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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

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Posted

Watching the door that had closed behind Fior, her new room mate, Sahra fingered absent-mindedly her chin that he had pinched in a friendly manner before his departure. She had a very good feeling about this. They would become good friends and he would be nice to have around just for the sake of aesthetics too. The room was otherwise plain enough to belong any random poor farmer. Fior had mentioned her the common mess hall but she had eaten a while before in Master Gill's in, her last dinner there as his employee. It had been a bit sad but this was what she had wanted for a year. Today she would really start training and under Sana of all people. She beamed at the thought. He would be really surprised since he had had no idea of her dream. She hadn't told it to anyone but really close friends after the stupid incident with the rude Tower Guard a year ago. She definately didn't look forward bumping into that Aran fellow in the Yards.

 

Dropping her sack to the chest, she began to undress and change into the training clothes the Mistress of Trainees had given her. Wearing pants felt positively scandalous even though she had seen them many times on female Tower Guards and other Trainees in the Yards. Girls wore dresses and no matter how rebellious and wild Sahra had been as a child and youngster, that had been a line she had never crossed either. And besides, boys liked her more in dresses, especially ones with low cuts, she thought with a grin. But that was past times for her now even if some Trainees and Tower Guards might recognise her from the Traveler's Stay. Taylor Gill had been the captain of the Civil Watch so his place was in favour among the Tower's protectors.

 

And here she was wasting time. She was quite eager to meet Sana and to see if the reality of being a Trainee actually matched all the horror stories she had been told. Surely people had been exaggerating. She was a healthy girl and she didn't shirk from physical work so she should do just fine. Heading out she scanned the Yards for a figure with dark brown hair and athletic build that was made for dancing and being admired by women. Her eyes finally locked on the familiar man who was watching a spar of some mates and cheering so enthusiastically that he entirely missed her soft footsteps approaching from behind.

 

She felt him startle as she threw her hands over his shoulders and covered his eyes. "Guess who?", she whispered to his ear her lips touching his skin. She could feel him blink under her palms and finally he said a name hesitantly. A name that did not belong to Sahra Alisa Covenry. Her face fell and her hands flew to her hips in angry balled fists. So that was how things were. He turned and to say that he was astonished to see her here was like calling the White Tower a hut.

 

"Hello Sana", she said with a becoming pout. "Did cat steal your tongue or why aren't you greeting your new mentee? Maybe you might even recall my name." She would be seriously pissed off if he couldn't produce it since he had been kissing her just two nights ago when Master Gill had caught them. Even moreso, he had been at the inn over the few past weeks before she had finally obliged to sneak to the backyard with him. And such a nice kiss it had been, definately worth the scolding.

Posted

He was barely over the shock of Ginae telling him he was to become a mentor. In fact, he was barely seeing the spar before him as he thought about what it would be like to work with someone. He realized he had missed a bit of the spar when one of the guys nudged his ribs. They knew he was still a bit new to things and they liked to tease him about it when they could, like when he lost his thoughts during a good spar, but it was all good natured and Sana got along well with most everyone.

 

The hands on his face were a surprise. He voice even more so because it wasn't one he could place in the Yards. He tried to think of all the trainees and guards he had known but the voice didn't match anyone. He guessed at the name and from the huff he heard behind him he knew the name was wrong.

 

He turned around then and just about fell over from the shock. He knew his eyes must look like saucers on his face when she began to speak.

 

"Hello Sana, Did cat steal your tongue or why aren't you greeting your new mentee? Maybe you might even recall my name."

 

"My what?" He asked, confusion muddling him for a moment. "No. You can't be my mentee. I like you!" He said before he could stop the words. He didn't need to look at her to see the bemused look, the one that was deciding between angry and complemented. He started talking again before she could make up her mind. "And don't take that the wrong way Sahra. I just meant... oh light... what are you doing here in the Yards? Are you really a trainee now?" He asked in earnest. There was nothing ridiculing or disbelieveing in his voice, only pure surprise that he had finally met someone he liked well enough to have this happen to him. Story of his life.

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

PSW.gif

Posted

Sana's initial reaction disappointed Sahra deeply. He didn't want to be her mentor? It changed into a pleasure when he continued. She couldn't quite follow, though. She didn't know enough of the workings of the Yards to figure out why liking her was any complication. She was quite certain that she was taking it just the right way and she was pleased, very pleased. And she adored Sana even more because she couldn't hear any doubt in his voice. He believed that she could well be a Trainee and do well.

