The Flame and Void (open for Trainees)

[Matalina]

OOC:  You have until Saturday to join in.  Check this thread for more information: http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,32812.0.html

 

Jesse wanted to contribute to the Tower more so than he had been in the past two years.  He had not yet been picked by an Aes Sedai, which wasn't all that big of a deal, but he was still sure his father had not thought he should sit idle and wait, so Jesse decided to take this opportunity to share his perspective and his knowledge with those who came after him.

 

Today Jesse sat in the between two buildings in the Warder's Yard.  It was a relatively quiet place to sit and learn he had found, and now he was going to pass this down to another generation just as his teacher had passed down to him.  It wasn't quite how others taught the lessons today, but it was a very good way.  Jesse waited for those who were going to show up to show up.  He only hoped that this would be a good experience for them.

 

As they arrived Jesse nodded and smiled but he waited till everyone arrived.

 

"My name is Jesse.  And today I will be teaching you how to reach the oneness through the Flame and the Void.  If you'd prefer the spring I'm sorry but I cannot teach that and it would be best if you didn't stay now, it would not be in your best interest."

 

Jesse waited to make sure that everyone who wanted to stay stayed those who didn't to leave.  Thankfully no one left.  Jesse smiled.  "Now I'd like to know a little bit about each of you before we begin.  Tell me your name and a little bit about yourself, like why you are in the White Tower to train." 

 

 

[Sieve]

Perivar listened attentively as Jesse spoke, he wondered briefly why they were in between the two buildings.  All of their training so far had taken place out in the open yard.  He let the thought fade as Jesse asked them to give some information about themselves.  The Flame and the Void he thought to himself, it sounded very siilar to a technique taught in the borderlands though one he had never mastered.

 

"I am Perivar Tarigan of House Tarigan, a minor Arafellin house." He pausing slightly looking north, the bells in his twin braids jingling as he turned back to face forward.  "Well I was part of my father's house I guess you could say, now I am pledged to the Tower, heart and soul." 

 

He tried not to let his emotions show, he yearned to be in the borderlands fighting shadowspawn.  The White Tower did do the light's work his father had told him, he had seen Aes Sedai and Warders enter the blight, had seen them defeat shadowspawn themselves.  His father had accompanied them occasionally when called upon for assistance, therefore he was on good terms with the Tower which is why they had come to him as well as a few other houses.  Only a fool wished to be on bad terms with Aes Sedai his father had said.  Why more Aes Sedai did not fight the shadow along the border he did not know.  Perhaps a question he would have to ask if given the chance. 

 

"I admit that I did not come here of my own free will.  An Aes Sedai called on my father as well as a few of the leaders of other houses while we were camped on the Shienarin border." He glanced at Jesse who bore the look of a Shienarin wondering what he thought of that if anything, there had been some bad blood between the two nations. 

 

"My father said they were looking for young recruits for the Tower Guard.  Well to get to the point, he pledged his youngest son, me, to the Tower's service along with a handful of others my age who were sworn to his house.  He said that he couldn't send others in our house's name if he was unwilling to send one of his own.  He said that I will bring honor to our name." He said though obviously not as convinced as his father had been.  Sure it was a noble cause and the right thing to do but it did lessen the fact that he wished to fight the shadow in his own way.

 

"So I have sworn to serve the Tower 'til my dying breath as others before me have done, that is why I am here."  He finished that last part with a flash of pride.  He took a deep breath, he was usually not that wordy and he could feel his cheeks beginning to blush as a result.

 

 

[Matalina]

Jesse smiled.  "This is not the place I wanted to be either when I first came here.  But it is now my home."  Jesse's smile broadend as he took in the rest of the class.  "We are all here for different reasons, and I hope that all of you will at least give the ranks a short if you don't want to be here.  As Perivar has shown us we must have pride in what we do now, or there will be no pride later when we have to make our own choices."

 

Jesse turned to the next student.  "And you?"

 

OOC:  Again the lesson will start on Thursday.  Feel free to carry on a conversation with Jesse or others until that time.  Or ask questions of Jesse.

 

Mat

[Sieve]

Perivar nodded at hearing Jesse's words, so he was not the only one.  He visibly relaxed, a knot between his shoulders seemed to loosen, one that he had not noticed until now.  Jesse said it was his home now, could this place ever be considered a home?  Would he ever let his guard down enough to get to know any of the people here, the people which he spent all of is time with?  Would he ever consider them friends?

 

Evenn though he was comforted by Jesse's words, Perivar was terrified by the sudden changes in his life though he was scared to show it, scared to talk about it.  What if the others thought him weak, it was something that he could not bear.  He was not smart so he could not afford to be weak. 

 

One thing for certain is that Perivar had to succeed, failure was not an option.  His family's honor was at stake, if he failed then his family would bear the shame of it.  He must serve the Tower 'til his dying breath, that was his oath. 

 

[Quisalas Selene]

“ Keep your head up and your eyes on the target Jasine!” Mistress Thera barked and he saw her nearly trip as he looked up at her.  His head swarm briefly as he met her hooded gaze and Arath whacked him soundly, making his ears ring as he failed to move through the forms they were practicing. “Begin again boys and keep your focus, if those had been more than lathes you could have lost your head.”

 

He watched her turn and march back to her office to tend to the new lad who was waiting at the door.  Rubbing the knot that was rising just behind his left ear Jasine turned back to the shorter boy with a rueful smile.  "You waited until the pretty Mistress walked by because you knew I can't look away from a well-formed female, didn't you, lout?" The name-calling was in jest and Jasine was grinning brightly as he fell to their sparring with a will, using his longer reach to every advantage he could, because the older boy was in considerably better shape.  Arath has led a harder life before he came to the Tower, and he had trained like the Dark One himself was riding behind him with a lash the whole time there.  His several months of that, compared to Jasine's mere 3 weeks at the Tower, left no doubt as to which was more fit, but Jasine still tried.

 

He had a girl to impress.

