The sword is not a toy...

[Liitha]

Liitha brushed down the Yaz, it was weird to know that in due time they would part ways. She fed him half an aple and stroked his mule before leting him loose into the fence. But before then there where preparations and duties. Like this morning when she where sceduled to meet a new trainee and start helping him on his road towards becoming a guard.

 

She chewed on the second half of the aple as she walked up towards her room, collecting her heron marked katanas. She still couldnt help look at the herons every time she picked up the blades, it was but a couple months back that she earned them proving herself in a spar against Lyv. Shaking her head of her own foolishness staring at the new blades like some awstruken kid she straped them on and walked down to the yard.

 

She found a tree by the armory that lended some shadow and leaned against it closing her eyes, leting her thougths drift as she awaited the new trainee.

[Liitha]

Liitha brushed down the Yaz, it was weird to know that in due time they would part ways. She fed him half an aple and stroked his mule before leting him loose into the fence. But before then there where preparations and duties. Like this morning when she where sceduled to meet a new trainee and start helping him on his road towards becoming a guard.

 

She chewed on the second half of the aple as she walked up towards her room, collecting her heron marked katanas. She still couldnt help look at the herons every time she picked up the blades, it was but a couple months back that she earned them proving herself in a spar against Lyv. Shaking her head of her own foolishness staring at the new blades like some awstruken kid she straped them on and walked down to the yard.

 

She found a tree by the armory that lended some shadow and leaned against it closing her eyes, leting her thougths drift as she awaited the new trainee.

[bcxanth]

Kopair rode slowly through the city of Tar Valon atop his trusty horse Rascal. Since the night of the attack on his family he had traveled hard. A part of him had secretly hoped that he'd run into the bandits responsible during the trip and somehow make them release his family. And release Alyssa. He could never forget her. But sadly the journey had been very uneventful. Good thing too as he'd left home with no way to defend himself.

 

So this is Tar Valon, Kopair thought to himself as he looked about him. Full of people from every land and every walk of life, and with every building looking like a palace, he couldn't help but be amazed. No wonder mother was so drawn to this city. Just being here made him feel closer to her, but he tried to push that feeling to the back of his mind. He couldn't afford to be weak anymore.

 

Finally he found himself riding up to the gates in front of the White Tower itself. Now it was time to see just how accurate his mother's stories had been. Dismounting he took Rascal's reins and walked up to the guard gate, trying his best to smile confidently at the men on duty. Peering past the Guards' shoulders he saw people walking about, many of them carrying weapons and looking like they knew how to use them. There were also those that looked like experienced fighters at various leisure activities, including one woman leaning against a tree in thought nearby. It looked like he'd found the right place for him.

 

"Excuse me sir," said Kopair, addressing himself to the Guard that seemed to be in charge of the gate. "My name is Kopair Rialyn. I sent a letter introducing myself and telling the Mistress of Trainees I was coming to join up. My mother told me that's who was in charge of that kind of thing. Can you show me where I need to go?"

[Corwin]

Corwin looked at the boy. He didn't like Guard duty, it wasn't right for someone who had been a warder. But it was his duty, so he had to do it. "You want to know where to go do you? Your mommy isn't here to tell you things now. You will forget about your family soon enough." Point to the building Corwin told the kid, "Now get lost, I don't want your mommy comming after you." Corwin knew he was going a bit harsh, but if a new kid was going to start talking about his mother right away, he needed to have a hard lesson.

[Liitha]

Liitha heard footsteps closing in and opened her eyes, she used a hand to shadow for her eyes as she looked up towards the face of a boy. He was taller than her and his brown eyes looked lost.

 

"Are you Kopair?" she rose slowly while waiting on an answer, she always found it interesting with those male trainees, some of them needed proof of ability before accepting female guidance, though luckily they where the exception rather then rule. She wondered what this case would show, as he responded that he was she nodded. "Very well todays agenda is for you to choose a weapon if you dont have one already, we will talk about your past experinces to see where to start you out and talk about your expectations to the training."

 

Liitha smiled, "we will start with the weapon and experince, the building behind me is the armory, if you dont already have a weapon we will find you one in there."

 

ooc for future reference here is the reqs

http://www.gaidin.org/trainee.php

and here is the armory

http://www.gaidin.org/armory.php

[bcxanth]

"You want to know where to go do you?" the Guard responded. "Your mommy isn't here to tell you things now. You will forget about your family soon enough." The man pointed to a building nearby and gestured for Kopair to get moving. "Now get lost, I don't want your mommy comming after you."

