A Night of Remembrance (Open to all)

[Sieve]

OOC: Hmm I replied earlier but for some reason it did not go through...we can just assume I returned after posting the notice just before Melenis entered.

 

IC:

 

Perivar tipped his head back as he took another pull from his mug.  He knew it was a nice gesture to give them a day off from training yet he did not want to miss a day.  He argued the advantages and disadvantages of a day off to himself.  As he levelled the mug he noticed a woman leaning against the doorframe with a smile on her face.  Another new arrival...no wait something about her face, not a...he sprayed ale back into his mug as she spoke.  Light an Aes Sedai was here...

 

When he came to his senses he jumped to feet bowing deeply to the Aes Sedai.  He straightened though he remained standing google eyed as he listened to the conversation between the Aes Sedai and Warders.  Loraine Sedai glided into the room, she did more than glide.  Something about her carriage spoke of a lioness, she glided but she seemed able to spring in any direction at the blink of an eye.  He new he was staring but he couldn't help it.

 

His face reddened as Master Kynwric words sunk in. "Light y'all, she's a person just like anyone else, except that she can smite an army with her mind. You'd best be gettin' used to being around one for this is what lies in your future. Be respectful of Aes Sedai, but don't be cowed. You'll do your Sedai no good if you cannot say no."  

 

Master Kynwric's words were true, he would have to get used to Aes Sedai though it wasn't everyday that they saw one.  Visits to the Borderlands were few but he had at least been in their presence before, some could not say the same.  He stood rigidly almost at a position of attention.  Mistress Thera raised an eyebrow at him and he nodded relaxing his stance, well slightly relaxing it.  He would not slump or slouch or sit, it would be disrespectful to an Aes Sedai.  Well if he was ordered to sit, his honor would not....well it would be an order and he couldn't refuse, he knew that much.  

 

Best not to think on that in Mistress Thera's presence, if she caught a hint of his thoughts she would beat him senseless.  Light he could not afford to have less sense, he would certainly never pass for a scholar.

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine had been only curiously attentive when the Sedai first showed up, but when he realized who and what she was, he startled and spilled mead on his hand as he rushed to stand and bow.  Thera's movement stopped him, and he remained sitting, although tense, as she rose and bowed.  He murmured his "Well met, Loraine Sedai." quietly among the other greetings and took another drink to relax his throat and his nerves a bit.  He watched her and listened to the conversations back and forth with much interest, thinking about all that he knew about these mysterious women.

 

She didn't look like a dangerous weapon with a hair trigger, as he'd gotten the impression of from the Sedai he had met in Tar Valon.  She wasn't looking at each of them as if she knew they were doing wrong and wasn't even going to afford them the luxury of providing proof of the infraction.  She looked like... a woman.  An attractive one at that, if she was as old as she said she wore it very well.  The thought made him color slightly as his gaze flickered to Thera.  He recovered himself with another drink of the mead.  It was nicer than the ale he'd chosen earlier, but still a rougher drink than anything that could be called delicious.  He supposed he would get used to it, just as he would eventually get used to being near Sedai.

 

she's a person just like anyone else

 

He's spoken of bonding, of being a warder, and he did hope it would be the path the Wheel would weave for him, but meeting Loraine Sedai made that possibility seem so much more real, so much less theoretical and part of some far-off future where he was a fantastic warrior defending the light.  He knew his sister was to become an Aes Sedai, and he knew that she wouldn't turn into some fire-breathing monster, but meeting Loraine Sedai had already helped with that worry, and created another.  His unfocused gaze settled on Thera as his thoughts spun.  What would it be like to have the closeness of a bond with a woman, someone who relied on him for her strength and safety, and possibly wisdom based on what Loraine said.  He didn't feel wise enough to guide anyone, but I guess that's what he was training for.  He leaned back in his chair, letting the conversations flow around him as he stared into his drink and thought, unusually pensive for him.

 

Be respectful of Aes Sedai, but don't be cowed. You'll do your Sedai no good if you cannot say no.

 

That was an odd bit of contradictory advice.  Just a few moments ago the two warders had been talking about how their Sisters had the final say in things.  He wondered if the saying no was just offering a different opinion, a wise word to temper an Aes Sedai's own inclinations.  If she was a person, just like anyone else, than she could make mistakes too, make bad decisions.  One hoped that the women gained wisdom through their longer experience, but that meant that a new sister was just as flawed as anyone else, didn't it?  He wondered if he would have the strength to tell a bondmate no when he thought it was the right thing to do.  He had already stood up for what mattered most to him with the Mistress of Trainees, and he valued Thera's opinion of him very highly.  He nodded slowly to himself as he thought it over.

