Newcomer to the CIty

[Wayfarer]

Baine looked up from the beef stew that sat before him. It was far from the best he'd ever had, but it filled the empty spot in his stomach. The ride from Saldea had been remarkably uneventful. Then again that could have something to do with the five foot sword strapped to his back. Any bandit couldnt possibly have known, seeing that, that he only really knew how to hold it.

 

Scanning the crowd of the common room he currently occupied, Baine noted the differences between his home in Saldea and what he saw before him. There were Kandori, Sheinarans, and other Saldeans. But he also saw some peoples he wasn't used to, dark-skinned Tairens, a bald Illianer, and even a man who appeared to be a Mayener. There was one man, sitting in the corner, who kept drawing Baine's eye. He was shorter than Baine, but obviously older. Maybe a Cairhienin? Baine's attention was drawn back to his stew and he began thinking about the day, or days, ahead. He had no idea whatsoever as to how to begin the training he came here for. He supposed he would have to eventually go to the White Tower and talk to someone to find out.

 

 

- Baine

 

 

 

There was something to be said for drinking in the afternoon, you had plenty of time to do it before you needed to go and sleep. For Aran, this was important because he drank quite often, and despite his diminutive stature, was possessed of an immense tolerance for his drink. In part because of his training, but mainly due to the fact that he drank so often, he was quite capable of drinking people larger than him under the table. Unfortunately, it also meant that it was more expensive for him to reach that buzz point, where one felt quite relaxed, or in Aran's case, more relaxed.

 

And so his afternoon was passing along quite nicely, until he noticed a man was repeatedly looking towards him. He was rather flattered in a way, he'd always thought himself worthy of being looked at, he looked at himself every time he woke up for at least a few minutes because he was that worthy, but at the same time he was somewhat discomfitted. It was always so hard to tell those people no and shatter their hopes. Then again, Aran was a magnificent, munificent, magnetic and marvellous man in his own right.

 

Aran giggled.

 

That last thought even he couldn't keep a straight face with. Nevertheless, as he took a swig of his drink, the man had gotten up and was approaching him. He'd spotted the sword before, but hadn't given it much thought. In a cramped space like this, that sword was practically useless. In Aran's opinion, all swords were useless, if the first couple of inches of a blade didn't kill someone, a few more weren't really going to achieve much. Daggers were much more elegant, easy to hide and when weighted right could be thrown as well. They could even be used to carve an apple or whittle some wood when one was bored. The day a sword beat a dagger for versatility would be th- well, it just wouldn't happen.

 

As the man spoke, Aran groaned as he realised he should have changed before going for a drink. Kicking the seat to his left out from under the table, Aran gestured to it. "Have a seat, I've got at least one more drink to go after this. Don't suppose you have a name stranger?"

 

As the man sat and gave his name, Aran repressed the urge to roll his eyes. A Saldaean, the accent was unmistakable, they all had tempers that were second only to Domani. Aran had already calculated the possibilities of this meeting. If the man wanted to be a trainee, then that meant he had to take him to the Mistress of Novices. The Mistress suspected him of stirring several trainees into committing pranks, which meant she had an eye on him. If he went in there and delivered this student to her, there was a chance she'd dump the student on him. Not that he had anything against students, he just didn't want to be a mentor, it'd cut into his drinking time.

 

If nothing else, he could delay the drop off for a bit, besides, he was in a talkative mood. "Well Baine, I'm Aran, a Tower Guard of sorts. So, what moved you to think of coming all the way to Tar Valon to enroll as a student? Revenge? Family honour? Being all that you can be? A debt? Bored and had nothing better to do? Come man, you must have some reason for signing your soul over for two years of training."

 

Raising his hand to wave at one of the bar maids, he ordered another drink, then proceeded to finish his own in one hit as he listened to Baine.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

 

 

The man kicked out a chair for Baine to sit in, which he did almost clumsily.

 

"Have a seat, I've got at least one more drink to go after this. Don't suppose you have a name stranger?"

 

"My name is Baine Draksun, sir."

 

"Well Baine, I'm Aran, a Tower Guard of sorts. So, what moved you to think of coming all the way to Tar Valon to enroll as a student? Revenge? Family honour? Being all that you can be? A debt? Bored and had nothing better to do? Come man, you must have some reason for signing your soul over for two years of training."

