Rawhide [attn. Braxton & Arie]

[silhouette]

Ginae hummed a tune as she drummed her fingers on her desk, setting out a nice rhythm for herself. It was a song about… horses, no doubt. She didn’t really remember how it went, just the sound of it. Not that it mattered much, for that was all she needed to hum the tune properly. As she was humming, her eyes stayed on the pages in front of her. Reports, reports and then even more reports. Even the Tower Guard had eyes and ears, after all, and at times it seemed as though it also shared the paranoia of the White Tower. Ginae told herself she wouldn’t be affected by it, and yet there was always the need to glance at her door and her windows, to see if no one was trying to peek in while she read about the affairs of the world.

 

She was just particularly engrossed in a report about the strife between Aran Doman and Tarabon, which centred around the Almoth Plain when someone knocked on her door, rather timidly at that. At first she didn’t hear it, thinking sounds from the armoury had drifted over to her office. All in all the knocking made for a nice addition to the tune she had already been humming. “Move ‘em on, head ‘em up, Head ‘em up, move ‘em out…†she half sang, thinking about the peculiar nature of the song. “Rawhide? Egh… probably has something to do with horses.†She muttered, instantly remembering that Ralleigh had been the one to sing that song whenever he could when they were patrolling the Saldean border. “Git.†She muttered some more.

 

Now that she was no longer humming the tune, the source of the knocking became clear. “Enter!†she called out, a little embarrassed by the fact that she hadn’t noticed someone was outside her door before. “Should’ve knocked harder.†She said as she put the reports away. There would be time to read about Almoth Plain later. She took a moment to run her hands through her still partially blue hair before looking at her visitor. Her smile faltered when she saw it was one of the new trainees. Not just any new trainee, of course… no, it had to be the one who got tricked into slapping her on her backside. She shifted slightly, remembering the bruise that had been there for over a week after the incident. “You again.†She stated, her voice a little cooler than usual. “What do you need?â€

[Sam]

The young trainee shivered. It was not a chill morning by any standardisation of the word. Neither breeze nor rain stirred. The eye of the storm. The thought an exequial melody. As good a day as any to die. To comprehend this rather mordant train of thought, one must examine many facets of the trainee. Why does he head thither with faltering; lurid steps?

 

The answer is simple. Braxton was on his way to the Mistress of Trainees. The same mistress he had slapped in a vain effort to earn himself the rank of Tower Guard. In the end was revealed to havebeen but an entertaining prank pulled by a notorious Tower Guard. Aran. In an act of vengeful recompense, Braxton had attacked the man and met with a conclusive beating.

 

Aran had then proceeded to refuse to return Braxton's whip, forcing him to report his actions to his own mentor in order to have it returned to him. This he had done, after finding a marginal dose of courage in the bottom of a cup. Thus leading us all to this exact juncture in the pattern. Braxton, on his way to report to the Mistress of Trainees with a note from his mentor, preparing himself for whatever punishment was to be sent his way.

 

After knocking; secretly swearing he heard snatches of a song and then gaining admittance, Braxton shifted uncomfortably. The Mistress of Trainees was not pleased to find him in her presence, not that he could blame her. This latest quarrel was sure to do little to add brevity to her assessment. Her question was the thunderclap of doo: the death knell presiding over his own funerial mass.

 

"Excuse me... err.. sir, I mean ma'a--mistress!" Oh. Real smooth. "Umm... I umm... was sent by my mentor. I have been... instructed to give you this." Offering a weak; pale smile. Braxton handed over the letter from his Mentor.

[silhouette]

Letting her eyes travel down from the sad puppy look on Braxton’s face, to his slumped shoulders, further down to the note he held, Ginae had to admit she felt a little guilty about snapping at the boy. He wasn’t the one she was angry with, after all. And being stupid enough to fall for Aran’s tricks… well… that happened to more people than she would have liked. “Ok, hand me that.†She said, trying to look a little less moody as she snatched the note from his hand, and opened it. Of course the content of it caused her mood to darken even more. First of all the note was sent by Deneira, who obviously thought she was too good for this world. If not, she would have been here in person, to tell her why Braxton deserved punishment.

 

And then there was the actual message. The irony of it almost brought a smile on her face. It was either that, or cry from pure frustration. In the end Ginae settled for a sneer. Apparently young Braxton had sought to teach Aran a lesson, only to be taught a lesson himself. Never attack someone with ten times more battle experience, that lesson was. Ginae wondered briefly if she should teach Aran that same lesson sometime soon. Apparently breaking the man’s hand wasn’t enough. He just kept messing with her trainees, and if there was one thing Ginae could not stand, it was that.

