Geirrin watched with his mouth agape as Aslan began moving towards the Aes Sedai…the fool was going to accept her offer?  What had possessed the man?  Clearly the woman was off.  Perhaps channeling the female source had some negative effect as well.  He new next to nothing about the female half of the source.

Geirrin lost sight of the pair due to the antechamber being as crowded as a barrel of eels ready for the market.  The room felt even more stuffy than it had moments ago since Covai led the group from the Amyrlin’s Study to the antechamber.  It was a good time to leave though the girl in the white dress seemed to be blocking his departure.  He was unsure if her job was to keep others out or them in.  What struck him as odd was that she was as tall as he was.  Where did she hail from he thought to himself.

His eyes scanned the room as there was commotion somewhere in the room.  Geirrin saw Arath move across the room though he quickly lost sight of the storm leader.  The tension in the room had him more on edge than he had been before.  He moved away from the wall looking across the room as another pair of Aes Sedai entered.  One appeared to helping another into the room.  Was that a mischievous look on her face.  Was she actually entertained by this madness.  This never should have been allowed.  It simply was not right.  Even an uneducated lout like himself could see it!

He lost sight of the newcomers then moved closer to the center of the room as he saw the smaller Ashaman, Ikki go down to one knee.  He could not see what the smaller man was doing.  What under the light was going on here? 

"Mother! We must link and shield them!"  The words cut right through the commotion piercing his ears.  The olive skinned Aes Sedai appeared to look around wildly as if she were a caged animal.  “Flaming Aes Sedai!” he cursed.  Before he knew what he was doing Geirrin had seized Saidin.  The molten fury that was Saidin threatened to rip him from the pattern though he felt more alive than ever.  Everything in the room became sharper, colors becoming more vivid.  He fought the urge to double over and empty the contents of his stomach.  Geirrin formed the weave for shielding as he moved towards the mad woman who looked as if she wanted to strike them all dead on the spot.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.  The shielding weave fell into place like it had done hundreds of times before and he stood smiling smugly at the shielded Aes Sedai.  The look on his sun-tanned Tairen face said “Yes I just stole the pie that you spent hours baking and I’m eating it right in front of you!  Not only am I eating it in front of you but I am licking my fingers enjoying every second of it so what are you going to do about it?”

The slightly plump Aes Sedai’s brown eyes locked on his and he knew he was in trouble.  It was the same look his mother had given him before she beat him with her broom for one thing or another.  Foolishly Geirrin had never bound her in with flows of air.  The thought never even crossed his mind.  He was so enamored with his own ability to shield her so effortlessly that it never occurred to him that she would attack him.

The woman uttered something though Geirrin could not make out the words as he felt himself being pulled by his ear.  Before he knew it the Aes Sedai had him bent over a table and was paddling his backside with one of her slippers.  “Bloody fish guts!” He shouted in pain.  “Stop hitting me…”  He paused for breath from the pain of the onslaught.  “you flaming silverpike!”  The thought of stopping her himself never occurred to him.  He could not lay his hands on a woman even if she was a silverpike in disguise!  “For the love of the Light!  Someone get this lionfish off of my hide!”

The whole altercation had taken only a few seconds.  Suddenly Geirrin felt himself ripped from the Aes Sedai's grasp as he was hurled towards the wall on flows of air.  Geirrin struck the wall with a sickening thud that took his breath away while bright white light filled his vision. His body slid down the wall onto the floor so that he lay slumped at the base of the wall.  Geirrin winced then rubbed his head until his vision cleared somewhat.  What under the light had just happened?  Geirrin could feel the cold stares from both Storm Leaders.  Clearly they were not happy with him at the moment.  Muttering under his breath he stood leaning against the wall for support since his bottom was to sore to sit on at the moment.  He didn't know whether he should rub his head or his bottom.  He couldn't decide which ached more.   

Geirrin Hale

Asha'man...A fool with a very sore bottom and a wicked headache!

