sorry I guess I assumed there would be horses around because there are other people aside from ashies living on the farm, and not even all the ashies can travel.  But also I'd had it in some post somewhere that my guy arrived with his horse in tow, not realizing he might never need it again.  Though he would ride out of habit, having grown up with horses.

Sieve, thanks, I'd be glad to rp with you again.

Marden sat on the edge of his bed, juggling three flame red orbs above his hands.  He found himself doing this more often as his skill with the Power grew; it was something small and simple, and yet it still required his concentration and will.  Saidin was a mountain of fire, threatening to roll him under and devour him every time he took hold of it, yet each new time he grabbed the Source felt as good as the first. 

He paid no mind to the wash basin he had meant to fill with the Power.  He had given up on making his own water when it became apparent that today he would get no better than a thin layer of condensation no matter how he tried.  Water was most often elusive in his attempts at wielding the different strands... More than once he had had to use a blanket to douse a Fire experiment gone awry when Water failed to make an adequate presence.  No matter.  No injuries, no deaths, just a few burnt-through blankets.  He let a minor flow of Air into the mix and the juggled Fire-Earth orbs burst into merry flames above his hands.

Finally, he forced himself to release the Power, heaving a sigh that made his bony shoulders momentarily droop.  The world around him dulled, leaving only that brief residual feeling of the taint settling into him.  This was one of the first times he had a day to himself since his arrival, and he meant for something useful to come of it.  In the Tower’s armory, a bow made from the light wood of a leatherleaf, probably designed for use while riding, had caught his eye.  He intended to become adept at shooting from the back of a horse, but first of all he would have to remember how to shoot period.  He had hunted with Torin, but it had been years since he’d used an actual bow…  It pretty much ended with his friend had gotten a hawk for his name day, and then the friends had spent the subsequent trips hawking instead.

There was a practice field for various things at the Black Tower, and he found himself walking to the far end with a quiver full of arrows with short, round practice points and the bow slung over his shoulder.  There were targets at various distances, old segments of stumps affixed to posts of different heights.  Starting easy would probably be best, he decided, so he focused on the closest target, letting the void form around him.  Everything always seemed easier from within the depths of the void.

Nocking an arrow, he gripped the bowstring in the way he remembered.  It felt awkward at first, curling his index finger around the string above the arrow shaft and the next two fingers below, but after drawing and releasing slowly and methodically a few times things started to come back to him.  Making sure to keep his elbow level with his shoulder and his other arm out straight, he drew the fletchings back to his eye and sighted down the shaft. 

You’re squinting your off eye mate, open up.  He didn’t jump at the voice, just slowly opened his left eye and finally let the arrow fly.  He watched with a feeling of detached satisfaction as it landed in a somewhat middling area.  Hardly a bullseye  “I’m bloody rusty Tor.“  A flash of irritation bubbled up in him, surprisingly potent despite him being so thoroughly wrapped in the void.  His usually polished and smiling demeanor crumbled away, leaving him sneering at the arrow in the target.

It was hardly a new thing for him, hearing a familiar voice when he was alone, nor the sudden major shifts in mood that almost always came with them…  He just was hardly expecting such a thing here, now.  It had nearly two and a half years since his inherited… eccentricities had really bothered him in any way besides in memories, but he had assumed that the void would have proven an effective shield against it all from here on out.  “Go away.”  He surprised himself by reaching out and touching the Source, wielding a thin whip-crack of Fire that caused the arrow to burn down from fletchings to tip in a flash like a cigar burning in fast motion.  Never had he channeled at anything that far away.  The feat caused a grin to form, and after a moment he had another arrow knocked and was sighting down it at the bullseye.  Both eyes open, he reminded himself, and loosed.

wow okay never mind.  holidays have apparently sucked this place dry, I'll just have to wait til Jan.  peace all

Been wanting to get some more RP under my belt, knowing that holidays are when I have the most free time.  ( I know I know, everybody else is busy then.  :P  blah .) 

I was considering for a free rp having my Soldier (who grew up with horses) going out for a ride and maybe end up in a friendly (or not so friendly) race with someone, maybe betting chores off on each other or something.  Or even just a ride to work out some kinks... Or a fight LOL.  Or anything.  Willing to brainstorm in PM.  ::)  Now back to the regularly scheduled Finals studying

((OOC:  gah having trouble with typing in this stupid window today, does the scrollbar ever jump around needlessly for you?  And thanks Sieve for RPing w/ me  =)  ))

It was a relief to reach out and take Saidin again, to feel the wave of life crash into him, burning and pulsing.  He almost thought for a moment that he could feel something about the Soldier next to him, but it was so faint that he wasn't sure...  He'd been told that eventually he would be able to feel how much of the Power another man was holding.  The taint was there again, as it would always be, foul and sickening.  Strangely, deep down, he almost felt as home with it there as he did with the Source.  It tickled something in the far reaches of his mind that for years he had fought to disregard.  He smiled, savoring the good and the bad while he did a runthrough of the weave in his head.