 

Baine contemplated for a minute about exactly how much to tell this man he had just met. He had nothing in particular to hide, but he didn't think he wanted to throw his entire life story on the table just now.

 

"Its kind of a family thing." Suddenly more aware of the weight on his back Baine nudged the strap under his coat into a more comfortable position. Trying to divert the conversation to something a bit less personal Baine began asking more questions.

 

"So how exactly would I begin my training? I'm sure I don't just waltz over to the tower and pick up a sword and start swinging it about." Baine glanced out the window and saw that the sun was in a radicaly lower position in the sky than when he had first enterred the fine establishment that was now berring witness to the birth of his new future.

 

 

- Baine

 

 

 

Taking his new drink as Baine asked his questions, Aran found himself eyeing that remarkably large sword the young man had. If he was here for training, the best he could probably do was hold it. The thought crossed his mind of thieving the lad's coins, but he dismissed the thought for the meantime. Instead he thought on what answers to give as he hooked into his drink.

 

"Something like that. Actually, you go there and we see the Mistress of Trainees. Yes, women train in weaponry as well, disgraceful I know. At anyrate, she'll get you to sign your name into the ledger for trainees, and then we own you heart and soul. They'll pick a mentor for you, and that mentor will direct your day to day training, though others will take you for specific lessons and the like. You're expected not only to master weaponry, but other skills like reading and writing, tactics and the like. Guards are more than soldiers, they have to be guarding Aes Sedai."

 

Looking out the window, Aran grumbled before draining the rest of his drink. Rising from his seat, he gestured for the lad to follow and they made their way out. Pay wasn't an issue, he had a tab so it could be settled later. "You do realise that in the end, thats what this is all about, protecting Aes Sedai. Especially when they don't want to be protected, and trust me they're a proud bunch. Giving a woman monumental powers from making the wind stir to being able to light a fire without flint does that to some people though."

 

The mocking tone wasn't lost on Baine. "Lad, trust me when I say this. Aes Sedai are for the most part exasperating, tiresome and imperious. On the otherhand, you get trained for free, clothed, sheltered, fed, and get to join one of the most illustrious companies to exist. Its a trade off. You're certain about this?"

 

Certain he was, so off they went to the Warders Yards. Passing through the inner gate, Aran cracked a few jokes at the guards on duty and received a few in return. Most knew each other by face, but Aran also knew people by name even if they didn't always know him. Too much time spent socialising perhaps.

 

From there, it was a quick trip to the Mistress of Trainees office. Not bothering to knock, Aran shoved the door open with a big grin on his face. "Hey Missy! Got a new lad for the books. Hey Baine! Come on in! He has a really big sword you know." As the lad came in Aran grinned at Ginae "well, here he is. Really keen lad, from Saldaea. See what I meant about a big sword? At anyrate, I've really got to go, pressing matters of the utmost importance, I'll leave you two to get acquainted."

 

As he was speaking, he'd been edging back out the door and as he finished, he quickly shut the door and got away from there as fast as he could. He'd managed to fast talk so well that Ginae hadn't been able to get in a word. In addition to which, he'd been disrespectful enough that there was no way that he could be considered as mentor material. Now all he had to do was find a nice tree to rest against to catch up on some sleep.

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

 

 

With a yawn, Ginae sat back in the rather comfortable chair behind her desk, and peered out the window. There were still a few hours left in her day, but not that many. “Maybe I should go for a run…†she muttered, dismissing the thought almost instantly. She’d already trained in the morning, and giving herself another work out would be… well… overkill, really. She smiled and shook her head as she sat up a bit straighter. The office job had turned her into a lazy git already. “Soon you’ll be just like Aran. Drinking on the job, falling asleep on guard duty…†She shuddered at the thought.

 

“Speak of the devil†she uttered as she saw Aran approaching through the window. Even if she didn’t recognise him on sight, his boisterous, slightly unsteady swagger betrayed his identity. Ginae’s lips curved in a mildly disgusted snarl. The snarl faded a bit when she noticed the young man walking by Aran’s side. “He has got to be joking.†She said, rising from her seat. The young man, no more than a boy really, had a rather large sword strapped to his back. As they arrived at her office, Ginae wondered how much Aran had paid the man to make a fool out of himself in her office.

