between Aes Sedai and Gaidin.

 

Shoar was almost done with his forms now and seemed to notice the audience of his class, watching him when he rounded up and found the class. They were outside under the trees which was so much better than the class rooms he sometimes had these theoretical lessons at. Settling on the grass next to Sahra, Alwyn waited for the lesson to begin.  The two of them had not really met before, but like most trainees Alwyn had spoken with Sahra once or twice, he wondered though if she was here for the same reasons as he was. Would all trainees be so oblivious of what a Warder did and what it meant for you or was it just him?

 

Alwyn Fenrir

Trainee

[xilanin]

Xil ran around the yards, his mentor at his heels. She was hard…harder than anything he had done in his life, save bury his mother. He stumbled but felt her hands quickly under his arm and lifting his small frame up.

 

“Focus and stay on your feet! Move faster!” and she started prodding him from behind. He rounded the bend of the yards and entered the main green back to their starting point for the sixth time. He had finished…for the first time since he started training a little over a week ago, He had finished all his laps with no stopping (though he had fallen three full times and was saved by Cairma at least four). He smiled.

 

“I don’t know what you are smiling for. A babe still attached to his mother could have done better.” His smile faded quickly. “ We will begin again later, for now I have other things to deal with.” She looked around and was watching a small gathering of trainees. She pointed to a man who had started talking to the group. “Go listen  to Shoar and write me a paper on what he has to say. Then meet me here after the noontime bell.” Then she was gone.

 

Xilanin watched her walk off. He felt the urge to yell in his frustration. Nothing he did was enough and that usual feeling of not measuring up filled him again. Pulling a handful of grass and throwing it through the air, he stomped over to where the man was talking…then he noticed it was the man from the bar.

 

His memories of that day were vague, but he still carried welts and bruises from it (both from the incident and from his mentor after). But he knew that this man had been there…he had delivered a letter to him, but he didn’t connect the name of Shoar…wasn’t it Fein…or Frein. Either way, Xilanin sat down as quietly as possible, though Shoar  had followed his entrance into the group without stopping his speech.

 

Xil looked around and saw that Sahra was here as well, which made him feel even worse, he was afraid he had made a complete fool of himself in front of her at that same bar. She gave a small wave and Xil gave her a weak smile, which he promptly dropped under Shoar’s one-eyed gaze.

 

Then he started to listen…The man was talking about the bond between a warder and his Aes Sedai. Xil found that he was actually interested in what Shoar was saying…He sat there, listening his attention fully focused.

 

Xil Corender

See, I can focus! :)

Trainee

 

[ashara]

Nerome felt a little intimidated.

 

Rather than greeting the unexpected pleasure of being the one of the few Guards around, excluding of course the dominating presence of Shoar himself, he felt himself dangling in a crowd somewhere not-so-comfortable, and wished with sudden need for a Dorian or Saline to come save him. Laugh by him as they gurgled down wine, bought from the good ale house. Or take midnight strolls down garden paths, as Saline and her friends taught him about the One Power. He wished, scattering his hope onto all past memories. And then felt like a fool; Tower Guards did not pine for the steady support of their friends. That was for Trainees, a life he had left behind three months ago. Trainees and their wide eyes spilling over their sockets, past pert noses, and onto gaping mouths. If Shoar, a man he was not acquainted with even the least had wanted to impress, he had scored well past the mark. Nerome himself was only a shadow under this man, and once the wistfulness and brooding departed together, he felt warming hope. The man would teach him today, so perhaps he would be a shadow one notch greater than before. He did after all aim, for the same fluidity some day.

 

Training reigned supreme. Training for himself, a chance to better under a Promised Aes Sedai’s gaze as she blossomed out, fashioning out a name that Nerome knew, would one day be a synonym for words of grandeur. Training for his first student, Ashley, Light hail the young man well, for Nerome had never known such need to pass on all he had learnt to him, who with his wander and marvel, was not so unlike Nerome the Trainee himself. The world had shaped into a place of giving and taking for Nerome. Giving for students who wandered over tricky paths and then meandered back just right. And taking, so much taking. Taking from his friends, his Mentors, from Shoar who would teach him today. When he had heard about the class, he had known he would have to go. Learning to hold a weapon was all well and good, it was his life and he had accepted that the day his Ceremony had marked him worthy of such a life. Finding a chance to learn about the Bond however, the future that he had unknowingly but determinedly waltzed straight into, was a gift taken-snatched-gladly. When Shoar spoke, he noticed how the hum had flown into solid silence. It was packed, waiting.

