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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

To Share Pain (Attn: Daemon


Shoar

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Shoar was training under his tree as usual, moving smoothly through form to form. It was a little after midday and he had just finished stamina and endurance training for the morning, the sandbags scattered around evidence of what he had been accomplishing. As he moved through his forms he began thinking on all that had occured over the past few weeks. "Light, what a month... Returned to the Tower, nearly got killed on a NUMBER of occasions, ostracised, humiliated and finally, redeemed. The true reason for my departure from the Yards is now known... Light. So much has occured..." He ran at the tree, kicking off it and aiming a vicious decapitation swipe at an imgainary foe, landing lightly and swinging his blades around to guard from another.

 

"Hmmm... Someone is approaching." he thought, sensing rather then seeing the other person moving closer. Shoar continued his training, back turned to the newcomer, until his senses screamed a warning. Spinning, he caught the others sword in his, crossed at the hilt. He slashed out, driving the sword away and forcing the newcomer to leap nimbly back. "Good to see you've lost none of your temper, old man." Shoar's eyes widened as he recognised the voice and he sheathed his blades. He looked older, he looked grizzlier and he looked... sadder? But it was still Daemon.

 

"Daemon! Lights grace! I had no idea you were still here!" Shoar cried, motioning the other man to sit down with him. "Light, it's been OVER 13 years since I last saw you! Please, sit! We have much to catch up on!" Shoar exclaimed with a wide grin as the younger man sat down next to Shoar, a tired smile on his features.

 

Shoar Gaidin

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  • 2 weeks later...

  As usual, Daemon walked alone in the Yards. By now, the monster he had become when his bond with Arie was snapped was long gone many still avoided the Ren'Shai grandmaster unless they needed him for something. The reason for that was that even Daemon was no longer the emotionless machine he once was, while in the yards his face still preserved the mask of emotionlessness, which made most people nervous.

All of that suited Daemon quite well though, he enjoyed solitude, it gave him time to gather his thoughts and perfect his technique so , in a way, it was a win-win situation. And usually his walk from the entrance to the Yards to the Groove was an uneventful one, safe from a Ren'Shai disciples asking for guidence, but this time he was in for a little surprise. Well a big one actually, as the man he saw was quite the big guy, as tall as Daemon and just like him - an old school resident of the Yards. The man was none other than Shoar Gaidin. Well that certainly deserved a welcome, and Daemon knew just the welcome.

 

He approached, initially walking but with each step increacing his speed. His hand on the hilt of the katana, the thumb on the tsuba, Daemon was like a set spring. One last step and with a leap, the katana left the saya and took flight. Steel met steel as Daemon's target turned just in time to meet his attack  and a quick counter from the man pushed Daemon back.

 

  "Good to see you've lost none of your temper, old man." - said Daemon with a smile on his face.

 

It took a moment for Shoar to recongize him

 

  "Daemon! Lights grace! I had no idea you were still here!" Shoar cried, motioning the other man to sit down with him. "Light, it's been OVER 13 years since I last saw you! Please, sit! We have much to catch up on!"

 

 

  "It has been a long time indeed, Shoar" - Daemon took the seat offered. - "And a lot of things have changed in here as you see for yourself. As far as I am concerned, the biggest change is this"

 

  Daemon raised his right hand, so Shoar can see the ring on his hand.

 

  "I am whole again"

 

 

 

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Shoar smoothly sheathed his blades and sat down, legs crossed as Daemon did the same, a tired smile on his face. Shoar's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the other man's appearence more closely. "Hmmmm... I had heard rumours of another Gaidin to suffer the Bleakness... It looks like Daemon was the source of them"

 

He listened as Daemon spoke and Shoar's face split into a grin when Daemon raised his hand, displaying his ring. "Ahhhhh, my condolences and my congratulations, old friend. A sundered Bond is not an easy thing to cope with, but finding love... That can lessen the hurt." Shoar smiled. Daemon grinned slightly and said "Well... Not just ONE Bond..."

 

Shoar's face adopted a solemn expression and he leaned across, putting his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Let noone ever doubt your strength or your resolve, then. Noone may call a Gaidin who survives the Bleakness a coward, less so one who has survived it more then once. It never lessens, we merely overcome it." Shoar said, speaking from his own experiences.

 

Shoar's face broke into a smile and he said "Well, enough on depressing matters. Who is your wife? How have things been here during my absence? Are any of the old Yards still left?" He waited on the response, relieved he had finally found someone else from those long years past who remained.

 

Shoar Gaidin

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  "My wife? Oh I do believe you know her, Shoar" - on the inside Daemon smiled at the confused expression of the man against him. - "Don't tell me that you have already forgotten Arie. You're not that old yet"

 

  The face of Shoar changed from confusion to surprise. Daemon was not having any of it.

