Silliness and Light (Open RP)

[Raeyn]

 

"If I had to stake a guess, I'm guessing that young man leading the two-person parade back to the Yard is soon to be raised to the Guard, yes?"  Mariasha laughed, and peered around for a suitable branch.  Exclaiming in delight, she spotted a likely one nearby, and picked it up for inspection.  Nodding in satisfaction, she sat back down and fished a small case out of her belt pouch, "You can tell, you see, with those about to get raised.  They get all pomp and dignity at thinking about not being a trainee anymore and all the honor and duty that supposedly come with it... but really, it just means training the same and having to stand watches besides."

 

Gesturing Elyan and Edana over with her branch, she then took out her dagger and whittled a notch into the top.  Nodding in satisfaction, she opened her small case to reveal a few hooks and a couple of meters of line, "Edana, do you have any experience fishing, or are you going to need pointers like our damp friend here?"

[U4ea]

Edana shook her head at Sandre, barely refraining from mentioning how many extra layers of clothing Elyan happened to be wearing for his dip in the river compared to the day she'd met Sandre. It was difficult. She deserved an extra hour off for it. Truly.

 

She smirked at the woman speaking. She must be a Tower Guard by the tone of experience in her voice. "Or freshly raised to it," she said as she watched the woman whittle the branch. "I can't decide whether he's been hauled into the woods, yet or not." Mainly because they hadn't been able to have their little weekly rendezvous because of this little party. She'd been handling extra chores and training sessions the last few days, so wouldn't know if his things had been moved out of his room or not. She'd have to ask and doing that would give her away.

 

"I've been fishing," she said, snapping herself out of her thoughts. "I was six when I went, though. I could probably use a refresher course." Her Dad had died that year and, between her brothers, there was rarely time to take their little sister fishing between the trainings, guard duty and a host of other excuses. She pasted the smile on her face, searching for a joke to make as Elyan moved closer. "I do remember that the wettest person had to bait the hook, though..." She turned her grin on Elyan.

 

~Edana

[JainFarstrider]

Elyan glared at Edana, he didn’t like the idea of being used as bait. Then had to cover his mouth to conceal the laughter.

 

Elyan stood in silence while the others talked, he had become used to speaking with others and getting to know people since first coming to the tower, but he still felt awkward in large groups, instead preferring to stand outside of the others and withdraw himself from the conversation. He watched the others hold their discussion while waiting pleasantly in silence, a small grin resting on his face.

 

He nodded to the other trainee in a response to his training invitation.

 

When Sandre turned to go, he called after him, “Don’t worry about it, I have some dry clothes stashed where I started swimming, but thanks anyway.”

 

Elyan walked over to the woman that he didn’t know yet when she beckoned for him. She had a small container with little metal hooks, and a large span of tightly woven string.  He examined the items with curiosity. Aroused from his study at Edana’s second comment suggesting he be the bait, he glanced over to her, trying to conceal his grin.

 

“I don’t think you would be able to capture the fish you would lure using me as the bait.” He said the smirk now dominating his face.

 

[Sangreal]

As Visar and Sandre began to head back Sandre was quick to break the silence. "So you chose a lance? Too bulky and short for me. If your enemy surprises you with a bunch of spears or a palisades you wont have time to stop and your lance comes to not. I prefer the pike. Much longer, same weight, and more likely to pierce the armor and go right through your opponent, maybe even two or three. Plus the extra length will give you time to avoid those spears and palisades if needed. Since you are likely to break both the lance and the pike on the first strike anyways the advantages outweigh the lance... personal opinion though..."

 

He didnt mean to rant. He just read too many books really. He hoped the Visar had a good counter opinion to his own.

 

"During my instruction a trainee with a lance missed the target and stuck the lance in the ground at full gallop. It de-horsed him and left him dangling on his own lance. The class almost died laughing."

[Visar Falmaien]

(ooc: arg I had a post ready and you beat me to it)

 

"So you chose a lance? Too bulky and short for me. If your enemy surprises you with a bunch of spears or a palisades you wont have time to stop and your lance comes to not. I prefer the pike. Much longer, same weight, and more likely to pierce the armor and go right through your opponent, maybe even two or three. Plus the extra length will give you time to avoid those spears and palisades if needed. Since you are likely to break both the lance and the pike on the first strike anyways the advantages outweigh the lance... personal opinion though..."

 

Visar was slightly taken aback from the abrupt conversation, but it seemed Sandre was friendly enough.  He thought he could trust the man at least.  He laughed when Sandre told of the episode of a lance mishap, but brought something up that Visar thought he should clarify.

