Forked

[Wayfarer]

Scrunching the note that he'd been given, the look on Aran's face was all that was sour. Damn Ginae, damn her and damn her again, if she thinks she's funny she's going to get another lession. He had just been informed that he had a new student, something which he wasn't looking forward to at all. Granted, it wouldn't be quite so bad because it would be Rosh's little brother, there were plenty of things he could do with that, but the very principle of being responsible for a student annoyed him.

 

Looking up at the lad, Aran realised that Ursana and he had never really spoken before. Then again, Aran had a distinct suspicion that Rosh's hand had been behind that. No doubt she didn't want him to learn anymore details of her childhood, especially since he'd learnt that she'd once been Rosheen, the little warrior princess. Worn a bucket for a helm no less as she charged into battle.

 

Taking the measure of Ursana, Aran was silent for a moment until he'd decided what to say. "Unfortunately, it seems that Ginae refuses to accept the fact that I do not want students. Fortunately, if you're of Rosh's blood you can't be all that bad."

 

Pushing back on the tree to get himself on his feet, Aran grinned as he patted the dirt off himself. "I do have something to take care of though. Meet back here in half an hour, go practice, take a nap, whatever you want to do with that time as long as it won't get me in trouble. Then, we'll get started. Go on."

 

Saying the last with a gesture, Aran walked off towards the Barracks. He was going to swap Ginae's door with Vasya's and then lock them. It would take them awhile to realise what'd happened, but it would make Aran feel like a bit of peace had been restored, and that the natural order of things could resume itself.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

[TaeaDawn]

It was, perhaps, the strangest of moments. Ursana had been eager to meet Aran, who seemed to have befriended his sister even though it seemed like an unlikely friendship. When Aran finally said he'd be teaching him, his first words were along the lines of 'get lost'. Sana watched in amused silence as the man walked away with no explanation.

 

Well, at least it would help him a little to get some insight into Rosheen's mind. Maybe meeting a friend of hers would open up some communication between them, as two adults, not as Rosheen and her baby brother, as he often felt they did.

 

A half hour. What was he supposed to do with a half hour? Or was Aran testing him to see what he'd do with the free time? Not likely, from the reputation the man had. He wondered how you could still be a Tower Guard when everyone knew you were more likely to gamble than to work, but he supposed if you were good enough they'd let you get away with a lot.

 

In the end it was simple enough to figure out what to do. He hadn't really stretch anything out and he really should before beginning training, especially when he didn't know how hard Aran would push him. So he started running laps to loosen up until Aran returned.

 

[Liitha]

Cema was on her way back to the tower from practising, though she had plans to go shoping this day and needed someone to carry, and trainees in her mind always could need some extra strength, as such she set her walk in the direction of the nearest one.

 

As she arived by the side of the young man she hardly gave him time to notice her and great her before talking. "You will come with me, i got some work for you. And you dont seem to have anything bether to do, hanging around relaxing wont earn you no herons." with that she turned her back and walked towards the tower.

 

She entered her quarters and left the trainee standing inside the door as she went into her rooms for a quick change of shirt and redoing her hair, puting away her sword as well. Looking in the mirror that she was presentable she walked into her comon room and grabed her shoping list, two sheats of paper packed with things she would need, or should be able to pick up by now. Scaning them to make sure she hadnt forgoten something she quickly added a couple things before walking towards the door again.

 

"very well lets go, i got some hours shoping to do and you got some training in carying goods, the sooner we get done with this the sooner you can go back to hanging about in the yard."

[TaeaDawn]

The sister hadn't even let him talk. She hadn't let him explain about his training or anything as she had just started to walk off, fully expecting him to follow. Well, what else were you supposed to do? He had a healthy dose of respect for Aes Sedai, but what did you say to a Sister who just didn't seem to be walking in the same plane of existence as he did?

 

Nothing. You just followed. He walked with her into the Tower and as she went into her rooms and came out a fe minutes later he tried to open his mouth and say something, but she talked right over him again.

 

He stared at her for a moment then shook his head. "Aes Sedai, please i'm supposed to be in training right now. My mentor will be very upset if he finds me gone when he comes back..."

 

He was about to offer to find someone else for him when the look she gave him levelled his confidence to speak. In fact, he wasn't even sure they spoke the same language as she looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

 

[Liitha]

"Aes Sedai, please i'm supposed to be in training right now. My mentor will be very upset if he finds me gone when he comes back..." Cema turned and looked at the trainee, he had been lazying about and she had no time for this, she would belive what she wanted of what he said, and futhermore what sort of mentors did they present these kinds of day if that where true.