 

He danced through the forms, rarely able to strike Arath except with the straight thrusts and even these were dodged more often than not.  After an exhaustive session which left Jase drenched in sweat and panting, and which left Arath hardly winded but also shining with perspiration in spite of the cloudy cover of the day.  Jase tossed his lathe back onto the pile of practice weapons and grasped forearms with the boy he'd been sparring, his other hand clapping Arath's shoulder soundly, as the boy did to him as well. "I have to go find Master Jesse for a lesson, I'll catch up with you later and we can go for a run."  Arath waved as Jase went first to wash the sweat from his face and then to figure out where and who his teacher was.

 

---

 

It didn't take him too long to find the Tower Guard, and there was already another trainee standing near him.  Jase bowed to them both as he joined them and waited in silence while the rest of the class showed up.  Once Jesse began talking Jasine listened attentively, if in some small confusion.  Spring?  What is this spring?  Having no idea whether the Flame or the Spring was the style he would choose to adopt himself he leaned against one wall to relax and let his warmed and weary muscles rest as Perivar spoke.  His eyebrows rose as the boy spoke of fighting the shadowspawn with such desire and dedication and the previously unknown boy immediately rose in Jasine's regard.  Anyone that dedicated to the light and his duty had to be a fine lad.

 

When bid to speak as well, Jase straightened from his lean and bowed again to the Guard.  "I came of my own choice, Master.  Not a very well-informed choice, but I knew I would be dedicating my life to the Tower and pledging it to use as the Wheel wills it to.  I came to Tar Valon from Andor, near Caemlyn." He doubted the two borderlanders would have known where Four Kings was and it wasn't important anyway. "My parents have a horse farm there, and I'd always expected to follow in their footsteps, marry a girl, raise a family and train horses.  When Selene, that's my baby sister, was told she could channel Da asked me to escort her here.  Rather than return home, I asked to be enrolled as a trainee, and here I am." 

 

He gave an unmitigated smile, thinking with fondness at all that his choice to join the tower had brought.  He wasn't sure exactly what else would be expected of him to say, so he said only "My weapon of choice is the long sword." He placed a finger lightly against the blade sheathed at his hip.  He'd put his father's sword back on after sparring with Talavin. "I wield it primarily with both hands on the hilt, although I've been schooling myself to use it singly with either hand as well." He smiled ruefully and honesty compelled him to add, "I'm not very good with it yet, but I've only cut myself once, so far."

 

[Matalina]

Jesse smiled.  "Many people come here for their own purposes.  I know I said before that this was not the place I wanted to be, but in reality it was my choice.  It was both something I had no choice about but also something I did. "

 

Jesse paused a moment before continuing.  "Since I was 10 by normal standards not Shinearian mind you.  Since I was 10 I have been training with my claymore and various other weapons used in the Shinearian army.  But when I was 15 I was denied my right to go into the army like my father.  He suggested I come here.  I didn't not want to be here, but I choose to come to do what I had always wanted to do, be a warrior. So here I am, a Tower Guard and Tar Valon has become my home."

 

Jesse turned back to Jasine.  "Your weapon matters little for our exercise today, but thank you for sharing."

 

"Today's lesson is how to reach ko'di.  While it will enable you to use your weapon better, the weapon of choice matters little.  It will work for one as well as the other, unlike sword forms which need to be adapted for various weapons."

 

Jesse sat down and indicated for the others to sit as well.  "We will begin in a few moments, get comfortable, you will be here a while."

 

Jesse

 

OOC:  I will start a lesson thread tomorrow regardless of if anyone else shows up as there is something you need to learn before I can set the group exercise up.

 

 

[Sieve]

Perivar listened intently as the other trainee began to talk about himself.  The lad from Andor near Caemlyn forgot to include his name.  Perivar had seen him on the training ground but could not recall his name.

 

He respected the other trainee's choice to come here on his own, he nodded his acceptance as the other spoke.  It was an honorable decision to come here of your own accord.  His ears piqued when he mentioned his parents owning a horse farm, Perivar loved horses and looked forward to talking to him at length about training horses and the like.

 

The Tower Guard, Jesse, made a few comments then instructed them to take a seat and to get comfortable.  Perivar sat and made himself comfortable eager to learn. 

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine didn't even realize his breach of manners, he should have introduced himself and if he had been thinking clearly he would have done so.  While he was loath to remove the blade, Jase unbuckled his sword belt and set the weapon on the grass beside him.  As he sat down on the grass and relaxed back against the side of the building, he let his mind focus on his choice to come to the Tower and thought about what his life might have been like otherwise. 

 

He broke from his thoughts and moved closer to the Arafellin, speaking in quiet tones so he did not disturb their Master preparing for today's lesson. "You're pretty new here, right?    Did you have a pleasant trip?" Jasine had been making a point of befriending the other trainees and trying to get to know them all better.  He had thrown his life to the Tower, he may as well enjoy it to the fullest he could.

[Sieve]

The Andoran suddenly moved closer to him then spoke quietly.  "You're pretty new here, right? Did you have a pleasant trip?" 

 

Perivar turned to face the Andoran answering his questions hoping he did not seem short with his words.  His friends and family back home had joked about how unsocial Perivar was. He responded in the same quite tone.

 

"Yes I am new, I arrived only a few days ago.  Pleasant, well if you could call riding as though the dark one was on your heels then I guess you could say so.  I think the Aes Sedai that brought me here wanted to get rid of me and the others in her charge as soon as possible." 

 

He looked at Jesse to make sure he wasn't interrupting then asked a few questions of his own.  "How about you?  How long have you been here?  Did you train horses on your parent's farm?"   

[Talavin]

Arath smirked as his blade impacted with Jasine´s head. He spent a lot of his time against the younger boy, and he could see clear as day the crush he had on the Mistress of Trainees. He had advised his friend from his first day at the Yards not to think about a relationship with her, but obviously he was ignored. His smirk was the only answer to Jasine´s words and they continued. Finally, they finished their sparring session, and he was in much better shape then the other trainee. Jasine was probably his best friend, not only in the Yards, but out of them as well. However, he could never help but feel a surge of dark glee every time he beat the Andoran. If they had never joined the Warders, then there was no way he would ever be worth even the laces on Jasine´s boots.

