A Night of Remembrance (Open to all)

[Eqwina]

The blood in Thera’s veins wanted to boil as she saw the look in Jasines’ eyes. She had seen much the same from him the first time they had met. The desire to rip off his hand and slap him with it grew with each moment, but she was spared the chance when he broke into a coughing fit. After all it wasn’t fair to hit a man who was already down.

 

It would have been easy to transfer the blame to Loraine Sedai, but even in her drunken state Thera knew that was foolish. The Sister could not help that she was beautiful anymore than the sun could keep from rising. Still it grated her that her beauty was not enough to sustain him. Refilling her wine and Jasine’s she took an opportunity to truly study the Aes Sedai. To see what she had that Thera herself didn’t; the only obvious thought was the dress. Looking down at her tight pants Thera tried to imagine them as a skirt. It had been 15 years since she had even thought about skirts, but seeing the look in Jasine’s eyes made her reconsider her previous prejudice.

 

“I would not be so sure Loraine. I have seen the way some of these boys spar. It might take them more than a year. ” Thera laughed at her own joke before continuing on. “ I have noticed that none of your fellow Green’s practice in the yards. Too many fumbling children? Or?” When she was younger she could remember always seeing Greens in the yard, but it had been some years since they had come with any regularity.

 

[U4ea]

Loraine laughed at Kyn's it is easier to find a good sword than a fully trained witch" comment, her nose tingling a bit. She looked down at her cup and realized it was mostly empty. How many of these had she had? She wrinkled her brow, trying to remember, then gave up with a grinning shrug. She as nearly the most sober person in the room, if she judged Kyn's predicament well enough. Was some of this his drunkeness? She fought the urge to scratch her nose and grinned at Thera's reference to the readiness of her trainees. "Oddly enough, Mistress Thera, I haven't seen too many Greens in the Tower, at all, much less training in the Yards. The ones I have seen are hurrying from one place to another and buried under piles of reports and documents. This is the first time I've had a chance to spend time with Kynwric since we came back to the Tower."

 

She smiled and bit her lip, knowing all of her training, through all the years of her grandfather beating a Cairhienin noble into her and the Tower forcing that training to be fine-tuned... all of that training was flying away. She couldn't control her expression, at all. She raised her eyes to Kyn's, her smile widening into a grin. "I'm betting if they knew the ale was so much better down here, you wouldn't be able to keep a few OUT of the yards, though..."

[Jehaine]

Melenis grinned at seeing the alcohol take effect on some of the others in the room. Especially Thera, who had commented so about 'knowing your limits' and 'having a head for drink'. She stood up to pour herself another mug of water -- impulsively giving Thera a refill while she wasn't looking -- before returning to her seat, following the conversation now that it had shifted to the One Power.

 

- "Loraine Sedai, about the One Power... I'm from Far Madding myself and i can't really grasp what the One Power is... No offense, but most of it sounds like a cross between exaggerated rumor and children's tales. I can't really... imagine... what it's like. What it's capable of."

 

On the inside, she was giggling like a schoolgirl at trying to get Thera as drunk as she herself had been when the Mistress of Trainees had sent Jasine to get her some water. In order to mask the emotion though, she tried to override it with the confusion as she summoned up everything she had heard of the One Power. From the sound of it, it could topple walls, create balls of fire out of thin air and do all kinds of crazy things, and she was almost expecting it to be grossly overestimated, if not made up entirely. It was just a matter of how much it was exaggerated.

 

 

Melenis

More than likely in for a surprise

[U4ea]

"Loraine Sedai, about the One Power... I'm from Far Madding myself and i can't really grasp what the One Power is... No offense, but most of it sounds like a cross between exaggerated rumor and children's tales. I can't really... imagine... what it's like. What it's capable of."