 

who would you protect? ... If your answer is me, then you've no need to bow or be intimidated by me.

 

He would protect them all, but certainly the Sedai first and foremost.  He looked again towards Thera, but he knew he would probably never be able to defend the woman better than she could herself.  He would do what he could for her, but he knew his first priority must be to someone who could not protect themselves.  Looking around the room, however, he realized that he was probably the least skilled warrior present. 

 

More than anything, I chose him because it felt right. He felt right.

 

He finished his mead and tried to rouse his usual good cheer, but the thoughts that kept swirling around his head didn't lend itself well to a jovial mood.  He had relaxed, though.  He was no longer anxious about being in the presence of this woman, although he would probably get all tongue-tied and worried the next time he was in a situation where he would be socializing with a Sedai.  The thought brought his gaze back to Thera again and he wondered if he would ever meet her Sister. 

 

He went to take another drink of his mead and realized it was empty.  As he frowned at the cup he spoke for the first time since he greeted Loraine. "I don't suppose we have any wine in here, do we?"

[Jehaine]

Melenis silently accepted the refill, giving a rather absent nod as she gave the impression of wanting to melt away into the shadows. Still, she knew all too well she had been listening in on the conversation from afar, just to prevent getting herself to talk. This reluctance to speak, this... fear was something she knew she needed to get over if she was ever going to become a Warder herself, but as it was now she waws too worried about the consequences it might have. On the other hand, everyone she knew in the Yards was in the room now, and she really did want to come clean about why she had joined.

 

- "Mistress Thera?"

 

Without looking up, she peered into her cup, looking at the ripples that formed in the liquid whenever she tapped her finger against the edge. Her voice sounded down, depressed almost, a strong contrast to the cool composure she generally kept herself as. Be it the drinks, be it the others preceding her in laying out their secrets, but somehow she felt that she wanted to get this out of the way.

 

- "If there's... something you want to say, but are... afraid... that others will treat you differently if they know... Would you keep from telling them? Even if it bothers you a great deal?"

 

She looked up now, and it wasn't hard to see that the brown haired girl was torn between two things. Part of her wanted to tell them what was bothering her, part of her wanted nothing more than to let go of that dark secret in a corner of her mind. But, part of her was also afraid she wouldn't fit in with the Warders anymore. That she'd be an outcast in the only place that could teach her what she wanted to, no, needed to know so badly. So badly... it hurt.

 

 

Melenis

Doesn't know what to do at the moment

[Eqwina]

No one in this room could have known what transpired between them, but still Thera’s cheeks heated when Jasine mentioned the wine. In the weeks since they’d first met every time she smelled the sharp spices of a good red wine she was whisked back to their first encounter. When Thera closed her eyes at night she still felt the muscles tense in his strong arms as they wrapped tight around her waist; linger too long on those dreams, and she began to remember the taste of his lips and the smell of clean sweat with his body pressed against her’s.

 

Shaking her curls out of her eyes Thera studied Jasine from over the rim of her mug. There was an intensity to him that had not been there a few weeks gone and something more; he smelled somehow less innocent.

 

One of the things she was coming to love best about him was that every smile and every look held an air of flirtatious mystery.  Sometimes she wondered at how he had come to be so taken with her. Certainly there were younger and more attractive women in the Tower that deserved his attention far more than she.

 

Behind the old bar in the corner were a few dusty jars that contained various vintages of wine. Blowing the dust of the label Thera chose the one made from blueberries. Using her knife to crack the wax seal she poured first for herself then for Jasine. It wasn’t until she sat back down that she realized she should have offered to everyone else. Looking up with a wry grin she said. “Oh I am sorry? Did anybody else want some? One thing I was never taught as a trainee was how to share.”

 

Thera slipped her knife back in her sheath with a flourish. “No takers? That means more for us I suppose.”

 

Slowly the dynamic of the room was beginning to get back to normal. The trainee’s were smiling again and even Loraine seemed to be enjoying drinking and story telling.

Through the jovial laughter Thera head her name. Turning her attentions from Jasine she looked around for who had called, but this time she left her hand resting interlocked with his.

