Citadel Dreams of Green [attn: Craig/Z and Bella/Lys]

[Craig]

Zarayne

Whilst she may have been the daughter of a Maiden, Zarayne did not have her mother's understanding of battle. Nor her father's. The presentation of the enemy's forces sounded enormous, but as Lysira and Tia did not seem overly concerned, she found it easy to mentally fall in line. Zarayne had found it easy to lose herself watching Lysira practicing her sword forms, and Tia had shown her how to ward herself against Sightblinder's creatures.

"I'd be glad to, Lysira Gaidin," she replied with a nod. In the presence of these two women, it was easy to feel safe and well guarded. If the situation they were going to face was actually dangerous, Zarayne was sure someone would have ordered her to remain behind. Becoming Accepted did not seem to have done much to loosen the hold the Grey Tower had over her, and the Grey Tower was very protective of their students.

Zarayne ran her hands over her hips. It took her brain a moment to catch up with what she was doing. I don't have a weapon. She had got quite used to her sword (even if she didn't have an actual sword that was hers). Again, she was comforted by the fact that she was with an Aes Sedai and a Gaidin of the Tower. She felt safe because no-one was saying anything to the contrary. And I still have the One Power. Plus it wasn't as if Tia Sedai had a weapon either.

As Marwen vanished to get himself sorted out (and presumably to find a horse himself), Zarayne took a long look eastwards. Her eyes focused on the horizon, wondering how much beyond those hills lay her home village. Her heart hurt to think about how close she may be to her mother. She gripped her Great Serpent ring between her thumb and forefinger, twisting it anxiously. At some point during her time as a novice, Zarayne had accepted that the two of them may never meet again, but that did nothing to soothe the pain in her chest when she thought about it.

"I..." she began softly. She wasn't sure what the rest of the sentence was meant to be. A request to see her mother? That would only place her at risk, saying she was still a runaway Accepted of the Grey Tower. A request to go home? No, she could still hear the Amyrlin's and Vanya's words in her ears from her test for Acceptance. She was Zarayne of the Grey Tower, not Zarayne of Shienar. Lysira and Tia had probably been in their respective roles for so long that they too did not think of anywhere but Hama Valon as home.

Raising a collar of banded colour to her face, she dabbed away at the corner of her eyes. Fortunately for the Aiel, she was faced away from the other two women so that they would not see her shame.

[Roan]

Tia Sedai

Tia looked from Lysira to Zarayne, studying the Accepted as she replied she’d be glad to join them. The Aes Sedai knew from talking to the Mistress of Novices that the young woman hadn’t been to the Citadel before. She also knew a person’s first trip to the fortification could be more than a little overwhelming, and as such, she intended to keep tabs on how Zarayne was doing while the three of them were on their little adventure.

The Aes Sedai furrowed her brows after the Accepted turned away. It seemed like she intended to say something else, but stopped herself. Tia intended to follow up on what the stray comment might be, but given the impending scouting mission, there was another more pressing matter. She cast a glance towards Lys before looking back to the Accepted, “Zarayne, given where we are going, I would suggest we get you in something other than a banded dress. The colors would stand out and might draw attention to our little party, which we want to try and avoid.

“We can stop off at the Quartermaster, and see what he has available in terms of clothing, armor and any weapons you might want to bring with you. Hopefully, you won’t need the armor or weapons, but better to be prepared,” Tia concluded.

[Craig]

Zarayne

Zarayne flashed a genuine smile towards Tia Sedai. It wasn't that she suddenly relished getting up close and personal with anything that could endanger her, but her mind instantly jumped to the opportunity of wearing a cadin'sor again.

She was to be disappointed.

When their party arrived at the quartermaster's, the equipment they had to offer her was limited. None of it was Aiel in manufacture. The fanciful dream of becoming an Maiden vanished, replaced by the stark reality of their situation. An errand boy appeared at the quartermaster's command, brandishing a strip of tape. At his master's command, he used the tape to take Zarayne's measurements.

Zarayne frowned at everything and nothing, uncomfortable with the proximity of the boy's hands as he measured the length of her arms and her waist and her bust. Only having Lysira's and Tia's eyes on her kept her from shirking away from all of this busywork.

"Let's see what I can manage," the officer mused after he received all of Zarayne's details. "You're a fair height; that helps." After a short while of looking through his supplies, the quartermaster returned with a hefty mound of studded leather. "Here, try this." Zarayne struggled to carry the pile of armour, but she managed. "You can change in there." He pointed at a nearby tent, towards which the Accepted stumbled.

Closing the tent's entrance, she started first by laying out all of the various pieces of armour. The chest piece and leg armour were easy to arrange, but she had difficulty working out what part of her the vambraces were meant to protect. Strings came out from every direction. It all seemed like an intricate puzzle instead of a way of dressing one's self.

In amongst the armour was a simple shirt and simple leggings, so she changed into those first. The shirt was a size too large, and the leggings stopped just above her ankles. The vest of studded leather slipped over her head easily, with flimsy tassets hanging from the bottom. She strapped on the greaves without much effort; the vambraces took quite a bit more time as she managed to put them on one-handedly.

