"Oh, really? Those are by far the least popular things to talk about in this desolate place! And I've put so much thought into it..."

Tai watched thoughtfully as Sereth sat and started to place his stones. As he sat he listened carefully to the other man. He had hoped that Sereth could share some intriguing ideas about the Taint, and it didn't sound as if he was to be disappointed. Sereth made his first move, a cautious move. No doubt to feel him out. Tai had won many a game in his time and considered himself to be fairly good. He met seeking, probing moves with his own. Keeping himself very open to any way the board may take them while still keeping things mostly even.

"...The other, of course, is madness."Sereth's eyes rose from the board casually, just as the game feeling him out. This was exactly what he was hoping to touch on. He had his own theories about what the taint meant. The creator set the weaving in place, all order and pattern. The dark one wanted to disrupt that. Tai chose to let Sereth continue, however. To see what he had to say further. The moves Sereth were making were increasingly complex, and Tai had to really start focusing now to keep things even. "...Though personally, I've always simply wanted to shield them and have a nice chat with a truly insane man. You see my old philosophy teacher I learned was a male channeler, and I'd love to find out if this disease was the cause of his genius."Tai glanced at Sereth quizically. He had not heard this part of the man's past and was interested. Cause of his genius...well that threw a new twist to it didn't it? Absently he placed a stone. Something nagged at him about the game but he was too deeply lost in thought, playing automatically.

"Now, I have always wondered why this happens. I know the simple answer is it is allowing the dark one's to touch us, but I feel it is slightly more complex than that. Why? Simple, dreadlords would be touched more directly by him than us, yet they seem sane." Tai nodded at the logic and then chuckled at the man's unintentional jest. Just as Tai was thinking he might excuse himself for more water Sereth remedied that by floating a stone mug full of the stuff right to him.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Thinking of the dark one not as evil, but as chaos in our world of order, I have a theory on how the taint affects us. We fill our bodies with Saidin, the taint, or pure chaos as I'd call it, is drawn into our bodies." Hearing his own thoughts all but echoed back he nearly choked on his water. Setting the mug down he cleared his throat and listened to the man finish. Glancing at the stones board he noticed that in 3 moves Sereth would take almost every last one of his stones on the board. He had planned cleverly and Tai had missed it. Waving dismissively at the board to signal his acceptance of pending defeat, Tai focused on the discussion and answered his question.

"I think you are definitely on to something." he nodded as he spoke grinning at the man. This was fun! It had been so long since anyone had talked to him about anything other than killing things that it was refreshing. "I like your thought on Chaos, I have thought this myself. Think on this..What of the Chaos that left rampant for long enough, turns back to order in its complete randomness? Truly, Chaos must resolve to Order given the limitations of the pattern. I myself have had a brush with this and have carefully studied it as well as i can." His mouth twisted in distaste as he thought of the voice in his head. Suddenly his face grew very serious as he studied Sereth's face across the board. "Sereth.." He began cautiously. The need for caution and his like/trust for the man warred openly on his face before he continued. "Do you..?" Light, it was like he couldn't spit it out! Couldn't make his mouth form the words.

~And as well you shouldn't!~ Screamed the voice. ~Don't you dare! You know what happens to those who go mad!~

I'm not mad yet! Tai thought firmly.

Then who are you talking to boy? The voice cackled with maniacal glee before Tai could shove it to the back of his mind.

"Do you hear voices...?" Tai said it in a rush and let his eyes drop as he spoke the last two words. What if the man's reaction was not what Tai expected.. What if he spoke to one of the other Asha'man and had poison slipped to him in the night?

Oh Light! He thought, almost trembling. What if it was Arath that was asked to do it? His only true friend so far at the Tower? Tai's mind spun wildly now, trying to think of a way out. His eyes hardened as they focused on Sereth's once more. He would do what he must.

DM Handle: Tai'Dashan

Character Name: Tai'Dashan (Just plain Tai to his friends)

Character Age: 26'ish (26 on coming to the tower...depends on timeline)

Character Height: Average (about 5'11)

Character Build: Medium build (What else do I call that? lol)

Character Nationality: Mayne

Physical Description: Tai is a generally handsome man with dark hair and startlingly blue eyes. The kind that have gained him both favor and trouble, when it came to women. ;) He has an easily approachable look about him and is quick with a smile.

Personal traits: Tai has been left alone a lot in his life and so is eager for affection. He had a love back in Mayne named Aria which he keeps as a tightly guarded secret due to the pain of losing her. He loves the sword. Is eager to please and be liked. Friendly and open unless pushed. Tai is weakest in the element Earth and so forces himself to use it most often, attempting to strengthen his weakness.

Personal Habits: Tai has found a clearing South West of the Farm that he has somewhat claimed as his own and goes there frequently. He practices what sword forms he was able to learn and secretly wishes to become a blademaster although he himself isn't truly aware of the desire. The taint has affected him by giving him a dual-personality of sorts. Being a generally kind, affectionate, upstanding citizen the voice in his head often scandalizes him with dark, vulgar and sometimes evil comments that come from the darker side of him that we all have somewhere inside. He struggles with this frequently. He has a passionate hate for the Shadow and oftentimes pushes himself in his own training to go beyond that of those set to teach him. He fears being useless when Tarmon Gai'don comes. His family were moderately wealthy jewelry merchants and he has secreted away a few prized pieces although he does not wear them at this time.

OP Info:

STR: 30

SKILL: 34

POT: 64

Earth: 4

Fire: 6

Air: 6

Water: 7

Spirit: 7

(Hope this is good!) :-\

I have a Dedicated Tai'Dashan (Tai for short) that had a lost love in Mayne named Aria..you could remind him of her, or be her. Otherwise, just befriend him.. The Light knows he really needs friends lol. His mentor is about the only one he has, and maybe Sereth. Plus im fairly active (post at least once a day) so there will be lots of oppurtunities  ;D

"I saw you screaming and was quite concerned I'd have to shield you..."

