The First Day :Attention Faerthines

[WhiteWolf]

Time moved swiftly when your mind was occupied and Yrean’s had been occupied much of late, first the disappearance of Gaea, although this had not hurt as much as it might considering there had been a cooling off between the pair. Then there had been Mat’s disappearance and even though she had left Yrean a letter, he still found it hard to believe what she had written. Thirdly there was the training with Dorian, which had become friendship, something that had surprised Yrean at first, but as Dorian forged ahead and became the person he did, Yrean had come to respect him, he had a lot of strength and stamina, as well he was able to put up with Yrean’s sense of humour, which many had not.

 

Now though it was time to start anew. Yrean had been informed that he would be training a new recruit today, one who went by the name of Faerthines, a strange name, and one Yrean had not come across before. As he was leaving the Barracks, he made a mental note to ask after its origin when he met the man. As he entered the Yards, Yrean was greeted by another warm day, one that promised to bring forth sweat in abundance from any foolish enough to venture out into it’s heat come midday. As it was, this early in the day, the heat had yet to build up, and was more than pleasant, this was the time of day Yrean loved best, the early morning quiet, that held the promise of things to come.

 

Yrean headed for the Armoury, it was where he had arranged to meet Faerthines, and he hoped the man would not be late. As it was he showed up just after Yrean did and the two men exchanged pleasantries then Yrean led the way into the armoury, today’s task was a simple one, show Faerthines the different types of weapons that the Armoury held, and see if the he could decide on which two were for him.

 

Yrean Stavrosi

 

We are Grey. We stand between the Light and the Shadow

 

Mentor to Dorian and Faerthines.

 

OOC: Estel, a list of the various weapons can be found here

 

http:// http://www.gaidin.org/armory.php

 

Pick two, but obviously not Power Wrought SwordsJ

[Guest Estel]

He shook icy water from his eyes shivering in the pre-dawn chill that gripped the world around him. Gooseflesh prickled on his arms as he pushed damp, hazel curls from his eyes. Young Faerthines Talcontar stared at his rippling reflection in the washbasin. His entire life, he had heard about how much he looked like his mother from his grandmother. Now she was gone and he had come here to seek out his mother.

 

In naught but his under-breeches, the young man slumped to the floor, his head buried in his arms. Events from the day before ran through his head. His mother was not here. She had left with her Warder some months before.

 

â€When will she be back?†he had asked.

 

â€No idea, could be days, months even a year.â€

 

“Blood and blood ashes! And entire year!â€

 

“Don’t ask me, boy, go ask some of the Sisters! I’m just a flaming Tower Guard! Why am I supposed to know?â€

 

Frustration ran through his veins and he pounded his fist to the floor, trying to release some of it. One of his roommates tossed over on his mattress, groaning. Furious at his inability to release his anger, the boy yanked on a pair of pants and, barefoot and shirtless, ran out the door.

 

“The Light burn you woman!†he yelled at the top of his lungs. “You abandon me at birth and you still aren’t here! Mother’s milk in a cup! I’m your son. Burn me, I’m your son.†What had started off in anger, ended in a plea. Ashamed, the sixteen year-old boy scrubbed hot tears from his cheeks. In all his life he had never been so anxious as he now was to meet the woman who had given birth to him and then abandoned him in Bander Eban.

 

Love and hate are often seen as opposites. But that is a lie. You can both love and hate someone, and Faerthines both loved and hated this Estel Sedai of whom he had listened to stories of from his grandmother. When he had been younger, he had listened, enthralled, as his grandmother told of how his father had died valiantly at his mother’s side, saving her from the wrath of a Dreadlady and her Dreadlord accomplice. He had begged his grandmother each night for the tale of how the brave Estel Sedai and her blind Warder Orion had single-handedly saved a pair of her Sisters from certain death at the hands of channelling pirates.

 

The young boy had grown up to stories of his mother, portraying her as some kind of saint. The bitterness he felt towards here now was something new. He had always been a bit jealous of the other young lordlings when they boasted of their mother’s cooking and beauty. At the age of ten, Faerthines had grown to hate questions concerning his parentage. No sir, he had never seen his mother. No ma’am, she had never written him. I’m afraid I have no idea what my father’s name is milord.

 

Years of bitterness, compounded with the realization that he would still have to wait to see his mother erupted from him. He had never known his temper had come from his mother- according to Angelika Liones, her daughter was the image of Aes Sedai serenity- and that temper he released now. Savagely, he lashed out, kicking at the ground and later he would regret slamming his fist into the tree trunk.

