A Disgruntled MoT (attn Sieve)

[Eqwina]

The sun had not yet come up over the Tower walls, but Thera had already done her morning run and changed into her uniform. For the first time in over 10 years she’d picked up a sewing needle and let out the waist of her pants. They had been growing snug over the last weeks, but today she’d not been able to make them button. Her stomach had not grown large enough yet to show when she tucked in her flowing cream shirt, but she didn’t think that day would be too far off.

 

As quietly as a mouse she crept back out of the room, and the bed she shared with Jasine and snuck into her office. It should be at least half an hour before her ‘temporary helper’ arrived. The lout had been given the title Assistant Master of Trainee’s, but it was too close to her own to be of any comfort to Thera. She liked order and control and hated anyone else to infringe on her work. Even Jasine stepped lightly when they spoke of her trainee’s and now she was being forced to trust them to a man she hardly knew. Yes he was qualified, and YES she’d chosen him out herself, after Mia had pressed the point, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t being checking up on him every chance she got.

 

Using the connecting door from her office to his she lit a single lamp and carried it with her to his desk. Sitting out was the punishment roster and the large book that contained all the names newly signed. She gawked at the list she had yet to meet, and muttered a few curses to singe sailor’s ears. Flipping through his punishment roster she found it too light by half and all wrong. Slamming the book shut she stalked back into her own office depositing the lamp where she’d found it.  “Bloody fool will probably let them get away with Murder next.”

 

Pulling out a thick sheet of parchment embossed with her sigil and that of the office of Mistress of Trainee’s she began a rather strong letter to Mia, adding the names of two Aes Sedai as well. It was those three who were most responsible for her reduced work schedule so it would be at their feet that she would lay all the trainee’s this ‘man’ managed to screw up.

 

Never once during her tirade did it occur to Thera that her anger could be a matter of jealousy or her hormones running wild.

 

[Sieve]

With his early morning routine complete, Dragar strapped on his armor and swordbelt then donned his tabard and crimson cloak.  As always his uniform was neatly pressed and his armor brightly polished.  His uniforms had always been pressed for him but he used to polish his own armor until recently.  His new position afforded him some small benefits, like better accomodations and extra coin to pay others to do things for him like polish his armor and black his boots.  In his current position his outward appearance was vital.  He had to look the part.

 

Turning his key in the lock Dragar was surprised to find it unlocked.  It was still well short of sunrise so he doubted highly that one of the clerks had arrived before him.  Pushing the door open he noticed the glow of lamplight coming from Thera's office.  Dragar walked to the doorway then stopped.  Thera was scribbling furiously on a sheet of parchment as if she was trying to slay it.  Whatever the subject, she did not look happy.  He could not say what it was but she looked different.  Maybe it was that she looked ready to do murder.  He had heard that women who were with child could be moody, perhaps that was the cause.

 

"Good Morning Mistress Thera."  Dragar said politely then offered her a respectful nod and a warm smile when she looked up.  "I have a pile of reports to get through but if you need me for anything please do not hesitate to ask."  Not wanting to interrupt her train of thought he made his way to his office. 

 

Dragar hung his cloak on one of the hooks on the coatrack then unbuckled his swordbelt propping it against the wall behind his desk.  Sitting for hours at a desk did not lend itself to wearing the thing.  Anyway it was well within an arms reach. 

 

Dragar picked up the punishment book and ledger that held the names of the trainees from his desk then desposited them on one of the shelves in the bookcase to make room for the pile of reports he had to review.  Some of the reports were repetetive though the first report on the pile was one he had never seen before.  The armory's stock of weapons and armor were dwindling as a result of the recent influx of recruits.  The master of the armory requested that he be allowed to take on more apprentices to fill the need.  Dragar unstoppered the inkjar then scribbled his approval on the report for the master to take on whatever help he needed.  Along with the approval he scribbled a note to keep him apprised of the armory's status by way of a weekly report.  It would not go well for him if he allowed the Tower's armory to run out of supply.  Placing that sheet of parchment aside he reached for another. 

[Eqwina]

Thera’s foot tapped in time with the scratching of her pen and her tongue was held between her teeth as she signed her name with a flourish. The letter would singe a few ears, and hopefully get her point across. Just because she was with child did not mean she could not handle her job.