 

“Melenis, simply Thera will do for tonight.” She offered the young woman a warm smile.

 

"If there's... something you want to say, but are... afraid... that others will treat you differently if they know... Would you keep from telling them? Even if it bothers you a great deal?"

 

“There is no shame in being afraid, I was afraid tonight when I told about Serena Sedai and myself. I did not know what would come of it or what people would say, but I took the chance and that is what counts. It is okay to have fears, we all do, just do not let them rule your life.” Taking another sip of her wine she pulled Jasine’s hand even closer. “ No matter what you have to say I can assure you that everyone in this room will understand.And even if they do not, no one with judge you. They wouldn't day” She tried to make her voice light, "Because they all know that no one causes my trainee's any pain, but me."

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine brightened with a smile as Thera handed him the glass of wine.  He switched it to his off hand and breathed deeply of it before taking a sip.  His hand flexed, squeezing hers again as she sat down and he found himself surprised at her open affection.  It made his heart soar and he was probably a bit too tipsy to think about the fact that he ought to hide their relationship even when she was not inclined to.  Instead, he stroked her hand with his thumb and sipped at his wine, the drink and the memories he had tied to it going a long way towards restoring his good cheer. 

 

He was amused at her chagrin at forgetting to offer the wine to anyone else and warm affection showed clearly as he smiled at her.  "Thank you for the wine, Mistress Thera."  He raised his glass to her and then took another drink, savoring it.

 

As Melenis asked her question, his heart went out towards her.  He could see that she was struggling with something and he wished hr could comfort her somehow, but they weren't anywhere near close enough as friends for him to make any gesture without it seeming awkward and possibly unwelcome.  He squeezed Thera's hand again, comforting her as she mentioned her Sedai.  He nodded with her words, and the smile he turned to Melenis was encouraging and open.  Unless she said she ate babies and set cats on fire, there was little chance she could turn his opinion of the proud young warrior into something sour or tainted.

 

Not for the first time this evening, Jasine felt blessed that his life had been so relatively quiet and peaceful.  He had never known betrayal or felt the need to hide himself from others.  He'd come to grips with the loss of Mara, tonight's company helped with the final step in that little journey, and instead of feeling wounded and less than whole, as he had for the past several years, he kept her memory close in his heart and thanked her, again, for shaping his life and allowing him the freedom to remake his life in this new place.

[Jehaine]

Melenis nodded, slowly taking the ashandarei she all but slept with from her back and putting it in front of her, leaning on the butt end of the weapon as she watched the candlelight reflect off of the blade. Mustering her courage, she took a deep breath, and started to speak.

 

- "Right then... First off... I'd have to say that the Melenis you know... isn't me."

 

She looked around, waiting for the words to sink in, though she didn't know whether she needed to count herself among them.

 

- "Allow me to explain. My mother died at birth, and with my father away for longer periods of time i was basically raised by my grandfather. He was an old soldier, and one of the things i'll never know was how my grandmother got him to move from Arafel to Far Madding, but that's how it was."

 

As she talked, a faint smile crept across her face from the memories it brought up. It was a sad one though, as she knew her grandfather was no longer among the living.

 

- "He taught me a lot about this, raised me as he would have a soldier as that was the only way he knew. By the time i was old enough to wield a weapon, he was too old to practise the forms, but he kept on teaching me the basics of the Flame and the Void, as well as other mental aspects of the path he followed himself. I think it was called Mo'kai'la when i asked, though he said Me'Arearth suited me better because i wasn't as strong physically. Heh, i never could get myself to like playing Stones..."

 

She took another deep breath, cutting herself off from that train of thought. Though it felt nice to talk about him, he wasn't the reason she wanted to bring up what had been bothering her. She frowned as she shook her head, then continued.

 

- "Anyway, back to the point. I'm going to be blunt about this since there isn't any other way. My father... was a Darkfriend. He was found out and killed after the guards jumped on one of their gatherings. With my grandfather too old, and me practically being Arafellin raised, i redoubled my efforts in training, until i... found my grandfather passed away in his sleep."

 

She reached for the cup, taking a long gulp of the mead before putting the cup down again. Aside from needing to wet her tongue from her confession, the alcohol itself helped a great deal in keeping the flow of words going, though she'd never have admitted that to herself. A smirk appeared on her face as she looked at the weapon again, tightening her grip as she held it closer to her.