 

He clasped arms with his friend, feeling guilt at his feelings for the thousandth time. He could beat Jasine, but Arath had been in the Yards for a year while Jasine had been there a few weeks. He nodded goodbye to the younger boy but couldn´t help but feel curious about this Master Jesse. Jasine had a very infectious personality, and Arath couldn´t help but feel protective of his friend. Of course, Arath didn´t think that this Master Jesse would do anything untoward, but he was curious about what Jasine was learning.

 

Following Jasine´s somewhat zig-zaggy path, Arath found the class. The ko´di was a technique that he had been wanting to learn for a while. He had spent a long time debating the merits of the Spring and the Void, but after a while in the Yards, he decided that he couldn´t follow the Spring. Arath fought fast, relying completely on speed. In battle, his feelings caused him to hesitate, and he couldn´t afford to hesitate. Wrapping himself in his emotions as the Spring suggested would be impossible. He had been looking to learn the Void for a while, and this was a perfect coincidence.

 

He listened to Perivar´s story, as well as Jasine´s (which he had heard before) before interrupting the two boys´ conversation to say his own story. "I am Arath Talavin. I´ve been here in the Yards for about a year, but I originally came from Caemlyn. I lived in the city for a while. I had always wanted to become a warrior, and so I came here." Arath knew that he wasn´t offering much information about himself, but he didn´t like people knowing about his past of poverty and humiliation. He knew that both of the boys in front of him grew up with money. Perhaps not rich, but definitely not poor. One thing that he had learned in the Yards was that while some people gave long life stories, many chose not to. And generally no one questioned him further.

 

OOC: Here´s my introduction, don´t talk to me because I´m not gonna post again for a few days. It´s not great but I´m rushed.

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine brightened when Arath turned up for the class and smiled.  He was glad to have a class with the other boy that didn't involve getting his head thwacked with a weapon.  After Arath spoke, he turned back to Perivar and nodded. "Sounds like a difficult ride at best, then.  Particularly if you had an Aes Sedai breathing down your neck the whole way.  I give the women the highest possible respect, but boy can some of them be a trial." He softened his words with an easy smile and offered his hand to the older boy. "I'm Jasine, by the way.  Well met under the Light, Perivar."

 

He relaxed back into sitting after shaking hands and continued. "I've been here a few weeks so far, just long enough to start to feel comfortable and I'm starting to adjust to the routine.  I did train horses with my Da on the farm, and I thought we had long hours back home." He smiled again, this time more of a smirk.  "We had a lot of Tairen stock that my Da bought years ago and we breed them to each other and add local stock into it when there's a really nice horse.  Selene's filly Rao is almost entirely Tairen stock, but my gelding Brownie is half.  His dam was a fine leggy farm horse some fool was using as a plow horse, you should see her jump.  That mare could leap over nigh anything, but she's the quietest tempered horse I ever knew." He smiled fondly, staring out into space as he remembered what it was like to jump the horse over fences and carts and feel like he was flying. 

 

He shook himself back to the present and continued.  "I haven't seen Selene since she went into the Tower, although I've gotten notes from her somehow.  She leaves then in the tack room.  I've taken over Rao's training, she wasn't but half-trained when we left home and is only a bit further along than that now.  She doesn't take to me nearly as well as she did to 'Ene, but she's a smart horse.  Do you like horses?  I think they're about the prettiest things the Creator made aside from some girls."  Jasine winked and grinned again.

[Sieve]

Perivar listened and nodded as Arath Talavin introduced himself.  Another Andoran he thought though this one was from the city of Caemlyn, he had never been to Caemlyn.  Well he had never been to a city outside of the borderlands until he came to Tar Valon.  So Arath had been here a year, that was good to know, he would know the ins and outs.

 

Perivar listened as the other Andoran responded to his earlier questions.  This time though the other lad gave his name, Jasine.  Perivar responded with a "Well met Jasine" while shaking his hand.  He did train horses after all and had experience with Tairen stock.  Tairen stock was known and lusted after throughout all the known lands.

 

Jasine's enthusiasm shined as he spoke of horses then showed a bit of concern over not seeing his sister though the fact that she had left notes for him seemed to help him cope.  Plus he had taken over the training of his horse.  Then he asked if Perivar liked horses.

 

Perivar smiled at his comment about horses and girls.  "Yes, very much so Jasine. I may look like a blacksmith's son but I ride very well, maybe not as well as you though having grown up with them."  He was not cocky just confident in his ability.  "I have a warhorse, Nightdancer though he is only half trained.  Unfortunately I only have a skill with riding, not training." He paused a moment "Perhaps you wouldn't mind teaching me?"

[Matalina]

Jesse cleared his throat.  It was time to start the lesson.  The conversations ceased and Jesse began.

 

"We are all here for different reasons, but we are all hear to learn.  And I might even learn a thing or two from you."

 

"But to become the best that we can we must learn how to concentrate on our task and how not to let intrusions into our work.  We apply this mostly to our battle tactics however you can apply to anything in life.  Ko'di, the oneness, is a method of doing such.  It is your way to block out all that is not important while not completely ignoring it.  Ko'di can be reached in one of two ways by any individual, but you only learn one.  The Flame and the Void, which is what I will be teaching you today, and The Spring."

 

"You cannot learn both because they are dueling opposites.  The Void as it is commonly referred to allows you attain ko'di through lack of emotion, while the Spring enhances ko'di with emotion.  You cannot block and enhance emotions at the same time, and it's very rare for someone to switch styles.  However it has been known to happen."