 

Lor tried to think of a way to explain what saidar was, what it felt like. In truth, she couldn't come up with a single word. She'd have to settle for showing Melenis. She chewed her lip, testing her ability to hold and control it when she was this close to giggling. Saidar proved a little slippery, but as long as she didn't weave anything terribly intricate, this shouldn't be a problem. She looked around at them a moment, deciding that since Melenis asked, Melenis would probably benefit from this the most. She eyed the girl and nodded slowly, twisting a weave of Air around the ale in her cup and lifting it clear of the rim. She lifted a cup with another weave of Air and brought the two together, dropping the ale into the fresh cup before offering it to Melenis. She arched her eyebrow and eyed the firepit set into the wall to the side. It was quite warm enough in the room, but she lit the fire, anyway. A simple twisting of Fire with a thin thread of Spirit to keep it contained. She watched the flames dance a moment before letting them die.

 

"Those are simple weaves that we teach Novices, so anyone in the Tower would be able to do those little parlor tricks." She smiled sweetly at Melenis and twisted a weave of Air around the legs of the girl's chair, giving a quick tug that landed Melenis (and her drink) in the floor. "Even that was little more than manipulating Air. But imagine, if I can pull a chair out from under you, start a fire, and swap your cup, what could I do with the Air you're breathing? What could I throw at you that you wouldn't be strong or fast enough to stop? I can do nearly anything I want, you see? Those not bound by Oaths and their own good natures, could do terrible things. Even those with those restrictions can do horrible things." Her mind skipped along the weaves she'd learned and used in the past. She couldn't use saidar as a weapon... until she was protecting someone. That little clause had resulted in quite a number of deaths along the Blight. "It isn't something to make light of or play with, even when someone's fully trained. It can save your life, or snuff you out like that fire, faster than you can respond to it."

[_Kynwric_]

"To be blunt, if I had to choose one thing to take to battle with me, its her. Not my sword, armor, shield, even my pants. She is the most potent weapon I know." Kyn finished off his drink and glanced at Loraine, he could feel the drink beginning to work on him and he wondered how much of that was him and how much was her... he mentally shrugged and though. It is a night for drunkeness... and rose to fetch himself another glass of mead. "Oh and dear, please turn the fire off..." While he was finishing filling his drink he looked over the people in the room and smiled, while it wasn't exactly a night of remembering it was a night of learning... and that is much better.

[Sieve]

Perivar couldn't say why but he just drifted off into his own thoughts.  He heard the murmur of voices around him though he did not hear what they were saying.  He thought of his family, his home, thought of his past.  Perivar drained the mug then stared into it as if it held the answers to every question he had about his future.

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine couldn't help the cheeky smile that came to his lips, or the words that came out without prior thought. "I imagine trading your pants for the woman you love is a bargain that couldn't possibly be all bad."  He laughed and sat back into his chair again, having leaned forward with rapt attention while Lor channeled. 

 

When Kynwric got up to get another drink he thought about refilling his cup of wine, but decided against it again.  He felt a little loopy and the briefly sobering affect of his walk to get Melenis water and the drink he took as well was fading.

[_Kynwric_]

"You misunderstand me Jasine... I am speaking of weapons. While certainly I would trade my pants for her in an instant. When it comes to a fight my job is to get her into it... and out of it. While I may kill 10 or 15 or 20 in a battle, she can do so with a thought. An Aes Sedai can cause such damage to an army, well, it is unimaginable." He turned and leaned against the cask, something had just struck him. "You all know of the three oaths? Yes?" He saw assent and continued on. "Well, an Aes Sedai may not Lie. May not make weapons intentionally, nor may she use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn or in the defense of herself or her Warder or another Aes Sedai." He paused for a moment as he made sure they had all heard what he had said. "Sometimes you have to create the right situation for an Aes Sedai to use  the One Power. Shadowspan can be destroyed at will, but Dark Friends are not Shadowspawn, neither are Whitecloaks or any of a number of bandits. Sometimes you have to get your Sister in a position to be in the battle. Sometimes you have to put yourself in danger so she can destroy that which needs be destroyed."

[Quisalas Selene]

Kynwric's words managed to sober him up a bit.  Unlike Fades and Trollocs, the Whitecloaks were something that he could easily grasp and understand.  His family lived outside of Four Kings, almost two miles down a side road from the Caemlyn road.  They'd never had the dragon's fang drawn on their doors, but he'd known people who had.  He'd had a very good friend move away to Whitebridge when he was young because it happened to his parents.  Andorans are good people, not quick to panic like some he'd heard of, but even at his tender age he'd seen the cautious looks people cast at his friend's parents after it happened.  Jasine hadn't held outright hostility for the Whitecloaks until his sister had found out she could channel and those scary, mysterious women were as real as his own flesh and blood.

