Post
by Matty » April 5th, 2016, 1:50 pm
At the Grey Tower Murdock was well used to the intricacies of Tower politics flying over his head. He was a mere trainee, there was no need to concern himself with the goings on of the Aes Sedai and Asha'man as of yet. He had little interest in their affairs, public or personal, unless they directly affected him in some way. This was no different - Murdock didn't recognise the woman or the man who entered the barn, he had no bloody idea what a serenla was supposed to be, and he didn't get why the pair of them were suddenly coming with them on their adventures, such as they were.
Alright, Murdock did understand that part. If she was an Accepted out of the Tower unsupervised, then she was technically a runaway and it was Asha'man Jaryd's job to return her to whence she came. But Murdock didn't care for who she was, or why she had left. Accepted Aikatawhatever and Gaidin Whoeverhewas had nothing to do with Murdock and his being here for Asha'man Jaryd; his lack of curiosity was reflective of his insular, somewhat self-absorbed nature. So he only stood a short way behind the Asha'man with his hands clasped behind him, waiting until they were done speaking. Of course, when addressed he let the Asha'man know the state of affairs here. "I am almost done, and would only need a short while to rest before moving on. It would be wise for us to not remain here any longer than absolutely necessary; and when we leave I will Delve you all, with permission." Murdock wasn't able to Delve himself, but he could at least check none of them were ill. He though it highly unlikely, though. This illness was not something he suspected to be quite that contagious.
"If you will excuse me, I will finish up here." Murdock bowed his head to the men, gave the Accepted a brief but dismissive glance, then moved on. They might not be happy to be here, but again this really wasn't Murdock's business. Let them deal with their own troubles. He had enough of his own to deal with, thank you very much.
Murdock returned to finishing up with the people who needed Healing here. It was only a handful of men, and none of them suffered the same fate as their unlucky friend. No, these men would make a fine recovery, after plenty of sleep that is. He'd done good work here and was quietly proud of himself.
"Thank you Asha'man, for everything you have done here," the Mayor said, a boy carrying a tray with some bread and butter as well as a cup of juice behind him.
"I am no Asha'man, a mere trainee," Murdock was quick to reply. Not because he minded being called an Asha'man, but because he had no desire to pose as a fully ranked channeller where anyone was likely to find out and give him a thick ear. "But I appreciate your kind words. And thank you, dear child, for the food. Healing is hungry work." Murdock sat down on a hay bale, the tray resting atop his long legs. "I will eat this and then we will be on our way, though Asha'man Jaryd is leading this particular expedition."
"He is. I'll talk to him shortly, he looks a bit... preoccupied." A glance towards the barn doors and Murdock looked over as well. The Asha'man, the apparent Gaidin and the runaway Accepted were outside now, clearly waiting for Murdock to rest up. Truthfully he could probably have travelled now, but it was a long day and he did feel the need to recuperate a little if the option was there. "Light shine on you, in any case. We will remember the Grey Tower's support."
The Mayor and the boy left Murdock to eat in peace, which he did quite contently. The bread was free of weevils, a pleasant surprise, and the butter was fresh. Two bites in and the happy Dedicated was feeling rather good about everything that was going on, all things considered. That was when he was interrupted by a woman who took him by surprise, knocking his tray from his lap so his food and drink scattered on the floor.
"You! You killed my husband!" the woman growled at Murdock, who looked up with unblinking eyes. "He's dead, and it's all your fault!"
"Hardly," Murdock informed her calmly. "The man would have died whether I was here or not. I was unable to help him, that's all." Not quite the truth, but he had no oaths to worry about. "I'm sorry for your loss, but-"
"Sammael's ass are you sorry!" the woman interrupted.
"I am. Now can you keep it down? The men here are resting." Murdock had no reason to sit here any longer, so he got to his feet. Of course, he towered over this woman, but the hand that prodded his chest threatened to knock him back onto his bottom again.
"You are going to pay for what you did," she threatened.
"For Healing a whole village of ill men?" Murdock asked wryly. "Of course. How do you propose you do that then?"