 

"Today we will work on reaching the oneness.  It is an easy task in words, but it is not so easy to do while practicing.  You will struggle, and you will fail, but the important thing is to keep trying until you master this skill.  Once you can hold it in most normal things you will begin to see a distinct difference in your training while holding it.  So today we will practice.  I will give you various exercises over the course of these lessons that will help you practice but also show you the various things it is useful for in battle and at other times."

 

"Now it's time to begin.  Close your eyes, picture a flame, any flame, something that you can see with out really seeing it.  Hold it firmly in your mind.  Now push your emotions into the fire, like paper being burnt your emotions will be encompased by the fire until there is nothing left."  Jesse's voice changed to something a bit more calm and collected.  "You will know when you are in the void, and so will I.  Once you beleive you have gotten the hang of reaching the void.  Contine your conversations you were having earlier while in the void.  Try to maintain it at all times duirng this clsss."

 

OOC: Jesse will let you go after about an hour or two of practicing.  I will post a group lesson on Sunday.  And then I won't be around the following week, but the next lesson will be posted the following Monday.

 

Jesse

[Sieve]

Perivar listened as Jesse explained about the Ko'di, the oneness.  His instructors had tried to teach him something that sounded like this though at the time he never truly got the hang of it.  He was too eager to practices with his swords or play games.  It was different now, now he wanted to learn, he knew it would make him a better swordsman.

 

He pictured the flame though when he tried to push his emotions into it he lost focus and it faded.  Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he struggled to make it happen.  Maybe he was not suited for this.  Maybe he should try the other form, the spring Jesse called it.  No he thought, he was here and he would learn it.

 

Finally he realized that he was struggling too hard, he was trying to force everything like a brute.  It did need force but it needed more skill then outright strength to do it.  He pictured the flame then guided his emotions into it.  He suddenly noticed the grass sawying gently, it seemed to sway in time with his breathing, he became one with his suroundings.  One of the others moved and he lost it.

 

"I had it" he exclaimed then reddened as he had interrupted the others.  He formed the flame again and began feeding his emotions into it.

[Quisalas Selene]

((OOC: Sorry I didn't get my reply up earlier.  I wrote it on the 11th and then apparently just never posted it.))

 

Jasine found imagining a flame to be simple enough, and while he pulled what he thought of as his emotions and sent them into the flame to be held and removed, he didn't actually feel anything.  He still felt the vague anxiety of doing well in his courses, he still felt the curiosity about his fellow trainees and wanting to get to know them better, he still felt the pervasive concern about his sister and whether she was adapting well within the Tower.  And he still felt his emotions for Thera tumbling about and distracting even his most mundane thoughts.

 

He frowned deeply, and then realized what he was doing and smoothed his countenance.  The flame, and the void around it.  At first there is no voice, only the flame, surrounded by his emotions, burning bright.  As he tried and failed, he began to feel that his imagining the flame was only that, imagination.  It got bigger when he shoved his emotions at it because he expected it to be.  He tried to concentrate further, to calm himself and quiet everything else until he was not imagining the flame, but there actually was a flame.  For a moment, he thought it had worked because the flame flickered in a way he did not expect, but his own surprise at that made it fizzle out into an flat imagery of a flame, rather than a true flame. 

 

He blinked, surprised again, when Perivar exclaimed, but rather than be upset by the interruption, Jasine was glad for the boy and encouraged that it could be done by the boy's success, however brief.  His encouraging smile faded as his thoughts turned inwards once again and he closed his eyes until he could see the flame, feel its meager heat, until it was as real as it could be.  Then he opened his eyes slowly, concentrating on keeping the flame in place, whole and alive.  Slowly, he worked at feeding emotions to it, and this time, as he did, he felt a sensation settle over him.  It was a lot like the single-minded focus he felt when he was riding and focused solely on the movement of his horse, on being one with the animal.  There was nothing else, nothing beyond that moment.  Only instead of focusing on something external, he focused on the internal.

 

One by one, the emotions fed the flame, building a void around the flame where there simply was nothing.  When he had put the last of his emotions into the flame and couldn't feel them anymore, he was so focused on the meditation that he didn't see the changes in his vision and hearing.  It wasn't that he suddenly had better vision, he just seemed to be more aware of it, more aware of everything.  He could hear Perivar's heartbeat, and Arath's breathing.  With a startling thought that he had it, he snapped his gaze up to Master Jesse, seeking assurance that he had done it right.  With the movement, however, it escaped him.  One moment he was attuned and utterly filled with awareness and the next he was just Jasine Al'Thorin, a 17 year old boy from Andor. 

 

Rather than exclaim over the loss, Jasine redoubled his efforts.  He could see now what he had to do, he just had to figure out how to keep it.  The flame formed more quickly this time, although the void was no less difficult to empty.  Once he had it in place, however, he moved his hand slowly, concentrating, and followed the movement of his hand with his eyes.  With a strange dispassionateness that he was coming to realize went along with the Void, he spoke softly to Perivar, keeping his tone low and even so he wouldn't break the other boy's concentration unduly. "I can help you train Nightdancer, and through it you'll learn a thing or two about training.  A horse responds best if a trainer and his rider both use the same methods - ah, Light, I lost it again." The last was spoken with feeling again and Jasine sighed heavily.

 

Before trying to reform the void he turned his head to look directly at Perivar, which he hadn't managed while in the void before, to see how the other boy was faring.

 

[Matalina]

OOC:  If you haven't posted to the above post you can include it in with your first of the next session.  But I need to post this next one for ya'll now so I can't wait.

 

The next day Jesse had the boys meet him between the two buildings.  You've been practicing reaching ko'di, today we'll have a little fun while practicing.  Jesse sat down.  "Today you will play a game.  Today you will learn one of the uses of the void.  Learning your surroundings.  The void is a tool, do not rely on it at all times, it can hinder as well as enhance.  It is useful in battle and in everyday life, but your should never become truely emotionless.  It is not good for you as a warrior, feelings are good, but they do get in the way of your body at the wrong time.  This is our way of making emotions work for us in those times."

