Ahh! New guy!

Grimm, tie him down so he doesn't get away!

He has the Know ter'angreal talent, so he's sorting through junk in the Stone of Tear. He can identify a few of the ter'angreal on our approved list.

As a side note on those RP's though, Asha'man aren't as stupid as their being made out to be in that thread. At the BT, everything to do with the OP is still being figured out, and a new soldier can discover new ways of doing things. No Asha'man who managed to make it to that rank is just going to dismiss absolutely everything that someone else says, just because they lack a rank pin. He'll just advise caution.

There's always trouble for an Asha'man to get into. Provided there's somebody who needs troubled.

Arath had had enough of this nonsense. Playing by Aes Sedai rules, following their orders and fool plan ... he was through with it. He was doing things his own way now. And he started with dealing with the injured party members. Weaves of air snaked out and snagged both the Aes Sedai and her Warder, pulling them out of harms way and pushing them toward the doorway. Ignoring their protests, Arath shouted at the pair, "Get out. You can't do any more good here. I'll handle this."

He turned his attention away from his companions as Whitecloaks began to flood the room. Some of them looked injured, but others were fresh. And they all looked more than a little angry. That was fine with the Asha'man though ... he was feeling a little anger himself. It bubbled around the edges of the void, making it's presence known while he ignored it entirely. Fists of air reached out and pummeled the first of the whitecloaks, sending him hurtling back into his companions while Arath prepared another weave. A sheath of fire and air wrapped around him, encasing him in a bubble of flames.

The next few whitecloaks entered the room and stopped dead in their tracks. They were trained to fight darkfriends, and other 'normal' enemies. They were even taught how to attack Aes Sedai. That training did not prepare them for an Asha'man. They knew that Aes Sedai had to play by certain rules. An Aes Sedai wouldn't outright kill you unless she felt you to be a true threat. How were they supposed to react to the man who appeared to be on fire, smiling at them with murder in his eyes?

They weren't given a chance to answer that question. Even as their comrades entered the room and pushed them forward, the first of the Children of the Light were in a panic, trying to escape. Too little too late. With a shout, Arath pushed on the bubble. The wave of flame expanded outwards, flowing over the unfortunate men, through the doors, and down the hallways. Men screamed in pain as the fires seared them, unnaturally hot and very deadly.

The wave lasted only a couple of seconds before Arath released it. The fiery bubble coalesced around him again, a convenient shield to scare away any newcomers. Glancing around at the burning kitchen, Arath wove fire in thick ropes, drawing the heat from the flames and passing it into the foundation stones of the house. The fires died down immediately, leaving nothing but smoke fumes and char marks in their wake. Screams of pain sounded from the hallways ... he doubted anyone else would be coming from that direction. There were still sounds of movement coming from above though. Glancing up at the broken balcony, he noticed a lack of fire damage. Apparently his flame nova hadn't traveled upward very well. That was easy to fix as well. A pair of fireballs sprang into his hands, A helmeted head had just appeared as he launched his missiles upward. A pair of explosions rocked the house and showered the Asha'man with debris which he deflected with a hasty air barrier. There were no new screams. Whoever had been upstairs had not likely survived a direct hit like that.

Stalking forward, Arath prepared a pair of air weaves, a club and a razor. He moved forward, cutting throats of whitecloaks that were too injured to ever recover from their wounds. A small mercy ... though he doubted their brothers, or the Aes Sedai for that matter, would see it as such. The others he cracked over the head with the club, ensuring that they wouldn't cause trouble for a while. He would clear out the house, then he would catch up to the others. Light send they didn't run into any more trouble without him.

Actually, I'm gonna go ahead and post something like that, and I'll edit it out if there are objections. Moves faster that way :D

So I'm thinking a change of plan is in order (though it doesn't seem that we've really followed any plan at all here).

Seeing how both Loraine and Kynwric are bleeding to death, and Arath is both uninjured and unrestrained in his use of the One Power as a weapon, methinks it makes more sense for him to cover the retreat. Also, isn't Olmena going down in her blaze of glory at the gates? After a battle as frustrating as this (trying not to kill enemies is tough for an Asha'man), Arath would simply annihilate the gates, and anyone guarding them in a big explosion. Olmena won't have a chance to go out with a bang if he's there.

Though he might end up burning the house down... does anyone have a problem with that?

