I want to mould a mini-Shoar to carry on the fight against the tyrannical Brand Ryota...

VIVA LA GAIDIN!

;P

I'm soooooo gonna cop it in my next RP for that one.

...

BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!

Hmmmmmm... My memory is fuzzy on that too Mata... All of those you named were Sword Commander rank or higher, I believe... I CAN remember that I didn't make Daisho while I was Master Of Initiates, I was the RP Co-ordinator before I made it... Which was me being Captain while MoI and Commander while being RP guy.

God, this is bringing back memories. *laughs*

Curse you Aes Sedai and your ages! If Reile is 290 that puts Shoar at damn near 286 years of age! He's looking remarkable for a corpse! ;D

Well Auntie, as I said, last I heard control of your character was given to me. (Well I say 'given' but I think I used my Incarn powers to wrest control of it away as your Bondholder...) so I didn't technically kill your character off, just wrote you out of the RP somewhere in the Aiel Waste. SO unless that's been changed during one of the Breakings along the way...

BUT as you said, time is not something that comes easy so don't feel like you HAVE to come back. It's enough we get to talk to you again, I missed ya horribly! :D

Shoar Gaidin

It was Sword CAPTAIN rank was it? I thought it was Commander... Was a looooong time ago!

Shoar chuckled at the girls question. "I remember a time where my training regimes were CONSIDERED a punishment. Who is your Mentor?" Shoar smiled. "Daemon Ronshor." came the uncertain reply and the grin on Shoar's face only widened. "Oh? He will be fine with it, I am sure, but knowing you have a punishment to face I will only push you harder. Here is Mi'Cue, be careful with her. Show me what forms you have learned thus far."

His attention went back to the young lad. He studied the new form on display and was impressed. "Not bad... Not bad at all for a novice... Fast and effective. Reminds me of Alin's fighting style." He got to his feet and circled Arturus, watching him carefully. Off to one side, Kalush had unsheathed the sword and was holding it nervously, but becoming more relaxed as she held it. "If she's related to Akira at all, she'll be a natural."

He was still studying Arturus' form when he moved in, slipping past the flashing blade and knocked the sword out of the younglings hand in one smooth motion. Catching it as it descended, Shoar nodded. "A good form, nice execution. A few flaws as you just saw but those will be fixed with time, you are only at the start of a long, long journey. Well, I have enough to go by now." Shoar bent over and picked up Cor'Aan's scabbard and sheathing it. Glancing up to the boughs of his tree, Shoar took out the dagger he always kept at his belt. Throwing it with pinpoint accuracy, he hit one of the higher branches. "Climbing trees is a superb way to build strength, stamina and agility. Retrieve my dagger for me if you could." He grinned and stood back to watch the two begin their work. "I think the full Stamina workout will be good for the girl... As for the lad... All-out, I think." He grinned to himself and folded his arms.

Shoar Gaidin

Oh I wasn't suggesting you should! I was just rambling. :D Shoar's not losing his Daisho training!

I think it fits with the whole tone of the 'change' the Warders Yards went through. The whole out with the old in with the new thing, the old Disciplines are now gone and the Paths have replaced them. OFFICIALLY they're not being taught or recognised as valid (Both OOC or IC) but it would be a shame to write out all of the oldbies work in their chosen Disciplines, like Shoar's Daisho training...

Maybe just have the crusty oldbies who still have knowledge of the old Disciplines, but make no formal training available for them. Just stuff for 'fluff' RP's. For example I plan on giving a couple of Trainees the ol' Daisho Staming Workout on the Yards boards. *l* But the actual Disciplines and Methodologies behind it he won't teach, not unless it gets opened up to that.

It could make for an interesting line of RP's too. The GM of the Old Discipline vs the GM of the New Path.

Shoar Gaidin

Ooohhhh, a challenge!

Lesse here.

The original five were:

Ren'Shai - Ben T Gaidin

Scales Of Power - Souvan? Wait, no, he made CDS, I believe...

Thunder On The Ocean - Segurant?