 

The passing of an hour found him lying breathless on the ground, tears in his eyes. Did he really hate the woman? Was abandoning one’s child enough to warrant that child’s hate? Why hadn’t she ever come for him? Or at least written him! He pounded the ground in frustration.

 

“You alright, boy?†The sudden sound startled him. Leaping to his feet, hastily brushing dirt off himself and wiping tears from his eyes he swallowed.

 

“I’m fine.†At the man’s inquisitive look, Faerthines shook his copper-skinned head and retreated back to his barracks. Again, he splashed water on his face and then sat at the end of his bed, watching the dawn break.

 

Another hour passed and he found himself, now completely dressed, searching fro the armoury. He wondered if he had done the right thing, enlisting in the Warder’s Yard. After all, he could have taken a room in the city to wait for his mother, he had the gold. But for some reason, he felt the need to prove something. What and to whom was still unclear, but perhaps he just wanted to make his mother proud. Maybe he wanted to show her that the fruit of her body- wanted or not- was not some useless bastard.

 

Luckily for him, he was able to find the armoury in time. His mentor, Yrean, seemed a nice enough fellow and it wasn’t long before Faerthines was sifting through piles and racks of swords and knives.

 

He had his butterfly knives, tucked at his belt, but his hands trembled as he lifted real swords. Longswords, bastards, sparthas, katanas, broadswords, rapiers, they were all there. Many were too heavy for him and he was leaning towards choosing a bastard sword until he picked up one of the broadswords. It was about the same weight, but since it was shorter, it was easier for him to manage.

 

After a little while longer, he added a dirk to the broadsword and brought the two blades to Yrean. “What do you think?†said the boy, taking the broadsword in his right and dirk in his left and doing his best to attempt some sort of the fighting stance.

[WhiteWolf]

Yrean reached out and took the broadsword from Faerthines, testing the balance and weight of the weapon. When he was satisfied, Yrean started to explain to Faerthines about the importance of weight distribution in a sword. He showed him where the balance point was, and explained how on the best swords, the weight of the hilt was such that it counter balanced the weight of the blade.

 

“It be a bad sword where be the blade out weighs the hilt, it be even worse be the hilt out weighing the blade, this be a good choice.â€

 

Yrean handed the broadsword back and asked for the dirk. He had never been one for knife fighting, and always thought that it was a waste to use any sort of dagger to compliment a sword. “Why you be choosing this and not be using a short sword?â€

 

While Faerthines explained his choice, Yrean looked over the dirk. It was well made, as were most of the weapons in the Armoury, and was free of rust, or any imperfections in the edge. “It be a good choice for a back up to your sword, if you be not choosing a short sword.â€

 

Yrean handed the dirk back to Faerthines, and then led him towards a quiet spot in the Yards. In the shade of one wall, Yrean sat down and indicated Faerthines should as well. Yrean removed his sabre from its scabbard, as he sat down, and laid it across his knees, before removing a whetstone from his pocket. “This be something you be needing to learn, and be doing often.†Yrean started to run the whetstone up the edge of his sabre, not to slowly, not too quickly, and always in the same direction. As he was doing this, he showed Faerthines how to hold the whetstone correctly, and explained why it was important to only go in one direction. After a while he handed the whetstone to Faerthines, and had him start to run the stone along the edge of his new acquired broadsword. At first Yrean had to correct the way Faerthines was holding the stone, but soon he was running the stone up the blade without any problems and when Yrean was satisfied, he had him switch to sharpening his dirk.

 

“It do be important to be keeping our weapons in good order. That means we be needing to keep the edge sharp, be not letting nicks get worse, they be enough to be breaking the sword if it be hit hard enough.â€

 

Faerthines nodded his head in understanding and when he had finished talking Yrean signalled for Faerthines to follow him. “Do you be having any questions Faerthines?â€

 

Yrean Stavrosi

 

We are Grey. We stand between the Light and the Shadow

 

Mentor to Dorian and Faerthines.

 

OOC: Faerthines, if you have any questions now is the time to ask. Then rp Yrean taking you to the smithy where you will spend the rest of the week learning how to sharpen bladders, repair them etc…do all this in one post, then this requirement is finished.

[Guest Estel]

Nodding and hanging on to every word from Yrean's mouth, Faerthines couldn't wait to get started. Excitement boiled in him and impatience to start his training. At questions, he searched his mind for bare moments before coming up with two.