 

- "I was taken in by the neighbours, but the longer i stayed the more i got the idea i wanted to actually DO something. The honor of my family name was tainted, and i felt my grandfather wouldn't be able to rest in peace. So i snuck bnack in the house one day, taking the ashandarei he always fought with, and went on a journey to the Aes Sedai he so respected. That's what Arafelin girls do, right? Take up the weapon of a fallen loved one and fight in his honor?"

 

She took the cup again, finishing the drink in another large gulp. This time however, she kept holding the cup as she looked at the others, feeling a little intoxicated at this point.

 

- "That's why i came here, to learn how to fight. To use his weapon, cleansing the line and his honor in his name with it so that he can look down at me in pride. Haven't allowed myself to feel any sort of emotion since. Because it might be distracting. Know this, i'd fight the Shadow to undo the damage that was done even if Tarmon Gaidon was to break out all around me. Because i won't allow myself a life of my own until i can live it with a clear conscience. Because i have no choice."

 

She looked at Thera and Jasine again. She hadn't missed the subtle exchanges of looks between the two of them, and it had ended up feeling like a punch in the gut for her. Oh, she wasn't in love herself, nor jealous of what they appeared to share, but it just hit a little too close to the life she used to imagine for herself back when she was a child. With that, she put the cup back down with strictly more force than necessary, the fourth? fifth? cup of the evening starting to get to her.

 

- "Nn dat, iz what i wanted to say."

 

 

Melenis

Feeling a bit drunk

[Sieve]

He gaped at the exchange between Mistress Thera and Jasine.  Light what were those two playing at, certainly they could not be.  He let the thought fade as he tried to form the flame though he couldn't push his thoughts into it.  He quickly put his eyes on his mug trying to keep from watching what he should not be watching.  He refused the Mistress Thera's offer of wine even though the offer had come long after she had poured for only her and Jasine.  He smiled thinking they probably wished to be elsewhere.

 

The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills he mummered into his mug.  It was evident even to a blind man that they enjoyed each others company.  Why shouldn't they he thought, you never knew what tomorrow could bring.  Fighting the shadow was dangerous work so why should they not be able to live a little, they deserved a little joy in their lives.  He did not see how it could work long term yet it was none of his business. 

 

Melenis's voice lifted his eyes from his mug as she addressed Mistress Thera. She seemed hesitant, not sure if she should speak though finally she went on. "If there's... something you want to say, but are... afraid... that others will treat you differently if they know... Would you keep from telling them? Even if it bothers you a great deal?"

 

He listened as Mistress Thera encouraged Melenis to speak ensuring her that nobody was here to judge her.  Her voice took on a protective tone as she went on with a light hearted threat that nobody dare cause one of her trainee's any pain.  He chuckled softly as she added that only she could cause them pain.

 

His eyes were on Melenis as she took her polearm from behind her back and planted it in front of her.  She seemed to stare at it a moment before she spoke.  He didn't know her well so her opening was lost on him, though she said what they know isn't really her.

 

His eyes stayed on her as she looked around the room seeing that heer words had sunk in.  He felt sad for her when she explained that her Mother had died at birth.  He silently said a prayer for her mother.  He listened as she explained how her father had been gone much of the time so she had been raised by her grandfather.  Her faced formed a smile though it was not one that spoke of happiness.  His heart went out to her.

 

He listened respectfully as recalled her training at the hands of her grandfather.  Something hit close to home when she mentioned how he thought she was suited for another form.  Much the same his father had scolded him for being to careless in battle, he said Perivar was too quick to through himself into the fray without realizing what he was getting into.  He said he needed to learn constraint, he had to learn to control his impulses in battle.

 

His eyes remained on her as she took a deep breath, clearly this was not easy for her to speak of and again his heart went out for her.  When she spoke again there was no hesitation, she got right to the point.  Though as she was about to make her point she stopped suddenly then named her father as a Darkfriend.  Light a Darkfriend, he muttered a prayer that the creator shelter them from the Dark One.  He had known shadowspawn but darkfriends were not that common in the borderlands.  With the blight on their doorstep you would think there would be more though maybe he was ingnorant of their presence.  It was certainly not something people would announce.

