Plan B: Addi's Arrival [Open]

[AddiBeth]

The noises around her were foreign to her ears.  The feel of the pouch of coins clutched in her hand was unfamiliar.  The dance-like movements of the people around her were strangely transfixing.  The concept of women wielding swords alongside men was unheard of in Braden’s Hill.  Addi felt lost in the sea of sweating bodies.  The Tower stood high in front of her, but despite its proximity, her dreams of white dresses were totally unattainable.  She had spent so long imagining the things she’d be able to do as an Aes Sedai; now that they were impossible, she no longer knew what to do.

 

With no other options, she would not return defeated to her run of the mill life in Braden’s Hill, she’d taken the Aes Sedai’s suggestion and wandered down to the Warders Yard.  Now that she was here, in so unfamiliar a place, Addison wasn’t sure she was... ready?  Or was she just scared of failing again?  Of exhausting all her dreams and being nothing but ordinary?  Jake had asked her once why the concept of just being normal was so frightening for her, she hadn’t had an answer then and didn’t now.  It was just this... inability to settle.

 

Still unsure of her decision, Addison sat down to watch a pair a girl and boy try to hit each other with wooden swords; the pair couldn’t have been more than a year or two older than her.  She was amazed by their ability to move so fast, they seemed to know exactly where the other was about to strike and managed to defend against every attack.  The two kept moving faster and faster, never seeming to get tired—they didn’t even seem to notice Addison sitting, staring.

 

Was this what she wanted to do with her life?

[JainFarstrider]

OC: Seeing as to how no one else has posted yet, I thought I’d pop in if you don’t mind.

 

IC: Elyan was sparring in the yards with one of the other trainees that he had met there. She was better than him, but Elyan tried to hold his own, he was improving in the few weeks that he had been there.

 

One particular exchange was going quite well for Elyan, he was able to deflect all of her attempted blows. Elyan was sweating with concentration, trying to predict his opponent’s attacks, when another woman slightly younger than himself sitting down a short distance away from the pair, watching them spar. Elyan could feel her eyes, and it made him increasingly uncomfortable, he had never liked it when people watched him, part of the reason he always preferred to stay out of sight. His parries were becoming increasingly rushed as his concentration was faltering. The lathe came down  as if to strike him on the head. Moving to the side in an attempt to dodge the blow, he raised his lathe to counter. When suddenly she altered her attack quickly, and he was not focused enough to realize the change before the lathe caught him in the side of the head.

 

The resounding crack left him stunned, he lowered the lathe and raised his hand to his face. His opponent shook with silent laughter as she raised her hand to cover her mouth. He lowered his hand to examine his palm, now stained with red, this confused him because it did not hurt so much. Her expression changed at seeing the blood, to one more of concern. She turned towards the instructor who was already on his way over, shouting something about not getting distracted. He could not hear over the ringing in his ears. The tower guard took hold of his head to examine the wound. Elyan pulled away from him, declaring that he was fine, nothing but a scratch. The trainee and tower guard exchanged glances then looked back at him. He raised his lathe towards his opponent, trying to convince them that he was well.

 

“Shall we continue?” He inquired, hoping his voice was steady, being that he was unable to hear it for himself.

 

OC: I left the other trainee and tower guard un named in case anyone else wants to jump in on this.

 

[AddiBeth]

Crack!

 

Addi jumped.  The boy’s bloody hand elicited a wince of sympathy from her, but she was pleasantly surprised that the girl seemed to have won the fight.  Despite his injury, the boy shrugged it off and asked to continue.  He didn’t even seem to be in pain!  Before watching the pair fight, she’d been so scared that girls wouldn’t be allowed to be Warders or that girls would be at a disadvantage as warriors compared to men—apparently not!  Besides, it didn’t even seem to hurt when they got hit with things; maybe there was some trick so they didn’t feel pain?

