A Few Good Men ;) ~Aramina and Rosheen please~

[ashara]

OOC: I hope you catch how fitting the title is ;)

 

Nerome was exhausted.

 

Sweaty, Uncomfortable, Eager to get out- Yes, he’d felt like that for several months on now. And was he better? Had he become of any sort of use? Was it finally time to show the world what he, Nerome Seshir was actually capable of?

 

Now, if Nerome was a woman and if Nerome could sell fish, his reaction would probably be along the lines of: Blood and Ashes, no. I’m gutted like one of those bloody fish. Sadly however, he was neither. He was a Trainee in the Warders Yard who in the want of succeeding in his lessons, was making a fool of himself. And that too, right in front of Rosheen. Rosheen with all her fancy swear words and mohawked hair. Blissful, this day had been simply blissful. She was a good trainer though, he had to admit. Quick to understand what the problem was and quicker to show him what to do right. Usually, in her own fashion of course, his mentor was rather pleasant, but as of this moment, Nerome could find very little of the harshly said niceties he was trying to remember.

 

“What in the name of Light do you think you’re doing?â€

She was angry, yes, it really wasn’t that difficult an observation to make, but there seemed to be something more. And of course, Nerome wondered. Nerome was probably more curious than a bunch of village gossipers combined- it was in his nature after all, what with tainted blood and so on and so forth, he thought with a wry smile.

 

“Why are you grinning like a bloody idiot? Practice!â€

 

Fun, fun, fun in the sun. Quickly he turned, cutting air with his machete as he did so. He would get better of course. Eventually. Everyone does. And again, you turn to the left and lift your hand up in a circular motion and then let it strike through the right, it should create a swishing sound…Again he tried, this time even quicker. Oh Light, he was dizzy. Turn, left, hand straight up, right, swish. Finally. Once more, just incase. Turn, left, hand straig-

 

Bang.

 

OOC: Enter Aramina. The Big bang. ;)

[TaeaDawn]

There were many things Aramina sur Dulciena expected to happen when she came to work swords in the Warder Yards. Getting hot and sweaty, working till muscles were sore and exhaustion settled into her body, even sparring with others and getting beat on a little. She didn't expect to be walking through the Yards on her way back to the Tower and almost get hit with a machete. Only fast reflexes had caught it in time. Reflexes had the young trainee wrapped in a band of air so tight he couldn't move. She looked at him for a moment, assessing the weave as she always did when she had time, looking for things to improve upon in case her time in the Tower had made her lax. Nothing really. Aramina expected nothing less than perfection from herself and she rarely let herself falter, even in small things. That settled, she turned her eyes to the man before her.

 

"Perhaps you would like to explain exactly what it was I did that you disliked so much you would like my head?" She asked, her face as cool and composed as her voice.

 

[ashara]

It is funny how things change from bad, to worse.

 

Horror had lead to a loud series of swear words from his part as quickly and almost elegantly, the machete slipped from his fingers. Smoothly it twirled around in the air and Nerome turned with the very same fluidity towards it, hands reaching out in what seemed to be slow motion for the machete. In this same slow unnatural pace, Nerome tripped and was beginning to fall headfirst into the mud. Strangely enough, he had not heard a single word from Rosheen as yet. Falling, falling, slowly like a leaf from a tree, falling…

 

Oh but, Nerome didn’t fall.

 

Instead he was wrapped tightly in binds of…air perhaps? He certainly couldn’t see the barrier around him, but he could more than feel its power over his body. Nerome didn’t even bother struggling. Instead he turned wary eyed towards his supposed ‘redeemer’. A smooth face, proud eyes, lovely dark brown hair. An Aes Sedai. But of course, he thought dryly. It could only be Light’s will to throw in a Sister in between all this.

 

“I would bow, Aes Sedai, was it not for your bands of ….was it not for whatever it that is holding me. I do however, apologise, since you’ve graced me with that one ability. I assure you, it was completely unintentional.â€

 

Why was it, he thought with a grimace, that every meeting of his with any one from that half of the Tower had always resulted in him being wrapped in tight bands of air?

 

~Nerome

Asking for it ;)

[TaeaDawn]

“I would bow, Aes Sedai, was it not for your bands of ….was it not for whatever it that is holding me. I do however, apologise, since you’ve graced me with that one ability. I assure you, it was completely unintentional.â€

 

The slightly tilt of her head was the only sign of expression that she gave him. His tone was almost impudent. After what had happened she would have expected a little more remorse for this. His apology certainly seemed to lack sincerity. She took a deep breath before answering him.