 

A hundred thoughts went through his head, everything from wondering if being a Darkfriend was contagious to those around them to the fact that there is no way she could be responsible for her father's action.  How could him falling to the Dark One's desires be laid at her feet.  On top of that she had dealt with the death of her grandfather.  If his heart went out to her before, now he wanted to hug her and comfort her even though they had not officially met.  He raised his mug then muttered another borderland prayer for her grandfather, may the creator shelter him, the mother's final embrace.

 

Melenis took a long pull from her mug then went on looking at the weapon then pulling it close.  Perivar took another pull from his own mug and frowned to find it empty.  Melenis explained why she came here, to cleanse her family's honor, to make her grandfather proud.

 

He watched as she looked at Mistress Thera and Jasine.  It seemed as though a sour twist formed on her face.  He was not sure if it was for her story or for the exchanges between Mistress Thera and Jasine.  She forcefully put her mug down then indicated that she was finished.

 

He wanted to speak to tell that it was alright though he didn't think it was his place.  He simply nodded to her, a sign that he understood her quest and felt sympathy for her loss.  He looked at the others waiting for them to respond.   

[_Kynwric_]

Kynwric listened to Melenis' story and nodded at the proper junctures, when she was done he took a moment to soak in what she had said, arranging it in his head and actually forming thoughts before he spoke this time. "Girl, actions not your own have no reflection upon you. Not in my eyes, and I am sure I can speak for Loraine as well. We've seen far too many innocent people hurt for being accused Dark Friends to go looking for them where there are none." He paused and took a short sip from his cup. "No matter what your father may have done, no matter how heinous his crimes, they are not yours, nor your Grandfathers. If you wish to atone for his sins, well that is not your place, he is reaping his reward for the rest of eternity. If you wish to serve the Light and Honor your grandfather, well that is your right and I would encourage it. But keep in mind that what we are training you for here is not to be an avenger, not to be the sharp sword of justice, it is to be the guardian of Servants of the Light." He paused and smiled, "Alas, now I am preaching... but what I am trying to say, in short, is that so long as you serve the Light I will be happy to know you."

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine didn't know what to think of the story Melenis related.  He had smiled when she spoke of her grandfather, thinking of his own grandparents who still lived near Whitebridge.  He'd only seen them, and his more extended kin, a handful of times but he admired the girl's grandfather for obviously caring for her.  He'd never known a darkfriend, had always quietly imagined them as dark, twisted remnants of a man, unable to really consider the idea that such darkness could live inside someone who could laugh and dance and love.  His mouth went dry and he wet it with the wine, which didn't help much.

 

He didn't speak until after Kynwric did, he couldn't think of the words that would comfort the girl at first.  "You come to us as you are, Melenis.  Your father's... allegiance," he could not bring himself to name the Dark One, "does not make who or what you are here in the Yards a lie."  He looked up from his drink and made eye contact with her as he said warmly, "You have been a well-met friend and a hard-working trainee, Melenis.  And you still are."

[U4ea]

Loraine watched the sideways glances and touching between Thera and Jasine, noting the interaction without giving any outward sign of it. She wondered at the differences wrought in this place over the time they'd been gone, but guessed that their feelings for each other were only going to make life difficult for them if they didn't find a way around them. She tucked that away for later, wondering if there were some way to make everyone happy in that relationship. She'd keep her eyes open for the opportunity, either way.

 

She listened to Melenis's story, her heart going out to the girl she had been and the woman she was forced to become due to the cards life had handed her. She caught the furtive glances tossed her direction and it took her a moment to figure out what made her uncomfortable. She nearly thumped herself in the head when it hit her and she stood and crossed the room herself to sit next to her and raise her glass. "Some of us live to overcome the sins of our parents. Some of us are cursed to bear a burden we did not earn. That which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, trainee. Bear your blade under the Light and try to remember that the burden you carry is not yours." She smiled softly. "Until then, let it feed the fire inside you and make you the person YOU want to be. The Dark One can have what anyone else wants of you, Melenis. Living for someone else's expectations only turns you into a bitter old hag before you're old enough to earn the white hairs that go along with them."

 

 

[Jehaine]

Melenis grinned as she listened to Kynwric and Jasine, looking as if a large burden was lifted from her shoulders. While she still believed she had to atone for her father's crimes against the Light, she could at least get some comfort from the fact that the people gathered here now knew about it, and still didn't think any less of her.

 

Truthfully, she was already a bit out of it, and when Loraine lifted her glass to propose a toast she did the same. Emptying the cup, she looked at it wonderingly for a moment, trying to recall what she had forgotten to do there. Ah right, didn't want to drink any more... Shaking her head -- resulting in a spinning room -- she explained why she needed to do what she did.