 

When the simple words came, he smiled and made his way forward. He sat down, glad thrice now against the initial discomfort. No familiar faces even now, but they all shared a common interest. And that was more than enough for him.

 

[Shoar]

OOC: OK, second post, another 2 days and the third will go up. :)

 

Shoar trained his eye onto the people sitting before him, mentally taking stock of who had come. "Not a bad turnout actually... More then I expected." He allowed himself a smile, leaning back against his tree. "Good."

 

"I will first start by introdudcing myself. I am Shoar Daemor, Warder of the White Tower. Former Chief Of Security of Tar Valon and resident old codger." he smiled warmly, hearing a few nervous chuckles from the class. All had heard of his temper and his opinions, even though he felt they were unfairly handed down. "My experience with the bond has crossed nearly all it's facets. Yes, I have been bonded three times in my life. Each to a different person, each for different reasons. I will go into more details on those later in the lesson."

 

He smiled and continued "The bond is, essentially, a connection between yourself and your Aes Sedai. It connects your mind, your emotions, your very souls together in an equal partnership, entwined together until the bond breaks. The bond provides many attributes and benefits. You have greatly induced stamina, you can go for longer with less food, water and sleep. Your wounds will heal faster, your senses are sharpened. You will have the ability to detect Shadowspawn when they are nearby, but most of all you will be connected to your Aes Sedai's mind. Her emotions become your emotions. You will feel everything that happens to her, be it pain, joy or indifference and she will feel the same of you."

 

Shoar got to his feet and began pacing in front of the class. "The bond is what allows a Warder to truly serve and help their Aes Sedai to the fullest. You can sense what your Aes Sedai is truly feeling, whatever the mask may indicate. With time, you will even learn to use the bond to call on each other when you desire aid." He paused, watching the class. "Hmmm... Drooping eyes. Methinks some of these younglings were forced to come here." He got to one knee, picking up some pebbles while continuing his speech.

 

"The Aes Sedai do get certain benefits over the Bond then Gaidin do. They have the ability, after a while, to fuzz the bond so we cannot truly feel what they are. This is rare in practise, however, but should be noted." He eyed the crowd, searching for sleeping younglings. "The bond is rarely given lightly and once applied, can almost never be reversed. There are only three known ways to end the bond: By the Aes Sedai being Stilled or Burned Out, by the Aes Sedai forcibly snapping the bond or by the death of either the Gaidin or the Aes Sedai." He flicked a pebble into the crowd, beaning a sleeping Trainee between the eyes. "An Aes Sedai forcibly snapping the bond is very rare, but it can happen. The Aes Sedai and Warder suffer no ill effects, it just melts away as if it never was. This does not cause the Bleakness to occur as it has not been broken.

 

"Those are the technical aspects, of what the Bond IS and of what it can offer you. My talks here will also carry on into the role of Gaidin to their Aes Sedai. And no, this will not turn into a lecture on that." he smiled, tossing the last pebble up and down in his hand. "You cannot understand the bond without understanding the role of Gaidin, it is that simple." He pelted the last pebble, striking a dozing trainee squarely on the nose. "Well, that covers the technicals aspects of what the bond is. Next I will go into the role of Gaidin then I will outline the effects of the bond in more detail, then finally I will talk about loss of the Bond and the Bleakness."

 

He turned and picked up a package at the base of his tree, turned around and began pointing at the class. "You two, come here. You two, go there. You two, over here." He went on through the whole class, dividng them into pairs. Out of the package he pulled many loops of rope of varying sizes with an adjustable knot. He began handing them out "One around the arms, one around the legs, one around the waist. Loop yourselves together then draw the knot tight until you are bound together." He watched them all complete his task then nodded. "Congratulations! You now know what it feels like to be totally reliant on someone else. In order to walk, you will need to walk together." He motioned for the class to follow. "Come, we will continue this discussion down by the river.