Separating Fire out from the other elements took only a moment: Fire was the strand that seemed to call out to him most, the one that was easiest to pull away and manipulate... the one that was the most readily recognizable to him next to all the others, even.  Despite this, he still managed to fumble the weave twice before getting a tiny, flickering flame to appear above his hand.  It looked a little sickly, like a guttering flame that could go out at the smallest breath, but it remained there in his hand despite the start of a stiff breeze.  Drawing in more saidin, he allowed the strands in the weave to thicken, giving his tiny light a fatter, more healthy glow.

Allowing the weave to drop, he started a new flame, this time more easily than the first couple of tries.  He started the strands thicker instead of changing them after the flame had been made, smiling with satisfaction  as it sprang into being twice as big as it had been previously.  He let it grow bigger still, being careful not to surpass the maximum size that Valeran had instructed.  Marden had no desire whatsoever to find himself lying on the ground in a pool of ice water.  Instead of trying for bigger, he let his attempts roam in different directions…  If he twitched this strand just so, he could get the flame to move from finger to finger.  Occasionally the light winked out of existence over the next finger, but it wasn’t long until he was able to keep it a steady shape and size, bouncing it from side to side as if it were a solid object.

Before the feeling of fatigue had really begun to set in at the back of his consciousness, some of the other Soldiers had begun to show a surprising level of strain as they practiced.  Marden realized as he pushed saidin away from him as commanded, that they had all been at their task for well longer than he had realized.  His toes had grown quite numb in his boots, and as the dullness of the world through “regular” unenhanced eyes took hold, so did the creeping feeling of fatigue.  He knew that he would be able to get his chores finished for the day without any problems, but he had no doubt that he would sleep as soon as his head found his pillow.

As Valeran dismissed his group of Soldiers, Marden turned back for the barracks in as deep of a thought process as he had arrived in.  Most of the others seemed to be meeting in small clumps, but he ignored them for now.  He had no intention of wasting his time talking when he could be getting other things out of the way so that he could practice again.  Plenty of his life had been spent with no more than his own self for company.

;D  I knew what I meant. ...That's mostly what matters.  :P

Name: Marden Coll

Learning Saidin: 5 , Grabbin' me some saidin DONE

Other Learning: 0 , Link

Open Thread 1: 0, Link

Open Thread 2: 0, Link

A swirl of confusing emotions bubbled up in Marden's chest as he watched the Soldiers before himself grasp the Source for the first time.  After that last speech from Valeran, he half expected something dramatic and perhaps devastating to happen to one of the other men...  But the only real indicator that anything was happening came from watching the Dedicated.  He seemed the same as he had been since the lesson started, except for the look in his eyes.  His attention never wavered, the intensity of his gaze fully taking in each Soldier when it was their turn.  Marden gave a start as that look was suddenly turned on him. "Good, NEXT."

In his initial excitement, he fumbled with the void, trying to force the flame and the emptiness, and in doing so nearly lost it completely.  Taking a deep breath and forcing his shoulders to relax, he finally fed the excitement into the flame in his mind's eye, pushed everything into it until it was just his consciousness and that sickly flicker beckoning to him just out of reach.  Slowly, almost reverently, he extended himself toward it, licking his lips with anticipation.  It had only really been seconds since he had been told to try but it felt much longer than that.  He steeled himself mentally and let out a gasp at the initial contact.  What was meant to be a small touch quickly became much more than that and it was glorious and devastating and euphoric all at the same time.  All of his concentration was poured into the task of simply not burning to a cinder.

The landscape was not a particularly colorful one, with everything leafless and frozen and ice on the ground, but as soon as the Power had flooded him it could have all been a vibrant painting full of life and movement, done by a master's gentle hand.  As he battled the roiling Light in his head, he could feel the taint, feel it settling onto his bones, but even that seemed somehow magnificent.  All of it pulsed through him, the Light, the disgusting slick beating a counterstep, even the quiet breaths of the others around him in line.  The sense of loss when he finally forced it all away at Valeran's word was overwhelming for a brief second, as the world dulled back to what he had been perfectly happy with for his entire life up to now.  He could still feel a tiny remnant of the taint, like a fine grit dusting his soul.  Instead of fearing it, he welcomed it as a reminder of what he would soon feel again.