 

Looking around she noticed the curious glances of the people who had followed the spar and she didn't want them to be hearing this all. She looped her arm on his and pulled him to walk with her. The important things first. "I like you too, Sana. I wouldn't kiss just anyone." And she wouldn't, not anymore when she now knew what it was like and that it was really special with only someone you cared about. "And yes, I really am a trainee now. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you even though I knew that I would do this in few weeks, exactly today. But I had a reason not to. It was because in the beginning when I had made up my mind about this I did tell everyone, I was an excited little wool-head. That stopped when one Tower Guard actually laughed at me. And with everyone else doubting me too, Master Gill, Emma... I just kept it to myself. But I would have told you. After the day before yesterday I would have but we didn't see each others."

 

"So basically I have been wanting to do this, to become a Trainee and eventually a Tower Guard and really good with the blade for a year. Ever since I was fifteen and I found out I couldn't channel. It was a relief actually. Of course it would have been an honour and I could have become an Aes Sedai but channeling is so scary. I can't understand it. But this I can. I have been hearing all the stories about how hard it is but you can do so many good things when you know how to wield a weapon, awesome things. If you really want to do something, you have to be motivated and I am. I know what I want to become and I will work toward it."

 

She grinned. "Here I just blubber off and ignore you. Umm... you said 'liking me' in the way like it would be a problem. Did I just misinterpret that or are there actually some rules or something that say it is not alright?"

Posted

Sana listened to her as she led them away from the spar, grateful that he hadn't had to cut her off to walk away himself. If she really was his new trainee then there were some things they had to discuss. He had no doubt about it, but he had to be sure.

 

"Ginae just said that she was giving me a new trainee to work with, she didn't say who." He scrubbed his hand through his hair for a second trying to think of the right way to say it. "Here's the story. As a Guard, i'm not allowed to be involved with trainees. And even if I was, it would just be wrong for me to be involved with you and teaching you. For the same reasons my sister wasn't allowed to train me, too much chance of favoritism or the reverse."

 

Light, he wished Aran were around to talk to. He'd know if Sana should run back to Ginae and confess to the relationship he sorta had with Sahra. Of course, Aran would laugh his head off to find out that Sana had been kissing a barmaid who turned out to be his first trainee. OK.. so no Aran. That meant he needed to figure this out.

 

Well, he couldn't be involved with her anyway, so why not? At least he'd get to see her everyday and get to know her better. If they still got along well when she became a Tower Guard, then they could talk about things.

 

"So, that's sorta where things stand. Are you sure she said that i'm your mentor? Not Rosheen Tahn Sahkr? You know, Tower Guard with the mohawk?"

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

Posted

Hmpf, so there were actually two rules forbidding it. And it seemed that Sana was going to be a good boy and follow then. Burn it all! She could see the point about favoritism but when she thought about it, she couldn't imagine anyone she would have rather have training her in his stead. What a pickle. Of course they could go to the Mistress of Trainees and ask her to assign him a new mentor but he would likely still see it as a wrong thing to be involved with her. She couldn't see the wrong in that at all and she didn't like it one bit. How long would they have to wait until she would be promoted to a Tower Guard? A year or two? It would be frustrating time even if they could spend every day of it together.

 

She sighed. "There is nothing wrong with my ears, Sana. Yes, you are to be my mentor and not your sister." And his sister had a mohawk? What was that? "It's just..." She stopped and stood very close to him tracing his jaw with her fore finger. "We could be dicreet, you know." She let that sink before continuing. "Maybe even ask someone else to mentor me but then the Mistress of Trainees would of course be keeping an eye on us. I just don't understand why. I get the mentor thing but if the other Tower Guards aren't really in charge of my training and don't have much to do with me... why not? I don't want to have to wait."

Posted

Ursana sighed as her finger touched his jaw. "No Sahra. Maybe this training isn't important enough to you for you to take this sort of thing serioulsy, but I do. I might not have always wanted to be a Tower Guard, but now that I am one i'm not going to mess around and get myself kicked out." He smiled at her, hoping she'd understand. "Think of it this way. We'll have plenty of time to get to know one another and in the end, if we aren't ready to kill one another, you'll be a Tower Guard and then there are no rules one way or another."