 

She’d been so intent on delivering her tongue lashing that she hardly noticed that Dragar had arrived to begin his day. Since he’d taken more than half her work load there wasn’t ever much for her to do. Folding up her letter she sealed it with wax and set it aside. There were a few reports that would require her permission, not his and while she took a small joy in that the tiny stack dwindled too soon and she found herself with nothing to do. From next door she could hear the scritch scratch of his pen and the turning of papers as his stack of papers also acquired their signatures. Her nerves were on edge and she was angry, knowing it was foolish to feel jealous did not keep it from adding that to her mix as well. Finally she could take it no more and she pushed her chair back from her desk and stomped into the next room.

 

Her entrance was so loud and disturbing that Dragar looked up from his desk, his face seeming an impenetrable calm. That only grated more and Thera walked over and snatched away the paper he’d been about to sign. “You were going to APPROVE that twit of an Accepted to train with Adain? Do you want them sprouting babes before you can blink. Put her with another, one of the new women should due.”

 

Leafing through the papers he’d already signed she shook her head at the armory needing more hands. It hardly seemed possible that the tower could have grown so much! And here she was all but out of commission, when they would be needing her the most. It wasn’t until she heard the crinkling of paper that she’d realized she crumpled the page. Laying it on the desk slowly she walked over to the side table, with as much dignity as she could muster, and poured a mug of water. She was glad to have her back to the man at the moment since her face had colored to match her hair. Wanting to stave off at least some of her swinging moods Thera tried to form the void and it wouldn’t come. For years the flame and emptiness had formed without thought and now it wouldn’t come at all. It was enough to make her cry.

 

Turning back around to face the current source of her rage she gestured with her free hand, clinging to her sword belt with the other. “I do not like the thought of having to check on every order you approve. I had thought you were more competent than that! Use common sense man, these trainee’s are like children, they must be disciplined and nurtured until they can be trusted on their own. Then I shouldn’t have expected much from a man! Your gender knows nothing about the raising of babes.” As the rage escaped her lips Thera realized that other than what she knew from her trainee’s she knew nothing either.

 

“Tell me why I shouldn’t find you a replacement right now!” Covering her own fear she turned the turmoil she was feeling back on Dragar.

 

Thera Trakelyn

Hormones raging

 

[Visar Falmaien]

Dragar looked up as the door to Mistress Thera's office exploded.  He kept his face calm, though inwardly, he knew that something must be wrong.  He had done nothing wrong that he could think of to deserve Mistress Thera being upset at him.  He was just about to sign another request when she ripped the paper away from him and snapped at him harshly.

 

“You were going to APPROVE that twit of an Accepted to train with Adain? Do you want them sprouting babes before you can blink. Put her with another, one of the new women should due.” 

 

Dragar blinked.  How had Mistress Thera come to assume that Adain and this Accepted would get too close?  Or perhaps he had overlooked something about the two persons before signing it?  He frowned slightly as she started leafing through the signed papers he had already put into a nice, neat stack.  He almost visibly winced as she crumpled a page, though he said nothing.  She turned and poured herself a glass of water, visibly frustrated, but Dragar was not exactly sure at what.  She turned on him again, shouting this time.

 

“I do not like the thought of having to check on every order you approve. I had thought you were more competent than that! Use common sense man, these trainee’s are like children, they must be disciplined and nurtured until they can be trusted on their own. Then I shouldn’t have expected much from a man! Your gender knows nothing about the raising of babes.”

 

"My gender..." Dragar began to mutter, but he suppressed an angry outburst.  Clearly Mistress Thera was upset about something.  What did his gender have to do with anything?  And of course he had been using common sense!  He did not think Trainees should be treated as children, but as adults, capable of making their own decisions, good or bad, in order to prepare them for a warrior's life.

 

“Tell me why I shouldn’t find you a replacement right now!”

 

Dragar took a breath, and rose from his chair slowly.  He could not afford to lose his temper, or he really would lose his new position.  He quickly rearranged the stack of signed documents into a neat stack once more. "Mistress Thera, surely you are overreacting?  It is not as if an Accepted and a Tower Guard would be allowed to train completely unsupervised.  We are training warriors, are we not?  They must be continuously challenged and held accountable for any bad decisions they make, not kept unweened and unprepared.  I do not think babying them will accomplish that.  I assure you, Mistress Thera, I am doing the very best I can."