Holy crap I'm feelin' ya.  Take care of yourself

((OOC:  R/L is really good at that sometimes, no worries. =)  Got finals coming up soon myself, totally understand heheh))

At Valeran's motion, Marden turned and only really noticed the others for the first time.  He wasn't old by any means, only 24, but some of these baby-faced boys almost looked as though they hadn't even shaved for the first time in their life.  One in particular had a face that looked more Marden's age, but the way he stood off to the side with a slightly stricken expression and his shoulders hunched against the cold made him look far younger than he probably was... With that dark complexion he could easily have been from Tear.  No wonder he looked as if he were trying to fold himself in half at every breeze.

As Marden joined the gaggle of young men, he flinched at the commanding "Soldiers, Attention!"  He had definitely been yelled at before, but not quite in such a commanding manner.  And his nerves and mind were keyed up until he felt ready to snap from all the excess energy.  The following curses and commands had him scurrying with the others to get in line, but inwardly he felt a strange bubble of amusement and he realized he was trying to picture other young lordlings starting at the words and being mock-offended at them, and truly offended that anyone would dare to tell them where to be.  He had never been pleased at being told what to do, but imagining some of those prissy sods in this situation definitely took off the edge.  Marden found himself in the middle of the line, standing calmly straight and pursing his lips against a smirk that kept trying to form.

“I am Valeran Kertovni, a dedicated here at the Black Tower. You are what we call soldiers around here.  Soldiers are the lowest rank though fear not, you are all important.”  His penetrating gaze took in all of them.  “A soldier at the Black Tower is worth more than twenty ordinary soldiers in battle.  You all will be made into weapons for the Light, weapons for the Dragon Reborn.  You!”  He pointed a finger then ran it along the line of soldiers facing him.  “You will face the forces of the Dark One!  You, the Light willing will one day be the guardians of the light.  A full Asha'man, one of the most powerful weapons   in the fight against the shadowspawn.  That is why you are here, you have been given a special ability  that we will cultivate.  You have come here to serve the Light, to protect the world from the forces of the Dark One.”  Valeran paused briefly to let his words sink in.  

Marden jumped again at the yelled YOU!, but he hardly noticed his own reaction, letting the words of the older man roll around in his mind almost dreamily.  Heady words, these, and things he had imagined many times over.  Most of the next part of the speech was lost on his ears really.  Of course death would be a possibility for some, just not for him.  

As Valeran's words continued, Marden started to concentrate, pushing away the extraneous and feeling about with his mind.  He'd tried already, but never felt even the tiniest of flickers...  This time though, he could feel something waiting outside the edge of his awareness almost as soon as he started to try.  It was captivating.  Almost as if--  he started to reach for it, with whatever in his mind was capable of reaching for something not really there... So close- “Do not reach for the source you fools!  You will not do so unless I instruct you too. Understood!”  He was so startled that he almost fell over, but instantly the light was gone.  He gave a hasty nod, mouth dry, when Valeran's stare moved to him.  Apparently Marden hadn't been the only one.

He nodded again as he was finally instructed to feel for the presence.  Yes, still there.  A small gibbering voice had been trying to convince him that it would not come back no matter how hard he tried and he had started to feel anxious and impatient at having to wait for Valeran's command.  Opening his eyes, he felt a little flutter of anxiety again until he could finally force his mind to empty enough that he could tell the presence was still there.  He ached to touch it, but dared not.  Somehow he managed to keep his mental hands to himself until the word was given.

(( OOC:  ^^;  ya forget me?  ;) ))

:o  *gets to know you right away, at least by feeling you all over... honks your nose*

LOL    ah, good times good times.  :P

::D  From what I've seen, Lavinya's char Olivia would be teaching that one.  Such an important class would need a true BoozeMaster in charge ;)

LOL

I just got this great mental image of a poor group of Soldiers in a remedial knitting/sewing class sitting in a circle grumbling over their badly burned garments.  awesome

mwahahahhaa another fellow Soldier to cause trouble with.  Welcome  ;D *wearing tinfoil armor*

wow that's awesome  >.>  Maybe I'll save that for one of my Dedicated RPs then.  In the meantime he can just learn some knitting or something  ::)  kidding of course. 

I'm only assuming that I need someone to formally teach me some sword-swinging, but if there is another way I can do either.  Having a WS higher than 1 would be uh... great.  ;D  I'd like to at least not hurt myself here LOL.

So if anyone wants to teach, I'm happy to have you.  ;)

No I'm no lord, soldier."  Marden straightened calmly, feeling his ears trying to redden more than they already were due to the cold.  He was not one to ingratiate himself to those supposedly higher than himself, no matter what his bloody mother said, no matter what the unwritten bloody rules of Daes Dae'mar stated.  He would show respect where it was due but the thought of groveling made his stomach turn.  