Tai frowned mentally at this. He hadn't anticipated anyone watching him let loose like that. Didn't the man feel the urge to scream with the Power coursing through him from time to time? It just felt good to let loose, and shield him?!

~He admits it openly you FOOL!~ The voice thundered in his head. ~You are not safe from any man here! They are all either against you or MAD! ~

Sometimes Tai thought the voice was at least somewhat logical. Quickly he turned from that line of thought. Suddenly Tai blinked in surprise as he realized his head had remained back long after the scream had left him. To someone outside of hearing it would look as if the scream had continued. The other man must have seen the glow around him and sensed how much of the power filled him. In truth his strength was on the lower end of the scale here at the Farm. Most men outmatched him in pure brute force. However only Asha'man Covai matched him in skill. Well, and the Dedicated Jeffrey, but he had never met the man. Only heard of him from Arath. The man must have thought he had almost burned himself out on the spot.

Wasn't I somewhat close? Isn't there at least some truth to that? He thought introspectively. No, he had kept it safe. Had not approached that line, but he had come close... Tai snapped back to reality and the man in front of him as he realized there were rocks floating around him in a lazy circle.

~You fool!~ Shouted the voice. ~You Light-Blinded, Goat-Brained FOOL! There a man stands, holding the source and you stand here lost in thought. If he chose to strike you down, you would die as the cattle you eat for your meals! Unsuspecting and tame!~

Tai jumped slightly. The voice was right. Although he liked Sereth, and the man looked sane, men did go mad at the Farm. Tai seemed to loose himself in thought all too much, he had been called a dreamer in the past. Emotion too. this was why he spent so much time in the Void. Consequently he had given in to the seductive pull of Saidin even more than what the Farm demanded. Thus the voice. The mad, cackling darkness that seemed almost as if the shadow on the ground behind him, everything dark and base within him, had been given voice. Blinking again he assumed the Void and seized Saidin. Simultaneously he wove the many flows of Fire needed to incinerate the rocks all at once. Sereth's eyebrow arched just slightly, almost beyond notice. So the man was surprised at his skill? Tai shrugged uncomfortably in his coat.

"Lets just talk awhile." He said, his voice flat within the Void.

Forcing himself to use his weakest element, he wove Earth making two seats and a stones board. It was difficult. He was fatigued from his training and it took all of his concentration. Especially the stones in piles on either side of the table. He wobbled slightly as he made his way over to one of the stone seats, a seat molded to comfortably cup the human form, and dropped heavily into it not caring if the other man saw his exhaustion. He released Saidin regretfully and spoke.

"It has been a long time since I have played stones. If you fancy a game, take your pick of colors. I would like to speak to you of the taint and Tarmon Gai'Don. I would like to hear your thoughts."

*OOC*

Woot! Someone to RP with! lol Good to see you again Sereth!

*IC*

Tai felt the slight touch on his ward and gave it hardly a notice. The man passing through his ward completely was another thing however. He spun to face the newcomer cautiously.

"Hello, training hard dedicated? If you want, I could help out." His eyes went down to the man's sword, "of course you'd probably cut me to ribbons with that thing, assuming it ever came down to that."

Tai noticed the man wasn't holding the source. Somewhat abashed he released the source himself and started to grin. Shock interrupted his grin as he noticed it was Sereth. He had only talked to the man once or twice but at the Farm faces came and went quickly.

"Sereth?" His voice came out in a harsh whisper, his throat dry and raw. He had liked the man the few times they had talked. Sereth was a philosopher, and although something Tai would not admit to many, he shared Sereth's passion if not his skill in the matter. Quickly he walked to the stream, seizing Saidin and weaving the water upward so that he could drink without wetting his hands. Now that his throat was somewhat soothed he spoke again, his voice slightly better. "You offer help in training? I am intrigued."

~Kill him you fool! Be done with him and his scheming ways! If you would have tied off the wards they wold remain and you could kill him silently! Light-Blinded Fool! ~ The voice scrambled to be heard but Tai shoved it roughly aside.

"Please," He said smiling. "I would love to have you aid me. What do you suggest?" With that he folded his arms and stood at ease, almost casually, to see what Sereth would propose.

*OOC:*

Been a while since i have really been active in the BT. RJ's death got to me and took the spark outta me you could say. But i'm back now and am in the mood for some RP's! This is completely open to anyone who wants to do anything with it. All are welcome! Currently Tai is on his way towards Ashaman and is pushing himself pretty hard, maybe even too hard...

*IC:*

Tai walked glumly through the trees clutching his black velvet coat around him. It hadn't started to snow yet but it was definitely cold after the too-long heat, and Tai disliked the cold. Mayne had not seen such cold as this for some time. Stepping into the clearing he was so fond of, he grimly warded the clearing twice. Once for silence, once to avoid being sneaked up on. He had found this clearing just southwest of the Farm as a soldier. He had been given a day to do as he pleased and decided to wander through the woods. There was a gentle spring and a pool of cold clear water at the northeast end and the grass here was soft. In that pool, he had found, was a small hole where the water traveled underground to some far off place he was sure. Tai had reached in to see if he could tell how far back it went, and found a small dry pocket in the rock that lay just above the flow of water. Putting his thoughts of secret hiding places aside he assumed the Void. Everything went into the flame, his distaste for the cold, fear, nervousness, everything.

Soon enough he floated in the Void alone save Saidin. That deceptively gentle pulsing drew him like a moth to a flame. A deadly flame of torrential fire and ice. Reaching out his senses he grabbed at it, pulled it close and wrestled with it. Distantly he felt himself gasp as the Power surged through him, threatening to scour him from the spot. It was like plunging your arm to the shoulder in an icy mountain river or a river of molten stone. No it was both, and he was not plunging in his arm, he was diving in headfirst! Bone shattering cold gripped him as his veins shot molten liquid through his body. The power beat at him, pushed, pulled and writhed like a live thing in his hands. Wanting to scream he did. Tai threw his head back and raggedly his voice tore from him as his eyes shone with a mixture of ecstasy and disgust. Just as every sound was sharper, every leaf its own world. The taint coated everything, filled his mouth and shot through him as though he had drunk from a latrine. He wanted to empty everything he had ever eaten but he pushed the awareness of the taint aside, he had work to do. Pulling deeper on Saidin he filled himself with it until he thought his bones must shatter and his skin melt.