 

She folded the note and placed it in front of her on the desk with a sigh. “What am I to do with you…†she muttered, looking at the trainee standing in front of her. “You have a lot to learn young man, and I hope that today’s lesson will teach you that revenge is never a good reason to attack someone with twice your skill. In fact, there really is no good reason to do that at all.†She mused on Braxton’s punishment for a bit before deciding she would put his past to good use. He grew up on a farm, and that probably meant he knew a little about tending horses.

 

“Alright then, let’s see about getting you properly punished.†She rose from her seat and stalked past Braxton, which wasn’t all that hard with him leaping to the side as if he expected her to slap him around. Ginae rolled her eyes and muttered something about stupid farmboys to herself. “Stables. Now!†she barked. After a short walk she stopped in front of Roper’s stable. Her young horse eyed her eagerly, expecting her to take him for a ride. Then he looked at Braxton, curious about the new face. “Braxton, meet Roper. I want you to tend to his every need. Muck out his stables and give him a good brushing. If you’re done by the time I get back, I’ll let you take him for a ride. If you need anything, just ask one of the stable boys.†With that said she turned and walked back to her office, eager to get back to the report about the Almoth Plain.

[Sam]

Braxton eyed the horse. The horse eyed Braxton. Braxton moaned. The horse whickered in amusement. Wonderful things, horses. Capable of picking up the sublest forms of body language. This was unfortunate. There was a snowball's chance in the bore that the horse had yet to identify Braxton's nervousness. The added insentive of saddling the magnificent creature would have been a motivating one but for Braxton's logical fear of the damned thing.

 

He could hear her pawing at the earth: loud snorting breaths. He could almost picture the grass churning as hooves pelted the plain with a torturous rhythm. Instinctively he knew she would be waiting for him. Always waiting for him.

 

Braxton frowned at the memory. The horse had made his childhood somewhat unpleasant. That is to say that the young fillie had taken an instant shine to him, or at least her teeth had. It wasn't as though he was afraid of all horses. Only the ones that looked like that. What were the odds? Braxton fully intended to cater to the horse's every need... Providing this did not require him to part with any flesh, blood, or articles of clothing. With a torpid sigh and a jerk at each and every one of the horse's movements, Braxton began the slow and methodical mucking out process.

[Guest Arie Ronshor]

She watched over the Yard with a rather reserved fear. Despite her Red Shawl, she never go used to confronting those of the opposite sex. She spent too much time in her books to get to know them more then what they were. Guardians. Weapons.

 

Oh, she was sure they were wonderful. Why else would Telcia Sedai risk everything for one. Maegan shook her head. Not that it mattered, she had little interest in that. What she did need was one that had the muscles to deliver a few boxes to her room. She had a shipment of books sent to her for study fro the Cairhien library and they were waiting for her at the docks. It would be 'easier' to just channel lifting them, but it was draining and a waste of time. And a waste of the One Power. Amount ofther, more unfriendly reasons.

 

Besides, she would bet a whole bag of crowns that a trainee would love a day away from the gueling work, even for a trip into Tar Valon for an errand. Entering the barns, she saw a younger boy sitting for a short spell, mucking out the Stalls.

 

"Boy. I need you to do me a favour. Wash up and then head to the Dock. Look for Master Harkon at the Docks and tell him that Maegan Sedai send you." She passed him a scroll that was sealed in her own seal. "Pass him this and he will give you a rather heavy box. It will be small, do not worry. But guard it with your life and return it to my room in the Red Quarters. Do not wait, i require it in haste." She smiled nicely at the boyo. "I'd go myself, but i'm afraid that the man does not take kindly to Cairhien women. Be gone with you."

 

And with a swish of her skirt, and what smelt like a honeyed fragrance, Maegan left towards the library to pick up an Old Tongue translator. Just in case.

 

 

 

 

Maegan Sedai

Sitter of the Crimson Banner

 

ooc: Have fun! ^_^

[Sam]

Wash up and get the docks? Yes, master. Whatever you say, master. Come on! Braxton was tired. Tired, sweaty and with patience frayed enough to be a servicable whip cracker. He had long gotten over his nervousness toward the young horse, much to it's displeasure. Things were not all bad. While the scenery had changed, it was typical far work. All too familiar.

