A New Future (Vanion, Fid) - repost from the old boards!

[Lannie]

Vanion had only been back in his room for a short while after his first training session with his mentor, Orion. He still had the black scarf tied around his eyes and was still trying to adjust to the lack of sight. I dont know how he manages, thought Vanion as he stubbed his toe for the third time since putting on the scarf. Swearing rather vigorously, he barely heard the footsteps coming into the room.

 

"I am rooming with boys?" she blurted out, before she could catch herself. She laughed. "Now that is going to be interesting." She turned to her new roommates and smiled. "Hello, I am Esthelle. I'm going to be your roommate, I guess."

 

Vanion looked towards Esthelle and smiled, "Pleasure to meet you, Esthelle. My name is Vanion. Vanion al'Makor. I cannot tell if the room is a mess at the moment, so I'll just apologize in advance."

 

Sitting down on his bed, Vanion layed his sword across his knees, then made a broad sweeping motion that took in the room, "Welcome to your new home. Make yourself comfortable! ...Watch out for the chests though... They have a knack for jumping out at you and biting your feet!", he said as he rubbed his stubbed toe.

 

Vanion began to unpack some things from his chest by the bed, a sharpening stone and some oil and some cloth. Unsheathing his sword, he began very carefully testing the edge in places. Carefully because of the blindfold. He then set about sharpening the sword and oiling it. The movements smooth and precise, even while blindfolded, so many times had he performed this task.

 

~Vanion

 

===

 

Esthelle's eyes rested on a young man her age with long black hair and a sash tied over his eyes. "Pleasure to meet you, Esthelle. My name is Vanion. Vanion al'Makor. I cannot tell if the room is a mess at the moment, so I'll just apologize in advance." He sat down on his bed with a sword accross his knees and gestured extensively: "Welcome to your new home. Make yourself comfortable! ...Watch out for the chests though... They have a knack for jumping out at you and biting your feet!"

 

"I bet they especially do that when you are blindfolded," Esthelle said with some amusement. She dumped her bags on the only free bunk beneath the window and sat down upon it, regarding the dark-haired boy with curiosity. "May I ask why you are doing this to yourself? Your poor toes, they must be stubbed senseless."

 

~Esthelle

 

===

 

"May I ask why you are doing this to yourself? Your poor toes, they must be stubbed senseless."

 

Vanion paused and looked towards Esthelle with a smile. "Well, the answer is rather simple. My mentor, Orion, is blind. And yet this does not seem to hamper him. I asked him to teach me to fight while blind. Your enemies do not always attack when you can see them. Orion agreed to teach me this skill. The blindfold is part of the training. I must learn to master my surroundings and rely on my other senses."

 

Wiping the exess oil from his sword blade, Vanion carefully sheathed his sword and replaced the oil, sharpening stone, and cloth back in his chest. Laying his sword back across his knees, he untied the blindfold and wrapped it around his neck. Alowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness, Vanion looked at Esthelle and smiled again, "Ah. Pleasure to see you."

 

~Vanion

 

===

 

Vanion smiled in her general direction. "Well, the answer is rather simple. My mentor, Orion, is blind. And yet this does not seem to hamper him. I asked him to teach me to fight while blind. Your enemies do not always attack when you can see them. Orion agreed to teach me this skill. The blindfold is part of the training. I must learn to master my surroundings and rely on my other senses."

 

Wow, that is pretty intense! I wonder what the rest of training is like, and if it's the same for everybody? I saw people fighting with some very different weapons out there... It just added with her curiosity.

 

Meanwhile, Vanion took off his blindfold and smiled at her while his dilated pupils responded to the afternoon light in the room. "Ah, pleasure to see you."

 

He had a friendly smile, Esthelle noticed. "Pleasure to see you too," she smiled back warmly. "It must be hard, walking around blinded all day but I think I can see the advantages. Could you tell me something about life here, if you don't mind? I just arrived here and it was a bit of an impulsive decision... I'm quite sure it was the right one, but some information from someone who is actually living the life would be most valuable."

 

She walked over to his bunk and sat down next to him. Curiously, she nearly touched his blade and then quickly retracted her fingers like a child who nearly caught herself stealing from the cookie jar. "Sorry," she grinned apologetically. "Couldn't help myself..."

 

~Esthelle

 

===

 

Esthelle walked over to his bunk and sat down next to him. Curiously, she nearly touched his blade and then quickly retracted her fingers like a child who nearly caught herself stealing from the cookie jar. "Sorry," she grinned apologetically. "Couldn't help myself..."

 

Vanion chuckled softly as he ran his hands along the scabbard of his sword, a far off look in his light brown eyes.

 

"This sword belonged to my father... It is all that I posess to remind me of home, aside from my memories", said Vanion.

 

Coming back to reality, he looked back to Esthelle and flashed a quick smile, "But you asked about life here! To be honest, I havnt been here long myself, and mine was also an impulsive decision to come to the Tower. I started off with naught but this sword, and dreams of glory. I had no purpose...", Vanion said with a deep sigh.

 

"But before I left home, my father told me that a man is only as strong as the cause he is fighting for, and that when you live life by the sword, you must choose to live honorably", he continued . "What could be more honorable than defending Aes Sedai?", said Vanion with a laugh.

 

Placing a hand on Eshtelle's shoulder, he said, "The life here is difficult. But that is how it was meant to be. The life of a Warder is not an easy one. We are meant to be living weapons in the war against the Shadow, and our Aes Sedai will be the hand that guides us. Here is the forge where we must be tempered, lest we break at that one crucial moment."

 

Vanion stared into Esthelle's eyes to make sure she got the point, then finished by saying, "Remember my words when you feel this is not the life for you. One day lives may depend on you... But I dont think you'll break Esthelle, not ever".

 

~Vanion

 

===

 

Vanion placed a hand on Esthelle's shoulder to get his point across, and his light brown eyes bored into hers. He passionately spoke of Aes Sedai, the Shadow, and all other things that Esthelle had always thought to be inspiring fairytales. She had never thought she would be one of the people who had to make a stand against the Shadow. Her life had always been centered around trade, marriage and city life. Not about battles and Aes Sedai and Light and Shadow. She'd always just.. lived. Not fought. Am I a fighter? Esthelle mused, and she had to come to the conclusion that she had to be, if this impulsive decision felt so right. But, to defend an Aes Sedai, to die for her... was that her life, as well?

 

She had only met Aes Sedai the other day for the first time. While the Amyrlin Seat and the Keeper seemed impressive women, radiating power and compassion both - they were like queens, and Esthelle had never thought herself to be part of world-changing decisions and battles. It had always gone over her head and she'd just abided by it. To live and die for such a person... it sounded a bit surreal and romantic. Maybe if she'd found one of them worth dying for, then she would. But it would have to be personality, not cause. It would have to be friendship, not just station, Esthelle decided.

 

"The life here is difficult. But that is how it was meant to be. The life of a Warder is not an easy one. We are meant to be living weapons in the war against the Shadow, and our Aes Sedai will be the hand that guides us. Here is the forge where we must be tempered, lest we break at that one crucial moment," Vanion spoke passionately. A light was burning in his light brown eyes and Esthelle thought that already they lived in completely different worlds. Would she enter his, or would she do it her own way?

"Remember my words when you feel this is not the life for you," Vanion said. "One day lives may depend on you... But I dont think you'll break Esthelle, not ever".

 

She smiled. "I wasn't planning to, Vanion... but thank you for the vote of confidence." She watched him sharpen his sword for a few moments before she asked: "So do we have any other roommates or is it just you and me here?"

 

~Esthelle