 

She could picture it now: Addison Thwait Gaidin, Bonded to the legendary Something Sedai.  They would be in the middle of a huge army of Trollocs and on the very verge of being killed.  Then, Addi would decide to sacrifice herself to save the life of her Aes Sedai, but the Aes Sedai wouldn’t let her because they were such good friends.  Deciding to sacrifice themselves to killed the horde, they would massacre all the Shadowspan and when they were too tired to keep fighting, reinforcements would arrive from the White Tower only to discover a thousand slaughtered Trollocs and the two unconscious, barely breathing bodies of Addison and the Aes Sedai.

 

Crack!  Addi jumped again.

 

One of the pair had gotten hurt again and their instructor was stopping the practice for the day.  The boy seemed to have noticed her staring; she blushed.  Deciding she should probably talk to him, to avoid looking like a total fool, Addi blurted out the first thing that came to mind.  “Are you a Warder?”

[JainFarstrider]

The Tower guard stepped back, giving a warning look to Elyan, but he allowed the pair to continue. Elyan’s head was starting to throb as Alaiya renewed her assault, but he did not show it. Pain was seen as weakness, and his life had taught him that weakness was not something he could afford to show. Still, he could not focus on the lathe seeking to touch his flesh again, it was all he could manage to keep it from him. He could not even attempt a counter, the throbbing started to blur his vision. He couldn’t understand how she moved so fast, he was still attempting to deflect a thrust to his stomach, when the wooden lathe caught him in the knee, with a resounding crack. The blow almost dropped him, but he regained his balance. Alaiya made no move to continue her assault, the Tower Guard stepped between them, taking the lathe from Elyan’s hands before he lost his grip on it.

 

“Take the rest of the day to get that looked at.” He said quietly, “There is some merit in being able to handle pain, but you are back on the yard tomorrow whether you go to the infirmary or not,” The Tower Guard turned to go, pausing and looking back at Elyan over his shoulder, “You need to stay focused more, but you are improving.” Then he left.

 

Alaiya gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, and looked concerned before she walked away. She didn’t say anything, maybe she knew him better than anyone. Shaking his head, he decided to go lie down, maybe that would help to clear his head. Not wanting to bother the Aes Sedai, he turned to go back towards the barracks, nearly running into the girl that had been watching them. His vision was clearing, but his head still throbbed, as he tried to smile at her. He was becoming uncertain of himself, wondering if he should say something.

 

“Are you a Warder?” She blurted out.

 

The question surprised him, looking down at himself, he could not see how anyone could mistake him for a warder.

 

“No,” he said quietly, “I’m just a trainee here.”

 

He moved to take a seat near her, making it easier to retain his balance. Crossing his arms to keep them away from his throbbing head, he tried to think of something appropriate to say.

 

“What brings you to the tower?” He said while still looking at the ground.

 

[AddiBeth]

Another blush turned her face even more red.  He was a trainee?  If a trainee was that good, what could Warders do?  A look of wonder passed over her face, momentarily wiping away her blush, as she dreamed of Warders battling hundreds of enemies at a time, killing deadly monsters, sneaking into guarded fortresses to rescue their Aes Sedai...

 

“What brings you to the tower?”

 

The sound of the trainee’s voice brought her back to reality; she stumbled over her feet and blushed even deeper.  “I um...”  All legends had extraordinary childhoods.  Either they were the heir to a kingdom, hunted by a jealous usurper, or they were born on the streets and their courage helped them overcome their upbringing.  Addi didn’t have any kind of story; all she had was a failed attempt at becoming an Aes Sedai.  “I didn’t want to be a farmer.”  Her voice sung progressively lower, to the point of inaudibility.  It wasn’t that she was ashamed that she was nothing but a farm girl with big dreams...  Okay, maybe she was a little ashamed—but just a little.

 

She looked over at the trainee as blushed again.  He was tallish and was built like Jake.  No, he was definitely more muscular than Jake and he was going to be a Warder.  Damnit, her face was burning!  Plus he was more... the Gleemen liked to say things like “exotic”. 