 

"You will be playing hide and seek today.  One of you will be blindfolded. and the rest of you will hide.  All of you will maintain the void through out the course of the game.  The object is to catch the other two before they take their turn.  There are a few ground rules you will obey.  You will not go inside any building.  You may only move around the Warder's Yards, and you will NOT climb up on to anything higher than the rail posts outside of the practice rings.  Do not interfer with other's practicing I would suggest staying around the buildings and away from the rings."

 

Jesse looked around to see who should start.  "Jasine will go first, then Perivar, and then Arath."  Enjoy your game. 

 

OOC:  You've a week to get the lot of you found.  I can however wait after I come back for ya'll to finish on up so it's not a hard fast deadline.

 

Jesse

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine listened intently to Master Jesse's instructions and then nodded his understanding.  He sat down on the ground and pulled off his boots and socks and set them beside the stump he was sitting on.  He'd know more about where he was with the sensation of touch through his feet, plus he was not so far removed from the young farmboy he'd been before he left home to not leap at any chance to run around barefoot and play a game.  As he took the scarf that Jesse held out for him he shot a grin to the other two boys.

 

"You'd better get to hiding, I always was pretty good at this game."  He put the blindfold on before he assumed the void, and Jesse tugged and tweaked at the scarf to make sure Jasine couldn't see anything at all.  He sat still and utterly quiet as he formed the void and fed his emotions, mostly excitement, amusement, and anxiety at doing well, into the flame and felt himself slip into the void.  He had his eyes closed behind the black scarf, so he couldn't see the sharper focus, but he could feel it as well as hear it.  Scent and taste sharpened and he could taste the blueberry muffin he'd had before coming to class today.  He heard footsteps moving away from him and could discern a general direction, but couldn't tell which footsteps belonged to who.  A question from Master Jesse said that he was still present, and Jasine bowed and murmured his assent.  "I'm ready."

 

As Jasine moved off he had no idea how he was going to find the other boys at all.  He had the limitations of their game in mind, no buildings, no climbing higher than the fences, avoid the rings.  He listened intently and heard the more-distant clash of steel against steel and figured that was where the rings were.  He moved in the direction he had heard both boys go in, but after several steps he slowed and listened again.

 

After concentrating and managing to get past the sound of his own heartbeat, he realized he could hear Master Jesse's breathing behind him.  He moved further away and the sound grew more faint.  He couldn't hear the man's heartbeat at all, even when he concentrated, and he figured that he must be too far away for that.  He swept his feet through the dew-laden grass and to his left he realized there was dew that had already been jostled free of moisture.  It could very well be that this grass had been trod upon by one of the boys, even Jasine himself, when they came to meet Master Jesse for the lesson, but it was as good a lead as he had to go on and he couldn't just stand here forever. 

 

Using listening as his main source of information, Jasine was forced to be quiet himself.  He stepped lightly, feeling the grass beneath his toes with each step and adjusting if he found grass that was still heavily wet.  It was slow going, but he realized he could sort of tell time based on how warm the sun was, and by the fact that the shadowed parts of his own body weren't changing.  He was glad he had been told to go first, without the dew and the eastern sun he would have had a much harder time finding his way.  He felt warmth from his left and stopped abruptly, feeling with his hand.  The heat was coming from a large source, and he guessed it must be the side of a building facing and reflecting the sun's warmth.  He stepped towards it and wasn't startled by the feel of his fingertips finding the smooth stone.  He smiled to himself and continued moving alongside the building again. 

 

He suddenly realized he could hear a heartbeat and he dropped into a crouch and snuck forward carefully.  When he could tell he was close he gave a whoop and leaped forward to tag his prey.  The startled screeching call and the sudden bunching of muscles under fur as the animal leapt away made Jasine's cheeks burn crimson as he realized he had just successfully stalked and surprised a cat sunning himself on top of a barrel.  The void shattered and Jase took a moment to regain it, the fire burning hot and bright as it took in his embarrassment and chagrin.  He cleared his throat softly and continued forward.

 

He heard steady breathing, quiet and even, coming from his right after he had circled two more buildings and finding nothing more than a cook who had stepped outside of the mess hall to get a moment's fresh air and peace.  He was proud of himself for not blushing at her soft giggle, but at least he had realized she was not one of the other trainees before leaping on the poor girl.  Through it, the void maintained and he had been surprised to realize that he could smell her and tell by the scent of soap and cooking fires that she couldn't be one of the trainees.  This breathing, however, and the steady heartbeat he was able to hear as well, seemed much more... man-like?  He didn't let himself smile at the thought, but when he suddenly appeared around the corner of the building he heard Arath say from slightly above him, "Hey, you found me!"  There was surprise in the boy's tone, but Jasine was happy to hear a note of happiness as well.  Jasine probably considered the shorter boy his closest friend in the yards and when Jasine offered his hand up to help Arath climb down from the box he had been crouched on, their hands clasped the other's forearms just as they always did when they greeted. 

 

"You head back to Master Jesse, I'm going to go find our Arafellin friend."  Jase waved and turned away, once more seeking out with his senses to try and find where the lad had gone.

 

Jasine found three more cats, a Warder that laughed heartily at the sight of the trainee moving about blindfolded, and a stablehand who had a rather rude awakening from the nap he was taking in a pile of sweet-smelling hay beside the barn.  The thought of giving up had never entered into the boy's mind; Jesse never would have given this assignment if it had been beyond the boys' means.  After circling the entire yard once, he could tell he had circled it because he kept coming across the track where they ran laps, always to his left, he moved over closer to the Tower itself. 

 

He found Perivar there, sitting with his legs splayed on the ground right up against the wall.  He could hear the breathing and the heartbeat and knew this was too large a creature to be a cat, but he still ended up almost falling over the boy's foot as he approached.  Unlike Arath, Perivar hadn't addressed Jasine when he saw him, and had waited, doing nothing more than breathing steadily and quietly.  As Jasine stumbled and then regained his balance, he dropped down to a crouch and felt the foot with his hands. "Is that you, Perivar?" He didn't know if it was even possible, but he thought he could hear the boy smile and he grinned.  "No one else would stay this quiet as I trod all over his feet.  Here, I'll help you up."  He offered his hand out, and the other trainee took it and admitted. "You've found me, Jasine.  My turn now."