“I think I want to go home Perivar.” The shock was plain on his face, why?  It took a few heartbeats before he realized what home she was referring to.  They were both of borderland blood.  Even though she had not been raised there, Kabria's mother was Kandori.  Kabria and Perivar had spent much of their time in the borderlands since Kabria was raised to Aes Sedai. 

The Blight was encroaching farther into the lands south of the Mountains of Dhoom and she was intent on seeing it kept at bay wherever possible.  The Dark One's touch on the world was evident to anyone who dared to open their eyes.  Kabria feverishly tried to keep the borderlands free of the shadow's malevolent touch. 

After a few moments, Perivar simply nodded in response.  "Welcome back" he said then kissed her softly feeling the veins of gold stronger than before.  He set out to see to their departure before he could be enticed to stay in bed with her.  There would be plenty of time for that.  For now it was time to go North. 

Copy cat :P

Perivar could feel the tiny spark as she spoke but it did not blossom to the veins of gold that he used to feel.  It was as if that tiny spark was in a vise compressed as could be.  It would not give any more ground nor could it grow.  Perivar was at his wits end.

He sat with her as she attempted to drink herself into oblivion though he did not allow himself a sip.  Perivar could not resolve this problem with a head clouded by alcohol.  When Kabria passed out at their table after a long night of drinking and dancing he carried her to their room. 

Perivar rose the next day with the Sun and sought out the nearest Sea Folk vessel.  No matter how he tried they all refused him the "gift of passage" as they called it.  He tried every Sea Folk ship for days to no avail.  Finally he became so angry with the last Sail Mistress that she had him deposited over the railing of her ship into the harbor. 

Dejected after days of failure Perivar returned to Kabria.  "I fear the answer is not here as I had hoped.  I no longer have any ideas what to do.  Perhaps..."  He hung his head "Perhaps there is someone else who can help?"  Perivar looked at her expectantly for Kabria was the one with the gift for reasoning out such matters.  He was simply her sword and protector.

Look great to me  ;)

Geirrin watched the others enter the antechamber after what seemed an eternity.  He wanted to open a gateway right on the spot but he had not been here long enough to do so.  He could skim though.  Geirrin opened his mouth to suggest that they be on their way though he quickly let the unformed words roll out of his mouth in a sigh.

The tension seemed tenfold since the other entered and Geirrin tried to quickly do the math.  The room became too crowded for his count to be accurate.  Perhaps if he stood his post by the door nobody would notice him.  He stopped scanning the room and studied his boots until a voice broke the silence.  "Well?" His eyes immediately went to the Aes Sedai in the maroon silk dress.  "Are any of you going to come forward to fulfill your part of this...agreement?"  Not in this lifetime Geirrin thought then ran his fingers through his hair.  He quickly brought his hand to his side as he tried to be as still as one of the fixtures in the room.  If he didn't make eye contact with any of them perhaps they would forget he was there.

hope you feel better soon!

Welcome!

As expected his little mentor nodded at the wounded soldier indicating that Valeran should do it himself.  It was the only way to learn.  Valeran could teach battle tactics to new soldiers but they didn't truly understand until they had experienced battle for themselves.  It was much the same as learning new weaves.  You could not become proficient without practice.

Carefully Valeran formed the weaves to heal the injured man starting with the skull fracture.  It would be pointless to heal the lesser of the injuries only to fail with the more serious life threatening one.  It was calous but true.  Years of war on the blightborder had left Valeran numb to such things.  Men and women died daily in the borderlands, it was a simple fact.  If he could save even one person who would otherwise die than it was worth the risk.

The body convulsed as the weaves took affect though the soldier remained unconscious.  Valeran sighed in relief then moved his hands from the boy's head to his injured arm.  It was unnecessary to do so but Valeran preferred to do so.  It helped him visualize the injury and form the proper weave.  The body convulsed again this time the boy's eyes shot open and he let out a gasp. 