Seems like Olmena might have more motivation to go out big if there are dying people nearby that need saving. If there's no objections, Arath is gonna pull Lor and Kyn out of the fray and push em out of the house. Then he's gonna get to have a little fun. Once everyone else in the house is dead, he can catch up and witness Olmena's destruction.

Protection money. Always works.

Except when it doesn't ...

More out of necessity than anything else. But like I said, he gets the job done.

If they were smart, then they wouldn't copy the Aes Sedai ajahs. If they had ajah at all, the best way to do it would be treat them more like clubs. Membership in one doesn't prevent you from joining another.

You obviously didn't follow the voices' directions very well if they led you here ... That's usually a BT thing

[/shameless-plug]

Sooo ... competition in the Assassin business is it? Mine isn't an evil person, but he gets the job done.

Myst threatened to break my nose was very convincing in her arguements to bring me back here. Soooo ... what is there for a blacksmith turned rogue/assassin to do around these parts?

Sursa were, without a doubt, the only reason why Domani food wasn't wildly popular through the entire world. Though he had only given them a couple of attempts before, Arath was convinced they were tools of the Dark One. Still, watching Zarinen wield them with ease and precision was enough to make him give the fool sticks another shot. He and Covai had gone begging for proper forks the first time they'd come here, and brought their own the second time. Stubborness demanded that he attempt it at least.

On the plus side, the tiny amounts of food that made it to one's mouth made it more than possible to carry on a conversation while eating. Attempting to pick up a thin sliver of beef, he spared a little of his concentration to answer Zarinen. "Only recently. Life at the Farm keeps you so busy that you don't have time for much of anything else. There's always training to conduct, new Soldier's to settle in, battle's to be fought ... It wasn't until after Shienar that we came here. Something to take our mind off of ... all of that. " After failing to pick up the piece of beef for the fifth time, Arath gave up and stabbed it with one of the sursa. It was delicious, but so bloody frustrating. Adjusting his grip to closer match the Aes Sedai's, he made another attempt at it, this time fumbling with a sliver of a pepper. "What about you? What do you do with your spare time?"

Alas ... I could not make it.

Still have hopes for Dragon Con though.

Good friends? Arath thought about it for a moment. That was as good a way as any to describe Covai. Though it occured to him that he didn't have very many friends to compare Covai with. Friendship, along with so many other things, was a luxury that an Asha'man could not afford. It was hard enough to put down a colleague who had fallen to the taint ... to strike down a friend would be much worse.

"Yes," he said simply after a long sip of his wine. "He's crazy. Not mad, just good old fashioned crazy. He's the kind of person who dives right into problems head first, and always manages to claw his way out of the worst of them. He once punched the Lord Dragon in the face. Knocked him right off his feet. I thought for sure we're were all going to die for that one, but no ... he walked us all away without a problem. He has the Dark One's own luck. Always in the thick of things, always at the top of the pile in the end."

Arath frowned down into his cup, wondering what Covai had been up to in the weeks that Arath had been at the White Tower. He obviously hadn't come back for another attempt at stealing Mistress Bidawa's cooking staff ... but then again there were a lot of inns in Arad Doman. "He was Dedicated when I arrived at the Farm. Taught me a lot of things, helped me to survive the training. Saved me on more than one occasion. Though recently I've been the one pulling him out of the fire." The nasty business with Brent came to mind in particular.

"He's responsible for me being here really. In more ways than one. All of this was his idea. Bonding, joining forces with the White Tower ... he pushed for it more than anyone. He'd have been the one to bond first, but we decided I might be better for it. Believe it or not, I'm the more level headed and cautious of us." The feeling that surged through the bond could have meant anything, but Arath suspected it was disbelief.

He was spared any further reminiscing by the arrival of the food. Large, steaming plates of thinly slivered meats, peppers, and other vegetables; bowls of some sticky white stuff called rice; a little bit of everything by the looks of it. The cook had out done herself tonight. Arath was suddenly glad Covai wasn't here. He might have tried to abduct the woman. He doubted Mistress Bidawa would continue to smile if that happened.

Sparing a dubious glance at the red lacquered sursa in front of him, Arath gestured to the meal. "Ladies first," he offered with a grin.