 

 

[Eqwina]

Thera’s  eyebrows rose higher and higher and the light grip on her sword belt turned into a clutch, which led to the blade sliding loose in the scabbard. She wasn’t going to replace him; she was going to kill him. In a desperate attempt to dampen her anger she tried again to form the void, and once again it eluded her. This time she was sure that if she didn’t start yelling the tears would flow.

 

“I am overreacting?” Her words were slow and deliberate, each one with the force of a swinging sword behind it. “I have been doing this job for years, you on the other hand have only been doing it for weeks and yet you dare to tell me that I am overreacting?!” Her thin eyebrows seemed to be trying to climb of her face, and only a fool wouldn’t notice the death grip on her sword.

 

“Yes we are training warriors, training being the operative word. Do you tell me that you do not remember your younger days here in the Tower? When Aes Sedai were still a mystery and all women were enchanting? Well I remember those days and I never had a young man’s hormones to cope with. The Accepted will train with one of the women, and that is the final word on it.” She resisted the urge to return to the desk and find fault with every order he had signed, but even with hormones raging she knew that would be immature. “If this is your best Dragar I am afraid you are going to have to try much harder to live up to my standards. In fact….why don’t you take a few hours this afternoon and go through my notes and punishment logs from the last few years. Then you will see how these trainee’s should be run. I will handle any work you have left here.” Taking the stack of papers from his desk she carried them through the open door and placed them where they should have been all along; her inbox.

 

“I am waiting Dragar. You have logs to go through” 

 

[Visar Falmaien]

(ooc: hopefully this works?)

 

Dragar clenched his teeth as Thera's fury hit him full force.  He noticed right away her tightened grip on her sword, and his face paled.  His eyes darted quickly behind his desk and back to Thera's sword hand.  He might be able to reach his sword in time to defend one strike, but he doubted he would be able to defend himself beyond that with Mistress Thera's skill.

 

Something is terribly wrong, he thought as she continued her tirade.  He had never seen her thus, letting her emotions control her body's reactions.  She might have reason to be annoyed at him for such a minor oversight, but clearly she was overreacting, and she could not see it.  And with her aggressive stance, there was nothing he could do to protest her behavior without risking his career, or worse, his life.

 

She had been doing the job longer, yet he had never seen her this vehement over so small a thing.  Could her pregnancy have something to do with what seemed like an emotional outbreak?  He was not sure.  He knew it would not be wise to bring it up before her, however.  She had tried to hide her pregnancy for some time; doubtless it was a very sensitive topic.

 

“Yes we are training warriors, training being the operative word. Do you tell me that you do not remember your younger days here in the Tower? When Aes Sedai were still a mystery and all women were enchanting? Well I remember those days and I never had a young man’s hormones to cope with. The Accepted will train with one of the women, and that is the final word on it.”

 

"Yes, Mistress Thera." he said simply, hoping that if he did not say anything to further upset her, she might calm down in time.  He reasoned that perhaps they had a misunderstanding about training warriors as well.  For now, at least, Dragar would not argue further with it.

 

“If this is your best Dragar I am afraid you are going to have to try much harder to live up to my standards. In fact….why don’t you take a few hours this afternoon and go through my notes and punishment logs from the last few years. Then you will see how these trainees should be run. I will handle any work you have left here.”

 

Dragar simply nodded, though he was inwardly infuriated at being humiliated in such a manner.  And the way she crumpled the stack of papers in her clenched hands...He could not stand paper being treated in that way!

 

“I am waiting Dragar. You have logs to go through”

 

"Very well.  I'll get started on them right away, Mistress Thera." Dragar said, and went and got the logbooks, forcing himself to sit down and breath slowly.  As he started flipping through them, taking the occasional note, he saw no major difference other than the quantity of punishments meted out. His mind drifted to Thera's outburst, which hopefully would not come again any time soon.

 

If these became a common occurrence, he would have to talk to the Commander about it.  If Mistress Thera was too emotionally unstable because of her pregnancy, then something needed to be done about it. For now, he convinced himself that he would work until his shift was over, and let the Commander know of his concerns afterward. 

 

 

[Eqwina]

Thera grumbled and muttered her way through the rest of the afternoon. Several times she could hear knocking on Dragar’s door and then a few minutes of resigned silence before there were footsteps and then her door received its own knocks. Doubtlessly the trainee’s had been hoping to escape her rath, but none were lucky.