 

"When do I start training with my sword?" the boy asked eagerly. Before Yrean could answer, the next question had bubbled out as well. "And how long do Aes Sedai usually stay out of the Tower?" The two questions were black and white. One throbbing excitement, the other furrowed his brow.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Every day of the week, there were two set things in his schedule. First, he would go and see whether his mother had returned to the Tower and second he would find himself sweating in the smithy.

 

It wasn't long before he started to really hate the place. Working with his blades was always a pleasure- it kept his mind off his mother- but the rest was a downright pain! Growing up in a noble house, he had never really acquired a work ethic but now it was being force onto him. Balk as he would though, he knew it would not help him get to where he needed to be. If onlt he could impress his mother when she returned!

[WhiteWolf]

The first question Faerthines asked did not surprise Yrean, it was near enough always the first question a trainee asked, and one they were always disappointed with the answer. “It do be needful to learn to care for a weapon before you do be let loose with one.†By the sour expression on Faerthines face, Yrean knew his answer did not sit well with the young man, but that was the way of things in the Yards. If you could not look after your own weapons, then what use would you be as a Tower Guard?

 

Tower guards did not have the luxury of staying in the Tower grounds, sometimes Aes Sedai needed more than just a Warder or two, to accompany them, and when they did, they only choose those who could fend for themselves. Thankfully Yrean had never had to go on one of these missions, and he hoped he never would, he had the feeling that the Tower Guards were seen as expendable, and that did not sit right with him.

 

Faerthines second question took Yrean by surprise, he had heard it said many times that it was a wise man who kept his nose out of Aes Sedai business, and that was something Yrean wanted no part of. A Tower Guard he was, but that did not mean he was stupid, and having been around many Aes Sedai he knew that they were very prickly about people enquiring into their business.

 

“It do be not worth the trouble to be enquiring into Aes Sedai business, lad. Why do you ask?â€

 

Yrean Stavrosi

 

We are Grey. We stand between the Light and the Shadow

 

Mentor to Dorian and Faerthines.

[Guest Estel]

Suddenly unsure of whether or not to announce he was the son of an Aes Sedai, hesitated. He bit his lip, trying to remember whether he had ever heard of any other Aes Sedai who had children. Were Aes Sedai even allowed to have children? After all, his mother had abandoned him at birth, never to try and contact him again.

 

"I'm supposed to... Well, you see... My kinswoman is Aes Sedai and I'm supposed to meet her." he finished in a rush. His cheeks were hot and he wondered whether Yrean suspected something strange. 'Too late now you idiot, just pray he doesn't ask any more questions.'

[WhiteWolf]

Yrean listened to Faerthines reason for his enquiries about Aes Sedai. “You be having a kinswoman who be Aes Sedai? Why you be not going to the Tower and be asking to see her, that would be my first move.â€

 

Seeing as it was late in the day, Yrean suggested it was time to get something to eat, and they started to walk to the mess room. While they were walking Yrean talked to Faerthines about how important it was to look after ones own weapons, reinforcing his early words on the same subject. It was not long before they arrived at the Tower Guards mess, and soon they were sat at a table with two plates in front of them, piled high with a delicious smelling stew. Yrean also had a tankard of dark and took occasional sips of his drink while he was spooning his stew into his mouth.

 

Eventually, Yrean pushed his plate away, and took a longer swig of his ale, replacing the tankard on the table. “You be realising you be able to petition the Amrylin about this mysterious kinswoman of yours?†Yrean studied Faerthines face for any reaction, something about his early explanation did not sit right with Yrean.

 

Yrean Stavrosi

 

We are Grey. We stand between the Light and the Shadow

 

Mentor to Dorian and Faerthines.

 

Estel, don't know if you wanted Yrean to notice faethines ealier reaction, so it is up to you how you want to play this out.

[Guest Estel]

The atmosphere in the mess room calmed him. It was reassurring for the young boy, unaccostumed to his surroundings, to hear laughter. The Yards were a frightening place when you knew no one and were waiting for a woman you only knew by stories.

 

Yrean's question though brought back his sense of insecurity. What was he supposed to do? Tell him the truth? Admit that he had lied before? Or keep his true parentage a secret? Light, it would be so much easier if his mother were just here and her could get things figured out!

 

Keeping his eyes on his bowl of stew, he murmured thanks, unable to keep up the lie straight to his mentor's face. So far this was not going well.

 

ooc: you can probe further if you want...it's completely up to you...