 

Turning, he strode away to the river, his face breaking out into a mischievous grin at the sounds of struggling behind him.

 

Shoar Gaidin

 

[Guest Celes]

The lesson drew a few more trainees, one of them settled right before Alwyn who thought he might not see much of the teacher with this tall young man sitting before him. But the man’s head soon lolled down his neck and Alwyn grinned as his sight improved, but the man was surprised with a pebble against the forehead. He scrambled on his feet and landed a few steps away from the group, where he eyed Shoar a bit frustrated from a distance. Alwyn shrugged and gave Sahra a wink, then listened, finding it a good exercise of what Thera had asked him countless times to practice: calm listening.

 

It was not that Alwyn did not shown an interest, it was that he showed too much of an interest and his eyes could never stay on one object for long. Always finding more things to see, more things to learn about and thus, as Thera believed it, he would never accomplish one thing in full. So, he had to try and focus better, not divide his attention but take a class and listen. Not to take notes, as that would distract again from what was said, but simply listen and then take his notes after the class ended. Which was why Alwyn had placed a piece of parchment and ink bottle and pencil on his desk back in his room. He was not afraid to try a new approach after all. The lesson was definitely worth staying awake for and Alwyn listened as Shoar announced what other topics would be described.

 

Sahra and Alwyn turned heads at the exact time that Shoar passed to make the groups and they found themselves in the exercise together. Alwyn rose and waited for Sahra to agree to them being tied up. He did not know her too well and had enough experience with women to know that they did not take well to a strange man tying them up, even if it was part of the lesson. “You want to give this a try?” he asked the woman who was a good head smaller than Alwyn was. Height might become a problem, but problems were just tasks to overcome with some creative thinking and Alwyn had enough creativity to solve this problem. “My legs might be longer, but we can tie the rope a second time around so we have some room in the height difference,” he showed Sahra. “Come on, we can do this,” he smiled at her and started to take a step, careful to not let her drop. “Maybe you should lead the next step,” he nudged her and waited for Sahra to try and step forward behind their teacher.

 

Alwyn Fenrir

 

[Arette]

Shoar started his class by covering the basics. Sahra already knew most of it as she had been pestering Sana with questions about the Bond. She hadn't known the term Bleakness and that the Bond could be released but it made sense. The old man didn't speak for a very long time but still some dolt managed to doze off, he was either very new to the rigours of the Yard or then he had had a long night. Sahra felt no sympathy, though and she was about to kick him solidly when Shoar aimed sharply a small stone on his forehead and woke him up. She grinned at Alwyn who sat next to her and returned the wink he gave her. She was definately looking forward to the more indepht talk about the elements of Bond.

 

Only then Shoar begun dividing them into pairs and she was glad to be coupled with Alwyn. She caught the rope Shoar tossed at them with ease and grinned at the uncertain look on the taller boy's face. Obviously he thought that she would be shy about this or then he was reluctant himself. Nodding with determination, she helped Alwyn to try them together. "I have done this before by the way. On my first week in the Yards I got tied together with Aran for a whole day and night and we had to do everything together", she confessed with a grimace of displeasure at the memory. Her period had started on the same day so it had been truly awkward even if she and her grandmentor had become friends afterwards.

 

They took a few tentative steps to see how the height difference worked. She wound her arm around his waist and guided him to do the same for her. "Alright, we need to set a pace and call the steps at first. It feels a bit silly and Shoar might be looking for us to be able to do this more by reading each others instead of telling the other but I am of a mind to race and see which pair can be the quickest by the river. How about you? We can go slowly too if you want to."

 

Sahra Covenry

Competitive Trainee

[Shoar]

Shoar strode quickly down to Radzynne's Patch, Tower Guard and Trainee alike struggling behind him as they figured out how to move while bound together. Shoar permitted himself a grin as the sounds of struggle reached him. "Ahhhh... Just as I remember this lesson." He turned and noted that two had already nearly reached him. Most had fallen flat or were slowly making their way down. One big Guard was body-dragging a Trainee, face like thunder. Shoar shook his head and chuckled.