Way Of The Wind

Path Of Water

I have no idea on the last two... I know you were of one, Mata...

As for who made the rest...

Chameleon's Shadow - Uuuuuummmmmm... This one is so dead I can hardly remember it...

Cold Death Sings - Souvan. I THINK

Cuen'd'eren - Another Mata one, I think

Daisho al'Dracon - THIS one I know. It was me. :D

Notes - No flippin' idea! :P

Me'Areath - Radzynne

Mo'Kai'La - Again, I can't remember... I SHOULD have copies of all the original Disciplines at home

How'd I do Mat? XD

Shoar twirled as he sensed the movmement near him, blades held at the ready to meet the opponent. He paused as the young lass fell flat on her back, eyes staring wide up at him as he stared down at her. She squeezed her eyes shut, opening one eye to look up at him.

He stared in disbelief at the youngling lying on the ground. "Akira...?" he whispered under his breath. "No... Looks VERY similar to her, but it is not her... She would be as old as you, Woolhead." He lowered his swords as another youngling came walking onto the scene. The colour drained from the young mans face immediately as he came across what must look like Shoar about to attack the girl.

He listened to the younger mans words, eye never leaving him as he moved to help the girl up. Still slightly shocked from the similarity to his old friend, Shoar turned and planted both his swords into the ground, picking up his sheathes. He sheathed his blades with a neat click, and lay them down next to him. Turning around, he noted the girl still had not gotten up, despite the young man's hand being offered. Bending over he hoisted her up, asking "You alright?" She nodded, a look of relief spreading across her face and Shoar nodded. He turned back to his tree, sitting down with his back to it and stared at the pair.

He fixed the young man with his one eye and said "So you wish to learn how I learned? It is not an easy path and there is not much I would be able to teach you in one day... But I think I can pass on some knowledge, yes. First..." Shoar picked up Cor'Aan and tossed it at the young man, who caught it with one hand. "Begin practising so I may see how far along you are." He turned to the girl next as she looked at both in bewilderment. "How about you? Do you wish to learn?" He offered Mi'Cue's hilt to her as the young boy began moving through his forms.

Shoar Gaidin

Shoar wandered through the gates to the Yards, stretching his arms as he nodded at the two Guards on station. His Fancloak swirled in the light breeze blowing through Yards, shifting colours streaming out behind Shoar as he walked through the Yards to his tree. Brand would be after Shoar in a flash if he caught him wearing the Fancloak since he was technically a Guard, but Shoar was quick on his feet. "Hmmmm... Maybe not quick enough..." he grinned to himself.

He arrived at his tree, unbuckling his blades and putting them down on the ground. He dropped to sit with crossed legs, closing his eyes and beginning to breathe deeply, the Spring rising up as he began his training. He strained his senses to their limit, pushing all his emotions into the Spring. His eyes snapped opened and he exhaled from his last breath.

Grabbing his swords, he leapt to his feet, the sheathes dropping behind him as the twin blades flashed in the early morning light. He began moving through his normal forms, The Aielman Takes A Stance became Night Of Shooting Stars became Cut The Cross, forms after form appearing out of the Spring and being absorbed by the blades. He spun in a circle, slashing low, then stood still, both swords pointed low.

He smiled to himself, thinking "Hmmmm... Blade Waltz." he nodded and turning to face an invisible partner, he bowed low, blades dipped low in respect. He began moving more fluidly then before, dancing a slow waltz with himself, swords flashing out at every step as he flowed from dance step to dance step. He avoided imaginary blades in the moves of the dance, blades flashing out at imaginary opponents.

He spun in a circle, continuing the deadly dance against the invisible foes. Form after form mingled perfectly with the steps to the dance, gradually becoming faster and faster as he increased his speed, forms executed flawlessly as he moved through the dance he had learned long ago. The breeze began to pick up as Shoar moved faster and faster, face a mask of concentration as he moved.