 

He hoped she'd take his word and just let it go. He wasn't sure why Tower Guards weren't supposed to be too involved with Trainees, except perhaps for the fact that life as a trainee was hectic and as a Tower Guard you had just as busy a life, just with different priorities. OK, so he didn't understand the rules at all, but he wasn't about to step outside them, no matter how good a kisser Sahra was!

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

Posted

Sana sighed when Sahra touched him. He didn't want it. The finger stopped but his next words made her snatch her hand away and give him a smoldering glare. How dared he to claim that this wasn't important to her. He had to think that she was just a useless flipskirt who had just come here to flirt and catch men, maybe - Light burn him - he thought she had actually come here after him. He had no idea of her reasons and obviously he didn't even care. What they had had was special but if she was entirely honest with herself, she wanted to become a Tower Guard more than be with him. And there was at least hope in his words, for a few years (a time that felt like an eternity to a sixteen year old) they would see each others every day and become friends. And then maybe...

 

So be it then, they would play by the rules. But a girl could always dream and Sana had been in her mind a lot lately. It wasn't that easy to just disperse someone and your feelings for them. She gave him a mock version of the salute she had seen several Tower Guards do. "I will be a good little soldier then, Sana. You don't have to worry me jumping your bones. Yet.", she added with a grin. "So what kind of training do you do around here?" She had some idea of course but it was different than actually knowing how to do it. "Give me your worst, mentor."

Posted

Sana let out a deep breath as she finally smiled and started talking about training. For a moment there he thought he was about to be slapped. What for, he wasn't sure, but he had seen something in her eyes that made him think it anyway. "Alright, so you're here to train so lets get started. The first thing we need to do is to get you moving to see what you can do already. We'll evaluate your present condition and see what we need to work on. So, let's get moving."

 

He walked away from the center of the Yards and over to the track that he was far too familiar with. He smiled at her. "I'll set an easy pace. We're not going for speed today, but stamina. First, streach out a little and then we'll go."

 

He took a few mintues to limber up himself then waited for her. When she was ready he smiled. "Let's see how well our dancing prepared you for a good run." And with those words, he was off.

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

Posted

Sahra nodded with determination when Sana announced that it was time for some running. She didn't at first understand what he meant by stretching but imitated him. And to show that she hadn't lost her sense of humour and that she wasn't going to let their relationship get entirely professional, she asked with a lazy smile if he could instruct her from a close range and put her into the right position. He shook his head at that and laughed and she grinned back happy that they were in concord.

 

His remark about dancing's connection to running was a challenge and she hoped that she could hold up well. She was a healthy young woman but she had never actively trained so after a few laps her breath was starting to get laboured. She could still keep up a steady pace though for several more rounds before she was panting heavily and could feel the warmth and slight sheen of sweat on her face. Then Sana started to slow down until they were walking side by side. Her breathing was slowly getting more even and she asked if she had done alright. He told her that it was no contest and that she was in a pretty decent condition. It was good she supposed and was satisfied.

 

Sana went on to ask about her experience with weapons and fighting and she had to confess that she had no experience what so ever beyond wrestling with boys as a child. She should have started preparing somehow a year ago, maybe asked some of the Tower Guards to show her something since it wasn't that far fetched that a bar maid might need such skills. Or maybe not in Traveler's Stay since Master Gill was a former Civil Watch captain and the place was frequented with Tower Guards. And Master Gill wouldn't have showed her anything since he had tried to persuade her out of her ideas of becoming a soldier, so she really hadn't had any chances to learn.

"Is that a bad thing, Sana, that I don't know anything yet? Do most trainees have some previous experience?" Fior, her room mate at least had had but then he was a Borderlander. She very much wished that she wasn't some deviation. She would at least try to learn quickly.

Posted

"Is that a bad thing, Sana, that I don't know anything yet? Do most trainees have some previous experience?"

 

Sana shook his head. "Honestly, I think you're lucky. I've seen a lot of people come in here with the idea that they know how to hold a weapon, or how to use it. They come in and try to show off, only to realize that they don't know the first thing. You're already a step ahead of them. More than one, I'd say, because you don't have to work against what someone else trained you with."