 

Most of his thoughts about being a warder had been focused on some faceless Aes Sedai and fighting shadowspawn and this intangible quality of the Dark.  The Whitecloaks said they adhered to the Light, that Aes Sedai were the wrong ones for using the power that had broken the world, but he knew his sister, and he was coming to know Loraine Sedai.  Which meant that the Whitecloaks were wrong, certainly, but not necessarily Darkfriends.

 

He saw the wisdom in Kyn's words right away and nodded to the man, taking him seriously.  He spoke softly, but with conviction.  "It is not an easy task we are preparing for." 

[Sieve]

Something about the tone of Master Kynwric's voice made him look up from studying the bottom of his mug.  His tone made Perivar think that this was something important.  The three oaths, he had heard of them but did not know much other than Aes Sedai could not blatantly lie.  Ooh they could twist words to suit their needs but they could lie outright.

 

"Well, an Aes Sedai may not Lie. May not make weapons intentionally, nor may she use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn or in the defense of herself or her Warder or another Aes Sedai." A brief pause then Master Kynwric continued "Sometimes you have to create the right situation for an Aes Sedai to use the One Power. Shadowspawn can be destroyed at will, but Dark Friends are not Shadowspawn, neither are Whitecloaks or any of a number of bandits. Sometimes you have to get your Sister in a position to be in the battle. Sometimes you have to put yourself in danger so she can destroy that which needs be destroyed."

 

Perivar frowned slightly as the thought touched on something his father had always said about him.  A perfect fit Perivar thought, his father had always chided him that he was too fast to jump into a dangerous situation.  Perhaps the Tower would find a use for him after all.  Taking down Dark Friends sounded right up his alley, he didn't know White Cloaks other than in stories though if Master Kynwric spoke of them so then he would be happy to start some trouble with them as well.

 

Perivar looked back into his mug, his thoughts drifting back to his father for a moment.  Perivar had come to the Tower wearing two swords on his back as ost Arafellins do.  Part of the reason that he decided to take up a new form with his new life was due to his father's comments on his style.  Sword and shield was a more defensive style, truthfully it did seem to fit him better.  Perivar was still wide shouldered and thicker than most, the sword and shield seemed to fit his strength.  He was not as fast as the others but he was able to absorb more.  What's done is done he thought, the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills...

[Eqwina]

Thera arched her brow at Melenis’ attempt to refill her mug unnoticed. The girl had the makings of a fine Warder if she could ever pull past her childish fancies. Feigning surprise at finding the mug full Thera chugged it happily before reaching for another.

 

It seemed to her that their night of remembrance had turned into an impromptu training session for all the younger ones.  Not a bad thing, just not what she had been hoping to gain from this evening. The talk had turned serious and Thera found herself turning inward just as fast. There was some bitterness when Aes Sedai were discussed, most especially since hers was a world away right before her eyes, but she forced herself to listen with half an ear. That was why she caught the somberness that filled Jasine’s tone and her heart went out to him, though she did not move or squeeze his hand. Learning to see your death in every day was a hard lesson to learn, and would not be made any easier by a reminder of her love.

 

With a glass more than her limit and a slightly sour mood Thera decided that it was past time to be gone. Releasing Jasine’s hand she stood up and smiled at everyone in the room. “I have enjoyed the break in my normal routine, but while some of you have a free day tomorrow I still have a pile or work to do, as well as some sobering up. So I will take my leave of you fine people for tonight.” Thera nodded to Kynwric and gave Loraine a small bow. “I leave my children in your capable hands; see that you don’t frighten them too much.” She winked before straightening and tugging her close to rightness. Her caramel eyes lingered for a moment and her lips twitched trying to form the words, but she let the silence reign. With a final look at the young man who had turned her world on its head Thera headed for the door.

 

The night air was crisp and it did to help steady her head, if not her walk. The moon was barely a sliver in the sky making the streets dark and thin clouds obscured many of the stars, but she had no fear. Even impaired as she was she could handle anything that came along. Deciding not to head straight for her rooms Thera walked the paved streets slowing, thinking that it would be nice to have company tonight. 