OOC: Anyone bored can come and play :D

Shoar Gaidin

First Requirement - Bond Studies

http://forums.dragonmount.com/index.php/topic,20808.0.html

Shoar nodded as no further questions came "Then I will proceed with the final phase of our lesson... That of the loss of the Bond." He motioned for his class to begin walking again. They were all in perfect unison, leaning on each other and were now moving as fast as if they were on their own. The sun was getting low as Shoar intentionally kept his class long for the final step to take full effect.

"There are two ways for the Bond to leave your soul. The first is for the Aes Sedai to release it. This suffers no ill-effects for the Gaidin or the Aes Sedai, it just... melts away, as if it was never there. You will feel disoriented for a few days, but otherwise will suffer no ill effects."

Shoar sighed and his face took on a slightly darker aspect. "The loss of a bond through death, Stilling or Burnout is a different story, however. My old Mentor referred to it as the Sundering, and I cannot think of a better way to describe it. The Bond is not just removed from your soul; It is ripped out, torn out, leaving a gaping hole of shadow, pain and darkness inside of you. You feel incredible depression and rage, as well as an enormous sense of loss and helplessness... And Failure. Failure above all else." He turned a hard eye on everyone, forcing the point home.

"The Aes Sedai do not suffer as badly as a Gaidin, but they still suffer tremendously. The loss of a Gaidin is something that many Aes Sedai have difficulty recovering from. Some choose never to Bond again. Some Bond straight away. Yet others never fully recover, lose their minds to it. It is a terrible thing, to lose a Bond. A Gaidin, on the other hand, feels the full effect of all I have described above. I refer to it as the Bleakness, as it removes all sense of joy, of passion, of life from you."

"Gaidin who survive the Bleakness are a rare breed. Most choose to end their life in the Blight, fighting against the Shadow they devoted their lives to defeat. Some go mad. Others remain strong enough to continue, to live. There is no shame in any of these steps. The Bleakness is the most terrible thing a Gaidin can go through, no amount of torture meted out on you can top what it feels like." He began pacing as the class watched him, walking in the circle.

"It is common knowledge I have survived the loss of three Bonds. If any of you are asking why, there is but one simple answer to that question: I was ordered to by Ryell Sedai, Sitter of the Green, my first Bondholder and my wife, to never die to it. To always perservere, to continue the fight. If I ever face her again after I return to the Mother, I want to be able to do it with my head held high." He spoke fiercely, ramming his point home.

"Lastly, some of you may be asking, what does the Bleakness feel like? Well..." With a flourish of his hand, Gaidin that had been hiding in the tall grass near the river, Fancloaks hiding them from sight, rose and walked forward. Unsheathing their blades in one smooth motion, they slashed the ropes binding Shoar's trainees together. They fell apart, most falling to the ground, unable to stand by themselves due to their reliance on the other person. Some managed to stand, but not one person didn't look uncomfortable and disoriented at the sudden loss of their support. "What you are feeling now is but a MINISCULE amount of what it feels like to lose the Bond. But it does resemble it."

Shoar smiled and said "That is the conclusion of my lesson. Are there any questions? If not, you are free to do as you will for the rest of the day." He smiled and sat down, waiting to see if there would be any questions.

Shoar Gaidin

Shoar smoothly sheathed his blades and sat down, legs crossed as Daemon did the same, a tired smile on his face. Shoar's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the other man's appearence more closely. "Hmmmm... I had heard rumours of another Gaidin to suffer the Bleakness... It looks like Daemon was the source of them"

He listened as Daemon spoke and Shoar's face split into a grin when Daemon raised his hand, displaying his ring. "Ahhhhh, my condolences and my congratulations, old friend. A sundered Bond is not an easy thing to cope with, but finding love... That can lessen the hurt." Shoar smiled. Daemon grinned slightly and said "Well... Not just ONE Bond..."

Shoar's face adopted a solemn expression and he leaned across, putting his hand on the other man's shoulder. "Let noone ever doubt your strength or your resolve, then. Noone may call a Gaidin who survives the Bleakness a coward, less so one who has survived it more then once. It never lessens, we merely overcome it." Shoar said, speaking from his own experiences.