 

Glaring at the man Kopair said nothing, just nodded once and lead his horse into the yard. Tying rascals reins to a nearby hitching post Kopair walked slowly toward the building, looking around to take in his surroundings. He noticed that woman again, the one under the tree, holding her hand over her eyes and watching him. But he was still surprised when she spoke.

 

"Are you Kopair?" she asked, rising slowly from against the tree.

 

"I am," replied Kopair. "I've come here to train at the Tower and maybe some day become a Warder."

 

"Very well," the woman said. "Today's agenda is for you to choose a weapon if you don't have one already. We will talk about your past experinces to see where to start you out and talk about your expectations to the training." The woman smiled as she continued, "We will start with the weapon and experience. The building behind me is the armory. If you dont already have a weapon we will find you one in there."

 

Kopair nodded and walked toward the Armory. As he opened the wide double doors he suddenly realized that the woman had never even introduced herself. She looked older than him, but not too old, and cute. But he wasn't here for that, and his heart still remembered Alyssa'a touch too well. Kopair shrugged to himself and continued into the Armory. She must be someone in charge to try ordering him around like that.

 

Stepping into the room Kopair let the doors swing shut behind him and looked around in awe. He'd never seen so many weapons in one place before in his life. Kopair wandered around the large room, pausing for a moment at the small door in the rear, listening to the sounds of a blacksmith's hammer coming from the other side, before continuing his circuit. Finally he stopped at a rack holding swords of various sizes and shapes. There. That was the one. That was the sword that man who had visited his village had worn.

 

Stepping close Kopair lifted a scimitar from the rack. Holding it in both hands in front of him he gazed at the blade, studying every inch of it. From it's slightly curved and edged blade, down to the pommel shaped like a hawk's head, Kopair knew this was the sword for him. Grabbing the scabbard from next to where the sword had been on the rack, he belted it around his waist and carefully sheathed the sword. The sword felt awkward hanging from his waist. It dragged on one side, and kept banging against his legs, but from the moment he put it on he knew this was what he wanted.

 

Walking back to the doors he passed by a selection of bows and stopped. These were something he was at least moderately familiar with. He'd hunted often enough with his father, and his friends, to be a relatively good shot. Thinking that maybe the bow would keep him from making a complete fool of himself he grabbed a quiver and strapped it to his back and picked up a long bow. It was longer than the hunting bow he was used to, but still better than the smaller bows he saw. Testing the draw he felt he could do well with it.

 

Walking out the doors Kopair blinked in the light, looking for the woman. Seeing her standing nearby he walked over to her with a smile.

 

"Well, I picked out some weapons. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. You know my name, but who might you be anyway?"

[Liitha]

Liitha followed inside as the boy didnt ask any questions so she watched him silently for a while as he tested the weapons, content that he wouldnt end up hurting himself from beeing recless in handeling the weapons he looked at she went back outside again.

She observed as he came out having picked both a sword and a bow, her own whip she had left in the rooms.

"Well, I picked out some weapons. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. You know my name, but who might you be anyway?"

 

Liitha smiled, "My name is Liitha and I'll be your mentor in the coming time. I hope you will be content with your weapon choises though we will start with using lathes." She motioned for him to follow and went walking through the yard untill they found some trees containing test dumies, "Now your first task here in the yard will be to imagine these three strawdummies to be tuggs, we will say for imagination that i am an Aes Sedai and your to defend us against these tuggs, this task will show me your skills." Liitha smiled and steped back to observe. "Meanwhile you can tell me a litle about yourself"

[bcxanth]

The woman smiled before answering his question. "My name is Liitha," she said. "And I'll be your mentor in the coming time. I hope you will be content with your weapon choises, though we will start with using lathes."

 

Lathes? They must be some kind of practice weapon. Kopair couldn't believe his luck. Not even an hour into his arrival and he was already being taught to use a real weapon.

 

He followed Liitha as she motioned for him and they went walking through the yard untill they found some of what looked like dummies standing in a small copse of trees. "Now your first task here in the yard will be to imagine these three straw dummies to be tuggs. We will say for imagination that I am an Aes Sedai and you're to defend us against these tuggs. This task will show me your skills." Liitha smiled and steped back to observe. "Meanwhile you can tell me a litle about yourself"

 

"Tuggs?" Kopair asked, walking over to a rack of what looked like various weapons made of wood. Setting his real weapons upon the rack to keep them out of the way, he grabbed a wooden practice sword and walked back to the dummies. "I'm not sure what a Tugg is, Liitha Sedei," he smiled at her as he said the name. "But I'll do my best to protect you."

