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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

What have i gotten myself into? (ATTN LG)


Jadyn alRaimon

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Darren woke at the inn, waking on a bed for the first time in what felt like forever. Well, this is it he thought to himself. This is the day I’ve been waiting for, I wonder what she’s like? He thought as he laced up his boots. Well, anything has to be better than that Farina, anything. He strapped on his sword, unsure of whether such things were allowed, and set off into the city. Tar Valon was wondrous, the biggest city he’d ever been in. The White Tower dominated the skyline, and he had no trouble finding his way. The gates were open and he walked through the grounds. First he passed by the yards, where men were exercising with both sword and bow. Maybe I can join the guard or something if things don’t work out.  He eventually found his way into the petitioners hall where there were people standing everywhere, and there were women in white scurrying about everywhere and women in banded dresses helping the petitioners. One of the banded-dress ones came up to Darren.

“Hello, my name is Danya, may I help you, sir” she said, though Darren was caught a bit off-guard, the way she was looking at him, like a piece of meat.

“Yes, my name is Darren Rafaliva, and I come seeking a relative of mine, Zarinen Sedai. I’m afraid I don’t know her Ajah. I have a letter requesting a meeting that I would like to give to her”

“Oh, well, let me take that” she said, taking the letter bearing Darren’s seal “I’ll give it to her”

Darren watched the woman, walk away and grab one of the white-clad women, giving her the letter, the white clad woman looked horrified, but nodded and went scurrying up one of the many sets of stairs.

Darren was left to wait for a while before the woman returned,

“Zarinen Sedai will see you in her quarters” the white clad woman said “follow me”

Darren followed the woman, up many flights of stairs, through a pair of double doors, where the tiles were painted red Oh, what have I gotten myself into Darren thought She’s a red, light help me. The woman eventually left him in front of a well polished door. Darren steeled himself and knocked. Moments later a voice from within said “Come in” and he opened the door and entered the room.

 

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Who would have thought that a simple matter of organising accommodation for a few men could turn into such a nightmare? Zarinen's control of her already volatile temper was hanging by a thread. She'd heard that novices and Accepted broke down in tears when ordered to attend her, and judging by the pale face and shaking hand of the novice who handed her the letter, she could well believe that rumour.

 

She gave the seal a perfunctory glance, then looked again more closely. Her face softened slightly as she saw the familiar family emblem, and she broke the seal eagerly. It would be good to have a little bit of pleasant news, for a change. Her good mood didn't last long, unfortunately, which must have showed on her face as the hapless novice squeaked nervously.

 

"Is the boy downstairs?" she barked, eliciting another nervous squeak and a breathy "Yes, Zarinen Sedai."

 

"Bring him to me. Immediately!"

 

The novice nearly fell over making her curtsy, then left the room at a dead run. Zarinen paced her office, fuming. This was partly her own fault! If she'd not gotten herself exiled, she would have kept a better eye on this youngest crop of Rafalivas, and maybe things would not have ... no, much as she loved her family, other matters were more important. She'd reined her temper in slightly by the time another knock sounded, but her barked "enter" was distinctly chilly.

 

She looked the boy up and down as he bowed politely to her. If she'd not received a description of him from his father, she would never have taken him for family. Her nostrils flared as she regarded him with folded arms, foot tapping dangerously.

 

"Well, nephew ... explain to me how it comes about that a Rafaliva abandons his family duty?"

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Darren began to realize why the Novices were so nervous. This woman, his aunt, seemed to have a temper, one that was obvious from the moment that she called him in.

“Well, nephew ... explain to me how it comes about that a Rafaliva abandons his family duty?” She barked. Darren took a while to respond, for the first time getting to know this woman, this Aes Sedai that before this very moment he had never met before. He was glad that he knew she was related, for he never would have guessed it had he not known.

“well, er…” he stammered out, and began to tell his tale, of his mother dying and how he had traveled hard to end up at the White Tower, his aunt’s stare seemed unblinking, unchanging, like the stories that he had heard about Aes Sedai, and he began to reconsider his choice to come to Tar Valon, he started thinking that perhaps Tear would have been a better choice, but no, he was here and he would make the best of it.

As he finished his story, Zarinien’s eyes softened a little, and she bade him to sit. She picked up a kettle and motioned for him to pour almost absentmindedly, as if she were used to having servants do such things for her. She spoke

“I see, and what were your plans upon reaching the Tower?”