 

"I don't use a lance on horse.  At least not yet.  In fact, I thought a pike was a type of lance..." he started awkwardly, "but just a longer kind?  The lance I chose is about ten feet long; it might as well be a pike for me, it's long enough!  I...I'm not very good with it yet." Visar admitted, somewhat abashed.  "They have me training and sparring with a long staff still to get used to pole-arms, and I haven't even tried using anything on horse yet.  I can barely handle riding a horse, much less use a weapon from one.  You think that trainee had a mishap, you have no idea how many times I've fallen from just riding lessons!"

 

"I think training with a lance is useful, because it gives me some experience with a longer weapon, but I'm much better with my long sword than anything else.  I find it a more comfortable, versatile weapon from my limited experience, but maybe that's because I started on it.  I also fancy myself a proficient dagger man as well, though I could still use some more practice up close"

 

"How about you?  what do you like to train with other than a spear?"

 

 

[Sangreal]

"How about you?  what do you like to train with other than a spear?" Sandre laughed. "The spear is just for fishing... I chose it over a rod and line since it teaches you to be silent in the water and builds hand eye coordination. Plus a little training with thrusting isnt bad." He paused for a moment in thought and nodded to a guard who passed by. The trainees he had sent out to look for Visar nodded to the two of them before running to the yards.

 

"I train in the hand and a half sword and throwing daggers. The hand and a half can be used one handed or two and no opponent expects you to suddenly go with two when you swing or a dagger flying from your left hand  when they back out of striking range of the sword. I found an old weighted spear used in the days of Hawkwing that was meant for throwing at the enemy before they close to eliminate numbers or armor. I am not great at it though. I also have been secretly training with dual wielding broad swords that I set aflame... I am thinking of switching them to scimitars though. The purpose is most people who are better swordsman than I can handle me as a single, weaker threat. With two swords I am as great as two opponents. With flames I am four."

 

Sandre was trying his best not to come off as arrogant but his attempts made him sound... eager instead.

 

"I have also been learning new forms of training.. it started with my anger problem."

 

OOC modified due to being tired

 

 

[Visar Falmaien]

Visar smiled at the thought of waving around two flaming swords.  It certainly seemed theatrical, he thought.

 

"I have not done well with fighting with two equal length weapons, much less setting them aflame.  That takes a coordination that I lack, honestly, and takes longer to train to the same level that someone can train with one weapon.  I think I'm content to stick with a long sword wielded with two hands.  It's versatile, simple, and good enough for me. And then a dagger with grappling techniques for closer range or in case I have no sword, and the lance for longer range.  I suppose my eventual goal is to be proficient at all ranges of melee combat.  But I'm rambling on about all these weapons that I was never able to touch before I came here...

 

What brought you to the Tower, if I may ask?"

 

Visar knew he was taking a slight risk here, because he might be expected to answer his own question.  But he needed to be able to trust someone, and perhaps it was time to be a little more truthful about his past, now that it seemed it was behind him.

[Sangreal]

Sandre stopped in the part of the yards where they would seperate if Visar was planning to go to Thera.

 

"What brought you to the Tower, if I may ask?"

 

Sandre looked him at hims with a serious look. "A stones game... I had been champion at the Queen's yearly tournaments in Andor since I was seven... when I turned 14 on a trip to Saldea I met an Aes Sedai in a commander tent... I didnt know she was an Aes Sedai at the time though. I spent days with her. Talking strategy and stones and just life in general. We finally played a stones game for my future. I lose I come here. I win... well she implied she would be mine. You would be surprised how showing a little bosom to a 14 year old as you bend over to place pieces on a stones board can trip him up. I lost, so here I am."

 

He thought about the entire conversation they had coming here. "And honestly, the flaming swords is more of a hobby. I am not great with two weapons. Thats Elyan's talent. However it is beautiful to watch. I am only average for the amount of training I put in to weapons.. I havent excelled in any of them. I also am strong but only because I work twice as hard as the average trainee to even get there. I good at using my mind. Battle strategy is my talent."

 

"Now you know. Perhaps one day we can grab a few drinks and you can tell me who is hunting you in Tear?" It was still a guess. However if Visar corrected him then Sandre would learn at least one fact of what its not. If he didnt...

[Opera]

As Visar and Sandre were well enough on their own and Elyan didn't need any additional clothing, Llewelyn didn't see any other reason to leave with them and go back to the Yards, and he wanted to stay a little longer with Mariasha Gaidin because she was a very interesting woman. She could probably catch many of her assaillants off guard with that gentle carelessness attitude of her.

 

Llewelyn just added a comment toward Visar leaving to remind him of going to the infirmary after or before seeing Thera, for the splint wouldn't hold long.

 

He then sat back on the grass and grabbed some fruit out of the picnic basket and watched the other three as they were preparing to fish, which reminded him of long summer afternoons spent on the Arinelle's bank. He grabbed a tree branch and tried to make his own fishing pole by using the materials Mariasha Gaidin had brought with her, with her permission of course.