Shoar's face broke into a smile and he said "Well, enough on depressing matters. Who is your wife? How have things been here during my absence? Are any of the old Yards still left?" He waited on the response, relieved he had finally found someone else from those long years past who remained.

Shoar Gaidin

You KNOW I'm in for that! :D

Shoar felt more edgy the closer they got to their destination, to the point that he descended almost completely into the Spring to calm himself. They were met by a plump, jolly woman, the proprietess of the Bathhouse, Mistress Elin.

Here they went their seperate ways, Annais being led away by Elin and Shoar being led away by one of innumberable attendants to the men's quarters. He glanced around, noting with satisfaction a large number of Towels available. He reached up and unclasped his Fancloak, folding it up neatly and then took off the rest of his clothes. He left his hair tied up in a ponytail and the eyepatch in place. Donning two towels, he walked out and made his way to the pool.

He arrived to find Annais waiting on him, clad in a robe. He bowed to her then his mind dove for cover into the Spring to avoid the explosion of red on his face as she doffed her robe and entered the pool. He waited till she was submerged before quickly removing his own towels and went in after her, not yet submerging his head, crouching so only his head was visible above the water.

She rose and Shoar raised an eyebrow at Annais' hair, noting it had straightened and lost the curl it had had before the pool. She said "Ah well, you know my dirty secret now. I would look like a wet dog without my Odelia's professional hand. If someone managed to steal her from me, I would be in deep trouble." Shoar smiled and listened to her next words. "Ahhhh well, if you had had me do this 30 years ago and I would have been able to provide the water with it's own heat source on account of the blushing. I suppose I am old enough to accept most things as they come." he grinned at the blatant lie, knowing he was deep in the Spring to avoid the inevitable. He submerged himself, reaching up to undo the ponytail. He rose up, rubbing the water from his eye, shaking his head to let his hair, grey sprinkled with black, loosen up. He grinned and winked. "You're not the only one with a dirty little secret either."

He reached up and removed the eyepatch, keeping his hidden eye closed and gradually opening it, letting it become used to the light slowly. He saw Annie's arched eyebrow as he put the eyepatch on the ledge of the pool and he said "It lessens my ability with the sword due to the loss of peripheral vision, helps to keep my skills sharp. Also gives me an unexpected edge in combat when needed. I picked up the idea from a man in the Aiel Wastes. Only don't tell anyone back at the Yards, I don't want too many people to know." He smiled and stood up a little higher, absent mindedly scratching the scar given to him by the Fade Lord in the Borderlands. It was darker and deeper then the others, stretching from shoulder to waist.

He listened to Annie's story and laughed, appreciating the humour more so now that he was becoming more relaxed. He pondered her question, thinking. "Probably none as amusing as that one. Shienaran's tend to talk more on warfare and battle stories then humourous ones." He smiled "Of course, I do know some amusing battle and training stories. I once remember a Wardling of mine whom I took for a trip up the Blight, many many years ago. We were there so he could experience survival in the harshest of environments. We were camped out one night and the youngling was on guard. He allowed sleep to creep up on him though, and a small band of Trollocs were nearly upon us when by Bond Sense woke me up. I fought them off while the Wardling did not stir, despite the roars of the Trollocs and the clash of steel. Eventually I dispatched the last Trolloc and the boy finally woke up. His first words were 'I just dreamt we were attacked by Trollocs in the middle of the night...' The look on his face when he saw the dead beasts was quite amusing. Not quite as amusing as the look on his face when he saw the look on MY face though." Shoar grinned cheekily. "He didn't sleep soundly for a few weeks after that."

"That is one of many stories I have, just as I am sure you have many as well." He smiled, dropping down to allow only his head to remain above water, stretching his legs out with a sigh. "We have the rest of the day though! And yes, I am cheating by dwelling in the Spring to avoid my embarassment and my very Shienaran tastes sensibilities." He smiled and let the water loosen his muscles, enjoying the sensation.

