Givin 'em a Sword.. [Attn Xil]

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

Ooc Thread Expectations:

- will choose primary weapon if student has not already done so

- will describe past weapons experience  (Done in Previous Thread.)

- will discuss the expectations of a student in the Warders Yards

- minimum 8 posts for entire RP

 

IC:

 

“Where are we going?”

 

Her mood had already started to lighten as she walked farther away from Conor. The boy was often the bane of her training and she had yet figured out a way to break into him and inspire focus. She suspected that it would take a more drastic event to change the boy, but for now she relaxed a little as she led her newest charge forward.

 

"To put a sword into your hands, if that is what you so choose to wield." She pointed to the building just ahead of them, "This is the Armoury. Any possible weapon you could imagine you will find within it's walls, along with a Smith that keeps each weapon in perfect order. Also within you will find all your needs for caring for your weapon. I will show you how hafter you have made your choices."

 

Pushing open the door, the musty aroma of metal, leather and wood lofted to her nose in such a way that caused her to pause and breath it all in. There were very few things that she loved more than the aroma of the Armoury.

 

"Take a look around and see what you can find. If you have any questions, please dont' be afraid to ask. I can train you in most weapons to at least get you to the rank of Tower Guard. Of course my specialties are the Zwhiehander, a 6-foot sword, the quarterstaff and dual sword fighting." Cairma chuckled a little to herself. "I like being able to use both my hands instead of jsut being one-handed. But that is just a personal preference."

 

 

 

Cairma Vishnu

GrandMaster

Bonded to Jaydena Sedai

[xilanin]

Ooc Thread Expectations:

- will choose primary weapon if student has not already done so

- will describe past weapons experience  (Done in Previous Thread.)

- will discuss the expectations of a student in the Warders Yards

- minimum 8 posts for entire RP

 

Xil looked through the room at all the weapons before him. Never inhis life had he envisioned a room like this. It was larger than his whole house and contained most anything you would need for battle.

 

Something sparked in Xil’s mind about this. As would happen when he had found something new, he started asking question upon question. It was an area he had never been exposed to before and he wanted to know everything he could.

 

What was this? How was it used? How did they come up with this design? How is it held together? Why doesn’t it break? Can you use this against that? Which would be the better?

 

He could almost not contain himself. He had to have the information…and he soaked in all the details as Cairma..chuckling…and the armorer explained the weapons he had brought up.

 

He did not like the whips too much…He could see how they would be useful, but he could also see scoring himself more than once in miserable attempts to master the thing.

 

He kind of liked the though of the bows and the bow staff…He thought he would keep these in mind since he had to choose three weapons.

 

He definitely wanted to carry a knife with him, And usually did anyway. He didn’t know if that counted as a weapon or not. He fingered his knife for a moment then saw the swords lining the wall and in Bins. There were practice swords and short swords and Giant swords. He walked through this area wih wide eyes. All the stories of Warders and warriors came to life in his mind, looking around.

 

He went to pick up a HUGE Sword (Much like his Mentor’s) but could barely lift the thing up. Plus the sword was larger than he was. He would likely be laughed at for choosing such a weapon. So he picked up a smaller lighter blade. It was a normal 3-3 ½ ft sword, double edged with an image of a hawk diving. It was nothing extravagant but it just felt right. As he looked up he saw a twin to the sword. With a smile he hefted both of them, one in each hand. The sword felt strange in his right hand, but the one in his left felt…natural. He wondered if he would be able to train to use both.

 

“Could I take both of these?” He asked Cairma, uncertain if this was asking too much.

 

Xil

 

[xilanin]

Just bringing this back to the first page. :)

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

*makes mental note to keep track of these better.. :P* I'll get to posting soon! :)

Do you use any chat clients?

[xilanin]

No...no chat clients. between work and school, i'm never at my own computer.  :-\ No worries, I know life get's crazy.  ;D

 

Xil

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

 

Cairma watched her new mentee as he studied the swords, eying blades from larger to smaller. How long ago has it been since she first walked into this room and picked out the biggest sword she could find. Daggers were swift, rapiers sharp, but none of them left her with that distinctive 'dangerous' feeling that she needed. To become lethal was her safety net, what allowed her to sleep at night. Her blade, whom she named Beast for its massive size became more and more her security as mentor after mentor was sent away from the tower. 5? 6? different teachers? Too many to recall.