 

Clearing her suddenly very dry throat, Addison stuck out her hand.  “I’m Addison Thwait, but most people just call me Addi.”  She expected him to shake her hand?  Light, she was an idiot.  Was it possible for a person’s face to burn off from embarrassment?  “So uh...  What brings you to the Tower?” Stupid, he said exactly those words.  “I mean um...  Why are you here?”  Why is he here?  Like he doesn’t have a right to be?  Could her face get any redder?  Bloody hell, what if he looked at her and saw her blushing?

[JainFarstrider]

“I um...”  She paused, Elyan waited for her to continue.  “I didn’t want to be a farmer.”  Her voice slowly losing volume, as she continued

 

Elyan did not blame her, it was not some grand tale that someone could take pride in telling. Still, Elyan could sympathize with her, he did not want to be a beggar. Here was a place that a man, or woman, could make something of themselves, and not be stuck in the spot where they were born. The call to have a purpose was sometimes too great to bear.

 

He raised his head, looking out at the other trainees that were still practicing on the grounds. Everyone here had come from different backgrounds, different paths, but they are all going to the same place, they all had come to give their lives purpose.

 

The young woman next to him suddenly cleared her throat, bringing his thoughts back to the present, he noticed her extended hand.

 

“I’m Addison Thwait, but most people just call me Addi.”   He clasped her hand uncertainly, she was a very assertive person, which made him cautious. The blow to his head must have affected him more than he had previously realized, her face seemed to be acquiring more red than it had earlier.

 

“Elyan Keladirn” He said releasing her hand.

 

“So uh...  What brings you to the Tower?” She stammered.  “I mean um...  Why are you here?” 

Her face gained more of a red tint, which puzzled Elyan because the rest of his vision appeared normal. Why was he here?

 

“I just…” He paused for a moment, swallowing. “I was living off the streets in caemlyn, when I saw an Aes Sedai and her warder.” Trying to decide on his words, “The way the people reacted to them, it was like they radiated hope.” Elyan’s gaze drifted back towards the ground, embarrassed by what he was saying. “I just felt like I could maybe come here, and be apart of something that had purpose.” He finished shaking his head, mumbling under his breath, “foolish.”

 

Elyan glanced at Addison out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge her reaction. He was surprised at himself, he normally did not expose his feelings to anyone, much less someone he had just met. He felt like a bloody fool. Maybe he should go see an Aes Sedai about his head.

 

[AddiBeth]

See!  All great legends had some sad story about their childhood, but Addi had none!  Maybe she should make one up?  She could say a band of brigands attacked her farm, killing her father and Jake; in the attack she could have barely survived and now all she lives for is to be able to defend herself.  Or maybe, she married Jake but he was abusive, so, she ran to the Tower to escape him?  Maybe she was never a farm girl at all: she was raised by brigands, then when she saw them kill people she got scared and ran away; now she lives to hunt down every last one of them.

 

“If you’re foolish, I’m even worse.”  She tried to smile but couldn’t help but blush—or well, she would have if her cheeks were capable of a darker shade of red.  “No one wants to just be nothing, right?”

 

Addison wondered when, exactly, her mind had been made up.  One moment she was wondering if she were even capable of being a Warder, now she could hardly remember wanting to be an Aes Sedai!  The Aes Sedai might get all the glory, but every powerful Aes Sedai had a Warder who jumped through fire for her.

[JainFarstrider]

“If you’re foolish, I’m even worse.” She said as he turned towards her.  “No one wants to just be nothing, right?”

This made Elyan pause for thought, looking back towards the grounds. He always knew that a plain life was not for him, but others seemed to enjoy not knowing what lay beyond the boundaries of their land. They were not driven to find their place in the world, was it so negative a thing to be satisfied with what one was given.

 

“Some people are content with a normal life.” Said Elyan, thinking out loud. “There is no shame in an honest living, even a simple farmer can be proud after a hard day’s work.” Speaking mainly to himself, but raising his voice for her to here. “But I suppose its people like you and I that are called to become something more.” He looked at her as he was finished.