 

  "Oh come on! As far as I know you guys were betting on who would made the first move - Arie or me"

 

  "Just out of curiousity - who did made the first move?" - asked Shoar with well pretend innocence

 

  "I did" - the smile of Daemon grew bigger as Shoar snapped his fingers a bit too theatricly.

 

  "I was betting on Arie making the first move"

 

  "I know Shoar, you and most others bet on Arie, which is part of the reason I made the first move"

 

The two man suddenly errupted into laughter and the sound of Daemon laughing almost send an innocent trainee who just happened to pass by in the state of shock. He stood like a statue for and when Daemon turned to look at him, still with a smile on his face, the trainee ran like his clothes were on fire. He was probably going to tell everyone that Daemon smiled, but no one would believe him anyways.

 

 

  "And unfortunatly, Shoar the answer to your question is a bit depressing indeed. A lot has changed since you left us. The training changed, the mood changed, and I believe three Amyrlins changed. Can you believe it that most trainees nowadays preffer to stay Tower Guards than be bonded? And they are not many of us old guard Warders left - Nikita appears every now and then, and so does Reikan. A few days ago I caught a glimpse of Coran but as a whole most people you remember either retired or disappeared, like my mentor, Akira. With most people from our generation, sort of speak, gone, I moved away from the Barracks. Now I live with Arie in the Green Advocate Inn, she's the innkeeper there and lets me stay out of the goodness of her heart. In fact, why don't you come visit us? Arie would love to see you again and we can compare scars on the way if you wish. Plus I think that you'll like some peace and quiet for a change and the Green Advocate is indeed peaceful, I make sure of that."

 

  After some thought, Daemon added

 

  "Well, it is peaceful and quiet, when the twins are not up to something again ... "

 

 

Daemon Ronshor

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Shoar roared with laughter at the thought of Daemon making the first moved. He smiled at his old friend as their laughter died down. "Arie and him were always made for each other."

 

His face took on a more serious tone "Aye, I have noticed that... Such is the way of things. Life and experience moves on, changes, evolves... We may not particularly like it though." He winked and smiled. He was genuinely surprised to hear Reikan's name "Reikan? Light, he was old when I was a Trainee! That man will never die, I swear!"

 

He listened to Daemon's offer and he nodded. "You know Daemon? I think I might just take you up on that offer. It would be good to see Arie again... And Twins! Well, someone's been busy." He grinned impishly, Daemon giving a grin back.

 

"Well, before we attract too much attention by two old crusty Bleakness Gaidin laughing and smiling and causing the Yellow's to descend on us to find out why we're happy, I suggest we retire to your Inn. I was about to break for lunch and I have gold to spend!" He got to his feet as the other man did the same. "Lead the way! We can talk more as we walk."

 

Shoar Gaidin

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  • 2 weeks later...

  "Oh yes, we better be quick on our feet" - Daemon agreed. - "The Yellows are indeed a lovely bunch but when they decide to find out something and become curious about it, they can go to extremes to learn the answer! And truth be told, I do not feel like undergoing that a second time and I suspect that your view is similar to mine. So we better make haste, the Green Advocate is a bit far away. And I have an idea"

 

  Daemon's grin was just like that of a trainee planning trouble.

 

  "I say we have a race to the gates, that is, if you still can run, old timer"

 

There was not a way to walk out of this one, Daemon knew it, and so did Shoar. So it did not take long for the inevetable reaction of the older man - Shoar took off laughing his head off. Daemon gave chase at once. Catching up to his friend he yelled.

 

  "Hey you crazy old timer, you're running the wrong way! Now follow me, oh and try not to fall too far behind"

 

  Shoar shot Daemon with an a pretend stern look, not even bothering to conceal his amusement. Daemon was not making an effort to disguise his own either. So the two old guard warders raced through the tower grounds, each trying to slow the other down through a very wide array of tricks, which included everything from throwing lathes into the other man's path and going through slippery areas to using trainees as a make-shift barrier, which came to a great surprise, and shock, to several very unlucky trainees who happened to be in the yards at this hour. The biggest shock however, was for the guards at the gates, who had the very bad not to move as the two men speeding towards them suggested. Having gathered great momentum, neither Daemon nor Shoar could stop, and neither man wanted, to be honest. So what followed was a rather audiable thud as the two of them ran into the guards at the gates, and a muffled oumph as the guards were pushed aside by the momentum of the impact. The two men ran into the streets of Tar Valon and disappeared out of sight. A few hundred metres later, they stopped.

 

  "Ah, I have not had this much fun in the Yards ever since I witnessed Akira teaching Damian a lesson in manners, nor have I ran so determinly since the battle with the False Dragon in Arad Doman, where the bond with Arie was snapped"

 

  Shoar's look this time was not one of amusement.

 

"Well, old friend, we're like veteran soldiers, who survived several masacres - sooner or later we end up comparing scars. Now, let's go - the Green Advocate is not far away now"

 

  Daemon Ronshor

 

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