Light, I could incinerate myself where I stand and love doing it! The thought floated dimly outside the Void.

To echo his thoughts, he felt the sweet life of Saidin fill him alongside the taint. Tears rolled down his face. Head still thrust back, gaze skyward. Abruptly he realized his hands were clenched at his sides, his nails threatening to pierce them. Slowly he unclenched them and lowered his gaze. Staring straight ahead he carefully ignored the screaming words of caution outside the Void. He was not the most powerful on the Farm, but he had filled himself almost to bursting with Saidin. One slip and he would truly be destroyed.

He had begun this personal training regiment as soon as his training as a Soldier was done and he had been allowed some small free time around the Farm. If Tarmon Gai'don truly was coming, and he was not one to deny the signs, Tai would stand ready to launch himself screaming defiance into the face of the Shadow. He did not intend to die in the first few seconds of that act. Forcing himself to use his weakest element, Earth, was dangerous but he had taken to pushing himself farther than even Arath had. His weakness could kill him one day and Tai was not willing to let that be for lack of effort.

Weaving flows of Earth and Air he pulled rocks from the ground the size of his fist, and suspended them at varying heights around him. Tying off his flows of Air to keep them in place he pulled yet more stones from the earth, adding to those already surrounding him. Some were shoulder height, some eye-level, and some yet still at other heights. Tying off those flows of Air as well he nodded in satisfaction. It truly got easier as one went along. Weaving Earth, Tai pulled four foot spires of stone from the earth a small distance off. He would have made them six, but for his weakness in that element. The thickness was what he wanted anyway. Quickly surveying his handiwork, the dedicated rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. The pommel and scabbard were worked with silver vines and leaves. Arath had given him that on his raising to Dedicated. A good man that one. The thought slid along the surface of the Void almost unnoticed.

Fluidly Tai pulled blade from belted scabbard and held it in front of him, easily assuming a ready stance. Almost without thinking he wove Air around the blades edge, no use in dulling a fine blade. Using the forms he had been taught, he danced. blade rung on stone as fist sized rocks burst into dust. Mindlessly he danced in the Void, one with his blade, one with the stones, one with Saidin. Stone after stone burst as Air-coated blade struck home. Weaving had left him tired not to mention the struggle for survival with Saidin, but he hardly noticed. Wrapped in the void his blood sung! Every movement precise every strike landing without time to watch. His eyes constantly seeking the next target. Slicing the last suspended stone into dust he rolled towards the first spire. Coming to his feet his blade shot out, Thrust, Slash, Spin. In quick succession Tai thrust his blade into the spire, pulled back and flowing back into a strike wasting no movement. The final move was a spin, his blade blurring as it struck the spire where the neck would be. Knee, Gut, Neck. Knee, Gut, Neck. Repeatedly Tai struck until all the stones lay in pieces around him. He stood breathing raggedly as he shakily sheathed his sword. His arm burned from exertion and ached from the jarring. He glanced around at his handiwork and a slow grin began to form. He was getting better, still a little clumsy, but better.

*OOC*

Feel free to jump in, I know it doesn't sound very "open" but I want this to sort of be challenging, come up with something creative. Just watching him from outside the ward? Barge in as he finishes? Lets do this!  ;D

*OOC* I am going to RP an NPC named Dirk to fight with

*IC*

Take his opponent down eh? Tai caught the eye of a newly raised Dedicated with an axe and the two split off from the group. Dirk, he thought his name was. The man held the long handled axe like he was comfortable with it. As comfortable as Tai was with a sword. Slowly the two circled, probing for weakness with an easy grace.

~This whelp knows nothing of your training back home!~ The voice grated at him. ~Kill him!~

Ignoring the voice he feinted left with his sword a little more than he meant and narrowly avoided a nasty headache. The blade had been dulled but that didn't mean it would hurt less. Dirk wore a confident grin now.

As he should. Tai thought to himself roughly. You almost lost before you had begun!

Tai eyed the axe handle, it was long. He would be hard pressed to get within range to use his sword unless the man continued to be confident. Tai purposefully tensed up slightly, making his movements somewhat jerky and awkward and again swiped at the man almost clumsily. This went on for a few minutes until Dirk started swinging wide, opening himself up more often. He swung with more force now, arrogantly attempting to knock Tai to the floor. Pretending to turn an ankle on a rock while lunging, Tai grinned as the man took the bait. Dirk swung the axe heavily in a sideways arc meant to catch Tai alongside the head. Using his forward momentum from the lunge, Tai quickly rolled under the arc and to his feet in its wake. Dirk's face flashed surprise as Tai's blunted blade struck knee, wrist, and head in quick succession. Dirk's eyes rolled back into his head as he crumpled bonelessly to the hard packed dirt, his axe landing a span from where he lay. Tai glanced at him to make sure he was breathing and then crouched calmly to wait for the rest to finish. Breathing heavily he gazed around. It looked like he wouldn't have long to wait.

Tai'Dashan walked briskly to the training grounds. Arath had mentioned this training almost casually over breakfast this morning, almost as if he did not care if Tai showed up. But Tai had gotten to know the man somewhat, even call him friend, and he had seen the eager look in his eye no matter how he tried to hide it. Idly Tai gazed at the clear, early morning sky.

I wonder what the weather will be like today. He mused.

~Same as it always is you fool! Bloody cold as the flaming Dark Ones heart and no wench to warm you.~ The voice inside his head cackled with maniacal glee as Tai shrugged uncomfortably.

