Madoc watched as Mordre worked, nto that he could see what she was doing but he could see the effects. And when she turned the water into steam he was both amazed and aghast. When she turned to him and said she couldn't do what had been asked, he shook his head and pointed at the bucket, "But you did... by boiling off the water... not that we can do that to the wells, but it is a start, yes?"

Madoc did as she bid, however he couldn't tell in the wells she had said were tainted what was wrong and so had no way to tell if the remaining wells were also contaminated. After a while he returned to Mordre's side, waiting on her to stop staring at the bucket...

"Heh, I wasn't say look for a husband. I was say look for a Sister. However, both apply the same advice... and you Aunt sounds crackers. If you wait for things to happen, then you will miss things that might happen, or that could be good for you... also, did you learn the sword all at once? Or did it take practice, trial and error?"

I'm going with what Tay said, WS 5. 

"You know what water is, can you not take out the things that you do not know?" Madoc pressed, there was nothing more important to the hold than water, and these wells were what provided it, they were what made the hold, a hold.

"I've had a lot of practice, Guardsman... and you've felt the weight of my stakes previously, you know why I am as serious about them as I am." 

"I am lucky to have a woman as devoted as my wife, I can be no less to her than she is to me, my honor wouldn't allow it."

"As for you, quit trying to find an equal, and try and find a partner. Loraine and I are not equals, not in any way, but we are partners and compliment each others strengths and weaknesses."

"I wear my blade, Blademistress, every day." He said, taking the bottle from her before she could pour and filling his own glass, then filling hers. "It helps me to remember what is at stake."

Madoc looked appalled that the water had been tainted, even the Shaido would not destroy a well, water was too precious. He looked at Mordre with concern in his eyes, "Can you remove whatever it is? The interloper into the wells?"

"Never stop working, never stop learning, that is good." He shook his head at her, "But you've earned what you have. Use whatever mental gymnastics you have to to justify to yourself the wearing of that badge, but wear it all the same." He took a long drink from his mug and waved that pesky girl away as she started towards them again, "and emptying your head of useless notions would be a splendid idea, you should do it often."

Madoc didn't have an answer for that question, and he was frustrated he did not, "I do not know... can you..." and he waved his hand at her and then the well, "do your thing and figure out if the water is well?" While he waited for an answer he stuck his head inside one of the wells, inspecting it visually for any signs of tampering. When he was as  satisfied as he could be with his limited experience with wells, he moved on to the next one. 

A good question, one Kyn spent a moment thinking on before answering. "Don't allow yourself to be put in  position where both your weapons can be controlled at once, particularly with only one of an opponents, that will take time to master, but is the most glaring need, right now. Also, general piece of advice, spar regularly with those who are above you in skill. But don't neglect those below you, either, anyone can learn from everyone no matter the respective skill levels."

"Then perhaps a bond is not for you, I will defend a sister, as I would anyone. However, for Loraine, I will move heaven and earth to keep her alive. I would kill anyone, any where, any time. I would die to keep her alive even 5 more minutes. If it was needed, I would put her before family, before friends, before myself... and that is what it takes to be bound to a single Aes Sedai, in my view... I will say there are less, umm, dedicated Warders out there, though."

"How many heron-marked do you need to kill to feel you've earned that blade? 2? 3? You are worthy of it, I've seen you fight. I've fought you. Your skill is sufficient, your confidence is what seems to be lacking... and when you don't have the luxury of worrying about it, your skill shows its quality. Besides, who among those who would mock you could stand in front of you now? There might be a dozen in all of the Yard, many of those did not earn the Heron in combat, they were judged and deemed worthy. You earned it the harder path, and yes, you have a larger target painted on your back, it is the way of being what you are."

Madoc nodded, "Podien is not in charge of the bread ovens, he is in charge of the wells..." he let that trail off and stared hard at Mordre, "The wells, we need to go check the wells, immediately." He turned on his heel and began to run in the direction of the closest well in the hold, without the wells the hold would die and there was nothing the walls, the warriors, nor the Wise One's would be able to do to stop it.

If someone  with a Warder Yard character wants to take on the NPC character for Mat's RP, I'll allow a 1 WS increase for it upon satisfactory completion. 

If we get to the point that there's that much workload, then we limit characters in that Division going forward. 