 

As she recorded the punishments she tried to tell herself that she had been extra harsh for her incompetent assistants behalf; to show him how to handle her trainee’s. After the third trainee had left near tears she began to think that perhaps…just maybe her reactions had to do with the child inside. It was a frightening idea, and one foreign to her. Blinking she fought back tears and in a fit of rage she threw down her pen and rounded on Dragar. “ I do not have time for any more of your nonsense today! Do you think you can handle any other piddley matter that crosses my desk?”

 

She didn’t wait for a response, she threw her coat on and stomped out of her office; determined to beat back her tears until she was someplace more private.

 

[Visar Falmaien]

Dragar glanced up as something clattered to the floor.  A pen.  What was it this time?

 

“ I do not have time for any more of your nonsense today! Do you think you can handle any other piddley matter that crosses my desk?” 

 

He was tempted to shoot back a reply in the affirmative to her question, but she did not wait for him to say anything. He observed Thera closely as she threw on her coat, and then abruptly left the office.  He had not even deserved that outbreak, he was sure of it.  There had to be something going on with Mistress Thera.

 

After she left, he quickly finished the reports he was working on, hoping that they were thorough and strict enough to Mistress Thera's standards, and locked the doors to both rooms.  He then went straight to the Commander to relay his concerns.

 

-------

 

Early next morning, Dragar unlocked the door to his office.  Checking the side door quickly, he noticed that Mistress Thera was not yet there.  Now was the time, he told himself.  He took the order sealed by the Commander and addressed to Thera out of a large pocket in his cloak.

 

Sighing, he hesitated a moment before putting it on her desk, making sure it was neatly placed at one corner so it was impossible to miss.  True, he had had much to do with the order, but it had not been his decision.  He only hoped Mistress Thera would understand and not try to take it out on him personally.

 

Checking his files in his own office, he noted with satisfaction that there was little to do in paperwork this morning that couldn't wait, and left his office soon after to pay a visit to the training yards.  He needed to watch the trainees carefully himself to make sure they were behaving.  Hopefully Mistress Thera would find the report while he was gone.

[Eqwina]

Thera was successful, if just barely. The deluge of tears didn’t fall until the door clicked shut on the small house she and Jasine shared. Falling face down on the bed she cried until there were no tears left. He body was shaking and her face was red and swollen when Jasine found her several hours later.

 

No amount of reassuring words or kisses from him seemed to make any difference; and for one of the first times in their marriage they went to bed angry. Thera was frustrated that he would not leave her alone and Jasine was angry that she would even request such a thing. It only made her retched mood worse and by the time she arrived back at her office the next morning she was in full fig. Determined not to take it out on any of her trainee’s she only scanned her desk before heading out into the yards for exercise. Even at her worst calisthenics or working the forms always helped to clear her mind.

 

Seclusion on such a beautiful day would not be easy to find. Thera walked through the yards picking her way through trainee’s and warders in search of a place to be alone. Finally she was able to find a semblance of solitude in a small stand of trees. The sun barely penetrated through the leaves and it gave the space a warm, calming glow. There wasn’t enough room to work with her sword, but at least she was alone. Mechanically, without thought she went through her morning routine, stretching, kicking, and punching her way through her exercises. The Aes Sedai had instructed her to take it easy so she stopped well short of her usual count.  Loathe as she was to admit it, even after only half an hour she was tired and her muscle felt like water. Sitting down on the ground she stretched out her legs and leaned back against the tree. Lately she had felt as if she was falling down a mountain. She had no way of knowing which way she would land, sometimes it was crying, other times it was angry, but the very worst was sulky. She was a grown woman, and the Mistress of Trainee’s she could not be acting this way.

 

After a few more minutes rest Thera decided she would find Dragar and apologize; he’d not gotten her in this mess he did not deserve her anger. She scanned the yards and didn’t see his face and rather than waste her preciously small amount of energy she decided to wait in her office for him He would return there eventually.

 

It wasn’t until she was seated at her desk with a glass of well watered wine that she noticed the parchment sitting on the corner of her desk. Seeing Mia’s seal Thera winced, this would not be good.

 

Thera:

 

In light of your recent condition and attitude towards your temporary replacement, trainee’s and other guards I have decided that it is for the best if you are hereby put on full leave. You will of course still receive your pay, but you are ordered to stay away from the training yards and your office until such time as your child is born. Also, in appreciation of your exemplarity service you are ordered to take a vacation outside of Tar Valon. Gold for your trip will be provided. I expect you to vacate your office by the end of the day, or you will be forcibly removed.

