welcome :p im still wanderin around gettin picked up too :P ill be enterin the stedding around the same time u do :P

Gabe hesitantly stepped up to the "man". Expiermentally hefting sword and shield Gabe prepared himself. He swung with all his might at the "man's" shield arm. As the sword hit, the other arm swung around, not reacting fast enough Gabe was hit square in the shoulder and fell to the ground with a loud howl of pain. Getting up Gabe tested his shield arm, he was going to have a nasty bruise there later but right now it was numb. Nothing felt broken and with a grimace Gabe stepped up to try again. The next time he got the shield up quicker but still got clipped and was sent to the ground again. Frustrated that he could not get his arm up in time Gabe got up and tried again. After getting hit a few more times Gabe finally got the rhythm and was soon thrusting and blocking with, if not ease, confidence.

Eating lunch was a ginger affair for Gabe. his shoulder was so sore he did not know if he could continue. Though from what Owen had said it looked like he would be at this the rest of the afternoon.

After lunch Gabe was once again struck by the ball and chain a few more times. He was getting tired but it was his arm gettin stiff that made him mess up a few times. Stubbornly Gabe kept hitting the "man" until owen said that it was time to finish up for the night.

Gabe was taken to a Sage and had an ointment rubbed on his shoulder that helped the pain a bit. He was tired and sore but mostly happy that he did not make a complete fool of himself.

As he listened to Winifred answer his questions Gabe became no more comfortable than he had been before. All this talk of the Howling, Wanderers and Trackers. Words Gabe had never heard before, and Gabe considered himself a very well read man. The only thing he really understood was the wolves guiding her. Then she asked a question that Gabe could relate to.

"Perhaps you have experienced talking with the wolves?"

Gabe took the tea cup but did not drink any of it. "Well I would not quite call it talking but yes I communicate with Hunter. Hunter is the only reason im still here talkin to you. He trusts you and it seems he thinks i need to follow you to this "Haven" of yours. But I am still not sure." Gabe, forgetting himself, took a drink of tea, it was rather good but he set it down and did not touch it again. "Its been hard for me since my family rejected me, im not sure I could get my hopes up of there being a place where there are more like me." Gabe looked away embarrassed that he had said what he had.

After a bit he looked at Winifred "I still have a few more questions. If this Howling is not an evil thing why do you hide? Why does it need to be secret from outsiders? If its not evil we should be free to go where we please not needing a "Haven". Why did my parents look at me like i was some sort of Trolloc from the books?"

Without realizing what he was doing Gabe leapt up to get wood for the fire. His mind was reeling,and he needed to think quickly a place where no persecution or intolerance will ever find you she had said. A place where golden eyes were accepted. What if shes lying? the way she answered his questions, as vague as possible it could be that she was trying to hide something. Gabe shook that thought away, Hunter trusts her he should try as well. But it was hard to trust her, he knew absolutley nothing about her and she answered every question with a half answer not really answering them at all. As he placed the gathered wood on the ground and sat back down he asked a few more questions hoping to get some real answers out of her.

"Where is this place of no persecution? Why should I trust you in the first place? I dont even know you, you may have golden eyes but thats still no reason to trust you. How were you guided to me? What is the transformation that made my eyes yellow?"

Gabe had so many more questions to ask but figured he could try to get answers a few at a time. If she even answers them anyways. She seemed more intent on getting her tea going. Gabe could almost be annoyed at her, her answers, her tea, her smile, it all frustrated him. lets hear what she has to say and then get out of here. Gabe thought.

    Gabe was tired, hot, and a bit bored sitting there moving the grinding stone with his feet. Not used to a days hard work he was already ready to call the day done. When another Wolfkin memeber came and offered to take his place so he could concentrate on Owen better he was more than happy to oblige. As he sat there listening and watching he started to notice a rhythm to the work. The steady beat of the wheel as the Wolfkin turned it, The scratch as the blade was sharpened, "this is easy i could do this." Gabe thought. Just as the thought crossed his mind Owen stopped and handed him a blade, "Your turn" Owen said.

As it turned out the grinding stone was a lot different when the blade was in Gabes own hands. He had to stop and ask Owen tips and questions numerous times. Eventually though Gabe got the hang of it and lost himself in the rhythm. It was aproaching midday when Owen tapped Gabes shoulder and told him to break for lunch. Gabe was exhausted when he slumped down to eat. As he was eating Owen explained that he and John would switch places for the rest of the afternoon. Gabe sighed. He really was exhausted. Maybe the whetstone would go easier and it would be a nice afternoon.

When Gabe finally fell into his bed that night and passed out it was not the wolf dream that came...only nightmares involving a whetstone and a very large pile of swords...

Gabe entered the room and took a seat. Taking the mug of tea he faced to begin inspecting the man in front of him. He had only been in the stedding a couple weeks and already they were training him! He had met a few people but he would have recognized this man if he had seen him. Skin and Hair as white as snow, almost as if he were a ghost. The man was definatley a fighter. Gabe had not seen many proffesional soldiers aside from the city guard but this man just felt like a fighter.