"You'll be fine son"  Valeran found himself saying then moved onto the next patient already forming the weave for delving. 

whoa, lots of old faces showing up again

Shush you're dead,(well your character was or is presumed dead) the dead cannot affect the living....  ;D

Well in truth I was waiting to allow others to respond since you already rp'd with Valeran.  As a former Lancer he still prefers to ride poor old nags and does so as often as possible so if you need someone to play with then he is game.

Welcome Mort!  Feel free to steal what you wish, from others of course.  Steal from one of my characters and they'll slit throat.  Otherwise, welcome aboard and have fun!  ;) 

No worries it's a slow time of year anyway for most.

Safe travels!

Valeran exhaled as the last soldier released Saidin.  The tension around his eyes lessened slightly though he still remained vigilant.  They would all be feeling the pull of Saidin even though they only held it for a few moments.  Their surroundings would appear dull, the exhileration of feeling Saidin pulse through them would be gone.  Now that they had tasted Saidin they would want more and they would have it over the next few weeks.

"Now that you have all held Saidin you will have noticed the Dark One's taint.  Like mold covering a your favorite meal or a layer of rancid oil covering a barrel of cold refreshing water.  You will learn to live with it for there is nothing to be done about it."  Not yet he thought though there were scholars trying to reason out a way to remove the taint.  "The taint is simply part of Saidin."  Valeran scanned the line of soldiers.  None seemed to care, all they would care for was holding Saidin again.

"Now over time you will gain strength and skill in the power.  You will gain both in bursts until you reach your full potential.  There is no telling what your potential might be.  For now your focus will be learning work with Saidin.  You will use the weaves I show you to do all your chores through which you will become proficient wielding Saidin."

"Saidin is made up of five elements. Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Spirit.  Traditionally men are strongest in Earth, Fire, and Spirit though some men may be stronger in Air and Water though it is rare.  It is even more rare to have a significant ability with all five elements.  Commonly you may be strong in two or three.  It is very possible that you may have little to no ability with some of the elements.  Over the course of your training you will learn your strengths and weaknesses."

"First we will work with Fire.  You may now seize Saidin but do not channel until you are told to do so."  Valeran watched the soldiers, they were like a pack of hungry wolves pursuing game.  When the last soldier finally held Saidin he continued.  "Pay attention, I will show you the weave a few times.  Do not attempt to channel until told to do so."

Valeran easily seized the source, if it could truly be considered easy. Saidin roared through him threatening to tear him to bits while making him feel alive like never before.  The ever present taint making him feel like he wanted to sick up.

Valeran channeled a tiny flow of fire which took the form of a small flame.  He repeated the weave several times making sure each soldier was taking it in.  Once he was satisified that they had absorbed it he addressed them.  "You may each try the weave.  Be careful, use only a tiny flow of Fire to produce your flame.  Use too much Saidin and you will singe or burn yourself or others.  Take it slow and easy.  Now begin!"

Valeran saw their faces straining as they tried to duplicate the weave.  Flows of fire licked out then dissipated as the weave fell apart.  Determined they all tried again some successfully forming the flame.  Several did not channel enough Fire at first to make the flame gradually increasing the amount until they were successful.  One fool, who appeared to be Domani managed to create a flame the size of a campfire which Valeran had to douse.  He could have easily removed the air making the fire wink out of existence, instead he doused the flame and the soldier with large amounts of water with the force of a waterfall.  The force of the water sent the soldier sprawling to the frozen ground making him lose his grasp of Saidin.  The soldier sat on the ground shivering.  "I said take it slow and easy now get up and try again!"

Valeran turned his attention to the others some of whom were snickering at their companion.  "Keep practicing creating the flame until it is second nature.  Once your are comfortable you can increase the size of your flame though no larger than your fist."  Valeran looked back to the Domani soldier who was shivering and apparently too distracted to seize Saidin again.  He left him to struggle, he would have to learn to overcome his distractions and seize Saidin if he desired to have any chance of surviving in battle.

((OOC: Have fun playing around with creating the flame.  You can have the soldiers dismissed to the barracks when you are finished.  The Req has been satisfied so it is up to you if you want to continue the thread.)) 