 

Her look quieted him, "well then the sooner we get done the sooner you can be back in the yard, i have no intentions to drag this out futher then need be i have other things to do. Besides a couple extra hours training will only teach you to find something more fruitfull to do then to hang about doing nothing for the next time." She turned on her heal and started walking down the coridor, youths today, neither beeing Aes Sedai or gaidin ment a dance on roses.

 

She would visit the seamstress first, she had a order in for a few dresses, then she would need to stop by a herb store who took in the kind of teas she liked, the list went on and on thoug, and she didnt like the prospects of it. There where one thing she could do without and it where the crowded streats of Tar Valon with rude peoples and children runing everyplace. It didnt help that she probably hadnt heard the last of the complaints from the trainee, he really should rather take it as a valuable expereince and a chanse to practise his guard skills, in her mind anyway.

[TaeaDawn]

"well then the sooner we get done the sooner you can be back in the yard, i have no intentions to drag this out futher then need be i have other things to do. Besides a couple extra hours training will only teach you to find something more fruitfull to do then to hang about doing nothing for the next time."

 

Ursana didn't know what to say to that. He hadn't just been hanging about nothing. He had been running laps and she had caught him in between. He didn't suppose there was any way around this. Caught between an Aes Sedai and a new mentor who was going to be sore enough at him for walking away. He doubted the "Aes Sedai made me do it" routine was likely to work today. He sighed and then tried to cover with a cough in case she noticed it.

 

Well, there was only one thing he could think to do. He couldn't stop her and he certainly couldn't tell her no. He didn't think she'd listen anyway and he wouldn't want to give her a bad impression of trainees. "Aes Sedai?" He asked softly. "Perhaps I could help you with you list, besides just carrying for you?" He suggested. "If you gave me part of your list I could round up some of the itmes you need? I've got trader blood in me, i'm sure I could get you good prices on what you need." He added with a charming smile. It couldn't hurt. And just maybe it would get him done quick enough to only add a few extra hours training from his mentor.

 

[Liitha]

Cema ignored the sigh and allowed him to cover it up with a chaugh, she didnt care that he seemingly had troubles with having to work, as long as he got it all done.

 

"Aes Sedai?" Cema stoped and turned, "Perhaps I could help you with you list, besides just carrying for you?" she raised an eyebrow, "If you gave me part of your list I could round up some of the itmes you need? I've got trader blood in me, i'm sure I could get you good prices on what you need."

 

Cema where geting fed up with this, seldom did anyone give her so much hazle and problems when she asked them to do something. "While I am sure that is true how are you to carry things if you are flying around on the oposite side of town cause you cant find the shops. And to add I am quite capable of negoatiating prices myself and has been so for many years, even before your grandfather where born. Now will you come along, you are not geting out of this and you are but stalling time with your polite litle objections." She ignored the smile and turned on her heal, making it quite clear this discusion was over as she headed down the stairs and out of the tower door, she had a quick though dignant walking pace as she headed towards her first stop to pick up dresses.

 

She would turn off from the mainstreat and into back alleys to get there, and finaly arived at a litle store. However small it was the seamstress where from ebou dar and made perfectly good work, she couldnt afford the fabricks cema liked, but cema had fixed that by buying them from elsewhere and leaving them with her to patch togheter into the exclusive dresses and other clothes she liked to wear. She smiled at the woman and didnt even look over the dresses as they where brougth out, she knew from years of experince that she could trust her seamstress.

 

Paying she motioned for the trainee to pick up the packages the dresses had been put into to save them from dust on the way back to the tower. With thanks and a lil chitchating she left the shop heading towards the harbour, her next stop would be the herb shop.

[TaeaDawn]

Ursana could have howlde din frustration, but he managed to keep his tongue. He wasn't Rosheen who couldn't keep anything to herself. He took a deep breath as he realized there was nothing to be done. He couldn't go against the Aes Sedai. The only hope he had was to help her along as quick as possible and pray to the Light his new mentor would understand what had happened.

 

So he found himself standing quietly in the corner of the seamstress' store and trying to go through his training in his mind. At least her could visualize the forms as he stood there. When she beckoned to him, he took the dresses, making sure they were well protected and would not suffer while he was carrying them. Just what he needed was this Aes Sedai mad at him over that too.

 

[Liitha]

Cema picked up her orders of tea from the herb shop, this was a service she had used even longer. Once the son of the owner had even asked, she asumed he had heard the stories of how his father remembered her coming around even when he was a young boy, the shop was a family buisnis that she had used for decades.