 

Looking up she saw the boy in front of her with the two blades in hand. Smiling, Cairma nodded her head. "You may take both. If you intend to use them at the same time, wield the Dually that is, than you may choose two other weapons. Most Tower Guards are proficient with more than one weapon style. I wield beast as my primary weapon, but I also fight with dual swords only a little smaller than yours," She touched the two blades on her waist belt, "And the quarterstaff. My mentor, Daemon Ronshor Gaidin, only uses the Katana and seems very comfortable that way. The choice is completely up to you."

 

 

 

Cairma Vishnu

[xilanin]

Xil looked at the two swords and gave them a practice swing together. He nearly knocked over a barrel of practice swords. He looked sheepishly back at his mentor but she just smiled…or rather, she looked like she was trying not to laugh.

 

“I would like to try to learn how to use both at the same time. “ He said looking at Cairma’s two swords.

 

Then choose two more weapons” She said.

 

Xil turned and searched some more He liked the idea of using a staff. He had seen others working with them out in the yard and thought this would be a good weapon. Hi picked up a quarterstaff and hefted the wood for a moment. It was well kempt and had strange carvings at the end, but it felt very thick in his hands. He looked around a bit more and found a smaller staff made out of, the weaponsmith said, bamboo. He said that it was very strong and light. This one was tipped with metal on the ends.

 

As he was walking towards the front to put the staff with his swords, Xilanin saw a set of knives. Cairma explained that these could be used for both in-fighting and throwing. Each of the five knives had a different picture emblazoned on them and they each attached to a different part of the body. One on the waist, one for each wrist, one for the lower leg and one behind the back. Xil took these as well.

 

He looked at the pile of weapons before him and wondered if he would ever be able to wield these as he had seen others do in the yard. So far they seemed so alien to him…like when his mother had taught him to write. It felt so strange.

 

He looked at his mentor. “I think these are my weapons.”

 

Xil

Cairma’s Mentee

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Easy, boy. She smiled at the boys clumsiness as a mother to a child. She had adopted such a look of late as she watched the yongest ones take on their first weapon. The apprent clumsiness will ease with time, as he will soon become more comfortable with the blades at his side and the stave.

 

"Very well. They will suit you well, I think. Given time and practice you will wear what you chose well. Finished?" The boy nodded. "Good, Come with me." Before leaving, Cairma picked out a few other tools, and a basic sword for herself, similar in style to the boys dual swords. Exiting the Armoury, Cairma led Xil to a small patch of grass beneath a large oak tree. Historically the tree meant more than it first appeared. It had been, and still was, one of Aran's favorite places to rest. For her, however, the knick in the smooth bark that was a good inch thick, 3 inches wide and nearly half a foot deep told of a story that had been told so very long ago. Sitting down, Cairma motioned for the Trainee to do the same.

 

"Nothing is more deadly than your own blade being uncared for. You and your blades will be but one entity, in time. They will last you for a very long time, but only if you care for them." She passed him the appropriate oil, whetstone, and rags she had retrieve, leaving herself with but one rag. They could share the oil. "It is very important to set aside some time during the day to care for your weapons. I find it best to do as a rutual before I sleep, others prefer to do so when they wake. It is up to you, and is your sole responsibility." She then proceeded to show him how to add the oil and use the whetstone on the blade, pointing and indicating on the blade she brought, allowing him to practice on his own. Correcting him as necessary. After showing him the basics, she showed him the differnce between caring for the Blade and caring for the Stave. Allowing him to grow familiar with the movements.

 

"Alright, I will leave you for a bit. I need to check up on anouther trainee for a bit. Try not to wander too far from this spot, but I suspect I will be back before you are done. Be sure to do your dagger blades as well." She smiled. "Do you need anything else, or will you be okay?"

 

 

 

 

Cairma Vishnu

 

Ooc: Just have cairma leave, Meditate on your general thoughts so far, and by the time you are on your last dagger, Cairma should be returning. ;) Req should be met after this, then we can just post whichever. :D

[xilanin]

Cairma walked off into the yards and Xil saw her pick up a couple students and start working with them. The boy, Connor, was one of them. Even though she had berated him earlier, he looked like he could handle himself pretty well, Xil saw as Cairma worked with them.

