New Blood (Taei)

[Kael]

Orion waited patiently, standing beneath a tree outside the grassy area that he used to train all of his students. He had begun to come here less and less as his students fell to only Mors, Aramina had been taught all she could from him and had snce gone back to the Tower.

 

But now he had been assigned another student, another woman from the White Tower as well. Though it felt good this time. With the success of Aramina, and his lessening of self contempt over his blindness he no longer feared having a new student assigned for him, no he had begun to enjoy the lessons. They were as much an escape from his worries as they were a lesson for his students.

 

His outlook had begun to change regarding Aes Sedai and those on the road to becoming ones. Lavinya had opened his eyes and Aramina had shown him that beneath their exterior they were still women, glesh and blood and not all of them as cold as those that had spoiled his liking of them before.

 

So for once Orion waited for his student with a small smile gracing his face.

[Taei]

Taei was late, she was never late, but she was late. The brown sisters had held her in the repositiory categorizing things again. Only this time she had actually had somewhere to be. She spent an hour bugging them before they let her go.

 

A new teacher and I'm late. My first weapons lesson and I'm already in trouble. She wove her way through the tower walking much faster than was allowed, in fact, you could probably say that she ws surrying. She would have run if that wouldn't have brought attention from the Aes Sedai. As it was she was just another Accepted surrying around doing a chore at the last minute or late for a class.

 

Once she reached the outside she hiked up her skirts to her knees and ran, flat out sprinted to the meeting place. She slowed her pace just out of sight and tried to slow her breathing. It wouldn't do to look as though she had been running. She quickly straightened the locks of hair that had went astray and walked towards her new mentor. Uncertain of what she would find but determined to not be unprepaired. The thought of what she had seen her future might hold steeled her will and she walked confidantly up to her mentor. "Accepted Taei Mirel, reporting for training, Orion Gaidin." She curtsied deeply and waitied.

 

OOC: Sorry, I got the e-mail and didn't realize it had the link in it till today... >.<

[Kael]

"Accepted Taei Mirel, reporting for training, Orion Gaidin."

 

Orion had begun to follow the sounds of approaching footsteps as well as the distinc swish of skirts that was so foreign in the yards. He wasn't suprised when the steos stopped in front of him, though he was dissapointed that his new student had not thought about thir wardrobe before coming to class.

 

"Peace with you Taei. I am Orion Mantier and shall be your new mentor while in the yards." Orion was wondering at the sounds coming from where Taei stood, the rustling of fabric in such a way that meant wither she was running in circle or undressing in the middle of the yards. He had to try and puzzle it out as he stood straighter, knowing neither was anywhere near the case that it would be. Then it hit him, she was curtsying.

 

No one must have told her. Well this was going to be an interesting meeting. He wasn't one to look blind, Orion, his eyes had retained they icy blueness thanks in part to the healing that had saved the scaring but failed on his eyesight.

 

"First things first, as a member of the Yards you will need to know some ground rules that we may as well get out of the way." Orion made sure to keep his gaze neutral, looking foreward to give this Accepted some hint to the uselessness of it. "From now on you will not come to the Yards in skirts or a dress, if you don't have clothes befitting work with a sword you will have to borrow some or get some in the city. You will never use Saidar while training unless I give you permission. You will act with the respect that is expected of you as an accepted and as a member of the Yards. Now before we start in earnest do you have any questions about myself, or what you will be learning here?"

 

Orion

[Taei]

"Peace with you Taei. I am Orion Mantier and shall be your new mentor while in the yards." Finally catching her breath she took a good look at her mentor for training. He was looking away though, which she found odd. In fact, she wasn't sure that he'd looked at her at all. Oh, no, don't tell me he's mad at me already.

 

"First things first, as a member of the Yards you will need to know some ground rules that we may as well get out of the way." The whole time not looking at her, deliberately looking away even. She wasn't sure what to make of it. What rules have I broken already? She suppressed the urge to sigh and listened carefully. "From now on you will not come to the Yards in skirts or a dress, if you don't have clothes befitting work with a sword you will have to borrow some or get some in the city. You will never use Saidar while training unless I give you permission. You will act with the respect that is expected of you as an accepted and as a member of the Yards. Now before we start in earnest do you have any questions about myself, or what you will be learning here?"

 

Oh, by the light! My dress! I completely forgot... I was running so late, and, and... Thinking it best to appologize for her lack of insight it hit here that he still hadn't glanced at her, not even as he rebuked her. "I appologize for my impropper dress, Gaidin. I won't let it happen again, I promise." As he nodded his reception of her appology she was then plagued with curiosity.