 

- "Iz not dat. Need ta have the feeling ah'm not like 'im. Dat me granda's not like 'im. Mom too. Dey all ded now, can't do it, so i haf'ta do it for 'em. Make me feel good 'bout meself too, know up here me not like him."

 

At the words 'up here', she tapped herself against the head. Or tried to, at least, as she almost knocked herself off of her chair if it wasn't for the weapon she had been leaning against. Groaning slightly, she brought a shaky hand to her forehead, trying to 'unblur' her vision, but to no avail.

 

- "Methinks... Ah'm a wittle drung."

 

 

Melenis

A wittle drung.

[Eqwina]

Springing up from her chair, a trifle unsteady on her own feet, Thera laid a hand on Melenis to steady the girl. “I am inclined to agree with you girl” Clicking her tongue in vexation she sent Jasine running for a mug of water. She put the cup in the girls hand and instructed her to drink, slowly. Cautiously she lifted her hands off Melenis’ shoulders and was relieved to see that the girl still had the capacity to hold herself upright.

 

“Well now.” she said to the whole room. “It seems like Melenis is trying to teach us all a lesson about limits. Another mug anyone?” When no one offered up their mug Thera laughed. “It is good to see that some of you have a head for drink.” Her brief interlude had put an end to the silence and taken some of the attention off of Melenis. She knew all to well that there was nothing worse than being sick with a head full of ale and having an entire room stare. Regaining her seat and Jasine’s hand Thera kept an eye on the girl. She seemed to be doing well for now, but if she showed signs of sicking up Thera intended to get her out the door.

 

“ Loraine is right, living your life for someone else’s expectations is a sure road to disaster.” Her caramel eyes met the Sister’s pointedly. She knew the woman had noticed her and Jasine, even if she had given no outward sign. “It is a road I myself followed for so long I was unsure that I would ever find myself again. I have, but I was one of the lucky ones.”

 

It was the Light’s honest truth. For years she had walked around hidden behind a mask of resentment and now that she was breaking free she had no intention of turning back.

 

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine found himself less steady than he expected when he rose to fetch the water for Thera, but he was still easily capable of this small deed.  He took a fair drink of water himself from the pump but returned quickly and handed off the mug.  He gave an encouraging smile to Melenis as he moved back to his seat, smiling fondly as he watched the care with which Thera helped her trainee. 

 

The walk in the night air and the water had gone a fair little bit towards taking the edge off this fuzzy, fluffy feeling he had going on and when Thera returned to the seat next to him and took up his hand again he smiled at her more coherently than he had before.  He was also rather suddenly aware that he and Thera were holding hands like comfortable lovers in front of everyone.  He took a hurried drink of his wine as Thera began to speak and the combination of her words about finding herself and the wine itself made him feel warmed from the inside.

 

His wine was finished and after looking at Melenis a moment, he wasn't sure he wanted another glass.  He set his now-empty cup down on the floor beside his chair and relaxed back comfortably.  A sudden thought made him turn his gaze to the Aes Sedai and ask gently. "Loraine Sedai?  How old was Master Kynwric when you bonded him?"  He could have asked Kynwric himself the question, but women seemed to be better with these kinds of details in general.

[U4ea]

Loraine smiled as she watched the teetering, knowing that, even if she had the gift of Healing, which she didn't, she wouldn't twist one to help them with their drunkeness. Thera was right, they needed a lesson, or a reminder, about their limits. Be it with their physical selves or their ability to hold their liquor.

 

"Loraine Sedai?  How old was Master Kynwric when you bonded him?" Loraine turned her gaze to Kynwric and smiled. "To be honest, I have no idea. We've been together..." She wrinkled her brow, doing mental calculations a moment and estimating when she'd slipped that weave over his shoulders. "...fifty years or more. Light, Gaidin, you're old!" She grinned and made to duck behind one of the others in mock fear of his retaliation. "Even if you were a little boy when we bonded, which we both know you weren't, you'd still be older than my grandfather when he finally knocked off."

[Jehaine]

Melenis gave Thera a grateful smile for her concern. The water was a more than welcome change from the alcohol, and even though she was never in danger of losing her dinner -- benefit of being raised by men -- that didn't change the fact that she was having trouble clearing her head. Peering into the mug again, she finished the last of the water, resisting the urge to upend the cold water on her head to help her wake up again. She looked up, noticing Thera's worried look, and smiled to comfort the Mistress of Trainees.