 

The weaves of air moved him slightly and he was back on his own feet, standing of his own volition. The weave disappeared then and Aramina noted the flexing of hands to bring back circulation. "Air. Bands of Air." She informed him. "And if you think waving that thing around isn't important enough to pay attention to those around you, I think you need to spend your time in a better manner. Perhaps a little time with the healers would help you learn to concentrate better, a place where you can see what that sort of mistake could do, if I had not been so fast with my weaves." She looked him over and nodded. "Yes, I think the Yellow Sisters could use another hand to help them scrub bed pans and clean bandages." The Yellow Sisters probably wouldn't appreciate being saddled with the young man, but it was always a good place to send someone who looked casually on their weapons and the damage they could do.

 

[ashara]

Well, she was certainly no Aeveryn.

 

A slight twitch, the briefest flash in her eyes. Yes, this cold smooth face of ice and beauty was certainly one that someone-possibly many someones-had put effort into. Mentors, lectures, long hours of failed imitations, how could people waste their time on this? Nerome could see how it was advantageous- Selandre had often raved about their control to him. And Selandre, even considering everything, was a smart woman. Light, the thought of her brought a bad taste in his mouth. "And if you think waving that thing around isn't important enough to pay attention to those around you, I think you need to spend your time in a better manner. Ah, here it came. Yet another punishment! Why didn’t they just allot one to every one of them, early in the morn, he wondered arbitrarily. It wouldn’t be quite as bad then. This would be a tale to narrate later at night to the boys, his face a mask of indifferent understanding as he listened to what she had to say next.

 

"Yes, I think the Yellow Sisters could use another hand to help them scrub bed pans and clean bandages." At this Nerome smiled widely and quick enough his eyes regained some of the lost gleam. That was it? Honestly? Lovely. Smashing. Why doesn’t she throw in some time in the kitchens, he thought mockingly? All that subtle drama for an afternoon with the Yellows? Light, they should learn something from the Yards about “mannersâ€. “I’m sure talking to the bed pans shall teach me a lesson in humility. And if that doesn’t work, there are always the bed sheets to talk to, as you must’ve rightly thought out already Aes Sedai. I promise you, that after my time with the Healers, I shall come along a much newer, more observant man.â€

 

Off to infirmary then?

[silhouette]

Hands on her hips, frown on her face, and the urge to shout at someone. That had been Rosheen for the past few hours, ever since she woke up. People seemed to go out of their way to irritate her on this truly lovely day, and Rosheen didn’t need much to be irritated to begin with. She had found herself embracing the Spring early on, just to keep from biting heads off. She had sent lazy trainees off to the armoury, where they could spend their day polishing swords in the heat and noise. An unusually cruel punishment, coming from her. She had been a trainee herself once, and her own little brother was a trainee now. Usually she was more understanding of the ever present desire to slack off. Not today though.

 

Of course poor Nerome wasn’t spared in her desire to lash out at people. She snapped and ordered and scolded until the boy was red well to the tips of his ears. Then she’d stalked off, ordering him to keep working on his forms. The boy had potential, for all the time he spent ogling girls and lazing about. He was fast and agile and had a decent head on his shoulders. If only he could harness the energy he had and put it to good use, like training…

 

Her own training was frustrating as well. The better you got, the more effort one needed to put into getting even better. The people she had planned to train with had all been snatched up by some other duty, leaving her by herself, still frustrated, and wondering if this day was going to be a complete waste. After an hour or so of quiet meditation she felt a little better, and decided to check up on Nerome. She had been rather harsh on the boy. Perhaps she could help him out a little.

 

When she finally found him again her kind mood vanished within seconds, giving ample room for her irritation to return. Nerome was not practising with his machete. In fact, his machete lay discarded in the dust, while Nerome wandered to Light knew where, Rosheen’s eyes narrowed, her focus completely on the young man that had been assigned to her for over a year now. “Blood and bloody ashes boy!†she half shouted as she stalked towards him. Discarding his machete like that. she’d teach him. An entire week in the armoury wouldn’t be enough punishment. She marched on, grabbing a stunned Nerome by the ear. His ‘hey, ouch, what in the!’ was ignored by her. “I am sick and tired of having you ignore your duties as soon as I turn my back. You act like you still need a wetnurse!†she ranted on, tugging Nerome towards the armoury.

 

It wasn’t until she had fully turned around that she noticed the Aes Sedai. Arms crossed, the smallest hint of a frown on her face… Rosheen immediately released Nerome’s ear, blushing slightly as she remembered her language. “Aes Sedai.†She muttered bowing slightly. Aramina Sedai, if she was not mistaken. One of the Aes Sedai who spent time in the Yards, keeping in shape and practising a weapon. “I beg your pardon, Aes Sedai… it was not my intention to… er… have anyone but Nerome hear that…â€

 

~Rosheen

flustered.