Congrats!

Chuckling he spoke "That cat was not half as scared as our fellow guardsman.  Ooh Light that was funny, I wish you could have seen it."  Kennar smiled at her, a true honest smile.  How long had that been?  He had become so used to faking smiles that he could not recall.  "I don't know what the punishment would be but I would gladly take the Captain's lumps and still consider it to be well worth it!"

"Shall we let the guards have the rest of the night free of pranks?  You did suggest a mug of ale and a game of stones earlier, did you not?"  Kennar's eyes had a gleam of anticipation to them.  A few mugs of ale and some gambling would be nice.

Valeran could see the strain on several faces.  Saidin called to them, like a beautiful woman lying naked on a bed begging them to join her.  Her eyes and soft words seducing you while her hands caressed your body.  The allure of Saidin was immense but it was also tainted.  This was the most difficult of their training.  Convincing them that seizing Saidin was a struggle the likes of which they could not imagine in their wildest dreams.

When the last man nodded that he detected Saidin Valeran addressed them. "At ease Soldiers.  Take a few minutes, grab water from the barrel if you need then form back up."  Many of them were parched from the effort of clearing their minds or from resisting the urge to reach for Saidin.

The men formed up quickly.  They seemed eager to continue.  "Now you will leave your eyes open and feel for Saidin.  Again DO NOT reach for it."  Valeran waited, eyeing each of the soldiers watching for signs that they were attempting to seize it.  A few minutes passed before the last man nodded.  It was much more difficult to do amidst the distractions of the activity around the farm.

"Now listen closely.  As amazing as Saidin is it is also unbelievably hard to seize.  It is a struggle unlike any that you can imagine.  Like wrestling a giant covered in oil.  As slippery as a barrel of eels.  Like trying to thread a needle with frozen hands."  Valeran eyed them all to make sure none were daydreaming.

"I tell you this not to scare the wits out of you but to prepare you for what you will face.  Wielding Saidin is wonderous beyond compare yet it can burn you to a pile of ash in the blink of an eye if you are not careful.  Even if you are careful, one slip and you may be seriously injured or killed.  Once you have firmly seized it your vision will become sharper, colors will appear more vivid but don't be fooled, it can still kill you in a heartbeat.  You must remain in control.  You will each take turns seizing and holding onto the source.  Do not begin until I tell you to do so.  Does everyone understand?  Do anything other than what I instruct you to do and I will thump you all the way to the Aryth ocean and back!"

Valeran watched as each soldier attempted to struggle to control Saidin. His eyes grew tight knowing that this was the part of training where a soldier was most likely to injure or kill themselves.  A few soldiers struggled near the point of exhaustion therefore he ordered them to take a break giving another soldier the opportunity to make their attempt.  Valeran could feel his heart thumping in his chest remembering his first attempts to grab hold of Saidin. 

"Release!" he shouted at a lantern-jawed Murandian.  "Good, Next!"  He eyed Marden giving the younger man a nod then watched him carefully.

((OOC: Go ahead Seize Saidin and hold it for a bit.  Post your reaction to seizing and holding it then we'll move on.  We can finish with a few simple weaves and you should be good to move onto your next RP.)) 

Kennar was deep in thought.  Edana's words were like a distant murmur as he watched a black cat approach.  The cat was used to the guards and did not fear them.  It rubbed it's body on Kennar's right leg purring softly.  Kennar appreciated their stealth and agility, wishing he could climb and jump as well as a cat could.  With a mischievous glint in his eye he picked up the cat and hurried off speaking over his shoulder to let Edana know that he would be right back. 

Kennar picked the gate in the opposite direction from the one which Edana has chosen.  Quietly he walked up the stone steps to peer over the battlements to spot the guards below.  He watched them for a moment deciding which was the junior of the two.  Hanging the cat over the crenellation he took a deep breath then dropped the cat.  It feel in slow motion landing on the shoulder of the younger guard screeching and clawing.  The younger guard screamed like a little girl.  Kennar did not stay around to watch the show instead taking the opportunity to hurry away in the commotion. 