 

- "Oh, don't worry Thera, been through worse. Raised by men, remember? Still get drunk easier than them, but at least won't get sick." ;D

 

She chuckled softly, noticing her mug of water was empty, so she put it on the table next to the pitchers of wine, mead and ale. A look around the room told her conversation had started again, for which she was thankful. As she stifled a yawn, she heard something that sounded odd, or at least not making very much sense to her. Of course, with her being a bit intoxicated and everything it could very well be that she had heard Loraine wrong, but in this case she'd like to check just in case.

 

- "Umm... Loraine Sedai? If you and Kynwric have been bonded fifty years... Pardon me, but you don't look it."

 

The sentence hovered somewhere between a statement and a question, but given the increasing amount of correct grammar it was clear that she was starting to sober up again. On second thought, either Loraine had said fifty when she meant fifteen, or the drink was still more in her system than she suspected.

 

 

Melenis

CAN hold her liquor ;)

[U4ea]

Loraine tilted her head at Melenis, feeling her lip quirk. She wondered a moment about how much this girl knew of the Aes Sedai she was training to protect. "Are you saying I don't look to be in my eighties? I can tell you, I've earned every minute of them! This is one of the perks of my gift. I get to look like I'm in my thirties long after Kynwric starts looking to be in his nineties, even though I am old enough to be his mother."

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine stared openly, his gaze moving from Loraine to Kynwric and back again.  "50 years?  I had no idea that... forgive me, Aes Sedai, I was taught by my mother that it was not kind to ask of a woman's age, but how old were you when you became an Aes Sedai?"

 

His gaze couldn't decide which of them to stare at longer, but Loraine was Aes Sedai, of course they were mysterious and had any number of things he would not know about.  But Kynwric was just a man, like him, albeit with rank as a warder and apparently, rather old.

[U4ea]

Loraine smiled wider. "I was 36 when I became an Aes Sedai. The training took 18 years to complete." She arched her eyebrow and tilted her head. "I didn't bond Kynwric right away, though. I am eighty-nine, in case you wanted to know and no, while I am a lady, I'm not at all offended by your asking." She grinned, knowing they were doing math in their head and eyeing Kynwric a little differently when they got the results. Oh, how she'd love to hear what they were thinking when they got there...

[Jehaine]

Melenis raised her eyebrows at Kynwric, and one could read her thoughts from the look on her face with relative ease for once, though she'd simply blame it on the alcohol when looking back on this meeting. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was rather impressed with the ability to look young for quite an extended period of time. Not that she was aiming to keep looking like a teenager by the time she was in her fourties, but she was however reminded of when her grandfather had been too old to teach her how to spar. With this, one could keep training people for decades...

 

Then, a second thought hit her, and she looked at Thera again. She knew the Mistress of Trainees was bonded, but found herself second guessing just how old she would be by now. If Kynwric would be in his sixties while looking to be in his thirties, then Thera would have to be...

 

Shaking her head, she let go of that train of thought. It was somethign she felt she couldn't fully comprehend at this time, much as the idea of not understanding something stung her. Her grandfather had told her back in the day that there were some things that she could only learn through experience, and this, she supposed, would be one of them. A muscle in her cheek twitched trying to suppress laughter though as she now fully realised how old the woman Jasine was interested in really was.

 

 

Melenis

Blame the booze again

[Eqwina]

Thera could almost see the question forming in Loraine’s eyes and she could not help but give the Sister a wink. Jasine knew that she was older than him, if not by how much. Tilting back in her chair Thera gripped tighter to Jasine's hand and smiled at him coyly. The wine had begun to go to her head and she was feeling more than a little fuzzy.

 

“Master Kynwric a question to you. Do you ever wonder where you life would have led you had you not been bonded by the lovely Loraine?” Often when she was alone Thera wondered what course her life would have taken had Serena not found her in the yards. Not that she regretted a day of the bond, but it was idle speculation.