Shoar Gaidin

*hides his Stalking Cloak* I don't know what you're talking about. Seriously. >_>

Yes! Blame him! *points and runs*

OK, seriously, do I have like, a big sign on me? Maybe oldbie pheromones? >_> STOP FOLLOWING ME!

I'm TRYING to get one of them to at least say hello >_>

Hoooooooooly...

AKIRA! :D I didn't know you were still around!!!! Welcome back!

It seems I was the plug holding the flood of oldbies back. >_>

:D

Shoar nodded as Sahra, spoke, raising an eyebrow at the last part and grinning. "I have smelled Draghkar, which smell like a midden heap. I also once smelt a Darkhound... they smell like foul creatures. Rats, crows, creatures of carrion and despair. Be warned, those are NOT easy to kill without your Aes Sedai nearby. You will also not be able to smell a Grey Man, as they are not true Shadowspawn. You will appreciate a heightened ability to sense their evil, however, making it easier to spot them in a crowd. Always be on your guard, however. There are also rumours of even more powerful Shadowspawn, I once remember a time a faint tinge of something at the back of my nostrils, but it was gone before I could properly discern it. It was... evil though. Pure, unsullied evil."

He paused then went on speaking "The gaze of the Eyeless is something you never fully get used to. The Myrdraal emit a foul power, but you are able to easily resist it. The Bond affords you additional protection against their taint. Just don't freeze up the first time." He smiled slightly, guaging their reactions. "And yes, I have personally found great benefit from the additional stamina and less sleep. Many times, in fact." He paused, grinning, then said "It's wonderful when you need to get somewhere in a hurry." He chuckled and said "One last point I forgot to mention, the Bond will shield your dreams from any intrusions. From ANYONE." He smiled and said "Any further questions?"

Shoar Gaidin

Shoar turned around in a circle, watching as the students all walked in a circle, joined together. They had been doing so for around 2 hours now as Shoar had been speaking, taking pauses to get them to do more tasks as one person. They were all fluent with it now, able to coordinate perfectly. He smiled and spoke "Now the big question I am sure you are all asking: What can the Bond do for me?" he grinned. "The benefits of the bond are few, but each is significant in what it allows."

"The first is the actual connection to your Aes Sedai. You are eternally bound, soul to soul, so you are able to sense her emotional state, her intuitions and her direction. A Bonded Gaidin can point directly at his Aes Sedai blindfolded when within range. Each Gaidin finds they have a different range, and length of use will aid in being able to pinpoint her. I, myself, am able to detect an Aes Sedai's exact whereabouts up to a couple of miles. Any further then that and you can only tell what direction she lies in, the further you get the fainter it feels. You will never lose complete connection to her, but you will only feel a general direction that they lie in until you get closer."

He paused and indicated they should stop walking. "Begin Jumping again, please." As they did so he continued his talk. "You will always be able to feel your Aes Sedai's emotional state, no matter what the outside may indicate. This allows you to connect with them on a new level, to fully interpret and understand what they need from you. With time, an Aes Sedai may learn to 'fuzz' their end of the bond so that you can't sense their exact state. This is generally frowned upon as the bond is there to allow us to connect to the fullest."

"Heightened stamina and ability to regenerate quickly from wounds. Now I know this is what most of you are interested in." he smiled. "With the bond, you are able to go for much longer without sleep. Again, it is down to the individual Gaidin, but a general rule of thumb is that you can go for twice as long as you normally could without rest. Some Gaidin can only go half again, others three or four times. In addition to this, you require less rest to become fully rested. 4 hours sleep is usually sufficient to bring you back to 100%." He motioned for them to stop jumping and to resume walking. "Any wound you take will be healed faster then normal, and even wounds that would normally kill you, you will recover from given sufficient time. Now this does NOT make you immortal, you can still die from wounds too severe such as decapitation."

"You will gain the ability to sense Shadowspawn when they are nearby. Each Shadowspawn has a different 'feel' to them. There are different ways to sense them, surprisingly. I myself sense them by smell." Shoar wrinkled his nose at the thought. "For me, a Trolloc smells like rotting meat. The closer they get, the more strong and potent the smell. It is never enough to distract you while you are fighting them, but enough to let you know they are about. Myrdraal smell like acrid smoke and... evil. Pure evil." He grinned and continued.