Tai had almost given up trying to block out the voice. It seemed that every flaw, every thing he hated about himself had been drawn in and personified by the taint until the very opposite of his character resided in his head. He hated the voice, hated and despised it. The worst part was a part of him agreed with it, and that horrified him. Light it was him! Quickly his attention was drawn to the scene in front of him as he rounded the last corner before the training grounds. Arath was standing there waiting. Good, he was the first one here and barely a minute late as it was. Friend or no, that would not save him running laps around the grounds for being the last one to show up. Arath was a man that believed in showing what laziness could do. He was a good teacher. The fight along the razor's edge of Saidin could not afford laziness. Suddenly Tai noticed he was not alone, close on his heels other Dedicated arrived. A small secret smile, briefly danced across his lips. Apparently he wasn't the only one who did not want to be running laps. Suddenly Tai felt a shield slip into place and desperately he battered at it, reaching for the source before he could stop himself.

~HE WILL KILL YOU! HE COULD BE MAD AS A LARK AND HERE YOU STAND HELPLESS! HE WILL KILL YOU I SAY!~ Screamed the voice in his head. Even that voice was tight with panic. Frantically he glanced at Arath and noted his stern face. Tai fought hard to rein in the panic and fight the urge to clamor at the shield he knew would not loosen.

"Enter this storeroom and choose your weapon. Today you learn battle plan 'B'; what to do when you can't channel. Move!"

Panic forgotten, training took over and Tai moved to obey the order half before he even knew what he was doing. Shock washed away panic and he took his place in line.

"You light-blinded fool!" He muttered to himself as he stepped in the weapon storehouse.

Efortlessly forming the void, he pushed all emotion into the flame. It would do no good to let emotion rule here as so often it did in his life. Thoughtfully he hefted a sword similar in shape, weight and design to what he had been given by his mentor on his raising to Dedicated. The man had spent a week in his basement smithy being as secretive as a bloody Aes Sedai. A shadow of a grin touched his lips briefly before he turned to leave the storehouse with his sword. Arath was a friend. The knowledge brought welcome comfort if small to the days grim training ahead.

I Have been considering coming back to the BT as RL has eaten me up as well lol IF ARATH DOESNT BECOME DL I QUIT FOR GOOD! lol Seriously though. Arath would do a FANTASTIC job for the Div. i second the motion. Good to see you guys again...sorry it took me so long to post, between my new job, moving, no internet etc. things got kinda hectic. Yes my son is born and healthy for all those that were wondering! Ready to cause some madness with my Dedi lol

D'Ashan had drank so much water he thought he would burst. Not so much as to hinder his fighting though. He would allow Arturus (as Petra had called him,) to win this silly battle if it meant a disadvantage in the duel. D'Ashan turned to watch another duel in the yard while they took a break. Hopefully he could learn something from the two fighting across the yard. D'Ashan bent down absentmindedly to pick up his second lathe and return it to the twin on his back. His attention was brought very quickly back as he felt Arturus grabbing at his lathe. Light! the fool thought to take advantage of every little thing didn't he? D'Ashan thought as rage surfaced and was shoved into the Void. He spun drawing his lathe roughly from Arturus' grip to find the man on the ground. Surprise was incinerated in the flame of his fury edging just outside the Void. Arturus quickly pressed his advantage and swung his lathe sending D'Ashan to the ground. They both rose to their feet.

"You disgust me!" he shouted. "You and everything you stand for!" D'Ashan fed his hate into the flame and leapt at Arturus. Finally the dam had broken, the man had pushed him past his limit.

Everything snapped into place and he became one with his lathes. Keeping Arturus on the defense he pressed ruthlessly for an opening. Arturus moved quickly and almost got another healthy smack to the head, making D'Ashan step forward unexpectedly. His foot hit the water bucked and the contents went flying towards Arturus. 'Great!' D'Ashan thought, 'Something else the weasel can use to his advantage.' Petra had run up to them no doubt shouting for them to stop but D'Ashan had no chance to listen to what she was saying. Sure enough, Arturus was using his lathe to pitch the iron cups at him almost faster than D'Ashan could swing. Shouting curses at Arturus that would have made his mother blush, D'Ashan swung blindly. Suddenly the last cup had been deflected and to D'Ashan's horror he realized where it had flown. Standing there glaring at them Petra wiped mud from her face and took a menacing step towards them. Her foot slipped in the mud and she fell on her backside sending the cup at D'Ashan's head, not to mention a healthy dose of mud. D'Ashan stifled a grin, but quickly all mirth left him as he caught sight of Arturus glaring at him. This man had no sense of right or wrong, for a moment D'Ashan wondered if he was a friend of the dark. If so, his service to the Dark One would end at his hands. He swore this to himself silently puting his hatred for the Dark into his glare.

OOC: fixed the lathe part, D'Ashan wears them on his back not at his side ;) This is goin well eh? Once again sorry it took so long.  :-[

OOC: Hey man sorry this took so long  :-\

Light this man was frustrating! And throwing daggers?! When did that come into play? D'Ashan was fast and knew it but this man was tricky. On top of that he was good and D'Ashan had to give it his all just to keep up!

"Point!" Petra called out as the daggers struck home.

"Blood and ashes." D'Ashan murmured. He wasn't one to curse but this man had gotten under his skin. D'Ashan had worked hard to gain the skill he had and this man, a cheater, was matching him movement for movement. Just when he would find a weakness his opponent would make it a strength and find a weakness of his own! It just wasn't right. In the back of his mind though, D'Ashan had to admit that he liked the challenge.