 

From there it where a numerous of teady pick up as well as leaving some new orders before noon where finaly there and she found herself almost at the end of the list. One more place to go, a smith, she had ordered a new knife some weeks ago that should be done now. Pushing up the door she smiled at the man behind the counter as he curtisied and hurried to find forth the knife. Cema inspected it and nodded, it would do as a gift for a friend of hers. She paid and then left walking back towards the tower, she nodded briefly to the guards in the gate before seting her direction towards one of the side entraces of the tower to avoid the trafic of the main one where all the petitioners would be.

[TaeaDawn]

He knew better than to grumble. He knew not to mumble or sigh or roll his eyes or even look crosseyed across the bundle in his arms. However he was immensely glad when the Aes Sedai began making her way back through the city to the White Tower. Not only because of the time issue, though that was on his mind quite a bit, but because he wasn't sure he could carry anything else without dropping something and he was sure if he told the Aes Sedai she'd just make some comment about how when she was young trainees could carry twice as much, uphill around the track 1100 times in the middle of a blizzard.

 

As it was he was lucky to keep from dropping the dresses and juggling all the other items she could continue handing him. Oh, he'd carry for her alright, and he'd do a good job at it because that was the sort of person he was, but he'd certainly be running the other way the next time he saw her coming into the Yards. Though, she was taking a different way into the Tower. He'd only been in the Tower while he had been healed and he'd gone in and out the main door. He'd never been up the side entrance. And he'd never been allowed past the infirmary either. Alright, this could be educational, he thought with a grin.

 

[Liitha]

Cema steped up the stairs, they passed outsided the door leading into the novice quarters but the girls knew bether then to stand in her way and scuried out of it with curtesies.

 

She then headed up even further and bendt of towards the green quarters. Finaly walking through the hallways with batlescenes, green where dominating in the floortiles. Memories flashing through her mind as always walking towards her room again.

 

Opening the door she channeled to open the windows. "Put the things down on the board over there and hang the bags containing dresses over the coutch, then you can return to the yard." She walked into her bedroom to change into a new shirt, her face migth not show it but her shirt where damp with sweat, she hated walking through town in heated days.

[TaeaDawn]

Ursana walked into the Tower behind the Green Sister and smiled at a group of novices they passed by. He tried not to oggle everything as he walked deeper into the Tower and into the Green Quarters specifically, with it's battlescenes and weapons on each door.

 

In her room, Ursana quickly followed the Aes Sedai's orders. As she walked out of the room he wasn't sure what to do. He should say good bye which was only proper, but he really wanted to leave so he could get back to the Yards to try to explain the whole thing to his new mentor. He decided on a bit of middle ground.

 

"Thank you Aes Sedai." He said rather loudly so she could hear him in the other room. "I hope my services were satisfactory. Good day to you!" And with those words he walked out the door. He didn't run, as much as he would have liked to. He did have his pride after all, but he wasn't sure he'd have much else when his mentor was done.

 

Outside the Tower, with only a few twists and turns in mistake, he found his way back to the Yards. And his mentor was no where to be found. Light, he was really in trouble. With nothing else to do, he decided to take a seat where he had originally met Aran and hoped he'd check back eventually.

 

[Wayfarer]

Whistling happily as he left the barracks, Aran was sure that Ginae and Vasya would appreciate the steps he had taken to secure their rooms, even from themselves. He wasn't sure what Ginae would do, but he was pretty certain Vasya would end up getting him to open the door. Vasya was well aware of how easily Aran played with the locks on all the doors, but since Aran was no thief and wasn't malicious about it, Vasya let it go. Unless it was his room, Aran remembered the rather painful encounter where Vasya had caught him tinkering with his bed, he hadn't been able to walk properly for a day after.

 

He can't be serious...

 

Frowning, Aran walked around the other side of the tree just to make sure, Ursana wasn't there. Looking about, he was nowhere in sight. Unless he'd managed to get into another fight, which was entirely possible considering the last one Aran had witnessed, there were very few reasons why he could be absent. None of which were going to leave Aran in a good mood.

 

Putting the matter out of his mind, Aran went for a wander until he found others of his company. The practice of the ball games was catching on until there was at least one game everyday, and he had been lucky enough to stumble across one. Easily losing himself in their sport, time flew by. By the time they were done, most of Aran's irritation had worked itself out. A good thing for Ursana as he spotted the lad sitting by Faith.