"Those are the benefits of the bond in slightly more detail. As you can see, each is incredibly potent in it's own way. I will field any questions people may have, as this is the spot which usually interests my students the most." He smiled and waited for any questions to be asked.

OOC: Apologies if I Missed, forgot or got something wrong... I know RJ has said stuff in Podcasts and interviews that may conflict with what I've written here, if anyone picks up on something please let me know. :)

Shoar Gaidin

Shoar stood, accepting the figurine of the woman reverently. “By your command, Mother.” He bowed then turned, shifting fluidly to stand slightly behind and to the left of her, features becoming hard as he stood watch. An arched eyebrow from Yora had Shoar incline his head in Annais’ direction. Yora nodded and barked instructions, turning back to the Guard.

He rested his right hand on the hilt of it’s sword, scanning the crowd for any danger. A lot of people, notable nobles of Tar Valon, were coming forth now and Shoar gritted his teeth slightly. ”Too much noise and sight…” He pushed himself deeper into the Spring, drawing more on it’s power, all senses alert for any sign of danger.

”I may not be a Bonded Gaidin but by the Light I will act like one today!” he thought, narrowing his eyes as he continued his watch. The woman figurine Annais had given him held tightly in his left hand, his right on its sword hilt, he continued his watch.

Sensing rather then hearing movement behind him, Shoar spun, sword half out of it’s sheathe when he realised that it was just the Amyrlin’s Attendants. They gave him a frightened look and scurried forward to attend on Annais as he rammed the sword home, turning back to his watch.

Shoar Gaidin

Shoar grinned and said “Well that’s a relief. Many other people call me boring. Trainees, for example.” He chuckled, remembering sleepy faces at his last talk on the Bond. “My Bond Studies class is a real winner, let me tell you,” The Spring hovered in his mind, continuing to relax him, to calm him. He had no idea how it would hold up when they reached their destination, but he would deal with that when they arrived.

He listened to her last words and then said “A moment, if you will Annie. I will need to think on that a tad.” He withdrew into thought, pondering on all he had picked up during their conversation. ”There is an old hurt there, an old love or an old crush perhaps…” Facial reactions, impressions, body stance, all began flowing through his mind as he went through their meeting from start till now.

”Genuine curiosity over the Bond.. Giving serious thought to looking for a Gaidin. Hmmmmmm…” He mulled over it some more then smiled and said “My apologies, I am not quite as on top of it as I once was. Trollocs and Myrdraal have surprisingly few facial expressions.” He grinned then took on a serious tone.

“Surprisingly little that you haven’t already told me.” He said eventually. “I picked up on the desire to begin looking a little more seriously for a Gaidin because the Last Battle is approaching before you said so. Aes Sedai tend to be harder to read then the rest.” He smiled “One thing I did notice is you hide a hurt from a fresh wound of the emotional kind. I would say no more then 2 years old and even that is pushing it.” He paused, reflecting, then nodded. “Yes, judging by the way you reacted to certain things, definitely within that time period. The reactions you had when I spoke of Ryell and my own pains from many years ago.”

“Since I have returned I have begun gathering plenty of information from around the world… You never know what information can end up being helpful.” He paused at this, wondering if Roshgar had more reports for him… He had sent out a few requests earlier in the week. “I hope I answered your questions to satisfaction, I find myself distracted during this walk.” He smiled slightly, the Spring rising up again to consume growing anxiousness rising inside him, calming him once more.

Shoar Gaidin

Shoar scratched his head. "Well, truth be told the only place I really got anymore is the Gaidin's Way, where my lodgings currently are. Most of my experience with the town was as the Chief Of Security so 'fun' usually meant someone had lost their temper." he laughed.