 

They walked back to the place where Master Jesse and presumably Arath both waited, Jasine walking a half-step behind Perivar and listening to the boy's movements to guide his own.  In doing this, he managed to move more freely and easily back to the grassy spot between the buildings than he had when he was leaving it.  The void remained easily in place and he hadn't even lost it when he stumbled.  Maybe he was getting the hang of this after all.

 

 

((Whew, that was long.  Hope that was what you were looking for, Mat.  I was kind of at a loss for what I should be experiencing.))

[Sieve]

Perivar had no idea how long he sat there propped against the wall.  He was at ease though within the void he was aware of his immediate surroundings.  He opened his eyes briefly when he heard what sounded like a cat's screeching off in the distance.  He couldn't say how far it was from him though he was able to discern the general direction from which it came.

 

Suddenly he was aware of a presence and he turned slightly as he saw Jasine approaching.  He did not move nor did he speak though he noticed Jasine was no longer wearing his boots.  He thought that if he remained still that perhaps Jasine would pass him.  He silently watched as Jasine stumbled over his outstretched legs.  "Is that you, Perivar?" Jasine said, Perivar didn't know if Jasine could distinquish between his prey so he just smiled at the blindfolded boy.  "No one else would stay this quiet as I trod all over his feet.  Here, I'll help you up." 

 

Perivar took Jasine's hand as he said "You've found me, Jasine.  My turn now."  He patted him on the shoulder, he was happy for Jasine, happy that he had done so well.  He hoped he was able to do as well.

 

Jasine stayed blindfolded within the void as he followed Perivar back to their starting point.  He had done extremely well keeping in step with Perivar who remained in the void himself.  Once they reached Jesse, Jasine removed the blindfold and handed it to Perivar.  Perivar tied it snuggly around his head covering his eyes.  The other two left to find their hiding spots while Jesse checkd to make sure that Perivar could not see around it.

 

He waited until Jesse told him to go.  He remembered the directions which the other two had left but he could say nothing beyond that.  He maintained the void as he followed one of the directions though he could not discern which one it had been.  He heard a faint metallic clicking and got excited.  His excitement faded as the sound grew louder then he detected the sound of someone breathing hard.  Unless one of the others had donned armor and run a few laps then this was neither of them.

 

Another sound caught his attention, it sounded like a faint whisper.  As he got closer he determined it was a trainee off in the distance practicing forms.  He felt fustration forming and quickly pushed it into the flame maintaining the void.  He was straining to pick up another trace of anything when he tripped over a bucket spilling the contents.  He heard someone rushing towards him and turned to face them.  "Hey" the man yelled though he cut it off short when he saw that Perivar was blindfolded.

 

He felt like he had walked all day when he picked up a faint trace, quiet breathing like someone at rest and a faint heartbeat.  It grew stronger as he neared though something seemed odd, it was almost as if the sound was multiplied, one stronger than the other.  He reached out and felt what he thought was a barrel.  After further investigation he found that barrel had other barrels on either side of it.  The presence seemed to be inside the semicircle.  He reached towards the inside and touched fur, a cat he guessed, alive and slightly scared though it remained still.  He detected a slight stroking motion and the other stronger presence held an air of confidence.

 

He assumed it had to be Arath since he had been at the Tower for some time and he had detected an air about him when they were sitting near each other earlier.  He called out "Arath is that you?", though much to his surprise it was Jasine that answered him.  "Sorry he said, I thought, something made me think it was Arath though I can't say what it was." 

 

The confidence must have been from his good performance with exercise and he did not want to tell Jasine why he thought it was Arath and have him take it the wrong way.  He liked Jasine and did not want him to be mad at him.  Implying that someone lacked confidence or having someone think that you had implied it could be very bad.  People could be very touchy about certain things, he new first hand, he had been in enough fights over implied insults.  Duels had been fought over less when someone's honor was at stake.

 

Instead he changed the subject "That was goo you almost threw me off, if I hadn't have detected the slightly different presence I may have thought it was just the cat, well done I got lucky.  Let me go find Arath, I'll meet you back by Jesse when I'm done."  He did not feel anything at the moment though he had an idea where he had been already.

 

After several false alarms he made his way towards the mess hall, he felt several presences though only two were outside.  What the heck he thought, it was worth a shot.  As he approached one of them he detected a sweet smell like a pastry.  Along with the scent of the pastry he detected a flowery scent.  He was close enough to hear breathing and a heartbeat, he detected anticipation as if she was expecting him to to reach out and touch her.  Again the other presence was in sync with woman, they seemed to move as one and he thought if he reached out they would be sharing the same space. 

 

The smell made him hungry but it was muffled, his stomach growled though it seemed distant.  He detected something else, chewing, and a smile broke on his face.  He shook his head causing the bells in his twin braids to chime softly.  "My Lady, if you would excuse me I believe the man I am looking for is behind you."  She giggled and he knew he was right.

 

Arath stepped from behind her laughing loudly and Perivar joined him.  It felt good to laugh.  He felt something moving towards him though not from Arath's direction.  He reached out with his left hand, he was certain of the direction.  He gently grabbed a slim wrist then muttered an apology realizing it belonged to Arath's female companion.  She hushed him then pushed a pastry into his mouth, it was delicious.  He thanked her then introduced himself with a small bow.  Analysa was her name, he promised to return when he wasn't blindfolded and meet her properly.

 

"Let's get back before they think we are lost" He said to Arath.  Maintaining the void he took Jasine's idea and returned to the starting point with the blindfold still intact.  Untying the blindfold he handed it to Arath.     

[Talavin]

OOC: Hm. Well, I'm actually going out of town soon, so I was trying to stay away from DM... but you can see how well that's worked out. Meh, you two've gotten Arath out of character, but it's not horribly far from what he is, so it's not that important.