 

Elyan blinked, his head was beginning to clear, and he really saw her for the first time, she was younger than him, a thin frame of lean muscle, wavy brown hair, and shining amber eyes, a pretty face that had a sort of fierceness to it, which interested him. He also realized that the redness he was seeing wasn’t caused by the lathe striking his face. This worried Elyan, had he said something to embarrass her. He couldn’t remember saying anything offensive, but he hadn’t thought much before speaking, which was not like him. Turning back towards the grounds, face coloring slightly, he scrambled for words to change the subject, she obviously did not want to talk about her past life, that much at least was clear to him now.

 

“I haven’t seen you around,” He said quickly, “Have you been here long?” He looked at her again, focusing his thoughts and controlling each word. “I have only been here a couple weeks, but I can help you find your way around.”

[AddiBeth]

Addi shook her head.  “I only got to Tar Valon today.”  She considered admitting to having wanted to be an Aes Sedai but, despite her new dream, the failure was still too fresh.  “I actually haven’t registered... signed-up... or whatever it is that new trainees are supposed to do.  To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I’m doing.”  He looked at her but she couldn’t hold his gaze.

 

“I’ve never understood just settling for normal.  I can’t see the attraction of getting married, raising kids and living on a farm.”  What would Jake do if he saw her flirting, as this was as close to flirting as Addi got, with Elyan?  Would he be disappointed?  Jealous?  Angry?  With her or with him?  She shook her head.  What did it matter?  She didn’t have those sorts of feelings for Jake—did she?  What if Jake had come with her?  Would things be different?  Some of the red in her cheeks faded as her mind struggled with confusion.  She wasn’t here for boys!  She was here to become a Warder!  Romance was for girls who wanted to get married and have babies and stay on farms and...  Warders were totally focused on their Aes Sedai.

 

But Elyan was just offering to help her find her way around—that was all.  “I don’t suppose you could show me where to... sign up or whatever?”

[JainFarstrider]

The young woman shook her head in response  “I only got to Tar Valon today.”  Then she paused a short moment before continuing. “I actually haven’t registered... signed-up... or whatever it is that new trainees are supposed to do.  To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I’m doing.”  She looked at him, then switched her gaze to the trainees out on the grounds.

 

It had been a slight hesitation, barely noticeable even for his trained ear. She was not telling him something, this did not bother him much, everyone was allowed to have their secrets. Still, he made a note of it, if she was not telling him one thing, what else could she be hiding. It was probably nothing, only a small reminder to himself that people aren’t always who they appear to be. Besides, he only really trusted two people, one being himself. There had not been many people he had known that would not slit his throat for a copper mark. He had learned to survive, not to trust. He was thankful for his wariness, it had kept him alive.

 

“I’ve never understood just settling for normal.  I can’t see the attraction of getting married, raising kids and living on a farm.”   The girl said, still not looking at him. He felt the words were more for herself than for his ear. Offering no added remark, he did not disturb her inner thoughts; instead content to sit there watching her argue with herself, studying the way her eyes caught the sunlight. She was banishing stray thoughts that had no place in the here and now, he did the same often enough, it was easy to recognize. Watching her expression change from confusion to stern resolve, he felt maybe they weren’t so different after all.

 

“I don’t suppose you could show me where to... sign up or whatever?” She said suddenly, turning to look at him.

 

Caught by surprise, Elyan pretended that he had been intently watching a group of trainees that were learning to use their body as well as their swords. One pair was lying on the ground with the girl’s legs wrapped around her partner’s throat, which did not look like a particularly comfortable position in which to be stuck. He would have to learn how to fight with no weapon.