 

The one advantage turning horses out had over conventional stalls and stables was that mucking out had a certain appeal. Rather than peeling back old straw, removing any unwanted material and then laying down fresh, less soiled matting: one needed but a bucket and pail. The air was fresh, the grass was green and the overall activity had a relaxing quality. What he was doing now did not.

 

Propping his fork against the door of the stall, Braxton leaned comfortably against the flank of the young horse.

 

"You know, horse. I think you and I could become great friends if given the opportunity. No. No, don't look at me like that. I can and will find a rasp and file you lopsided for a month. Better. Now where was I? Ah. Right. You and I, champ? Friends forever. That's right. It's true.

 

"What you need is a good groom and I, if I may say so myself, am a pretty fair hand. I must leave for a time. Yess. I'll miss you too but don't worry horse, I'll be back to complete the job. It isn't that I'm afraid of Aes Sedai... strictly speaking it is just that I've heard some unpleasant tales and don't fancy life as a toad. I mean, have you ever seen one of those up close? Well. I'll be seeing you horse. Don't get up to too much bother without me. I don't need the complication."

 

On that note the young trainee left the stable with all haste to become a touch more respectable and far less aromatic for his visit to the docks. He just knew the package was to be a damn sight heavier than was explained to him. He could feel it.

[silhouette]

About an hour after she had send Braxton to work, Ginae decided it was time to check up on him. She wasn’t particularly worried about his progress. Roper was a good horse, after all, and she doubted the young man would have a whole lot of trouble with him. Then again… She found herself smiling and shaking her head in mild amusement mixed with disapproval. The boy allowed people to pull the wool over his ears far too easily. She should definitely put some effort into keeping him away from the likes of Aran. Perhaps she should have assigned him to a more… wholesome mentor as well. A crash course in maturity didn’t always have to start between the legs of a willing Tower Guard, after all. With a determined nod to herself Ginae wandered over to the stables. She’d assign the boy to Ralleigh. People really didn’t get more proper than Ralleigh.

 

But perhaps it was already too late. To her surprise and shock, the young man she had left there an hour ago was gone. Roper looked at her, seemingly wanting to convey that he surely didn’t have anything to do with the sudden disappearance. “what the…†she muttered, seeing the evidence of his presence around the stable, but not seeing Braxton himself. “Where the…†A particularly cheerful stable boy decided to skip her way then. “The Docks!†he half shouted, grinning at her like some kind of fool. “The… docks?†she said, not really understanding the answer. “Yup! The docks!†the stable boy laughed at her. “Well, I heard that, but I wonder why?†she mused. The boy grinned some more before launching into a rather loud explanation of why Braxton went to get something from the docks for some pretty woman with a smooth face.

 

“Aes Sedai?†Ginae mused, still not really connecting the dots. “Yup!†the stable boy started again. She waved her hand, trying to get him to shut up. “Oh, Sorry Mistress! I grew up next to a smithy! I don’t really hear well, so I tend to talk loud!†Roper whinnied, indicating that that was quite the understatement. “Well, thank you very much young man. I think I’ll just go and see where Braxton is.†And what the hell he was thinking, wandering off on some Aes Sedai’s order without telling her.

 

~Ginae

MoT

[Sam]

Mastor Harkon had not been the most pleasant of people. One of the most unpleasant people would have been a more apt a description. His voice could only be compared to the sound of gravel against shoes. His skin was wind-burnished a deep red hue. His hair was thin and tangled and his vocabulary sent Braxton away very embarrassed.

 

Braxton had never been to the docks before. This added a unique additive into his dilemma. He had seen it from afar, true, but had no previous inclination or imprimatur warranting such a venture. Therefore, he had stayed clear of the area. Docks were notorious in all the stories.

 

The box he collected was also not as pleasant a burden to bear as the red sister had intimated. Braxton was not pleased of this. He did not even know where he was going to take the fool thing but figured with a bit of time and some luck, he'd find his way eventually.

 

All that remained now was to find his way to the correct drop-off point and scurry back to the stables to complete his task before the Mistress of Trainees caught him from his duties. This was going to be easy. Too easy.

[silhouette]

Still humming the song that had been stuck in her head all morning, Ginae wandered to the gates, knowing that Braxton would have passed them if he had actually gone to the docks. She wondered… it wouldn’t be the first time a trainee bribed someone into telling her they were training, or doing something useful at least while they were actually making calf-eyes at some haughty novice, or getting drunk in a rapid pace. This trainee seemed to have gotten himself involved with Aran, so she guessed the latter was more likely. Then again, if the rumours she had heard about Aran and one of the bakers was true… she shuddered, pushing the thought out of her mind. That was one thing she definitely didn’t want to think about.