 

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn paused for a moment before answering. "Wonder? No. Sometimes I have thought on it, but as I was here and nearly Tower Guard when we met and have no real home I can return to, I would have remained in the Tower." He spread his arms gesturing the whole of their occupation. "I would be either here or the blight border, as my only other real talent lies in command of band of armed men." Kyn took another drink from his cup. "Besides, in Loraine's service I have an almost unparalleled opportunity to kill Whitecloaks and Shadowspawn, where else in all the world could I do that?" He had noticed the look on Melenis' face. "Aye, girl. I am well over 60 years of age... despite not looking it. It is one of the side benefits of the bond, I age slightly slower... although not nearly as slow as she does."

[Sieve]

Perivar stared at Jasine as he asked what should not have been asked.  In Arafel that would have resulted in a duel.  He shook his head in a jingle of bells, he had to stop thinking like that.  Nonetheless Jasine shouldn't have asked.

 

Perivar quickly did the math and the same shock that was visible on the other's faces must have been visible on his own if only to a slightly lesser degree.  He took a pull from his mug to cover his face giving himself a chance to smooth it. 

 

After hearing Master Kynwric's response to Mistress Thera's question he thought for certain that he would have to bond himself to a Green Sister.  He didn't know much about Whitecloaks 'til he came here though he knew plenty about shadowspawn.  He would take every opportunity that came his way to face shadowspawn.  Perivar was on the edge of turning 17 though he looked slightly older, the hard lines of his face a gift from borderlands.  Would he experience the same as Master Kynwric, would he ever look younger than he was?

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine went to take a drink of wine and found the cup mysteriously still empty.  He thought for sure he had already refilled his glass.  He frowned at the cup a moment and then set it aside again and turned his gaze back to Kynwric and Loraine.  "There's much I have yet to learn about being a warder, then.  Thank you, Sedai, for giving us this chance to speak with you.  Particularly under such relaxed," he waved an arm unsteadily to the gathering room in general, "circumstances.  I think if it were not for this drink," He nudged the empty mug with his toe, making it wobble, "I would not have half the courage to speak to you so candidly and would not be the better for the lack of answers.  Your Ajah, Loraine Sedai, the Greens.  They frequently bond multiple warders.  Doesn't that make it harder on them when they lose them?  Do you know if two warders of the same Sister feel the same kind of bond towards each other that they do to their Lady?"

 

A new respect showed in his eyes as he looked at the woman while she spoke.  Some of the wary fear of a boy to a mysterious witch was gone from his expression, and now he was just purely impressed.  Only enough to be a great grandmother almost! And here he was, looking pretty as a slip of a girl, with a strong and well-formed body that -- He sat up and covered his mouth as a sudden coughing fit and then eased back into the chair, giving Thera's hand a squeeze to let her know he was fine.  He waved down any concern, saying only he had taken a breath the wrong way. 

 

When silence had fallen again, he asked another question. "Do you still come to the Yards to train, Aes Sedai?" He wanted to refer to her as Mistress rather than repeating her name over and over again, but it didn't seem the proper thing to do.  "I would bet my horse that someone with your vast experience you would be able to beat any of us trainees!"

 

[U4ea]

Loraine listened to Kyn's response and shook her head slowly. She looked away, refilling her glass and Kyn's, too, while she was at it. Her gaze roamed over the gathering as the conversation was directed away from her, so she caught the look in Jasine's eyes before he coughed to cover it. She felt her lips twitch, but vowed not to say anything and call him on the appreciative glance she was getting from him.

 

"Do you still come to the Yards to train, Aes Sedai? I would bet my horse that someone with your vast experience you would be able to beat any of us trainees!" Loraine laughed softly, at that.

 

"Right now, you're probably right. However, I give you a year before you're laughing at my complete inability to stay on my feet for the Heron in the Rushes form." She shook her head and smirked up at Kyn. "For such a good teacher, I still can't seem to get that one right. I'm also horribly out of practice..."

 

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn laughed at Loraine's remark. "M'dear your total inability has nothing to do with lack of practice and completely to do with your lack of desire. However, I will make it a point to take you out to practice that shortly, perhaps tomorrow evening." Kyn then turned his eyes back to Jasine, "The one thing to remember is that while we spend our everyday working our bodies and minds towards the mastery of weapons an Aes Sedai trains her body and mind to the control of the One Power. Theirs is a more deadly weapon and it takes much more control and willpower to wield than a mere blade. So while the Greens in particular learn to use the sword as well as the One Power, they will never take the time to master it the way a Tower Guard or Warder does, their attention is rightly elsewhere. And, to be blunt it is easier to find a good sword than a fully trained witch."