Gabe was just working this threw his head when there was a knock at the door. "Come in." Owen called, and another student arrived. He introduced himself as John sat in the chair next to Gabe. After they were all settled in Owen spoke.

"Well i suppose both of you are eager to start your lesson today, but first i would appreciate knowing a little bit about your back grounds. Where you came from, what you did before the Howling. It makes it easier if we know a little about each other and allows me to better evaluate your performance.” 

Gabe was a bit hesitant to bring up his family but replied " My father was an inkeep. I havent really been out of the city unti this last couple weeks. i spent most of my time reading or helping in the inn. i was never trained in any kind of fighting. i had a good life until my eyes..." Gabe stopped trying to hide his pain. But greatfully Owen asked John to tell his story.

As Gabe listend to John tell his story, his eyes wandered around the room. Studying walls and idly sipping his tea, his attention was caught as Owen started telling them about himself and told them they were going to the armory. Gabe was excited by this news. My own sword!. He follwed John enthusiastically as they headed to the armory.

Owen took them to a large building, unlocked it and motioned for them to enter. Once in the door Gabe's eyes widened at the site of so many weapons.

“Now make sure you choose correctly. This weapon could save your life, or the lives of those with you. Take your time and choose wisely.”

Gabe did not hesitate to begin searching the sword rack, not quite sure what he was looking for but he held swords in his hands swinging them experimentally to feel the weight. John was right there looking for his own sword. Gabe was glad there was another student around to train with, they were about the same age, maybe they could become freinds.

It took him about ten minutes before he found the sword that would be his. It was a longsword and carved on the pommel was a snarling wolfs head. Satisfied after test swinnging it a few times, he walked over to where Owen was and waited for John to select his weapon.

OOC: thanks to tay for helping me  :D

ill be there though gabe is still gettin picked up :P

Gabe: Sword - Bow - Dagger

Gabe woke up slowly. He had been dreaming of home, home before his eyes changed. It was a good dream and he wanted to never wake up. But Hunter was there forcing him to wake up.

They are here is all he would say.

So half asleep he sat up to see who "they" were. As she (Gabe was startled it was a woman)approached Gabe the only thing Gabe saw was her eyes. Golden eyes. Eyes like the ones he had, eyes that had made him run in the first place. Gabe was ready to run again but Hunter was not nervous at all and he had trusted him this far. So Gabe settled down to see what this stranger had to say.

"My name is Winifred. Do you know why I'm here?". she asked.

What kind of question was that? Gabe thought. Of course he wouldnt know why some stranger just happend to be looking for him and just happend to know exactley where he was. But instead he said "umm no i have no idea why your here. Ive been following Hunter here" Gabe points to Hunter "I know your going to think im crazy but hes been expecting you,I can talk to him..well sorta talk to him and all hes been telling me is that you were coming here and i had to wait. I am Gabriel Almor. Please tell me what is going on. Why are you here? Why are your eyes golden too?

Windrunner ran threw the forest right on the heels of his next kill. He could sense his packmate close to him ready to make the kill, Hunter silently running keeping pace with the deer. The deer stumbled from exhaustion and Windrunner saw his opening. He sprang jaws closing around the neck for the kill...

Gabe woke with a start. Shivering body covered in sweat. Memories flooded back unbidend. His mothers terrified face when she saw his eyes...eyes that should have been brown. Eyes that were golden, eyes that Gabe did not want. Gabe was an outcast, one look at his eyes and humans would throw him out. He had nowhere to go. He had nothing in way of posessions aside what he was wearing. His life was over, everything and everyone he knew... gone. The realization of this hit Gabe with such force he just collapsed crying and yelling.

It took Gabe a few minutes to realize he wasnt quite alone anymore. He looked up and there was a wolf. Dark grey fur with a few white splotches here and there. Instead of feeling scared and running away for some reason Gabe felt comfortable...as if he knew this wolf. Images flooded his mind. A wolf Grey with white splotches and the images formed a name of sorts, Hunter, then Gabe saw himself.. then a wolf running in the wind and the name Windrunner came into his head. With a start gabe realized this wolf was "talking" to him. He tried asking the wolf questions, how,why,when,what but all the wolf did was stare. After awhile Hunter ,as Gabe thought of him now, gotup to leave, and in his head images came and Gabe knew Hunter wanted him to follow.

Gabe followed Hunter for 3 days eating what food he could find, berries and fruits. Everyday Gabe asked Hunter where they were going and always the same reply.. follow.. No more images came to Gabe besides that. it was a silent three days unit one night Hunter stopped and images burst into his head. Wait brother. someone comes. Meet them here. and with that Hunter laid down to sleep. Gabe confused could not sleep but none the less laid down to wait for this someone whoever it was...

lol thanks  :) ill make sure to bug ya no worries there ;) hope to have some fun here and all that jazz

matsluck makes a good point... even 20 years after the aiel wars the cairhiens still maintain a nose towards the sky kind of attitude against the aiel.. even going so far as to claim victory over them in the wars...the aiel are new enemies of the wetlands and they are grossly underestimated by all the wetlanders... that is why they are "invincible"