 

[U4ea]

Loraine nodded as deeply as Thera bowed, but raised her eyes, grinning. "I make no promises, Mistress Thera!" She doused the fire and took a healthy drink. Oh, how her nose tingled...

[_Kynwric_]

"It is not an easy task we are preparing for." 

 

"Light no, it was never meant to be." He paused when he saw Thera rise.

 

“I leave my children in your capable hands; see that you don’t frighten them too much.”

 

"We'll see... goodnight." Once Thera had left the room Kyn continued upon his previous vein. "This life was never meant to be easy, for if it were we'd all not have cought it out and made it our own. Doing what Loraine does can scare me near unto death sometimes, I still have some of the prejudice left of my country. And well, being a Tower Guard or a Warder is no easy feat either, we are the most elite body of professional warriors to be found. As a group of individuals we are without peers. As an army however, we could cause serious damage to a well trained, disciplined army. But I have no doubt that should Shienar, Kandor, Saldea or even Arafel with their bells raise an army and meet us on the field then we would not prevail by might of arms. The thing that saves us from the Children of the Light is that they must cross Andor in might, and her majesty would not allow that, and they do not have the numbers to combat us. Not to mention we'd just stay behind our walls and let them break themselves upon them. Not to mention the not inconsiderable talent of our Sisters." Kyn took a long swig from his mug, looked in it, swirled it around and thought for a moment about refilling it. He decided against it and returned to speaking. "The simple thing is to be aware of what is feasible, be aware of what is most assuradly not feasible, and what might be feasible. The trick to being a success is pulling off enough of the might be's and not being caught up in too many not's. And with that my trainees, I think I am going to make sure that my Aes Sedai makes it to bed safely. The hall is yours, remember that while tomorrow is a free day, you still have duties and chores to attend too." He then downed the remainder of his cup and crossed the short space and gave Loraine a deep and flourished bow before extending his hand to her.

[Jehaine]

Melenis yelped as all of a sudden, her chair was pulled out from under her, seemingly out of nowhere. She knew she probably smelled of ale now after the contents of her cup had spilled over her chest, but wasn't able to tell due to her breath masking the smell. From where she lay, she listened to the rest of Loraine's speech before climbing up again. Much as she suspected, she was making more noise than she normally would have, most of whom involved using the poor chair as support. Still, one piece of that speech stood out, making her frown in thought and call out when she noticed the Aes Sedai was getting ready to leave, as had Thera.

 

- "Loraine Sedai, wait! You said 'Those not bound by Oaths could do terrible things', but... If that's true, and there are evil Aes--channelers out there, how can you defend against them? You just said you can't attack without a reason, while they never took the Oaths. It's like fighting a battle and only being allowed to draw your weapon after your enemy attacked you first."

 

She managed to quickly change 'Aes Sedai' to 'channeler' almost as soon as she heard herself say it, not wanting to offend Loraine. Simple logic told her that if some people were Darkfriends, and some people could channel, there would be some people that were both chanelers and Darkfriends. Given that she -- nor Kynwric, for that matter -- wouldn't stand a chance against someone channeling at her, she was wondering how they'd be able to tell a quick preemptive strike was on its way towards them. SHE certainly hadn't seen these weaves that apparently were being taught to Novices...

 

 

Melenis

Asking one last question

[U4ea]

Loraine grinned at Kynwric, sighing dramatically as she set her cup aside and allowed him to escort her to the door. She paused, hearing her name and turned back towards Melenis, who was regaining her chair. Loraine Sedai, wait! You said 'Those not bound by Oaths could do terrible things', but... If that's true, and there are evil Aes--channelers out there, how can you defend against them? You just said you can't attack without a reason, while they never took the Oaths. It's like fighting a battle and only being allowed to draw your weapon after your enemy attacked you first."