"My name is Valeran Kertovni, I'm what they call a Dedicated around here but we'll talk on ranks later.  What's your name soldier.  What do you know if anything of Saidin."  The man... Valeran.. upon finally being able to inspect him, looked like someone he might have gotten along with and had much to talk about.  Horses had been the family's very profitable trade, and Marden's tutor had been a Borderlander, always talking about interesting far-off wars and tactics.  Valeran looked as though he'd seen more than one horse in his life, and the man's speech was very similar to what Barick's had been.  Perhaps in another life though.  Marden doubted that this man would offer as much as a friendly game of stones to an underling.  It was his experience that those higher on the ladder rarely reached downwards.  

"Apologies sir," he smiled with a hint of wryness.  At least the man didn't go claiming titles that didn't belong to him, self-importantly.  "I didn't mean to offend.  I am Marden Coll.  As for saidin...  what I know, aside from the obvious caveats," and these obviously minor to him, by his tone, "is sadly little.  Women can't weild it, I assume.  And there are those who touch it, around my age, whether or not they mean to, and who most likely destroy themselves...if going by stories is any guide anyways.  And there are those like myself... and perhaps you... who are born with the potential to learn."  He clipped off the sentences in the efficient Cairhienin tongue as if he were reciting for his tutor back home.  He hungered to know more.  "And apparently somewhere along the way you gain the ability to make flames out of nothing and cross leagues in a single step.  At least the man in Tear did."  His tone had warmed more at the last, personably, his reserved grin saying that he found it to be more than even he had imagined possible.

Marden Coll

Soldier

Marden felt strange and new in his black coat, making his way across the cold, hard grounds of the

Farm.  He no longer wore his fine dark blue wool, slashed to the waist with a lighter blue, or his

heavy gold signet ring.  It almost made him feel lighter, as if taking those things off made his

former home and life that many more leagues away.  Maybe it would take a good while now, before

some of that bloody nonsense made it's way back to the surface like so much filth rising from the

bottom of a murky pond.  Maybe.  He was good at keeping a tight rein on his thoughts, for the most

part. 

His eagerness mostly overshadowed the still-painful sting of his last contact with Torin, the only

other person he had ever really trusted. "You want to do WHAT?...Marden, are you MAD?"  Marden whispered the last part of those words to himself, remembering the surge of rage, remembering the swing he had taken and how bloody betrayed Torin had looked... almost as betrayed as Marden felt.  What a bloody mess.  He was better off starting fresh.  He repeated this to himself the rest of the way to Tear.  He had convinced himself it was true.

Despite a hint of unsettled musings, his demeanor was more than sunny, enough that his pale hazel

eyes glittered despite the dreary day.  "Resonance," was the word that the black-coated man had

used as Marden stared into a flame made from nothing and burning nothing.  He had watched the

small light hungrily, eyes fixed on it like a drowning man spotting land, and gave a jerk as the

fire winked out of existence.  Something in the satisfied way the Asha'man straightened while

watching him spoke volumes, and it wasn't long before Marden found himself leading his horse

through a doorway hanging in thin air.  "Resonance" was the word that kept (ironically) echoing

through his thoughts today.  He could learn. The Light burn them, he would. 

He stopped, realizing he was there.  "There" was an open area past a small, sturdy building, clear

of anything except a low carpet of frozen dead weeds and some crusty snow in places.  It was

nowhere close to being even as nice as a peasant's meagre hovel, but a chill ran up Marden's

short, ackwardly lanky body from anticipation.  It was here that he had been told to come today, so he could start to learn.

Reaching up thoughtfully to smooth his small, pointed beard, he froze at the sound of the icy

ground crunching near him.  He turned deftly and gave a respectful bow strictly out of habit as

soon as he realized the man there was wearing a black coat... not to mention radiating self-

confidence.  "Forgive me, my Lord," he said to the sturdy shoes that were all he could see now. 

"I didn't realize there was anyone there."

Thanks man, I'll do that.  Didn't mean for it to take me so long to get one up, since I got a post started a couple days ago, but this weekend was a bear for homework, surprisingly.  ;D  Appreciate your help

yessir I can:  Bio =) 

cool, thanks ^^;

What are my chances of snagging someone to teach me some channeling?  ;D  Or fighting?  ( sorry, feel like I'm kinda floundering around here...  newbness is scary lol )

;D  Welcome back,  I hope all your ubercrappy RL things have since worked themselves out  ^u^