 

Gripping the sword in both hands he started swinging wildly at the dummies, his blows landing more ebcause of luck, and because they stood still, then for any real innate skill.

 

"My story is nothing really worth telling. My family..." his voice trailed off and he stumbled, almost pitching head first into the dummy. "My family... My family were just farmers is all. I... I came here because my mother always told me stories of her time spent here when she tried to become Aes Sedie. I decided it was my turn to try and make something of myself here."

 

Finally stopping his wild swinging, Kopair ground the practice sword next to him and leaned against it. He stared at Liitha, for the first time meeting her eyes since he'd arrived. There was a haunted look in his eyes, making it obvious he was hiding something painful. But his voice was steady as he spoke again.

 

"Liitha... This wild swinging at a dummy is pointless really, and we both know it. The most that can be said about my skill with a sword is that if I don't try to walk and hold it at the same time, I might avoid stabbing myself. What's the next step? I need... I need to learn. I need to."

[Liitha]

Liitha listened to his story, thoug as he stoped and turned it was plain in his eyes he where hiding something.

"Liitha... This wild swinging at a dummy is pointless really, and we both know it. The most that can be said about my skill with a sword is that if I don't try to walk and hold it at the same time, I might avoid stabbing myself. What's the next step? I need... I need to learn. I need to."

 

Liitha nodded and motioned to the shadow of some trees, "I share some of your reason for joining, though my mother was a TG, I never met her and she died on her return back after my birth. I came to learn about her and follow her footsteps."

 

Siting down she leaned against a tree, "And since then been here over a decade now, it takes time learning...we will start with you telling me what it is you expect to learn. What is your expectations to the training here, to me and to yourself?"

 

She smiled and waited, maybe he would open up in time if he found out he wherent the only one who had a hard time in life. Liitha unknoted the bandana on her head and whiped some of the sweat from todays sunny heat of her face.

[bcxanth]

Kopair grabbed his things, replacing the practice sword on the rack, and followed Liitha toward some enarby trees, listening to her as they walked.

 

"I share some of your reason for joining, though my mother was a Tower Guard," she explained. "I never met her and she died on her return back after my birth. I came to learn about her and follow her footsteps."

 

Siting down next to her Kopair studied this woman who was his new mentor. She seemed to have had a rough life from what she had said. A mother dead... He new about a parent dieing. At least she'd not had to hold her father in her arms as life left him. He'd never forget that.

 

"And since then been here over a decade now," she continued, and Kopair appraised her once more. She must be older than he'd thought at first glance. She hardly showed it.

 

She smiled as she waited for him to explain his expectations. How do I explain something like that? Kopair thought to himself. He could tell her the truth of course, explain what truly drove him here. But he wasn't ready for that, not yet. The hurt was still too fresh. And besides that he didn't want to see the sympathy he knew would be there. Didn't want the story to spread and become some object for pity. Better to just keep it simple.

 

"I want..." he fumbled for the right words. "I want to learn. I need to learn. I need to know hoe to fight. How to protect myself, and protect others. There are so many people out there in the world that need help, and my mother always told me that the Aes Sedei were a powerful force for the Light. How better to help protect those that can't protect themselves then to help the Aes Sedei do their job?"

 

Kopair watched as Liitha unknoted the bandana on her head and wiped some sweat from her face, becoming conscious of just how sweat soaked he'd become during his short time swinging at that dummy. He must look like some sweat-soaked farm boy right now to her. Running his hand over his shaved head he looked up through the trees at the sun.

 

"Is there anywhere I can at least freshen up and put my stuff away before we continue? Not that I object to your comapny of course," he said with a weak grin, obviously trying to change the subject from what they had been discussing. "It's just that it's getting a bit late in the afternoon, I've been on the road a long time, and I must look a mess."

[Liitha]

"I want to learn. I need to learn. I need to know hoe to fight. How to protect myself, and protect others. There are so many people out there in the world that need help, and my mother always told me that the Aes Sedei were a powerful force for the Light. How better to help protect those that can't protect themselves then to help the Aes Sedei do their job?"

 

Liitha nodded as he spoke, "Is there anywhere I can at least freshen up and put my stuff away before we continue? Not that I object to your comapny of course," she smiled. "It's just that it's getting a bit late in the afternoon, I've been on the road a long time, and I must look a mess."

 

"Yes if you follow me i goten your room number, and I'll treat you to a dinner after. I am sure you can need a healthy meal after traveling. Though just a warning you bether get used to beeing sweat, I thougth i knew what a hard days work was coming from a farm and training on my own." a grin passed her lips as she had memories flashing throug her mind, "I was proven wrong."