At last the Accepted reemerged from the nearby tent, looking little like she had previously. Her flowing locks of red-gold hair were pulled flat onto her scalp, most of its length trapped underneath the shirt and chest armour. Her long legs were also on show, instead of concealed behind billowing skirts.

"Is this alright?" she asked, looking to Lysira for confirmation. She bore the sort of impression one might have when putting on a dress for the first time, and looking for a mother's approval that she had put all of the bits of herself into the right folds of fabric.

[Bella]

Lysira watched as what armor could be found for Zarayne was found and she was sent off to change.

The Gaidin mentally calculated the necessity of guarding two channelers on this trip, including one young one, but she was experienced. With a little luck, this would remain just a scouting mission...and if not, well, she was there, Tia was a Green with abilities, some hereditary, to fight the Shadow, and Marwen was an experienced soldier.

"Is this alright?"

When Zarayne emerged, her eyes turned to the Gaidin and seemed to be seeking approval. Lys stifled a smile for fear of seeming patronizing and instead used her flashing obsidian eyes to take in the sight of the armor. It clearly wasn't made for the half-Aiel woman, but it fit her well enough to help keep her safe.

Lysira nodded after her intent perusal. 'You look ready to go on a scouting mission,' she declared. 'Let us find you a suitable weapon as well and you will be entirely ready.'

[Craig]

Zarayne

'Thank you,' Zarayne replied over her appreciative smile. She had little clue how she now appeared to everyone else; the tent was not outfitted with a mirror after all. It all felt very foreign, more so than her novice's dress first had when coming to the Grey Tower. Her limbs didn't move as freely, and the leather was stiff. I can still channel, she thought. Her hands and arms weren't too badly encumbered.

With a nod of her own, Zarayne walked with Lysira towards the Citadel's armoury. Unlike at the Grey Tower, the Citadel had separate locations for armour and weapons, although the two rooms were adjacent. Moving past two guards at the door, the pair of women entered a room of weapon racks. Tagging behind the Gaidin, Zarayne soon found herself before a series of swords. Unlike the training lathes she was used to wielding, all of the weapons were different: different hilts, different pommels, different length of blades. Once more, fortunately, it was Lysira who chose a weapon for her translator. 'Try this,' Lysira signed once she handed the sword to Zarayne.

Not well versed in the details of real swords, Zarayne couldn't say much about the weapon now in her hand. It was more akin to Lysira's sword than either of her father's. It was heavier than the training lathe... no, it was just balanced differently. She moved the blade around, trying to get a brief feel for its motion and momentum.

She slid the sword back into its scabbard before awkwardly looping the sheath onto her belt. Once the weapon was attached, Zarayne quickly realised that the awkwardness came from having the strip of leather hitting against her thigh after every step. On the short walk following Lysira back to Tia Sedai, the Accepted tussled with her clothing. It was like wrestling with a constrictor snake once it had already wrapped itself around you - painful and futile. With silent resignation, Zarayne accepted the percussive beat that struck against her leg irritably.

[Bella]

Within an hour of their arrival at the Citadel, they were prepared the head right back out again.

Lysira had already had her armor and weaponry, so she'd been able to just see to getting Zarayne settled. Marwen and Tia had been able to see to their own business as well, and the four of them gained provisions for a short scouting expedition. The plan was simply, which was that they would go to Kentano's Redoubt, take a look at the situation, and then return.

If they had some luck on their side, it would all be just that and nothing more. Of course, Lysira never counted too much on luck alone, which was why she was decked out in blade with a few bundles of arrows.

They all had their horses when they met up again. "Setting out later in the day as we are, we will have to camp one night before we get to the Redoubt, since we certainly don't want to approach in the dark. On our flight to the Citadel, we rode on through the night, but I am sure we don't want to do that now." He smiled wearily.

[Roan]

Tia Sedai

Tia offered a warm smile as she shook her head, “No, I’d rather not tax ourselves and our mounts on the way out. I’d like to keep them as fresh as possible in case we have to make a hasty retreat.” They’d still be able to get four hours or so of riding in before they’d have to stop and make camp. It would mean they’d reach the redoubt earlier in the day tomorrow.

The Green sister mounted up and looked to the others as they did the same, “Commander Marwen, since you are more familiar with the area than we are, would you mind leading the way?”

“Not at all, Aes Sedai,” he replied as he encouraged his horse towards the front. Tia moved Storm so she rode alongside of him.

Looking over her shoulder, Tia saw Lysira and Zarayne fall in side by side. She knew the Accepted not only understood Lysira, but had also been acting as her translator from time to time. The Aes Sedai would make sure to check in to see how Zarayne felt as they grew closer to their objective, knowing this wasn’t a typical day in the life of one wearing the Banded dress.

The first thirty minutes passed in relative silence. Tia would look back at Lys and Zarayne from time to time, and was never surprised to see the Gaidin fully alert. The pair seemed to be having their own conversation too, which was a good thing. Looking to Marwen, Tia couldn’t help but ask, “You said you’d been a little thin on numbers. Have you noticed an increase in activity prior to the attack?”