 

He continued walking with her, letting her cool down as they moved. "I didn't know much of anything when I showed up. I'd been in a few fights with the Caravan and I could swing a stick at someone, but that's completly different than walking in thinking you know how to use a quarterstaff." He said with a grin. "I didn't know what to do when I came in. I saw the first big sword on the armory wall and said "I want that one" and my mentor at the time didn't argue with me. Over time I came to have more respect for what I had known in the beginning, something that has always made sense to me. So you don't need to know anything. All you need is to have determination to put the work into it and the ability to hone your instincts and to trust them."

 

As they finished, he was standing in front of the armory. He smiled at her then. "And here we are at the armory. Go on in. Take a look around, and let me know what you like."

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

Posted

Sana managed to relieve her fears and she grinned at his assesment of pompous fools who thought they were blademasters when they could swing the sword a bit. She listened with keen interest as he told of his own arrival and decided to be a bit more educated with her choice of a weapon. She wanted to at least try them out before choosing even though she was fairly set on a sword. Her reason might be sentimental since it was the traditional weapon of all the heroes in the stories but it had felt good holding Fior's Fang.

 

Beaming at Sana excitedly, Sahra stepped into the room and marveled at the fine collection of killing tools at display. There were so many weapons and a lot of them were a type she had never seen in her life. Before heading to the swords, she strolled around and touched the unfamiliar items and lifted them and swung them in the air with the clumsiness of inexperience. They were heavier than she had expected. All kinds of spears and axes and strangely shaped swords. But she knew what she wanted and after taking her time with sating her curiousity, she went for her sword.

 

She tried first the same kind of a sword Fior had and this time she tried to get the true feel of the weapon. The weight was about right but the handle was too short to accomodate both hands well. She wanted a long sword she could use with two hands and after trying a few swords that were too heavy and clumsy in her hands, she came across with the perfect one. It was even beautiful in her opinion despite being fairly simple. The blade was fairly narrow, elegant you could even say, the pommel had a stylised heart shape and there was a knot shaped pattern in the cross guard. It felt right and she turned to Sana determinedly.

 

"This one is mine."

 

OOC: This is it http://www.kp-art.fi/jt/miekat/22.html

Posted

Ursana nodded as Sahra picked out her sword and he gave her a small smile. His first day in the Yards he had picked a sword as well, though later training had taught him that he had other preferences. He made sure she picked out a good sheath for it and everything else that she might would need for it's use.

 

"We'll begin training with lathes but you'll need to learn how to clean and care for your weapon as well. We'll get some gloves for you until your hands start hardening up a bit." He talked as they began to walk away from the Armory. "Do you have any questions so far?"

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

Posted

Sahra carried the sheathed sword proudly as she followed Sana. When he asked if she had any questions, she couldn't help but grin. He should know by now that she always wanted to know more. She was a bit dismayed to hear that she wouldn't be training with her new spiffy metal sword but some silly wooden practice blade but there were likely good reasons for it.

 

"Why can't I train with my sword? And when can I use it then if I can't train with it? And do I have to name it? My room mate Fior calls his sword the Fang and her mentor's sword has a name too. Have you named your weapons and what weapons do you use anyway?" She wondered if he even remembered all she had asked so far but she would remind him. And she had still more in her mind. "Why did you choose exactly those weapons?"

 

The gloves sounded like a good plan and she would likely wear them for the rest of her time in the Yards since she didn't want her hands to be completely ruined and callused. Some hardening was necessary but good skin cream and maintenance would surely help. It was vain, but surely nothing stopped a warrior from having well-tended hands. "How often will I have to take care of my weapon and how do I do that?"

Posted

And that, he thought with a smile, was Sahra. Always a lot of questions. "You don't have to name your weapons. Some people do. I never have and I don't think I will. Maybe if my father's father's father had passed down a sword to me I might have used a name for it... but I don't think I'd want a weapon with a name." He said with a smile. "That's your choice though. As for using your swrod, we'll start with the lathes so that no one gets more that bruises from training. Once you start to learn the forms and aren't going to cut yourself, or someone else, while doing them, then you'll be able to start working with your sword." He said with a nod.