"Your conscience is wrong, and you should never stop learning, for the day you do that sword will pass to another. I still learn, practice, and worry that one day I'll not be good enough for whatever stands in front of me." He pause don the bonding comment, he knew what his bond meant to him, what it did for him, but he also knew it wasn't for everyone. "Refusing to discuss it, maybe. Refusal to commit to one, no. Bonds are serious, it is like having a wife... maybe more serious than having one."

"No, no, who's gai'shan are they? would be more accurate, where would they normally be working if they weren't here?" Madoc clarified, not wanting to believe that any of their people would co-operate with a darkfriend, or worse.

"Shouldn't, would't, couldn't as my mother used to put it. You did beat him, in a fair fight. You well know that things happen in a fight, you also know that taking advantage of those circumstances is also part of a fair fight." He picked up his mug and took a long pull from it, "Replay the fight in your head, did you just stand there and play forms with him? Or did you move, maneuver, and reinterpret the forms to fit the fight?"

Madoc glanced down as he felt her hand entwine with his, then moved his gaze up to her eyes as she spoke. "They are winning, despite their efforts," then continued on towards their destination. Eventually he was forced to let Mordre's hand slip from his, so he could examine the wall more closely, but he procrastinated in it for as long as was possible without incurring toh to everyone in the Hold. When he was finally done looking at the repairs he returned to Mordre, "This is a distraction, to keep people from seeing what else is going on, or to keep people from being where they would interfere with whatever comes next in the plan... in my opinion. Now, we just need to figure out what that is... what do all these workers have in common?"

That all sounds reasonable to me. 

"It's misplaced... she should be hanging all over you, you're the one who fought on her behalf. I just watched and enjoyed the show..."  He shook his head bemusedly, shooing the barmaid off to her work, and then he put the sword back on the table in front of Edana. "You need to pick better targets, they weren't even a challenge... and if you don't drop the Master crap I'll start in on you, Mistress Edana." he returned to his Ale, adding bites of the food they'd been brought in between.

Madoc thought for a bit, examining the evidence before him, including the magically supported walls and ceiling. Finally he shrugged,  "the same way you catch any rat. We set some bait and see if they take it... what is next along the line you were pointing out? The bread ovens?" He was really just talking to organize his thoughts, and make sure his plan would bear fruit. "What could he do to the bread ovens? Or should we look closer in?" 

"Also, we should visit the roof's of these people and see what, if anything has happened to them. Too many coincidences... and then this? This seals the fact that there is something nefarious at work."

"Eh, does what even both Lor?" Then he glanced up at the barmaid who was batting her eyelashes at him, ordered his ale and sent the lass on her way. He was a little startled when the sailors pulled the barmaid into one of their laps and began to get friendlier than they should have, but he gave a grin as Edana unbuckled her sword belt and set about correcting them. He noticed the barkeep had taken up his cudgel and was about to come out from behind the bar, Kyn then stood up and raised his hand to the man, beckoning him to stop. it was unusual that anyone didn't immediately do what Kyn asked them to, and the barkeep was no exception even though he gave it a second thought before uneasily keeping an eye on the ensuing brawl. Kyn has hoped to get at least one drink served before Edana got in a fight, but if she needed it that badly who was he to stop her... he as glad he'd brought a full purse to take care of things. Absent-mindedly he reached down and picked up the sword and belt, making sure it didn't get scattered in what was sure to be a confounding mess very shortly. 

"And never killed one." He nodded, knowingly. "Well, it won't be your last, that's for certain. And I meant what I said about getting a sword that fits you, that thing looks ridiculous, hang it on a wall or something." He pushed the door to the tavern open, letting her go first, he as still a farmboy from Amadacia, and she was still a woman, never mind how dangerous either of them were. 

He picked a table near a rowdy bunch, recognizing the need for Edana to punch something before she either inebriated herself, or well, found herself some comfort some other way. He always preferred punching things to inebriation, at least then you knew why you hurt the next day.

"They've been pushing too hard, it is not new, nor unexpected. It is also neither here nor there, you will do what you do in the time you do it." He replied matter-of-factly, "Do not let them needle you, you are a Wise One, also." Never turning his eyes from the path in front of them, and certainly not even glancing at her. 

When she paused, he did as well, turning to regard her. "Then we will catch him, you and I."