As the sweat rolled down their skin, they locked gazes and swung the lathes again and again. A strange, Dislike/Admiration was building in D'Ashan and he could tell the other man felt similarly. The man had shown D'Ashan how two blades could be a distraction. Now he would teach the man the self-same lesson. Stepping up the speed a notch, D'Ashan wove flashing trails of light through the air as he danced to the blistering tempo of battle. Going through what his friend had called the "Aqua Ribbon" forms he spun, ducked, swung and slashed. Just as water, D'Ashan increased the pressure, speed and intensity of his attack, constantly pressing in at any opening and flowing back at any pressure. Two more training daggers flew and barely missed his head. He had been watching the man's subtle hand movements, but even so had all but missed it. Light he was good!

Petra called for a break before D'Ashan was able to score another point on the man. This infuriated D'Ashan to no end and made him only resolve to do better.

OOC: Feel free to NPC D'Ashan scoring a point if you want. Or not...  ;D

D'Ashan spoke quietly into the following silence at first, growing louder as he went on.

"I have seen these beasts as well Shaneevae Sedai. There was a time when my mother and I wandered too close to the blight asking after my father soon after he left. We were at an Inn on the outskirts of a town when a Raid hit. There weren't many of the beasts that came that far out but I watched one drag a child from her mother. I will spare you what happened after. The Light knows I wish someone could have spared me."

D'Ashan sat fiddling with his fingers as he spoke. His voice trailed off and he blushed looking up, realizing the class was all looking at him.

OOC: Sorry if I don't do this well, never RP'ed a fight before  :-\

IC:

D'Ashan slowly hefted the practice lathes in his hands. They were about the right weight but the curve was lacking. He shrugged it off mentally and turned his focus to his opponent. Never taking his eyes off him, D'Ashan stripped off his shirt to free up mobility. When his opponent took a stance with his weapon sheathed, D'Ashan took a mental note of it. Nodding to himself as Petra signaled to begin, he engaged his opponent. His opponent was fast. Some of the others had seemed almost clumsy and their matches were ended quickly. This one was fast and strong. Repeatedly, D'Ashan found himself flowing from stance to stance, position to position, just to avoid a nasty bruise.

There was a brief pause, almost a hesitation as the other trainee's lips twitched, almost as if to grin. This was all the warning D'Ashan had as the blade tip that had been lowered before shot up to fill his face with sand. Luckily he had seen something coming, what he did not know, and had only been partially blinded. Nevertheless he felt the sharp pain of the all to solid lathe hitting him in the ribs. Light it hurt! Blinking the sand from his eyes, D'Ashan quickly came back to a ready stance. So this was how he wanted it eh? D'Ashan was reminded of the kids he hated so furiously back home, teasing him relentlessly. So cruel, so pompous and full of themselves, so sure that he was inferior. Well he would show this man that he was a fool!

His senses focused, the world slowed and he renewed his attack with a new vigor. Constantly focusing on every ounce of give he waited for the slightest weakness. It was hard. This trainee was good, very good. D'Ashan swung low and wide with his right lathe baiting his opponent. Taking the bait, his opponent stepped forward to strike. This was the moment to show his speed! Gathering every last ounce of speed he had, D'Ashan spun quickly and caught his opponents weighted lathe with his right, trapping it to the ground. His opponents lathe was trapped just long enough for D'Ashan to land  a solid blow loudly along side the other man's head before stepping back to a ready stance once more.

Petra called out 'Point' as the other man shook his head to clear the pain. D'Ashan grinned. Maybe that would teach the man to underestimate him just because he wasn't the strongest or dirtiest fighter in the yard!

OOC: Any good? let me know I can edit  :D

"Ok I have a question, how is it that the taint feels like its on the surface of Saidin, but it also seems to suffuse the whole stream. Also how did you slam me against that wall and hold me there?"

The man's questions surprised Tai' slightly but were fair questions. After nodding to himself he spoke.

"The taint has, as you may or may not know, infused the male half of the Source thanks to the Dark One. It is not exactly clear on how it works as anyone trying to study it would have to channel Saidin. We all know what happens shortly thereafter." Tai' grimaced to show what he thought of the madness. "As to how that little...incident, occurred. That was a weave of air. You will learn that soon enough in your training." Tai' smiled. "Anymore questions or shall we make our way to the Inn? It is a long way across the grounds and I should like to make it before tomorrow morning." Tai' winked to show the man he was joking and patiently waited to see if he indeed had more questions. Maybe this would not be as bad as he had first assumed.

D'Ashan walked quickly down the hall and into the classroom. When he had heard about the topic of the class, and being from Arafel he was interested, he had eagerly signed up to see what these southern folks knew. Early as always he noticed others already seated. Looking down at the floor, embarrassed at not knowing anyone, he took his seat near the front of the classroom amidst the novices of the Tower. He almost groaned as he looked up at the Aes Sedai teaching the class. It was Shaneevae Sedai. His pulse raced as his eyes met hers but he quickly shot her a winning smile and went back to looking around the class. No need to make this awkward. The rest of the class filed in and he busied himself with looking at them instead.

While introducing herself and the topic of the class, she tucked her hands behind her back. D'Ashan almost blushed at a rain-soaked memory, but quickly brought his attention back to her words.

“Many of you may not believe in the existence of such beasts. That they are simply fairytale or stories told to frighten children into behaving.”

D'Ashan snorted in agreement. Some people's ignorance. In Arafel there were trollocs and more that were not simply children's tales. Increasingly as he had traveled south, he had heard people in the Inn's laughing about stories of  shadowspawn. Glancing back at the tail end of her sentence he caught sight of just such a beast. His instincts warred with his head and he sat there calmly as the Sedai scared the Light out of another young man. Shaneevae laughed, soft and melodious, and D'Ashan groaned softly. This was going to be torture.

“It is only little ole me.  I will not hurt you…….unless you want me to,”

D'Ashan bit his lip and sunk lower in his chair. He considered getting up and walking out. This was extremely uncomfortable, but the right thing to do was to stay and so he did.

I expect you to keep your focus upon the task at hand and I expect you to participate in class discussions.”