 

Wandering over, Aran sat himself down and looked at Ursana. Whether Ursana had found some wisdom he previously lacked, or a cat had his tongue, either way the lad didn't speak up straight away but waited. Nodding, Aran gestured for Ursana to speak, he wanted to hear what excuse or explanation he had.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

[TaeaDawn]

This wasn't going over good at all! Aran was so mad that he coudln't even speak! Sana took a deep breath as Aran motioned him to speak. "I'm sorry. I did as you asked, and I started running laps to get warmed up for anything you might ask of me. When I stopped to stretch a bit more..." he wasn't sure how to say it.

 

He was spinless and coudln't say no to an Aes Sedai?

 

He was weak and got walked all over by an Aes Sedai?

 

He was an infant and needed an Aes Sedai to protect him from his horrible mentor?

 

Finally he just decided to go with something simple. "An Aes Sedai made me do it. A green sister. She made me walk her into the city and carry things for her like I was her own personal porter!"

 

[Wayfarer]

Again?

 

There was something thoroughly wrong with the wheel when it decided to weave such a thing twice. It was also something he couldn't fault Ursana for. Well, that wasn't true, he faulted him quite a bit for it. On the otherhand, Aran knew that his previous mentor wouldn't have taught him some very basic and simple rules when it came to dealing with Aes Sedai. That would be because his previous mentor was one of those honour bound Aethan d'ma Shain runts who had no spine.

 

Well, there were a few that were good value but Aran didn't consider them Aethan d'ma Shain, conveniently enough. After all, Aran couldn't be friends with half people, so they were not Aethan d'ma Shain, Aethan d'ma Shain.

 

"Obviously you haven't been taught some of the finer points of becoming a Tower Guard or Warder, things that you need to learn to emulate." Aran was quite sure Ginae wouldn't approve either, but then she was the one that saddled him with trainees. She could blame herself when she should have known better.

 

"At the moment, I am the Creator. For all intents and purposes, authority begins and ends with me, unless the Mistress of Trainees gives you an order. If an Aes Sedai ever approaches you again to turn you into a porter or somesuch when either of us has given you a task or a place to be, you don't do it. If there is an issue, you inform them they may speak with your mentor, and I will handle it."

 

"Get used to ignoring Aes Sedai, because thats going to be a very valuable skill. You see, here is the problem. Our job is to protect Aes Sedai, therefore we are guards. Unfortunately, some Aes Sedai are incredibly stupid, or just have moments of pique at the worst possible time. In these situations, they can and often will give you an order which is just plain stupid. You have to have developed some spine by then to say no, disobey, and do the right thing to ensure their safety. That starts as of today. On your feet, and pull me up. Its meal time and I don't want the line to be insanely long when we get there."

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

[TaeaDawn]

Sana helped his new mentor up but with a small smile on his face. This wasn't what he had expected at all. He had expected to be doing laps for three weeks sun up to sun down, or cleaning out middens or something equally fowl. He wasn't expected to be told to ignore an Aes Sedai or to grow a backbone. He rather thought he had one, but the Guards point about protecting was a good one. There was a difference in protecting and serving, and he was here to protect. He thought he was anyway. His thoguhts still twisted with the deisre to be on the road with no where to go but where it took him, and the feeling of accomplishment he had in the Yards, the feeling of closeness he was developing with his sister.

 

"I will make sure to act appropriately next time." Ursana said, reassuring the man. "But what do I do when the Aes Sedai knocks me on the head for talking back?" He asked with a quick grin.

 

[Wayfarer]

Looking to Ursana, he noticed the grin and responded with one of his own. He had a fair point, Aran could remember a number of times where he had been struck. Of course, he'd also stumbled across a number of ways to deal with that as well. "Tell her thank you and that you usually have to pay for that sort of thing. If she hits you again either you need to run or she really likes you."

 

Ursana looked at his mentor and laughed. "Light help us if she decides to take a liking to a Tahn Sakhr. We're more trouble than were worth, or so I've been told."

 

"You are." Grinning at the look he got, Aran continued. "The Tower Guard needs good men... Unfortunately, you aren't it. But since you're here we may as well make you useful. Besides, your sister made it mohawk and all, you should be able to."

 

Ursana laughed about the comment. He might not like bad talk about his family, but Aran seemed to like his sister and vice versa. A little teasing he could take. "Yeah well don't expect me to start wearing a mohawk anytime soon."

 

"But you'd look so pretty... Oh come on." The last was directed at the line as they entered the mess hall. They were going to be standing about for awhile. Grumbling, he took his place with Ursana behind him. "So, what made you decide to come here anyway?"