 

She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "That's precisely what it's like, actually. Worse, people you think are bound by the same oaths you are suddenly are not. What has protected you is no longer there and there's nothing you can do about it. The best you can do is be aware of as much as you can. Know the people you're working with and around. Treat them with respect and bolster comraderie. It won't stop them if they've a mind to dance on that side of the Light, but it might make them hesitate for the small breath of time it takes you to act." She smiled softly and shook her head. "I wish I had an answer that wasn't so grim, but I'm afraid you deserve the truth, no matter how ugly and frightening it may be."

 

She nodded to the room and smiled again. "Rest well and I shall see you as soon as Kynwric lets me play with my sword again." After that, she let him pull her out of the Hall and walk out across the yard.

[Jehaine]

Melenis let out the breath she had been holding since Loraine confirmed her thoughts. Though she had treated Thera and Kynwric with respect, she now truly was able to understand the immense amount of pressure heaped onto their shoulders that came with being a Warder. Putting a hand in her hair, she noticed her shirt was still soaked with ale.

 

Suddenly becoming very aware that this meant the fabric would start to cling to her breasts fairly soon if it wasn't already, she plucked at the shirt as she stood up, trying very hard to mask what she was doing. The last thing she wanted was to end up giving her friends an eyeful.

 

- "Well, i'm off to get some sleep. Sorry to leave so soon, but i've had a bit much to drink tonight, and i have a busy day tomorrow. Yup. Erm... Jasine, mind if i borrow your cloak? Thanks."

 

Grabbing Jasine's cloak and wrapping it around herself before he could protest, she feigned feeling cold before almost storming out of the room. Truth be said, though she didn't want to walk around the Yards -- and the Dorms! -- with her shirt clinging to her forms like some Domani girl, the late hour would have chilled her body, especially with the damp clothing kicking in. A hangover was bad enough, but she didn't want to add pneumonia to that list. Though she could imagine Jasine not being all too happy with her, she made a mental note to make it up to him tomorrow when she'd at least be wearing some dry clothes.

 

 

Melenis

Apologies to Jasine ;)

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine had stood to bow as the elders left: first to Thera and then to Loraine Sedai and Kynwric as well.  He opened his mouth to offer to walk Melenis to the dorms when she snatched his cloak and spun it about her and left.  He stood there blinking a moment and then shrugged.  Girls.  He turned to look to Perivar and clasped the lad's hand warmly before speaking himself. "I feel too drunk to go to bed.  I'm going to go douse my head in some water and then walk for a bit and think of all that we learned tonight.  I'll see you tomorrow for the Bond Class, Perivar."  He smiled warmly to the boy and then, with much less storm, left the room after Melenis.

 

After he'd done exactly as he said with the water trough behind the stables and shook most of the water free of his head, he started by walking through the woods.  He'd spent a lot of sleepless nights in the woods back home after Mara had died, when his dreams were frequently full of her accident.  If he had been there for it happening, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad.  It couldn't possibly have been as bad as him imagination always envisioned it: when he'd seen her laying in bed at Aunt Sari's house afterwards there had been nothing but some bruising, up in her hair.  When he imagined it, though, there was always blood.  It seemed fitting that on this night of Remembrance, he should be walking through the woods thinking about her.

 

He'd never been this deep into the woods on the Tower grounds, but he soon came to the startling, if perfectly logical, realization that the woods had an end.  Of course they had an end, he was on an island after all, but on one side of the long wall that wrapped around the yards there was a thick, dense forest and on the other there was suddenly city.  He walked along the wall for a while, his thoughts turning away from Mara and onto more peaceful pursuits, when he came to a gate.  There was a guard posted there, but she'd fallen asleep.  His curiosity suddenly much more in control than his sense, Jasine snuck past the sleeping woman and he slipped through the well-oiled gate silently. 

 

And then he was free to roam Tar Valon, something he hadn't yet experienced in the relatively short time he'd been here.

[Sieve]

Perivar sat there deep in his thoughts.  Loraine Sedai's reply to the question that Melenis had posed was unsettling.  He had never thought of it, Aes Sedai fought against the shadow not for it.  Light a sister bound to the three oathes was at a serious disadvantage.  He had heard the others stirring but it was a while before he realized that he was alone.  He looked around the room shocked at not seeing the others.

 

Perivar refilled his mug then quickly drained it.  He set the empty mug on the table then walked from the room.