 

"That was a clever idea, Mariasha Gaidin. If we fish enough, maybe we'll be able to feed the whole Yards with our catches tonight !" He thought Edana would probably be able to make a better joke than that, but this measured up his whole talent at pulling jokes. He was better at pulling pranks, though.

 

During his labour, his thoughts went on the Warder he had met. Again, his curious nature made his timidity go away as he asked : "Mariasha Gaidin, if I may, I would like to know how you met your Aes Sedai. I mean, what kind of thoughts and relationship can make a Warder and an Aes Sedai bond together ?"

In his mind, Dragar's warning about Shera refusing to make him her Warder when she accessed to the Shawl echoed in his head as a doom toll. He was wondering about what kind of feelings other than love would make him want to bond with another Aes Sedai.

[Visar Falmaien]

"A stones game... I had been champion at the Queen's yearly tournaments in Andor since I was seven... when I turned 14 on a trip to Saldea I met an Aes Sedai in a commander tent... I didnt know she was an Aes Sedai at the time though. I spent days with her. Talking strategy and stones and just life in general. We finally played a stones game for my future. I lose I come here. I win... well she implied she would be mine. You would be surprised how showing a little bosom to a 14 year old as you bend over to place pieces on a stones board can trip him up. I lost, so here I am."

 

Visar listened, fascinated that someone would go to the White Tower because he lost a mere game.  How did one play this Stones game anyway?  Visar had no idea.  The only games he knew were kid games, and those they played with dice in Tairen taverns.  He had managed to keep himself busy enough to keep away from the ones here, for fear of getting back into his gambling habits.

 

He nodded.  Flaming swords did sound a bit excessive to most reasonable warriors.  But Elyan could fight with two swords?  Visar would have to try to spar him one day.  That sounded like quite a challenge to fight two weapons.

 

They paused at the path before they would separate.  Visar felt his wrist ache up again.  The split was a little loose, he realized, and he would need to get it patched up.  Yet the next thing that Sandre said completely stunned Visar.

 

"Now you know. Perhaps one day we can grab a few drinks and you can tell me who is hunting you in Tear?"

 

Visar stumbled, and did a double take.

 

"You...you know about that?  How?!"  he whispered incredulously, trying to figure out where he had slipped up.

 

He frantically glanced around.  Had anyone else overheard?  No.  The minute anyone thought Visar was a murderer, he knew that his new life here would be not be the same.  Blood and Ashes, my life might as well be over!

 

"I...In Tear..." Visar started to try to explain, but couldn't.  Not yet.

"Another time, Sandre." he said, regaining his composure a little.  "Yeah, maybe if you know a place where we can talk privately, maybe then."  That would have to do for now.  In the meantime Visar could collect himself, and he'd figure out how much he could safely tell Sandre without getting into trouble for it.

 

He used his wrist as an excuse to part.

 

"I...I need to get to the infirmary, get this patched up, and then check with Thera, or Dragar or whoever's there right now.  I'll talk to you later, Sandre."

[Sangreal]

Sandre looked as Visar was about to leave. "Visar wait!... I didnt know. Your look when I approached. You have been approached like that before. Your heritage is obviously Tear. You have someone you expect the same approach from thats how I... guessed. You didnt deny it. I wont say anything about it. You must remember that your past is in fact your past. There is no need to look at an armed stranger with worry, there is no need to wear your anger as a mask. When you want to learn to control it all come seek me out. You have my friendship for what its worth, and my loyalty comes with it."

 

He turned and headed towards the barracks. Most the the trainees were running from something, a crime, a mundane life, poverty. It usually took awhile for them to realize that being here was a transformation. You left your old acts and deeds behind. You left your old life behind.

[Visar Falmaien]

Visar felt like breaking into a run as Sandre talked after him, asking him to wait.  He had not known, which was somewhat of a relief to Visar, but the words that stung the most were that he was his friend.

The things I did, he doesn't even know them.  And he is still willing to be my friend?  Why?

 

As he headed to the infirmary, Visar wished for the thousandth time that he had never picked up the sword.  That he had never killed that man.  That he had never tried to cheat and gamble his life away.

 

Half of him wanted to confess all of it to Sandre, to get it all off his chest.  But the other half was stronger, and Visar kept walking with his back turned.  He was not yet ready, he told himself.  He had to get stronger first.  He had to prepare for what would happen if he told someone what he did, or if someone from Tear came for him to hunt him down.

 

And first things first.  I've got to get this wrist healed up, and clear things with the Mistress or Dragar.

 

Visar frowned.  His sprained left wrist would make it difficult to do anything two handed.  Maybe it was time to try his Tairen sword, he thought, despite its connotations to crime.

 

Visar kept himself busy the rest of the day, especially with the garden work he was given for a light "punishment".

 

(ooc: guess I'll end my part in the thread, have fun the rest of you guys!)