"I... I'll tell the Asha'man. I heard you're a trainee, he can sort you out." The woman turned, but Murdock's grip on her arm was iron.
"No." It was one word, soft and quiet. "You will do no such thing. Be quiet," he snapped, stuffing her mouth with Air. He looked around, but there was nobody nearby. The men were sleeping, Asha'man Jaryd and his entourage were outside, and the Mayor had gone Light knows where. Even so, Murdock leaned down to speak in a near whisper, his low voice barely carrying. "I had no quarrel with you or your husband, goodwoman, but you force my hand. I will not compromise my title for a pair of backwards farmhands." His other hand gripped her throat, as he seized Saidin.
Is that a good idea? Giselle asked from behind the woman, her light eyes looking up at Murdock's enquiringly.
"Yes," was Murdock's reply, and with that he wove the five elements in an intricate weave, similar but not the same as Healing. He knew what he had to do, and how to do it. Stop the heart, shut down the organs, nobody here would question the how when he was done with her. They would simply know she had passed on, and Murdock would have no angry, passionate woman jeapordising his training for the sake of a man who was dead anyway. What a fool, Murdock thought as she went limp in his arms, his weave settling into her convulsing body. If she had just left him alone and mourned in peace, she might still be alive now. Oh well, Murdock picked up the body and took her over to where her dead husband lay - not an easy task for a man who needed a stick to walk, but he hobbled over easily enough. He lowered her down carefully, and as he lay her on the ground he put her arm over her husband, and her head on his chest. It would look as if she had died in her sleep, and she seriously doubted that anyone here was going to be able to detect his weaves. Just like that. So simple. So easy. So thrilling, to be pulsing with the life giving Saidin whilst he tore it from someone else! It was like learning to walk again, but remembering how from a past life. It simply came to Murdock.
It wasn't a suspicious amount of time Murdock had been gone, but he did think it would be best to leave now. So Murdock straightened up, releasing Saidin and nodding a goodbye to Giselle before he limped over to pick up his stick. His leg ached from the exertion but he would have to put up and shut up for now. The little wretch knocked my drink over too, he thought glumly as he passed the bread and butter and juice on the floor. Wincing, Murdock stooped over to pick the cup up, and as an afterthought he shoved the bread and butter into the hay stack. No need for anyone to find that until tonight when the mice came sniffing.
He made his way outside where Asha'man Jaryd was waiting. "Sir, I am ready to go." As ready as he would ever be.
They Travelled "just north of Baerlon," a place Murdock had never been to. He'd not been to a great many places. A couple of inquiries told him they were not far from the Two Rivers, and with that settled Murdock was content to follow the rest of the group without much to say. The Gaidin type skulked away to scout and do other Gaidin-like tasks, all of which were a little dull sounding to Murdock. He had no idea why anyone would want to be a Warder, when all it involved was subservience to another, but then as a good Far Madding man he could appreciate the desire to please the ones you cared for. Maybe the bond was as great as everyone seemed to think it was?
"You are quiet," Asha'man Jaryd observed as they walked.
"I am," Murdock replied, giving the shorter man a brief look. He was concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, more tired than he wanted to be but dealing with it without complaint. It was what he got for Rending people, after all. "I was thinking of the men we left. They were not ill because of an unfortunate illness, that was poison at work. I don't know what the business of that was, but I hope it gets resolved." He didn't ask if the man had been able to discern anything himself, because at the end of the day they weren't there now and Murdock didn't really care what happened to the rest of them. Perhaps that was selfish of him but with no personal investment in them and no real driving urge to do right by these men who had no idea who he was, why would he get emotional or weepy over the fate of a strange village in Andor? Was it so wrong to reserve his feelings for the people he cared about? And if that person at this moment in time was only himself, was that bad as well? Self preservation, survival, it was what Giselle would have wanted.
Actually, what she would have wanted was for Murdock to be happy, but this was the closest substitute.
------ Murdock -------------- Nathaniel --------------- Maever -------