 

"My weapons..well.. we got attacked sometimes with the caravan. You used whatever you could to defend yourself and since I was always fond of a walking stick, a staff seemed to work more naturally than a sword. My secondary weapon is a sword, but I think mostly it's just a matter of what you are comfortable with. I also think it's important to train with anything you can. If you see someone that's good with a weapon that you don't know, I think it's smart to ask for a few beginner lessons. You never know when you'll be in a fight and not have your favorite weapon around." he said.

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

All that he said sounded very reasonable. Great heroes had weapons with names but in her opinion you had to have done some fancy deeds before the weapon earned such an honour. She doubted that she would ever feel herself worthy enough to do such a gesture so unless someone else named her weapon, she would ever just wear a sword.

 

She felt a bit pouty about not being able to train with her fine sword but how quick she got to use it depended on her and how fast she learned. And maybe a little of her cajoling skills too. It would be very enjoyable to at least try, she thought with a promising grin. She and Sana might not be able to act on anything but she would make sure that the flame would stay up with occasional flirting - or maybe not so occasional. But of course nothing that would interfere with her training. She was going to take it seriously.

 

Sana's weapon choice was very natural. She nodded in acknowledgement that she should try to familiarise herself with the basics of as many weapons as possible. Some versatility was always good even if you mostly focused on one or two weapons to be your strongest suites.

 

"Understood. So when will I choose my other weapons? I have no clear idea unlike you what they would be. Any recommendations or will I find it out during the training? And speaking of training, what all will it entail?" She tilted her head curiously. "Do you think that the training really prepares you to be a Tower Guard? What to you is the essence of being a Tower Guard and how did you realise it?"

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Sana shook his head but it was a fond sort of exasperation. Sahra would, of course, want to know everything on her first day. “You other weapons will come to you as we begin training. My first day in the yards, I chose a sword as a weapon, but it didn’t take me long to realize that the staff was more to my liking. You’ll find your weapons in the same way. We’ll pick up different types of weapons so you can fight with them, and so you can learn to fight against them as well. As for what training entails, it will be a lot of physical exercise to build your strength and more importantly, stamina for anything that might come. We’ll work your weapons of course, and hand to hand fighting. We’ll try to work on getting you to see you fights with an eye for strategy and to get you to see the strength and weakness of yourself and you opponent.”

 

He thought about her last question a second before answering though. “Does training prepare you to walk the walls? No. It trains you for a lot more and lets hope that the skills we learn won’t be needed anytime soon. The more I learn of weapons and battles, the less I want to be a part of any of it. But to me, being a Tower Guard is to protect, nothing more and nothing less. If I must fight I will, but I do not like to. Sparring in the yards with a friend is different and when it’s someone’s life blood that’s flowing and you know that your own hands did that…” He shrugged. “I can’t understand people who enjoy that. To me being a Tower Guard is to stand with those around me and fight for something I believe in. Everyone probably has a different answer to that one, and I’m still new to the title so maybe someone else can give you a better answer. If you get one, let me know.” He said with an easy grin. He return smile made his heart beat a little faster. Light, it was going to be hard to remember she wasn’t to be touched. It was going to be a very long couple weeks if he couldn’t drill it into his head now. But when he looked at her, he just smiled a little brighter.

 

Ursana Tahn Sakhr

Posted

Sana explained that the additional weapons and learning how to defend against them would come with training to an attentive pupil. Sahra wanted to get started with her new spiffy sword already but she wasn't looking as much forward to the strenght and stamina training. She had heard that they could be really grueling. But it was necessary even if really uncomfortable at the start. She had to bite back a secret grin at the thought that occurred to her in association to stamina. She could very well imagine where it would come handy and she bet that she wouldn't find anything to complain about Sana's endurance.

 

She grew serious as he answered her second question. It sounded very logical and she could well understand why he wasn't eager to plunge to a real battle. Killing dummies and doing bouts wasn't the same than killing living and breathing real people or Shadowspawn. The latter no one would have problems to justify killing but the risk of ending as the one dead instead was bigger. She smiled at his last remark and admired his grin. It lighted his face and made him look mischievous which appealed to her more than a little.

 

"Yes, sir", she made a mock greeting. "I'll be pestering other Guards about that too and carry the tale right back if someone answers differently. That sounded really reasonable to me, though. Thank you. And that was really it for me. I don't have any more questions for now. Does that mean that I'll get to learn how to really swing this blade now?", she asked with puppydog eyes.

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