“Well, I hadn’t planned it out so far, I was so eager to get out of there, it was maddening” there was a long scilence, and Darren began to get nervous.

 

(Ooc:I hope I didn’t go too far, let me know if you want to change anything)

 

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OOC: It's good  ;)

 

Zarinen listened to her great-nephew's story with barely concealed irritation. What on earth had her family come to? Father and son pitted against each other, over a woman? Saldaeans were supposed to stand ready to guard the Blight, not fight amongst each other. She would have to make some time for a quick visit to her ancestral home to have a serious talk with her nephew and his new wife. Inevitably, thoughts of her home led to memories of her childhood friend, Pietr. Her face softened as she recalled the trouble the two of them had gotten into. How could she judge this boy standing in front of her, when the things they had done ...

 

But what to do with him? Absent-mindedly she waved him to a chair and heated the teapot with a quick flow of Fire, floating it over to him to pour for them.

 

“I see, and what were your plans upon reaching the Tower?”

 

“Well, I hadn’t planned it out so far, I was so eager to get out of there, it was maddening.”

 

She tsked. Typical boy - rushing in with never a thought to a candle mark ahead. What he needed was discipline, and something to give him a purpose in life. Her first thought had been to send him back home with a flea in his ear, but she full knew that sometimes there was just no going back. She took the cup of tea he handed her and sipped at it, as she pondered on what would be best for him. Her biggest worry was that he would run again, when things got tough. But maybe she was judging too harshly? How many of us can say we never made a dreadfully stupid mistake, especially in our younger days? Light knows, I've probably made quite a few lately, and I'm more than eighty years older than him!

 

Zarinen turned her eagle's gaze on the boy in front of her, and equally as important, the sword he wore. "Tell me, nephew - would you be interested in training with the Warders? Maybe one day you could become the companion and protector to one such as I."

 

 

Zarinen Rafaliva

Red Highest

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Darren was a little taken aback as all of a sudden the Tea kettle began to steam and float towards them. how's that happe....Light, she's channeling! Ok, Calm down Darren, it's clean, it's not like she's a man it's safe for them to use the One Power, is it, oh Light.

 

His Aunt's gaze fell upon Darren and he was taken a little aback as she said ""Tell me, nephew - would you be interested in training with the Warders? Maybe one day you could become the companion and protector to one such as I."

 

"A Warder, me, I had never thought of that, I've trained with the sword before, as much as any young lord in the borderlands you understand" earning a small nod from Zarinien " But I'd never thought of training with the Warders. To perhaps one day become a protector to an Aes Sedai, Thank you! This works beyond belief. I just have two questions, the first being; Will they house me, I am short of coin, and I have little in my possessions aside from what I am wearing. The second question being, will... will I be able to talk with you sometimes? I know nobody else in the city, and it would be nice to talk with someone who has seen the world, perhaps I could even learn a few things."

Though if I'm going to be a Warder, I had better get used to Aes Sedai channeling. It's not bad, just startling at first, oh light I hope I can get used to it

 

 

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Zarinen nodded. Of course all Borderlanders were trained with various kinds of weapons. Whether or not that measured up to Warder training, she had no idea, really. She'd never paid much attention to them until lately. But that was another barrel of staves altogether. Or maybe not ... checking up on the progress of her nephew would give her a legitimate excuse to frequent the Warder's Yard, maybe get into some casual conversation with the Aes Sedai who hung around there, checking up on their Warders. She could just avoid the Greens. A small smile played across her lips, much different from the falsely sweet one that had been a permanent feature until not too long ago.

 

She placed her cup on the table beside her chair and rose, motioning for Darren to do so as well. "Come along, my dear - let's see what we can organise for you. I'm afraid I don't know how much or even if you will receive any coin, but as far as I know you will be housed for free. Don't worry about that, though - if needs be, I will make you a small allowance." She eyed him up and down. "We'll need to get you some new clothes anyway. My treat." She winked at him.

 

"And of course we can visit. In fact, I will make a point of coming to see how your training goes." Oh yes, this could work out very well indeed. She smoothed her skirts and patted her hair to make sure everything was in place. "Now come."

 

 

Zarinen Rafaliva

Red Highest

Going where no Red has gone before

 

 

Continued HERE

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