 

Xil brought his attention back to the swords he had been working on with the oil and the whetstone. He took the rag and wiped the excess oil and started over as Cairma had shown him. He felt…calm. He felt as if he now had a purpose and he was moving forward. He would be a Warder…someday. Though not anytime soon, he knew. He could barely swing a sword without knocking something over or likely doing himself more harm than any others. But that was ok. He trusted Cairma, He could tell that she would be tough, but that toughness was for training and for him to be able to be a warder in fact and not only in name. He knew at that moment that his life had been without direction up until his mother died. Had she lived, he would have spent his life on the farm, letting the world and its events pass him by. But now, now he had a sense of the world and what he could contribute to it.

 

He finished his first sword and took a deep breath. The fresh air filling his lungs. He set the sword aside and started on his other sword. He still had the question of his Father. He knew the man was here somewhere. After spending some time with Cairma, he thought that he could tell her about his father. He would talk to her when she came back, and then maybe he would be able to…he hoped he could… find the man who had been with his mother nearly sixteen or seventeen years ago.

 

He let his mind wander on his father…on what kind of man he would be. He could be one of the Tower Guards that guard the walls and gates here. Or, He could be a warder guarding one of the Aes Sedai. He was sure to be an amazing fighter. Images of valiant warriors went through his mind. Strong, quick and selfless. Somewhere he knew that this was a sort of innocent view of things, but he didn’t care. He would find the man who was his father.

 

At that moment he slipped with the stone and felt the blade bite into his finger. He stuck his bleeding finger in his mouth and looked at the blade. The image cut into this blade was a pair of dice…with Pips. The dark ones eyes. This was a good roll or a bad roll depending on the game you were playing. Of course that was the moment that Cairma came back.

 

“You OK?” She asked.

 

“Yeah…just a little cut. But I’m finished, and it looks like I did a good job.” He said with a smile and holding up his bleeding index finger. He wiped the blood off and picked up his weapons along with the oil and rags. He had splattered a bit on himself, but these weren’t exactly nice clothes either.

 

He looked at his mentor wanting to talk to her about his father. But he waited to see what she wanted him to do next.

 

OOC: Wasn’t sure if you wanted me to start talking about my father here or start a different thread. Maybe we could get brand involved too…since he is my father. :)

 

Xil

Weapons in hand…look out world!

 

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Accepting his answer, Cairma still bent over to look at his cut finger. "Doesn't seem too deep. But be careful." She smiled a little, catching a hint in the boys eyes. There was something about a few of the trainee's that entered the Yard that struck odd cords in her, tugging at something that was better left silent and dead. History was nothing, and was best left alone. However, there was something in Xil's eyes that spoke differently. He wanted something, hiding something. He sat well on the grass and the blades seemed fitting but the look about him..

 

"But you seem smart enough that a 'be careful' warning doesn't seem necessary. Although you seemed deep enough in thought that even a clumsy trainee could sneak up on you." She motioned for him to follow her, taking the staff from him to carry. "A word to the wise, it is always best to sleep with one eye and one ear open at all times. Closing yourself off to your thoughts will see you dead." Cairma headed to the Trainee barracks. "If I may be so bold, what had you so entranced? You looked rather serious for a moment there."

 

 

 

Cairma Vishnu

 

Ooc: Take it however you feel. General conversaion back and forth is fine, let it come naturally. ^_^

[xilanin]

"If I may be so bold, what had you so entranced? You looked rather serious for a moment there."

 

It was such a simple question. But Xil wasn’t sure he was ready to share anything about his father. And yet, he needed help or he would never find him. The white tower was a massive place with thousands of people, he could not do this on his own. So, tentatively, he started:

 

“I..I was thinking about my parents.” The words were not coming easily. He could feel himself tense up against this. What if she thought he was too weak to be a warder…too caught up with his own life? Would she kick him out? Tell him he was not fit to do this work? But he had to know. “ I never knew my father and…I was just thinking of him.”

 

He did not look at his mentor, afraid to see disappointment in her eyes. He would be a Warder, but he knew that he had to take care of this…

 

Xil

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

Cairma nodded sympathetically. "When I was young, very very young, I would think of my father too. I have never known my father, even his name is a mystery to this day. It had slipped from my... It slipped that he was an Andorian Noble. Possibly royalty. But since I did not know his name, I knew he did not know mine."

 

She looked a head with a deeper look in her eyes. "I had dreamed he would be my hero and rescue me. But in the end I saved myself." She blushed, catching herself. "I'm sorry. I probably told you more than you should hear. It never does well to think on the past." Her eyes looked to his. "But I'm sure you will do your father proud. If you do not mind me asking, do you know anything about him? From your mother, i mean.."