See? There it was. He needed to stay on task! D'Ashan straightened in his chair and listened as the class started to introduce themselves. One girl Melianna, looked strangely familiar and D'Ashan filed it away for later consideration. Rising to his feet he made his introductions.

"My name is D'Ashan, I am a Tower Guard Trainee from Arafel, and some of you I have already met." Scanning the crowd his eyes lingered on Shaneevae meaningfully before returning to his seat.

OOC:Tigara, Melianna and D'Ashan are both from Arafel. If you want they could have known each other growing up, or he had just seen her once, take it where you want  ;)

"Ok can we try something else now, how about with fire, I really liked that one."

Tai'Dashan all but chuckled when the man asked him this. So he liked fire. Fire definitely seemed to be one of his strongest elements. Tai decided to grant him his request but in a way he knew he wouldn't be expecting.

"Fire is fine, I noticed you are fairly strong in fire. Maybe this will give you an appreciation. Next I am going to teach you to weave multiple weaves at once. This is much harder than it sounds but you are advancing well enough that I think you are ready for it."

Dazar straightened his shoulders a little in an unconscious act of pride.

"However, I will use your strongest element to make sure that it is within your reach. No use trying to have you learn from something that you cannot do in the first place."

Tai'Dashan motioned to the ground and Dazar'sei sat. This was a bit of a surprise. A pleasant one, but a surprise nonetheless. 'Finally we may be getting somewhere.' Tai' thought to himself.

Tai'Dashan grinned and picked up a handful of pebbles. He looked at Dazar saying, "When I toss one of these into the air I want you to incinerate it with fire. It is a lot harder than it sounds because we will be dealing with precision weaves. Directing your weave to an exact point. This takes a lot of skill and will help you to not be clumsy with your weaves."

Tai' tossed a pebble into the air and watched it hit the ground with a thud. He looked at Dazar. "See? Not as easy as it seems is it? Remember this is your strongest weave." Hours passed as Dazar slowly got more accurate and less and less pebbles hit the ground. After a while Tai' had Dazar practice weaving fireballs at multiple targets by throwing a handful of pebbles into the air. After this exercise in frustration he sat down in front of the man.

"Weaving water to put out the flames I created showed you how to place a weave on a larger scale. This was very difficult for you. Then we learned how to weave with more accuracy, smaller areas, faster reaction time. This has honed you but was still very difficult. I want you to remember we didn't do these precision weaves with water. We did them with fire, your strongest element. If we had, you would not be here listening to me now. You would be passed out from exhaustion. I don't think it would bode well for me to begin a reputation of pushing my trainees to exhaustion, do you?" Tai' smiled at the joke. That last little exercise was to show you how hard it is to split your weaves in just one element. I wanted you to get an understanding of how hard it is to weave multiple elements at once."

When Dazar looked as if he got it, Tai' stood. Now is the time to ask me any questions you may have. If you haven't noticed," Tai' motioned to the darkening sky around them. "The day is almost gone. I am more than happy to answer some of your questions. Otherwise I want a hot bath and a meal at the Inn." Tai' hesitated slightly before adding. "If you like you may find me there and we can discuss thing over some food and some mulled wine. That is if you have any more questions." He added.

Tai' Patiently waited for any questions the man had. He knew he probably had a hundred, but Tai' had already gotten to know him well enough that he knew this man would limit them to only a handful.

Tai'Dashan nodded to himself as Dazar wove Saidin for the first time. He was a fairly fast learner. One thing that looked like it flowed through both of their veins. For a moment, Tai'Dashan wondered if that trait came from their father. The feeling of Saidin being channeled in his direction brought him back to the present as he barley diverted a face full of dirt.

"Sorry about that, I guess I'm still figuring things out."

Tai' chuckled at Dazar's sense of humor and as it was harmless, did not mind. It dawned on Tai' that this was the first real glimmer of something that wasn't hatred. Maybe there was a chance after all...

Once again Tai' was brought back to the present as he felt something touch his connection to the Source. Dazar had tried to shield him. The sensation reminded Tai' of a child swinging an axe at a tree. The weave of Spirit bounced harmlessly off his connection to the source, but if he had not been holding Saidin it may have taken him a minute to break through the shield. So, he was not one to be trifled with. Tai' was back on guard it seemed and all thoughts of friendship prior shattered with the silence as Tai' spoke.

"Good, now you understand the elements. By the way," He said sternly. "Trying to shield someone here can get you killed almost faster than declaring for the  Dark One. I suggest you not try that again." Tai'Dashan looked meaningfully at Dazar before continuing. He had notice that Dazar had struggled with Water. This was not uncommon, but Tai' was not willing to be thought of as lacking in his duties. And he would start there to make this man strong where he was weakest. "Now we are going to explore weaving multiple weaves at once. We will not try weaving mulitple elements as even I have difficulty sometimes and do not wish for you to kill yourself in ignorance."

~You are a liar and a fool! You wish him dead!~ Cried the Voice, mocking him.~ Dead! Dead! Dead!~ The voice chanted as he shoved it roughly into the back of his mind.

"I want you to start with Water. I noticed that was your weak point, for most men it is. I will weave small flames and i want you to put them out. One at a time."

As they began, Tai'Dashan could see the frustration mounting on Dazar's face as he repeatedly missed or couldn't complete the weave correctly. This man had a hard time of not being the best, and just as Tai' would ensure that his weakness in water did not remain so, he would also break this man of his even greater weakness. Arrogance. Arrogance would get him killed faster in battle and cost more of Tai's comrades lives than this man's weakness in Water, and Tai' refused to allow that.

"I'm Sherrhiana, now if you will follow me.."

With that Sherrhiana turned and made her way back down the row of beds. She had told him that the bottles were no big deal but D'Ashan had seen something in her eyes that said she had already paid the price for it and was done with it. He was impressed. Most girls her age were sulky about such things and wasted their time wallowing in useless self pity. As he hurriedly gathered his things and followed her, D'Ashan felt a respect grow for this girl.