 

When they had made their way to the river, he had them all stand up. "Now begin walking around in a circle, clockwise, around me. This will all become clear in time." He waited while they struggled up and began shuffling around him in a semblance of a walk. He began talking as they began moving more confidently, getting used to stepping in time. Some people were saying "Left! Right! Left! Right!" in unison as they moved, helping them get the method correct.

 

Shoar began speaking, turning to keep an eye on all the people surrounding him "The role of the Gaidin is that of a Protector, a Guardian, a Comrade, a Friend. You are a servant to your Bondholder but you are also her equal, assisting her in ways a single Guard cannot." He kept turning, all eyes on him as he kept a watchful eye back. "You sacrifice certain freedoms to become a Gaidin, this is true. You will always be in your Bondholders head and she will be in yours, forever bound to each other." He paused to let his words sink in.

 

"As I said before, as a Gaidin, you are your Aes Sedai's right arm, her other half. She will rely on you to care for her and look after her when you are outside the Tower, and you will be her eyes and ears into places she cannot go. That is why a Warders Training covers so many different areas, everything from Diplomacy, Battle Tactics, Fighting and Dancing. You are as much a symbol of Tar Valon's Power as your Aes Sedai is." He smiled and motioned the group to stop. "Next I want you to practise jumping, to move as one. Become a cohesive unit." He said as he watched them beginning to jump, some unsteadily, some took to it right away thanks to the walking before.

 

"At the end of it, as a Warder, you will have one person eternally reliant on you, just as you become reliant on them. Together, you become stronger then either could singly. Some Aes Sedai and Warders are able to fight together flawlessly, others are able to work together in diplomacy flawlessly. The Ajah is hugely influential on your final skills as a Warder. I first Bonded a Green, so my military skills were greatly strengthened as I studied them to become what my Aes Sedai needed. At the same time, when I bonded a Yellow I learned how to tend to injuries, to help her with smaller stuff. THAT is what it means to be Gaidin. You complement and assist your Aes Sedai to your fullest, become the other half of her coin." He smiled and motioned for them to stop.

 

"Rest a minute then continue walking again. I will be talking about the benefits of the Bond in more detail next."

 

OOC: 2 more days till next post!

 

Shoar Gaidin

[Shoar]

Shoar turned around in a circle, watching as the students all walked in a circle, joined together. They had been doing so for around 2 hours now as Shoar had been speaking, taking pauses to get them to do more tasks as one person. They were all fluent with it now, able to coordinate perfectly. He smiled and spoke "Now the big question I am sure you are all asking: What can the Bond do for me?" he grinned. "The benefits of the bond are few, but each is significant in what it allows."

 

"The first is the actual connection to your Aes Sedai. You are eternally bound, soul to soul, so you are able to sense her emotional state, her intuitions and her direction. A Bonded Gaidin can point directly at his Aes Sedai blindfolded when within range. Each Gaidin finds they have a different range, and length of use will aid in being able to pinpoint her. I, myself, am able to detect an Aes Sedai's exact whereabouts up to a couple of miles. Any further then that and you can only tell what direction she lies in, the further you get the fainter it feels. You will never lose complete connection to her, but you will only feel a general direction that they lie in until you get closer."

 

He paused and indicated they should stop walking. "Begin Jumping again, please." As they did so he continued his talk. "You will always be able to feel your Aes Sedai's emotional state, no matter what the outside may indicate. This allows you to connect with them on a new level, to fully interpret and understand what they need from you. With time, an Aes Sedai may learn to 'fuzz' their end of the bond so that you can't sense their exact state. This is generally frowned upon as the bond is there to allow us to connect to the fullest."

 

"Heightened stamina and ability to regenerate quickly from wounds. Now I know this is what most of you are interested in." he smiled. "With the bond, you are able to go for much longer without sleep. Again, it is down to the individual Gaidin, but a general rule of thumb is that you can go for twice as long as you normally could without rest. Some Gaidin can only go half again, others three or four times. In addition to this, you require less rest to become fully rested. 4 hours sleep is usually sufficient to bring you back to 100%." He motioned for them to stop jumping and to resume walking. "Any wound you take will be healed faster then normal, and even wounds that would normally kill you, you will recover from given sufficient time. Now this does NOT make you immortal, you can still die from wounds too severe such as decapitation."