 

IC: A flame, any flame? Arath frowned at the very general instructions and began his task. First, he imagined a large inferno, for surely his emotions would fule a large fire. He imagined his emotions as logs, and started the fire on top of them. For a second, he felt a rush of complete emotionlessness, but then imediately the Void was too large for him to handle, and it shattered. It was a startling feeling, like glass shards were falling through his head, but he shook it off quickly and pondered what he did wrong. He was unable to keep up the Void for more than an instant, for the sudden appearance of the ko'di was shocking, like being dunked in ice water. The sudden transition from emotion to emotionless sparked suprise, and the sudden emotion destroyed the state of emptiness.

 

The only thing Arath could think of to prevent this suprise was to form the Void more slowly. To do so, Arath decided to make his flame smaller. Once again, he created the Void, and it lasted a little longer, but still shattered. Arath experimented, making the Void smaller and smaller, until finally he couldn't imagine his emotions as logs under the fire anymore. Instead, he imagined them as leaves, and slowly fed them to the fire. Eventually, he ended up with on small flickering flame, a bit smaller than a candle flame, and fed his emotions to it. Slowly, ever so slowly, a Void formed around that flame, and he sat in that Void.

 

It was definately odd, the feeling he got in the Void, but at the same time exciting (or rather Arath imagined he would be feeling excited if not for the Oneness). Smells were sharper- Arath could smell the lingering smell of sweat from when he and Jasine had been sparring. He could smell the crisp smell of the grass below them, and the earthy smell of the dirt. He felt connected, not only to the people around him, but the objects and animals. In the absence of emotion, logic and pure thought prevaled, and Arath could feel how every movement he made effected those around him. He breathed, and disturbed the air, his body became an obstical for insects to overcome, and he could easily interact with his human peers, changing their potential actions simply by his presence.

 

Arath was aware of the other boys' conversation, and also of the task that Master Jesse had given them. Arath made his way to a hiding space, unhurried but briskly. He let go of the Void and observed Jasine as he came near, when they greeted eachother, he wondered how the other Trainee had known where he was, for he was in a position higher than his friend. Pondering it, Arath concluded that it must have been easy, his scent and the sound of his heartbeat giving him away. Thus, when the next Trainee tried to find him, he hid behind a living person. Still, he was found eventually and it became Arath's turn to seek.

 

Arath tried to ignore how unsettling it was to be robbed of his sight. He didn't realize just how dependent on it he was until it was taken away from him. Still, in the Void, the worry was pushed to the side; it hovered outside the Void, unwanted and ignored. Arath focused on the ground underneath him; he could feel his connection to the ground, feel the grass bend beneith him. It bended to a force superior to itself, but it survived. Arath couldn't help but wonder if the grass had a wisdom greater than humans. If the grass was stiff and brittle, it would crumble and die, but because it was supple and bent, it lived while other beings stepped on it.

 

Arath fed these thoughts to the Void, for they were unimportant. His task was to find Perivar and Jasine, and thoughts about grass didn't help him. He knew that his comrades were most likely away from the training rings, and so he avoided those. They were very easy to locate, for the sound of clacking and clanging was easily noticed. Slowly, Arath strolled, keeping his steps even and steady, for the calm of the Void prevented him from franticly searching. At one point, Arath's bare feet trod upon a particularly sharp rock. It didn't break the skin, but the sudden pain broke the Void. It was very shocking, to loose the sense of connectedness and his heightened senses. It was worse, however, to return and have no sight.

 

Suddenly, Arath felt very lost and alone. He was standing in the middle of the Yards and he had no idea where he was, blinded and stranded without the sense of confidence the Void provided. Arath struggled to remake the void, but failed, his growing panic refused to be fed into the Flame. He had no perception of time, trapped in his dark abyss with no escape. The panic grew so quickly that Arath forgot it was only and excersize, that he could easily take off the blindfold and regain his senses. The non-existant world seemed to spin around him, he was dazed and he couldn't keep his balence. Arath felt his terror double as he was falling, falling, falling- Oof!

 

Suddenly the ground reappeared, and he could feel his body lay spread-eagle on the hard ground. Instantly his terror was snapped, for his landing reminded Arath that there was a ground, and he was laying quite firmly on it. He couldn't hold back a laugh at his own foolishness and weakness, and easily reformed the Void. His embarisment at feeling so terrified was beyond the Void, and unimportant. He could feel the connection to the ground below him, as well as the plants and the trees nearby. Unhurried, Arath steadily got to his feet and continued his search.

 

Jasine was the easiest to find; Arath had spent a good amount of time around his peer, and he knew that his friend always had the faint lingering smell of horses around him. Following his nose, Arath wandered until he found the smell of horses. Unfortunately, he ended up in the stables and would have felt quite foolish if he was not wrapped in the Void. Arath adjusted his criteria and instead looked for a more faint smell of horses. After running into a few stable-boys, Arath managed to find Jasine on the very edge of the Yards.

 

"You had to hide all the way out here, didn't you?" Arath asked, a little disgruntled.

 

"You had to hit me when the pritty lady was distracting me, didn't you?" Jasine shot back.

 

The other boy avoided his good-natured swat, and ran off with a grin towards their instructor. Muttering, Arath reformed the Void and began his search for Perivar. Luckily the other trainee was on his path, for he didn't have any hints like he did with Jasine. It was rather by accident that he found the last Trainee- Arath was passing by the kitchens when a stray pig ran between his feet, tripping him. He was aware of the man moving out of his way, just as he was aware that the man was still there. However, Arath did not hear any offers to help him up.

 

"Only a man trying to hide would not offer assistance to a fallen comrade. Is that you Perivar?" A laugh answered him and Arath removed the blindfold and let the Void disipate. "Come on, we need to get back to Master Jesse and learn the next lesson."

[Matalina]

They had all done well.  "Seeing with the void is important, but details can be far more important."