[TaeaDawn]

“Aes Sedai. I beg your pardon, Aes Sedai… it was not my intention to… er… have anyone but Nerome hear that…â€

 

 

Aramina nodded to the woman slightly. She recognized her. It was hard not to with her appearance, but Aramina knew better than to judge anyone by their looks alone. The fact that people did so anyway was one of the reasons Aramina had always maintained her appearance as she had. Few could say that they had ever seen Aramina out of sorts. Most that had ever seen it were long since dead.

 

"There is no need to apologize, unless perhaps it were to show the young man remorse, which I think is beyond us both i'm afraid. You do seem to have a firm grasp of his concentration skills though so perhaps you could help me out. I have ordered the young man to help the Yellow Sisters in the infirmary hoping that seeing the injuries that came through would help him be more cautious as he flings about his little weapon," The criticism of the machete was intentional though Aramina didn't think less of the weapon, just the trainee before her. "However now he is becoming even less sincere in word than his original apology. If he were a Novice I could send him for a strapping he wouldn't soon forget, but on these grounds, I don't know the punishment you would give for such offenses. Your input would be apprecaited." She said, looking at the trainee again for a moment before turning her full attention back to Rosheen.

 

[ashara]

His eyes could pop out.

 

After what he had just seen happen before him, he was still speculating about whether to point and laugh or whether to melt into a puddle of dirt. Rosheen had just mumbled in front of him. Rosheen had just mumbled in front of a Sister in front of him. She seemed…seemed….Rosheen Tanh Sakhr was flustered! He had seen his mentor in so many different facades over the past two years- angry, blistering and ready to swear; calm, supportive and silently soothing- he had seen this, understood this perfectly. But meek? Rosheen? This must be a sign, he thought weakly. It definitely wasn’t going like any other day. But then, he thought reflectively- most days had been bad of late. "There is no need to apologize, unless perhaps it were to show the young man remorse, which I think is beyond us both i'm afraid. You do seem to have a firm grasp of his concentration skills though so perhaps you could help me out." With a stony glare he shifted his gaze towards the Sister, waiting with a frigid calm for her to continue. Try me,he wanted to say.

 

"However now he is becoming even less sincere in word than his original apology. If he were a Novice I could send him for a strapping he wouldn't soon forget, but on these grounds, I don't know the punishment you would give for such offenses. Your input would be appreciated."

 

Now had it been the average Tower Guard who was speaking so to Rosheen-even though he highly doubted any of the Guard would talk in so dignified a manner-Nerome would’ve scorned the person’s words openly. They would know that he was more than used to any punishment they could possibly deal out; he had done numerous rounds in the past few weeks. Every muscle in his body felt stretched. A few more several rounds would not affect him in anyway. But this was an Aes Sedai. And this was an Aes Sedai with Rosheen. Blood and Bloody Ashes. The last time this had happened, the consequences had been among the most unpleasant he’d encountered till day. And Rosheen had suddenly turned into the milkiest of mohawked milksops he’d ever come across.

 

He was done for.

[TaeaDawn]

It was an interesting situation, Aramina thought to herself as she watched the young man before her. Rosheen, his mentor, seemed to have a little control over him, but in all honestly most young men were reckless in their exuberance. If his apology had held the slightest sincerity, Aramina would have let the whole incident pass. His mocking wasn't something she was used to though and she wasn't about to stand for it. A trip to the infirmary would do nothing it appeared, and she doubted the Yellow sisters on duty would love her much for the unskilled hands she had threatened to send their way.

 

"I think the boy already has more brawns than brains, perhaps a day in the library, studying different ways to heal the wounds he might have inflicted would do him some good. He won't be able to play with his weapons and I doubt he's cracked a book in ages and likely never means to again. You can read, can't you boy?" She asked.

 

[silhouette]

Rosheen narrowed her eyes as she turned away from Aramina slightly, so she could look at Nerome properly. She didn’t like being caught off guard, especially by an Aes Sedai, and this was the second time Nerome was involved in a situation in which she got to prove how utterly incompetent she was around Aes Sedai. The boy was going to pay. She focussed on Aramina Sedai again, feeling a little more confident about herself. She was a Tower Guard, and a good one at that. There was no reason to turn into a stuttering fool in front of anyone, not even an Aes Sedai. Light, she had been the trainee who openly asked Sirayn Sedai about what happened to her missing hand. She had a spine, and a sturdy one at that.