 

"You will gain the ability to sense Shadowspawn when they are nearby. Each Shadowspawn has a different 'feel' to them. There are different ways to sense them, surprisingly. I myself sense them by smell." Shoar wrinkled his nose at the thought. "For me, a Trolloc smells like rotting meat. The closer they get, the more strong and potent the smell. It is never enough to distract you while you are fighting them, but enough to let you know they are about. Myrdraal smell like acrid smoke and... evil. Pure evil." He grinned and continued.

 

"Those are the benefits of the bond in slightly more detail. As you can see, each is incredibly potent in it's own way. I will field any questions people may have, as this is the spot which usually interests my students the most." He smiled and waited for any questions to be asked.

 

OOC: Apologies if I Missed, forgot or got something wrong... I know RJ has said stuff in Podcasts and interviews that may conflict with what I've written here, if anyone picks up on something please let me know. :)

 

Shoar Gaidin

[Arette]

Sahra and Alwyn had made it to the river at nice speed and without too big difficulties. When Shoar told them to start walking in a circle, they exchanged a look and started tromping around with a shrug. The old man went on to explain and Sahra wondered if there was some kind of separate training for Warders or would that come only after the Bonding. She certainly hadn't been taught in arts of Diplomacy.

 

Two hours of lecturing and jogging in a circle even if they had done some special excercises occasionally was starting to wear on Sahra. Maybe she was having difficulties with focusing but she was more a physical type and she wanted to do something bit more challenging or at least fun like sword forms. She stifled a sigh when they started jumping again but perked up when Shoar spoke of increased stamina. She could see the same reaction in few others and they exchanged lewd waggles of eyebrows.

 

She was able to get serious again when he begun to speak of Shadowspawn. They were legendary creatures that many of them both dreamed and dreaded of facing one day but not that many Tower Guards were actually ever sent to the Borderlands. When Shoar allowed them to ask questions, she decided to start with some serious ones.

 

"Have you ever encountered some other Shadowspawn and what did they smell like? And does the gaze of the Eyeless ever stop inducing fear? Oh and have you ever found perks like extra stamina and not needing sleep useful yourself?" Her face was perfectly straight and innocent but from the laughter of the other Trainees it was pretty evident what she was really asking about.

 

Sahra

[Guest Celes]

Alwyn and Sahra made a good team once they decided to trust on each other’s strength to pull them through the task of running with their legs strapped down to the river. He enjoyed it as she did not pull on him and he did not have to drag her along, their difference in height or built was not something that held them back but rather something that they could use. As they were sent to run circles while also listening to the class that Shoar taught, Alwyn was getting a bit dreary, he wondered how his teammate could stand it and tried not to drop down on his knees when they round another circle. He was feeling tired and his stomach was turning, when Sahra gave him a nudge and he had to pull himself back together. They would be fine, it was only an exercise and he had to draw on her strength, that was all he had to do. It was a fine test and Alwyn realized that he had only learns about the Gaidin bond today, but also about finding strength in a team.

 

He listened more now, tried to think less of the feelings in his stomach, fluttering and mushing up his food from that morning. He was fussing with the strap around his hip for a bit as it decided to roll down and make it almost impossible for the pair of them to run when they finally were asked to quit running. Alwyn settled down and helped his teammate to undo the ropes and sit down for a bit. Then as the lesson continued, Shoar asked the students to open fire of questions for him. Sahra asked Shoar a question and Alwyn could not help to wonder, how she had found the energy to not only pay close attention but also ask the man a question.  He listened to the question and then realized it was all enthusiasm with her. He smiled and leaned back a bit, making a nice roll of the ropes they had used as he had been taught, listening to the rest of the class.