 

“Yeah.” He said, bringing his attention back to her. “We can go now, if you so desire.” Raising himself up from the ground. The sudden motion made the world spin, and he almost landed on the ground again, except face first this time. He tried to hide the motion, taking a moment to steady himself on his feet again, before offering her a hand up. “Though you must be certain this is what you want,” He said in all seriousness, even knowing that the warning would not sway her decision. “They do not let you go so easily, and I have seen the punishment for attempting to desert.” Waiting for her affirmation, he led the way towards the MoA’s office, though it was unoccupied at the moment. Taking care to place one foot in front of the other and maintain his balance. “Stubborn fool,” he mumbled, he should have already gone to the infirmary, and would go at his first opportunity. Though, at the moment, he wanted to see that Addibeth got to where she needed to go, and while she was watching him he would not show weakness nor let his steps falter.

 

[AddiBeth]

Blushing again as she took Elyan’s hand, Addison tried to erase the flutter in her belly.  They were going to be colleagues, not... anything else.  When he asked her if this what she really wanted, there was hesitation.  Was this really what she wanted?  Or was she jumping into this too soon, with too little thought, because of her disappointment in the White Tower?  But what else was there?  Going home?  Not a chance in hell!  Not with her tail tucked between her legs, defeated by her apparent inability to channel!  This was what she wanted—this chance.

 

“Stubborn fool.” Mumbled under his breath, Addi barely heard the words.  She glanced back over at him, wondering if he was referring to her.  Was she being a stubborn fool?  Not just giving up on this “ridiculous daydream”, as Jake had always referred to it, and going home to “reality”.  Why hadn’t she ever had these doubts before standing in the, suddenly not-so-proverbial, doorframe of her future?

 

Elyan stood behind her, expecting her to knock on the door to the... Mistress of Trainees had he called her?  She’d been so certain in the Yards.  What if this Mistress of Trainees she couldn’t be a Warder either?  What would she do then?

 

Gulping, she knocked on the door.

[JainFarstrider]

Elyan stood behind Addison as she hesitated in front of the door to the offices. She reminded him of himself not too long ago, unsure of what to expect and afraid of being rejected. He was not a very comforting person, but he felt the need to do something that would calm her nerves.

 

“Don’t worry Addison,” He said giving her a friendly slap on the back, “The Guard won’t reject you for being a born a farmer” He said encouragingly, “Show them that you are as determined as I know you are, and before long you will be bruising me with a training lathe,” Laughing, he gave her a smile that he hoped was heartening.

 

Waiting for her to disappear within the office, he rested a moment using the wall for support before turning and moving towards the infirmary. The Aes Sedai were going to scold him for this one, he thought with slight despair.

 

OOC: If you head to the barracks, I might see you there if that’s ok.

 

[Sieve]

Dragar heard the expectant knock on the door over the din of the training grounds.  He had seen the pair move past his window and recognized the trainee escorting the girl he had never seen in the yards before.  Dragar guessed that the girl was here to enroll though perhaps she was here on other business.  "Come!" He shouted and moments later the door creaked open.  Lara was supposed to put a work order for the door to be greased.  Everything around here required paperwork, the White Tower probably employed more clerks than any other profession.

 

Dragar looked up from the pile of reports on his desk resisting the urge to run his hand through his close cropped brown hair.  He watched as the brown haired girl closed the door and surveyed the room apparently wondering what to do next.  "Over here, come have a seat."  He said as he studied her with his sharp blue eyes.  Dragar could not exactly place her, perhaps when she spoke he could tell from where she came.  Dragar flipped another page with a dark tanned hand as the girl to the seat that he had motioned to.  His dark tanned skin along with his other features named a Tairen as sure as water was wet.

 

Dragar flipped another page then scribbled his signature nonchalantly as he spoke.  "I am Bannerman Dragar Baras, Assistant to the Mistress of Trainees and who might you be?"  He looked up as she answered then went back to the pile of parchment.  "So what brings you to the yards?"  He did not look up, instead he flipped another page, read it briefly then signed his name again.  Another page gone in the mountain of those that still had to be read and signed.  It seemed like a never ending task.  One day he would see his desk clear of all paperwork, either that or he would die in the attempt.  Perhaps he would he would make his rounds through the yards a little early today.  Some fresh air would do him good.