The Commander furrowed his brows as he considered the question, “Nothing too out of the ordinary, though we encountered more scouting parties in the days leading up to the attack. I find activity with them goes through phases and thought it was just another phase. Perhaps I should have seen it as a forewarning.”

“It is easy to second guess yourself on the other side of an incident, but it is a waste of energy. What’s done is done. Let us see what it will take for us to get your Redoubt back to you,” Tia encouraged. She also wondered if there was anything they could do to perhaps encourage more men be sent to the redoubt to help hold it. That was a question to answer after they managed to push the Shadow out, though.

Spoiler: show

I am beginning to think I am terrible at moving plots forward.

[Craig]

Zarayne

Ignorance was bliss. Not that the half-Aiel Accepted was stupid or wilfully oblivious, but there was a wide berth between learning about a subject and being placed face-to-face with the reality of that situation. Zarayne never doubted the existence of Sightblinder any more than she doubted the existence of the Creator, but she didn't have any true appreciation for the Blight or its dangers. She'd faced a living shadow in the Novices' Quarters, but that was simply proof of Sightblinder's touch on the world – it had no connection to what lay ahead of them to the north. Thanks (or unfortunately due) to this, the flame-haired Accepted spent more time worrying about how her horse was doing, or the unfamiliar weight of the sword by her hip, than she did fretting over Shadowspawn.

Still, she was curious. Her inquisitive mind sought out answers, and she'd been plaguing Lysira with a number of them. Her classes on the Dark One and the creatures of the Shadow had been extensive, but Zarayne placed more trust in what the black-haired Gaidin had to say on the matter. A lot of the answers came with warnings, such as not to attempt to fight one of the Eyeless alone, no matter if it is linked to a fist of Trollocs. The number of cautionary remarks increased over time, and slowly some of the reality of her impending journey settled in. Her skin was already the lightest amongst the four of them, but it paled in the light of certain revelations.

It was too late to turn back. Not that Zarayne had much intention about turning around and returning to the Citadel, but knowing that it wasn't an option quelled most thoughts of rebellion. She just had to place her trust within Lysira and Tia Sedai and Commander Marwen.

'What will we do if we find a band of Trollocs south of the Blightborder? I mean, there are only the four of us. How many Trollocs can we take on without endangering ourselves?' Zarayne didn't relish another tussle with the Shadow any time soon – she wasn't foolhardy – but she knew how to defend herself, with a sword or with the Power. The only thing was that all of her opponents thus far had been human, not ten-foot tall monstrosities.

OOC: I guess I'm not really advancing the story either but conversation is good.

[Bella]

For her part, Lysira's mind rolled over strategy and history. She wondered about what they would find, and then tried to extrapolate what each possibility might mean inside the bigger picture. Such as if they found just a bunch of wandering Trollocs around the outpost, that would make a calculated strike less likely...and so on through a great variety of things.

She also had to coordinate her thoughts around how best to protect Tia Sedai and Zarayne, should they find trouble.

The sad truth was that Commander Marwen was mostly on his own. He was a soldier, and an experienced one of the Blightborder. Tia Sedai was an Aes Sedai of the Green, so Lys knew she could take care of herself. She was still Lysira's to protect, but priority would be placed on the Accepted. She was still young and in training.

It was tactically sound, as well as the mother's instinct.

When Zarayne's hands flashed, Lysira glanced over and watched. She knew that the young woman wasn't the most confident on horseback and was impressed she would sign while riding. She considered the questions and then put her reins on the horn of her saddle to answer. She was, of course, an experienced horseback archer and used to guiding her horse with her legs.

'You would be amazed what a Green and a Gaidin can do,' she said with a small smile, meant to be reassuring. 'However, I have few plans to engage right now, so it's only if we end up caught off-guard that it will be an issue. Or if the party is small enough. It's hard to say in numbers what that is. It's more about sighting and evaluating then.'

Spoiler: show

OOC: I can move the plot, lol, but don't want to override conversation. When the chatting is done, I'll go ahead and make some plot stuff occur.

[Craig]

Zarayne

Zarayne suspected she would be amazed. Hours of watching Gaidin and their trainees spar no doubt paled to the real thing. And as for Tia, she was curious about what lay beyond the act of becoming Aes Sedai. For the most part, they only appeared as teachers within the Grey Tower. But out here in the real world was their true calling. At least for the Green Ajah.

She was only newly raised to the ring, yet the question over what Ajah she may join had taken up residence within her thoughts. This journey would unquestionably help to inform her on the Green Ajah. One of the perks was already clear: freedom from the Tower's walls. That had quelled most of her interest in the Brown Ajah.

Zarayne made sure that Tia Sedai wasn't watching when she asked her next question. 'Do you like working with the Green Ajah? They seem more inclined towards activities where having a Gaidin would be of benefit.' Only a few Ajahs seemed to make much sense for Gaidin looking to bond. What use would a Yellow have for a Warder when they had novices and soldiers to wash bandages and carry poultices for them?

After Lysira had answered, Zarayne asked a bolder question. 'Why are you not bonded yet, Lysira?'