 

"Just one question if you wouldn't mind." As he nodded once more she took a deep breath and asked the question that had been plaguing her since she met him. "Is there a reason you have looked away from me the whole time? I mean, not to be rude, but don't fighters usually size up those that they are supposed to train." Feeling her cheeks heat with a blush she added a belated, "Gaidin." Her hands nervously gripped her skirts and she prayed to the Creator that she hadn't overstepped her bounds.

[Kael]

Orion let out a small smile as he noted the nerves and trepidation in the Accepted's voice. A voice hanging on approval and hoping she had done nothing wrong but almost sure that she had. But where there was a question there was always an oppurtinity to learn, and perhaps this would help show what kind of potential she would have.

 

"I will say yes most all fighters do something to size up their opponents, and with a student it is almost alway by their looks. And all the teacher's here in the Yards need to guage their students possible skills."

 

Orion still had yet to move his head, thinking if he did he would ruin the chance for his student's chance to learn by confusing her to much. "Nor am I angry with you. So if, as a warrior and a teacher, I have yet to look at you to judge what potential you might have then what possible reasons could I have. Think, remember. Why is your your first question and your first lesson."

 

Orion

[Taei]

Unsure what to say or do Taei simply replied with "Yes, Gaidin." and waited. Looking abashed and a bit embarassed she hoped the rest of the lesson went better. A light wind rustled through some trees in the distance but other than that the only sounds came from the men training in the practice yards. By the light! Could I possibly mess up more today?!

 

OOC: Sorry for the long reply... *sigh*

[Kael]

Orion smiled to himself, she hadn’t exactly answered his question but then again from her tone she seemed embarrassed or at least frustrated. So he would let it pass. “Do not trouble yourself. To warn you, I’m blind that’s why. I’m not mad at you. Now come. Follow me to the armory so we can find something for you to use.”

 

Orion turned and took a few steps before pausing to allow Taei to fall in beside him. “So as we go how about you tell me what experience you have with fighting armed if any and why you chose to come train with me I the Yards.” Like any teacher Orion was merely trying to gauge his new student, whether they would have to start from scratch or go from a more advanced lesson.

 

Orion

[Taei]

“Do not trouble yourself. To warn you, I’m blind that’s why. I’m not mad at you. Now come. Follow me to the armory so we can find something for you to use.” Taei almost fell at the revelation. He's blind! By the light! I fell right on my face that time. Unsure as to how bad her blunder was she followed her mentor some what reluctantly.

 

“So as we go how about you tell me what experience you have with fighting armed if any and why you chose to come train with me I the Yards.” It hit her like a ton of bricks again. The link severed, alone in her mind, but not used to it and an emptiness where there used to be another voice in her head. She had cried several times since her arches at the thought of losing a warder and was determined not to let what the ter'angreal had shown her come true. Almost missing a step she caught herself and tried to find someway to explain. Her voice sounded a little horse as she said it, but she hoped that her mentor wouldn't mention it. "There are several places where using the One Power is dangerous or impossible. I just want to insure that myself and my companions would stand a chance in such a situation."

 

Pausing for a second she continued more confidently. "I have never had any weapons training I'm afraid. That's why I asked permission to be trained."

 

Hard part over with, I hope...

[Kael]

It was the ypical answer for all incoming accpeted starting weapon training, an answer that Orion half expected but stll needed yo ask too see if there were any suprises. The lack of the one power was enough to scare some Accepted and Aes Sedai into getting weapon training, well not all were scared. He had met more than one Aes Sedai who was harder than he was.

 

And as his reluctant student followed him Orion began to think of a training schedule for her, judging her height from where her voice originated and her size by what he could remember and assume from accepted he had met in the past. He wwouldn't be able to finalize it until he tested her physical limits more. But first he would see about her choice of weapons.

 

The heat fromforge hit him as they entered the armory, the clang of teh hammer on anvil amplified enough that he slippe out of the void to release the tension in his head.

 

And while he did not see the arms around him he knew they where there, he motioned around to them. "Here are the weapons that you can choode from to learn. Daggers, swords, bows, polearms and even whips. The Master Blacksmith will be by shortly to help you, as it is difficult fro mer to explain what a weapon means if I cannot see it." Orion nodded, rolling his shoulders refelexively and missing the familer weight of his sowreds strapped over his shoulder, or tied to his belt. Now htey hung on the wall in his room, enjoying a breif respite from the use that he put them through.

 

Orion