 

Still, she found herself muttering things like ‘man-wench’ and ‘skirtless-lightskirt’ as she arrived at the gates. Fortunately there was a sensible guard on watch-duty. He bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him. “How may I help you, Mistress?†he asked. Ginae smiled slightly. One could always count on Shienarans to know how to address a woman. “Did you see a trainee go by here? About this tall?†she held up her hand to indicate Braxton’s height. “Not too bright looking, with brown hair?†The Tower Guard nodded. “I saw him alright. Muttering about some Aes Sedai and a box that would no doubt weigh heavier than implied. In fact, I think that’s him returning right now.†Ginae grinned at the guard before walking towards Braxton, who was struggling with the weight of the box. “Well, well, well, what have we here?†she said. “I can’t seem to remember giving you permission to wander off just like that.â€

[Sam]

Braxton froze; arms outstretched and only foot touching the ground. His eyes slid left... then right. Then left. Then right. Damn. Several options occured to the young trainee. The first was to take the box and run--definitely out. The second was to drop the box and run but he knew from memory that the Mistress of Trainees was very light on her feet. The third option was to tell the truth. This is it. I'm dead. She's going to kill me.

 

The world slipped away and The Mistress of Trainees became the fulcrum around which his tunnel vision fastened. It all became very clear to him in that moment. Her body was a temple, a temple dedicated to the weave of love. Her blue eyes where the ocean of his feelings and her hair... well, that was just plain fetching. Braxton's pulse quickened, his eyes unfocused and his mouth started to accumulate drool in the corners. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind... where his waning blood flow still reached, he realised there was a need for an explanation.

 

"I-I-I-I-I-I err... I was uhh... you see I... ahhh... well... there was this Aes Sedai. I thought it breast--I mean. Umm. I mean best. I thought it best... best to uhh. She was... uhh.. I was meant to... collect something from one of the hips... I mean ships! Yeah... and take it to her quarters... ummm. I uhh... I uhh... wanted to do you--err your! Task but I uhhh, I uhh didn't want to be turned into a frog?"

 

The last words were somewhat meek... Braxton's face, now bright roseatte was hanging somewhat in shame. This had never happened at the farm.

[silhouette]

Ginae crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving Braxton one of her milder stern looks. If the look on his face was anything to go by the boy would wet himself if she gave him the look she usually reserved for Ralleigh when he acted up. Still, it appeared to intimidate Braxton a great deal, because his answer to her question was rather hard to comprehend, with all the stuttering the boy had going on. Ginae arched an eyebrow at his explanation. did he just say… what, hips? What the… Then it dawned on her. Braxton had met a girl during his trip to the docks. She smiled at the trainee. Why, that was just adorable. She resisted the urge to pat him on the head as he stared at the ground, his face bright red.

 

Her eyes fell on the chest he was carrying. Maybe he fancied the Aes Sedai? It was possible, of course. Silly, even bordering on stupid, but possible. The longer it took her to answer, the more uncomfortable Braxton looked. Ginae decided he had been punished enough for now. “Next time you decide to take a task other than the one you’ve been assigned to, at least tell the person who assigned you in the first place. Now get moving, bring the box to the Aes Sedai, and get back to the stable.†She ordered, turning her back on him and walking back to the yards, shaking her head and muttering about trainees and their hormones the entire time.

[Sam]

Her smile was sunlight splintering the clouds on a winter’s day. Braxton’s heart burst free of his chest and took to the skies with the speed of an eagle. Okay... not really but as his legs buckled beneath him and he fell flat on is back that is what he felt had just happened. Thankfully the Mistress of Trainees was nowhere within walking distance--physically--but as far as Braxton was concerned she would ever again leave his side.

 

“Ah... little box... I do believe I am in love.†This was the only intelligible part of his conversation with the box... or as is more the case... the only statement appropriate to for the hearing of general audiences and/or anyone with their ears working at full capacity. Braxton had forgotten that he was still lying in the docks. The smile had--by portage--swept him him into a realm of pure love. A realm he aptly named, “The Realm of Pure Love.†A fitting name as far as he was concerned.

 

When Braxton heard a cough, not only did he get back onto his feet but also curtailed his loving caresses of the box and his soft crooning. Feeling much better about the day, the young trainee continued in his quest to deliver the box to the Aes Sedai and to

fulfill his promise of grooming to the young horse.

[cale]

OOC: You're silly.