As far as plans went, Arath didn't really care for this one. A staggered entry, divided force ... he couldn't really say he was disappointed, or surprised for that matter, when the whole thing fell apart. The crash from the roof and the shower of sparks brought the faintest of smiles to his face as he followed Olmena into the house. This was his moment to shine.

Goosebumps rippled across his skin as a Whitecloak came crashing through the railing. Before he even hit the floor, Arath reached out with Saidin. Multiple weaves snaked out and slammed into the turning Whitecloaks, slamming them into the walls and each other. In the space of a few heart beats they were all down, either unconscious or doubled up in pain. He turned back to see Olmena still standing over the first man, he sword drawn. He glanced down at the blade, then back to the Aes Sedai. "Really? Outnumbered in these close quarters and you're going to use steel?"

Rolling his eyes at the Aes Sedai foolishness, Arath wove a pair of fiery blades into his hands, far superior to anything made of metal. Provided you didn't mind advertising what you were that is. Which Arath didn't. Waving one of his blades toward the pile of fallen Whitecloaks. "So which way to this book of yours?"

Arath was sure that such a thing had never been seen in the Westlands before. A channeling man and an Aes Sedai, walking down a road, arms linked and talking amicably. Certainly not a Storm Leader and the head of the Red Ajah. The absurdity of the situation brought a grin to his face as they covered the remaining distance to the inn.

As he pushed open the door for Zarinen, the smells of the Domani food washed over them, making Arath's mouth water. He was starting to remember a little more of his last trip to this place, and the memories were making him all the hungrier. A familiar looking woman in a scandalous Domani gown saw them enter and glided over to them. "Master Faringal," she said with a smile "How nice to see you again. Should I expect Master Seriba as well?"

Wondering just how much of an impression they had left with the inn keeper, Arath shook his head slowly. "No, I'm afraid his business has taken him elsewhere ... Mistress Bidawa," he added as her name somehow leapt to his mind.

"Such a shame," Mistress Bidawa said with a mock frown. "It would have been amusing to watch him try to charm my cook away again." She turned her gaze toward Zarinene, obviously taking in her appearance and making some sort of womanly judgements. "Just the two of you then?"

At his nod, she whisked them away toward a table in the back of the semi-crowded common room. "What will you be having tonight then?" she asked as they settled into the comfortable seats.

"Whatever masterpiece your wonderful cook has conjured up," Arath replied with a grin. As the innkeeper swayed off, Arath returned his attention to Zarinen. "Friendliest innkeeper I've ever met. Even when Covai was doing his best to steal away her cook she was nothing but smiles." Glancing around the common room he added, "I think he tried to talk away a few of the serving girls as well ... that didn't go quite as well if I remember correctly." Waving over one of those girls, he ordered a chilled wine for each of them. "This place truely has the best food I've ever eaten. Don't know how I ever lived without it."

*Drum rolls, fanfare, whatnot*

Hear ye, hear ye! Grimm, aka Baran Dolwhin, aka Mr. I-like-to-go-to-the-WT-and-pick-fights-with-Aes-Sedai, has completed all requirements for promotion, and will now be receiving a shiny new rank pin.

*fishes pin out of pocket*

See? Isn't it shiny?

It's taken a long time, but he stuck through to the end. Congratulations Grimm.

All requirements are met.

*Slams down the rubber stamp*

"Bandar Eban??" she spluttered. "We can't just ... HOP halfway across the world for SUPPER!"

This was one aspect of Aes Sedai foolishness that never ceased to amaze Arath. How could they live for hundreds of years, and be shocked when somebody used the Power? From what he'd learned of Novice and Accepted training, the girls were barely allowed to use the Power at all. It made no sense to him. Soldiers weren't allowed to do hardly anything without the power. Yet another example of the massive divide between the two channeling groups.

"Come now Zarinen. You mean to tell me that you've never visited every country in the world in a single day in an effort to build the perfect meal? Really, what do you Aes Sedai do with your extra long lives?"

Despite her continued sputters and protests, Zarinen didn't really seem to resist the idea much. In short order, she was through the gateway, voicing her expectations that he would be paying for the meal. Arath tried not to roll his eyes, and didn't even dignify it with a response. When she marched off after depositing her shawl in his hands, he simply shook his head, tossed it through the still open gateway, then followed her out the door.