 

Aran’s arrival and departure were accompanied by an unstoppable stream of words. As usual. Ginae found herself shaking her head at him as he fled from her office again. “Nice try, Aran. Too bad I know where you’re heading.†She said, knowing full well that the wretched little man was just trying to avoid being paired up with the young lad standing in front of her. She sat down again, and gestured towards one of the chairs in front of her desk. “Sit.†She opened the book of trainees in front of her. “So… Bane, was it? Is that a nickname or do your parents have a strange sense of humour?†she said with a wink. “Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself, Bane? And spell your name for me, I’d rather not have the wrong name in my book.â€

 

 

- Ginae

[WhiteCastle_mmm]

When Aran flooded the room with his quick explanation and even quicker self-dismissal, Baine's mouth hung open slightly. How much of a hurry could this man have been in? He probably wouldnt even have left the tavern yet if they hadn't chanced to meet there.

Baine promptly plopped into the hard-backed chair sitting next to where Aran had dumped him when the Mistress of Trainess told him to. Or at least he tried to, once his rump was about 2 inches from the bottom of the chair his body froze and he heard a metalic "clink" and he couldnt go any lower.

With his cheeks flushing bright red he took off the harness his sword was in and laid it next to the chair he was now occupying rather uncomfortably.

"Well I guess you could say they had an odd sense of humor ma'am, and it's spelled B-A-I-N-E. As for myself...I'm from the middle of nowhere in Saldea. My father is a minor noble and my mother is the same, from Andor though. I play a few different instruments, and speak the Old Tongue fairly well."

Baine puased and tried to think of something interesting about himself but came up remarkably short.

"I guess that's about it for me...I just want to learn to be a Warder, like my uncle. That's his sword, he must have been huge." Baine motioned to the monster on the floor. "My mother calls it a foolish boyhood dream, and she may be right. But I couldn't think of a better way to try and chase this dream than by starting now. Besides, I am not so much a boy as a young man, I realize the difficulty of this training. I'm not just wandering blindly into this."

Baine noticed he'd said a bit more than he'd meant to, and she had stopped writing.

 

Baine Draksun

[silhouette]

“Baine… ok, good thing I hadn’t scribbled it down yet.†Ginae said as she wrote down the details about the newest trainee, and listened to him tell about his uncle. “So your uncle wielded a no dachi sword eh? That’s interesting, we don’t see a whole lot of those around here.†No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember a Tower Guard or warder with the last name Draksun. She’d have to look it up later on. “

 

“One use of the No Dachi is to fight from horseback.†Ginae said as she crouched next to Baine to get a closer look at the weapon. “It’s often used in place of a polearm because the length of it's blade. That makes it perfect for cutting down an enemy and his horse in one fell swoop. Perfect for killing Trollocs as well. But because of it's weight it can’t not be brandished with ease, and people often discard it when the melee begins.†She glanced up at Baine’s face, hoping he didn’t find her lecture boring. “Foot soldiers carry this sword with the flat edge against the shoulder and the or butt of the handle, in the palms of the hands and the blade facing out toward the enemy. The sword can be hurled at the enemy, and if you aim right it can cut down several enemy soldiers at once. But after you’ve done that, you’re going to need another sword of course.†She winked at him, before rising again.

 

“I’m sure you’ll have people telling you about what kind of weapons have what kind of uses quite often around here. You’ll see a lot of different styles and techniques. You’ve come to the right place to learn, Baine. Now to get you someone to learn from.†She opened the door and glanced outside. No sight of Aran. She was quite sure she knew where to ask though. “Follow me. I’ll get you a mentor, and he can show you around the yards.†They walked around for a bit, until Ginae had found who she was looking for. With a determined look on her face she walked towards the mohawked woman who was currently practising her balance. “Rosheen!†she barked, quite content to see that Rosheen’s balance didn’t change one bit. “What?†the woman barked back. Obviously didn’t like being disturbed while she was training. “Where can I find Aran?†This made the woman look up. “Try over there.†The balancing woman said, waving towards another section of the yards. “thanks…†Ginae muttered, heading in that direction with Baine following her.