"So perhaps we can decide together where to go. I am pretty much completed with my training for the day so for a day, allow me to be your Gaidin, Aes Sedai." he bowed low, grinning. She laughed and said "Shoar, Shoar, in such way you tempt me. But today you can act as my Gaidin if you will. Maybe after a sweaty day of training you wouldn't mind bathing in the Shienaran way. Are you familiar with Mistress Elin's fine establishment?"

Shoar's eyes widened slightly and the Spring leapt up to consume the embarassment he could feel rising. It had been years since his very Shienaran viewpoints had come to the fore and his old habit for blushing was not completely gone. The Spring calmed him, the moment of panic passing as he settled into it, drawing on it's strength. "If that is your wish, so shall it be my command! he said, bowing his head.

Shoar smiled and walked with Annais, heading for the gates. "As for strange things I have learned... Light, there's a lot. Apart from the standard training you recieve, I have studied medical arts, diplomacy, dancing, foreign customs, shadowspawn studies... There are more 'specialised' things I have learned during my service." he smiled, tapping his nose. "I have learned from rogues, from warriors, from scholars and from farmers. One of my major jobs with Nimue was to watch for peoples reactions. I have a knack for reading peoples reactions, no matter how subtle. With Ryell, it was providing her with information about who we were meeting or fighting. In fact a lot of my job was information gathering."

They had nearly reached the gate. "There's more but I'm sure it must be boring you, hearing how fantastic I am." He adopted a nonchalant pose for a second then broke it with a laugh. "As always, forgive my quirky sense of humour." he smiled. Then he remembered where they were heading and swallowed as they passed through the gate, reaching for the Spring and settling a bit as it flowed into him. "It's just a Shienaran bath like back home... What can go wrong?"

Shoar Gaidin

Captain Beetroot Reporting!

Shoar listened to Annais' words, nodding at certain points. He chuckled at the superior beings comment and smiled as she finished up, pondering the question she had asked. "What I meant when I said they need to become everything their Aes Sedai are is that they need to learn, to understand what their Aes Sedai's specialty is. Yellow's are considerd the Healing Ajah, so a knack for healing methods and means would work well for a Yellow's Gaidin. But I do concede the point that a Warder needs to fill in the gaps in their Sedai's knowledge more importantly then complementing what they already know."

"Aye, those are three of the most important traits for a Gaidin." He paused "And practically ALL fighters now I think on it. The last especially. Now, as for your last point..." Shoar considered his words carefully for the next point. He chewed his lip, staring thoughtfully at Annais. "Ryell's approach to diplomacy was usually blow something up near them with the power. If that didn't work, send Shoar in to crack heads. There were arguments held in private over how to handle more... 'delicate' issues. I preferred a more 'subtle' approach to diplomacy. Less screams and bloodshed, you know the thing. Ryell preferred more of both." He laughed at the memory. "With Nimue, she really was a superb diplomat and I never had an argument with her. She knew exactly how to handle each situation and I always left those areas to her."

He threw another pebble up and down in his hand, thinking back. "Ryell's explosiveness and her impulsiveness is what led her to laying my Bond onto Reile on her supposed death. As soon as Ryell 'died' my bond transferred to Reile. Reile died before I made it to her side... All because I spent time searching for Ryell. Hers was the only break where I didn't KNOW she was dead. She hasn't been seen in over 25 years, so I have come to accept it long ago... But I just didn't know. I didn't feel her die, Annie." He shrugged and smiled. "It has taught me that falling in love with your Bondholder is not a recommended thing... Especially if they are a Green and prone to get into trouble." He smiled sadly, catching the pebble as it fell.

"But yes, you'll find a Gaidin. Or you won't!" He grinned. "Some Aes Sedai never find a Gaidin to bond. As for what skills you are looking for... That is advice I honestly cannot give. Your Gaidin is forever in your head, forever there, ever a dedicated servant, friend and partner. The skillset needed is different for each Sedai. The BASIC skills each Gaidin needs should have already been hammered into his head. Skill with the sword, survival skills and so forth. From there they learn what they must to compliment their Sedai as best they can. I, myself, have learned many strange things in the course of my years" He laughed, remembering the dancing lessons.

Shoar Gaidin