 

"I came to see my sister actually." He said honestly. "I wasn't going to be able to get to know her if I just left so I stayed on. Was left actually." He said with a half smile. "The family decided I'd be better off with Rosheen watching out for me."

 

"Fair enough. Point of advice, if you stir her be prepared for her to hit you. I've got enough bruises to prove that rule. If she does give you too much though, just call her Princess. It works a treat, trust me."

 

Princess? "Princess?" Sana shook his head. "I'm pretty sure that would get me hit."

 

Laughing, Aran clapped Ursana on the shoulder. "Actually, I think it will get me hit, but you need to learn how to use your legs anyway. Another rule you need to learn, when faced with a fight you can't win, unless you have a very good reason, run. Also, you need to learn how to not pick fights, but we can deal with that one after we get our meals." Soon, thankfully, as the line was moving quite steadily, which meant dinner would soon be in reach.

 

Sana followed in line, thinking about what he had been told. Of course, it was common sense, but not something they talked about much in the Yards. They were training to fight and protect so the thought of retreat and that sort of thing had yet to enter Sana's training. "So, run when you have to. Makes sense to me." It had been part of his life in the Trading train, to know when to fight and when to run. They had been respected in more places, but there were always people that were willing to take advantage of strangers. He'd seen his share of both in those days.

 

"Lentils?" Grumbling, Aran took his meal and wandered over to where the mugs were with his mentee in tow. Water for each of them, he led him to perhaps the last empty table in the hall. Setting his things down, he gestured for Ursana to sit opposite. Taking his seat, he looked over at Ursana with a grin. "First of all, why did you fight Faerthines anyway?"

 

"Oh Bloody Ashes!" Sana said with an exasperated sigh. "Because I was an idiot?" he said before he could stop himself. "Look, it was a bad day and something bad happened and then bad things were said. Just... a bad thing all the way around. I'm not normally like that."

 

Looking up from his meal, Aran gestured with a fork for Ursana to keep speaking. He was trying to eat, and Ursana had glossed over any and all details. Being his mentor, one of the wonderful things Aran had to do was dig under these things and fix any problems there were. Clearly there were still problems if Ursana was sore about it.

 

"Well no, I didn't start a fight because I was late. I had been running late and so I was set to extra laps so I was in a foul mood after it. Then I got hit in the head with the clump and that pretty much is it." He said with a shrug.

 

"And there was absolutely nothing else which affected your mood at all?" Aran raised an eyebrow at Ursana as he finished, chewing on a new morsel as he did so.

 

"I was going to walk away at one point. I knew in my head that I normally would. But then he made some comment about Rosheen. I'm not stupid enough to think Rosheen needs me to defend her or that she walks on water, but it was just too much at the time."

 

Narrowing his eyes for a moment, Aran nodded. If that was it then that was it, if not it would resurface later anyway and he could deal with it then. "So, you don't think you did the right thing then?"

 

Ursana shrugged. "I got into a fight that did nothing. Words exchanged did nothing to change his mind and neither did fists. If i'm going to get into a fight I like to know that it's for something."

 

Aran grinned. "Thats not what I asked. I asked whether the fight was a right or wrong thing. We aren't talking about outcomes, we're talking about morality."

 

"Then I would say it was wrong because it gained nothing and never could. I can't change his mind with words or fists so all I did was get into a fight because I was in a bad mood and he was convenient enough to take it out on."

 

Raising an eyebrow as he looked at Ursana, his usual grin was gone as he spoke. "You're going to take alot of work." Pausing, Aran returned to his meal again. Nothing else was coming to mind to say for the moment.

 

It was the strangest thing to come from the other man really. He was certain that he needed to learn a lot about fighting and swords, but he had no idea what Aran was talking about now. "In what manner do you mean?" He asked, curious about the other man's view of things.

 

Pausing, Aran grinned to himself as he looked to Ursana. "If you can answer this question, I'll answer yours. How can trollocs mindlessly slaughter and pillage the borderlands and each other mercilessly, yet still raise children and belong to tribes?"

 

Ursana looked at Aran, unsure of what to say to that questions. "Well..." what was there to say. Trollocs were trollocs. He didn't figure anyone could explain how trollocs could justify what they did. "I can't answer that."

 

"It might come to you later. Or it might not. Either way, its your question to ponder now." Grinning, Aran gestured to Ursana's meal. "I'm nearly finished, and if you don't start you're going to have to find yourself another bowl."

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

Trainee