As they walked through what looked to be a garden for the infirmary's many herbs and remedies D'Ashan stopped her, lightly grabbing her sleeve.

"Look Sherrhiana, I'm sorry if you are mad at me for causing you trouble. I know you probably don't think much of me. You don't know me and I don't expect you to like me, but you are the first person I have officially met in Tar Valon." his voice dropped a little and emotion fought to choke him as he continued. Since the death of my Mother it has been hard for me as I have no real friends to talk to. I don't know what I'm trying to say..." Here he was on the verge of tears. What a fool he was, standing here blubbering in front of a girl who didn't know him and probably didn't know what it was like to not have any friends! He was an idiot, and once again his mouth had gotten him into a downright embarrassing position.

"Look, I'm sorry. Forget I said anything. I came to Tar Valon to train to be a Warder, could you just point me in the direction of the Tower Guard. Then I will leave you alone. Once again, I'm sorry..." D'Ashan trailed off miserably and kept his eyes on the floor. His cheeks were burning with shame and he couldn't meet her eyes for fear of what he would see there.

Tai' nodded to himself as Dazar slowly filled himself with Saidin. The man was not a complete fool. He had listened to Tai' and understood the danger. Good, he would not die of  ignorance at least. When Arath had announced this little 'assignment' Tai' had wondered how in the Light he was supposed to teach Saidin to someone when he was still learning himslef. When asked, Arath just chuckled and said that was for him to decide. Tai' had determined to just explain the basics and what it was like for him. The rest would just have to happen as it came.

"Good. Now the One Power is made up of 5 elements. Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Spirit." Tai'Dashan said, marking each on a finger. "Each has it's own individual feel, a flavor if you will that make channeling a particular element enjoyable, at least to me." Tai' smiled and held up only one finger. "First we will start with Fire. I want you to examine Saidin as it courses through you. See if you can distinguish Fire in that raging torrent of freezing fire. Tear it loose and bend it to your will." Tai' wove earth and raised a small ring of rocks. Placing some sticks in the center he continued. "I want you to light these sticks with a weave of Fire. Start small and slowly feed it as you would blowing on your campfire to get it started." Tai' warned. "Otherwise we will both go up in a forest fire." Tai' smiled grimly to show that he wasn't joking.

Dazar seemed to wrestle with some inner struggle but eventually channeled a small flame that lit the sticks and created a nice blaze. Nice if it had not been a hot Andoran summer that was. Ta' Instructed him to weave water to wring existing moisture from the air to put out the flames. This was not an easy task but Tai' was not going to fail in his role as a teacher. Instructing Dazar to weave something with all of the remaining elements they finally came to spirit. "Spirit is a bit harder because nothing physical changes but I will be able to see what you do. Get creative."

OOC: Feel free to RP the individual weaves Fire, Water etc. or just skip to the Spirit if you like. Try to shield me for the fun of it or something. Just a few more posts and you have your req done!

Turning to see who was coming up behind him, D'Ashan noticed it was the Accepted from earlier. She had quite the sour look on her scarred face which did not add to her features at all.

"good, the sister says if your well enough to go running about, you need not stay. However..keep to this stuff the next few days instead of the booze, thus you should get properly well instead of landing right back into that  bed there."

D'Ashan's face grew hot as he took the bottle she all but threw at him. He couldn't tell if it was from indignation or shame. He had been fighting a cold from his long travels in the rain and that little...incident with Shaneevae Sedai had not helped.  She must think that he was in the infirmary to sleep off a hangover! He never got drunk! That night had been a rarity and that was not the only contributing factor to his being ill, but how was he supposed to tell this girl that without sounding like a spluttering fool?

Bah! It was none of her business, and it wasn't like she cared anyway, what with her sharp tongue and rough attitude. Before he could rebuke her and tell her to mind her own business, she opened her mouth again.

"you been here before? know your way out?"

D'Ashan found himself thinking that her expression had a sulky quality that was strangely pretty. Lost in thought he almost forgot her question and came to himself with a start.

"Hmmm? Oh, no. This is the first time I have been to Tar Valon, let alone the infirmary. I have been traveling for some time now in the rain. Seems like I got quite the cold eh?" D'Ashan chuckled but was left alone in his mirth as the girl frowned at him. "Would you mind showing me out? I really hope I didn't get you into trouble earlier, I was just confused and was looking for someone to help me out. By the way, my name is D'Ashan" He rambled extending his hand with a sheepish grin. "What's yours?"

D'Ashan entered through the front door of the Inn, and the typical silence fell. He had encountered this many a time in his travels and did not take offense. Smiling at a few people and walking to the bar, they relaxed and the Inn resumed it's life once more. He ordered a mug of mulled wine from the bartender and turned to look the Inn over. Mostly it was farmers and that lot. Locals who did not appreciate someone like him asking a lot of questions. Well he wasn't here to ask questions, just to get out of the rain for the night.

D'Ashan had just taken a sip of his mulled wine and set it down when everything happened at once. He noticed an older, rough but dangerous looking man, looking at him without looking at him. A bang as a chair shot backwards, two men started wrestling, and the bartender started shouting. D'Ashan was interested in why the man was curious about him but had no time to think on it further. The two men shot apart and one pulled a knife. D'Ashan sighed, pushing away from the bar. He had seen this many a time before and it always had ended with blood being spilled, and not always just of the two involved. He had to stop this before anyone got hurt. It was only right. Unsheathing his swords and making his way easily into the circle, he aimed one levelly at each of the men's chest.

"This is not the behavior I would expect from two fine upstanding gentleman. I'm sure whatever disagreement you have can be solved without violence." D'Ashan watched carefully the man with the knife while keeping an eye on the other. Locals did not like an outlander meddling in their affairs and these two looked no different.