 

[Shoar]

Shoar nodded as Sahra, spoke, raising an eyebrow at the last part and grinning. "I have smelled Draghkar, which smell like a midden heap. I also once smelt a Darkhound... they smell like foul creatures. Rats, crows, creatures of carrion and despair. Be warned, those are NOT easy to kill without your Aes Sedai nearby. You will also not be able to smell a Grey Man, as they are not true Shadowspawn. You will appreciate a heightened ability to sense their evil, however, making it easier to spot them in a crowd. Always be on your guard, however. There are also rumours of even more powerful Shadowspawn, I once remember a time a faint tinge of something at the back of my nostrils, but it was gone before I could properly discern it. It was... evil though. Pure, unsullied evil."

 

He paused then went on speaking "The gaze of the Eyeless is something you never fully get used to. The Myrdraal emit a foul power, but you are able to easily resist it. The Bond affords you additional protection against their taint. Just don't freeze up the first time." He smiled slightly, guaging their reactions. "And yes, I have personally found great benefit from the additional stamina and less sleep. Many times, in fact." He paused, grinning, then said "It's wonderful when you need to get somewhere in a hurry." He chuckled and said "One last point I forgot to mention, the Bond will shield your dreams from any intrusions. From ANYONE." He smiled and said "Any further questions?"

 

Shoar Gaidin

[Shoar]

Shoar nodded as no further questions came "Then I will proceed with the final phase of our lesson... That of the loss of the Bond." He motioned for his class to begin walking again. They were all in perfect unison, leaning on each other and were now moving as fast as if they were on their own. The sun was getting low as Shoar intentionally kept his class long for the final step to take full effect.

 

"There are two ways for the Bond to leave your soul. The first is for the Aes Sedai to release it. This suffers no ill-effects for the Gaidin or the Aes Sedai, it just... melts away, as if it was never there. You will feel disoriented for a few days, but otherwise will suffer no ill effects."

 

Shoar sighed and his face took on a slightly darker aspect. "The loss of a bond through death, Stilling or Burnout is a different story, however. My old Mentor referred to it as the Sundering, and I cannot think of a better way to describe it. The Bond is not just removed from your soul; It is ripped out, torn out, leaving a gaping hole of shadow, pain and darkness inside of you. You feel incredible depression and rage, as well as an enormous sense of loss and helplessness... And Failure. Failure above all else." He turned a hard eye on everyone, forcing the point home.

 

"The Aes Sedai do not suffer as badly as a Gaidin, but they still suffer tremendously. The loss of a Gaidin is something that many Aes Sedai have difficulty recovering from. Some choose never to Bond again. Some Bond straight away. Yet others never fully recover, lose their minds to it. It is a terrible thing, to lose a Bond. A Gaidin, on the other hand, feels the full effect of all I have described above. I refer to it as the Bleakness, as it removes all sense of joy, of passion, of life from you."

 

"Gaidin who survive the Bleakness are a rare breed. Most choose to end their life in the Blight, fighting against the Shadow they devoted their lives to defeat. Some go mad. Others remain strong enough to continue, to live. There is no shame in any of these steps. The Bleakness is the most terrible thing a Gaidin can go through, no amount of torture meted out on you can top what it feels like." He began pacing as the class watched him, walking in the circle.

 

"It is common knowledge I have survived the loss of three Bonds. If any of you are asking why, there is but one simple answer to that question: I was ordered to by Ryell Sedai, Sitter of the Green, my first Bondholder and my wife, to never die to it. To always perservere, to continue the fight. If I ever face her again after I return to the Mother, I want to be able to do it with my head held high." He spoke fiercely, ramming his point home.

 

"Lastly, some of you may be asking, what does the Bleakness feel like? Well..." With a flourish of his hand, Gaidin that had been hiding in the tall grass near the river, Fancloaks hiding them from sight, rose and walked forward. Unsheathing their blades in one smooth motion, they slashed the ropes binding Shoar's trainees together. They fell apart, most falling to the ground, unable to stand by themselves due to their reliance on the other person. Some managed to stand, but not one person didn't look uncomfortable and disoriented at the sudden loss of their support. "What you are feeling now is but a MINISCULE amount of what it feels like to lose the Bond. But it does resemble it."

 

Shoar smiled and said "That is the conclusion of my lesson. Are there any questions? If not, you are free to do as you will for the rest of the day." He smiled and sat down, waiting to see if there would be any questions.

 

Shoar Gaidin