Dawnings and beginnings Repost

[Elyssa]

A rough wind swayed the usually steady branches of the tall oaks in the Warders’ Yard. The darkened clouds that raced across the sky let only single strands of pearly light sporadically pierce their gloomy cover. At times it seemed as though the two were at war, the clouds and the sun, the dark and the light. With each radiant breach came a shadowy cover, a constant game of move and counter-move. Watching this heavenly game Calen waited for what was to be his third mentor at Warders’ Yards since he had arrived. The young Malkieri, distinguished by the braided leather Hadori on his brow, was looking forward to meeting this Mateo Ashden, a Tairen he had been told, and one that was none too fond of his current situation in service to the Aes Sedai but still went by his duty honourably. The latter part Calen had found out on his own. He seemed to have a knack for finding information and being in the right spot to over hear the right conversations.

 

Calen was not too sure of what to expect of today, but he had been told to meet at the particular tree he was currently sheltered under; which was very near to the White Tower armoury. From his vantage point beneath the tall tree Calen could keenly observe the other goings on of the yards, the gloomy weather did little to deter most of those training. Calen enjoyed watching the more advanced students as they worked through the poetry of their sword forms. It was easy to tell the choppy, almost erratic movements of those new to the forms compared to gracefully fluid and almost dance-like motions of those who had come to master them.

 

At the Fortress of the Light Calen had seen others training similarly to those currently in his view but his own experiences had been altogether different from the normal Child of the Light; he had been selected for the Order of the Light; a special and secret group within the Children who actively sought information for the benefit of the Light. An elite group of spies under the direct control of the mysterious Spymaster of the Children of the Light. Calen had excelled in his training with the Order and had thus been sent into the White Tower, the very home of the Aes Sedai witches; a place almost as dark as Shayol Ghul itself. It is in this heart of darkness that Calen sat calmly, waiting. Waiting for a new begining.

 

~Calen Liador Yvresse

Tower Trainee

Child of the Light

 

 

 

 

 

Mateo walked towards the spot he had told his mentee to meet him. He was new to the Tower and needed to be started on his training. Mateo was looking forward to today. It would give him a chance to see what his mentee knew and didn't know. Mateo always loved the first meeting with his mentees.

 

As he approached the spot he noticed that his mentee was a Malkieri. He thought this would be fun as he had never met a true Malkieri in person before. He would have to try to hold back his hatred for Aes Sedai and the White Tower in general. He had to be a good example to his mentees and it was no way to behave talking down about the place.

 

He approached the boy sitting under the tree, " My name is Mateo Ashden and I'm to be your mentor. If you will follow me we will begin your training and you can tell me a little about yourself."

_________________

Elyssa Lliet~Blue sister Bonded to Dafydd Gaidin

Mateo Ashden~Tower Guard

Pencari Angin~Windfinder

 

 

 

 

 

The Tairen Tower Guard was much as Calen had pictured him, dark haired with bright eyes and expression that was an obvious façade, although there was a hint at some genuine interest when he first noticed Calen. If he had to put his money on it Calen would have betted in favour of Tower Guard’s interest being over his Hadori. The braided leather band seemed to arouse interest from almost every Gaidin or Tower Guard Calen passed. Fortunately most were discrete and merely nodded or raised an eyebrow but on more then one occasion he’d had ‘Tai’Shar Malkier!’ boomed at him by an overzealous swordsman who thought he was bringing honour to the fallen country, rather then embarrassment to himself and the young Malkieri.

 

The question Tower Guard Ashden posed also reflected that hint of curiosity that Calen had detected, at least the Guard had been discrete enough not to bluntly ask why Calen wore a Hadori as some others had. Following along as his mentor had requested of him Calen took a moment to compose himself before answering. He had decided before arriving at the White Tower that his back story would contain as much truth as possible, to avoid being caught in a lie. Obviously his training at the Fortress of the Light and the oaths taken under the Dome of Truth would not be included but that left him with a gap between leaving Aldan, his wizened old tutor, and arriving at the White Tower. Calen had decided that the most plausible lie would be to say he had spent that year staying in southern Andor with Aldan helping the elderly man establish himself for his retirement. In the few weeks he had actually spent in the quietly secluded village Calen had gathered enough knowledge of the surrounding landscape and gotten to know enough of the prominent villagers that if need be he’d be able to discuss the intimates of the area with all but those who truly lived there.

 

And so Calen gave his mentor the revised version of his personal history, he left out a few of the more emotional details though, such as the death of his mother and parting on bad terms with his father. He explained how he had been born and raised in Cairhien and that his father was native to that city but his mother had been born and raised as a pure blooded Malkieri by his grandparents who had fled the doomed nation shortly before its fall in order to start a family and it was from their bloodline and his mother’s teachings that he had the right to the Hadori on his brow.

 

Seeing that they were nearing their destination Calen decided to pose his own question to his mentor. Calen already knew that Mateo disliked serving his duty to the White Tower but whether or not he would openly admit it was another question. Calen judged that the answer given would be an accurate indication of how much Mateo would be prepared to trust his young trainee. So Calen asked in his clearly enunciated Cairhienin accent “Perhaps you could tell me what it is like to spend your life in service to the White Tower, since I will be doing the same?â€

 

~Calen Liador Yvresse

Whitecloak - Tower Trainee

[Elyssa]

“Perhaps you could tell me what it is like to spend your life in service to the White Tower, since I will be doing the same?†Mateo stopped and looked at his new trainee. He knew he should trust him but wasn't sure how far he could be trusted. He was sure the man could be trusted enough to tell him his story. After all the boy had told Mateo about himself. He led the trainee to a spot in the yards where they would not be disturbed and began his story.

 

" I will honestly tell you I do not like being here in the White Tower. I was raised to hate them with all of my soul and I still do but it was my duty to come her in search of the woman I loved." Mateo's eyes were sad at the thought of that day so long ago. " She was taken here away from me many years ago because it was found that she could channel. I left my home and my family vowed never to speak to me again. I didn't care I had to save her from this place. By the time I arrived I learned she had died on the journey up here. She never made it and I had no where else to go. I stayed so I could avenge her death one day and I still plan on doing that." Mateo hoped that was enough to satisfy the man if not he did not know what he would say.