As always, Arath was struck with a strange sense of time displacement. It had been late in the evening when they'd left Tar Valon, but here in Arad Doman it appeared to be two or three hours earlier. The sun was still peeking over the western horizon. Shrugging off the odd sensation, Arath headed off into the sunset, Zarinen falling in at his side.

As promised, their destination was located only a few minutes walk away. As they rounded a corner in the road, a very well kept inn came into view. "Come, Mistress Rafaliva, or do you go by some other alias here? The best dinner an Asha'man has ever treated you to awaits."

If one of those questions would cleanse the taint, he'd be more than happy to do so. Answering the same sets of questions, eleven times in one day ... not so much. Letting the point die, Arath turned his attention to more important matters.

He thought for a moment about the food from the kitchens. While it was definitely superior to some of the food at the Farm, it simply didn't seem appealing today. Being down in the Dining Hall with all of those frustrating Aes Sedai ... even if there weren't many at this hour he tended to draw attention no matter where he went in the Tower. Being locked away in Zarinen's rooms where they would just feed eachother's anxiety didn't seem that great an option either.

As the annoying reality of the situation settled upon him, another idea came to mind. A vaguely remembered night a few months back where Covai had dragged him off on a quest to spice up the menu at the Black Tower Inn. They had Travelled far and wide searching for some good food, and one stop in particular floated to the front of his thoughts.

Pulling himself to his feet, Arath siezed Saidin and began to weave. Fine threads of spirit reached out, folding the pattern and boring a hole between two points. The silvery blue flash expanded outward into the familiar sight of a Gateway. Beyond was an abandoned farm that the Asha'man had acquired for ease of travel. Less chance of accidentaly killing someone in a place you knew to be empty.

"I think I have a better idea, if you're feeling up for some adventure." He paused for a moment and glanced at Zarinen's dress. She'd fit right in. With a grin and a flourishing bow, he gestured his bondmate through the gateway."How do you feel about Domani food? This place is only a few minutes away from a great little place outside Bandar Eban. I'm not sure how much I care for those sursa sticks, but I like the food."

Arath pushed open the doors to Zarinen's apartments, uninvited and unannounced as he was accustomed to do lately, and flopped into the nearest chair. It had been yet another exhausting day, being grilled by sisters of all ajah's on anything and everything they could think of Saidin related. All of them had a different agenda, and each of them believed hers to be the most important. The Storm Leader didn't particularly agree with any of their assessments on their own importance, or the idea that their time was somehow more important than his own. They were being ... well ... Aes Sedai, and it was driving him crazy.

He supposed it wasn't fair to take it out on Zarinen by trying her patience, since she was probably the only Aes Sedai to not pester him that day. But there it was. She'd live. Drawing through his anti-angreal, Arath filled a goblet with wine, and floated it toward himself all with weaves of air. Pure weaves, but very draining. Zarinen appreciated him not channeling the taint around her rooms though. He briefly considered putting his feet up on her table, but decided against it. Best not to push his luck too far. Women tended not to like that sort of thing ... and Zarinen was a strange woman to say the least.

"I would think," Arath began after taking a drink, "that someone would have asked these questions of a male channeler in the last three thousand years. What do they think to learn with the same questions over and over again? Do none of you Aes Sedai speak with each other?"

The whole of his day had been consumed by a dozen sisters, and the last few hours by a little brown sister that Arath had found oddly intimidating. Her questions had not been original by any means, but she had seemed sincerely interested in him. Rather like that intact skeleton of a giant cat in the corner of her room interested her. The whole ordeal meant that he hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was well into the evening now. His stomach growled in protest at the wine, and he set it aside.

"I'm starving. How would you feel about going to get a bite to eat?"

I'm not sure how to go about it. Go in guns blazing? How far away are we supposed to be?

I'll do a channeling class with my secondary character, a Shienaran Asha'man named Daevis Thelandran. He's pretty easy going ... for a crazy power wielding borderlander. I want to move pretty quickly with it. Any takers?

Sooo ... if we have a hole in the roof and sparks gushing out of it, can we assume that we're NOT doing this quietly?

Some excuse for Arath to not immediately start blowing stuff up might be a good idea. Seeing as he isn't bound by any pesky oathes or anything, and doesn't care much for Whitecloaks.

A plausible excuse for not just Traveling would be nice too ... but that's just for me.