As expected the man with the knife kicked aside his scimitar and leapt at him, knife plunging for his heart. The other man took advantage and picked up a chair to add a weapon to his arsenal. D'Ashan quickly circled his scimitar back around to knock the knife free with the flat of his blade. D'Ashan didn't even have time to blink. The rough old man was standing between them all one foot stopping the wooden chair with a crash, the knife previously plunging for his heart now stuck quivering in the rough wood of the ceiling, and his sword trapping D'Ashan's blades. D'Ashan blinked in surprise and the man growled at the two men.

"Enough. You two, leave now and go home. If I catch you again it'll be the lockup for you."

D'Ashan was wondering who this man was to promise lockup, when the two men surprised him by sullenly gathering their things and leaving. This man had some authority whoever he was.

"You come with me." The man said to D'Ashan, motioning for the door. D'Ashan wondered again who this man was to order people around, but headed for the door nonetheless. Once outside the man continued.

"While I appreciate bravery is something desired nowadays, next time be careful what you step into. Fights like that break out all the time, they tussle, they wrestle they go home and they sleep it off. What you did was dangerous, not just for yourself but for all the innocents in there who COULD have gotten hurt."

He folded his arms and looked expectantly at D'Ashan. D'Ashan resisted the urge to blurt out a defense of his actions. He had been trying to help and this man was accusing him of making matters worse!

"The man had a knife." He said slowly, his voice touched with heat. "What was I supposed to do? Stand by and watch as blood was spilled? I understand it was dangerous, and yes, others MAY have gotten hurt, but if you remember the man had a knife. People were already in danger of getting hurt." D'Ashan pointed out. "I saw a life in danger and I stepped forward to help. In my book that was the right thing to do." D'Ashan looked at the man but his face was as unreadable as stone.

OOC: I figured you were out scouting and so wouldn't be sporting your fancloak. That is why he hasn't recognized you right away. Plus he isn't too knowledgeable when it comes to Aes Sedai and Warders  ;) Let me know and I can edit it later if I need to.

Tai'Dashan watched the man in front of him carefully. In his own training, he had foolishly reached for Saidin and almost lost his life. If it had not been for Arath's quick thinking he would have. Tai'Dashan had come to know this man well enough that he was willing to wager his shiny new pin that he would try the same. He was too Arrogant not to.

~Ha Ha!~ Cackled the voice with mad laughter. ~The fool is going to do it for you! He is going to eradicate his useless life, scour it from this existence, and you are not to blame. Don't bother stopping him, let him!~ Tai shoved the voice roughly into a corner of his mind. His duty was to train this man and now was not the time to make a costly mistake due to his own instability.

Sure enough the fool grabbed at Saidin as a child grabs greedily for a toy. Even watching for it, Dazar was brimming with the source before Tai' was able to slam the shield in place. Dazar had risen unknowingly to his feet as Saidin filled him. Now, he fell to his hands and knees panting and gasping for air. Tai' jumped to his feet, narrowly avoiding the man's breakfast as he spewed it all over the grass. Tai'Dashan resisted the urge to kick the man in disgust.

"That would be the Taint." He said coldly, gesturing towards the pile of digested food. "And you are a fool. What you just did almost killed you, I just saved your life. Remember that."

~You are the fool! A weak minded coward!~ Howled the voice before being shoved away.

Tai' allowed the man a moment to collect himself before continuing with the lesson. Using weaves of air, water, and fire Tai' quickly cleaned the remnants of Dazar's stomach from the ground and resumed his instruction.

"You must understand that Noble or Commoner," He started slowly. "Once you come to the Black Tower you are just another weapon. A tool to be used until broken and then cast aside. You mean no more, no less than every man here who wears the black coat."

Dazar slowly met his gaze but his eyes told Tai'Dashan nothing.

"I have been placed with the duty to train you. For now that means that I am in a position where I know more than you." Tai' repressed a smug smile at the sting he knew the other man would feel at his words. "Because I have this knowledge, you must listen to what I tell you to do and follow my instructions exactly, or you will die. This is not some child's game of Snakes and Foxes. One false move and you will kill yourself and others." Tai's voice grew cold as steel. "I will kill you before I let that happen. Understood?"

When Dazar nodded slowly, Tai'Dashan continued teaching the man to sense Saidin.

"Now that you have had time to grow accustomed to the feel of Saidin. I want you to Seize it. Assume the Void and take hold of Saidin. Do not try to do anything with it, simply fill yourself with it. I will be ready should something go amiss."

The day had been long and the sun burned high overhead as Tai'Dashan wove air into blades. Cutting the beams necessary, soon he was buried in wood and had to clear away the debris to continue. Thankfully Drak seemed to have gotten his fill of jokes and had set to work. The man's strength was impressive, and this pushed Tai'Dashan to work twice as hard cutting and fastening beams just to feel like he was working as hard.

Everything in life was a struggle. From learning how to survive to fighting the raging torrent of Saidin now coursing through him. Tai'Dashan wove air and lifted a section of wood large enough that he wasn't sure he could wrap his arms around it. That made him chuckle. Who would have thought such unimaginable power would one day thunder through his veins? Just as he was starting to tire Arath called for a break. Tai' had fastened the last main beam in place and gratefully pulled himself out of the hole. He stepped back and admired what they had accomplished. Releasing the Source with a sigh of regret, he gazed at the section of sky that eventually would be part of the second floor. The part that would be his living quarters temporarily.

Tai'Dashan had learned a lot in just the short time he had been training with Arath, about the Source, about himself, and about others here at the Tower. Sometimes it was hard not to smile at the men walking around looking lost as he had once. But Tai'Dashan took pity on them and had almost made it his personal duty to bring these men to Arath when he had time. Ta' smiled as he followed the other two men to the Inn for lunch. Yes indeed, he was quite enjoying his stay here.

DM Handle:Tai'Dashan

Character Name:D'Ashan

Mentor:Shoar

Status(Trainee, TG, Warder):Trainee

Brief Physical Description:Blonde hair, green/gold eyes. 5'11 140lbs

Thanks!  ;D Will do. *nods solemnly*