 

 

Cairma

[xilanin]

Xil perked up. He told Cairma about sitting with his mother at nights while she told him of his father…a Kandori warrior. He had come through the town and had caught the eye of his mother. Over a short time they had developed a relationship and the Kandori had stayed with his mother, but then he was called away. He had left a woman who would wait for him to return and never marry. He had also left a son that he did not know about. His mother did not know until he had been gone a month.

 

Xil thought he would get past her with that, but Cairma asked “What called him away?”

 

Xilanin paused and then took a deep breath. Letting it out he looked at her, “He was called back to the White Tower…He was training to be a warder.” He thought he could see a certain understanding bloom in her eyes. “I know it is a crazy wool-headed thing to think…but I—I know that he is here. I have always thought of training to be a warrior and once my mother …died, I knew what I had to do. I had to come here and find him. Once I got here…and I saw everyone training, I also saw that this is what I was meant to do as well. But I still want to seek him out.” He stopped his rush of words as he stared at the ground, almost afraid to look at his mentor, but he raised his eyes to her. “Will you help me?”

 

He had never really had to ask someone for help before…not for something this important, but there was a lot he had never done until he had left the confines of his small world. He knew that he was going to have to be something…someone that he had never been before.

 

Xil

I’m going to point Brand this way just to let him see what is happening. I don’t want this resolved right off…I want to see how this develops. :)

 

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

 

"The Tower demands many things." She said automatically, but it was not entirly what she felt. A reassurance that one day the Tower will demand of him regardless of being viewed as fair. "Some things we simply do not question. I can only imagine what may have pulled him away, but I doubt you were forgotten." She thought to her own son. "Some things you simply do not forget."

 

"Kandori, you say?" He nodded. "There are a few around here. Most come and go. Most borderlanders do. They prefer to train ouside the Tower as much as they do within. Often bonded to Greens that travel. It is far better for them to bond a borderlander that understands the meaning of a sword than, say and Altarian who duel out of spite or pleasure. This way." She turned down corridors within the barracks, bringing them to a room.

 

"This is where you will be staying. Trainees are not permitted into Tar Valon without permission of either their mentor, meaning me," She smiled, "or the Mistress of Trainees, who you know is Thera. There are times that an Aes Sedai will call on you to do a task. Regardless of reason they are to be obeyed above all else." She smiled, "Is there anything else I can do for you? Any other questions?"

 

 

Cairma

[xilanin]

"It will be as you say, Cairma. I will obey the rules." He said as he touched his fingertips to his heart. This was the gesture taught to him by his mother..a formal promise.

 

"The Only question I have is...Is there a way to look up Warders and Tower Guards who are Kandori? My Father...he doesn't even know I exist. He never knew that my mother was pregnant. I would like to check with the tower guards and warders that are here to see if they know anything."

 

He thought of the rest of what Cairma had said. "The only other question I have is: When do I start my training?" He grinned and hefted his swords. he was eager to use them and could hardly wait to be able to do some of the things he had seen in the yards.

 

Xil

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

"There have been many Kandori men that have trained here. To find one without any other knowledge will be difficult. I can ask around and find out if there is any way to learn of your father. As for your training, " She smiled. She loved a boy with enthusiasm. Better to deal with enthusiastic boys than stubborn prats. "We can start tomorrow, if you wish. Unless you wish for a day to settle in and find your way around this place. Both work for me. Your choice."

 

 

 

Cairma

 

Ooc: sorry, short post. Got a "homework" for you. ;) I do this with all my trainees/mentees. ;)

 

The next req is:

 

WS 2-3 New Roads to Travel (two months later)*

Student has begun training with mentor and has learned basic movements, has been practicing a basic fitness routine, and has begun training in a philosophy. This is the given for this part of your training. What do you have to do:

Student will encounter two other members of the Warders Division and a conflict will arise. Student must respond.

- will either fight, flee, or resolve the conflict

- minimum 10 posts for entire RP

 

Your homework is to find anouther trainee and get into a fight (and maybe have Cairma break it up?), or discover anouther pair fighting and work to resolve it. :) Posing on the Warder Yard Ooc Boards (or trainee barracks) is probably your best way to get a responce! Good Luck! :)