 

 

[Raeyn]

As she finished securing the line to the stick, Mariasha carefully tied the hook onto the end of the string.  "That's about all there is to preparing a rod, Elyan.  If you find yourself a good stick, I'll let you borrow a hook so you can try your hand as well.”

 

Eying her handiwork, her attention was diverted when Llewelyn suddenly spoke up, "That was a clever idea, Mariasha Gaidin. If we fish enough, maybe we'll be able to feed the whole Yards with our catches tonight!"  She laughed, “I sincerely doubt that we could feed all of the Yards, but at least we might manage to catch enough of something or another to snack on here in a bit.”  Shooting a smile at the returning Elyan, she took the proffered stick and inspected it, “That should work just fine; help yourself to the hooks and line.”

 

And then Llewelyn threw her a curveball, “Mariasha Gaidin, if I may, I would like to know how you met your Aes Sedai. I mean, what kind of thoughts and relationship can make a Warder and an Aes Sedai bond together?"

 

Laughing and groaning at the same time, she laid down her line and turned to the young trainee before addressing him, “Oh Light, now that’s a tale.  Suffices to say that beer makes the heart grow fonder, and in mine and Taeadra’s case, it provided an immediate connection.”  She shook her head before continuing, “And what I mean by that is that we happened to meet at an inn while out drinking with friends, and it was just an immediate liking of each other.  We both knew that it was right, drunk or not, and agreed to bond the very next day.  Of course, the very next day we were both very hung over… care to guess what happened?”  Her eyes sparkled with amusement before she continued, “Well, as you might have heard, women who bond each other tend to reflect each other a lot more strongly than a male/female bond.  Take two hangovers and multiply them mentally… let’s just say some very unhappy Novice had some very nasty cleaning up to do later that day.”

 

Standing abruptly, Mariasha gestured towards the river, “Shall we try our luck, then?”  She wanted to distract them before they asked any more questions – for all that herself and Taeadra were back on the right track again, there were still many things she wasn’t comfortable talking about with their relationship.

 

[Opera]

Beer ? Was that all a woman needed before making a lifelong decision ? Llewelyn could only look at her in dismay. Did she really mean it ? That she met her to-be Aes Sedai and decided to be bonded to her all in one single night with a little help from... beer ? Then, Llewelyn wondered if it wasn't some part of that women's intuition nonsense that let them know immediately whether they get along well with one another. If that was so, that wasn't of much help to solve his problem. He'll have to figure things out on his own then...

 

As Mariasha motionned them to the riverside, Llewelyn dug up a little patch of loose soil to try to find worms, which fish were so fond of. He found some and handed them to the others before putting one on his own hook and angling his line in the waterflow. He picked up a blade of grass to chew on and waited patiently for a first bite.

 

 

 

(OOC : sorry, no inspiration to relaunch a debate tonight)

[Raeyn]

Accepting a worm, Mari threaded it expertly into her hook.  She had already taken off her shoes and rolled her pants up a bit, and her feet dangled in the chill water as she cast her line out a bit in front of her.  The submerged grass on the downward sloping riverbank tickled at her feet, and she smiled - <b>this</b> was relaxation!

 

She turned her attention back to Llewelyn, who looked pensive, “Is something wrong, Llewelyn?”  Mariasha had an idea what was worming into his mind, but then?  Initiates had to lose their innocent ideas about bonding and servitude at some point, and she didn’t feel bad about bruising notions.  After all, it might make him think about what he was getting into more than she herself had. 

 

And if it saved her the pain that her Aes Sedai brought her, that Thera’s Aes Sedai brought her, then all the better.  While none could deny her affection and concern for her Sister, it was definitely far from the ideal relationship a young girl fresh to Tar Valon had in her mind.

 

[Sangreal]

Sandre returned to the river and smiled at the gathered group. Edana was red for some reason, but it only took a moment to see the grin on Elyan's face to realize that something had happened. They were already calmly fishing. Not wanting to disturb anything by them he went down river a bit. Removing his shirt and weapons and kicking off his boots he tied the legs of his breeches a little higher. Stepping into the cold water with the spear as though expecting an ambush from some renegade vengeful fish he quietly and slowly moved, careful not to disturb the water.

 

Seeing a few fish in one area. He moved to that area. It scared them still so he stood as still as possible. Waiting for the few minutes it would take them to return.

[Opera]

As Mariasha Gaidin asked what was worrying him, Llewelyn didn't bother giving much of an explanation. He just said : "Nah, I'm just wondering about things that won't happen until a long time. I don't want to spoil the mood of such a bright afternoon. I should enjoy more of the present day."

Saying so, he relinquished his worries in a far and tiny corner of his mind, and tried to ease any tension that might remain, his mind soon drifting in daydreaming.

 

[Elgee]

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