 

“Yes, Nerome, why don’t you head over to the library to study? Etiquette, and I will quiz you about it tomorrow morning. If I find that you haven’t studied well enough, so help me, I will make sure that you won’t be able to sit for a month. Which is probably a good thing, because you will spend that month running every single morning, and you will spend every single afternoon in the infirmary, learning something useful for a change.†She glared at her mentee. He really wasn’t a bad kid, aside from the fact that he was more than a little lazy. He had to shape up though. Grow up, or get thrown out, that would be his motto for the next few months.

 

“Well, why are you still standing here? Move!†she said, giving Nerome a shove in the right direction.

[ashara]

It amazed him how quickly they reached a conclusion. They did not once give him a chance to speak, although one of the two would often turn towards him and give him a hard glare, unless of course they would simply both turn, in which case Nerome would smile as broadly as he could, while staring hard through space between the Sister and the Guard. Only once did he return their looks, and truly, it surprised him more than the whole discussion entirely. They both looked stern, they both looked ready to harm him in some better way than they were planning to already. And more than that, they both looked exactly the same. Just for a few seconds of course, and it wasn’t like Aramina’s face had gone and plastered itself on Rosheen, or vice versa, but their collected features had displayed the exactly same meaning: You just wait.

 

“Yes, Nerome, why don’t you head over to the library to study? Etiquette, and I will quiz you about it tomorrow morning. If I find that you haven’t studied well enough, so help me, I will make sure that you won’t be able to sit for a month. Which is probably a good thing, because you will spend that month running every single morning, and you will spend every single afternoon in the infirmary, learning something useful for a change.â€

 

He replied instantly with a long, deep bow, his face and body the very epitome of the ‘etiquette’ he was being sent to learn more about. “As you wish, Rosheen. My duty is only to serve, of course. Thankyou Aes Sedai, for your time.â€

 

To the Library then. Painfully long tirade, but really, nothing more than expected. He would’ve laughed had it not been for the fact that he was reasonably sure that they would attack him then and there if he even flashed a smile right about now. Him. Etiquette. They were going to make him study etiquette?. He was the son of the bloody queen of etiquette, damnit. How could they expect for him to learn any more in the library than he had already from his own mother? Yes, he was being overconfident, but etiquette was really the one thing Nerome would never be pained by. His mother had taught it with scrupulousness that had been quite terrifying. There was no way he couldn’t have learned. Some would’ve called her a good teacher. To Nerome, she was a tyrant. And as he was slowly beginning to understand, most women were.

 

OOC: One last post, from either of you, and we're done! :)

[silhouette]

It was probably a good thing that Nerome was out of reach already, or Rosheen would’ve given him a kick that would have had him limping for weeks. Instead she just rubbed her brow in something between anger, frustration and embarrassment. Fool trainee with his fool manners and his fool mouth that got him into trouble every single time. She muttered something under her breath about it, before looking at the Aes Sedai again. Who didn’t look pleased. At all. With the luck Nerome seemed to bring Rosheen, this particular green sister would happen to be one of Lyanna’s confidants, meaning that Rosheen would hear about this, repeatedly, and not in a pleasant way. Great.

 

“Of course the boy doesn’t actually need to learn etiquette. He knows exactly how to bow to someone, and exactly what to say to people of every single position in life.†Rosheen sighed. It had taken her forever to learn the same thing, and she still wasn’t good at it. She fumbled when she met with kings and queens, which she unfortunately did more of than she had ever wanted. That’s what a girl got for befriending the Keeper of the Chronicles. “I just want him to learn some manners. He’s always so damned haughty, and whenever I think he’s getting better, he pulls a stunt like this. By the Light, I swear that Nerome is the most complicated trainee I’ve ever worked with.†And that sounded a lot more helpless than she had wanted it to. It was true though, and the worst thing was: she didn’t know how to change his attitude. He had it in him to become a good tower guard, and perhaps even a good warder, but he simply… refused.

 

With a little sigh Rosheen bowed to Aramina Sedai, showing none of the arrogance that Nerome had displayed. “If you will excuse me, Aramina Sedai, I must return to my duty.â€

 

~Rosheen Tahn Sakhr

Tower Guard and mentor to Nerome

[TaeaDawn]

“If you will excuse me, Aramina Sedai, I must return to my duty.â€

 

Aramina nodded as Rosheen bowed and walked away. She watched her go, a small smile on her lips. The boy needed some looking after but Aramina approved of Rosheen's handling of him. Perhaps useless study would bet some sense into him better than anything else. She could remember being overly upset at being given chores that didn't allow her to advance. Perhaps this would help the boy learn. It was an interesting tactic though, an imaginative one and she hadn't expected to see something like that in the Warder yards. Rosheen Tahn Sakhr. It was a name she'd have to remember. An interesting woman...