 

Sincerely,

Mia

Commander of the Guard

 

The paper fluttered to her desk and Thera stared straight ahead, her eyes wide. forcibly removed! shaking her head she tried to clear the shock. How could they treat her this way? Just then she heard the latch catch on Dragar’s door and she bounded to her feet knocking back the chair. Bursting through their connecting door she faced him with a furious frown. “That letter was your doing wasn’t it Dragar?”

 

[Visar Falmaien]

Returning to his office, Dragar winced as he noticed that Mistress Thera was there in the other room.  This could not be good, he thought.  He glanced at the flask of strong wine nearby.  He might need a drink or two of that, he thought, especially if this got ugly.

 

Sure enough, she burst through the side door, looking rather furious.  He had spoken with the Commander and voiced a strong complaint, and had even glanced at the letter before it was sealed.  What was the order again?  It gave her a paid vacation until her child was born, he remembered that much.  He wasn't sure why that would make her upset, but perhaps there was another part of the letter she did not like.

 

“That letter was your doing wasn’t it Dragar?”  [/color]

 

Dragar looked up, and nodded, taking a swig of wine to help him say what he needed to say.  He spoke as calmly as he could manage.  At least it was the truth.

"Yes, I did talk to the Commander.  I wasn't the only one to say that you've been acting differently or oddly lately, though, so it was not solely my doing, and it was the Commander's decision, not mine.  Please know that it's not any grudge I bear against you, Mistress Thera. I don't want your reputation hurt because of things related to your child.  The Commander thought that you could use some time away to relax, and I happened to agree."

 

He let that sink in, hoping she would not reach for her sword again.

"However, if you wish to protest the order, or protest how I've been doing things as your assistant, you of course may talk to the Commander yourself."

 

And that was all he needed to say.  Staring glumly at his wine flask, he took another swallow before she finally replied.

[Eqwina]

Her hand was shaking, but she couldn’t find a way to protest what he’d said. She had seen in herself the changes the child was taking not only on her body, but her attitude and temperament.

 

“I….” Strong as she was Thera had no desire to face Mia, not when she couldn’t find the void and her moods were swinging. The commander would eat her for dinner. Sighing she let the hand holding the letter fall and stared down at her boots.

 

“ I apologize Dragar, for how I have gone about my instruction to you. This job means the world to me and it is hard to see another in my place. That being said it is not an excuse, any more than my child is. I will leave you to run my…the yards how you see fit.  It is only for a few more months, and then I will return.” The last was said as much for his benefit as herself.

 

“I am sorry that it came to this.” She shook her hand to emphasize the letter. “Deeply ingrained in me for as long as I can remember is the knowledge that disobeying an order can have fatal consequences on the battle field as well as in everyday life. So for me perhaps it had to come to this. Either way I will abide her orders and be out of my office by the end of the day.” Shaking her head Thera went back into her own room fighting back tears. How had she come to this place?

 

She still hated following the order, and hated having to simply walk away, but she told herself that it was for thes best.

 

[Visar Falmaien]

Dragar was surprised to discover that Thera did not try to angrily protest the letter.  Instead, she seemed resigned to be sorrowful about her situation.  While this was an improvement over Thera drawing her sword against him, Dragar could not help but feel some sympathy for the woman.

 

“ I apologize Dragar, for how I have gone about my instruction to you. This job means the world to me and it is hard to see another in my place. That being said it is not an excuse, any more than my child is. I will leave you to run my…the yards how you see fit.  It is only for a few more months, and then I will return.”

 

Dragar nodded, entered her office through the side door, and silently offered his wine flask as a gesture of good will.  He would not let Thera drink more than a swig or two if she accepted; he did not lightly share his drink, and he had heard once that drinking too much could be unhealthy for a pregnant woman.

 

"I'll do my best, Thera." Dragar promised.

 

“I am sorry that it came to this.  Deeply ingrained in me for as long as I can remember is the knowledge that disobeying an order can have fatal consequences on the battle field as well as in everyday life. So for me perhaps it had to come to this. Either way I will abide her orders and be out of my office by the end of the day.”

 

"I accept your apology, and understand.  May the Light guard you and your child until your return, then." Dragar said as kindly as he could manage.  He grinned slightly,  "I'll do my best not to make a mess of things while you are gone."