[AddiBeth]

Elyan’s parting words stuck in her mind, the rebuttal to a thousand doubts.  “The Guard won’t reject you.”  Not like the White Tower.  But what if she wasn’t strong enough?  “The Guard won’t reject you.”  What if she couldn’t do some... test that was necessary to become a Warder?  “The Guard won’t reject you.”  What if they only accepted people who already knew how to use a sword?  “The Guard won’t reject you.”  What if this?  What if that?  What if a thousand things?  It didn’t matter, when the voice came, she somehow managed to open that door without turning back.

 

A man sat behind a desk piled high with papers; he hardly bothered to glance up at her when Addi walked through the door.  She stood, wondering if she should curtsey as she had for the Aes Sedai, but warriors didn’t curtsey—should she bow?  Kneel?  Make some sort of heroic gesture?  Before she could decide, the man gestured for her to sit in the chair. With a barely discernible jerking motion that was half-head nod, half-bend at the waist, half-bob in curtsy fashion, Addison sat feeling like a complete idiot.  She just hoped he hadn’t noticed her stumble.

 

The man introduced himself as the assistant to the Mistress of Trainees; Addi had been wondering about this considering, well, he was a man and mistresses were... not.  The he asked the question Elyan had, Addison still didn’t have a decent response.  Not one that would make this man let her train to become a Warder, in any case.  “I didn’t want to be a farmer” just wasn’t the stuff of a determined warrior.  Neither was “I couldn’t be a Novice”.  Blood and ashes, why had her life been so very ordinary when it was clear to her that she was so much more than a farmer’s wife?  She’d been born in the wrong town—into the wrong family.

 

“I’m uh... Addison Twait from Braden’s Hill,” blood and ashes, she was stumbling over her own name “and I...  I want to be a Warder?”  The last bit came out in a rush.  What had possessed her to make that statement into a question?  “I mean, I do want to become a Warder.  Uh... sir.”  The warriors in the stories always called people “sir”.

[Sieve]

Dragar put down the pen and parchment then stood adjusting the tabard hanging over his brightly polished armor.  The tabard named him a Tower Guard as sure as the crimson cloak that hung limply on the coat rack.  His black shield with the white flame of Tar Valon hung on the wall.  His sword and scabbard were propped against the wall behind his desk.  The pictures depicting scenes of battle or of Tower Guards on post adorned the walls of his office.  He was proud of his service in the Tower Guard and it showed.  In all his splendor he was actually quite impressive looking, that was why he donned his armor and full regalia daily.  He had an image to maintain.

 

Dragar had decided years ago not to become a warder declining numerous requests by Aes Sedai who were in need of one.  He was oath sworn to serve the White Tower and all Aes Sedai whenever and wherever Guardsmen were needed.  Even though becoming a Warder was not his calling he did not hold it against those who chose that path.  Giving your entire existence to serve one person for the rest of your life was not something to be taken lightly.  It was actually quite admirable, there were a lot of freedoms that he had as a Tower Guard that a Warder did not.  Even so there was honor in both professions, the White Tower could not do without either.

 

Dragar walked to the window overlooking the yards as he always did when a new recruit came to enroll.  "So Addison Twait from Braden’s Hill, what makes you want to become a Warder?  Have you any idea the commitment that it entails?"  He could sense her discomfort and tried to ease her mind before she could respond.  "I am not here to dissuade you, my intent is to make sure that you are aware of what you are getting yourself into."  The clacking of lathes joined with shouts from instructors were always present.  He watched over the yards giving her time to repsond. 

 

 

 

[AddiBeth]

The man stood.  Suddenly, Addison realised he was a soldier and not simply a desk clerk.  Dragar was tall and muscular; the armour he wore didn’t seem to hamper his movements at all.  She glanced at the sword propped against the wall that she hadn’t noticed upon her entrance.  His voice had an edge that Addison had never encountered before; he did not speak unkindly, but was gruff seemingly without intending to be.  He was a soldier—the first that Addi had actually encountered.  She tried to imagine herself years from now like him.  Her romanticised notions of legendary warriors labelled him the “strong silent” type.  Who would she become after years of training?