 

As predicted, Rosheen had known where Aran would be hiding. Ginae found him with his eyes closed and his back against a tree. She grinned as she snuck towards him, waking him with a sharp kick to the hip. “Wake up, Aran!†she shouted. “I’ve got a trainee for you to guide through his difficult first years at the Yards.â€

[Wayfarer]

"Ow!"

 

Looking up Ginae, Aran scowled at her as he rubbed his leg. "I'm sorry, but Aran isn't here. I'm his twin, Alan, and Aran went in that direction somewhere." Aran gestured vaguely everywhere as he swept his free arm about. He was not taking another student, taking on an Accepted had been bad enough. Then he'd received another trainee, but that one was capable of doing the work without requiring Aran to get up early in the morning day in day out to watch him.

 

Ginae’s face was quite expressionless as Aran claimed to be someone else than Aran. “You’re telling me there’s an exact copy of you running around, Aran? Even dressed in the exact same way, and just as lazy as you?†she shook her head slightly before crossing her arms. “Remind me to kill myself if I ever find out that’s true. But I’m afraid I must insist, Aran.†She placed her hand on Baine’s shoulder. “Don’t you see? The poor boy would be lost without you. He really needs your guidance.â€

 

Narrowing his eyes at Ginae, a cunning smile crept up on his face. "Let us assume I am Aran for a moment. As you say, I am lazy. This lad needs a good rolemodel, someone that he can look up to. Someone who is both sober and industrious, some inspiring figure of grand stature, with a chiselled face and thousand mile stare. You know, like Captain Ralleigh. He even makes my heart swoon when I see him."

 

Ginae took a moment to check up on her nails with a look of disinterest on her face. “Well, you know Ralleigh. Such a busy man. And seriously, he doesn’t have time for another mentee, you know, with all the people swooning over him the entire time.†Ginae nudged Aran’s hip again with her toe, making sure she caught the spot where she kicked earlier. “And you know what people say about idle hands. I don’t want people to say that I’m not doing anything to make you a better person. I think I’m just going to keep sending trainees your way, you obviously have enough time on your hands to handle them.â€

 

Aran winced but he was already formulating his protest. "Captain Ralleigh is a man of many talents, I am but a humble man of limited means. I already have a student, and despite that I still have my own training, walking the wall, and listening for news and rumours in the many fine establishments to be found in the city. After all, it is good to be forewarned of any danger, and amongst a dozen rumours one can find a strand of truth. It requires many hours of peaceful meditation to sort through them all, as I was now. Clearly I would have no time to take on another student if I were Aran."

 

“Don’t make me yawn, Aran. I think that if I were to wander over to Krelsa and discussed these very important tasks you seem to have with him, he’d be more than inclined to double your wall schedule, and see to your training himself. You know Krelsa… Shienarans can get so testy around slackers.†Ginae glanced towards her office, to make sure she wasn’t needed elsewhere. “We can drag this out for hours, Aran, but you and I both know you’re going to take Baine on as your newest mentee, so we might as well be done with this.â€

 

Aran scowled "I am not a teacher. If you want him to do well, give him to someone who is suited to it. You're only hurting him by doing this, and it isn't fair on him. Surely you have someone else. Anyone else."

 

Ginae raised an eyebrow at that. “No. And since I haven’t had any complaints from your students yet, your comments about not being a teacher are completely unfounded. You’re Baine’s mentor. Learn to live with itâ€

 

Aran grumbled as he leveled a pointed finger at her as his eyes thinned to sharp slits. "Mark my words, your uppence will come."

 

“I’m absolutely terrified.†Ginae drawled. “I’ll leave you to it then. Make sure you show him around properly.†With that said Ginae turned and left, but not before giving Baine a reassuring pat on the back.

 

Sullenly watching Ginae walk away, Aran laid his head back on the tree and closed his eyes for a moment, clearing his mind. Viewing Baine with new eyes, Aran sighed. "Thats it then."

 

Climbing to his feet, Aran sauntered away. Gesturing for Baine to follow, Aran spoke over his shoulder. "Lets get you settled in."

 

 

Aran

Tower Guard

 

OOC: Since Aran practically ignores you for the first week until the thread on the warders yard, we can assume this thread is done. If you want, chuck your reactions on the end :D