 

Jesse lead the boys to the Ogier Grove.  They traveled through the Gates of the Tower and walked the streets of the city until the Ogier Grove loomed in front of them.

 

"Today's lesson will be independent but very important for each of your development as a Tower Guard.  Details are just as important as the bigger picture.  You need to learn to see all and see nothing at the same time.  The void will help you immensely so that you do not put the tower or your Aes Sedai at any risk for missing the smallest of things."

 

Jesse sat down and opened his pack.  He took out four boards, some inks and pens and a large peice of paper each.  "Mapping is a skill that we will use to enhance your vision.  You don't have to draw prefect, and you don't need to get large, but today you will draw your surroundings.  Use the inks available and the void to map your little area.  Detail is important, pretty pictures are not."

 

Jesse grabbed his board and a pen and resumed the void and began drawing so that the boys could see what he was doing.  He took his position and drew a little stick figure man, and started out from there, addding in rocks and trees and even the rabbit hole that was off to his left.  He wondered if the rabbit would be here.

 

OOC:  I don't have to see alot of details.  the object of this is to begin to see the smaller things with your eyes as well as the void.  It is just practice for the purposes of the void.

 

Jesse

 

[Sieve]

Perivar followed Jesse through the gates to the Ogier grove, it was a place of beauty.  For a moment he thought the Ogier grove's beauty could counter the vileness of the blight.  If only there were more groves.

 

He listened to the instructions, he knew his letters but he had no ability to draw pictures.  Good for him that Jesse did not want pretty pictures.  He watched as Jesse drew their surroundings noting the details that he included.

 

Perivar took a board, ink bottles, a pen and a large piece of paper then sat cross-legged on the ground.  In the void he started to notice things that he would not have without.  On the lowest branch of the nearest tree he spotted a bird in a nest, more importantly he could see a worm in its mouth.  He drew this as best he could. 

 

Near another tree he saw a solitary flower, on the flower pedals were little black flecks.  Looking closer he noticed the flecks moving so he drew a picture of a bug on the pedal.  In the void he continued looking around amazed at all the tiny details that he could pick out.  He added each and every one until he could find no more. 

 

He frowned at his paper looking at the drawings that looked as though a child had drawn them.  Well it was as good as he could do so he informed Jesse that he was finished.

 

 

[Matalina]

Jesse took a look at the drawing and nodded.  "Very good.  Your next step is to keep practicing."  He didn't mean his art work he meant the void and hoped the boy knew that.  "You can go now, you've learned all that I can teach you, it is up to you to practice now."

 

OOC:  Good luck! and you are finished with this class.  I hope you'll join us again with Basic Fitness whenever everyone is done here.

 

[Sieve]

 

 

Perivar nodded when Jesse said "Very Good" he knew it was for the detail and not for the lousy artwork.  Jesse told him to keep practicing and he almost laughed wishing to have a copper for everytime that he heard that.  Jesse dismissed him and Perivar thanked Jesse for the instruction promising that he would practice.

 

((OOC: Thanks Mat!, I'll definately join you for basic fitness))

[Quisalas Selene]

Jasine thought about details as they walked to the Ogier Grove.  If he'd been more detail-oriented, he might have been able to tell the difference between a cat's sound and a man's sound without having had to touch the cats.  They had clearly different heartbeats, he would just have to pay attention and take note of these differences and remember them so that he can be more aware of his surroundings.  He maintained the Void as they walked, and as Master Jesse spoke about details he listened intently: both to her and to the environment he was walking through.

 

Once he had his paper and inks and was seated, ready to draw, he waited a long moment before ever putting pen to paper.  He was quiet, as were the other trainees, each presumably paying attention to their surroundings.  Jesse had talked about protecting and protecting Aes Sedai and so it was from this angle that he looked at his surroundings. 

 

All of the trees in the grove were old, very old, but there were several nearby to Jasine that had grown branches recently enough that they would be very useful for climbing.  He began drawing and carefully penned each of these trees with the branch showing, including the one to his left there the branch had been hollowed out and the nest to some small woodland creature, he guessed a bird - it looked too small for squirrel, was still there.  That branch might not support weight, so it wouldn't be a good climbing branch.  He jotted a little note in a small, cramped hand might break and then let his gaze move from the facts of the trees to their features.  These woods were just alive with game and he wondered if hunting was allowed in the groves.  Not that he had had to hunt for his food since joining the Yards, but he would need to hone his skills with that too.  He drew a little blob of a bird wherever he saw one, being sure not to count the same bird twice. 

 

There was a badger sett tucked between the huge gnarled roots of particularly old tree, but he couldn't smell any badger so he thought it might be abandoned.  There were also no fresh scratch marks along the sides of the entrance so he jotted a little note about that too.  He was scrawling in some marks on one of the sides of the trees from a deer's antlers, marking territory, when he looked up at Jesse, suddenly having no idea whether or not he was supposed to note and label his drawing like this.  He decided not to ask, every map he'd ever seen had notes written on them so he continued.

 

He didn't pay much attention to the flowers or the bugs that he saw, they wouldn't be of much tactical use, and it was this angle he was looking at it from.  It never occurred to him that Master Jesse might want him to note and mark everything, whether it was obviously of use or not, but by the time he rose and handed her the paper, it was a clear and detailed image, if obviously drawn by someone who had no concept whatsoever of perspective, angle, or shading.  It was much less artistic and much more just meticulous about showing what was noticed.  Now that he wasn't drawing it himself, it looked cramped and almost unrecognizable under all of his notations. 

 

Jasine tried not to frown and left his disappointment at the drawing floating on the surface of the void, which hardly even flexed under the emotion.  He was getting pretty good at maintaining this!

[Matalina]

Jesse took Jasine's map and nodded. "Very well detailed.  You are getting the hang of this.  Remember to practice, you are done with this course now.  You can go, but remember to practice.  Practice is the only way you will master ko'di."

 

OOC:  Well done and hope to see you in Basic Fitness.