 

Again he asked the question but she still wasn’t sure how to answer.  Hers wasn’t the story that spoke of legendary courage or determination, but she could hardly make up some sort of story on the spot.  Addi doubted that lying would go over well; having Dragar standing over her intimidated her more than she was willing to admit.  So, here goes the truth.

 

“All my life I’ve dreamed of being anything other than a farmer’s daughter or a farmer’s wife.  My father and Jake, everyone told me that I was too old to dream about being in stories.  I don’t want to be ordinary.  I want to be more; I want my life to mean something.”  She was desperately trying to prove that she could do this—to herself as much as Dragar.  She just couldn’t seem to find the right words.

 

“When Jake asked me to marry him and told me that being his wife should be enough for me, I knew it wasn’t and so I left.  Eventually I found my way here and so I went to the White Tower to become an Aes Sedai, but the Mistress of Novices person said I couldn’t channel and she pointed me here and then I saw women in the Yards and so I decided I wanted to be a Warder since I couldn’t be an Aes Sedai but...”  She was rambling, so much so that she had to take a break just to gasp for breath.  The way Dragar was looking at her, Addison realised she must be making the Warders Yard sound like “second best” option.

 

For the second time that day, Addi was pleading for some sort of destiny.  “I just don’t want to be ordinary.”

[Sieve]

"An interesting story for sure.  Do not worry, when you are finished with your training you will be far from ordinary."  Returning to his desk he opened the ledger and picked up the steel nibbed pen.  He dipped the pen in the ink then scratched her name on the rolls.

 

"Well then, you are all set.  Across the yards you will find the trainee barracks.  Find yourself a vacant bunk and get settled in.  You have the rest of the day to yourself.  Your training will begin at sunrise tomorrow, do not be late."  He emphased the last few words.  Dragar stood and smiled warmly.  "Now if you do not have any questions, you are dismissed."

[AddiBeth]

An audible sigh of relief escaped her lungs.  She was going to be a Warder!  Had it been fate that had guided her here; meant to be a Warder and not an Aes Sedai?  Surely there was some larger destiny at work in her life.  Addi glanced over at Dragar’s sword again, imagining herself holding such a blade; imagining herself protecting an Aes Sedai with such a blade.  What would she name it?  Every sword in the legends had some sort of awesome name, like Artur Hawkwing’s blade: Justice.

 

Addison Thwait, Warder of the White Tower!  Gaidin to ___ Sedai!  An example to all Warder-to-be after her!  A gleeman’s favourite tale!  Vanquishing great evil with her sword Lightbringer!  Or maybe Lightclaw!  What about Whitefire?

 

She left Dragar’s office with instructions for tomorrow, but her mind was thinking ten, twenty years ahead.  Starting tomorrow, her natural abilities as a warrior would help her advance quickly so she could be promoted to a Tower Guard.  Had anyone mentioned how long that would take?  A month?  Two?  Her talents would catch the eyes of a few Aes Sedai and there would be suitable angst over her decision of whom she should Bond.  After that, the Aes Sedai would lead them out to the Blight where they would battle hordes of Trollocs and Myrdraal, meeting a few fascinating Borderlanders, and doing all sorts of legendary things.

 

Catching her reflection in a nearby window, Addison decided she didn’t look like a warrior... yet.  The farmgirl’s dress no longer suited her and she hadn’t seen a woman wearing skirts since exiting the White Tower itself.  Sure the “proper” thing would have been to refuse to take the Aes Sedai’s money but she’d been too overwhelmed at the time to do anything but follow instructions.  Yes, all good warriors refused to take charity, but how else was she supposed to afford clothing appropriate to her new life?

 

Besides, she’d never gone “shopping” before.