Kennar returned to Edana still snickering.  "You had to see the fool spinning around trying to get the clawing cat off his back"  Kennar burst out in wild laughter.  He laughed so hard that tears ran streaming down his face.  "You had to see the older guardsman trying to calm his companion.  The youth would not listen nor sit still long enough for the older man to help him."  I wish I could have stayed longer but I hurried away during the commotion.  Surely an officer would be by soon.  As if his words had been a summons a Lieutenant approached their post. 

"Is all well?" the Lieutenant asked.  Kennar wiped his eyes then responded that all was well at their post.  Luckily the officer hurried off in the direction of the earlier commotion without inquiring what had had Kennar laughing so hard that he had tears in his eyes.  Once the officer was out of earshot he spoke to Edana "That was close...though well worth the price of a little punishment had I been.  I nearly forgot how much fun it is to play pranks on the other guards."

I plan on bonding my Dedicated when he becomes an Ashie though he is going to hold the bond so not much help to anyone.  *shrugs*

((OOC: No sorry,  my apologies.  R/L got in the way.))

Valeran waited for the youth to finish.  “No apologies necessary, no offense taken” He said.  Valeran looked away from Marden momentarily distracted by the newcomers joining the class.  “You know something of Saidin, more than some which is good though you will learn much during your time here.”  The newcomers were milling about unsure exactly what they were supposed to do, like children off their mother's apron strings for the first time.  Valeran motioned Marden to go stand with the others.

“Soldiers, Attention!”  Valeran said in a booming voice.  Several of them flinched and others stood where they were staring at him as if he had transformed into a Trolloc.  “Form a line facing me, now!”  He emphasized the last word.  Valeran looked upon them like a stern magistrate, an air of authority emanating from his posture.  “Come on you goat kissing girls, we do not have all day.”  Valeran stood tapping his foot in a disapproving manner though it was all part of the show, these recruits were no worse than any others.  The only ones who ever shined in the opening moments here were former soldiers, they would be used to the orders and the show of authority.

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

“It will not be easy, though nothing worthwhile ever is.  While the ability to wield Saidin is wonderous it is not without its hazards.  Many are injured or die each month from training accidents, from skirmishes or battles, or by burning themselves to a cinder.  You will not die on my watch, is that understood!”  He waited for the response before continuing.  “Saidin, the male half of the one power has been tainted by the Dark One.  His final stroke against the forces of Light as he was sealed in his earthen prison.  When you hold Saidin you will notice the taint, like mold on an otherwise perfect loaf of bread.”  He paused noticing several soldiers concentrating.  “Do not reach for the source you fools!  You will not do so unless I instruct you too. Understood!”  Again he eyed each of them making sure they understood.

“Now close your eyes, clear your mind and you may notice a ball or ray of light in your mind.  DO NOT reach it, merely nod if you notice it.  That is Saidin!”  Valeran waited for all the soldiers to nod.  Some took longer than others.

“Good now open your eyes.  Try it again with your eyes open.  You will notice that it is much more difficult to do so with the distractions of your surroundings.”  Valeran waited for all of them to indicate that they had felt it.  “Take your time and DO NOT reach for it.  When you all have done so we will move on.”

((OOC: Go ahead and post your reactions and feeling for Saidin while I write up the next post.))

*arches an eyebrow at Sieve* You are just asking to be beaten!  :-*

Knitting might suit your character well if he is unskilled and burns holes in his current garments.  ;D

Geirrin Hale

Asha'man

Leader of the Drunk Unruly Ones

Valeran Kertovni

Dedicated

Proprietor of the Black Tower's Big and Tall Store

Don't listen to her, she has no authority here! No I repeat No rescinding bio's, Nope nada can't do it once they are submitted!  No cake for you either!  :P

J/K Welcome to the madness...ooh and the one above me who I said had no authority here is actually our crazy and fearless leader.  ;D

Welcome back!  Belig's bio is right here